Update 906

On, January 4, 2020, Robb Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “Prepared for Evil,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “The Bad News and the Good News.”

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.

“I should have done that yesterday,” is a lament we probably have all made at one time or another. Sometimes, however, unattended responsibilities may prove embarrassing or even very costly.

There is always that moment when we are confronted with a choice to take action or to put it off until a later time. While there can be valid reasons for both approaches, eventual results will be the judge. If we are able to set clear priorities, our responses to life’s challenges will prove to be much more successful. Deciding what to do and when to do it can help us achieve our goals—both small and great.

There is absolutely no greater goal for us than entry into the Kingdom of God, and if God has called us now, that must be our number one priority! Jesus Christ gives this serious warning when He says, “‘There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and yourselves thrust out’” (Luke 13:28).

What could possibly cause people to be kept out of God’s Kingdom? The earlier verses in Luke 13 reveal that Christ did not know the people who thought they knew Him. As verse 27 shows, these people did not repent of their disobedience to God. They quite evidently knew better but didn’t take their opportunity seriously. They didn’t act when given the chance, as James writes, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

Responding to God’s calling is more than just having an initial interest and beginning to obey God to an extent, but then never getting around to following through completely. This is, in effect, rejecting God, depending on how much one understood the Truth, and the Apostle Peter warns: “For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them” (2 Peter 2:21).

Now is the time for us to make our “call and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10). This admonition is both instruction to Christians and a warning. Being called by God and understanding the Truth at this time is our opportunity to enter the Kingdom of God and to be among the “firstfruits” of salvation.

God has chosen to call us NOW—“how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation” (Hebrews 2:3).

by Norbert Link

We begin with reporting on alarming developments about and pertaining to authoritarian Russia under ex-KGB spy Vladimir Putin (please view our new StandingWatch program, “Putin—the Overlooked Threat to World Peace”); speak on the turmoil in Iraq which might become one of President Trump’s biggest foreign policy crises; address record-high mass shootings in the USA; and warn of the distinct possibility of an economic crash in 2020.

We speak on the question as to whether the alleged whistleblower leading to the impeachment circus was even a real whistleblower; point out substantial disagreements between older and younger Evangelicals in the USA; and report about the hypocritical conduct of left-wing anti-Semitics in the USA and elsewhere.

We speak on the strange worldview of many Germans; Germany’s record-high arms exports; the EU’s military plans for 2020; a possible comeback of Italy’s right-wing former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini; and the risky experiment of Austria’s conservative former chancellor Sebastian Kurz to form a government with the left-liberal Green Party.

We address the possible future of the UK after Brexit; Jordan’s lies about Israel and its two temples; the pagan origin of New Year’s Day on January 1; and the terrible and tragic wildfires in Australia; and we conclude with Canada’s plans to criminalize so-called “conversion of homosexuals” therapies which, if they become law, could mean that Christians will be punished and incarcerated in Canada for “just being Christians.”

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

Putin’s Lies about Poland

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 30:

“Germany and Russia colluded to invade Poland, US envoy to Warsaw Georgette Mosbacher said in a tweet. Her comments follow claims by Russia’s Vladimir Putin that Poland was on board with Hitler’s plans [and] that Poland was responsible for the start of the war. ‘Dear President Putin, Hitler and Stalin colluded to start WWII. That is a fact. Poland was a victim of this horrible conflict,’ Mosbacher wrote.

“German ambassador echoed Mosbacher’s statement… ‘The Molotov-Robbentrop Pact served to prepare Nazi Germany’s criminal military attack against Poland,’ Ambassador Rolf Nikel said in a Polish-language post. ‘The Soviet Union, together with Germany, took part in the brutal partitioning of Poland.‘…

“Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Sunday condemned Putin’s comments as well… World War II began in 1939 when Poland was invaded by Nazi Germany, followed by Soviet Russia two weeks later. Around 6 million Polish citizens were killed during the war.”

Putin’s attempts to whitewash Russia of its horrible crimes—past and present—are pathetic… and show a very dangerous mindset.

Putin’s Frightening Hypersonic Weapons

The Associated Press wrote on December 27:

“A new intercontinental weapon [the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle] that can fly 27 times the speed of sound became operational Friday, Russia’s defense minister reported to President Vladimir Putin, bolstering the country’s nuclear strike capability… The Avangard is launched atop an intercontinental ballistic missile, but unlike a regular missile warhead that follows a predictable path after separation it can make sharp maneuvers in the atmosphere en route to target, making it much harder to intercept… It carries a nuclear weapon of up to 2 megatons…

“China has tested its own hypersonic glide vehicle, believed to be capable of traveling at least five times the speed of sound…

“The Pentagon also has been working on the development of hypersonic weapons in recent years, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in August that he believes ‘it’s probably a matter of a couple of years’ before the U.S. has one…”

Putin, not unlike Stalin, is preparing for an outright war… but this time with highly sophisticated nuclear weapons. While no such war is going to take place between Russia and the USA, a nuclear war will break out between Europe, which will be alarmed by rumors from the Far East, and Russia and its allies, including China.

Russia and UN to Restrict Internet

AFP wrote on December 28:

“The United Nations on Friday approved a Russian-led bid that aims to create a new convention on cybercrime, alarming rights groups and Western powers that fear a bid to restrict online freedom… The United States, European powers and rights groups fear that the language is code for legitimizing crackdowns on expression, with numerous countries defining criticism of the government as ‘criminal.’ China heavily restricts internet searches to avoid topics sensitive to its communist leadership, as well as news sites with critical coverage.

“A number of countries have increasingly tried to turn off the internet, with India cutting off access in Kashmir in August after it stripped autonomy to the Muslim-majority region and Iran taking much of the country offline as it cracked down on protests in November… Human Rights Watch called the UN resolution’s list of sponsors ‘a rogue’s gallery of some of the earth’s most repressive governments.’”

While Russia is again involved in trying to suppress the freedom of the press, the hypocritical UN has proven to be an organization that supports and sponsors totalitarian governments.

Religious Persecution in China

 MSN wrote on January 2:

 “On Monday, [Christian Pastor] Wang was sentenced to nine years in prison for ‘inciting subversion of state power’ and ‘illegal business activities’ following closed-door proceedings. The pastor… will also be ‘stripped of political rights’ for three years and have approximately $7,200 of his assets seized, according to a government statement.

“Wang is a well-known Christian leader and was invited to the White House in 2006 by George W. Bush to discuss religious freedom in China. The U.S. was quick to denounce the prison sentence this week… Another leader at the church [Qin Defu] was sentenced to four years in prison for ‘illegal business operations’ in November…

“It’s not just Christians facing persecution in China… In far northwestern Xinjiang, more than a million Muslim-majority Uighurs and other ethnic minorities have been detained… and evidence of large-scale destruction mosques has been reported. In Tibet… some citizens… have been ordered to replace altars to religious figures like the exiled Dalai Lama with shrines to Xi.

“[One scholar said:] ‘Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party regard the Christian church as the number one enemy.’”

Iraq… “America’s Worst Mistake” Back in the News

Axios wrote on December 31:

“The storming of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad has launched one of the biggest foreign policy crises of the Trump presidency. Trump tweeted on Tuesday afternoon, ‘Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. Happy New Year!’

“Outside the embassy, ‘thousands of protesters and militia fighters [were] chanting “Death to America,” throwing rocks, covering the walls with graffiti and demanding that the United States withdraw’ from Iraq, the N.Y. Times reports. ‘[M]any were members of Kataib Hezbollah,’ which is backed by Iran.

“120 Marines were rushed to Baghdad today, the most since ISIS was at its peak… President Trump may feel compelled to do something… On the other hand, Trump has, until his recent retaliatory air strikes, been reluctant to fight a proxy war against Iran inside Iraq. When Iran shot down a U.S. drone earlier this year, Trump was prepared to strike several Iranian targets, but at the last minute his more dovish instincts kicked in. It was only when Iranian proxies killed a U.S. contractor recently that Trump felt he had no choice but to strike back…

“Iranian militias are well positioned to attack the roughly 5,000 U.S. military personnel still inside Iraq. The Iraqi security forces have shown themselves to be incompetent and cannot be relied upon to protect American troops in Iraq…

“If Trump strikes back hard against Iran, he may get a new Middle East war he never wanted. If he does nothing, he may show… weakness he has long derided… But there’s another possibility that cannot be entirely dismissed… what if Trump made a flip decision and totally withdrew American forces from Iraq?… Trump has long wanted out of Iraq and believes the American presence in Iraq is an unmitigated disaster that was the worst mistake in U.S. history…”

The Daily Mail wrote on January 2:

 “Iran-backed militiamen withdrew from the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Wednesday after two days of clashes with American security forces, but U.S.-Iran tensions remain high and could spill over into further violence… It ended a two-day crisis marked by the breach of the largest and one of the most heavily fortified U.S. diplomatic missions in the world. The attack prompted President Donald Trump and the Pentagon to send hundreds of Marines to the Middle East… The attack on the embassy also prompted U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to delay a European and Central Asian trip…”

The further development of this dangerous crisis will be interesting to watch. Ultimately, the USA will withdraw completely, and the ensuing power vacuum will be filled. Players who are not suspected by many, will finally step in to do just that.

Record Number of Mass Killings in USA in 2019

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 29:

“This year witnessed the highest number of mass killings in the United States in recent history. The lives of 211 people were lost in 41 mass killings, defined as when four or more people are killed, excluding the perpetrator. Of those, 33 involved firearms.

“The findings reveal that there were more mass killings in 2019 than any year going back to at least the 1970s. The second-highest number of mass slayings in a year was 38 in 2006. But the total of 211 people killed this year is surpassed by the 224 victims in 2017, when the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history took place in Las Vegas, where 58 people were killed.”

The Bible talks again and again about our violent, murderous and bloody cities in these end times.

Crash in 2020?

CNN wrote about December 29:

“Analysts at Vanguard say there’s a good chance the crash could come as early as 2020. It’s been a bumper year for financial markets. But as a new decade moves swiftly into view, analysts are becoming understandably nervous about a potential stock market crash…

“According to Guggenheim Partners’ Chief Investment Officer Scott Minerd, the end of this glorious bull market is getting dangerously close…  Minerd isn’t the only one sounding alarm bells. Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Shiller also warned that there were ‘bubbles everywhere’… Joe Davis, head of investment strategy at Vanguard, says he sees a 50% chance of a market crash in 2020.”

Reuters wrote on December 27:

“The current economic cycle is already the longest in U.S. history and a recession looks inevitable in the new decade — which also will mark 100 years since the Wall Street crash of 1929… ‘Central banks have effectively invited governments to experiment with more unconventional policies,’ Deutsche Bank said. However, those policies may pile up even more global debt, already at record highs…”

Newsmax wrote on December 27:

“Banks around the world are [revealing] the biggest round of job cuts in four years as they slash costs to weather a slowing economy…This year, more than 50 lenders have announced plans to cut a combined 77,780 jobs, the most since 91,448 in 2015… Banks in Europe, which face the added burden of negative interest rates for years to come, account for almost 82% of the total.

“The 2019 cuts bring the total for the last six years to more than 425,000. In fact, the actual amount is probably higher because many banks eliminate staff without disclosing their plans… This year’s figures also underscore the weakness of European banks…

“Deutsche Bank [Germany’s biggest lender] is planning to get rid of 18,000 employees through 2022… [Germany] is the most fragmented major banking market in Europe and among the most exposed to negative interest rates…”

“Seeking Alpha” wrote on December 27, 2019, that the USA has already been in a recession for 6 months. The EU has been since July, Germany for 18 months and the UK for two years. Please watch our newest program on Comments on News and Prophecy, titled, “Economic Crash in 2020?”

Not a Real Whistleblower?

Breitbart wrote on December 27:

“President Trump on Thursday retweeted a Trump campaign tweet that contained a link to an article that named the alleged Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) ‘whistleblower,’ whose complaint catalyzed House Democrats’ drive towards impeachment… The Trump campaign [wrote:] ‘The CIA “whistleblower” is not a real whistleblower!’ and posted a link to a Washington Examiner article, which named the alleged whistleblower Eric Ciaramella…

“Ciaramella is a 33-year-old CIA analyst who works on Ukraine and Russia. He previously served at the National Security Council during the Obama administration, when former Vice President Joe Biden was the point person for Ukraine… The New York Times and Washington Post first reported that the ‘whistleblower’ is a relatively junior CIA analyst. CNN reported that he was a Democrat.”

The entire “impeachment” circus, initiated by Democrats and an alleged “whistleblower,” was clearly a total hoax and witch-hunt from the outset.

Young and Old Evangelicals Divided on Trump?

Reuters wrote on December 29:

“After evangelical publication Christianity Today published a blistering editorial on what it called Donald Trump’s ‘grossly immoral character’, some church leaders and the U.S. president himself denounced the criticism as elitist and out-of-touch… However, the coziness with the Republican president… is being abandoned by younger generations…

“Trump’s presidency may make the age gap worse… many younger evangelicals opposed Trump’s immigration and asylum policies and were concerned about alleviating poverty, in contrast to older members of the faith… Evangelicalism, like all forms of Christianity in the United States, is struggling to attract younger members, amid an unprecedented surge in recent years of the number of people identifying as religiously unaffiliated.

“White evangelical protestants declined as a proportion of the U.S. population between 2006 and 2018, falling to 15% from 23%… Higher-than-average voter turnout among evangelicals means the group still represents more than a quarter of the U.S. electorate, but a failure to draw young worshippers means their electoral heft is set to diminish…

“The perhaps unlikely alliance between conservative Christians and the twice-divorced New York real estate developer has been important for Trump… Many U.S. evangelicals also strongly support conservatives in Israel, and hailed Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the U.S. embassy there…

“A group of nearly 200 leaders from the conservative wing of evangelicalism defended him in a letter to the magazine, praising the president for seeking the advice of ‘Bible-believing Christians and patriotic Americans’… Meanwhile, other religious scholars and leaders have signed a petition in support of Christianity Today, stating that the ‘United States evangelical and Christian community is at a moral crossroads.’ Younger evangelicals are put off by church leaders’ seemingly unconditional support for Trump…”

The division between younger and older Evangelicals is interesting in the light of biblical prophecy that ultimately, the Roman Catholic Church will capitalize on such disagreements and emerge worldwide as THE religious power.

Left-Wing Democrats Accuse Trump of Anti-Semitism

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 31:

“In the wake of a machete-attack carried out by a black man in Monsey on Saturday night [on the 7th night of Hanukkah], many Democrats are blaming President Trump for the rising tide of anti-Semitism but at least one Jewish Democratic politician is pointing at the stark reality that is the real culprit in New York: unrepentant left-wing anti-Semitism.

“President Trump responded strongly to the attack, calling for a united fight to ‘eradicate the evil scourge of anti-Semitism.’…

“Congressman Rashida Tlaib… predictably blamed the president for the attack… Tlaid’s criticism of President Trump is ironic since her short time in Congress has been characterized by her anti-Semitic remarks…

“Rather than take responsibility for the wave of anti-Semitism that has plagued the state he serves, Mayor Bill Deblasio doubled down on blaming the right-wing [and] President Trump… Deblasio’s claim was harshly criticized by Dov Hikind, a former Democratic New York State Assemblyman representing Brooklyn who is a religious Jew… Hikind highlighted the rise in a uniquely left-wing anti-Semitism… and its Democratic supporters in Congress like Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez… ‘All the hate in New York is coming from the left,’ Hikind insisted…

“These claims [against Trump] are, even on a superficial level, perplexing. Trump’s presidency has been highlighted by unprecedented support for Israel as illustrated by recognition of Jerusalem as the capital, Jewish sovereignty in the Golan, and removing the State Department’s description of a Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria as ‘illegal’. Also, earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order that would cut federal funding to colleges and universities that don’t curb anti-Semitism against Jewish students.”

This very perceptive article reminds us of phenomena outside the USA as well, for instance in the UK (Labour Party) and in Europe, including Germany (SPD and the Greens). It is actually the left-wing radicals within those parties who are much more anti-Semitic than many others.

How Germans View World Leaders

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 26:

“When asked who posed the greatest threat to world peace, Germans in a recent poll overwhelmingly pointed to one person – Donald Trump. The US president beat out the leaders of North Korea, Russia, China and Iran. Although Washington is one of Germany’s closest allies, public trust in the US has significantly eroded under President Donald Trump…

“Germans were asked who was more dangerous: North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Russian President Vladimir Putin or US President Donald Trump. Some 41% of Germans said they thought Trump was the most dangerous out of the five world leaders. In second place was Kim with 17%, followed by Putin and Khamenei with 8%. Coming in last was China’s Xi with 7%…

“A separate year-end poll showed that public trust in German Chancellor Angela Merkel had also diminished at home, particularly when compared to other European leaders… 57% of Germans surveyed said they had a ‘rather high’ level of trust in French President Emmanuel Macron. Merkel, on the other hand, came in several points behind the French leader at 53%. The differences were even more pronounced on the other end of the scale, with 44% of Germans surveyed saying they had ‘very little’ trust in Merkel, compared to 32% for Macron.

“In that poll, Trump came in last as the least trustworthy leader (89% very little trust), behind Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (86%) and Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson (71%).”

For so many Germans to draw such kind of conclusions, they seem to be blind and uninformed, but their perspective might be mirrored by their current and future political leaders, which can result in catastrophic consequences.

Germany’s Arms Exports

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 27:

“German arms exports rose 65% from January to mid-December 2019 compared to 2018 and hit a record of €7.95 billion ($8.8 billion)… two of Germany’s top 10 arms export customers, Egypt at number two and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at number nine, were active participants in the war in Yemen, in spite of government assurances that Germany would no longer arm those countries. The figures show government-approved exports of weapons, vehicles, and warships beat the previous record in 2015…

“Germany’s total export licenses had already exceeded last year’s total of €5.3 billion by the middle of the year, the figures revealed… The largest number of German weapons deliveries in 2019 went to Hungary, where exports reached €1.77 billion, followed by Egypt at €802 million and the United States at €483 million…

“The Berlin government agreed to halt arms exports to the countries involved in the Yemen conflict as part of the coalition deal reached in 2018. It later said it would ban all exports to Saudi Arabia following the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, though subsequent reports showed that the government still approved some exports to Riyadh this year.”

So, the German government has lied to the German people and the world.

Europe’s Defense Policy for 2020

Euractiv wrote on December 26:

“… the EU aims to deal with the bloc’s fragmented defence industry [to create an] EU headquarters for military operations under the European Commission’s helm… the EU is already eyeing new money sources for its various military projects, with currently 47 such initiatives under the EU’s permanent structured cooperation (PESCO), and 25 member states participating…

“Although several countries, including Germany, have in recent months rejected the possibility of acquiring armed drones, Greece recently announced its intention to buy a fleet of American and Israeli armed drones which could be used against similar Turkish assets already deployed in the eastern Mediterranean as Ankara prepares to exploit offshore oil and gas fields…”

The EU will emerge as a powerful military entity with its own unified Army.

Comeback of Italy’s Matteo Salvini?

Politico wrote on December 30:

“Matteo Salvini… the leader of the far-right League party and former Italian interior minister believes he’ll be prime minister in 2020… Salvini believes his comeback is close as the new coalition struggles to agree on crucial policy issues and reboot the country’s stagnating economy…

“Salvini said he plans to focus on improving relations with Germany and France once back in government, and believes he can drive change in Brussels… ‘But it’s not just about Paris and Berlin … I want to be part of an international front that includes Donald Trump, who will be re-elected, Boris Johnson, [Brazil’s] Jair Bolsonaro and [Israel’s] Benjamin Netanyahu … These are all leaders that the left criminalizes but have all been overwhelmingly supported by the people,’ he said…

“The Italian government has been plagued by infighting of late. Last week, Education Minister Lorenzo Fioramonti, from the 5Stars, resigned after failing to receive the €3 billion in school funding he had demanded for 2020. Several 5Stars lawmakers have left in the past couple of months and in October former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi left the PD to form a new party. Salvini hopes that will play in his favor in two crucial regional elections next month…”

That would be an interesting development, as the parallels between Salvini and Mussolini are striking.

Sebastian Kurz’s Risky Endeavor

Bloomberg wrote on January 1:

“Kurz, the 33-year-old former chancellor, announced he struck a deal to return to power with Austria’s environmentalist party late on New Year’s Day. Pending approval by a Green party conference on Saturday, the new administration could be sworn in by President Alexander Van der Bellen (himself a former Green leader) on Jan. 7…

“It’s a risky project… From 2015, Kurz used the European refugee crisis to take over his party. He dressed the conservatives in the clothes of populism and steered them out of an awkward coalition with the Social Democrats to join forces with a xenophobic party founded by former Nazis. After winning two straight elections, a third of his voters are now former supporters of the Freedom Party and other rightist groups.

“By teaming up with the Greens, Kurz finds himself on the opposite side of the debate from the populists and vulnerable to their attacks for the first time. Concessions to his partner could also estrange his new voters as well as People’s Party mainstays like farmers, industry, commuters and traditionalists panicking about meat prices or fuel taxes.

“Kurz will have to show to his supporters that his tough line on migration and integration remains intact, that there are neither more taxes nor more debt and that legislation will remain business-friendly. [Green party leader Werner] Kogler will need some wins on climate policy, including tangible investments in infrastructure and some form of carbon taxes, at least a toning down of the anti-immigration rhetoric of Kurz’s former government, and measures on transparency and anti-corruption.”

Deutsche Welle added on January 1:

“The ‘experiment,’ as the daily Kurier put it, will mark the first time the left-wing Green party has been in government. The new coalition of widely disparate parties is likely to be significantly different from the previous government…

“The coalition in Austria will be closely watched in Germany, where the current coalition between the Social Democrats and Angela Merkel’s conservatives is under strain. In Germany, the Greens are polling at roughly 21% compared to the 8.9% the party scored in the last federal elections in 2017. A collapse of the current coalition government, early elections or the scheduled 2021 election could bring the Greens into government with Merkel’s conservatives.”

A risky endeavor indeed, but Kurz has been described as “very adaptable” to “compromise.” In other words, as the proverbial politician. The Green party in Germany recently came under strong attack due its perceived anti-Semitic stance.

What Will Be Left of the UK?

The Corner wrote on December 29:

“What kind of relationship will Britain have with a European Union it has formally left?… There is still an 11-month transition period in which a trade deal has to be finalized… But from the end of January 2020, the UK will no longer have a seat at the high European table…

“If it marries itself to the US, will there be a bride price that will seriously weaken the independence of British institutions?… Will Britain… be a pawn in US hands…

“Throughout the Brexit negotiations to leave the EU, there were serious Irish and Northern Irish concerns. Yet the first major schismatic fault-line would seem to lie with the Scots… seeking another referendum for independence. A legal vote on Scottish independence can only be sanctioned in Westminster, not in Edinburgh. The Scots will be mulling, nevertheless, a Catalonian-style unilateral referendum and using it as moral leverage in difficult and likely protracted discussions and confrontations with Westminster. The one thing Prime Minister Johnson is unlikely to have is any guaranteed unity in the British project.

“As food prices rise, European common agricultural policy subsidies are withdrawn, and new food suppliers cannot be found — or found only with great transport costs — the UK agricultural sector looks set to be decimated. New tariff barriers, unless successfully negotiated downward over the next 11 months, would raise the prices on almost all imported commodities in a land with declining manufacturing capacities, alongside agriculture that cannot survive without subsidies…”

Even though many Brits might have longed for Brexit (which might be humanly understandable) in order to depart from the clutches of an overpowering EU, the prophesied future of the UK is doomed.

Jordan’s Lies about Israel

Breaking Israel News wrote on December 30:

“In a Dec. 28, 2019 article in the Jordanian daily Al-Ghad, ‘Abdallah Kan’an, secretary-general of Jordan’s Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs, wrote that the festival of Hanukkah is based on traditions relating to the ‘false’ Jewish Temple, and therefore constitutes a direct threat to the Muslim and Christian holy places in Jerusalem.

“… the article claims that Israel and right-wing organizations in it use Hanukkah to further their plans of Judaizing Jerusalem and to carry out mass raids on the Al-Aqsa mosque ‘in the guise of Talmudic religious rituals.'”

The First and the Second Temple stood on the Temple Mount, where the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock stand today.

The Pagan Origin of New Year’s Day

Breaking Israel News wrote on January 1:

“The Julian calendar was enacted by Julius Caesar in 46 BCE to reform… the Roman calendar. The Gregorian calendar was decreed in 1582 by papal bull by Pope Gregory XIII, replacing the Julian calendar. The decree was not recognized outside of the Catholic Church so the days on which Easter and related holidays were celebrated by different Christian churches diverged. Currently the world’s most widely used civil calendar, the Gregorian calendar, was adopted in stages with some countries incorporating the system in the late 16th Century while others joined in as late as the 20th century.

“Despite the papal decree, many Catholics were quite aware of the pagan roots of their calendar… Many of the names of the months and days of the week have their roots in paganism:

“January –named for the god Janus… February –named for the pagan Roman festival of purification… March – named for the god Mars, the Roman god of war… April – named for the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite… May – this month is named for the Roman goddess Maia, a deity of growth and increase. June – named for the goddess Juno, the wife of Jupiter, also known as the Queen of Heaven.

“Sunday – this day is in honor of the sun god. Monday – this day is in honor of the moon goddess. Tuesday – this day is in honor of the Norse god of war, Tiu, or Tyr, the son of Odin, or Woden. Wednesday – this day is in honor of the chief Norse god Odin, or Woden. Thursday – this day is in honor of the Norse god of thunder, Thor, who is the oldest son of Odin. Friday – this day is in honor of the Norse goddess Frigg. She is the goddess of darkness, goddess of the sky, and goddess of love. She is the wife of Odin. Saturday – this day is in honor of the Roman god Saturn.

“The Gregorian calendar is based on the solar cycle, putting it at odds with the Hebrew calendar which is lunisolar… It is important to note that the Roman calendar that preceded the Julian calendar observed an eight-day week called the nundinal cycle. This put it directly at odds with the seven day week described in the Bible as embedded in the creation of the world. And the Sabbath was moved from the seventh day to the first day, Sunday, named for the pagan sun god…

“The tradition of beginning the new year on January 1 was based on the Roman calendar and remained so in the Julian Calendar, though by the Middle Ages, some countries began the new year on December 25. It is believed this mid-winter new year was based on its proximity to the solstice, a pagan celebration of the sun god’s rebirth. Naming the first month after the pagan god Janus was appropriate since he was depicted as having two faces, one looking forward and the other looking back. Scholars have suggested that the drunken parties that characterize New Year’s celebrations have their roots in orgies meant as a form of service to the pagan gods…

“Pope Sylvester, whose sainthood day and the day he was buried is commemorated on December 31, convinced Roman Emperor Constantine to prohibit Jews from living in Jerusalem. At the Council of Nicaea… Sylvester promulgated a host of new anti-Semitic legislation. It is for this reason that January first was frequently marked throughout history by the burning of synagogues, Jewish books, and other acts of Jew-hatred…

“One such anti-Semitic New Year’s Day event took place in 1577 when Pope Gregory XIII, who established the Gregorian calendar, decreed that all Roman Jews had to attend a Catholic conversion sermon given in Roman synagogues after Friday night services. The penalty for not doing so was death. Then, on New Year’s Day of the next year, the Pope signed a law forcing Jews to pay for a ‘House of Conversion’ whose purpose was to convert Jews to Christianity. Three years later on New Year’s Day, he ordered the confiscation of all the Roman Jewish community’s Hebrew scrolls and books.”

In addition, the origins for the names of the following months (not mentioned above) are:

July–the month in which Julius Caesar was born, and named Julius in his honor in 44 BCE, the year of his assassination. August–in honor of the first of the Roman emperors, Augustus. September–the name comes from septem, “seven.” October–the name comes from octo, “eight.” November–the name comes from novem, “nine.” December–the name comes from decem, “ten.”

Today, it is not wrong to use the names of days and months to which we are accustomed. Otherwise, we could not even communicate with others.  But we should realize that the weekly Sabbath is the seventh day of the week (from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) and that God’s annual Holy Days are determined by the Hebrew calendar… not the calendars of this world.  

Thousands of Koalas Might Have Died in Australia’s Wild Fires

The Associated Press wrote on December 28:

“Thousands of koalas are feared to have died in a wildfire-ravaged area north of Sydney, further diminishing Australia’s iconic marsupial, while the fire danger increased in the country’s east… as temperatures soared. The mid-northern coast of New South Wales was home to up to 28,000 koalas, but wildfires have significantly reduced their population in recent months.

“Koalas are native to Australia and are one of the country’s most beloved animals, but they’ve been under threat due to a loss of habitat. ‘Up to 30% of their habitat has been destroyed,’ Australia’s environment minister, Sussan Ley, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation…”

The Huffington Post wrote on December 27:

“Fires have been burning out of control since October amid a record drought and heatwave, claiming the lives of nine people and destroying hundreds of homes. Last week, average temperatures hit 107.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

“All animals are at risk in the bush fires, and experts believe a staggering number have already been killed. But Australia’s native koalas were already at risk before the destructive new threat. The Australian government lists the koala population as ‘vulnerable.’ Community volunteers and firefighters have been struggling to save the animals they can.

“In one heartbreaking scene in Adelaide, a koala stopped in the middle of a roadway and approached passing cyclists. It clambered onto one rider and drank eagerly from an offered water bottle…”

We received the following in-house report from Australia:

“Earlier this week we again had temperatures over 40 degrees, with catastrophic fire risk in some areas. The highest level of risk has been extended from extreme to catastrophic recently. In East Gippsland, (eastern part of Victoria), 30,000 tourists were asked to leave the area on Sunday due to the risk, and locals were asked to either leave or be prepared to defend their properties. On Monday, the only highway in the area was closed due to the danger of smoke and fire. Those who had not left were trapped on the coast. At Mallacoota, residents took refuge on the beach and in boats. The sky was black in daytime and it has been called apocalyptic. There were many explosions caused by gas bottles igniting in the town.

“The fires in East Gippsland are expected to continue burning for the next two months if there is no significant rain. The fire plume was said to reach 14 kilometres in altitude and was creating its own weather conditions, including lightning. Somewhat over 200,000 hectares have been burnt so far in Victoria. And this is just the start of the fire season.  In Southern New South Wales, a 10 ton fire truck was lifted off the ground and inverted by a tornado caused by the fire, which resulted in the death of a fire fighter trapped in the vehicle.

“A few days ago, the total number of homes destroyed in Australia was over 950 according to insurance companies. More have been destroyed since with some towns burnt out.”

Further Info on Australia’s Wildfires

The Independent wrote on January 2:

 “The wildfire crisis ravaging Australia has wreaked environmental havoc since it began in September… Ecologists at the University of Sydney estimate around 480 million animals have been killed in the wildfires, including 8,000 koalas…

 “Across the Tasman Sea, smoke from the wildfires are posting a new threat to New Zealand’s iconic white glaciers, turning them black and staining snow brown… Ash from the smoke could accelerate melting snow on the glaciers, which already face a climate disaster of their own...”

 The Sun added on January 2:

 “TENS of thousands of people in the path of raging bush fires in Australia have been ordered to leave the danger zones – as the death toll rose to 18. As temperatures soar to 46C this weekend, New South Wales fire chiefs warned tourists and locals on the coast south of Sydney [not to stay in the area].

“Huge areas between Bateman’s Bridge and the border with Victoria state have been ruled ‘unsafe’, sparking monster traffic jams as thousands flee for their lives through choking smoke. Transport minister Andrew Constance described the situation as the ‘largest mass relocation of people out of the region that we’ve ever seen’…

“Already supermarket shelves are empty and petrol pumps have run dry. Downed trees and power lines cut off supply routes. Military ships and helicopters are being deployed to the worst-hit areas… Tens of thousands of homes are without electricity in the state and telephone and internet connections are down…

“In neighbouring Victoria, 4,000 people are still stranded at Mallacoota in East Gippsland after their escape route was cut off by fire. Naval ship HMAS Choules arrived yesterday and can carry 700 people. Others may be flown to safety by helicopter… [In fact, the navy ship can evacuate 500 – 1000 people, provided they can climb a rope ladder. There will be aerial evacuations for the elderly and infirm if they desire since the roads are closed.]

“Meanwhile today Aussie PM Scott Morrison… was heavily criticised for jetting on holiday to Hawaii despite the fires…”

Across Australia, 17 people have died and more than 1400 homes have been destroyed, according to the Guardian Australian Edition, since the fire season began in October.

Canada to Criminalize Conversions of Homosexuals

Life Site News reported on December 17:

“A bill that will criminalize ‘conversion therapy’ in Canada is a ‘despicable’ attack on religious liberty that could lead to Christians going to jail for proclaiming that homosexual individuals can change, warns Canada’s pro-life, pro-family organization Campaign Life Coalition.

“Introduced last week by Independent Senator Serge Joyal, Bill S-202 will make it an indictable offense punishable by up to five years in jail to benefit materially or financially indirectly or directly from the provision of’ ‘conversion therapy’ to anyone under 18 years of age. The bill further amends the Criminal Code to make advertising ‘conversion therapy’ a crime punishable by up to five years in jail.

“Not only that, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government plans to introduce a similar bill in the House of Commons when Parliament reconvenes in January… Trudeau instructed justice minister David Lametti to ‘amend the Criminal Code to ban the practice of conversion therapy and take other steps required with the provinces and territories to end conversion therapy in Canada.’…

“Bill S-202 defines ‘conversion therapy’ as ‘any practice, treatment or service designed to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity or to eliminate or reduce sexual attraction or sexual behaviour between persons of the same sex…’ This sweeping definition includes ‘Christian counselling, prayer, and evangelism directed at the LGBT community’ as well as ‘medical or psychological practices,’ Cooke said.

“‘In other words, if you publicly proclaim (‘advertise’) the message that homosexuals can be saved and changed, you will go to prison,’ he added. ‘And if a young homosexual (under age 18) is converted at your church and starts contributing to the offering (providing a financial ‘benefit’), your church leadership will go to prison.’ ‘Christians could actually become criminalized for just being Christian…’”

Canada is part of modern-day Ephraim, as are of course the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and God is extremely angry with all of them for their godless conduct. You might want to view our recent StandingWatch program on the topic of conversion of homosexuals, titled, “How Our Wrong Values Destroy Our Children!” 

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.

This question has perplexed many people, and the attempts of theologians and other religious “experts” to answer it are even more perplexing and confusing. Here are some samples, taken from the Internet:

“I see God as Ultimate Consciousness: an eternal, all-knowing, pure-loving reality that birthed and continues to sustain the universe… And so, our prayers… are already in God. They are part of the fabric of this awesome universe…”

“God is timeless… A being as big as the universe would experience all time in history at the same moment.”

“God is in us, and we are in God. That mutual indwelling means that our prayers are not even our prayers: They are God’s, and God is praying within us… there is no gap between the prayer and the hearing of that prayer.”

“Almost certainly God is not in Time… If a million people are praying to Him at ten-thirty tonight, He need not listen to them all in that one little snippet which we call ten-thirty. Ten-thirty—and every other moment from the beginning of the world—is always the Present for Him.”

If we hear such confusing and completely inaccurate “explanations” of so-called religious “authorities,” then there is no wonder that people following such “guidance” are left without understanding. In addition, most theologians have a completely false concept of God Himself, only adding to their confusion.

We might want to point out that a true Christian knows, based on the clear evidence of Scripture, that God can and does listen to multiple prayers at the same time. The “mocking” question as to how can God do this is asked by those who doubt God’s existence and who are using their faulty human reasoning in an attempt to convince themselves and others that God does not really exist, so that they are “free” to live in sin and do whatever they want to do.

To begin answering the question of this Q&A correctly, let us realize that God is “omnipresent,” but what does this mean, exactly?

We state the following in our Q&A, titled, “Is God really omnipresent, that is, everywhere at all times?”:

“The question of God’s omnipresence has puzzled men for centuries and millennia, and diverse and sometimes incredible answers have been proposed. One common idea in Orthodox Christianity is that God, as a Spirit being, is everywhere, as allegedly, Spirit has no form or shape—no limitations—no ‘parts.’ God is understood to be… a formless or shapeless ‘blob’—permeating everything.

“This idea is clearly unbiblical. God HAS form and shape. God said that Moses saw the glorified ‘form’ of the LORD (compare Numbers 12:8). God, when creating man, said that man was to be made in accordance with the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27; 9:6). God is described as having a head, arms, a body, feet, eyes and hair, among other aspects. Man is made in the physical form of God—he is a physical reflection, if you please, of the Spirit Beings, God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. Please also note that Christ is described as the [Spirit] image of God the Father (2 Corinthians 4:4). He looks like God the Father; that is why He could say, even when He was here on earth in human form; ‘He who has seen Me has seen the Father’ (John 14:9). In that same way—on a physical level—man is made in the image of God.

“Given the fact that God has form and shape, He IS therefore at one given moment in only one place at one specific time. This means, when He is sitting on His throne in heaven, He is therefore not at that very same moment on earth, or on planet Mars, or in another galaxy billions of light-years away. This is why we read that God came down from heaven to walk on earth; that Jesus Christ, after His resurrection to a Spirit Being, ascended to heaven; that He was brought before God the Father in heaven to receive kingship and power; and that He will return to this earth, in power and glory, to rule all nations. Of course, we must also understand that God CAN ‘travel’ from one place to another within a ‘split second.’ But… when God is at a certain place, at that very same moment, He cannot be—as a Person—at a different place at the same time.

“And still, it IS correct that God IS omnipresent—that is, that He is everywhere at all times, and NOTHING escapes His attention or is hidden from His eyes (Matthew 6:18).

“Let us understand how this is possible. David… writes in Psalm 139:1-2: ‘LORD, You have searched me and known me, You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought AFAR OFF.’ David knew that God could be ‘afar off,’ and still understand all of his thoughts… Continuing in verses 3-6: ‘You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before. And laid your hand upon me [i.e., He has given him protection and security]. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.’”

To interject and elaborate, we wrote the following in our Q&A, “Does Satan Know Our Thoughts, and Can He Read Our Minds?”:

“Psalm 139:4 [states:] ‘For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.’ Most translations render this verse in this way: ‘Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD’ (NIV, compare RSV and Living Bible). [This translation reminds us of what Christ tells us in Matthew 6:8: ‘For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.’]…

“1 Samuel 16:7 says that while a man may look at the outward appearance, the LORD looks at the heart. In 1 Kings 8:39 King Solomon says to God: ‘You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men.’ Psalm 44:21 adds: ‘Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.’ Isaiah 66:18 quotes God as saying, ‘I know their works and their thoughts.’ And Job says this to God in Job 42:2: ‘I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee’ (Authorized Version)…

“We also find that Jesus, as a resurrected God being, has the ability to discern and know the thoughts of people (Luke 24:38; Hebrews 4:12-13; Revelation 2:23).

“[The New Testament] also makes it very clear that God the Father knows our thoughts (Luke 16:15; compare 1 Corinthians 3:20). In Acts 1:24, the disciples prayed to the Father to reveal to them who should take the place of Judas Iscariot: ‘You, O LORD, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen.’ In Acts 15:8, Peter said that God ‘who knows the heart,’ accepted Gentiles into the Church by giving them the Holy Spirit…

“God will at the proper time make manifest and reveal the innermost thoughts and counsels or motives of our hearts (1 Corinthians 4:5; Luke 2:35). While our hearts might condemn us because of wrongly understood guilt complexes, God is greater than our hearts and knows all things (1 John 3:20). At the same time, we can deceive our hearts, but not God (James 1:26).”

In addition, we are told that God knows the hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30). Psalms 147:4-5 informs us that God’s understanding is infinite.

This Scriptural evidence provides us with part of the answer to our question in this Q&A; that is, that God DID know and hear every word which David and others spoke, and that He saw EVERYTHING that they did at the very moment in time when they did it. God is not a respecter of person—whatever God revealed about and said to David would apply to all of God’s people as well; that is, God sees everything that we do today, when we do it, and He hears every word [in our prayers] which we say, when we say it. When, let’s say, hundreds of Christians speak to Him at the same time, God hears every single one of them AT THAT SAME TIME.

But how is this possible, given the fact that God, as a Person, cannot be, for example, at different places at the same time?

Continuing with quoting from the above-mentioned Q&A on God’s omnipresence:

“David did not conclude that God’s miraculous omnipresence was due to God being everywhere like a form- and shapeless blob; he knew better than that. And so, he continues to explain HOW God is omnipresent, beginning with verse 7: ‘Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?’

“Here is the answer! God the Father and Jesus Christ are both Spirit beings. They both have form and shape, composed of Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is NOT a being—rather, it is the power emanating from God (compare Micah 3:8; Luke 4:14). It is through the POWER of God’s Holy Spirit that things are created. And God’s Holy Spirit does not have form and shape—God’s Holy Spirit does not exist in a bodily form… God’s Holy Spirit is everywhere… God, a Spirit being, who has form and shape, is everywhere [and present] through His Spirit. And so, David continues to meditate on this fact, as follows, in verses 8-12:

“‘If I ascend into heaven, You are there [through the Spirit of God]; If I make my bed in hell [Hebrew sheol, the grave], behold, you are there [through God’s Spirit]. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there your hand shall lead me [through God’s Holy Spirit], And your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light upon me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You’…

“God’s Spirit can be compared with breath or wind… God’s Holy Spirit emanates from God… and through the Holy Spirit, God is and can be everywhere at all times.”

Thinking of breath, it emanates from a source, such as an animal or a human being or God. In the case of God, He is the source of His breath (or spirit). We read that God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life, and Adam became a living soul. This passage can refer to real breath, or the spirit in man through which God, through His Holy Spirit, gave life to Adam, or both.

One could also compare the Holy Spirit with electricity, emanating from a source, such as a generator or a power plant. When we touch an electricity-charged wire, we realize that there has to be a source of the electricity. Individual electrons travel through the wire “slowly” and have to work their way through a multitude of atoms in the wire. The electricity speed is equated to the speed of light.

Another analogy would be the miracle of broadcasting. TV or radio programs are being broadcast all over the world, but each one has a source… a TV or radio station from which the broadcast goes out.

The Bible compares God’s Spirit also with living, flowing water. A stream or a river of water has a source from which it emanates, the “fountain of water.” God is that source. Revelation 21:6 says: “And He said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of water of life freely to him who thirsts.”

We say in our booklet, Is God a Trinity?:

“[In] John 4:10, 14, [God’s] Spirit is compared with water. Jesus tells the woman at the well: ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, “Give Me a drink,” you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water… whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.’

“… the Bible makes it very clear that Christ… [compared the Holy Spirit] with living water to be poured out. We read in John 7:37-39, in the Authorized Version: ‘In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirsts, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive…’

“Christ compares the Holy Spirit with living WATER. We read earlier that God pours out of His Holy Spirit [in Acts 2:17]—again the same analogy of water being poured out on or into people is being used.”

This is referring to the fountain of water, God, who is willing to give us of His Spirit. Please note Isaiah 58:10-12, addressing the future of those who did receive God’s Holy Spirit prior to Christ’s Second Coming: “You shall be like a spring of water whose waters do not fail” (or: “never run dry,” New Jerusalem Bible).

We need to realize that God lives in converted Christians through His Holy Spirit. This is HOW God can dwell in thousands of Christians all at the same time (John 14:23)—through His Spirit (compare Romans 8:9-11, 14-15; Galatians 4:6). And when He dwells in thousands of Christians through His Spirit, He can also see, acknowledge, hear and read the minds of those Christians through His Spirit—all at the same time. Even though Christ appeared to Adam and Eve or Abraham or Moses at a particular moment in time, in a physical manifestation, through His Spirit, He was still everywhere at that same time.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

We are very sad to announce that Nati Herbosa—a long-time Church of God member—died the afternoon of December 27, 2019. Her children were by her side, and her subsequent funeral took place in North Carolina.

“Putin’s Russia—the Overlooked Threat to World Peace,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Many don’t realize to what extent Russia is posing a threat to world peace; nor, that the Bible says that it will be involved in a nuclear war within the next few years. Vladimir Putin’s lies about the invasion of Poland and the beginning of World War II reveal a very dangerous mindset. So do his attempts to restrict and suppress online freedom of expression and his new hypersonic nuclear weapons.

“War der Apostel Petrus der erste Papst?–Teil 2,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link.  Title in English: “Was the Apostle Peter the First Pope?–Part 2.”

“Economic Crash in 2020?–Comments on News and Prophecy (December 28, 2019),” the first message presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Many speak about a booming economy, especially in the USA, but others speak of “the mother of all bubbles” and warn of a crash of unparalleled proportions in 2020 due to a broken and rotten economy which is only held together superficially on the surface. Who is right? Are we already in a worldwide recession, as some contend? How long can a country survive with a $1.4 trillion federal government spending package for 2020 and American spending of $1 trillion during the Christmas season of 2019? What does the Bible say about a coming worldwide depression and a total collapse of our global economy?

“Hope in the Kingdom of God,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted. Here is a summary:

In what do we hope for? When we don’t have hope we can lose direction and desire to continue on our path. What happens when we don’t have hope in the Kingdom of God? What happens if we don’t continually keep our focus on this hope? We need to continue to keep focused so we stay motivated especially as the days are getting closer to the return of Christ.