Update 966

On March 27, 2021, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy, March 27, 2021,” and the sermon, titled, “The Body and the Blood of Jesus Christ.”

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.

Passover will be observed on Friday evening, March 26, 2021, after sundown.

The Night to be Much Observed will be observed on Saturday evening, March 27, 2021, after sundown.

Sunday, March 28, 2021, is the First Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Morning services will begin at 9:00 am Pacific Time; afternoon services will begin at 3:15 pm Pacific Time.

“Just a Second,” is the title of the morning sermonette, presented by Frank Bruno, and “Who We Are” is the title of the morning sermon, presented by Eric Rank.

The Offertory will be presented by Michael Link, and “The Deceitfulness of Sin,” the title of the afternoon sermon for the First Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, will be presented by Norbert Link.

In the sermon from last Sabbath by Dave Harris, “God-Who-Forgives”, something was stated at the end that was of fundamental importance. I have thought about this before, but it really stood out in light of the upcoming Passover, the Night to be Much Observed and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The thought that stood out was this: “ We (that would include all of us who heard the sermon and who read this Editorial, including myself) can affect the whole world by HOW we repent.” That is truly mind-blowing. We, the poor, the weak, whatever we consider ourselves to be, have the power to help the world NOW.

2 Peter 3:10-14 states in the New International Version: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”

How often do we take into account that we have the ability to hasten the return of Christ? We pray, or at least we are TOLD to pray, “Your Kingdom come,” but how often does that trickle down into our lives? As we are preparing for the beginning of the Spring Holy Days, what is it that we are focusing on? Hopefully, it is upon what we can do to turn further towards our God! We are told that we have to become without spot; meaning, we have to come to hold the line against sin. We also have to be looking and searching for it.

Once we find sin and we start to root it out, we have to replace it with righteousness. If we are not filling up constantly with God’s Holy Spirit and making gains, then we are in danger of having the same sin, which we worked hard to replace, start to seep back in. We have to be constantly building correctly in our lives. In order to make sure that we are doing this properly, I want to use Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians 3:11-16 where he states in the New International Version:

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.”

The things that we build now will have an impact here and now, but more importantly, in the future. Each of us is the temple of God. Each of us is a vessel for God’s Holy Spirit. The power to overcome and to change is given to each of us because of the great Sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His immense love for us.

The opportunity lies in each of us, though, to carry out something that is larger than ourselves. But we CANNOT lose focus on the fact that each of us is an integral part—contributing to an overall accomplishment.

Ephesians 2:19-22 says in the New International Version: “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

We are God’s people. We are those whom He has called at this end of the age. Living as a true Christian is not going to get easier. The challenges we face are getting more wearisome and challenging. This cannot dissuade us. This cannot stop us from overcoming and moving forward. Rather, as we are making progress, we must constantly harken back to WHY we are doing this! What is it that anchors us and helps us to get back up and keep moving forward?

As we prepare and move through the next few weeks, we should be very mindful of how much we can grow, change and mature in the coming year. It comes down to dedication and resolution. How willing are we to truly allow the mind of Christ to lead and guide us in ALL things?

1 Corinthians 2:6-16 states in the New International Version:

“We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:

“‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’— the things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”

Do all the quoted Scriptures resonate? Do they find a place in our minds and hearts? Again, we are God’s people and we MUST consider ourselves as such! We have the calling and the opportunities! Let us NOT neglect to find out what is right and proper in God’s eyes and to do those things with all perseverance, courage and speed.

by Norbert Link

We begin with the disastrous meeting in Alaska between the USA and China; continue with some troubling questions regarding President Biden’s health; speak on the prospects of new epidemics; the effectiveness and potential dangers of vaccines; dramatic developments in Germany and Europe pertaining to the coronavirus; the ongoing and heated fight between the UK and the EU; and further developments in the UK.

We address animal sacrifices in Israel; the Israeli elections; and Pope Francis’ fight with liberals and conservatives in the Catholic Church, as well as the rocky relationship between the Catholic Church and President Biden.

We conclude with articles on a homosexual Captain America; Chinese propaganda towards a German children’s book; and a court ruling in Canada pertaining to a transgender kid.

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

The Chinese-US Disaster in Alaska

Breitbart wrote on March 19:

“The meeting [when Chinese diplomats were lecturing their American counterparts on human rights and democracy] took place in Alaska Thursday between American Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan,  Yang Jiechi, a member of China’s Communist Party’s Politburo; and the country’s top diplomat and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi… During the first in-person meeting between the Biden administration and Chinese officials, Beijing indicated that it would do what it wants, irrespective of U.S. and its allies’ concerns… China’s top diplomat, Yang, went on to attack America’s democracy, urging the United States ‘to stop advancing its own democracy in the rest of the world… Many people within the United States actually have little confidence in the democracy of the United States, and they have various views regarding the Government of the United States,’ he said. Saying that the U.S. is mistreating blacks, he blasted human rights in America.

“Yang declared: ‘In human rights, we hope that the United States will do better on human rights. … The challenges facing the United States in human rights are deep-seated. They did not just emerge over the past four years, such as Black Lives Matter. It did not come up only recently. So we do hope that for our two countries, it’s important that we manage our respective affairs well instead of deflecting the blame on somebody else in this world. He also criticized America for ‘invading’ other nations while accusing China of doing the same.

“Yang said: ‘We do not believe in invading through the use of force, or to topple other regimes through various means, or to massacre the people of other countries, because all of those would only cause turmoil and instability in this world… So we believe that it is important for the United States to change its own image …’

“After the meeting, an unnamed U.S. official accused China of ‘grandstanding,’ Politico reported.”

And what about Chinese blatant civil rights violations towards and concentration camps for minorities? China has shown its utter lack of “respect” for the USA.

Joe Biden a National Security Risk?

Fox News wrote on March 19:

In Friday’s ‘Hannity’ opening monologue, Fox News host Sean Hannity sounded the alarm that President Joe Biden’s recent gaffes and [three-times] stumble while boarding Air Force One have become ‘a nightmare scenario.’… ‘

 “‘Honestly, I watched this. It was sad. You got to almost feel sorry for Joe Biden. From what we can clearly observe now on pretty much a daily basis, he is obviously not doing well. He wasn’t doing well on the campaign. And the scary part of it is, now this is a national security issue… The whole world can see what we see every day, including hostile regimes, hostile actors and America’s enemies. Look at Vladimir Putin, openly mocking the President of the United States of America, challenging him to a debate and then saying ‘I hope you’re better, I hope you’re feeling better, good health.’ The Chinese are now literally spitting at the U.S. and our public image on a public stage like they did yesterday. It was a disaster. Then we had groveling and another apology tour beginning. The mullahs in Iran, they are emboldened…’

“Hannity noted that the media [in the US] has been largely silent on Biden’s tripping incident, contrasting that with wall-to-wall coverage of then-President Donald Trump gingerly walking down a ramp following an event in West Point, New York. He played clips of Associated Press reporter Jonathan Lemire and MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough criticizing Trump and theorizing about his fitness for office…”

The Daily Mail on March 19 added:

“Major left-leaning U.S. press outlets are largely avoiding mention of President Joe Biden’s repeated stumbles as he boarded Air Force One, while many foreign publications are devoting prominent coverage to the incident…. In contrast to the lack of interest in Biden’s stumbles, mainstream U.S. outlets heavily covered an incident last year, in which Trump took mincing baby-steps down a ramp at West Point, which he later explained was ‘very slippery.’ Although Trump did not stumble during the incident, it sparked rampant speculation about his health and criticism over his capacities, including from Biden himself. ‘Look at how he steps and look at how I step,’ Biden said in September 2020, in a clip featured on CNN. ‘Watch how I run up ramps and he stumbles down ramps. OK? Come on.’ ‘Trump’s West Point walk sparks questions about his health,’ read one CNN headline. ‘Trump tries to explain his slow and unsteady walk down a ramp at West Point,’ a Washington Post headline ran. ‘Unsteady appearance prompts new scrutiny of Trump’s health,’ read the headline of an MSNBC article, which also highlighted Trump’s use of two hands to sip a cup of water at the West Point event.

“The contrast drew accusations of a double standard from some conservatives and Trump supporters, who accused the U.S. press of covering up the awkward incident… The fall does nothing to reduce concern for and speculation over Biden’s cognitive health which has grown in recent months thanks to a series of mix-ups on his behalf. The White House and Biden’s camp routinely play down concerns about his health and insist he is fit to lead.

“Biden is the oldest President in history; Ronald Reagan was 77 when he left office and he was 69 when he was elected. Trump was 70 when elected and was 74 when he left office earlier this year.”

It was later “explained” by the White House that Biden slipped because of the heavy wind. However, there was only a very slight breeze. It has been speculated for quite a while on social media that Biden suffers from dementia and/or other physically and mentally-destabilizing conditions, and that he will soon have to resign in favor of Kamala Harris whom he has referred to several times as “President Harris.”

The Sun added on March 19:

“[Conservative commentator ] Candice Owens has claimed Joe Biden is suffering from dementia and that led to his fall while climbing the stairs of Air Force One… Owens tweeted: ‘It’s difficult to fall 3 times while going up a flight of steps… Biden has dementia but let’s wait for CNN to tell us this is just another adorable gaffe!’…

“The President has not taken a cognitive test for dementia and his medical and surgical history released in 2019 made no reference to him suffering from the condition. But his frequent gaffes have been picked up by political opponents as evidence of impaired mental ability, with Donald Trump previously tweeting the Democrat had dementia after forgetting Mitt Romney’s name.

“A poll found that nearly 40 per cent of registered American voters believe Biden has ‘some form of dementia’.”

Coming… New Epidemics

The Washington Standard published on March 16 the following commentary by Michael Snyder:

“What would you do if a coronavirus that is much more contagious than regular COVID and that makes people much sicker than regular COVID started to spread all over the globe?  Well, we are being told that is precisely what is now happening.  Technically, P1 is a ‘variant’ of the COVID virus that has paralyzed the entire planet over the past year, but it is proving to be far more dangerous. Over the past week, the spread of P1 in Brazil has caused people to drop dead at a staggering pace… Vast numbers of healthy young adults are being hospitalized, and that fact has prompted the health secretary of Sao Paulo to refer to P1 as ‘a different pandemic from the one we saw last year’…

“P1 appears to evade immunity conferred by previous COVID infection… the P.1 variant could evade immunity from previous Covid-19 infection by up to 61%. “P1… has already spread to a whole bunch of other countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, Mexico, Italy and India…

“If we could barely handle COVID, how are we going to be able to handle P1? And if we can’t handle P1, what in the world is going to happen when a pestilence that is much, much worse comes along? Of course, pandemics are just one element of the ‘perfect storm’ that is now upon us. We live in very troubled times, and what we have experienced so far is just the very beginning.”

The Bible prophesies that in these end times, there will be pandemics and disease epidemics of which we cannot be healed.

Ineffective and Dangerous Vaccines

On March 16, Dr. Geert Vanden Bossche, a vaccine developer, claimed that during a pandemic, we must not have mass vaccinations as it will put great pressure on the virus to mutate to survive the vaccine. That the vaccine does not kill the virus but only prevents the sickness it causes. That the patient still is able to transmit the virus to others. Bossche is also mentioned in the article below.

LewRockwell wrote on March 17:

“The vaccines are the source of a new mutation that is being blamed on the Brazilian, South African, UK or any other ‘variant’ diversions… It’s worth noting, that we are dealing with a 100%-synthetic cocktail… the vaccines don’t do what they’re supposed to do. They neither prevent one from contracting Covid nor do they stop the infection from spreading to others… They do, however, relieve Covid symptoms for which they are reportedly 95% effective. But that’s not why people get vaccinated. Most people get vaccinated because they think it will prevent them from getting sick and dying…

“Is Dr. Vanden Bossche right? Is our ‘extensive and erroneous human intervention’ (the vaccines) ‘going to wipe out large parts of our human population’? Have these vaccines turned ‘a relatively harmless virus into a bioweapon of mass destruction?’ Have the ‘current COVID-19 vaccines… increasingly turn vaccine recipients into asymptomatic carriers who are shedding virus’?? Are we now facing the biggest and most deadly public health disaster in history? We believe he is right…

“Let’s [also] say, for the sake of argument, that [Dr. Gilad] Atzmon is right. Let’s say, there is, in fact, ‘a close correlation between mass vaccination, cases and deaths.’ And let’s also say that ‘This correlation points at the possibility that it is the vaccinated who actually spread the virus or even a range of mutants that are responsible for the radical shift in symptoms above.’

“Is that even possible? Can people who have been vaccinated become super-spreaders of a more virulent and lethal form of the virus? Yes, they can. They can become carriers of a more deadly strain of the infection and kill hundreds of others they come in contact with before dying themselves…”

The Covid Blog wrote on March 12:

“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recently admitted that Pfizer, Moderna and other experimental shots neither stop the spread of COVID-19, nor prevent you from getting the virus. The agency said in a press release that fully vaccinated Americans must ‘continue to take these COVID-19 precautions when in public.’ That includes wearing masks, staying six feet apart from other people, and avoiding large crowds.

“Pfizer’s CEO, Moderna’s chief medical officer, and Dr. Anthony Fauci have also all admitted that these shots do not stop the spread of COVID-19.  You are not alone if you’re now asking yourself rhetorically, ‘then what is the point of getting these shots?’ There are also real-life events further demonstrating that experimental mRNA and viral vector shots do nothing to stop the spread of COVID-19.

“Two staff members and 10 residents tested positive for COVID-19 this week at the Cottonwoods Care Centre, according to CBC TV. The publicly-funded retirement facility has 221 total beds. The report says 82% of residents were fully vaccinated as of February 15. Two-thirds of staff were fully vaccinated. Thus, the proverbial ‘two-week waiting period’ for alleged immunity had passed. Eight of the confirmed cases were fully-vaccinated.”

However, Senator and physician Rand Paul disagree with these conclusions. Note the next article.

Rand Paul Rips Fauci

Fox News reported on March 19:

“White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci ‘is not being honest with the American public’ about when to wear masks, Sen. Rand Paul [said]. Paul joined host Tucker Carlson one day after the senator challenged Fauci to present hard evidence that people should wear face masks even after receiving the coronavirus vaccine. At one point, Paul called Fauci’s double-masking ‘theater’, which visibly annoyed the immunologist…

“Paul told Carlson Friday that Fauci presented ‘no scientific evidence’ to make the case for wearing masks after people have been vaccinated. ‘There was Dr. Fauci’s opinion, his conjecture that someday there might be a [coronavirus] variant that escapes the control of the vaccine and becomes a pandemic and hospitalizes and kills people,’ he said. ‘But there is no evidence it has happened. He thinks it might happen, so you need to wear the mask until he’s sure that things that might happen are not going to happen.’

“Paul went on to describe Fauci as ‘unconcerned about liberty’, adding that the burden should be on him and other bureaucrats to prove their dictates and recommendations are necessary. ‘There are no news reports or scientific studies saying, after vaccination, that there is some sort of widespread contagion that people [who are] vaccinated are spreading the disease,’ he said.”

It remains to be seen what is and will be happening. In any event, the future looks bleak. Note the next article.

Suicide among American Youth on the Rise

The American Institute for Economic Research wrote on March 20:

“Before Covid, an American youth died by suicide every six hours. Suicide is a major public health threat and a leading cause of death for those aged under 25 — one far bigger than Covid. And it is something that we have only made worse as we, led by politicians and ‘the science,’ deprived our youngest members of society — who constitute one-third of the US population — of educational, emotional and social development without their permission or consent for over a year.

“And why? For what? We were scared. We were scared for our lives and those of people we love. And, like your average German-on-the-street in the 1930s and 40s, we believed that doing what we were told and supporting the national cause would save us and our families. The reality is we sacrificed others without a second thought. We have sacrificed our youths’ lives and future livelihoods…

“Covid poses minimal risk to healthy individuals under 65, and is even less of a threat to youths (those aged under 25). In fact, preliminary data suggest Covid accounted for barely 1.2% of all deaths in the under-25 age group…  the other 98.8% of deaths that had nothing to do with Covid…

“… compared to 2018 and 2019 deaths per 100k, 2020 saw one extra death among those under age five, an additional 1.5 deaths among those aged 5 to 14, and a whopping 23 additional deaths among those aged 15 to 24. Overall, deaths per 100k in this age group jumped from 106.4 per 100k in 2019 to 131.7 per 100k during 2020. That’s an increase of 23% — and Covid only accounts for 1.2% of total deaths in ages 0–24 years.”

These are terrible statistics. Suicides of children, teens and young adults… what a tragedy.

Anti-Lockdown Demonstrations all Over Europe

The Associated Press wrote on March 20:

“Protests against government measures to rein in the pandemic… were reported in several… countries across Europe, including [Germany,] Austria, Britain, Finland, Romania and Switzerland. More than 20,000 people participated in the protest in the central German city of Kassel, where there also were confrontations between the demonstrators and counter-protesters… Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday Germany will have to… reverse some recent relaxations of restrictions…

“In London, demonstrators opposing the U.K.’s months-long lockdown defied police who warned of potential fines and arrest for violating prohibitions on most group meetings… In Finland, police estimated that about 400 people without masks and packed tightly together gathered in the capital, Helsinki, to protest government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions… Before the Helsinki rally, some 300 people chanting slogans like ‘Let the people speak!’ and carrying placards with phrases such as “Facts and numbers don’t add up” marched through the streets of the city…

“More than a thousand anti-vaccination protesters took to the streets in Romania’s capital of Bucharest… In Austria, about 1,000 protesters participated in demonstrations against the government’s virus measures near Vienna’s central train station… In Switzerland, more than 5,000 protesters met for a silent march…”

Merkel’s Defeat

On Tuesday, the German government announced further lockdowns during the Easter holiday period. Due to extreme outrage, Angela Merkel was forced to reverse this decision. Here is the rundown of the events:

Deutsche Welle reported on March 23:

“Germany is extending the current lockdown through April 18, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced early Tuesday. The country will enter an even stricter lockdown from April 1 to April 5 over the Easter holiday period, when shops, including grocery stores, will largely have to close…‘We are having a de facto Easter lockdown,’ Bavarian State Premier Markus Söder told reporters… Stephan Weil, Lower Saxony’s state premier,… spoke of ‘five days of hard lockdown over Easter.’ ‘Firms should not produce anything, traveling to work should only take place when it is absolutely necessary. Public life in Germany and human interactions should be reduced to the absolute minimum…’

“Professor Andrew Ullmann, spokesman for the German parliament’s health committee [said:] ‘What I’m really concerned about is that we are running from one lockdown to the next lockdown… with no perspective for our population…’”

Bild Online wrote on March 23:

“Storm of Protest after Corona summit. No plan, no clue, no courage. Do Merkel, Soeder & Co. still know what they are doing?”

Bild also said this on March 24:

“In the pandemic, the chancellor and the prime ministers are trying to impose their power more and more unabashedly. The Corona Summits are now feasts of patronizing! With how many guests can a family celebrate Easter? With two, three, four? Which shops are allowed to open on Holy Saturday? None at all, just supermarkets, all? What an undignified legislative horse trading in regards to our fundamental liberties and freedoms! As if it were all about harassing the citizens with ever new measures.”

Die Welt added this commentary on March 24:

“What has become of us? Are we a joke? The decisions… prove: Germany is failing. The rulers, an overwhelmed cohort incapable of solving the crisis, are moving further and further away from the electorate in the pandemic. That won’t go well for long in a liberal democracy.”

Merkel’s government realized that they had gone too far. So this happened next:

Merkel Forced to Backtrack and Apologize

 Deutsche Welle reported on March 24

“In a turnabout move, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told state premiers in a video call that there would not be a strict lockdown over Easter after all… During a press conference, Merkel said the Easter lockdown was formed ‘with the best of intentions,’ but on closer analysis, the planned shutdown risked doing more harm than good… Christian Lindner, party leader of the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP), tweeted that Merkel should put a vote of confidence to the Bundestag…”

Reuters wrote on March 24:

“[Merkel’s] comments came against a backdrop of growing public frustration with the conservative-led government over the slow rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and extended lockdown measures… A poll released on Wednesday showed public support for Merkel’s conservatives slumping to its lowest in over a year ahead of a national election in September…”

The Daily Mail added on March 24:

“Despite the U-turn, more than 37million Germans could be facing curfews and forced to wear masks in their own cars under other measures agreed at the talks…”

What complete lunacy. Merkel & Co. have reached the end of their ropes, reflecting utter helplessness and incompetence, unwilling to face reality and to step aside. Trust in the federal and state governmental leaders is at an all-time low. A desire for “productive” change is everywhere. Also note the next article.

Jens Spahn under Scrutiny over Mask Purchases

Deutsche Welle reported on March 21:

“Last year, Germany’s Health Ministry ordered over half a million masks from a company that Jens Spahn’s husband works for [Spahn is openly gay.] The reports have raised eyebrows as Merkel’s conservatives continue to get hit by scandals… The mask deal was first reported on by German news magazine Der Spiegel. According to the report, a media company called Hubert Burda Media GmbH sold the Health Ministry some 570,000 masks in April last year — when supplies were low and protective masks were thin on the ground. The report also revealed that Spahn’s husband, Daniel Funke, holds a high-level position in Burda’s Berlin offices. The company confirmed the purchase to news agency dpa, saying the ministry paid the firm around €909,452 ($1.08 million)…

“The reports on Sunday came amid growing scandals and accusations of graft against Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister-party, the Christian Social Union. Alfred Sauter, former state justice minister for Bavaria, announced on Sunday that he was giving up his CSU party posts after he came under investigation for corruption over mask procurement contracts. Sauter denies any wrongdoing in the case.

“Last month, prosecutors opened a case against senior CSU lawmaker Georg Nüsslein, accusing him of accepting hundreds of thousands of euros to lobby for a mask supplier. Another lawmaker, CDU parliamentarian Nikolas Löbel, also resigned over a separate mask scandal. Prosecutors are likewise looking into his business deals with mask procurement.

“Other conservative lawmakers have resigned over corruption allegations not related to the pandemic, including MP Tobias Zech. The CSU lawmaker resigned on Thursday after reports emerged he did PR work for a political party in Macedonia. The continuous stream of scandals and corruption allegations have hit the conservatives hard just six months before Germany’s general election…”

Britain’s Attack on Von der Leyen and the EU

Express wrote on March 20:

“Has there ever been a better advert for Brexit than this week’s tyrannical, Stalinist rant from the EU’s lost-the-plot boss, Ursula von der Leyen? The woman, who sounds like she’s gone completely mad, has for months headed the worldwide smear campaign against the AstraZeneca vaccine and actively encouraged its suspension. Yet, this week she’s screaming that the EU will commandeer doses destined for us and other countries and then invoke Article 122, allowing the bloc to seize AZ factories along with its patents and control of its production. A pointless exercise obviously because if the EU was too stupid to order enough vaccines it sure… isn’t capable of actually making them.

“Of course none of the threats will ever amount to anything because the consequences would be catastrophic. This is just bluff and bluster from an incompetent leader whose politically motivated blame game has spectacularly backfired and now she doesn’t know what to do. So, she does what the bloc has always done – she threatens. Trouble is, now the world, and especially Britain, sees those threats for what they are – the mark of a blundering, floundering organisation that has failed the only real test it’s ever had, and now feels the ground beneath it crumbling.

“Still, it’s beyond belief that the EU, which is sitting on seven million unused doses of the AZ vaccine, is prepared to go to any lengths to seize every other available dose. This is despite the fact it’s spent months telling the world it’s useless and it kills people. The upshot now, as Covid spirals out of control throughout much of Europe and lockdowns are back, is millions of its citizens are still too scared to have it and hundreds of thousands of unused vaccines are being destroyed thanks to the EU’s killer propaganda.

“Does anyone in the EU actually care about saving lives? Or is it all about scoring points and discrediting Britain and all things British? Yes, this farce is about the EU trying to cover up its own incompetence in not procuring enough vaccines. But it’s also about the bloc’s obsession with trying to hurt us… Britain has so far given 28 million jabs – more than France, Italy, Germany and Portugal combined. And the EU doesn’t like that so it’s desperate to discredit our inoculation programme even if it costs the lives of EU citizens and people all over the world. If it was called the Paris or the Stuttgart vaccine not the Oxford vaccine it would have been a whole different story.

“But this obsession with trying to destroy us had President Macron telling everyone it was ineffective as Chancellor Merkel refused to have it because she said it didn’t work in older people. Then came the claims about it causing blood clots… How must the citizens of those countries feel now, seeing that the EU is playing politics with their lives in order to shore up the bloc’s power and keep safe the jobs of their unelected, overpaid EU masters? ‘All options are on the table,’ said Ursula this week. Well let’s hope those options include her being kicked out before needless numbers of EU citizens die thanks to her towering incompetence.”

This article reflects the ongoing animosity between the UK and the EU, with no hope for healing of any kind. Note the next articles.

Express wrote on March 20:

“Given the EU’s long track record of incompetent and shambolic rule, a Eurocrat [von der Leyen] has to hit spectacular levels of uselessness to be deemed sackable… Her threat to invoke wartime-style emergency powers to block vaccines from being exported out of the EU was meant as a show of strength at a time of crisis. Instead, it has left Brussels looking desperate… Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab likened her threat to the actions of a dictatorship, showing contempt for the international rule of law.”

Deutsche Welle reported on March 20:

“The European Union could stop AstraZeneca from exporting its COVID-19 vaccine from the bloc if the British-Swedish pharma company does not meet its supply obligations, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in comments published on Saturday…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 21:

“Despite earlier promises, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has said the bloc cannot donate COVID-19 vaccines to developing countries while it struggles with its own supply. The UK slammed the move as ‘counterproductive.’… Von der Leyen had strongly campaigned for providing vaccines to people worldwide back in spring 2020…

“The EU has accused the UK of imposing its own de facto export ban. The claim was vigorously denied by the UK, however, there is no evidence to suggest that the UK has exported any COVID vaccines at all, as it relies on complex legal arrangements with manufacturers.”

While the fight between the EU and the UK continues, von der Leyen is becoming more and more unpopular within the EU itself.

Status Report on Britain

The European Council on Foreign Affairs wrote on March 19:

“Brexit has not got off to a flying start. UK goods exports to the European Union fell by more than 40 per cent in January; a new row has erupted over UK ministers’ propensity to breach the terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol unilaterally; and the government’s incomplete preparations have forced it to delay the introduction of checks on incoming EU goods, to avoid empty supermarket shelves…

“Confidence in the US security guarantee has evaporated – not least in the UK, where a startling 74 per cent agreed that ‘Europe can’t always rely on the US; we need to look after our own defence capabilities’…  Britons are warming to Biden’s America, but the United States remains less trusted than other key security partners, such as Canada, Australia, Germany, and Japan, and is considered a less important relationship than our partnership with the European Union…

“Britain’s national finances are in free-fall… National debt has now exceeded £2 trillion (some 100 per cent of GDP – the worst fiscal position for 70 years) and continues to rise…”

Crazy… Barbeques Cause Global Warming

The Sun wrote on March 19:

“Brighton and Hove City Council has come under fire over the controversial proposal to stop holidaymakers and residents enjoying using the grilling stations in all beaches, parks and open spaces. The Green Party-run authority says disposable barbecues are partly to blame for the world’s rising CO2 levels. It says the move is part of the direction for action on climate change with the aim of making the seaside resort carbon neutral by 2030.

“But the plans have been condemned by residents and tourists alike who have accused the Green-run council of being ‘the worst type of woke’ and trying to kill the summer tourism trade…Every year around 10million holidaymakers and day trippers flock to Brighton and Hove with many enjoying a beer and a barbecue on the beach. The tourism industry supports more than 20,000 jobs and brings in an estimated £850million to the city…”

If one thinks that THAT is crazy, note the next article.

Church of England Institutionally Racist?

Daily Mail wrote on March 19:

“The Church of England is set to introduce a 30 per cent quota for ethnic minority candidates on its leadership programme and carry out anti-racism training, it emerged last night. Officials are also planning to provide information giving context to church statues which may have caused ‘pain or offence’ as part of plans to tackle discrimination.

“Only one of the 42 diocesan bishops come from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. A taskforce was set up last year by the Church after Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said he was ‘sorry and ashamed’ that ‘we are still institutionally racist’. The ‘Lament to Action’ report also calls for an overhaul of education within CofE schools as well as plans to ‘deal with’ controversial statues and monuments.”

According to the Daily Mail, dated March 18, a movement has started in the UK to do away with masculine and feminine terms, as they “reinforce historic gender stereotypes.” Rather, it is suggested that “a move to ‘Mx’ is more of a general term that could replace Mr, Mrs, or Miss… to avoid any offence.” Also, the head of Kew Gardens, Richard Deverell, defends his decision to “decolonize” his botanical paradise, naming and shaming plants from countries that profited from exploitation. 

Jewish Sacrifices and the Temple Service

Israel 365 wrote on March 17:

“During a virtual conference on Wednesday, Rabbi Aryeh Stern, the chief rabbi of Jerusalem, ruled that the Korban Pesach (Passover sacrifice) is incumbent upon the Jewish people today… The rabbi concluded that in his opinion, it is possible for us today to perform the Passover sacrifice even before the construction of the Temple. This is based on the principle [that] the normal rules that prohibit the Kohanim (priests) and public from performing Temple rituals while in a state of ritual impurity are not applicable regarding the need to bring a sacrifice for the sake of the public…

“Rabbi Aryeh Lipo, the secretary of the Sanhedrin, agreed with the conclusion of Rabbi Stern, adding that it is entirely correct according to Halacha to renew the Temple service immediately. He added that one clear purpose of the Temple service was to cope with epidemics.

“Rabbi Hillel Weiss, the former spokesman for the Sanhedrin told Israel365 News, ‘The only thing preventing the Jewish People from performing the Passover sacrifice is the Israeli government. If the government decides to allow it, we must be ready to go up and begin the service… Now we must do what is required, and for now that means being ready to begin the Temple service.’”

The Bible prophesies that the Jews will begin to bring animal sacrifices, which will then be suppressed by an invading European power bloc. It is possible that these sacrifices will begin before the building of the third temple has commenced or has been completed, but they will be brought in anticipation of the third temple.

Election Results in Israel

JTA wrote on March 23:

“With the vast majority of votes counted from Tuesday’s Israeli election, it appears that neither Benjamin Netanyahu nor his opponents have a clear path to forming a government… as it stands Wednesday, the tally shows a split between Netanyahu’s allies and his opponents in Israel’s parliament, the 120-seat Knesset. Two parties remain uncommitted to either group….

“Should no candidate be able to assemble a coalition, which is what happened twice in 2019, Israel holds a repeat election. The results don’t point to any obvious majority coalition… the shape of the next Israeli government, and the identity of the person who leads it, may be unclear for quite some time.”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on March 24:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not be able to form a government, according to preliminary results from 97% of the regular polling stations… unless he gains support from the Arab-Islamist Ra’am Party…”

Coming… Fight between Biden and Catholic Church?

CNA wrote on March 18:

“HHS has authority over a broad range of concerns—federally-funded adoption agencies, regulation of the abortion pill, refugee resettlement, anti-human trafficking efforts, global health, and family planning, to name a few. Health policy also intersects with the work of the Catholic Church, which historically has had a large and heavy footprint on U.S. health care. Perhaps in no other area, aside from education, does the Church work more with the broader society.

“An estimated one in six hospital beds in the U.S. is in a Catholic hospital, according to the ACLU. Catholics provide adoption and foster care services around the country, and help resettle refugee families. They operate shelters for human trafficking survivors. Catholic doctors, nurses, and foster mothers may work anywhere in the healthcare system, not just at Catholic institutions…

“It is also true that in health care, the ‘culture war’ battles are raging the hardest. A number of groups—chief among them the ACLU—have for years been pushing for contraceptives, abortions, same-sex marriages, and gender-transition procedures to become the norm in health care and family life, whether or not religious organizations agree. An administration which is willing to aggressively back abortion, marriage redefinition, and gender ideology could pick a lot of fights with Catholic organizations—and that is exactly what happened under the Obama administration… many Catholic institutions will be counting up the myriad of Obama-era ‘culture war’ fights that could reignite—and burn hotter than ever before.”

On the other hand, it is reported that Jesuit Pope Francis is happy with Joe Biden, the second Catholic President in America’s history.

Pope Francis Battles Liberals and Conservatives

The Wall Street Journal wrote on March 20:

“Pope Francis is struggling to manage powerful bishops in the U.S. and Germany, two groups at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum, as he tries to advance his progressive agenda without jeopardizing the unity of the Catholic Church. The election of President Biden, a progressive Catholic whom some U.S. bishops want to censure for his support of abortion rights, has exacerbated longstanding tensions between the pope and the largely conservative American episcopate. U.S. church leaders have resisted promoting the pope’s priorities of social and economic justice and care for the environment over opposition to abortion and defense of religious freedom.

“On the left, the pope is trying to rein in German bishops who—encouraged by the pope’s liberalizing gestures on topics including sexuality, ecumenism and the role of women—are pressing for changes that go further than Pope Francis is comfortable with, and that conservatives warn could cause a schism. Pope Francis’ most recent attempt to restrain the Germans came in this week’s Vatican document forbidding clergy to bless same-sex unions , a practice supported by some leading German bishops…

“Following Mr. Biden’s election, Pope Francis broke protocol by phoning to congratulate the president-elect. But on inauguration day, Archbishop José Gómez of Los Angeles, president of the USCCB, said, ‘Our new president has pledged to pursue certain policies that would advance moral evils and threaten human life and dignity, most seriously in the areas of abortion, contraception, marriage and gender.’ Meanwhile, some bishops say Mr. Biden’s abortion stance makes him ineligible to receive the Eucharist…

“Meanwhile in Germany, bishops and leading lay Catholics are engaged in a national synod considering major changes to church life, including the possibility of women clergy, married priests and changes to church teaching on sexuality… Conservative bishops in both the U.S. and Germany have warned that the German synod could lead the church into a split with the rest of the Catholic world… The [Vatican’s] statement [prohibiting the blessing of same-sex marriages] drew defiant reactions from clergy in Germany and beyond, including Austria and Belgium, with some priests vowing to bless gay couples despite the prohibition.

“… Vatican offices have also recently issued statements that rule out giving Communion to Protestants or allowing laypeople to administer parishes on an equal basis with priests, both ideas popular with German bishops.

“Despite disappointment in Germany with the statement on gay couples, liberals there retain an overwhelmingly positive view of the pope, said Ludwig Ring-Eifel, head of the German bishops’ news agency KNA. ‘The perception goes somewhat like this: Francis has opened all the doors which [Popes John Paul and Benedict] had previously declared closed on gays, on celibacy, on intercommunion. But the conservatives in the Vatican still stand in his way, and he alone is too weak to complete the revolution,’ Mr. Ring-Eifel said.”

Marvel’s First Gay Captain America… and more…

Daily Mail wrote on March 17:

“Marvel Comics has unveiled its very first gay Captain America. The character, named Aaron Fischer, will feature in The United States of Captain America – a new comic book series set for release on June 2. Marvel released images of Fischer on Wednesday, touting him as the first openly queer character in Captain America’s 80-year history. “‘Marvel Comics is proud to honor Pride Month with the rise of this new LGBTQ+ hero,’ the company said in a statement.

“Writer Joshua Trujillo has penned the debut issue in the new series which introduces Fischer… ‘He stands for the oppressed and the forgotten. I hope his debut story resonates with readers and helps inspire the next generation of heroes.’… Fischer was illustrated by Jan Bazaldua, who is a transgender artist…. Fischer also has multiple piercings, including a bull piercing in his nose. Comic book fans were thrilled by the announcement, with many taking to Twitter to share their excitement…

“Marvel has been diversifying its comic book characters in recent years. Thor comics have already featured a trans female character named Sera who descends from a group of male angels, before going on to assume a female identity.”

Chinese Propaganda and German Cowardness

Breitbart wrote on March 10:

“A German children’s book that stated that the coronavirus came from China has been pulped after the publisher caved to pressure from Communist Party diplomats and local Chinese people. The book which was published in the summer of last year is entitled ‘A Corona Rainbow for Anna and Moritz.’ The book tried to help children understand the radically different world they found themselves in following the pandemic.

“In the picture book, the children’s father says: ‘The virus comes from China and has spread out from there across the whole world,’ according to The Times. The book was based on advice from a tropical medicine institute in Hamburg. Despite the overwhelming scientific consensus that the virus emerged from Wuhan, in Central China, the communist regime has consistently denied this, even promulgating unfounded conspiracies such as the U.S. military bringing the virus into China.

“The CCP has also tried to attempt to liken the use of the phrase ‘China virus’ — favoured by former U.S. President Donald Trump — to racism, though the CCP has not made the same objections over the use of the so-called ‘UK variant’.

“A social media campaign from Chinese people in Germany saw many take to Amazon to give the book a one-star rating, claiming the book was ‘spreading racism among children in Germany’. Some Chinese residents also vowed to launch legal claims against the publisher and to protest against ‘racism and discrimination’. The campaign was later picked up by the Chinese consulate in Hamburg, who ‘lodged solemn representations against the publisher’.

“An article from the CCP mouthpiece The Global Times said: ‘The Chinese community believes a simple apology is not enough and asked for the recall of the book’… the Carlsen publishing house apologised and decided to destroy copies of the book…

“Communist China is no stranger to book burning and other censorious tactics stretching back to the time of Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, in which countless religious icons, buildings and books were destroyed by the young Red Guards…’”

We can have gay and transgender heroes in comics, but children’s books must not speak about the coronavirus coming from China…

Stupidity in Canada too…

Newsmax wrote on March 19:

“A Canadian man has been arrested for violating a court order that prevented him from speaking publicly about his teenager’s gender transition… the man is father to a gender non-conforming biological female 15-year-old who identifies as transgender. The teen prefers the use of male pronouns. However, the man has repeatedly called the teen his daughter, despite the court forbidding it. He has also reportedly referred to the teen with the pronouns ‘’she’ and ‘her’… the man is against the teen undergoing ‘gender affirmative’ medical procedures…

“The court ordered the dad not to stand in the way of the teenager’s hormone therapy and to try to better comprehend gender dysphoria… The judges said the man must acknowledge and refer to his child as a boy and by the name the teen has chosen. The father can also state his feelings to family, close friends and close advisers, provided they don’t work for the media… the justices added the father’s rejection of his child’s chosen gender caused the teen ‘significant pain’ that has ‘resulted in a rupture of what both parties refer to as an otherwise loving parent-child relationship.’

“The teen has said he identified as a boy since age 11 and began exploring transition treatment when he [she] was 13. The man claimed… the child had complex problems. But he said the court blamed them all on gender dysphoria… The man… said that the child had intense crushes on two male teachers and also made a suicide attempt.

“The man… blasted the left for his situation…  ‘I am fighting the far left based on a civil disobedience defense!’’ he reportedly wrote. ‘I am now back in court for a five-day criminal trial that will last at least five days … From April 12-16. That trial that could land me in jail for up to five years for speaking truth about state sponsored child abuse. FYI … I am blocked from sharing any videos at this time that oppose the sterilization of children!’”

How must God feel about such blatant violations of His laws and principles? Sodom and Gomorrah come to mind for sure.. but it’s even getting worse.

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 are living in a world that can be very discouraging and depressing, and a word of encouragement can be very uplifting. We know that in our spiritual life, roadblocks will be put in front of us in order to deter us from achieving our goal, but we mustn’t let these deter us in any way! We can and will win if we keep the Way of God.

What is the definition of encouragement?   In collinsdictionary.com we read that it is “the activity of encouraging someone, or something that is said or done in order to encourage them.” It then gives the following synonyms: “inspiration, help, support, aid, favour, comfort, comforting, cheer, cheering, consolation, reassurance, morale boosting, succour.”

Merriam Webster gives these definitions of encourage:

to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope: HEARTEN

to attempt to persuade: URGE

to spur on: STIMULATE

to give help or patronage to: FOSTER

We know that when we were called to God’s Way of Life, it was not an easy way that lay ahead of us but was the “narrow way” (compare Matthew 7:13-14) and while pursuing it, encouragement can greatly help us in our goal of making it into the Kingdom of God.

In the Old Testament we read of discouragement in Ezra 4:4-5: “Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building, and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.” This resistance to rebuilding the Temple came from outsiders – the people of the land. As we know, the Temple was rebuilt years later.

We know that Elijah was extremely discouraged after his Mount Carmel victory over the prophets of Baal. In 1 Kings 19:1-10 we read that “he prayed that he might die” after he was threatened by Jezebel and said: “I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” We read in the following verses that God encouraged him and he went on to do more things in the name of the LORD.

Today, many of us live in countries where we do not suffer any real persecution at all, but that does not detract from the fact that a true Christian lives a completely different Way of Life from those who have not had God’s great calling at this time. Even with the astounding and wonderful knowledge that God has made available to us, we can still feel down, and discouragement is not unknown to God’s people. Satan will, of course, want to throw us off track as we read in 1 Peter 5:8: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” We have been warned!

The following is an old story that is worth repeating in the context of discouragement.

“The devil was holding a yard sale one day and displayed his most useful tools, marked at different prices, on a table. Lying side by side were some of his most notable implements of destruction: hatred, envy, jealousy, deceit, lust, lying and pride- all on sale. But over to the side of the yard on display was a worn-out tool that cost more than all the others combined. The tool was labeled DISCOURAGEMENT. When asked why it was more expensive than the other tools, the devil responded, ‘It’s more useful to me than any of the others. When I can’t bring down my victims with the rest of my tools, I use discouragement, because so few people realize it belongs to me.’”

An internet writer observed: “Discouragement is a thief.  It steals your vitality, your zeal, your joy, your peace, and your contentment.  If discouragement dwells long with you, its friends will soon join.  Their names are fatigue, hopelessness, despair, self-pity, depression, doubt, and bitterness. Sometimes, discouragement can be so strong that you even don’t want to go on living.”

If we find ourselves discouraged at any time, we should take this to God in prayer and ask for His help in turning this difficulty around.

It is interesting and helpful to review positive information about encouragement in the Bible. In Acts 4:36 we read that “Joses  who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement)…” This is the first time in the Bible that he is mentioned and it shows his outstanding example of generosity when he sold a field that he owned and then took the money to the apostles to distribute to those in need (verse 37).

Barnabas was a nickname given to him: a product of his character. It seems that he played a vital role in the early church. Here we see that he had sold some land to help provide for fellow Christian believers. The Church members in Jerusalem were in severe economic need and what did he do – just give out sympathy? No, he encouraged everyone by providing for their needs.

In Acts 9:26-27, Barnabas is seen encouraging the apostle Paul. He even took him to the apostles in Jerusalem for an introduction. Two chapters later he encouraged new believers in Antioch (compare Acts 11:22-24).

We read the apostle Paul’s instruction in Hebrews 3:13: “… but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” The NIV uses the word encourage where the New King James Bible uses the word exhort, but exhort means to urge and to encourage.

The apostle Paul further instructs us in 1 Thessalonians 5:11: “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing,” and the margin in the New King James Bible says that we are to “encourage” each other.

Do we encourage others? Is this part of our Christian Way of Life? It certainly should be! Hebrews 10:24 states, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.” In a world of doom and gloom, a word of encouragement can work wonders. As the saying goes: “Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticise me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you.”

We know that in this life now, we will have tests, trials and tribulation, as our calling is tested, and Jesus told His followers nearly 2,000 years ago and, by extension today, to be of good cheer as He had overcome the world (compare John 16:33).

In 2 Timothy 2:3-4, we read about being strong in Jesus Christ: “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”  This clearly tells us that there is to be hardship – the Greek word can also be translated as to undergo hardship, be afflicted, endure afflictions, to suffer trouble.   The true Christian Way is not easy, and we will be tested throughout the rest of our lives.   God has got to see whether we are serious about our calling and His Way of Life.   If it were easy, anyone could do it, but the reward is so glorious and wonderful – and will last for eternity – that God has to be sure of us.   And that is why we will be tested.

When was the last time that we encouraged or sincerely complimented someone?  Negative comments are easy to make but encouragement is a quality not normally exercised by too many.

Another internet writer put it this way: “Encouragement makes it easier to live in a fallen world in a holy way. Encouragement makes it easier to love as Jesus loved (see John 13:34-35). Encouragement gives hope (Romans 15:4). Encouragement helps us through times of discipline and testing (Hebrews 12:5). Encouragement nurtures patience and kindness (see 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and Galatians 5:22-26). Encouragement makes it easier to sacrifice our own desires for the advancement of God’s kingdom. In short, encouragement makes it easier to live the Christian life.”

It has been said that encouragement is the greatest tool available to adults to boost children’s self-esteem. The psychologist Rudolph Dreikers once said, “Like a plant needs water children need encouragement.” It is through encouragement that we help others to achieve greater things than they thought possible.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 says: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.”

This tells us that God is a God of mercy and comfort who comforts us, and that we may comfort others. There many verses in the Bible that can be helpful and encouraging and which can lift our spirits, and here are but a few of so many that are worth reviewing: Psalm 18:1-2; 27:1, 46:1; Isaiah 12:2; Acts 1:8; Romans 14:19; Philippians 4:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us: “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” The New Living Translation uses the phrase “motivate one another” instead of “exhorting one another”, and this is another way of encouragement.

What a future God’s people have to look forward to in the Kingdom of God and a time when encouragement, not doom and gloom, will be the order of the day!  The original question was “How Important is Encouragement in the life of a Christian?“ This answer has shown that it is vital.  Encouragement is the expression of approval and support.   We should, in the true Church of God, support each other and help in any way we can.

Don’t ever give up. Tough times will come and go. For a true Christian, everything happens for a purpose, and God is always with us. The future is wonderful, and at this time, we should acknowledge this and use encouragement as a vital part of our Christian life.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

The March 2021 Member Letter is now posted.

“Der Leib und das Blut Jesu Christi,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “The Body and the Blood of Jesus Christ.”

“Der Betrug der Sünde,” is the title of the afternoon sermon on the First Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “The Deceitfulness of Sin.”

“Mit welchem Recht?” last Sabbath’s German sermonette which was presented by Johann Schell, is now posted. Title in English: “With What Right?”

“Get to Work,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

The life of a Christian involves a lifetime of spiritual growth and development, requiring hard work in overcoming sin and bringing the fruit of the Spirit to maturity.

“God-Who-Forgives,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Throughout the history of mankind, evil has become so all-pervasive that God has been moved to destroy individuals, nations and even the entire world. Yet, because righteousness was found in some, God relented. That, however, did not remove all the consequences of sin.