On December 28, 2019, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy (December 28, 2019),” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “Hope in the Kingdom 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.

As we would all be aware, earlier this week many people observed Christmas and next week possibly even more will observe New Year’s Eve. During Christmas, there were many celebrations around a tree and much giving of gifts, and at the New Year, there are usually great displays of fireworks. And yet, most people observing these activities do not understand what they mean or the origin of them. It is usually considered that these times are a time of rejoicing and happiness, but research shows in too many cases that this is not true.

In the Australian Daily Mail of 12th December, 2018, we find that “for some, the festive season sparks a rise in domestic violence and theft. With booze flowing and families gathered under one roof, tensions can run high and lead to a spike in domestic violence. Thefts are also on the rise over the Christmas period, as people scramble to get gifts for their children and loved ones that they simply can’t afford.

“Domestic violence is a growing issue in countless Australian homes. With the festive season now in full swing, recent data obtained by Daily Mail Australia shows an increase in violence on Christmas morning and again on New Year’s Eve.”

So, for these unfortunate ones, celebration of these festivals results in violence or even death caused partly by alcohol-induced road accidents and partly by murder. It is not a good result.

While Christmas is supposedly a Christian holiday, many non-Christians also observe it. In a 2013 Pew Research Center report, around 87% of non-Christians, including within the U.S.A., roughly 75% of Buddhists and Hindus celebrate Christmas. In a recent survey, even 32% of Jews had a Christmas tree in their house.

There is no shortage of information on the origins of Christmas: the fact that it was celebrated many centuries before Christ was born, and even the fact that His actual birth date is unknown. Often newspapers will have general interest articles on this subject and there are plenty of websites that also provide the facts. But generally, most people have no concern whatsoever about the Pagan origins of the festival.

Regarding New Year’s Eve, this again is observed around the world. Here in Australia, capital cities boast about how many tons of fireworks they are going to burn or explode in a spectacular festival. Very few realise that during ancient New Year’s celebrations around this time, fires and loud noises were used by pagans to worship their gods such as the double-faced Roman god Janus or the Germanic god Wodan; dispel ghosts of the dead and evil spirits and bring good luck in the ancient world. Later, with the invention of gunpowder, the fires and loud noises were replaced by fireworks. Again, this information is freely available on websites, but again, most people just enjoy the fun with no consideration for truth.

So, what does God say about all of this. Does it please Him, or does He totally condemn it?

In Exodus 12:2, God declared when the year was to begin. “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.” This was the month of Abib (Deuteronomy 16:1) which means “ears of corn.” It was in Spring, not mid-winter, and there was no command to celebrate the New Year according to the Hebrew calendar.

When God led the Children of Israel into the land He was giving them, He provided strict instructions not to inquire after their gods, saying, “How did these nations serve their gods? I will also do likewise.” He commanded them not to worship Him in the way of the nations that they were dispossessing (compare Deuteronomy 12:30-31).

When truly considered, the current seasonal festivities are purely entertainment with no real meaning. They are actually inspired by Satan to replace and hide the knowledge of God’s true festivals. Remember that Satan deceives the whole world (compare Revelation 12:9).

In contrast, the true festivals that God has given to us reveal His plan of salvation for all mankind. They have a real meaning and give a great hope that is totally absent from what the world generally observes, and what Satan has inspired. We should be very thankful to God that He has given us this hope and understanding of His purpose through His Holy Days. Therefore, we should have nothing to do with the holidays inspired by Satan but observe all of God’s commanded Holy Days instead.

by Norbert Link

We begin this section with further reports on US sanctions against the controversial Russian-German gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 and Putin’s opening of a commuter rail bridge between the Crimea and the Russian mainland. Both events will lead to further deterioration between Russia, Europe and the USA.

We address the sentencing of eight Saudi-Arabians for the gruesome murder of an American journalist, while many believe that the real villains who are responsible for the grisly crime are being protected.

We also point out new developments indicating a further rift between the UK and Germany, and report on the alarming increase of anti-Semitism in Germany in all of its parties and the population as a whole. We also address the controversial anti-Israel proposal of the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor.

We speak on the highly questionable impeachment procedure against Donald Trump and his support by 200 influential Evangelicals. We also point out the rise of homelessness in the USA and warn against the illusion of a booming US economy which is allegedly immune from total collapse, while financial experts claim the exact opposite.  

We publish many articles on Christmas and other religious concepts, including the concern that Christmas is being forced on those who do not want to keep it; its pagan origins which are undeniable; and the alleged attempt of highly controversial Pope Francis to enforce Sunday observance under the disguise of climate change.

We speak on the growing danger of occultism and Satanism, especially for young children [please view our new StandingWatch program in this regard, titled, “How our Wrong Values Destroy our Children”] and we conclude with ongoing vocalized desires in the state of Israel to begin with animal sacrifices on the Temple Mount and to build the Third Temple.

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

US Sanctions against Nord Stream 2 Pipeline

On December 22, Bild Online published the following article:

“US President Donald Trump (73) signed the US sanctions against the company Allseas, which is currently laying the last kilometers of the Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 south of the Danish island of Bornholm. Minutes later, Allseas announced that it wanted to temporarily stop its construction work…

“In an interview with BILD and the US news agency Associated Press, Ambassador Richard Grenell (53) explained the motives behind the sanctioning of the Nord Stream 2 construction company.

“Richard Grenell: ‘You see, this is a longstanding US policy that goes back to the Obama administration. The goal has always been for diversification of Europe’s energy sources and to ensure that not one country or source can build up too much influence on Europe through energy…

“‘15 European countries, the European Commission and the European Parliament have all expressed their concerns about the project… That is why the sanctions are a very pro-European decision… I’ve been hearing all day from European diplomats thanking me for taking this action… As far as the US government is concerned, this is about energy security in Europe.“

These more or less meaningless sanctions and some negative vocal reactions in Europe will not substantially hinder the German-Russian project. Contrary to Grenell’s statements, other reports claim that Brussels stated that the USA has no business in interfering in these “European” matters. All of this will contribute to the prophesied deterioration of the US-EU relationship.

The Bridge of Shame

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 23:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin opened a commuter rail bridge between the Crimea and Russian mainland with a ceremonious train journey on Monday, as Russia continues to cement its influence in Crimea since its annexation in 2014… The bridge consists of parallel automobile and railway sections…

“With the opening of the bridge to commuter traffic it is now possible to travel between St. Petersburg and Sevastopol, with the journey lasting a total of 43 hours and 25 minutes…”

In its reporting, Bild Online spoke of the “bridge of shame,” stating that Ukraine to which Crimea belongs legally, the EU and the USA protested against the bridge. As if Putin cared… Crimea will remain in Russian hands, and the same will be true very soon for Ukraine.

No Justice and Truth in Saudi Arabia’s Murder Case

The Associated Press wrote on December 23:

“A court in Saudi Arabia sentenced five people to death Monday for the killing of Washington Post columnist and royal family critic Jamal Khashoggi, whose grisly slaying in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul drew international condemnation and cast a cloud of suspicion over Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Three other people were found guilty by Riyadh’s criminal court of covering up the crime and were sentenced to a combined 24 years in prison… independent media were barred…

“Agnes Callamard, who investigated the killing for the United Nations, reacted by tweeting that the verdicts are a ‘mockery’ and that the masterminds behind the crime ‘have barely been touched by the investigation and the trial.’ Amnesty International called the outcome ‘a whitewash which brings neither justice nor truth.’…

“In Washington, Congress has said it believes Prince Mohammed is ‘responsible for the murder.’ President Donald Trump has condemned the killing but has stood by the 34-year-old crown prince and defended U.S.-Saudi ties. Washington has sanctioned 17 Saudis suspected of being involved. Among those sanctioned is Saud al-Qahtani, a hawkish former adviser to the crown prince. The Saudi attorney general’s office said Monday that al-Qahtani was investigated and had no proven involvement in the killing. Meanwhile, Ahmed al-Asiri, also a former adviser to the crown prince who was deputy head of intelligence, was tried and released because of insufficient evidence, the attorney general’s office said. The court also ordered the release of Saudi Arabia’s consul-general in Istanbul at the time, Mohammed al-Otaibi. He is among those sanctioned by the U.S. over his ‘involvement in gross violations of human rights.’ The U.S. State Department has also issued travel bans against his immediate family…

“Although Khashoggi’s killing tarnished Prince Mohammed’s reputation in the West, he is hugely popular at home, especially among young Saudis…”

Sadly, in this world of Satan, guilty powerful perpetrators are protected and go unpunished and will be able—for a while—to continue with their rotten conduct. But ultimately, the time of reckoning will come.

Further Aggravation between Germany and Britain over Brexit

Express wrote on December 24:

“German drug importers have warned they expect Brexit to further exacerbate drug shortages in Berlin, which are already scarce… Jörg Geller, board member of the Association of Pharmaceutical Importers in Germany (VAD) and President of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Importers (EAEPC), said:… ‘We fear that after Brexit we will no longer be able to buy medicines in the UK. At the same time, the UK can continue to buy medicines in the EU. Therefore the market will quickly be imbalanced.’

“The current situation with drugs in Germany is dire, and has been since 2018. This is because there are currently 274 delivery bottlenecks that have been reported to the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices. In 2018, 12.9 percent of all prescription drugs in Germany came from imports as a result.

“Mr Geller… said he cannot comprehend how a nation as powerful and rich as Germany could possibly be struggling with a shortage of medicines.

“He said: ‘The pharmaceutical manufacturers are causing the shortages because they do not produce enough medication and put it on the market. Many manufacturers also seal off the markets through quotations and discount contracts for patent-protected preparations. Some producers even exclude entire countries from delivery because the sales prices there are too low for them. This creates an artificial shortage.’”

Sadly, this rings very true, and shame on those greedy pharmaceutical manufacturers. This kind of conduct won’t help in creating a smooth Brexit “divorce.”

Shocking anti-Semitism in Germany

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 22:

“The chairman of the Jewish community in Halle, Germany – where a neo-Nazi attempted to shoot up a synagogue on Yom Kippur – said that all German political parties are infected with Jew-hatred according to a Sunday interview in the Bild paper…, adding ‘I would not recommend to anyone to walk through Halle wearing a kippa.’… He said… ‘Just yesterday there was an email in the mailbox of the Jewish Community in Halle, which said: “Unfortunately, our grandparents did not completely solve the problem from 1933 to 1945.” The sender signed it with his full name. I forwarded the email directly to the public prosecutor’s office,’ said Privorozki.

“The Jewish community leader said ‘Antisemitism is not just a problem of the AfD [Alternative for Germany]. All parties are affected by the antisemitism virus…’ Some telling examples of antisemitism scandals over the last year, according to German media reports and critics, unfolded within the German Green Party and the Social Democratic Party…

“A 2017 federal government study said 40% of Germans hold a modern antisemitic attitude, namely the intense loathing of the Jewish state. The study revealed that nearly 33 million Germans of 82 million are contaminated with contemporary antisemitism.”

There is no further denying the fact that Germany’s anti-Semitism, which actually has always been in existence, has reached extremely dangerous proportions.

Germany’s Confidence in anti-Israel ICC’s Proposal

The Times of Israel wrote on December 25:

“Australia rejected the effort by the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor to launch an investigation into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, arguing that the matter must be resolved by the two parties at the negotiating table… ‘Australia’s position is clear — we do not recognize a so-called “State of Palestine” and we do not recognize that there is such a State Party to the ICC’s Rome Statute,’ the spokesperson went on… Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz praised Australia for the statement…

“Germany, in a more nuanced stance, said it had full trust in the court, was confident the ICC’s judges would ‘address issues of admissibility,’ and cautioned against politicization… reiterating Berlin’s support for the court… Germany is generally known as a staunch supporter of the court…

“Israel vociferously rejects her statement, arguing that the court clearly does not have jurisdiction over the case, as there is no Palestinian state that has the mandate to transfer criminal jurisdiction over its territory to The Hague… US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday issued a statement saying the administration remains ‘firmly’ opposed to the ICC’s supposed investigation into the matter, slamming it as an unfair attack on Israel.”

122 countries are Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Italy, Norway, France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. Countries that are not members include the United States, China, India, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Qatar and Israel. The U.S. signed the treaty during the Clinton administration, but Congress did not ratify it.

China, Russia and Iran

Breaking Israel News reported on December 26:

“As [Israel] announced that [it] is fighting Iran alone, China, Iran and Russia have scheduled joint naval drills in the Indian Ocean and Sea of Oman starting on Friday and ending on Monday…

“China’s Xining guided missile destroyer will participate in the drills, which are meant to deepen cooperation between the three countries’ navies…

“The Sea of Oman is a critical waterway as it connects to the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes… This comes as tensions between Iran and the United States and Israel have risen throughout the year…”

According to the Bible, a Far Eastern military bloc will be forming, which will apparently support Iran.

“Democrat Legal Expert: Trump Isn’t Impeached Until Articles Go to Senate”

Breitbart wrote on December 20:

“Harvard Law School professor Noah Feldman, who testified as a Democrat witness in the House Judiciary Committee’s public hearings on impeachment [which he strongly supported, albeit with unconvincing arguments], argues President Donald Trump is technically not impeached until the House submits the articles to the Senate.

“In a Bloomberg News opinion-editorial published Thursday, Feldman writes the definition of impeachment, according to the framers, ‘assumed that impeachment was a process, not just a House vote,’ and impeachment is official only when the articles are transmitted to the Senate, where lawmakers are ‘obliged by the Constitution to hold a trial.’

“Feldman writes: ‘If the House does not communicate its impeachment to the Senate, it hasn’t actually impeached the president… As for the headlines we saw after the House vote saying, ‘TRUMP IMPEACHED,’ those are a media shorthand, not a technically correct legal statement. So far, the House has voted to impeach (future tense) Trump. He isn’t impeached (past tense) until the articles go to the Senate and the House members deliver the message.’”

Other legal scholars have voiced similar opinions. In any event, the impeachment process and the impeachment trial will NOT lead to a conviction and will NOT prevent Trump from becoming re-elected. In a somewhat strange and bizarre move, Nancy Pelosi has invited President Trump to deliver the State of the Union address on February 4, 2020, in the House of Representatives, and Trump agreed to do so.

Evangelicals Support Trump, Reject “Christianity Today” Article

Breitbart wrote on December 22:

“More than [two] hundred influential evangelical Christian leaders sent a letter to the president of the far left magazine Christianity Today, chastising him for publishing a commentary on Thursday calling for the removal of President Trump.

“The letter, addressed to Christianity Today president Timothy Dalrymple on Sunday, was signed by well-known evangelical Christians, including Dr. James Dobson, former Gov. Mike Huckabee, former head of the Family Research Council Gary Bauer, author Eric Metaxas, and pastors Robert Morris, Tommy Barnett, and Jentezen Franklin [as well as Franklin Graham and Jerry Falwell, Jr.].

“‘We write collectively to express our dissatisfaction with the  editorial Christianity Today published on Thursday, December 19, 2019 calling for the removal of our duly elected President, who was put into office at the behest of over sixty million voters,’ the letter began. ‘The editorial you published… not only supported the entirely-partisan, legally-dubious, and politically-motivated impeachment but went even further, calling for Donald Trump not to be elected again in 2020 when he certainly survives impeachment,’ the signatories wrote in the letter. ‘Your editorial offensively questioned the spiritual integrity and Christian witness of tens-of-millions of believers who take seriously their civic and moral obligations…”

“Early Friday, Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham, who founded Christianity Today in 1956, criticized the organization’s current leadership for their pro-impeachment commentary. Celebrated evangelical pastor Franklin Graham revealed Friday his father, Billy Graham, voted for Donald J. Trump in 2016 because he believed he was the best man for the job.”

Christianity Today’s editorial was certainly ill-advised and flawed as it used the biased “impeachment” procedure as the basis for demanding Trump’s removal. At the same time, one has to wonder why so many Evangelicals support Trump unquestionably, even though his comments and life style do not at all correspond to Christian “moral obligations” and godly values allegedly upheld by these same Evangelicals. Of course, liberal permissive Democrats have no corner on the market either. All of this shows why TRUE Christians must not be involved in politics and voting in governmental elections.

Homelessness on the Rise due to California

CNN wrote on December 21:

“The homeless population in the US increased 2.7% this year largely because of a surge in unsheltered and chronically homeless individuals in California, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) said in a news release Friday.

“The study found that 567,715 people across the nation experienced homelessness on a single night in 2019, an increase of 14,885 people compared with 2018. Meanwhile, homelessness among veterans and families with children declined in the year, dropping 2.1% and 4.8%, respectively.

“The number of people experiencing homelessness dropped in 29 states and Washington, DC in 2019, the news release said. But the rise in homelessness in California and elsewhere on the West Coast ‘offset’ the nationwide decreases, the office said… An additional 21,306 people were homeless in California in 2019, up 16.4% from the previous year, HUD said.

“The data comes after the Trump administration sent a team of officials on a ‘fact finding’ trip to California in September to learn more about homelessness in Los Angeles.

“The homeless population in Los Angeles County increased to almost 60,000 people in 2019… Thousands of people became homeless, the authority said, as a result of the economy, foster care, mental health, criminal justice and the housing market.”

This is a terrible report. That there should be so much homelessness in the world’s wealthiest country does not speak well for its politicians and those in charge. And even though we are hearing in the mainstream media about a booming economy, there are other voices warning of a complete and total crash in 2020.

For instance, former Congressman “Ron Paul warned about ‘the mother of all bubbles’ in a recent piece arguing that the U.S. may be on the verge of experiencing a catastrophic economic crisis” (Advocates, December 6, 2019).

The Birch Gold Group wrote on November 5, 2019, “that a broken economy can be technically held together for a decade, but under the surface, the structure continues to rot… We saw this during the crash of 2008, and now we’re seeing it again… All of these factors and more show an economy in recession or depression… More stimulus will not stall the crash that is already happening… The can has been kicked for the last time.”

In spite of this or because of utter ignorance of the American people, crazy and irresponsible Christmas spending reached an all-time high. “Holiday shopping set records over the weekend, with Super Saturday sales reaching $34.4 billion, the biggest single day in U.S. retail history… [while]  online spending so far this season has accounted for 58% of sales growth from a year earlier,” according to MSN, dated December 23.

“Merry Christmas” from Netanyahu

The Algemeiner wrote on December 24:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a Christmas greeting on Monday, ahead of the start of the holiday. ‘Merry Christmas to all our Christian friends in Israel and around the world,’ Netanyahu said, standing alongside his wife Sara. ‘The State of Israel is the culmination of so many prophecies and our deepest held values,’ the prime minister stated. ‘We share the common civilization, the Judeo-Christian civilization, that has given the world the values of freedom, individual liberty, the sanctity of life and the belief in one God.’

“‘We are proud of our traditions,’ he added. ‘We are proud of our Christian friends. The State of Israel would not have come into being if it weren’t for the avid support of Christians in the 19th century, in the 20th century as well and in the 21st century.’ Netanyahu concluded, ‘We know that we have no better friends around the world than our Christian friends. So thank you. Thank you all for standing up with Israel, standing up for the truth. Merry Christmas.’”

The Bible prophecies that many Jews will become more and more engaged in “Christian” observances. After all, what do Christmas celebrations have to do with standing up for the Truth?

How Christmas Is Forced Upon Us

The Week wrote on December 24:

“Christmas is (finally) upon us. After months of red-and-green evergreen decorations in every store, and an increasingly unbroken stream of Santa-centric pop songs in every public place, the annual American onslaught reaches its peak this week. Every year, those of us who don’t celebrate Christmas find ourselves having the same debates over and over again, starting well before Thanksgiving and continuing into the New Year. Well-meaning friends, neighbors, and colleagues insist to us that we should not be bothered by the giant Christmas trees in every building lobby, or the Christmas music supplanting our usual radio fare. Christmas, the argument goes, is secular; therefore, everyone should be comfortable participating in it, whether or not they identify as Christian…

“… the pushback to secular Christmas tends to be dominated by Jewish voices… As an assimilated American Jew, I’m intrigued by this… For those who grew up celebrating Christmas, it can be hard to conceive of decorated evergreen trees [as] neutral symbols of the ‘magic; of the season…

“Christmas is neither neutral nor secular. It is firmly associated with a religious tradition that erases our existence at best, and oppresses us at worst…”

To call Christmas “secular” is total nonsense, even though many non-religious people might celebrate it as well, while they are oblivious to Christmas origins. Christmas has always been a religious festival with pagan roots.

Changing Saturday to Sunday

Express wrote on December 21:

“On September 12 this year, Pope Francis announced his plan to launch a global education pack to ‘unite efforts’ to combat climate change. The leader of the Vatican called on world leaders to come together on May 14, 2020, to discuss his ‘Laudato Si’ proposal to reduce global warming… Francis also suggests Sundays with keeping a better environment.

“Page 237 reads ‘On Sunday, our participation in the Eucharist has special importance, Sunday is meant to be a day which heals our relationship with God, with ourselves, with others and with the world’.

“[Biblical Seventh-Day Adventist preacher Greg Sereda claimed:] ‘The implication here is that we need to have a law mandating rest on Sunday, so it appears that his agenda on climate change includes giving Sunday rest and worship mandated by law to improve the environment’. Mr Sereda went on to claim that Saturday should actually be the day of rest and not Sunday, therefore those that follow the Pope’s order will be ignoring God’s wishes… ‘the Catholic Church changed the sabbath from Saturday to Sunday and no man has the right to change God’s commandment. So in convincing people to honour Sunday as the sabbath, which is a part of Pope Francis’ agenda for climate change, people will be submitting themselves to the authority of the church’…”

The article went on to “explain” that the warnings in the Book of Revelation are to be understood metaphorically and that they cannot be applied to a literal abolition of the Sabbath and its replacement with Sunday. There can be no doubt that God’s weekly Holy Day is the Sabbath (from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) and that the Catholic Church “changed” God’s Law by substituting the Sabbath with Sunday. And so, the world is being kept in darkness until it will be too late.

Celebrating Winter Solstice or Christmas?

The Sun wrote on December 22:

“HUNDREDS gathered at Stonehenge this morning to welcome the winter solstice, as the sun rose for the shortest day in the year. Crowds, donning colourful clothing, congregated at the prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, hugging the stones… The winter solstice is most notably associated with the druids who mark the start of the solar year with a celebration of light and the rebirth of the sun. But the celebrations were not just confined to Stonehenge, with other cultures regularly observing the shortest day of the year.

“Across Europe the winter solstice is known as Yule, from the Norse word Jul (or juul), meaning wheel. The day has been celebrated by various cultures around the world for thousands of years and is generally a recognition of rebirth.

“Fires would be lit to symbolise the heat and light of the returning sun and a Yule log was gathered and burnt in the hearth as a tribute to the Norse god Thor. There are many songs and poems used to celebrate this special day. Pagan homes are often decorated with supposedly sacred herbs and red, green and white colours. Holly, ivy, evergreen boughs and pine cones are usually put around the home, especially in places where socialising takes place.

“A sprig of mistletoe is put up above a threshold and is meant to be left there until the next Yule. Pagans see it as a charm for good luck throughout the year but [it] has now taken on a symbolic meaning for kissing beneath it and the opportunity for romance.”

The similarities with Christmas are striking and obvious. It should be clear that modern Christmas customs were adopted from pagan rites and observances. God calls this an abomination.

Church of England Accused of Betraying Christian Faith

Daily Mail wrote on December 21:

“A former chaplain to the Queen has converted to Catholicism after becoming exasperated at the ‘astonishing’ failure of the Church of England to defend Christian values and the faith itself. Dr Gavin Ashenden was chaplain to the monarch for a decade, resigning from the post in 2017 after objecting to the Koran being read during an Anglican service. Now, he has quit altogether to join the Catholic church, launching a stinging attack on the Anglican church in the process.

“He said the Church had ‘swallowed wholesale’ trendy politically correct causes such as transgender rights rather than offering a ‘Christian critique’. He also accused it of failing to stand up for those accused of ‘thought crimes’ for stating their Christian beliefs…

“Today’s children are bombarded with social media messages sowing doubts about what was a cast-iron certainty of childhood: you are a boy or a girl. And, as The Mail on Sunday reported last week, up to a quarter of children ‘presenting’ as transgender could simply be autistic.”

His criticism of the Church of England is clearly justified. His conversion to Catholicism, which could be accused of the same frailties, is difficult to comprehend.

Occultism on the Rise especially for Young People

Crux wrote on December 22:

“… references to the demonic are increasingly prevalent in videogames and school games such as the ‘Charlie Charlie challenge,’ in which players cross two pencils on a grid with sectors marking ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and ask a supernatural being, ‘Charlie,’ to answer the questions they ask…

“One example of the normalization of Satanism… is the recent book, A Children’s Book of Demons, which was published in May and is directed to children aged 5-10 years of age. Penned by Aaron Leighton, an award-winning illustrator and known fan of occult practices, the book contains colorful images of some 20 different demons and teaches kids the sigil, or magical symbol, for the demons and how to summon them…

“As Satanism and occult practices become increasingly normal among young people, they also face pressure not to feel out of the loop if friends and peers are involved…”

Young people must be properly taught by their parents about the danger of Satanism and occult practices. Of course, in many cases, parents are confused themselves, not really knowing what constitutes occultism, and they might even participate in superstitious practices thinking they are harmless fun. This would include believing in horoscopes and astrology, and participating in Halloween and Christmas celebrations (which are pagan to the core). Far Eastern meditation practices, consulting mediums or participating in séances also include a fertile ground for demonic activities.

Pope Francis Challenges “Traditional Catholic Values”

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 24:

“Pope Francis’ Christmas address shocked many as he rejected tradition, Western culture and compared Jesus in Bethlehem to a refugee… This anti-West approach should be expected as Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first from the Southern Hemisphere…

“There is no doubt that traditional Catholic values are being challenged under Pope Francis. In November, the pope announced that he would consider a request to allow married men to be priests. He is also considering the addition of ‘ecological sins’ to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Among the sins that Catholics would confess to a priest are whether their clothes are fairly traded, how many animal products they consume, and whether they overuse their mobile phones.

“His policy in which homosexuals are welcomed into the church is so revolutionary that the American LGBT magazine The Advocate named Pope Francis their Person of the Year for 2013… He has frequently met with openly homosexual and transgender people.

“Some Catholic Churches are taking this agenda even further. Catholic dioceses in the United Kingdom are reportedly hosting homosexual Masses designed to welcome homosexuals into the church and combine ‘gay pride’ with the Eucharist and other Romish sacraments… these events welcome homosexuals into the Catholic Church while not advocating celibacy.

“The Pope has also been advancing his Declaration on Human Brotherhood… [He] has been criticized for advancing the concept of one world religion…”

Many of the Pope’s new ideas are clearly in opposition to traditional Catholic dogma. Some of his ideas are worthwhile considering in the light of biblical prophecy, while others are downright silly. IF these ideas represent what Francis REALLY believes, then a dramatic clash with the Vatican is inevitable.

Sudden Call to Start the Temple Services

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 24:

“As Shabbat ends, the Sanhedrin will be hosting a Menorah lighting on Mount Zion for all nations, bringing together representatives of all of humanity, in what is the battle call for the war of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness…

“The focus of the ceremony on Mount Zion will be the lighting of the seventh flame on a large nine-branched menorah… Specially prepared to be used should a sudden call go out to jump-start the Temple service on the Temple Mount, the menorah can be carried by one man. The oil used in the lighting ceremony was prepared according to the strictest laws of purity that apply to olive oil prepared for use in the Temple. “

The rest of the article includes a lot of utter nonsense, but it is noteworthy that the desire for the building of the Third Temple is mentioned, which is very much alive today in the state of Israel.

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.

We find many Scriptures in the Bible encouraging us to pray for others. But why? Why should a Christian spend time in praying for others, especially for those in the faith? Is there a benefit for doing this? What is God’s purpose in having us pray for each other?

One of the trademarks of a Christian is an attitude of outgoing concern for others. Putting others ahead of one’s self shows absolute love and kindness which is a key trait of one who calls him- or herself a Christian. Please note 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Romans 12:10; Mark 12:31 and 1 Peter 3:8. All these Scriptures point out the fact that true love does not only think about oneself, but also about others. It is ALWAYS looking out for the betterment of others and their situations. Philippians 2:3-4 iterates: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

When we start taking on this approach, we quickly see that one of the major ways to do this is through praying for others. Maybe they include prayers for strength, or wisdom, or for help in health-related matters. We all have the opportunities to pray these types of prayers for others. This is entirely backed up by God’s Holy Scriptures.

Paul’s entire outlook throughout his ministry was to constantly be praying for those whom he shepherded. He took great care of the people that God entrusted to him. But in turn, he entrusted their well-being and their continuance in the faith to God through prayer.

We can notice this in the next few quoted Scriptures.

• Ephesians 6:18-20 in the New International Version: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
• Romans 10:1: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.”
• Colossians 1:9: “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding…”
• 1 Timothy 2:1-7: “Therefore I exhort (encourage) first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority (a prominent place), that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”

Paul was concerned that we all pray for each other with prayers full of outgoing concern and love in each situation that we all find ourselves in throughout our lives. And he exemplified this. But notice, this is not just where we are to leave off in our prayers. We can pray and should pray for outcomes in government—not for this world as this world is Satan’s world, nor for the kingdoms and nations that rule–but rather we are to pray that we can have peace and safety and that we find favor in the eyes of people who rule this world, as well as praying for the unhindered fulfillment of the Work which God has commissioned us to do. Also realizing though that our allegiance is to God, first and foremost, and that we cannot go against His Will, even if people who rule in this world command us to do otherwise. Rather, we need to stand up for what is right and be proper ambassadors as Paul rightly showed himself to be.

Continuing on in reading what Paul wrote in his letters to many churches as to how he kept them in his prayers. We read how explicit he was in telling them what it was that he was praying about for them. In Philippians 1:3-10 we read: ^“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 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; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.  And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

What would have been the effect if Paul had not prayed for the churches in this way? His prayers had to have had effect. Both from the standpoint of God listening and helping, but also from the standpoint of the people to whom the letters were written and hearing those words and knowing that he was praying for them.

In James 5:16 we read: “Confess your trespasses (your personal sins which you have committed towards other members) to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent (supplication) prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

Our prayers can be effective, both for ourselves and for others, if we are righteous. If we are NOT righteous in our approach, then God will not hear. In chapter 1 of James, we see many admonitions in this regard. There is no end to how we can and should live righteously. If we find it hard to think in this way, then we are not focused enough on God, and not studying enough. God is curious to see what we will do. He is anxious to see our character growth. But this only comes through intensive moments of opportunity for growth. This comes through having convictions (especially biblically based ones and sticking to those).

Continuing in verses 16-17 of James 5: “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”

Do we consider our prayers to be THAT powerful? If not, WHY not? When we pray, we should be expecting the things we pray about to be done. John 14:13-14 shows Christ’s words for us today: “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” 

We need to realize that our prayers hold serious weight with God. We have to believe this. And we need to learn to pray in all situations.

Matthew 5:44 tells us: “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

This does not mean, of course, that we should pray for the welfare of our enemies who curse, hate, spitefully use and persecute us and, more importantly, God. Rather, our prayers to God should contain a plea that they would understand and repent of the wickedness of their ways, so that they can be freed from being Satan’s captives. This might even include a plea to God for His powerful and dramatic intervention in their lives to wake them up or to prevent them from causing further harm to others. Sometimes, God even tells us to cease praying for His enemies—especially for those who once knew the Truth and fell away, as God would not hear our prayers. And in general, we read that even Christ did not pray for the people of this world, while He did and does pray for those whom He called out of this world.

In John 17:8-9, we read: “For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.”

Christ’s prayer to the Father in John 17, verses 6-26, was dedicated to the men and women who were alive at that time and for ALL who would be called to become true Christians. His care and concern was for His people whom God has chosen and would choose through the centuries. His desire was for us to become one as He and the Father are one. This is not easily accomplished. It takes much focus on God’s Word, prayer and the action.

Paul asks us in the 12^th chapter of 1 Corinthians to stir up spiritual gifts for the sake of unity. Each member is to be used by God in the capacity that is granted to them. In verse 25, Paul talks about each member having the “same care for one another.”

When we focus our attention on others and shift from being self-centered to caring for others in whatever capacity that may be, we begin to experience a change of our mindset. Let us notice the growth of the early Church because of what God was accomplishing, while He was specifically looking at their attitude. In Acts 2:40-47, it says that the new church members continued “steadfastly” in prayers. They were not only praying for their own lives and God’s help for problems they were encountering, but they were also praying for each other. They were praying for the Work. They were praying for those who were leading them. And God was pleased with this attitude and this approach.

Those who do NOT pray for the welfare and benefit of other Church members exhibit attitudes of selfishness. While not caring for others, they may rather talk about them in negative ways, gossip and slander them and show a general disregard for them. This would also apply to people in the world who are maligned and talked about incorrectly. God tells us to stay away from these kinds of people who slander and gossip. If we were to find that we had this type of attitude, it would be time to repent and to draw close to God. Paul’s warning for us in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (Amplified Bible) is as follows: “But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them.”  This is NOT the type of people that we want to be a part of in any way, nor do we want to be these types of people ourselves.

When we pray, we should always know how powerful our prayers for each other can be, and how much we should be coming before God with all sincerity and belief that He is there waiting. We are aware of the state of the world, and we should understand that our prayers for the Work and those who perform the Work are important as well. 2 Thessalonians 3:1 says: “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you.”

Righteous and appropriate prayers for others are extremely important, and they should be a daily part of our prayer life.

Lead Writer: Kalon Mitchell

compiled by Dave Harris

“How our Wrong Values Destroy our Children,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Are the “values” which we teach our children in conformity with God’s standards? Sadly, in far too many cases, they are not! While German Roman Catholic bishops, Pope Francis, Protestant organizations, governments, politicians, educators and school teachers convey many ungodly principles on sex and other matters to our young people, YOU must know and teach them the Truth.

“War der Apostel Petrus der erste Papst?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Was the Apostle Peter the First Pope?”

“Vorsicht vor Ablenkungen” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermonette, presented by Michael Link. Title in English: “Careful with Distractions.”

“Ist Gottes Kirche eine Sekte?” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Mike Richter. Title in English: “Is God’s Church a Sect?”

“Are You Blessed by God?”, the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We should never forget all of the many blessings of God which come to us each and every day. But let’s also consider the BIG blessings of God—things which transcend our physical lives.

“A Light that Convicts,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Robb Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Our examples have the ability to be conduits for changing people’s hearts. That can be for either a positive or negative reaction. We cannot let the light of God’s Truth be reduced in brilliance or be put to shame because we allow ourselves to be led by our carnality. We are called to let our lights shine and we must be doing so at all times.

On December 21, 2019, Dave Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Are You Blessed by God?” and Robb Harris will present the sermon, titled, “A Light that Convicts.”

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.

A rescue worker recently died while trying to find a lost hiker. As reported by CNN, “A volunteer rescue worker died Saturday while searching for a hiker on Mount Baldy in California, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said. Timothy Staples of the West Valley Search and Rescue team, (a ‘dedicated volunteer’ for nine years), was among those looking for Sreenivas ‘Sree’ Mokkapati, a 52-year-old reported missing December 8 while hiking to the Mount Baldy summit. The West Valley Search and Rescue team said on Facebook that Staples died after a horrible fall.”

Volunteering your time and putting yourself in dangerous situations to help others, especially those in dire or deadly predicaments, is a truly noble action. The Bible speaks to the selflessness of this act, “‘Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends’” (John 15:13).

This desire to help others while putting oneself at risk quite often leads to accidental death as well.  Of those killed in the 911 attacks,  343 firefighters and 71 law enforcement officers died rushing towards the burning towers with the intent of rescuing others.

One publication states, “In certain situations, the data show, more people are killed trying to rescue others than are killed in the initial accident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently examined reports for fatal, confined-space accidents and found that when multiple deaths occurred, the majority of the victims were rescuers. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health previously reported that rescuers account for more than 60 percent of confined-space fatalities (slate.com).”

While many have selflessly given their lives to help those in dire need, what about those who place themselves in danger by their own choice or ignorance?  The desire to climb Mount Everest has become a worldwide endeavor since Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers confirmed to have reached the summit of Mount Everest. Since then, “Some 290 people have died climbing Everest in more than a century of attempts, according to the Himalayan Database, an archive that tracks expeditions in the Nepalese Himalayas going back to 1905. About a third, 94, have been Sherpas (npr.org).”

While many might argue that Sherpa deaths are part of the job they have chosen to take part in, it still doesn’t excuse so many deaths merely for man’s folly in desiring to conquer a mountain.

When we seek to conquer and overcome our own mountain of human carnality, are we being conscientious in how we attain that goal?  Spiritual recklessness can cause our own defeat and quite possibly that of those around us. Christ warns of this mindset and the dangers it poses, “‘But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea’”(Mark 9:42).

There is no place in God’s Family for those that lead believers astray. Those words are terrifying in implication and will be the ruin of many who have walked this earth lead by deceit. But the warning given by Christ should not dissuade us from trying to do good. We must continually lead by example and be lights to those in darkness. Christ didn’t call us IN perfection, He called us TO perfection. Paul, with all of his troubles, understood this quite well. “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).

The willingness to give our lives for Truth is the hallmark of what it means to be a Christian. Let us be sure to save and not destroy that Truth or those whom God calls into it.

by Norbert Link

While this world keeps Christmas, it seems to be oblivious to what has occured in 2019 and what will happen in 2020. In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “What’s Ahead for 2020?”

In this section, we report on the continuing frictions between the EU and Britain regarding Brexit and its aftermath; the interesting fall and potential rise of Austria’s right-wing politician Heinz-Christian Strache; the latest developments in the impeachment circus; the somewhat meaningless US sanctions on companies and governments working on the German-Russian pipeline; and the contemplated astronomical and unprecedented US $1.4 trillion spending package to prevent a government shutdown before midnight on Friday.

We report on the desire of bringing animal sacrifices in a newly-constructed temple on the Temple Mount; Donald Trump’s proposed “Deal of the Century” peace plan for the Middle East which would be doomed to fail; and the ongoing escalation between Turkey and Israel.

We point out sober warnings regarding a coming nuclear World War; Russia’s appalling persecution of the Jehovah’s Witnesses; and the drive in especially left-liberal states in the USA to abolish religious exemptions to vaccination requirements. We also speak on the dangerous implications of the radical LGBTQ agenda.

We conclude with articles reporting on attempts to blaspheme Christ; the custom of liberal Jews to bring Christmas trees into their homes; and the Catholic Church’s ambiguous decision to abolish the “pontifical secret” in child abuse cases.

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

EU Concerned after Brexit

AFP wrote on December 13:

“European leaders warned Friday that Britain could become a formidable rival, just hours after a big victory by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s conservatives all but sealed the UK’s Brexit divorce.

“Led by France and Germany, EU member states said they would pursue a swift trade deal with a tight deadline of end [of] 2020, but insisted that any new arrangement must uphold European values and norms… Angela Merkel warned that Britain would be an economic ‘competitor at our door’ after it leaves the EU and French President Emmanuel Macron saw a threat that London would become an ‘unfair competitor’…

“Brussels is also worried about the breakneck speed with which Johnson would like to strike a trade deal with Europe, as well as any British effort to undermine the unity among the remaining 27 members.”

Express wrote on December 13 that Macron was threatening Johnson, stating: “The French President said his country will now be the only nuclear power and the remaining member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) left in the EU.”

The relationship between the EU and Britain will deteriorate drastically.

No Further Brexit Transition Period Extension beyond End of December 2020

The Sun wrote on December 16:

“BORIS Johnson will make it illegal to extend the Brexit transition period beyond the end of next year as he fired the opening salvo to the crucial trade talks with the EU. The PM will include the provision in the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) when he brings it back to the Commons for the crucial vote on Friday. The PM will use his new 80-seat majority to enshrine in law that any extension will be outlawed…

“The WAB will finally implement Mr Johnson’s Brexit deal so Britain leaves the EU on January 31, triggering an 11-month ‘implementation period’ whereby EU rules will still apply here but the UK will have no role in making decisions…”

The EU has sharply criticized this move. The implementation period will prove to be thorny and difficult. If no agreement is reached, a “hard Brexit” will still occur.

Johnson’s Connection to Israel

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 16:

“Boris Johnson’s connection to Israel may have been the secret weapon that helped him win a landslide victory in last week’s British election and his first official act reflects that: a powerful anti-Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement law… the new law would ban public agencies from working with those who boycott Israel in any way…

“Johnson refers to himself as a ‘passionate Zionist’ who ‘loves the great country’ of Israel… He has openly criticized the United Nations Human Rights Council for their obsession with Israel’s so-called human rights violations.”

Both the USA under Trump and Great Britain under Johnson are the only real allies of Israel under Netanyahu. Some in the media have described Johnson’s victory as “divinely inspired.” The friendship between Trump, Johnson and Netanyahu is remarkable. Please watch the following new StandingWatch program: “Johnson’s Brexit; Trump’s Impeachment; Netanyahu’s New Elections.” 

The Fall (and Rise?) of Austria’s Heinz-Christian Strache

Der Spiegel wrote on December 13:

“[Austria’s former Vice Chancellor] Heinz-Christian Strache… is alleged to have accepted bags full of cash from Eastern Europe in exchange for political favors… For instance, fearing that the European Union would abolish paper money, the FPÖ boss invested heavily in gold, preferring bullion coins minted with the design of the Vienna Philharmonic…

“Strache is also said to have put in place an emergency fallback plan in case, for example, NATO were to invade Austria. The FPÖ leader would then have been whisked away with party officials and their families to the Defereggental valley in East Tyrol, to ‘their fortress.’ There, in August, investigators had uncovered stockpiles of gold at the Pension Enzian guesthouse. Beyond that, confidants affirm that Strache had hoarded canisters of gasoline in his office and had occasionally carried around ‘pieces of metal in his underwear’ that were ‘supposed to have healing powers.’”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 14:

“The far-right Freedom Party has removed former party leader Heinz-Christian Strache from its ranks…

“In recent weeks, 50-year-old Strache… said he will not withdraw from political life. ‘The enormous encouragement I’ve received from the public in the last weeks and months has allowed me to reconsider a political comeback in 2020,’ he said in a video message… This week, three Strache allies broke away from the party to found a new political group called the Alliance for Austria (DAÖ). Their goal is to run in Austria’s 2020 elections with Strache as their main candidate.”

As we stated in the past, we have not heard yet the last word of Strache.

The Battle of the Bulge and a United Europe

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 16:

“German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday urged Europe to stand up against nationalism at an event commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. ‘A united and peaceful Europe — that is the lesson we Europeans have learned from unbridled nationalism and racism, from the war of annihilation,’ said Steinmeier…

“The commemoration event took place in the small Belgian town of Bastogne, where Allied soldiers managed to repel the last major German offensive of World War II. More than 19,000 US troops were killed in what is considered one of the bloodiest battles in US history…

“The Battle of the Bulge is considered a turning point in the war, effectively paving the way for Allied forces to break through German defenses in western Europe. Less than six months after the battle, Nazi Germany surrendered…”

Unfortunately, the prophesied united Europe will be anything else but peaceful.

Pelosi Too Afraid!

The Associated Press wrote on December 19:

 “The top Senate Republican is denouncing the ‘unfair’ House impeachment of President Donald Trump and reassuring Trump and his supporters that ‘moments like this are why the United States Senate exists.’ Sen. Mitch McConnell, in remarks prepared for a Thursday floor speech, accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of being afraid to send ‘their shoddy work product to the Senate’ after she threw uncertainty into the impeachment process by refusing to say when she would send two impeachment articles to the Senate for a trial...

“Until the articles [abuse of power and obstruction of Congress] are submitted, the Senate cannot hold the trial [that is nearly certain to acquit the president, according to Newsmax and Bloomberg]… there is no Constitutional requirement on Pelosi to send them swiftly — or at all.”

The New York Times wrote on December 19:

“… the third-ranking House Democrat [James E. Clyburn of South Carolina], raised the possibility that the chamber could permanently withhold the articles from the Senate if it did not get assurances of a fair trial.”

Mitch McConnell even “threatened to cancel Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate if ‘scared’ Nancy Pelosi refuses to send him the formal articles of impeachment” (Daily Mail, December 19). On the other hand, President Trump demanded a trial in the Senate.

The Democrats have signed their death warrant. They might not only have guaranteed that Trump will be re-elected but they might also have managed to lose the House in the next election. Republicans are now unified as never before, while the Nation is deeply and incurably divided. Now, the House Democrats under Pelosi are trying to find a way out of their self-inflicted mortal wound, and delaying a Senate trial indefinitely might be their rationale for mitigating some damage. 

That new “tactic” won’t work. To suggest that the trial in the Senate might be unfair is the epitome of hypocrisy given the fact that the Democratic procedure under Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler in the House was completely dictatorial, biased and utterly unfair.

Not Yet “Impeached”?

Newsmax and Bloomberg News wrote on December 19:

“Lawyers… are exploring whether House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to temporarily withhold articles of impeachment from the Senate could mean that the president hasn’t actually been impeached. The legal argument… is that if Trump has been officially impeached, the U.S. Senate should already have jurisdiction. Backers of the theory would argue that the clause of the U.S. Constitution that gives the Senate ‘the sole Power to try all Impeachments’ indicates that the impeachment is not formalized until the House reported the charges to the upper chamber.”

US Senate Sanctions Russian-German Pipeline

Deutsche Welle reported on December 17:

“US lawmakers on Tuesday approved sanctions on companies and governments working on the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline that will link Germany with Russian gas.

Companies providing services such as pipe laying are being targeted, as Washington tries [to] halt the completion of the $10.5 billion (€9.6 billion) pipeline, which would transport gas under the Baltic Sea. The sanctions, which overwhelmingly passed in the House last week, are expected to be signed into force as part of a defense spending bill by US President Donald Trump later this week.

“The Trump administration would then have 60 days to identify companies and individuals providing services on the pipeline. The sanctions would revoke US visas and block property of these individuals. Those targeted by the sanctions would then have 30 days to wind down their operations. Switzerland-based Allseas, which has been hired by Russia’s Gazprom to build the offshore section, is one company that could be targeted by the sanctions.

“US officials believe the pipeline will increase Europe’s reliance on Russian energy, put billions of dollars in Moscow’s coffers, and increase Russian President Putin’s influence.

However, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has urged the US not to meddle in European energy policy. Speaking on German television last week, Maas criticized the House decision to move ahead on Nord Stream 2 sanctions. ‘We think this is unacceptable, because it is ultimately a move to influence autonomous decisions that are made in Europe.’ ‘European energy policy is decided in Europe, not in the US,’ Maas later tweeted.

“The German-Russian Chamber of Commerce said last week that the pipeline is essential for European energy security and called for retaliatory sanctions on the US. German Bundestag member Andreas Nick told DW that sanctions over the Nord Stream 2 would unite Germany behind the project. ‘It’s an issue of national sovereignty, and it is potentially a liability for trans-Atlantic relations,’ said Nick.”

CNBC added on December 18 that the defense bill approved by the Senate includes US sanctions regarding the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, but that “the sanctions might not have much effect given that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is almost complete.”

US House Approves $1.4 Trillion Spending Package

The Week wrote on December 18:

“The House approved a $1.4 trillion spending package Tuesday that would fund the federal government through Oct. 1, 2020. The Senate needs to pass [after some further compromise, the Senate passed the bill on Thursday] and President Trump sign the legislation before midnight Friday to prevent a government shutdown…”

The Associated Press added on December 17:

“The Democratic-controlled House [handed] President Donald Trump a victory on his U.S.-Mexico border fence… The hard-fought legislation also funds a record Pentagon budget… A tax on medical devices and health insurance plans would also be repealed permanently. Tuesday’s tax breaks [would] repeal the three so-called ‘Obamacare’ taxes…

“The increase in the tobacco purchasing age to 21 also applies to e-cigarettes and vaping devices… but anti-smoking activists said the provision didn’t go far enough because it failed to ban flavored vaping products popular with teenagers…

“The outcome in the latest chapter in the longstanding battle over Trump’s border wall awards Trump with $1.4 billion for new barriers — equal to last year’s appropriation — while preserving Trump’s ability to use his budget powers to tap other accounts for several times that amount. That’s a blow for liberal opponents of the wall…”

Trump emerges successfully… but the unprecedented amount of the spending package is astronomical.

Animal Sacrifices and the Third Temple

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 12:

“‘Our ascent to the Temple Mount makes known God’s name in the World,’ said [Rabbi Eliyahu] Weber, who is styled the dean of the Temple Mount Yeshiva. Weber goes up to the Mount practically every day to recite the morning service with a minyan, and says he has done so for many months. ‘The essence of our presence on the Temple Mount shows that this place belongs to the Jewish people,’ said Weber… The final goal, however, is to rebuild the Temple. ‘The ultimate goal is to be able to offer sacrifices in the Temple,’ Weber says simply…

“There is religious controversy regarding Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, let alone when it comes to work aimed at rebuilding the Temple. The influential Torah scholar Maimonides taught that the Temple would be built by Messiah. Other scholars believe that the Temple will descend from the heavens in the messianic era while the modern right-wing flank has called for Jews to build the Temple now and usher in the Messiah…”

There is no biblical evidence that the temple would descend from heaven. After the third resurrection, the heavenly Jerusalem will descend from the third heaven, but there will be no temple in it. The Bible teaches that the Jews will build the third temple prior to the return of Christ, and that this will apparently become the millennial temple as described in the book of Ezekiel.

Trump’s Plan for Israel

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 17:

“Jerusalem will remain united under mostly Israeli control with some responsibilities shared with a Palestinian state including the West Bank and Gaza, according to a purported draft copy of US President Donald Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’ peace plan for the Middle East published by the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen TV channel on Monday. The unconfirmed reported draft details the timetable and methods of the plan.

“The parts that were released by the TV channel, which is based in Lebanon and affiliated with Hezbollah, discuss a trilateral peace agreement between the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and Israel in which a ‘new Palestinian state’ would be established in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, excluding the settlement blocs which would remain as a part of Israel… Jerusalem will not be split up in the agreement, but instead will be ‘shared’ between Israel and the Palestinian state, with the Arab population of the city becoming residents of the Palestinian state…

“The United States will provide 20% of the funds in the agreement, while the EU will provide 10% and the Gulf nations will provide 70%. The contribution provided by the Gulf nations will be split between them according to their oil producing capabilities. According to the draft, an agreement will be signed between Israel and the new Palestinian state, with Israel providing protection to the state from ‘external aggression,’ while the Palestinians pay for it…

“Upon the signing of the agreement, Hamas will hand over its weapons and armaments to Egypt, and members of Hamas will receive monthly salaries from Arab nations… The Jordan Valley would remain under Israeli control…

“If Hamas and the PLO reject the deal, the United States will end all financial support they provide to the Palestinians and will try to prevent other countries from providing support to the Palestinians… In any military confrontation between Israel and Hamas, the US will support Israel in order to harm the leaders of Hamas and [PLO] as the US won’t accept a situation in which dozens of people control the fate of millions. If Israel rejects the deal, the US will end economic support to the state…

“A letter published in The Guardian by former EU officials, including six prime ministers and 25 foreign ministers, called for postponing the ‘Deal of the Century’ because it is unfair to the Palestinians. In the letter, which was sent to the European Union and EU governments, the former leaders argue that Europe must stand by the two-state solution and condemn the Trump administration’s policy, which they claim is unilaterally in favor of Israel.”

If the report on the contemplated “Deal of the Century” is accurate, then there is no chance that that deal would be accepted by the involved parties. It would constitute another total waste of time and energy.

What Trump Did for Israel

JTA wrote on December 12:

“He has been willing to take action on issues pertaining to Israel and the broader Jewish community that past presidents had shied away from, creating a fervent right-wing Jewish fan base… Trump has forcefully condemned anti-Semitism…

“Here’s a list of his most momentous moves in relation to the Jewish state: Recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Sent a fierce Israel defender, Nikki Haley, to the United Nations, where she used her office to bash the institution for anti-Israel bias. Slashed U.S. funding for the Palestinians. Pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu despises.

 “Those all add up to arguably… the most pro-Israel and most controversial Middle East policy agenda ever.

 “There’s one area of disagreement between Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu:… In September 2019, Trump abandoned the U.S.’ Kurdish allies [in Syria], leaving room for Turkey and the Assad regime to cement their influence on the region. Other Israeli politicians… said that the United States abandoning a trusted Middle Eastern ally was not a good precedent for the U.S.-Israel relationship…   in September of 2019 [Trump also said] he was considering a U.S.-Israel defense pact.”

The now very friendly relationship between the USA and Israel is remarkable, in that prophetic events can and will take place soon, which would otherwise be impossible to occur.

Turkey and Israel on Brink

Express wrote on December 18:

“According to an investigation by The Daily Telegraph the Palestinian group [Hamas] is using Turkey as a safe harbour to plot suicide bombings and assassinations in Israel. The report also claims that Hamas maintains close ties to Turkey’s intelligence agencies, while its top leaders and activists travel freely to the country, with some now living in Istanbul. Hamas is a militant group who are opposed to Israel’s existence within any borders…

“The organisation is considered a terrorist group by the EU and US, while its armed wing has been designated a terror group by the UK… in a sign of the close relations between the Turkish state and Hamas, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met the group’s leader Ismail Haniyeh last weekend. After the meeting, Mr Erdogan re-iterated his support for Hamas, telling reporters: ‘We will keep on supporting our brothers in Palestine.’”

The report by the Daily Telegraph rings true. Turkey will continue to behave antagonistically towards Israel.

Dangers of an “Accidental” War

Daily Star wrote on December 18:

“Gerasimov, the chief [of] Vladimir Putin’s general staff, has said he believes the West are preparing for a ‘large-scale military conflict’… saying that the West has assigned ‘adversary status’ to Russia… NATO and Russia both have shipped tonnes of military hardware to the frontier in eastern Europe… General Gerasimov warned this could accidentally spiral into conflict between Russia and NATO – World War 3…

“General Gerasimov said both Moscow and the West must reduce the risk of clashes. It comes after a string of military incidents between the two sides, with warships and warplanes often ‘buzzing’ each other in eastern Europe…

“Meanwhile, US Major General Barre Seguin… confirmed the US is to send 20,000 troops to Europe next April and May in its biggest military exercises on European soil since the Cold War… to mass around 37,000 troops along the eastern flank…”

According to the Bible, a nuclear war will ensue between a united Europe and a Far Eastern power bloc under Russian and Chinese leadership.

Russia’s Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 13:

“One man became the second Jehovah’s Witness to receive a six year prison sentence in Russia in the last two months. Moscow has outlawed the fringe Christian group [in 2017], saying they are dangerous extremists… The government has been trying to crack down on the US-based Christian sect, which has been completely outlawed in Russia… ‘The current state of religious freedom in Russia is reminiscent of Soviet times,’ said Jehovah’s Witness spokesman Jarrod Lopes in New York…

“Both the government and the Russian Orthodox Church have said that the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who believe in predestination as well as several other fringe Christian doctrines, are a threat to the country’s institutions. However… even President Vladimir Putin has called into question the need to target the group. Still, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said there were no immediate plans to change the law.”

When being confronted, Putin, the proverbial chameleon, will say whatever may be convenient at the time. The persecution of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia is appalling and signals further coming persecution of any religious minority group which is not part of the Russian Orthodox Church.

End of Religious Exemptions for Vaccines even in isolated Private Schools

WKSG news reported on November 7, 2019:

“A state appeals court in Seneca County has upheld New York’s elimination of religious exemptions to vaccine requirements… This is the first school year in which a medical exemption form signed by a doctor is the only way around vaccination requirements for students enrolled in public, private or parochial schools in New York.

“The case in Seneca County focused on an Amish family represented by Long Island attorney Jason Mermigis… All 24 of the students at the private school are unvaccinated, the complaint said. Forcing the children to be vaccinated would be a ‘betrayal of faith in God’ for their father, Jonas Stoltzfus, Mermigis wrote…

“Under the rules barring religious exemptions to vaccines, schools can be fined up to $2,000 per day for each student who is out of compliance… Mermigis said the family lives in a secluded community, and they would not put anyone else at risk by being unvaccinated…”

The Associated Press added on December 16:

“New Jersey’s Assembly on Monday passed a measure to eliminate religious exemptions for vaccines for [public and private school children as well as for child care centers].… but the Democrat-controlled state Senate postponed a vote because there weren’t enough yes votes…

“If approved, the bill would go to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk. His office declined to say what he would do with the bill. New Jersey would join a handful of states, including New York and California, in doing away with the religious exemption, if the bill becomes law… Forty-five states and the District of Columbia allow for religious exemptions to immunizations…”

It is no surprise that left-wing liberal states like California and New York would eradicate religious exemptions. The paranoia regarding this whole matter is breathtaking.  

Changing “Values”

Axios wrote on December 16:

“The industry is changing fast. PBS is planning to increase its LGBTQ programming on broadcast and digital next year… NPR was recently applauded for embracing a plurality of diverse voices on its air. Disney hosted its first ‘Magical Pride’ celebration at one of its theme parks in Paris earlier this year. Highlights, a children’s magazine, made headlines two years ago when it featured an illustration of a same-sex couple in an issue for the first time.

“The bottom line: 61% of Americans support same-sex marriage, up from 31% in 2004…”

The sign of the times and the beginning of sorrows… Walt Disney would turn in his grave if he could and if he knew…

Criminalizing Conversion Therapy for Minors in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 18:

“Germany moved one step closer to banning ‘conversion therapy’ targeting transgender and gay people after its Cabinet approved a draft bill…  The bill will next be presented to Germany’s lower house, Health Minister Jens Spahn told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland news group (RND). If the bill passes both houses of parliament, advertising or offering conversion therapy will be banned and infringements will carry fines of up to €30,000 ($33,000). After the proposed ban, only adults who freely seek out the… ‘therapy’ will be legally permitted to undergo it… The bill passed by the Cabinet was amended to include banning the practice for 16- to 18-year-olds…

“A previous draft of the bill would have allowed the practice on 16- to 18-year-olds if the practitioner could prove the patient understood its implications and risks. Under the bill, parents or caregivers would also be punished for making a 16- to 18-year-old undergo the therapy…”

It should come as no surprise that Jens Spahn is openly gay. Germany, as usual, finds itself in the forefront of promoting highly controversial matters. As we reported in the last Update, Germany is also largely to be blamed for the abominable sex education classes in Europe, including the directive to familiarize children with homosexuality. Note the next article as an opposite example.

EU Attacks Poland over Stance on Family

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 18:

“The European Parliament adopted a resolution… condemning so-called ‘LGBTI-free’ zones in Poland…

“Neither same-sex marriage nor civil unions are allowed in Poland…”

The resolution reads, in part, as follows:

“In a resolution adopted by 463 votes in favour, 107 against and 105 abstentions on Wednesday, MEPs express their deep concern at the growing number of attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in the EU by states, state officials, national and local governments as well as politicians. Recent examples include homophobic statements during a referendum campaign in Romania and hate speech targeting LGBTI people in the context of elections in Estonia, Spain, the UK, Hungary and Poland…

“MEPs notably condemn the areas ‘free from LGBTI ideology’’ established since the beginning of 2019, by dozens of municipalities, counties and regions in the southeast of Poland. These local governments have issued non-binding resolutions pledging to refrain from taking any action to encourage tolerance of LGBTI people and saying they would not provide financial assistance to NGOs working to promote equal rights. The European Parliament urges Polish authorities to condemn these acts and to revoke all resolutions attacking LGBTI rights…”

“Parliament also deplores the attacks carried out against LGBTI people by some member states’ public authorities, targeted at educational institutions and schools. MEPs recall that schools should be places that reinforce and protect the fundamental rights of all children…”

Instead, children are being encouraged in school to engage in homosexual conduct, labeling it as normal. It is troublesome to see how it is tried to enforce the gay agenda on others. In addition, Deutsche Welle reported on December 17 that in the British Parliament, “the number of out gay, lesbian and bisexual MPs [is] more than [in] any other parliament in the world.”

Blaspheming Jesus Christ

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 12:

“… get ready for what’s become a new vulgar Christmas tradition; propagating the delusional denial that Jesus was a Jew. The denial of Jesus’ Jewishness gets ‘better’ by making up the claim not only that Jesus was a Palestinian Arab, but that he was the first Palestinian…

“It’s well documented that Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, and that he was born in Bethlehem, the land designated for Judah’s decedents. That’s why the area around Bethlehem is known as the Judean Mountains today, as it was called Judea then. Why, if Jesus was born in Judea, were his parents visiting from Nazareth in the Galilee where Jesus spent most of his life. This is documented in the New Testament (Luke 2:1-7) that Joseph and Mary returned from Nazareth to Judea during Sukkot (Tabernacles) to participate in a Roman census…

“At a news conference at the United Nations in 1983, (PLO leader Yasser) Arafat called Jesus ‘the first Palestinian fedayeen [militiaman] who carried his sword.’ When Arafat triumphantly took control of Bethlehem in December 1995, he told a throng gathered in Manger Square that he was there to liberate ‘the birthplace of our Lord the Messiah… the city of the Palestinian Jesus!’ During a visit to the Vatican a few years later, Arafat even greeted Pope John Paul II as ‘the successor of Peter, the first Palestinian pope.’…

“Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, describes Jesus as ‘a Palestinian messenger of love, justice and peace.’ Palestinian Authority leader Saeb Erekat has referred to Jesus as the ‘first Palestinian shahid (martyr)’… What’s next, that the last supper was not a Passover Seder but a Ramadan break-fast?

“Claiming Jesus was a Palestinian goes hand in hand with what I term Temple Denial Syndrome: the Palestinian Arab absurdity that there was never a Temple on the temple Mount. Despite historical and biblical reality, and despite that in 1925 the Islamic Wakf documented that their mosques do in fact sit in the site of Solomon’s Temple, that’s what they want you to believe.

“Only after the Bar Kochba rebellion, in the year 132, did Rome rename Israel as Palestina in order to underscore that Judea had been sacked, purging Jewish connection to the Land… Further documenting this, ancient Roman coins have been found with the phrase ‘Judea Capta,’ Judea is Captured. Not ‘Palestine is captured.’ There was no Palestine, ergo Jesus is not, was not and could not have been a Palestinian. ‘Palestine’ didn’t even exist when he lived… [it is] certain is that he was a Jew, something the Romans underscored when they crucified him, mockingly calling him King of the Jews.”

Jesus was clearly a Jew (Hebrews 7:14; John 4:22). Making matters worse, a new Brazilian “comedy” on Netflix portrays Jesus as gay. Also, the first and the second temples clearly stood on the Temple Mount. Ideas to the contrary are unbiblical and without any shred of evidence whatsoever.

Liberal Jews and Christmas Trees

Brandeis Now wrote on December 16:

“Louis Brandeis was well known for becoming the first Jewish person appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. So it may seem surprising that he celebrated the winter holidays with a Christmas tree in his home… Christmas trees were common in the homes of secular American Jews at the time. What’s happened since then is more complex. ‘In the late 19th century, there were quite a few liberal Jews – especially those from central European backgrounds – who had Christmas trees in their homes and saw them as secular symbols of the season,’ University Professor Jonathan Sarna told BrandeisNOW… ‘Christmas isn’t even mentioned in the New Testament – trees were not necessarily ubiquitous at Christmas – so some Jews felt the trees were a symbol that could be shared by people of all faiths,’ said Sarna…

“‘The rise of the state of Israel, which saw itself as the heir to the Maccabees, led to a strengthening of Hanukkah as a holiday versus Christmas,’ Sarna said… Hanukkah, whose origin dates back to the Maccabean Wars of 160-167 CE, isn’t considered a Jewish high holiday and [barely] appears in the Talmud. But its celebration became more widespread thanks to its proximity on the calendar to Christmas.

“Jews gave gifts of money when they celebrated Hanukkah in the 19th century – a tradition that continues today with gelt. But receiving presents became more mainstream at Hanukkah after Christmas became a national holiday in 1870… ‘When Christmas became a national holiday, Jewish children felt discriminated against,’ Sarna said. ‘Christian children received gifts and Jewish children felt left out. Parents took note, and there is no doubt the tradition of Hanukkah gifts, apart from gelt, was influenced by the surrounding culture of gift-giving at Christmas.’

“In the last 40 years, Sarna says two specific groups have brought back the tradition of bringing Christmas trees into the home: Russian-speaking Jews and inter-married couples. Christmas was banned as a religious holiday in the Soviet Union, but the tree remained a symbol of the new year. As such, Russian-speaking Jewish immigrants continue to see the tree as a secular symbol of winter. Sarna said intermarried couples, where one partner is Christian, might have a Christmas tree as a matter of compromise… ‘Lots of intermarried Jews find their non-Jewish spouses miss the Christmas tree and feel they can have a menorah and a tree as multiple symbols of the season,’ Sarna said…”

Liberal “secular” Jews engage in all kinds of additional “observances” which are clearly connected to pagan-filled “Christianity.”

Pontifical Secret Abolished

The Associated Press reported on December 17:

“Pope Francis abolished the ‘pontifical secret’ used in clergy sexual abuse cases Tuesday, responding to mounting criticism that the high degree of confidentiality has been used to protect pedophiles, silence victims and prevent police from investigating crimes… In a new law, Francis decreed that information in abuse cases must be protected by church leaders to ensure its ‘security, integrity and confidentiality.’ But he said ‘pontifical secret,’ the highest form of confidentiality in the church, no longer applies to abuse-related accusations, trials and decisions under the Catholic Church’s canon law.

“The Vatican’s leading sex crimes investigator, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, said the reform was an ‘epochal decision’ that will facilitate coordination with civil law enforcement and open up lines of communication with victims…

“Francis also raised from 14 to 18 the cutoff age below which the Vatican considers pornographic images to be child pornography – a response to the Vatican’s increasing awareness of the prolific spread of online child porn that has frequently implicated even high-ranking churchmen…

“Pope Benedict XVI, when he was a cardinal, had persuaded the pope to decree in 2001 that these cases must be dealt with under ‘pontifical secret.’…  The Vatican had long insisted that such confidentiality was necessary to protect the privacy of the victim, the reputation of the accused and the integrity of the canonical process…

“According to the new instruction… the Vatican still doesn’t mandate reporting the crimes to police, saying religious superiors are obliged to do so where civil reporting laws require it…”

The practical application of the change is still pretty much unclear and undefined.

The Length of a Sermon

The Associated Press wrote on December 15:

“According to Pew… Catholic sermons [are] the shortest, at a median of just 14 minutes, compared with 25 minutes for sermons in mainline Protestant congregations and 39 minutes in evangelical Protestant congregations. Historically black Protestant churches had by far the longest sermons, at a median of 54 minutes.

“Pew said sermons at the black churches lasted longer than mainline Protestant sermons even though, on average, they had roughly the same number of words. A possible explanation, Pew said, is that the preachers at black churches allow more time during their sermons for musical interludes, responses from worshippers in the pews and dramatic pauses in their oratory.”

Following the well-considered example of the Worldwide Church of God under Herbert W. Armstrong, sermons in the Church of the Eternal God last, on an average, from 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.  (A sermon is not being interrupted by responses from worshippers.) In addition, sermonettes of approximately 10 to 15 minutes in length are given in a Church service. A “sermon” in the Catholic Church would qualify, just based on length, as a sermonette in the Church of the Eternal God.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

That is an interesting question. Yes, a person can keep both the Sabbath and Sunday, but is it right in God’s eyes? That is the more important question to ask, and we hope to prove that the Sabbath is the only day in the week that God honors our worship of Him! (We are not addressing here in detail God’s annual Holy Days which also must be observed today, and which can fall on any day of the week).

This question follows on some remarks made by an internet contributor who proves that Wednesday is the day of Christ’s crucifixion and not Friday. Most of his article seems to be in line with the Church of God’s historical teaching of a Wednesday crucifixion. However, there are some remarks towards the end of the article which we will quote in their entirety:

“More important is the corollary, that this removes any basis for honoring Sunday. The sabbath is and has always been the 7th day. However, anyone can worship on Sunday and God our Father accepts them without reservation. Even the Roman Catholic church has written extensively that they created Sunday as the day of worship and that there is no scriptural basis for it, it is by tradition only. Their writings point out that since protestant churches follow their traditional teachings of honoring Sunday, then protestants are acknowledging that the Roman Catholic church has precedence and authority over them. There is no reason to honor Sunday, since Yeshua rose as the sabbath was ending, on the 7th day. The only point it brings up is the commandment, remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. That’s why I bring up the sabbath and Sunday point.

“Don’t run to your pastor to prove the Wednesday crucifixion and the resurrection late on the sabbath. The fourth commandment is not church law, it is an individual’s requirement. A person can keep the sabbath day and go to church on Sunday. After all, keeping the sabbath means to refrain from normal work, don’t shop, spend time with your family, and spend time with God. What this knowledge will do is allow you to know the truth and answer non-christians who often see the error propagated by the institutional church. Knowing the truth should also motivate you to keep the sabbath day. Revelation 12:17 speaks highly of believers in the end-times, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus.”

There is some excellent writing to prove that Wednesday was the day that Jesus Christ was crucified but those two paragraphs are a mish-mash of truth and error that could be confusing to someone new to the Truth, or even to others. A “Church of God” member some years ago said that “she went to the local Sunday-keeping church in case there was someone there who was being called.” What a travesty of understanding that is, but there were so many theories and changes that were articulated and instituted during and after the apostasy in the mid-1990s that many did genuinely became confused. Such was this case.

It is not the purpose of this Q&A to have to prove that the weekly Sabbath and annual Holy Days are the days that are God’s (Leviticus 23:2); the Church of God has much information on this, which has been produced over many years. The question is whether a person can keep both the Sabbath and Sunday. Here are just a few reasons why the answer is a resounding NO!

In our Update #292, dated 4th May 2007, the question was asked: “I have heard it taught that the ancient house of Israel engaged in Sunday worship. Is this correct, as I cannot find this stated anywhere in the Bible?” Part of the answer given was as follows:

“Even though the Bible nowhere states explicitly that the ancient house of Israel kept Sunday, it is very clear from the implicit record that they did. It is also clear that God punished them severely for this practice. We know that they abandoned the weekly Sabbath–the seventh day of the week (from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset). This was one reason why they went into slavery. We also know that they were guilty of idolatry, e.g., Baal worship. And historical records prove that Baal–the sun god–was worshipped on his day, Sunday, the first day of the week. In fact, Baal, the pagan sun god, was worshipped under many different names throughout man’s history.

“… in 2 Kings 17:16-17, we find this revealing statement: ‘So they left ALL the commandments of the LORD their God [including the Sabbath commandment and the injunction against committing idolatry], made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshipped all the host of heaven, AND SERVED BAAL. And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD…’

“The fact that they turned to Baal worship is proof in itself that they began to observe his day–the first day of the week, i.e., Sunday. Some 200 years later, God rebuked the house of Israel through the prophet Hosea, comparing it with a fallen or unfaithful woman: ‘“I will punish her For the DAYS of the Baals to which she burned incense… But Me she forgot,” says the LORD’ (Hosea 2:13)…

“Returning to King Jeroboam, note what else is revealed about him in 2 Kings 17:21-23: ‘Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them commit a great sin. For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them, until the LORD removed Israel out of His sight… So Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria…’

“It appears, therefore, that Jeroboam’s GREAT sin, as well as ALL THE SINS which he did and which were adopted by the house of Israel, included the abolishment of the Sabbath and the adoption of Sunday worship. The Bible says that they continued with that practice, until God punished them severely by carrying them away–into Assyrian slavery (compare Ezekiel 20:12-13, 18-20, 23-24).”

In our Update #704, dated 4th September 2015, the question was asked: “How Do You Respond to a Person who Believes that Sunday Should Be Kept?” Part of the answer read as follows:

“Sunday was the Gentile day of worshipping pagan gods—sun gods. The Catholic Church adopted Sunday worship to induce pagans entering their fold. They were also motivated by strong anti-Semitic feelings which explain their hostility towards the ‘Jewish’ Sabbath.

“However, no man and no human organization or institution has the authority to change God’s Law, which would be paramount to claiming that one had the authority to say adultery and murder are no longer a sin, which would be absurd. No one has the authority to change the Ten Commandments, which were written by God in stone to demonstrate their permanency. One may decide not to obey the commandments, but one cannot change or alter them.”

After reading the above comments, why would any Sabbath-keeper want to be involved with worldly mainstream Christianity which is replete with syncretism? God thunders: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them” (Jeremiah 10:2). Also, God prohibits us to add something to or delete something from His Word (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; Proverbs 30:6)—in this case, the worship of Him on Sunday which He did NOT command. 2 John 9 reads in the New Revised Standard Version: “Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God.”

In Sunday-keeping churches, they won’t be keeping the true Sabbath, and it is more than likely that they will have a body of beliefs that is in opposition to those taught by the true Church of God, and so why would any member of the Body of Christ want to lend credence, by their attendance, to non-biblical congregations? Such groups would deny or even scoff at the need to keep the weekly and annual Sabbaths as ordained by God as well as many other truths.

We read in Joshua 24:14-15: “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD!  And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

It appears that after all the miracles that God had performed on behalf of the Israelites, many were still serving foreign gods, but Joshua made it clear that he and his house would serve “the LORD.”

Would we be serving “the LORD” by going to church on Sunday, even if we kept the 7th day Sabbath? Such Sunday worship is not acceptable to God where those involved are taught man-made traditions and have a body of beliefs that have often been adapted from paganism and other sources. Worshipping on the day of the sun, absorbing error into one’s belief system and accepting syncretism practiced by so many churches is not the Way of God.

In our booklet: “Is That In the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation”, chapter 15, “The Mark of the Beast”, we read:

“Revelation 13:16–17 explains that ‘the image’ of the second (religious) beast will cause people to accept ‘a mark’ of the first beast ‘on their right hand’ or ‘on their foreheads.’ Without it, they cannot buy or sell (compare Revelation 14:9).

“This mark of the first beast is clearly associated in Scripture with the violation of God’s Sabbath commandment (compare Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:20; Isaiah 56:2; Isaiah 58:13; Amos 8:5; Exodus 16:23, 26; Exodus 31:15).  In the Bible, the ‘right hand’ is associated with work (Psalm 90:17; 137:5). The ‘forehead’ is the seat of thoughts (Ezekiel 3:8; 9:4; Revelation 7:3).

“We are told that the ‘little horn’—a reference to the Roman Catholic Church, as we have seen—would try to ‘change times and law’ (Daniel 7:25)—that is, God’s law regarding holy time. The Roman Church has changed the calendar in Europe, which identifies Sunday as the last day of the week, rather than the 7th-Day Saturday-Sabbath. It commands that Christians are to rest on Sunday, and it did command in the past that they were to work on Saturday. We will experience something similar very soon.

“The ‘image’ will influence the first beast—the final European revival of the ancient Roman Empire—to enjoin people to work on the Sabbath, while prohibiting to work on Sunday. As in the past, it will thereby ‘cause’ the death of true Christians (compare Revelation 13:15).”

We must remember that the beast and the false prophet will enforce Sunday-keeping and false Christianity on the whole world in the near future. The lady who thought that she might be doing a good deed by attending a Sunday-keeping church did not understand what God expects of us, nor, what the future holds for Sabbath keepers. Let us hope that she came to realise her error and that none of us fall into that same trap that she did, at any time in the future.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (December 2019) has been written and mailed to our subscribers—and is available online. In this letter, Evangelist Norbert Link powerfully focuses on the year’s news events which are so clearly a part of end-time prophecies found in the Word of God.

“What’s Ahead for 2020?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary: 

While preparing for Christmas and during all the Christmas celebrations, most people have lost sight for what has happened on the world scene in 2019 and how these events relate to the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. More of the same, and worse, can be expected for 2020.

“Was wird uns 2020 bringen?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This covers the same topic as described above.

“Tumult um den Dritten Tempel,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Tumult Regarding the Third Temple.”

“Gottes Wahrheit richtig verstehen und interpretieren,” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Thilo Hanstein. Title in English: Understand and Interpret God’s Truth Correctly.”

“Voice,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The example of Elijah in 1 Kings 19 teaches us a valuable lesson of how God communicates in various ways to get our attention, powerfully as well as in a more subdued fashion.

“Leave it to God,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Sometimes our life seems to be very complicated and hardly comprehensible, and we might only understand later why certain events occurred the way they did. God’s Ways are not our ways, and He guides our steps in a sometimes surprising and unexpected manner. This sermon shows how much God is concerned about us and that our life is indeed in His hands.

On December 14, 2019, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Voice,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Leave it to 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.

In a previous editorial in Update #877, dated 24th May 2019, entitled “How They Love to Play with Words to Get Their Own Way!” I gave the example of how a young man in the UK was discriminated against because he was “a white, heterosexual male without disability’”, according to the report put out by the BBC.

This is a growing trend to try and impose politically correct language in the UK by an ever increasing liberal elite. This has also taken hold in many other countries, and it is important to see the hypocrisy and unfairness that has gripped our nations (Please also see our Q&A, entitled “Why is political correctness a potential problem for Christians and the Church of God today?” in Update #865, dated 22nd February 2019).

Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised, but it is important to be aware of what is going on so that we are not sucked into accepting that which should not exist in a properly functioning society. On the website findlaw.co.uk, we find the definition of “positive discrimination” as follows:

“Positive discrimination is the process of giving preferential treatment, especially in employment, to minority groups of society that have been prejudiced against in the past. It should be noted that ‘preferential treatment’ does not mean that these individuals will automatically be preferred to another candidate, but rather should two candidates be deemed a similar level, the individual from the minority group will be preferred. For example, should two candidates who are equally matched in skills go for a job and one is from a minority group and one isn’t, then positive discrimination will see that the former candidate will receive the job offer.”

Positive discrimination is an oxymoron which is a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction.

As long ago as 2011, a black TV presenter hit out at the Government’s new positive action law saying that “people should be judged on their ability and not skin colour.” She said that she was overjoyed to learn she had been picked to star in a TV series only to later discover that it was not wholly her ability to do the job, but her skin colour which helped land her the role.

Subsequently, she called on employers to pick the person they believe will be best at the job—and said those not selected for jobs and promotions must strive to make themselves more competitive instead. She said that when she discovered bosses had picked her because she was black, it bought her “crashing down” and prompted her to question whether other successes in her life were “real.”

In 2014, The Telegraph reported that William Fittall, Secretary General to the General Synod and the Church’s most senior official, told MPs and Peers that where male and female candidates are equally qualified for a position as bishop, it will be advised that the woman should be appointed over the man. This was in order to even out the gender imbalance in clerical positions as quickly as possible.

Christianity Today said that “Discrimination is an ugly word—used with increasing abandon to criticise those who fail to toe the line of tolerance.  The news that the Church of England will encourage bishop selection committees to use ‘positive discrimination’ to appoint women is therefore interesting, though not necessarily a surprise.”

What do we see from all of this?

First of all, the meaning of perfectly good English is twisted to suit what the establishment wants, and puts a positive spin on it.

Secondly, preferential treatment may be given to help multiculturism and can put members of the indigenous population at a disadvantage.

Thirdly, this legislation can be used to enable a woman bishop in the Church of England to be appointed over a male bishop when the Bible clearly shows that women should not be ordained to the ministry in the first place.

And fourthly, the idea that the best person for the job is put at risk, to say the least.

One internet commentator said that “Positive discrimination is still discrimination, calling it positive is a nonsense and a logical fallacy. If we have positive discrimination then: positive murder, positive rape, positive child abuse, positive stealing and positive money laundering and so on and so on.”

Good questions to always ask are whether such things will happen or be allowed in the coming Kingdom of God!

Jesus said in Matthew 5:37: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”   We are told to be clear-cut with our speech with no ambiguity or double meanings, and positive discrimination doesn’t fit into those categories and, therefore, won’t be allowed in the Kingdom of God.

In Isaiah 5:20 we read: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil.” We are certainly seeing that in many ways today—particularly with sexual practices and, perhaps, positive discrimination has quietly slipped under the radar in this respect!

There is no partiality with God (Romans 2:11), which is another reason why there will be no discrimination in the Kingdom of God.

by Norbert Link

We begin with covering the “most history-shaping election in the UK since World War II,” speak on the ongoing shaky relationship between Ukraine and Russia and Europe’s failure to intervene effectively; address the House Democrats’ decision to introduce two articles of impeachment against President Trump, thereby committing political suicide; and report on the revised AFTA agreement; the possible escalation of the Chinese-American trade war; and NATO’S uncertain future and Europe’s destiny.

We speak on Israel’s desire to annex the Jordan Valley; prayers on the Temple Mount; new elections in March; and the Pope’s incredible comparison of President Trump with King Herod.

We address Angela Merkel’s visit to Auschwitz and the youth organization of Germany’s Social Democratic Party’s condemnation of anti-Semitism manifested by German politicians.

We point out the status of the Trump administration’s new dangerous interpretation of the “public charge” immigration requirement; the ongoing lawsuit AGAINST undercover journalists exposing the terrible practices of Planned Parenthood; and ever-increasing criminal robocalls.

We also address the deadly volcanic eruption on an island belonging to New Zealand; the appalling creation of animal-human embryos by sick scientists; Samoa’s criminal persecution of an anti-vaccine campaigner; a deadly deer disease which could infect humans; new developments pertaining to the ever-increasing liberal position on homosexuality and sexual “education”; and a somewhat disturbing encounter with scorpions on airplanes.

We conclude with several articles on “Saint Nicholas” and the devil; Austria’s demons; new attitudes towards Christmas celebrations; and the re-building of the temple of Baal.

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

The Most History-Shaping Election since WW II

The Associated Press wrote on December 9:

“Britain is facing the most testing and significant period in its modern history since World War II. The polarized electorate now has a critical choice to make — but it seems unlikely the result… will heal deep and toxic divisions…

“This election [on December 12] will shape the country’s future.”

Axios wrote on December 9:

“This has been a brutal campaign fought by two leaders who are disliked and distrusted by broad swaths of the public. Johnson has been accused of repeatedly misleading voters, while opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has been charged with allowing anti-Semitism to fester within his Labour Party…”

Johnson Wins Big

 JTA wrote on December 12:

 “Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party has defeated Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party by a large margin in Britain’s general elections on Thursday, exit polls indicate. The Conservatives received 368 seats out of 650 according to the polls by BBC, ITV and Sky News, with Labour lagging far behind with 191…

“Many British Jews have said the elections are particularly fateful for them because they believe that the Labour Party has become institutionally anti-Semitic under its left-wing leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who was elected to lead the party in 2015… If the exit polls are accurate, it would be the worst performance by Labour in any general election since the World War II…”

 It would also be the biggest victory for the Conservatives since 1987.

Brexit Almost Certainly a Given!

 The Sun added on December 12:

 “The expected results mean Britain’s political chaos could finally be over, leaving Boris with the numbers to push his Brexit deal through Parliament in weeks… Exit polls… almost always correctly predict the outcome of general elections and are known to be accurate…”

BBC News wrote on December 12:

“If the exit polls pans out – it means one big constitutional question will be ‘solved’. The UK will leave the European Union under Boris Johnson. There will be bumps along the road and negotiating a new trade deal might not be easy. But a Tory majority government will take the UK out of the EU. If the numbers in Scotland play out, though, another constitutional clash is coming… So while Brexit might become easier to deliver – there will still be big debates over the future of the UK…”

Scotland is vehemently opposed to Brexit.

The Huffington Post wrote on December 12:

“… a newly empowered Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be able to claim a mandate to ‘get Brexit done’ on his terms, likely killing off any chance of a second referendum on Britain’s membership in the European Union… [The results give] the Conservatives an unexpectedly large majority of 86 seats, if the poll is accurate… Brexit was central to the campaign run by Johnson, who is pushing to leave the European Union by the end of January…”

ABC News wrote on December 12:

“If early exit polls are any indication, Conservatives have won a huge victory in U.K.’s closely watched general election… The victory would mean a clear vindication for Brexit-champion Boris Johnson, who would remain as prime minister.”

The anti-Brexit tabloid Bild Online stated: “By the end of January, it will apparently be said: ‘Bye-Bye EU!’” But the tabloids also pointed out that difficult negotiations between the EU and Great Britain will continue until the end of 2020, to determine the future relationship between the two power blocs.

Die German paper Die Welt commented: “Brexit will now almost certainly happen by the end of January.”

Ukraine between EU and Russia

The Associated Press wrote on December 8:

“Germany’s longer-term economic interests are a continual challenge for Ukraine. Berlin is seen as having harmed Ukraine’s interests by moving forward with the completion of a Russian-German gas pipeline called Nord Stream 2 that will bring Russian natural gas to Western Europe. Its route bypasses Ukraine, cutting off its leverage as a transit country and an income source…

“Vadim Karasev, head of the Institute of Global Strategies, an independent Kyiv-based think tank, said the Europeans ‘have grown tired of Kyiv’s endless problems… European powers, he said, ‘can’t endlessly deal with Kyiv’s problems when they have their own issues to solve.’”

Russia the Clear Winner

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 9:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to implement a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine by year-end, following their first meeting on Monday at a summit in Paris mediated by France and Germany… The four-way summit with the leaders of Germany and France also led to all sides agreeing to implement an ‘all for all’ prisoner exchange by the end of the year.”

Bild Online commented: “For years, Putin plays dumb, deceiving the world. And Macron and Merkel are ‘extras.’”

Newsmax added on December 9:

“The presidents of Ukraine and Russia… failed to resolve crucial issues such as a timeline on local elections and control of the borders in the rebel-held region… the two leaders failed to find a compromise to bring an end to the 5-year-old war that has killed 14,000 people, emboldened the Kremlin and reshaped European geopolitics…

“A major breakthrough at the Paris talks had been seen as unlikely… With U.S. influence waning around the world, many in Kyiv see one clear winner: Russia.”

Deutsche Welle added on December 10:

“The Ukrainian president may consider the Paris summit to be a draw with Russia, but he couldn’t be more wrong… The West and Ukraine are willing to compromise to woo [Putin], the undisputed ruler of Russia…

“The annexation of the peninsula by Russia was not even on the agenda in Paris. But… [it] helps prevent Ukraine’s ambitions to move closer towards the EU and NATO, as countries with ongoing conflicts cannot be admitted as members…”

The Bible reveals very clearly that ultimately, Ukraine and Russia will be working together AGAINST Europe.

House Democrats Push for Impeachment of President Trump

Breitbart wrote on December 10:

“House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump over his contacts with Ukraine: Abuse of power and obstruction of Congress… The charges… stem from second-hand allegations brought forth in a whistleblower complaint by a partisan CIA officer, who alleged President Trump attempted to pressure the leader of Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for U.S. military aid. Both President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have both vehemently denied any pressure was applied during their July 25 telephone conversation at the center of the impeachment inquiry.

“Notably absent from the articles were any mention of bribery, which House Democrats accused the president of committing in his dealings with Ukraine. Also absent was an article regarding past claims that the president obstructed special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into now-debunked criminal conspiracy between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia…”

Democrats decided against introducing additional articles of impeachment [such as, obstruction of justice and bribery], fearing that such additions might not even be accepted by the House controlled by the Democrats and that they would clearly guarantee their defeat in upcoming elections. Regardless, Democrats have already signed their death warrant for political suicide, as the impeachment circus will fall flat in the Senate. Trump will once again emerge as the winner and be re-elected in 2020.

No Grounds for Impeachment

Breitbart wrote on December 10:

“Democrats’ articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump allege… the two weakest possible charges among the many the House had been considering.

“The term ‘abuse of power’ does not appear in the Constitution’s Impeachment Clause, which specifies that Congress’s power of impeachment covers ‘Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors.’…

“Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz… argues… that ‘abuse of power’ is never impeachable — at least not without an underlying crime. In this case, there is none…

“Legal scholar Cass Sunstein, a former Obama administration official and an intellectual leader on the left, published a crucial book…  in 2017… Of ‘obstruction of Congress,’ Sunstein said that a president cannot be impeached simply for resisting subpoenas. A mere ‘conflict between the branches’ of government, he declared, is ‘no legitimate basis for impeachment’…”

Even scholars from the left state clearly that the Democrats have no case against Trump. But it had to develop in this way so as to guarantee that Trump will stay in office after the next election.

NAFTA Revised

The Independent wrote on December 10:

“House speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced that Democrats have reached a deal on Donald Trump’s revised version of Nafta, just after her caucus introduced two articles of impeachment against the president. The deal would revise the 1990s free trade agreement between the countries [USA, Mexico and Canada], with slight tweaks that would especially impact the autos sector, copyright and the US dairy industry.

“But the timing of the deal shows that Ms Pelosi is also playing a shrewd political game, knowing that some of her most vulnerable members may be sticking their necks out by backing impeachment against Mr Trump. At the same time, Democrats are risking handing Mr Trump a major trade victory with just under a year before the 2020 election.”

Again, the “politics” of the Democrats portray an attitude of willful self-infliction and harm.

Escalation of Chinese-American Trade War

Express wrote on December 11:

“China has ordered all its government offices and public institutions to remove American computers amid trade negotiations between the two countries failing to progress… this is likely to hit US companies such as HP, Dell and Microsoft hard. Analysts at Jefferies say that US technology companies generate as much as $150bn a year in revenues from China…

 “This comes after US President Donald Trump’s administration banned US companies from doing business with Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei earlier this year… Washington was said to be concerned about Chinese technology companies helping the government to conduct cyber espionage. Huawei was a particular concern as it helped build ultra-high-speed 5G networks around the world.”

This trade war, and others which are pending or which will arise, WOULD be very harmful to the American people. However, it was just announced by Newsmax, dated December 12, that  “The White House reached a ‘deal in principle’ with Beijing on trade… In the current deal, the United States would suspend tariffs expected to go into effect on $160 billion in Chinese goods, and Beijing has promised to buy more U.S. agricultural goods…”

NATO’s Uncertain Future and Europe’s Destiny

On December 4, Project Syndicate published the following article by Joschka Fischer who was German Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor from 1998-2005:

“A profound change in US strategic priorities under President Donald Trump demands that Europeans revisit long-held assumptions about their collective defense. The result is that Europe must fend for itself for the first time since the end of World War II. Yet after so many years of strategic dependence [on] the US, Europe is unprepared – not just materially but psychologically – for today’s harsh geopolitical realities. Nowhere is this truer than in Germany.

“NATO’s future is more uncertain now than at any time in its history… NATO’s survival can no longer be taken for granted, and Europeans cannot wait 20 years to figure out what should come after it…  Europe has no choice but to become a power in its own right… But Europeans should not harbor any illusions about what defense autonomy will require.

“… NATO still exists, and there are still US troops deployed in Europe. But the operative word is ‘still.’… the alliance’s unraveling has become less a matter of ‘if’ than ‘when.’… Macron understands this, whereas Germany, in typical fashion, is paying mere lip service to its old commitments, promising to increase its defense spending but making little real headway. Macron understands that the rupture in Europe’s defense following a withdrawal of US troops… would unfold… as a sudden break… Europe… must make substantial investments in its military and expand its own capabilities on a massive scale. In other words, it must act as if the break has already happened…

“Trump’s nationalist shift under the slogan of ‘America first’ has suddenly forced Europe to confront the question of its own sovereignty, which means becoming an independent technological power with the ability to act decisively as a united front. The EU never would have done so of its own volition. Trump, whatever his intent, is forcing Europe to reinvent itself… the EU must act as if the alliance was already gone.”

Angela Merkel has been described in the German press as someone who is sound asleep. But others are not, and sooner than later, European core nations, under a new German leadership, will unite to create a powerful military unity.

Annexation of the Jordan Valley?

The Times of Israel News wrote on December 5:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the possible annexation of the Jordan Valley and other parts of the West Bank with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during their talks here… Netanyahu stressed, however, that ‘These things are much easier when you have a government…’

“Netanyahu also said he and Pompeo agreed to move forward with plans for a joint defense treaty… Asked about the International Criminal Court chief prosecutor’s statement, issued earlier on Thursday, that she was ‘concerned’ about Netanyahu’s vow to apply Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley, he replied tersely: ‘It’s our full right to do it, if we decide to do it.’”

Israel will go forward with plans such as the ones described in this article.

Praying on the Temple Mount

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 5:

“Until recently, police have prevented Jews and other non-Muslims from praying conspicuously on the Temple Mount out of a concern that such activity would stoke tensions and lead to violence from Muslim worshipers. In the past, the police would routinely eject or detain any non-Muslim seen to be praying at the holy site, and this stance was mostly backed by the courts, which ruled that although in theory Jewish prayer was legal on the Temple Mount the police were entitled to prevent it due to security considerations. But all this has changed in recent months.

“According to Elishama Sandman, a spokesman for the Yeraeh Temple Mount visitation advocacy group, the prayer services have been taking place at least since Passover this year… He said however that the various Temple Mount activist groups are ‘not satisfied’ with the new situation, and hope eventually that the prayer services can be more organized, and that prayer will be possible with prayer shawls, tefillin, prayer books and a Torah scroll. ‘The ultimate vision is of course that the Temple be rebuilt on the Temple Mount,’ he said.”

Jewish prayers on the Temple Mount are another step towards bringing animal sacrifices and building the prophesied third temple on the Temple Mount.

New Israeli Elections in March

 The Week wrote on December 11:

 “Israel in March will vote in a third election within a year, after a final deadline for forming a government passed Wednesday and parliament moved to disband itself.

 “In the country’s last election in September, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his challenger Benny Gantz were essentially deadlocked. That meant Netanyahu was given the first opportunity to form a coalition, and when he failed to do so, Gantz took the reigns. But he also couldn’t execute an agreement, which — in an unprecedented move — meant the mandate was passed to parliament, which got one last opportunity before the clock ran down and elections became the only option.”

 The Algemeiner added on December 11:

 “What had once seemed nearly impossible to many Israelis — a third visit to polling stations after the inconclusive ballots of April and September — carries a heavy economic price: it will be well into 2020 before a new budget is passed, which will mean months of cutbacks that will weigh on growth…

 “But this time, Israel‘s longest-serving leader [Benjamin Netanyahu, 70,] is running under the cloud of a criminal indictment announced last month… As prime minister, Netanyahu is under no legal obligation to resign as a result of the indictment, and while in office he can ask the legislature to grant him immunity from prosecution.

 “As caretaker premier, Netanyahu would remain in the post until a new government is formed — a process that could stretch months past a March [2] ballot if what is likely to be tortuous coalition-building is taken into account.”

Pope Compares Trump with King Herod!

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 6:

“In a report published on Thursday, it was reported that while on a recent visit to Buddhists in Thailand, Pope Francis addressed the issue of refugees, comparing the policy of building walls and detention centers to the acts of King Herod who killed Jesus… ‘there are walls that even separate children from parents,’ Pope Francis said in an oblique reference to President Trump’s policies on the southern border, suggesting that the policies will ultimately fail. ‘Herod comes to mind. Yet for drugs, there’s no wall to keep them out.’

“King Herod, also known as Herod the Great, was a Roman client king of Judea. Herod’s family were converts to Judaism and his religious commitment was questioned by some elements of Jewish society. While Herod publicly identified himself as a Jew and was considered as such by some, this religious identification was undermined by the decadent lifestyle of the Herodians… Herod later executed several members of his own family, including his wife Mariamne.

“In the account of the Massacre of the Innocents in the New Testament, in an attempt to kill the infant Jesus, Herod gave orders to kill all boys of the age of two and under in Bethlehem and its vicinity.”

A very unfortunate comparison by the Pope, whether it was made intentionally or not.

Merkel Visits Auschwitz

Deutsche Welle reported on December 6:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel viewed what may be the most devastating testimonial to the industrial murder perpetrated by the Nazis at Auschwitz-Birkenau: The building that houses the personal belongings of those people who were sent to their deaths at the camp. She saw enormous mounds of human hair, thousands of pairs of glasses and a mountain of suitcases…

“Merkel [addressed] the alarming increase in racism, hate crimes, intolerance, xenophobia and anti-Semitism…

“Following Helmut Schmidt (1977), and Helmut Kohl (1989 and 1995), Merkel became just the third German chancellor to visit Auschwitz… As the early afternoon sun begins to set in the west, Merkel’s journey through the darkest chapter of German history also came to a close. She saw the ruins of the gas chambers and the remnants of Birkenau’s crematorium. She stood in front of a rail car parked at the camp’s train platform, where more than 1 million people stepped off of trains and to their deaths.”

Sadly, as many fear, another Holocaust WILL happen. It is clearly prophesied in the Bible.

Germany’s Young Socialites Condemn Government for Anti-Israel Stance

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 9:

“The youth organization of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) condemned in late November its leadership’s anti-Israel voting record at the UN. The Young Socialists (Jusos) organization wrote that the ‘disproportionate condemnation of Israel, the only democratic state in the Middle East’ is a problem affecting UN bodies ‘that is carried out not only by states of the Middle East, but also European states who pass, or abstain from, anti-Israel resolutions.’ Jusos urged Germany to ‘dissociate from the initiatives and alliances of antisemitic member states in the bodies and specialized agencies of the United Nations.’…

“There are over 70,000 members of the Jusos who fall into the age group 14 to 35 years-old.

“Germany’s Social Democratic Foreign Minister [Heiko] Maas has greenlighted nearly 30 condemnations of the Jewish state at the UN since 2018. Christoph Heusgen, Germany’s ambassador to the UN, compared Israel in March with the jihadi terrorist organization Hamas. Maas and Chancellor Angela Merkel[‘s] administration have rejected efforts to change Germany’s anti-Israel voting pattern at the UN. The Free Democratic Party pushed an initiative in the Bundestag in the Spring to reverse the alleged anti-Israel bias of the Merkel administration. Merkel’s party, the Christian Democratic Union, and the SPD rejected the initiative.”

The track record of politicians such as Maas and Heusgen is clearly appalling in this regard; and so is the at least passive approval of Angela Merkel, which stands in deep contrast to her visit at Auschwitz.

“Ninth Circuit Lifts Injunctions Blocking Trump’s ‘Public Charge’ Rule for Immigrants”

Politico wrote on December 5:

“A divided federal appeals court has lifted several injunctions blocking the Trump administration from implementing a rule aimed at limiting immigration benefits for individuals who participate in government programs such as food stamps or Medicaid.

“In an order Thursday, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals voted, 2-1, to stay preliminary injunctions issued by federal judges in Oakland, Calif., and Spokane, Wash., against the newly issued ‘public charge’ policy just before it was to take effect in October.

“However, the policy remains on hold because judges in Maryland and New York City also blocked the new rules nationwide and their decisions are unaffected by the ruling from the 9th Circuit, which has jurisdiction over nine Western states. The Justice Department is also appealing the other injunctions.

“The majority on the 9th Circuit panel said the Trump administration was likely to prevail in its arguments that it had legal authority to issue regulations to broaden the definition of what constituted someone likely to become dependent on public assistance. ‘We find that the history of the use of “public charge” in federal immigration law demonstrates that “public charge” does not have a fixed, unambiguous meaning,’ Judge Jay Bybee wrote, joined by Judge Sandra Ikuta. ‘Rather, the phrase is subject to multiple interpretations, it in fact has been interpreted differently, and the Executive Branch has been afforded the discretion to interpret it… the wisdom of the policy is not a question we can review,’ added Bybee, who, like Ikuta, was appointed by President George W. Bush.

“The third judge on the panel, John Owens, [who was appointed by Obama] dissented, saying he would have denied the stay and allowed the injunctions to remain in place pending more thorough review by the appeals court…”

These are alarming developments for millions upon millions of (potential) immigrants, and when the case ends up with the US Supreme Court, the opinion of the 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals might very well prevail.

Prosecuting the Innocent and Supporting the Guilty

Breitbart wrote on December 6:

“The criminal case against the undercover video journalists who exposed the fetal tissue trafficking activity of Planned Parenthood and its allies in the biomedical procurement industry is headed to trial. Former California Attorney General Kamala Harris, now a U.S. senator and former 2020 presidential candidate, initiated the case against David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt of Center for Medical Progress. When Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate, her successor, current Attorney General Xavier Becerra, continued the case.

“The undercover citizen journalists were charged with 15 felony counts, 14 counts of illegal recording of confidential conversations and one count of conspiracy. The case makes them the first undercover journalists to be criminally prosecuted in the history of the state of California. On Friday, Judge Christopher Hite of San Francisco Superior Court announced nine of the felony charges had sufficient evidence to proceed to trial. Hite dropped the remaining six charges.

“Daleiden said in a statement: ‘Former California Attorney General Kamala Harris concocted this bogus, biased prosecution with her Planned Parenthood backers against undercover video reporting… The real criminals are the Planned Parenthood leadership who sold fetal body parts from late-term abortions and weaponized the justice system to try to cover it up.’…

“Thomas More Society Vice President and Senior Counsel Peter Breen, said that Daleiden used the same practices other undercover journalists have used to expose corruption. ‘David Daleiden is being charged as a criminal for openly delivering information that the public has a right to know, information that the abortion lobby and its financially supported elected officials would rather keep hidden,’ he said. ‘This prosecution by the State of California is an abuse of the justice system…’”

This is indeed a scandalous example of political persecution in California’s courtrooms, and we will continue to report on the further developments of this unjust procedure.

How Robocalls Became America’s Most Prevalent Crime

The Week wrote on December 7:

“Today, half of all phone calls are automated scams… Automated telephone calls might be America’s most prevalent form of lawbreaking, with more than 180 million such calls every day. A 2009 law that banned unsolicited, prerecorded telemarketing has failed to stem the explosion of calls seeking to steal information or scare people into scams… Just the time wasted dealing with robocalls costs Americans $3 billion per year… 70 percent of Americans don’t answer calls from unfamiliar numbers anymore… October was the worst month on record, with an estimated 5.7 billion robocalls…

“By one estimate, 90 percent of scam calls from abroad now show up as U.S. numbers. Robocalls home in on targets by asking consumers to press a button if they’d like to stop receiving calls, which actually lets callers identify ‘live’ numbers…

“Many Americans have been called by a fake Social Security Administration representative, who claims that the recipient’s Social Security number is compromised, asks for the number, and then uses it to commit identity theft. (In reality, the IRS and SSA don’t make unrequested telephone calls.)… Robocalls are often menacing, threatening prison or deportation; these tactics intimidate some vulnerable seniors and immigrants into cooperating…”

 Those who engage in robocalls or in hacking computers of others should be regarded as mean and despicable criminals and, if caught, they should be treated accordingly.

Volcanic Eruption on White Island

The Independent wrote on December 9:

“There are no more survivors of the volcanic eruption on New Zealand‘s White Island that killed at least [six] and left more than 30 wounded, police have said. The death toll is expected to rise [Eight missing people are believed dead]… among those currently listed as missing or injured are [five] New Zealanders who were part of the tour operation, and [24] tourists from Australia, [nine from the US, four from Germany, two each from China and Britain, one from Malaysia]…

“Many day tours visit the island regularly, and one from the Ovation of the Seas cruise liner was there at the time… Experts said they believed the island, which is New Zealand’s most continuously active volcano, had been dangerous for some time. It last erupted three years ago. ‘White Island has been a disaster waiting to happen for many years,’ said Ray Cas, a professor emeritus at Monash University…

“Monday’s was the first deadly eruption on White Island, also known as Whakaari, since 1914. The volcanic island is uninhabited and privately owned.”

The questions have been raised as to why tourists were allowed on the island when it was known that its volcano was potentially dangerous. However, there are many active or potentially active volcanoes and people do not care about the dangers. Mount Vesuvius in Italy is just one example.

Creating Animal-Human Embryos

The Daily Star wrote on December 7:

“Chinese scientists have created pig monkey hybrids… ‘This is the first report of full-term monkey-pig chimeras’, Tang Hai at the State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology in Beijing told New Scientist.

“The animals had only a small amount of monkey DNA – concentrated in the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and skin cells. The team is now trying to create healthy animals with a higher proportion of monkey cells, says Hai. While the long-term goal is to incubate human-compatible organs in pig hosts, the team chose to develop the technique using monkey cells first.

“This is at the result of criticism around work done by Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte’s team at California’s Salk Institute in 2017. In that case pig-human hybrids were created but concerns were raised that the animals could have partly human brains. Belmonte’s team is now working in China, and according to an unconfirmed report have already created human-monkey chimeras…

“In other experiments, researchers have created monkeys with brains that are partially human, mice with human cells in their eyes and sheep with partially human organs. A rival team is working on a project to create a mouse with a brain made entirely of human cells.”

This is SICK and despicable! It seems that scientists will justify anything to satisfy their morbid desire for experimentation.

Samoa Incarcerates Anti-Immunization Campaigner

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 6:

“Samoan authorities on Friday warned that propaganda opposing a mass vaccination drive would not be tolerated after an anti-immunization campaigner was arrested. Police arrested Edwin Tamasese and charged him with incitement against a government order late on Thursday. The country is struggling to control a measles epidemic that has killed at least 63 people, most of them children…

“Details of the arrest were published by an online edition of [the] national newspaper  the Samoa Observer. The paper said Tamasese — who could potentially face up to two years in jail — was arrested after he breached a written warning demanding that he end his anti-vaccination activities…

“Samoa on Friday entered the second day of a lockdown as it administers compulsory vaccinations. Businesses and non-essential government services have been shut down and residents have been told to obey a dawn-to-dusk curfew and to display a red flag outside their home if they are unvaccinated to alert mobile immunization teams.”

With the hysteria pertaining to those who caution against vaccinations due to side-effects, such drastic authoritarian governmental measures can be expected to occur in many other countries as well.

Deadly Deer Disease Could Infect Humans

The Sun wrote on December 5:

“A DEADLY infection similar to mad cow disease is spreading in deer – and could infect humans, experts have warned.

“Officials are monitoring cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD), which attacks the brain, spinal cord and other tissue, in North America. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the disease – sometimes referred to as ‘zombie deer’ – has now spread to at least 26 states.

“Around 12 months after an animal is infected with CWD, it suffers progressive weight loss, listlessness, drooling, lack of awareness, lack of fear and aggression before the infected animal dies. The disease is caused by proteins (called prions) that attack the brain and spinal tissue.

“Symptoms are similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, and its human equivalent, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), which is incurable…

“CWD, which was discovered in 1967, is spread through bodily fluids, either directly or through contamination of soil, food, or water. There’s no treatment or cure for CWD, and it’s fatal to animals who become infected. Experts fear the disease could easily make the leap to humans through infected meat….

“Dr Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told the Independent: ‘We could be having human transmission occurring today and we wouldn’t even know it. The key issue here is that unlike the mad cow disease, here we see (chronic wasting disease) in the muscle as well, so it’s actually much more present in the meat that you’re eating. Cooking doesn’t do anything to destroy it.’”

Sadly, we can expect more and more reports like these. The Bible predicts massive deadly disease epidemics to occur soon around the world.

German Bishops: Homosexuality Is Normal

Breitbart wrote on December 11:

“The German Catholic bishops’ conference has issued a statement declaring homosexuality to be just as ‘normal’ as heterosexuality…

“Both the homosexual and heterosexual orientation ‘belong to the normal forms of a sexual predisposition that cannot and should not be changed by any specific socialization,’ the Dec. 5 communiqué stated… Since one’s sexual orientation is unchangeable, ‘in church thinking, this means that any form of discrimination against homosexuals must be rejected…’ the bishops note…”

Catholic Church thinking and God’s mind, as revealed in the Bible, are two different things.  

We also received the following report from Australia:

In a legal case here, Israel Folau, one of the top Rugby players in the world, came to a confidential settlement with Rugby Australia. He was suing for 14 million dollars for being wrongly terminated for his Instagram post that homosexuals will go to hell. Since he has hundreds of thousands of followers, Rugby Australia claimed that it was against his employment contract to make such statements publicly and it affected their income because of the loss of sponsors.

Australia currently is determining a freedom of religion bill which is causing great controversy. The religious community say it does not go far enough in allowing them to hire and fire based on religious ideals. The non-religious community say it will allow for discrimination and hate speech. Interestingly, the religious community including Catholics, Anglicans, Jews, Muslims and others are all in agreement.

EU vs. Poland on Sexual Education

LifeSite News reported on November 20, 2019:

“Over 400 members of the European Parliament have voted to pass a resolution criticizing a Polish bill called ‘Stop Pedofilii’ that seeks to protect minors from sexual abuse by adults. The… bill seeks to make the incitement of minor children to sexual activity illegal in Poland… The age of consent in Poland is currently 15… anyone who has sex with a child under 15, including another child under 15, in Poland can be charged with statutory rape.

“An explanatory note attached to the ‘Stop Pedofilii’ bill gives some historical context for the proposal. It says some sex education teachers have been promoting sexual activity, including homosexual acts and masturbation, to Polish children, thanks to sexual education standards for Europe composed by the World Health Organization and the German Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA). These standards were introduced to Poland for the first time in 2013.

“‘According to the Standards, children of the age of 0–4 should learn information regarding masturbation and enjoying pleasure by touching their bodies,’ the note states… the Standards also stipulate that children from the age of 4–6 are supposed to know how to express their own sexuality and sexual feelings as well as ‘take pleasure and joy in’ masturbating. Children aged 6–9  must learn about sexual consent and different methods of intercourse and contraception. Children between 9 and 12 are supposed to learn how to use condoms, learn about their first sexual experiences, and receive information about orgasms. Children between 12 and 15 should be able to communicate about their own and their partners’ desires ‘in order to have safe and pleasant sex.’ ‘According to the Standards, at every step of development there is also intensive familiarizing of children with homosexuality,’ the note adds.”

Shame on Germany and the WHO for promoting these terrible ungodly and clearly harmful sexual education standards, and shame on the 400 members of the European Parliament for criticizing the Polish government which is trying to stop sexual abuse of children by sex education teachers and others.

Scorpions on the Planes

USA Today wrote on December 7:

“A passenger on a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Atlanta had a nasty surprise: A scorpion sting… [The passenger] was stung multiple times… This isn’t the first time that a scorpion has made its way onto a flight without a ticket. This is at least the third occurrence of the animal causing a disturbance on a plane in 2019 alone.

“Earlier this year, in February, [a] passenger caught a scorpion on video as it crawled out of an overhead bin after the Lion Air flight landed in Indonesia… Just a month later, a student flying from Toronto to Calgary was stung by a scorpion in the middle of the flight…”

St. Nicholas and the Devil

The Associated Press wrote on December 7:

“Dozens of people in grim reaper and devil costumes accompany St. Nicholas on his journey through the village of Valasska Polanka in this eastern corner of the Czech Republic. It’s an old pre-Christmas tradition that has been surviving for centuries in a few villages in the Wallachia region.

“The whole group parades together from door to door for the weekend. St. Nicholas presents the children with sweets to soothe them after they see the scary costumes. The devils wear homemade masks of sheepskin and travel with white creatures representing death who carry scythes. The custom reportedly dates from the pagan era before Christianity, when the masks helped the people of mountainous region defend themselves against the demons of winter.”

Paganism is still very much alive in “Christian” cultures.  Note the next article.

Austria’s Demons

The Guardian wrote on December 8:

“Goat-horned half-demons with scraggy coats of fur, lolling tongues and threatening bundles of birch branches are no one’s idea of a welcome guest on a winter’s night. In Austria, however, the figure of the Krampus has been part of pre-Christmas folklore for centuries, with men in costumes roaming the streets to scare children and grownups from the end of November to the middle of December. Yet in recent years the Krampus has developed to become an altogether very modern bogeyman, with a rising number of complaints about the demons acting in a drunkenly and disorderly fashion once they have donned their fearsome masks.

“In Carinthia, police recorded a number of violent incidents this year in the run-up to the official ‘Krampus day’ on 5 December, with one person being hit in the face with a birch and an 11-year-old child being left with bloody cut on their thigh. In Klagenfurt, in Carinthia, the fire brigade complained that two of firefighters were set upon and beaten by a group of Krampuses, while in Salzburg last Sunday police were called out to deal with a number of drunken devils in the city centre. A video of Thursday’s Krampus run in Sterzing in South Tyrol, on the Italian side of the border, shows spectators fleeing in panic as a group of devils start to beat and kick a person lying on the ground.

“In the town of Neumarkt in Lower Austria, a man dressed as a Percht, an Alpine pagan goddess, sustained severe neck injuries when a spectator yanked his mask by the horns. In Schwoich in the Tyrol region, three Krampuses set their costumes on fire and suffered burns after accidentally setting off a box of fireworks…

“In the 19th century, evil Krampus spirits began to accompany Sankt Nikolaus impersonators on home visits and would sometimes cross the threshold to scare children… in recent years the appetite for large-scale ‘Krampus runs’ has grown across Austria: at an event Salzburg on 23 November this year, about 1,000 goat-demons roamed the streets of the city…”

Christmas celebrations and accompanying pagan activities such as Krampus and other demon figures really belong together. That is why some who are professing Christianity are re-thinking their approach towards Christmas, as the next article shows.

Dropping Christmas Celebrations

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 10:

“Particularly for Christians who are reconnecting to the Hebraic roots of their faith, traditional celebrations of Christmas have begun to raise knotty questions about the lack of a scriptural basis for the holiday, as well as its seemingly pagan origins. Ever-increasing numbers of Christians are dropping the traditional celebrations associated with Christmas…

“Just how widespread is the trend away from Christmas among Christians today? [Jon] Sherman told Breaking Israel News, “Although celebrating Christmas is still all but assumed in most evangelical circles today, the occurrence of people in the faith beginning to question Christmas is global, and the magnitude is growing exponentially.”

Re-Building the Temple of Baal

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 9:

“The Russian government recently announced that it will partner with the Syrian government in reconstructing the ancient temple to the pagan god Ba’al in Palmyra… Mentioned more than 90 times in the Bible, most notably when Elijah defeated the priests of Ba’al, also known as Moloch, in a contest to bring down fire from heaven to burn a sacrifice, Ba’al became the archetypical form of idol worship…

“Followers of Ba’al engaged in bisexual orgies and sacrificed human infants, burning them alive. Anthropologists conjecture that the child sacrifice was to cull the population after the inevitable outcome of wanton sexuality…”

Why would anyone professing Christianity or Islam want to rebuild such an ancient temple to a demonic pagan god?

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

The Bible tells us that God can look into the future and knows what will happen. What are the methods He uses, and can we understand them?

Actually, the Bible clearly states at least two methods that God uses to know the future—one that we can understand quite readily, and one that we, as humans, can only vaguely understand.

In our lives, we often say what we intend to do at variable times in our future. Things like arranging an education for a preferred vocation. Financial planning for future events. Even preparing to attend God’s Feast days. Things like arranging accommodation and transport to get there.

Of course, there are warnings about not being overly confident in our abilities to carry out what we say. James 4:13-16 is a warning for us: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”

God also says what He will do in the future, as is mentioned in Numbers 23:19 where He put these words in Balak’s mouth: “God is not a man that He should lie, Nor a son of man that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Unlike us, God can and will carry out what He says, and nothing can prevent Him.

This is also stated in Isaiah 46:9-11: “Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all my pleasure,’ Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it.”

This passage includes a prophecy that God would use a particular man to perform God’s Will. Most commentaries state that this man was king Cyrus whom God used in the rebuilding of His temple. Isaiah 46:11 and especially Isaiah 44:28, which identifies Cyrus by name, were written long before Cyrus was born and about one hundred and fifty years before the events stated in 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 occurred. God spoke and He made it good.

There are many more prophecies which God spoke and caused to happen. An early one is in Genesis 17:16, where God stated that through Sarah, Abraham would engender nations and kings. He also promised to make the family of Ishmael great (compare Genesis 17:20).

God has made many promises of what He would do, some having already occurred in the past, and some, like the promise in Revelation 21:2 of God sending down the holy city, New Jerusalem, from heaven, still to occur in the future (compare also Revelation 3:12).

So that is one method God uses to know what the future holds; namely, that He has the ability to make it happen. But there is another method that we cannot fully understand because as humans, we have a limited lifespan and are subject to time.

God informs us in Isaiah 57:15 that He inhabits eternity. Some commentaries indicate that this means that time in eternity is unknown, or that it does not proceed as we normally think of it. (compare Barnes’ Notes on the Bible and the Benson Commentary).

This then can give an explanation of how God foreknows events in the future that He may not personally cause, or that He may not cause in their entirety. For example, we read in Ephesians 1:4: “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.” This clearly indicates that God knew those in Ephesus whom He would call for salvation in that day and age, before He created the world.

Romans 8:29-30 also indicates that God knew those whom He would call in this day and age before they were born: “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.”

God has predestined us before the foundation of the world to be called in this day and age. There are other Scriptures, however, that indicate that the justification and glorification depend on our response to God’s calling. If we respond as God requires, then He will justify and glorify us.

Again, God foreknew certain individuals whom He would call in this day and age. What is most interesting here is that the passage is written in the past tense, as if His intention had already been fulfilled. This indicates that if God says He will do something, in His mind, it is as good as already done. (Compare with Romans 4:17 where we read that God calls those things that do not exist yet as though they did.)

A question that arises is how much does God know? Is there anything God does not know? Job 37:16 informs us that God is perfect in knowledge. Perfect can also be translated, complete or full (compare Strong’s H8549). He knows the hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30). Psalms 147:4-5 informs us that God knows all the stars by name and His understanding is infinite. In Psalm 139:1-4, David acknowledges that God knows all his thoughts and everything he does. So while we have limitations on how much we can know, God does not have such a limitation.

But we must also emphasize that God has chosen NOT to know certain things about us. When He calls us to salvation, He expects of us and has full confidence that we are able to and will qualify for eternal life. However, He has chosen NOT to know whether all of us will indeed stay faithful to the end. It IS possible that some of those who are called today can commit the unpardonable sin to end up in the lake of fire. But God has chosen not to know that; otherwise, He would call some of us today KNOWING that we won’t make it.  That would be tantamount to being predestined for condemnation, which the Bible clearly does not teach.

In addition, there are some passages that show us that God still has things to find out about humans. The obvious one is in Genesis 22:12: “And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’” Here God learned something about Abraham that He had not previously known fully.

And most importantly to us, in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, God says to the Christians in the seven churches, “to him who overcomes,” which is followed by an absolute promise to them of various rewards. So He watches us to see if we will qualify to be in His Kingdom forever.

From this we can see that God does know what will happen in the future either by causing events to occur or by the fact that, if He so chooses, He sees everything that has ever or will ever happen. But God has created us as free moral agents, and so He still needs to test or try us to find out our character in order that He can know us fully and glorify us (Romans 8:30).

Lead Writer: Paul Niehoff (Australia)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Das Buch Sacharja—Prophezeiungen für die heutige Zeit!” is the title of a new German promo video, presented by Michael Link.

“Was die Bibel über den dritten Tempel vor Christi Rückkehr offenbart,” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “What the Bible Reveals About the Third Temple Prior to Christ’s Return.”

“Der zweite Blick,” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Johann Schell. Title in English: “The Second Look.”

“Impeachment, Immigration and Indifference–Comments on News and Prophecy (December 7, 2019),” is the title of last Sabbath’s first message, presented by Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The attempts to force President Trump out of office through the impeachment hoax will utterly fail. Through their ill-conceived biased political maneuverings, Democrats have guaranteed that Trump will be re-elected. From a spiritual standpoint, Trump will have to stay in power until he has fulfilled his providential role. What is that role, and how do our American immigration system, the building of a third temple in Jerusalem, a new holocaust and a nuclear war against the USA come into play? And why are Americans so indifferent as to what is going on?

“Words—Part 2,” is the title of last Sabbath’s sermon, presented by Brian Gale. Here is a summary:

This sermon is a continuation from the previous message and looks at seven more points – this time exclusively about God’s Word.

On, December 7, 2019, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy (December 7, 2019),” and Brian Gale will present the sermon, titled, “Words, Part 2.”

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.

After reading articles in recent Updates about the atrocities and scandals surrounding abortion, I become increasingly aghast at the dismissive treatment of human life. This is of course nothing new, but it seems that the rhetoric is becoming more brazen and unapologetic. In the misappropriated name of mercy and freedom of choice, unborn infants are consciously and systematically murdered. Even when circumstances in the life of the mother are difficult, the fact remains that only one party has a voice in the choice to kill. The life of the murdered is valued only for the salvaged body to be bought and sold on the market for scientific and medical purposes. To God, the society that allows this to happen is shamefully condemned. And that is putting it lightly.

Infanticide is clearly an evil deed in the eyes of God (compare 2 Kings 8:12, Amos 1:13, Matthew 2:13-18). To draw any other conclusion that justifies abortion is plainly insulting to Him. God gives us some very clear commandments to love one another. To make a conscious choice to kill an innocent, helpless child is an impudent rejection of God that demonstrates the very opposite of love. The choice to kill shows a sharp contrast between the value that God has for our human lives and the attitude of man that counts life so cheap.

The ever-increasing spending on the military also shows an irony in the hearts of man and their governments. In the name of protecting peace and safety, the accumulation of war machines capable of wiping out entire populations proliferates. How the act of killing in war can fulfill a mission of peace boggles the mind. Yet, this is the claim that militaries and governments make. The hostility that makes a system of defense seem necessary begins in the misguided, selfish hearts of men.

“Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:1-3). The value of life from the perspective of mankind is not the same as God’s. To the carnal man, the “other” side is a threat, which affects an escalation of increasingly violent responses, killing people who are valuable to God.

What is the value of life? To mankind, one would think that the value of our own lives would be paramount. But from the ways in which man behaves, the evidence shows the opposite to be true. Sadly, life is cheap to man. The killing that we hear about in the news, the laws of the land, and the investments of man prove it. To God, this attitude to life contrasts His undying love for us. In a perfect expression of love, God the Father offered His Son as the ultimate Sacrifice to cover man’s sin which was necessary so that all could live eternally (compare John 3:16). Then, in further proof of God’s love for life, He resurrected Jesus Christ to live in glory forever. To God, the value of life is infinitely greater than the evaluation made by man. God values our lives so greatly that His entire plan involves bringing as many to eternal life as possible so we can all live together in love and everlasting peace. The value of life will finally meet an equilibrium where death itself is destroyed.

We should be encouraged by the value that God places on our lives individually as well. He is intimately involved in the details of our lives. He knows our struggles. He knows our hearts. He knows our needs. Beyond merely knowing us, He loves us and values us individually. “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31). Even if our lives are cheap to man, we are valuable in the eyes of God.

Seeing that God values our life infinitely more than the world does, how should we conform our minds, hearts, and behavior? Quite simply, we follow God’s lead and demonstrate love through obedience. “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:2-3). When we obey God, His love for us grows and our life fulfills the value He holds for us. In addition, we express the same value of life towards our fellow man through obedience to God’s commandment to love one another. If we want to understand the value of life, we need to do nothing more than look to God and learn from Him.

by Norbert Link

It has been said that if you have four attorneys or law professors in the room, you might get at least eight legal opinions. This claim did not hold true in the House Judiciary Committee hearing this week where four legal scholars were questioned to determine whether President Trump had committed an impeachable offense. While three law professors who had been invited by the Democrats were unanimous in their conclusions that Trump had committed impeachable offenses (Harvard law professor Noah Feldman, Stanford law professor Pamela Karlan and University of North Carolina law professor Michael Gerhardt), the fourth law professor, Jonathan Turley from the George Washington University, who had been approved by the Republicans, totally disagreed with that assessment and warned Congress instead not to abuse its power in the proceedings.

This was remarkable in that he was not even a Trump supporter, stating from the outset that he had voted against him. But any fair-minded politically unbiased person would have concluded that he was the one with the most reasonable conclusions, while the three professors on the other side were unconvincing in their biased and politically motivated legal analysis which at times bordered on the ridiculous. We will not comment any further in this issue on the impeachment circus, given the fact that President Trump will not lose his office prematurely due to impeachment, and that he WILL be re-elected in 2020.

In more important, relevant and meaningful substantive news, we report on the 70th anniversary of NATO and the obvious disagreements between NATO members; [note our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Why NATO Is Breaking Apart”] the political trouble Germany’s great coalition finds itself in; the dubious role of Germany’s far-right AfD party; and the known activities of terrorists in Germany.

We continue with the London Bridge murder and anti-Semitism in Britain; and we speak on Israel’s strong disagreement with six European nations, as well as turmoil in Iraq and Iran.

We address the Chinese-Russian pipeline; the troubling question as to how to store nuclear waste; America’s trillion dollar deficits; and California’s overlooked and ignored volcanoes.

We conclude with articles on Pope Francis’ attempts to create a world religion; and plans to vaccinate people with microchips in pursuit of a New World Order.

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

Tense NATO Summit Celebrating Its 70^th Anniversary

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 3:

“US President Donald Trump kicked off a tense two-day NATO summit on Tuesday by criticizing French President Emmanuel Macron’s comment about the ‘brain death’ of the military alliance.

“Speaking to the press on the summit’s sidelines, Trump [called] Macron’s comments ‘nasty,’ ‘insulting,’ and ‘very dangerous’ adding that: ‘Nobody needs NATO more than France.’… [Trump] said that he could ‘see France breaking off’ from NATO… [He reiterated] his call for European partners to increase defense spending – calling out Germany in particular for falling short…

“The French president told reporters he stands by his ‘brain death’ comments, even if they ‘shook up a lot of people’… Macron pointed out that [the 29] NATO members have different definitions of what constitutes terrorism. He called on Turkish leaders to clarify their position at this summit, saying ‘they now are fighting against those who fought with us. And sometimes they work with ISIS proxies.’”

President Trump, who had been highly critical of NATO in the past, also said in a press conference with Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (whom he later described as “two-faced”) that it was not fair that Germany had not been paying its fair share in all the previous years, saying that they owe much money to the US. Also, that if they don’t deliver, tariffs will be imposed on German cars. Trump said the US has the better cards. He also said that Germany should pay much more than what they have presently agreed to. When asked whether the USA would defend a NATO ally when attacked, he said: “That is a good question,” continuing with complaints about the failure of some NATO allies to pay their fair share.

Later, Deutsche Welle reported this on December 4:

“On Wednesday, NATO leaders agreed on the importance of mutual defense…  ‘We reaffirm the enduring transatlantic bond between Europe and North America … and our solemn commitment as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty that an attack against one ally shall be considered an attack against us all,’ they said in a joint statement… Trump suddenly canceled a press conference scheduled for the end of the day’s proceedings after footage leaked that appeared to show other world leaders mocking him behind his back.”

While one has to wonder as to how political the “reaffirmation” of NATO leaders really is, the subsequent abrupt departure of Trump shows the deep rift within NATO. Also note the next two articles which reveal American and German feelings about NATO and their respective countries.

Americans Skeptical of NATO

Politico wrote on December 3:

“To the extent that U.S. citizens think about NATO at all, they disagree about whether honoring its commitments would be worth the sacrifice. This wavering commitment likely signals a belief that American protection is no longer necessary for European security or that the United States has different priorities from when NATO was created 70 years ago…

“NATO is in the midst of an existential crisis…”

“Germany Would NOT Use Military to Defend… [the] US from Attack”

Express wrote on December 2:

“YouGov quizzed voters in the UK, France, Germany, the USA, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway about their attitudes towards the [NATO] alliance… Germans object to the possibility of defending the United States from attack by 43 percent to 32 percent, in stark contrast to the 54 percent of Americans think they should defend Germany should it find itself besieged… [In France, the support for defending the USA was even much less.]

“Both countries [Germany and France] also baulked at the idea of defending Ukraine, which is not a member of NATO, France by 35 percent to 28 percent, and Germany by 47 percent to 22 percent…

“On the wider issue for support for NATO generally… [in] France, just nine percent of those asked strongly support the alliance, a drop of 12 points compared with two years ago. In the case of Germany, strong support has plummeted, down from 41 percent in 2017 to 22 percent now. Even in the UK, strong support has fallen dramatically, from 42 percent to 25 percent.”

Germany’s New Military Budget

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 29:

“The German parliament has passed a record budget for 2020… [It] will include Germany’s ever-largest military budget amounting to some €45.05 billion (compared to €43.23 billion this year), with extra money specifically earmarked for the Bundeswehr’s overseas missions and NATO commitments.

“… Wednesday’s ‘general debate’ in the Bundestag [showed] the rift in Merkel’s coalition with the Social Democrats, whose parliamentary group leader Ralf Mützenich said his party would not blindly support the ‘urge’ for military dominance…”

Germany, following external pressure, will become more and more powerful in its military endeavors.

Germany’s Grand Coalition in Serious Doubt

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 30:

“With the fate of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition government on a knife-edge, her center-left partners have elected new leaders. The Social Democrats now face a decision on whether to remain in the government.

“Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is also finance minister, and his running mate Klara Geywitz were soundly beaten, obtaining only 45.33% of the vote from the party’s rank and file. Both back staying in the coalition until the next national elections in 2021. Instead, party members chose challengers Norbert Walter-Borjans [sometimes called the German Bernie Sanders] and Saskia Esken, who have been strongly critical of the alliance with Merkel’s conservatives..

“Many party members are in favor of leaving the government and rebuilding support for the party in the opposition. That would likely trigger new elections or pave the way for a weak and uncertain minority government…

“The SPD is desperate to try and win back voters following a series of electoral losses and plunging support in opinion polls. ‘Whoever wins this membership poll will deserve the full support of the entire party,’ Foreign Minister Heiko Maas [said], an SPD member… Current opinion polls put the party at 14%, trailing in third place behind Merkel’s conservatives and the Greens…”

It is remarkable that the SPD has still some of their controversial members in high political positions, such as Scholz and Maas, while the party is of no political consequence in national elections.

Deutsche Welle added on December 1:

“Who would have thought it? The Social Democrats (SPD) have voted for revolution. Norbert Walter-Borjans and Saskia Esken, two party members who, up to this point, had been relatively unknown… belong to the party’s left… Those who, until now, have had a say in the running of the SPD have been duped… And no wonder. [They] had pledged to stay in the governing coalition until the next scheduled election in fall 2021.

“… Given that Germany will assume the EU Council presidency in 2020… neither party is keen to hold an early election. Anyone who has made it to the front row, and thus has much to lose, has no interest in political suicide. Norbert Walter-Borjans and Saskia Esken are different… Both are convinced that the SPD is only in such a weak position because it’s moved too far towards the political center. They want to bring the party back to its social democratic roots, heralding a new beginning with a radical change of course…”

The Guardian wrote on December 2:

“Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the head of the Christian Democrats (CDU), said the coalition deal with the Social Democrats (SPD) would either stay intact or the SPD would have to leave the government…”

The big question is, who will replace Merkel and emerge as the leader of Germany and/or Austria and ultimately Europe, in fulfillment of biblical prophecy?

Will Germany’s Far-Right AfD REALLY Change?

Reuters and the Algemeiner wrote on December 2:

“The far-right Alternative for Germany on Saturday elected a decorator from the east backed by a radical wing within the party as one of two co-leaders. The election of Tino Chrupalla, a lawmaker from Saxony, is a tribute to former Communist eastern states where the AfD has made big gains in three elections this year. He will lead Germany’s largest opposition party with Joerg Meuthen, an economics professor from the industrial southern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg who serves as a European Parliament lawmaker…

“The AfD is the biggest opposition party in the Bundestag national parliament, which it entered for the first time in 2017, propelled by voters angry at conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision in 2015 to admit almost one million mainly Muslim asylum seekers. The AfD also sits on opposition benches in all of Germany’s 16 state parliaments, where it is ostracized by all established parties, including Merkel’s center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD).

“Alexander Gauland, 78, a unifying figure in the AfD who has been a co-leader since 2017, did not stand for reelection. He has said he wants to pass on the baton to a new leadership that ensures the party join a governing coalition with Merkel’s CDU, at least at the state level. ‘They call us Nazis, fascists and right-wing terrorists,’ Gauland told delegates. ‘But we need to be wise and resilient. The day will come when a weakened CDU has only one option: us.’…

“‘If we want more success we need to change,’ Chrupalla said on Friday… ‘We want to move toward the center. This will work because the CDU keeps moving to the left.’… The party is more popular in former Communist eastern states, with double the support that it has in the west of the country. ‘In a few years, we may well have an AfD-CDU coalition, most likely at the state level in the east,’ said Matthias Quent, director of the Institute for Democracy and Civil Society. ‘This could split the CDU. Some CDU members in the east are openly in favor of such a coalition.’…”

AfD’s pronouncement of change and Gauland’s statement that the party needs to be “wise and resilient” could be interpreted in different ways.

Known Terrorist Organization Operates Openly in Germany

The Jerusalem Post wrote on December 1:

“The Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah uses a center in Berlin as well as other locations across Germany to recruit members and raise funds for terrorism and weapons purchases, according to a report by the Berlin-based Tagesspiegel newspaper… According to the article, Hezbollah members ‘use Germany as a place for drug trafficking, trade in stolen cars and money laundering. The implications of the group for the drug business are well documented.’

“The report said that Hezbollah’s ‘main routes now move from South America to Africa into the EU. Cocaine reaches Germany mainly via the ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg.’ Within the capital city of Berlin, ‘Hezbollah is also allowed to spread propaganda here in the Reuterstrasse, recruit new members, collect donations – and then forward them to Beirut,’ Tagesspiegel reported.

“The Islamic Center Imam Riza, a Shi’ite institution, is located on Reuter Street in the Berlin district of Neukölln. Berlin’s intelligence agency – the rough equivalent of Shin Bet – revealed in its 2019 report that 250 Hezbollah members live in the capital. A total of 1,050 Hezbollah members and supporters operate across Germany, according to other German intelligence reports.

“Some 30 mosques and cultural centers in Germany have links to Hezbollah, according to a 2019 Hamburg intelligence agency report…

“The Jerusalem Post exclusively reported in August that a Hezbollah mosque in the German city of Münster posted a shocking video on its Facebook page announcing it was proud of terrorism and its allegiance to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. A Lebanese member of the Imam Mahdi Zentrum Shi’ite mosque in Münster declared: ‘We belong to the party of Ruhollah [Khomeini]. We have been accused of being terrorists – we are proud of terrorism.’

“The German government has rejected appeals to outlaw Hezbollah’s so-called political wing from the country; the military wing was banned by Germany and the European Union in 2013.”

Hezbollah and all its operations are clearly part of a violent and dangerous terrorist organization. Germany’s indifferent approach towards them is shocking, but as we pointed out in our last Update, anti-Semitic positions might very well be a cause for it.

The London Bridge Murder

Daily Mail wrote on November 30:

“The London Bridge attacker who murdered two innocent people in a knife rampage was a convicted terrorist banned from entering the capital. Usman Khan, 28, was released from jail on condition that he obey 20 strict conditions, including not going to London, but probation bosses granted him an exemption to attend an ex-prisoners’ conference organised by Cambridge University because they wrongly believed he had reformed. Instead, he launched a frenzied knife attack inside the Fishmongers’ Hall building on Friday afternoon before being chased down by members of the public on London Bridge where he was shot dead by police.

“Last night, a catalogue of apparent errors by police, judges, politicians and probation services emerged that allowed Khan to launch his attack close to the scene of another terrorist atrocity at Borough Market just two years ago. Khan was jailed in 2012 over a plot to kill Boris Johnson and blow up iconic sites including the London Stock Exchange. Released under strict bail conditions in December last year, he had to wear a tag, attend deradicalisation sessions and was under surveillance by MI5. Yet he apparently ‘hoodwinked’ the authorities by behaving like a ‘model ex-prisoner’ and lulling them into allowing him to travel to London. As the investigation into Khan continued, it emerged that:

“Judge Lord Justice Leveson decided Khan had ‘bigged up’ his role and downgraded his sentence. His release from jail was signed off by the Ministry of Justice, then led by David Gauke. MI5 did not have ‘surveillance eyes’ on Khan on Friday.”

The unfolding story about this known terrorist is extremely troublesome in light of the apparent incompetence of involved government agencies.

Far-Left Anti-Semitism in Britain

The Algemeiner wrote on December 1:

“A new study on antisemitism in the UK found that more than two-thirds of strong supporters of Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn hold at least one antisemitic view. It also found that far-left hatred of Jews is now more prevalent than far-right Jew hatred in Britain, with 60% of the former believing at least one stereotype…

“The poll revealed that 84% of British Jews believe Jeremy Corbyn to be a threat to the Jewish community, with 42% having considered leaving the country in the past two years due to antisemitism, a scale that is ‘unprecedented since medieval times,’ according to the report. Almost half of British Jews cite not feeling comfortable identifying as Jewish in public…

“Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign against Antisemitism [said:]… ‘the far-left is now home to even more anti-Jewish bigotry than the far-right… Nowhere is that more obvious than in the Labour Party, where Jeremy Corbyn is now the politician of choice for anti-Semites.’

“In the last year, over a dozen MPs and three peers have resigned from the Labour Party citing its institutionalized antisemitism. Many MEPs, councilors, and members have also left in protest.”

These figures are shocking!

Netanyahu Slams Six European Nations

Times of Israel wrote on December 1:

“Israel on Sunday scolded six new European members of the INSTEX barter mechanism meant to circumvent US sanctions on Iran, saying they encouraged the Iranian regime’s repression of its citizens and ‘should be ashamed of themselves.’ ‘While the Iranian regime is killing its own people, European countries rush to support that very murderous regime,’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu charged in a video released Sunday.

“In a separate statement, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said ‘Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden could not have picked worse timing. The hundreds of innocent Iranians murdered during the latest round of protests are rolling in their graves.’…

“[Netanyahu continued:] ‘And while the people of the Middle East bravely stand up to Iran and its henchmen, here’s the absurd thing: While all of this is happening, countries in Europe are working to bypass US sanctions against Iran…. While Iran bombs Saudi Arabia’s oil installations, while Iran rushes to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons, European countries rush to appease Iran with even more concessions.’

“In an apparent reference to World War II, the Israeli leader added: ‘These European countries should be ashamed of themselves. Have they learned nothing from history? Well, apparently not. They are enabling a fanatic terrorist state to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, thereby bringing disaster to themselves and upon everyone else.’…

“The accession of the six new members ‘further strengthens INSTEX and demonstrates European efforts to facilitate legitimate trade between Europe and Iran,’ France, Germany, and Britain said.”

All these Israelite European nations (i.e., Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, France and Britain, and, in addition, non-Israelite Germany) are turning against the state of Israel, and vice versa. Ultimately, it will be the entire world against Israel.

Iraq in Turmoil… America’s Attempt to Bring Democracy to the Country Failed Completely

Reuters and the Algemeiner wrote on December 2:

“Iraq’s parliament voted on Sunday to accept the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi after weeks of violent anti-government protests that have rocked the country. Abdul Mahdi’s decision to quit on Friday came after a call by Iraq’s top Shi’ite Muslim cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani for parliament to consider withdrawing its support for Abdul Mahdi’s government to stem the violence… Iraqi forces have killed nearly 400 mostly young, unarmed demonstrators since mass anti-government protests broke out on Oct. 1. More than a dozen members of the security forces have also died in clashes.

“Abdul Mahdi’s resignation, though welcomed by protesters, is not expected to end the demonstrations, which have called for an overhaul of a political system accused of being corrupt and keeping most of the population in poverty. Protesters on Sunday torched the Iranian consulate in the holy Shi’ite city of Najaf for the second time in a week, police and civil defense sources said…

“The unrest poses the biggest challenge for Iraq since Islamic State insurgents seized swathes of Iraqi and Syrian territory in 2014. It pits mostly young, disaffected Shi’ite protesters against a Shi’ite-dominated government backed by Iran and accused of squandering Iraq’s oil wealth while infrastructure and living standards deteriorate.”

America’s attempts to bring democracy to Iraq have failed entirely.

Iran in Turmoil

Aljazeera wrote on December 2:

“At least 208 people are believed to have been killed in Iran during a security crackdown on protests that came after a surprise petrol price increase, Amnesty International has said… adding that the actual figure was likely to be higher…

“‘The escalation of the use of force is evident from the fact that protesters were shot from close range. Protesters were also shot from the rooftops and in one case from a helicopter. This represents a regression even by the Iranian government’s own standards.’… It described the death toll as ‘evidence that Iran’s security forces went on a horrific killing spree’…”

The New York Times wrote on December 2:

“Iran is experiencing its deadliest political unrest since the Islamic Revolution 40 years ago… as angry protests have been smothered in a government crackdown of unbridled force.”

As long as Iran is run by dictators, there will be no peace and freedom in the country. However, one should not think that if a governmental change were to take place in the country, it would become more friendly towards America. Rather, Iran will become more and more aligned with Russia.

The Chinese-Russian Pipeline

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 2:

“China and Russia’s leaders opened the giant ‘Power of Siberia’ pipeline project on Monday. The 3,000 kilometer pipeline has been hailed as a sign of the close friendship between two of the world’s superpowers… The project, which Putin has called ‘the world’s biggest construction project,’ is set to last 30 years and pump $400 billion (€363 billion) into Russia’s economy… The agreement came as Russia faced sanctions from the EU and US after it annexed the Crimean peninsula during the same year. It is part of Russia’s plan to boost trade with countries like China and Turkey, as relations with the West continue to deteriorate…

“Xi and Putin… both attended the opening ceremony via video link… ‘ This step takes Russo-Chinese strategic cooperation in energy to a qualitative new level and brings us closer to fulfilling the task, set together with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, of taking bilateral trade to $200 billion (€181 billion) by 2024,’ said Putin. Putin added that it was ‘a genuinely historical event.’

“Xi told Putin via video link that ‘China-Russia relations are entering a new era’ and that the pipeline was an ‘example of deep integration and mutually beneficial cooperation.’”

In the near future, a powerful coalition will develop between Russia, China and other Far Eastern nations. The Bible calls this emerging power bloc “the kings of the East.”

Blocking Russian Gas Pipeline to Germany?

 Newsmax wrote on December 4:

 “President Donald Trump is under pressure from two key senators to thwart completion of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany by sanctioning companies involved in the project.

Senators Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, and New Hampshire Democrat Jeanne Shaheen are pushing to put a provision that would sanction companies involved in the construction of the pipeline in a defense spending bill that is viewed as a must-pass measure before Congress leaves Washington for the year.

 “Cruz expressed frustration with the Trump administration for not acting on its own to impose sanctions that could stop the pipeline, which is a project of Russian energy company Gazprom PJSC…

 “Cruz and Shaheen sponsored legislation, which was approved by the Foreign Relations Committee in July by a vote of 20-2, that would target vessels that lay the pipeline and sanction executives from companies linked to those vessels. It would deny visas to those individuals and block transactions related to their U.S.-based property or interests. The bill would also penalize entities that provide insurance to the project.

“It was never brought to the floor for a vote, but Senator Jim Risch, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, told Defense News that the sanctions measure had been added to the draft of the National Defense Authorization Act. The sanctions measure may fall victim to haggling between Democrats and Republicans about what should or shouldn’t be included in the defense bill…

“The Nord Stream 2 project has divided the European Union, with nations led by Poland concerned about Russia’s Gazprom tightening its grip on the region if the new pipeline comes online...

“Trump was non-committal when asked about sanctioning the pipeline companies as he met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Wednesday during this week’s NATO summit in London. ‘Well, we haven’t really determined that yet,’ Trump said. ‘I do think it’s a problem. But it’s a problem that Germany’s going to have to work out for themselves. Maybe for Germany, it won’t be a problem. I hope it’s not, actually. But we’ll be talking about that.’”

It would be hard to imagine what would happen if the USA were to impose sanctions on Russia and Germany regarding the pipeline.  Nothing that has happened so far would even come close to the animosity which would develop between those countries.

Where to Store Nuclear Waste?

CNN wrote on November 30:

“Germany… [will close] all of its nuclear plants in the coming years… [The seven power stations still in operation today are due to close by 2022.] Experts are now hunting for somewhere to bury almost 2,000 containers of high-level radioactive waste. The site must be beyond rock-solid, with no groundwater or earthquakes that could cause a leakage. The technological challenges — of transporting the lethal waste, finding a material to encase it, and even communicating its existence to future humans — are huge. But the most pressing challenge today might simply be finding a community willing to have a nuclear dumping ground in their backyard…

“Currently, high-level radioactive waste is stored in temporary facilities, usually near the power plant it came from… As the name suggests, high-level radioactive waste is the most lethal of its kind…

“With more than 400 nuclear power plants around the world, many nearing the end of their operating lifetimes, the issue of waste storage will only become more urgent…”

Another example of how mankind has created its own disasters.

Our Trillion Dollar Deficits

The Hill wrote on December 1:

“Trillion-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see, and hardly a voice of caution to be heard.

“In the old days, a decade or so ago, Democrats would have assailed Donald Trump’s failure on federal deficits; instead of eliminating it, as promised, the deficit has doubled to a trillion dollars as far as the eye can see.

“Republicans would be in full fury over the spending schemes of Democratic presidential candidates; even the mainstream moderates propose huge increases for health care, education and the social safety net for the disadvantaged. Yet deficits, as a political issue, are dead.”

People have become accustomed to dangerous situations. It is as if a spirit of slumber has overtaken them.

California’s Ignored Volcanoes

The Los Angeles Times wrote on November 30:

“California is famous for its catastrophic earthquakes and wildfires, but they are not the state’s only natural hazards. As head of the observatory, or CalVO, Mangan has drawn attention to the state’s more overlooked threats: a dozen restive volcanoes that stretch from Medicine Lake near the Oregon border to the Salton Buttes in the Coachella Valley… the risk of a small-to-moderate eruption somewhere in the state over the next 30 years is 16% — about the same as for a magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake along the San Andreas Fault… Unlike earthquakes, which are over in a matter of seconds, volcanic eruptions can drag on…

“[Air Traffic could be interrupted.] Planes regularly fly over California’s volcanoes, ferrying up to 300,000 passengers to, from and along the West Coast every day. Each year, millions more people drive through the Mount Shasta hazard zone on Interstate 5 between Redding and the Oregon border… Thousands of miles of high-voltage power lines bound for major population centers cross through hazard zones, particularly in the northern part of the state. These could short out if covered in wet ash, leaving consumers in the dark for weeks. A natural gas pipeline snakes between Shasta, Lassen and Medicine Lake, supplying 4.2 million homes. And many of the state’s water reservoirs lie within the ash fall zones of various volcanoes… ash damages electronics and interferes with radio signals…”

Earthquakes, volcanoes, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural catastrophes, including the impact with asteroids and meteors, will contribute to the destruction of vast areas of the USA and the entire world.  In this regard, we received the following report from Paul Niehoff in Australia:

“47 wildfires are burning in Queensland and 96 in New South Wales from the south coast to the Queensland border. Sydney has hazardous air quality due to the smoke, people with health issues are being urged to stay indoors and some workers are refusing to work outdoors. Central Western Australia has extreme fire danger, temperatures over 40 degrees are expected.”

Controversial Pope’s Quest for a World Religion

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 1:

“Islam was founded in the 7th century CE, approximately 600 years after the founding of Christianity and several thousand years after Judaism began. As an aggressive form of replacement theology, Islam appropriated all of the figures in the Christian and Jewish Bible as Muslim prophets. Even though Buddhism was founded in the 6th century BCE, Islam did not appropriate Siddhārtha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, as a Mulsim prophet. This may be because Islam considers Buddhism to be a forbidden form of idolatry… ‘The Pope wants to unify all religions and all governments under one world order,’ Rabbi Assur said. ‘What is the big surprise? He is not hiding anything. Just listen to what he says and who he is and his plans are right there for all to see.’

“Pope Francis… is the first pope from the southern hemisphere and, most significantly, he is the first Jesuit to be appointed to the position. Though established by papal order in 1540 to stop the spread of Protestantism and convert the indigenous peoples of Africa and the Americas, the Jesuit order has historically been treated with suspicion by the Catholic Church for being power-hungry. ‘You assume that the pope is Catholic but he is certainly not acting like a Catholic,’ Rabbi Asore said… ‘Brotherhood is a wonderful thing but one religion is only good if it is worshipping the true God,’ Rabbi Asore said…

“Pope Francis has come under fire before for connecting the Catholic Church with the children of Ishmael. In 2015, 71 elders of the Sanhedrin tried the Pope in absentia for recognizing a ‘State of Palestine’ with an official treaty. By doing so, the Sanhedrin claimed, the Pope was denying the covenant as described in the Bible in which God gives the land of Israel to the descendants of Jacob…

“Pope Francis has also made displays similar to his sitting barefoot in front of the Golden idol of Budda in Bankok that showed a shocking level of tolerance for idolatry. In October, a video emerged of what appears to be Pope Francis blessing a Pachama Goddess statue. Pope Francis has also taken on a policy in which homosexuals are welcomed into the church so much so that the American LGBT magazine The Advocate named Pope Francis their Person of the Year for 2013.”

The Bible predicts we will see a universal body of “believers”—all in opposition to the true God.

Coming—Microchip Vaccinations?

Natural News wrote on October 23:

“It’s all happening, just as we predicted. Big Pharma is officially partnering with the tech industry to pair ‘immunization’ with digital biometrics, meaning humans will soon be microchipped, tracked, and ultimately controlled through a global identification matrix… Similar to how cattle are marked with ear tags, this globalist alliance wants all humans to be ‘vaccinated’ with digital tracking chips that will create a seamless monitoring system for the New World Order to manage the populations of the world with ease…

“While the… program’s testing grounds are primarily in the Third World, the group says it’s also now working with governments here in the United States to start microchipping people through vaccination. In Austin, Texas, for example, the homeless population is now being exploited as a collective guinea pig for… microchip vaccination program… [the program] is also jabbing refugees with its microchip vaccinations…

“All of this is priming the public for an eventual mandate of microchip vaccinations…”

The article makes the common mistake of equating microchip vaccinations with the mark of the beast. It has nothing to do with it. Still, the article is remarkable in that it shows what misguided power-hungry people are willing to do.

 Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In the first two parts, we saw that Christ was called a stumbling block and that He indeed offended people, and He was still without fault or sin. We explained that giving offense has to be seen in the context of sinning.

However, some teach or suggest that Paul told us to refrain from doing what we have learned to be right if someone with a weak conscience thinks it is wrong. In making this claim and support their idea, they are referring to several Scriptures.

One of those passages is Romans 14:1-20:

“Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

“One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks…

“But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ… So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block [Greek proskomma] or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean [common] of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean [common], to him it is unclean [common].

“Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

“Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense [Greek proskomma]. It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended [Greek skandalizo] or is made weak. Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.”

The passage speaks about two concepts: One having to do with self-declared fast days, and another with eating or not eating meat. This includes the concept of being a vegetarian or a vegan, as well as the concept of not eating meat [which was clean] for fear that it was sacrificed to idols [which became “common” due to false usage]. The entire passage addresses the concept of not judging and condemning a brother.

We quote from our booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days”:

“Romans 14:2–3 is addressing the consumption of vegetables and meat (‘For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables’). Some thought that they must not eat meat… Part of the reason for their decision might have been that the meat, which could be purchased in the market, was probably offered to idols. Knowing this, some had a conscience problem with eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols (compare 1 Corinthians 8:1–13).

“The context in Romans 14:5 is the consumption of certain foods. Paul addresses the fact that some esteem a certain day above another. In the very next verse, he shows the connection between the consumption of food and the regard for days. He says in verse 6: ‘He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.’…

“Paul talks about new Church members who still had a weak conscience and thought they had to FAST on particular days. That is, they thought they could not just fast on ANY weekday of their choice, but that it could only be done on particular designated days. (Note again verse 6, ‘… he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat.’ The context of the discussion is FASTING.) Others understood that one can fast on ANY day of the week, and that God does not enjoin us, except for the Day of Atonement, to fast on a specific day during the week.

“This is the reason Paul says, ‘One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike.’ The context is eating and drinking and fasting. Paul is really saying in verse 6, ‘He who observes [or better, ‘regards,’ as the Authorized Version has it] the day [as a fast day] observes [or regards] it to the Lord; and he who does not observe [or regard] the day [as a Fast day] observes [regards] it to the Lord, too, because the one who does not eat on that day, does it to the Lord, and the one who does eat on that day does it to the Lord, too, as he thanks God for the food he partakes of.’ Paul’s point is to not judge another for the way they worship God, as long as it is done on the basis of Scripture.

“Romans addresses the wrong kind of judgment and condemnation which could cause a new brother with a weak conscience to stumble and fall when he is condemned for what he does. It also admonishes the weak brother not to violate his conscience by eating, for example, meat sacrificed to idols even though his conscience would prohibit it.”

This passage does not say that Paul could not eat such meat either. But the passage seems to also hint at the complicated situation of meat sacrificed to idols, which Paul addresses more fully in two other passages… both of which are used by some to teach that we must cease from doing what is right if a brother with a weak conscience becomes offended by it.

The first of these two passages is 1 Corinthians 8:4-13, which reads:

“Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

“However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block [Greek proskomma] to those who are weak.

“For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble [Greek skandalizo], I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.”

The Authorized Version translates: “… if meat make my brother to offend… lest I make my brother to offend…”

The context here is again the conscience of the weak brother. If Paul were to eat meat sacrificed to idols (which was fine per se) in the presence of a weak brother who would then be emboldened to eat likewise, but he would eat it as meat sacrificed to idols, thereby committing idolatry (which is against God’s Law), then Paul would have acted wrongly. He would actually have caused a brother to stumble or to sin. This is even more true in light of the following warning by Christ in Revelation 2:14:

“But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block [Greek skandalon] before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.”

In this passage, Christ described a concerted effort by some in the Church to persuade members to eat meat sacrificed to idols as part of an idolatrous service, which was of course wrong and against the Law of God against idolatry.

However, Paul’s statements in 1 Corinthians 8 cannot be interpreted to mean that Paul would never eat meat which was sacrificed to idols, even if he was in the presence of others. It is only IF the weak brother is emboldened and concludes that he can eat it too, but he does so in violation of God’s Law by eating it as meat sacrificed to idols, that Paul said he would not do it then in the brother’s presence. But Paul is not saying either that the entire Church congregation could not eat such meat if a person disagrees with such practice. It is only if our conduct would lead a brother with a weak conscience to follow our example but in doing so, he would violate his conscience, that he should not be asked or encouraged to participate in such a Church function.

In 1 Corinthians 10:25-32, Paul continues to address the same situation:

“Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake… If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake.

“But if anyone says to you, ‘This was offered to idols,’ do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake… ‘Conscience,’ I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? 

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense [Greek, aproskopos; lit., not causing to stumble] either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”

This passage addresses outsiders as well as Church members with a weak conscience. In this example, Paul would be eating with unbelievers, but it appears that members with a weak conscience would have been present as well. If someone was to say that the meat was sacrificed to idols, perhaps in order to test him as to what he would do, or because a weak church member would have a conscience problem as described in 1 Corinthians 8, then Paul said that he would not eat it in order to avoid sinful conduct. In this context, we would also need to consider that someone would sin if he were to violate his conscience (Romans 14:23).

The conscience must however be based at least remotely on the Bible, and must not contradict it. It was clearly prohibited in the Old Testament, judging by the letter, to eat meat sacrificed to idols. But Paul explained in the New Testament how this law was supposed to be understood. We must be careful not to use this example and apply it to every conceivable situation, when the conscience of a new member is at issue. We must always evaluate whether a conscience problem has any basis in God’s Word.

What is also clear from the foregoing is that someone who might disagree with a certain Church teaching or practice cannot force the Church to change its teachings and practices to accommodate his or her weak conscience.

This means, we must not try to convince others of “our” individual conscience and persuade them not to engage in a certain course of action, which is not prohibited in Scripture. For instance, some are vegetarians or refuse to drink alcohol, even though the Bible clearly shows that it is right and proper to eat clean meat and to consume alcohol in moderation. A vegetarian or someone who rejects alcohol must NEVER try to persuade others to become vegetarians or to refuse alcoholic consumption. (Of course, someone who refuses to drink alcohol would exclude him or herself from proper observance of the annual Passover service and his or her partaking of the symbols of bread and wine).

It is for instance not true that the Church of God must cancel a social dance event only because one visitor might be offended, thinking it is sinful to dance. The visitor, due to his or her weak conscience, should then refrain from participating in the dance, and the Church should not try to force him or her to participate and to thereby violate his or her weak conscience. On the other hand, he or she should prayerfully evaluate his or her conscience and ask God for insight and understanding as to whether his or her opinions are in accordance with God’s Law or just the product of human tradition and his or her own ideas. Examining the example of an alleged prohibition to dance, there is no basis in the Bible for such a wrong concept.

We should also consider that the Church of God is the foundation and pillar of truth (1 Timothy 3:15), and it has been given the responsibility from God to decide questions like the ones discussed in these three Q&As with clarifying binding authority (Matthew 16:19; 18:18).

Let us notice what would otherwise be the consequence if a brother or visitor with a weak conscience could enforce their opinions on the Church of God:

(a)  No more social dance evenings

(b)  No more eating in a restaurant on the Sabbath, including on the Night to Be Much Observed

(c)  No more eating meat… all have to become vegetarians or vegans

(d)  No more staying in hotels on the Sabbath, including during the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day

(e)  No more formal dress code, as ties are allegedly pagan

(f)    No more jewelry or wedding rings or earrings, as they are all allegedly pagan and prohibited by God

(g)  No more listening to music or watching movies which in the opinion of the member or visitor are objectionable

(h)  No more wearing Make-Up, let alone distributing Make-Up products

(i)    No more birthday acknowledgments

(j)    No more wedding anniversaries

(k)  No more Thanksgiving Day gatherings

The list could be endless, and it is also apparent that a brother or a visitor with a weak conscience who would object to any of the activities raised above would become guilty of sowing discord if he or she were to discuss these ideas with other members. It is obvious that Paul who sometimes wrote things which were hard to understand (2 Peter 3:16) did not mean any of this, because otherwise he would have contradicted Christ who never sinned, but who “offended” people intentionally.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link 

compiled by Dave Harris

Mr. Bill Koeneke, a long-time Church of God member in the UK, has died at the age of 93. He had not been well for some time and had only recently been released from the hospital.

“Why NATO Is Breaking Apart” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

How can we be so sure that NATO will not survive? We can get an inkling by reviewing the events during this week’s 70th anniversary celebration of the military alliance and the overall attitude of the American and German people towards NATO, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

“Warum die Nato zerbrechen wird,”  the new German AufPostenStehen program,  was also posted; it covers the same topic as the English StandingWatch program. 

“Wie man das schwache Gewissen (nicht) verletzt!” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link.  Title in English: “How (not) to Wound the Weak Conscience.”

“Das nächste Jahrzehnt wird eine Dekade der Extreme,” is the title of the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Manuel Müller. Title in English: “The Next Decade Will Be a Decade of Extremes.”

“I Will Give You Rest,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Living a Christian life in this day and age takes a lot of hard work. God promises rest, however, to those who are obedient to Him. How can we find rest in our lives now and in the future?

“It’s a Promise!” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Can God heal—will He? Do we have the faith to be healed? Our part is to have faith and to keep on having faith—to trust God to do what He has promised.