Update 1004

On January 8, 2022, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy—January 8, 2022”, and Kalon Mitchell will present the sermon, titled, “Who Is Your Father?”

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.

The calculation of profit is an easy one. Simply subtract costs from total revenue to tabulate the margin of profit. When considering any kind of endeavor, counting the costs to evaluate whether it is worth the investment is essential. We don’t want to waste our resources on pursuits that will not bring us the kind of return that we seek. But the question is, what is the unit of measure that we use to calculate our profit?

Pharmaceutical companies are raking in record profits for the year — calculated in units of money. For example, prior to the Covid 19 pandemic, Moderna was a relatively small pharmaceutical company, typically making about $100 million in annual revenue. By way of contrast, their 2021 profits are projected to be $10 billion. This makes their profits one hundred times larger than their average revenue before the pandemic. Undoubtedly a financial success story, at least on the face of it. But this is only true if we consider the financial costs. When considering the collateral damage done to the percentage of people who have physically suffered or even died as a result of taking their vaccine, the costs are much more material. One wonders how God calculates the profits of pharmaceutical companies when considering the cost of unnecessary harm done to people desperately seeking safety. I doubt the numbers would be very impressive.

To some, an endeavor that appears to waste money or time might in fact produce value that is meaningful to us individually. Volunteering time or donating money are examples of giving away valuable resources that may not appear at first to bring in a profit by the same measure. The profit of those activities may be inherent in the joy of helping others. What appears to be a fruitless dedication of time and money can yield great returns when the unit of measure is not so material. As Christians, we ought to understand this clearly, as we are admonished to seek our treasure in heaven (compare Matthew 6:20). We also understand, of course, that giving to others with the right motivation will result in physical as well as spiritual blessings (Luke 6:38; Malachi 3:10; compare also Mark 10:29-30)

God wants us to profit, but only in the right way. “Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go. Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea’” (Isaiah 48:17-18). Our methods and measures for achieving a profit must be guided by God. We are to make our investment with a spiritual return as our motivation, knowing that He will hold us accountable in our time of judgment. In whatever way we choose to invest the resources that God bestows upon us, the targeted product must not compromise with His commandments. He is the one who teaches us to profit through obedience, measured by the fruit of the Spirit that we are able to produce (compare the above with Galatians 5:22-25).

When we become baptized into the Family of God, we are given a measure of the Holy Spirit. It is not something that we can feel in any physical way, but it has the power to produce immense positive change in our lives. However, the power of God the Father and Jesus Christ will only work within us when we put it to use. If we choose to continue in our worldly ways, seeking a material profit by worldly measures, we will quite ironically become unprofitable (compare Matthew 25:30, Luke 17:10). Not only does God want us to be profitable with our lives, we have a responsibility and duty that we MUST be profitable. This, of course, according to our spiritual growth.

The measure of our profitability lies in the way that invests our resources spiritually. The proverbial “good life” is not identified by luxury. Rather, if we want to live the good life, we dedicate our resources to obedience, loving the way of life that God commands, with joy. Love for Him and our fellow man lead us into the kind of profits that are most valuable in the long run. If our costs are the sacrifices that we make to leave the desires of this world behind, and our revenue is spiritual fruit, then our profit is the reward promised by God to those who remain diligent in their commitment to the Work (compare Matthew 16:27).

by Norbert Link

We begin reporting on the ongoing desire—especially by Germany and France—to create a sovereign “United States of Europe,” which will turn out to be anything but democratic; speak on the 20^th anniversary of the euro;  and report on Austria’s frightening dictatorship which is being compared with developments prior to World War II, as well as frightening developments in Germany and France. In this context, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “The Pandemic of the Unvaccinated”. We also speak on the danger of the Ethiopian war for Europe and China’s hoarding of the world’s grain.

We point out dangers TikTok poses for our children; the make-believe insanity in Switzerland; and an area where Putin has it right.

We address the second phone call between Putin and Biden, which accomplished little, and the ongoing threats Russia is launching against Europe and NATO, especially focusing thereby on Ukraine, Sweden and Finland. We also report on the violent turmoil in Kazakhstan, one of Russia’s allies.

We continue with the leading cause of death [which is not COVID 19 by a long shot]; Dr. Fauci’s “clarification” of former lies; the United States of America’s division as never before in the recent past; and the last two years of America’s terrible dictatorship; as well as other deeply disturbing developments pertaining to governmental restrictions and mandates to the coronavirus pandemic in Canada and the USA; and we address the historic wildfires in Colorado.

We speak on spectacular UFO sightings and Israel’s possible intention to attack Iran with or without Biden’s support; and the growing desire to build the biblically prophesied third temple which opens up interesting questions regarding the fate of the Al Aqsa mosque. We also address the growing friction between American Jews and the State of Israel.

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

Germany and France for a more “Sovereign” Europe

Breitbart wrote on January 1, 2022:

“Annalena Baerbock, the foreign minister of Germany’s new left-led coalition government, has pledged that her country will support France in making ‘a more sovereign Europe’ — that is, one with more power over its member-states’ national governments. The declaration comes as France assumes the European Union’s rotating presidency for the next six months. ‘Our French friends can count on our support from the first to the last day to lay the right foundations within the EU: for a sustainable economic recovery, in the fight against the climate crisis, in digitization and for a more sovereign Europe in the world,’ Baerbock said…

“The German minister went on to say… that Germany and France as ‘the closest friends at the heart of Europe, bear a particular responsibility for a united European Union, capable of acting and oriented towards the future’.

“France’s President Emmanuel Macron has already promised that the nation will aim to increase the power of Europe on the world stage during its presidency of the bloc, which kicks off on January 1^st… As France begins its presidency of the EU, Germany will begin its presidency of the G7 on the same date, with Berlin to host a summit of the seven nations in June…

“The [German] coalition — led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz — has declared that it will push for a so-called ‘United States of Europe’ during its lifespan. In the document outlining the government’s goals, the three coalition members commit to ‘lead developments to a European federal state’, with the document noting the move is Germany’s ‘special responsibility’ as the EU’s ‘largest member-state’…

“Germany has even been accused of using the EU to create a ‘Fourth Reich’, with Polish deputy prime minister Jarosław Kaczyński making comparisons between the bloc and the Holy Roman Empire. The French government has also repeatedly backed the call for stronger European ties, with one government source even saying that Macron was willing to surrender its seat on the UN Security Council to the bloc in exchange for the establishment of an European Army.”

Comments by readers to this article are telling:

“Makes it easy for another Hitler or Stalin leader to appear… Germany still trying to create its own army & take over Europe… the next three years will be perilous indeed, as there will be no one in the White House calling out Brussels and its policies… The Reconstitution of the Roman Empire continues…”

20 Years of the Euro

The Local wrote on January 1:

“The euro on Saturday marked 20 years since people began to use the single European currency… European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen called the euro ‘a true symbol for the strength of Europe’…

“Euro banknotes and coins came into circulation in 12 countries on January 1, 2002, greeted by a mix of enthusiasm and scepticism from citizens who had to trade in their Deutsche marks, French francs, pesetas and liras. The euro is now used by 340 million people in 19 nations, from Ireland to Germany to Slovakia. Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania are next in line to join the eurozone…

“While the dollar still reigns supreme across the globe, the euro is now the world’s second most-used currency… Von der Leyen, in a video statement, said: ‘We are the biggest player in the world trade and nearly half of this trade takes place in euros.’”

We have emphasized time and time again that the euro is here to stay, as it is the glue which holds European member states together.

Austria Reliving its Past Dictatorship?

Breitbart wrote on December 31:

“On Thursday, Austria’s National Council decided to extend the lockdown for the unvaccinated until at least January 10^th… The new measures are the fourth amendment to Austria’s COVID-19 Protective Measures Ordinance and were passed in parliament by the ruling Austrian People’s Party (OeVP), their coalition partners the Greens, as well as the Social Democrats (SPOe)… the new amendment states that private New Year gatherings must not exceed ten people. A curfew for all restaurants has also been set for 10 p.m.

“The EU member-state has also decided that any vaccine certificates that involved a single dose inoculation will expire on January 3rd. Those who took a one-dose vaccine will be required to take a booster shot for their health passport to remain valid.

“Unvaccinated individuals in Austria have been under a general lockdown since late November, which ultimately included fully vaccinated residents as well — but the government lifted restrictions for the vaccinated earlier this month. The new amendment is just the latest time the lockdown for the unvaccinated has been extended by the government, which will meet on January 10th to possibly extend the lockdown yet again. The new year will also see Austria make the vaccine mandatory for all citizens. Those who do not comply could face large fines as well as possible prison time beginning in February.”

Comments to this article are telling:

“… everybody in my family who took the vaccines are sick ! The ones of us who didn`t take the shots are working very hard to take care of them, that`s the facts around this family…  the actual science actually says that the ‘vaccinated’ are at greater risk of catching and getting ill from Omicron than the unvaccinated… The mind boggles at the stupidity of these silly restrictions… Same here. Vaccinated daughters got the virus, non-vaccinated parents didn’t…. I know of several families where everyone is vaccinated and everyone is now sick. Unvaxxed…. no one sick… I got horribly ill from the second Moderna vaccine I will not be taking the booster!… Austria, original home of the Nazi menace, has truly returned to its roots…. It makes one wonder if the spirit of the 1930s ever really died in Austria….

Imagine, a lockdown over a bad cold. Now we know why Hitler was able to march in and take Austria over without firing a shot…. Austrians learned NOTHING from history…”

It appears that most Austrians did NOT learn from their history. However, the anger of a vocal minority against governmental restrictions grows in parts of Austria and Germany. Dictatorial reactions of the governments can be expected.

 The Western Standard wrote on January 2:

“Close to 350,000 people took to the streets in Vienna, Austria this weekend to protest some of the most Draconian COVID-19 restrictions in the world. Austria was the first country to announce mandatory vaccinations for all citizens 14-years-old and up. This week it was announced the mandate comes into effect February 1 and will cost the unvaccinated up to 3,600 euros… every three months.”

Breitbart wrote on January 4:

“A number of protests have taken place in Germany, with estimates putting the number of anti-lockdown protesters attending events at over 100,000 in total nationwide… 50,000 turned out in Baden-Wuertemberg, ‘tens of thousands’ in Saxony, and 17,000 in Thuringia.  While a number of protests took place in the country with the permission of relative authorities, others went ahead despite non-compliance, with thousands attending so-called ‘unannounced’ rallies despite being threatened with fines by police. Monday night ‘strolls’ have a history in Germany reaching back to the Communist era where protesting could be a dangerous occupation…

“While protests in a number of regions last night remained relatively peaceful… others did experience some levels of violence… East German members of the ruling Free Democratic Party (FDP) have expressed a desire for security authorities to clamp down on violent protesters. A strategy paper by the group’s eastern head, Hagen Reinhold, has called for better coordination between security authorities in dealing with internet bubbles and chats that he claims are used to mobilise people… Reinhold calls out Telegram in particular as a potential source of problems, the encrypted messaging service having already drawn much institutional ire in Germany over recent months.

“German authorities have already launched legal proceedings against the app last month over claims that it did not abide by laws requiring social media to police the actions of users on the platform. ‘Should Telegram fail to react to the European and German legal situation, our security policy will increasingly begin in the chat groups in the future,’ wrote the FDP politician in the paper.”

The more some Germans object to the restrictions, the more the government will respond, especially when it can be alleged that demonstrators, even if it is just a handful, become “violent.” Such problematic governmental reactions will not only be directed at the actual perpetrators, but also at the organizers of demonstrations.

Macron Attacks the Unvaccinated

BBC News wrote on January 5:

 “French President Emmanuel Macron has been accused of using divisive, vulgar language after he used a slang term to say he wanted to make life difficult for unvaccinated people. ‘I really want to p… them off, and we’ll carry on doing this – to the end,’ he told Le Parisien newspaper…. ‘So we need to tell them, from 15 January, you will no longer be able to go to the restaurant. You will no longer be able to go for a coffee, you will no longer be able to go to the theatre. You will no longer be able to go to the cinema.’…

“The airwaves in France are shrill this morning with the sound of angry politicians. From left and right, moderate and extreme, opponents are outbidding each other in condemnation…”

The Sun added on January 5:

“FUMING Emmanuel Macron has vowed to ‘p**s off’ France’s unvaccinated population as he branded them ‘non-citizens’ in a furious outburst… He insisted he would not ‘vaccinate by force’ the minority who had not had a dose, but instead persuade them to get jabbed by ‘limiting as much as possible their access to activities in social life’.”

These terrible tactics by governmental officials have become common in other countries as well. Later on in this section, we report on awful accusations against the unvaccinated in Canada and the USA.

Ethiopian War Danger to Europe

Market Research Telecast wrote on December 31:

“Brussels fears that the armed conflict in Ethiopia will degenerate in 2022 and cause a humanitarian catastrophe and a migration crisis of historic proportions. Community sources warn of the risk that the war will destabilize the entire Horn of Africa, an area where more than 200 million people live and already undergoes the stress of gigantic internal population displacements…

“Brussels fears that the Ethiopian conflict will… end up dragging other countries in the area such as Sudan, South Sudan or Somalia, in addition to Eritrea, already clearly involved. Community sources point out that the outbreak of the area would cause ‘a migratory exodus of historical proportions comparable to that of the breakup of Yugoslavia.’ That dismemberment from 1991 caused population movements that affected more than three million people and almost one million sought refuge in the countries of the European Union…

“Europe was overwhelmed despite the fact that the former Yugoslavia had only 23 million inhabitants. But Ethiopia, the epicenter of the conflict in the Horn of Africa, is a giant of 112 million people. And it is surrounded by countries like Sudan (45 million), South Sudan (16 million) or Somalia (16 million), which already suffer enormous internal tensions… although the geographical distance from the EU is much greater than in the case of Yugoslavia, Brussels considers it likely that part of the migratory flows will move to the old continent through, above all, Libya. ‘Ethiopia is experiencing one of the bloodiest wars that are being fought at the moment on the planet,’ say community sources. And they show their concern for the peaceful subsistence of the area ‘even when the war ends.’ The conflict, according to data from the European Commission, has already caused the displacement of more than two million people and thousands have sought refuge in Sudan…

This could lead to much hostility between Europe and Ethiopia.

China Hoards over Half of World’s Grain

Nikkei Asia wrote on December 23:

“Less than 20% of the world’s population has managed to stockpile more than half of the globe’s maize and other grains, leading to steep price increases across the planet and dropping more countries into famine. The hoarding is taking place in China…

“According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, China is expected to have 69% of the globe’s maize reserves in the first half of crop year 2022, 60% of its rice and 51% of its wheat.”

TikTok Danger to our Children

Daily Mail wrote on December 26:

“Campaigners have accused TikTok of helping children to be ‘brainwashed’ by hosting viral social-media videos that promote changing sex as ‘cool’. Material posted by transgender influencers on the social networking service – in which they provide advice on transitioning and accessing hormone therapies – has been seen by millions of young viewers. Some parents are concerned the involvement of TikTok, which became the UK’s most downloaded app last year, is fuelling a ‘social contagion’ of pressure on impressionable youngsters and the rise in teenagers who are identifying as trans…

“TikTok signed a partnership earlier this year with Stonewall, the controversial lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights charity, to promote this material.

“One popular transgender TikTok influencer, Bella Fitzpatrick, raised £20,000 from followers in less than three months to fund private gender-reassignment surgery. The 19-year-old has 700,000 followers and explains the process of transitioning, including her experience of bypassing NHS waiting lists.

“Another is Alex Consani, 18, who has more than 680,000 followers. She went viral five years ago when, aged 12, Cosmopolitan magazine featured her life as a trans model. One of her videos, seen 2.3 million times, tells followers they are ‘one oestrogen pill away from a glow up’. A ‘glow up’ is a mental, physical and emotional transformation for the better.

“A channel featuring influencer Jaison Jowett shows the process of transitioning and carrying out reassignment surgery. One video includes the caption ‘Heal with me after top surgery!’ – a reference to a reconstructive chest operation. Another video begins with the words ‘I used to be a good Christian kid’ before showing the transformation to a ‘trans, gay atheist who loves tattoos and chaos’….

“A spokesman for TikTok said: ‘We are honoured that the LGBTQ+ community has embraced TikTok from our very early days, as a platform for self-expression, education, community-building and joy.’ A spokesman for Stonewall said: ‘Our content allows young LGBTQ+ people to know that they are not alone in their experiences.’”

Tik Tok is owned by “Beijing-based technology company ByteDance, founded by the Chinese billionaire entrepreneur, Zhang Yiming. The 38-year-old was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2019, who described him as ‘the top entrepreneur in the world’” (The Sun, dated December 18, 2021).

“US President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order announcing that he would ban US businesses and citizens from doing business with or downloading TikTok… The move came after the Trump administration aired concerns about user data being shared with Chinese authorities, a claim that ByteDance denied. However, the ban did not come into effect after a US District Judge ruled to temporarily halt the ban on TikTok downloads… It seems unlikely that Biden will take as drastic actions as Trump did when it comes to China’s tech giants, while he will still be concerned about data security” (Focus, November 20, 2020).

We should note that Trump’s and Biden’s concerns were and are strictly based on data security, not on their questionable and dangerous contents.

Make Believe Insanity in Switzerland

International Family News wrote on December 30:

“Switzerland has now joined a host of nations that allows a person to change gender identity by merely declaring so. Starting January 1, 2022, proof of undergoing hormone therapy or having had ‘sex-reassignment’ surgery, or a declaration from a doctor attesting to a person suffering from gender dysphoria, are not required. Now all one must do to legally change one’s gender is go to a civil registry office and fill out a simple form. It is just that easy.

“Allowing mere belief–no matter how objectively wrong it may be–to determine legal reality is a pathway leading to societal chaos. How this snowball will end can be glimpsed in Mexico, where the state Supreme Court recently ruled that a person’s belief about his age trumps the actual age of that person. With this decision, pedophilia could end as a crime if an adult in good faith believes he is a child. A minor could be allowed to purchase alcohol or visit a strip club if he or she in good faith believes they are twenty-one. With this ‘make believe’ movement gathering steam, a person could soon be able to legally change his race and ethnicity by merely declaring so; and people would be incentivized to do this because of all the quotas and set-asides reserved for minorities. Indeed, what is to stop a person from lying on his resume when applying for jobs, government grants, and colleges if he actually believes that he had the experiences listed on it? Living in a world turned upside where fiction is truth and truth is fiction is where this snowball stops….”

This is indeed insane, but one can see where these ungodly movements are heading…

Where Putin Is Right

IFN wrote on December 24:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin has many flaws and reasons to be disliked. He illegally occupied and annexed the Crimea. He is supporting a civil war in Ukraine. He jails and may even poison political opponents. He repeatedly makes threats against the West. Yet, in one area he should be admired—in thinking clearly about woke cancel culture and the radical transgender agenda…

“In regard to the radical transgender agenda that holds that any biological man can become a woman just by saying so and vice versa, Putin made several common-sense remarks; remarks that all of humanity unanimously agreed with until the last few decades in the West. ‘If someone believes that males and females are the same thing, well, let them believe that, but let’s think about common sense,’ Putin stated. Regarding allowing biological men to compete against biological women in sports, Putin declared: ‘Say, for example, males say they are females and compete in weightlifting competitions [as happened in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics]. This renders the entire area of women’s sports meaningless. I believe that the traditional approach is correct: a male is a male, a female is a female. Mother is mother and father is father.’…

“Putin then discussed the insanity of placing biological men identifying as women with biological women prisoners…

“After hearing Putin’s remarks, you have to ask yourself: Why is Putin, flawed in so many ways, the only current Western world leader courageously confronting the ‘virus’ of cancel culture and the lie that a biological man can become a woman just by saying so? Why are so many officials in the West afraid to defend objective reality and common sense?…”

Of course, Putin is totally correct in this regard, but one must not overlook that he is viciously opposing everyone who does not conform to his ideas, whatever they may be.

Second Putin-Biden Phone Call

Daily Mail wrote on December 31:

“Tensions between Russia and the West have… reached new highs over Ukraine. Putin discussed the soaring tensions in a phone call with US President Joe Biden on Thursday.

“Biden reaffirmed the U.S. threat of new sanctions against Russia in case of an escalation or invasion, to which Putin responded with a warning of his own that such a U.S. move could lead to a complete rupture of ties between the nations.”

It was reported that the call “ended without clarity about Mr. Putin’s intention.”

Russia Warns Finland and Sweden

EU Today wrote on December 29:

“Moscow has warned Finland and Sweden against joining Nato amid rising tensions between Russia and the western military alliance. Maria Zakharova, the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, accused the alliance of trying to pull the two countries into its orbit…

 “Finland and Sweden both pursued a policy of neutrality throughout the Cold War and neither country has ever formally applied to join Nato. However, Sweden, which increased its defence budget after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, introduced legislation last year that would allow it to join Nato in the future if it decided it was in its interests. Swedish troops have held joint military exercises with Nato.

“Finland has also said that it could apply for Nato membership in the future…

‘Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited the two countries in October and praised their willingness to work with the alliance amid Russia’s ‘aggressive posturing.’”

Turmoil in Kazakhstan

The Guardian wrote on January 5:

“Kazakhstan’s president has appealed to a Moscow-led security bloc to help regain control amid protests sparked by fuel price rises, after demonstrators took over government buildings and reportedly stormed the airport in Almaty, the country’s commercial capital and largest city.

“In a televised address late on Wednesday, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said he had turned to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) – a military alliance of Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan – after what he described as ‘attacks’ by foreign-trained terrorist gangs…

“Earlier in the day, there were violent clashes between police and demonstrators in the city and the mayor’s office was set on fire…

“Tokayev accepted the resignation of the government on Wednesday morning and introduced a state of emergency… to the entire country… The protests began in the west of the country at the weekend, after a sharp rise in fuel prices, but have spread quickly and taken Kazakhstan’s authorities and international observers by surprise… on Wednesday, the internet went down across much of Kazakhstan…

“Images of police being overpowered by protesters are likely to cause alarm in the Kremlin, as another country neighbouring Russia succumbs to political unrest. Kazakhstan is part of an economic union with Russia and the two countries share a long border. ‘We hope for the earliest possible normalisation of the situation in the country, with which Russia is linked by relations of strategic partnership and alliance through fraternal, human contacts,’ the Russian foreign ministry said [and that] it was important no foreign countries interfered in Kazakhstan.

“Tokayev spoke to the Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, who crushed a huge uprising with brutal force in 2019. Before calling Tokayev, Lukashenko spoke to Putin…

“Kazakhstan has never held an election judged as free and fair by international observers…”

The West is anxiously observing these developments, wondering what Putin might do.

Russia Sends Troops to Kazakhstan

Reuters reported on January 6:

“Fresh violence erupted in Kazakhstan’s main city on Thursday after Russia rushed in paratroopers to put down a countrywide uprising in one of Moscow’s closest former Soviet allies…. The Russian deployment was a gamble by the Kremlin that rapid military force could secure its interests in the oil and uranium-producing Central Asian nation, by swiftly putting down the worst violence in Kazakhstan’s 30 years of independence….

 “Moscow did not disclose how many troops it was sending, and it was not possible to determine if any were involved in Thursday’s unrest…. The swift arrival of Russian troops demonstrated the Kremlin’s willingness to safeguard its influence in the ex-Soviet Union with force… The West has so far mainly limited its response to calls for calm.”

Abortion Leading Cause of Death

Breitbart wrote on December 31:

“As of noon on December 31, 2021, there were 42.6 million abortions performed in the course of the year… while 8.2 million people died from cancer, 5 million from smoking, 1.7 million of HIV/AIDS, 1.3 million from traffic fatalities, and 1 million from suicide.

“Totaling all the deaths in the world from causes other than abortion reveals a figure of 58.7 million, meaning that abortions accounted for just over 42 percent of all human deaths in 2021. By comparison, worldwide deaths from coronavirus in 2021 totaled around 3.5 million, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).”

We dare to say that the number of deaths from corona is highly exaggerated. Note the next article.

Fauci “Clarifies” Prior Lies

Townhall wrote on December 31:

“Chief White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci finally acknowledged an important point about Covid-19 case numbers in hospitalized children… ‘many of them are hospitalized with Covid as opposed to because of Covid,’ Fauci admitted… ‘And what we mean by that — if a child goes in the hospital, they automatically get tested for Covid. And they get counted as a Covid-hospitalized individual. When in fact, they may go in for a broken leg or appendicitis or something like that. So, it’s over-counting the number of children who are, quote, ‘hospitalized with Covid,’ as opposed to because of Covid.

“Many pointed out that people were banned from social media channels for making this exact point, which is happening not just for children but adults, too. ‘Fauci acknowledges what others were censored for saying: Many children enter hospitals for reasons unrelated to Covid like broken bones but are registered as Covid hospitalizations simply because they got a + PCR test, thereby inflating the numbers,’ said The Grayzone’s editor Max Blumenthal.”

Still, the FDA just backed Pfizer booster shots for kids ages 2 to 15 (The Week, dated January 3). The money machine must go on…

A Country Divided

npr wrote on January 3:

“One year after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Americans are deeply pessimistic about the future of democracy… 64% of Americans believe U.S. democracy is ‘in crisis and at risk of failing.’ That sentiment is felt most acutely by Republicans: Two-thirds of GOP respondents agree with the… claim that ‘voter fraud helped Joe Biden win the 2020 election’… Fewer than half of Republicans say they are willing to accept the results of the 2020 election…

“Nearly two-thirds of poll respondents agree that U.S. democracy is ‘more at risk’ now than it was a year ago. Among Republicans, that number climbs to 4 in 5… “More than half of Democrats say the Jan. 6 assault was an ‘attempted coup or insurrection,’ while Republicans are more likely to describe it as a ‘riot that got out of control.’…”

The New York Post wrote on January 3:

“40 percent of Republicans agreed it could sometimes be ‘justified for citizens to take violent action against the government.’ Twenty-three percent of Democrats and 41 percent of Independents also endorsed situational violence. Of those who agree that rising up in arms against the government could be acceptable, 22 percent said it would be justified for invasions of personal liberties, while 15 percent pointed to a military takeover or democratic collapse. Three percent said violence was appropriate if the government did not accept election results…

“The numbers had risen sharply in recent years. In 2015, 23 percent of Americans approved of violence against authorities, researchers said. Five years before that, 16 percent agreed — up from only 13 percent in the mid-90s.

“The same poll found that 92 percent of Democrats thought Trump was largely to blame for the Jan. 6 riot, compared to 27 percent of GOP voters.”

These are dangerous numbers. When so many Americans feel violence is sometimes justified to be used against the government, then it is only a matter of time… To be clear, God condemns the use of violence against governmental officials or governmental institutions. HOW MUCH the nation is divided can also be seen in the next article.

FBI Biden’s Personal Gestapo?

Breitbart wrote on January 4:

“Many U.S. voters think the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is Democrat President Joe Biden’s ‘personal Gestapo,’ according to a Rasmussen poll released Tuesday. ‘Roger Stone, an adviser to former President Donald Trump, has said there is “a group of politicized thugs at the top of the FBI who are using the FBI … as Joe Biden‘s personal Gestapo,”’ the poll report states. ‘Forty-six percent of voters agree with Stone’s assessment, including 29 percent who Strongly Agree. Thirty-eight percent disagree with Stone’s claim, including 25 percent who Strongly Disagree.’

“The results of the poll, which was conducted… on Dec. 29-30, come after the FBI conducted a raid on the home of Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe, looking for information about Ashley Biden’s diary… Voter opinion on whether FBI Director Christopher Wray is influenced by the president has reached a ‘near-complete reversal.’ Now, 50 percent of voters believe Wray is influenced by Biden ‘in his decision making,’ and only 26 percent think he is independent of the administration. Twenty-five percent of those polled are unsure. In May 2017, 53 percent thought the FBI director was independent while 26 percent thought he was beholden to the president. Approval of Wray has also declined since 2020…

“Fifty-seven percent of Republicans and 56 percent of unaffiliated voters have an unfavorable view of the FBI compared to 30 percent of Democrats…”

YouTube Worst Censor of All?

Newsmax wrote on January 3:

“Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., says he won’t be posting to YouTube anymore because the video platform site is ‘the worst censor of all.’ ‘Today I begin my exodus from Big Tech, starting with the worst censor of all, YouTube,” Paul said in a statement… Instead, Paul’s team said viewers can see his content on Rumble.com.

“Paul’s YouTube account was suspended for seven days twice in August and September over videos the platform said violated its COVID-19 misinformation policy. In one of the videos, Paul, a staunch critic of Biden administration vaccination policies and of key COVID-19 adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, posted a video that disputed the effectiveness of wearing masks to limit the spread of the coronavirus. In the video, Paul says: ‘Most of the masks you get over the counter don’t work. They don’t prevent infection.’ Later in the video, he adds, ‘Trying to shape human behavior isn’t the same as following the actual science, which tells us that cloth masks don’t work.’”

The irony is that now, more and more scientists agree that cloth masks do not work. For instance, the Ron Paul Institute wrote on January 2:

“Germany’s official government health authority reported last week that 90 plus percent of new Omicron variant cases are among vaccinated individuals, obliterating the long-repeated claim that this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Other narratives are also crumbling – former FDA head Scott Gottlieb says cloth masks are useless.”

Trudeau and Biden Malign and Accuse the Unvaccinated

LifeSiteNews wrote on January 3:

“Prime Minister Trudeau maligned Canadians who are opposed to receiving the experimental COVID-19 gene-therapy injections as ‘extremists,’ ‘racists,’ and ‘misogynists’ who deny science. The September interview went viral on social media only late last month and has since attracted strong criticism from politicians and citizens alike… They ‘do not believe in science, who are often misogynists, often racists, too; it is a sect, a small group, but who are taking up space, and here we have to make a choice, as a leader, as a country,’ added Trudeau.

“He made the shocking statement that he is unsure if Canada should even ‘tolerate these people’ while telling the host that the unvaccinated ‘are going to block us’ from getting back to the ‘things we like doing.’ Trudeau’s discriminatory and confusing statements had seemed to have gone unnoticed by Canadian society until December 28, when career politician and federal leader of the pro-freedom People’s Party of Canada, Maxime Bernier, posted the clip to social media while labelling Trudeau a ‘psychopathic fascist.’…

“Despite Trudeau and all of Canada’s provincial leaders supporting vaccine mandates and vaccine passports for access to various parts of Canadian society, coronavirus vaccine trials have never produced evidence that the vaccines stop infection or transmission...

“Trudeau’s assertion that those opposed to vaccination are ‘racist’ is at odds with the fact that many of the most vaccine-hesitant people are members of minority communities who have a strong distrust of government due to mistreatment in past generations. In Canada, indigenous groups like the Six Nations community in Ontario have a vaccination rate of only 46 percent as of mid-December, compared to a rate of over 85 percent for the province’s population as a whole.

“In America, the group to report the highest levels of hesitancy is black Americans, with a whopping 50 percent reporting a distrust in the procedure.

“In addition to cultural hesitancy, there are those too who oppose the shots on scientific or religious grounds…”

Sadly, such mean-spirited and hateful comments, as uttered by Trudeau, can be expected to be made by politicians and leaders in other countries as well. Note the article on France above.

Also, even though less offensive in his words than Trudeau, Biden keeps maligning the “unvaccinated” and holds them responsible for the spread of the Omicron virus, as he did on January 4 in a speech to the nation, even though the facts do not support his claim at all. Incredibly, Biden said this:

“The impact from the rising cases depends on the effect on the person based on whether that person — what their vaccination status is… if you’re vaccinated and boosted, you are highly protected… if you’re unvaccinated, you have some reason to be alarmed.  Many of you will — you know, you’ll experience severe illness, in many cases, if you get COVID-19 if you’re not vaccinated.  Some will die — needlessly die.

“The unvaccinated are taking up hospital beds and crowding emergency rooms and intensive care units.  That’s a place that other people will need access to those hospitals… there is no excuse — no excuse for anyone being unvaccinated.  This continues to be a pandemic of the unvaccinated… And for [parents] who still haven’t gotten your kids vaccinated, please get them vaccinated.  Look out for their interests here.  It’s the best way to protect them.

“And for parents with kids too young to be vaccinated, surround your kids with people who are vaccinated.  And make sure you’re masking in public so you don’t get COVID and give it to your kids.”

What absolutely divisive and scientifically false remarks! Fox News, in pointing out the many misrepresentations in Biden’s speech, wrote on January 5:

“But those who have been vaccinated are still getting sick. The U.S. recorded its record number of COVID-19 cases for a single day on Monday, almost doubling the previous record of about 590,000 set just four days earlier. This, despite 73% of the U.S. population being at least partially vaccinated and 62% fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control…. the CDC noted on December 20 that it ‘expects that anyone with Omicron infection can spread the virus to others, even if they are vaccinated or don’t have symptoms…’”

The Past Two Years… a Testimony of Autocratic Insanity

Dr. Ron Paul wrote the following in his weekly column in the Ron Paul Institute on January 3:

“… these past two years have been a bad dream. It seems like we fell asleep in early 2020 and woke up in 1984! They said that if we just put on a mask and stayed home for two weeks, we’d be able to return to normal. The two weeks came and went and instead of going back to normal they added more restrictions. These past two years have been a story of moving goalposts and ‘experts’ like Anthony Fauci constantly contradicting themselves…

“The history of these past two years is that the worst ideas have been adopted by force and anyone questioning those ideas has been suppressed by force…

“As my son Rand said on a recent Liberty Report, thousands of people died because Fauci refused to consider the proven effectiveness of natural immunity against Covid. He and his colleagues were determined to deny any outpatient treatments and insisted on vaccines as the only way out. Now, as we see the vaccines performing so poorly versus natural immunity, their whole strategy lies in tatters. Will anyone apologize to the relatives of all those who died?

“When we look back at these two years, hopefully one thing that will be remembered is [that] the institutions of state power… have been exposed as frauds and worse.

“In a recent massively popular Joe Rogan interview with Dr. Robert Malone – inventor of the mRNA technology that is the backbone of the ‘vaccines’ – Malone discusses the disturbing concept of mass formation psychosis, where fear and manipulation are used to drive a society mad in the service of a group of elites with an agenda. We saw it in Germany in the 1930s….”

Judge Blocks Navy Vaccine Mandate

Thomson/Reuters wrote on January 4:

“A federal judge on Monday barred the U.S. Department of Defense from punishing a group of Navy SEALs and other special forces members who refused COVID-19 vaccines on religious grounds.

“U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, acting in response to a lawsuit filed on behalf of 35 special forces service members, issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Navy and Defense Department from enforcing the mandate. O’Connor, who was appointed to the federal bench in Texas by President George W. Bush, said the Navy had not granted a single religious exemption to the vaccine rule.

“‘The Navy service members in this case seek to vindicate the very freedoms they have sacrificed so much to protect. The COVID-19 pandemic provides the government no license to abrogate those freedoms,’ the judge wrote in a 26-page decision.”

Ultimately, the highly political US Supreme Court will have to decide these issues.

And Now.. Another Variant?

Mashable wrote on January 4:

“The world is still coping with the rapid spread of Omicron and the previously reported Delta variant. As infection rates surge in several countries, yet another COVID-19 variant has been discovered. Scientists in France have detected a new coronavirus variant called ‘IHU’…

“So far, 12 cases have been reported in Marseille with an initial case being linked to travel history in Cameroon… The researchers revealed that the IHU variant is believed to contain 46 mutations (higher than Omicron) which could mean that it’s far more infectious and resistant to vaccinations. Currently, it is too soon to tell if this is the latest variant of concern. The WHO is still investigating the findings.”

Big Pharma will have a lucrative field day to develop a vaccine against that variant. It appears many mutations might occur because of the vaccinations.

How many more booster shots?

CNN wrote on January 4:

“A leading expert who helped create the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19  said Tuesday that giving everyone in the world booster shots multiple times a year is not feasible. ‘We can’t vaccinate the planet every four to six months. It’s not sustainable or affordable,’ Professor Andrew Pollard, the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group and head of the UK’s Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, told The Daily Telegraph in an interview published Tuesday…

“Pollard also said he thought further evidence was needed before offering a fourth Covid-19 shot to people in the UK… Israel has already begun its rollout of a fourth vaccine dose, offering it to all medical workers and people 60 and older as of Monday. And in late December, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach told public broadcaster ZDF that Germans ‘will need a fourth vaccination’ against Covid-19.”

What Germany, the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, Austria, Israel and many other countries need are competent and knowledgeable health experts.

Historic Wildfires in Colorado

Bloomberg wrote on December 31:

“The infernos near Boulder, Colorado, destroyed as many as 1,000 homes, overwhelming firefighters as hurricane-force gusts propelled flames through suburban neighborhoods left tinder dry by months of drought. The blazes dashed erratically from house to house, scorching about 6,000 acres (2,400 hectares) and devouring structures ‘in just a blink of an eye,’ Colorado Governor Jared Polis said… Authorities suspect the grass fires were touched off by power lines that toppled in the 100-mile (161-kilometer) per-hour winds. No deaths have been reported…”

These fires with “historic” winds made it the “most destructive fire in state history.”

“Highly Credible” Unexplained UFO Sightings

The Hill wrote on January 5:

“The Navy has a perplexing mystery on its hands. For several weeks in 2019, unknown objects stalked U.S. warships off the coast of southern California. While the bizarre ‘drone’ encounters remain unsolved, the incidents occurred in an area with a long history of UFO sightings, including two of the most credible encounters on record… The Navy, working with the FBI and Coast Guard, now appears to have ruled out civilian activity or U.S. military operations as plausible explanations for the encounters. This leaves two possibilities, each with extraordinary implications.

“Either a foreign adversary is spying on Navy ships around the Channel Islands (which lie just west of Los Angeles and San Diego), or devices of truly unknown origin are operating with impunity around U.S. (and allied) vessels.

“The implications of a foreign power deploying drones to spy on American warships just off the California coast are immense. For starters, this scenario suggests a monumental U.S. counterintelligence failure. Moreover, such a brazen and technically complex intelligence operation amounts to an enormous gamble for a hostile nation. Any shoot-down – as the Navy reportedly attempted – of a foreign surveillance drone so close to U.S. shores would invite sweeping geopolitical repercussions.

“Importantly, if the UFOs that stalked the Navy warships were part of an adversarial intelligence collection effort, the objects’ operators made little effort to conceal their presence. Videos taken aboard one U.S. vessel show the mysterious craft displaying bright and flashing lights. At the same time, Navy radar operators tracked the objects with apparent ease, even expressing surprise as the craft engaged in anomalous maneuvers. In another video, a spherical object… appears to descend slowly into the ocean.

“To be sure, investigators and intelligence analysts must take seriously the possibility that a foreign power is spying on U.S. warships a stone’s throw from two major American cities. But based on what is known publicly about these bizarre incidents, investigators should also consider the long history of UFO sightings around the Channel islands…

“Now, with Congress forcing the government to take the UFO phenomenon seriously for the first time, investigators must consider whether the objects that followed Navy warships are linked to the long history of inexplicable – yet highly credible – encounters in the waters off southern California.”

The author of the article, Marik von Rennenkampff, served as an analyst with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, as well as an Obama administration appointee at the U.S. Department of Defense. Of course, a third and most plausible explanation for these UFO sightings is demonic activities to prepare mankind for Armageddon.

Israel Prepared to Attack Iran?

Townhall wrote on December 31:

“The timing of recent rhetoric throughout the Middle East is directly related to renewed nuclear negotiations with Iran. Nobody thinks the Iranians are honest players or can be trusted. But there are world leaders who think that continuing to negotiate… is a goal in and of itself…

“A large part of the problem and Israel’s justified concern is that the western secular world does not understand religious fanaticism…

“If Israel really believes that Iran is on the verge of a nuclear breakout, is Israel prepared to act on its own assuming others won’t?… Making such a decision to attack Iran will be a historic Jewish decision, like Prime Minister Begin’s in 1981… Israel’s actions will be based on its understanding of the historic enormity of the decision. The more it does, the fewer restraints there will be, militarily and diplomatically. Unless the U.S. is on board from the outset, it’s likely the U.S. may not be informed until planes are in the air… If the U.S. does not participate in an attack, would it support Israel or vote against it in the event of a UN condemnation?

“Between the probable military backlash and the inevitable international pushback, Israel is between a rock and a hard place… As the Jewish sage Hillel said, ‘If I am not for myself, who will be for me.’ The modern application of that in Israel is, ‘If I am not for myself, who will stop Iran?’”

An Israeli attack on Iran is not unlikely. If it happens, it could lead to terrible consequences for Israel.  

Fate of Al Aqsa

Israel 365 wrote on December 28:

“Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz) has always been an outspoken advocate for Israel but he recently went even further when criticizing the recent UN resolutions concerning Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. In his response, Gosar called on the UN to dismantle the Muslim structures in Jerusalem that were built on the ruins of the Jewish Temple… ‘The Jewish Temple, located in the heart of Jerusalem’s Old City, is holy ground to Jews and it belongs solely to their faith.  I object to any effort to ethnically cleanse the Jewish people from their sole historic claim to this land and temple… It remains an abomination that a mosque was allowed to be built over this temple. The United Nations should be finding ways to dismantle and move that mosque, which is an affront to all religions,’ concluded Congressman Gosar.

“It is interesting to note that Gosar did not specify which Muslim structure on the Temple Mount he felt should be dismantled. The UN resolution specified al-Haram al-Sharif (the noble sanctuary), a term that refers to the Temple Mount and not to a specific structure. The major structures currently on the site are the grey domed Al Aqsa Mosque (the further mosque) and the gold-domed Qubbat a Sakhra (shrine of the rock) that was built on the site of the Holy of Holies in the Jewish Temples.

“Rabbi Hillel Weiss, the spokesman for the Sanhedrin, does not believe that all of the Muslim structures on the Temple Mount needed to be removed. ‘As long as the Muslims agree to live peacefully with the other religions in Israel, there is no reason to remove the Aqsa Mosque,’ Rabbi Weiss said. ‘An entrance can be set up and pathways arranged so that they can, like the Jews and everyone else, remain in the permitted areas. In fact, the current entrance to the Aqsa Mosque fits that description. Al Aqsa is not in the part of the Temple Mount that was used in the Temples. But by calling the entire Temple Mount by the name Al Aqsa, they are laying claim to the entire mountain with the intent of preventing the Jews from returning the Temple service. This has no source in Islam or benefit to the Muslims. It is simply a political lie that was created by the Palestinians and perpetuated by those who hate the Jews.’…”

It would be difficult to imagine that the Muslims would agree to such an “arrangement,” as proposed by Rabbi Weiss.

Friction between American Jews and the State of Israel

The Associated Press wrote on January 2:

“When Israel’s new government took office last June, it indicated it would press ahead on an egalitarian prayer site at Jerusalem’s Western Wall — a sensitive holy site that has emerged as a point of friction between Jews over how prayer is conducted there. But the plan is coming up against the limits of Israel’s fragile government, which is struggling to move forward on the issue due to its own internal divisions. The inaction has disappointed both Israeli groups that promote religious pluralism and their American Jewish allies, who view the issue as an important test of recognition from the Israeli government…

“The Western Wall is considered the holiest site where Jews can pray. Under ultra-Orthodox management, the wall is currently separated between men’s and women’s prayer sections. Under the more liberal Reform and Conservative streams of Judaism, women and men pray together and women are allowed to read from the Torah, which Orthodox Judaism prohibits. Those streams are a minority in Israel but make up the majority of American Jews. Israel’s refusal to recognize these liberal streams has long been a point of tension with American Jews.

“After years of negotiations, Israel approved a plan in 2016 to officially recognize a special prayer area at the Western Wall. The $9 million plan vowed to expand an egalitarian prayer site and make it more hospitable to prayer and religious events held by Jews who don’t follow Orthodox traditions. The deal was welcomed by Jewish American leaders and seen as a significant breakthrough in promoting religious pluralism in Israel, where the ultra-Orthodox authorities govern almost every facet of Jewish life. But then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu never implemented the plan due to objections from powerful ultra-Orthodox allies who had initially endorsed it.

“He shelved the plan the following year, leading to strained relations with American Jewish leaders that continued until he left office last year. His tight relationship with President Donald Trump further unsettled the heavily Democratic-leaning Jewish community…

“The new government, led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett — the child of American immigrants — brought hope that the plan may be revived… But Bennett heads an unwieldy coalition of parties from across the political spectrum — ranging from nationalist parties to dovish liberal ones and even an Islamist faction — that was united behind the goal of ousting Netanyahu and very little else. While the Western Wall plan features in agreements that brought the coalition together, its leaders have generally chosen to sidestep divisive issues that might rattle its stability. Moving ahead with the Western Wall plan could spark an outcry from ultra-Orthodox opposition parties, which in turn could exert pressure on more sympathetic elements of the coalition to oppose the move. And while the government isn’t likely to fall over the Western Wall plan, a public brawl over the issue within government ranks could wear down the already delicate ties that bind the coalition.”

 As predicted from the outset, the Israeli coalition won’t accomplish much. This in turn will alienate American Jews from the state of Israel even further.

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.

1 Timothy 4:8 is rendered, as follows, in the New King James Bible:

“For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”

The Authorized Version says: “For bodily exercise profiteth little.”

Commentaries are divided as to the exact meaning of this verse, as is also reflected in the way it is being translated. For example, the Greek states, as explained by some: “… profiteth to (but) a small extent.”

The New American Standard Bible states: “for bodily training is just slightly beneficial.” Weymouth New Testament reads: “Train yourself in godliness. Exercise for the body is not useless, but godliness is useful in every respect.”

The German Luther Bible says: “…does not help much” or “is of little use.” The Menge Bible reads: “… brings only little benefit.”

Barnes Notes on the Bible states: “The apostle does not mean to say that bodily exercise is in itself improper, or that no advantage can be derived from it in the preservation of health.” He also stated that an alternate reading would be: “For bodily exercise profits for a little while,” explaining:

“The Greek will admit of either interpretation [“profits a little” or “for a little while”], and what is here affirmed is true in either sense.”

In comparison to the development of godliness in our lives, physical exercise of any kind only profits a little and only for a little while, while godliness lasts forever and is of so much greater importance.

Some commentaries, such as Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, even claim that Paul has a particular type of bodily exercise in mind, “not the exercise of the body in the Olympic games, as by running, wrestling, etc., which profited but little, for the obtaining of a corruptible crown at most; though since a word is used here, and in the preceding verse, borrowed from thence, there may be an allusion to it: much less exercise of the body for health or recreation, as riding, walking, playing at any innocent diversion; which profits but for a little time, as the Syriac and Arabic versions read; and the latter renders the phrase ‘bodily recreation’: nor is the exercise of the body in the proper employment of trade and business, to which a man is called, and which profits for the support of life for a little while, intended… but rather mere formal external worship, as opposed to godliness, or spiritual worship.

“‘There ought to be an exercise of the body, or a presenting of that in religious worship before God; there should be an outward attendance on the word and ordinances; but then, without internal godliness, this will be of little advantage: it is indeed showing an outward regard to public worship, and may be a means of keeping persons out of bad company, and from doing evil things; but if this is trusted to, and depended on, it will be of no avail to everlasting life.”

Whatever the case, it is correct to say that in comparison with the acquisition and development of godliness in this life, physical exercise profits just a little, and only for a little while; that is, it must never become more important than the Kingdom of God and His righteousness which we must seek first and foremost.

This also means that physical exercise, and sports in general, must never be intentionally engaged in if they would be harmful for others. This is not to say, however, that competitive sports or exercise must be wrong; it is a question of motivation and intent.

We say this in our Q&A https://www.eternalgod.org/what-kinds-of-sports-games-and-related-activities-are-appropriate-and-inappropriate-for-christians-part-1/

“In 1 Corinthians 9:24-26, Paul draws a spiritual analogy to competition in sports. This passage does not seem to allow for the conclusion that such competition is necessarily wrong. Paul says: ‘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. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty…’ David draws another analogy in the book of Psalms, comparing the sun with ‘a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race’ (Psalm 19:5)…

“But God does not want us to have an attitude of harming or injuring an opponent, or of wishing that he be injured so that ‘our’ team will get an advantage. When ‘competition’ reaches that destructive level, it is wrong. But to want ‘our’ team to win in a game is not wrong. And ‘our’ team had better make every right effort to win, so that it is deserving of ‘our’ support (Ecclesiastes 9:10). But once a game is finished, we are to go on with life and our responsibilities… Some get so involved in the support of their team that they get all upset and can’t sleep at night if their team has lost. They might even get drunk to ‘forget their pain.’ That, of course, is not indicative of a healthy and Christian attitude.

“Sports can be good entertainment. They can contribute to our health and relaxation. They can be exciting. But they must never take first place in our lives… And even though watching sporting events can be good and clean fun, that should be all. In this world, ‘the race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong… Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all’ (Ecclesiastes 9:11)…”

In addition, we also said this in our Q&A https://www.eternalgod.org/what-kinds-of-sports-games-and-related-activities-are-appropriate-and-inappropriate-for-christians-part-2/ :

“Another sport which is mentioned in the Bible and which was engaged in by godly people is wrestling. We read that Jacob wrestled with God—the second Member of the God Family, Jesus Christ  (Genesis 32:24; Hosea 12:2). After wrestling for a long time, God struck the socket of his hip which became out of joint, causing Jacob to limp for a while. One might conclude that it is therefore appropriate to injure an opponent in sports, but this would be a wrong assessment. In this case it was God—not a man—who acted in such a way in order to teach Jacob a particular lesson.

“The Benson Commentary writes: ‘This was to humble him, and make him sensible of his own weakness, that he might ascribe his victory, not to his own power, but to the grace of God, and might be encouraged to depend on that grace for the deliverance [from Esau] he was so much concerned to obtain. It is probable Jacob felt little or no pain from this hurt, for he did not so much as halt till the struggle was over… If so, it evidenced itself to be a divine touch indeed, wounding and healing at the same time.’

“The Matthew Poole Commentary agrees, stating that this ‘was done that Jacob might see that it was not his own strength, but only God’s grace, which got him this victory, and could give him the deliverance which he hoped for.’

“Another distinction needs to be drawn between those sports and activities which one may be engaged in for the purpose of bodily exercise (including in workout programs) and those which one might want to do for the purpose of learning how…  to fight [in the sense of injuring or even killing] another person.”

If we engage in physical exercise so we can learn how to injure and even kill another human being, then that would be clearly wrong. It would violate God’s law of love even for our enemies. As we said, it is all a matter of motivation and intent. To engage in physical exercise for the purpose of “cherishing” our own bodies, rather than abusing them (Ephesians 5:29), knowing that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us (1 Corinthians 6:19; 3:16-17), is quite different from training our bodies for the purpose of becoming fighting machines to hurt, injure and destroy others.

It is also important to realize that we are not to hate our own bodies (compare again Ephesians 5:29), which would include not purposefully harming it by self-mutilation, smoking, eating unclean meat, taking destructive drugs, and so on.

We say this in our Q&A https://www.eternalgod.org/can-you-elaborate-on-education-today-and-in-gods-kingdom-part-5/

“Sickness and disease occur only when nature’s laws are broken… either by the sick person him- or herself or by conditions caused by men leading to a person getting sick… God designed certain foods for good health. Some things that grow are not designed for food. Some are poison… people [need to be educated] in sanitation, hygiene, required amounts of sleep, pure water, fresh air, sunshine, exercise.”

But we need proper balance. Sometimes, “natural laws” of hygiene, sanitation or enough sleep will have to be broken to accomplish the higher purpose of seeking the Kingdom of God. We read, for instance, that Christ sacrificed sleep to stay up all night in prayer with the Father (Luke 6:12-13). We also read that Jesus and the apostles were beaten for doing the Work of God. They were not so concerned about their physical health and well-being and loved their physical bodies so much that they refused to do the Work.

A striking example for the required proper balance and the right priorities can be found in Philippians 2:25-30, where Paul utters these words of recommendation about his fellow servant Epaphroditus:

“Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.”

Even though Epaphroditus “violated” in some way “natural laws” governing his health, he did so for the overriding purpose of doing the Work of God. Paul did not criticize or condemn him for this; just to the contrary, he said to hold such men in esteem or high regard. Some commentaries tell us that he “hazarded his life”; “the preservation of which with respect to the work he was about, he did not consult…  but made little account of it, yea, did even despise it in the service of Christ, as the original word doth import” (Matthew Poole’s Commentary). He was willing to live and die for Christ (Luke 12:25).

This attitude of service and obedience towards God’s spiritual law of love toward God and man can also be found in 1 Thessalonians 5:12:

“And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you…”

The German Schlachter Bible says: “… they labor to the extent of exhaustion.”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary states that the word “labor” implies, “diligent labour, causing weariness.” Their disregard for their body in those circumstances, including their lack of physical exercise, was not something which had to be regretted or condemned. Rather, Paul recommends those servants of God, who toiled and worked hard, adding in verse 13: “… esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake.”

In our booklet, “Sickness and Healing–What the Bible Tells Us,” we state that “the reasons for sickness and disease are manifold, and they might have nothing to do at all with any ungodly conduct of the sick person.” They may even include proper and godly conduct by a person which, while neglecting physical exercise, which normally profits a little, leads to or even causes his or her physical sickness.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“The Pandemic of the Unvaccinated,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary: 

How do governmental officials all over the world try to deal with those who have not been vaccinated against the corona virus? Of course, there have been lockdowns or severe restrictions of movement and access to facilities; there has been the push for mandatory vaccinations, and there have been arrests of unvaccinated persons who showed their faces in public, but this program will address mainly the verbal abuse by governmental leaders and others which has become more and more common.

“Die Pandemie der Ungeimpften,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented in German by Norbert Link and covering the topic described above.

“Richten oder nicht richten?” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “To Judge or Not to Judge.”

“Wie selbstbewusst sind wir?”is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Manuel Giermann. Title in English: “How Confident Are We?”

“Lasting Impressions,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

How do we present ourselves in any situation or environment we are in?  Do we leave a good first impression and do we also leave a lasting impression?

“To Judge or Not to Judge?,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

We are told in God’s Word that we are not to judge others. What does this mean, as we are also told to render righteous judgment? How can we solve this apparent conflict, and how do passages like these apply to jury duty?