Norbert Link

Current Events

by Norbert Link

We begin with an article about the distinct possibility of a no-deal Brexit, which would have devastating consequences for the United Kingdom. In this regard, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Satan’s Wrath Against Britain.” 

We report on America’s ongoing demonstrations and violent riots; heavy criticism from all corners towards President Trump’s “handling” of the volatile situation; and the world’s scornful and threatening reaction to America’s dilemma.

We report on an incomprehensible decision of the US Supreme Court and especially the highly controversial role of Chief Justice John Roberts; and we continue with a further example of alienation between Donald Trump and Angela Merkel. We also publish an article claiming that it is Germany’s declared goal to make “Europe strong again.”

We discuss Britain’s nightmarish self-isolation and quarantine rules and quote scientists alleging that the lockdown was a colossal failure.

We speak on America’s fight with China and the situation in Hong Kong; ambitions of the Eurozone; and Europe’s reactions to Israel’s annexation plans.

 We conclude with an eye-opening article on Facebook’s oversight board.

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

Satan’s Wrath against Britain

The relationship between the UK and the EU is getting worse. And while the UK is descending more and more into an economic and political abyss, core European nations will soon be emerging strongly. How can we say this so dogmatically? And what role does the coronavirus crisis play in all of this?

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Will Christ Find Faith on the Earth?

by Norbert Link

Do we have faith in God and His power to work miracles? But is this kind of faith sufficient in order to be able to enter the Kingdom of God, or is an additional kind of faith required? What exactly is that faith which God’s Holy Spirit must give us? How is faith described in the Bible; why does it not have anything to do with what we can see; and why does doubt destroy our faith?

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National Rules and Christian Responsibility—Comments on News and Prophecy, May 30, 2020

by Norbert Link

What does it mean to obey God rather than men? Are we to just believe blindly what the mainstream media, doctors and politicians are telling us? How can we watch events the light of biblical prophecy unless we are willing to look behind the official façade? What about Europe’s opposition to Israel; German and US guidelines for school children; the financial downfall of the USA; unreliable statistics pertaining to the coronavirus; the questionable effectiveness of the lockdown; Alan Dershowitz’s wrong understanding of the Bible; violent riots in the USA; public prayers by women; and holding grudges?

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Don’t Question… Just Believe?

by Norbert Link

The Bible warns us that a lack of zeal will be predominant in the end-time Church of the Laodiceans. Boldly standing up for the Truth seems to be a rare commodity these days. It may be perceived as uncomfortable or not important, and it might even cloud one’s perspective as to what God requires of us. To give a recent example, we posted in our last Update an article by Natural Health, dated May 16, addressing Dr. Judy Mikovits “jaw-dropping allegations” about Dr. Anthony Fauci and her viewpoint on the origin of the coronavirus and the role of the pharmaceutical industry. Many of Mikovits’ statements and claims are contained in a video, titled Plandemic. The mass media rejects Mikovits’ claims and the video has been repeatedly banned, removed and reposted.

But as Deutsche Welle wrote on May 15:

“Questioning the intelligence of anyone who criticizes coronavirus protection measures shows we haven’t learned from the polarization of the past and shuts the door on any chance for dialogue… What yesterday was considered a conspiracy theory has now become widely accepted fact… And yet many journalists, analysts and politicians still have a need to put everyone who thinks differently into a clear-cut cubbyhole…

“People have put up with so much over the last few weeks: Following stay-at-home orders and contact bans, trying to understand contradictory experts’ opinions on face masks… when these very people want to express their displeasure, concern or skepticism, they are, at best, called perfectly normal citizens who let themselves be manipulated by ‘conspiracy theorists!’… It is simply not enough to muzzle unwelcome criticism with derogative classifications…”

It is interesting that the Bible warns us not to say a “conspiracy” concerning “all that this people call a conspiracy,” nor to “be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled” (Isaiah 8:12).

To explain further why we published, for example, excerpts from the above-mentioned article by Natural Health about Dr. Mikovitz, we wrote the following in a recent Q&A:

“In all of this, we must understand that the Church is not engaged in politics. We do not endorse any political candidate or party, and we do not vote in governmental elections.  We do not, of course, participate in war, either. But this does not mean that we would not comment on wrong behavior and propaganda of politicians and social and religious leaders. In that light, we will publish articles with viewpoints different from the ‘official’ versions of the mass media, as long as those viewpoints appear relevant and seem to have merit, and it behooves the reader to evaluate those opposing views in the light of biblical values.”

This has been and will continue to be our stance, as it serves to discover the Truth. Subsequently however, we learned that the President of a large Church of God organization took the exact opposite approach, stating this in a letter:

“… a controversial video production has grown popular as an alternative political explanation for the origin and spread of the coronavirus. The video production, titled Plandemic, has entered the mainstream, with subsequent millions of views. Instead of reassurance, comfort and human solidarity during a painful crisis, it promotes division, assumes evil motives and sows doubt… Promoting such thinking certainly must not be our legacy as ambassadors for Christ… In some Church of God communities, this video production and other alternative explanations of the origins of the coronavirus have produced increasing confusion and division… It is not the Church’s role to judge the veracity of productions like Plandemic. As stated, we are not medical experts. But it is the Church’s role to teach and preach what Jesus commanded us: ‘A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another’ (John 13:34…)… It means we have respect for each other. It means we refrain from posting things that can cause offense. It means we don’t provoke one another negatively (Galatians 5:26).”

Even though this letter contains all kinds of contradictions and inconsistencies, it tells the audience in a nutshell to refrain from stating or posting any critical remarks which may question the official positions in government and the mainly left-wing mainstream media, as this might cause division, doubt and confusion. We are sorry to say, but standing up for the Truth will cause division, as Christ said.

Another large Church of God organization published this: “There are a lot of differing opinions flying about on the Internet and television at this time. Many question whether it was necessary to shut down nation after nation around the world. Before getting caught up in the emotions and politics of it all, never forget who is the prince of the power of the air, the one who is directing the course of this world. He is creating confusion and would love for the people of God to take their eyes off the goal.”

But what is that goal? Is it to blind ourselves to the Truth and accept, without thinking, what the left-wing mainstream media and the politicians want us to believe?

Both organizations also issued statements reflecting a dangerous lack of understanding regarding our approach towards human government, in that obedience and respect for authority were demanded while the concept of obeying God rather than men was totally ignored and not mentioned at all. We are not just focusing on these two groups, but quoting these excerpts as warning examples for all of our readers.

In a recent Q&A, we said this:

“The concept of submitting to human governments and their political propaganda must be seen in context. We have just completed a new booklet, which we have posted on our website, titled, “Obeying God rather than Men.” Printed copies should be available very soon. In this booklet, we point out that we must never obey man, when we would thereby violate God’s Law, in letter or in spirit. This also means that we cannot adopt and endorse man’s concepts and ideas when they are in opposition to God’s directives…”

In our new booklet on “Obeying God rather than Men,” we state the following, under the headline, “What the Mark of the Beast Means for Us Today”:

“True Christians understand that the Sabbath and the Holy Days must be kept, and that they must not instead accept the mark of the beast by worshipping on Sunday and pagan holidays, and by refusing to worship on God’s weekly and annual Sabbaths.

“But how does this play out in practice when the government prohibits Christian churches to meet and assemble on the Sabbath? They might not even place this prohibition under a religious mantle, but they might give some other reasons, such as the outbreak of a pandemic that would require people to stay at home. The weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days are commanded biblical holy assemblies or holy convocations (compare Leviticus 23). We should ask ourselves whether refusing to follow God’s command, because the government says so, would be pleasing to God (compare Hebrews 10:25; the Living Bible states: ‘Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near’).

“In the past, some Church groups have been far too quick to follow the guidance (not even at first a directive) of a particular government and have prohibited worship services worldwide for all of their members, even though the government of one particular country did not speak for other countries, and even though an alleged pandemic had not even reached some of the countries in which members lived. Other Church groups followed the subsequent directive of the government of their country, but did not limit their prohibition of services to that country, but prohibited all their members worldwide to meet anywhere.”

Much more is addressed in this new booklet, and we hope to be able to send printed copies very soon to our subscribers and to make them available to everyone who asks for them.

We are going to observe the Feast of Pentecost this Sunday, remembering when God bestowed His Holy Spirit on His apostles and many other disciples. God’s Spirit is a Spirit of Truth and of a sound mind. It is a Spirit being eager and anxious to find the Truth in whatever area —and it is not a Spirit of fear or of not wanting to know the Truth or even a willingness to suppress the Truth. Just believing and not questioning “official” explanations by the main-stream media and politicians is most certainly NOT what the Holy Spirit of God is all about. Rather, the Spirit of God “searches all things” (1 Corinthians 2:10), and so we, as future kings, are to search for and find the Truth (Proverbs 25:2), which will set us free from all error.

Current Events

by Norbert Link

We begin with America’s strong verbal response to Iran’s call for eliminating Israel’s “Zionist” regime and invoking the “final solution” while Israel announced its decision to annex areas of the West Bank in July.

We continue with America’s grim economic future in the light of the coronavirus which is being described as “the final kick into the abyss.”

 We report on horrible contemplated measures in Germany regarding parents and school children; and really bad and harmful guidelines for school children in the US. We speak on the UK’s rather ridiculous quarantine measures for everyone flying into the UK; and Europe’s threatening response.

We address the controversy regarding wearing masks; further sickening recommendations of the Center for Disease regarding the separation of new-born babies from their mothers; and the UN’s support and advancement of abortions in the midst of the Corona crisis.

We point out further developments following the pronouncement of President Trump that Church services are “essential”; Dr. Fauci’s rather strange “change of mind”; and Alan Dershowitz’s rather preposterous attempts to claim that quarantining healthy persons is justified or even demanded in the Bible.

We publish an interesting article about public prayers by women; and we conclude with the allegation that Pope Francis’ promotes the worship of “Mother Earth.”

Regarding the Pope’s rather strange comments, please view our StandingWatch program, “Pope Francis Attacks True Chrisitanity.” 

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

Are You Ready for the Day of the Lord?

by Norbert Link

The Bible speaks of the terrible Day of the Lord and admonishes us to be prepared and not to be caught off-guard. Especially the book of Joel contains many warnings and shows us what will happen during that future time which is not far from us.

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Would you please explain Amos 5:13?

Amos 5:13 reads: “Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, For it is an evil time.”

Does this passage tell God’s Church to cease proclaiming the Truth, as we are living right now in an evil time?

In order to understand this passage properly, we must first of all consider the context and the theme of the entire book of Amos. The book deals with events leading to or occurring at the “day of the Lord”—when God will powerfully and mightily intervene in the affairs of men. The day of the Lord will begin approximately one year before Christ’s return and is oftentimes described as the day of God’s wrath, as God is angry about the sins of man.

Regarding the “day of the Lord,” we read in Amos 5:18-20:

“Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! For what good is the day of the LORD to you? It will be darkness, and not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion, And a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, Leaned his hand on the wall, And a serpent bit him! Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?”

Even though God’s wrath will be poured out over all nations and peoples, end-time warnings in the book of Amos are specifically directed towards the modern descendants of the ancient houses of Israel and Judah. They can be found today in the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as the state of Israel.

When referring to the house of Israel, the book of Amos speaks at times about the house of Jacob (Jacob was renamed Israel when he became converted) and specifically the house of Joseph (one of Jacob’s sons). Joseph was the father of Ephraim and Manasseh. On occasion, Amos also refers to Isaac (the father of Jacob) and the house of Jeroboam (who was a wicked king of the house of Israel).

In Amos 2:4-5, we read that God will punish modern Judah (the state of Israel in the Middle East) because of their transgressions and sins: “For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they have despised the law of the LORD, And have not kept His commandments. Their lies lead them astray, Lies which their fathers followed. But I will send a fire upon Judah, And it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.”

In Amos 2:14-16, the punishment of the modern house of Israel (cp. verse 6) is described in vivid terms, as follows: “The strong shall not strengthen his power, Nor shall the mighty deliver himself; He shall not stand who handles the bow, The swift of foot shall not escape, Nor shall he who rides a horse deliver himself. The most courageous men of might Shall flee naked in that day…”

Further descriptions of the coming punishment of the house of Israel are in Amos 3:9-15: “‘… See great tumults in her midst, And the oppressed within her. For they do not know to do right,’ Says the LORD, ‘Who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.’ Therefore thus says the LORD God: ‘An adversary shall be all around the land; He shall sap your strength from you, And your palaces shall be plundered. Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,’ Says the LORD God, the God of hosts… ‘in the day I punish Israel for their transgressions… I will destroy the winter house along with the summer house; The houses of ivory shall perish, And the great houses shall have an end,’ Says the LORD.”

In Amos 4:6-10, God announces famine, a plague (pestilence and disease epidemics) and the sword (war) for the modern descendants of the house of Israel, and He shows very clearly the time setting in verse 12: “Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; Because I will do this to you, Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”

In Amos 5, God shows that no one will help the house of Israel at the time of its destruction.  We read in Amos 5:1-3: “Hear this word which I take up against you, a lamentation, O house of Israel: The virgin of Israel has fallen; She will rise no more. She lies forsaken on her land; There is no one to raise her up. For thus says the LORD God: ‘The city that goes out by a thousand Shall have a hundred left, And that which goes out by a hundred Shall have ten left to the house of Israel.”

In the midst of these descriptions of terrible destruction, God utters the following admonishment, in Amos 5:6, 15: “Seek the LORD and live, Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, And devour it, With no one to quench it… Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate. It may be that the LORD God of hosts Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”

But God knows that the leadership and the people, by and large, will not listen or repent. He says in Amos 6:1,3, 6: “Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, And trust in Mount Samaria, Notable persons in the chief nation, To whom the house of Israel comes!… Woe to you who put far off the day of doom, Who cause the seat of violence to come near… [and who] are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.”

As a consequence, God will punish them severely. Amos 9:10 says: “All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, Who say, ‘The calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.’”

God addresses and condemns the pride of the modern house of Israel (Jacob) in their strength and might (Amos 6:8; 8:7). He specifically speaks of a wrong kind of patriotism and nationalism which prevent people from turning to God. Amos 9:7-8 states: “‘Are you not like the people of Ethiopia to Me, O children of Israel?’ says the LORD. ‘Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt, The Philistines from Caphtor, And the Syrians from Kir? Behold, the eyes of the LORD God are on the sinful kingdom, And I will destroy it from the face of the earth; Yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,’ Says the LORD.”

God makes clear that punishment WILL come. Amos 7:8-9 and Amos 8:2-3 state: “‘Behold, I am setting a plumb line In the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore. The high places of Isaac shall be desolate, And the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste. I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam…  The end has come upon My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore. And the songs of the temple Shall be wailing in that day,’ Says the LORD God—‘Many dead bodies everywhere, They shall be thrown out in silence.’”

God addresses wrong (pagan) worship services within the modern house of Israel, when He states in Amos 5:21-23: “I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies… Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.” (Compare also Hosea 2:13.) Again, in Amos 8:10: “I will turn your feasts into mourning, And all your songs into lamentation… I will make it like mourning for an only son, And its end like a bitter day.”

At that time, there will also be a famine of the Word of God, as we read in Amos 8:11-12. It is not that God’s Church will cease preaching God’s Word. In fact, Christ said in Matthew 10:23 that God’s ministers will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. Rather, people will be so deceived that they will not recognize the Word of God when it is being preached. They will look for it, but won’t find it, as their minds have been blinded to the Truth. After all, they had told the prophets—those who understand prophecy—not to prophecy and to preach the Word of God (Amos 2:12). In fact, we read in Amos 5:10: “They hate the one who rebukes in the gate, And they abhor the one who speaks uprightly.” This same attitude was already prevalent at the time of Amos, when he was told NOT to preach and announce God’s warnings (Amos 7:10-13).

God had shown the people then—and He shows us today—what is going to happen (Amos 4:13), and He commands His ministers to proclaim His Word and to warn the modern descendants of the houses of Israel and Judah and the world (Amos 3:7-8). He also shows what will happen after Christ has returned and when He sets up the government of God on this earth (Amos 9:11-15)—the good news of God’s coming Kingdom which needs to be proclaimed by His Church at this time as well.

It is in this context and in light of all the passages in the book of Amos, as discussed herein, that we must evaluate God’s statement in Amos 5:13, saying that the prudent will keep silent during this evil time.

Commentaries offer different attempts to explain this passage.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible gives this explanation:

“God said by Solomon: ‘He that reproveth a scorner getteth himself shame, and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot’ (Proverbs 9:7). And our Lord bids, ‘Give not that which is holy unto dogs, and cast not your pearls before swine’ (Matthew 7:6). They hated and rejected those who rebuked them… Since then rebuke profited not, the prophets should hold their peace. It is a fearful judgment, when God withholds His warnings. In times of punishment also the prudent keep silence… It may be too, that Amos, like Hosea 4:4, 17, expresses the uselessness of all reproof, in regard to the most of those whom be called to repentance, even while he continued earnestly to rebuke them.”

Even though some of these statements have some merit, Amos 5:13 cannot apply to the “prophets” or the ministry in God’s Church who have a duty to proclaim God’s Truth and who have to lift up their voice as a trumpet to show and declare to God’s people and the “house of Jacob” their sins and transgressions (Isaiah 58:1; Micah 3:8). In fact, it is the duty of the Church to announce the gospel of the Kingdom of God to this world as a witness, even though God knows that most will not respond and repent, but it must be done so that Jesus Christ can return.

Realizing the duty of the Church to proclaim God’s Word in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2), some commentaries make a distinction between “public” and “private” responsibilities.

Matthew Poole’s Commentary states:

“The prudent; the wise men; prophets, say some, but I rather think other private men are here meant, whose private capacity alloweth them to keep silence when others must speak.”

Similarly Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible:

“Therefore the prudent shall keep silence at that time… Not the prophets of the Lord, whose business it was at all times to reprove, and not hold their peace, let the consequence be what it would… but private persons, whose wisdom it would be to say nothing; since reproof would do no good to these persons, and they would bring a great deal of hatred [and] ill will, and trouble upon themselves as well… or the sense is, they would not speak to God on the behalf of these wicked men, knowing the decree was gone forth…”

It is true that while the ministry of the Church of God has an official duty to proclaim God’s Word publicly, that is not true for the membership or others, or even ministers in their “private” capacity. We are told that we need to be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us, WHEN ASKED (1 Peter 3:15), but this does not mean that we are to approach and bombard our friends or coworkers or even our unconverted mate or just anyone we may come in contact with in an attempt to proselytize them and correct them and chastise them for their wrongdoing.

It is also true, as pointed out by Gill, that we are not to ask God to bless others in their sin; that is, to bless them for and while sinning. Rather, we could pray that God would open their minds so that they stop sinning, but the time may come and may already be here for some when God tells us not to utter those prayers anymore, as they will refuse to repent at this point in time (Jeremiah 7:16; 11:14; 14:11).

The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary offers another interesting explanation of Amos 5:13:

“… the prudent—the spiritually wise… shall keep silence—not mere silence of tongue, but the prudent shall keep himself quiet from taking part in any public or private affairs which he can avoid: as it is ‘an evil time’… Ephesians 5:16 refers to this…”

A true Christian and God’s Church as a whole will not participate in the public affairs and the politics and the agenda of the rulers of this world who through their “wisdom” have become fools and enemies of God (1 Corinthians 2:6-8; 3:19-20).

In conclusion, Amos 5:13 does not tell the prudent ministers of God to cease from publicly warning the modern nations of the ancient houses of Israel and Judah, as well as the entire world, of impending disaster. God’s ministers have a duty to speak out, and woe unto them if they are negligent, lax or slack in that task (note the principle in Jeremiah 48:10 in the New Jerusalem Bible, the New International Version or the New Revised Standard Version) or if they refuse altogether to do it (Ezekiel 3:17; 33:2-11; Jeremiah 6:17; Habakkuk 2:1-3).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Current Events

by Norbert Link

We begin with numerous explosive articles regarding the search for and the potential development of a vaccine against the coronavirus and some extremely frightening and disturbing scenarios IF such a vaccine should be created; and we publish articles with controversial allegations regarding Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates which are being blocked outright and dismissed very quickly by the mainstream media.  

 We point out ongoing demonstrations in Germany against governmental restrictions which worry Angela Merkel and question her and her party’s political survival; report on attempts in Germany and elsewhere to silence criticism and any dissenting voices; address EU’s proposed travel recommendations which, if adopted, would lead to inflation; and speak on President Trump’s serious warnings towards the WHO.

We continue with increasing division within the USA; a warning to California by the Justice Department and a controversial decision by the Oregon Supreme Court; Jordan’s, the Palestinians’ and Europe’s collision course with Israel and the USA; legal trouble for Benjamin Netanyahu; Europe’s ongoing efforts to build their own powerful self-sufficient army; Europe’s unwillingness to give any concessions to the UK over Brexit; and we point out that US Ambassador in Germany, Richard Grenell, accuses Germany of undermining NATO.

We conclude with Pope Francis’ remarkably wrong understanding of true Christianity. In that regard, please view our powerful advertisement video for our new booklet, “The Ten Commandments.” Please also view our new StandingWatch program on the topic, titled, “Pope Francis Attacks True Christianity!”  

Pope Francis Attacks True Christianity!

In recent comments, Pope Francis displayed his utter ignorance of what true Christianity is all about, and he attacked true Christians in a totally inconsistent and contradictory way. WHAT DID HE SAY which was so terribly wrong? And WHY were some of his comments so utterly hypocritical? Please stay tuned to the END of this program for a very important announcement.

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