Update 1114

On June 8, 2024, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Our Life Saver,” and Brian Gale will present the sermon, titled, “Time.”

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.

Recently I went with my wife to Ramona, California, in order to attend our annual Church Conference, where we discussed, among other things, different church organizations in the body of Christ. It was very nice to see many brethren again and to once again have the chance to welcome them with open arms after such a long time. For some, it had been over 13 years since I had seen them in person, for others a little less. And yet, it is always a great feeling to be able to reunite with brethren and their families.

In August 2008, the Church of the Eternal God broadcasted the program “AufPostenStehen” in Germany for the first time, and my initial contact with the Church took place in October of the same year. Then, in September 2009, we were baptized in Ramona and had our Church wedding at the Feast of Tabernacles in San Diego in October.

The Church of the Eternal God, operating as the Kirche des Ewigen Gottes in Germany, grew steadily with new members, and each year more and more were baptized. This means that God has called some out of this terrible world to bring them as firstfruits into the Family of God. Not only was it a wonderful feeling to see the growing membership; it was overwhelming to understand the power with which God is working in us, leading us and revealing His Truth to us.

But being a member of God’s Family means having responsibility, sincerity, faithfulness, sacrifice, consistency, love, humility and fear of the Lord our God. This implies that we all have a task to fulfill and to do it steadfastly until the return of Christ, exactly in the place where God has planted us. Thus, if we have been called into the Church of the Eternal God or its affiliated international organizations, then we have an obligation to it— unless the Truth would no longer be fully preached there!

But in the nearly 15 years that my wife and I have been in the Church of the Eternal God, we have repeatedly seen brethren leaving us and resigning from the Church. Some left because of selfishness, pride, wrong ideas or resentment towards other members, and even because of personal disputes with the ministry.

Some of them have left for other church groups that emerged from the [now defunct] Worldwide Church of God after the death of the human leader, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong; or they have left the Way of God altogether.

It must be understood that many different groups have arisen because they no longer agree with the doctrines of God’s Truth. Some leaders and their members have developed their own ideas and no longer teach the plain truth. They have become lukewarm. Others have formed church organizations out of pride, greed and job preservation, looking for members, or acting for other nonsensical reasons.

Why would one do that? Why do people leave the part of the body of Christ into which they were baptized, even though the Truth of God is still taught there without compromise? Quite possibly, to avoid having to deal honestly with their underlying personal problems!

Or could God have made a mistake? Is it simply no longer fashionable to remain faithful to the part of the body of Christ that is endowed with the Spirit of Philadelphia, to which God has called us?

Would it actually be a good alternative to simply walk away from one’s commitment of remaining faithful to one’s God-ordained place and instead move on to another church organization—one that may be part of the body of Christ but does not manifest the same enthusiasm and love for the Truth; that has compromised with the Truth; or that does not fulfill the Church commission of proclaiming the gospel as a witness? Or would it be a bad compromise?

Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 12:13, 24-25, 27: “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit… But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another… Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.”

And Christ tells us in John 15:1, 5: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser… I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Personally, I see these statements with a very special emphasis.

If we cut ourselves off as a branch from the sweet vine of God for personal reasons or problems and try to cling to “another vine” that does not bear the same fruit, or if we move to an opposite vineyard, we may produce fruit, but it will never be the same as it was before and was expected of us.

So, leaving the Church organization that has remained faithful to the Truth is, in most cases, a bad compromise!

We must understand that God does not make mistakes. God is perfect in everything He does.  David, inspired by God, wrote in Psalm 18:30: “As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.”

In Mr. Michael Link’s Editorial from October 29, 2020, he said: “We must NEVER leave Him out of the picture, but put matters into His hands (Jeremiah 17:5-8). This is very difficult to do at times, especially in the heat of the moment. We must keep our heads high and look to God for help.”

And finally, let us remember one thing: “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

We must therefore ensure that we remain faithful to God’s assignment to the part of His body that He has ordained for us, provided that the perfect Truth from God’s Word continues to be preached there!

Initial translation from German: Daniel Blasinger

by Norbert Link

We begin with the support of many Palestinians for Hamas; Joe Biden’s seemingly naïve evaluation of the current situation in the Middle East; Hungary’s fight with the EU; and the unwillingness of the UK to watch Europe, while being involved in a political turmoil prior to the general election.

We continue with Germany’s push for mandatory military service and the duplicity of Defense Minister Boris Pistorius; the election of leftist Claudia Sheinbaum to the office of President of Mexico;  and the indebtedness of many American banks.

We speak on our terrible judicial system which has become thoroughly politicized, as exemplified by the unparalleled corrupt trial against and conviction of Donald Trump whose further fate will still have to be decided by a biased and unpredictable judge. Please view in this regard our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “Trump Guilty—Shame on America”  and our subsequent message, titled, “Trump’s Guilty Verdict—More to Come?—Comments on News and Prophecy, June 1, 2024”.

We continue with Biden’s hypocritical response to the verdict and also the appearance of his witness tampering and we conclude with Dr. Fauci’s refusal to admit any guilt for his horrible conduct during the Covid pandemic. Please view in this regard our newest StandingWatch program, titled, “Fauci’s God Complex.” 

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

Many Palestinians Favor Hamas

Israel Today wrote on June 3:

“The majority of Arab residents of Judea and Samaria believe that the Hamas terrorist group will emerge from the war with Israel strengthened. To the question, ‘Do you estimate that the war will end with a rise or fall in the popularity of Hamas among Palestinians?’ 55% said the terror group’s popularity would rise. Only 13.1% thought Hamas’s popularity would decline and 27.3% said its popularity wouldn’t change.

“The Jerusalem Media & Communication Centre, an Arab NGO in Jerusalem, conducted the survey almost eight months after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack.

“Nearly 40% of respondents said the attack served ‘national Palestinian interests’ while 30.2% thought it would hurt those interests. Another 23.5% said it didn’t hurt or help. More than 41% of those surveyed said that the war would end in Hamas’s favor. Only 6.3% said it would end to Israel’s advantage.”

This totally destroys the often repeated wrong left-wing narrative that only a small minority of Palestinians support Hamas.

Hamas Unable to Strike Again?

The New York Post wrote on May 31:

“President Biden announced a proposed Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip without defeating Hamas Friday — claiming that the terrorist group is now incapable of ‘carrying out another October 7th.’ Biden asserted that Hamas had been all but crushed militarily…

“Netanyahu’s office… insisted Israel’s war will not end [and there will NOT be a permanent ceasefire] ‘until all its objectives are achieved, including the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities.’”

The seeming naivety of Joe Biden is stunning.

Biden Attacks Netanyahu

Breitbart wrote on June 4:

“Biden suggested in an interview published in Time magazine on Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the war in Gaza for ‘his own political self-preservation.’…

“The only Israelis suggesting that Netanyahu is deliberately prolonging the war are on the far left of the political spectrum. The Israeli public supports the continuation of the war in Gaza until victory by overwhelming margins. Biden has been hostile to Netanyahu since the latter won his election in November 2022, refusing to meet with the Israeli leader for nearly a year. He traveled to Israel after the October 7 attacks, but has since backed efforts to oust Netanyahu.

“Biden resents Netanyahu because the Israeli leader is resisting American pressure to accept a Palestinian state as an outcome of the war. The Israeli public overwhelmingly backs Netanyahu’s position on the issue after decades of Hamas terror.”

There will never be a deep friendship between Biden and Netanyahu.

Hungary vs. EU

AFP wrote on June 2:

“Tens of thousands of Hungarians rallied at a ‘peace march’ Saturday called by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is increasingly stoking fears of a war between the West and Russia…

“As Moscow’s closest EU ally despite its invasion of Ukraine, Orban has refused to send weapons to Kyiv while blocking European military aid. He has repeatedly said Ukraine ‘cannot win’, claiming that ‘most people want’ a ceasefire and peace negotiations…

“On Friday, Orban accused the defense alliance of ‘dragging’ Hungary into war over Ukraine, comparing it to how Adolf Hitler had pressured the country into joining World War II.”

Interesting comments and comparisons.

UK Uninformed About Europe

The Daily Mail wrote on June 3:

“More than 370 million people are entitled to vote [in European elections] between June 6 and 9, an electorate second in size only to India’s. As the EU has continued to centralise power, the European Parliament has become less like an international assembly and more like the legislature of a superstate. That superstate is taking shape right next door to us and, although we are each other’s largest trading partners, our relations have often been marred since Brexit by the tendency in Brussels to see us as a rebel province.

“In short, you might think we would be interested. So why so little coverage? Is it that we have become more insular as a result of Brexit?…

“No, what we are seeing is a reminder that this country was never especially community-minded in its outlook. In 1950, as Labour’s then foreign secretary, Ernest Bevin, put it: ‘Britain is not “part of Europe”, she is simply not a Luxembourg.’

“As long as we were members, we did our best to pay attention. Turnout at our European elections may have been in the low thirties, but at least we had a vague idea of who Jacques Delors and Jean-Claude Juncker were. The moment we left, though, our gaze snapped back to the Commonwealth and the other English-speaking democracies…”

The situation is not unlike the one in the USA where most Americans are not interested as to what is happening in the rest of the world. And this means, there will be a rude awakening soon for both the UK and the USA.

UK in Political Uproar

The Daily Mail wrote on June 3:

“Nigel Farage has vowed to lead a ‘political revolt’ against the Conservatives and Labour, after announcing he will lead the Reform Party for the next five years and stand for Parliament in the Essex seaside town of Clacton. The veteran Brexiteer argued that Britons are ‘furious’ at how both Labour and the Conservatives have approached the immigration crisis, adding there is also ‘deep anger’ at the rate at which public services are ‘disintegrating’….

“Mr Sunak suffered the darkest hour of his election campaign yesterday afternoon. During a dramatic 60 minutes, the Prime Minister suffered a double blow as Nigel Farage entered the fray and a new poll predicted a Tory wipeout…. Writing in The Telegraph yesterday, [Farage] alleged that the UK has been ‘failed by two main parties’ who have ‘conspired to accelerate our decline’… He argued that neither the Tories nor Labour have a ‘plan to pull this country out of a deep economic hole’ and that both are ‘hooked on a deadly addiction to mass immigration‘. The Reform Party leader… claimed that voters feel ‘sick’ at the Government’s ‘policy of betrayal’.”

It was stated that Farage’s intervention “risks handing Sir Keir Starmer [Labour’s party leader] a ‘blank cheque’ to reverse Brexit.” The UK’s general election will be held on July 4. Whatever the outcome, we do not believe that Brexit will ever be reversed.

Breitbart wrote on June 4:

“While Farage is arguably one of the most impactful post-World War II political figures in the United Kingdom — having led the charge to lead the country out from under the thumb of the European Union and the unelected cadre of Brussels bureaucrats — he has never held office in Britain, a point frequently brought up by his detractors…

“That is not to say, however, that the populist campaigner is without a history of electoral success, having been elected to serve as a British Member of the European Parliament from 1999 until the UK’s withdrawal from the bloc in 2020. In the most recent election in which he meaningfully campaigned — the 2019 EU Parliament elections — Farage’s Brexit Party secured a staggering 5.2 million votes compared to 1.5 million for Theresa May’s Conservatives…

“… chief political correspondent for the globalist Financial Times newspaper, Jim Pickard… said that while it is an ‘aberration’ for third-party candidates to win seats in the House of Commons, he ‘wouldn’t bet against Farage right now.’”

Germany’s Conscription—Coming?

The Frankfurter Allgemeine wrote on May 29:

“In the debate about various conscription models, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius sees the sending of muster questionnaires to young adults as the first step. In the event of a defense, conscription would be automatically activated immediately, said the SPD politician on Wednesday during a visit to troops in northern Germany. However, they couldn’t be drafted at all because [the government] does not know where or who the 18-year-old young men actually are. ‘We are currently working on rebuilding military registration – and that is why the question of sending out muster questionnaires is a first step.’

“In view of the armed forces’ personnel needs, Pistorius emphasized how important for the Bundeswehr the ability is to grow in the reserves. They are formed from the training of those doing military service or from the other male and female soldiers. Compulsory military service is currently suspended. According to Pistorius, those who decided this in 2011 for fiscal reasons simultaneously destroyed all structures that made military registration possible. But this is mandatory.”

With his conflicting and contradictory statements, Pistorius is hard to pin down, but the bottom line is: He needs to be watched.

Deutsche Welle reported on June 5:

“‘We must be ready for war by 2029,’ the defense minister said during a questioning session in Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag… ‘In an emergency, we need strong young women and men who can defend this country.’ Pistorius also said that, for that reason, he believed a ‘new form of military service’ was necessary, that ‘cannot be completely free of obligations.’”

Mexico Elects Claudia Sheinbaum

The Associated Press wrote on June 3:

“Claudia Sheinbaum will become the first woman president in the country’s 200-year history… The climate scientist and former Mexico City mayor said that her two competitors had called her and conceded her victory… Sheinbaum will also be the first person from a Jewish background to lead the overwhelmingly Catholic country. She will start her six-year term Oct. 1. Mexico’s constitution does not allow reelection.

“The leftist has said she believes the government has a strong role to play in addressing economic inequality and providing a sturdy social safety net…

“Just as the upcoming November rematch between U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump has underscored deep divisions in the U.S., Sunday’s election revealed how severely polarized public opinion is in Mexico over the direction of the country, including its security strategy and how to grow the economy.”

The Associated Press added on June 3:

“Sheinbaum, the favored successor of outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, vowed to continue on the direction set by the populist leftist leader… López Obrador claims to have reduced historically high homicide levels by 20% since he took office in December 2018. But that’s largely a claim based on a questionable reading of statistics. The real homicide rate appears to have declined by only about 4% in six years.”

U.S. Banks Indebted and Near Bankruptcy

The Daily Hodl wrote on June 2:

“Unrealized losses in the US banking system are once again on the rise, according to new numbers from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). In its Quarterly Banking Profile report, the FDIC says banks are now saddled with more than half a trillion dollars in paper losses on their balance sheets, due largely to exposure to the residential real estate market…

“The FDIC also says that the number of lenders on its Problem Bank List rose last quarter. According to the agency, [63] banks are on the brink of insolvency due to financial, operational, or managerial weakness or a combination of such issues.”

Our Political Injustice System

On June 3, Ron Paul wrote in his weekly column:

“I’ve long criticized our current US justice system – on all levels – as becoming much more about political justice than blind justice. The bizarre trial and conviction of former President Donald Trump last week on 34 felonies only reinforces my concerns.

“The New York District Attorney, Soros-backed Alvin Bragg, has been notorious for downgrading felony charges against others to misdemeanor charges. According to a recent article in the Daily Mail, Bragg had downgraded 60 percent of felony cases to lesser charges, resulting in violent criminals being released on the streets and a crime wave across New York City. But when it came to Donald Trump, Bragg lurched in the other direction, upgrading what normally would have been misdemeanor charges against anyone else to 34 felony charges against the former president. How can this sudden ‘about-face’ be explained other than politics?…

“Regardless of one’s view of Donald Trump, it is a disturbing development in our society when justice is treated more like a football game where you root for your ‘team’ rather than a way of preserving our freedom and liberty in an equal way for all.

“The real goal of the trial was political. None other than George Soros’ son Alex let the cat out of the bag recently when he advised fellow Trump-haters how to take advantage of the trial result. He posted on Twitter after the verdict, ‘Democrats should refer to Trump as a convicted felon at every opportunity. Repetition is the key to a successful message and we want people to wrestle with the notion of hiring a convicted felon for the most important job in the country!’

“It was not about justice in any way. It was all about being able to call the likely Republican presidential nominee a ‘felon’ so as to undermine his support among voters. In other words, election interference.

“The market has a way of prevailing, however. The repeated attempts at using ‘lawfare’ to remove Trump from the political scene have all backfired and actually have served to make the former president even more popular among voters. Immediately after Trump’s conviction on the 34 charges he began sending out fundraising appeals based on his ‘persecution’ by the state of New York. As of this writing, he has, according to press reports, raised over $200 million for his campaign.

“The politicization of justice is not limited to the Democratic Party. The wind sown by political opponents of Donald Trump may well become the whirlwind they reap when their own political opponents are in positions of power. When that is the case, we all lose.”

Sadly, the left-wing mass media is unable or unwilling to read the handwriting on the wall. And the few conservative media outlets dwell on unrealistic hopes and wishful thinking for the future.

“What a Farce!”

Piers Morgan wrote in The Sun on May 31:

“WHAT a farce. That was my instant reaction as I left the recording of Thursday night’s BBC Question Time to hear the bombshell breaking news that Donald Trump had been convicted on all counts in the Stormy Daniels hush money trial. And my feelings only intensified on the journey home into utter incredulity that such a stinking, stupid, senseless act of self-harming partisan political claptrap had been allowed to happen.

“Trump’s no angel, we all know that. But for America to drag one of its 46 presidents through a criminal court over this tawdry, tacky, pathetically trivial case is so damaging to the country’s reputation. Frankly, who cares if Trump did or didn’t have a one-night stand with a porn star 18 years ago, and then paid her off to keep quiet about it?

“Is that any worse than what Bill Clinton did when he had ‘sexual relations’ with Monica Lewinsky in the Oval Office and then lied to the American people about it, or paid Paula Jones off with $850,000 to settle her sexual harassment case against him? And don’t even get me started on JFK and all his sexual shenanigans which included one of his myriad girlfriends Judith Exner passing classified CIA plans for the assassination of Fidel Castro to Chicago mafia boss Sam Giancana.  

‘There’s a sickening hypocrisy behind the Democrat campaign to beat Trump in the 2024 election by trying to incarcerate him for doing far less serious things with Stormy Daniels than their own presidents did with women. And Trump’s conviction sets a horribly dangerous precedent for US political parties to weaponize the justice system against their opponents.

“But the reason it’s so dumb as well as dangerous is because it will inevitably make Trump an even stronger candidate to win back the White House against an ageing, ailing, deeply disliked President Biden.

“Within [a few] hours of the verdicts, his presidential campaign received a staggering $34 million in donations, nearly doubling its single day fundraising record. [Within 24 hours after the verdict, his campaign received 53 million dollars, with 1/3 coming from new donors.]

“Money talks in elections, and Trump’s enraged support has never looked more fired up, or more determined to see him re-elected. Even if he’s jailed when he’s sentenced in July, it will only make him a bigger and more popular martyr…”

To be clear, even an incarcerated Donald Trump could still be elected President and run the country from his prison cell.

A Machine-Gun Mob-Style Hit Job

Express wrote on May 31:

“Former prime minister [Boris Johnson] defends the US presidential candidate [Donald Trump], saying the case against the Republican was a ‘load of stunted-up old nonsense’ [and a] ‘machine-gun mob-style hit job.’…

“Current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Labour opponent Sir Keir Starmer have both refused to criticise the jury’s verdict… But Mr Johnson… called the conviction ‘authoritarian and corrupt’… ‘It was nakedly political. It was completely artificial.’… “

Johnson is right, and Sunak’s and Starmer’s “political correctness” is sad.

Even CNN Trashes Verdict

Breitbart wrote on May 31:

“CNN legal analyst Elie Honig has published an article in New York magazine pointing out many of the procedural flaws behind the prosecution of former President Donald Trump… Among other problems, Honig noted that no state prosecutor had ever tried to enforce federal election laws before. Many legal observers have said that the Manhattan district attorney had no authority or jurisdiction to do so.

“Honig wrote: ‘The charges against Trump are obscure, and nearly entirely unprecedented. In fact, no state prosecutor — in New York, or Wyoming, or anywhere — has ever charged federal election laws as a direct or predicate state crime, against anyone, for anything. None. Ever. Even putting aside the specifics of election law, the Manhattan DA itself  almost never brings any case in which falsification of business records is the only charge.”

Honig also wrote:

‘“The judge donated money — a tiny amount, $35, but in plain violation of a rule prohibiting New York judges from making political donations of any kind — to a pro-Biden, anti-Trump political operation, including funds that the judge earmarked for ‘resisting the Republican Party and Donald Trump’s radical right-wing legacy.’”

This is so telling. This whole corrupt circus show trial makes one sick.

Will Merchan Impose Jail Time?

The Editorial Board of the New York Post wrote on May 31:

“Don’t think the political games are done just because Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and Judge Juan Merchan have engineered a kangaroo-court conviction of President Donald Trump: Sentencing is still ahead. Conveniently…, Merchan set that hearing for July 11, just four days before the Republican convention opens. That gives him a perfect time to look at the polls and see if President Biden needs yet more help. If Trump’s current narrow lead increases these next six weeks, bet on Merchan to demand hard time.

“Yes, legal experts say it’s beyond rare for a judge to send a first offender, convicted of a non-violent crime, to prison. But this judge has proven himself more than willing to burst far past the boundaries of decency where Trump is concerned. It’s no secret that the whole dog-and-pony show was politically driven… Why would [Merchan] refrain from an unprecedented punishment, especially if the verdict alone isn’t slowing Trump’s momentum?

“If [Trump’s] polling [is] even better [than Trump’s currently lead over Biden by 6 points], come July 11, Merchan’s fellow Democratic hacks will be in full panic, demanding he ‘save the country’… Ordering Trump behind bars is no more outrageous than all the other violations of norms in this case.”

Reuters wrote on June 3:

“Donald Trump said on Sunday he would accept home confinement or jail time… but that it would be tough for the public to accept… ‘You know, at a certain point, there’s a breaking point.’”

Trump also said that he told his lawyers not to beg the judge not to send him to prison. Law Professor Alan Dershowitz does not think that Merchan will be so stupid as to imprison Trump, but he might give him a suspended jail sentence. Note the next article.

The Whole Thing Was Made Up

Newsmax wrote on June 2, 2024:

“New York City Judge Juan Merchan will likely sentence former President Donald Trump to up to three years in prison, but will suspend the sentence, Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz [said]… ‘The judge, I’m sure, made up his mind what he was going to sentence him to before the verdict came back, because he knew what the verdict was going to be based on the instructions. The jury had no choice but to convict.’ The trial, meanwhile, ‘wasn’t a trial’ but a ‘predetermined, orchestrated result,’ Dershowitz said… ‘Nobody could have won’ the case, as it ‘didn’t matter what the facts or the lawyers were,’ said Dershowitz…

“‘There are dozens of appealable issues… I’ve never seen so many reversible errors.’ But even though ‘any first-year law student’ could win the appeal, that wouldn’t necessarily happen in New York because the appellate judges are elected by the same people ‘who were on the jury and that hate Donald Trump, so this has to get outside of New York City in order for there to be any kind of justice,’ said Dershowitz…

“Further, ‘the whole case was made up’ by imagining that Trump was trying to cheat on his taxes or hide a campaign contribution, said Dershowitz. ‘[Alvin Bragg] searched up and down to find the crime,’ he added. ‘He couldn’t find one. So he made one up… out of whole cloth. And I think any reasonable appellate court would find so many errors in this that they would reverse the conviction, not remand it for a new trial, but reverse it, dismiss it, and condemn the prosecutors for bringing it.’”

Since all of this seems to be so clear, shouldn’t the judge and the prosecutor be disbarred?

Biden “Responds”

Axios wrote on May 31:

“President Biden addressed former President Trump’s criminal conviction for the first time Friday, warning that it’s ‘reckless, dangerous, and irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict… The American principle that no one is above the law was reaffirmed…

“‘Our justice system should be respected, and we should never allow anyone to tear it down. It’s as simple as that… That’s America. That’s who we are. And that’s who we’ll always be, God willing,’ he concluded.”

What hypocrisy. Note the next two articles.

Breitbart wrote on July 1:

“On Friday’s ‘Mark Levin Show,’ Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) stated that there is ‘an extraordinary double standard’ in how Democrats pivoted from openly undermining the credibility of and attacking Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito over flags at his house [flown by his wife] to now demanding unquestioned agreement with the ruling in… former President Donald Trump’s trial… The whole thing just smacks of corruption.’”

One should also recall how leading Democrats viciously attacked the US Supreme Court for abolishing Roe v. Wade.

Biden Attacks Trump

Media ITE reported on June 4:

“‘For the first time in American history, a former president that is a convicted felon is now seeking the office of the presidency,’ Biden said at a fundraising event in Greenwich, Connecticut… ‘But as disturbing as that is, more damaging is the all-out assault Donald Trump is making on the American system of justice… ‘Something snapped in this guy for real’ after the 2020 election, Biden said. ‘It’s literally driving him crazy.’ Biden also called Trump ‘unhinged.’”

Witness Tampering?

The New York Post published the following article by Miranda Devine on June 2:

“The president flew into Wilmington, Del., on Sunday night, where his 54-year-old son’s felony gun trial begins Monday,  and will spend the whole day there with no official duties. Joe Biden’s looming presence in the strange small city leaves nobody in any doubt of the message he is sending to Delaware special counsel David Weiss, the prosecutors, the judge, and the jury pool being chosen Monday: You mess with my son, you mess with me. 

“It’s all very subtle, in a flagrant way, much like Joe’s impromptu visit to Hallie Biden, the widow of Beau and former lover of Hunter, just nine days before his son’s trial, at which she is the star witness for the prosecution. It was Hallie who threw Hunter’s new handgun in a trash can in October 2018 out of concern for his drug-addled mental state, creating a ticking legal time bomb that would propel him into court six years later. It was Hallie who found drugs and drug paraphernalia in his truck. Hallie, 50, even shared his crack addiction for a time, amid multiple drug rehab efforts.

“In a trial based on the allegation that Hunter lied on the gun shop’s federal background form on Oct. 12, 2018, when he checked ‘No’ on the question, ‘Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to” various narcotic drugs, Hallie’s understanding of his drug use will be key. Hunter’s defense is that the day he bought the gun was a rare day of sobriety…

“The potential for witness tampering in Joe’s late-night visit to Hallie was obvious… conspicuous Hunter sightings alongside his father have accelerated in the last two weeks… Perhaps the most flagrant of all was the May 23 state dinner for the president of Kenya where, yet again, the indicted first son rubbed shoulders with Attorney General Merrick Garland…

“Hunter’s California tax trial in September is high risk for Joe, as it will encompass 2014 and 2015, during which Hunter was earning $1 million from Burisma and his VP father had the Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating the corrupt energy company fired.”

Biden seems to be getting away with his seemingly inappropriate conduct. Democrats are silent, and Republicans don’t speak much either. This country continues to go down on every level.

Biden’s Executive Order

BBC News wrote on June 4:

“ US President Joe Biden’s announcement of his executive action aimed at curbing migrant arrivals on the US border… will stop migrants who cross unlawfully from receiving asylum, and will make it easier for immigration officers to remove people in the US who are there illegally.

“The action takes affect when the southern border is ‘overwhelmed’, but the White House’s description did not come with any hard numbers that defined what an overwhelmed border would be. Biden’s announcement was met with criticism from Donald Trump’s campaign, and some of Trump’s key Republican allies. It was also met with criticism from some Democrats and migrant advocacy groups.

“And in Mexico, there was uncertainty of what the executive action could mean for the border cities where many try to cross into the US.”

Newsmax added on June 4:

“President Joe Biden’s new border plan is just window dressing, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Tuesday… Johnson reminded people Biden said four months ago he had done all he could do. ‘He tried to convince us all for all this time that there was no way he could possibly fix the mess,’ Johnson said. ‘Remember that he engineered it’… Johnson noted Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas issued 64 executive orders to open up the border…

“The House speaker said, if Biden was really concerned about the border, he would have issued the executive order a long time ago…”

The New York Post wrote on June 4:

“Whereas the law says that Biden and [impeached] Mayorkas must detain illegal migrants, the pair have instead released nearly all of them, more than 3.9 million by my conservative estimates. Those releases encouraged even more foreign nationals to come here illegally from all over the globe. That surge has overwhelmed border agents to such a degree that they couldn’t stop nearly 1.7 million others from entering illegally and evading Border Patrol apprehension.

“A compliant media largely ignored this crisis until the Mayorkas impeachment and negotiations over a Senate border bill last winter pushed it to the fore… He’s using a 72-year-old immigration authority — section 212(f) — to bar migrant asylum claims…

“His new executive order is simply a deceitful press stunt he hopes will shore up his rock-bottom ratings from voters on the crisis.”

It’s all about politics and the desire to be elected.

Fauci Personifies Systematic Failure

Breitbart wrote on June 3:

“Dr. Anthony Fauci refused to disavow business, church, and school closures during his testimony before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Monday while continuing to justify mask and vaccine mandates during a line of questioning with Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX). ‘Dr. Fauci’s testimony before this subcommittee underscores a shocking lack of accountability,’ Cloud said in an exclusive statement to Breitbart News following Fauci’s testimony. ‘His claims of ignorance about key decisions — whether it’s the arbitrary six-foot distancing rule, school closures, or funding dangerous research in Chinese labs — are both disturbing and unacceptable. Fauci personifies the systemic failure within our federal agencies, where passing the buck is the norm, not the exception,’ the congressman continued.

“During his line of questioning, Cloud went through a list of coronavirus mitigation measures that Fauci supported throughout the pandemic, beginning with business closures, asking if that was justified… [continuing with] church closures…, mask mandates for adults, mask mandates for children, mask mandates for children under five… vaccine mandates for employees, vaccine mandates for students, and vaccine mandates for the military…

“Cloud took to social media after his line of questioning to the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) chief, writing, ‘I asked Dr. Fauci a simple yes or no question: Did he believe school, business, and church closures, mask mandates, and stay-at-home orders were justified?… He refused to disavow those measures, despite knowing they were ineffective,’ the congressman added.”

Fauci’s performance throughout his “tenure” was horrible, but no admission of guilt or an apology can be detected. This means, in a similar situation, he would recommend the same terrible and insane measures.

Fauci’s God Complex

The New York Post wrote on June 4:

“… as two weeks to stop the spread turned into two years of moving the goalposts… it was clear the doctor was developing a God complex. And much of our media became higher clergy genuflecting at every turn. Many adherents found in Fauci a religious purpose, with a mask and a needle serving as virtue symbols and ‘Trust the science’ as their main recitation.

“Anyone with questions or objections was a heretic to be shamed. We were forced to mold our society around these arbitrary and draconian rules…  Parents who advocated for schools to reopen were ostracized and called ‘grandma killers.’… there was no humility and no openness from Fauci & Co. — only suppression and control…. He leaves in his wake a tidal wave of American distrust in institutions. And an absolute inability to see his role in dissolving that trust.”

Planning Another Epidemic?

Ezra Levant wrote in Rebel News on June 1:

“One of the things I hated about the pandemic and the lockdowns was it was as if every country was acting in lockstep. It’s as if everyone was following Anthony Fauci or Theresa Tam in the United States and Canada. But they, too, were following the marching orders from the World Health Organization run by Doctor Tedros. And really, underneath it all, run by the Chinese Communist Party, which installed Tedros.

“What I think we should take away from that is that the decisions in your town, in your school, and at your workplace were not made in your town, at your school, or in your workplace. Odds are, they were concocted… at the… World Health Organization (WHO).

“The WHO is having its annual get-together called the World Health Assembly right now in Geneva, Switzerland. In response to that, I started seeing ads for a trucker-style convoy to come and protest against it.

“Covid-19 was one of the worst things that ever happened to us. It destroyed our lifestyle, destroyed our income, destroyed our family connections, destroyed our sense of community, and destroyed our civil liberties. It was the worst moment in many people’s lives. But for the public health bureaucrats, especially the globalist ones who are not rooted in any jurisdiction, it was the best time of their lives. They had power. They had respect. They were on TV every day.

“Obscure, unknown nobodies like Doctor Theresa Tam were suddenly being called Canada’s top doctor… Those people want another pandemic… so they can offer themselves up as the solution themselves and their plans and their budgets and their powers… We’re here because the decisions being made for you about you are not happening in the Canadian Parliament or your local legislature. They’re happening by unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats, diplomats and politicians at the United Nations.”

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.

Many times, we come across the concept that true Christians must be poor and live in poverty. But is this correct? Does the Bible require of true Christians to sell all they have and give it to the poor, so that they themselves become poor and dependent on others for their sustenance? Asking it this way, we should readily say how preposterous such a concept would be.

We find many Scriptures in the Bible about righteous people who were rich because God blessed them. God would not have blessed them with riches and wealth if having and possessing those would be wrong.

We read in Genesis 13:2: “Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold,” and Genesis 24:34-35 adds that he became rich because God had blessed him greatly. The same can be said about Abraham’s son Isaac (Genesis 26:12-14).

We all know of course about the incredible riches of Solomon, surpassing all kings of the earth in riches (1 Kings 10:23), because God blessed him greatly in that regard, as 1 Kings 3:13 tells us. Later, Solomon departed from God to an extent, but not because of his wealth, but because of his inability to control himself regarding women.

Job was very rich, and even though God took his wealth temporarily away, when Job repented of his sin of self-righteousness, God restored Job’s riches and blessed him even more than He had done before (Job 42:12-13).

The Bible is very clear that God blesses His people, at times, with riches and wealth. This fact completely rules out the concept that being rich is wrong, a curse, and ungodly. David even said that he was young and grew old, and he never saw the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread (Psalm 37:25).

We read in Deuteronomy 8:18: “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

Proverbs 10:22 says: “The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.”

The New Testament confirms that it is God’s wish for us to prosper and lead good Iives. We read in John 10:10 that Christ came “that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” 3 John 2 adds: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things…”

On the other hand, God does not bless someone who is unrighteous. It is true, of course, that unrighteous people may be rich, but this would not be because of God’s blessings. We will address this later. God warns us that if we refuse to tithe diligently, for example, we cannot expect to be blessed by God.

Proverbs 3:9-10 states: “Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.”

And Malachi 3:8-11 says: “‘Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, “In what way have we robbed You?” In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,’ Says the LORD of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,’ Says the LORD of hosts…”

There are of course many warnings in the Bible regarding an unhealthy desire to become rich. As it is true for every aspect of life, we must submit to and wait for the will of God to be revealed in our lives. And God might have decided that He may not bless us with riches, at least not for now, and if that is the case, we should not try to preempt God and desperately seek riches and wealth—apart from God’s blessing. Desiring to become rich, even though God might not have backed up or honored such desire, would be wrong.

Proverbs 28:20 says: “A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished…”

Proverbs 23:4-5 adds: “Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.”…

Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 6:9-11:

“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things…”

This passage does not condemn riches and wealth per se, but it includes a warning for those who “desire” to be rich because of their “love of money” and “greediness.” Rather, Paul says, let us be content with what God has given us (1 Timothy 6:6-8).

Paul continues his warning in 1 Timothy 6:17-19:

“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor TRUST in UNCERTAIN riches but in the living GOD, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do GOOD, that they be rich in good works, READY TO GIVE, WILLING TO SHARE, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

Trusting in riches and wealth would be a terrible mistake. We read in Proverbs 11:4: “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.” And Zephaniah 1:18 states: “Neither their silver nor their gold Shall be able to deliver them In the day of the LORD’S wrath…”

There are also warnings regarding wrong conduct when one is rich; that is, one who has become prosperous must be careful not to forget that GOD has blessed him.

We read in Deuteronomy 8:18 that we must remember God, “for it is He who gives you power to get wealth…”  Hosea 13:6 states: “When they had pasture, they were filled; They were filled and their heart was exalted; Therefore they forgot Me….”

Hosea 2:8-9 explains what will happen when we DO forget God and the source of our prosperity: “For she did not know That I gave her grain, new wine, and oil, And multiplied her silver and gold–Which they prepared for Baal. Therefore I will return and take away My grain in its time And My new wine in its season, And will take back My wool and My linen, Given to cover her nakedness.”

Another reason why someone who had been prosperous might become poor is explained in Proverbs 10:3-4: “The LORD will not allow the righteous soul to famish, But He casts away the desire of the wicked. He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.” Proverbs 27:23-24 adds: “Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, And attend to your herds; For riches are not forever…”

Diligence is important. We are told that “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). And we must be diligent in preserving what God has blessed us with.

Proverbs 21:17 says: “He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not be [or stay] rich.” Even though God may bless us with riches, we have to do our part. We must not waste what God gave us. And, we must in no way act dishonestly in our pursuits. Proverbs 13:11 says: “Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, But he who gathers by labor will increase.”

We have to be diligent in our pursuits, without allowing wrong priorities to take over our lives. Paul says that when someone does not want to work, he should not even eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12). He cannot expect to be blessed by God with riches if he refuses to work for it.

We need to remember that we can leave God’s way if we desire to be rich. Christ warns of the deceitfulness of riches (Matthew 13:22). He told us that it will be difficult for a rich man who trusts in his riches and does not want to give up his wealth to enter the Kingdom of God (compare Mark 10:17-24).

God also warns us to not become envious of unrighteous people who might have become rich—but not as a result of God’s blessing. It could be easy to become unsatisfied with God, asking Him, how come they are blessed, and I am not?

Psalm 37:7, 16 says: “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass… A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked.”

Otherwise, we might easily charge God with wrong. That is why Agur said the following in Proverbs 30:7-9:

“Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches— Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You, And say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.”

But again, this does not make property, wealth and riches wrong per se. Some however claim that a Christian must be poor because, so they say, Christ was poor, referring to 2 Corinthians 8:9 to prove this assertion, which states: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” But Paul is using a comparison between the richness of the immortal God who owns everything, and, in contrast, the poverty of man whose insignificant riches might be here today and gone tomorrow.

There are numerous passages indicating that Jesus owned His own house—or perhaps even more than one. At times, though, when He was on a journey, He might not have been given shelter (Matthew 8:20; compare the context of His words in Luke 9:51-58), but this does not mean that Jesus was a homeless vagabond. The soldiers did not want to cut Jesus’ garments and clothing, when He was hanging on the cross (or better, stake), but they cast lots to determine who should receive them (Matthew 27:35; John 19:23-24). His garments and clothing were apparently not “cheap,” but of such a quality and value that the soldiers were willing to cast lots for them.

On the other hand, we all must be willing to give up everything to be able to inherit the Kingdom of God. This includes physical wealth and well-being, our health and security, and even our relatives and friends if a choice must be made between Christ and them. Christ tells us that when we love anything and anyone more than Him, we are not worthy of Him (Luke 14:26; Matthew 10:37). Otherwise, He tells us that He will bless us even in this life when we have our priorities correct (Mark 10:29-30).

Sometimes, we may be required to make tough decisions. Moses chose Christ and rejected the “passing pleasures of sin” and the “treasures of Egypt,” esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than those worldly treasures (Hebrews 11:25-26). Rather than laying up for himself “treasures on earth,” he laid up for himself treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19), “for he looked to the reward” (Hebrews 11:26).

We must be rich toward God (Luke 12:21). We must first seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all the things which we need (compare Philippians 4:19)—and many things which we might not even need—WILL be given to us by God (Matthew 6:33). God knows what we need, and He will look after us (Matthew 6:30, 32). Even though we might be considered “poor” by the worldly standards of the rich and ultra-rich, we possess the greatest riches that could be imagined.

Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:10 that we are to commend ourselves “as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” Note also Revelation 2:9. The world might look at us as relatively poor people, but we have been promised the inheritance of the Kingdom of God! What greater riches could there be?

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“Fauci’s God Complex,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Dr. Fauci’s testimony this week before a House Subcommittee on the Coronavirus pandemic and measures taken to combat the same manifested a total lack of repentance or admission of guilt. Rather, it seems that, as the New York Post put it, Fauci developed a “God complex” and much of the media became “higher clergy” at every turn, while those with questions were labeled as “heretics.” Fauci might be gone, but his ideas are very much alive. Where did they originate? And where will YOU end up when the next pandemic strikes and similar, or even worse measures will be enacted? Will you follow and obey God or men?

“Trump Guilty – Shame on America,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The conviction of Trump in a Manhattan courtroom is unparalleled. The proceedings by the judge and prosecution have been described as corrupt, illegal, unconstitutional and as a “travesty of justice,” which “stinks to high heaven.” What are the true facts, and what does GOD have to say about all of this?

“Trump schuldig – Schande für Amerika,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This covers the same topic as described above.

“Müssen Christen arm sein?” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Must Christians Be Poor?”

“Was ist die wahre Religion?” last Sabbath’s Germon sermonette presented by Tahir Coban, is now posted. Title in English: “What is the true religion?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zapr8oD3yYI

“Do Your Emotions Rule You?” last Sabbath’s sermonette by Christoph Sperzel, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Today’s world is dominated by emotions! How can you safely get a grip on your feelings?

“Trump’s Guilty Verdict—More to Come?—Comments on News and Prophecy, June 1, 2024,” last Sabbath’s comments by Norbert Link are now posted. Here is a summary:

The “kangaroo-court” conviction of Trump in New York might lead to further incredible developments, when Judge Merchan will sentence Trump, beginning on July 11. Will Merchan send Trump to prison? Biden’s response to the verdict sounds hypocritical; and turning to other news, Biden’s allegation that Hamas is now unable to carry out another October 7th attack is incredibly naive. Focusing on Germany, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has made his true intentions known, and they are not good.

“Do You Dwell With God or With Satan?” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Either we live in the house or temple of God, as his household, or we live in the world’s house of bondage and slavery, ruled by Satan. We have been brought out of slavery and bondage by our master, Jesus Christ, to dwell in God’s house, but some leave God’s house and return to Satan’s house. The house of the world, built on sand, will fall, and its fall will be great. However, Christ’s house, built on the rock, will endure forever, and we will remain as pillars in the house of the Lord, never going out.