Update 745

On July 23, 2016, Robb Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Why Do We Resist God?,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “National Captivity is Near!”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at http://eternalgod.org/live-services/ (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

The referendum in the UK on whether to leave or remain in the European Union took place on June 23^rd.  The following day it was announced that the Brexit (Leave) campaign had won the day.   You might have been forgiven for thinking that that was that; the vote taken and the decision reached, but what followed was astonishing.

David Cameron, the Prime Minister, resigned, and five candidates put their names forward to replace him.   This was soon whittled down to two, with one of those two pulling out of a two horse race which would have been over a couple of months.   This left Theresa May as the leader of the Conservative Party and new Prime Minister.  Within a couple of days, Mr Cameron had left 10 Downing Street with Mrs May the new incumbent.   Reports on BBC news stated that one of Mr Cameron’s greatest achievements was the introduction of same-sex marriage and made great play on this aspect of his term in office.   In his last Prime Minister’s Question Time in the House of Commons, a comment was made that he should be congratulated on equalising “marriage” in the country.   Mr Cameron stated that 30,000 same-sex people had married since the introduction of this practice.   The God of the Bible states in His Word that such practices are an abomination, which is hardly a ringing endorsement of Mr Cameron’s so called “achievement”.

Nigel Farage resigned as leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), having achieved his long-held goal of helping to get the UK out of the EU, and other leading lights of the Brexit campaign also disappeared from the front line.

Meanwhile, the Labour party, which only 6 years ago was the party in government, became engulfed in their own civil war.   Their leader, Jeremy Corbyn, had a vote of “no confidence” in him, passed by 172 of his MP’s with only 40 supporting him.   There is now to be a leadership contest which may have serious repercussions on that party, whichever way the vote goes.

In addition, the seven-year enquiry findings into the Iraq war, conducted by Sir John Chilcot, was finally revealed.   “The Week” stated: “Crucially, the committee concluded (Tony) Blair had exaggerated the threat posed by Iraq – and in doing so, critics say, deliberately misled MPs into voting in favour of the invasion.”   There is, and has been for a long time, a groundswell of opinion which is highly unfavourable towards Mr Blair over the Iraq war.   This matter is unlikely to go away anytime soon.

All of the above happened in a 2½ week period!   It was lightning fast, and there is a lesson for all members of the Church of God in this.   For nearly 2,000 years, Christians have been looking forward to the return of Christ to this earth, but every date suggested so far has been wrong.   This can promote a mind set that we may still have quite a bit of time left, but indications now are that the time may be close to Christ’s return.   And things can happen quickly if it is God’s will.

We have seen an amazing series of events compressed into an 18-day period and the fall-out and repercussions will be seen and felt in the UK for some time to come; particularly, as the country removes itself from the EU – something that the Church of God had forecast many years ago and now it has come to pass.   In addition, it will probably not be the last time that momentous events can happen so quickly.   We may well have had a preview of things to come, and now is not the time for spiritual slumber.

Let us continually remember Luke 21:36: “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”   It may be much sooner than many people think!

We begin with the failed military coup in Turkey; its terrible consequences for the country under the dictatorship of President Erdogan; and the potential rift between Turkey and the USA. You might want to view our new StandingWatch program on this topic, titled, “Turkey in Chaos… What’s Next?”

We report on drastic measures in France, following another terrorist attack in Nice, France; a terror attack on passengers in a train in Germany; governmental pressure to punish ill-defined “hate speech” in Germany; and we address the potential of a space war with nuclear weapons.

We address Britain’s “nuclear deterrent program”; and a strongly worded article by Piers Morgan about the “Black Live Matters” movement.

We continue with UNESCO’s and European antagonism against Israel.

Turning to the USA, we speak on Newt Gingrich’s “proposal” as to how to deal with Muslims who believe in Sharia law; Donald Trump’s surprising and controversial pick of Governor Mike Pence as his running mate; as well as interesting developments at the Republican Convention, including alleged “plagiarism” by Mrs. Trump. During the convention, Donald Trump was officially nominated as the GOP’s Presidential Candidate.

We conclude with some shameful statistics from Germany, pertaining to pre- and extra-marital sexual conduct; and an article on the reconstruction of Noah’s Ark.

Dark Days for Turkey

The Guardian wrote on July 16:

“The attempted military coup in Turkey on Friday [leading to the deaths of 265 people with over 1,100 injured] sent shockwaves through the country and international community. Aimed at toppling Turkey’s strongman president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development party (AKP), the failed uprising threw a spotlight on a deeply divided country embroiled in war at home and abroad…

“Friday’s coup attempt was by far Turkey’s least effective. The military did not control the media and lacked sufficient support both within its ranks and on the streets… However, it should not have been surprising that a move to oust Erdoğan has occurred. In recent years, Erdoğan has alienated rivals and exacerbated Turkey’s instability for his personal gain. He has exploited ethnic and sectarian tensions, restarted a domestic war with the Kurds and sought to divide the population to garner greater constitutional powers. Erdogan’s dangerous games [have] brought levels of violence and instability not seen in Turkey for decades.

“As with many coups around the world, the aftermath will be bloody and repressive. It will be rule of the mob, rather than rule of law that will shape Turkish politics and society… Pro-government mobs have brutally attacked anyone they perceive as being anti-Erdoğan or anti-government. Darker days lie ahead for Turkey.”

Deutsche Welle stated on July 17 that  the “attempted coup in Turkey ‘will lead to a witch hunt’.”

The Telegraph wrote on July 16:

“Vengeful, irascible, authoritarian, obdurate…  Now that he has survived their machinations, his worst instincts will be redoubled and reinforced. If Mr Erdogan was a maddening ally for Europe and America in the past, the leader who has just overcome a military coup will be capable of almost anything…

“Even before he was pushed to the edge of a precipice, his minions had jailed scores of journalists and brought 1,800 criminal cases against people accused of ‘insulting the president’. Now that he has escaped a real putsch, Mr Erdogan will redouble his efforts to silence every critic. As Turkey ponders the aftermath of its surreal 24 hours, there is one bitter truth: hell hath no fury like an Erdogan who narrowly survives.”

It is clear that “Tyrant Erdogan” will seize on the opportunity to continue with his oppressive and brutal measures against anyone who questions his dictatorial ambitions.

Potential Rift Between USA and Turkey?

The Huffington Post wrote on July 16:

“Turkish officials have placed blame [for the coup] on members of the Gülen movement, a religious and social group that the government has accused in the past of endeavoring to establish a ‘parallel state’ inside of Turkey. This presents a potential rift between Ankara and Washington, as Fethullah Gülen, the Sunni cleric who heads the group, has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999.

“Erdogan, whose alliance with the Gülen movement ruptured in 2013, demanded on Saturday that Washington hand over the cleric. Additional comments from Turkish officials suggested that Gülen’s residence in the U.S. could pose a threat to relations between the two countries… Gülen strongly denied any role in the uprising against Erdogan’s government. ‘As someone who suffered under multiple military coups during the past five decades, it is especially insulting to be accused of having any link to such an attempt. I categorically deny such accusations,’ he said in a statement…

“Speaking to reporters in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Gülen suggested [and the media in Britain, Germany, Syria and other places have also speculated] the coup may have been staged, Reuters reported…

“Washington has rebuffed past calls from Ankara to turn over Gülen, citing a lack of evidence that he was guilty of wrongdoing. It’s likely that Erdogan’s government will now step up the effort to present evidence against the cleric, putting the U.S. in a difficult position with an ally that currently hosts U.S. troops operating the air war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Secretary of State John Kerry… invited the Turkish government to present evidence of Gülen’s involvement in the coup attempt that ‘withstands scrutiny.’…

“Turkey abolished the death penalty over a decade ago as a condition of ascension talks with the European Union, but [it is now] considering reinstating the policy…”

Deutsche Welle added on July 17 that “US Secretary of State John Kerry… angrily denied rumors within Turkey that the US had also played a part in the plot to overthrow the Turkish government.”

Suspicious Revelations and Developments in Turkey

The Daily Mail reported on July 18:

“EU commissioner Johannes Hahn has cast doubt on [the] speed to coup arrests… [The] EU official… suggests the government had a list of names prepared beforehand… [Hahn] explained: ‘It looks at least as if something has been prepared. The lists are available, which indicates it was prepared and to be used at a certain stage. ‘I’m very concerned. It is exactly what we feared.’”

Turkey’s “Purge” Continues

Deutsche Welle reported on July 18:

“The government has now detained or fired about 20,000 people in connection with last weekend’s botched coup. The army, police, judiciary and civil servants are among those continuing to be targeted.”

The New York Times wrote on July 18:

“The United States and the European Union stepped up pressure on Monday on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey to not use an attempted coup as an excuse for an authoritarian crackdown. Officials even suggested that Turkey’s continued membership in NATO and its aspirations of joining the European Union could be at stake…

“Germany said that Turkey would not be allowed to join the European Union if President Recep Tayyip Erdogan followed through on his call for capital punishment against those who attempted a coup against him.

“… the scale of the crackdown in the wake of the attempted coup in Turkey has rattled Western leaders. Alongside the members of the military, the Turkish government also dismissed thousands of judges, who seemingly played no role in the military revolt. ‘Obviously a lot of people have been arrested and arrested very quickly,’ Mr. Kerry said, appearing to echo allegations by some Europeans that the Turkish authorities had prepared lists of people for reprisals even before the coup…”

Reuters reported on July 19:

“Turkey vowed to root out allies of the U.S.-based cleric it blames for an abortive coup last week, widening a purge of the army, police and judiciary on Tuesday to universities and schools, the intelligence agency and religious authorities.

“Around 50,000 soldiers, police, judges, civil servants and teachers have been suspended or detained since the coup attempt, stirring tensions across the country of 80 million which borders Syria’s chaos and is a Western ally against Islamic State.”

Deutsche Welle stated on July 19:

“The Higher Education Board ordered all deans to resign as part of a crackdown following last weekend’s failed coup. Staff from the education ministry and the office of the prime minister were also told to leave. The order, made to all 1,577 university deans at state and private institutitions, was reported by Turkey’s state broacaster TRT, and followed the earlier sacking of 15,200 staff working for the National Education Ministry.”

The Telegraph wrote on July 19 that “Erdogan’s purge may give Nato no choice but to expel Turkey from the alliance.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 20:

“Turkish academics overseas have been told to return home by Turkey’s higher education board. It’s also banned academics from leaving Turkey, say state media. President Tayyip Erdogan is chairing top meetings in Ankara… Since Friday, some 29,000 government employees have been suspended, including more than 6,300 soldiers and 3,000 members of the judiciary.”

Turkey’s Reichstag Fire

The website of commondreams.org published the following article on July 17, 2016:

“With the crackdown on media, academic freedoms, random arrests, and the increasing violence in the southeast provinces, citizens in Turkey have been facing major limitations on their basic freedoms for the past few years. The attempted coup d’état of July 15 is like the last nail in the coffin…

“The damage that was inflicted on the parliament building in Ankara was huge. Many of its major halls and corridors are in ruins. The sight was reminiscent of the Reichstag fire in Germany that took place on February 27, 1933, about a month after Adolf Hitler became the Chancellor. The similarities are not limited to the visible damage of both parliament buildings. The Reichstag fire was also a last nail in the coffin of the possibility of basic freedoms as well as critical thinking in Germany. On the evening of the Reichstag fire, Chancellor Hitler was relaxing at a dinner party in Joseph Goebbels’ home. The fire was soon blamed on a demented Dutch Communist named Marinus van der Lubbe who had a record of crimes of arson. The reality behind the Reichstag fire was not even clarified during the Nuremberg trials. Still, there was a lot of evidence that pointed to the responsibility of the Nazis behind it. But what was important was not so much who set fire to the Reichstag but rather what came out of it.

“On the day following the Reichstag fire, juridical order was suspended by the Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of People and State (Verordnung des Reichspräsidenten zum Schutz von Volk und Staat). The decree involved the suspension of seven sections of the Constitution which guaranteed individual and civil liberties. The decree authorized the government to take complete control in the federal states and impose the death penalty for a number of crimes. In fact, Goering wanted to hang the arsonist on the spot right after his arrest…

“The Decree following the Reichstag Fire led to emergency measures that created a state of exception. It suspended the personal liberties listed in the Weimar Constitution, including the rights of personal freedom, freedom of opinion, freedom of the press, freedom of organization and assembly, and privacy of communication. The Decree was followed by the Enabling Act (23 March 1933) which enabled the cabinet to enact laws without the participation of the Reichstag. In sum, it led to the consolidation of the Nazi regime…”

What is happening in Turkey right now reminds us of the failed coup of German generals against Hitler in Nazi Germany. At that time, the coup could not succeed, as Hitler had not yet finished his evil deeds, in the light of biblical prophecy. Some of the developments in connection with the Turkish coup are strikingly similar to events regarding the coup against Hitler.

And Now… a “State of Emergency”

Deutsche Welle reported on July 20:

“Speaking in a televised address, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the three-month emergency measures, while saying the move did not represent any threat to the country’s democratic order… The state of emergency… allow[s] the president and cabinet to bypass parliament in passing new laws and limit or suspend rights and freedoms when deemed necessary…

“Since the failed coup, many protesters have taken to the streets in support of Erdogan and demanded the restoration of the death penalty. Erdogan said that if parliament approves capital punishment, he would back the move – 12 years after the death penalty was abolished in Turkey.”

Newsmax added on July 20:

“‘Europe does not have the right to criticize this decision,’ Erdogan [said], apparently anticipating expressions of concern from the European Union, which has become increasingly critical of Turkey’s rights record and has urged restraint as Ankara purges its state institutions since the abortive coup. Turkey is an EU candidate country, though it is not expected to join for many years if ever.”

The articles prove that Erdogan’s lust for unlimited power has no bounds, and show further striking similarities between his moves and those under Hitler.

The Bastille Day Massacre – Murderer

The Guardian wrote on July 18:

“The Bastille Day massacre in Nice was a ‘premeditated, prepared and planned’ attack, French prosecutors have said. Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel had grown a beard in the eight days before he carried out the attack and told friends ‘the significance of the beard is religious’, prosecutor François Molins told a press conference…

“Investigators had found no proof of any ‘allegiance or any direct link’ to Islamic State or other terrorist organisations, according to Molins. However, Lahouaiej-Boulel’s computer contained ‘very violent’ images from radical Islamic sites and links to jihadi websites, as well as articles about the Bastille Day fireworks display in Nice, the recent nightclub attack in Orlando, shootings in Dallas, the killing of two police officers in Paris suburb Magnanville, and research into Osama bin Laden and the Algerian terrorist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar.

“Molins said the attack could be defined ‘terrorism’ as described by French law… Molins confirmed that 84 people had been killed and 74 others remained in hospital. Twenty eight of these people are in intensive care, of whom 19 have life threatening injuries, he said… The attacker’s computer records showed a ‘sure and recent interest for radical jihadist movements’, Molins said, adding that Lahouaiej-Bouhlel had also consulted articles on fatal accidents including a report from Nice-Matin newspaper headlined: ‘Man drives his car into a restaurant terrace.’ ‘Investigators have established the premeditated nature of this act,’ Molins told journalists…

“Documents and images on Lahouaiej-Bouhlel’s phone showed he had visited the Promenade des Anglais on 12 July, two days before the attack, and taken several photographs including selfies… On 7 July, Lahouaiej-Bouhlel had researched the Qu’ran on his computer as well as religious songs. He picked up the lorry used to carry out the massacre on 8 July at 8.30am. He was due to return it on 11 July and left a guarantee cheque for €1,600. In the three days before the attack he went to the Promenade des Anglais several times…

“Three days of national mourning in France have been overshadowed by an intensifying debate about whether the government has done enough to respond to terrorism. On Saturday, Isis claimed responsibility for inspiring the attack, and said Lahouaiej-Bouhlel was one of its followers…”

In Wake of Terror Attack in Nice, France To Become an Armed Camp

AFP wrote on July 16:

“French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve on Saturday called on young citizens to become reservists and help boost security forces in the wake of the country’s latest terror attack. France’s ‘operational reservists’ include French citizens with or without military experience as well as former soldiers. ‘I want to call on all French patriots who wish to do so, to join this operational reserve,’ said Cazeneuve…

“The Islamic State group has said it was behind Thursday’s truck massacre in Nice which left 84 people dead and many more injured. It was the third major Islamist attack which France has suffered in the past 18 months. French President Francois Hollande said Friday that the new reservists would be called upon to boost the ranks of police and gendarmes… Volunteers must be between 17 and 30 years of age, have the right physical and moral aptitude and undergo military training.”

France has also re-established martial law for the country.

Islamist Attack in Germany

Daily Mail wrote on July 18:

“A teenage Afghan refugee shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ before hacking at passengers during an axe and knife rampage on a train in Germany. The 17-year-old was gunned down by armed police after fleeing from the scene near the city of Wurzburg, 70 miles north of Nuremberg in southern Germany. As many as 19 passengers needed hospital treatment while three victims are fighting for their lives after being attacked with ‘cutting and stabbing weapons’. Officials have said it was ‘probably’ an Islamist attack.

“… Authorities have said the attacker entered Germany as an unaccompanied child refugee.  Local media report that he had lived with a German foster family for two weeks having previously lived in a refugee camp… Germany had thus far escaped the kind of large-scale jihadist attacks seen in the southern French city of Nice last week, in which 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel used a truck to mow down people leaving a Bastille Day fireworks display, killing 84 people in an attack claimed by ISIS.

“In May, a mentally-unstable 27-year-old man carried out a similar knife attack on a regional train in the south, killing one person and injuring three others. Early reports suggested he had yelled ‘Allahu akbar’ but police later said there was no evidence pointing to a religious motive. He is being held in a psychiatric hospital.

“Germany let in a record nearly 1.1 million asylum seekers last year, with Syrians the largest group followed by Afghans fleeing ongoing turmoil and poverty in their country…

“Bavaria is governed by the Christian Social Union (CSU), sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats. The CSU has been loudly critical of Merkel’s welcoming stance toward asylum seekers, a split that threatened the unity of the ruling coalition in Berlin and sent the government’s approval ratings plunging.

“It has also lent support to a right-wing populist party, Alternative for Germany, which was founded as a eurosceptic protest party in 2013 but now mainly rails against Islam and Germany’s refugee influx. It currently polls at more than 10 percent and is represented in half of Germany’s 16 states as well as the European Parliament. The attack in Bavaria is likely to revive political tensions.”

Deutsche Welle added on July 19:

“Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said… ‘A hand-painted IS flag was found in his room’…  Later Tuesday, Aamaq, a news agency linked to the extremist group said IS claimed responsibility for the attack and that the 17-year-old was its ‘fighter.’ The claim was phrased in a similar way to the IS response to the Bastille Day truck attack which killed 84 people in Nice, France last week…

“In light of the recent mass-casualty terror attacks in neighboring France and Belgium, German society is on heightened alert…”

The Local wrote on July 19:

“On Tuesday morning the terror-group Isis claimed that the Afghan teenager was one of ‘their soldiers.’ It is the first time they have claimed an attack in Germany. A statement released through the group’s news agency claimed he had ‘executed the operation in response to calls to target nations in the coalition fighting the Islamic state.’ Later in the day Isis published a video on the internet which appears to show the attacker. The video shows teenager ‘Mohammed Riyadh’ – knife in hand – announcing in Pashto he would carry out an ‘operation’ in Germany, and presenting himself as a ‘soldier of the caliphate’.

“… In his room they found a homemade Isis flag and texts in Arabic and Latin scripts which suggested he had become radicalised while at home. Investigators said on Tuesday that he did not regularly attend mosque, but prayed often by himself at home… Several eye witnesses have now said that they heard the teen screaming ‘Allahu Akbar.’ There also appears to be a recording of an emergency call with him shouting these words in the background. Furthermore, police found a letter in the boy’s bedroom which they believe was a farewell note to his father. In it he wrote “pray for me that I seek revenge on the unbelievers and pray for me that I go to heaven.’”

In a related article the Local added:

“The Würzburg attack has reignited the debate whether Germany’s open policy towards refugees has put the country’s security at risk by allowing extremists into the country, and also whether there has been a failure in integration policy – the train attacker had lived in Germany for over a year.”

Hate Speech in Germany?

Breitbart wrote on July 19:

“In the latest attempt to crack down on what the German government defines as ‘hate speech’ Germany’s Justice Minister Heiko Maas has made it clear that he believes social media sites like Facebook are not doing enough to combat so-called ‘hate posts’.

“Mr. Maas has claimed that Facebook in particular is too slow at removing ‘offensive’ posts by its users who criticise migrants or who make ‘racist’ remarks. The Justice Minister has gone so far as to threaten Facebook and other social media platforms with further EU regulations if they do not take ‘stronger action’ against ‘hate speech’…

“The task force that the Justice Minister refers to was set up last year in order to combat ‘hate speech’, which can range from the promotion of Nazi ideology all the way to mere criticism of the German government’s migrant policy. Mr. Maas and the task force have been largely criticised after it was revealed that one of the organisations set up to help with the task force was headed by Anette Kahane, a former informant of the notorious east German domestic spy agency, the Stasi…

“The real world result of the task force has been large-scale raids of the homes of German citizens who have posted comments online. Just last week 60 residences were raided by the German Federal police for what were termed as ‘xenophobic remarks.’ In April of this year a similar raid occurred in which nine suspects were arrested. The spokesman of the police in that case said the suspects may have just been ‘people who just once expressed their hate-opinion’, but were still arrested.”

These are very disturbing developments.

Coming… An Atomic Arms Race in Space?

The Daily Beast wrote on July 14:

“The Russian military claims it’s making progress on a space plane similar to the U.S. Air Force’s secretive X-37B robotic mini-shuttle… But alone among space-plane developers, the Kremlin is proposing to arm its space plane. With nukes…

“To be clear, a nuclear-armed space plane would be dangerously destabilizing, as it would totally upset the current, tenuous balance of power between the United States and Russia. The Pentagon could respond to a Russian orbital nuke bomber by quickly deploying a space bomber of its own. In other words, an atomic arms race… in space—a development no one should welcome.

“Lt. Col. Aleksei Solodovnikov, a rocketry instructor at the Russian Strategic Missile Forces Academy in St. Petersburg who is overseeing the space plane’s development, said the orbital bomber would be flight-ready by 2020… ‘The idea is that the bomber will take off from a normal home airfield to patrol Russian airspace,’ Solodovnikov said, according to Sputnik, a government-owned news site. ‘Upon command, it will ascend into outer space, strike a target with nuclear warheads and then return to its home base.’

“Thanks to its orbital capability, the bomber would be able to nuke any target on Earth no longer than two hours after taking off, Solodovnikov claimed…”

Would Britain Press the Nuclear Button?

The Telegraph wrote on July 18:

“Theresa May has said she would be prepared to authorise a nuclear strike that would kill 100,000 people… She said it was ‘sad’ that the Green Party and some members of the Labour party seem to be the ‘first to defend the country’s enemies’…

“Jeremy Corbyn [a life-long pacifist] said he would not press the nuclear button, adding: ‘I do not believe the threat of mass murder is a legitimate way to go about international relations.'”

Britain’s TRIDENT Missile System Approved

The Sun wrote on July 18:

“Theresa May last night won her first victory as PM — as MPs gave the green light to renewing Britain’s nuclear deterrent for another 40 years. The House of Commons voted by 472 to 117 — a majority of 355 — to start work on extending the Trident missile system until the 2060s. The landmark decision means the £31billion project to replace the ageing Vanguard fleet with four new submarines will press ahead…

“Mrs May… shot down arguments thrown up by left-wing MPs that the threat of nuclear attack on the UK has diminished since the end of the Cold War. Russia is rebuilding its arsenal, and North Korea has enough nuclear material to produce a dozen nuclear weapons. She argued that the rogue state, run by despot Kim Jong-un, will soon have a missile with the capability of reaching the US.”

Theresa May Want More Time… But Will She Get It?

BBC News wrote on July 20:

“Theresa May…  held talks with Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel. Speaking in Berlin, the PM said securing a ‘sensible and orderly departure’ from the EU would take time. But she insisted the UK would not ‘walk away’ from Europe and wanted to retain the ‘closest economic links’.

“Mrs Merkel said the two sides desired to get the ‘best result for Britain’ but urged more clarity on timing… Mrs May said the UK was in no rush to trigger the two-year process of leaving the EU – telling reporters that although ‘this would not please everyone’ it was right to hold off until the UK’s ‘objectives were clear’…

“The process of preparing the UK for Brexit would require ‘serious and detailed work’ but, irrespective of this, she said the UK was determined to maintain strong trading, economic and security links with Germany, which she described as ‘a vital partner and special friend’.

“‘Of course, the nature of our relationship is going to change as the UK leaves the EU, but we both want to maintain the closest possible economic relationship between our countries and I believe that is what German and British businesses want too,’ she said. ‘So it’s good that we start from such a strong foundation and a position where both our countries believe in liberal markets and free trade and these should be the principles that guide us in the discussions ahead.’

“BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg… said it was clear that Germany would hold the ‘balance of power’ in the negotiations to come and although Mrs Merkel did want to make the UK’s departure work, the UK’s ‘leverage had really faded’ following the decision to leave…

“Downing Street announced the UK was to relinquish its upcoming six-month presidency of the Council of the EU. The UK had been scheduled to take up the presidency of the Council of the EU – which rotates on a six-monthly basis between the 28 EU countries, giving each the opportunity to shape the agenda – in the second half of 2017. But Mrs May has decided that Britain should skip its turn in the light of the Brexit vote in June’s referendum…”

The Bible says that even though Britain will seek Germany’s help and even though Germany might want to help Britain, in the end, these plans and endeavors will be unsuccessful.

Black Police Officer Was Murdered… But Where Is Outrage of “Black Lives Matter”?

On July 18, Daily Mail published the following editorial by Piers Morgan, former moderator of CNN:

“A black man named Montrell Jackson was executed in cold blood in America yesterday. A hooded assassin drove hundreds of miles to deliberately shoot him and two of his white co-workers dead in the street with an AR-15. It was a senseless, callous, horrific act of violence that left a wife without a husband and a baby 4-month old son without a father.

“Montrell was by all accounts a decent, generous and loving man. A ‘gentle giant’ who was ‘always about peace.’…

“Last week, after two black men of similar age were shot dead, there was national outrage. The black community rose as one to demand action against the perpetrators. There was fury in the streets from New York to Los Angeles. Men, women and children marching as one, baring placards screaming ‘Black Lives Matter!’ Beyoncé even stopped a concert to read out a rally-cry for justice for the men who had been killed.

“Yet for THIS black victim, there was a very different reaction from that same black community. Where are the protests? Where are the placards? Where’s the incendiary Beyoncé statement? Where’s the RAGE? Sadly for Montrell Jackson, he simply didn’t matter as much as those other two men to the Black Lives Matter movement. Why? Because he was a police officer. This, to many Black Lives Matter activists, made him the enemy…

“In an eloquent Facebook post he wrote on July 8, the day after five other police officers were shot dead in Dallas, Montrell spoke of the difficulties he faced as black law enforcer…  Today, just ten days later, Montrell Jackson is dead, targeted as he worked by another black man, a former Marine named Eugene Long from Kansas City who believed the only way to successfully protest was ‘through bloodshed’. Such was Long’s hatred of the police that he didn’t care that one of the men he was killing was black. So a black man full of hate and violence murdered another peace-loving black man because he wanted to exact revenge for the deaths of black men.

“This is how twisted the spirit of the Black Lives Matter movement has now become in the wrong minds and the wrong gun-toting hands…”

UNESCO Resolution to Declare Temple Mount Solely as a Muslim Site?

The Jerusalem Post wrote on July 14:

“Israel warned the European Union… that supporting a UNESCO resolution which views the Temple Mount as a solely Muslim site is akin to ignoring Europe’s Christian roots… ‘There is no Christianity without Judaism and there is no Jesus without a Jewish Jerusalem and the Temple Mount,’ [Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nachshon] said.

“… some of its member states – namely the United Kingdom, France and Germany – have opposed such a one-sided text… The countries on the committee are Angola, Azerbaijan, Burkina Faso, Croatia, Cuba, Finland, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Tunisia, Turkey, Tanzania, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. But the battle for and against the resolution has involved a much wider list of countries than exist on the committee.”

“EU: Israeli Occupation Is ‘Root’ Cause of Violence”

The EUObserver wrote on July 15:

“EU states, in an internal report drafted last year, have said the outbreak of Palestinian knife and car-ramming attacks against Israelis in Jerusalem is due, in large part, to Israel’s occupation. They said the attacks began after right-wing Israeli politicians and religious groups began to question the status quo on Arab rights at the Temple Mount complex in the Old City.”

The EU is uniting more and more in their stance against Israel…. which is to be expected in the light of biblical prophecy.

Deport all Muslims Who Believe in Sharia Law?

Business Insider wrote on July 14:

“Newt Gingrich said Thursday night in the aftermath of the deadly truck attack in France [when at least 80 were killed and more than 100 more were wounded in Nice when a man drove a truck through revelers celebrating Bastille Day] that the US should issue a religious test to Muslims and deport those who are found to believe in Shariah, or Islamic law…

“‘Western civilization is in a war,’ Gingrich said. ‘We should frankly test every person here who is of a Muslim background, and if they believe in Shariah, they should be deported. Shariah is incompatible with Western civilization. Modern Muslims who have given up Shariah, glad to have them as citizens… Anybody who goes on a website favoring ISIS, or Al Qaeda, or other terrorist groups, that should be a felony, and they should go to jail. Any organization which hosts such a website should be engaged in a felony. It should be closed down immediately’…”

Newt Gingrich was strongly criticized for his statements as being unconstitutional, and he responded that his statements had been grossly misunderstood.

Donald Trump Picks Mike Pence as Running Mate

JTA wrote on July 15:

“Donald Trump picked Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, a pro-Israel stalwart and conservative Christian, as his running mate…

“Pence, 57, emerged quickly as a leader on pro-Israel issues during his 12 years in Congress from 2001 to 2013… He led a number of bids to place conditions on funding for the Palestinian Authority… Pence has continued his pro-Israel advocacy as Indiana governor, earlier this year signing one of the most robust state laws targeting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.

“Pence is known as a social conservative and Evangelical Christian. [He called himself a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, “in that order.”] He opposes abortion rights as well as gay marriage… In 2015, he signed a bill that would have allowed businesses to refuse service to customers based on their sexual orientation. Following protest, he signed a revised version of the law that prohibited such discrimination… Pence faced pointed questioning… about [that] law… allowing businesses to discriminate against LGBT people… [It was pointed out to him that the law] could undermine the GOP’s efforts at attracting women and minorities… Pence was apologetic. The law went too far he acknowledged, and it was revised.”

The choice of career politician Gov. Mike Pence as Mr. Trump’s running mate is a surprisingly odd one. Mr. Pence originally endorsed Ted Cruz, rejected Donald Trump’s policy on trade (endorsing instead NAFTA and the Trans Pacific Partnership, both of which Trump aggressively opposes); and he strongly condemned Trump’s statements regarding a temporary ban for Muslims entering the USA (calling the idea “offensive and unconstitutional.”). He had also supported the Iraq war, which Trump had opposed.

It has been reported that Mr. Trump was “pressured” into naming Mr. Pence as his running mate, apparently in order to solidify the Republican Party, but that he had been considering and re-considering the appointment of Mr. Pence as late as Thursday night. [The Trump campaign vehemently denied these reports, even though Mr. Trump declared on Thursday afternoon to Fox News that he had not made a “final final” decision. This statement was later “explained” that he was trying to keep the public in suspense. But also note the next articles.] According to the Huffington Post, dated July 16, “He was first piqued that the news leaked before he’d gotten around to telling the runners-up, Newt Gingrich and Chris Christie, about his choice. He then had second thoughts, postponed the announcement and spent Thursday night trying to find a way to back out of his choice, according to multiple news reports [including CNN] and the source close to Trump.

Plagiarism in Mrs. Trump’s Speech?

The New York Times wrote on July 19:

“Melania Trump earned praise for her speech on Monday at the opening night of the Republican National Convention, but her remarks almost immediately came under scrutiny when striking similarities were discovered between her speech and one delivered by Michelle Obama at the Democratic convention in 2008… Here are the relevant passages.

“Ms. Trump, Monday night: ‘From a young age, my parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise, that you treat people with respect… And we need to pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow. Because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.’…

“Mrs. Obama, in her 2008 speech: ‘Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you’re going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don’t know them, and even if you don’t agree with them. And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and pass them on to the next generation. Because we want our children — and all children in this nation — to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them…’

“Accusations of plagiarism are not unheard-of in political speeches, although the consequences have varied.

“In 2008, Mrs. Clinton criticized Mr. Obama for appearing to lift a passage from Deval Patrick, then the governor of Massachusetts, in a speech about how words matter. Mr. Obama, then a senator, said that he could have credited Mr. Patrick but that he did not consider it a case of plagiarism.

“When Mr. Biden was running for president in the 1980s, he faced questions about plagiarizing speeches from Robert F. Kennedy, Hubert H. Humphrey and Neil Kinnock, a British Labor Party leader. Mr. Biden said at the time that it was ‘ludicrous’ to expect a politician to attribute everything he said.”

Newsmax wrote on July 19:

“Talk of [Mrs. Trump’s] speech dominated the morning talk shows, particularly on MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe,’ where a video clip played a side-by-side comparison of the two women’s speeches, and show host Joe Scarborough reported later in the morning that [campaign’s chief strategist, Paul] Manafort was blaming Trump’s spouse for the speech.  ‘Donald Trump pushed her into doing this speech, saying it was very important to do,’ said Scarborough. ‘Katy Tur is reporting this morning that Melania Trump has become disillusioned with the campaign and did not show up with the [Indiana Gov.] Mike Pence selection because she felt like the children had put too much pressure on her husband to select a vice presidential candidate that he was not comfortable with.’…

“‘We have three different reporters that have come back saying that Manafort is claiming, or those close to Manafort, are claiming that Melania Trump is the one that added Michelle Obama’s words to the speech,’ said Scarborough. ‘You don’t have to have a master’s degree in political science to know that that stuff is not going to fly.’”

It was reported that both Mr. and Mrs. Trump were furious about the affair and the mishandling of the matter by campaign officials and speech writers. On the second day of the convention, Donald Trump won the official presidential nomination of the Republican Party.

A Staff Writer Did It?

On July 20, Newsmax reported:

“A writer in GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s organization admitted Wednesday she made a ‘mistake’ in using Michelle Obama’s words in the speech she prepared for Melania Trump to deliver at the Republican National Convention… [She] said in a statement that she was responsible for including passages from a speech Obama delivered at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

“McKiver said Melania Trump read her some of Obama’s lines over the phone as inspiration during the writing process. ‘I wrote them down and later included some of the phrasing in the draft that ultimately became the final speech,’ McIver wrote, The Miami Herald reports. ‘I did not check Mrs. Obama’s speeches. This was my mistake, and I feel terrible for the chaos I have caused Melania and the Trumps, as well as to Mrs. Obama. No harm was meant.’

“McIver said she offered her resignation Tuesday, but Trump rejected it.”

Outrageous LA Times Article… Military Coup against Trump?

Breitbart wrote on July 20:

“Jamie Kirchick, writing in the Los Angeles Times, asks readers to imagine a military coup against a future President Donald Trump — and argues why one would be necessary. Kirchick cites the example of the recent failed coup in Turkey as a source of inspiration: ‘Americans viewing the recent failed coup attempt in Turkey as some exotic foreign news story — the latest, violent yet hardly unusual political development to occur in a region constantly beset by turmoil — should pause to consider that the prospect of similar instability would not be unfathomable in this country if Donald Trump were to win the presidency.’

“Kirchick goes on to argue that Trump is a nascent authoritarian, whose illegal military orders — such as torturing terrorists — the military would be required to ignore, and then resist by force. Curiously, Kirchick cannot fathom Hillary Clinton doing anything illegal with the military (despite her mis-handling of classified national security information, or her evident pride in the Libya war, which Congress never approved): ‘Needless to say, such dystopian situations are unimaginable under a President Hillary Clinton, who, whatever her faults, would never contemplate ordering a bombing run or — heaven forbid — a nuclear strike on a country just because its leader slighted her small hands at a summit.’

“Kirchick concludes that unless voters stop Trump from becoming president, a violent coup may be the only solution: ‘Trump is not only patently unfit to be president, but a danger to America and the world. Voters must stop him before the military has to.’”

Shameful Statistics from Germany

The Local wrote on July 15:

“One in three babies in Germany are born to parents who haven’t tied the knot… The report by the Cologne Institute for Economic Research this week showed that 35 percent of babies born in Germany in 2014 came into the world with unmarried parents. And the study also revealed that there was great contrast between former East and West Germany…

“The more religious and wealthy West saw 29 percent of new little bundles of joy born to unwed parents, compared to nearly 60 percent in the former states of socialist East Germany, where church members were often regarded with suspicion by communists during the Cold War.

“In the country’s capital, located in the East, more than half of baby Berliners were born out of wedlock, while some areas of surrounding Brandenburg were closer to 70 percent. In the southern German states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, which are predominantly Catholic, babies were comparatively more often born to married parents…

“And roughly 40 percent of marriages in 1990 have since ended in divorce.”

Living together and having sexual relationships without being married is a sin.

Noah’s Ark and Much Confusion

NBC News reported on July 16:

“Days after white doves and shofar horns christened the opening of a new Noah’s Ark attraction in northern Kentucky, the land-anchored ship welcomed a conspicuous and curious visitor: Bill Nye ‘the Science Guy.’

“The bow-tied man of science — openly skeptical about the exhibit from the time it was announced — was an invited guest at the Ark Encounter, which opened July 7 and is billed as the largest timber-frame structure in the world, at 51 feet tall and 1-1/2 football fields in length. What he found, he told NBC News, was an eye-catching attraction that was ‘much more troubling or disturbing than I thought it would be. On the third deck (of the ark), every single science exhibit is absolutely wrong,’ he said…

“The project’s creator, Ken Ham, hopes it will attract fundamentalist Christians, some of whom are already visiting its nearby sister site, the Creation Museum, built in 2007. Ham and Nye have been jousting partners since 2014, when they sparred in a debate over creationism versus evolution that was broadcast online from the Creation Museum and racked up millions of views on YouTube…

“Ham, who was born in Australia and founded the Answers in Genesis ministry, believes the Bible and its Book of Genesis is literal historical fact — which means the Earth would be only about 6,000 years as opposed to the roughly 4.5 billion years estimated by scientists. As represented in the Ark exhibit, dinosaurs co-existed with humans. That’s also a big departure from the science of evolution, which says they became extinct some 65 million years ago — long before mankind emerged.

“Noah’s story, as told in Genesis, says he built an ark at God’s request in anticipation of a Great Flood. The patriarch packed up his family and corralled two of every kind of animal in the world to live on the ship — and for that, God spared him and those creatures. To Nye, that’s hogwash, although some scholars are open to the idea that a historic flood of Biblical proportions could have happened and inspired the Noah tale. Scientists, however, say there’s no evidence to suggest an epic, worldwide flood occurred within the past 6,000 years.

“Nye takes particular exception to the dinosaurs on the ark — re-created in cages among rows of other odd-looking animal replicas… Nye said the exhibit encourages visitors to trust faith over science and thereby undercuts their ability to engage in critical thinking. ‘It’s all very troubling. You have hundreds of school kids there who have already been indoctrinated and who have been brainwashed,’ he said…”

It is amazing how wrong both sides are. For a correct understanding about the creation of the world, the Flood and Noah’s Ark, please read our free booklets, “The Theory of Evolution—a Fairy Tale for Adults?” and “Heavens and Earth… Before and After the First Man.”

Is it physically possible to experience the Holy Spirit? If so, how does this affect us in our daily lives?

Let us start this Q&A with John 3:5-7. Here, Christ is laying out in detail how people actually receive the Holy Spirit. He shows that the Holy Spirit will be given to us by becoming baptized and through the laying on of hands by the ministry and prayer (Please read our free booklet, “Baptism – A Requirement for Salvation.”). In verse 8, Christ shows that the Holy Spirit is not a Personage or a Person, but rather the power of God the Father and of the glorified Christ. He compares it with a mighty powerful wind which can be heard and felt. The conclusion is that the Holy Spirit is the very power of God and of Christ. We do not become Spirit beings at the moment of our baptism. We still bleed, we are still visible and we still make wrong choices and sin. We are still human at this point. But we now have the power of God in us helping us to make right decisions; helping us to become more like the Father and Christ. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:13-14 that we can understand godly truth, because the power of God’s Spirit helps us to open our minds to the truth.

We frequently read that we are to be growing in the knowledge of Christ and the Father (compare 2 Peter 3:17-18). In verse 17 we find the warning not to fall away because of lawlessness, but rather, to continue using and receiving the knowledge and power from God.

Christ is our perfect example. In all things He relied upon and leaned on the Father. He never said or did anything that wasn’t perfect and righteous. He was able to do this because God’s Holy Spirit flowed without limit from the Father into Him. Christ was constantly in contact with God. This constant contact is also necessary for us, in order to have a close relationship with God and to experience the power of His Spirit in our lives. So, can we feel the Holy Spirit in a physical way?

In Luke 6:19, we find that people were healed when they touched Christ. The power of the Father’s Holy Spirit was emanating from Him. In Matthew 9:20-24 and in Luke 8:42-48, we read that Christ very physically felt power leaving His body, so much so that He asked who had touched Him. Christ brought people back from the dead and He healed sick people, but it was not Christ who performed these types of miracles. It was God the Father, who, through the power of His Spirit, did those miracles through Christ. In Acts 5:15, God used Peter’s shadow to heal people from their illnesses. God would not have done this if Peter would not have had a very close relationship with Him. The amount of closeness to God needed to achieve these things is something that many people do not have. It must be our goal to stay closely in tune with God.

When Saul became king of Israel, he was given God’s Holy Spirit. In 1 Samuel 10:6-13 we find that Samuel told Saul that when the Spirit of God would come upon him, he would be turned into another man—a different type of man; one that would be able to be in close contact with God. This may have been how Saul started out, but once he rebelled against God, he lost his relationship with God. Saul started to be plagued by a demon, and his “old man” ruled his life again. If we contrast Saul’s life with the life of David, we see a complete difference. When Saul fell into a rage, the only thing that could soothe him was David’s playing on the harp. We know that David wrote many psalms in worship of God, and he loved playing music. This very physical habit was a strong cornerstone in David’s life, and he used it to help himself and others, and many of his psalms endure to this day as the hymns which we sing each Sabbath in worship services. David was given the Holy Spirit as well, and, for the most part, he used it to grow.

As David grew, we too should be growing. Jeremiah 2:13 states: “They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters.” These living waters should be flowing through us. They should flow into us and out of us. These living waters are not static at all. John 7:38 clearly points out that living waters are symbolic for the Holy Spirit, and that we receive this stream of the Holy Spirit, if we believe in God the Father and in Jesus Christ. Those who have been called today to the truth and who are responding to the calling are those who understand that they need God. They are going out of their way to constantly seek Him, to try to be close to Him. They are thirsty; they are realizing that there is more to this life than physical things. They understand what God is telling them in Isaiah 55:1: “… Come to the waters.” They are continually seeking out this source of true water.

In many Scriptures God points out that if He calls us in this day and age and if we are willing to draw close to Him, He will pour out His Holy Spirit into us to provide us with the strength and courage that we need to overcome and make it as God beings into His Family.

In Joel 2:28-29, a promise is made that God’s Holy Spirit will be poured out, especially during the time of the end. As we continue on in verses 31-32, the beginning of the great and terrible Day of the LORD is described, but we also see that there are those who will be “called” and who will escape that time. In his first address to those gathered on the day of Pentecost, Peter was inspired to quote this very Scripture. Quoting from our free booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days”: “… consider, also, what Peter was inspired to say by way of explanation. He quoted from the prophet Joel (compare Acts 2:17–21; Joel 2:28–32). Note, in particular, the broadly inclusive statement found in Acts 2:21: ‘And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.’ As we continue to read this account in Acts 2, Peter preaches about repentance, baptism and the promise of God’s Holy Spirit. Verse 39 again opens up the scope of the opportunity that God is presenting: ‘For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’”

Titus 3:4-9 shows Christ’s utmost care and concern for us. Even though we had lived in sin, Christ’s righteous deeds, death and resurrection have given us the opportunity to obtain mercy—to be washed and transformed through the Holy Spirit. In verse 6 Paul says that God will pour out His Spirit on us ABUNDANTLY. We are explicitly told in verse 8 that those who believe these things will take care to devote themselves to good deeds. In Ephesians 1:2, Paul describes how God and Christ are active in giving us both grace and peace. Without grace (including forgiveness and other gifts from God), we could never have peace in our lives. Godly peace is a product of having God’s Holy Spirit living and working in and through us.

When God gave Jesus Christ extra powers at the time of His baptism through John, the Holy Spirit manifested itself “as a dove.” When God poured out the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, a very physical thing happened, as described in Acts 2:1-12, 33. Those in attendance witnessed God’s very real presence through the power of the Holy Spirit, first as a mighty rushing wind, then as divided tongues of fire upon each person, and then the ability to speak in different languages and to understand them as well. These were very physical manifestations. A unique balance to this was when God spoke to Elijah at Horeb. We read in 1 Kings 19:9-14 about the physical manifestations of God’s power to Elijah when he was feeling scared. These stories show how God can manifest His power and they show how He chooses to do so at times. God’s deeds are always calculated and have purpose. In every case, they gave the people who witnessed these miracles the strength and courage to continue on.

Let us also consider the many miracles Christ performed that are recorded in the Bible and the countless others which were not recorded. We should also reflect on the early apostles and how they were casting out demons, left unhurt by poisonous things and snakes, and Peter’s momentary ability to walk on water. In John 14:11-13, Christ makes the most powerful statement that greater works than these will be done by us because of our belief in and obedience to Christ. The works that Christ performed were never for self-glorification; but rather, to help others physically and spiritually; to believe and to help spread the Word of God; to proclaim the good news of the gospel and what it represents. John 5:20 echoes this.

In Romans 14:17, we are told the importance of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. In Galatians 5:22-23, we are introduced to the fruit of the Spirit. In all of these applications, the power is not physical, but it has a very physical outward manifestation of our attitudes—how we treat others and how close we are to God.

While we may not physically feel the Holy Spirit, we can see the physical and spiritual effects of it’s power working through us. As we continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, we can continue to use this power in greater ways as God allows and directs. Remember, Christ said that everything He did was what the Father wanted. This must be our approach as well. God wants us to become God beings. We are learning now how to use His power in small ways so that we can one day, as immortal members of the God Family, use the full and unrestricted might of God’s power. Keeping God’s laws and commandments demonstrates the physical and outward manifestation of God’s power and His Holy Spirit flowing through us. God has called us and He indeed has a plan for us. We must be willing to trust in that plan, trust in Him, and continue in faith work towards that end.

Lead Writer: Kalon Mitchell

A new StandingWatch intro has been added, and a similar intro has also been added to the German language AufPostenStehen program. Michael Link, along with input from our Tech Team, developed this dynamic presentation as a part of our efforts to further the Gospel message in ever more effective ways.

Norbert and Johanna Link, accompanied by Margaret Adair along with Michael, Noelle and Mason Link, will visit the Colorado brethren for Sabbath services on July 30, 2016. The following Sabbath, they will visit the Oregon brethren.

The July 2016 Member Letter, written by Michael Link, has been mailed. It is available at our website: www.eternalgod.org

“Turkey in Chaos… What’s Next?,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Tayyip Erdogan uses the failed coup in Turkey as “justification” for a witch hunt of frightening proportions against anyone critical of his methods. Some feel that Erdogan staged the coup himself. Others state that “hell hath no fury like an Erdogan who narrowly survives.” The Telegraph writes that “Erdogan’s purge may give NATO no choice but to expel Turkey from the alliance.” Will this happen? Will Turkey ever become a member of the EU? Similarities to the Reichstag fire in Nazi Germany in 1933 and the bloody aftermath are compelling. What does the Bible tell us about Turkey’s future? Our free booklet, “Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy,” gives the answer.

“Erdogans Hexenjagd in der Türkei,” this week’s AufPostenStehen program, covers the same topic as above in German.

“Gewalt im Sport, Teil 1,” is the title of the German sermon for this coming Sabbath. Title in English: “Violence in Sports, Part 1”

“Where is God?,” the sermonette presented by Kalon Mitchell last Sabbath, is now posted. Here is a summary:

As we continue to see disastrous and saddening events unfolding in our Nation and around the world, have we ever had the thoughts “Where is God”, “Why is He letting these things happen”. Many don’t believe in God, and yet still wonder why these tragedies and worldwide issues are happening. Even those who believe in God have trouble understanding and explaining just how and why these issues plague all of mankind today. The Bible clearly explains why there are so many problems and it prescribes that it will continue to get much worse before it can get better. We need to understand where God is and why He refuses to step in and help man today.

“A Holy People,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

What is a saint? Do saints live in heaven? Should we pray to saints for help? Or does the Bible tell us something else? Are you a saint? Do you belong to a holy people? Are you a citizen of a holy nation? If so, what are your responsibilities and privileges?