Update 1124

On August 17, 2024, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “All Things New,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Finished.”

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.

It is said that those who never make a mistake have never achieved anything. But as easy as it is to make mistakes, it is difficult – and unpleasant – to admit them. Mistakes happen all the time, sometimes they are minor, sometimes they are major mistakes; sometimes we find the right path as a result, and sometimes we stray from the right path.

We can make mistakes towards our spouse, towards our friends, relatives and brethren. I speak of “mistakes”, but that is just a nice way of describing transgressions and sins that we commit against others or that others commit against us.

Our attention is drawn to the “mistake” so that we can, if possible, correct it. This realization is accompanied by shame. Shame is an unpleasant feeling. If we have done something wrong, we should be ashamed of it. But sometimes we don’t want to feel shame because we don’t want to give the impression of failing, being embarrassed or making a fool of ourselves.

It’s good that we are aware of our mistakes. But now we must also have the will not to repeat these mistakes and we must not act indifferently to our mistakes.

We tend to argue according to our prejudices. We know when we are offended, of course, but we ignore it when we offend someone else. Each of us has our own special way of analyzing circumstances or justifying ourselves. What we think initially seems not only right but also perfectly reasonable.

In the back of our minds, even if we don’t want to admit it, we think we are better than others, if not in knowledge, then in character and our attitude! The word forgiveness is often on our lips, but rarely in our hearts. We use phrases like “I’m sorry” or “excuse me” only for the sake of manners and politeness; they are rather meaningless because they have nothing to do with our sincere desire to truly ask for forgiveness.

The same applies when we are asked to forgive others for “mistakes” made against us. How serious are we about “forgiving” others? Are we really prepared to forgive others from the bottom of our hearts for the “mistakes” they have committed against us?

Do we really know forgiveness? Have we ever learned forgiveness? Do we treat others the way we want them to treat us, even when it comes to forgiveness? “I know all of that”, we might think. But we should also live by it!

Christ said: “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:25-26). We must truly repent of our own mistakes and transgressions that we have committed against others and ask for their forgiveness, and we must also be willing to forgive others their mistakes if they are remorseful and ask for our forgiveness.

We read in Matthew 18:21-35:

“Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

“‘But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. ‘So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.’”

We can learn from our own mistakes. We are not obliged to keep repeating the same mistakes. We can also learn from the mistakes that others have made in the Bible. We all make “mistakes”; that is something we must not forget. But we must repent of them, and we must also forgive the “mistakes” made against us from the bottom of our hearts when they are repented of.

Initial translation: Daniel Blasinger

by Norbert Link

We begin with concentrating on events in Germany; continue with the wacky pagan Olympics Closing Ceremony [please note the new StandingWatch program, titled, “The 2024 Olympic Games—What a Disaster!” with Russia’s threats of attacks on Europe in light of Ukraine’s unparalleled incursion into Russia since World War II; the immigration debacle in the United Kingdom and ill-conceived and highly controversial alleged plans by Donald Trump in support of unparalleled mass deportations; and address California’s appalling and presently incurable homeless problem.

We also show why a Harris presidency would be bad for Israel; and continue with America’s unpreparedness for major wars; the EU’s attempts to censor Elon Musk; Trump’s “bizarre” claims and his criticism of the EU; and we conclude with an alarming article about the FBI’s appalling attempts to target innocent people.

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

Germans Duped

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 9: 

“German media have reported on the shift in the political mood in the US over the past two weeks… The new candidate, Kamala Harris, is seen to be scoring points against the Republican challenger, former President Donald Trump.

“[According to a new survey,] a whopping 77% [of Germans] said they believe Vice President Kamala Harris is more suitable for the presidency, while only 10% favor Donald Trump.”

This ignorance is astounding. But as in the past, Germans have been the victims of propaganda in so many respects. This explains why Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are still very popular there, as their failures have simply been unreported. Of course, the same kind of ignorance prevails in the USA.

The Stupid Propaganda of the Bild Newspaper

Bild Online published on August 7 the following “commentary” from Josef Wagner in his daily column, “Post von Wagner”:

“Dear Tim Walz, you are my dream American. Am I mistaken if I believe that the election campaign is starting all over again with you? You are the candidate for vice-presidency. I like your American life. You joined the National Guard at 17, then taught high school for 20 years. You taught social studies and physical education. Your team won the Minnesota state championship. I like how you train with a Cappy on the school’s asphalt courts. Your wife Gwen teaches at the same school.

“I like how you talk about the dark hours of your marriage. ‘We went through the hell of infertility’. Your daughter was born using artificial insemination. You called her Hope. Tim Walz is an American who mows lawns and has a dog and a cat. He likes to laugh. He used to go hunting. He has been fighting the gun lobby ever since children were shot in schools. He’s a normal American. Finally one.

“Yours sincerely, F. J. Wagner.”

Of course nothing is said about his many wrong extreme ideas and actions and his political shortcomings. As we have reported, Walz is not a “normal” American. If he is one, then “Good night.” But that’s how the Germans are supposed to be taken for stupid!

Germany’s Major Parties Contentless

Die Welt wrote on August 9:

“Wages are too low, many jobs in industry are at risk: the economic problems in the East are great. Only the established parties say very little about this before the three state elections. Instead, contentless posters dominate the election campaign. This is likely to take its toll… The fact that the [right-wing] AfD is ahead in the election polls… only makes things even more worrying.

“… a study… shows how striking the differences between East and West still are almost 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall… In addition to migration policy, [economic issues] are election-decisive topics… Going into the election campaign with these contents actually makes sense. After all, what is ‘closer to the people’ than their own work and pay? Instead, the campaigns of most parties are characterized by a lack of content…

“Only the posters of the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance [which emerged from the left] and those of the AfD address social and economic issues such as pensions, daycare costs, which directly affect many… The scenario according to which the extreme fringes getting most votes in all three state elections is becoming more and more realistic…”

A change in Germany’s political landscape is overdue. Note the next articles.

In the East, Höcke With the AfD in the Lead

Bild Online wrote on August 9th:

“Shock for the CDU. The Christian Democrats do not only want to provide the prime minister in all three eastern elections in September (Saxony, Thuringia, Brandenburg), but they also want to be ahead everywhere as a party. But according to a current survey, it doesn’t look like this in Thuringia. According to the ‘ZDF Politbarometer’, right-winger Björn Höcke (52) and the AfD are nine percentage points ahead of the CDU! 30 percent would vote for the AfD, only 21 percent for the Union…

“The traffic light parties [of the government] are far behind. The political barometer sees the SPD at seven percent, the Greens would miss out on entering the state parliament with three percent. The FDP is not even listed separately…”

Björn Höcke the next Prime Minister in Thuringia? That would be an interesting development, but it is far from certain.

German Court Sides with “Compact” and Rules Against Nancy Faeser

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 15:

“German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser banned the Compact magazine in mid-July, describing the publication as a ‘central mouthpiece of the right-wing extremist scene.’… In response, Compact filed a lawsuit and an urgent motion against the immediate enforcement of the ban… In the court ruling, the judges raised doubts about the proportionality of the ban and allowed Compact to resume publishing… The lifting of the ban is provisional pending a final verdict…

“Compact-publisher Jürgen Elässer celebrated the provisional verdict as a victory. In a statement on X, he promised…  to restart publishing as soon as possible. In the meantime, Nancy Faeser faced widespread criticism, including from press associations.

“The German Journalism Association (DJV) and Reporters Without Borders both described the provisional ruling as a positive signal for the freedom of the press… A final ruling in the Compact lawsuit is not expected for another two or three years.”

This is a huge defeat for highly unpopular Nancy Faeser who should resign immediately. Of course, she will not do so. In this context, you might want to view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “Germany Crushes Freedom of Speech and of the Press.”

“If You Want Peace, Prepare For War”

With the above headline, Bild Online published the following comment on August 10:

“It is absurd: the state election campaign in the east is currently becoming a peace election campaign. Although… there will definitely be no decision made about an end to the Ukraine war, AfD, Wagenknecht and Co. are outdoing each other with new demands to accommodate Putin. Even top CDU candidates want less help for Ukraine.

“Rather, Germany should ensure that the warmonger Putin is really stopped. In order to be able to credibly counter Russian threats, we must be prepared for an emergency. Unfortunately, the opposite is the case, and not just in the Bundeswehr: … there is a shortage of nurses, carers and doctors. Who should take care of our patients and nursing cases if thousands of wounded people from partner countries have to be cared for every day? Our infrastructure (rails, highways, bridges) is already crumbling in peacetime. How is it supposed to handle supplies for the front or transporting the wounded during fights in Eastern Europe?

“The ancient Romans already heeded the wisdom: If you want peace, prepare for war. Responsible politics should now do exactly that and finally begin to upgrade civil defense.”

Unfortunately, the wisdom of the Romans only led to more and more wars. Nothing has changed to this day.

Scholz Pleads for Cease-Fire

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 11:

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday expressed concern about the danger of a regional war in the Middle East during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu… The chancellor stressed the need to break ‘the destructive spiral of retaliatory violence, reduce tensions and work constructively for de-escalation.’ He called on the parties in the conflict to reach an agreement on a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas in the enclave.

“Scholz said ‘an end to the war in Gaza would be a decisive step toward a regional de-escalation.’ He said ‘many military goals’ in Israel’s offensive against Hamas have been achieved. Israel has said that it intends to destroy Hamas’ military and administrative capabilities in Gaza. Scholz stressed that human suffering in the Gaza Strip continued to be ‘enormous.’”

That left-wing Olaf Scholz would plead for a cease-fire is no surprise.

“Scholz Sees Paris as Inspiration”

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 9:

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday that the Olympic Games in Paris have been an ‘inspiration’ for a future German Olympic bid… Scholz extended ‘massive congratulations to our French friends’ for a Games which he said embodied the ‘spirit of Olympic excellence, fairness and cooperation.’

“Describing those values as ‘extremely important in the world in which we live,’ Scholz said he hoped the experience of Paris 2024 could be ‘contagious’ back in Germany…”

No surprise that left-wing Chancellor Olaf Scholz would make such ridiculous comments about a scandal-ridden UNFAIR “sporting” event where biological males posing as women (two male boxers in the women’s competition received the gold medal!!!) and the promotion of the transgender and other weird sexual preferences—called “abominations” in the Bible—were endorsed and applauded. But it shows the state of affairs Germany is in with such appalling and unbiblical leadership.

The Wacky Pagan Olympics Closing Ceremony

The Daily Mail wrote on August 12:

“Hollywood legend Tom Cruise jumped from the roof of the Stade de France tonight in a death-defying stunt during an extravagant handover ceremony in Paris. [Cruise was handed the Olympic flag on Sunday and rode off with it on a motorcycle as it made its way across the globe to Los Angeles. In a cinematically filmed video, Cruise rode through the streets of Paris onto a jet, which he parachuted out of into the City of Angels.] The switch across the Atlantic kicked off with live performances from Californian natives… on Venice Beach [offering a taste of what is to come at the 2028 Los Angeles Games].

“It came after a wacky show of artist performances, including a composer playing on a piano suspended in the air, a ‘golden voyager’ accompanied by dozens of dancers and many acclaimed French musicians. The show stopping ceremony earlier saw a ‘golden bee-man’ descend into the stadium, as well as a floating pianist and ‘toilet roll mummies’ dancing around, as the closing ceremony shaped up to be as strange as the start of the games.

“After the golden voyager was lowered to the stage from the roof, a cloaked individual presented them with a Greek flag, to represent the Games ancient origin. The voyager was later joined on stage by some acrobats who were dressed as alien-like creatures who helped him discover the Olympic rings which were hoisted from the stadium floor. French pianist and opera singer Benjamin Bernheim then delivered a rendition of Hymn To Apollo…

“The [golden voyager] performed acrobatic twists as a goddess figure rose out of one of the so-called nation states…”

Tom Cruise’s performance was certainly a, if not the, highlight in an otherwise wacky closing ceremony, as Celine Dion was a, if not the, highlight at the end of the wacky opening ceremony. If the Olympics are to be a pagan celebration of strange-looking weird aliens for pagan gods, then forget about it. (Apollo is known as the Roman god Sol—the sun god). When Christ rules the earth, something like this will certainly not be allowed.

Changing the German Constitution?

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 10:

“The German government wants to incorporate the protection of sexual identity into the constitution, but conservative lawmakers are against the idea. Amending the constitution is only possible with a two-thirds majority.. The abbreviation LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, and queer people, but also includes those with other identities, such as people who are intersex, asexual, bisexual or transgender… Currently, article 3 of the German constitution states: ‘No person shall be favored or disfavored because of gender, parentage, race, language, homeland and origin, faith or religious or political opinions.’ Sexual identity is, therefore, not explicitly mentioned.

“… the three governing parties (ISPD, Green, FDP) do not hold two-thirds of the seats in parliament, meaning they need the support of the largest opposition parties… these parties (CDU and CSU) don’t think much of the idea… [Of course, neither does the AfD, the largest opposition party in some states in Germany. But as usual, the mainstream media such as Deutsche Welle conveniently ignores even mentioning the AfD. This will backfire one of these days.]

“In Europe, for example, 22 countries recognize same-sex marriage, compared to 16 outside of Europe. Same-sex marriages became possible in Germany on October 1, 2017, after years of heated debate… 20 countries worldwide have gender self-determination laws in place…”

This absolute abominable nonsense continues to grow in the Western World.

Seine Unsafe

The Associated Press wrote on August 11:

“Three German swimmers became ill after competing in the open water races at the Paris Olympics, though it was not immediately clear if the long-polluted Seine River was responsible for their sickness…

“Concerns about the long-polluted Seine, where swimming had been banned for more than a century because of bacteria-laden waters, came to the forefront after Paris organizers announced plans to hold open water and the swimming portions of triathlon in the iconic river that runs through the heart of the French capital. Despite a massive, expensive cleanup project, some readings showed unacceptable levels of sickness-causing bacteria, leading to changes in the triathlon schedule and cancellation of one of two open water practice sessions scheduled ahead of the men’s and women’s 10-kilometer races.”

God will destroy those who destroy and pollute the earth.

War Between Germany and Russia Coming?

Express wrote on August 12:

“One of Vladimir Putin’s top allies has issued a chilling warning as he threatened to bring Russian tanks to a European capital. Former Russian President Dmitriy  Medvedev threatened to have Russian soldiers march over Berlin in response to what he branded a ‘revanchist’ article published on the German tabloid Bild… ‘where it proudly announces German tanks’ come back to the Russian land. Nazi German tanks entered the Soviet Union in June 1941… as the largest land offensive of World War 2  and in history.

“Writing on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, Medvedev said: ‘In response, we’re going to do everything to bring the newest Russian tanks to Platz d. Republik.’ Platz der Republik, one of Berlin’s most prominent public squares, is home to the Reichstag, the main building hosting the German Bundestag (Parliament).”

Sadly, this is what WILL happen… but not right now.

Russia Prepared to Use Tactical Nuclear Weapons Against Europe

The Sun wrote on August 13:

“RUSSIA’S nuclear hit list includes a ship yard in Cumbria, a factory in Hull and unknown site near Edinburgh, leaked papers have revealed. Some 32 Nato targets were revealed in a Russian Navy briefing seen by the Financial Times. The secret nuclear dossier states Russia could unleash massive preemptive attacks ‘from various directions’ in the event of a conflict with Nato. It shows Russian warships are primed to use tactical nuclear weapons in the early stages of a major conflict. Tactical nuclear weapons have a smaller destructive payload than a strategic nuclear weapons – but would still be devastating. The paper’s authors stressed the advantage of going nuclear early…

“The Kremlin’s Baltic Fleet based at Kaliningrad would target France and Germany, the leaked papers revealed… The maps also showed targets in Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran and China, North and South Korea and Japan.

“Experts said the maps showed only a tiny fraction of the ‘hundreds of not thousands of targets mapped across Europe.’”

Nuclear Fire Fear

The Sun wrote on August 12:

“TERRIFYING footage has captured thick black smoke billowing from Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant – reigniting fears of another Chernobyl-style disaster in Ukraine. Smoke could be seen pouring out of one of the Ukrainian plant’s cooling towers – with both Kyiv and Moscow blaming the other as the plant remains occupied by the Russians. President Zelensky said Russia was using the plant to blackmail Europe. It has been previously warned the facility – stuck in the middle of the warzone – could trigger a nuclear disaster equal to ‘six Chernobyls’…  

“For now the plant is under control and the fire has been extinguished, but it remains one of the most dangerous flashpoints of war in Ukraine… (The) Nuclear Power Plant was seized by Russia in a firefight in March 2022 after sending in tanks. The world’s eyes have since been on the facility – with international nuke experts regularly warning about the danger posed by the plant…

“Ukraine accused the plant’s Russian occupiers of setting fire to car tyres near the cooling tower, located about a kilometre from the power units. Writing on X, former minister at the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs Anton Gerashchenko said while the Kremlin invaders blamed it on a Ukrainian drone, Kyiv-based national nuclear energy company Energoatom claimed it was caused by arson or negligence. The blaze has now been stopped and radiation levels are back within normal limits, meaning Europe can breathe a sigh of relief…

“The Chernobyl meltdown in 1986 – in which one of the Russian plant’s reactors exploded – left nearly 100,000 miles of land uninhabitable, displacing 200,000 people. Those exposed to radiation suffered health problems – including cancer, tumours and depression – for years after…”

Ukraine’s Incursion Into Russia

The Daily Mail wrote on August 13:

“On Tuesday, August 6, around 1,000 brave Ukrainian soldiers supported by a few tanks launched what seemed like a reckless at best – and catastrophic at worst – incursion into Russia’s Kursk region… Now, one week later…, the initial invasion force has been reinforced by thousands more troops backed by Western armour… Volodymyr Zelensky told the world that ‘war was coming home’ to Russia and vowed to ‘kill the Russian terrorists where they are and where they launch their strikes from’…

“More than 120,000 Russian citizens have been forced to flee their homes amid widespread regional evacuations since last Tuesday…  Russia has seen previous small-scale incursions into its territory since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but the foray into the Kursk region marked the largest attack on Russian soil since World War II… there could be as many as 10,000 Ukrainian troops now in Russia.

“… Most experts agree that Ukraine’s incursion into Russia is a two-pronged tactic designed primarily to signal to its Western partners that its military is still a capable fighting force, while also seeking to put Kyiv in a more favourable bargaining position in the event of ceasefire talks ahead of the US presidential election in November…

“As of this morning, however, Moscow’s forces appear to have begun mounting a more robust defence of their territory. Army units, fresh reserves, army aircraft, drone teams and artillery forces have now been funnelled into the conflict to stop Ukrainian armoured mobile groups from moving deeper into Russia.

“… analysts are split on whether the offensive will endure, with many warning the Ukrainians would be sorely outmatched once Russia’s disorganised military command is able to mobilise the requisite resources… but [they] stressed [the Russians] would likely need to withdraw troops from frontline positions in Ukraine to do so.”

Immigration Has Destroyed the British Fabric

The Telegraph wrote on August 10:

“Award-winning historian Dr David Starkey has bemoaned the current state of play in Britain, claiming it has been ‘destroyed’ by Tony Blair and New Labour… Starkey feels many elements of Blair’s 10-year tenure are still evident today. Particularly migration, which surged in the Blair years after he took office in 1997.

“Starkey said the policy model of immigration has destroyed the UK’s fabric… ‘The Britain I grew up in was the most peaceful, the most gentle, homogenous society that has ever existed’, he said. ‘We did not need identity cards. We had extraordinarily low levels of crime. We had such high levels of public trust. That has been destroyed. It has been deliberately destroyed by Tony Blair and New Labour with this absurd notion they were going to force us to become multi-ethnic for good…’

“Starkey is concerned that Britain, now being led by a Labour Government for the first time since the Blair years, may undergo another transition… ‘Keir Starmer was a human rights lawyer… Human rights are really nice, aren’t they? But what we’ve got to remember is that the sort of human rights that Starmer represents are the rights of only minorities… This is the terrifying thing. Democracy has been stood on its head. Democracy means the rule of the majority.’

“Starmer has been under pressure to shed light on how Labour intends on going about stopping perilous trips across the Channel made by illegal migrants…”

It is indeed true that today, the rights of minorities are being emphasized far too often, while the rights of the majority are forgotten.

Coming in the US—Mass Deportation?

The Associated Press wrote on August 9:

“‘Mass Deportation Now!’ declared the signs at the Republican National Convention, giving a full embrace to Donald Trump’s pledge to expel millions of migrants in the largest deportation program in American history. Some Republicans aren’t quite ready for that…

“Trump… is pushing the Republican Party towards a bellicose strategy that hearkens back to the 1950s when former President Dwight D. Eisenhower launched a deportation policy known by a racial slur — ‘Operation Wetback.’ Trump…  suggested he would use the National Guard, and possibly even the military, to target between 15 million and 20 million people — though the government estimated in 2022 there were 11 million migrants living in the U.S. without permanent legal permission…

“Trump has worked closely with Stephen Miller, a former top aide who is expected to take a senior role in the White House if Trump wins. Miller describes a Trump administration that will work with ‘utter determination’ to accomplish two goals: ‘Seal the border. Deport all the illegals.’ To accomplish that, Trump would revive travel bans from countries deemed undesirable, such as majority-Muslim countries. He would launch a sweeping operation by deputizing the National Guard to round up immigrants, hold them in massive camps and put them on deportation flights before they could make legal appeals.

“Beyond that, Trump has also pledged to end birthright citizenship — a 125-year-old right in the U.S… The Trump administration, under those plans, could also grind to a halt temporary programs for over 1 million migrants, including recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Ukrainians and Afghans who fled recent conflicts as well as others who receive temporary protection due to unrest in their home country.”

“The policies would have far-reaching disruptions in major industries like housing and agriculture, including in key battleground states. ‘If the 75,000-plus immigrants who perform the hardest of work in Wisconsin’s dairy and agriculture were gone tomorrow, the state economy would tank,’ said Jorge Franco, the CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin.”

It goes without saying that Trump’s plans, if they are correctly described above, would border on the insane, and they would continue to destroy the American economy… The alarming truth is that Stephen Miller, one of the most radical and scrupulous proponents in Trump’s prior government, would probably push for those and other ridiculous concepts.

California’s Huge Homeless Problem

The Associated Press wrote on August 9:

“California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday had a message for local governments: clean up homeless encampments now or lose out on state funding next year… Thursday’s announcement was part of Newsom’s escalating campaign to push local governments into doing more homeless encampment sweeps. Newsom last month ordered state agencies to start clearing encampments on state land. He also pressured local government to do the same, though he cannot legally force them to act…

“California is home to roughly one-third of the nation’s population of homeless people, a problem that has dogged Newsom since he took office. There are thousands of tents and makeshift shelters across the state that line freeways, and fill parking lots and public parks. The state has spent roughly $24 billion under Newsom’s leadership to clean up streets and house people. That includes at least $3.2 billion in grants given to local government to build shelters, clear encampments and connect homeless people to services as they see fit, Newsom said.

“Those have been unprecedented investments from the state, he added, but his administration will start redirecting that money in January… It’s not the first time Newsom has vowed to cut funding over what he sees as the lackluster efforts from local governments to address homelessness. In 2022, he threatened to withhold $1 billion in homelessness spending from cities and counties over the lack of progress. Last month, his office clawed back a $10-million grant sent to San Diego to build tiny homes because the county didn’t act fast enough.”

USA Today added on August 10:

“Homeless advocates across California say they’re terrified people living without housing are running out of places where they can legally sleep outside. The web of sleeping bans unhoused Californians face is growing more complex, as cities respond differently to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order… While the legality of sleeping bans was tied up in federal courts for years, unhoused residents in the Golden State could not be arrested for sleeping outside if there was nowhere else for them to go. Police no longer have to offer assistance or help them get indoors, and police departments in San Francisco and San Marcos have updated their policy to match what’s allowed under the Supreme Court…

“The San Francisco Police Department told USA TODAY it is enforcing new guidelines released in late July that correspond with the Supreme Court’s Grants Pass decision, and that officers may enforce sleeping bans ‘without first assuring that the City has made offers of available shelter.’ Homeless people living in tents along highways and under overpasses are particularly vulnerable to police sweeps, because Newsom’s order has more power over state-owned land controlled by state agencies like the California Department of Transportation, also known as Caltrans. ‘All this order does is cut off those areas and force people into the municipalities and jurisdictions where they are subject to yet another patchwork of enforcement strategies,’ said Shayla Myers, a lawyer who works on homeless issues with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. ‘It is becoming harder and harder for people to figure out where they can go without breaking the law.’…”

A truly terrible situation with no real solutions in sight. It would take a completely different way of thinking to avoid homelessness in the first place. But with greed, exploitation, promotion of war and its evil consequences and other ungodly activities, this is not on the horizon until Christ returns.

Biden and Harris Responsible for Housing Crisis

Breitbart wrote on August 10:

“Democrats own the housing crisis, as they have infused ‘millions’ into U.S. society via illegal immigration, Dr. Ben Carson, former secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under former President Donald Trump, suggested during an appearance on Breitbart News Daily… ‘So, if their prices increase massively, everybody else’s prices are going to increase massively, also,’ he said, pointing to the domino effect, which caused this ‘huge housing issue’ under Democrat leadership.

“Carson also recognized that most homeless individuals either have mental problems or drug addictions…His remarks coincide with those of Arizona U.S. Senate hopeful Kari Lake, who told Breitbart News at the Republican National Convention in July that illegal immigrants are taking a massive toll on the American people — particularly the younger generations. ‘And, even more than that, we have 12 million people who poured in. They have to live somewhere, and the government’s putting them up — sometimes hotels, sometimes they’re giving them subsidies for apartments…  And when you have only so much supply and you have so much demand, prices go up. That’s exactly why housing is unaffordable for young people,’ she added.”

It is truly a vicious cycle. Man may mean well, but the problems faced are insurmountable in today’s society, and man’s “solutions” make matters even worse.

A Harris Presidency Would Be Bad News for Israel

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 8:

“Harris’s willingness to entertain an arms embargo… is not an isolated incident. Over the years, her actions and statements have consistently raised alarms about her commitment to Israel. In February 2019, when Rep. Ilhan Omar used antisemitic tropes by suggesting that American support for Israel was… accusing American Jews of having ‘allegiance to a foreign country,’ Harris’s response was disturbingly tepid. Instead of unequivocally condemning Omar’s statements, Harris expressed concern that the criticism might endanger Omar, thus failing to denounce the antisemitic rhetoric within her party firmly…

“Harris’s support for the Iran nuclear deal  (JCPOA) is another contentious point. In 2015, she supported the agreement, which many critics argue empowers Iran, a significant threat to Israel. Rejoining the JCPOA aligns Harris with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which has increasingly taken a hostile stance toward Israel. This alignment is deeply troubling for those who believe that the deal does not sufficiently prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

“Harris’s approach to diplomacy has often been inconsistent and counterproductive. During a visit to George Mason University in 2021, a student accused Israel of conducting an ‘ethnic genocide in Palestine’. Instead of refuting these baseless claims, Harris emphasized hearing the student’s perspective. At the Munich Security Conference in February 2023, Harris advocated for the establishment of a Palestinian state without adequately addressing the ongoing threat of terrorism from groups like Hamas. Harris’s public comments have sometimes appeared to undermine Israel’s negotiating position. In March 2024, she called for ‘an immediate ceasefire’ in Gaza, which would have effectively provided a lifeline to Hamas…

“Harris’s candidacy reflects a broader and concerning shift within the Democratic Party. The party’s progressive wing, including figures like Bernie Sanders and members of ‘the Squad,’ has increasingly embraced anti-Israel rhetoric. Sanders has compared Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to Hamas leaders, calling Netanyahu a ‘war criminal’ and questioning US support for Israel. This shift is not just rhetorical but also policy-driven. Progressive leaders have called for an end to US military aid to Israel and have pushed for policies that are hostile to Israeli interests. Harris’s alignment with these figures raises severe concerns about the direction of US foreign policy under her leadership.

“Unlike President Joe Biden, who has been seen as a moderate within the Democratic Party and has a long history of solid support for Israel, Harris is more aligned with the progressive wing… This alignment is deeply troubling for those who believe that unwavering support for Israel is crucial to US foreign policy… Harris’s record indicates she will probably not provide the steadfast backing that Israel needs…

“Let’s add to the fact that earlier this week, Harris’s selection of Tim Walz over Josh Shapiro as her running mate sparked significant controversy and added to the concerns about her stance on Israel and antisemitism. According to JTA, critics have suggested that Harris’s decision to bypass Shapiro was influenced by progressive elements within the Democratic Party who opposed his strong pro-Israel stance…

“American Jews need to understand definitively that anti-Zionism is antisemitism, and the allies they thought they had within the Democratic Party aren’t as supportive as they once believed…

“In stark contrast, while Donald Trump is unpredictable and controversial, his track record regarding Israel was consistently strong: he facilitated the Abraham Accords, acknowledged the Golan Heights as part of Israel, and moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. His actions have strengthened Israel’s position and security in the region. Harris, by contrast, could be a disaster for Israel and the Jewish people…”

America’s Military Is Straining

The National News wrote on August 8:

“On Monday, the US confirmed it will start decommissioning USS Nimitz, its oldest nuclear-powered carrier launched in 1975 and one of 10 vessels in its class. The USS John F Kennedy, one of 10 planned Ford class carriers, is now running three years behind schedule and will not be in service until mid-2025. Other carriers in the class, including the USS Enterprise, are also running behind schedule for delivery. The US has about 11 carriers, but only three or four are operational at a given time. This has caused concerns of global gaps in carrier coverage, because of the immense challenge of keeping the huge nuclear-powered ships at sea and their high burden of maintenance… Keeping America’s 11 carrier groups operational at sea can cost more than $20 billion per year.

“In the air defence realm too, the US is seen as lagging… Central to that effort is the Patriot system, optimised to shoot down ballistic missiles that plunge from high altitude at several times the speed of sound… In this context, the US said in June that deliveries of the Patriot system to some countries would be delayed to prioritise Ukraine’s air defences, and has been in talks to transfer some of Israel’s Patriots to Ukraine – in part due to Israel’s robust local air defence production. In August, however, priorities shifted again, with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin saying additional air defences had been sent to the Middle East ahead of an expected massive Iranian strike on Israel… the bigger issue is the fact that we’re using these interceptors that cost millions of dollars to shoot down Houthi drones that cost a fraction of that, in the thousands, so that’s just not a sustainable model…

“The US and allies are currently in the early stages of fielding laser energy weapons that can shoot down drones and potentially even cruise missiles for dollars per shot. There are also drones that hunt drones in the works – but much of the technology is still being tested…”

When nuclear World War III breaks out, the USA will not (be in a position to) fight against its enemies.

EU’s Attempts to Censor Elon Musk

Breitbart wrote on August 12:

“Stepping directly into American domestic politics, the European Union demanded Monday that X owner Elon Musk abide by Brussels’ speech restrictions during his planned uncensored interview with Donald Trump… Thierry Breton, the European Commission’s chief censorship czar, threatened to deploy all powers available to him under the Digital Services Act (DSA) against X if the U.S. presidential candidate breaches EU restrictions on speech… Breton said that because the Trump interview will be broadcast live throughout the EU on X, Brussels will ‘monitor’ the ‘dissemination of content that may incite violence, hate and racism in conjunction with major political – or societal – events around the world, including debates and interviews in the context of elections.’ The EU censorship chief demanded, therefore, that X implement ‘mitigation measures’…

“The top Eurocrat said that his office will be ‘extremely vigilant’ in looking for any breaches of the DSA speech codes and vowed to ‘make full use of our toolbox, including by adopting interim measures, should it be warranted to protect EU citizens from serious harm.’ According to the EU, ‘interim measures’ can include ‘orders to terminate or remedy alleged infringements,’ meaning that the bloc may demand that Musk remove or censor his interview with the former American president.

“Large platforms found to be in violation of the DSA face fines of up to six per cent of the firm’s ‘total worldwide annual turnover in the preceding financial year’ and even face a potential suspension from operating within the European Union. Musk’s X is already under investigation for supposed breaches of the bloc’s ‘disinformation’ policies. Responding to the Frenchman’s letter on Monday, Mr Musk replied ‘Bonjour!’ and added in a separate post, ‘Thierry always reminds me of the French taunter from Monty Python.’”

EU’s conduct would be laughable if it wasn’t frighteningly serious. The march of the EU into dictatorship should be obvious to everybody.

Trump Critical of the EU

Focus wrote on August 12:

“In a conversation with Elon Musk, Donald Trump also expressed his view of the EU: ‘The EU exploits us, while we defend it.’ He also indicated that under him as president, the European states must contribute more financially to NATO. This was one of his favorite topics during his presidency from 2016 to 2020. ‘I said clearly back then: Pay up, or we won’t protect you anymore,’ said Trump in an interview on X.

“Musk also addressed EU Commissioner Thierry Breton’s previous warning not to spread hate content in connection with the Trump interview. Musk called this an ‘attempt at censorship.’”

Some “Bizarre” Claims of Donald Trump?

The Washington Post wrote on August 12:

“Donald Trump on Sunday claimed that a large gathering of plainly evident people who greeted Vice President Kamala Harris at a rally in a Detroit airport hangar ‘DIDN’T EXIST.’ ‘Nobody was there,’ the former president claimed on Truth Social, accusing the Harris campaign of using artificial intelligence to superimpose the crowd both on the tarmac and at other rallies. The rally was attended by reporters from The Washington Post and other outlets who observed the large crowd, which was estimated at around 15,000 people…

“[Trump also claimed on Truth Social that] Biden will try to reclaim the Democratic nomination. ‘What are the chances that Crooked Joe Biden … CRASHES the Democrat National Convention and tries to take back the Nomination, beginning with challenging me to another DEBATE. He feels that he made a historically tragic mistake by handing over the U.S. Presidency, a COUP, to the people in the World he most hates, and he wants it back, NOW!!!’ ‘ I hear he’s going to make a comeback at the Democrat convention. He’s going to walk into the room, and he’s going to say, “I want my presidency back. I want another chance to debate Trump. I want another chance,”’ [Trump said in Montana.]”

“Buy a Bible, Become a Terror Suspect”

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on August 13:

“… the Biden administration secretly created a new tripwire: Anything you purchase can be used against you… Federal agencies have long kept an eye on suspicious purchases by Americans considered potential troublemakers… Nowadays, the feds are flagging people who purchase Bibles and ‘other media containing extremist views,’ according to a report by the House Judiciary Committee.

“Technology is propelling new threats to freedom. A March 2024 report by the House Judiciary Committee noted that ‘the decline of cash and the rise of digital payments and e-commerce platforms… As a result, these financial institutions often act as arms of federal law enforcement as they work in coordination with federal law enforcement to identify what transactions and other information is “suspicious” enough to be reported.’

“After the January 6 Capitol clash in 2021, the Biden administration targeted average Americans as if they were would-be terrorists. The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) bloated its definitions of ‘suspicious behavior,’ warning banks to track  ‘extremism’ indicators that include ‘transportation charges, such as bus tickets, rental cars, or plane tickets, for travel to areas with no apparent purpose,’ or ‘the purchase of books (including religious texts),’ the House Judiciary Committee announced in a January report…

“If you bought a gun or ammo since 2021, Team Biden bureaucrats may have automatically classified you as a ‘potential active shooter.’…

“Much of the absurdity begins with entitling bureaucrats to arbitrarily define ‘extremism.’ In Washington, anyone who doesn’t worship government is considered an extremist. Why else would the official list of potential alarm signals include people who shopped at Cabela’s or Dick’s Sporting Goods? The Treasury Department formally admitted in February that FinCEN ‘began shortly after January 6’ to track suspicious activity that ‘included terms such as “antifa,” “MAGA,” “Trump,” “Biden,” “Kamala,” “Schumer,” and “Pelosi.”’

“… FBI officials ‘made contact with and provided Bank of America with specific search query terms, indicating that it was ‘interested in all financial relationships’ of BoA customers transacting in Washington D.C. and customers who had made ‘ANY historical purchase’ of a firearm, or who had purchased a hotel, Airbnb, or airline travel within a given date range.’…

“As a March 2024 follow-up report from the House Judiciary Committee noted, FinCEN carried out similar meetings with Barclays, Charles Schwab, HSBC, Paypal, Western Union, Wells Fargo, Citibank, JPMorgan, and Chase ‘geared toward discussing options for financial institutions to share customer information voluntarily with federal law enforcement outside of normal legal processes.’

“The FBI shared one report with financial institutions that asserted that Americans ‘who expressed opposition to firearm regulations, open borders, COVID-19 lockdowns, vaccine mandates, and the “deep state” may be potential domestic terrorists.’ Federal agencies used that report ‘to commandeer financial institutions’ databases and ask the financial institutions to conduct sweeping searches of individuals not suspected of committing any crimes…  American Bankers Association president Frank Keating complained: ‘The government is compelling banks to deny service to unpopular but perfectly legal industries by threatening penalties.’…

“Canada exemplifies how quickly a democracy can exploit financial tools to become authoritarian. The Canadian government used emergency decrees to freeze the bank accounts of anyone suspected of being tied to COVID ‘Freedom Convoy’ protests in 2022… A Canadian court later ruled that the Trudeau regime had illegally abused emergency powers, but that did not repair the damage the decrees inflicted.”

Yes, the USA can quickly become authoritarian. In many respects, it already is.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In the first installment of this new series, we began to address God’s Work in the context of the prophetic revival of the ancient Roman Empire in Europe and, in connection therewith, the preaching of the gospel in the world as a witness, which includes a warning message of impending disaster. We showed that God will raise the ancient Chaldeans—“modern Babylon”—under the leadership of an end-time Assyrian “Führer” —the “beast” in the Book of Revelation—to punish and destroy the modern Houses of Israel and Judah.  (For more information on the identity of the king of Assyria and the descendants of the ancient Houses of Israel and Judah, please read our free booklets, “Germany in Prophecy” and “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”).

In this installment, we will discuss in more detail how God will use the end-time “beast”—the coming king of Assyria—to punish the Houses of Israel and Judah—as being part of God’s end-time Work. 

We read in the Bible that God will raise the “king of Assyria” to conquer Israel and Judah. Isaiah 10:3-6 reads:

“What will you do in the day of punishment, And in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory? Without Me they shall bow down among the prisoners, And they shall fall among the slain. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still. Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. I will send him against an ungodly nation, And against the people of My wrath I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.”

The Bible refers to Assyria at the time of the Millennium as the “work” of God’s hands (Isaiah 19:25).

We should note that God does His Work by sending the king of Assyria against an “ungodly nation” and the “people of My wrath.” Why is God angry with the modern Houses of Israel and Judah, and why are they—the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the state of Israel—being described this way?

To God, the leaders and the peoples of both modern Houses are like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Isaiah 1:10 tells us:

“Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God, You people of Gomorrah…”

Isaiah 3:9 adds:

“The look on their countenance witnesses against them, And they declare their sin as Sodom; They do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves.”

Jeremiah 23:13-14 records God’s Words for us today, as follows:

“And I have seen folly in the prophets [the ministers and religious preachers] of Samaria [the ancient capital of the House of Israel]: They prophesied by Baal [the sun god] And caused My people Israel to err. Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: They commit adultery and walk in lies; They also strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one turns back from his wickedness. All of them are like Sodom to Me, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.”

One reason why God compares them with Sodom and Gomorrah is their wrong lifestyle, including of course committing the sexual sins Sodom and Gomorrah were famous for.

Revelation 11:8 gives us further information. Addressing the horrible murder of the two witnesses, we read about the city of Jerusalem:

“And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.”

The Living Bible renders Lamentations 4:6 in this way: “For the sin of my people is greater than that of Sodom, where utter disaster struck in a moment without the hand of man.”

And so, what was Sodom’s sin, in addition to their horrible sexual transgressions?

In Ezekiel 16:48-50, God addresses modern Israel and Judah, stating:

‘‘As I live,’ says the LORD God, ‘neither your sister Sodom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done. Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit.’”

As ancient Sodom, so modern “Sodom” lives in pride (think of our disgusting “pride parades” of homosexuals, transgender persons, transvestites, drag queens etc.) and self-centeredness, without caring for and helping others, including the poor and the needy, while committing proudly all these abominations of engaging in and approving of homosexual and other aberrant and abhorrent sexual conduct.

Returning to Isaiah 1, verses 12-15 give us more information as to why God compares the modern Houses of Israel and Judah with Sodom and Gomorrah:

“‘When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.”

God is addressing here futile and idol worship. He is not addressing His Sabbaths and appointed feasts, but “Sabbath” worship on Sunday (which many “Christians refer to as the “Sabbath”) and the feasts of Christmas and Easter, which were appointed by men, not by Him. Even though one may give donations and contributions, God does not accept them, when they are made in combination with pagan religious services, and while horrible conduct is being committed. God singles out the shedding of blood. This includes our useless wars which will never bring peace, but only more and more misery and pain. It also includes another form of violence and bloodshed which we will address below.

God is angry with them because of their terrible sins, including idolatry and violating His weekly and annual Sabbaths. But there is more.

The next two passages describe conduct which might not be that serious in the minds of many people, but as we will see, God looks at it as abominable and deeply disturbing and consequential, as it shows, among other things, an attitude of indifference, or worse, towards the Word of God:

Isaiah 65:2-5 addresses especially, but not exclusively, the people of the Houses of Israel and Judah:

“I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in a way that is not good, According to their own thoughts; A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face… Who eat swine’s flesh, And the broth of abominable things is in their vessels; Who say, ‘Keep to yourself, Do not come near me, For I am holier than you!’ These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day.”

Isaiah 66:15-17 adds the same thought but applies it to all people of the world.

“For behold, the LORD will come with fire And with His chariots, like a whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword The LORD  will judge all flesh; And the slain of the LORD shall be many. ‘Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves, To go to the gardens After an idol in the midst, Eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse, Shall be consumed together,’ says the LORD.”

It should be obvious that God is angry with those who eat unclean meat and don’t listen to God’s Word condemning such practice.

But more horrible conduct is described to show WHY God calls the modern nations of Israel and Judah ungodly.

In addressing the MODERN Houses of Israel AND Judah, God says in Jeremiah 7:31:

“And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart.”

“Tophet in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom” was later referred to by Christ as the famous Valley of Gehenna, applying it to the lake of fire. In ancient times, the Israelites sacrificed their own children to their horrible self-made gods. But this is a prophecy for today. We might not literally kill our children in sacrifice to pagan deities, but we are killing our children by the millions by having them fight our stupid wars, and aborting them, in sacrifice to some humanly devised purpose or in the name of freedom and “humanity.” Women sacrifice their unborn children for convenience’s sake, or as a method of “birth control,” and politicians support such evil conduct in the name of women’s rights. God says that such conduct is so evil that it never entered His heart to do such a horrible thing.

Jeremiah 19:4-5 repeats God’s curse for such behavior and adds a few more thoughts:

“… they have forsaken Me and made this an alien place, because they have burned incense in it to other gods whom neither they, their fathers, nor the kings of Judah have known, and have filled this place with the blood of the innocents (they have also built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or speak, nor did it come into My mind)…”

Many times, those who support the evil conduct of aborting unborn children or sending our sons to war are “religious” people. They may go to mass on Sunday, but they do not worship the true God, but a self-made trinitarian “entity”—a god who demands war and abortion in the name of “self-preservation.” This false worship as a main reason for God’s anger and His use of the king of Assyria to punish Israel and Judah is also described in Jeremiah 11:17:

“For the LORD of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced doom against you for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke Me to anger in offering incense to Baal.”

Pagan worship in the name of Christianity runs rampant in the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. But the Jews do not worship the true God either in the way they should. They do not really keep the Sabbath and the annual Holy Days; they do not rely on Him to fight their battles, are guilty of removing a landmark (Hosea 5:10); and they have included many pagan elements in their religious worship of the God of the Old Testament—not accepting the fact that Jesus Christ was the God of the Old Testament, and that He has always lived together with God the Father—the Highest in the Godhead. Jesus said once to the Jews, in John 5:39-40:

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”

God says that the Israelites and the Jews do NOT consider the Work of His hands—they are spiritually blind and do not consider that He is raising up the king of Assyria to punish them for their sins.

Isaiah 5:11-12 states:

“Woe to those who rise early in the morning, That they may follow intoxicating drink; Who continue until night, till wine inflames them! The harp and the strings, The tambourine and flute, And wine are in their feasts; But they do not regard the work of the LORD, Nor consider the operation of His hands.”

In fact, when they hear about the Work of God, they scoff at it.

Isaiah 5:18-19 states:

“Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, And sin as if with a cart rope; That say, ‘Let Him make speed and hasten His work, That we may see it; And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, That we may know it.’”

But God says that He will carry out His Work of punishing modern Israel and Judah, as well as the entire earth, in His due time.

We read in Isaiah 28:1-4, 7, 21:

“Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim [especially referring here to the UK, Ephraim being a son of Joseph, a son of Israel], Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower Which is at the head of the verdant valleys, To those who are overcome with wine! Behold, the LORD has a mighty and strong one, Like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, Like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand. The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, Will be trampled underfoot; And the glorious beauty is a fading flower Which is at the head of the verdant valley, Like the first fruit before the summer, Which an observer sees; He eats it up while it is still in his hand… But they also have erred through wine, And through intoxicating drink are out of the way; The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, They are swallowed up by wine, They are out of the way through intoxicating drink; They err in vision, they stumble in judgment…  For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon—That He may do His work, His awesome work, And bring to pass His act, His unusual act.”

His awesome Work may be viewed as “unusual” or surprising by many uninformed observers.

Especially warning the modern House of Israel, God says in Ezekiel 12:22-28:

“Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, ‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails’?… say to them, ‘The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision. For no more shall there be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am the LORD. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and perform it… the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’… Thus says the LORD God: ‘None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak will be done.’”

However, even though God will use the king of Assyria, as part of the Babylonian system, to punish Israel and Judah, God will also perform His Work of punishment towards him, because he and Babylon need to be “dealt with” too.

We read in Isaiah 10:7, 12 about the modern king of Assyria or the beast:

“Yet he does not mean so, Nor does his heart think so; But it is in his heart to destroy, And cut off not a few nations… Therefore it shall come to pass, when the LORD has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, ‘I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.’”

In Isaiah 52:4, we read God’s Word that “the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.” Of course, there was ample cause for God to decide to punish Israel and Judah, but the Assyrian did not see this as a cause for his actions (see Lamentations 3:52). Satan did not see the cause for God’s dealing with Job either (compare Job 2:3).

And so, God will punish the king of Assyria. We read in Isaiah 14:24-25:

“The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying, ‘Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand: That I will break the Assyrian in My land, And on My mountains tread him underfoot. Then his yoke shall be removed from them, And his burden removed from their shoulders.”

Isaiah 30:33 states:

“For Tophet was established of old, Yes, for the king it is prepared. He has made it deep and large; Its pyre is fire with much wood; The breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, Kindles it.”

Isaiah 31:8-9 adds:

“Then Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man, And a sword not of mankind shall devour him… Says the LORD, Whose fire is in Zion And whose furnace is in Jerusalem.”

We read that Jesus Christ will throw the beast into a lake of fire when He returns. So the beast will not die by a sword of a man. But the nation of Assyria will be punished by God through the modern Medes, who can be found among the Russian and Ukrainian peoples who will be instrumental in leading the Far Eastern nations to destroy Europe.

Isaiah 13:17-19 tells us:

“Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, Who will not regard silver; And as for gold, they will not delight in it. Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces, And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; Their eye will not spare children. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.”

Notice that God’s use of the modern Medes is described as God’s Work.

We read in Jeremiah 50:25-26; 51:11, 28:

“The LORD has opened His armory, And has brought out the weapons of His indignation; For this is the work of the LORD God of hosts In the land of the Chaldeans. Come against her from the farthest border; Open her storehouses; Cast her up as heaps of ruins, And destroy her utterly; Let nothing of her be left… Prepare against her the nations, With the kings of the Medes, Its governors and all its rulers, All the land of his dominion… The LORD has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, Because it is the vengeance of the LORD, The vengeance for His temple…”

God’s Temple which will still be built in Jerusalem prior to Christ’s return will be invaded by the beast and polluted by the false prophet—the man of sin, who is described in 2 Thessalonians 2.

God will deal—as part of His Work—with the king of Assyria and the Assyrian people, but He will also deal with the religious power and the false prophet, collaborating with the beast.  This power was likewise unaware of God’s Work, but poured out its Satanic wrath on Israel and Judah.

Notice God’s Words in Isaiah 47:6-7:

“I was angry with My people; I have profaned My inheritance, And given them into your hand. You showed them no mercy; On the elderly you laid your yoke very heavily. And you said, ‘I shall be a lady forever,’ So that you did not take these things to heart, Nor remember the latter end of them…”

God adds in verses 12 and 13 that this big Church organization cannot save itself with their sorceries and deceptions:

“Stand now with your enchantments And the multitude of your sorceries, In which you have labored from your youth—Perhaps you will be able to profit, Perhaps you will prevail. You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels; Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, And the monthly prognosticators Stand up and save you From what shall come upon you…”

In this context, God says in Jeremiah 48:10:

“Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully, And cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.”

Man of course does not know about God’s plan and His Work. God is addressing here the prevailing attitude of most who are indifferent and without zeal when they are called upon to do a certain task… or they do it deceitfully.

And so, God’s Church MUST preach the gospel, including this warning message, to the world, even if it is unpleasant to do. The prophet Jeremiah felt this way at times, but he also understood that he really had no choice. Later, Paul would make similar statements. We will address this in detail in the next installment.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“The 2024 Olympic Games—What a Disaster!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

The opening ceremony was riddled with inappropriate and highly offensive presentations and performances. The closing ceremony was not any better. Many have focused on the insulting drag queen parody of the Last Supper; while others pointed out the total lack of true values. In this program, we are also addressing one additional deeply disturbing aspect, which has seldom been mentioned by the media in its proper context.  

“Die Olympischen Spiele 2024—Was für eine Katastrophe!” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topics as described above.

A Tech Team Meeting was conducted on Sunday, August 4, 2024. Hosted by Eric Rank, much time was spent reviewing issues with our booklet advertising on Google. Also, website improvements were noted.

A new booklet, written by Brian Gale and Norbert Link, has entered the first review cycle. The proposed title is: “Who Is Jesus Christ?—His Many Descriptions in the Bible!”

“Sich erheben, immer und immer wieder,” last Sabbath’s first split sermon presented by Johann Schell in Germany, is now posted. Title in English: “To Rise Again and Again.”    

“Heilung wird kommen!” last Sabbath’s second split sermon, presented by Daniel Blasinger in Germany, is now posted. Title in English: “Healing Will Come!”

“Seeking Joy Through Faith,” last Sabbath’s first split sermon presented by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is the summary:

There is much evil in this world that we must be mindful of and observe prophetic events that God has identified through the pages of the bible. Still, it can become increasingly difficult to remain focused on living the lives God has blessed us with and being productive. In this Split Sermon we will consider God’s Word and His intentions for us to serve and glorify Him through our faith and a joyful spirit.

“Are You Really Free?” last Sabbath’s second split sermon presented by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Freedom is a virtue valued by people and many governments around the world. Yet finding the true freedom ordained by God evades most people today. How can we find true freedom in our lives?