On August 17, 2019, Brian Gale will present the sermonette, titled, “Gaining Help and Strength from Others” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “When It Rains, It Pours.”

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.

I have a memory from an elementary school recess when my classmates and I were picking teams for a game of basketball. One of my classmates looked me in the face, and plainly said, “You’re weird.” I didn’t get the impression that it was intended to hurt my feelings, or to express that there was something “wrong” with me. It was just a simple statement made in a non-judgmental kind of way, expressing that I was different. Even then, I remember having a feeling of mutual agreement.

I look back at that moment, now finding it quite humorous, because it wouldn’t be the last time my playful nature would be seen as being different and a little goofy. But there’s more to it than just a funny story. I look at that moment and find evidence of having confidence to think and act independently at an early age, not worrying if I didn’t fit into the compartments defined by society. I now see how early in my life God began working with me to develop a drive to search for the Truth and build the conviction to live by it, regardless of what others thought. Following in suit, I can recall several moments as I made decisions to draw closer and closer to God, while turning further and further from the ways of the world.

What a relief it is to see that the Bible provides support for not fitting into the world! In Romans 12:1-2, Paul provides guidance for us, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” As Christians, we undoubtedly encounter pressure to conform to the world at the expense of following the Truth, but we are instructed not to do so. As soon as our desire to be judged as “normal” by the world exceeds our desire to follow God, we put ourselves in danger of compromising our relationship with God. Following the Truth is infinitely more important than fitting in, even if the world thinks it is “weird.”

While it is unhealthy to fall prey to the pressure to conform to the world, it is even worse to follow whims of what our carnal minds might justify if those ways are absent from the direction of God. As Paul wrote to the Romans, we are to be transformed by renewing our minds in seeking the Will of God. We are to conform to God, not the world. In being different from the world by turning away from those ways of living, we find strength by living our lives in obedience to God’s commandments. Independence from the way of the world is dangerous without following the Way of God.

In this age prior to the return of Jesus Christ, there is no way of removing ourselves entirely from living in the world. In fact, it is our assigned obligation to live our lives in this world as an example. But we cannot allow ourselves to be pulled in by its deceitful enticements. If we do, it will choke out the Truth, threatening to jeopardize our salvation (compare Matthew 13:22). Our confidence and conviction must be in living the Way of Life that God commands. If the world thinks we’re weird, but God thinks we’re right, we have nothing to worry about.

by Norbert Link

We begin with renewed American threats to withdraw its troops from Germany; report on Russia’s nuclear catastrophe; address the background of the Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, murderers; and address the belief of many Evangelicals in their “God-given” right to bear arms.

We continue with past persecutions of Jews in Italy; and speak on turmoil on the Temple Mount which is only bound to increase, as well as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s claim that modern Palestinians are descendants of the ancient Canaanites.

We address the plight of immigrants in the Mediterranean Sea and the political turmoil caused by Italy’s extreme right-wing Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini; and we continue with the double-talk of Britain’s “Chameleon” Boris Johnson and the surprising fact that most Brits are for a Brexit from the EU without a deal.

We address the USA-China trade war and its real winners and losers as well as “Trump’s deficit economy” and the reckless spending of the federal government and American citizens [please see our new StandingWatch program, titled, “America’s Fragile Economy–the Calm before the Storm!”]; address new ungodly immigration restrictions by the Trump administration for LEGAL immigrants; speak on the fishy “suicide” of sex offender and billionaire Jeffrey Epstein; and conclude with the prohibition to conduct a straight parade in California.

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

US Threatens to Withdraw Troops from Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 9:

“The United States is considering withdrawing some of the US troops stationed in Germany, with Poland mooted as a possible new deployment, the US ambassador to Germany has said. The threat of withdrawal comes amid ongoing differences between Berlin and Washington over Germany’s contribution to NATO and a current spat caused by the German refusal to take part in a US-led naval mission in the Persian Gulf.

“‘It is actually offensive to assume that the US taxpayer must continue to pay to have 50,000-plus Americans in Germany, but the Germans get to spend their surplus on domestic programs,’ US Ambassador Richard Grenell told the DPA news agency, in comments carried widely by German media on Friday. His remarks come after the US ambassador to Poland, Georgette Mosbacher, tweeted that her country would be happy for the American troops in Germany to move there instead…

“Germany is the European country where most US troops are posted, with 35,000 soldiers deployed there along with 17,000 American civilians employed by the US military. Some 12,000 German civilians also work in jobs connected with the deployment. Rumors that the US might be considering a partial pullout of troops from Germany have long been rife, with the US administration under Donald Trump often voicing anger that Berlin is not contributing enough to NATO. Germany intends to spend 1.36% of GDP on defense this coming year, an amount that, while marking a strong increase, is still well under NATO’s 2% goal for member states. Although the government says it wants to increase the current figure to 1.5% by 2024, the financial planning for 2023 envisages spending only 1.24% of GDP on the military.

“Grenell’s comments come shortly after Germany sparked Washington’s ire by refusing to take part in a US-led operation in the Strait of Hormuz to protect trading vessels from Iranian aggression and rejecting a US request to send ground troops to fight the extremist group ‘Islamic State.’ They also come ahead of Trump’s twin trips to Europe at the end of August — with neither trip including a visit to Germany.

“The first will take Trump to the G7 summit in the French resort of Biarritz, where he will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The second, from August 31 to September 3, will see him visiting Denmark and Poland. Among other things, both these countries share Washington’s opposition to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline that has been strongly promoted by Germany.”

DPA added on August 9:

“Germany is host to the largest number of US troops in Europe and has the largest contingent of US troops abroad after Japan. US command centres for its troops in Europe and Africa are in Stuttgart and the most important US air base in Europe is at Ramstein in the south-west of the country. The southern state of Bavaria is home to one of the largest US military exercise grounds in Grafenwoehr.”

The German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported on August 9 that even though the cost of deployment is now mainly borne by the US Armed Forces, the German government annually allocates about 50 million euros, and Germany has passed more than 100 properties to the American Armed Forces at no charge, which spared the US an estimated sum of almost 600 million euros per year.

The Algemeiner and Reuters wrote on August 10:

“U.S. complaints about Germany’s defense spending pre-date Trump but relations with the United States have deteriorated since he became president… It is believed the United States also has nuclear warheads in Germany.”

The once more or less friendly relationship between the US and Germany is deteriorating by the week, if not by the day. Core Europe under German leadership will react by building their own powerful united army with nuclear weapons.

Russia’s Nuclear Catastrophe

AFP wrote on August 12:

“Russia’s nuclear agency chief on Monday confirmed that five scientists killed last week were developing ‘new weapons’ and vowed to continue testing despite the explosion… The explosion caused a spike in radiation levels… The missile was being tested on a platform at sea when its fuel caught fire and caused an explosion… Several staff were blown into the sea by the blast… The military did not initially say that the accident involved nuclear equipment… But the nearby city of Severodvinsk recorded elevated levels following the accident and panicked residents rushed to buy iodine to counteract radiation…

“Last month, 14 Russian navy officers were killed in a fire on a top-secret nuclear-powered submersible in circumstances that have not been fully revealed.”

The most recent incident has been compared to the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. Nuclear catastrophes like these, caused by unscrupulous power-hungry war-mongering politicians and corrupt governments, will ultimately contribute to the prophesied destruction of mankind, if it weren’t for the fact that Jesus will return in time to stop man’s Satan-inspired madness and save some from utter annihilation and extinction.

The Dayton Ohio Murderer and Satanism

The Daily Mail wrote on August 9:

“Connor Betts gunned down nine people and injured dozens more in Dayton, Ohio, on Sunday. Now DailyMail.com has obtained chilling notebook scrawls by the 24-year-old who had an appetite for murder, drugs and Satanism…

“Betts’ rambling contributions, written around 2017, include a Satanic pentagram with the words ‘Hail Lucifer’ and numerous references to death and murder. The warped loner declares himself a servant of ‘evil incarnate’ and rants about everything from schizophrenia to satanic rituals and massacres.

“The pages read in part: ‘I am the servant of the serpent evil incarnate, flesh consumer, light destroyer, fueled by hate, rage my strength, distrust my shield’… ‘I am Azrael and this is my human Connor’… ‘Beasts of darkness called upon from fiery pits. Armies massing, soon to shed blood,’ it reads.”

Clearly, we are dealing here with a deranged murderer who gave himself over to and was used by Satan and his demons to carry out his despicable and cowardly acts. Scientists, medical doctors and “experts,” the police, governmental agencies and the media simply do not understand what is going on, and so they try to “interpret” any involvement with Satanism as just a symptom of a “sick” mind. Nothing could be further from the truth. View our StandingWatch program, title, “Is There No Solution to Violence and Mass Shootings?”

El Paso Mass Murderer Driven by Hate of Mexicans

The Associated Press reported on August 9:

“The man accused of carrying out last weekend’s deadly mass shooting at a Walmart in the Texas border city of El Paso confessed to officers while he was surrendering and later explained that he had been targeting Mexicans, authorities say… Twenty-two people were killed and about two dozen were injured. Most of the dead had Hispanic last names and eight were Mexican nationals.

“Authorities believe that shortly before the attack, Crusius posted a racist screed online that railed against an influx of Hispanics into the U.S. The document parrots some of President Donald Trump’s divisive rhetoric about immigration, but the writer said his views predate Trump’s rise and that any attempt to blame the president for his actions was ‘fake news.’ Many El Paso residents, protesters and Democrats have blasted Trump over his incendiary words, blaming Trump for inflaming political and racial tensions throughout the country… Authorities say Crusius drove more than 10 hours from his hometown near Dallas to carry out the shooting in the largely Latino border city of El Paso…”

This murderous attack was apparently carefully planned, and his hatred developed over time. Satan is the murderer from the beginning. It is clear to us that he was behind this attack.

Evangelicals and their God-Given Right to Bear Arms?

The Week wrote on August 11:

“For those who profess to follow the Prince of Peace, the support for sensible gun control regulations might seem like a proper Christian response to the ongoing slaughter of innocent Americans… Yet, in the wake of the deadly attacks in Gilroy, El Paso, and Dayton that left more than 30 dead, conservative religious leaders instead are doubling down on what they argue is their ‘God-given right’ to bear arms, a message the NRA has been all-too-happy to promote…

“41 percent of white evangelicals own a gun… Influential evangelical leaders have supported gun ownership and advocated for its growth among fellow believers. After a gunman murdered 26 worshippers at a rural Southern Baptist church in Texas in 2017, Jeffress told Fox News he felt particularly safe preaching at First Baptist Dallas knowing that so many of his congregants brought guns with them to church. In 2015, following the massacre in San Bernardino, California, that killed 14 people, Jerry Falwell, Jr., exhorted students during a convocation at Liberty University to get concealed weapons permits and carry guns on campus…

“Around the world, various countries have shown that tough gun laws can diminish and even prevent gun violence. God help the nation that won’t take similar steps for its own citizens.”

Regarding the highly controversial subject of gun violence, please see our recent StandingWatch program, tilted, “Is There No Solution to Violence and Mass Shootings?”

The Past Persecution of Jews in Rome and throughout Italy

Times of Israel wrote on August 7:

“[The] Arch of Titus [in Rome is] the first-century structure associated with tragedy in Jewish history. It was built in 81 CE in honor of Titus, the Roman emperor who viciously put down a Jewish rebellion, leading to the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the year 70. We felt especially moved to be there on the 17th of Tammuz, a fast day that marks the breach of the walls of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, initiating the siege that led to widespread death and destruction among the Jews, and the fall of the holy site three weeks later on Tisha b’Av (the 9th of Av)… Most poignant was witnessing the famous carvings on the arch marking the triumphal procession of the Roman soldiers, carrying off the spoils of war, including sacred items from the Temple. The largest shown is the menorah, carved in deep relief. One shudders to imagine the scene depicted on the arch, showing some of the estimated 200,000 Jews who were captured in Jerusalem and brought to Rome to be sold into slavery, as they were being marched past hostile, taunting crowds.

“… the nearby Colosseum [is] the most dramatic and popular symbol of the Roman Empire, completed in the year 80 by Titus, and ‘financed with the spoils of the Jewish War of 70,’ according to a visitors’ guide at the site. It was there that up to 75,000 people would fill the largest of the empire’s amphitheaters to witness a full day of animal hunts, public executions and fight-to-the-death contests between gladiators.

“Throughout our visit to Italy, we learned of the ghettos where Jews were confined and mistreated, of the centuries of persecution Jews suffered from the Church, and, in the 20th century, from the fascists and Nazis…

“We came away with a deeper appreciation of how, over time, Italian Jews were able to withstand periods of prejudice and persecution from the Church, as well as from fascism and racial laws from the Mussolini government in the 1930s that contributed to Nazi deportations during World War II. About 15 percent of the 44,500 Jews living there at the time were murdered in the Holocaust… the remaining Jewish population, believed to be about 45,000, faces the great challenge of maintaining Judaism and Jewish life in an open society with dramatic levels of assimilation…”

Sadly, we will experience very soon in Italy and throughout continental Europe renewed gruesome persecutions of Jews and especially of those Christians who will be viewed as “Jewish,” due to their observance of God’s commandments such as keeping the weekly Sabbath, God’s annual Holy Days or the abstention from unclean meat, while refusing to keep paganized “Christian” holidays such as Christmas or Easter. This is described in the Book of Revelation as the opening of the fifth seal. Many will compromise and try to “assimilate” to keep alive, thereby accepting the “mark of the beast,” but in doing so, they will incur the seven last plagues of the wrath of God.

Turmoil and Violence on the Temple Mount

The Times of Israel wrote on August 11:

“Clashes broke out between Muslim protesters and Israeli police forces on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount holy site on Sunday, during a period of peak religious tensions over the confluence of Jewish and Muslim holy days… Sunday marks both the start of Eid al-Adha, an Islamic holiday commemorating the end of the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, and the Jewish fast day of Tisha B’Av, when Jews mourn the destruction of the temples that once stood on the Temple Mount and other disasters in Jewish history…

“On Friday, the Muslim Waqf trust, which oversees the site, urged Muslim worshipers to crowd the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount to keep Jews from visiting, after police said they would consider allowing non-Muslims to visit the holy site… Likud Knesset Member Yehudah Glick, another Temple Mount activist, called the Waqf’s move a “cheap provocation.”

The Associated Press wrote on August 11:

“Jewish extremists have called for destroying the [Al-Aqsa] mosque and rebuilding the Biblical temple… The compound is in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 war along with the West Bank and the Gaza Strip…

“Israel views all of Jerusalem as its unified capital, while the Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Israeli-Palestinian tensions have spiked following President Donald Trump’s decision in 2017 to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the U.S. Embassy there.”

Reuters and The Algemeiner wrote on August 11:

“Israeli police fired sound grenades to disperse Palestinians during confrontations on Sunday outside Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque where tens of thousands of Muslim worshipers gathered for the Eid al-Adha holiday… Facing off with police in the packed compound outside Islam’s third-holiest site, Palestinians chanted, ‘With our soul and blood we will redeem you, Aqsa.’…

“Revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, the site of two biblical Jewish temples, and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, the area is one of the most sensitive sites in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict…”

Changing the Status Quo?

The Algemeiner wrote on August 13:

“Israel’s interior security minister endorsed changing the status quo on the Temple Mount in an interview on Tuesday, calling it an ‘injustice’ that Jews are allowed to enter the holy site but are prohibited from praying…

“Erdan — a key ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — declared that the status quo should be changed ‘in order that Jews in the future can pray on the Temple Mount, which is the holiest place to the Jewish people…’”

This occasional violence on the Temple Mount, which would increase if the status quo is changed, is nothing in comparison to that kind of turmoil which will ensue when the Jews begin to build the Third Temple and offer animal sacrifices on the Temple Mount. Dozens of Scriptures teach the fact that the Jews will begin to build a Temple prior to Christ’s Return. For more information, please read our free booklets, “The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People” and “How Can We Know that Christ’s Return Is Near?” 

Palestinians the Modern-Day Canaanites?

The Times of Israel wrote on August 13:

“Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas… contended that Palestinians are the original inhabitants of the region [of the West Bank] according to the Biblical history… ‘We are the Canaanites,’ he added…

“Abbas’s reference to the Canaanites, an ancient people who predated the Israelites’ settling of Canaan, according to the Biblical narrative, came in response to recent comments by Netanyahu that Palestinians only recently arrived in the area… Netanyahu said in early July that the ancestors of the Palestinians came from the Arabian Peninsula… [appearing] to back the theory that the biblical Philistines came from somewhere other than the Middle East… Abbas also said that despite the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the city belongs to the Palestinians.”

Abba’s comments regarding the Canaanites do not give him any favors. Canaan was the son of Ham, one of the three sons of Noah. Shem was white, Ham was black, and Japheth was yellow. From the website, “Got Questions?”, under “Who were the Canaanites?”:

“The Canaanites are mentioned over 150 times in the Bible. They were a wicked, idolatrous people… Canaan was cursed because of his… sin against Noah… The land of Canaan was the land God promised to give to Abraham’s descendants… The Canaanites are described in the Bible as a large and fierce people, not easily defeated, so the Israelites would need divine help to come against them, defeat them, and take their land away. God promised Moses and Joshua that help…”

Omar and Tlaib Refused Entry to Israel–Netanyahu Takes Big Loss in Following Trump’s Advice

NBC News wrote on August 15:

“Netanyahu… had to make Israel look bad to make Trump happy. In doing so, he handed his critics around the world pallets full of rhetorical ammunition…

“The move was deemed bad enough for Israel — harmful enough to that country — that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which is usually as close to Netanyahu as his suit, softly but publicly disagreed with it.

“… as Omar and Tlaib made plans to visit Israel and Palestinian territory this month, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Ron Dermer, said that they should not have a problem gaining entry.

“Trump didn’t agree. ‘It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep. Tlaib to visit,’ Trump tweeted Thursday morning… ‘They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds.’”

As far as we know, that is the first time in American history that an American President is asking a foreign country to deny entry of American members of Congress. The many critics of Israel were given ample opportunity now to question Israel’s democracy.

The Plight of Migrants in the Mediterranean Sea

Fox News wrote on August 9:

“Richard Gere on Friday boarded a Spanish humanitarian ship that has been stuck in the Mediterranean Sea for more than a week because no European government will welcome the 121 migrants who are aboard. In a bid to draw attention to the standoff, Gere boarded the Open Arms some 27 nautical miles off Lampedusa, Italy’s southernmost island. The vessel, which faces a fine of up to 1 million euros if it enters Italian waters, has been idle for eight days…

“Italy’s firebrand Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who is popular for his hardline stance against migrant arrivals and who this week plunged Italy into a political crisis, mocked Gere on Twitter… Such standoffs have persisted over the last 14 months since Italy’s populist government took office and Salvini became interior minister…

“He… raised the stakes this week by winning parliamentary approval for a new security decree that increased fines on ships entering Italian waters without permission to 1 million euros from 50,000 euros. Migrant arrivals in Italy are down dramatically to some 4,042 so far this year, down 78% from last year’s 18,897 and 96% from 96,847 in 2017. Many migrants continue to arrive on their own in Lampedusa, often from Tunisia, despite Salvini’s campaign against humanitarian rescue ships.”

Standoff over Stranded Immigrants Temporarily Resolved–Salvini Strongly Criticized

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 15:

“The latest standoff over immigration in the Mediterranean appeared to be resolved on Thursday after six European Union countries agreed to take in asylum-seekers who are stuck on a rescue vessel off Italy. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the move in an open letter to far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who refused to allow them to disembark. ‘France, Germany, Romania, Portugal, Spain and Luxembourg have told me that they are ready to welcome the migrants,’ Conte wrote in the letter.

“Some 150 people were picked up by the Spanish charity ship, Open Arms, off the coast of Libya in early August. They were taken to the Italian island of Lampedusa, but have been stuck on the vessel for two weeks after being blocked from docking.

“The Italian premier also strongly criticized Salvini in the letter, saying that the minister is focusing too much on migration and reducing the complex issue to a simple solution of closing ports in order to score political points. ‘If we really want to protect ‘national interests,’ we cannot limit ourselves to representing positions of absolute stubbornness,’ Conte said.”

Salvini becomes more and more popular in Italy, as the next article shows. Will Europe finally intervene and do something about this dangerous development, also in light of Salvini’s inhumane conduct towards migrants? Or will other European countries embrace Salvini by moving themselves to the extreme right?

Salvini Demands New Elections

In reference to Italy’s political crisis, as mentioned in the article above, Fox News elaborated on August 9:

“Italian Deputy Prime minister Matteo Salvini, the leader of the country’s largest nationalist party, demanded a snap election Thursday — a move that almost certainly dooms the fragile governing coalition and could see Salvini’s party move from a coalition partner to Italy’s sole governing party… Salvini needs at least 40 percent of seats in an election to form a government. If the League does not achieve that, it could ally up with the right-wing Brothers of Italy or former premier Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right Forza Italia… to get over the line…

“Should that go as Salvini hopes, and the League govern by itself, it would certainly shift the country even more to the right on issues such as immigration, E.U. relations and taxes — and mark a significant win for the right-wing, nationalist-populist movement sweeping through the continent since the 2015 migration crisis.”

Salvini and Berlusconi… what a combination! Deeply concerning parallels to Italy under right-wing nationalist “Il Duce” Benito Mussolini come to mind. Bild Online quoted financial experts as saying that an Italian government under confrontational Salvini would also mean an economic catastrophe for Europe. Italy—the third-greatest economy in Europe—is already the European country with the second-highest debt, after Greece, with virtually no economic growth. Analysts feel that Salvini’s current politics as Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister are largely responsible for Italy’s precarious situation.

Pope Warns Against Salvini

The Washington Post wrote on August 9:

“Pope Francis called for a united Europe in an interview published by Italian daily La Stampa on Friday, saying recent political rhetoric has echoed that of Nazi Germany. ‘I am concerned because we hear speeches that resemble those of Hitler in 1934,’ he said… It is not the first time the pontiff has made such remarks, but his comments published Friday came as Italy’s populist government appeared to be on the verge of collapse.

“In January 2017, in response to a question about populism, Francis told Spain’s El Pais that before World War II, there was ‘a people who were immersed in a crisis, who were searching for their identity until this charismatic leader came and promised to give their identity back, and he gave them a distorted identity, and we all know what happened.’… But if he’s now trying to appeal to Salvini, his calls may not find a receptive audience. Salvini has openly criticized the pope…”

It is interesting that the relationship between Mussolini and the Popes was very contentious.

The “Double Talk” of Boris Johnson—the Political Chameleon

The Week wrote on August 10:

“Husky and blond, he’s a larger-than-life character who spouts Shakespeare and Latin but can’t seem to comb his unruly hair or arrive anywhere on time… Twice divorced, with four kids by the wife he left last year, he has another child out of wedlock, and at least one of his mistresses had an abortion. When he moved into 10 Downing Street last week, he brought his current flame, the PR agent Carrie Symonds, 31, and the two became the first unmarried couple ever to live in the prime minister’s residence. A brilliant and wildly entertaining writer and speaker, Johnson has been a columnist, member of Parliament, mayor of London, and foreign minister, yet his policy achievements are thin. The British regard him either as a buffoon or as a refreshing rebel against political correctness… Yet no matter his sins, he always manages to get a pass…

“During the campaign leading up to the 2016 referendum on leaving the EU, Johnson recognized that many Britons felt deep resentment over the erosion of national identity and unimpeded influx of foreign labor. So he abandoned his pro-Europe, pro-immigration mayoral persona and broke with his party leader, then–Prime Minister David Cameron, to become the face of Vote Leave. ‘Johnson’s a political chameleon,’ says his biographer, Sonia Purnell. ‘There are no core beliefs, no values, just instincts.’… But when Leave won and Cameron resigned, Johnson appeared shocked and paralyzed. He withdrew from the running for prime minister, and compromise candidate Theresa May won. May surprised many by appointing him foreign minister, and Johnson made a mess of it.

“… when May presented a deal that would keep the U.K. closely bound to the EU, he resigned in protest. That stance positioned him as the hard-Brexit favorite to succeed May when she resigned without an agreement last month… Johnson insists that he will renegotiate a deal with Brussels that gets rid of the dreaded ‘Irish backstop.’ This is the provision that requires the U.K. to stay in the EU customs union as long as necessary to avoid a hard border between EU-member Ireland and the U.K. region Northern Ireland. The EU says May’s deal can’t be changed…

“If there is no better deal, Johnson says he will crash the U.K. out of the union with no deal by the October 31 deadline — an option many warn would cause economic chaos and a British recession… With his ‘record of double-talk, about-turn, and mendacity,’ says The Guardian‘s Simon Jenkins, Johnson can be relied upon only to deliver something other than what he promised.”

Interesting times for Britain are awaiting us…

Boris Johnson: EU Same Goal as Hitler to Create European Superstate

Breaking Israel News wrote on August 12:

“In an interview with the Telegraph back in 2016, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that ‘the European Union is pursuing a similar goal to Hitler in trying to create a powerful superstate.’ He also warned [that] although politicians in Brussels are implementing ‘different methods’ than those of the Nazi dictator, they both have the same goal of a united Europe under one authority… In the same interview, Johnson explains: ‘The euro has become a means by which superior German productivity is able to gain an absolutely unbeatable advantage over the whole eurozone.’…

“Eitan Meir, of the pro-Israel Im Tirtzu organization, said: ‘EU has an unhealthy obsession with Israel. They are certainly one of the largest funders of propaganda used to undermine the state of Israel. They are behind all of the NGOs waging legal warfare against Israel in Gaza and are behind the NGOs accusing Israel of ethnically cleansing the Negev of Bedouins’…

“Some lesser-known recipients of EU funding include the Ma’an Network, who published a video showing terrorist attacks against Israelis, accompanied by a Hebrew song with the lyrics ‘I will clean my country of every Jew’… The European governing body funds a wide array of Antisemitic and pro-BDS organizations including Miftah,  EIDHR and The Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO)…”

The double-talk of the EU and their real anti-Israel politics will become much clearer as time progresses.

Most Brits for No-Deal Brexit

Breitbart wrote on August 11:

“The poll by Opinium published on Saturday revealed that a no-deal Brexit had a 17-point lead over the next most popular option, cancelling Brexit… 46 per cent of respondents said [Boris Johnson]  should ‘go ahead with Brexit on October 31st even if it means leaving with ‘no deal”’.

“Just 12 per cent back Mr Johnson delaying Brexit for a third time ‘until we can negotiate a deal that can pass the House of Commons’, and less than one-third, 29 per cent, said he should ‘cancel Brexit and decide to remain in the European Union after all.’…

“The poll also revealed that Britons are becoming increasingly convinced that the UK will leave the EU on the planned exit date, with 61 per cent believing that Mr Johnson will make good on his promise, up from 53 per cent two weeks ago…

“Johnson is expected to return to the House of Commons in September after the summer recess to face the Remainer-dominated parliament and likely calls for a vote of no-confidence in the government in order to thwart Brexit. Reports that Mr Johnson would ignore calls for him to step down appear to have the backing of the public.

“The Opinion poll also revealed that 40 per cent of respondents would want the prime minister to refuse to resign, and for him then call a snap General Election after October 31st to ensure the UK leaves the EU by that date — even in a clean break. Just 29 per cent said he should step down so another government could be formed to stop a no-deal Brexit.

“Lord Jonathan Sumpton, a former Supreme Court Judge, said last week that Prime Minister Johnson was legally entitled to ignore a vote of no confidence and call an election even after a no-deal Brexit.”

Brexit is prophesied to happen… in God’s due time.

Third Party Countries the Winners in the US-China Trade War

Quartz wrote on August 9:

“The US-China trade war continues to accelerate. America has put 25% tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports, and is slated to add an additional 10% tariff on the remaining $300 billion. China currently collects tariffs between 5% and 50% on about $113 billion of US imports…

“Quartz analyzed the trade flows of product categories affected by the Chinese and US tariffs. The data show that the winner of the US-China trade war so far is neither the US or China. It’s third-party countries… who have stepped in to the void and found new buyers in the US and China…

“Australia has been the biggest beneficiary of the trade war… Most of the increase has been from exports of natural resources to China. With China imposing tariffs on imports of petroleum gases and gold from the US, Australia has been filling the gap for China. The Chinese imports of Australian cotton saw strong growth, as US cotton exports to China declined…

“Similar to Australia, Switzerland dramatically increased its gold exports to China. Switzerland also increased its exports to US, though to a smaller extent. It exported an additional $25 million of electronic devices… while Chinese exports to the US in that category dropped by $190 million…

“Mexico has replaced China as the US’s largest trading partner in the first half of 2019. The US now buys more data processing and storage devices as well as electric wire and fiber optic cables from Mexico…

“Brazil has benefitted from the reduced US agricultural exports to China. Now China goes to Brazil for soybeans and cotton…

“Canada has seen its exports to both US and China grow since tariffs kicked in. Canadian computer chips and circuit boards as well as industrial molds are replacing Chinese ones in the US market. Canadians are also selling more soybeans to China than before, though that still pales in comparison to the drop in US purchases.”

US-Chinese Trade War Benefits Europe

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 13:

“European Union economies would benefit from the trade diversion… The European Union is expected to see an additional income of €1.5 billion, if the US goes ahead with the 10% tariffs. Italy with €183 million would be the biggest beneficiary followed by France (€129 million) and Germany (€94 million).

“If China retaliates with a further 10% tariff on US goods, the EU would see additional revenue of €1.7 billion. Germany would be the biggest gainer with €323 million in additional income. Italy(€231 million) and France (€168 million) would also significantly benefit from the Chinese retaliation…

“But increased exports from the EU to the US are likely to further strain the bloc’s ties with Washington as they would enlarge its trade surplus with the US. Trump has threatened tariffs on EU goods over the trade surplus…”

The Bible does not indicate that China will become the world’s most powerful economic country, but it clearly shows that American influence and power will decline. The markets reacted positively when the USA announced that new tariffs on certain Chinese consumer items including cell phones, laptop computers, computer monitors, video game consoles, certain toys, and certain items of footwear and clothing would be delayed until December 15, while other products were being removed from the new China tariff list altogether. About $300 billion in Chinese goods will be subject to the tariff on Sept. 1 as planned.

Axios wrote on August 13:

“The threat of a crashing stock market and higher Christmas shopping prices appears to have spooked the Trump administration, despite the president’s false insistence that China pays the cost of tariffs directly into the U.S. Treasury.”

So, Trump may have indeed recognized that his dealing with China was not working and that it was harming US consumers, but then, who knows? Note the next article.

Trump’s Deficit Economy

Project Syndicate wrote on August 9:

“In the new world wrought by US President Donald Trump, where one shock follows another, there is never time to think through fully the implications of the events with which we are bombarded. In late July, the Federal Reserve Board reversed its policy of returning interest rates to more normal levels, after a decade of ultra-low rates in the wake of the Great Recession. Then, the United States had another two mass gun killings in under 24 hours, bringing the total for the year to 255 – more than one a day. And a trade war with China, which Trump had tweeted would be ‘good, and easy to win,’ entered a new, more dangerous phase, rattling markets and posing the threat of a new cold war.

“… the Fed action spoke volumes. The US economy was supposed to be ‘great.’ Its 3.7% unemployment rate and first-quarter growth of 3.1% should have been the envy of the advanced countries. But scratch a little bit beneath the surface, and there was plenty to worry about. Second-quarter growth plummeted to 2.1%. Average hours worked in manufacturing in July sank to the lowest level since 2011. Real wages are only slightly above their level a decade ago, before the Great Recession. Real investment as a percentage of GDP is well below levels in the late 1990s…

“If it takes trillion-dollar annual deficits to keep the US economy going in good times, what will it take when things are not so rosy?

“The US economy has not been working for most Americans, whose incomes have been stagnating – or worse – for decades…The Trump tax bill made matters worse by compounding the problem of decaying infrastructure, weakening the ability of the more progressive states to support education, depriving millions more people of health insurance, and, when fully implemented, leading to an increase in taxes for middle-income Americans, worsening their plight… the enormous Trump fiscal deficits have led to huge trade deficits… as the US has had to import capital to finance the gap between domestic savings and investment.

“Trump promised to get the trade deficit down, but his profound lack of understanding of economics has led to it increasing, just as most economists predicted it would. Despite Trump’s bad economic management and his attempt to talk the dollar down, and the Fed’s lowering of interest rates, his policies have resulted in the US dollar remaining strong, thereby discouraging exports and encouraging imports. Economists have repeatedly tried to explain to him that trade agreements may affect which countries the US buys from and sells to, but not the magnitude of the overall deficit… Trump believes what he wants to believe, leaving those who can least afford it to pay the price.”

The USA is in big trouble. Its economy is in a bubble which will burst soon. So is the inflated housing market. Recession, if not depression, will be the consequence.

Indication of a Coming Recession

The Washington Post wrote on August 14:

“U.S. stocks tumbled at open Wednesday after the inverted yield curve, one of the most reliable indicators of a recession, sparked a new wave of investor fears, erasing the short-lived bump from Tuesday’s trade easing. For the first time since 2007, the yields on short-term U.S. bonds eclipsed those of long-term bonds. This phenomenon, which suggests investors’ faith in the economy is faltering, has preceded every recession in the last 50 years. Recessions typically come within 18 to 24 months after the yield curve inverts…”

npr agreed, stating on August 14:

“Stocks are falling sharply Wednesday on deepening worries over a slowdown in the global economy. The Dow has dropped more than 600 [our note: the market dropped 800] points, or 2.5%… Germany posted negative growth in the latest quarter, and China’s industrial output fell to a 17-year low.

“An even bigger worry: The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell below 2-year Treasuries for the first time since 2007…  Such an inversion in yields has a strong track record of predicting a recession, especially the longer it continues. Each of the last seven recessions, dating back to 1969, were preceded by the 10-year falling below the 2-year.”

Reuters and The Algemeiner wrote on August 15:

“Oil fell by three points to below $58 a barrel on Thursday, extending the previous session’s 3% drop, pressured by mounting recession concerns…”

The Dow Jones recovered somewhat on Thursday, until the next drop. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled “America’s Fragile Economy–the Calm before the Storm!”  

Government Leads in the Wrong Way…

The Week wrote on August 13:

“The U.S. budget deficit grew to $867 billion for the first 10 months of the fiscal year, an increase of 27 percent compared to this time in 2018, the Treasury Department reported Monday. The deficit for fiscal year 2018 was $779 billion. The fiscal year ends on September 30, and the White House’s Office of Management and Budget predicts by that point, the deficit will reach $1 trillion for the year.

“Experts say the 2017 Republican tax plan, which included $1.5 trillion in tax cuts, is one reason why the deficit is growing so much. Spending is also up, and while tax revenue increased by 3 percent since October 1, federal spending is up 8 percent. Spending is only going to continue to increase, as a two-year budget deal signed into law by President Trump this month will raise spending by $320 billion.”

When the government spends without discretion, the subjects will follow that bad example. Note the next article.

The USA – a Debtor Nation?

The New York Post wrote on August 11:

“More consumers nationwide are falling behind on their payments and filing for bankruptcy to resolve overwhelming debt loads… And unmanageable debt is also forcing more companies to file for bankruptcy, triggering a wave of job cuts…

“Meanwhile, record American household debt, near $14 trillion including mortgages and student loans, is some $1 trillion higher than during the Great Recession of 2008. Credit card debt of $1 trillion also exceeds the 2008 peak. Americans are spending heavily, again — and often recklessly, say analysts…

“Dick Bove, a financial strategist at Odeon Capital Group in New York [said that] ‘I feel very confident — unfortunately — that there will be increases in bankruptcies.’”

Some may end up in debt due to unforeseen circumstances, through ungodly conduct of others and through no fault of their own. However, the Bible warns against going into debt, due to reckless spending to fulfill one’s greed and desires. Many Americans have never learned how to live within their means. But the Bible says, “The borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). This warning is directed at the US government as well. After all, US national debt which is owed by the government is over 22 Trillion dollars.

Further Outrageous Immigration Restrictions for LEGAL Immigrants!

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 12:

“US President Donald Trump’s administration announced a new set of rules on Monday aimed at blocking legal immigrants who need public assistance from receiving permanent residency or citizenship… In order to apply for a green card (a permanent residency permit) or citizenship, applicants must prove that they are not a ‘public charge’ or burden on the state… Under the new regulations, this means that immigrants using the government-run health program Medicaid, housing assistance, food stamps or other public benefits for a certain period of time will be disqualified.

“Immigrants who are seeking to come to the US legally will also be blocked from entering the country if they are deemed likely to need public assistance. The rules will not apply to children receiving public benefits or pregnant women who are on Medicaid. Programs including emergency medical assistance, homeless shelters or disaster relief are also excluded from the rules change.

“The change could impact the 22 million legal residents who are not yet citizens… The rules change has also raised concerns that immigrants will no longer seek help or assistance in order to not jeopardize their green card or citizenship applications. In a statement, the White House said the new rules were aimed at targeting ‘large numbers of non-citizens and their families’ who use benefits. However, an analysis of census data carried out by the Associated Press found that immigrants make up only a small portion of those receiving benefits in the US and access those services at a much lower rate than US citizens.”

The Washington Post wrote on August 12:

“The new policy for ‘Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds’… sets new standards for obtaining permanent residency and U.S. citizenship… The Trump administration will broaden the public charge definition to encompass not just those primarily dependent on public assistance programs, but anyone who uses a public benefit, including publicly funded health care programs including Medicaid, food stamps, other nutrition-related programs, or housing assistance…

“Factors that can count against a green card applicant include having ‘a medical condition’ that will interfere with work or school; not having enough money to cover ‘any reasonably foreseeable medical costs’ related to such a medical condition; having ‘financial liabilities;’ having been approved to receive a public benefit, even if the individual has not actually received the benefit; having a low credit score; the absence of private health insurance; the absence of a college degree; not having the English language skills ‘sufficient to enter the job market;’ or having a sponsor who is ‘unlikely’ to provide financial support…

“Immigration advocates expect the rule to draw an immediate flurry of lawsuits…”

npr wrote on August 12:

“A preliminary draft published last year drew more than 260,000 comments. Many of the comments expressed outrage that the administration would penalize immigrants for using benefits that they are legally entitled to receive… Under the rule, green card and visa applicants can be denied not merely for being ‘primarily dependent on the government for subsistence,’ as in the past, but if they are likely to need public assistance ‘at any time.’…

“The new rule would apply not retroactively but to future applicants for green cards and visas. Past use of most benefits would not be held against the applicant, and neither would the use of such benefits by dependents and other family members…” Adding on August 13, npr quoted acting immigration chief Ken Cuccinelli as saying: “The new rule will go into effect Oct. 15, and only government aid used after that point will be assessed.”

However, this seems to contradict what is expressed in the next article.

Axios added on August 12:

“The new rule will go into effect 60 days after it is published in the register [which will be on August 14]. At the same time, the Trump administration is planning to find ways to force immigrant sponsors to pay the government back for any use of public benefits by the immigrants they’ve sponsored. Trump gave government agencies 90 days to implement such rules in a May memo.”

Words fail! This is INCREDIBLE!!!!!! This is NOT in line with the American dream but resembles policies employed in Nazi Germany and Communist Russia and China. God condemns such inhumane practices and curses a country which engages in them.

Trump’s Betrayal of America

The Week wrote on August 13:

“Under the new policy, federal authorities will use ‘aggressive’ wealth tests to reject residency or citizenship for an immigrant ‘because he or she is likely at any time to become a public charge’ — receiving food stamps or other taxpayer-funded welfare state benefits…

“This is a betrayal of America’s historic promise: The immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island a century ago did not, for the most part, come here on private yachts or in first-class berths. They came here to build new lives for themselves, and in the process, helped build their new country…”

The Los Angeles Times added on August 13:

“Under the new rules, the Department of Homeland Security has redefined a public charge as someone who is ‘more likely than not’ to receive public benefits for more than 12 months within a 36-month period. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will now weigh whether applicants have received public assistance along with other factors such as education, income and health to determine whether to grant legal status.”

First Lawsuit Filed

The Hill wrote on August 14:

“Two California counties on Tuesday filed the first lawsuit against the Trump administration’s new ‘public charge’ rule… The National Immigration Law Center said it will sue the administration…New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) announced Monday that she would sue over the rule, while California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) vowed to fight the rule.”

The 23-page complaint filed by the City and County of San Francisco and Santa Clara is an eye-opener regarding the appalling nature of the reinterpretation of the public charge concept. It would include, inter alia, non-emergency Medicaid, Medicare Part D subsidies, credit history and credit scores and the mere application for benefits, even if they were denied.

It would even include all those legal residents who apply for changes or “adjustment” of status (for instance, green card holders applying for citizenship or retuning to the USA after a 180-day absence) or extensions of visas, requiring of them to prove that they have not received enumerated public benefits and are unlikely to receive them in the future. Until now, it had been the universal rule, as understood by the INS and numerous court decisions, based on “the plain statutory meaning, historical usage, and case law, and extensive consultation with benefit-granting agencies,” that the “public charge” requirement does not include non-cash benefits such as Medicaid, housing assistance, food stamps, etc.

The complaint concludes that the new policy is not only harmful, but that it is arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and unlawful. Assuming that the matter will end up before the US Supreme Court, it will have to be seen how their politically motivated judges will decide.

As this matter could have great negative consequences for members of all of the Churches of God, as well as their families, it would be advisable to pray to God that He intervenes and prevents the enforcement of this new rule.

Suicide of Epstein Fishy and Suspicious

The Washington Examiner wrote on August 10:

“Many reactions to the Saturday morning suicide death of alleged sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein expressed suspicion around the circumstances of his death. Epstein allegedly killed himself in his cell at the Manhattan Correctional Center early Saturday morning…

“His death follows the unsealing of 2,000 pages of documents on Friday that implicated many other high-profile individuals in Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking ring.”

The Huffington Post had reported on August 9 that “[a]nother batch of documents [was] expected to be released in the coming weeks…”

The Week added on August 10 about his previous “suicide attempt”: “Epstein… previously found in his cell in July semi-conscious with marks around his neck from what two sources said may have been an attempt to hang himself, while other sources suggested he may have faked, or actually been the victim of, an attack.”

Fox News reported on August 10:

“President Trump added fuel to the conspiracy theories surrounding multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein’s apparent suicide on Saturday when he retweeted a post that implied former President Bill Clinton was linked to Epstein’s death. The tweet came from self-described comedian Terrence K. Williams who echoed many on social media in suggesting a connection between the Clintons and Epstein… Williams’ video argued that ‘for some odd reason, people with information on the Clintons end up dead and they usually die from suicide.’”

JTA wrote on August 11:

“Jail guards failed to check Jeffrey Epstein in his cell every 30 minutes per procedure… In addition, the jail had transferred his cellmate and allowed Epstein to be housed alone in a cell just two weeks after he had been taken off suicide watch, a violation of regular procedure…”

Doubts galore. It reminds us of the alleged suicide by former Nazi Deputy Chancellor or Fuehrer Rudolf Hess in a Russian prison in Spandau, Germany,  in 1987.  He was the only inmate. After his death, the prison was demolished. Very few doubt that the Russians killed him.

Straight Parade Denied

The Washington Times wrote on August 11:

“Modesto city officials [in Northern California] denied an application by the National Straight Pride Coalition for an Aug. 24 event at Graceada Park. Organizer Don Grundmann had estimated 500 people would attend. The group says it supports heterosexuality, Christianity and white contributions to Western civilization.

“Opponents argued the rally would promote hatred of LGBTQ people and minorities. City spokesman Thomas Reeves says the permit request was denied over safety concerns, because the group lost its liability insurance and the parks department determined the event wasn’t consistent with park use. However, Reeves says the city would allow the rally at a downtown plaza if the group proves it has insurance by Tuesday.”

We wonder whether the organizers of gay pride parades always have liability insurance. How biblical values have been turned upside down in this world ruled by Satan.

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 first reference to God saying that He is a jealous God can be found in Exodus 20:5 where we read: “…you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me.” This is part of the second of God’s Ten Commandments.

Young’s Analytical Concordance shows that the word for jealousy in this verse is “qanna” which can mean zealous and jealous. The same word is used in the same context in other verses as follows:

Exodus 34:14: “…for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God…”

Deuteronomy 4:24: “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

Deuteronomy 5:9: “… you shall not bow down to them [carved images] nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me…”

In passing, the meaning of this verse, and also the one in Exodus 20:5, quoted above, is explained in our Q&A, titled “What does it mean that God will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Him (compare Exodus 20:5)?” In short, it points out that the negative conduct of the parents may have in many cases a negative impact on the children, but the children are not doomed to have to follow their parent’s bad example.

Deuteronomy 6:15: “…(for the LORD your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the LORD your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth.”

The word “ganno”, also meaning zealous and jealous, is used in Joshua 24:19 and Nahum 1:2, also referring to God being a jealous God. There are a number of other references too.   We can quickly understand that God is zealous which can be defined as “jealous for the good or the promotion of some person or object; ardent; eager; fervent; devoted.” That is a quality of God and must also be a quality that we must have. It is not within the scope of this Q&A to look at the zealous nature of God but to answer the question about jealousy.

Deuteronomy 4:23-24 states: “Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the LORD your God has forbidden you. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

The following Scriptures also show that God would not accept unfaithfulness towards Him and had to be first in the lives of the ancient nation of Israel and, therefore by extension, in our lives today:

Leviticus 18:3: “According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances.”

Leviticus 20:23: “And you shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they commit all these things, and therefore I abhor them.”

Deuteronomy 12:30: “… take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them [pagan nations], after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’”

They were instructed to put God first, to love God with every fiber of their being, to teach God’s Way to their children and not to learn the way of the heathen. Nothing else would be acceptable.

God was making sure that His people kept Him at the center of their lives, and we should do exactly the same today.

We know that God is perfect in every way. How then do we understand the verses quoted above?

One commentator observed that “this is part of the second commandment – you shall have no other gods before God. The meaning is clear, beautiful and as righteous as a man being jealous for his wife. In an environment where many gods compete for the affection of man God is intensely competitive in vying for the affections of His people.”

God was “jealous” in the sense that He expected full devotion, not merely a partial, lukewarm commitment. Worship belongs to God, and He is right to be “jealous” of it.

God entered into a committed relationship with the ancient nation of Israel. In Exodus 19:4-6 we read: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

The commitment was that Israel was to “obey My voice” and “if you keep My covenant”, as God put it. The demands of the covenant were the laws and statutes that regulated the relationship between Israel and God and between the Israelites themselves. We read the response from the Israelites in Exodus 19:8: “Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.” So, Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD.” Agreement had been reached.

We know that Israel reneged on these commitments time and time again. We can read this in Psalm 78:10-11, where the sub-heading to the chapter in the New King James Bible is “God’s kindness to rebellious Israel”: “They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law, And forgot His works And His wonders that He had shown them.”

As the people of God, Israel failed miserably much of the time. As the people of God and “spiritual Israel” today, we have a special relationship with God. In our booklet “God’s Teachings on Sexual Relationships” we state on page 26 the following: “As we can see from Ephesians 5:31-32, Paul is addressing here the mystery of the relationship between Christ and His Church. He emphasizes that those who are called must come out of the ways of this world in order to be joined with Christ. Christ must be continuously living within them (1 John 2:15–17; Romans 12:2; Galatians 2:20). Paul also shows that the physical institution of marriage is pointing at a spiritual union between God and man. It is pointing at a spiritual marriage between Christ and His Church.”

In 2 Corinthians 11:2, the apostle Paul wrote: ”For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”   Paul desired that the church be fully devoted to Christ. His “jealousy” was one of wanting the very best for the Church and their relationship with God. Anything that would divert their attention and commitment of worshipping God would be seen as a disaster. That was a type of Godly jealousy, where Paul earnestly wanted the best outcome for the Church which would be their closeness and commitment to worshipping God.

If Paul could be “jealous” for God in the right way, how much more would the perfect Creator God have righteous jealousy for the spiritual well-being of His people?

However, jealousy with man is usually a very negative force.  In the “works of the flesh” in Galatians 5:20, we read some traits to be avoided: “idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,” none of which, along with the other “works of the flesh,” are to be part of a true Christian’s way of life.

In 1 Corinthians 10:22 we read: “Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?  Are we stronger than He?” This was talking about idolatry, and it is a very dangerous exercise to provoke God in such a way; particularly, when true Christians should have known then, and should know today, that God always has our best interests at heart and God’s jealousy is based on his love and concern for us. He wants us to make it into His kingdom – for eternity!

We can see that jealousy is used in God’s Word in both a positive and a negative way. When jealousy is used as an attribute of carnal man, it is invariably used in a negative way, but when used as an attribute of God, it is always used in a positive sense because God is perfect in all His ways.

Isaiah 42:8 contains more than just a clue as to why God is a jealous God: “I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.” He clearly states that He will not share His praise with any other so-called god as He is the only true God and all the other gods are just idols from the imagination of man. He looks after His own and protects us mightily and that is divine jealousy, all in the best interests of man.

In Matthew 10:37 we read: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”

This Christian struggle of choosing God above all else is vividly described in James 4:4-5, where we read: “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’?”

We have to live a life worthy of our calling. In 1 John 2:6 we read: “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” By following such instructions we will be able to get our priorities right and God will be first in our lives. It has been said and written many times that God should be first, followed, in that order, by our mate, our children and then our job, but how many times have we failed to get our priorities right?

In the Church of God, we have often used the phrase that God’s jealousy can be defined as “intolerant of unfaithfulness.” God demands of us, for our own benefit, complete fidelity to Him as He knows what is best for us and guides us down that path through the lead of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, the jealousy of the carnal human mind is always linked to envy and covetousness of which we must not be guilty. The difference between Godly jealousy and man’s jealousy is unbridgeable.

We should be very grateful that God is a jealous God as He has the very best interests of all of His people at heart.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

The text for our new German booklet has been sent to Shelly Bruno for finalization. It is the German translation of our English booklet, “The Book of Zechariah–Prophecies for Today!” In German: “Das Buch Sacharja—Prophezeiungen für die heutige Zeit!”

“America’s Fragile Economy–the Calm before the Storm!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

We hear that America’s economy is booming. But how good is it really… or how fragile? This program discusses the real winners and losers in the US-China trade war as well as the US government’s astronomical debt and its budget deficit due to reckless spending, which bad example is followed by many American citizens.

“Ist Stolz immer verkehrt, oder gibt es berechtigten Stolz?” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Is Pride Always Wrong, or Is there Justified Pride?”

“Mass Shooting, Satanism and the Third Temple (Comments on News and Prophecy August 10, 2019),” presented by Norbert Link last Sabbath, is now posted. Here is a summary:

It is obvious that the Dayton Ohio murderer who killed nine innocent victims was acting because of his fascination with Satanism, while being demonically influenced or possessed. Satan’s activities are becoming more and more blatant. At the same time, the fulfillment of other end-time prophecies evolve around the building of the Third Temple in Jerusalem and President Trump’s potential role regarding the same, as he himself seems to be aware of. You might be surprised to learn about most recent developments in this regard.

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

How can we as True Christians relate to the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13?

“Christian Evolution,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

As a Christian, it is imperative to change. But how should one change? Why should one change? Does God expect it? And if so, how can we do so in our modern busy world?

On August 10, 2019, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Small to Big,” and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “Christian Evolution.”

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.

Just within the last few days, we have been confronted with terrible mass shootings in the USA. Reuters wrote on August 2 that “the teenager who opened fire with an assault rifle at a weekend food festival in Northern California died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Three people attending the festival were killed, including a 6-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl, and a dozen others were injured, some seriously. Police said the gunman opened fire with an ‘AK47-variant’ of an assault-style rifle, which he had purchased legally in Nevada. A shotgun also purchased in Nevada was later found in his car.”

On August 4, The Week wrote: “At least 20 people [as of August 7, 22 people] were… killed on Saturday in a shooting at a shopping center in El Paso and at least 40 people were… injured. A white male suspect in his 20s is… in custody.” It was stated that El Paso had been known as an extremely peaceful city and that the supposed murderer did not live anywhere near El Paso. Also, “at least nine people were killed [including his own sister] and 26 others were injured after a shooting in Dayton (Ohio) early on Sunday morning. The suspect, who was wearing body armor… was reportedly shot and killed by police.”

The shootings in El Paso and Dayton were the 21st and 22nd mass killings in the U.S. in 2019.

We still remember very vividly the mass shooting in 2017 when a murderer opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip. He killed 58 people and wounded 422 and fired more than 1,100 rounds of ammunition from his suite on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel. He was later found dead in his room from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The incident was the deadliest mass shooting committed by an individual in the history of the United States (compare Wikipedia).

These are horrible statistics and extremely heart-breaking events which the sound human mind cannot really comprehend. But recently, violent murders seem to occur more and more in other parts of the world as well. For instance, Deutsche Welle wrote on August 1 about “a 36-year-old man [who] was stabbed to death in Stuttgart… with a weapon described as a ‘sword.’ The man was attacked in a street in the late afternoon… The attacker fled the scene by bicycle, but he was later arrested after a widespread search… A police spokesman described the act as ‘unusual and appalling.’… Stuttgart… is regarded as one of Germany’s safest cities.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 2 about another gruesome and highly publicized murder by “a Swiss-resident Eritrean migrant [who] shoved a boy and his mother in front of a moving train. The mother was able to roll to safety, but the boy was killed.”

One could go on and on, but these few examples, which don’t seem to reveal any motive of the murderer and which do not even include daily gun violence in the USA, “executions” of dissidents in authoritarian countries and the tragic deaths of thousands upon thousands of people in global wars, show the incomprehensible violence which is engulfing the world.

Christ warned us that His return would be preceded by wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24:6) which would become bigger and worldwide (verse 7), increase of lawlessness (verse 12), and by those same terrible events which led to Noah’s Flood (Matthew 24:37-38; Luke 17:26-27). Genesis 6:11, 13 tells us that at that time, “the earth was filled with violence.” For sure, this is true today as well (Ezekiel 7:23). People showed a remarkable indifference to their evil brutal acts without consideration of God’s sure punishment and destruction “at the day of judgment” (2 Peter 2:3, 5, 9). Paul described the perilous times of the last days in exactly the same terms, saying that man would be “unloving” and “brutal” or “violent” (2 Timothy 3:3; cp. Revised English Bible).

Satan is man’s destroyer and murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). People who commit senseless violent acts are being inspired, if not possessed, by him or his powerful evil spirits. Far too often, “insane” murders may be viewed as being perpetrated by mentally unstable or impaired “sick” persons, because the scientific community does not even consider the possibility of demonic influence or possession.

Sadly, we can expect the degree of worldwide violence to increase. In His due time, God will begin to intervene directly in man’s affairs. At first, many will not be willing to repent of their murders (Revelation 9:21)—not considering or caring about the fact that God hates those who love violence (Psalm 11:5) and that He will scatter those who delight in war (Psalm 68:30).

Thankfully, the good news is that Satan will not rule this world much longer (Romans 16:20). When Christ, the God and Prince of Peace, returns, He will replace Satan and take over his throne. He will “make wars cease to the end of the earth” and destroy the weapons of war (Psalm 46:9). Man will learn to hate war and violence and beat their swords into plowshares (Isaiah 2:4). “Violence shall no longer be heard in your land” (Isaiah 60:18). A time of universal peace will begin which mankind has never experienced before, and of that peace there “will be no end” (Isaiah 9:7).

Today, we sigh and cry over the abominations which occur all around us (Ezekiel 9:4), but very soon from now, our tears will turn into laughter, and our sadness and sorrow into gladness and everlasting joy (Psalm 126:5). Then, violence will be no more forever!

by Norbert Link

We begin with an article about the terrible mass shootings in Texas and Ohio please see our new StandingWatch program, “Is There No Solution to Violence and Mass Shootings?”; and continue with America’s mixed messages to Iran and America’s desire to test and station new missiles in Europe or Asia. We also address the distinct possibility of President Trump’s involvement in the building of the prophesied Third Temple in Jerusalem prior to Christ’s return.

We speak on the situation between Iran and the UK and the newfound alliance between the USA and the UK regarding Iran, which does not please Europe; and we address developments pertaining to Boris Johnson and a desired but questionable trade deal between the USA and the UK. We also address the volatile trade situation between the USA and China.

 We continue with Russia’s crackdown on opponents and dissidents; report on Austria’s ex-chancellor Sebastian Kurz and the success of Germany’s far-right party, the AfD; speak on the problems with Google’s, Apple’s and Amazon’s virtual assistants; the scientific will and desire to create human-animal chimeras; the scientific dilemma to explain the existence and age of the universe; attempts in Europe to legalize the use of cannabis; and the closure of California’s largest operator of recycling redemption centers, as well as the interdependency of our worldwide trade by sea.

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

President Trump Condemns Mass Shootings

JTA wrote on August 5:

“President Donald Trump said ‘hate has no place in America’ in an address to the nation following the mass shootings over the weekend in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. Trump pledged additional resources to the FBI to investigate domestic terrorism. He called for strengthening detection of early warning signs of shooters and for better background checks on gun owners. The president also condemned video games and social media for encouraging violent tendencies. He said ‘those who commit hate crimes and mass murders should face the death penalty.’ Before the El Paso shooting on Saturday, in which 20 people were killed and 26 injured at a Walmart, the alleged shooter posted a white supremacist manifesto online…

“‘In one voice our nation must condemn racism, bigotry and white supremacy,’ Trump said. ‘These sinister ideologies must be defeated. Hate has no place in America. Hatred warps the mind, ravages the heart and devours the soul… We must recognize that the internet has provided a dangerous avenue to radicalize disturbed minds and perform demented acts…’”

He also said that mentally sick people who seem to pose a danger to society may have to be institutionalized, even against their will, if necessary. Further news regarding America’s recent mass shootings is being discussed in this week’s Editorial and our new StandingWatch program, “Is There No Solution to Violence and Mass Shootings?” 

America’s Lack of Response to Iran Sends a Strong Message

Foreign Policy wrote on August 1:

“It has long been an accepted fact within the U.S. foreign-policy community that if any country blocked or interfered with shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the United States and its allies would use the awesome force at their disposal to defend freedom of navigation. Yet like so much else in this era, long-held truths and ironclad laws have turned out to be elaborate fictions.

“The United States has invested great sums in the Middle East over many decades to undertake a few important tasks—notably protecting the sea lines—but this task does not seem to be something the current president believes to be a core American interest. After all, on June 24, President Donald Trump tweeted: ‘China gets 91% of its Oil from the Straight, Japan 62%, & many other countries likewise. So why are we protecting the shipping lanes for other countries (many years) for zero compensation. All of these countries should be protecting their own ships on what has always been a dangerous journey.’…

“The United States is leaving the Persian Gulf. Not this year or next, but there is no doubt that the United States is on its way out. Aside from the president’s tweet, the best evidence of the coming American departure from the region is Washington’s inaction in the face of Iran’s provocations. Officials and analysts will often counter this, conjuring the number of personnel, planes, and ships the United States maintains in and around the Gulf, but leaders in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Manama, and Muscat understand what is happening. They have been worrying about the U.S. commitment to their security for some time and have been hedging against an American departure in a variety of ways, including by making overtures to China, Russia, Iran, and Turkey. On Wednesday, the Emiratis and Iranians met for the first time in six years to discuss maritime security in the Gulf…”

This is in line with the prophecy stating that Arab nations will turn against the USA.

USA to Place Intermediate-Range Missiles in Asia or Europe?

The Week wrote on August 3:

“Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Saturday… that he favors placing ground-launched, intermediate-range missiles in Asia… within months, but ‘these things tend to take longer than you expect.’ U.S. officials on Friday said the deployment would be years away…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 3:

“The White House has announced fresh plans to deploy intermediate-range missiles after the collapse of the INF Treaty. European officials have warned that the end of the Cold War-era treaty leaves the continent at risk…

“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said ‘Europe is losing part of its security’ with the demise of the INF treaty… ‘We don’t want a new arms race,’ said NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg. ‘We have no intention to employ new land-based nuclear missiles in Europe.’”

The U.S. might eventually want to base such weapons in Europe as a counterbalance to Russia, or in Asia to counter China. But neither Europe nor Asia seem to be thrilled with that idea.

Trump’s Role in Building the Third Temple

Breaking Israel News wrote on August 5:

“Jewish sources hint that the alliance between the U.S and Israel is the prophetic end-of-days… prelude to the building of the Third Temple. Some experts believe that President Trump fulfills many of the requirements… that will make this happen.

“Two weeks ago, two religious Jews appeared before Rabbi Cham Kanievsky, one of the most influential rabbis of this generation. The emissaries reportedly bore an inquiry from President Trump, asking when the Moshiach (Messiah) will arrive. The rabbi avoided answering the question, asking instead when the American Jews will come to live in Israel. Many were skeptical of the story, rejecting the idea that Trump, a Christian, would inquire from a Jewish rabbi concerning the Messiah. But Trump, as the non-Jewish leader of the U.S., has a prophesied role to play in the building of the Temple and it was for this reason he inquired. Trump wanted to know when he will be called upon to perform this role.

“This expectation regarding Trump was first expressed by the Sanhedrin after his election when they compared him to the Persian King Cyrus who [was] commanded by God to facilitate the building of the Second Temple specifically because he was influential in global politics. The comparison was so apt that it was adopted by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu who also compared the U.S. president to the Persian King.

“Rabbi Hillel Weiss, the spokesman for the Sanhedrin, noted that Trump’s role in building the Third Temple was essential… ‘Trump needs to take his role as the leader…’ Rabbi Weiss said…

“Another rabbi who believes that the U.S. President will play a major role in the construction of the Third Temple is Rabbi Yosef Berger, the rabbi of King David’s Tomb on Mount Zion… ‘Like Cyrus, Trump’s connection to the Messiah is that he will play a role in one of the major functions of the Messiah. He will pave the way for building the Third Temple. Trump will not personally merit building the Temple,’ he continued. ‘Like Cyrus, he will pave the way for men who will begin the construction… No leader in history has recognized Jerusalem as the capital of the Jews and Israel…’”

The Bible clearly prophesies that a MASSIVE Third Temple WILL be built in Jerusalem prior to Christ’s return, and it is indeed very likely that President Trump will in some way contribute to that development.

Brazilian Church Built to Look like Solomon’s Temple

JTA wrote on August 6:

“The largest church building in South America’s most populous city will feature a museum dedicated to remembering Holocaust victims. The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God will build a Holocaust museum within its 10,000-seat Solomon’s Temple complex in Sao Paulo, Brazil — a $300 million replica of the most revered house of worship in the Torah… Brazilian Jewish leaders have not commented on the proposed museum. However, they have generally taken a relaxed approach to the Solomon’s Temple, which opened in 2014.”

So, a massive “Third Temple” has already been built in Brazil and was opened to the public in 2014. The same could easily be accomplished in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount, were it not for the objections of the Arabs.

Iran vs. UK… Who Would Win?

National Interest wrote on August 3:

“Breathless was the headline in Britain’s tabloid Daily Express: ‘Iran military strength REVEALED as tensions with the UK soar.’ ‘A comparison of the UK and Iran’s military strength shows Britain falling behind when it comes to manpower, land and naval strength and petroleum resources,’ the newspaper proclaimed after Iran seized a British tanker in the Persian Gulf, in retaliation for Britain seizing an Iranian tanker at Gibraltar.

“The Daily Express article was based on GlobalFirepower.com, which features both statistics on the armed forces of 137 nations… [It] lists Iran as being stronger than Britain in several categories: 873,000 military personnel to Britain’s 233,000, 1,634 Iranian tanks to 331 British vehicles and 386 Iranian naval vessels to 76 British (Britain is credited with more airpower, with 811 military aircraft to 509 Iranian). Iran has more oil, but weaker finances…statistics can be misleading. Britain and Iran are not in the same league at all.

“…while Iran may or may not be developing nuclear weapons, Britain most certainly has them… However, Britain wouldn’t use nukes against Iran for political reasons, and Iran would be committing suicide to use them against Britain or anyone else… in the Persian Gulf, British forces are operating 3,000 miles from the UK. Even with access to bases belonging to Iran’s hostile Arab neighbors, the British would still be operating in Iran’s home waters, where all the tools of coastal guerrilla warfare – mines, small boat attacks – would be available to Tehran.”

God says that He will break the pride of Britain’s power.

USA and UK vs. Europe

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 6, 2019:

“Just two weeks after taking office, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson took the side of his kindred spirit Donald Trump when the UK announced it would join the US naval mission in the Strait of Hormuz. The European mission — proposed by Britain itself before the change in government — is now off the table. This puts Europe in a diplomatic bind as Germany and France have refused to take any part in the Operation Sentinel mission led by the US to protect tankers against Iranian attacks. For good reason, they do not trust the Trump administration and believe its policy of applying ‘maximum pressure’ on Tehran will worsen, rather than improve, the situation.

“American and British warships in the strategically important Persian Gulf are bound to usher in the next stage of conflict escalation with Iran. The US has achieved its goal: it has driven a wedge into the European phalanx that — despite American pressure — had hoped to band together and save some form of the nuclear agreement with Iran. Those aims are even loftier since what little trust Iran had in the British is now diminished….

“It is all too clear that there is one thing the UK — which is on the verge of a rough exit from the EU — wants more than anything and that is a quick trade agreement with the US. Boris Johnson is prepared to cut, to a certain degree, foreign policy ties with the Europeans and to sail toward whichever direction the White House hawks are headed…

“Berlin, Paris and Brussels are ‘not amused’ about the British change of course. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and the governing coalition in Berlin, however, are not entirely innocent. If Germany, France and other EU nations had reacted swiftly and decisively to the UK’s initial call to launch a European mission, the withering away of European signatories to the Iran agreement may have been prevented. The German government’s long period of hesitation and the discord within the coalition parties made clear there would be no quick agreement on a European mission. Germany did not live up to its own claim of assuming more international responsibility.

“Instead, Foreign Minister Maas now wants to put together an EU observer mission — minus Britain. Even this plan can take a while and will have little effect. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are not likely to be impressed by mere observers and scouting missions during current tensions. It is not difficult to understand why Boris Johnson and the British are frustrated by their European partners’ muddling along…”

Boris Johnson Last PM of UK?

CNN wrote on August 3:

“‘I wouldn’t be at all surprised if no deal (Brexit) ends being looked at by historians as the event that breaks up the UK,’ says Rob Ford, professor of politics at the University of Manchester. Ford explains that the strongest support for Brexit comes from English nationalist voters, who don’t care much for the Union…

“Across the Irish Sea, things look very different. The most vocal pro-Brexit support in Northern Ireland comes from Unionists, who see any kind of separation from the UK mainland as unthinkable… On the flipside of Unionism is Irish republicanism, which prioritizes no border between the two Irelands at any cost. The most hardline Irish republicans would ultimately like to see Northern Ireland reunited with the rest of Ireland…

“In Scotland, ‘opposition to independence now lines up with support for Brexit,’ says Rob Ford…  The picture is slightly different in Wales… But what Wales does have is a strong nationalist movement that historically dislikes the Conservative Party and loathes Johnson’s no-deal rhetoric… The Boris Johnson premiership could ultimately be defined then by a fight between nationalist movements…”

Steve Bannon’s Advice to Boris Johnson

The Daily Mail wrote on July 31:

“Donald Trump’s former strategy guru Steve Bannon praised ‘savvy’ Boris Johnson today – as he warned British politics is entering the ‘red zone’ and Brexit must happen by Halloween. Mr Bannon, a controversial figure who left the White House two years ago, said he did not believe the EU will ‘give an inch’ in negotiations as the bloc is ‘dug in’. But he insisted leaving without a deal was the ‘way to go’ and failure to ‘deliver’ by the end of October would ‘fundamentally change British politics’…

“The intervention came as the new PM faces massive pressure to keep his solemn vow to get the UK out of the EU by the end of October. But so far Mr Johnson is encountering strong resistance from Brussels, while MPs from across parties have pledged to stop No Deal.

“In a BBC interview today, Mr Bannon predicted that the upheaval in UK politics will gather pace, using an American Football term to describe the situation as ‘in the red zone’. ‘The British people have not seen even I don’t think, the beginning of the turmoil,’ he said.”

Free Trade Deal between USA and Britain after Brexit?

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 3:

“The US has reportedly ruled out a free trade deal unless a post-Brexit Britain drops a planned tax on tech giants (like Amazon or Google). The Daily Telegraph report suggests the Trump-Johnson ‘special relationship’ is facing its first test…

“The newspaper said the threat has been communicated to the UK government ‘at multiple levels’… [and] that the trade deal was conditional on the withdrawal of the digital tax…

“A wide-reaching trade deal with the world’s largest economy is a key plank of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit vision for Britain. Johnson’s government has promised that a speedy agreement with Washington would give the UK economy a significant shot in the arm, shortly after the country leaves the European Union on October 31.

“Critics, however, have warned that a US-UK deal will not offset the expected loss of trade with the 27 remaining members of the EU, Britain’s biggest trading partner…

“Britain’s digital services tax was first announced last year in response to widespread public anger over how tech giants are able to circumvent domestic tax rules, and in many cases, pay virtually no tax on revenues generated in the country. The new legislation is due to come into effect from April next year, which will see Facebook, YouTube, eBay and others attract a 2% levy. The tax is expected to raise an extra 275 million pounds (€300 million, $334 million) in its first year.

“The ultimatum gives an indication of the troubles Britain could face negotiating future trade deals alone. During the past 45 years of the country’s EU membership, most trade negotiations have been conducted by Brussels… Brexit watchers say the odds of Britain crashing out of the EU without a deal are increasing every day.”

Traveling to the USA?

The Sun wrote on August 2:

“The visa waiver [program] was initially immediately approved when an application was submitted, but changes brought in last year now means the process can take up to three days to be approved. Tourists from the UK must apply for an ESTA [approval] even if only passing through a US airport… the travel waiver lasts two years and allows tourists to stay up to 90 days at a time…

“Brits have been warned that decades-old social media posts about drugs and alcohol could still get them banned from entering the US. Immigration lawyers have warned travellers to be careful due to tougher new visa rules brought in last month. Tourists could also be asked to hand over their social media details when applying for a US visa under the strict new immigration policy.”

US-China Trade War Escalates

CNBC wrote on August 5:

“Wall Street analysts warned investors to brace for the trade war between the United States and China to further intensify, after it ratcheted up over the weekend to a level that Cowen says, on a scale of 1-10, it’s an 11.’… A Morgan Stanley team of analysts said, ‘investors should behave as if further escalation will happen in 2019.’ If that escalation does come, the firm estimated that a global economic recession will come in the next nine months…

“China responded on Monday in two ways to President Donald Trump announcing the U.S. will add 10% tariffs to $300 billion worth of Chinese goods. First, China’s central bank allowed its currency the yuan to fall ‘below 7 to the dollar, which is a psychologically significant threshold,’ Krueger said…

“Second, Krueger noted that the Chinese told state-controlled buyers ‘to halt all purchases of U.S. agricultural imports.’ ‘It looks like those rotting soybeans will continue to rot, and is a tough hit to Midwestern (Trump states) farm interests after the President promised relief,’ Krueger said… Bloomberg News reported that Beijing intends to wait and see how trade negotiations play out before it makes any purchases.

“On top of those two responses, Krueger also said China may clamp down on the companies operating within its borders. ‘There is increased anecdotal evidence that the Chinese government is tightening its overview of foreign firms, including through creation of a “undesirable entities” list and practices,’ Krueger added. Overall, analysts don’t believe the situation will de-escalate or be resolved quickly, either.”

More Anti-Putin Demonstrations in “Police State” Russia

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 3:

“Russian opposition protesters on Saturday took to the streets in Moscow… despite a sweeping police crackdown and ban on the event… as anger boils over the refusal of officials to let popular opposition candidates run in next month’s city council elections…

“Russian police on Saturday also detained prominent opposition activist Lyubov Sobol ahead of the protest. Sobol had called on people to attend the demonstration. The former FBK lawyer was detained in a taxi as she tried to make her way to the protest and driven off in a police van. Officials also said they have opened a criminal investigation into alleged money laundering by an anti-corruption foundation set up by jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 5:

“Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused Deutsche Welle… of meddling in Moscow’s affairs, claiming that DW’s Russian language social media was being used to promote unrest against the government… Moscow has recently launched a violent crackdown on protesters demanding that independent candidates be allowed to contest upcoming municipal elections. Some 88 demonstrators were arrested on Saturday at an unauthorized rally in the capital…

“[The Russian government] went on to say that because of the alleged incitement, [Deutsche Welle’s reporter] Sergey Dik was no longer acting as a journalist and therefore shouldn’t have been able to enjoy the protection usually afford to the press… [Deutsche Welle stated that] ‘when journalists who are reporting on a demonstration are across the board declared as participants, it is not just a blatant violation of the freedom of the press but rather the behavior of a police state.’”

What is Austria’s Sebastian Kurz Up to?

Euractiv wrote on August 2:

“Austria’s former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and leader of the conservative party is not excluding the idea of re-establishing a coalition with the country’s far right, he said in an interview with the Austrian public broadcaster ORF… Kurz is expected to form a new coalition following the federal elections which will take place later this year… Austria will be electing a new parliament on 29 September following the collapse of the ÖVP-FPÖ coalition earlier in May, caused by the publication of a secretly recorded video that led to the resignation of former vice-chancellor and former FPÖ party leader Heinz-Christian Strache…

“Kurz’ party is ahead in polls but needs a coalition partner for a majority in parliament… FPÖ’s top candidate for the upcoming parliamentary elections is Norbert Hofer, who narrowly lost the election for the office of Federal President in 2016.

“However, former Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache is not expected to run in the upcoming federal elections in September…”

Germany’s Far-Right AfD in First Place in Eastern Germany

Politico wrote on August 4:

“The far-right Alternative for Germany has more support in eastern Germany than Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives… [A] poll… showed the AfD on top among respondents in the east with 23 percent support, followed closely by Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) with 22 percent. The far-left Die Linke came in third place with 14 percent, while the Social Democrats (SPD) came in fifth at 11 percent.

“The results come less than a month ahead of regional elections on September 1 in the eastern states of Saxony and Brandenburg, where the CDU and SPD have long dominated. Both parties have been losing support in recent years in national and regional elections…

“On the national level… the conservatives are still on top with 26 percent support, according to the poll. The Greens are in second place at 23 percent, followed by the AfD in third place with 14 percent support, and the SPD at 13 percent.

“The AfD, founded in 2013, first entered the country’s national parliament two years ago, riding to success on a wave of anti-immigrant sentiments after the height of the refugee crisis in 2015.”

Germany Orders Google to Stop Listening in on Audio Recordings 

AFP wrote on August 2:

“A German data protection official has convinced Google to stop human workers from listening to audio recorded by its digital assistant across the EU, after a leak showed staff could hear private conversations… Preempting a legal order, Google said it would suspend human evaluation across the 28-nation EU for [three months].

“Earlier this month, Dutch-language conversations recorded by Google Assistant, the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered system for voice interactions, were leaked to Belgian broadcaster VRT. Audio files included discussions of users’ love lives and children, as well as containing personal data like addresses…

“The authority added that the devices on offer from the likes of Apple, Amazon and Google are ‘proving to be highly risky for the privacy of those affected’. Not only owners of the gadgets risk their private information reaching unwanted ears, but also ‘all those who come into contact with it’ like other members of the household or guests…”

Apple Suspends Access to Siri Recordings Worldwide

The Independent wrote on August 2:

“Apple and Google have suspended access to recordings from their virtual assistants after workers revealed they often overheard private encounters. Apple’s decision comes in the light of a report last week which said the company’s contractors around the globe tasked with reviewing Siri recordings regularly heard confidential encounters, including drug deals and people having sex. ‘While we conduct a thorough review, we are suspending Siri grading globally,’ an Apple spokesperson said in a statement, adding that in a future software update, users will be able to opt out of the programme…

“While Apple’s commitment is for all Siri users around the world, Google’s is only for customers in the EU. Amazon, which operates the hugely-popular Alexa assistant, is yet to make a similar commitment to Apple and Google, despite admitting in April that employees can listen to customer voice recordings from Echo and other Alexa-enabled smart speakers.”

Creating Human-Animal Chimeras?

The Guardian wrote an updated article on August 5:

“Efforts to create human-animal chimeras have rebooted an ethical debate after reports emerged that scientists have produced monkey embryos containing human cells. A chimera is an organism whose cells come from two or more ‘individuals’ with recent work looking at combinations from different species. The word comes from a beast from Greek mythology which was said to be part lion, part goat and part snake.

“The latest report… claims a team of [researchers led by scientists] in the US have produced monkey-human chimeras. The research was conducted in China ‘to avoid legal issues’, according to the report… [The same and other scientists] have previously managed to produce both pig embryos and sheep embryos which contain human cells, although the proportions are tiny: in the latter case, researchers estimate that only one cell in 10,000 was human…

“The news of the monkey-human chimeras comes shortly after it was reported Japanese researchers… received government support to create mouse-human chimeras. In March Japan lifted a ban on allowing such embryos to develop beyond 14 days and being implanted in a uterus, meaning these chimeras can… be brought to term…

“One possible approach for brain research is that a monkey embryo could be genetically altered and then injected with human stem cells so that part of the brain… is composed only of human cells. A similar approach has previously been used… to grow a rat pancreas inside a mouse…

“While making monkey brains more human is a red line for some, in some ways it has already been crossed. In April scientists in China published a study in which they claimed to have introduced a human brain gene into monkeys, with the animals showing features including better short-term memory and shorter reaction times. These animals are not chimeras, but it is clear that new boundaries are being pushed.”

What a terrible indictment against man trying to play God.

“Star Older than Universe Discovered – Threat of ‘Scientific Crisis’”

Express wrote on August 8:

“THE Big Bang theory has been thrown into question after scientists discovered a star which appears to be older than the Universe itself… The Universe is thought to have popped into existence some 13.8 billion years ago… The Big Bang theory has stood for the best part of 100 years after Belgian physicist Georges Lemaître first proposed in 1927 the expansion of the Universe could be traced back to a single point.

“However, the well-accepted model is now under the microscope after a team of researchers found a star which appears to be older than the cosmos… the star is 14.5 billion years old, some 0.7 billion years older than the Universe.”

It has been claimed for a long time that stars exist which are supposedly older than the claimed age of the universe. Scientists just don’t know how the universe came into being—as they deny the Truth of the Bible that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

“Luxembourg to be First European Country to Legalise Cannabis”

The Guardian wrote on August 7:

“Residents [in Luxembourg] over the age of 18 are expected to be able to buy the drug for recreational use legally within two years… the legislation was likely to include a ban on non-residents buying cannabis in order to dissuade drug-tourism. Home-growing is also likely to be prohibited…

“The earliest written reference to cannabis comes from China in the third millennium BC, but archaeological evidence suggests that hemp, probably for use in fabrics, was cultivated [earlier than that]. Native to Central Asia and India, the plant – known as ganja in Sanskrit – appears to have been recognised for its psychoactive properties among several pre-Christian cultures, some of which used it in rituals.

“It was banned in parts of the Islamic world in the 14th century, not to mention in some British colonies, but was not widely proscribed across the world until the US took against it. A series of regulations in the US culminated in the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 that banned possession or transfer of the drug, except for medicinal use. But it was not outlawed for all types of use until 1970… which saw the US place pressure on international governments to follow suit…

“California kicked off the legalisation of medicinal cannabis in 1996, several states had legalised recreational use by 2012 and a majority of states had legalised medicinal cannabis by 2016. It remains illegal under US federal law…

“Luxembourg has already legalised the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. Possession of small amounts for recreational use has also been decriminalised, but its purchase, sale and production remains illegal…

“[Since 2018] Canadians are able to order marijuana products on websites run by provinces or regulated private retailers and have it delivered to their homes by post… Cannabis remains illegal to possess, grow, distribute, sell or grow in the UK [which outlawed its use in 1928]. Those caught with the drug face a maximum of five years in prison, an unlimited fine or both. Several police forces have said they will no longer target recreational users and those with less than an ounce (28 grams) can be given a warning or on-the-spot fine…

“… prosecutors [in the Netherlands] turn a blind eye to the breaking of certain laws. Technically the possession, use and trade of the drug is illegal, but the authorities allow licensed coffee shops to sell cannabis from their premises, and to keep 500g on site at any time. The police turn a blind eye to those in possession of 5g or less. Because production remains illegal, however, cafes are often forced to do business with criminal gangs to source the drug.”

Even though some countries and US states allow the use of cannabis for recreational purposes, such use is clearly wrong. Cannabis for medical use should be allowed, as it is in some countries and some US states. However, due to federal law, the transport of cannabis from one state to another state is forbidden nationwide. In those European states where the use for medical cannabis is permitted, the costs are astronomically high and to obtain medical approval incredibly restrictive. Man’s dealing with the issue of cannabis is totally backwards.

California’s Largest Recycling Business Closes

SF Gate wrote on August 6:

“California’s largest operator of recycling redemption centers shut down Monday and laid off 750 employees. RePlanet closed all 284 of its centers, and company president David Lawrence said the decision was driven by increased business costs and falling prices of recycled aluminum and PET plastic… The move came three years after RePlanet closed 191 of its recycling centers and laid off 278 workers…

“Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit that studies issues in California’s recycling industry, estimated that more than 40% of all redemption centers have closed in the last five years. The closures… mean that more bottles made of aluminum and polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, will end up in landfills. People will either throw their recyclables directly into the garbage, or place them in curbside recycling bins, which are often filled with contaminated material that must be discarded. China, which has bought much of the U.S.’s recyclable material, has become stricter about what kinds of material it will accept.”

Almost All Trade Goods Transported by Sea

Money Morning wrote on August 3:

“By volume, 90% of world trade goods are transported by sea. There are around 53,000 ships in the world’s merchant fleet, 5,000 of which are container ships, and the largest of those carries more than 20,000 containers. Without these ships, many countries could not participate in global trade, and consumers would have to absorb the increased costs, making the world poorer…

“Containerisation is based on a simple premise. By minimising the costs of sea cargo, goods can be produced economically anywhere in the world – not necessarily in the same country or even continent as the eventual buyer. By some accounts it costs only $0.05 to ship a T-shirt across the world. Economists Edward Glaeser and Janet Kohlhase wrote in the 2000s that ‘it is better to assume that moving goods is essentially costless’.

“Given such low transportation costs, it becomes economic to produce your goods in a country with a relatively low cost of labour, such as Bangladesh, China, or Vietnam, put them in containers, and ship them to countries where they can be sold for a good profit. This is the basis of the modern consumer economy.”

This is interesting in light of biblical prophecy that at least a third of the ships crossing the oceans will be destroyed (Revelation 8:9), and all living creatures in the oceans will die (Revelation 16:3), leading to the collapse of our modern consumer economy.

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 Tenth Commandment can be found in Exodus 20:17 and in Deuteronomy 5:21.  Exodus 20:17 reads: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” Deuteronomy 5:21 words it slightly differently, namely: “’You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

We should note that the order of “wife” and “house” is reverse, and that Deuteronomy adds the word “desire” to the word “covet.” Also, the word “field” is added in Deuteronomy.

Commentaries are trying to explain the reverse order, but without convincing arguments. It appears that in God’s eyes, one is as bad as the other. In addition, the examples are given in Exodus and elaborated in Deuteronomy to make clear that nothing which belongs to our neighbor is to be coveted or desired by us.

The definition of “covet” is helpful. In Hebrew, it can mean “delight,” “lust after” and “desire,” and it is used in a wrong way in both passages above. The dictionary defines “covet” as “yearn to possess or have (something).“ In this respect, something that does not belong to us. When we covet our neighbor’s wife or our neighbor’s house, we are resentful as to what our neighbor has, and we desire to have them instead.

Synonyms for “covet” are “lust, desire, thirst for, fancy” or “want.”

The Tenth Commandment is related to man’s relationship to his fellow man. It is one of the last six commandments which defines how to love our neighbor (The first four commandments tell us how to love God).

“You shall not covet [nor desire] your neighbor’s house” tells us that it is wrong to desire in the wrong manner our neighbor’s dwelling place—his house and his field. Is it bigger than ours? Is it newer than ours? If it is, then why are we not happy for him and follow the admonition of Paul in Philippians 4:11, which tells us: “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content…” Another admonition worth noting is “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content” (1 Timothy 6:6-8).

Some people are never happy, thinking that physical possessions and a nicer house are what life is all about, and that those things will give us more happiness in life. But what does the Scripture tell us? “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15).

The key is to be happy with what we have (or not have) and to be happy for those who have more than we. All of this is temporary anyway.

The Tenth Commandment goes on to say, in Exodus 20:17: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.” This, in effect, prevents committing adultery in our minds. Christ told us in Matthew 5:28: “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Here again, one must be content with what one has or with what one does not have. If one is married, be content and happy with your wife and don’t look for “alternatives.” If you are not married and want to be married, then wait for God to provide you with a wife in His due time, but don’t covet the wife of your neighbor. Proverbs 31:10-12 tells us that a virtuous wife is very precious: “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.” If such a wife belongs to our neighbor, it would be a terrible sin to desire her, visualizing adultery in our mind, and then to perhaps even initiate actions to break up such a marriage.

We are also told in the Tenth Commandment not to covet our neighbor’s “male servant, nor his female servant.” What this is telling us is not to be envious of and covet the things which our neighbor has, which makes life easier for him—a butler and people who come and cut his lawn or take care of his field or his yard, clean his house and do chores around the house for him.

We are finally admonished not to covet our neighbor’s “ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is [our] neighbor’s.”

We are not to become envious of our neighbor’s possessions and covet those—be they a nice car and, again, those things that help make work easier for him regarding his yard: Things like a riding lawnmower or a snowblower which our neighbor may have, while we may have to push our mower and shovel snow by hand.

What God tells us in the Tenth Commandment is that we must overcome covetousness by being happy for the other person. Covetousness, if not repented of, may turn into envy and jealousy. Jealousy goes down to the marrow of the bone. This may lead to hatred and the desire to hurt our neighbor (who has something which we want to have). This attitude has caused a lot of suffering in this world. That is why God gave us His commandment against covetousness.

Being happy for others removes covetousness and brings joy and peace into our hearts. Envy and jealousy are many times the root cause for life-lasting rivalries, destroying families and friendships. It is almost impossible to deal with someone who is envious and jealous.

The key is to be happy with what we have (or don’t have) and not to look lustfully on our neighbor’s wife or covet our neighbor’s servants, nor focus on our neighbor’s animals or other things which our neighbor may have–even if they are nicer, bigger, or more expensive than ours.  We are to focus on those things which build treasures in heaven and we are not to get caught up in coveting, jealousy and envy, knowing that this life with all its physical blessings is only temporary. In the final analysis, covetousness is idolatry (Colossians 3:5), as we place something else before the true God who told us not to covet, but to love Him first and foremost.

Lead Writer: Rene Messier (Canada)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Is There No Solution to Violence and Mass Shootings?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Within the last few days, terrible mass shootings have occurred in the USA, and we also hear about more and more insane violent attacks throughout the world. Why is this happening, and has the Bible forewarned that those atrocities will take place in the last days?  Is there no hope and no solution? But if there is, what is it?

“Stolz auf Sünde–Rebellion gegen Gott,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Pride in Sin — Rebellion Against God.”

Christoph Sperzel’s German sermonette from last Sabbath has been posted as well on the German website, and so have been several German articles.

“How Strong Is the US Military? — Comments on News and Prophecy (August 3, 2019),” is the title of last Sabbath’s special opening message, presented by Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Surprising as it may sound, the US military is by no means as strong as it is claimed. As an article in the Atlantic (July 27, 2019) mentioned, the most recent 4th of July parade looked more like a “military antiques road show.” The development and placement of intermediate-range missiles seems to be years away, and newer sophisticated weapons and bombers don’t seem to have found their way into the US military. The Bible prophecies a nuclear attack on the USA in the very near future. Will America even be prepared militarily to meet such a challenge?

“Can You Follow God as a Young Person?— Not Only for Kids and Teens!” is the title of last Sabbath’s sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

How old are you? Do you think that you are too young to obey God? Is there any reason for not following God? How old were some of the biblical heroes who did seek and find God? You might be surprised.

On August 3, 2019, Norbert Link will present, “Comments on News and Prophecy (August 3, 2019)” and the sermon, titled, “Can You Follow God as a Young Person? — Not Only for Kids and Teens!”

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.

Being grateful in our lives is a very important characteristic we must have to please God. We are instructed in Ephesians 5:20 to be “Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And one of those “all” things is God’s Word, the Bible.

In this day and age, it is easy to take for granted the opportunity we have to purchase Bibles so very readily. We can go to a local bookstore which usually has at least one version of the Bible available. We can order one of many different translations on-line. There are even free downloads of some older biblical versions available. But do we acknowledge that this ability is actually a great blessing for us that is not available in some countries and has not been available at all in past times?

Here in Melbourne, Australia, a city with a population of just under five million, the number of religious bookstores has been reduced over the last forty years with some Protestant stores closing or going to on-line ordering only. General bookstores usually stock one or a few modern versions of the Bible amongst various other religious books like the Koran and books on Buddhism. So probably due to reduced demand, the availability of Bibles is not as convenient as it once was.

But still there are no restrictions in most of the Western World yet on purchasing Bibles. In some countries, Bibles are restricted or even totally banned. In North Korea, being caught possessing a Bible can result in a fifteen-year sentence to a labour camp or even death. In some Islamic or communist countries, obtaining Bibles can be quite difficult. For example, in China, the most populous country in the world, the sale of Bibles is government-controlled. The government is actually preparing a new approved translation with a “correct understanding” favourable to the Chinese Communist Party.

When we look into God’s Word, it appears that in New Testament times the Old Testament Scriptures were readily available. In Acts 8:27-28 we read that the Ethiopian eunuch was reading the book of Isaiah. Because of his position, he may have been able to obtain the Old Testament without any difficulty.  However, another mention of the Scriptures being readily available, perhaps in public libraries, occurs in Acts 17:10-11 in the city of Berea. Here we read, “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” It appears that these attendees of the synagogue, Jews and Gentiles, were able to read the Scriptures as often as they wanted to.

2 Timothy 3:15 indicates that Timothy had access to the Scriptures in some manner all of his life. For we read, “And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” This seems to indicate that either his family had access to the Scriptures or that Timothy was taught from them regularly in the synagogue.

The manner in which Christ and the apostles quoted the Old Testament Scriptures throughout the New Testament indicated that their listeners were familiar with what was being said. Many of the various audiences obviously knew the Scriptures and there is no indication that anyone claimed the Scriptures were in any way misquoted.

So that is the situation today and the situation in New Testament times, but what about between these times? Early on there were some translations into languages like Armenian and Coptic (Egyptian).

Focusing on translations in Britain, over time quite a large part of the Bible was translated into various languages used in the British Islands. In the mid-14th century however, English became the language of Britain, and the older translations became effectively unintelligible to the population. The Latin Vulgate existed, but by this time almost nobody could read Latin. So now the Bible was basically unobtainable in England. However, it was necessary that English translations would become available, as God’s Word was to spread from England to the New World.

Near the end of this century, in about 1382, John Wycliffe and his associates translated the whole of the Bible from Latin into English. So, the Bible became available to be read by the people, but since copies were hand-written, they could cost a year’s salary. This was a very great barrier for most people. A further consideration was that the Catholic Church was totally against any English translation and condemned John Wycliffe. While he was not put to death, later his bones were exhumed and scattered far from a Church burial site.

In 1408 in Oxford, Archbishop Arundel produced a law forbidding anyone to translate the Scriptures into the common language, and to even have a copy of it could, and did, lead to the death penalty. Many were burnt at the stake purely for possessing a Bible in English.

The next major event in the production of the English Bible was with the arrival of William Tyndale. In 1526 he translated the New Testament from the Greek text provided by Erasmus and later the Old Testament from Genesis to 2nd Chronicles and the book of Jonah from the Hebrew text. His New Testament was sold as a printed edition which made it much cheaper to purchase. However, to try to prevent its circulation, the bishop of London bought and burnt as many copies as he could obtain. Various ways were tried to smuggle copies into England to prevent them from being confiscated.

Tyndale was arrested and burnt at the stake for his efforts. About a year after his death, Miles Coverdale and John Rogers in 1536 produced a complete English Bible, beginning with William Tyndale’s translation of the New Testament and part of the Old Testament from the original languages, and finishing with Miles Coverdale’s translation of the rest of the Old Testament from the German and Latin languages. For this effort, Miles Coverdale had to flee to Europe to save his life, and John Rogers was burnt at the stake. This version of the Bible, named the Thomas Matthew Bible, formed the basis of the King James Bible or the Authorized Version and other modern versions.

So, from this we can see that obtaining a copy of the Bible has not always been easy. In fact, we find that the blood of men has been shed in order that the ordinary person could obtain a copy of the Word of God.

So then, when we think how easy it is today to obtain our own personal copies of the Bible, we can be thankful that some have laboured long and hard and in constant danger to make this possible. We should consider this convenient access to His Word a great blessing that God has provided for us and give Him thanks for it always.

by Norbert Link

We begin with eye-opening articles on the true and deeply concerning state of America’s military and the unsettling practical application of the US Presidency’s war powers; and we continue with concerns about the future of the US economy and the disturbing fact that America’s allies disassociate themselves more and more from the US. 

We address another political decision of the US Supreme Court; strange happenings at the Mexican border; and the announcement of a proposed controversial treaty between the USA and Guatemala.

We continue with doubts about the sincerity of “flip-flopping” Boris Johnson, as well as some interesting news about his close connections to Israel; the new-found friendship between China and Russia; and with deeply alarming developments regarding a brutal and violent crackdown by the Russian government on opponents and dissidents, including the charge of attempted poisoning of Russia’s most popular opposition leader.  

We speak on China’s persecution of Christians and other disconcerting developments; the shameful European conduct in regard to UN anti-Israel resolutions; the ongoing desire and demand for the building of the Third Temple [please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “What Will Europe Do When the Third Temple Is Being Built?”;] and new unproven dirty allegations against Austria’s former chancellor, Sebastian Kurz.

We conclude with frightening news about Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri; an overview over earthquakes in Europe and other places; and interesting ideas as to how to deal with the current recycling crisis.

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

How Strong Is the US Military?

The Atlantic wrote on July 27:

“Contrary to President Donald Trump’s assertion that ‘our nation is stronger today than it ever was before,’ the ‘Salute to America’ [parade during the 4^th of July celebrations] looked more like a military antiques road show than a display of a 21st-century military power.

“The age of the current force was most apparent in the Army hardware on display… The M-1A2 Abrams tanks and M-2 Bradley infantry combat vehicles… represent a generation of armored vehicles that were designed in the 1970s and procured in large numbers during the 1980s. More than three decades later, they remain, albeit with modification, the mainstay of the U.S. Army and have been used in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The aircraft that flew over the capital echoed the theme of an advanced but aging force. The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber was another product of the Reagan defense buildup. Although it is an impressive aircraft able to evade enemy radar, the U.S. Air Force has fewer than 20 of them—far short of the 132 the Air Force originally envisioned purchasing when the bomber first took flight in 1988, and its successor, the B-21 Raider, has yet to make its first flight. The two F-22 Raptors that flanked it are newer aircraft but, like the B-2, exist in only small numbers (187 rather than the 750 originally envisioned)…

“America’s non-stealthy aircraft are becoming more vulnerable. Decades after it was introduced, stealth is still working its way into the U.S. military—in the form of the F-35 plane that the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps are procuring. In the meantime, most U.S. combat aircraft are not stealthy and are less and less useful in high-threat environments. Indeed, as a result of a lack of aircraft-modernization programs over the past 30 years, the Air Force’s fighter force is half the size it was when the Berlin Wall fell, and has reached an unprecedented average age of 26 years…

“Moreover, military displays like the one on July 4 obscure the fact that the U.S. armed forces are still largely organized the way they were a generation ago and employ tactics that have seen only marginal change from those employed in past wars…

“The United States tends not to parade its nuclear forces in public. Had Trump done so, the public would have seen not row upon row of new missiles, such as those that have appeared in recent Russian and Chinese parades, but rather a force of land- and sea-based missiles and bombers that date back to the late Cold War or its immediate aftermath…

“The wars of the future may depend not so much on the kinds of things you can put on parade, but on new technologies that reimagine warfare. Adversaries have invested in blunting America’s ability to project military power abroad, including by striking critical bases of operations, disabling information networks, and interfering with communication, navigation, and imagery satellites that support military operations…”

In light of these facts, it might perhaps not be all that stunning to realize that the US will lose its biblically prophesied war with Europe.

US Costliest Warship Cannot Carry Ammunition

Bloomberg wrote on July 30:

“Only two of 11 elevators needed to lift munitions to the deck of the U.S. Navy’s new $13 billion aircraft carrier (the costliest warship ever) have been installed… It’s another setback for contractor Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. — and for the Navy, which had said in December it planned to complete installation and testing of all 11 elevators before the Ford completed its post-delivery shakedown phase this month… Instead, the shakedown phase has been extended to October and the vessel won’t have all the elevators installed — much less functioning — by then… Essentially, the ship can’t deploy… It can’t carry ammunition…

“The elevators aren’t the only issue plaguing the ship, which has had problems with two other core systems — the electromagnetic system to launch planes and the arresting gear to catch them when they land… ‘I am concerned overall that the Navy is under-equipped in key areas,” the Oklahoma Republican [Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe] said in a statement. ‘The USS Gerald R. Ford is a prime example of that — delivered nearly two years late, billions over budget, and 9 of 11 weapons elevators still don’t work, with costs continuing to grow’…”

The US President’s War Powers

The Week wrote on July 28:

“The U.S. is currently conducting military operations in at least seven countries. In addition to Afghanistan and Iraq, American forces are involved in conflicts in Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Niger, and Libya. Most of these campaigns are being carried out under the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), which Congress passed just a week after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The 60-word resolution granted the president sweeping powers to use force against any nation, organization, or person who aided in the attacks. That was understood to include Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network al Qaida and the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The Constitution gives Congress the sole power to ‘declare war,’ but since 2001, presidents have repeatedly used the AUMF to justify military operations around the globe. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently suggested President Trump had the authority to unilaterally order a war against Iran because of the AUMF.

“Can Trump do that? Legally, it’s a big stretch. Pompeo has told Congress that Iran has ‘very real’ ties with al Qaida. Intelligence analysts, however, are highly skeptical… there is no evidence of active collaboration between Iran’s Shiite rulers and Sunni-dominated al Qaida. So, the Trump administration’s trial balloon on Iran has alarmed members of both parties in Congress…

“Presidents Bush and Obama invoked the AUMF at least 37 times for military actions in 14 countries and at sea. Obama invoked it to strike ISIS in the Middle East and al–Shabab in East Africa—terrorist groups that didn’t exist on Sept. 11, 2001. Obama administration lawyers argued that those groups were ‘associated forces’ of al Qaida, so the law still applied. But even before the AUMF, American presidents had steadily expanded their war powers over the last century.

“Through what authority? Through their role as commander in chief of the military. The Framers acknowledged that the president should be able to order a military response to an emergency, such as a foreign attack on the U.S., without a formal declaration of war. American presidents have steadily expanded the definition of ‘emergency’; as a result, the U.S. has had only five declared wars in its history, the last of which was World War II. President Truman didn’t seek congressional approval for the Korean War – which lasted for three years and cost the lives of 40,000 Americans – by describing it as a ‘police action’ under United Nations rules. The small American presence in South Vietnam metastasized into a full-blown… undeclared war [which] lasted until 1975, killing more than 58,000 Americans and more than 1.3 million people altogether…

“In 1973, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution, which required the president to seek congressional approval for any conflicts lasting more than 60 days. Presidents have mostly just ignored it. Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton all used loose interpretations of ‘national emergency’ to justify interventions in conflicts in Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Somalia, and Bosnia. Obama argued that the War Powers Resolution didn’t apply to airstrikes in Libya because they wouldn’t involve ground troops or the ‘sustained fighting or active exchanges of fire.’ The Obama and Trump administrations have used a similar rationale to justify supporting Saudi Arabia’s brutal campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Trump used the same legal framework for airstrikes on Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria last year.

“Why doesn’t Congress object? It often does, but it’s nearly impossible to rein in the president without overwhelming, veto-proof congressional majorities. Congress passed a bipartisan bill in April demanding that Trump remove all troops involved in ‘hostilities’ in Yemen, but the president simply vetoed it… In many cases, Congress has actually preferred to let the president take the lead on military action abroad. When Obama asked Congress in 2013 to authorize military strikes against Syria in retaliation for chemical weapons attacks against civilians, the Senate refused even to hold a vote…”

So, practically, the power of the US President to declare and wage war is seemingly unrestricted. This should be of great interest to every American—and to American allies and foes alike.

US Economy Slows

npr wrote on July 26:

“U.S. economic growth fell to a 2.1% annual rate in the second quarter — down from a 3.1% pace in the first three months of 2019…  President Trump has targeted a growth rate of 3% or above, citing the Republican tax cuts passed in 2017. But some studies have found that the tax cuts passed have done little to boost growth, in part because most of the benefit went to wealthy people and corporations.

“A 5.2% drop in exports — amid economic weakness in Europe and elsewhere as well as the U.S. trade war with China and other countries — contributed to the slowdown… In addition… the Commerce Department cited a number of other factors for the slowdown, including drops in business investment and investments in commercial and residential real estate. But consumer spending jumped 4.3% in the second quarter and government spending surged 5%….

“The economic slowdown comes even as unemployment, at 3.7%, is at near 50-year lows. Over the past three months, employers have added an average of 171,000 jobs each month. The trade war has taken a toll on manufacturing, and Boeing’s ongoing problems with the grounding of its top-selling 737 Max have also hurt the economy, analysts say… ‘We’re already seeing some signs of slowing momentum in the U.S. economy and slowing business investment overall,’ Greg Daco, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, told NPR’s Jim Zarroli [said].”

The question in light of this is as to how long the low unemployment figures and the high consumer spending can be maintained. 

Fed Cuts Interest Rates – Why?

The Week wrote on July 31:

“The Federal Reserve announced its first interest rate cut in a decade on Wednesday…

“It’s unusual for the Fed to cut rates as data show ‘above trend growth’ and such a strong labor market, rather than waiting to offer stimulus when the economy is heading into trouble, said Ethan Harris, head of global economic research at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. ‘There’s no historical precedent,’ he said.”

The Democratic Debate: Socialists vs. Moderates

AFP wrote on July 31:

“The ideological divide between Democratic presidential hopefuls came into focus Tuesday as leading progressive candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren defended their liberal policies on healthcare and immigration against surprisingly energetic attacks from moderate rivals. The fault lines emerged immediately in the second debate of the 2020 Democratic primary race, with lesser-known candidates taking sharp digs and warning that forcing radical change could ensure President Donald Trump’s re-election…

“[Warren] and Sanders faced dramatic pushback including from ex-congressman John Delaney who delivered a scathing rebuke to their ‘fairy tale economics’ that risk bankrupting the economy… Warren and Sanders… are essentially tied for second, at about half Biden’s support…”

Second Democratic Debate

Fox News reported on August 1:

“Former Vice President Joe Biden dominated the debate stage and weathered the attacks of nine opponents for the Democratic presidential nomination Wednesday night, emerging the clear winner… [He] delivered his message compellingly and convincingly. Even during his less strong moments, Biden remained the focal point of the conversation, speaking for over 21 minutes – more than any other candidate on stage…

“Despite Biden’s strong performance and solid frontrunner status, it is clear that the party has seismically shifted away from the centrist Democratic Party of the 1990’s…”

US Allies Are Distancing Themselves from America

The Atlantic wrote on July 27:

“Two of America’s closest treaty allies have announced military efforts explicitly designed to exclude the United States. Australia is ‘seeking to cement its status as the security partner of choice for Pacific nations’ by establishing an expeditionary training force. And the United Kingdom wants to create a multinational force to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

“It’s not a coincidence that allies are striking out on their own. Countries in the Pacific worry that the U.S. is forcing them to choose between their economic connections to China and their security relationships with the U.S…

“America’s friends are choosing to dissociate themselves, believing their interests are better served without American strength. It seems the rest of the world is losing faith that the U.S. is a reliable partner… The U.S. is ceasing to be a country that its allies come to for help solving problems. On the contrary, America’s allies think the U.S. is the cause of their increasingly tenuous security… [US] relations with close allies have frayed in systemically significant ways…”

The Algemeiner wrote on July 26:

“Denmark said on Friday it welcomed a British government proposal for a European-led naval mission to ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and would consider a military maritime contribution… The initiative won initial support from Denmark, France and Italy… The backing contrasts with a lukewarm response shown by European allies to a similar American call first voiced at NATO in late June, which was resisted by France and Germany. They worried the US-led military alliance would be dragged into a possible confrontation with Iran.

“EU-member Denmark is among the world’s biggest seafaring nations and home to the world’s biggest container shipping firm AP Moller-Maersk, which sails in the high-tension area. ‘The Royal Danish Navy is strong and capable and would be able to contribute actively and effectively to this type of engagement,’ said Danish Defense Minister Trine Bramsen. A final decision would still need to be discussed in parliament.”

Germany Refuses to Assist USA

Breitbart wrote on July 31:

“The U.S. has requested naval cooperation from Germany in the Strait of Hormuz as tensions with Iran escalate, but the political leaders of the European nation have refused to assist their NATO allies. The German Federal Foreign Office said that Washington has approached them to contribute to a new surveillance mission in the Persian Gulf but had rejected the appeal saying there was no prospect of a contribution, German tabloid Bild reports.

“Germany’s allies, including the U.S. and the UK, have been attacked in the Persian Gulf by Iran in recent months. and under the doctrine of collective defence guaranteed by the NATO alliance, Germany is duty-bound to come to the aid of its allies if asked. Yet senior members of Angela Merkel’s left-centrist coalition government have made clear working with the U.S. is out of the question.”

Trade Deal between US and UK?

The Guardian wrote on July 31:

“Boris Johnson has presented a trade deal with the US as a way of offsetting the economic costs of leaving the EU, and Donald Trump promised the two countries could strike ‘a very substantial trade agreement’ that would increase trade ‘four or five times’. Trump, however, would not be able to push an agreement through a hostile Congress, where there would be strong bipartisan opposition to any UK trade deal in the event of a threat to the 1998 Good Friday agreement, and to the open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic…

“[Republican] Pete King [said] his party would have no compunction about defying Trump over the issue…

“For the past eight months, Congress has held up ratification of a new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, the USMCA, which Trump has presented as an extraordinary achievement… Representative King said a UK trade deal would face even greater obstacles…

“The Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has said that a US-UK trade deal has ‘no chance whatsoever’ of passing in Congress…”

Partisan Decision of US Supreme Court to Support Trump’s Wall

Breitbart wrote on July 26:

“The U.S. Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump to begin building the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border using emergency funds, lifting an injunction Friday that had been imposed by a district court in California and upheld by the Ninth Circuit.

“After Congress refused to appropriate enough funding to build a barrier along the border earlier this year, President Trump declared a national emergency to allow the administration to access more money. In total, he ordered $8 billion spent — though, as Breitbart News pointed out, only $3.6 billion needed an emergency declaration.

“The decision was largely along partisan lines, with all five Republican-appointed justices voting to lift the injunction, while all three liberal justices were opposed…”

As can be seen from this example, the US Supreme Court has become—or has always been—a political force. The decision is difficult to comprehend from just a merely legal standpoint.

Strange Happenings at the Mexican Border

World News Daily Report wrote on July 24:

“A group of Minutemen watching the Mexican Border for illegal migrants and drug traffickers, have proceeded to the citizen arrest of two men in an SUV, carrying 1300 pounds of cocaine. The volunteers were completely astonished when the two arrestees pulled out CIA ID cards and explained they were actually carrying the drug as part of their duties and that the cargo belonged to the Central Intelligence Agency.

“… the CIA spokesperson, Dean Boyd, has officially denied any link between the organization and the two men… Both the border patrol officers and minutemen seem unconvinced, however, and many of them seem to believe that the secret service agency is hiding something… Both the FBI and the DEA have announced that they would collaborate with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in this case, which has already attracted a lot of attention in Southern Texas.”

One does wonder…

U.S., Guatemala Sign Treaty Denying U.S. Asylum to Migrants

The Week wrote on July 27:

“President Trump on Friday announced an agreement with Guatemala that will require migrants traveling through the country to seek asylum there rather than the United States. American officials said the deal could go into effect within weeks, but critics are expected to challenge it in court, arguing that Guatemala is one of the world’s most dangerous countries and, therefore, should not be considered a place of refuge for those fleeing violence.

“Guatemala’s Constitutional Court has also granted multiple injunctions on the deal preventing the government from entering into it without congressional approval. American asylum laws require that almost all asylum seekers who arrive at the U.S. border be allowed to seek refuge in the country, unless they passed through a ‘safe third’ country, which is what Guatemala would be considered if the deal does go into effect.”

Even though the proposed deal was described by the conservative media as a great victory for Donald Trump, it faces substantial legal challenges in both countries. 

Believing Flip-Flopping Boris Johnson?

Breitbart wrote on July 27:

“Brexit Party MEP Alexandra Philips has warned that ‘we can’t believe Boris’ on his pledges to deliver Brexit… [She] joked that his colleagues should keep count of how many times Prime Minister Johnson pledges to take the UK out of the EU on October 31st, after his predecessor Theresa May stated 108 times that the UK would leave on March 29th. Ms Philips remarked: ‘No, we can’t believe Boris because this is the man who first of all reportedly wrote two different versions of his columns to The Telegraph on whether we should Remain or Leave.’

“Mr Johnson has u-turned on a number of positions in the past, including having voted for Mrs May’s withdrawal treaty on its third vote in the House of Commons, despite having voted it down twice before on grounds that it would reduce the United Kingdom to a ‘vassal state’ or ‘colony’ of the EU…

“Show host Martin Daubney revived the possibility of a Nigel Farage-Boris Johnson election pact…  Mr Farage also shared his colleague’s scepticism that the Tory government under Johnson would deliver Brexit, saying: ‘I don’t believe a single word the Conservative Party tell us. Theresa May told us 108 times we were leaving on March 29th and we didn’t, so just because Boris says we’re leaving on the 31st of October doesn’t mean we’re going to.’”

Nigel Farage also said that unless an election pact between him and Boris Johnson is formed, Mr. Johnson will not succeed. On the other hand, he might carry out Brexit—even without a deal. Also note the next interesting article about his close relationship to Israel.

Johnson a Passionate Zionist

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 24:

“Boris Johnson[’s] Jewish ancestry and personal experiences volunteering on an Israeli kibbutz as a young man positively impact his feelings about the Land of Israel and the Jewish people… He has great-grandparents who were Christian, Muslim, and Jewish and sometimes refers to himself as a ‘one-man melting pot.’

“Johnson’s maternal great-grandfather was a Russian Jewish immigrant… [he] was not a practicing Jew but was descendent of a strictly Orthodox Jewish rabbi from Lithuania. Throughout his political career, Johnson has been a strong advocate for Israel. Writing for The Jewish Chronicle, Daniella Peled reported in 2007 that Johnson is, ‘an enemy of politically correct anti-Zionism and immensely proud of his own Jewish ancestry.’ She quoted Johnson saying, ‘I feel Jewish when I feel the Jewish people are threatened or under attack, that’s when it sort of comes out. When I suddenly get a whiff of antisemitism, it’s then that you feel angry and protective.’

“In addition to his Jewish ancestry, Johnson has even stronger ties to Israel through his Jewish stepmother… Johnson refers to himself as a ‘passionate Zionist’ who ‘loves the great country’ of Israel… British politicians rarely call themselves ‘Zionists.’…”

Pound Could Hit Historic Low

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 30:

“The new U.K. government’s tough line on Brexit negotiations is pummeling the pound, reflecting increased investor fears the country could crash out of the European Union without an exit agreement… Two days of heavy selling have raised fears that sterling is heading toward its lowest level against the dollar in more than 34 years…

“‘People had thought that Boris Johnson may soften his stance once he was in power, but now the market is realizing that a no-deal Brexit is a very real possibility,’ said Seema Shah, chief strategist at Principal Global Investors in London… The pound could fall to $1.18 as Oct. 31 approaches, she said… Analysts are now placing the probability of a no-deal Brexit between 35% and 45%, up from 20% to 30% at the start of July.”

Russia and China Best Friends

The Guardian wrote on July 27:

“Now that Putin is Xi’s ‘best and bosom friend’, where does that leave the west?  An ever closer alliance between Beijing and Moscow has the Pentagon worried as a threat to US power in east Asia…

“A China-Russia axis is not a new idea but the question is gaining in topicality. Look no further than last week’s aerial confrontation over the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea. For the first time, China and Russia joined forces to mount an air patrol using long-range bombers and spy planes…

“China and Russia agree on many issues, principally the obsolescence of liberal democracy and the attractions of authoritarian governance. When Putin hosted Xi Jinping in Moscow in June, they celebrated a 30% year-on-year increase in bilateral trade and signed various cooperation deals. Russia is selling China its latest weaponry, including S400 ground-to-air missiles and SU-35 jets.

“Bigger, more frequent joint military exercises are planned… Putin has met Xi about 30 times since 2013. Xi calls him his ‘best and bosom friend’. All this… is deeply troubling, not just for Pentagon war-gamers but also for western allies… Trump’s two summit meetings with North Korea’s dictator, Kim Jong-un, have failed to produce any movement on denuclearisation. Now things are beginning to unravel. On Thursday, Pyongyang resumed ballistic missile testing.

“Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister, while pursuing improved relations with China, also wants his country to be more self-reliant militarily. But he failed to secure a mandate to change Tokyo’s pacifist constitution in last weekend’s Upper House elections. That has tied his hands – which suits China and Russia just fine.

“Compared with Japan, South Korea’s relations with China are less encumbered by historical baggage. But the large American military presence there is a constant irritant… The Philippines president, Rodrigo Duterte, lamely agreed this year to shelve bilateral territorial and fishing disputes under pressure from Xi. Cambodia has reportedly agreed to host a Chinese naval base, although it officially denies it.

“Meanwhile China, sensing division and weakness, is noisily amplifying its longstanding objections to US (and British) geopolitical ‘meddling’. After more violence in Hong Kong last week, it pointedly told the US to remove its ‘black hand’.  Xi is simultaneously ramping up pressure on US-protected Taiwan… Beijing vowed to ‘resolutely defeat anyone attempting to separate Taiwan from China and safeguard national unity at all costs’.

“This sterner-than-usual warning follows Washington’s decision to supply $2.2bn (£1.8bn) in arms to Taiwan and a heightened US naval presence in the Taiwan Strait. Yet despite these American moves, Taiwan, in common with other rattled regional friends and allies, doubts Trump can be counted on…”

The Bible prophesies that a strong economic and military power bloc will be forming in the Far East, consisting of countries such as China, Russia and others. This power bloc will turn out to be hostile towards the West, especially continental Europe.

Crackdown on Russia’s Opposition

Deutsche Welle reported on July 27:

“Police in Moscow said they arrested more than 1,000 people [newer accounts put the number in excess of 1,400] on Saturday during an unauthorized rally to demand fair upcoming elections in Russia’s capital city. Around 3,500 people took to the streets, according to media reports [but the real figure was undoubtedly much higher, according to other press releases], in a demonstration which lasted more than seven hours. Demonstrators were protesting a decision by Moscow’s electoral authorities to keep several opposition members off the ballot for a city council election in September…

“Alexei Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition activist, had called for people to attend the rally. He was jailed for 30 days on Wednesday for organizing ‘unauthorized’ demonstrations… [Deutsche Welle wrote on July 28: “It’s not the first time Russian authorities have detained Navalny. The European Court of Human Rights last year ruled that Russia’s arrests and detention of Navalny in 2012 and 2014 were politically motivated and breached his human rights, a verdict Moscow rejected.”]

“Last weekend, 22,000 people attended a protest in Moscow to protest the ban on opposition candidates, the largest such demonstration in years… anti-Kremlin parties have been steadily marginalized in Russian politics since President Vladimir Putin first took office 20 years ago…

“Sergey Dik, a journalist working in [Deutsche Welle’s] Russian department, was briefly arrested… when he… was covering the protests on behalf of DW Russia… He immediately told the police officers that he is a journalist. They asked to see his ID, at which point Dik informed them that he had his passport as well as his foreign ministry press accreditation in his backpack. As he went to show his accreditation, the special forces offers told him that it was ‘some worthless document.’

“He was then taken to a police van, which transported him, along with 20 other detainees, to the ‘Marino’ police station in southeastern Moscow. A minor and another journalist were also among those who were detained… ‘It quickly became clear that the police were simply arresting everyone arbitrarily,’ Dik said. ‘They just come here, grab someone and lead or drag that person into the police vans — young men, women and also older people — and all without knowing whether these people are actually taking part in the protest,’ he said…

“After almost an hour and a half in the police van and the station, Dik was released.”

The Guardian added on July 27:

“Police also arrived at the homes of multiple opposition figures with search and arrest warrants, and called the editor-in-chief of the country’s leading independent television station in for questioning… Taken by surprise, authorities responded over the past week by launching a series of legal procedures against various opposition figures, alternating between the sinister and the absurd.

“Alexei Navalny, the highest profile opposition politician, was arrested outside his house earlier in the week as he stepped out to go jogging and buy his wife flowers for her birthday; he has been sentenced to 30 days in jail. Others received midnight knocks on the door from investigators, who demanded to search their properties and branded them suspects in the crime of ‘hindering the work of the electoral commission’…

“Sources told Russian media outlets that a department of the FSB security services, the successor of the KGB, is running the cases against opposition leaders… ‘This is the end of Russia’s 30-year experiment with elections,’ said Grigory Yavlinsky, a veteran Russian liberal politician… Yavlinsky, who came third in the 2000 presidential election in which Putin first won the presidency, said that ‘with each year the elections are less and less real, but this is really the end’…

“Now, authorities will… have to decide whether to step back or crack down, at a time when [former KGB intelligence officer and Russian spy Vladimir] Putin’s ratings are slipping and his ruling United Russia party is widely despised…”

The Sun added on July 27:

“Demonstrators decrying the leader’s grip on power were beaten and dragged away to cells as security forces used batons to storm the crowds… Amnesty International described the security force’s ‘military’ style tactics as reaching a ‘new low’…”

Historically, Russia has always been a dictatorship, and there is really no indication that this will change—most certainly not under Vladimir Putin. When the Russian government is challenged, those in power react with brutal force. 

Navalny Poisoned? 

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 29:

“Russian Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny’s personal doctor, Anastasiya Vasilyeva, said Monday that an unidentified ‘toxic agent’ may have caused his health to deteriorate while in police custody. Navalny was rushed to a Moscow hospital on Sunday but was since reported to be in ‘satisfactory condition’ and taken back to jail. ‘… he was in a life-threatening condition,’ she told reporters. ‘And now they are sending him back to the same place where that same toxic, chemical substance might be again… This was a chemical substance – even the doctors here have admitted that…’

“Navalny’s lawyer, Olga Mikhailova, supported that assumption, saying: ‘It is indeed poisoning.’”

It is not the first time that Vladimir Putin’s government has been accused of poisoning its opponents—and at least in some cases, overwhelming evidence points at the government’s guilt.

Atheistic China Persecutes Christians

CBN wrote on July 27:

“The Chinese government continues to tighten its grip on Christianity by actively discouraging young people to engage in things of faith. Under the last year’s new Regulations on Religious Affairs legislation, schoolchildren are even encouraged to report any family members who espouse Christian views… the new policy has created fierce rifts amongst families as children are encouraged to [question] and undermine the religious beliefs of those closest to them. In addition, the youngsters are fully aware that, if they report members of their family, it could result in their arrest and prosecution…

“‘My teacher says that Christianity is an evil cult,’ one boy explained to his mother… ‘Before starting school, I told my child about God’s creation, and he believed it,’ she explained. ‘But after being taught at school, my child is like a different person. In atheistic China, these pure and innocent children have been taught to hate God.’…

“Another school screened a propaganda video in which Jesus-followers were depicted as big scary monsters. After the presentation was complete, a teacher warned that Christian relatives might ‘cast spells’ on the youngsters… students were advised to ‘supervise’ their parents to ensure that they don’t partake in any religious activities…”

Such as was done in Nazi Germany under Hitler. 

Chinese Forces Gather at Hong Kong Border 

news wrote on July 31:

“The White House is monitoring the sudden gathering of Chinese forces at the border with Hong Kong, in a worrying sign of escalation… following another night of unrest and clashes between protesters and police…

“Growing ranks of Hong Kong’s typically conservative and publicity-shy bureaucrats have begun an unprecedented online dissent campaign against the city’s pro-Beijing leaders… US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged China to ‘do the right thing’ by Hong Kong… China hit back immediately, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying blaming America for the protests. ‘It’s clear that Mr Pompeo has put himself in the wrong position and still regards himself as the head of the CIA,’ Ms Hua said.”

UN Anti-Israel Resolution 

JTA wrote on July 26:

“Norway and six EU countries voted at the United Nations in favor of two resolutions that singled out Israel for criticism as a violator of women’s and human rights. Israel was the only country named Tuesday as a violator or trouble spot by the 54-nation UN Economic and Social Council during the session…

“The council’s rotating president is currently the Norwegian UN ambassador. France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg and Malta joined China, Russia, Iran and Venezuela and 29 other nations in supporting a resolution that says ‘that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women and girls with regard to the fulfillment of their rights.’…

“Only Canada and the United States voted against the resolution. The United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Romania and Ukraine were among the nine nations that abstained.

“Nikki Haley, the previous US ambassador to the UN, tweeted on Thursday: ‘It amazes me how the U.N. condones votes like these. It is a total mockery of human rights to allow Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, and Yemen to name Israel as the world’s only violator of women’s rights…’”

Bild Online commented about the “scandalous” UN Resolution and Germany’s decision to abstain, asking Germany’s UN ambassador:

“How could Germany be silent, Herr UN-Ambassador? It is a new low point of the German conduct at the UN regarding Israel—a poor testimony for Germany’s UN Ambassador Christoph Heusgen… He was not even present during this farce, but sent a replacement…”

Even though some European countries and especially the German government with its controversial UN ambassador might give lip services for the support of Israel, their actions show quite consistently a totally different and disturbing picture of anti-Israeli politics. Ultimately, European countries will even intervene militarily in the Middle East and occupy Jerusalem, as the Bible clearly predicts.

“Top Rabbi in Israel: We Must Build the Third Temple”

Breaking Israel News wrote on July 29:

“The former Rabbi of the Old City of Jerusalem and one of the leading rabbis in Israel today said in an interview: ‘we must do everything in our power to build the Temple’.

“Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl is an Israeli rabbi and Posek (a legal scholar who determines the position of Halakha (Jewish law) in cases of law where previous authorities are inconclusive, or in those situations where no clear halakhic precedent exists). He is the head of the Yeshiva (seminary) of Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh, a faculty member at Yeshivat HaKotel, and Rabbi of the Ramban Synagogue. Nebenzahl used to serve as the chief rabbi of the Old City of Jerusalem. Today, the post was taken over by his son, Rabbi Chizkiyahu Nebenzahl…

“The rabbi emphasized that there has never been any sort of ruling from Chazal (Jewish sages of the Mishna) that states that the Jewish people should wait for it to fall from the sky contrary to what many ultra-orthodox Jews believe. One piece of evidence Rav Nebenzahl submits comes from Midrash Rabah of Parshat Toldot, saying: ‘When the Roman Empire gave the Jews permission to build the Temple, they built it. They didn’t wait for it to fall from Heaven’.

“The rabbi added that there is a mitzvah (commandment) to build the Temple – even if we can’t yet offer sacrifices. He added that questions surrounding the renewal of Temple sacrifices should not get in the way of the Third Temple being built…”

A Third Temple will be built soon.

New Dirty Allegations against Austria’s former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz

Kleine Zeitung wrote on July 27:

“The national election campaign has already reached an all-time low.  On the Internet, a new website with allegations against ÖVP chairman Sebastian Kurz has emerged. In it, the former Chancellor is accused of having been active in the 1990s as a child porn actor…

“This campaign ‘is becoming more and more the dirtiest battle there has ever been – and all with only one goal, namely, to damage Sebastian Kurz sustainably,’ ÖVP General Secretary Karl Nehammer said… Only a few days ago, Kurz was associated with rumors about drugs by the research institute ‘Zoom’, registered in Switzerland… Now it’s ‘one more step down’, says Nehammer.

“[Apart from the accusation of participation as a child porn actor in the 1990s,] there is also a mail circulating that accuses Kurz of sexual relationships with underage Syrian or Afghani [hustlers], Nehammer [reported]…

“As contact, a Dr. Siegfried Mayr is mentioned on the website… Mayr said Saturday afternoon that the site was authentic and the allegations against Kurz were substantiated by witnesses…

“Nehammer [stated:] ‘What is happening here in regard to allegations, rumors, slander and insults, is a systematic… filthy campaign against Sebastian Kurz… With Dirty Campaigning they want to permanently damage Kurz.’ The ÖVP Secretary General announced legal action against the partially unknown actors and has reportedly forwarded the ‘fake mail’ to data-forensic investigations to identify the authors…

“With similar words, Kurz responded himself Sunday on Facebook: ‘The last few days have highlighted the degree of horror [or gruesomeness] that this campaign will bring,’ Kurz writes… He believes that one wants to suppress his policy. The 2017 election campaign was apparently just a foretaste. ‘From the left and from the right, new innuendos, defamation and filth of the lowest kind are being disseminated on an almost daily basis.’ Kurz refers to fake e-mails… and then continues: ‘That’s not enough. Rumors of child pornography, drug abuse or corruption are being scattered around, leaving no stone unturned, saying “Something is going to stick”, in order to sabotage us and our country.’ In short, it is assumed that it is about ‘fighting by all means the change we stand for,’ including [fighting] all those who support this path of change.”

 Politics has always been a rotten and dirty business, but it seems now that there is no end to accusations and innuendos… and that is true around the world. The accused finds him- or herself always in the precarious situation as to whether to remain silent (which could be construed as an admission of guilt in the court of public opinion) or to speak out (which could be construed as a desperate attempt by the “guilty” accused to deny the “facts.” The nice-sounding concept of “presumption of innocence until proven guilty” is in many cases just a farce.) However, the truth, whatever it may be, will come to light and prevail in God’s due time. This proves once more that a true Christian cannot and must not have any active part in politics. In any event, we feel that Sebastian Kurz has still an important role to play on the world scene. 

The Dangers with Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri

The Daily Mail wrote on July 30:

“Amazon staff review thousands of audio recordings made by Alexa each day… The clips were accidentally captured by the popular digital assistant — confusing the noises for the commands it should be listening to — and sent off for analysis. Staff at the tech firm review one in every five-hundred recordings made by Alexa, whether of deliberate commands to the assistant or accidental recordings… the revelation is a reminder of the extent of the personal information that the tech firm has on its users. Amazon has an English-speaking team monitoring thousands of Alexa recordings daily based in Bucharest, Romania… along with similar setups in Boston, Costa Rica and India…

“It is estimated that Amazon’s Echo and Echo dot smart speakers — on which Alexa operates — can be found in around 6.5 million homes in the UK alone. ‘All Amazon Alexa owners will likely be stunned by the news that Amazon employees can listen to intimate moments,’ Kaspersky principal security researcher David Emm told the MailOnline. ‘While digital assistants such as the Amazon Echo are supposed to be activated by a specific ‘wake-up’ word, time and time again recently these devices have hit the headlines for intruding on people’s privacy, so the question is, where does this end?’…

“On Twitter, various Alexa users report their smart speaker devices being accidentally activated by random sounds — or even to no apparent cause… consumers need to be made aware ‘that what goes on at home doesn’t necessarily stay at home.’ ‘It is an alarming wake-up call to owners of all digital assistants that the vendor has access to a huge volume of your personal information,’ he said. This information is of potential value not only to cyber-criminals who could conceivably gain access to the data, but advertisers as well…

“The Sun’s investigation comes after similar privacy issues were revealed with Apple’s equivalent digital assistant, Siri — which is so sensitive that even the sound of a zipper being pulled can set it off… There have been countless instances of recordings featuring private discussions between doctors and patients, business deals, criminal dealings, sexual encounters and so on… In particular, it has been suggested that Siri is especially disposed towards unintended activation on Apple Watch devices….”

Amazon’s and Apple’s conduct should not be ignored or glossed over…

Cheaters Linked to Professional Misconduct

The Independent wrote on July 31:

“… a new study suggests that marital infidelity and professional misconduct are linked…

“The study’s researchers said their investigation suggests a strong connection between people’s actions in their personal and professional lives…”

Earthquakes in Europe, Turkey, Japan and Indonesia

The Sun wrote on July 31:

“The island of Crete was hit by a 5.3 magnitude earthquake earlier this morning… Greece is a hotspot for earthquakes…

“While France has not been hit by strong earthquakes in recent history, the country is still affected by shakes, especially along western France… Just last month, a 4.9 magnitude earthquake hit France with tremors felt as far as Bordeaux and Normandy…

“Spain does not have dangerously strong earthquakes although they are common in certain regions such as Costa Blanca. In March, holiday resorts in the area were hit by a magnitude 4 earthquake… Eastern and central Italy often experience earthquakes, with a 6.2 quake in 2016 killing more than 150 people…

“Turkey has experienced some of the most deadly earthquakes in the world. In 1999, thousands of people were killed following a 7.6 magnitude earthquake.

“… the UK rarely experiences strong earthquakes – the most recent being a 3.3 magnitude quake in February this year. One of the largest earthquakes to hit the UK was in 1931, with a magnitude of 6.1.

“The countries with the most earthquakes are Japan and Indonesia – with the deadliest in 2004 on the island of Sumatra, triggering the Boxing Day tsunami.”

In addition, we will soon experience strong earthquakes in other places around the world, including in America and also in Italy and Israel.

America’s Recycling Crisis—Robots to the Rescue

CNBC wrote on July 27:

“The U.S. is facing a recycling crisis that is burying cities and towns in tens of millions of tons of garbage a day. The problem began last year when China, the world’s largest recyclable processor, stopped accepting most American scrap plastic and cardboard due to contamination problems, and a glut of plastics overwhelming its own processing facilities. Historically, China recycled the bulk of U.S. waste.

“Contamination in the U.S. is high… The situation is dire for many local economies as recycling costs skyrocket. It’s forced many cities and some small communities to stop recycling all together. [Others threaten to charge fees for recycling, which would most certainly not help the situation.] Now more waste is ending up in landfills and incinerators.

“To tackle this environmental catastrophe, U.S. companies and researchers are developing AI-assisted robotic technology that can work with humans in processing plants and improve quality control… Sorting trash is a dirty and dangerous job. Recycling workers are more than twice as likely as other workers to be injured on the job… The profession also has high fatality rates.

“The way the robots work is simple. Guided by cameras and computer systems trained to recognize specific objects, the robots’ arms glide over moving conveyor belts until they reach their target. Oversized tongs or fingers with sensors that are attached to the arms snag cans, glass, plastic containers, and other recyclable items out of the rubbish and place them into nearby bins.

“Denver-based AMP Robotics… has developed software… so robots can recognize different colors, textures, shapes, sizes and patterns to identify material characteristics so they can sort waste. The robots are being installed at the Single Stream Recyclers plant in Sarasota, Florida and they will be able to pick 70 to 80 items a minute, twice as fast as humanly possible and with greater accuracy…”

Amazing what the human mind can do. This would be actually good news for a change… if it works.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In the first part of this two-part series, we examined human “pride” which is opposed to God and which exalts oneself above God and His Law and other human beings. This kind of pride can also be described as a boasting and a wrong feeling of self-confidence and of being inflated with self-conceit. David brought it to the point when he remarked that such a proud person is not concerned about and does not seek God so that, consequently, he persecutes the poor.

We pointed out that in the Old Testament, the Hebrew words “gaon,” “gavah” and “geuth” are rendered with “pride” in English translations, when referring to wrong and ungodly human pride. At the end of part 1, we asked the question whether the concept of “pride” could also be applied in a right and godly way.

This might be a puzzling question, as we are used to thinking of pride in strictly human negative terms. But would it be beyond imagination that God might feel proud about His accomplishments, and that God’s disciples might feel proud about abilities which God gave them–not to glorify themselves, but to glorify God? Would it be wrong to have godly pride and satisfaction in God’s marvelous works? Would it be ungodly to find satisfaction and pride in one’s godly work, or to tell our children when they have accomplished something worthwhile after a long and arduous struggle, “I am proud of you”? Would it be ungodly to tell parents that they can be proud of their righteous and upright children?

It is a common theme throughout the Bible that Satan uses a godly concept and perverts it into something which is ungodly. We could think of numerous examples, including righteous godly anger and the wrong kind of human anger; godly righteousness and human self-righteousness; godly jealousy and wrong human jealousy; godly desires and wrong human desires; just to name a few. Could something similar be applicable when examining the concept of “pride”?

The answer to this puzzling question may become clearer when realizing the original meaning of the Hebrew words, which, as we discussed in the first part, are translated with “pride” in English Bibles. However, these words have additional meanings as well.

The Hebrew word “gaon” can also mean “excellency” or “majesty” (Strong’s Concordance of the Bible, #1347). This Hebrew word is applied to human pride, as we saw, but it can also apply to God in many instances.

We read in Exodus 15:7: “And in the greatness of Your excellence You have overthrown those who rose against You; You sent forth Your wrath; It consumed them like stubble.”

Also, we read in Job 37:1-5 about God’s greatness or majesty and His marvelous works:

“At this also my heart trembles, And leaps from its place. Hear attentively the thunder of His voice, And the rumbling that comes from His mouth. He sends it forth under the whole heaven, His lightning to the ends of the earth. After it a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard. God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend.”

Micah 5:2-5 speaks of Jesus Christ and especially His coming worldwide rule on and over this earth. It states the following:

“‘But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting… And He shall stand and feed His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; And they shall abide, For now He shall be great To the ends of the earth; And this One shall be peace.”

The book of Isaiah contains many references to and descriptions of God’s “majesty”.

In Isaiah 24:4-6, 14-15, we read about the majestic God’s punishment of haughty and disobedient people who are cursed because they transgress God’s Law:

“The earth mourns and fades away, The world languishes and fades away; The haughty people of the earth languish. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men are left…They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing; For the majesty of the LORD They shall cry aloud from the sea. Therefore glorify the LORD in the dawning light, The name of the LORD God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea.”

As we saw in the first part, another Hebrew word which is used in English translations to describe ungodly human pride is “geuth.” According to Strong’s #1348, it also includes the meaning of “excellent things” and “majesty.”

In Psalm 93:1, 3-4, the contrast is beautifully described between the “proud” and “noisy” floods and the much more powerful majestic God:

“The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength…The floods have lifted up, O LORD, The floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their waves. The LORD on high is mightier Than the noise of many waters, Than the mighty waves of the sea…”

A third Hebrew word, which we discussed in the first part and which has been translated as “pride” in reference to man’s ungodly haughtiness, is “gaavah.” This word has also the meaning of “excellency,” “majesty” or “ornament” (Strong’s, #1346). It is translated in Isaiah 13:3 as God’s “exaltation” in which man can rejoice.

We read in Psalm 68:32-35:

“Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; Oh, sing praises to the LORD, Selah. To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice. Ascribe strength to God; His excellence is over Israel, And His strength is in the clouds. O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!”

We read in Isaiah 26:9-11, 21: “… when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Let grace be shown to the wicked, Yet he will not learn righteousness; In the land of uprightness he will deal unjustly, And will not behold the majesty of the LORD. LORD, when Your hand is lifted up, they will not see… behold, the LORD comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity…”

Isaiah 2:9-21 uses two of the three Hebrew words. It describes how the majestic and exalted God will deal with ungodly people who are proud of their ungodliness:

“And each man humbles himself [before an idol]; Therefore do not forgive them. Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up–And it shall be brought low–Upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, And upon all the oaks of Bashan; Upon all the high mountains, And upon all the hills that are lifted up; Upon every high tower, And upon every fortified wall… The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; The LORD alone will be exalted in that day… They shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily… [They will] go into the clefts of the rocks, And into the crags of the rugged rocks, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily.”

The Hebrew word for “majesty” is “gaon.” The Hebrew word for “haughtiness” is “gaavah.” This is remarkable as the word “gaavah” can also describe, as we have seen, God’s majesty. So, in this passage, both concepts are being introduced—man’s ungodly “pride” and God’s righteous and majestic excellency—His unparalleled glory and exaltation.

It is important to realize that the Bible also uses the words describing God’s majesty and excellency in reference to His creation—including man.

We read in Deuteronomy 33:26-29 about Israel—apparently a reference to both the remnant of physical Israel in the Millennium and, even more so, glorified and immortal Christians—spiritual Israelites—in the Kingdom of God:

“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds. The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’ Then Israel shall dwell in safety, The fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens shall also drop dew. Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, The shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! Your enemies shall submit to you, And you shall tread down their high places.”

The Hebrew word for “excellency” is “gaavah,” and the Hebrew word for “majesty” (the Authorized Version says here too, “excellency”) is also “gaavah.” But notice, it is the sword of ISRAEL’S excellency. So God will make man excellent or “proud”… but it is the right and righteous kind of pride which God Himself has for His creation; and man should not deny this fact and reject that kind of appropriate pride for God and His Work.

We read in Psalm 47:1-9:

“Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth… He will choose our inheritance for us, The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah… Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne… He is greatly exalted.”

Here, the Hebrew word for “excellence” is “gaon.” But God speaks here of the excellence of Jacob—the satisfaction and “pride” which He has for Jacob.

Another and even more revealing thought is expressed in Isaiah 60:15-16, 18-21, speaking about “Zion” at the time of the Millennium and beyond:

“Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, So that no one went through you, I will make you an eternal excellence, A joy of many generations… You shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob… Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls Salvation, And your gates Praise. The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory. Your sun shall no longer go down, Nor shall your moon withdraw itself; For the LORD will be your everlasting light, And the days of your mourning shall be ended. Also your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified.”

The Hebrew word for “excellence” is “gaon.” God will make “Zion” an eternal excellence; the people will live in righteousness, and God will be glorified. Realizing that the word can also mean “pride,” a picture is being described here of which one can truly be proud; and God will indeed be satisfied with and even be proud of His people.

God had called Israel to give them the feeling of the right kind of pride and praise towards Him and what He accomplishes. But Israel failed miserably. We read in Ezekiel 7:20-21:

“As for the beauty of his ornaments, He set it in majesty; But they made from it The images of their abominations– Their detestable things; Therefore I have made it Like refuse to them. I will give it as plunder Into the hands of strangers, And to the wicked of the earth as spoil; And they shall defile it. I will turn My face from them, And they will defile My secret place; For robbers shall enter it and defile it.”

The Hebrew word for “majesty” is “gaon.” God gave them ornaments for their majesty of which they could have been proud—not in the sense that they had acquired them due to their own strength or that they were worthy of receiving it, but in the sense that they realized that they were God’s people and that in spite of their frailties, God had accepted them. We should have this same kind of pride in the right way since God has called us and has given us the Holy Spirit, so that we can have the urge, zeal and dedication to make God proud of us, in living worthily of our calling. However, Israel became proud in the wrong way—they rejected God’s presents and blessings, treated them without appreciation and even used them for the service and worship of other gods.

And so, as we read earlier in Amos 6:8, God said that He abhorred the pride [“goan”] of Jacob—that human pride opposed to God and His Way of Life. While Jacob should have had a right sense of pride, which was godly, they replaced it with self-centered feelings of haughtiness and inflated self-aggrandizement. But we also read that once Jacob comes to repentance, God will restore Jacob’s excellency or that right kind of pride. We read in Nahum 2:2:

“For the LORD will restore the excellence of Jacob Like the excellence of Israel…” The Hebrew word for “excellence” is “goan.” As God hated the self-centered pride of Jacob, so He will restore the right kind of pride to the people who will live in a godly way so that God can be proud of them, and they can develop an appreciation of the right kind of pride towards God.

God challenged Job to do what He could do. If that were possible, note what would have been the outcome, in Job 40:8-12:

“‘Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified? Have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His? Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, And array yourself with glory and beauty. Disperse the rage of your wrath; Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him. Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low; Tread down the wicked in their place.”

The Hebrew word for “majesty” is “gaon.” As God is adorned with majesty, so Job would be, and then he would be able to humble those who are proud in the wrong way. Then Job would be able to have the right kind of pride in his work… not the self-righteous wrong kind of pride in his “innocence” which he was trying to uphold.

God is excellent, majestic, exalted, and what He creates is likewise supposed to be excellent and majestic; except that man has polluted this world and has replaced God’s righteous character traits with satanic counterfeits of unrighteous pride, unrighteous anger, unrighteous desires and unrighteous jealousy. When God had completed the restoration of the earth and the creation of plants, animals and men, He looked at His work and found it to be very good. We can read between the lines and see that He was satisfied with His work and that He was proud of and found pride in His work.

When we realize that God is working in us, we can have the same kind of satisfaction and godly pride… not that we amount to anything on our own, but that God is calling us worthy to obtain His mercy and protection and that He is qualifying us to ultimately inherit eternal life. Everything we have is from God (1 Corinthians 4:7), but we must not belittle what He gave us and treat it as something without value. We should not reject praise, which we might receive for our good deeds, but we should accept such acknowledgement with the consciousness that it is for God’s glory who does His deeds in and through us. We read that people will see our good works and praise and glorify the Father for them (compare Matthew 5:16).

We should not treat whatever talents we have received from God as something  which we developed on our own (Deuteronomy 8:11-18); nor should we neglect these talents, but in using them, we glorify God who in turn will be proud of us… and so we should be proud of God and what He does.

True majesty and righteous pride belong to God, but when we forget that, we usurp godly pride, which we should have, and change it into unrighteous and selfish pride, which we must not have. When we do that, then the high and mighty God will humble us until that human pride is eradicated from our lives.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (August 2019) has been posted and mailed to our subscribers. In this letter, Pastor Rene Messier (Canada) writes of the awesome future which is promised to God’s Church—with a reminder that we must finish what God has called us to accomplish.

“What Will Europe Do when the Third Temple Is Being Built?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Europe and especially Germany have already manifested a hostile attitude towards Israel. But what will they do when Israel begins to build the prophesied Third Temple on the Temple Mount? Some even suggest that in doing so, Israel will have to destroy the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa mosque. Would this lead to World War III? What does the Bible say?

“Ursula von der Leyen und die europäische Armee” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program. Title in English: “Ursula von der Leyen and the European Army.”

“Kannst Du als junger Mensch Gott folgen? — Nicht nur für Kinder und Teens!” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon. Title in English: “Can You follow God as a Young Person? — Not Only for Kids and Teens!”

“Nothing New Under the Sun,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is a summary:

While there are people in the world who might bristle at the thought that the Bible has influenced their thinking; either directly or more subtly, the fact is it does indeed. Many of our ideas and conversations and even some of the most passionate public speeches recorded in history have been greatly influenced by biblical verses. This Sermonette will cover several of the most poignant scriptures as well as the impact they had on the world stage.

“This Life,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Do we understand the words of the Bible? They are God’s words, and we must ask whether or not we are able to hear what God says. Jesus Christ spoke God’s words, and they are the words of eternal life! Do we understand Him?