Update 1201

On March 28, 2026, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “Not One Cubit” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Are We Guilty of Transgression?”

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.

Please NOTE: We will not publish the Update again until April 17, 2026, due to observance of the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread. We will conduct live services during that time, and further information can be found at: www.eternalgod.org

Over the last few weeks, my youngest son has been playing soccer with a team. They practice twice a week and then usually have games on Sundays. As with any team, when you first put them together, it is challenging as everyone finds their place and starts to understand strengths and weaknesses. As a parent on the sideline, it can be quite frustrating at times to watch their games and not comment out loud on how they could be doing something different or better. Occasionally, I have yelled out to my son to push harder or change positions, even though this is discouraged. 

When I take a step back and think about our lives as Christians, I can draw parallels between me watching these games and how God the Father and Jesus Christ watch us living our lives here now on this earth. I wonder how many times they are cheering from the sidelines, or groaning inwardly at our awkward attempts and failures. The Bible very clearly tells us that God is always watching our lives (Hebrews 4:13; Proverbs 15:3). 

As we continue in this life, we are each growing and being tested and tried to show that we are worthy; that we can persevere and overcome those trials which we each face.

As we are approaching the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread, our minds and our thoughts should be turning more inwards and reflective, contemplating just how we are matching up to what we proclaim to be true. In 1 Corinthians 11:27-28, Paul reiterates for us that we should be examining ourselves – seeing where we fall short and where we are winning.  

When we do this examination properly, God is pleased with us because He sees our effort. He understands that we are continuing on and we are attempting to remain as true Christians. Psalm 103:13-14 reminds us that He knows who and what we are: “As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.”

When a parent yells for his child to do better on the sidelines, it’s a sad attempt at control. It produces nothing good or useful. In similar fashion, the Bible shows that God is not distant from us in this process. In fact, we are told that “the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth…” (2 Chronicles 16:9). He is watching, not just to observe, but to strengthen, to guide, and to help us grow.

The kids practice twice a week, working with their coach on things that they can do better. Oftentimes, the games reveal weaknesses that need tweaking and practice.

Similarly, we live from moment to moment, either including God in our ways or not. Paul encouraged the Christians at his time to keep trying, keep pushing, even IF it was challenging at times. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:24–25: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.”

When we think about our lives in this manner, all of the sudden, the game changes. It’s not simply a loss or win scenario; rather, we are playing for our eternal lives. God wants us to win. He will do everything in His power to help us to do so. We must be willing participants in this regard, though. We have to want this victory more than anything and in turn do everything required to win. When Jacob wrestled with Christ, he would not let Him go until he received a blessing from Christ, showing his serious desire to win. 

Paul was constantly encouraging the churches he was writing to, to push harder, to do more, and to overcome more. We should develop or have the same attitude and mindfulness as we prepare to participate in the Passover ceremony. Let’s note what Paul says in Philippians 2:12–13: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” This is such a powerful Scripture for us—we strive, we attempt, we push, and God empowers us to do so. He gives us strength to overcome and to grow. 

God is never far away from us. God is always willing to listen and waiting for us to come to Him and to turn our lives in every way back to Him (Lamentations 3:40-41). 

So, as I continue to sit on the sidelines and watch my son play, I’m reminded that growth doesn’t happen all at once. It comes through practice, through mistakes, through correction, and through persistence.

And in much the same way, our Christian lives are about striving for perfection, day by day. As we approach the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, let’s take that examination seriously. Let’s look honestly at where we need to grow, where we need to push harder, and where we need to let God work more fully in us. We have to be careful here, though. It is easy to get caught up in the looking and the realization of our shortcomings; it is another to actually make the necessary changes to improve and grow. James 1:22-25 warns us to “…be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

We are striving for an imperishable crown, eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Nothing can compare with that. When we think about this, when we meditate on it, when we let it fill us up and overtake our entire lives, then we will make real, tangible progress. 

As we move forward from this point to the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, let’s not just recognize where we need to change, but actually commit to and practice it. Let’s put in the effort, the practice and the repetition. Just like those kids on the field, improvement doesn’t come from simply knowing what to do; it comes from doing it, again and again.

Let’s each respond with this determination. Let’s push harder. Let’s strive more. Let’s refuse to give up. This isn’t just a game; we are fighting for our eternal life.

By Norbert Link 

The Iran war intensifies, with no real end in sight, Trump’s lip service to the contrary notwithstanding. The USA and Israel have different goals, and Europeans have declared, so far, that they will not get involved militarily, even though Keith Starmer, “the mother of all U-Turns,” changed his position to let the US use British bases to strike Iranian sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz. So far, Friedrich Merz stays strong, but for how long? Germany simply lacks a decisive, true and forceful leader. Still, the current world situation is described as mirroring devastating events prior to World War II. 

Iran surprised the world when it allegedly struck a ballistic missile on a British military base more than 2,300 miles away, placing major European cities such as Berlin, London and Paris in danger. Speculations run rampant that Trump will order boots on the ground. 

America’s intelligence service disagrees with Trump that Iran posed an imminent threat; the resignation of Joe Kent has rattled MAGA; and news broke that Denmark and European allies did in fact prepare for war with the USA over Greenland. We are also being told that the USA is indeed contemplating invading Cuba.

We are publishing several editorials taking different approaches as to whether Germany should or should not become militarily engaged in the Iran War; and we speak on Robert Mueller’s death and Trump’s shameful and disgusting reaction.

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Germany and Europe Prepare for War With USA.”

Iran War Intensifies and Escalates 

The Telegraph wrote on March 19: 

“Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field, the world’s largest, on Wednesday, in an attack Donald Trump said he ‘knew nothing about’. [Israel claims Trump knew about it ahead of time, and Israel’s attack was “coordinated” with the USA, compare Reuters, dated March 19. Subsequently, Israel said they had NOT informed the USA beforehand]. In retaliation, Tehran launched a series of strikes that damaged a gas plant in Qatar, hit a refinery in Saudi Arabia, forced the United Arab Emirates to shut gas facilities and caused fires at two Kuwaiti refineries.

“The latest escalation, which has sent gas and oil prices soaring, has exposed diverging aims between Israel and the US in the nearly three-week-old conflict… Israel’s interest, therefore, is in regime change, and failing that, leaving Iran in ruins. US interests are of course entirely different. It wants friends in the Gulf. It needs their oil for world markets, their shipping lanes and their capital for inward investment. Without stability in the region, global markets and economies will ultimately crash, and the US economy will go with it. 

“Pete Hegseth… addressed a report that the Pentagon had requested more than $200bn in additional funding from Congress to pay for the conflict [This would be tantamount to Congress declaring war or approving of it, prompting many questions from Congress.] … Military aims in Iran have not changed [what were and are they?], Pete Hegseth has claimed [and that] it was untrue that the US was [being] dragged towards ‘an endless abyss, or a forever war, or a quagmire’… [This will have to be seen.] 

“Donald Trump’s war with Iran was ‘a grave miscalculation’ which has put the Gulf economies in harm’s way, Oman’s foreign affairs minister Badr Albusaidi… said… ‘This is not America’s war, and there is no likely scenario in which both Israel and America will get what they want from it.’” 

Trump’s Iran War has been a terrible failure… as we predicted from the outset. 

Iran Was NOT Rebuilding Nuclear Enrichment Capacities? 

Newsbreak wrote on March 18: 

“US intelligence concluded Wednesday that Iran was not rebuilding nuclear enrichment capacities destroyed last year by the United States and Israel, contradicting a key justification by President Donald Trump for his ongoing war… Trump has repeatedly said he ordered the attack on Iran alongside Israel on February 28 because of an ‘imminent threat.’… ‘ 

“As a result of Operation Midnight Hammer, Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was obliterated,’ [Tulsi] Gabbard said… referring to the June 2025 US attack. [However, it is highly doubtful that the June attack did in fact obliterate Iran’s nuclear program. This propaganda was questioned by many experts from the outset, for good reasons.] ‘There has been no efforts since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability,’ Gabbard wrote… 

“She also assessed that Iran’s leadership remained intact.” 

However one wants to look at Trump’s and Gabbard’s comments, they are ALL totally contradictory. 

However one wants to look at Trump’s and Gabbard’s comments, they are ALL totally contradictory.

Just Like Prior to World War II? 

Newsbreak wrote on March 18: 

“The global order is currently transitioning through a high-risk phase of ‘great disorder’ that mirrors the lead-up to World War II, according to a searing analysis by veteran macro investor Ray Dalio. Following five decades of tracking market and historical patterns, Dalio warns that the convergence of soaring debt, internal political polarization, and shifting international alliances indicates the world has entered ‘Stage 5’—the final step before a systemic breakdown. 

“While current global volatility has shocked the public, Dalio contends these events are part of a predictable 75-year ‘Big Cycle’ that governs the rise and fall of empires…. ‘Watching what is happening now is like watching a movie that I have seen many times before,’ Dalio noted, citing the 1929–1945 period as the most recent historical parallel. Dalio points to the 1930s, where four major democracies—Germany, Japan, Italy, and Spain—collapsed into autocracies under the weight of economic hardship and social fragmentation.” 

Europe WILL soon become an autocracy under a German dictator who will still have to manifest himself on the world scene. 

Joe Kent’s Resignation 

Joe Kent, Trump’s director of counterterrorism and a close ally of Vice President JD Vance and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard resigned on Tuesday. In his resignation letter, he said the US had been deceived by Israel. “It is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” he said. 

The Daily Mail wrote on March 18: 

“Kent, who deployed to combat 11 times and lost his wife Shannon in what he calls a war manufactured by Israel, is closely aligned with the populist ‘America First’ wing of the Trump administration, including Gabbard and Vance, who have both warned against new Middle East entanglements. 

“His resignation lays bare a widening split inside Trumpworld. Kent accused high-ranking Israeli officials and members of the American media of running a ‘misinformation campaign‘ to deceive the President into believing Iran posed an imminent threat, drawing a direct parallel to the lead-up to the Iraq war…. The resignation drew immediate praise from prominent ‘America First’ voices.  

“Marjorie Taylor Greene called Kent ‘a great American hero,’ while Candace Owens went further, declaring Trump ‘a shameful President’ and urging US troops to explore conscientious objection, calling Kent a ‘patriot’.” 

Europe Prepared for WAR With USA 

Euractiv wrote on March 19: 

“Denmark is reported to have quietly prepared to blow up its own runways in Greenland – as European allies rushed troops north – amid fears that the United States might attempt to seize the Arctic territory by force in January… Danish forces deployed to Greenland in January 2026 carried explosives intended to destroy key airstrips in Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq, in order to deny access to any incoming US military aircraft in a worst-case scenario. 

“The episode suggests the extent to which Denmark and its European allies appear to have considered – and prepared for – a potential military confrontation with the United States, highlighting strains in transatlantic relations and adding momentum to Europe’s push for greater strategic autonomy. ‘We were faced with the most difficult foreign policy situation since the Second World War,’ said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen… ‘The only reason we are in a better position today is because we have close, strong and reliable European allies.’ 

“The deployments were reportedly not merely symbolic. Aircraft are said to have transported blood supplies from Danish hospitals, indicating preparations for potential combat casualties. Danish F-35 fighter jets were reportedly armed and repositioned, while French naval assets and multinational troops were sent toward the Arctic. Several other European countries also hastily sent soldiers to Greenland at the height of the crisis, in a show of support for Denmark and to bolster Arctic security. 

“France alone was reportedly prepared to send several hundred troops to the Arctic island. ‘Would you like more soldiers? You could have them. Would you like more naval support? You could have that too. Would you like more air support? You could have that as well,’ a French official told DR. 

“The US military operation in Venezuela on 3 January 2026 was a turning point. For European officials, the move demonstrated that President Donald Trump was willing to use force – elevating concerns that his repeated statements about ‘taking’ Greenland might translate into action. 

“Frederiksen… said on Sunday that she no longer considers the US Denmark’s closest ally. “When you ask who our closest allies are today, the answer is Europe, the Nordic countries and partners such as Canada,’ said Frederiksen during a televised debate.” 

Such European military preparations and contemplated actions against America would have been unthinkable a few years ago. How times have changed. 

Europe Asks Iran to Open Strait of Hormuz, But Does Not Commit to Send Naval Ships 

Business Today wrote on March 19: 

“Leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan on Thursday condemned Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz, calling its disruption of shipping a threat to global energy supply and international security… ‘We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping…’ 

“While signalling willingness to support maritime safety, the countries stopped short of committing forces… Several European countries, including France, have indicated reluctance to join such operations. ‘We are not a party to the conflict, and therefore France will never take part in operations to reopen or liberate the Strait of Hormuz,’ French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday.” 

Axios wrote on March 19: 

“The statement does not include any commitment to send naval vessels or other resources to make that happen… France, Germany, Italy and Japan have previously all publicly ruled out sending naval vessels to the strait during the war… As long as the Iranian blockade holds and Gulf oil remains trapped, President Trump can’t end the war and declare victory even if he wants to.” 

So, this statement is more of a symbolic act, accomplishing nothing. 

Europeans Will NOT Militarily Intervene 

The Daily Mail wrote on March 20: 

“President Donald Trump assailed NATO allies on Friday over their lack of support for the US-Israel war against Iran, calling the longtime US allies ‘cowards’… The de facto closure of the strait by Tehran has proved disastrous for global energy and trade flows, triggering the largest oil supply shock in history and surging global oil prices. 

“Despite Trump’s demands, his European allies have asserted that they wouldn’t send naval escorts to help secure the passageway, citing safety concerns and the risk of escalating the conflict.  

“Instead, Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined counterparts in Japan, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands on Thursday in calling on Iran to stop attacks on energy sites and civilian infrastructure and to end the shipping gridlock… Italy, Germany and France made clear later Thursday that they were not talking about any immediate military help, but rather a potential multilateral initiative after a ceasefire. 

“… the UK has the biggest exposure to these supply chain shocks of any country in Europe. Britain imports $12billion (£8.9billion) worth of goods through the Strait of Hormuz each year…”

Hegseth Attacks Europe 

t-online reported on March 19: 

“US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not only defended the United States’ attack on Iran but has simultaneously leveled sharp accusations against European allies. Speaking to journalists in Washington, he referred to ‘ungrateful allies in Europe’ who ought to be thanking President Donald Trump… 

“With this, the US administration is ratcheting up the rhetoric toward those European states that have so far refused to align with Washington’s military course. At the same time, Hegseth made it clear that an end to the war is not in sight… These attacks on Europe come amidst growing tensions within the Western alliance.” 

Using US Ground Troops? 

Reuters wrote on March 20: 

“The United States military is deploying thousands of additional Marines and sailors to the Middle East… No decision had been made to send troops into Iran itself… but they will build up the capacity for potential future operations in the region…. The units can be used for a number of reasons, including carrying out strikes using the aircraft on board the ships, or being deployed on land…  options, Reuters has reported, include securing the Strait of Hormuz, potentially by deploying U.S. ⁠forces to Iran’s shoreline.

“The Trump administration has also discussed options to send ground forces to Iran’s Kharg Island, the hub for 90% of Iran’s oil exports,… 

“Any use of U.S. ground troops – even for a limited mission – could pose significant political risks for Trump, given low support among the American public for the Iran ⁠campaign and Trump’s own pre-election promises to avoid entangling the U.S. in new Middle East conflicts…. A Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Thursday found that some 65% of Americans believe Trump will order troops into a large-scale ground war in Iran and just 7% support that idea.” 

Iran Seeks Clarification From Germany 

t-online reported on March 19 

“According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Iran is no longer capable of enriching uranium or manufacturing ballistic missiles. [This statement is certainly false and is not shared even by the United States.] 

“Iran’s ambassador to Germany, Majid Nili, has demanded a clarification from the Federal Government regarding the U.S. military’s use of the Ramstein Air Base for the war against Iran. The role of the military base in Rhineland-Palatinate remains ‘officially unclear’ to Tehran, Nili told the news agency AFP in Berlin on Thursday. ‘So far, we have received no response.’ [The surest way to drag Germany into the war against Iran.]”

Germany to Participate in the War Against Iran??? 

On March 18, Nius published the following commentary by Markus Brandstetter—this coming after Nius had previously published a commentary to the contrary by Jan A. Karon on March 17, in which Merz’s veto was deemed both correct and necessary. 

“Thus, if the USA and Israel wage a war against Iran, Germany cannot be the ‘laughing third party’—the one standing on the sidelines, staying out of everything, and simply waiting to see what unfolds. This war in Iran is our war, too… That is why the USA, under President Donald Trump, is waging a just and righteous war. [A war waged by human beings is never just or righteous.] 

“However, the Americans launched this war hastily and without thinking it through to the very last detail. Trump will have to be held accountable for this—even if his actions are by no means incomprehensible. Quite evidently intoxicated by the initial, highly successful bombing strike on Iranian nuclear facilities in July 2025—and by the astonishingly smooth capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro in January 2026—the trio of President Donald Trump, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio evidently assumed that a lightning-fast subjugation of Iran was probable and achievable without causing major disruptions to the global economy. That—this much is already clear—was a miscalculation. Iran cannot be defeated in a short period of time. [At least the author acknowledges that much.] 

“[Iran] still possesses… enough missiles and drones to bring shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to a complete standstill… 

“But no matter how long the conflict lasts: Israel and the USA will win it. [This is a pipe dream that will not come true—unless one ignores reality and the facts in one’s assertions.] 

“However, the war will last longer than anticipated by Trump and CENTCOM (the US regional command for the Middle East), and it will certainly be no walk in the park… That is why Americans and Israelis need support—from European NATO members, and most especially from… Germany. Once again: Israel and the USA will win this war in Iran—with or without German support. [If they are going to win the war regardless, why do they need German support? The author’s inconsistency is appalling.] But active support—for instance, through the deployment of a modern frigate… would demonstrate to the entire world that we Germans do not always leave the Americans to do the dirty work alone. Dirty work that, since the Second World War, they have consistently and unhesitatingly performed on our behalf. This can be conclusively illustrated by a single example: German reunification.” 

“We Germans must not delude ourselves: German reunification [which, according to the author, was dirty work???] did not take place simply because we wanted it to, or because politicians in the West—or even in the East—had spent decades working energetically toward it… The single most decisive prerequisite for German reunification was the fall of the Soviet Union and the resulting collapse of the Eastern Bloc. And this was triggered by the strong, uncompromising stance taken by President Ronald Reagan (1981–1989)… [Even this point is open to doubt. Reunification did not come about under Ronald Reagan and Willy Brandt, but rather—after initial reservations—under George Bush Sr., Mikhail Gorbachev, Helmut Kohl, and Hans-Dietrich Genscher, and in the face of resistance and considerable apprehension from Margaret Thatcher and François Mitterrand. Yet, according to biblical prophecy, reunification was bound to happen.] 

“Now, this week, Trump has asked his European NATO partners—specifically Great Britain, France, and Germany—to support the U.S. regarding Iran by deploying minesweepers. And how did the NATO partners respond? They declined across the board. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius rejected any form of support for the U.S. with a terse statement: ‘Germany is not a party to this conflict. The German Bundeswehr will not participate in this war.’ Unexpectedly unequivocal, too, was the otherwise eternally wavering, dithering, and hesitant Friedrich Merz—who, for once in his life, knew exactly what he did ‘not’ want: namely, to get involved in this war…” 

And how did the article end? 

“We must once again be capable of combat and war.” 

Really? Must we? If so—then poor Germany. 

Trump’s Boomerang Will Hit Germany 

On March 20, Nius published a somewhat contrarian “analysis” by Chris Becker, which also addressed Germany’s helplessness: 

“As expected, the aggressive actions taken by the Americans and Israelis in the Middle East have had a destabilizing effect on the situation across the entire region. In the process, the warring parties are increasingly targeting their adversaries’ energy infrastructure. This debacle demonstrates the powerlessness—but also the economic vulnerability—of Europe and Germany in particular. Now, an oil and gas crisis looms… 

“For Germany, all of this now results in an exacerbation of its economic problems… Rising global market prices are hitting Germany… disproportionately hard. The effects are already palpable. Prices at the pump have risen significantly—in some regions to over two euros per liter, and in some cases even higher. Diesel and jet fuel—which until recently were sourced in substantial quantities directly from the Gulf region—have suddenly become scarcer. 

“Even more serious, however, are the indirect effects… Heating oil is becoming more expensive, as it is derived directly from crude oil. Electricity prices are following suit with a delay, as gas-fired power plants are also affected. At the same time, costs for fertilizers—the production of which depends heavily on gas prices—are rising. Consequently, agricultural products such as grain, meat, and milk are becoming more expensive… 

“…Transportation costs are rising, as shipping companies are forced to choose longer and safer routes. Insurance premiums are increasing, and the prevailing uncertainty is generating additional costs. Imported goods—ranging from foodstuffs to electronics—are thereby becoming significantly more expensive. The construction industry is being hit particularly hard… 

“These are the realities to which Germans must now adjust. Those who shouted ‘Hurray!’ [the warmongers and proponents of war] will not reimburse them for these additional costs…” 

“But it is not only in Germany that prices are climbing. In the USA, President Donald Trump is coming under increasing pressure. Rising energy costs are hitting American consumers as well and stand in stark contradiction to his political promise to ensure economic stability. To say nothing, of course, of his promise to stop starting foreign wars… 

“Finally, a fundamental geopolitical question comes into focus: Who, exactly, wants what in this conflict? … If one places Israeli and American interests side by side, the Israelis might well have an interest in escalating the conflict to such a degree that U.S. ground troops—and thus regime change—would become necessary. In that scenario, Trump would lose the midterms by a landslide [which he likely will anyway], but Netanyahu would emerge as the man of the hour. Will Donald go over this cliff for Bibi?… 

“However things unfold, a solution to which we could contribute anything at all is nowhere in sight. For the moment, we can only watch as the boomerang Donald Trump threw comes back to hit us squarely on the head. … For consumers, this new oil crisis means one thing above all else: rising costs in everyday life. Fueling up, heating homes, shopping, building—nearly every area of life is being impacted by this crisis. 

“Germany is being bled dry, yet it is not yet exhausted—not exhausted enough, at least, to rouse itself into action.” 

Not yet… not under the current timid and impotent government. But a different—and far stronger—government will come; one that will not recoil even from a military confrontation with the USA. 

Iranian Missile Explodes Near Jerusalem’s Holy Sites 

The Telegraph wrote on March 20: 

“An Iranian missile blew a crater in Jerusalem’s historic Old City near the Western Wall and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The projectile smashed into a hillside just inside the fortified walls of the ancient city, leaving debris strewn across the streets a few hundred metres from the religious sites. 

“Israeli officials said that the impact was caused by an Iranian missile, not a fragment from an interceptor… A later statement from the Israeli police said that the ‘warhead that fell… contained dozens of kilogrammes of explosives’.” 

U.S.-Israeli Strike Near Iran’s Nuclear Plant Reactor 

Reuters reported on March 18: 

“Russia on Wednesday condemned a strike near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power ‌plant a day earlier which it said was just metres away from its reactor and called on the United States and Israel to stop ⁠attacking the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities… 

“Russia built the Bushehr plant, helps Iran run it, and is ⁠helping expand it.” 

Now Major European Cities in Danger 

Daily Mail wrote on March 21: 

“Iran’s ballistic missile strike on a British military base [on Diego Garcia] in the Chagos Islands has escalated fears that major European capitals are now within reach of another attack by the extremist regime… 

“Diego Garcia lies around 3,800km (2,360 miles) from Iran – undermining the… previous [assumption] that [Iran’s] ballistic missiles could only reach 2,000 km (1,240 miles). 

“Experts have warned that if Iran has proven its capabilities are far greater, the missile threat could now extend to most capital cities in Western Europe. This includes Paris, which is 4,198km (2,609 miles) from Tehran, while London lies on the ‘edge of vulnerability’ at around 4,435km (2,750 miles). 

“The unnerving analysis comes as General Sir Richard Barrons, who headed the UK’s Joint Forces Command between 2013 and 2016, said Iran’s power may have been ‘serially underestimated’…. Foreign affairs analyst Nawaf Al-Thani also reacted to the Diego Garcia strikes on social media, saying that a long-held assumption about Iran’s missile capability ‘has just collapsed’…. ‘The real story is not whether the missile was intercepted. It is that Iran may have demonstrated reach far beyond what much of the world believed it possessed… Diego Garcia was not just a target. It was a message.’” 

Bild Online reported on March 21: 

“The Middle East fears the mullahs’ missiles: For weeks, Iran has been shelling its neighboring states, striking critical security facilities. Europe—and Germany in particular—felt safe, however, as experts maintained that the projectiles could fly a maximum distance of 2,000 kilometers. Berlin lies approximately 3,500 kilometers from the Iranian capital, Tehran. An explosive incident overnight now reveals: The range of the mullahs’ missiles has apparently been underestimated!” 

Iran Denies Responsibility 

AlJazeera wrote on March 22: 

“An Iranian official… has denied the allegations that it was behind the launch of what US media outlets said were two ballistic missiles… 

“Muhanad Seloom, lecturer at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera that the reported Iranian attack ‘changes the calculus’ of the war for the US. ‘These missiles to Diego Garcia mean Iran has 4,000km-plus ballistic missiles, and that hasn’t been revealed before. All reports before that said Iran had a 2,000km [1,240-mile] range and not beyond that,’ Seloom said. ‘If you reverse the direction of these missiles, then they could reach London, so that changes the calculus not only for the US and its justification for the war but also for a reluctant London and European Union to join the war.’ 

“Earlier this month in an interview with the US broadcaster NBC, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected US President Donald Trump’s assertion that Tehran had developed missiles capable of reaching US territory. ‘You know, we have capability to produce missiles, but we have intentionally limited ourselves to below 2,000km of range because we don’t want to be felt as a threat by anybody else in the world,’ Araghchi said on March 8. 

“Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, an associate fellow in the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, said Iranian denials regarding attacks depend on their nature and their aftermath. ‘I think the denial is different from the steps that Iran is taking on other fronts. Only a couple of instances when Iran denied an attack is when the strikes hit civilian infrastructure or some gas plants rather,’ he told Al Jazeera. Iran has denied attacks that Tabrizi believes would likely ‘provoke further action or retaliation potentially’… The targeting of the Diego Garcia airbase ‘is particularly sensitive because we know the distance of the missiles shot was more, much more than the 2,000km which Iran has previously said it kept its missiles to.’ ‘It signals the Iranian capability to reach far beyond 2,000km, and therefore, is something that is likely to provoke further concern and, therefore, response particularly from the UK but also from other countries,’ he said… 

“The UK-US military airbase [Diego Garcia] is home to nearly 2,500 mostly American personnel and has supported US military operations from Vietnam to Iraq, Afghanistan and strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The airbase is part of the Chagos Islands, a remote archipelago in the middle of the Indian Ocean, south of the tip of India, and has been under British control since 1814. The airbase has been at the centre of a dispute between Trump and Starmer over Britain’s plans to hand sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius… 

“Elijah Magnier, a Brussels-based military and political analyst, said the missile launch on Diego Garcia reflects a deepening of Iran’s response to the war… ‘The battlefield is expanding geographically, and if that happens, the control of escalation, which the Americans want, becomes much more difficult because new elements, new locations are becoming vulnerable,’ Magnier told Al Jazeera… ‘By threatening a distant target, it’s a signal that any continuation of the war will come with increasingly high risk.’” 

Aljazeera added in a subsequent article on March 22: 

“Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said in a statement on X that the missile launches were a ‘false flag’ operation — and suggested that Israel might have been behind them. Baghaei also referenced NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s comments on Sunday, when he told CBS News that the alliance ‘cannot confirm’ Israel’s claim that the projectiles targeting the Diego Garcia airbase were Iranian intercontinental ballistic missiles.”

Hard to say who is telling the Truth, as all sides keep lying. Note the next article. 

Trump Talks With Iran??? More Lies? 

ABC News wrote on March 23: 

“Iranian officials have continued to deny that any talks took place with the U.S., after President Donald Trump said earlier Monday that Washington and Tehran had two days of ‘productive’ talks. According to state media, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Qalibaf [Ghalibaf] said ‘no talks with the U.S. have taken place’… 

“During an event in Memphis on Monday afternoon, Trump said the U.S. is having ‘really good discussions’ with Iran… ‘They want peace. They’ve agreed they will not have a nuclear weapon…’ [This extraordinary claim is very difficult to believe.] 

“President Donald Trump said Monday he had instructed the Pentagon ‘to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions.’… The president had threatened to strike Iranian power plants on Saturday unless Tehran ended its efforts to block commercial shipping from transiting the strategic Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. That deadline was set to expire on Monday evening…. 

“In a statement issued on Monday and published by the semi-official Fars news agency, Iran’s Defense Council threatened to deploy naval mines across the ‘entire Persian Gulf’ in response to any land invasion….” 

Trump claims that the person America is talking to is Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad ⁠Bagher Ghalibaf. An Israeli official said that Ghalibaf was in touch with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, which Iran and Ghalibaf deny. “Others with knowledge of the talks suggested there were no direct communications between Tehran and Washington yet…” (The New York Post, dated March 23). So again, who is lying?

Trump Lashes Out at Starmer—the “Mother of All U-Turns”

Express wrote on March 20: 

“US President Donald Trump said the UK ‘should have acted a lot faster’ in allowing America to use British bases to strike Iranian missile sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz. Trump’s comment came after UK Government ministers agreed to let the US use British bases to strike Iranian sites targeting the vital oil route in the Middle East. Downing Street said on Friday afternoon UK bases will now be used for US ‘defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships’. Up until this point, the Government has allowed the US to use British bases only to hit missile sites targeting British interests in the region…

“Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch commented [on] the government’s decision on social media and called it ‘the mother of all U-Turns’… Earlier today, Iran’s foreign minister warned the UK the regime sees its choice to let the US use British bases as ‘participation in aggression’ in a phone call with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Iranian state media claimed. 

“Responding to the US getting permission to use British bases to strike Iranian sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz, shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: ‘After weeks of dither and finger pointing, the Prime Minister has once again changed his mind and performed yet another screeching U-turn. The Prime Minister had the Navy’s only active minesweeper taken out of the Gulf a week before the war began.’ He also said, ‘Starmer is weak and indecisive’.” 

Starmer is playing with fire… quite literally. It will be interesting to see German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s further conduct. If Starmer is the “mother of all U-Turns,” then Merz could perhaps be described as the “father of all U-Turns.” He just said the obvious: that Trump was not too happy with him, but he wanted to invite him to a ridiculous sausage festival in Germany and expressed his desire to uphold the trans-Atlantic relationship; obviously with some considerable compromises in mind. One wonders what’s next on his agenda. It is obvious that Germany, deeply unhappy with Merz, wants a strong and courageous leader… and it is not Merz. 

Germany and Japan—New Military Cooperation 

Politico wrote on March 22: 

“Germany is seeking to deepen defense ties with Japan, with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius proposing a new agreement to make it easier for troops from both countries to operate on each other’s territory–a framework designed to ‘ease the exchange of soldiers in each other’s countries and significantly reduce bureaucratic hurdles.’.. 

“[The proposal] signals a shift toward more structured military cooperation with Berlin’s partners in the region… As both governments face rising pressure from authoritarian powers — from Russia’s war in Ukraine to China and North Korea in East Asia — they are increasingly treating their security challenges as interconnected, translating those shared concerns into closer bilateral defense cooperation.” 

This brings back memories of the alliance between Germany and Japan during World War II—especially against China, Russia and the USA. 

TSA Chaos Hits California—With ICE Hurting, Not Helping! 

The New York Post wrote on March 23: 

 “… the Golden State braced for a dramatic standoff over President Donald Trump’s plans to deploy ICE agents to major terminals to fill gaps left by TSA agents…. Robert Mack told NBC7: ‘Absolute shock because that’s just the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard yet out of this.’… 

“TSA lead transportation security office at the airport Aaron Vazquez added to the Times of San Diego: ‘I have no idea how they can contribute at an airport unless it was for intimidation purposes… I don’t want them anywhere near the checkpoint and officers that I’m in charge of. I don’t want them interfering with what the officers are trying to do. I don’t need an ICE agent telling passengers what to do. We are trained to be nice to passengers. They are law enforcement so they are armed. TSA is not.’” 

A stupid idea indeed.

No Decency Left in the USA? 

The Huffington Post wrote on March 21: 

“Democratic lawmakers and pundits are unleashing on President Donald Trump for his social media post celebrating the death of Robert Mueller, the former FBI director and special counsel who oversaw the 2016 investigation into Russian election interference, calling it ‘disgusting’ and ‘insane.’.. the president wrote: ‘… Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!’ 

“‘I expect every Republican who was outraged at people for celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death to immediately condemn Trump for saying, “I’m glad he’s dead” about Robert Mueller,’ wrote liberal political influencer Harry Sisson on X. 

“Many Trump supporters are defending him, however, arguing that Mueller spread ‘the most destructive lies of the 21st Century’ and was a ‘piece of garbage’ for his so-called ‘persecution’ of Trump. Other conservatives condemned the post. ‘This is the kind of stuff Trump does that makes people not just oppose him but hate him,’ wrote Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume.  ‘There was no need to say anything.’” 

Hume is right. Trump’s uncalled outrage for revenge and hatred expressed towards a dead man was un-Christian and unethical. Mueller did not even find that Trump conspired with Russia, but he did not exonerate him of destruction of justice either. When Trump loses the midterm elections, he will be impeached for sure, and this time, it won’t be such an easy walk for Trump in the park.

Cuba “Prohibited” From Taking Russian Oil—Trump to Invade Cuba? 

CNBC wrote on March 20: 

“The U.S. Treasury Department has said Cuba won’t be allowed to take delivery of Russian crude, even as the fuel-starved island appears poised to receive two tankers carrying [Russian] oil and gas. 

“In a general license published Thursday, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added Cuba to a list of countries that would be blocked from transactions involving the sale, delivery or offloading of crude or petroleum products that originate from Russia… 

“Beset by blackouts and a worsening economic crisis under a U.S. oil blockade, the communist-run Caribbean island is currently facing its biggest test since the collapse of the Soviet Union…. Russia, which has been allied to Cuba for decades, has sharply criticized the Trump administration’s fuel blockade and pledged to provide the country with ‘necessary support, including financial aid.’ 

“Cuba had been heavily dependent on oil from Venezuela, but it has effectively been cut off since early January when the U.S…. [deposed] Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro. 

“The Trump administration has called Cuba’s government ‘an unusual and extraordinary threat’ and suggested the U.S. could turn its sights to Cuba after the Iran war. Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel on Wednesday lashed out at the ‘almost daily’ threats from the U.S. and pledged to meet the Trump administration’s move to choke off the island’s fuel supplies with ‘unyielding resistance.’”

Cuba seems to be next. 

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:  

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

We read: “‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey”’” (1 Samuel 15:2-3).

Note that God says, “I will punish Amalek…”

Following their crossing of the Red Sea, the children of Israel encamped at Rephidim (Exodus 17). There, the Amalekites fought with Israel. The Amalekites, a tribal people living in the Negev and in the Sinai Peninsula, are first mentioned in Abraham’s time (Genesis 14:7). Amalek was one of Edom’s grandsons; Edom being Turkey today. Amalek’s descendants would include certain violent groups such as the PLO. In this battle, God helped Israel be victorious, but it was done through Moses holding up the Staff of God as Joshua and the Israelites fought with Amalek:

“So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.’ And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner; for he said, ‘Because the LORD has sworn: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation’” (Exodus 17:13-16).

However, it was never God’s intention that people should fight in war. It was Israel who decided to fight against Amalek—to sin—rather than relying on God’s help, and God then used Israel to carry out His purpose.  

Further on, we see more details about why God’s anger would fall upon Amalek:

“‘Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God. Therefore it shall be, when the LORD your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget’” (Deuteronomy 25:17-19).

Here, God says that “you”—the people of Israel—are to destroy Amalek. This retribution, while commanded to Israel for a future time (1 Samuel 15), was, nonetheless, to be done by God’s authority.

We find a similar circumstance in which the Israelites were also told by God to completely destroy the people and animals of Jericho:

“‘Now the city shall be doomed by the LORD to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent… And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword” (Joshua 6:17, 21).

The two examples thus far noted, Amalek and Jericho, involved the Israelites being told by God to fulfill the death penalty God had pronounced on these people. There are other biblical examples when God, Himself, brought about the punishment and death of those who sinned:

“For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly…” (2 Peter 2:4-6).

There will come a time in the future when God will execute His vengeance, and like the flood and Sodom and Gomorrah, it will be by His hand:

“Behold, the day of the LORD comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine. ‘I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, And the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of the LORD of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger’” (Isaiah 13:9-13).

Here is the point: God does intervene in human affairs with stern judgment and mighty power. He also has and will use individuals and nations to fulfill His Will. For example, God gave His nation Israel laws to follow and judgments to render:

“‘For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?’” (Deuteronomy 4:7-8).

Having Israel under Saul obliterate the Amalekites was a “righteous judgment” by God! Although the Amalekites had incurred a penalty for their actions earlier in the time of Moses, it was in the time of King Saul that God chose to enforce it. Sadly, Saul and Israel failed to obey God, and we have their record of disobedience as witness against them. They, too, faced dire penalties, but especially Saul and his House.

How then do Christians relate to this account? Do the actions of that time provide an excuse for those called by God to repentance, to act as Saul and Israel in warring against other people? Absolutely not!

Rather, Christians are commanded not to fight in war and to do many other things to remain separate from the world’s societies (Revelation 18:4; James 4:4; John 17:16; 2 Corinthians 6:17-18). Christ came to magnify the Law and make it great and honorable—to show its original intent and purpose—and that intent excluded and prohibited killing and fighting in war.

Christians follow the examples and teachings of Jesus Christ—Who was the God of the Old Testament, the very One Who commanded Saul through the prophet Samuel to destroy Amalek! God did so because man wanted and wants to fight in war; and God is not forcing us to live in peace, when we don’t want to. But God made it always clear that fighting in war is wrong. For instance, David was not allowed to build the Temple because he was a man of war. David SINNED when he fought in war.

He is also God of the New Testament, Who willingly died for the sins of the world. The Father of Jesus Christ resurrected Him to eternal life. During His physical lifetime, He gave examples to follow in how to live in this age. Those who do, are called Christians, and Christians are Ambassadors of the Kingdom of God (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world, for all the death and mayhem and all the wars of all nations—and so much more! He is Savior of the World, and He has promised to return and to establish peace in the Kingdom of God on earth!

Finally, we live in a time of “‘wars and rumors of wars’” (Matthew 24:6). Society and governments of this age will seek to draw us in—to take sides, to get involved. We must not, and the only way we stay separate is to be firmly grounded in the Truth of God. That means, we must know what we believe, and we can absolutely do that IF we turn to God and Jesus Christ!

For your help, we have prepared a booklet, titled, “SHOULD YOU FIGHT IN WAR?” This booklet explains in detail, for example, why Israel sinned when they fought in war, and why God ordered Israel to carry out certain violent actions. A hard copy is free upon request, or you can view it at our website: https://www.eternalgod.org/booklet-646/

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

compiled by Dave Harris

“Germany and Europe Prepare for War With USA,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

A provocative title, yet by no means inaccurate. From Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s sharp rebuke and condemnation of Trump’s war against Iran, to preparations for armed conflict between America and Europe over Greenland, we are witnessing the irrevocable breakdown of the transatlantic relationship—and the confirmation of biblical prophecies that a nuclear World War will erupt between Europe and America. But must we, therefore, languish in hopelessness?

“Deutschland und Europa bereiten sich auf Krieg mit den USA vor,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topics as described above.

Norbert and Johanna Link along with Michael and Anna Link have travelled to Germany to observe the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread with the brethren from Europe.

“Easter – A Christian Festival?” is the latest short video that has been posted on YouTube.

“Die Worte Christi,” last Sabbath’s first split German sermon, presented by Robert Muhr, is now posted. Title in English: “The Words of Christ.”

“Die Erneuerung unserer Gedanken und unserer Berufung,” last Sabbath’s second split German sermon, presented by Daniel Blasinger, is now posted. Title in English: “The Renewal of Our Thoughts and Our Calling.”

“The Bond of Friendship,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Are we, can we be, a friend of God? The answer is yes if we faithfully do the Will of God!

“Be Transformed,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Spiritual growth is a pervasive theme in the life of a Christian. It is necessary to acknowledge the importance of spiritual growth, but achieving it requires deeper learning. What does the process look like? What does it feel like along the way? The Bible reveals that spiritual growth brings Christians on a journey of transformation, making our former selves unrecognizable by comparison.