Update 1197

On February 21, 2026, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “Do Not Doubt—Believe!” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “The Twelve Tribes of Israel—Past, Present and Future.”

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.

Feelings are inner experiences that show how we evaluate or personally perceive something. They arise in response to thoughts, situations, or physical conditions and influence our actions.

Feelings can be viewed from three perspectives. From a psychological point of view, feelings are subjective perceptions such as joy, fear, anger, or sadness. They help us to quickly assess situations, for example, to recognize dangers through fear—a kind of protective reaction. At the same time, feelings cause physical changes, such as a faster heartbeat when we are afraid, a sense of warmth when we are happy, or inner tension when we are angry. Hormones and the nervous system play an important role in this. Feelings also influence our relationships. Through facial expressions, voice, and behavior, we show others how we are feeling. They can occupy space within us and give rise to envy, pride, shame, gratitude, romantic love, and many other emotions.

However, feelings should not be confused with emotions. An emotion is a process, or a reaction that comes from within a person, a visible or tangible expression. A feeling, on the other hand, is the conscious inner experience of this emotion. Feelings are like an inner compass, so to speak. They guide us in our decisions. Whether these decisions were ultimately good or bad is another matter.

Paul already formulated an interesting thesis when he wrote: “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Corinthians 6:12).

Here, Paul sets an important standard between “lawful”, meaning legally possible or not expressly prohibited, and “not helpful”, meaning not useful and edifying, not beneficial to life and relationships with God and others. Feelings can lead us to allow or justify something that is not good. So, the question remains: Does it serve my salvation, my life? Does it build me or others up? Or am I about to be controlled by this feeling?

Paul does not warn against feelings per se, but against becoming a slave to false desires, impulses, or inner states.

The Bible knows the concept of spiritual influence. It speaks of temptation, accusation, or seduction that comes from the adversary, from Satan. At present, many people’s feelings are being put to the test. Peter wrote: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9).

For true Christians, such influence is often a hard trial. Questions may then arise such as: “Does it lead to hopelessness with no way out? Does it lead to self-condemnation? Does it lead away from love and trust? Does it bring inner enslavement or compulsion?”

The Holy Spirit of God, on the other hand, is described as the Spirit of truth, peace, freedom, and love: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that trust in God must be our inner anchor, regardless of what we feel or experience.

Solomon wrote: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

And Paul wrote: “… we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

No matter what happens to us, feelings are as volatile as a flag in the wind – confidence today, doubt tomorrow; joy today, sorrow tomorrow.

God’s Word does not say that we should suppress our feelings, but that we should not make them our ultimate standard. God is described as unchanging, while the human heart can falter. That is why trusting in God is not a feeling, but a decision.

Trusting in God is not about never being afraid, never doubting, and always being strong. Rather, it means turning to God with our fears and doubts, as well as our anger and sadness, and asking Him for help!

Even Jesus prayed to His Father in great agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, saying: “…not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).

Perhaps it can be summarized this way: Feelings say, “This is how I experience it right now.” But faith says, “This is how God is – even if I don’t feel or understand it right now.”

Trust in God is like a foundation underlying changing inner states. It is not our feelings that carry us – it is God who carries us.

Our trust must always be rooted in God and not guided solely by our feelings.

David put it concisely: “Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah” (Psalm 62:8).

(Initial translation: Daniel Blasinger)

By Norbert Link

We begin with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee’s statements about Israel and Tucker Carlson; publish an interesting article about the need to build the Third Temple; and speak on one of Iran’s opposition leaders, Reza Pahlavi.

We address the Supreme Court’s decision on President Trump’s tariffs policy and his reactions; and we point out Europe’s realization that a European army is unavoidable. We also speak about the violence in Mexico and the Buchenwald concentration camp.

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “The Most Problematic Statement in the State of the Union Address.”

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

Huckabee: Israel Has Right to Much of Middle East 

Politico wrote on February 21: 

“Arab and Muslim nations on Saturday sharply condemned comments by the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who said Israel has a right to much of the Middle East. Huckabee made the comments in an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that aired Friday. Carlson said that according to the Bible, the descendants of Abraham would receive land that today would include essentially the entire Middle East, and asked Huckabee if Israel had a right to that land. Huckabee responded: ‘It would be fine if they took it all.’ Huckabee added, however, that Israel was not looking to expand its territory and has a right to security in the land it legitimately holds. 

“His comments sparked immediate backlash from neighboring Egypt and Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States. Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry described Huckabee’s comments as ‘extremist rhetoric’ and ‘unacceptable,’ and called for the State Department to clarify its position on them. Egypt’s foreign ministry called his comments a ‘blatant violation’ of international law, adding that ‘Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory or other Arab lands.’ ‘Statements of this nature — extremist and lacking any sound basis — serve only to inflame sentiments and stir religious and national emotions,’ the League of Arab States said… 

“Since its establishment in 1948, Israel has not had fully recognized borders. Its frontiers with Arab neighbors have shifted as a result of wars, annexations, ceasefires and peace agreements. During the six-day 167 Mideast war, Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan, Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt and the Golan Heights from Syria. Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula as part of a peace deal with Egypt following the 1973 Mideast war. It also unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005. 

“Israel has attempted to deepen control of the occupied West Bank in recent months. It has greatly expanded construction in Jewish settlements, legalized outposts and made significant bureaucratic changes to its policies in the territory… 

“Huckabee has long opposed the idea of a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinian people. In an interview last year, he said he does not believe in referring to the Arab descendants of people who had lived in British-controlled Palestine as ‘Palestinians.’ 

“In the latest interview, Carlson pressed Huckabee about his interpretation of Bible verses from the book of Genesis, where he said God promised Abraham and his descendants land from the Nile to the Euphrates. ‘That would be the Levant, so that would be Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon. It would also be big parts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq,’ Carlson said. Huckabee replied: ‘Not sure we’d go that far. I mean, it would be a big piece of land.’” 

In a common declaration, Huckabee’s comments were strongly condemned. The declaration was signed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine. 

What is being overlooked is the fact that God gave the Promised Land at the time prior to Israel’s and Judah’s captivity to all the tribes of Israel, the sons of Jacob. Judah is just one tribe among twelve. They most certainly do not have the right to the entire Promised Land—neither now nor in the future.  

 Carlson’s Ridiculous Idea Regarding Ashkenazi Jews 

The Algemeiner wrote on February 21: 

“In a combative interview with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, right-wing firebrand Tucker Carlson made a host of contentious and often demonstrably false claims that quickly went viral online. Huckabee, who repeatedly challenged the former Fox News star during the interview, subsequently made a long post on X, identifying a pattern of bad-faith arguments, distortions and conspiracies in Carlson’s rhetorical style… ‘What I wasn’t anticipating was a lengthy series of questions where he seemed to be insinuating that the Jews of today aren’t really same people as the Jews of the Bible,’ Huckabee wrote, adding that Tucker’s obsession with conspiracies regarding the provenance of Ashkenazi Jews obscured the fact that most Israeli Jews were refugees from the Arab and Muslim world. 

“The idea that Ashkenazi Jews are an Asiatic tribe who invented a false ancestry ‘gained traction in the 80’s and 90’s with David Duke and other Klansmen and neo-Nazis,’ Huckabee wrote. ‘It has really caught fire in recent years on the Internet and social media, mostly from some of the most overt antisemites and Jew haters you can find.’

Carlson branded Israel ‘probably the most violent country on earth’ and cited the false claim that Israel President Isaac Herzog had visited the infamous island of the late, disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein [Carlson subsequently reneged on that claim.] 

“Another misleading claim made by Carlson was that there were more Christians in Qatar than in Israel.” 

The idea regarding the “Ashkenazi Jews” is utter nonsense. 

Time to Build Third Temple 

Israel 365 News wrote on February 20: 

“A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck southern Iran on February 19, 2026, at 7:13 a.m. local time, with its epicenter 35 kilometers southwest of Mohr in Fars province… This tremor erupted from the ancient core of Persia, the very region where Cyrus the Great launched his empire in 559 BCE, conquering Babylon and issuing the decree that rebuilt Jewish life in Jerusalem after decades of exile… 

“God called Cyrus His mashiach (anointed one) to end the Babylonian oppression. In 539 BCE, Cyrus captured Babylon without a fight, then proclaimed freedom for the exiles… Cyrus supplied timber from Lebanon, returned 5,400 gold and silver vessels looted from the First Temple, and appointed Sheshbazzar to lead the returnees. By 516 BCE, the Second Temple rose on its foundation, a direct result of this Persian king’s command. 

“President Trump mirrors this role in modern times as Israel’s staunchest defender. His 2017 recognition of Jerusalem as the capital echoed Cyrus’s charge to rebuild the city and Temple. Trump declared in his White House speech, ‘We finally acknowledge the obvious: that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. This is nothing more or less than a recognition of reality.’ He relocated the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, affirming the city’s unity under Israeli control. In 2019, he extended sovereignty recognition to the Golan Heights, securing Israel’s northern border against Syrian and Iranian threats… 

“The quake in Fars province awakens more than memory. It signals the urgency to fulfill Cyrus’s unfinished work. The Temple Mount, site of the First and Second Temples, now hosts foreign structures and trees planted to obscure its sanctity. Jewish law demands the area be cleared of all alien elements, from domes and mosques to the cypress and olive groves that dot the plateau, to prepare for reconstruction… 

“Groups like the Temple Institute have already crafted the vessels, the red heifer program advances, and architects draw plans based on Ezekiel’s vision. President Trump’s policies have set the stage by strengthening Israel’s position globally, making the moment ripe. Jerusalem rises when Jews act on the divine mandate, building the Third Temple as the house of prayer for all nations. The enemies plot in vain… The tremors from Persia declare it: the time for restoration has arrived, and Jerusalem will shine as the eternal capital with its Temple rebuilt.” 

Even though drawing a connection between the earthquake in Iran (which did not cause major damage) and the building of the Third Temple is clearly overblown, it still shows that the idea of building the Third Temple is clearly alive in Israel, and repeatedly, a parallel between King Cyrus and Donald Trump is being drawn.

Reza Pahlavi: A Beacon of Hope? 

The Tagesspiegel wrote on February 21: 

“The jubilation is immense. Last weekend, up to 250,000 people gathered in Munich to pay homage to their hero. ‘The Shah is returning,’ chanted the assembled supporters of the man who, by his own admission, wants to lead Iran into a new era without the mullah regime: Reza Pahlavi. 

‘Not only in Munich, but worldwide, the Shah’s eldest son was honored. A million exiled Iranians are said to have followed his call to demonstrate against the rulers in Tehran and for freedom. For ‘His Majesty,’ as many of his fans call Pahlavi, this is a major PR success, not least for his own cause… to ‘make Iran great again.’ 

“But large sections of the fractured Iranian opposition don’t trust Pahlavi. His opponents accuse him of wanting to revive the absolute monarchy of his hated father and of being out of touch with the everyday realities of people in Iran… 

“He has become a prominent advocate for the overthrow of the mullahs. Since the end of December, Pahlavi has been a sought-after guest on talk shows, frequently speaks out on social media, and manages to mobilize his supporters… 

“He has repeatedly stated that he wants to return to Iran for the ‘liberation struggle.’ ‘My influence on the ground would be greater than in exile.’ As long as the mullahs are in charge, however, that is unlikely to be possible… Which doesn’t stop Pahlavi from repeatedly urging Donald Trump to… launch an attack. America’s president has the chance to make history, says Pahlavi. Trump, in turn, distances himself. Pahlavi seems ‘nice,’ but… ‘a meeting with him would probably not be appropriate at this time,’ Trump indicated.” 

Bank Accounts Only For American Citizens? 

Newsmax wrote on February 24: 

“The Trump administration is considering a bold new step in its effort to curb illegal immigration — potentially requiring U.S. banks to collect citizenship information from customers… According to reports, officials are discussing an executive order that would direct financial institutions to gather proof of citizenship — such as a passport — from both new applicants and possibly existing account holders who want to keep their accounts. If enacted, the move would mark a significant expansion of current banking rules. 

“Under existing ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) regulations, banks must verify identities to prevent money laundering and criminal activity. However, they are not currently required to collect or verify citizenship status, and there is no federal ban on noncitizens opening bank accounts.” 

Huge Blow to Trump’s Tariffs Plan? 

Daily Mail wrote on February 21: 

“President Donald Trump has hiked worldwide tariffs to 15 percent after the Supreme Court ruled [in a 6-3 decision] his reciprocal tax plan was unconstitutional.  Infuriated by the high court’s ruling, Trump on Friday ordered an immediate 10 percent tariff on all imports, in addition to any existing tariffs, citing a different law as the basis. The new tariff is being applied under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, which allows the president to increase levies up to a maximum of 15 percent. It has never been imposed before, making it a historic moment for the Trump Administration. The law allows him to impose the levy for 150 days, although it could face legal challenges… 

“On Saturday, Trump… hit out at the Supreme Court justices and their ‘Anti-American’ ruling. [He] made it clear he is going to war with Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, [whom he] branded ‘unpatriotic’ and a ‘disloyal’ member of the Court… he suggested the conservative justices owed him some loyalty. The job of a Supreme Court justice is to uphold the Constitution, not party values. He took particular issue with Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch, both of whom he appointed [and who voted with the majority of the ruling]… 

“The Supreme Court ruled that Trump issuing tariffs without the permission of Congress was unconstitutional… Trump said he was ‘ashamed’ of the ruling, adding that America’s highest court had been ‘swayed by foreign interests’… Trump said the judges who threw out his plan were ‘a disgrace to our country’…

“There are a few other Sections Trump could use to continue to carry out his tariff plan.  

“Section 301, which Trump used in his first term, allows the president to issue tariffs against ‘discriminatory’ foreign trade practices and opens up an investigation by US Trade Representatives. Trump used this law to impose tariffs on Chinese imports in his first term.  The president has also used Section 232 of the US Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which allows him to restrict imports that could threaten national security.  He used the policy for steel and aluminum. Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 also allows him to use tariffs against countries that discriminate ‘against the commerce of the United States.’” 

By one estimate, the U.S. government could owe more than $175 billion in refunds to importers following the Supreme Court decision. But it is highly doubtful that importers will see any of that money. Trump suggested he was ready to fight any compensation claims in the courts for years. 

Trump Has the Right to Destroy Countries? 

The New Republic wrote on February 20: 

“President Donald Trump claimed Friday the Supreme Court had granted him the power to destroy other countries,  after the high court took away his weapon of choice: sweeping reciprocal tariffs. Speaking to reporters, Trump rambled about how ‘ridiculous’ it was for the Supreme Court to block the illegal tariffs he’d imposed… 

“‘The court has given me the unquestioned right to ban all sorts of things from coming into our country—to destroy foreign countries,’ Trump claimed. ‘But a much more powerful right than many people thought we even had, but not the right to charge a fee. ‘I can destroy the trade, I can destroy the country, I’m even allowed to impose a foreign country-destroying embargo. I can do anything I want—but I can’t charge one dollar,’ Trump fumed…”

EU Freezes US Trade Deal Over Tariffs Uncertainty 

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 23: 

“EU lawmakers decided Monday to delay the approval of the bloc’s trade deal with the US due to uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s tariff policy. It comes after Trump imposed a new blanket 15% duty… The European Parliament’s trade committee planned to vote on Tuesday to remove import duties on US industrial goods — a key part of the EU-US trade deal. But that vote has now been postponed… The legally binding deal needs to be approved by the European Parliament and EU governments… 

“The chairman of the European Parliament’s trade committee, Bernd Lange, said the new US duties could result in the EU potentially facing higher levies on some products, despite the 15% limit agreed under the EU-US deal. ‘We want to have clarity from the United States that they are respecting the deal,’ Lange said. EU lawmakers are expected to convene on March 4 to assess if Washington has clarified the situation. 

“It’s not the first time the approval process has been delayed. EU lawmakers also halted the process last month when Trump threatened to impose extra tariffs on European allies who opposed his goal to annex the Danish territory of Greenland… German Chancellor Friedrich Merz… floated the possibility of using the EU’s ‘trade bazooka,’ an instrument under which access to the bloc’s market can be restricted, as ‘a final option’ in the trade dispute with the US. ‘I am confident that we will find a way to resolve these trade disputes without resorting to this instrument,’ Merz said. ‘But if it is necessary, then it is necessary, and I will be the last person to say “no.”’” 

E6 Supergroup 

Politico wrote on February 19: 

“U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to annex Greenland were the ‘epiphany moment’ for Europe’s six largest economies to club together and speed up financial market reform, Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo told POLITICO. The new group, dubbed ‘E6’ in Brussels, is an exclusive club among the EU’s six largest economies — France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Poland — designed to break political deadlocks that have hamstrung efforts to create a U.S.-style financial market over the last decade. 

“Without action, the six countries fear that Europe’s economy will fail to keep pace with the U.S. and China… The E6 club has only convened twice and is already aiming to present EU leaders with specific proposals at the next European Council summit… on March 9 [when it] will home in on promoting investment in defense and how to promote the euro on the international stage…. Critics, such as Ireland and Portugal, fear the six-country club could trigger a two-speed Europe, in which the biggest nations will sideline smaller countries that disagree with E6’s agenda… 

“Legally speaking, the E6 needs at least nine countries to pursue enhanced cooperation… Meanwhile, securing a qualified majority to push legislation through requires the backing of 15 countries that represent at least 65 percent of the total EU population. So, the E6 will need allies to advance its goals in any case.” 

Another Big European Five? 

The Jerusalem Post wrote on February 20: 

“Europe’s five biggest defense powers are set to announce a plan to invest in military drones, as part of wider efforts to boost the defense industry in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and concerns about the US commitment to NATO. 

“According to a document seen by Reuters…, the five aim to cooperate in developing autonomous drones…. The European Group of Five Defence Ministers [known as the E5]… brings together the continent’s biggest military spenders – France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Britain.” 

Further Threats From the Pentagon 

Politico wrote on February 19:

“U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has threatened to retaliate against European countries if the EU favors domestic weapons-makers in a drive to rearm the continent. The U.S. Department of Defense objected to any EU effort to limit American arms-manufacturers’ access to the European market and warned that would trigger a reciprocal response… 

“Washington’s comments highlight a paradox in the U.S. approach to Europe: While the Trump administration has repeatedly told Europeans that it wants them to shoulder the bulk of the continent’s conventional defense, the U.S. doesn’t want that to come at the expense of American defense firms… It will test how far European countries are willing to go in becoming more independent from the U.S., which has become an increasingly unreliable partner in the age of Trump.” 

Needed—a European Army 

The Financial Times wrote on or about February 20: 

“The Germans and the Poles are re-arming hard, raising defence spending both in absolute terms and as a share of GDP. France, Italy and Spain don’t see the urgency or can’t afford to. The result is new imbalances. On current trends, by 2029 German military spending will be roughly twice that of France… 

“But what Europe needs far more than yet another inter-governmental solution — a ‘solution’ that perpetuates the grotesque inefficiency of its 27 separate armies — is truly joint action. It needs a European army. 

“This was the solution preferred back in the early 1950s, when the project of a European Defence Community was launched at the same time as the Coal and Steel Community. Five years after the end of the second world war, the idea was that it would be safe to re-arm west Germany if German units were integrated into a single European force… 

“Given the collapse of the Atlanticist dispensation, it is time to return to that fork in the road. As was clear in backroom conversations during the Munich Security Conference, the idea of a European army is both unavoidable and controversial. Those clinging to Atlanticism fear that it will accelerate America’s exit from Europe without offering a realistic alternative. But what today is realistic? If US backing is in fact no longer real, while German military spending is, Europe risks sleepwalking into a dramatic rearrangement of European power without a stabilising adjustment in the political framework. To advocate for lopsided, nation-state rearmament as the path of least resistance, while rejecting deep military integration and common financing, is not just short-sighted. It is a betrayal of the most basic wisdom of European integration.”

According to a new “Allensbach” poll, 65 percent of Germans view the USA as a danger to world peace. In a ZDF Talk show, German European Minister and President of the European People’s Party (EPP) Manfred Weber said on February 19 that we must now have to have the strength to build a European Army—to create a situation in Europe which cannot be revoked.

Europe Has a Choice 

The Oldenburg online newspaper wrote on February 20: 

“According to leading CDU politicians, Europe must reduce its dependence on the USA and strengthen its own security and economic power. In a guest article for the Handelsblatt, CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn and CDU foreign policy expert Norbert Röttgen write: ‘We must act… The goal must be to gradually reduce dependence on US strategic capabilities – from reconnaissance and air defense to long-range precision strikes.’ This requires a group of pioneers – European trailblazers: governments that are willing and able to lead the way should deepen their security and defense cooperation. ‘Only one rule must apply: no veto,’ write Röttgen and Spahn…” 

“The time for illusions is over. Europe is facing a crucial decision. ‘It can manage its relative loss of importance – or the European states can recognize that together they possess economic and political power that they can use for freedom, security and prosperity. Germany has chosen the latter.'” 

No US Hospital Ship For Greenland 

BBC wrote on February 23: 

“Greenland’s prime minister has asked US President Donald Trump to talk to him instead of making ‘random outbursts on social media’, after Trump said he was sending a US hospital boat to ‘take care’ of people on the island. Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was going to send a boat filled with medical supplies, alleging ‘many people’ on the island are sick and ‘not being taken care of’. 

“Jens-Frederik Nielsen responded ‘it’s going to be a no thanks from us,’ and said that Greenland provides free healthcare for all citizens, unlike the US [‘where it costs money to go to the doctor’.] Trump has long coveted the vast arctic island… A month on from Trump announcing a ‘framework for a future deal’ over Greenland, details are still unclear, though earlier this month US vice president JD Vance alleged that European countries were ‘willing to make a lot of accommodations’.” 

That remains to be seen. 

Chaos in Mexico 

The Associated Press wrote on February 23: 

“School was canceled in several Mexican states and local and foreign governments alike warned their citizens to stay inside, as widespread violence erupted following the army’s killing of the powerful leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel [CJNG]. Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as ‘El Mencho’ was the boss of one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in Mexico, notorious for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to the United States and staging brazen attacks against government officials who challenged it. 

“He was killed during a shoot-out in his home state of Jalisco as the Mexican military attempted to capture him. Cartel members responded with violence across the country, blocking roads and setting fire to vehicles… The White House confirmed that the U.S. provided intelligence support to the operation to capture the cartel leader and applauded Mexico’s army for taking down a man who was one of the most wanted criminals in both countries. [President Donald Trump has demanded Mexico do more to fight the smuggling of the often-deadly drug fentanyl, threatening to impose more tariffs or take unilateral military action if the country does not show results.] 

“Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state and Mexico’s second-largest city, was almost completely shut down on Sunday as fearful residents stayed home. Passengers arriving to the city’s international airport Sunday night were told it was operating with limited personnel because of the burst of violence… Most flights into the city were suspended on Sunday… it may also pave the way for more violence as rival criminal groups take advantage of the blow dealt to the CJNG…” 

The New York Times on February 23: 

“In at least 13 states, apparent cartel operatives sought to cause havoc by setting fires and blocking roads with burning vehicles. Cartels have often lashed out following the capture of their top bosses in a bid to show their power and discourage the authorities from confronting them again… The U.S. government warned its citizens to ‘shelter in place until further notice’ in parts of five states: Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Guerrero and Nuevo León…” 

Remembering Buchenwald 

Israel365News wrote on February 24: 

“The annual commemoration of the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp has long stood as one of Germany’s most solemn acts of national reckoning… 

“Buchenwald, established in 1937 near Weimar, was one of the largest concentration camps within Germany’s borders. Approximately 280,000 prisoners passed through the camp between 1937 and 1945. About 56,000 were murdered through execution, starvation, forced labor, medical experimentation, and disease. An estimated 55,000 to 60,000 Jews were imprisoned there, representing roughly 20–22 percent of all inmates. Between 11,000 and 15,000 Jews were murdered at Buchenwald and its subcamps… 

“Palestinian Arab nationalism in the 20th century was shaped in part by the leadership of Hajj Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. During World War II, Husseini fled to Berlin, met personally with Adolf Hitler in 1941, and aligned himself with the Nazi regime. He reportedly toured death camps and urged the Führer to expand the Final Solution to the Holy Land… 

“Historical evidence indicates that a special SS unit under Walther Rauff was prepared to implement mobile killing operations, including the use of gas vans, in the Middle East had Rommel’s forces succeeded in 1942. These units were formed to target Jewish populations in Palestine and Egypt, following the Nazis’ planned expansion into the region. These plans were part of the wider Nazi aim to extend the Holocaust into the Middle East, which was planned to take place behind the front lines of Rommel’s campaign. In October-November 1942, British General Bernard Montgomery’s Eighth Army defeated Rommel at the Second Battle of El Alamein, forcing a full retreat. This victory, known as a turning point in the war, stopped the planned Nazi invasion of Egypt and Palestine. With the defeat, the specialized extermination unit was repurposed and moved to Tunisia, where it implemented forced labor and anti-Jewish policies.  

“During the war, al-Husseini broadcast antisemitic propaganda in Arabic, recruited Muslims for Waffen-SS units in the Balkans, and urged resistance to Jewish immigration to the Land of Israel. His influence extended beyond rhetoric. He supported the Axis cause and opposed any rescue of Jews to Mandatory Palestine. His name is also associated with the 1941 Farhud pogrom in Baghdad, in which Iraqi Jews were murdered and injured during the Jewish festival of Shavuot.

“The relationship between Nazi Germany and sectors of the Arab world was not incidental. Arab volunteers served with German forces, including units attached to the Afrika Korps in North Africa… Germany continues to grapple with its responsibility for the murder of six million Jews….”  

We hasten to add that Rommel was not part of the Nazi plans to bring the Holocaust to the Middle East. Rather, he was an opponent of Hitler and sympathized with the attempt to assassinate him in 1942, but he preferred to arrest and try Hitler. Rommel was forced to commit suicide by the Nazis to protect his family. 

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:  

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

In the first two parts of this new series, we discussed the apostle Paul’s first missionary journey which is described in Acts 13 and Acts 14. We also started discussing Paul’s second missionary journey, beginning in Acts 15. We addressed his and the other disciples’ experiences in Philippi and their departure from that unfriendly and hostile city.

From Philippi, they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica (Acts 17:1). That city was about 100 miles away from Philippi. The city of Thessalonica was Greek, but Romans and Jews lived there as well. We read that “as his custom was,” he went to a Jewish synagogue and “for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures” (verse 2).

Paul made it clear again that he kept the Sabbath, as he had always done. In this, he followed the example of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). After all, Christ, “as His custom was,” “went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read” (Luke 4:16). As true Christians and followers of Christ, we must keep the Sabbath day as well, on which we study the Scriptures and worship God.

When Paul explained that the Old Testament Scriptures showed that the Savior or Messiah had to suffer and to be raised again from the dead, and when he showed that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, some Jews were persuaded, and a “great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas” (verse 4).

But as it had happened before, the Jews who did not believe instigated an uproar by using evil men, and they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, claiming that Jason had harbored Paul and his companions. Their accusation was telling: “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too” (verse 6). It shows that Paul and his companions had already made quite an impact on the “civilized” world.

We read in verse 10:

“Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.”

Berea was 60 miles west of Thessalonica. One sentence about the people of Berea stands out: “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” (verse 11).

They had a finer character than the hostile people of Thessalonica; they received Paul’s teaching with all readiness or eagerness; and they examined the Scriptures daily to see whether Paul’s teaching was true.

They did not believe Paul blindly, but they did not reject him, as the people of Thessalonica had done; rather, they looked for proof in the Bible. They did not have the attitude that so many have today, to disprove what the Bible and God’s ministers say, but they wanted to confirm Paul’s message, based on proof. As Mr. Armstrong has declared so many times. “Don’t believe me, believe the Bible.”

Note what happened as a consequence: “Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men” (verse 12). Because of their fair-mindedness, they believed. Their heart was open to the Truth, because God, willing to call them, had given them a receptive heart.

The envious and evil-minded Jews from Thessalonica heard about what was happening in Berea; so they went there to stir up the crowds against Paul and his companions (verse 13). Immediately, the brethren sent Paul away to travel by sea to protect him, while Silas and Timothy remained there, but Paul commanded them to come to him with all speed (verses 14-15).

It is not wrong to flee from danger. Christ escaped the crowds on several occasions (John 8:59; 12:36). We need to behave in the same way when this is called for (Proverbs 22:3). But neither Christ nor Paul ever thought of giving up, even though the constant opposition would ultimately lead to the end of their lives, as both well knew. We must have the same attitude.

Paul arrived in Athens (verse 15) which was full of idols (verse 16). We read that Paul’s spirit “was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols” (verse 16). He was outraged. We are told that 600 years ago, pestilence had struck the city. Black and white sheep had been set free, and each sheep which settled near an idolatrous statue of a god was sacrificed to that god. It has been said that there were more statues of gods in the city of Athens than in all the rest of Greece put together.

Verses 17-21 inform us:

“Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, ‘What does this babbler want to say?’ Others said, ‘He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,’ because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, ‘May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.’ For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.”

The Epicureans believed in time and chance; they did not believe in life after death. The Stoics believed that everything was God and that His Spirit was in everything. They also believed that everything was the Will of God.

They brought Paul to the Areopagus— the Hill of Ares of the Acropolis [also called Mars Hill]. The Greek council met there, having charge of religious and educational matters. Paul responded to the challenge and gave one of the most extraordinary and timeless messages. We read verses 22-31:

“Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious [or superstitious]; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, “For we are also His offspring.” Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.’”

Inasmuch as some had wondered whether Paul was proclaiming foreign gods, Paul indeed addressed this question by saying that he was proclaiming the “unknown God”—unknown to them and frankly, to almost everyone in the world today. Most in Athens had never heard of the true God before Paul spoke to them in the marketplace (see again verse 17). Most “Christians” don’t know the real Jesus either, believing instead in “another Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:4) who had come to do away with the commandments of His Father—a blatantly blasphemous idea.

Paul continued that the people were worshipping this true God without knowing it. He was thereby referring to the fact that they had erected an altar to “the unknown God.” They must have thought that there could be a God whom they did not know, so they dedicated an altar to Him, just in case.

Paul proceeded to tell them more about the “unknown God,” stating that He was Creator and Sustainer of all, but that He was not living in a temple or to be worshipped “with hands” or as “a carved image of gold or silver or stone” (compare Exodus 20:4-5). He made clear that this “unknown God” was the only God (compare Exodus 20:2-3: “I am the LORD your God… You shall have no other gods before [or beside] Me”).

Paul explained that this “unknown” God had made man, and that all human beings descended from the first human. He also stated that God had determined the preappointed times and the boundaries of the dwellings of the nations. This is a remarkable revelation. It is God who determines where and how long a particular nation would live and exist. This had been preordained.

For instance, God had told Abraham that his descendants would not possess Canaan for four generations (approx. 400 years) because the iniquity of the Amorites was “not yet complete” (Genesis 15:16). We also read in Deuteronomy 32:8: “When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, When He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the children of Israel.”

Paul also said that people could find Him to a certain extent (not for the purpose of obtaining salvation, as this is dependent on God’s preordination of those whom He would call), in order to have a physical relationship with Him, as the nation of Israel had with God. Still, man has a desire for eternity or everlasting life which God “has put in their hearts” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

As this was so, Paul explained that we are all the “offspring of God.” The Neue Lutherbibel 2009 translates: “We are of the kind of God.” This is interesting, as Mr. Armstrong taught us tirelessly that God made animals after the animal kind, like cattle after the cattle kind, but that He made man after the God kind, with the potential of BECOMING God in the resurrection.

Paul continued that God had overlooked the time of ignorance, but commanded man now to repent. This reflects the fulfillment of Christ’s command in Luke 24:46-47: “Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.’”

Paul also made clear why repentance was necessary: God’s judgment would be coming, and God would judge the world by a Man who was ordained for this purpose—a Man who had been resurrected from the dead. He repeated what Christ Himself had said, in John 5:22, 27:

“For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son… [The Father] has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.”

That was too much for the leaders of Athens to swallow. We read in verses 32 and 33:

“And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, ‘We will hear you again [or: “some other time”] on this matter.’ So Paul departed from among them.”

Some, though, joined him and believed, but short of that, there was nothing more for Paul to do in Athens, and so “he departed from Athens and went to Corinth” (Acts 18:1).

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“The Most Problematic Statement in the State of the Union Address,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

President Trump’s address on February 25, 2026, included all kinds of controversial statements, but one really was extremely problematic and very dangerous, explaining, somewhat, WHY the fall of the United States of America is prophesied and inevitable—unless the nation bitterly repents of its pride and its sins. There are no signs, though, of such required repentance.

“Die problematischste Aussage in der Rede zur Lage der Nation,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topics as described above.

“Kommen Sie nicht zu spät!” is the title of this Sabbath’s first German split sermon, presented by Michael Link. Title in English: “Don’t Come Too Late.”

“Sind wir der Übertretung schuldig?” is the title of this Sabbath’s second German split sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Are We Guilty of Transgression?”

“Den Sonntag heiligen wegen der Auferstehung?” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Matthias Griesinger, is now posted. Title in English: “Should Sunday Be Observed As Holy Because of the Resurrection?

“Eine Leidenszeit von dreieinhalb Jahren,” last Sabbath’s German sermon presented by Thilo Hanstein, is now posted. Title in English: “A Period of Suffering Lasting Three and A Half Years.”

“Time to Flee,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is the summary:

God protects His servants from danger, and He gives warnings that must not be ignored!

“Jesus Christ Reveals the Father,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is the summary:  

The relationship that Jesus Christ has with God the Father is a mystery that most in the world do not understand today. The Jews at the time of Jesus Christ accused Him of blasphemy when He proclaimed His relationship because they didn’t understand the nature of the godhead either! The Bible reveals from the beginning to the end that Jesus Christ is the Son of God the Father, eternally. When He came to live on Earth as a man, He explained this relationship, removing the veil that previously hid God the Father from everyone.