This Week in the News

Trump Speaks Out

Fox News reported on November 29:

“President Trump blasted judges’ rejections of his legal challenges to 2020 election results… ‘We’re not allowed to put in our proof. They say you don’t have standing… I would like to file one nice big beautiful lawsuit, talking about this and many other things, with tremendous proof. We have affidavits, we have hundreds and hundreds of affidavits… You mean as president of the United States, I don’t have standing? What kind of a court system is this?’…

“Trump said the Supreme Court needs to be ‘willing to make a real big decision… The problem is, it’s hard to get into the Supreme Court’… ‘We’re trying to put the evidence in, and the judges won’t allow us to do it… My mind will not change in six months. There was tremendous cheating here’…”

He also said that the FBI and the Department of Justice were “missing in action” on claims of massive fraud in the 2020 election.

CNN and other left-wing outlets condemned Trump’s remarks right away, spinning their false narrative that his allegations are baseless and without evidence.

Daily Mail added on December 2:

“President Donald Trump released a… 46-minute video that he posted on Facebook where he called for the election to be ‘overturned’ and admitted his remarks would be ‘disparaged.’…

“At one point, he held up a chart purporting to show a scheme to steal an election… He made repeated claims of fraud, dead people voting, mysterious anomalies in voting machines, and alleged corruption in big cities with Democratic votes that went for Joe Biden…

“He pointed to ‘unexpected success all over the country and right here in Washington,’ saying: ‘It is statistically impossible that the person – me – that led the charge lost. The greatest pollsters… that are fair and honest, [he] said “We can’t understand a thing like this…’

“Trump… called the election a ‘total catastrophe’ and said the results couldn’t be trusted. He complained about ‘machinery that was stopped during certain parts of the evening miraculously to open with more votes.’ ‘Many people in the media and even judges so far have refused to accept it. They know it’s true… But they refuse to say: you’re right. Our country needs somebody to say you’re right,’ he said…

“’Maybe you’ll have a revote, but I don’t think that’s appropriate. When those votes are corrupt, when they’re irregular, when they get caught, they’re terminated, and I very easily win,’ Trump said. Earlier Wednesday, former Trump national security advisor Mike Flynn blasted out an article that called on Trump to declare martial law and have the military oversee a revote.”

In the article, Flynn wrote, according to the Daily Mail:

“When the legislators, courts and/or Congress fail to do their duty under the 12th Amendment, you must be ready Mr. President to immediately declare a limited form of Martial Law, and temporarily suspend the Constitution and civilian control of these federal elections, for the sole purpose of having the military oversee a national re-vote… You must also act, like Lincoln did, to silence the destructive media’s one-sided propaganda designed and proven to influence the election outcome, and end the unlawful censorship of Big Tech, to restore the confidence of the American People in our electoral process or we cannot continue as a nation. Failure to do so could result in massive violence and destruction on a level not seen since the Civil War. Limited Martial Law is clearly a better option than Civil War!‘”

Are we coming to this?

What’s Going on in Georgia?

Fox News wrote on November 30:

“President Trump called on Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to override Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on matching signatures during the state’s recount, in a tweet Monday. Raffensperger has said that matching the signature on the outer envelope to the absentee ballot on the inside is impossible, because the ballots are separated from the envelopes when they are opened to protect voter privacy. The Trump campaign, which formally asked for a recount Nov. 22, says that ‘without signature-matching, this recount would be a sham and again allow for illegal votes to be counted.’… ‘Why won’t Governor [Kemp] use his emergency powers, which can be easily done, to overrule his obstinate Secretary of State, and do a match of signatures on envelopes,’ Trump tweeted Monday…

“Georgia Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, two Republicans involved in runoff races, have backed the president’s signature-matching demands and called for Raffensperger’s resignation. But emergency rules that were adopted ahead of the presidential election explicitly require… that ballots be separated from their envelopes so they cannot possibly be joined back together…”

Fishy!

Iran and China Behind the Voter Fraud?

Newsmax reported on November 27:

“An analysis by a onetime military intelligence analyst whose name was redacted in an affidavit with lawyer attorney Sidney Powell’s lawsuit against Michigan officials insists there’s ‘unambiguous evidence’ that Dominion Voter Systems servers were accessible to and were ‘compromised by rogue actors, such as Iran and China.’ … a separate complaint in Georgia expands on the assertion…

“The analyst, who allegedly claimed to have ‘extensive experience as a white hat hacker used by some of the top election specialists in the world,’ said that they scanned Dominion network nodes and found a number of interrelationships with foreign entities, including access to Dominion’s server by a network from Hunan, China. Another review is said to have confirmed links to an Iranian IP address. The analyst said the findings represent a ‘complete failure’ on the part of Dominion to provide ‘basic cyber security.’”

Brazil Does Not Recognize Biden Victory

The Associated Press wrote on November 29:

“Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro… said Sunday he’ll wait a little longer before recognizing the U.S. election victory of Joe Biden…

“‘I have my sources of information that there really was a lot of fraud there,’ he said. ‘Nobody talks about that. If it was enough to define (victory) for one or the other, I don’t know.’”

Why is it, then, that the left-wing mainstream media totally denies that there was or could have been fraud? The answer should be self-evident.

Newt Gingrich: Democrats Stole the Election—Biggest Presidential Theft since 1824

Newsmax wrote on November 26:

“Election officials in Democratic strongholds of Pennsylvania ‘exceeded their authority in order to give voters preferential treatment,’ but their work was sloppy and lazy and the courts ‘’need to stop them from destroying more evidence,’’ former House Speaker Newt Gingrich writes in a column for The Epoch Times.  Gingrich… said officials in certain counties used ‘a variety of illegal practices that were used to inflate the number of votes received by Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden, including disparate treatment of voters based on where they live and outright manipulation of Pennsylvania’s voter registration system by partisan activities.’

“‘Specifically, election workers illegally “pre-canvassed” mail-in ballots to determine whether they were missing a secrecy envelope or failed to include necessary information,’ writes Gingrich. ‘When ballots were found to be flawed, voters were given an opportunity to correct, or “cure,” their ballots to make sure they counted. In at least some cases, Democrat Party officials were even given lists of voters to contact about curing their ballots.’

“Gingrich said Democrat Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, specifically, issued guidance authorizing the illegal practices ‘despite lacking the statutory authority to do so.’”

Breitbart added on November 28:

“‘The more data comes out on vote anomalies that clearly are not legitimate the more it looks like 2020 may be the biggest Presidential theft since Adams and Clay robbed Andrew Jackson in 1824,’ the former House speaker said… Gingrich encouraged Republican state legislators to read an analysis from Patrick Basham, founding Director of the Democracy Institute and senior fellow of the Cato Institute. Basham lists ten ‘peculiarities’ which he believes lack ‘compelling explanations,’ including swing states halting their ballot counts on election night and removing observers, statistically abnormal vote counts, and ‘historically low absentee ballot rejection rates.’

“Basham makes clear the election was almost certainly stolen in 5 states. Every American should be worried by the theft,” he added…”

He also stated the following in a roundtable discussion, according to Newsmax, dated November 29:

“Not only do you have crooked politicians running crooked elections, but you have crooked . . . Internet companies deliberately censoring and biasing… I never thought it would be this corrupt… [The prospective Biden administration] may be the most corrupt administration since Harding in 1921… The Hunter Biden stuff is real… The amount of money coming out of China, Russia and Ukraine is real. The degree to which all of that has been covered up is real. I think all of us have to recognize how serious a problem this is.”

What a politically-corrupt country the USA has become!

How the Mainstream Press Damages Trust in America’s Democracy

The Future of Freedom Foundation wrote on December 2:

“While President Trump continues to maintain that the presidential election was marred by massive fraud, the mainstream press continues to maintain that Trump’s charges are ‘false’ and ‘baseless’ and that his allegations are damaging trust in America’s democratic electoral system. Actually, however, it’s the other way around: It’s the mainstream press, owing to its extreme deferential attitude toward the Washington, D.C., establishment, that has severely damaged trust in America’s democratic system…

“The problem with the mainstream press in the Trump-Biden race is the speed by which it concluded that the 2020 presidential election was not marred by fraud. It reached its conclusion before the election was even over… the mainstream press reached its conclusions immediately and never conducted any independent investigation

“That’s where the mainstream press has failed America and has severely damaged America’s democratic system. It has essentially become a loyal lapdog of the Washington, D.C., establishment, never daring to challenge it, question, or investigate it at a fundamental level. That’s why people don’t trust the mainstream press. That’s one big reason why mainstream papers have lost massive numbers of subscribers.

“… when there are extreme anomalies with respect to votes, as there have been in the Trump-Biden race, it is incumbent on an independent press to severely scrutinize them. Extreme anomalies, of course, don’t equate to fraud but they do equate — or should equate — to the need for extremely careful scrutiny to ensure that there is no fraud…

“Of course, the passive and deferential nature of the mainstream press has been going on for much longer than the 2020 presidential race. One of the best examples is the Kennedy assassination. From the time Kennedy was declared dead, the mainstream press has always automatically accepted the official version of events of the national-security establishment, never daring to conduct independent investigations into whether that version was false and baseless…

“Many years ago, the American people discovered the existence of Operation Mockingbird, a secret illegal operation of the CIA to convert journalists in the mainstream press into CIA assets and operatives. Mainstream journalists who were asked to serve loved it and considered it a great honor to secretly serve the national-security establishment.

“… the entire mainstream press has willingly made itself a de facto asset of the national-security state. The American people have been left without an independent mainstream press whose mission is to keep the government honest… In the process, the mainstream press has done a tremendous disservice to the American people and to America’s democratic processes by abdicating its responsibility to be a watchdog, not a lapdog, to the Washington, D.C., establishment.”

Why this Election Must Be Investigated

MSES.ORG wrote on November 27:

“There’s at least one good reason to support Donald Trump’s ongoing lawsuits challenging the election results in several states: the US foreign policy establishment doesn’t want you to. As Newsweek reported last week, ‘A group of more than 100 national security experts’ from Republican administrations have condemned the president’s challenges to some states’ vote-counting process. These ‘experts’ are claiming these legal efforts ‘undermine democracy’ and ‘risk long-term damage’ to the nation’s institutions…

“More reasonable people… should see the value and necessity of a slow, thorough, and public legal examination of the election. Regardless of how one feels about Donald Trump, anyone who values fair play, honesty, and the votes of legal voters should want thorough audits and investigations… After all, whenever political power is at stake, there is no reason whatsoever to assume honesty and integrity are guiding the actions of all involved.

Fraud occurs with every election, of course. Anyone who claims any election contains no fraud lives in a fantasy land, or is lying. Voter fraud exists anywhere that votes are cast. Anecdotes of fraud in this election are plentiful… The question is whether or not this sort of thing is widespread enough to change the outcome. In a number of lawsuits, the Trump campaign has suggested that it has been widespread…

In this Satanically-ruled world of lies and deceits, we might never find out the full Truth as to what has happened. 

Barr Sees no Evidence???

CNN wrote on December 2:

“William Barr has been somewhat of a hero in the right-wing media universe… But his celebrity status took a hit on Tuesday when he undercut President Trump’s… contention that there was massive voter fraud in the 2020 election. Speaking to the Associated Press, Barr said that, ‘to date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election.’…

“Fox Business host Lou Dobbs… attacked Barr in brutal terms on his show. ‘For the attorney general of the United States to make that statement — he is either a liar or a fool or both,’ Dobbs said. Dobbs then went further, suggesting Barr was ‘perhaps compromised.’ He characterized Barr as having ‘appeared to join in with the radical Dems and the deep-state and the resistance.’

“Newsmax host Greg Kelly… went after Barr on his show. ‘Some of us are wondering if he is a warrior with the Constitution or if he’s just a bureaucrat,’ Kelly said. Kelly added that he ‘can’t believe’ if Barr ‘looked for voter fraud he wouldn’t find any.’ And Mark Levin said he ‘regret[ted] to say’ that Barr’s comments were ‘misleading.’…

“The Gateway Pundit, a fringe website which Trump has repeatedly promoted, published a post that said Barr had revealed himself as ‘totally deaf, dumb and blind.’… It concluded, ‘…  Our days of tolerating betrayal are over.’”

 A DOJ spokesperson said in a subsequent statement: “Some media outlets have incorrectly reported that the Department has concluded its investigation of election fraud and announced an affirmative finding of no fraud in the election. That is not what… the Attorney General stated. The Department will continue to receive and vigorously pursue all specific and credible allegations of fraud as expeditiously as possible.”

Breitbart added on December 2:

“The Trump Legal Team, led by Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis, said…”

“’With all due respect to the Attorney General, there hasn’t been any semblance of a Department of Justice investigation. We have gathered ample evidence of illegal voting in at least six states, which they have not examined. We have many witnesses swearing under oath they saw crimes being committed in connection with voter fraud. As far as we know, not a single one has been interviewed by the DOJ. The Justice Department also hasn’t audited any voting machines or used their subpoena powers to determine the truth.’

“They added they would ‘continue our pursuit of the truth through the judicial system and state legislatures, and continue toward the Constitution’s mandate and ensuring that every legal vote is counted and every illegal vote is not.’ ‘Again, with the greatest respect to the Attorney General, his opinion appears to be without any knowledge or investigation of the substantial irregularities and evidence of systemic fraud,’ Giuliani and Ellis said.”

In light of the seemingly overwhelming evidence of voter fraud and voter “irregularities,” Barr’s remarks are really astounding.

Iranian Scientist “Assassinated”

Fox News wrote on November 27:

“An Iranian scientist dubbed the leader of Tehran’s military nuclear program [Mohsen Fakhrizadeh] until it was ended in the early 2000s was… killed on Friday… Fakhrizadeh led Iran’s so-called ‘Amad,’ or ‘Hope,’ program, which Israel and the West described as a military operation to build a nuke… Fakhrizadeh’s death will be another major blow to the Tehran regime, which has struggled amid ‘maximum pressure’ from the Trump administration and saw the U.S. leave the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and impose waves of sanctions on the Islamic dictatorship.

“Last year, the U.S. took out Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in a strike in what the Trump administration described as an act of self-defense against an ‘imminent’ attack. Axios reported this week that Israel Defense Forces have been preparing for the possibility that the U.S. military will strike Iran during the last two months of President Trump’s time in office. It comes a week after the New York Times reported that Trump asked senior advisers about his options to strike Iran’s main nuclear site after international inspectors reported details about a significant increase in… Iran’s stockpile of nuclear material. “

“Iran’s foreign [minister] Javad Zarif… blamed Israel for the attack, writing on Twitter: “Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today. This cowardice—with serious indications of Israeli role—shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators. Iran calls on int’l community—and especially EU—to end their shameful double standards & condemn this act of state terror.”

Israel and USA Responsible?

The Jerusalem Post added on November 27:

“Two years after Israeli PM Netanyahu first named Mohsen Fakhrizadeh as the father of Iran’s nuclear project, he’s been assassinated near Tehran… Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned in 2018 of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who many referred to as the ‘father’ of Iran’s nuclear weapons project. But over the course of two years, no one remembered that name…

“Netanyahu made the comment when he divulged that Israel had obtained 100,000 files from Iran’s secret nuclear archives. He said that Fakhrizadeh, a brigadier general in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and a professor of physics at the Guard’s Imam Hussein University, played a central role in the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program… Fakhirzadeh returned to drive Iran’s nuclear program, Project Amad, specifically to develop nuclear warheads for the multitudes of ballistic missiles the Islamic republic already possesses… in 2013 Fakhrizadeh had attended a North Korean nuclear weapons test. The New York Times in 2014 compared him to Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the American nuclear bomb…

“Several Iranian nuclear scientists have been assassinated over the years, but Fakhrizadeh was by far the most important nuclear scientist to be assassinated to date. He was so important that it was not until Netanyahu showed his picture, there were no photographs available of him and Iranian authorities even denied numerous requests from the Atomic Energy Agency to interview him. It was an effort by Iran to protect him from assassins, a sort of protective shield around him. Until today…

Senior Israeli officials have met with their American counterparts several times in recent weeks, with the two sides… discussing the threat posed by Iran… Israel has warned repeatedly about Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and has pledged to never allow it to obtain such weapons which can threaten the Jewish State. Israel considers Iran’s nuclear program as the number one concern…

“Over the summer, shortly after the opening of the Strategy and Third-Circle Directorate, Iran was hit by a number of mysterious blasts-specifically sites connected to the country’s missile and nuclear project… His death is also a major signal that Israel and the United States will not give up on preventing the country from obtaining such weaponry. The message is clear: Remember, no nuclear scientist is safe.”

Newsmax added on November 27:

“Iran said Israel and the U.S. were likely behind the assassination… and vowed revenge, sharply escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf…”

Express wrote on November 27:

“The apparent assassination [of] a scientist believed to be masterminding Iran’s push to build nuclear weapons has triggered a furious reaction from Tehran, with a senior military chief pointing the finger at Israel and warning of ‘full-blown war’… Iran swiftly… suggested [Israel] had acted with the blessing of US President Donald Trump. Irrespective of who was behind the attack, it is guaranteed to escalate already raised tensions between Tehran and Washington…”

Fox News reported on November 28:

“The European Union has strongly condemned the killing of a top Iranian nuclear scientist, calling it a ‘criminal act.’

Not surprisingly, so have the United Kingdom, Turkey, some Arab States and the UN (compare Times of Israel, November 29).

Going out with a Bang?

The Guardian wrote on November 28:

“The assassination of the country’s top nuclear expert raises fears that the outgoing US president is determined to take further action… Speculation that Trump might soon initiate or support some kind of attack on Iran, overt or covert, kinetic or cyber, had swirled across the Middle East in the wake of last weekend’s unprecedented meeting in Saudi Arabia between Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, and the Saudi crown prince…  What the three men discussed remains a closely guarded secret, a fact that has only served to encourage conspiracy claims. In the absence of an official statement, it’s suggested they may have agreed to intensify efforts to provoke and weaken the Tehran regime. Any ensuing retaliation by Iran might then potentially be used to justify an attack on its nuclear facilities

“Iran’s leaders have little doubt that Israel, with a probable green light from Washington, was behind the assassination… Was the assassination a one-off designed to damage Iran’s nuclear programme? Or could all this be a prelude to something more strategically explosive as Trump strives to secure his wished-for legacy as scourge of Iran and saviour of Israel?…

“It’s a fateful moment for the entire Middle East… Trump… may be tempted to go out with a bang.”

Why the Assassination NOW?

 The Washington Post wrote on November 30:

Commentators… have moved on to asking what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hoped to achieve. Did he seek to draw Tehran into a military response that would, in turn, justify an American assault on Iran’s nuclear program in the waning weeks of the Trump administration? To spoil conditions for the diplomatic reset that President-elect Joe Biden is expected to seek with Iran? Or did Netanyahu simply seize an opportunity to take out Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the brains of Iran’s nuclear program who topped Israel’s target list, in hopes that Iran would show restraint in its response, as it has since the attack?

“Each theory — or combination of them — has its proponents among Israel’s national security veterans and analysts… Netanyahu is wary of Biden’s promise to offer Iran ‘a diplomatic path’ back to compliance and, by some accounts, he is pushing Trump to strike a decisive blow against Iran’s nuclear program

“The sophistication of the assassination, which has been attributed variously to a squad of hit men, car bomb and satellite controlled superweapon, was of the type that takes months of planning. If an opportunity arose to pull the trigger, Netanyahu may have given the okay despite the tensions of the moment, not in an effort to ramp them up.

“Israel is bracing for a counterattack in any case. Its embassies are on alert. The Israeli Defense Ministry is coordinating with the United Arab Emirates in the expectation that thousands of Israeli tourists about to descend on Dubai and Abu Dhabi — following the signing of the Israeli-UAE peace accords — are potential targets for an Iranian attack, according to Israel’s Channel 12 News… As Iran buries its slain nuclear scientist, leaders vow revenge and no negotiations with the West.”

Interesting scenarios. They all point to more turmoil in the Middle East.

Iran Wants to Play Hardball

 JTA wrote on December 2:

 “Iran’s parliament passed a law on Wednesday aimed at pressuring President-elect Joe Biden to reenter the Iran nuclear deal almost as soon as he assumes office.

“The bill gives the United States until early February to lift sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump after abandoning the 2015 agreement more than two years ago. Otherwise, Iran will ban entry to international nuclear inspectors and increase uranium enrichment to a level closer to weapons-ready…

“The law, passed by the majority hard-liner parliament, was spurred in part by the assassination last week of Iran’s top nuclear scientist…”

And So Does Israel

AFP wrote on December 2:

 “Israel received the first of its new missile boats on Wednesday, with a top naval officer telling AFP the fleet upgrade ‘dramatically’ improves the country’s ability to counter regional rivals, including Iran. The procurement of four naval vessels and three submarines from German industrial giant Thyssenkrupp has been the subject of long-running corruption probes involving top allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But graft allegations aside, the ships themselves form a key part of a major naval upgrade in the Jewish state, Israel’s head of naval operations… The vessels — Saar 6-class corvettes — are equipped with… the (most) sophisticated radar on board any vessel in the world…”

The Spiritual Harm of Lockdowns

Mises.org wrote on November 28:

“More and more states have begun to once again impose ruinous lockdowns. The media and Twitter are filled with self-righteous scolds shrieking about the impending doom of families gathering together for Thanksgiving… If such people had their way, everyone would remain under veritable house arrest and not see anyone else for months or even years… That such ideas are even being considered demonstrates just how out of touch with human reality much of our ‘expert’ class and their hordes of lemming-like followers are…

“Nearly every culture and religion throughout human history has held that humans are both material and spiritual beings. However, living in the secular age as we do, the material aspect of our existence has supplanted the spiritual to such an extent that it is barely recognized to exist… Humans are social beings…

“There are few events more brimming with the spiritual unity of the attendees than a wedding, a celebration of the literal unity of two persons as one in the presence of their friends and loved ones with feasting, singing, and dancing. Yet how many weddings have been canceled or celebrated in private this year thanks to lockdowns? How many shared meals have not been eaten? Dances left undanced, songs left unsung, conversations not had? How many parents and grandparents in nursing homes did not get to see their loved ones before they departed this earth? How many children have suffered in front of a screen alone all day?…

“…Suicide rates are up all around the country, in some places as much as 70 percent compared to the same time last year. Military suicides are up 20 percent. Drug overdose deaths are on track to reach an all-time high. The RAND Corporation has found an upswing in heavy drinking this year. The Associated Press reports on the horrific conditions in nursing homes around the country that may have led to the deaths of tens of thousands of residents in excruciating and horrific circumstances, as their families have been forbidden from caring for them. What’s more, it seems many patients simply withered away, their spirits broken from being locked in veritable solitary confinement with no contact with friends or family for months.

“Medical central planning that doesn’t even recognize the spiritual and social aspect of human existence has caused the deaths of untold numbers of people around the country, perhaps more than the virus itself in the long run.

“Our vaunted leaders may act like pure materialists when it comes to their dictatorial decrees obliterating society and our very humanity, but on some level they obviously understand the importance of their own spiritual health. Why else would the leaders of California be breaking their own rules to dine at luxurious restaurants or flying to Hawaii for meetings and not be content with takeout and Zoom like the rest of us peasants? But what else can be expected from a system of top-down control?

“…Just as we have material needs that central planners cannot anticipate, so too do we have spiritual needs that can only be filled in a myriad of ways that central planners cannot plan for, especially when they don’t even recognize they are needs at all. When they are not fulfilled, our physical health suffers just as assuredly as if we had a virus. The social and communal aspects of human life, whether a holiday dinner with family, going to church, having a wedding, or even the mundane relations of everyday life are not mere luxuries that can be dispensed with, they are human life itself. People must be free to navigate these difficult times armed with the knowledge of their circumstances that only they possess.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 29:

Domestic abuse spikes during the holidays and the coronavirus lockdown will only make things worse. One quarter of all women experience abuse in their lives, and lockdown measures are making it harder to get help. [They] have led to increased incidences of abuse as couples and families are further isolated from the outside world. Now, observers fear a combination of the two will have grave consequences.

Social distancing measures have also  made it more difficult for victims of abuse to seek help and extricate themselves from torturous relationships…”

The Political Transformation of Mask-Wearing

The American Institute for Economic Research wrote on November 30:

“The speed with which mask-wearing among the general public transitioned from unheard of to a moral necessity struck me as suspicious. After all, if the science was as airtight as those around me claimed, surely masks would have been recommended by January or February, not to mention during prior infectious disease outbreaks such as the 2009 swine flu. It seemed unlikely that the scientific proof became incontrovertible sometime between late February and late March, particularly in the absence of any new evidence surfacing during that time period…

“To conclude on the basis of low death rates in several countries that masks prevent coronavirus transmission is patently absurd, illogical, and unscientific… it is obvious that the issue has become so politicized that mainstream media outlets, politicians, and even scientists seize upon the slightest bit of favorable evidence, dismiss out of hand anything that conflicts with their theory, and most egregiously of all misrepresent the data, to support the conclusion that masks worn by asymptomatic people prevent coronavirus transmission.

“And masks are only one part of this story: school closures, lockdowns, and social distancing all have been dogmatically embraced as a means of controlling infection. The substantial evidence that these mechanisms are not effective, particularly beyond their duration, has been automatically rejected for too long. This is not science: it is politics, and those within the profession who have refused to examine their confirmation biases, or manipulated the evidence to score political points, are utterly unqualified for the job.”

Amen to that!

Rock Music Legends Stand Up to Lockdowns

Breitbart wrote on November 27:

“Rock music legends Van Morrison and Eric Clapton have teamed up for ‘Stand and Deliver,’ a song that takes coronavirus lockdowns to task. ‘There are many of us who support Van and his endeavors to save live music; he is an inspiration,’ Clapton said according to Variety. ‘We must stand up and be counted because we need to find a way out of this mess. The alternative is not worth thinking about. Live music might never recover.’ Clapton also said that the end of live entertainment due to coronavirus lockdowns is ‘deeply upsetting.’…

“Van Morrison has already released several songs that are critical of the lockdowns, including ‘Born To Be Free,’ ‘As I Walked Out,’ and ‘No More Lockdown.’ Morrison’s criticism of lockdowns has stirred controversy in certain circles, especially among government officials. The ‘Moondance’ singer recently drew criticism from Northern Ireland’s health minister Robin Swann who called the protest songs ‘dangerous.’”

What is dangerous are the ill-conceived lockdowns.

The Ron Paul Institute added on November 28:

“Clapton and Morrison have moved beyond joint condemnation of some of [the] draconian measures taken in the name of countering coronavirus. They have joined in a musical collaboration to record a song that challenges these measures. Sales of the song will raise money for Morrison’s charity helping financially harmed musicians. The song ‘Stand and Deliver,’ written by Morrison and performed by Clapton, will be available on December 4.”

Covid-19 PCR Tests Unreliable

RT wrote on November 27:

“Earlier this month, Portuguese judges upheld a decision from a lower court that found the forced quarantine of four holidaymakers to be unlawful. The case centred on the reliability (or lack thereof) of Covid-19 PCR tests. The verdict, delivered on November 11, followed an appeal against a writ of habeas corpus filed by four Germans against the Azores Regional Health Authority. This body had been appealing a ruling from a lower court which had found in favour of the tourists, who claimed that they were illegally confined to a hotel without their consent. The tourists were ordered to stay in the hotel over the summer after one of them tested positive for coronavirus in a PCR test – the other three were labelled close contacts and therefore made to quarantine as well.

“The deliberation of the Lisbon Appeal Court is comprehensive and fascinating. It ruled that the Azores Regional Health Authority had violated both Portuguese and international law by confining the Germans to the hotel… They were also scathing about the reliability of the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, the most commonly used check for Covid. The conclusion of their 34-page ruling included the following: ‘In view of current scientific evidence, this test shows itself to be unable to determine beyond reasonable doubt that such positivity corresponds, in fact, to the infection of a person by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.’

“In the eyes of this court, then, a positive test does not correspond to a Covid case. The two most important reasons for this, said the judges, are that, ‘the test’s reliability depends on the number of cycles used’ and that ‘the test’s reliability depends on the viral load present.’ In other words, there are simply too many unknowns surrounding PCR testing… This is not the first challenge to the credibility of PCR tests… Earlier this year, data from three US states – New York, Nevada and Massachusetts – showed that when the amount of the virus found in a person was taken into account, up to 90 percent of people who tested positive could actually have been negative, as they may have been carrying only tiny amounts of the virus…

“It is a sad indictment of our mainstream media that such a landmark ruling, of such obvious and pressing international importance, has been roundly ignored… Testing, especially PCR testing, is the basis for the entire house of cards of Covid restrictions that are wreaking havoc worldwide. From testing comes case numbers. From case numbers come the ‘R number,’ the rate at which a carrier infects others. From the ‘dreaded’ R number comes the lockdowns and the restrictions, such as England’s new and baffling tiered restrictions that come into force next week…”

So, the whole world, being deceived by Satan the Devil, seems to have it upside-down.

Covid-19 Vaccinations

Algora published on November 22 the following article by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., vaccine injury lawyer and son of the former U.S. Attorney General under his brother President John F. Kennedy:

I would like to draw your attention urgently to important issues related to the next Covid-19 vaccination. For the first time in the history of vaccination, the so-called last generation mRNA vaccines intervene directly in the genetic material of the patient and therefore alter the individual genetic material, which represents the genetic manipulation, something that was already forbidden and until then considered criminal.

“This intervention can be compared to genetically manipulated food, which is also highly controversial. Even if the media and politicians currently trivialize the problem and even stupidly call for a new type of vaccine to return to normality, this vaccination is problematic in terms of health, morality and ethics, and also in terms of genetic damage that, unlike the damage caused by previous vaccines, will be irreversible and irreparable.

“Dear patients, after an unprecedented mRNA vaccine, you will no longer be able to treat the vaccine symptoms in a complementary way. They will have to live with the consequences, because they can no longer be cured simply by removing toxins from the human body, just as a person with a genetic defect like Down syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, Turner syndrome, genetic cardiac arrest, hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, Rett syndrome, etc.), because the genetic defect is forever!

“This means clearly: if a vaccination symptom develops after an mRNA vaccination, neither I nor any other therapist can help you, because the damage caused by the vaccination will be genetically irreversible. In my opinion, these new vaccines represent a crime against humanity that has never been committed in such a big way in history. As Dr. Wolfgang Wodarg, an experienced doctor, said: In fact, this ‘promising vaccine’ for the vast majority of people should be FORBIDDEN, because it is genetic manipulation!

“The vaccine, developed and endorsed by Anthony Fauci and funded by Bill Gates, uses experimental mRNA technology. Three of the 15 human guinea pigs (20%) experienced a ‘serious adverse event’.”

“Spahn Lashes out at Britain”

Express wrote on December 2:

“[Germany’s health minister] Jens Spahn dismissed suggestions that the UK had benefited from a speedy approvals process thanks to Brexit, and pointed out that the vaccine developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech is a European-made product. His slap down comes after Mr Hancock claimed the UK had been able to push ahead of the pack in the race for an approved vaccine and ‘not go at the pace of the Europeans’ due to the fact it is no longer a member of the bloc. But Mr Spahn told reporters at an EU briefing on Wednesday that while Britain had been the first to approve the vaccine, he was optimistic that the European Medicines Agency would soon follow… Mr Spahn said he felt proud that a German company had played a central role in developing the COVID-19 jab.

“Mr Spahn said member states had the option of going it alone on the path towards a vaccine. But he said governments including Angela Merkel’s had opted to stick with the EU pack which effectively means they will have to wait longer for the green light. Mr Spahn explained: ‘It’s very important we do this to help promote trust and confidence in this authorisation.’ … Eurocrats admitted the EU’s medicines watchdog will not be able to approve the jab until the end of December at the earliest – weeks after Britain is set to begin administering the vaccine…

“He stressed he was not the only official irritated at Britons celebrating being the first to approve as a national triumph.”

Apart from the political maneuverings, the real question is: How SAFE is this vaccine? Reading the previous article, it does not appear to be very safe at all!

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on December 3:

 “Like so many other ‘crises’ that preceded it, the Covid-19 ‘pandemic’ has provided fertile territory for the authoritarians who seize any opportunity to destroy freedom and liberty under the false claim of ‘keeping us safe.’ The PATRIOT Act passed after 9/11 was supposed to do the same thing: keep us safe by targeting the terrorists who wanted to kill us. But [the] Patriot] Act was designed to view us as the enemy, to be spied on, tracked, and harassed. The Covid ‘crisis’ and coming vaccine will be the same. Will Americans resist?… And an LA County mayor claims anyone without a mask is a ‘domestic terrorist.’”

 In this context, “Joe Biden said during an interview Thursday that he plans to ask the American public to wear masks for 100 days, starting the day he is inaugurated” (Fox News, dated December 3). Biden has also asked Dr. Anthony Fauci to “serve as a chief medical adviser and member of Biden’s COVID-19 response team once his administration begins” (The Week, dated December 3).

 Words fail. 

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.

Update 947

Taking God to Work / Maintain the Grit to Succeed

On November 14, 2020, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “Taking God to Work,” and Robb Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Maintain the Grit to Succeed.”

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.

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God Is My Coach

by Eric Rank

Any life worth living involves encountering difficulties, accepting the challenges, and working in earnest to overcome them. Growth requires us to push our boundaries, press against the edges of our capabilities, and do more with what we have. Learning, being a type of growth, involves accepting that we don’t know something, and seeking out knowledge to increase our understanding. This principle of growth applies in every aspect of our lives. Spiritual growth requires that we continually ask, seek, and knock. Fulfilling our individual purpose in life requires that we find the gaps that prevent us from achieving our goals, and do the uncomfortable work to fill those gaps. A full life is only possible when we invite God in and ask for His help in guiding our growth. When we actively bring God into our life, He is willing to support our growth by coaching us through our challenges.

Our relationship with God involves pursuing our divinely ordained purpose in life (compare Romans 8:28). It is our responsibility to search out what that purpose is, and begin to do the work required to fulfill that purpose. But that work must involve the guidance from God. “A man’s heart plans his way,

But the LORD directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). When we actively involve God in guiding our direction, our plans have a much better probability of succeeding! Undoubtedly, we will encounter difficulties along the way when we pursue our chosen endeavors, but those difficulties serve a purpose. If we genuinely seek the counsel of God in prayer, faithfully step out to take action to achieve our goals, we can rest assured that any difficulty or trial set before us will help us to grow. And growth is necessary if we want to make progress in life. When God is our coach, He will push us to fulfill the potential that He sees in us.

With this in mind, we ought to ask ourselves what our attitude is when we encounter difficulties. Do we complain? Do we get discouraged? Do we begin to doubt or lose faith? Obviously, these kinds of responses are counterproductive when we are trying to achieve our goals and fulfill our purpose. If we consider that God, as our coach, guides us through all of our challenges, that source of discouragement completely flips. When God is for us, He will help us to grow in the direction we need to grow, and those challenges become a source of encouragement. Who or what can be against us when we seek God? When we think this way, we can begin to look forward to the difficulties that we will face day to day because we know that they are there for us to overcome, and draw closer to achieving our goals. God only presents or allows challenges to us that He knows we can overcome (compare 1 Corinthians 10:13).

The Word of God admonishes us to grow. Such growth must begin with our relationship with God and our spiritual development. We read these instructions in the Bible: “… but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…” (2 Peter 3:18) and “but, speaking the truth in love, [you] may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—   from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16). When we work on our spiritual development by searching out the Truth, putting godly obedience into practice, and continually learning, we draw ever closer to God. This is important because if we want God to be our coach in life, we must have a good relationship with Him so we don’t lead ourselves astray by making decisions that exclude Him. When we actively work to grow spiritually and overcome the challenges that God allows or even gives to us, we will find growth to spring forth abundantly in every aspect of our lives.

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by Norbert Link

In the morning of November 7, America’s mass media and networks, including CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, AP and Fox News all declared, in unison and at the same time, that Joe Biden is the next president.

Newsmax did not, pointing out that such declaration is premature in light of ongoing vote counts, mandatory recounts and legal challenges. While governmental leaders in Canada, Germany, France, the UK ,Turkey and Israel have “recognized” and congratulated Biden as the new president, Russia, China and Mexico have not.

We point out in this edition the irresponsible and totally premature announcements by the networks and the mass euphoria by certain politicians in the USA and around the world to “accept” what is a misleading conclusion. No matter what one thinks about President Trump, he has at this point not been defeated. Statements to the contrary simply constitute an appalling corrupt propaganda machine, worthy of the worst dictatorships, designed to create a scenario as a “fait accompli” which is simply untrue.

In this context, please watch Norbert Link’s recent message on the topic, titled, “Biden the President-elect? Not so Fast!—Comments on News and Prophecy (November 7, 2020).”

In other news, we report on developments in Europe and the UK, and conclude with articles on frightening and disgusting developments associated with autocratic governmental measures regarding the coronavirus.

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

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“Biden NOT the Elected 46th President”

Fox 8 wrote on November 7:

“President Donald Trump is not conceding the presidential race.

“He released a statement after the Associated Press and other news outlets declared Joe Biden the next President of the United States:

“‘We all know why Joe Biden is rushing to falsely pose as the winner, and why his media allies are trying so hard to help him: they don’t want the truth to be exposed. The simple fact is this election is far from over. Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor. In Pennsylvania, for example, our legal observers were not permitted meaningful access to watch the counting process.  Legal votes decide who is president, not the news media.

“‘Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated. The American People are entitled to an honest election: that means counting all legal ballots, and not counting any illegal ballots. This is the only way to ensure the public has full confidence in our election. It remains shocking that the Biden campaign refuses to agree with this basic principle and wants ballots counted even if they are fraudulent, manufactured, or cast by ineligible or deceased voters. Only a party engaged in wrongdoing would unlawfully keep observers out of the count room – and then fight in court to block their access.

“‘So what is Biden hiding? I will not rest until the American People have the honest vote count they deserve and that Democracy demands.’”

Trump is raising good questions. In addition, according to Fox News, dated November 6: “Trump campaign general counsel Matt Morgan on Friday said… ‘In Nevada, there appear to be thousands of individuals who improperly cast mail ballots.’”

Important Decision by US Supreme Court Judge in Pennsylvania

The Washington Post wrote on November 6:

“Republicans asked the U.S. Supreme Court to ensure county election officials were segregating mail ballots delivered after Election Day… On Friday evening, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., who received the petition because he is the justice responsible for that region, approved the GOP request for now, ordering county boards to comply with state guidance to keep the late ballots separate.”

To be exact, Alito ordered the election officials to keep the mail ballots separate which were received after Election Day, and, if they count those, to count them separately and not to include them in the figures of ballots for Biden. The reason being, under Pennsylvania law, those ballots must not be included in the final count, but election officials allegedly ignored that provision. So did the governor of Pennsylvania and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, thereby acting totally unconstitutionally, according to legal scholars and experts. It is hoped that the United States Supreme Court will faithfully and dutifully apply the US Constitution and rectify these egregious violations.

In this regard, Fox News reported on November 8:

“Sen. Lindsey Graham announced Saturday that the Senate Judiciary Committee would investigate possible voting irregularities after receiving an affidavit from a Pennsylvania postal worker alleging a plot to backdate ballots mailed after Election Day.” This was also reported from Detroit. A “report” from the Washington Post suggested that the person in Pennsylvania, who had signed an affidavit, subsequently repudiated his claim after two U.S. Postal Service investigators “spoke” to him. However, the postal worker denied having repudiated his claim. 

Fox News also reported that two census takers told the Associated Press that their supervisors pressured them to enter false information into a computer system about homes they had not visited so that they could close cases. One supervisor said: “ It was all a sham.”

Computer “Glitch” in Michigan… with potentially massive consequences

Elexonic wrote on November 6:

“Software used to tabulate votes… gave 6,000 votes to Joe Biden in Anterim County [in Michigan where] ballots were counted for Democrats that were meant for Republicans…  Anterim County had to hand count all of the ballots, and these counties that used the software need to closely examine their results for similar discrepancies…  Of note, Trump won Antrim County in 2016 with 62% of the vote vs. 33% for Hillary Clinton.”

Breitbart wrote on November 6:

“The Associated Press has called battleground Michigan for the former vice president, who leads Trump by an estimated 146,123 votes. Hypothetically, a similar ‘glitch’ of 6,000 ballots in each of those 47 counties would call 282,000 ballots into question, well above Biden’s current margin of victory.”

It added on November 7:

“Two Georgia counties using the same electronic voting software as a Michigan county that experienced a glitch have also reported encountering glitches during the 2020 election… A Georgia election official said that a technical glitch that halted voting in the two counties was caused by a vendor uploading an update to their election machines the night before the election… the state reportedly implemented [the controversial system] in every county for the first time this year

“Trump attorney Jay Sekulow said that the Trump campaign’s lawyers should demand a manual recount of any other areas that used the same software… Sekulow said,… ‘If 30 states have used a software that there’s already proved to be a glitch of 6,000 votes in one balloting area, and now you’ve got over 30 states using it, lawyers should be… in every one of those jurisdictions… demanding a manual recount.’”

Sean Hannity reported on his show that in about 30 US states, the same software has been used (The software company admits to 28 states on its website.).  It is remarkable that these kinds of “errors” always seem to occur in favor of Biden and the Democrats.

Trump Can Still Win

Newsmax published on November 8 an article by Dick Morris, former presidential advisor and political strategist:

“President Donald Trump can still win the presidency… Only the Electoral College or the various state legislatures can declare a candidate the winner. To base this decision on network vote totals and projections and to call Biden the president-elect is irresponsible.

“The recounts in Arizona, Georgia, and the other states are likely to go heavily for Trump. Most of the likely errors or invalid votes took place on mailed in ballots… Since Biden won upwards of two-thirds of mail-in votes and absentee ballots, it’s likely that most of the discarded mail ballots will be subtracted from Biden’s total…

Alaska, where Trump has led by 2:1 all week and is now more than half counted will likely throw its 3 votes to Trump giving him 217. Trump has likewise led in North Carolina (15 votes) all week and his margin of 75,000 has not diminished. He will undoubtedly carry North Carolina…

“The vote count in Arizona shows Trump’s deficit shrinking from 30,000 on Friday to 18,500 on Saturday with about 100K left to count… In Georgia (16 votes), Biden leads by only 8400 votes, a margin that has been dropping. Like Arizona, Trump may still win the count and, if not, would have a very good chance of prevailing in the recount…

Wisconsin (10 votes) is tallied as having been won by Biden by 21,000 votes but a recanvass is in the offing. Given the facts enumerated earlier, there is a very good chance Trump will carry Wisconsin. The recount process in Wisconsin is uniquely fair and transparent — a model for the nation — so Trump may well flip the state…

“Then, it comes down to Pennsylvania and its 20 votes… Joe Biden currently leads by 37,000 votes in Pennsylvania. The number of late arriving ballots likely far exceeds this total… Justice Alioto and a Court majority may throw out the late ballots, likely delivering the state to Trump… If he wins Pennsylvania, he would have 289 votes and a victory.

“Will there be a recount in Pennsylvania? The current law requires one if the margin is under 0;.5% and in Pennsylvania it likely will be slightly greater. There are two ways to trigger a recount:

“First, the U.S. Supreme Court could order one after the vote counters so flagrantly violated Alito’s order to segregate the votes that he had to re-issue it. And remember, four Justices wanted to reconsider whether to allow late ballots entirely but the high court deadlocked 4-4. Now with Justice Barrett in the mix it may take a different view, particularly if the presidency hangs in the balance.

“Second, Article II Section 1 of the US Constitution reads: ‘Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress.’

“The Pennsylvania State Legislature, solidly in Republican hands (both houses) may choose to demand a recount before appointing electors. To build the case for doing so, it may hold hearings into the allegations of fraud so as to help the voters of the state understand how flagrantly their votes were mishandled. Already, the leader of the State Senate in Pennsylvania and the Speaker of the State Assembly have held a press conference announcing their intention to ‘audit’ the vote counting process….”

Not Before the Middle of December

Breitbart wrote on November 9:

“Joe Biden is not ‘president-elect.’ Joe Biden has not won the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump’s re-election has not been defeated. Right now, Joe Biden is merely ‘ahead in the count’ of enough states to win the presidency. But this is a contested election and we have a long way to go, probably more than a month and a plethora of legal filings, before a winner is declared. Per our own Constitution, there is only one institution legally entitled to declare a winner in a presidential election,  and that’s the Electoral College, which does not meet until the middle of December

“Democrats, most especially Joe Biden, are also trying to gaslight us into believing the election is over (along with Vichy Republicans), which is why Biden gave a premature victory speech on Saturday, and why he is already behaving like a president-elect. What Biden is doing is un-American, anti-democratic, fascist

“Overall, though, what we are seeing the media do, aside from dismiss the possibility of widespread voter fraud before anyone has had adequate time to make their case and produce evidence, is declare Joe Biden the winner even before the legal recounts and re-canvassings have taken place. The bottom line is that the media want this election shut down before anyone has a chance to look into what happened, before anyone has a chance to even see if Biden did indeed win fair and square…”

What is happening in the USA is shocking and abominable. And even though certain foreign politicians want to see Biden in power and pretend to turn a blind eye on the scandal occurring in the USA, they will for sure not forget how corrupt the USA has become… and will act accordingly, when the time is ripe.

Biden’s Hypocrisy

Breitbart reported on November 10:

“During the first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden, Chris Wallace of Fox News asked Biden if he would ‘pledge not to declare victory until the election is independently certified,’ to which the former vice president answered, ‘yes.’ ‘Will you urge your supporters to stay calm while the vote is counted, and will you pledge not to declare victory until the election is independently certified?’ asked Wallace of Biden at the first presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio. ‘Yes,’ answered Biden…

“Biden, however, has done nothing of the sort, as he has since carried on as if he is president-elect… as he seemingly ignores the fact that the 2020 presidential election has not yet been independently certified.”

Johnson’s Hypocrisy

Fox 5 New York reported on November 11:

“British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called Donald Trump the ‘previous president’ of the United States and said it was ‘refreshing’ to talk to President-elect Joe Biden… he says he was ‘delighted to find the many areas in which the incoming Biden-Harris administration is able to make common cause with’ British lawmakers.”

Boris Johnson might become thoroughly disappointed.

Why Does the Mainstream Media Want to Suppress Investigations into Mail Fraud?

Future of Freedom Foundation wrote on November 11:

“I just don’t get the mainstream media’s vehement objections to President Trump’s desire to investigate whether Joe Biden [ends] up winning the election through fraud. Their argument, repeated from the very moment that Biden was declared the winner and ever since, is that Trump’s claims of fraud are ‘false’ and ‘baseless.’ But secrecy is normally at the core of fraud… It usually takes an investigation to ferret it out…

“Let’s assume, for example, that there was election software that corrupt officials were able to use to manufacture whatever number of votes Biden needed to win. How could anyone be expected to ferret out that fraud immediately after the election? One would need an investigation to discover fraud on that sophisticated level…

“The mainstream media asserts that there is nothing unusual about the massive number of votes that poured in for Biden after the election. But the fact is that it was unusual. Nothing like that has ever happened in U.S. presidential election history.

“Democrat Lyndon Johnson’s 1948 US Senate campaign in Texas, which I wrote about the day before the Trump-Biden election, is instructive. Johnson won that election by 87 votes out of almost a million votes cast.

“Johnson’s position was the same as that of the mainstream media today. Immediately after the election, he was asserting that there was no evidence of fraud. But as I indicated above, oftentimes election fraud is hard to ferret it. It takes an investigation to do so. Even with an investigation, Johnson’s opponent, Gov. Coke Stevenson, was unable to prevail in his election contest. Does that mean there was no fraud? No, it doesn’t. In fact, many years later, after Johnson had served as John Kennedy’s vice president and then as president, his electoral fraud rose to the surface.

“It turned out that Johnson had told a South Texas crony named George Parr to keep his poll tabulations open after the election, just in case Johnson needed more votes to win. Several days after the election, when Johnson was losing, Parr delivered 200 votes to him, which gave Johnson the win. This New York Times article, which is worth reading, details Johnson’s election fraud, which became known as the ‘Box 13’ scandal… In 1977, after Johnson and Parr were dead, an election judge in charge of Jim Well County’s Box 13, Luis Salas, came forward and confessed that he was part of the fraud. He said that Johnson told Parr that he needed 200 more votes to win the election. Parr instructed Salas to produce the additional 200 votes, which Salas did. The last 200 signatures on the election tally were all in the same ink, which was different from the ink of the other signatures, the signatures were in the same handwriting, and the names were in alphabetical order.

“Johnson went on to become US Senator. If he had lost the race, there is no chance he would have become president in November 1963.

“It’s certainly possible that Joe Biden’s election is legitimate. But it’s also possible that it’s not. What’s wrong with Trump investigating it now rather than have the fraud surface 30 years from now, as it did in the case of Lyndon Johnson? Surely, the mainstream media wouldn’t want another illegitimate Democrat president, would it?”

Rhetorical questions, of course!

What a Biden Presidency Might Mean for Israel

Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) wrote on November 5:

“The U.S. presidential election has illustrated more graphically than ever before that we are living beneath an erupting civilizational volcano. The flaming cultural lava is spreading well beyond America… If President Donald Trump is finally edged out, the recent startling prospects for peace in the Middle East may well be extinguished by the hideous prospect of a terrible war. Those who most threaten the Jewish people, as well as the peace of the world, have been banking on Joe Biden winning the presidency

War between Iran and Israel would become much more likely. There would also be a domino effect in the Arab world. The unprecedented moves by the Gulf states to normalize relations with Israel have been driven principally by their perception that Trump was determined to neutralize Iran, and that their interests therefore lay in an alliance with Israel and America. If America reactivates the nuclear deal, these Arab states may well revert to the strategy they adopted during the Obama administration’s appeasement of Iran…

“And a Biden administration, reflecting the increasing hostility to Israel within the ever-more radical Democratic Party, would be used by the Palestinians to reignite their terrorist and diplomatic onslaught on Israel which, under the pressure from Trump, had been dampened down.

“Beyond this looming Middle East disaster, the election has dealt a devastating blow to America’s standing and authority in the world…

In Britain and mainland Europe, the Jews are now trapped inside this civilizational onslaught against the West. As a result, they are in the cross-hairs of the left, the far-right and the Islamists. Whenever a culture is in deep trouble like this, the Jews get it from all sides.

“But just as America is divided, so the Jewish world is also now divided within itself… The Jews of Israel are determined to survive. The Jews of America are steadily destroying most of their communitymany of the Jews of Israel… are gazing in dread and despair at what America has now become.

… or for Britain

Express wrote on November 7:

“NIGEL FARAGE raged at a future Joe Biden presidency in a furious on-air rant as he warned the Democrat was ‘strongly anti-Brexit and even anti-Britain’… [he said] that Joe Biden would take the side of the EU in the crunch Brexit transition, which ends on December 31. Mr Farage said the UK would again ‘be at the back of the queue for a trade deal,’ referencing Barack Obama’s claim in 2016… ‘The prospects of a trade deal between the UK and the US under a Biden presidency are very low. He was the vice-president to Obama, who delightfully came to London in 2016 and said we’d be at the back of the queue if we dared vote for our independence…

“Mr Biden has already issued a warning about Boris Johnson’s apparent willingness to tear up the Brexit withdrawal deal over measures around the Irish border…”

How the Left Wants to Persecute Trump Supporters

Breitbart reported on November 6:

“Left-wing Democrats and Never Trump Republicans appealed Friday for assistance in compiling lists of Trump supporters so they could be held ‘accountable’ for supporting President Donald Trump after the election… Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) tweeted: ‘Is anyone archiving these Trump sycophants for when they try to downplay or deny their complicity in the future? I foresee decent probability of many deleted Tweets, writings, photos in the future.’

“Michael Simon, who describes himself as a former staff member in Barack Obama’s administration, replied in the affirmative, linking to what he called the ‘Trump Accountability Project’: ‘Yes, we are… Every Administration staffer, campaign staffer, bundler, lawyer who represented them — everyone.’ The database at the site includes a list of federal judges appointed by the president

“Jennifer Rubin, a Washington Post columnist and Never Trumper, tweeted that anyone challenging the 2020 election results should not only be disqualified from holding public office, but ostracized from society. ‘Any R now promoting rejection of an election or calling to not to follow the will of voters or making baseless allegations of fraud should never serve in office, join a corporate board, find a faculty position or be accepted into “polite” society,’ she tweeted. ‘We have a list.’”

Now, this is REALLY reminiscent of a socialist dictatorship. It was subsequently announced that the “Trump Accountability Project” was “no longer active”–whatever that means.

Trump Fires Defense Secretary

Newsmax wrote on November 9:

“President Donald Trump said Monday that he has fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper. In a pair of tweets, he announced that Christopher C. Miller, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, has been named acting secretary, mentioning almost as an afterthought that Esper ‘has been terminated.’…

“The relationship came close to collapse over the summer during civil unrest that triggered a debate within the administration over the proper role of the military in combatting domestic unrest. Esper’s opposition to using active duty troops to help quell protests in Washington, D.C., infuriated Trump, and led to wide speculation that the defense chief was prepared to quit if faced with such an issue again.

“Esper’s departure could foreshadow a broader post-election purge of appointees who displeased the president…”

There is no doubt about that.

Europe Creates Hurdles for Non-Bloc Countries to Participate in Common Defense

Defense News wrote on November 3:

“European Union officials in Brussels are setting up a labyrinth of rules for non-bloc countries and their companies to join defense-cooperation projects under the PESCO framework… the agreement text leans heavily in the direction of making third-party participation an exceptional affair…

“The PESCO framework envisions groups of countries working together – three, at least – to solve defense problems that range from military logistics to cyber warfare. There are currently 47 such projects on the books. Approved projects can apply for subsidies through the multibillion-dollar European Defence Fund… Those case-by-case reviews [of applications for admission by individual non-bloc countries] are designed to dispel any notion of an automatic process for outsiders into what defense-minded officials throughout Europe hope will evolve into a reliable pipeline for building military capabilities on the continent

“It remains to be seen whether the most important NATO member, the United States, finds the terms enticing… Applicant countries must pass a series of requirements to be invited to specific projects. For example, it must ‘share the values’ of the European Union and honor ‘good, neighborly relations’ with member countries…”

Germany to Expand Air Force

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 5:

“Germany has given the green light to purchase [38 Eurofighter] jets worth at least €5.4 billion. The air force said that the new aircraft will be equipped with the latest technology and could be used against targets on the ground. The contract is part of the German Defense Ministry’s long-term plan to gain at least 93 Eurofighter jets, along with 45 F-18s from Boeing…

“According to the manufacturer Airbus, the new ‘Eurofighter Tranche 4’ is the best and most modern fighter aircraft that Europe currently has to offer. Germany’s ruling grand coalition government as well as the Free Democratic party (FDP), and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party voted in favor of the billion-dollar purchase. The Left party voted against the deal, and the Greens abstained.”

Forcibly Institutionalizing Quarantine Violators?

MSN wrote on November 6:

“Baden-Württemberg’s Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) wants quarantine refusers to be forcibly transferred to a closed hospital [i.e., institutionalized]…  Strobl, who is also the CDU federal vice-president, invokes the Infection Protection Act, which provides for forced segregation in a closed hospital… If a person has been identified as a confirmed or potential carrier of the virus, the ‘separation does not serve as punishment, but as protection of others’. The same applies if ‘the person has to be forcibly separated against his will because he does not comply with the orders for domestic separation,’ Strobl affirms…

“Social Affairs Minister Lucha believes that tough sanctions must be imposed on those who refuse quarantine…

“The local police authorities should immediately initiate the judicial procedure for ‘forced separation in a closed hospital’ after the first quarantine violation, Strobl demands. The German Police Union sees a lot of work to be done by the police in such a case…

“Criticism came from the FDP. ‘Mr. Strobl seems to have completely lost measure and center. The CDU’s renewed commitment to pay attention to proportionality in the future Corona measures was apparently only a lip service,’ said Michael Theurer, head of the FDP state and member of the Bundestag. AfD member of parliament Christina Baum called the interior minister an ‘unbearable human enemy’…”

Not since Nazi Germany…

According to Focus, dated November 11, German Health Minister Jens Spahn is proposing that Google gives articles from his Health Ministry preference to articles from the press. This proposal has been criticized by the media as a unique and unparalleled attack on and discrimination of the free press. Spahn keeps trying to gain more and more power for himself, wherever he can do so.

Brexit in a Second Lockdown—”Worst of Both Worlds for UK Business”

Bloomberg wrote on November 4:

“Businesses must get ready to exit the EU single market at year-end, even if Britain and the bloc end up signing a free-trade agreement. With staff off work, an economic slowdown, and swings in the supply and demand for essential goods, the new Covid-related restrictions will add to pressure on logistics firms and supply chains…

“The stakes are high: If companies aren’t prepared, Britain could face widespread disruption to commerce with its largest trading partner in the difficult winter months… The government is already concerned about poor levels of Brexit readiness. Businesses will need to file new customs paperwork, food products will be subject to new animal health certificates and lorries will need to comply with new government IT systems to cross the U.K.-EU border.”

The second lockdown in Germany is likewise not going to end any time soon, even though the government had said it would only last until the end of November. Now, Merkel, Spahn and others have declared that it might last for several months, with serious prohibitions for public assemblies, including religious services. More drastic limitations on personal liberties and freedoms are to be expected; they are currently being debated by the German Parliament which wants to enact a new law very soon.

Denmark to Kill Up to 17 Million Mink for Fear of Coronavirus

CNN wrote on November 5:

“Denmark, the world’s largest producer of mink furs, plans to cull all mink in the country to contain a mutated form of novel coronavirus. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Wednesday the decision had been made with a ‘heavy heart,’ but it was necessary based on the recommendation of health authorities. ‘The virus has mutated in mink. The mutated virus has spread to humans,’ Frederiksen said.

“Statens Serum Institut, the Danish authority based in Copenhagen which deals with infectious diseases, had found five cases of the virus in mink farms and 12 examples in humans that showed reduced sensitivity to antibodies, she said. Allowing the virus to spread could potentially limit the effectiveness of future vaccines… There are between 15 million and 17 million mink in Denmark, according to authorities. Outbreaks of coronavirus at the country’s mink farms have persisted despite repeated efforts to cull infected animals since June.

“One million mink within a five mile (8.4 kilometers) radius of suspected or confirmed farm infection were destroyed in October. Denmark’s police, army and home guard will be deployed to speed up the culling process, Frederiksen said. Mink have also been culled in the Netherlands and Spain after infections were discovered there.”

However, the Guardian added on November 6:

“… the experts stressed on Friday there was as yet no hard evidence to suggest [that the mutation of the virus could potentially have an impact on the efficacy of vaccines in development]. The World Health Organization also offered a circumspect assessment of the risk from the new mink variant.”

Disgusting and appalling…  and all in the name of “science.”

More Epidemics Coming?

Express wrote on November 6:

“It could happen AGAIN: New fatal bat virus ‘jumping to humans’ – WHO escalates response.

“SCIENTISTS have raised the alarm over a worrying new disease repeatedly ‘jumping’ from bats to humans – sparking fears of another pandemic… It has been listed by the World Health Organization as one of the 10 highest-priority pathogens which must be urgently dealt with…

“The virus can spread to humans after eating fruit contaminated by bats. However, scientists were concerned to discover the virus is also spreading when no contaminated fruit was eaten…

“It comes just two months after another paper warned the world was facing a wave of pandemics. Anthony Fauci… and… David Morens warned of ‘extreme backlashes from nature’ in the years ahead. They wrote for scientific journal Cell: ‘… In a human-dominated world, in which our human activities represent aggressive, damaging, and unbalanced interactions with nature, we will increasingly provoke new disease emergences…’”

Great. More lockdowns in the making?

A New Safe Coronavirus Vaccine?

Deutsche Welle reported on November 9:

“German company BioNTech and its US partner Pfizer announced on Monday that early results from ongoing Phase III trials showed that their vaccine was 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 infections… According to their reports, they found no serious safety concern connected with the vaccine… Biden welcomed the promising results from the vaccine trials, but warned that widespread vaccination was still months away. He also urged the US public to continue wearing masks and social distancing… US President Donald Trump celebrated the news and the boost to the stock market… on Twitter…

“German Health Minister Jens Spahn said the European Union will wait to approve the vaccine until late-stage safety data is collected to ensure the broadest possible acceptance for the vaccine…”

So now, Spahn is speaking for the EU? At the same time, the push for MANDATORY vaccinations is ongoing. While Merkel stated there would be no mandatory vaccinations in Germany, the German Parliament is debating a change in the law regarding infectious diseases which proposes the exact opposite, especially for tourists wanting to enter the country.  

Forcing Children to Be Vaccinated without Parents’ Knowledge and Permission

Natural News wrote on November 9:

“In the nation’s capital city, legislators are plotting to strip parents of their legal guardianship so their children can be coerced into vaccination behind closed doors… The new law would allow health care professionals to privately take children aside and coerce them to take vaccines, without parental consent… The new law would give health care professionals the power to establish the ‘informed consent standard’ for minors, allowing children as young as eleven to consent to vaccination without their parent’s knowledge.

 “The new law allows the school, health care provider, and the parent’s private insurance to conceal the child’s vaccination status from their parent or guardian… The bill’s primary sponsor, Mary Cheh, said the bill is important because covid-19 is a public health emergency. This is yet another example of this so-called public health emergency being escalated and weaponized to strip people of their rights… The state keeps a registry of children who have medical exemptions… and religious exemptions to the vaccines… Legislators are trying to remove the religious exemption

“Once the religious exemption is shamed out of existence, parents are left to beg medical professionals for medical exemptions. In order to receive a medical exemption, a child must have suffered an injury from the product first… vaccines would become the first and only product that a person must be injured from before they can legally opt out.”

This is truly an abominable assault on freedom and liberty.

 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.

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The Pope has recently spoken about indulgences. How do you understand this? (Part 4)

In the first three parts of this series, we began to discuss the concept taught by the Roman Catholic Church that the “immortal souls” of departed ones may be in hell or purgatory, and that “indulgences” or prayers for the dead can allegedly remove, partially (“plenary”) or completely (“in full”), punishment for sin, so that their souls can be freed from purgatory or even hell to go to heaven. In order to answer the question regarding indulgences, we reviewed, among other questions, related issues such as the fact that we do not have an immortal soul; that we neither go to heaven (where we, as immortal saints in heaven, could allegedly receive prayers from the living and intervene on their behalf), nor do we go to hell or purgatory when we die.

We also discussed the spirit in man and showed that it is not just another concept for an immortal soul; but that the spirit in man has no consciousness when a person dies. Rather, upon death, the entire human being—spirit, body and soul (1 Thessalonians 5:23)—ceases to “live” or have any conscious “life” in any manner, shape or form.

In this part 4, we will review further the idea of purgatory and we again refer to the Roman Catholic “In Brief” writings from their Catechism.

1054 Those who die in God’s grace and friendship imperfectly purified, although they are assured of their eternal salvation, undergo a purification after death, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of God.”

The website https://www.catholic.com/tract/purgatory adds the following explanation:

“The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a ‘purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven’ which is experienced by those ‘who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified’ (CCC 1030). It notes that ‘this final purification of the elect . . . is entirely different from the punishment of the damned’” (CCC 1031).

“The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial (that is, easily excused or forgiven; pardonable) sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven.”

Revelation 21:27 is quoted, but this is talking about the New Jerusalem (not heaven) when no more human beings nor anything physical will exist. Rather, the New Jerusalem will descend to a new earth, composed of spirit, where God’s immortal people will then dwell. Applying this verse to the need for purgatory is completely erroneous.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, we read: “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

This applies to true Christians only and those asleep in Christ are the dead who will be resurrected as spirit beings at the return of Christ along with those, still living, who have the Holy Spirit of God, and who will be changed into immortal spirit beings as well at that time. They will then rule with Christ here on earth for a thousand years. Nothing is mentioned that they will go to heaven, purgatory or hell; or that they will have to be purified in any way. Rather, when they are resurrected as or changed into God beings at the time of Christ’s return, they will be resurrected or changed as PERFECT beings—not imperfect and in need of purification or perfection. As the Father is perfect and has no need of purification, so we will be (Matthew 5:48; Colossians 1:28; Luke 6:40; Hebrews 13:20-21; 11:40; 12:23). In this life, we will never attain perfection in the flesh, but we must work toward it so that at the time of Christ’s return, we will be resurrected or changed as perfect beings; and it is this godly perfection which God will grant us at that time.

We must understand that when we die, we will not have attained perfection but we do not need a period of time in purgatory in order to achieve this state of perfection. In Philippians 3:12 we read: “…not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”

A key to understanding is Matthew 24:13: “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” We will be saved at the end of our lives, even though imperfect and without a visit to purgatory!  In 2 Timothy 4:6-8—the apostle Paul’s valedictory—we read: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

Paul looked forward to a crown of righteousness even though he would not have attained perfection in his life. In fact, in Romans 7:15, he pointed out his physical frailties: “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.”

It is obvious from these examples that through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit throughout and to the end of our lives, true Christians will be resurrected or changed to immortal spirit life which will ensure perfection, thus revealing that any imperfections that we may have at death or at our change if still alive at Christ’s return will count as nothing and be dismissed by God.

In our Q&A, “Do the Wicked go to Hell?,” we read the following about purgatory:

“In addition, the Bible does not teach the concepts of ‘limbo’ or ‘purgatory,’ either. These concepts have their origin in pagan mythologies, as well. Richard Craze points out these most incredible facts (in his book, ‘Hell, An Illustrated History of the Netherworld,’ copyrighted 1996):

“‘The early [nominal] Christians… introduce[d] the concept of a sort of waiting-room, where souls would stay for [a while]. They found a ready-made idea — limbo — that they freely borrowed from the Romans, who had borrowed it from the Greeks. Limbo became a place where anyone who did not quite fit could be put… Purgatory… was a cross between limbo and hell… Jesus’ mother, the Virgin Mary, was called back from heaven, where she had been asleep (the Dormition). She was given the keys of hell to look after, and the running of the purgatory. She does not administer any punishments — in fact, her main job seems to be protecting the souls of the sinners from the wrath of her son [Jesus Christ!!!]. Purgatory became a sort of temporary hell — but one from which sinners could be rescued.”

However, the Bible does not teach the concepts of limbo, purgatory or of an ever-burning hell. In the meantime, the Catholic Church has given up the idea of “limbo” as a doctrine and recognizes it, if at all, as mere human tradition. And, we have already seen, “the Virgin Mary” is not in heaven, hell or purgatory. Mary, the mother of Jesus, died and is awaiting her resurrection from the dead. In addition, the very thought that she is running purgatory and that she is protecting the souls of the sinners from the wrath of her Son is quite frankly blasphemous.

Continuing with the website https://www.catholic.com/tract/purgatory, we read the following:

“What Happens in Purgatory?

“When we die, we undergo what is called the particular, or individual, judgment. Scripture says that ‘it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment’ (Heb. 9:27). We are judged instantly and receive our reward, for good or ill. We know at once what our final destiny will be. At the end of time, when Jesus returns, there will come the general judgment to which the Bible refers, for example, in Matthew 25:31-32: ‘When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.’ In this general judgment all our sins will be publicly revealed (Luke 12:2–5).

Augustine said in The City of God that ‘temporary punishments are suffered by some in this life only, by others after death, by others both now and then; but all of them before that last and strictest judgment’… It is between the particular and general judgments, then, that the soul is purified of the remaining consequences of sin: ‘I tell you, you will never get out till you have paid the very last copper’ (Luke 12:59).”

First of all, it is misleading to say, “At the end of time, when Jesus returns.” In fact, it is the end of the age of man but eternity beckons after that for the Family of God which will comprise the Father, His Son Jesus Christ and all the born-again members of the true Church of God who have the Holy Spirit.

Let us look at the Scriptural “evidence” that is given in the piece above to “prove” the existence of purgatory.

Hebrews 9:27 states: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Nowhere here does it mention anything about purification in purgatory, and to even imply that purgatory is part of a purification process in judgment is simply twisting Scripture to fit in with an unscriptural belief.

It is true, of course that we all have to appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive our reward (Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Luke 19:16-17; Revelation 22:12; 1 Corinthians 3:8; 2 John 8). This has nothing to do with having to go through a judgment period of purification.  The concept of obtaining our reward when we appear before Christ at His return is fully explained in our free booklet, The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

It is also true that those who will be resurrected as human beings in the Second Resurrection will be given a certain amount of time (the Bible indicates a period of 100 years) to qualify for the Kingdom of God. At the end of that Great White Throne Judgment period, judgement will be pronounced (Revelation 20:11-12). But again, this has nothing to do with some kind of purgatory and burning in a hell fire for a certain amount of time; rather, people will be given the chance to qualify for God’s Way of Life then, so that their names can be written in the book of Life (verse 12), as this opportunity has been given to true Christians now whose names are already written in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 21:27).

Matthew 25:31-32 reads: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.”

This passage refers to the time when Christ rules mankind (physical human beings) living here on earth. A separation will take place during the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment, based on how men will live at that time.

In our booklet Is That In the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation, we read the following on page 41 under the heading “Jesus Will Return to This Earth”:

“Christ is coming in all His glory, with His holy angels, to begin a Millennial rule upon the earth (Matthew 25:31–32). The saints of God, who will have been resurrected from the dead at that time, along with those saints still living, who will be changed to spirit at that time, will be given power to rule with Christ (Revelation 2:26–27).

“The saints will have positions as Kings and Priests, and will reign with Christ during the 1,000 year period on the earth. The rest of the dead, who had no part in this resurrection, will await in their graves for a future resurrection (Revelation 20:5).

“No biblical passage tells us that we go to heaven when we die. Rather, Christians will rule with Christ here on earth, when He resurrects those who died, or when He changes those, who are still alive at His Coming, from mortal to immortal.”

There is no way that a concept of purgatory for “departed ones” could be applied to this passage of Scripture.

Luke 12:2–5 states: “ For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.  Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!”

As we mentioned earlier in part 2 of this series, we repeat below the explanation for the word “hell” which is in the latter part of verse 5:

“It is true that the New Testament speaks about a fiery place, which is translated in some English Bibles as, ‘hell.’ The Greek word for this place is ‘gehenna.’ It does not, however, describe an ever-burning hell, as commonly understood by many. Craze explains: ‘Gehenna — the place of fire. It is probable that it was named after the place just outside Jerusalem where the household rubbish, including the bodies of criminals and animals, was burnt.’”

Please see other excerpts in part 2 about the word “gehenna,” and none of this passage of Scripture can, in any way, be construed as a reference to purgatory.

In the above-quoted passage in Luke 12:2-5, reference is also made to the killing of the body, and God’s power to “cast into hell.” We discuss the parallel Scripture in Matthew 10:28 in our Q&A about the “spirit in man” and the “immortal soul”:

“Let’s notice what Matthew 10:28 does say: ‘And fear not them which kill … the body [‘soma’], but are not able to kill… the soul [‘psyche’]: but rather fear him which is able to destroy… both soul [‘psyche’] and body [‘soma’] in hell [‘gehenna’].’ We need not fear man who can only kill us, taking away our physical lives. That is all man can do—man cannot prevent God from resurrecting us from death to give us life again. Instead, we must fear God, who not only can take away our physical lives, but who can also throw us—both ‘body and soul’—into ‘hell’ [‘gehenna’], taking away our opportunity for eternal life…”

Luke 12:59 reads: “I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”

The subheading is “make peace with your adversary” and this short parable shows what we should do in this life if we were taken to court to settle a matter for which we had a financial liability, and the reading from the last verse is that we, as debtors, should make every effort to settle the case with our creditor, lest we are convicted by a judge and, depending on the situation, would even be thrown in jail.

It has a spiritual message too. For those of us called by God we need to realise that this is our one and only calling that we will have, and we need to make sure that we are prepared for Christ’s return. It will be too late for those who have turned their back on God, for whatever reason, and who have not been faithful to the end of their lives (compare Matthew 24:13). The message is: Seek the LORD while He may be found (Isaiah 55:6). There is no way that a state of purgatory can be read into this passage except by those who look for Scriptures to try to defend an indefensible doctrine.

The New Bible Commentary says in connection with Luke 12:59 that “the parable cannot be pressed to teach a doctrine of purgatory.”

(To be continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (November 2020) has been written and is available at our website. In this letter, Michael Link addresses the “core values” established at the founding of the United States but which are not being practiced today. He points out that we must look to God for the eternal values that will sustain us in these very troublesome times.

“Korruption, Verschwörung und Rebellion unter den Herrschenden,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Corruption, Conspiracy and Rebellion among the Rulers.”

“Alles unter Kontrolle!” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Christian Mrosek, is now posted. Title in English: “Everything Under Control!”

“Wahre Freiheit” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermonette, presented by Michael Link. Title in English: “True Freedom.”

“Biden the President-elect? Not so Fast!—Comments on News and Prophecy (November 7, 2020),” the first message presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

In the morning of November 7, just prior to a press conference by President Trump’s attorneys, the mass media and most networks declared Joe Biden to be the President-elect. However, Newsmax refuses to call Biden the winner. Why is that? Newsmax explains that the votes are still being counted, recounts are certain, and accusations of fraud and irregularities in several states are going to be brought before the courts. In addition, President Trump is not conceding and has no intention of doing so anytime soon. What are some of the specific allegations which the courts will be asked to decide?

“Political Alliance and Friendships are Useless,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The Bible has much to say about political alliances, covenants and “friendships,” and it shows that they transform very soon—almost without exception—into hostile relationships. God condemns modern political  alliances, especially by the USA, the UK and Israel, which are not based on consideration for God but which are made because of selfish interests. All of this will contribute to the national downfall of those countries. Even friendly alliances, which will be or have been entered into by Europe with other countries, will end very soon in animosity.

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How This Work is Financed

This Update is an official publication by the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God in the United States of America; the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada; and the Global Church of God in the United Kingdom.

Editorial Team: Norbert Link, Dave Harris, Rene Messier, Brian Gale, Johanna Link, Eric Rank, Michael Link, Anna Link, Kalon Mitchell, Manuela Mitchell, Dawn Thompson

Technical Team: Eric Rank, Shana Rank

Our activities and literature, including booklets, weekly updates, sermons on CD are provided free of charge. They are made possible by the tithes, offerings and contributions of Church members and others who have elected to support this Work.

While we do not solicit the general public for funds, contributions are gratefully welcomed and are tax-deductible in the U.S. and Canada.

Donations can be sent to the following addresses:

United States: Church of the Eternal God, P.O. Box 270519, San Diego, CA 92198

Canada: Church of God, ACF, Box 1480, Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z0

United Kingdom: Global Church of God, PO Box 44, MABLETHORPE, LN12 9AN, United Kingdom

Update 939

Comments on News and Prophecy (August 29, 2020) / Internal Healing

On August 29, 2020, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy (August 29, 2020),” and Rene Messier will present the sermon, titled, “Internal Healing.”

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.

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The Fact of the Matter

by Robb Harris

When we listen to the news, we are bombarded with a never-ending amount of “facts”—all aimed at telling a story from a certain perspective. And the select details that are brought to light are often based on the opinions of the speaker.  The truth of a situation in today’s political and social environment is designed to push people into a specific mindset.  The tendency of man is to build a narrative based more on ego and vanity than on verity.

This propensity for bias comes naturally when we allow ourselves to be guided by the anger of Satan, because acrimony is the source of Satan’s continual lashing out against God’s people.  We know this “because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). It was pride and arrogance that caused Satan’s desire to “ascend above the heights of the clouds” and “be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:14).

The veracity of God’s Word is known by His people who have the Holy Spirit. However, mankind is easily tempted, and swayed by deception in the world. Paul tried to get this point across to the early church, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).  What leads man away from these truths and into the darkness of deception?  Paul continues, “…because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 20:21).

Mankind is easily ensnared as prey by the great devourer. Satan is relentless in this pursuit. He is the “accuser of our brethren, who accuses them before our God day and night” (Revelation 12:10).  All of our weaknesses and sins are brought before God on a continual basis.  Satan’s desire is to create a narrative that will lead to our condemnation and destruction.  But God knows the facts. He understands us. He forgives us when we repent. This is the way how to overcome Satan and his accusations (verse 11).

We must be careful to stay true to the path that leads to salvation. The deceit and hypocrisy so rampant in the world today is designed by Satan to cause many to fall. But we know that God’s Plan is unstoppable. The same eternal Being who cast Satan out of heaven looks to each of us with a wonderfully planned future.  In God’s eyes, that future is a fact.  Let us be sure we are doing our part in making it so.

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by Norbert Link

We begin with articles about the new deal between the USA, Israel and the UAE; speculation that Israel will still go ahead with the annexation of West Bank territories even before the November election; signs that show the fragility of the deal; and the idea that it might help though for the building of the Third Temple.

We speak on the condemnation of Turkey’s Erdogan through the US State Department; and on ongoing racial unrest in the USA, with special emphasis on Wisconsin and Portland.

We address the withdrawal of US troops from Germany and Merkel’s anger with Trump, while, at the same time, Germany gets more and more involved with military matters in the EU, for instance Hungary. We also speak about Britain’s new “dark” passport.

We continue with articles about new or contemplated controversial governmental measures to “combat” the coronavirus, especially in Germany, the UK and Israel; and we publish a biting article about worldwide nonsensical and oftentimes totally unscientific governmental measures, giving rise to speculation as to what is actually going on behind the scene. In this context, please view our new presentation, “Lockdowns and Governmental Restrictions.” 

We conclude with an article about the Berlin Film Festival’s silly decision to grant performance awards in a “gender-neutral way.”

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

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Annexation of West Bank before Election in November?

Breaking Israel News wrote on August 23:

“Having been Director of the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus since its inception in 2004, Joshua Reinstein is intimately familiar with the political connection that binds American evangelicals with Israel. As such, he believes that the key to the next election lies in this US-Holy Land connection… ‘The base of the Republican party are Bible-believing Christians… And the number one issue that will do that is the declaration of sovereignty in the Biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria…

“‘I think that Donald [Trump] will announce American support of sovereignty over Judea and Samaria before the election. Like Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo said in June, Trump will probably declare that the choice of whether or not to declare sovereignty lies with Israel and his administration will support whatever Israel decides.’”

This would be an interesting development, especially in light of the turmoil the evangelical world in the USA is presently going through. Notice just one example—namely, the most recent developments and direct or indirect sexual allegations pertaining to Trump supporter Jerry Falwell Jr., “one of the most influential figures in the American Christian conservative movement” (Reuters), and his resignation from the Liberty University, “the Christian school he has run since 2007.”

Peace Deal between Israel, UAE and USA Already Shaky?

JTA wrote on August 24:

“Not all is rosy with the United Arab Emirates and Israel in the aftermath of their peace accord. The UAE canceled a public meeting with the United States and Israel meant to celebrate the so-called Abraham Accords over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public opposition to the U.S. sale of F-35 advanced fighter jets to the Arab nation.

“Senior UAE officials wanted to send a message to Israel that they were disappointed with Netanyahu’s public statements on the sale of the F-35s… Ambassadors from the three countries were scheduled to meet Friday at the United Nations. The Emirates also will hold no other public political meetings with the two countries until Israel’s position on such a sale is ‘clarified’…

“White House senior adviser Jared Kushner said Sunday… that the peace agreement between Israel and the UAE ‘should increase the probability’ of an F-35 jet sale to the Emirates.”

These plans are so counterproductive and dangerous for Israel. This peace agreement will turn out to be a total flop. At the same time, the “appearance” of a workable agreement might linger on for a short while to bring about other important developments.

Breaking Israel News wrote on August 25:

“Rabbi Yehudah Glick, a former Likud Member of Knesset… noted that… the First Temple was built during a period of peace following a long period of war… Rabbi Glick noted that just like King Solomon made peace agreements with King Hiram of Tyre (known today as Lebanon) and with the Queen of Sheba, the current efforts to pursue peace include Lebanon and African nations.”

It will have to be seen how the building of the Third Temple on the Temple Mount will come about. Our Q&A in this issue describes some possible scenarios.

Erdogan Condemned by US State Department

The Algemeiner wrote on August 25:

“The US State Department slammed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday for his meeting last weekend with two leaders of the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas — one of whom is the subject of a $5 million bounty for his part in the murder of an American-Jewish teenager. ‘The United States strongly objects to Turkish President Erdogan hosting two Hamas leaders in Istanbul on August 22,’ State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.

“‘Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by the US and EU and both officials hosted by President Erdogan are Specially Designated Global Terrorists’… Ortagus made clear that the State Department would keep monitoring Erdogan’s interactions with Hamas leaders with concern…  ‘We continue to raise our concerns about the Turkish government’s relationship with Hamas at the highest levels. This is the second time President Erdogan has welcomed Hamas leadership to Turkey this year with the first meeting occurring February 1.’

“The State Department’s official condemnation of Erdogan came one day after President Donald Trump briefly discussed his positive personal relationship with the Turkish leader at the Republican National Convention.”

Turkey will fulfill a despicable prophesied role of violence and manslaughter against “Israel.”

Hurricane Laura Hits Louisiana

 The Week wrote on August 27:

“Hurricane Laura made landfall in southwestern Louisiana as an ‘extremely dangerous’ Category 4 storm early Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said, and had slowed to a Category 2 hurricane hours later… Laura brought an 11-foot storm surge to some areas, and flooding started along the Louisiana coast on Wednesday afternoon… Earlier this week, Laura killed 20 people in Haiti and three in the Dominican Republic.”

The Associated Press reported on August 27:

“One of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike the U.S. pounded the Gulf Coast… Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards… called it the most powerful hurricane to strike Louisiana, meaning it surpassed even Katrina, which was a Category 3 storm when it hit in 2005. The hurricane’s top wind speed of 150 mph (241 kph) put it among the most powerful systems on record in the U.S…

“More than 580,000 coastal residents were ordered to join the largest evacuation since the pandemic began and many did, filling hotels and sleeping in cars… More than 700,000 homes and businesses remained without power in Texas and Louisiana…

 “[Laura] was the seventh named storm to strike the U.S. this year, setting a new record for U.S. landfalls by the end of August. The old record was six in 1886 and 1916… Laura was tied with five other storms for fifth most powerful U.S. hurricane, behind the 1935’s Labor Day storm, 1969’s Camille, 1992’s Andrew and 2004’s Charley…”

More Racial Unrest in the USA

The Associated Press reported on August 25:

“The father of a Black man who was shot, apparently in the back, by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, says his son was left paralyzed from the waist down. Jacob Blake’s father told the Chicago Sun-Times that he was told his son was shot eight times during the Sunday evening confrontation with police, which was captured on cellphone video and led to two nights of unrest in the city between Milwaukee and Chicago… [The] doctors don’t know if the paralysis will be permanent.

“Anger over the shooting of a Black man by police spilled into the streets of Kenosha for a second night Monday, with police again firing tear gas at hundreds of protesters who defied a curfew, threw bottles and shot fireworks at law enforcement guarding the courthouse. The southeastern Wisconsin city became the nation’s latest flashpoint in a summer of racial unrest after cellphone footage of police shooting Blake — apparently in the back as he leaned into his SUV while his three children sat in the vehicle — circulated widely on social media…

“Police in the former auto manufacturing center of 100,000 people midway between Milwaukee and Chicago said they were responding to a call about a domestic dispute when they encountered Blake on Sunday. They did not say whether Blake was armed or why police opened fire, they released no details on the dispute, and they did not immediately disclose the race of the three officers at the scene.

“The man who said he made the cellphone video… said he saw Blake scuffling with three officers and heard them yell, ‘Drop the knife! Drop the knife!’ before the gunfire erupted. He said he didn’t see a knife in Blake’s hands. The governor said he has seen no information to suggest Blake had a knife or other weapon, but that the case is still being investigated by the state Justice Department…

“Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said the officers ‘must be held accountable.’… Republicans and the police union accused the politicians of rushing to judgment, reflecting the deep partisan divide in Wisconsin, a key presidential battleground state. Wisconsin GOP members also decried the violent protests

“In the footage, Blake walks from the sidewalk around the front of his SUV to his driver-side door as officers follow him with their guns pointed and shout at him. As Blake opens the door and leans into the SUV, an officer grabs his shirt from behind and opens fire while Blake has his back turned. Seven shots can be heard, though it isn’t clear how many struck Blake or how many officers fired…

“Blake’s grandfather, Jacob Blake Sr., was a prominent minister and civil rights leader in the Chicago area who helped organize a march and spoke in support of a comprehensive housing law in Evanston, Illinois, days after the 1968 slaying of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr….

“Online court records indicate Kenosha County prosecutors charged Blake on July 6 with sexual assault, trespassing and disorderly conduct in connection with domestic abuse. An arrest warrant was issued the following day… It was unclear whether that case had anything to do with the shooting.”

Whatever the Truth may be, this is just another example of the fragile domestic situation within the USA. Any spark can now cause an explosion. And radical “protestors” use any opportunity to spread their violence.

Deutsche Welle added on August 26:

“Two people were killed and another injured in Kenosha, Wisconsin, local police confirmed Wednesday, after gunfire broke out on the third night of unrest… An 8 p.m. curfew is in effect in the city. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has declared a state of emergency and doubled the deployment of National Guard forces in Kenosha from 125 to 250. Police and protesters also clashed in Portland, Oregon, and Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday night.”

Ongoing Violence in Portland, Oregon

The Los Angeles Times wrote on August 24:

It has become a dangerous nightly ritual in Portland. Around 11 p.m., protesters set fire to trash cans or toss burning cardboard into police buildings and hurl bottles, eggs and chunks of concrete at officers. Then police broadcast an order for the demonstrators to leave. Most do. But a hardcore group, sometimes numbering in the hundreds, remain to face off against police, who use tear gas, rubber bullets, flash grenades and arrests to clear the streets…

“As of last week, protesters had set 41 fires, thrown projectiles at police officers on at least 58 nights and vandalized property on 49 nights, according to the police department, which has declared riots 17 times

“[The police department said that officers] ‘have been the focus of over 80 days of violent actions directed at the police…”

Breitbart wrote on August 26:

“Democrat Gov. Kate Brown may release as many as 400 prisoners from state jails for fear of the coronavirus spreading at the same time violent Antifa riots are taking place nightly in Portland….

“Brown’s concern for prisoners seems in stark contrast to the reality of her state’s second largest city facing nightly riots that have resulted in ongoing injuries to police officers and the destruction of innocent people’s property. And large crowds gathering every night also pose the risk of spreading the virus.”

Words fail. And what is Portland doing about it?

USA Withdraws Troops from Germany

Fox News wrote on August 23:

“President Trump recently ordered a 12,000-troop reduction in American military personnel stationed in Germany. That leaves about 24,000 American soldiers still in the country. A little more than half of the troops being withdrawn will return home. The rest will be redeployed to other NATO member nations such as Belgium, Italy, and perhaps Baltic and Eastern European countries. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is said to be furious.

“… the Merkel government has concluded, over American objections, a huge natural gas deal with Russia… Merkel likes to lecture the world on moral issues, but what is so noble about empowering Russian President Vladimir Putin, who recently reclaimed Crimea and seems now to be eyeing Belarus? Like a modern-day Byzantine emperor Justinian, who recovered much of the lost Western Roman Empire, Putin seems to think he can reabsorb the lost Soviet republics.

“In recent polling, Germans were more anti-American than any other nation in Europe. And while about 75 percent of Americans believe the U.S. still has a good relationship with Germany, only about a third of Germans feel that way about the U.S. Nearly half the German population in some polls want U.S. troops out…

“Does Merkel really believe that if her nation cuts huge deals with NATO’s historically greatest threat, polls as the most anti-American country in Europe and still refuses to honor its promises to increase defense spending, Germany still deserves a large American commitment of 36,000 troops to anchor its defense?…

“According to its founders, NATO was created for three reasons: to keep the always aggressive Russians ‘out’ of Europe, to keep the often isolationist Americans ‘in’ to help protect it, and to keep the supposedly restless Germans ‘down’ in order to avoid a replay of their invasions that ignited both world wars. In other words, the huge defense commitment to an often ungracious Germany over eight decades was not just envisioned to create a central base from which to protect Europe from ancient Russian ambitions, but also to remind Germany itself of its checkered past. That third mission… is not entirely forgotten, and it may explain why many in Europe — and some in Germany itself — are worried when any American soldiers leave Germany.”

All of this is leading to a revival of Germany’s ambitions to build a strong European Army. It also leads to further alienation between the USA and Germany. Germany hopes that Biden will become the next US President, thinking that under him, the relationship might become better again. Whether that hope would be justified or not, the Truth is that Biden will not replace Trump. Please view our recent StandingWatch program, “Why Trump Will Stay in Office!”

Germany Helps to Finance Hungarian Army

Israel Defense wrote on August 20:

“… the Hungarian government signed an agreement for a joint venture with the German company Rheinmetall, under which a production facility will be set up in Hungary to manufacture the most modern Lynx infantry fighting vehicle (IFV). The joint venture is part of a massive programme worth over two billion euros to modernize the East-European country’s defense industry and military capabilities…

“The step is of central importance in Hungary’s ongoing programme of military and industrial development, which aims to transform the Hungarian Army as quickly as possible into a world-class fighting force capable of actively addressing security challenges in the Euro-Atlantic region…”

And so, Germany is getting more and more involved in European military matters and affairs.

Britain’s New Passport—as Dark as Midnight

On August 24, the Guardian published the following opinion piece by Guardian columnist Zoe Williams:

“[My new passport] arrived today, as blue as midnight and also as dark.

We definitely are not in the EU any more. There are no stars, just a lion, a unicorn and a peculiar and bereft illustration of the UK, with Northern Ireland a floating blob, the rest of the landmass etched out like Trotsky’s face…

“The flowers and a shamrock are embossed on the back… except the daffodil could be any flower, and the overall effect is of someone finding free graphics on the internet for a superbly boring PowerPoint presentation.”

Does this mirror the fate of the UK?

Corona Forever

The Sun wrote on August 22:

“[The] CORONAVIRUS will be in Britain FOREVER and people will need regular [repeated] vaccinations, a former chief scientific adviser [Professor Sir Mark Walport] has warned today… And he said the pandemic will be controlled by ‘global vaccination’ but that it is not ‘going to be a disease like smallpox which could be eradicated by vaccination’.

“His warning comes after the WHO chief said the deadly bug could last for another two years.”

In Corona Times… How the Rich Get Richer…

Fox News wrote on August 21:

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been drawing his full monthly salary despite asking state workers in May to take a pay cut to alleviate the state’s burden in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Though elected state officials are exempt from such pay cuts, Newsom pledged that he would voluntarily slash his salary when he asked state workers to make that same sacrifice. But a Thursday report… revealed that Newsom has continued drawing his full monthly salary… A spokesman for Newsom’s office blamed the matter on an ‘administrative error.’… ‘The reductions for both July and August will be deduced for the next pay period.’…

“PlumpJack, a Northern California-based winery and hospitality company, founded and partly owned by Newsom, was open through early July – well after Newsom ordered all essential business closed in March. Data released by the U.S. Treasury Department also shows that the wine company also received a loan worth $150,000 to $350,000 from the Paycheck Protection Program…”

Jens Spahn’s Further Dictatorial Restrictions

The Associated Press added on August 26:

“People coming home from coronavirus risk areas were offered free tests at airports, train stations and highway stops, allowing them to cut short the required two-week quarantine if their result came back negative. Travelers returning from high-risk areas, which include most countries outside the European Union and some regions inside the bloc, will in the future be required to go into mandatory quarantines for at least five days before taking a test, which may no longer be free unless ordered by a doctor… The change in the country’s testing strategy is also due to Germany’s labs reaching the limits of their capacities, [Health Minister Jens] Spahn said.

“The operators of Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s biggest, criticized the decision to focus on quarantining, rather than testing travelers. Stefan Schulte, the chief executive of Fraport, said the move amounted to a second lockdown for the airline and travel industries. He called on the government to instead improve the existing system of testing travelers from high-risk areas rather than to dismantled it again.”

Until recently, according to an article by Deutsche Welle, dated August 24, “93% of the population thought the measure [of testing and mandatory quarantine] was a reasonable demand to impose.”

However, the mood is changing in Germany. Bild Online wrote on August 25 that the harsh restrictions of the German government do not find acceptance by most Germans. “This is no miracle… It will be difficult to get the approval of the German population for a second lockdown.”

In a related article, Bild Online wrote on August 26: “The confusion is complete and so is the anger of the German citizens. Again new rules, and nobody can figure them out…”

The paper also quoted Jens Spahn as saying that the new rule is mandatory and will be enforced, and those who don’t obey are violating the criminal law.  

New Governmental Restrictions in Germany… and Merkel’s Failure to Unite

 Deutsche Welle wrote on August 27:

 “Chancellor Angela Merkel and Germany’s 16 regional leaders have agreed to ban major public gatherings and impose a national fine for mask shirkers… measures include a minimum fine of €50 ($60) for anyone caught not wearing a mask in shops and on public transport. There was no agreement on limiting the number of participants for private events. Instead, Merkel and the regional leaders asked Germans to ‘critically weigh’ in each individual case whether private celebrations are ‘necessary’ and ‘justifiable.’…

 “Merkel and the regional leaders stressed on Thursday that  ‘covering the mouth and nose in certain public areas is mandatory and must be consistently controlled and sanctioned by public order authorities.’ The return to nationwide decisions also marks a political shift in Germany… 

“The new nationwide measures are already proving controversial.  Whereas some politicians believe consistency is necessary to avoid a confusing patchwork of decisions, others say blanket measures disproportionately affect states with a low coronavirus incidence… Reiner Haseloff of Saxony Anhalt, which registered 16 new cases on Wednesday, has already indicated mask fines will not be implemented in his region… There was no decision on whether to give the green light for Germany’s beloved Christmas markets to operate.”

Berlin Prohibits Demonstrations against Corona Measures

The Associated Press reported on August 26:

“… in Berlin authorities banned several protests planned for the weekend against coronavirus pandemic measures. Officials said that those protesting would likely have breached rules on social distancing designed to stop the spread of the virus.… Berlin’s top security official, Andreas Geisel, welcomed the decision… Geisel said police would act to stop any large gathering of people and indicated that authorities wouldn’t tolerate a tent camp that protesters have erected near the German parliament. ‘I’m not prepared to accept that Berlin is abused a second time as a stage for corona deniers … and right-wing extremists,’ he said.

“Numerous leading figures in the country’s far-right scene, including members of the Alternative for Germany party, had announced they would participate in rallies in Berlin on Saturday. The party’s leader in the Berlin state assembly, Georg Pazderski, criticized the decision to ban the protests, calling it disproportionate and unjustified.”

The reaction of Bild Online to the prohibition was fierce and unusually condemnatory: “This is an unacceptable attack on one of our most important constitutional rights… and political insanity which could hardly be topped…”

Ban on Non-Israelis

JTA wrote on August 24:

“Non-Israeli passport holders who do not come from countries with low coronavirus infection rates will be banned from entering the country until at least Oct. 1. The United States is among those not on the so-called green list of countries with low rates.

“Among non-citizens who can enter the country are nuclear family members of Israelis having lifecycle events such as births and weddings. In addition, thousands of… students have entered Israel in recent days for the start of the school year.

“All Israelis and non-citizens entering the country must go into a two-week isolation, except those that arrive from countries on the so-called green list. That list includes the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy and Germany….”

Equally nonsensical and contradictory measures.

Crazy Global Government Restrictions Because of Fear

The American Institute for Economic Research wrote on or about August 24:

“A mystery for months is how it is that so many governments in so many different places on earth could have adopted the same or very similar preposterous policies, no matter the threat level of the virus, and without firm evidence that interventions had any hope of being effective. In the course of two weeks, traditional freedoms were zapped away in nearly all developed countries. In a seriously bizarre twist, even the silliest policies replicated themselves like a virus in country after country.

“For example, you can’t try on clothing in a store in Texas or in Melbourne, or in London or in Kalamazoo. What’s with that? We know that the COVID bug is least likely to live on fabrics unless I have symptoms of it, sneeze on my handkerchief and then I stuff it in your mouth. The whole thing is a ridiculous mysophobic overreach, like most of the rules under which we live.

“Then there was the inside/outside confusion. First everyone was forced indoors and people were arrested for being outdoors. Later, once restaurants started opening, people were not allowed indoors so eating establishments scrambled to make outdoor dining possible. Are we supposed to believe that the virus lived outside for a while but then later moved inside?

“Or these curfews. So many places have them despite a complete absence of evidence that COVID spread prefers the night to the day. I guess the real point is to put a stop to revelry that might bring people together in a fun way? It’s like all our governments decided on the same day that COVID spreads through smiles and fun, so we have to banish both.

“In Sydney and Los Angeles, and also in Detroit and Miami, you need to wear a mask when you walk in a restaurant but not when you sit. And this 6-foot rule is highly suspect too. It seems to imply that if you get too close to each other, COVID spontaneously appears. At least people seem to believe that…

“In most places too, you have to quarantine two weeks when you arrive from afar, even though it is rare that the virus incubation period is that long…  Oh, and in department stores, you can’t spray perfume to try it out, because surely that spreads COVID – not. Except that there is not one shred of evidence that there is any truth to this. This one seems completely made up, though it is widely imposed.

“The list goes on. The bans of gatherings over 50 outdoors and 25 indoors, the closures of gyms at a time when people need to be getting healthy, the shutting of theaters and bowling alleys but the keeping open of big-box stores – these policies are as ubiquitous as they are unsupported by any science. And we’ve known this for many months…

“The worst case is school closings. They were shut down at the same time all over the world, despite evidence available since at least January that the threat to children is nearly zero. Yes, they do get COVID almost entirely asymptomatically, which is to say they do not get ‘sick’ in the old-fashioned sense of that term. What’s more, they are highly unlikely to spread it to adults precisely because they do not have symptoms… Still governments decided to wreck kids’ lives for an entire season.

“And the timing of it all seems strangely suspicious. All these countries and states implemented this compulsory clown show at the same time, whether cases were everywhere or nowhere.  In the US, this was fascinating to watch. The shutdowns happened all over the country. In the Northeast, the virus had already spread widely toward herd immunity. The South shut down at the same time but the virus wasn’t even there. By the time the virus did arrive, most states in the South had already reopened…

“How can so many governments in the world have simultaneously lost their marbles and abolished the people’s liberties in such a cruel way, while trampling on all rights of property and association? I tend to resist big conspiracy theories on this subject simply because I seriously doubt that governments are smart enough to implement them. From what I can see, these governors and statesmen seem to be making things up in a crazy panic and then sticking with them just to pretend that they know what they are doing… But how can we account for the imposition of so many similarly ridiculous rules at the same time across so many parts of the globe?…

“Why did so many governments go so nuts at once, disregarding their own laws, traditions, and values by bludgeoning their own people with the excuse of science that has turned out to be almost completely bogus? Some people claim conspiracy but a much simpler answer might be that, in their ignorance and stupor, they copied each other out of fear.”

Whether they are acting because of fear or as being part of a conspiracy with secret or not-so-secret talks… the mastermind behind all of this—Satan the Devil—is having a field day…

Non-Gender Awards Show in Berlin

Showbiz411 wrote on August 24:

“Best Actress, Best Actor? No more. At least at the Berlin Film Festival. They’re going non-gender and handing out one acting prize for lead and supporting this winter…

“‘The Berlinale has reorganised the prizes awarded by the International Jury in the Competition. For the first time, the performance awards will be defined in a gender-neutral way. Instead of the awards for the Best Actor and the Best Actress, a ‘Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance’ and a ‘Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance’ shall each be awarded on a gender-neutral basis.’

“So there’s no longer a distinction between men and women, and all the gradations. Will this become the norm now for all awards shows?…”

How much more stupid will it get?

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.

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What are some of the next major events that have to happen prior to or just at the beginning of the Great Tribulation?

Some of the next major events that have to happen prior to or at the beginning of the Great Tribulation are the building of a temple in Jerusalem, the rise of the beast power in Europe and the rise of the false prophet, as well as the continued downfall of the USA, the UK, Canada and other English-speaking nations and the constant and increasing deterioration of the relationship between the USA and their allies.

 In regard to the temple being built either before or at the beginning of the Great Tribulation, how is that currently possible when the Dome of the Rock and/or the al-Aqsa mosque are sitting on the very spot where the temple needs to be built? Some claim that this could never happen; therefore, the third temple would not be built.

Let’s look at some possibilities in regard to having the site available for building a temple there.

1- The Arab world might consider relocating the al Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock to another site, since historically, it can be proven that the Dome of the Rock was built sometime after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

According to Google, the Dome of the Rock was built between AD 685 and 691 by the caliph ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, not as a mosque for public worship but rather as a Mashhad, a shrine for pilgrims. The same is true for the al-Aqsa mosque which was built in the early 8th century.

2- War could break out with any number of groups in the area and a bomb could completely destroy the Dome and the mosque. This could even occur, arguably, “accidentally.” During the war with Iran, they fired Scud missiles at Jerusalem which have no guiding system and would fall to the ground when the fuel ran out.

3- In the event of a conflict, the Israelis (or some zealots) could intentionally destroy the Dome and the mosque and place the blame on others, claiming they were accidentlly destroyed by them.

4-The site could be hit by a meteorite from space and it would not have to be a huge one to flatten the buildings. Even though somewhat far-fetched, it is not totally out of the realm of possibility. Luke 21:11 speaks of great signs from heaven, and Revelation 6:13 records that stars will fall from heaven, presumably right after the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

5-God could cause fire and brimstone from heaven to destroy the buildings like He did with Sodom and Gomorrah.

6-God could cause the buildings to just collapse, similar to Dagon falling before the ark of the covenant when the Philistines had it at the house of Dagon.

1 Samuel 5:1-4 says: “Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.   When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.   And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set it in its place again. And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only Dagon’s torso was left of it.”

There might be more scenarios which could explain to us several ways for the site to be cleared or the Dome and the mosque to be destroyed so the temple could be built at that location. It is possible and in fact very likely that Donald Trump will collaborate with Israel when it comes to building the temple. Some concessions to the Arab world might be made in exchange for such an endeavor. Or, no concessions will be made; terrible turmoil will result and the Europeans might be forced to “intervene” in the Middle East to create peace there.

We will just have to wait and see. The important thing to remember is that God says the building of the third temple will happen, and so we can be sure that it will.

In regard to the beast power arising in Europe, a strong charismatic political individual of either German or Austrian descent will arise, and a core Europe, consisting of ten nations or groups of nations will give him unlimited powers. He will lead core Europe, causing the ultimate downfall of English-speaking nations, including the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Their complete destruction will be brought about through nuclear war and other devastating weapons.

Revelation 13:2-7 describes the European power and the last “fuehrer” of that Empire:

“Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’ And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.”

Notice, Satan gives the European power bloc and the final representative of that power his authority. The power of the European Empire, from the fall of Rome during its revivals, lasted at first for forty two prophetic months or 1,260 years, until the fall of Napoleon, but two more revivals would subsequently occur. In focusing on the last individual leader, he will speak great things. He will be a good orator to the point of blasphemy and his authority will last approximately three and a half years. He also makes war with true Christians, the saints, and he causes some to be martyred. He is also described in the book of Daniel as the king of the north.

Daniel 11:33-37 says:

“And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering. Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue. And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time. Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all.”

Notice, this starts off with the martyrdom of the saints (verses 33-35), after which it describes the person (Antiochus Epiphanes was a forerunner of the final leader of the European Empire). He exalts himself above every God and he has no desire for women. This indicates that he might be homosexual.

Daniel 11:38 continues: “But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things.” This god might very well be the false prophet.

Both the beast and the false prophet are alive today and they will shortly manifest themselves for the saints to recognize them.

In regard to the false prophet, we find him mentioned, for example, in Revelation 13:11-15:

“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.  He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth—by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.”

Notice, he has power to bring fire down from heaven. He uses deception and performs great signs, deriving this power from Satan the devil. It appears that there will be some kind of talking image or statue which will be used to further deceive and convince people he is a servant or prophet from God—in fact, that he is God or the Messiah, as we read in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-10:

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way [better: “until he is coming out of the midst of the apostasy”; compare https://www.eternalgod.org/who-or-what-restrains-or-holds-back-the-manifestation-of-the-man-of-sin/ ]. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

Notice, he receives his power from Satan. He is around when Christ returns. He had declared himself to be God, just prior to Christ’s Coming.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4:

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

The false prophet cannot sit in the temple of God unless the temple is there at the time.

Elijah, a man of God, was also able to call fire down from heaven which killed a hundred of Ahab’s soldiers. 2 Kings 1:9-12 tells us:

“Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: ‘Man of God, the king has said, “Come down!”’ So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, ‘If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.’ And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. Then he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men. And he answered and said to him: ‘Man of God, thus has the king said, “Come down quickly!”’ So Elijah answered and said to them, ‘If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.’ And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.’”

Elijah received his power from God, and the two witnesses will also receive power from God to devour their enemies with fire from their mouth (compare Revelation 11:5), but the false prophet will receive his power from Satan. Still, working such “miracles” would of course give credence to the false prophet’s false claim to be God.

We understand that this religious leader may be an elected pope, or it might even be someone claiming that he should be the pope. Currently, there are two Popes, one as leader and the other one retired, and there are issues between them. In the past, there were occasions when two and even three popes existed at the same time, all claiming to be the rightful “heir” of “Saint Peter.” We know that the false prophet will arise out of the current religious Babylonian system, and he will be able to perform signs and wonders, with Satan’s help.

In conclusion, there will be a temple built in Jerusalem prior to or at the beginning of the Great Tribulation in which the false prophet will ultimately sit. How that comes about, remains to be seen. Coupled with that, we can expect to see the rise of the military leader of ten nations or groups of nations in Europe. He will be backed by Satan, and he will be able to influence the nations to follow him. He will work in conjunction with the false prophet who will give his support to the military leader, and vice versa, and who will have deceiving powers from Satan.

These events are sure; and due to all the current trends, it appears that that time is not too far away.

Lead Writer: Rene Messier (Canada)

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (August 2020) has been written and is now posted. In this letter, Kalon Mitchell presents powerful encouragement for us to prepare for the Fall Festivals of God, and to use our trials to draw ever closer to God for the help we need.

Our new booklet, “Obeying God rather than men,” has been translated into Spanish by Anna Ruoff; finalized by our Graphic Designer, Shelly Bruno, and posted this week on our Spanish site. 

“Why Trump Will Stay in Office!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The Democratic Convention has ended. This program will cover a few highlights and contentions and discusses whether the Democratic criticism of Donald Trump, especially regarding the coronavirus, is justified. It also addresses the unconvincing speeches of Kamala Harris and Bill Clinton, as well as Joe Biden’s well-received acceptance speech; the success story of South Dakota; and suggestions and actions of Donald Trump which might hurt him. Still, we explain as to why we are convinced that Donald Trump will stay in office.

“Der Dritte Tempel, das Ende der Welt und der Nahost-Deal,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “The Third Temple, the End of the World, and the Middle Eastern Peace Deal.”

“Glaube, der rettet,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Michael Link. Title in English: “Faith That Saves.”

“Die richtige Wahl,” is the title of last Sabbath’s German split-sermon, presented by Christoph Sperzel. Title in English: “The Right Choice.”

“Unwissenheit schützt vor Strafe nicht,” is the title of last Sabbath’s German split-sermon, presented by Thilo Hanstein. Title in English: “Ignorance Does Not Protect One from Punishment.”

Also, you might want to take a look at the many new German articles which have been posted on our German website

“Lockdowns and Governmental Restrictions—Comments on News and Prophecy August 22, 2020,” is the title of last Sabbath’s first message, presented by Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

While governmental restrictions are being imposed on American citizens, thereby causing economic hardship and ruin for many businesses and people, medical experts and governors kept enjoying their monthly paychecks. But how dangerous is the pandemic? One professional magician claims that it is all an illusion. How is that “new reality” affecting your life and your personal choices? And how does it affect the Church of God and important decisions as they relate to Church services?

“Faith that Saves,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Faith all by itself without any action isn’t enough to be saved. What do we need to do in order for us to be truly saved from death? How can we learn from the examples in the Bible what it means to put our complete trust in God?

The YouTube channel for the Church of the Eternal God presents past videos for StandingWatch programs along with sermonettes, sermons and promotional videos. These are also available on our website: www.eternalgod.org.

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How This Work is Financed

This Update is an official publication by the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God in the United States of America; the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada; and the Global Church of God in the United Kingdom.

Editorial Team: Norbert Link, Dave Harris, Rene Messier, Brian Gale, Johanna Link, Eric Rank, Michael Link, Anna Link, Kalon Mitchell, Manuela Mitchell, Dawn Thompson

Technical Team: Eric Rank, Shana Rank

Our activities and literature, including booklets, weekly updates, sermons on CD are provided free of charge. They are made possible by the tithes, offerings and contributions of Church members and others who have elected to support this Work.

While we do not solicit the general public for funds, contributions are gratefully welcomed and are tax-deductible in the U.S. and Canada.

Donations can be sent to the following addresses:

United States: Church of the Eternal God, P.O. Box 270519, San Diego, CA 92198

Canada: Church of God, ACF, Box 1480, Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z0

United Kingdom: Global Church of God, PO Box 44, MABLETHORPE, LN12 9AN, United Kingdom

Why was the religious establishment usually at odds with Jesus? (Part 1)

To answer this question, we are going to discuss in this new series the different religious groups who were all part of the Jewish establishment at the time of Jesus.

In this first part, we will focus on the Pharisees.

Young’s Analytical Concordance has this to say about the Pharisees: “From the Hebrew – separate. The largest of the… Jewish sects; noted for their self-conceit and long prayers; [they] fasted often, made broad their phylacteries, held to [their own] traditions…”

Josephus, who was himself a Pharisee, said of them in Antiquities of the Jews: “A cunning sect they were, and so elevated to a pitch of open fighting and doing mischief. At the time of Christ, the Pharisaical ‘fraternity’ was comparatively small.”

In fact, the group numbered about 6,000 members, but it was nevertheless very influential.

Emil Schurer, A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, states: “Contact with non-Pharisees was avoided wherever possible. All others were unclean.”

Bible History Online explains:

“Even with the changes of government under the Romans and Herodians, the Pharisees maintained their spiritual authority. Although the Sadducean high priests were at the head of the Sanhedrin, the decisive influence upon public affairs was in the hands of the Pharisees.”

Josephus also wrote that “The Pharisees have delivered to the people a great many observances by succession from their fathers, which are not written in the laws of Moses; It was the voice of the Pharisees that was heard on behalf of the people, whether it was before the high priest of the king.”

Schurer writes in this regard:

“They had the bulk of the nation as their ally, and women especially were in their hands. They had the greatest influence upon the congregations, so that all acts of public worship, prayers, and sacrifices were performed according to their injunctions. Their sway over the masses was so absolute that they could obtain a hearing even when they said anything against the king or the high priest, consequently they were the most capable of counteracting the design of the kings. Hence, too, the Sadducees, in their official acts, adhered to the demands of the Pharisees, because otherwise the multitude would not have tolerated them.”

On the “difference between” website, differences are shown between the Pharisees and Sadducees. As this particular article is about the Pharisees, we quote the following information:

“The Pharisees and Sadducees were influential Jewish sects with conflicting philosophies in regards to the implementation of the Torah. Pharisees and Sadducees also had conflicting views about the role of government in the lives of Jewish citizens. The Pharisees believed that God had punished the Jews by allowing oppressive Pagans like the Romans to rule over them because the Jews refused to uphold the statutes of the Torah… This is why they supported the creation of distinctive laws which would keep the Jews from further offending God by adopting the lifestyles of non-Jews.

“… the Pharisees were members of middle class Jewish families… Leaders among the Pharisees were referred to as Rabbi… The Pharisees believed that God did not just provide the Jews with the Written Law, but also the Oral Law…

“The Written Law was the Torah, while the Oral Law comprised of oral traditions and revelations that were given to Jewish prophets who came after Moses… The Pharisees also differed from the Sadducees in the matter of the afterlife…

“The Pharisees believed that God would send the Jews a messiah who would bring peace to the world and rule from Jerusalem. They also believed that all circumstances that affected the lives of Jews were divinely ordained…

“The Pharisees… regularly took part in traditional forms of worship in the temple. They rejected foreign ideologies and philosophies such as Hellenism, and created numerous laws to keep the Jews from interacting with gentiles on a daily basis.”

In regard to the “Oral Law,” please note our comments in our Q&A on the oracles of God:

“Christianity is not the same as Judaism. The Jews do today many things that are not in conformity with Scripture. In fact, even at the time of Christ, the Jews were DIVIDED amongst themselves as to how to apply Scripture. While the Pharisees accepted both the written and the ‘oral’ law — a collection of Jewish traditions — the Sadducees only accepted the written law, but they did not understand that correctly, either, as Christ had to point out to them on several occasions (compare James Hastings, ‘Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics,’ under ‘Sadducees’). Many have taught for doctrine (which should be God’s doctrine) the doctrine of men. Matthew 15:9 records the statement of Jesus in this regard:

“‘And in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.’” Jesus also instructed His own disciples about the problems inherent within Judaism at that time. Note this quote in Matthew 16:12: ‘Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’

“Paul also warned of the possible wrong influences from Judaism in Titus 1:14: ‘…not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.’”

In regard to the many Pharisaical traditions, rules and regulations, which were contrary to the Bible, please read our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days.” 

In light of all the foregoing comments, we can already see why the Pharisees rejected Jesus, and why Jesus rebuked them. To emphasize this, the following biblical passages about the Pharisees are interesting.

There are around 84 verses about the Pharisees in the first five books in the New Testament. They are mentioned several times in the gospel records as being on the receiving end of Jesus’ rebukes. Please note the following words by Jesus:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves” (Matthew 23:15).

“… Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness” (Luke 11:39).

“And Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.’ Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, ‘Are we blind also?’  Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, “We see.” Therefore your sin remains’” (John 9:39-41).

They said that Jesus cast out demons by the ruler of the demons (Matthew 9:34 and 12:24); they wanted a sign that He was the Messiah (Matthew 12:38-40); they accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath (according to their own traditions) but they were rebuked for this (Matthew 12:1-8); Jesus told His disciples to beware of their doctrine (Matthew 16:6-12); they tested Him over divorce (Matthew 19:3-9; Mark 10:2-9); they tested Him about paying tribute to Caesar (Matthew 22:15-21, Mark 12:13-17 and Luke 20:22-25); they tested Him about a woman caught in adultery (John 8:3-4); and they tested Him on His healing on the Sabbath (Luke 6:6-11).

God’s Word First International writes:

“Appearing overall as a rather peaceful and pious group when viewed from the outside, in contrast their confrontational actions, public austere and arrogant ‘better than thou’ attitudes and their ‘behind closed doors’ hatred of their perceived enemies spoke volumes concerning the spiritual darkness within their hearts… This explains a lot about how they were frequently confrontational with Christ and his disciples then ultimately sought to bear false witness in framing him and have him put to death. After the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD Pharisaic beliefs became the basis for Rabbinic Judaism, which ultimately produced the basis for all contemporary forms of Judaism with what is known today as modern Hasidic Judaism being the oldest core foundational belief.”

Matthew 23 is a chapter where Jesus is particularly hard on both the scribes and the Pharisees. He tells His audience to “observe whatever they tell you but do not do as they do” (verse 3) because of their hypocrisy. They liked to be seen by men and loved the best places at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues (verses 5-6). They loved greetings in the market-place and to be called Rabbi (verse 7). Then follow eight woes aimed at the scribes and Pharisees (verses 14-29).

In fact, verse 27 is a particularly strong condemnation of their actions: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”

The Pulpit Commentary has this to say about this verse:

“Once a year, about the fifteenth of the month Adar, the Jews used to whitewash the tombs and the places where corpses were buried, partly out of respect for the dead, but chiefly in order to make them conspicuous, and thus to obviate the risk of persons incautiously contracting ceremonial defilement by touching or walking over them (Numbers 19:16). To such sepulchres our Lord compares these Pharisees, because their outwardly fair show concealed rottenness within (compare Acts 23:3). Indeed, it might be said that their seeming exceptional purity was a warning of internal corruption, a sign post to point to hidden defilement. Obtrusive religiousness, emphatic scrupulosity, are marks of pride and self-righteousness, utterly alien from real devotion and holiness.”

In verse 33, Jesus called them “Serpents, brood of vipers!”

John the Baptist had also had some strong words for the Pharisees: “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matthew 3:7).

We also know that the apostle Paul was a Pharisee, and he persecuted the early Christians before he was struck down by Christ, and he then became one of the giants of the New Testament.

There is little wonder that the Saviour of mankind was at odds with the religious people of His time, including and especially the Pharisees, and that they called for His death which was achieved by illegal means.

However, His death and the manner of His death did fulfil many prophecies in the Old Testament. This means that we have a Saviour who died in our place. The Saviour of mankind would be a sacrifice for our sin (Isaiah 53:5-12). In verse 12, we read: “Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide, the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.”

In Romans 5:6-11 where the sub-heading in the New King James Bible is “Christ in our place,” we read:

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

Once the Pharisees are resurrected in the Second Resurrection and are given the opportunity to repent, obtain forgiveness and accept Christ’s Sacrifice and Christ as their personal Saviour, they too may be able to enter the Kingdom of God.

However, when Jesus walked this earth as a human being, the Pharisees rejected Him and did not accept Him as their Saviour, because He did not behave and teach in accordance with their expectations and ideas. The other groups of the religious establishment were no different. In the next part of this series, we will be discussing the group of the Sadducees.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

The Keystone of the Kingdom / The Work We Do

On January 11, 2020, Frank Bruno will present the sermonette, titled, “The Keystone of the Kingdom,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “The Work We Do.”

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.

Imagine… No Hunger

by Phyllis Bourque

While traveling on the freeway on our way to church services one Sabbath, I noticed a delivery truck in the lane next to us with advertising painted on the side of the truck that read: “Imagine… no hunger.” Below and all around was painted a variety of beautiful fruits and vegetables, grains, nuts and meats. At the bottom was some wording that identified the truck as being a Food Share truck.

My mind instantly projected an array of imagery of starving peoples around the world, as well as the many global organizations who are engaged in efforts to end world hunger. Side-by-side, the imagery was not equal–there are far more hungry people in all countries than there are provisions for them at this time.

I thought about the many people who put forth time, effort, and money to distribute food to the hungry, both on a local and a global level. I don’t want to diminish the work they do, but in looking at the larger picture, I can easily see that not enough progress has been made to really END hunger.

While I am no expert on this subject, it has been my observation that there are too many variables and too many obstacles that prevent man from growing and distributing healthy food for everyone, obstacles such as dictatorial governments, wars, huge corporate “farming” and distribution practices, and the use of chemicals in the growing fields as well as in the animals we eat.

In other words, man’s ineffectiveness in ensuring no one goes hungry can be traced back to man not living by God’s instructions for right living.

How much different it will be when Christ returns and sets up His government and teaches mankind the right way of living. How satisfying it will be in the Millennium when people will grow their own healthy food or will buy from local farmers who produce healthy food.

Yes, I can imagine no hunger, but in a way that only God can provide.

This Week in the News

“Where Did All the Muslims Go?”

WorldNetDaily wrote on October 31:

“Die Welt [a highly respected German daily newspaper] is reporting that thousands of refugees have left their assigned accommodations. ‘They are simply not there anymore,’ the news outlet reports. Refugees disappear daily from the initial welcoming centers in Brandenburg without giving notice… Several hundred migrants have disappeared each week since the beginning of September without signing in, Ingo Decker, the spokesman of the Potsdam Ministry of the Interior, told Die Welt…

“According to official figures of the state government, more than 17,000 newcomers came into the country since early September. About 7,800 have been housed in cities and villages, about 2,700 people are still in the initial reception centers. That leaves at least 7,000 who have left…

“Paul McGuire, an analyst who has appeared on Fox News and the History Channel…, says the heavy influx of Muslim migrants almost assures there will be another terrorist attack at least as big as what happened in Paris earlier this year at the Charlie Hebdo newspaper office. He said sources in Germany tell him the majority of the nearly 1 million migrants who have streamed into the country are between 18 and 25…

“A large portion of Germany’s missing refugees had not been registered, nor had they applied for asylum, which is a recipe for chaos. The local authorities point out that they have no authority to hold people…”

Europe’s Migrant Crisis… It Will Only Get Worse

Daily Mail wrote on October 31:

“One million more people could flee war-torn Syria for Europe in a dramatic escalation of the migrant crisis, it was claimed yesterday. Turkey is expecting the worsening situation in the country to displace another two million people over the winter. And capital Ankara claimed that half of them were likely to head across its borders into Europe as a result of Russian air strikes in the region…

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has promised Turkey speedier talks on its aspirations to join the EU in exchange for it sealing its borders and halting the flow of migrants. Ukip leader Nigel Farage said: ‘David Cameron has been a cheerleader for Turkish accession to the EU for years. Now [President] Erdogan is blackmailing the EU, using the migrant crisis as his crowbar to prise open European taxpayers’ pockets.’

“He told the Daily Mail: ‘This new demand for 3billion euros annually is directed as much at the guilt-stricken governments of Europe as to his own people as a grubby election promise. Britain should have nothing to do with plans to salve Angela Merkel’s conscience, particularly when we can see the Erdogan government intensifying both its crackdown on the freedom of speech and in the prosecution of its war against the Kurds.’”

The Associated Press wrote on November 5:

“The European Union is predicting that 3 million migrants could arrive in the 28-nation bloc by the end of next year…”

The New York Times wrote on October 31:

“There are more displaced people and refugees now than at any other time in recorded history — 60 million in all — and they are on the march in numbers not seen since World War II. They are coming not just from Syria, but from an array of countries and regions, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Gaza, even Haiti, as well as any of a dozen or so nations in sub-Saharan and North Africa. They are unofficial ambassadors of failed states, unending wars, intractable conflicts.

“The most striking thing about the current migration crisis, however, is how much bigger it could still get… There are between six million and eight million people displaced in Syria, along with more than four million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan. Egypt’s five million or more Copts, the Middle East’s last remaining major Christian sect, are deeply worried about their future in an unstable and hostile country…

“While Yemenis have yet to abandon their homeland in substantial numbers, their plight is worsening daily amid wartime shortages of food and medicine and persistent bombardment by Saudi warplanes. Yemen is not much farther away from Europe than Eritrea, now the biggest source of African refugees, just across the Red Sea, and at some 25 million it is as populous as Afghanistan.

“Nor is it only the Middle East and North Africa that European leaders need to consider… in Nigeria, which already has double the population of Germany, 40 percent of people would emigrate to the West if they could. And the lesson of 2015 — for them and much of the world — is that they can…

“There are now some two million Iraqi refugees, many bound for Europe…”

For more information, please view our StandingWatch program, Germany’s Disastrous Migrant Crisis.”

Turkey’s Totalitarian Crackdown Against Freedom Continues

The EUObserver wrote on October 30:

“Almost a week after German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to Istanbul, Turkish police together with judiciary seized one of the country’s largest media groups [which]… was one of the few remaining critical voices in today’s Turkey, where 60-70% of the press is already controlled by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his cronies.

“The editor-in-chief of Bugun TV, Tarık Toros, managed to continue to broadcast for another 5 hours by locking himself up in the control room. He was then thrown out of the building, which he had run for the last 8 years, by police force. Both Toros and Erhan Basyurt, the editor-in-chief of Bugun daily were immediately sacked by the new so-called ‘trustees’, all from AKP ranks despite the law dictating that they should be neutral…

“Erdogan is a shrewd politician and master tactician. He calculates well and moves quickly when he deems the atmosphere is ripe. Being given red-carpet treatment in Brussels on 5 October to discuss how to stem the flow of refugees to Europe, Erdogan quickly realised that he was no more a pariah in Brussels…

“Erdogan rightly thought that the EU would simply shut up regarding his domestic actions and that he could get concessions from Brussels… as long as he promised Turkey’s help to rein in refugees. Unfortunate as it is, he was right.

“… Commission spokesperson Alexander Winterstein [said] about the EU’s reaction to the seizure of IPEK Media group…  ‘[W]e do not comment on internal developments’. He was in tune with his boss, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker…

“As Human Rights Watch (HRW) and many MEPs put it, the EU seems to betray… its own principles. HRW underlines that the EU is willing to soft-pedal Turkey’s abusive rights record in exchange for its cooperation in stopping asylum seekers and migrants.

“What is also very surprising is that Juncker is behind this… who, back in 1997 as the prime minister of Luxembourg, was strongly opposed to the idea of Turkey being declared a candidate country due to its poor human rights record…”

Politics is SUCH a corrupt and dirty business. It is high time that ALL politicians in EVERY country be replaced by Jesus Christ, which will happen when He returns to this earth to set up the RIGHTEOUS government of God. In the meantime, we will only hear of more and more corruption and betrayal of any “principles” by ALL leaders and potential leaders in this Satan-ruled evil world. To prove this point, see the next series of articles.

Erdogan Wins Decisively in Turkey

The Telegraph wrote on November 1:

“President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won a decisive victory in the Turkish parliamentary election, with his Justice and Development Party (AKP) winning a majority of seats and defeating the other three opposition parties.  With 98 per cent of the vote counted, the AKP had won 49.4 per cent and 316 seats in the 550 seat parliament, a far better performance than predicted by the polls…

“The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) had a surprisingly sharp fall in its vote from 13 per cent in the last election, which denied the AKP its majority, to bring it dangerously close to the 10 per cent threshold below which it would lose all its members of parliament. This would have left Turkey’s Kurdish minority, with its long history of confrontation with the state, without any effective parliamentary representation…

“In the wake of the AKP’s spectacular victory, it will be in a strong position to take control of all remaining levers of power: army, security services and media. Ever since it first formed a government in 2002, the AKP has been progressively eliminating all opponents in positions of authority in the secular Turkish state founded by Kemal Ataturk. Almost all the state and private media has already come under AKP control, which is one factor explaining its gain in votes. State television has given blanket coverage to Mr Erdogan and the AKP, while largely ignoring its opponents…

“Mr Erdogan will be strengthened by his new mandate to influence events in Syria. He has clearly not suffered in the minds of Turkish voters from his failure to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad… The past three years have also seen the rise of a de facto Syrian Kurdish state in north-east Syria controlled by a branch of the PKK. This has an army of some 25,000 fighters who act in close cooperation with the US air force, despite being repeatedly denounced by Mr Erdogan and Mr Davutoglu as ‘terrorists’. Mr Davutoglu has threatened a Turkish military response if the Syrian Kurds advance west of the Euphrates.

“Mr Erdogan is reported to have wished for direct Turkish military intervention in Syria in the past, but to have been restrained by the Turkish army. After this impressive endorsement by the 58 million electorate on an 86 per cent turn out, he may be better able to push for greater military engagement in Syria.”

Corrupt Turkish Government’s Cover-Up of Corruption Investigation

Newsmax wrote on November 3:

“The victory of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party this week is a blow to press freedoms and rule of law, Turkish opposition journalist Sevgi Akarcesme tells Newsmax TV. Appearing Tuesday on ‘The Hard Line,’ Akarcesme told host Ed Berliner she now fears for freedom as two of her editors already have been arrested and she has been sued over her tweets. ‘We are one of the remaining free, independent and critical newspapers in Turkey,’ Akarcesme said…

“Erdogan’s victory will make journalists an even bigger target, she said, because they are reporting on a two-year-old corruption case that hits him and members of his family. Police and judges have been jailed as well, including one judge who ordered a jailed journalist freed. ‘The government has done everything in its power to silence opposition media to cover up the corruption investigation,’ she said. ‘This is not a democratic country anymore.’”

For more information as to what will happen to Turkey in the very near future, please view our newest StandingWatch program, “What’s in Store for Totalitarian Turkey?”

“Please, White House, Call It Combat in Iraq and Syria”

The Huffington Post wrote on October 30:

“It boggles the mind that the White House, in announcing the deployment of more Special Operations to Syria, still insists on saying that they won’t have a ‘combat mission.’… The point is, unless the White House can guarantee that these troops will be far behind the wire, surrounded by vetted friends, and out of the reach of any enemy operations, there’s a good chance they’ll be in combat, with mortal consequences.

“In fact, just this past week Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler was killed during a raid to free hostages held by ISIS. He was one of the troops sent over there, also with no ‘combat mission.’ And yet, he was killed — in combat. ‘Of course he died in combat. That’s what happened,’ Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said last Wednesday. Finally, honesty! But, by Friday, Carter was singing a different tune. ‘It [Wheeler’s death] doesn’t represent assuming a combat role. It represents a continuation of our advise-and-assist mission,’ Carter said.

“That brings us to today’s announcement. ‘These forces do not have a combat mission,’ White House press secretary, Josh Earnest said throughout the announcement that the White House was sending additional troops…

“The White House needs to be honest, and needs to prepare Americans for the lives that very well may be lost in combat — if they truly believe that there is no other way to address the rise of ISIS than to deploy more U.S. troops… In the end, spinning military action at the outset almost always ends badly. The White House would be wise to remember that.”

The Guardian wrote on October 30:

“Administration officials were left squirming on Friday to explain how sending special forces to work alongside Syrian rebels fighting the Islamic State was compatible with Obama’s earlier promises not to ‘put boots on the ground’ in Syria or ‘engage in combat operations’ against Isis.”

The answer is clear: President Obama does not keep his promises. What else is new in this politically corrupt environment? The next article confirms this.

The Associated Press reported on October 31:

“U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says American special operations troops being sent to Syria will only fight Islamic State militants and won’t become involved in the long-running civil war. Kerry calls IS a threat to every nation and says U.S. policy is clear — the group must be defeated. Kerry isn’t ruling out a further U.S. escalation of the fight, saying he can’t predict the future.”

According to John Kerry, American troops WILL FIGHT in Syria. They WILL have a combat mission. So, in his idle attempt to “explain” President Obama’s decision, he is making matters worse by blatantly contradicting the official position which was expressed by the White House press secretary (see above).

Russian Airline Destroyed by ISIS?

JTA wrote on November 2:

“The Russian airplane that crashed in the Sinai was brought down by an ‘external force,’ according to the airline… The airline’s deputy director, Viktor Yung, said the crew appeared to have been disabled before the crash as well… ‘This explains why they didn’t attempt to contact air traffic and report the incident happening on board’…

“The officials appear to be alluding to a bomb or sabotage. All 224 people aboard the plane were killed in Saturday’s crash… The Sinai affiliate of the Islamic State claimed responsibility for bringing down the flight on Saturday, saying it was in retaliation for Russian airstrikes on rebels in Syria’s civil war…”

The Telegraph added on November 4 that the “state of [the badly burned] bodies suggests [a] mid-air explosion.” The Associated Press added on November 4 that the “British government says it is increasingly concerned that a Russian jet was brought down by a bomb and is suspending flights to and from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.”

Newsmax reported on November 4:

“Evidence now suggests that a bomb planted by the Islamic State (ISIS) militant group is the likely cause of last weekend’s crash of a Russian airliner over Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, U.S. and European security sources said on Wednesday… Robert Baer, a former CIA officer and author, told CNN that he thought a plastic explosive was a likely tool used by the terrorists. He said it would have been quite [easy] for the terrorist group to have the expertise to design such a device. He said the technology was widespread in Baghdad among insurgents during the Iraq war…”

Deutsche Welle added on November 5:

“A top UK official has said there was a ‘significant possibility’ an ‘Islamic State’ affiliate was behind the crash of a Russian passenger plane in Egypt…  a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters on Thursday that while Moscow ‘cannot rule out a single theory’ about the crash, he insisted that singling one out at this stage was merely speculation…

“The UK and Ireland have suspended all flights to and from the resort indefinitely pending a review of security. London has called an emergency cabinet meeting and is planning to evacuate its tourists from the resort. News agency AFP estimates about 20,000 Britons were currently there… Almost a million Britons visit Red Sea resorts each year.

Egyptian officials have stressed the need to wait for the results of an international investigation. Tourism is a key earner for Egypt. The country’s economy is struggling to recover from years of political conflict. The British acted ‘too soon,’ Hany Ramsay, deputy head of Sharm el-Sheikh’s airport told The Associated Press, adding that other countries might follow and suggesting that there may be political and commercial motives at play. ‘They want to hurt tourism and cause confusion,’ he added.”

Common Core and Islamic Propaganda in American Schools

Breitbart wrote on November 2:

“A mindset that has gradually led American parents to leave the education of their children — unchecked — to schools and elitists has spawned controversies such as the promotion of Islam in classrooms and the unpopular Common Core standards… Donna Hearne, former Reagan official in the U.S. Department of Education… tells Breitbart News that a look at the history of Common Core shows the reform is the latest effort by progressive elites to take decision-making about children away from parents and transfer it to government bureaucrats…

“Hearne says the controversial math and English standards reflect teaching that is not based on logic. ‘Children’s brains are no longer trained logically,’ she explains. ‘In math, traditionally we have laid down a knowledge base and then built on it until it becomes automatic. The same with grammar and English as traditional and classic education, but not so now.’…

“With regard to world history, Hearne says as far back as the1930s there was a movement to collect and write curricula that would be hostile to America. The Frankfurt School – which was the source of Critical Theory – was developed with the goal of advancing Marxist philosophy in Germany. Following the Nazi takeover, the Frankfurt School eventually moved to New York and Columbia University. ‘In the states that have seen more of an emphasis on Islam – students wearing the burqas and such – Islam is described as a “religion of peace” and there is limited study of the nation’s Judeo-Christian foundation,’ Hearne says…

“As a Breitbart News investigation recently revealed, the current seventh grade Social Studies standards… were adopted by the state and promote Islam at the same time they also tone down Christianity…

“CBN reported the Saudi government donated millions of dollars to Middle East Centers at universities that received the Title VI funds. Both the Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies Center and Georgetown University each received a $20 million donation from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal in 2005. The outcome is that through the U.S. taxpayer-funded Title VI university centers, Saudi-funded ‘lesson plans’ made their way into America’s K-12 classrooms. ‘Saudi donations to American universities should be seen in a much larger picture of Saudi promotion of a Saudi point of view,’ Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum in Philadelphia told CBN…”

Debt Without Ceiling

The Washington Examiner reported on November 3:

“The U.S. national debt jumped $339 billion on Monday, the same day President Obama signed into law legislation suspending the debt ceiling. That legislation allowed the government to borrow as much as it wants above the $18.1 trillion debt ceiling that had been in place. The website that reports the exact tally of the debt said the U.S. government owed $18.153 trillion last Friday, and said that number surged to $18.492 on Monday.”

Crazy!!!!

Ben Carson: “Pyramids Were Built by Joseph”

The Huffington Post reported on November 4:

“Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson once vocalized an odd theory about Egyptian history. According to a video unearthed by BuzzFeed on Wednesday, Carson posited in a 1998 commencement address at Andrews University that the pyramids in Egypt were used for grain storage rather than as tombs for ancient kings and queens. ‘My own personal theory is that Joseph built the pyramids to store grain,’ Carson said, referring to the Old Testament. ‘Now all the archeologists think that they were made for the pharaohs’ graves. But, you know, [something to store that grain] would have to be something awfully big, if you stop and think about it.’

“Carson appeared to be referencing the biblical figure of Joseph, who was sold into slavery in Egypt and later went on to advise the Egyptian pharaoh to store grain due to a coming famine. The famed neurosurgeon, who is currently the front-runner for the GOP nomination, added in the speech that he didn’t think aliens built the pyramids, as some conspiracy theorists have stated… Asked Wednesday by CBS News whether he still believed the pyramids were primarily used for grain storage, Carson said, ‘It’s still my belief, yes.'”

The Times of Israel wrote on November 4:

“Carson added [on CBS News]: ‘And when you look at the way that the pyramids are made, with many chambers that are hermetically sealed, they’d have to be that way for various reasons.’”

This is not an odd belief at all. In fact, it has been established, based on biblical and historical evidence, that at least the Cheops Pyramid WAS built by Joseph and Job.

Americans Are Becoming Less Religious

The Associated Press reported on November 3:

“Americans are becoming less religious, judging by such markers as church attendance, prayer and belief in God, and the trend is more pronounced among young adults, according to a poll released on Tuesday. The share of U.S. adults who say they believe in God, while still high compared with other advanced industrial countries, slipped to 89 percent in 2014 from 92 percent in 2007…

“The proportion of Americans who say they are ‘absolutely certain’ God exists fell even more, to 63 percent in 2014 from 71 percent in 2007…

“Younger people also are less likely to pray daily, at 39 percent… Young adults are also much less likely to attend religious services… Both the 2007 and 2014 studies surveyed more than 35,000 adults and had margins of error of less than 1 percentage point.”

American Jews Even Less Religious

JTA wrote on November 3:

“Compared with the last time Pew surveyed Americans about religion, in 2007, the percentage of Jews who said religion is very important to them grew from 31 percent to 35 percent. Similarly, the percentage who said they attend religious services weekly or more often grew from 16 percent to 19 percent; the proportion of Jews who said they read ‘scripture’ at least weekly grew from 14 percent to 17 percent, and the percentage of those who said they participate in prayer groups or religious study groups at least weekly grew from 11 percent to 16 percent…

“Jews think about the meaning and purpose of life less than American Christians or Muslims — 45 percent of Jews compared to 64 percent of Muslims, 61 percent of Protestants, 52 percent of Catholics and 59 percent of Buddhists…

“Eleven percent of Jews believe the Torah is the literal word of God…

“Forty percent of Jews say they believe in heaven… and 22 percent say they believe in hell… Seventy-nine percent of Jews believe other religions can also lead to eternal life — a higher proportion than among Christians (66 percent) or Muslims (65 percent)…

“While 90 percent of Muslims surveyed said they abjure pork and 67 percent of Hindus said they avoid beef, only 40 percent of Jews abstain from eating pork. Fifty-seven percent of Jews surveyed affirmed they eat pork…

“Acceptance of ‘homosexuality in society’ grew among all Americans between 2007 and 2014, from 50 percent to 62 percent, and among Jews from 79 percent to 81 percent. The religious groups least tolerant of homosexuality in society are Mormons (only 36 percent favor societal acceptance), Jehovah’s Witnesses (16 percent) and Protestant evangelicals (36 percent). Buddhists were the most accepting at 88 percent. Seventy-seven percent of Jews said they support same-sex marriage, compared to 53 percent of all Americans.”

These are some sad figures for American Jews.

Many Healthy People Die from Flu after Vaccination

Health Impact News wrote on October 30:

“Another flu death of an otherwise healthy person after receiving the flu vaccine has been reported in Wisconsin… 26-year-old Katherine McQuestion has died from flu complications, after she received the flu shot. Katherine was reportedly a newlywed, and was required to receive the flu shot as part of her employment…

“A review of the quarterly reports issued by the Department of Justice showing cases in which the government has paid out damages for vaccine injuries and deaths clearly shows that the majority of cases are awarded to flu vaccine victims… Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is the most common side effect and injury due to the flu vaccination. It is listed as a side effect with a warning in the flu vaccine package insert…

“Is not one death from the flu in a healthy individual after receiving the flu vaccination worthy of an investigation into the safety of flu vaccines, and the supposed science behind them? When multiple deaths occur, when health officials call it ‘rare’ after healthy individuals die from the flu after receiving the flu shot, does that not qualify as an ‘epidemic?’…

“Dr. Mark Geier explains…that the flu shot causes Guillain-Barré Syndrome, and that the flu shot is not very effective in preventing the flu. He also explains that the CDC [Center for Disease Control] does not follow the law for vaccines in requiring long-term safety testing for the influenza vaccine like they do with other vaccines, as it is impossible to test a vaccine that changes every year. So the flu vaccine is basically an experimental vaccine that they want to give out to 300 million people every year. There are also no studies showing the safety of giving the flu vaccine to the same person every single year…

“Dr. Geier goes on to explain that flu is ‘the wrong thing to vaccinate against’ because you have to keep re-vaccinating against it every year, unlike childhood infectious diseases, such as smallpox, that are only vaccinated for once…”

But the vast majority of gullible people, believing the government-sponsored propaganda of the mainstream left-wing media, have been influenced to conclude that flu vaccines are helpful or even necessary.

You Can’t Be Serious… “Why Trick-or-Treating Is Good for the Soul!”

In this most ridiculous article, which was published on October 30 by the Washington Post, Halloween celebrations were advocated, in spite of the fact that the evils associated with this immoral Satanic feast were clearly pointed out, although they were downplayed or wrongfully denied. The following was stated:

“Although we may not traditionally think of Halloween — with its ghouls and ghosts and toilet paper in the trees — as a night of hospitality, today it functions as one of the few times we really give to those we’ve never met and connect with people outside our network. We should do everything we can to celebrate it.

“Of course, Halloween has its critics. It’s deeply commercial: Americans spent $7.4 billion on it last year, more than any other holiday except Christmas. Adults have co-opted it as their own, as evidenced by the proliferation of the ‘sexy’ witch/devil/cat/pumpkin costumes that have turned the holiday into foreplay. And then there are the perennial warnings that it’s a pagan holiday, or, quite wrongly, satanic. But as far back as the Puritans, the religious right has been bad mouthing Halloween — not for its lack of churchiness but for having too much Catholic ritual about it: All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2) were two of the most important dates in the medieval Catholic calendar, and the hallowed eve of Oct. 31 marked the gateway to the two-day celebrations of the dead.

“… if you can’t do it for the sake of your immortal soul, do it for society. Prepare the candy feast. Throw your door wide. And welcome all to your home… Don’t speculate about what the holiday once was. Don’t complain about what it has become. Just keep it going. It may be our best defense against social isolation.”

One has to wonder whether the author can possibly be serious. This must truly be one of the most horrendously stultifying and stupefying articles ever written on the subject of Halloween. For more information about the Satanic character of Halloween, please view our StandingWatch program,Halloween—a Feast for the Devil?”

Update 682

Maintenance Free; The Fall of Satan; Offertory; Time to Heed

On April 4, 2015, we will observe the first Day of Unleavened Bread. Morning services from Woodburn, Oregon, will begin at 10:00 am Pacific Time. Joe Bourque will give the sermonette (“Maintenance Free”), and Rene Messier will present the sermon (“The Fall of Satan”). Afternoon services will be broadcast from Ft. Collins, Colorado, and will begin at 3:00 pm Mountain Time. Robb Harris will give the Offertory, and Dave Harris will present the sermon (“Time to Heed”).

The live services are available at http://eternalgod.org/live-services/. Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

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Taking it Personally

by Eric Rank

In my daily work I have the privilege of talking directly with my customers, for whom my team builds software. Occasionally, conversations I have will involve complaints about bugs or other problems that might be outside of my span of control. Those conversations typically include a disclaimer to “not take it personally,” meaning that they are frustrated about the problem, but not with me. In those kinds of situations it is acceptable to remove myself from the situation, and work on the problem exclusively. However, when we have sole responsibility and control over a situation, it is critical to take the opposite approach and take things personally.

With the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread upon us, we are instructed to actively judge ourselves. Anyone who has ever had to perform a self-evaluation for a job knows that it can be very challenging to be objective and in an unbiased way judge how well we are doing. Yet, the task is clear for a Christian, “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged” (1 Corinthians 11:31). This can only be accomplished by taking it personally.

What is most striking about this process is that it is definitively individual. Other people’s hasty and uninformed judgments about how well we are doing in our Christian life have no bearing on our individual examination of ourselves. Self-examination offers us an opportunity to remove all distraction from our thoughts, and honestly evaluate our personal relationship with God. This evaluation is between us and God. It is true that in certain situations it might be very advisable and sometimes even mandatory to seek counsel and guidance from a true minister of God to help us with our proper self-examination, as we sometimes might blind ourselves to the true facts and to our own heart, desires and motives. The inherent accountability involved in this process adds pressure to be correct and complete, but we may also be surprised to find that it can offer us a great deal of relief.

We can be relieved that we have an opportunity to be starkly honest with ourselves and with God about the behavior that we want to fix. We will only do ourselves a disservice if we choose to continue hiding our sin from exposure. Rather, by laying all our sin bare to ourselves and to God, we acknowledge our need for forgiveness. We have everything to gain and nothing to lose by confessing as many of our sins to God as we can find. Only then can we truly repent.

Of course, we know that we can hide nothing from God, so it is in our best interest to see ourselves as God sees us. This will help to expose the areas where we need to improve. As David reflects in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” It can certainly be challenging to see our sins, but God is there to help guide us into understanding.

The relationship that we have with God is personal. We must not allow anyone else to get in between our personal relationship with God. Now is the time when we have the opportunity to really make a change in our lives. As written in Lamentations 3:40-41, “Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the Lord; Let us lift our hearts and hands To God in heaven.”

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We begin with alarming news about worsening drought in California; report on persecution against Christians in Northern Ireland; present more of Hillary Clinton’s email saga; and include several articles which highlight events from Ukraine to the volatile changes taking place in the Arab world as the US and its allies struggle to contain Iran’s nuclear ambition.

We conclude with two articles pointing to President Obama’s role in betraying US support for the State of Israel and the historical counterparts he has seemingly adopted.

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California Drought Becoming Critical—Rationing Grows!

Reuters wrote on April 1:

“California Governor Jerry Brown, acting in the face of a devastating multiyear drought, ordered the first statewide mandatory water restrictions on Wednesday, directing cities and communities to reduce usage by 25 percent.

“The cutbacks, to be implemented by state and local water agencies, will affect consumers and businesses throughout the most populous U.S. state, but farmers, who are already making do with less water for irrigation, will be exempt.

“‘We’re standing on dry ground and we should be standing on five feet (1.5 metres) of snow,’ Brown said at a state snow monitoring station in the Sierra Nevada community of Phillips near Lake Tahoe, where dry grass lay limp on the ground.

“‘This is rationing,’ said Brown, a four-term Democrat whose two non-consecutive stints in office have coincided with two of the state’s worst droughts on record. ‘We’re just doing it through the different water districts.’

“The governor said the move, which comes as California reports its lowest snowpack levels on record, would save some 1.5 million acre-feet of water over the next nine months.

“Brown said he was ordering that 50 million square feet (4.6 million square metres) of lawns across the state be replaced with drought-tolerant landscaping and the creation of a consumer rebate program to replace old appliances with newer, more water-efficient models.

“Different parts of the state will have to reduce their water use more than others, because some have already cut way back, Brown said.

“Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of the state Water Resources Control Board, said regulators would not hesitate to issue fines of up to $10,000 per day to water districts that do not succeed in implementing the cutbacks.”

These dire circumstances are increasing for not just California but for the entire country. California’s food production is distributed nationwide, and the state’s economy will begin to erode without adequate water supplies. This is the very thing which God warned would happen to our people if we rebelled against Him!

Religious Persecution in Northern Ireland

NewsWithViews.com wrote on March 28:

“Every now and then, an unassuming character of quiet strength and integrity comes into the limelight, and the world once more watches the unjust, and uncalled for battle of good versus evil.

“Daniel McArthur, General Manager of Asher Baking Company, Northern Ireland, which is a small family business operating for 23 years, is one such man, who along with his family have become the latest target of inequality accusations, after the bakery politely turned down the commission of a wedding cake, when it was discovered it was ordered to bear the inscription ‘support gay marriage’.

“Mr McArthur, a committed Christian, has stated that they have declined other requests in the past, where customers wanted bad language or lewd images, decorating their cakes. However, on this occasion, when he declined to promote another contradictory statement to his faith, he promptly received a letter from the Equality Commission, stating they would be seeking compensation from him on the grounds of discrimination against the customer. He was ordered to pay damages within one week.

“He joins a growing number of people in the workplace who have all been hounded and persecuted, not for any attack they have made on another, but for quietly living according to their conscience. Many have lost their jobs.”

As it is so often the case in history, minorities who might have been persecuted in the past are now becoming persecutors.

The Dark Side of Germany’s Co-Pilot Murdering 149 Innocent People

Reuters reported on March 28:

“The co-pilot suspected of deliberately crashing a passenger plane in the French Alps told his girlfriend he was in psychiatric treatment, and that he was planning a spectacular gesture that everyone would remember, the German daily Bild reported on Saturday. The newspaper published an interview with a woman who said she had had a relationship in 2014 with Andreas Lubitz… ‘When I heard about the crash, I remembered a sentence, over and over again, that he said,’ the woman, a 26-year-old flight attendant… told Bild.

“‘“One day I’ll do something that will change the system, and then everyone will know my name and remember it.”… He did it because he realized that, due to his health problems, his big dream of working at Lufthansa, of a having job as a pilot, and as a pilot on long-distance flights, was nearly impossible… He never talked much about his illness, only that he was in psychiatric treatment,’ she told the paper, adding they finally broke up because she was afraid of him. ‘He would suddenly freak out in conversations and yell at me,’ she recalled. ‘At night he would wake up screaming “we are crashing” because he had nightmares. He could be good at hiding what was really going on inside him.’

“German authorities said on Friday they had found torn-up sick notes showing that the co-pilot was suffering from an illness that should have grounded him on the day of the tragedy. Germanwings, the budget airline of the flag carrier Lufthansa, has said he had not submitted any sick note at the time…”

According to Welt Online, Lubitz suffered from a severe psychosomatic illness, and investigators found several medications in his home. In addition, according to the New York Times, Lubitz “sought treatment for vision problems that may have jeopardized his ability to continue working as a pilot.”

Daily Mail added: “The disclosures will raise more questions for Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, as to how he was allowed to fly a passenger jet when he was known to suffer from depression – and to have suffered burnout and mental illness. Unusually, Lubitz’s file with the German Civil Aviation Authority had been ‘flagged’ with the warning that he needed regular psychological assessment before being allowed to continue to fly.”

It is indeed almost incomprehensible to believe that Germanwings and its parent company, Lufthansa, did not know or that they shouldn’t have known about Lubitz’s dangerous state of health.

Hillary Clinton’s Email Nightmare

The Associated Press reported on March 27:

“Hillary Clinton wiped her email server ‘clean,’ permanently deleting all emails from it, the chairman of a House committee investigating the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, said Friday. Rep. Trey Gowdy, a South Carolina Republican, said the former secretary of state has failed to produce a single new document in recent weeks and has refused to relinquish her server to a third party for an independent review, as Gowdy has requested…

“The Benghazi committee demanded further documents and access to the server after it was revealed that Clinton used a private email account and server during her tenure at State… Here is what the committee’s statement said: ‘… We learned today, from her attorney, Secretary Clinton unilaterally decided to wipe her server clean and permanently delete all emails from her personal server. While it is not clear precisely when Secretary Clinton decided to permanently delete all emails from her server, it appears she made the decision after October 28, 2014, when the Department of State for the first time asked the Secretary to return her public record to the Department.

“‘Not only was the Secretary the sole arbiter of what was a public record, she also summarily decided to delete all emails from her server, ensuring no one could check behind her analysis in the public interest…’”

Hillary Clinton is also in hot water—not only because former President Bill Clinton’s controversial history of having committed adultery and perjury under oath—but also because her son-in-law, Eaglevale’s hedge fund manager Marc Mezvinsky, has now been accused of having engaged in controversial business transactions, according to Bild Online, the New York Times, and the Washington Times, dated March 25.

The Washington Times wrote:

“The latest Clinton saga — this is from the scandal machine that keeps on giving — was revealed this week by The New York Times. Marc Mezvinsky, husband of Chelsea, has apparently used his inside track with his in-laws to attract investments to Eaglevale, the hedge fund he co-founded and manages. Several wealthy Wall Street friends of his mother-in-law, who have contributed to her presidential campaign, have become Mr. Mezvinsky’s investors, too.

“There’s apparently nothing jail-y or even unethical. So far. But it’s curious and maybe a conflict of interest when mother-in-law is running for president. It may be only the reckless gamble of a cocky young man…”

Politics is such a predictably dirty business. And political GOP candidates are known to “change their views,” when it is convenient for them, to gain more votes. Just listing two recent examples, Ted Cruz fought Obamacare, pledging to “kill” it, until now, when he signed up for it. Rand Paul has consistently advocated the decrease in military spending, until now, when he asked for an increase of 190 billion dollars. And so the list of flip-flopping candidates goes on and on…

Russia Threatens Nuclear Response

The Independent wrote on April 2:

“Russia has threatened to use ‘nuclear force’ to defend its annexation of Crimea and warned that the ‘same conditions’ that prompted it to take military action in Ukraine exist in the three Baltic states, all members of Nato.

“According to notes made by an American at a meeting between Russian generals and US officials – and seen by The Times newspaper – Moscow threatened a ‘spectrum of responses from nuclear to non-military’ if Nato moved more forces into Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

“The Russians told the meeting, which took place in Germany last month, that an attempt to return Crimea to Ukraine would be met ‘forcefully including through the use of nuclear force’.”

Russia’s continuing belligerence is receiving a much more attentive ear in Europe than in the U.S., and leaders in the European Union are being forced to respond by turning to their own resources for a much stronger home-grown military capability.

The Danger of Tactical Nuclear Weapons and NATO’S Nuclear-Armed Members

Hoover.org reported on March 25:

“A US government study recently concluded that a 10-kiloton nuclear bomb detonated by terrorists a few blocks north of the White House would kill 45,000 people and leave 323,000 wounded. That bomb would be less powerful than most tactical nuclear weapons (TNW) now sitting in European storage bunkers. What is even more alarming: TNW are smaller and more portable, making them inviting targets for terrorists.

“TNW were originally deployed by NATO and Russia during the Cold War to reduce risks—in this case, a war on the European continent. There has never been much transparency or regulation associated with these deployments. Neither NATO nor Russia provides information on their number or location throughout Europe. So NATO and Russian publics have little information with which to assess the risks or benefits associated with their continued deployment…

“In April 2010, General James E. Cartwright, who at the time was vice chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, made clear his view that these weapons do not serve a military function… former senator Sam Nunn wrote in 2011 that… TNW are more of a security risk than an asset to both NATO and Russia…

“While NATO as an international organization does not possess nuclear weapons, its claim to be a nuclear alliance is based on the willingness of its nuclear-armed members to make their own weapons available to NATO for deterrence and defense. All of the United Kingdom’s ­submarine-based nuclear weapons are formally assigned to NATO, except where the UK may decide that its supreme national interests are at stake. France’s nuclear weapons, while not assigned to NATO, ‘contribute to the overall deterrence and security of the Allies.’ (France is not a member of NATO’s nuclear structure.) While there is no formal consensus on the extent to which US nuclear forces are assigned to NATO, America’s TNW are often assumed to be; they have remained deployed in Europe under nuclear sharing arrangements with NATO members for decades…

“Data from various non-governmental sources indicate that the United States currently deploys somewhere between 150 and 240 air-delivered nuclear weapons (B61 gravity bombs) that are deliverable by NATO aircraft (F-15s, F-16s, and Tornados) at six air force bases in five countries…”

Ukraine in an Almost Impossible Situation

Business Insider wrote on March 27:

“Russia will not negotiate delaying repayment over its $3 billion (£2 billion) loan to Ukraine that is due in December… This leaves the Ukrainian government in an almost impossible situation — either try to change Russian minds, convince the IMF to shift the conditions of its already contentious bailout package (it is highly unusual to provide funds to countries undergoing a civil war), or seek to inflict even deeper losses on private bondholders.

“The $3 billion loan was negotiated in 2013 by the previous government under President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled the country following huge anti-government protests on the streets of the Ukrainian capital Kiev. It stipulated that Ukraine had to keep its national debt below 60% of its GDP — a condition that the country has clearly breached as a civil war has hammered state finances and driven the country into a deep recession.

“This has given Moscow the ability to recall the loan whenever it sees fit, acting as a sword of Damocles over the head of the authorities in Kiev.”

Putin Guilty of Hypocrisy, Saudi Arabia Says

Reuters wrote on March 29:

“Saudi Arabia accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of hypocrisy on Sunday, telling an Arab summit that he should not express support for the Middle East while fuelling instability by supporting Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. In a rare move, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced that a letter from Putin would be read out to the gathering in Egypt, where Arab leaders discussed an array of regional crises, including conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Libya…

“Relations between Saudi Arabia and Russia have been cool over Moscow’s support for Assad, whom Riyadh opposes. The civil war between Assad’s forces and rebels has cost more than 200,000 lives in four years… The Saudi rebuke may have been awkward for summit host Egypt, which depends heavily on billions of dollars in support from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab allies, but has also improved ties with Moscow.

“In February, Putin received a grand welcome in Egypt, signaling a rapprochement.”

Arabs Want to Form Joint Military Force

AFP wrote on March 29:

“Arab leaders agreed on Sunday to form a joint military force after a summit dominated by a Saudi-led offensive on Shiite rebels in Yemen and the threat from Islamist extremism. Arab representatives will meet over the next month to study the creation of the force and present their findings to defence ministers within four months, according to the resolution adopted by the leaders…

“The decision was mostly aimed at fighting jihadists who have overrun swathes of Iraq and Syria and secured a foothold in Libya, Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi said ahead of the summit. On Sunday, Arabi told the meeting the region was threatened by a ‘destructive’ force that threatened ‘ethnic and religious diversity’, in an apparent reference to the Islamic State group.”

The New York Times added on March 29:

“The Arab states said on Sunday that they had agreed to form a combined military force to counter both Iranian influence and Islamist extremism, a gesture many analysts attributed in large part to their drive for more independence from Washington.

“The agreement came as American and other Western diplomats in Lausanne, Switzerland, were racing to beat a self-imposed deadline of Tuesday to reach a deal with Iran that would restrict its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of economic sanctions. In response, Saudi Arabia and other American allies in the region have made clear that they are seeking to bolster independent regional security measures because they see the proposed accord as a betrayal of Washington’s commitment to their security.

“Regardless of Iran’s nuclear program, they complain, the deal would do nothing to stop Iran from seeking to extend its influence around the region by backing favored factions, as it has done in Lebanon, Iraq, Bahrain and Yemen.

“Many of the Arab states, including Egypt, Jordan and most of the Gulf monarchies, have thrown their support behind a Saudi Arabia-led campaign of airstrikes to counter advances by the Iranian-backed Houthi movement in Yemen; Washington is providing only intelligence and logistical support, but Saudi Arabia is leading the bombing while Egypt, with the largest Arab army, has pledged to send ground troops ‘if necessary’…”

Nuclear Agreement With Iran “Worse Than Feared”

Thomson/Reuters wrote on March 29:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned on Sunday the framework Iranian nuclear agreement being sought by international negotiators, saying it was even worse than his country had feared. Israel has mounted what it terms an ‘uphill battle’ against an agreement that might ease sanctions on the Iranians while leaving them with a nuclear infrastructure with bomb-making potential. Tehran says its nuclear program is peaceful.”

AFP added:

“[Netanyahu] said the ‘Iran-Lausanne-Yemen axis’ was ‘dangerous for all of humanity’ and that combined with Tehran’s regional influence, a nuclear deal could allow Iran to ‘conquer’ the Middle East.”

An Arab joint military force (without and in defense against Iran) might prevent any (further) Iranian occupation of the Middle East. At the same time, American foreign policy is almost too incomprehensible and inconsistent as to make any sense. While America tries to strike a deal with Iran, it supports the fight against Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen, while supporting the fight against Iranian-opposed Sunni radicals (IS) while supporting both Sunni and Shiite rebels against Syria’s Assad, while antagonizing Israel…

Washington Lacks Sympathy For Its Partners and Friends

Foreign Policy wrote on March 30:

“As a March 31 deadline looms in the negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, the United States and France, two strong allies, have found themselves increasingly at odds, at times quite publicly. While the White House has been pushing hard for consensus on the framework for a deal ahead of the deadline, Paris has been pushing back…

“Relations between Paris and Washington have been tainted with suspicion ever since Syria used chemical weapons in August 2013 and Obama failed to enforce his ‘red line.’…

“Paris is in good company, alongside many of Washington’s traditional allies in the region, including the Gulf states, Israel, and Turkey, which have all felt shunted aside in the interest of reconciliation with Iran…

“Behind the Iran nuclear talks hovers the question of the future and shape of American power and leadership. For a decade, European countries have worked on trying to rein in Iran’s nuclear program. France, like the other countries, has taken an economic hit in this effort, thanks to the sanctions regime. Now the view from Paris is of a Washington that seems to lack empathy and trust for its longtime friends and partners — more interested in making nice with Iran than looking out for its old allies.”

April Fool’s Day Deal with Iran?

Reuters wrote on April 1:

“Six world powers and Iran will meet again later on Wednesday in a bid to reach an outline accord reining in Tehran’s nuclear programme, after failing to agree [on] crucial details such as the lifting of U.N. sanctions by a Tuesday deadline.

“The negotiators ended talks in the Swiss city of Lausanne in the early hours of Wednesday and said they would reconvene later in the day, with Iran and Russia expressing optimism that an initial agreement was within reach…

“With Iran asserting its ‘nuclear rights’ and the United States threatening on Tuesday to abandon the negotiations, the talks have been bogged down on the issues of nuclear research, the lifting of U.N. sanctions and their restoration if Iran breaches the agreement.

“Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said negotiators had reached a general accord on ‘all key aspects’, according to Russia’s TASS news agency, while his Iranian counterpart said a draft agreement could be prepared on Wednesday.

“But a diplomat close to the talks denied that such an agreement had been reached…”

Controversial Deal With Iran Reached

The Associated Press reported on April 2:

“After marathon negotiations, the United States, Iran and five other world powers announced an agreement Thursday outlining limits on Iran’s nuclear program to block it from developing atomic weapons and directing negotiators toward a final accord this summer.

“The United States and Iran each hailed the framework, reached by weary but upbeat diplomats after a week of intense diplomacy in Switzerland that capped 18 months of negotiations. Speaking from the White House, President Barack Obama called it a ‘good deal’ that would address concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“Crucially for the Iranians, it also would provide them broad relief over time from international sanctions that have crippled their economy. Still, critics in both nations as well as wary U.S. allies Israel and Saudi Arabia were likely to oppose the ‘plan of action’ because of concessions allowing Iran to maintain significant elements of a program that could be used to produce either energy or nuclear arms…

“Negotiators from the nations involved — including Russia and China — will now start writing the text of a final accord…”

Iran Deal Complete Capitulation of the West

Breitbart wrote on April 3:

“The P5+1 powers have, as expected, reached a ‘framework agreement’ on a nuclear deal with Iran. And, as suspected, the agreement allows Iran to retain its enrichment facility at an underground bunker. It also allows Iran to maintain a small amount of enriched uranium, and will offer the regime sanctions relief as soon as it can show it is keeping its end of the bargain…

“The deal is a near-complete capitulation by President Barack Obama… Obama taunted his critics, saying that a deal was surely better than war, which he suggested was the only alternative.

“But the question at stake is not whether there will be war with Iran. There already is. Iran’s Houthi proxies ousted a government in Yemen that had provided the most important foundation for Obama’s policy of attacking Al Qaeda terrorists who threaten the United States. The Iranians are also propping up Bashar al-Assad in Syria, whom the Obama administration is at least theoretically committed to deposing. And though it is fighting ISIS in Iraq, Iran is taking over what the U.S. once defended.

“The question, simply, is not whether there will be war, but whether Iran will be able to obtain a nuclear weapon. And while President Obama promised Thursday that the framework agreement closes off all paths to a bomb, that is simply not true. Iran maintains a significant amount of control over international inspections. It has been forgiven for its past cheating, and allowed to maintain significant nuclear assets. And it may have other secret nuclear facilities, including military ones yet unknown.

“The negotiations took place as if in a vacuum, separate from the role Iran is playing in the region—as if its ongoing “non-negotiable” pledges to destroy Israel did not matter, as if Iran were not supervising the slaughter of innocents in Syria, or trying to bomb an embassy in Uruguay….

“There is only one way to close off Iran’s path to a bomb, and that is to depose the regime. The region wants them gone. The Iranian people want them gone. And the mullahs nearly were gone, six years ago. But Obama preserved them by refusing to intervene on behalf of the pro-democracy movement. He preserved the Ayatollahs for this moment, for the gesture of a grand bargain….”

“Obama’s Revenge”—“US Declassifies Report Detailing Israel’s Nuke Program”

Newsmax reported on March 26:

The U.S. government has chosen to declassify a top secret document that pulls the lid off Israel’s nuclear weapons program… It is believed to be the first time the U.S. has publicly acknowledged Israel has nuclear arms. The 386-page document provides a detailed breakdown of how Israel developed nuclear weapons in the 1970s and 1980s.

“Israel is ‘developing the kind of codes which will enable them to make hydrogen bombs…’ reads the report… [saying that] Israel was ‘reaching the ability to create bombs considered a thousand times more powerful than atom bombs’ in the 1980s.

“The document also says Israel’s nuclear research laboratories ‘are equivalent to [the United States’] Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore and Oak Ridge National Laboratories.’ ‘As far as nuclear technology is concerned the Israelis are roughly where the U.S. was in the fission weapon field in about 1955 to 1960,’ reads the document…

“In the section about Israel, the report details the nation’s several weapons programs, complete with charts and pictures that depict weapons systems. The report was written by the Institute for Defense Analysis, an agency working in tandem with the Pentagon.”

Obama a Modern Haman and Chamberlain?

The Jerusalem Post wrote on March 29:

“Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, chief rabbi of Efrat, on Saturday night compared US President Barack Obama to Haman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Mordechai. Speaking at the Jerusalem Great Synagogue, the American-born Riskin said that he could not understand what was going through Obama’s mind. ‘The president of the United States is lashing out at Israel just like Haman lashed out at the Jews,’ he said… Just as Mordechai was focused on saving the Jews of Persia from destruction, he said, so Netanyahu is focused on saving Israel and the world from destruction…

“Riskin drew an analogy between the conquest of Babylonia by ancient Persia and the armed conflict between Iran and Iraq. In relation to Iran, he said that the only difference between Iran and the Islamic State was who would be using power to control the world…

“Riskin was not the only prominent rabbi to criticize Obama over the weekend for his diplomatic policies. The World Values Network, founded and run by American rabbi and public figure Shmuley Boteach, took out a full page advertisement in The New York Times on Saturday comparing the deal being drawn up with Iran on its nuclear project to the Munich Agreement signed in 1938 by British prime minister Neville Chamberlain with Adolf Hitler, widely seen as an act of appeasement that emboldened the Nazi leader.

“The Times ad bore a picture of a pensive-looking Obama with an inset picture of Chamberlain holding aloft a copy of the Munich Agreement that he infamously declared to represent ‘peace for our time,’ just 11 months before Hitler ordered the invasion of Poland marking the beginning of the World War II.

“The ad described Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a ‘terror overlord’ and a ‘Hitler-wannabe,’ and said that the deal being discussed with Iran would ‘enable the world’s foremost sponsor of terror to become a nuclear power.’

“It called on Obama to demand that Khamenei personally and publicly repudiate his threats against Israel, that Iran cease support for terrorist groups and for the US president not to approve a deal that ‘allows the potentially catastrophic one-year-weapons-breakout period, which endangers Israel, the Middle East, America and the world.’”

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On What Day of the Week Did Jesus Die?

The Bible provides an irrefutable answer, but practices of the majority of professing Christians regarding the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are clouded by misunderstandings and false teachings—especially concerning knowledge of what day of the week Jesus Christ died!

To begin, consider what Jesus said of His purpose:

“‘Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled’” (Matthew 5:17-18).

A part of what Jesus Christ fulfilled, that is, completed in God’s plan, was to die for the sins of mankind. Paul taught this as a foundational truth in the message he proclaimed:

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are (being) saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you–unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures…” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

Likewise, Peter’s message to the household of Cornelius included facts about the death and resurrection of Jesus—including specific mention of when God restored life to Jesus:

“And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:39-43).

It is important for us to understand how the three days and three nights fulfill a part in the plan of God, and Jesus emphasized this during His ministry:

“Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, ‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.’ But He answered and said to them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth’” (Matthew 12:38-40).

In another instance, Jesus specifically told His disciples that He would be killed and then be resurrected:

“‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again’” (Mark 10:33-34).

Following His resurrection, Jesus reminded His disciples of the things He had been teaching them about what would happen to Him—all of which had been prophesied before:

“Then He said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.’ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. 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…’” (Luke 24:44-46).

Up to this point, then, we can establish that Jesus was dead for three days and three nights. The time of the year in which Jesus died is clearly indicated, as well, for it was during the spring Holy Days of God on the Passover, Nisan 14. The 12th chapter of Exodus records God’s instructions to Israel for keeping the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, and these Holy Days were kept in Judah during Christ’s time (compare, Leviticus 23).

Jesus kept the Passover on the same day in which He was killed—that is, Passover was observed after sundown—the actual way “days” are described as beginning in the Bible (compare Genesis 1; Exodus 12:6). Regarding what constitutes a day, Jesus stated that the daylight portion is 12 hours long (John 11:9). That would leave another 12 hour period to describe the dark period of a 24 hour day. His point here was that of walking in the light and not darkness, but we can also gather an important reference to apply to the kind of day and night spoken of for His time in the tomb.

After the Passover, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives and was arrested during that night. What followed was His appearance before the Jewish leaders, then Pilate, the Roman governor, as well as Herod. Finally, in mid-afternoon, Jesus died:

“Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which is translated, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’… And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last” (Mark 15:33-34; 37).

What happened later on during the final daylight portion of this Passover is relevant to our learning what day of the week it was that these things took place:

“Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb” (Mark 15:42-46).

Note that this day was also called a “Preparation Day,” and Leviticus 23, verses 6-8, shows that on the first and last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread a “holy convocation” is to be observed. The “Preparation Day” mentioned here was for the first Holy Day of Unleavened Bread.

Jesus mentioned several times that He would rise on the third day following His death—even the Jewish leaders were mindful that Jesus had said this:

“On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, ‘Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, “After three days I will rise.” Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, He has risen from the dead.” So the last deception will be worse than the first.’ Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how’” (Matthew 27:62-66).

Note carefully that the weekly Sabbath also fell during the three days and three nights during which Jesus lay in the tomb. Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12 and John 20:1-18 are accounts of events immediately following the resurrection of Jesus—all occurring after the end of the weekly Sabbath—the first day of the week (Sunday), but remember that the new day began with the sunset of the previous day. Jesus was not in the tomb, for God the Father had restored Him to life at the conclusion of the three days and three nights, which coincided with the end of the Sabbath Day.

Even the angels who met with some of Jesus’ disciples at the tomb had to remind them:

“And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”’ And they remembered His words. Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest” (Luke 24:4-9).

Therefore, if we simply count back three days and three nights (using the biblical example of how days are determined), we come to Nisan 14, the Passover day, and this has to be a Wednesday! Jesus died during the mid-afternoon of Wednesday; He was placed in the tomb as a Holy Day, the First Day of Unleavened Bread, began; after three days and three nights in the tomb (Thursday, Friday and Saturday), Jesus was resurrected just before the first day of the week began (Sunday).

Here is another important proof of the time-frame presented in this Q&A. In Leviticus 23 we are given instructions concerning a very special offering which was to be presented during the Days of Unleavened Bread:

“‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: “When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it”’” (Leviticus 23:10-11).

Note what Jesus said to Mary on that Sunday following His resurrection after the weekly Sabbath ended:

“Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God”’” (John 20:17).

Jesus Christ is the first of the firstfruits of God (compare 1 Corinthians 15:20). He alone fulfilled the wave sheaf offering to God. Also, Paul spoke of Jesus as being our sacrificial “Passover” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

We have prepared several booklets which deal with the Holy Days of God and present further convincing proofs that Christians are to keep these Feast Days—just as Jesus Christ did and as His faithful servants have continued to do. Please visit our website for further information.

Lead Writer, Dave Harris

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

Norbert Link and Michael Link arrived safely in Germany earlier this week. They will conduct Passover services and observe the Days of Unleavened Bread during their visit.

The sermonette, “How Much Is Enough?” presented by Kalon Mitchell, and the sermon, “My Candidate is Not Standing,” presented by Brian Gale are now posted. These are messages from last Sabbath, March 28, 2015.

We have notified attendees for the US Feast of Tabernacles, to be held in Pismo Beach, California, that final confirmation of their reservations should now be made. If you are interested in attending the Feast with us, please contact us for further information.

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How This Work is Financed

This Update is an official publication by the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God in the United States of America; the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada; and the Global Church of God in the United Kingdom.

Editorial Team: Norbert Link, Dave Harris, Rene Messier, Brian Gale, Johanna Link, Eric Rank, Michael Link, Anna Link, Kalon Mitchell, Manuela Mitchell, Dawn Thompson

Technical Team: Eric Rank, Shana Rank

Our activities and literature, including booklets, weekly updates, sermons on CD are provided free of charge. They are made possible by the tithes, offerings and contributions of Church members and others who have elected to support this Work.

While we do not solicit the general public for funds, contributions are gratefully welcomed and are tax-deductible in the U.S. and Canada.

Donations can be sent to the following addresses:

United States: Church of the Eternal God, P.O. Box 270519, San Diego, CA 92198

Canada: Church of God, ACF, Box 1480, Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z0

United Kingdom: Global Church of God, PO Box 44, MABLETHORPE, LN12 9AN, United Kingdom

Ferris Wheel

by Shana Rank

This past weekend, at the Del Mar county fair, I had the opportunity to ride a very large ferris wheel. The perspective from the top of this is pretty incredible! To my left was the Pacific Ocean, and to my right was a sea of thousands of people, moving through walkways at the fair.

This was exactly the kind of perspective I needed–instead of focusing on my day, and often times my life under a microscope; this high up–and far back view gave me more clarity for the world around me. Riding this ferris wheel was a great reminder to take a few steps back when life gets too serious. I was also struck by the thought of God’s perfect view from up high, and His ability to look down on His creation–now that is an awesome example of perspective!

Would you please explain 1 Corinthians 5:11?

The passage reads: “But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner — not even to eat with such a person.”

It is important to see the context of that passage. Paul had explained, beginning in verse 1, that he had received reports that there was sexual immorality among the local church members — such a terrible perversion, “as is not even named among the Gentiles–that a man has his father’s wife.” Whether this intimate sexual relationship was between mother and son, or stepmother and son, is debatable. Paul continued in verse 2: “And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.” They were actually “glorying” about this evil conduct (verse 6), feeling that they needed to be so tolerant and liberal with the law of God that this man’s public action was acceptable in God’s Church. But Paul concluded in verse 13: “Therefore ‘put away from yourselves the evil person.'”

From the second letter to the Corinthians, we know that the members followed Paul’s instruction, and that the evildoer was disfellowshipped. But now, Paul had to address a different problem–that of an unwillingness of the local members to forgive the evildoer. Paul states in 2 Corinthians 2:6-11:

“This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him… Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

As we pointed out before, forgiveness requires repentance. The Nelson Study Bible comments: “Punishment… is a reference to the church discipline Paul had instructed the Corinthians to use on the person… It was tough love, but it worked. The man repented… The purpose of church discipline is repentance and restoration. Forgiveness should always follow the correction.”

How did Paul know that the person had repented? There is no indication that he actually talked to the person — we might assume that perhaps reports reached him about the person’s changed conduct. But how could he know that these reports were accurate? It appears that Paul was willing to give the benefit of the doubt. He was willing to err on the side of mercy, and that “for your sakes” — the sakes of the local Church members. Apparently, they did not want to forgive, so Paul gave them an example to follow his lead.

He stated that the brethren were to “reaffirm” their love to the sinning member. As the Broadman Bible Commentary points out, “it is presumed that the Corinthians had not ceased to love the sinful member, either in his offense or in their infliction of discipline upon him. Yet… it was desirable that the man should know without doubt the continued love of the fellowship for him.”

It is true that Paul was saying that as long as someone calling himself a brother continued in the PRACTICE of sexual immorality, idolatry, or covetousness, among others, [including, by extension, of causing division contrary to the doctrine of God, compare Romans 16:17], they should not fellowship with such a person. In other words, “the Corinthians were not to have fellowship with those who claimed to be Christians but whose lives were dominated by sin” (The Nelson Study Bible).

But Paul was not saying that we must avoid the person until he or she expresses to us his or her repentance, by saying the magic words, “I’m sorry for what I have done. I repent. Please, forgive me.” Although this would be the most desirable and clear course of action, some have just not the personality to express their repentance in such a way. They might rather show their repentance through acts of kindness — perhaps through invitations to a dinner or to a movie, or to some other social activity. Many times, repentance can be seen in the conduct of the person — in deeds, rather than in words. When the father saw the prodigal son returning to his house, he ran toward him and embraced him. At that moment in time, the son had not yet expressed his remorse. But it was sufficient for the father to see that he was coming back.

The Broadman Bible Commentary correctly explains: “… if the man were treated too harshly… he might be lost to the community and to faith. As in converting men from sin, so in restoring the erring church member, God’s people need the Holy Spirit’s guidance and help to take wise and right actions.”

This includes, not holding grudges against anyone, and not hating the person. We might think that we are not guilty of either, but again, our actions might speak louder than our words and even our thoughts. When someone who has offended us writes us a card, or tries to call us, this must be sufficient for us to be willing to work toward reconciliation. In fact, we may and should not even have to wait for the other party to take the first step. But, if we don’t have a forgiving attitude all along, we might not be willing to respond quickly, or at all, to an offender’s first step toward reconciliation (even if it was in the form of a card or a phone call), as we are unwilling to forgive that person “that easily.” But then, how can we say at the same time that we don’t harbor any grudges in our hearts against such a person?

God tells us that we have to become peacemakers. We have to seek peace and pursue it. That means, if it is at all reasonably possible, it behooves us to initiate the first contact by writing a card or a letter, or trying to call the person.

Paul did not say, in 1 Corinthians 5:11, that we are not to eat with a person who engaged in sinful conduct in the past. He is only addressing a person who is CONTINUING IN THE PRACTICE of the same. If a person who committed a sin toward us in the past, contacts us in an attempt to reconcile, we have a duty to respond to such a request. We cannot say that Paul is instructing us not to have anything to do with such a person or to eat with him; therefore, we just have to ignore his advances.

Just the opposite is correct! As true Christians, we have a duty, as much as depends on us, to make and maintain peace with everyone. God’s ministers are even to look after the lost sheep; what greater responsibility would fall on the ministry to respond to an attempt by a disfellowshipped person to gain access to his former fellowship?

What Paul was instructing the members of the Corinthian Church was of course in accordance with what Jesus taught! For instance, Jesus said: “‘…love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you'” (Matthew 5:44). Paul, in quoting Proverbs 25:21-22, stated this about those who stand in opposition to us–that is, our enemies: “‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink…'” (Romans 12:20). Paul continues (in the same verse): “‘For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.'”

The emphasis is for the righteous to do what is right–to set the example of showing the sincere love that emanates from God, and it is this love that God continues to maintain as He brings all of us to “…a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). Whether or not even a brother makes himself an “enemy” through actions that are clearly in opposition to God, we still must be, as God is, readily entreatable for reconciliation when the true possibility presents itself.

But how can we know that the sinning brother has actually repented, so that we can socialize with him? The answer is, we meet with him to find out. That includes, eating with him. So we see, Paul, in taking all the Scriptures together, is actually saying the exact opposite from what some people think.

When we have a meeting with such a person, we had better show love, mercy and compassion. We are told that love covers a multitude of sins and that mercy triumphs over judgment. We are also told that we ourselves will be judged without mercy, when we judge without mercy– and when we speak evil of our brother (or think evil of him in our hearts), we are actually judging the law of God (James 4:11-12). James asks us who we think we are, that we judge our brother — including, perhaps, wondering about the sincerity of his repentance?

When the prodigal son returned, his older brother was not willing to receive him back. He was angry and had grudges in his heart toward his younger brother, who had lived in sin, while he had lived a right life. Now, he did not want to make it that easy for his younger brother — he wanted him to pay first for his sinful life, to go through some penance. But his father told him: “It was right that we should make merry and be glad” (Luke 15:32).

Let us be very careful that we do not withhold mercy and forgiveness where it is due, because if we are unwilling to forgive others their trespasses, God won’t forgive us our trespasses, either. And when we judge too harshly and severely regarding whether or not the offender has really repented, let us also keep in mind that God might judge us equally harshly, then, regarding whether or not WE have really repented of our sins. If we need to err, let us err on the side of mercy and forgiveness.

©2025 Church of the Eternal God
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