On July 26, 2025, Norbert Link will present, “Comments on News and Prophecy, July 26, 2025,” and the sermon, titled, “Are You Running Away From God?”

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.

We are taking a very unique position in this world—not voting in governmental elections nor joining the military and participating in its wars, just to name a few examples. Why is this so?

The short answer is very simple. This is not God’s world. It is Satan who deceives and rules mankind, and he is a murderer, a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). He rules over all human kingdoms and governments (Luke 4:5-6). As Satan delights in lies, so do his human instruments (Psalm 62:4). And this is why the world is, as it is, which Hosea 4:2 describes so vividly: “By swearing and lying, Killing and stealing and committing adultery, They break all restraint, With bloodshed upon bloodshed.”

The Ron Paul Institute published the following insightful article on July 14, 2025: “Those who understand the philosophy, history, and economics of liberty can explain that it is not just that some government officials lie. Instead, all governments lie, and the more important the issue the bigger the lie. In fact, the modern state is built on a series of lies…”

This assessment is so true! That is why converted Christians must not have anything to do with the lies of this world. Exodus 23:7 warns us: “Keep yourself far from a false matter.” Some might say, but a little lie is accepted, if we prevent thereby great mischief, and their rationale justifies to vote for the ”lesser evil.” God’s answer is two-fold. He tells us in 1 John 2:21: “… you know… that no lie is of the truth.” And in 1 Thessalonians 5:22: “Abstain from every form of evil.”

As true Christians, we ought to understand that “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD” (Proverbs 12:22), and we must not have anything to do with spreading lies or supporting them in any way. We ought to remember that God will “destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man” (Psalm 5:6). In fact, all liars will end up in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8)—unless they repent of their evil ways.

The following famous Q&A has validity: “Q: How do you know that a politician is lying?” “A: When he moves his lips.”

We are literally surrounded by and bombarded with political lies. But our false sense of patriotism and nationalism might cloud our minds and sear our conscience. The most recent debacle of the Jeffrey Epstein matter has clearly manifested the fact that we have been lied to. But we have also been lied to in regard to the government’s current immigration policy. We were told that only illegal aliens who are hard-core capital criminals would be detained and deported, and only a few “casualties” or “collateral damage” might be affected in the process. As we know now, that was a blatant lie from the outset.

For instance, The Miami Herald wrote on July 15: 

“Hundreds of immigrants with no criminal charges in the United States are being held at Alligator Alcatraz, a detention facility state and federal officials have characterized as a place where ‘vicious’ and ‘deranged psychopaths’ are sent before they get deported… Mixed among the detainees accused and convicted of crimes are more than 250 people who are listed as having only immigration violations but no criminal convictions or pending charges in the United States… Nationally, nearly half of detainees in ICE custody as of late June were being held for immigration violations and did not have a criminal conviction or charge…” 

The Los Angeles Times wrote on June 29:

“A Times analysis found that 69% of those arrested… had no criminal conviction and 58% had never been charged with a crime.”

58% to 69% is quite a high figure for “collateral damage.” So, far from focusing merely on illegal aliens who have been convicted of capital crimes, as it had been originally promised, the current government goes after aliens without papers, legal tourists and other aliens who are here legally, green card holders, birthright citizens, and now even naturalized American citizens.

We, in God’s Church, must have nothing to do with or support or justify in any way the lies of the government… no matter, in what context they are being uttered.

One of the biggest lies this world, under Satan’s influence and deception, is promulgating is the idea that we must fight in war to defend our country, and that only through military strength can we achieve peace. I addressed this worldwide lie in an Editorial, dated March 7, 2003, titled, “War or Peace—Which?”, where I wrote this:

“The Bible tells us that Satan has deceived this whole world (Revelation 12:9). It is Satan, the author of war, who has caused man to think that destruction can produce construction — that war can result in peace. Man wants peace. But, man does not know how to achieve it… 6000 years of human history of pain and misery have proven that our wars do not bring peace, but that they only result in more wars… God’s way of peace and Satan’s way of war are total opposites. 

“… we can be used by Christ as His ambassadors of peace. We are to represent His government, His kingdom, His rulership — and as such, we cannot be participating, neither in word nor in deed, in this world’s ways of war… man has chosen Satan’s way of war, destruction and death — and as a consequence, man is now facing the distinct possibility of eradicating all human life from the face of this earth.”

Yes, as God’s true children, we must be “putting away lying,” while speaking “the truth” with our neighbor (Ephesians 4:25), without giving “place to the devil” (verse 27). We must not lie about peace and war, and make God a liar when He says that He will end all wars and teach all mankind the way to peace.

A famous German songwriter, Reinhard Mey, sang a song in 2003 with the title, “It is time.” In this song, he describes a dead soldier who believed in the lies of his government. One verse states:

“If humanity falls for lies again

Then it can happen that soon no one will be alive anymore,
No one to bury the billions of dead.

Yes, they also lied to you in the same way,
Just like they still do with us today…”

Christ warned in Matthew 24:22: “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”

Let us make sure that we belong to the elect–always “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), while not falling for the lies of this world, but abhorring and abstaining from them in every form.

And that is why we do not vote in governmental elections and why we do not join the military nor fight in the wars of this evil lying world.

by Norbert Link

We report on developments in Europe regarding deportations; violence in Gaza and Syria; and the debate on what was destroyed in Iran’s nuclear sites.

We continue with American and European “arrangements” pertaining to the Ukraine-Russia war; the discussion about banning the AfD in Germany; and we speak on the ongoing debacle of the Epstein matter, including President Trump’s “defamation” lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal.

We address a new fight between Obama and Trump; controversial ICE raids and mistreatment of detainees; Trump’s lucrative deals (or the lack thereof), including his “massive” deal with Japan; and America’s destruction of contraceptives and emergency food supposed to be sent to other countries.

We conclude with an intention to do away with capital gains tax on home sales; and Britain’s intention to lower the country’s voting age to 16.

Please note our news StandingWatch program, titled, “Politicians, Wars and the Lies of This World.”

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

“UN Calls For Immediate End to Afghan Deportations” 

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 18: 

“Volker Türk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, called for all countries to immediately end deportations to Afghanistan on Friday… His statement came just hours after Germany deported what it said were 81 criminals to Afghanistan, which is controlled by the Islamist Taliban… 

“Though many countries halted deportations when the Taliban returned to power in 2021, many have now resumed deportations. According to the UN, Iran alone deported more than 500,000 Afghans in June. More than 1.9 million Afghans have been returned to the country from Iran and Pakistan since January 1… 

“[German Chancellor] Friedrich Merz… made tougher migration policy a key pillar of his February election campaign.” 

Merz might be trying to imitate Trump. He will fail in this. 

“Merz: Israel’s Approach to Gaza ‘No Longer Acceptable’” 

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 18: 

“German Chancellor Friedrich Merz took the unusual step of criticizing Israel on Friday. Merz, speaking at an annual summer press conference, said Israel’s approach to Gaza is ‘no longer acceptable.’ 

“The chancellor called for an immediate ceasefire in the beleaguered enclave as the death toll there surpassed 58,000 this week. He also called for more humanitarian assistance for those in Gaza — something that has been gravely hampered by Israel’s decision to boot all international aid programs out of Gaza in favor of the highly controversial US-run and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which critics have called a cynical death trap for desperate Gazans seeking to find food for their families. 

“Merz also noted that his government ‘does not support’ Israel’s settlement policy, adding that he clearly expressed that sentiment in his calls with Netanyahu.” 

The rift between Europe, including Germany, and Israel will get wider and deeper. 

Pope Leo Calls For Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza 

The Associated Press wrote on July 20: 

“Pope Leo XIV renewed his call on Sunday for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza… Leo also expressed his ‘deep sorrow’ for the Israeli attack on the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, which killed three people and wounded 10 others, including the parish priest… The shelling of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza also damaged the church compound, where hundreds of Palestinians have been sheltering from the Israel-Hamas war, now in its 21st month. Israel expressed regret over what it described as an accident and said it was investigating… 

“‘The world no longer tolerates war,’ Leo told reporters waiting for him outside the cathedral. Asked about his phone conversation on Friday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Leo said, ‘We insisted on the need to protect the sacred places of all religions.’” 

No Ceasefire In Sight 

In an accompanying article, the Associated Press wrote on July 20: 

“The Israeli military published new evacuation warnings for areas of central Gaza on Sunday, in one of the few areas where the military has rarely operated with ground troops… The announcement comes as Israel and Hamas have been holding ceasefire talks in Qatar, but international mediators say there have been no breakthroughs… 

“Also on Sunday, 65 Palestinians were killed, many while attempting to seek aid, according to local hospitals… It is unclear whether they were killed by the Israeli army or armed gangs or both… 

“Gaza’s population of more than 2 million Palestinians are in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Hamas triggered the 21-month war when militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Fifty remain, but fewer than half are thought to be alive. 

“Israel’s military offensive that followed has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t say how many militants are among the dead but says more than half of the dead have been women and children… 

“The Hostages Family Forum, a grassroots organization that represents many of the families of hostages, condemned the evacuation announcement and demanded that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli military explain what they hope to accomplish in the area of central Gaza, accusing Israel of operating without a clear war plan… On Saturday night, during the weekly protest, tens of thousands of protesters marched in Tel Aviv to the branch of the U.S. Embassy, demonstrating for an end to the war… Israeli bombardments continued to pound the Gaza Strip overnight. Large explosions in northern Gaza were visible from Israel as plumes of fire shot into the sky.” 

Even though Trump has not publicly rebuked Netanyahu, it was reported that six White House officials openly criticized him, allegedly stating, “Bibi acted like a madman. He bombs everything all the time… This could undermine what Trump is trying to do.”… “Netanyahu is sometimes like a child who just won’t behave.” 

Further, Trump allegedly called Netanyahu to demand an explanation for the shelling of the Catholic Church in Gaza. 

It was also reported that “US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has threatened to publicly declare that Israel no longer welcomes Christian groups to Israel over what he said was Jerusalem’s failure to approve tourist visas for evangelical missions” (The Times of Israel, dated July 18). However, unconfirmed reports suggested on July 20 that the matter had been “resolved” (Jewish Insider). 

Erdogan Attacks Israel (Again) 

Times of Israel wrote on July 18: 

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses Israel of using the Druze minority in Syria as a pretext for expanding into the war-torn country. ‘Israel, using the Druze as an excuse, has been expanding its banditry into neighboring Syria over the past two days,’ Erdogan says in a televised speech after the weekly cabinet meeting, calling Israel a ‘terror state.’ 

“Erdogan says Turkey will not allow Syria to be divided or its multicultural structure and territorial integrity harmed, after Israel’s actions allegedly sought to ‘sabotage’ a ceasefire in the country.” 

But others did too. Note the next article. 

Ynet wrote on July 17: 

“Foreign ministers of Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon and Egypt issued a joint statement, saying they ‘support Syria’s security, unity, stability and sovereignty – and reject any foreign interference in its affairs.’… 

“Additionally, the ministers condemned Israel’s attacks in Syria.” 

In June, Trump had terminated the Syrian sanctions program. 

Not Totally Destroyed? 

The National Security Journal wrote on July 14: 

“In mid-June, after weeks of bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites by Israel, the U.S. carried out strikes of its own, using B-2 bombers to deliver bunker-buster bombs to the Fordow nuclear site and other locations throughout Iran. 

“The attacks took place, Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire soon after, and the strikes did not lead to a wider or protracted war in the Middle East or any oil shock or other economic calamity, as many had feared. But while some in the West had hoped that the strikes would imperil the future of the Iranian regime, that doesn’t appear to have happened, either. 

“There have been bitter debates over whether or not President Donald Trump’s insistence that the nuclear sites had been ‘obliterated’ was true, but the president is now talking about the circumstances under which another attack could be necessary…. Trump… told Netanyahu that he ‘favored a diplomatic settlement with Tehran,’ but ‘didn’t otherwise object’ to Israel’s view of the situation. 

“… In addition, the [Wall Street Journal] quoted a senior Israeli official as stating that Israel ‘wouldn’t necessarily seek explicit American approval to resume strikes on Iran,’ although Trump would likely pressure the Israelis to commit to the diplomatic track. And despite Trump’s assurances about ‘obliteration,’ ‘Israel has concluded that some of Tehran’s stockpile of near-bomb-grade enriched uranium at Isfahan survived last month’s attacks and that with considerable effort Iran could recover some of the fissile material from that site,’ the Journal said.” 

The claim that Iran’s nuclear sites had been “obliterated” was dubious from the outset. 

50 Days Delay 

CNN wrote on July 15: 

“President Trump has effectively handed Vladimir Putin an extraordinary green light: 50 days to finish off his brutal summer offensive in Ukraine before facing any consequences.

Only if there is no deal to end the war by the end of that period, in early September, would the threatened 100 percent tariffs on Russia and secondary sanctions on Russian trading partners kick in. That must seem like an eternity for millions of sleepless Ukrainians now enduring an escalating Russian onslaught of deadly missile and mass drone strikes on their towns and cities… 

“… in Moscow, officials are already quietly breathing a sigh of relief. After all, it could have been much worse for them. Sanctions could have been immediate, if President Trump had wanted, or much higher – such as the 500 percent tariff rate being proposed in a bi-partisan bill in the US Senate. Not that a renewed threat of sanctions is certain to alter the Kremlin’s course in Ukraine. Far from it… Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russia would be able to deal with further sanctions should Trump follow through with his threats.” 

The New York Post agreed, writing on July 17: 

“… why give the Russian strongman yet another chance, this one to last 50 days? That’s just 50 days of additional bloodshed… Indeed, within hours of Trump’s threat, Moscow launched more massive attacks on Ukraine — including, notably, on civilian sites, like a shopping center and energy infrastructure. 

“… the 50-day grace period gives Russia an incentive to ratchet up the killing and seize as much of Ukraine as possible before the deadline. Meanwhile, many — on both sides — will die during those seven weeks, for no good reason, before Russia feels any fresh pain…  there’s little logic in waiting.” 

Tricked and Outsmarted? 

Bild Online wrote on July 18: 

“It was the great hope against Putin’s missiles: On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced that he would supply weapons to Ukraine, and the Europeans would only have to pay for them. Now it’s clear: Germany not only has to pay up – it also has to supply them itself. And yet the Bundeswehr already lacks air defense. 

“The Ukrainians urgently need air defense to defend themselves against missile and drone terror from Russia. The plan: Ukraine will receive additional Patriot systems. Germany wanted to cover the cost of two units (two billion euros)… But now it turns out: Germany will not only pay, but will probably have to send Bundeswehr air defense itself because Trump doesn’t want to give up its own weapons. 

“…The idea was actually that the Americans would supply Ukraine from their own stocks and that Germany would cover the costs of reordering. But then Trump insisted that the US military could not give up any of its air defense. Europe would have to procure the air defense system from its own stocks… The fact that Germany is paying for the weapons for Ukraine is not enough. Europe must also make cuts in its depots and can only reorder replacements from the American arms industry… [A new] Patriot system is still being completed by the US arms company Raytheon and is not expected to be ready for at least six to eight months. 

“In order to help Kyiv more quickly, BILD reports that it is being examined whether Germany will (once again) step in. And transfer another Bundeswehr Patriot unit to Ukraine. The replacement would then have to be ordered from Raytheon, and delivery would take years. However, the Bundeswehr already lacks air defense. At the beginning of the Ukraine war, the troops had twelve Patriot systems to protect our country against air attacks. Three units have already been transferred to Ukraine. Two systems are in use in Poland to secure the airport through which NATO flies all weapons for Ukraine. According to BILD reports from the Bundeswehr, three systems are currently being updated and are therefore not currently operational. At least one system is needed for soldier training. 

“This means that a maximum of three units are currently available for domestic air defense. If another system is transferred, that would leave two. The situation will not improve for several years. The previous ‘traffic light’ government ordered eight Patriot systems. The first is scheduled to arrive at the Air Force at the end of 2026, and the remaining ones by 2029.” 

Merz was maneuvered into accepting this “deal.” Germans are not happy. 

Most Germans Oppose Ban of AfD 

Breitbart wrote on July 23:

“A majority of Germans oppose efforts to ban the populist Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, with many believing that it is merely an attempt by the Berlin establishment to sideline its opposition.

“In May, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany’s political spy agency, under the direction of then-far-left Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, ruled that the AfD is a ‘right-wing extremist’ organisation. While the classification is currently under legal challenge, if upheld, it would allow for state surveillance of the party and potentially clear the way for the government to ban the party to supposedly protect German democracy…

“The survey follows warnings from Professor Andreas Rödder of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, who cautioned last week that banning the country’s second-largest party could fundamentally undermine faith in German democracy. The professor said that ‘a ban’… would be a ‘sure path to civil war’.

“The justification for a ban of the party has also come into question, including from the former head of the same BfV political intelligence agency, which classified the party as an extremist organisation. Former Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution chief Hans-Georg Maaßen said last month that the classification was likely a result of political pressure from the then-left-wing government and the Antifa-tied former Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, to whom the agency reported at the time of the ruling.

“‘This is a clear case of using domestic intelligence services to suppress opposition,’ Maaßen said, adding that the ‘BfV has been weaponised to attack political rivals in an unscrupulous way. This damages its public reputation and undermines its core mission.’ The ex-spy chief also questioned the evidence used by his former agency…” 

According to the newest polls, the AfD has now become as popular as Chancellor Merz’s CDU party. 

Alleged Birthday Letter From Trump to Epstein Surfaces 

Daily Mail wrote on July 17: 

“President Donald Trump sent a salacious birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein that included a risqué hand-drawn picture of a naked woman with a cryptic message inside, according to a new report. Trump has furiously denied the allegations published in The Wall Street Journal that he took part in a 50th birthday album organized for the disgraced billionaire by his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.  The birthday letter included what appears to be Trump’s famous signature and was obtained by the WSJ…. [According to the Independent, dated July 18, “Trump is accused of writing a cryptic note that made mention of a ‘wonderful secret’ in his note to the disgraced financier.”] 

“Trump categorically denied any involvement in the drawing or writing of the text. ‘This is not me,’ he said. ‘This is a fake thing. It’s a fake Wall Street Journal story. ‘I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women. It’s not my language. It’s not my words… not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures…  I told Rupert Murdoch [owner of WSJ] it was a Scam, that he shouldn’t print this Fake Story. But he did, and now I’m going to sue his a… off, and that of his third rate newspaper.’ 

“Although Trump claimed he ‘never wrote a picture in my life’, several sketches he made of New York City landmarks as early as 2004 are readily available online. 

“In a separate post, he called on Attorney General Pam Bondi [after the WSJ story broke] to seek the court’s approval to release [some evidence]. ‘Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!’… 

“There is no evidence former Democratic officials tampered with the documents or played any role in promoting conspiracies about the files, which members of Trump’s administration stoked for years.” 

It is also unclear “whether the move will be enough to quell the calls from Trump’s supporters to release the entirety of the so-called Epstein files, given the grand jury transcripts [and only “pertinent” testimony] represent a small portion of the evidence collected” (CNN, dated July 18). 

Fox News added on July 18: 

“Before joining the Trump administration, [Attorney General Pam] Bondi was among the staunchest advocates for releasing the Epstein list, telling Fox News’ Sean Hannity in 2024: ‘It should have come out a long time ago.’” 

So said many other Republicans, including  Donald Trump Jr. 

The Daily Mail wrote on July 23:

“Trump was informed months ago by Pam Bondi that his name appears ‘multiple times’ [‘more than previously thought’] in the Jeffrey Epstein files the same day she recommended against releasing all documents… because they contained child pornography and personal information for victims…”

Never Drawn Pictures?

Mediaite wrote on July 17: 

“Several drawings made by President Donald Trump in the 1990s and early 2000s resurfaced on Thursday after the president claimed to have ‘never wrote a picture in my life.’.. Trump has sketched a number of drawings over the years, including a drawing of the Manhattan skyline dated 2004 – just one year after he is accused of drawing the naked woman for Epstein. The 2004 Manhattan drawing was reportedly sketched by Trump for a charity art sale before being put up for auction again in 2019… 

“Trump sketched another drawing of the Manhattan skyline in 2005, this time for another charity auction. It was put up for auction again in 2017. These sketches from the early to mid-2000s were reportedly drawn with Sharpie markers. 

“Yet another sketch – this one displaying the Empire State Building – was produced by Trump for a charity auction in 1995, where it sold for less than $100. It was sold again at auction in 2017 for $16,000. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump’s alleged 2003 letter to Epstein ‘contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker…” 

According to the Independent, dated July 18, “At least five sketches from the late 1990s and early 2000s have been sold at auction,” including the “Money Tree Drawing.” The article also said: “In his 2010 book Trump Never Give Up, the president boasted, ‘Each year I donate an autographed doodle to the Doodle for Hunger auction at Tavern on the Green… Art may not be my strong point,’ he admitted.” 

… and the Truth will find you out… 

Trump Letter a Fabrication? 

Politico wrote on July 17: 

“President Donald Trump’s allies rushed to dismiss a report that he sent a salacious birthday letter to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein… ‘Forgive my language but this story is complete and utter [BS],’ Vice President JD Vance wrote on X. ‘The WSJ should be ashamed for publishing it. Where is this letter? Would you be shocked to learn they never showed it to us before publishing it? Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?… 

“Even Elon Musk… said the letter ‘really doesn’t sound like something Trump would say’ and ‘sounds bogus.’ Other high-profile MAGA figures and far-right activists… deemed the letter… a fabrication.” 

Speaker Mike Johnson also rushed to Trump’s defense. Paradoxically, the publication of the alleged letter might have united many MEGA supporters in defense of Trump. Steve Bannon told CNN on July 18 that “he believed the story had united a base that had been showing signs of fraying.” 

It has been said that the WSJ would have never published the article if they hadn’t been absolutely certain that the Trump letter was legit. 

JD Vance’s Head-Spinning Reversal 

The Independent wrote on July 18: 

“When he was a best-selling author with designs on running in Ohio’s Senate race four years ago, JD Vance was one of the multitudes of Republican figures who assailed the mainstream press for not giving enough attention to multimillionaire sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Now, as Donald Trump’s vice president, Vance would prefer Epstein stay out of the headlines… 

“Vance’s admonishment represents a head-spinning reversal from the attitude he expressed in December 2021, when he wrote on the same platform (then known as Twitter) to ask what interest the U.S. government would have in ‘keeping Epstein’s clients secret.’ He also shared a post by conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec alleging that the government had made a deal with Epstein co-conspirator and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, purportedly to keep a ‘little black book’ of her and Epstein’s contacts from being made public. 

“Continuing, he said: ‘If you’re a journalist and you’re not asking questions about this case you should be ashamed of yourself.’” 

Trump Sues WSJ 

Business Insider wrote on July 18: 

“President Donald Trump has made good on his pledge to sue over The Wall Street Journal’s Thursday report that Trump wrote a ‘bawdy’ letter to Jeffrey Epstein on his 50th birthday [in 2003]. Trump on Friday filed suit against Rupert Murdoch, Dow Jones, the CEO of News Corp, Robert Thomson, and Khadeeja Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo, both reporters for the Wall Street Journal, accusing the group of committing defamation by publishing the article. The suit seeks at least $10 billion in damages. [As the lawsuit includes two causes of action, for which $10 billion in damages are sought in each cause of action, many point out that Trump is actually suing for at least $20 billion in damages, not even including punitive damages, court costs etc. Some legal experts predict that the suit will be dismissed even before reaching the deposition stage. We will see.] 

“‘Despite the glaring failures in journalistic ethics and standards of accurate reporting, Defendants Dow Jones and News Corp. — at the direction of Defendants Murdoch and Thomson — published to the world the false, defamatory, and malignant statements authored by Defendants Safdar and Palazzolo,’ the filing reads. It continues: ‘Hundreds of millions of people have already viewed the false and defamatory statements published by Defendants. And given the timing of the Defendants’ article, which shows their malicious intent behind it, the overwhelming financial and reputational harms suffered by President Trump will continue to multiply.’.. 

“Trump’s name and those of some of his family members were listed in one of Epstein’s contact books, and Trump is mentioned as a passenger in flight logs for Epstein’s private jets. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club was regularly referenced during the criminal trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s associate, who was convicted of sex trafficking multiple women on Epstein’s behalf. One woman testified that Epstein, during the course of several years of abuse, took her to Mar-o-Lago and introduced her to Trump when she was 14 years old. Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers, who died by suicide in April, has testified that she and Maxwell were at Mar-a-Lago when Giuffre was recruited as a victim of Epstein’s.” 

Virginia Giuffre was famously pictured as a young underage girl together with Prince Andrew. She was “spotted one day by Epstein’s girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell while working a summer job, aged 15, at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach. Virginia described how she was ‘passed around like a platter of fruit’ among the Epstein and Maxwell’s friends until she managed to escape, aged 19” (The Times, dated July 1, 2025). 

In an interview with the New York Magazine in 2002, Trump said about Epstein: “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.” In turn, Epstein believed himself to be Trump’s “closest friend”. Eventually, they had a falling out in 2004 over a bidding war on a property in Florida. 

More appalling statements are made about the close relationship between Trump and Epstein in an article by the Guardian, dated July 18, 2025—too appalling to be repeated here. 

With his lawsuit, Trump might have opened up Pandora’s Box. Many feel, it might contribute to his downfall. Note the next article. 

Risk for Trump 

Focus Online wrote on July 20: 

“Trump’s lawsuit also poses risks for the president: The issue will remain a part of media coverage as long as the proceedings continue. Furthermore, the Journal’s lawyers could attempt to question Trump under oath as part of the trial… 

“It is certainly not expected that Donald Trump’s name will be visible [in released documents], especially since the Department of Justice has already indicated that it will redact large portions of the documents, particularly victim-related and personally identifiable information… 

“Nearly 80 percent of Americans want the government to release all documents it has on convicted child molester Epstein. And more than two-thirds, including half of Republicans, believe the government is covering up evidence.” 

MSN wrote on July 19 that the US president is facing an uncontrollable loss of power. 

Mossad and the Client List 

The Daily Mail wrote on July 20: 

“John Kiriakou, an ex-CIA officer who was jailed in 2012 for leaking the agency’s waterboarding interrogation techniques used at Guantanamo Bay, shared his views on the controversial pedophile [Epstein] – including his opinion on the alleged list of clients. Kiriakou… believes the alleged list… will not see the light of day because it holds incredibly valuable intelligence information that the CIA would never hand over simply because the public demanded to see it… 

“The CIA whistleblower specifically said he believes that Epstein, 66, was employed by Israel’s intelligence service Mossad – and that is why the list will not come out… Epstein’s convicted madame Ghislaine Maxwell’s family also had alleged ties to Mossad. Her father, Robert Maxwell, was allegedly an Israeli spy… ‘I believe there was a list, a client list. There had to have been. We know there was a black book… So where is it? Was it destroyed?…’ 

“Kiriakou isn’t the only one who believes Epstein allegedly worked for Mossad, as Tucker Carlson made the same claim earlier this month… Carlson questioned where all of the billionaire’s wealth came from, going from a math teacher to ‘having multiple airplanes, a private island, and the largest residential house in Manhattan.’”  

“As MAGA World Focuses on Epstein, Trump Seeks Focus on Anything Else” 

The Washington Post wrote on July 22: 

“Over the past 48 hours, President Donald Trump has asked his Truth Social followers ‘How did [former USAID administrator] Samantha Power make all of that money?’ He said he might scuttle a stadium deal if the Washington Commanders football team doesn’t change its name back to the Washington Redskins. He highlighted a memo from his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, that said Obama administration officials planned a ‘treasonous conspiracy in 2016’ aimed at Trump. Emphasizing the point, he posted an AI-generated video of Barack Obama being arrested in the Oval Office. 

“During a fusillade of posts on the social network he owns, Trump even released a three-minute mash-up of clips that would seem more at place on-screen at a sports bar than in a president’s official feed: a woman snatching an approaching snake from the grass, a car sliding under a truck barreling along a highway, and no fewer than four people doing tricks on motorcycles and jet skis. On Monday, Gabbard added another item to the list — announcing the release of hundreds of thousands of documents related to the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The through-line connecting those disparate posts? They have nothing to do with the political problem that has dogged Trump for weeks — the 2019 death of Jeffrey Epstein As the controversy over Epstein… has refused to dissipate, Trump and those closest to him have tried repeatedly to divert attention to other subjects, with limited success. 

“Republican strategist Alex Conant said the Epstein episode has called into question Trump’s ability to evade electoral consequences of actions that would kneecap other politicians. ‘Nobody turns the page better than Donald Trump,’ Conant said. ‘His entire first term was constantly changing narratives. We lost track of all the dramas because he’s always adding a new one to distract from the previous ones… Normally his base helps change the topic by latching on to a new outrage. But now he’s in a fight with his base’… efforts to change the subject have been so far unsuccessful, experts and observers say. Instead, new attention has focused on Trump’s own well-documented friendship with Epstein…  polls show that large majorities of the public believe the government is hiding facts about the Epstein case. As a result, the president… finds his political power threatened by a conspiracy theory he can’t shake. 

“… Russell Muirhead, a professor of democracy and politics at Dartmouth College and a Democratic state legislator from New Hampshire [said:] ‘… it looks like he’s just another elite, corrupt like all the rest, and that impression will remain, to some extent, regardless of whether this particular story is at the top of people’s attention.’”

Obama vs. Trump

The Daily Mail wrote on July 22:

“Former President Barack Obama tore into Donald Trump in a rare and blistering statement after the president dramatically accused him of ‘treason’ and said the Justice Department should probe his rival over the Russia ‘hoax.’  

“’Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response. But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one,’ said Patrick Rodenbush, a spokesman for Obama’s office…

“The former president’s spokesman then turned to the report of Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, who alleged that the Obama administration ‘manufactured and politicized intelligence’ against Trump. ‘Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes. These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio.’

“That last line needled Trump’s secretary of state and national security advisor, who was seated next to the president during his extended discourse on Obama and his team.”

Rubio sat there quietly and visibly uncomfortably. 

ICE Raids Invasive 

The Los Angeles Times wrote on July 18: 

“It might be hard for outsiders to realize how pervasive the Trump administration’s immigration raids feel here in Southern California. Friends describe relatives been pulled over for no apparent reason. Neighbors tell me of housekeepers and gardeners too afraid to come to work… the vast majority of those hauled away have had no prior criminal convictions… 

“A few of the actions stand out because of their size, like last week’s raid on Glass House Farms, the Camarillo cannabis operation. Federal officials arrested more than 300 people and one man trying to flee… fell to his death from the top of a greenhouse. The death of the 57-year-old worker reinforced the high stakes of the raids. 

“The arrests of 31 people at a Home Depot in Hollywood also got a fair amount of attention… 

“The Fashion and Flower District emptied out after the raids… people are carrying their passports, fearing the color of their skin could get them stopped. Day care centers stand quiet because parents are afraid if they leave their children there, they might not get to see them again… 

“American citizens swept up in the raids are among the ones that have troubled readers the most…” 

Many Americans still don’t recognize the horror caused by ICE and its discriminatory raids and arrests.

Horrible Abuses at US Detention Camps 

The Guardian, July 21: 

“Migrants at a Miami immigration jail were shackled with their hands tied behind their backs and made to kneel to eat food from styrofoam plates ‘like dogs’, according to a report published on Monday into conditions at three overcrowded south Florida facilities. The incident at the downtown federal detention center is one of a succession of alleged abuses at jails operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (Ice) in the state since January, chronicled by the advocacy groups Human Rights Watch, Americans for Immigrant Justice, and Sanctuary of the South from interviews with detainees. 

“Dozens of men had been packed into a holding cell for hours, the report said, and denied lunch until about 7pm. They remained shackled with the food on chairs in front of them… Degrading treatment by guards is commonplace in all three jails, the groups say. At the Krome North service processing center in west Miami, female detainees were made to use toilets in full view of men being held there, and were denied access to gender-appropriate care, showers or adequate food. 

“The jail was so far beyond capacity, some transferring detainees reported, that they were held for more than 24 hours in a bus in the parking lot. Men and women were confined together, and unshackled only when they needed to use the single toilet, which quickly became clogged… When the group was finally admitted into the facility, they said, many spent up to 12 days crammed into a frigid intake room they christened la hielera – the ice box – with no bedding or warm clothing, sleeping instead on the cold concrete floor… 

“Immigration detention numbers nationally were at an average of 56,400 a day in mid-June, with almost 72% having no criminal history, according to the report…” 

CBS News had already reported on this on July 9: 

“Cuban reggaeton artist Leamsy La Figura, arrested last week in Miami-Dade on assault charges, was transferred to South Florida’s new immigration detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz  in the Everglades, the singer confirmed in a phone call.  He and other detainees claim they are enduring inhumane conditions at the site, including lack of access to water, inadequate food and denial of religious rights… 

“In a phone call from inside the facility, La Figura described what he called horrific conditions… ‘They only brought a meal once a day and it had maggots. They never take off the lights for 24 hours. The mosquitoes are as big as elephants,’ La Figura said… Other detainees echoed La Figura’s concerns… A… detainee, who said he is Colombian, described deteriorating mental health and lack of access to necessary medical care… He also claimed his Bible was confiscated… 

“On Tuesday, state officials responded to the allegations made by detainees at the facility, saying they are ‘completely false’…” 

Of course, what else would they say? 

NBC Miami wrote on July 21: 

“Over the weekend, Miami’s archbishop prayed for the detainees outside the facility [“Alligator Alcatraz”]. The archbishop… wants to hold mass inside. That hasn’t been granted.” 

God Angry With the USA? 

The National Catholic Reporter (NCR) wrote on July 8: 

“President Donald Trump’s social media team at Homeland Security… has clearly not read any of Isaiah… The prophet famously includes the call to ‘make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.;’ … During a speech announcing the bombing of Iran, Trump invoked God. ‘I want to just say, we love you, God,’ Trump said… 

“It isn’t a stretch to imagine that if Isaiah were prophesizing today, the United States would be the subject of his righteous fury. And though many social media users were quick to admonish the administration, there were still thousands who… commented with apparent glee.”

Where Are the Deals? 

Express wrote on July 22: 

“In a stunning development that has sent shockwaves through Washington and the Trump political orbit, CNN interrupted its regular programming to air a scathing montage highlighting unfulfilled trade promises made by Donald Trump’s Commerce Secretary. The montage, released late Monday evening, compiled repeated assurances by Howard Lutnick, a close Trump ally and a key architect of the Trump administration’s economic agenda, claiming that significant trade deals were imminent. Trump once hailed him as a ‘brilliant negotiator’ but has now been exposed for making bold claims that, according to critics, were rooted in smoke and mirrors. 

“The visuals were striking: side-by-side clips showed Lutnick promising that trade deals were in their final stages, while official documents and expert analyses indicated that negotiations had either stalled or had never truly begun… This comes after President Donald Trump threatened on July 12 to impose a 30% tariff on imports from Mexico and the European Union starting on August 1. This threat followed weeks of failed negotiations with major U.S. trading partners to reach a comprehensive trade deal…” 

Subsequently, Trump announced a “massive” trade deal with Japan. But note the following articles. 

A Massive Deal with Japan? 

The Independent wrote on July 23:

“Japan agreed a trade deal that would see the US cut import tariffs on automobiles from the East Asian country from 25 per cent to 15 per cent. The deal is a significant boost to the Japanese automobile industry which sends over a quarter of its total exports to the US market… Trump described it as the ‘largest TRADE DEAL in history’ and an ‘exciting time for the United States of America’…

“The deal commits Japan to investing $550bn in the US economy. Prime minister Shigeru Ishiba confirmed the deal had been struck on Wednesday, just days after his ruling Liberal Democratic Party suffered a major loss in a key upper house election. Despite facing calls to step down in the wake of the loss, Mr Ishiba vowed to move forward with the agreement, insisting it didn’t compromise Japan’s agricultural interests… adding that US rice imports would remain within existing quotas.

“The agreement expands market access for American goods like automobiles, rice and other agricultural products. The full terms are still to be made public, however. Mr Ishiba said he would closely review the agreement before releasing it, noting his chief trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, had made eight trips to Washington since April to negotiate with treasury secretary Scott Bessent and commerce secretary Howard Lutnick.

“Japanese markets reacted positively to the deal… However, Japanese bond futures fell sharply, with the 10-year benchmark dropping 0.92 yen to its lowest since March… The dollar index fell for the third consecutive day…

“The agreement drew criticism from American carmakers who argued that the deal gave preferential treatment to Japanese imports. ‘Any deal that charges a lower tariff for Japanese imports with virtually no US content than the tariff imposed on North American-built vehicles… is a bad deal for US industry and US auto workers,’ said Matt Blunt, president of the American Automotive Policy Council. Tariffs on vehicles made in North America remain at 25 per cent…

“The new agreement does not address the longstanding issue of 50 per cent American tariff on Japanese steel and aluminium. It also excludes provisions related to defence budgets…”

There was some confusion regarding alleged Japanese investments in the USA. 

Confusion Abounds…

CNBC wrote on July 23:

“‘Japan will invest, at my direction, $550 Billion Dollars into the United States, which will receive 90% of the Profits,’ Trump wrote in the post… The card on Trump’s desk displays a 10% tariff, in addition to a 15% levy rate on the automotive, pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries. However, Trump said in his Truth Social post only that Japan would face a rate of 15%, without elaborating… Below the tariff rate, ‘$400B’ appears on the board in large lettering. The number four is crossed out, with ‘500’ written above it… Trump used a different figure in his post than even the altered amount on the card, saying in the post that Japan would invest $550 billion in the U.S. It is not clear why the amount in his post was $50 billion higher than the altered amount on the card…

“Wall Street was left a bit confused by the terms of the deal. Andy Laperriere, head of U.S. policy research at Piper Sandler, said Japanese officials are ‘describing it differently’ when it comes to the investment plan. Japan’s leaders, he said, see the $550 billion figure as a cap and inclusive of government loan guarantees. ‘Especially given that the Japanese believe they are being bullied into this commitment, they will almost certainly slow walk whatever investments they don’t think are in their own economic self-interest,’ Laperriere wrote to clients in a Wednesday note.”

Please read our Editorial this week, titled, “They Are Lying to Us!” 

US Government Destroys Contraceptives Worth Almost 10 Million Dollars 

The Guardian wrote on July 18: 

“The Trump administration has decided to destroy $9.7m worth of contraceptives rather than send them abroad to women in need. A state department spokesperson confirmed that the decision had been made – a move that will cost US taxpayers $167,000. The contraceptives are primarily long-acting, such as IUDs and birth control implants, and were almost certainly intended for women in Africa, according to two senior congressional aides, one of whom visited a warehouse in Belgium that housed the contraceptives. It is not clear to the aides whether the destruction has already been carried out, but said they had been told that it was set to occur by the end of July… 

“The department decided to destroy the contraceptives because it could not sell them to any ‘eligible buyers’, in part because of US laws and rules that prohibit sending US aid to organizations that provide abortion services, counsel people about the procedure or advocate for the right to it overseas, according to the state department spokesperson. Most of the contraceptives have less than 70% of their shelf life left before they expire, the spokesperson said, and rebranding and selling the contraceptives could cost several million dollars. 

“However, the aide who visited the warehouse said that the earliest expiration date they saw on the contraceptives was 2027, and that two-thirds of the contraceptives did not have any USAID labels that would need to be rebranded. 

“The eradication of the contraceptives is part of the Trump administration’s months-long demolition of the Agency for International Development (USAID), the largest funding agency for humanitarian and development aid in the world. After the unofficial ‘department of government efficiency’ (Doge) erased 83% of USAID’s programs, [secretary of state Marco] Rubio announced in June that USAID’s entire international workforce would be abolished and its foreign assistance programs would be moved to the State Department… In total, the funding cuts to USAID could lead to more than 14m additional deaths by 2030, according to a recent study published in the journal the Lancet. A third of those deaths could be children. 

“‘If you have an unintended pregnancy and you end up having to seek unsafe abortion, it’s quite likely that you will die,’ said Sarah Shaw, the associate director of advocacy at MSI Reproductive Choices, a global family planning organization that works in nearly 40 countries. ‘If you’re not given the means to space or limit your births, you’re putting your life at risk or your child’s life at risk.’ 

“MSI tried to purchase the contraceptives from the US government, Shaw said. But the government would only accept full price – which Shaw said the agency could not afford, given that MSI would also have to shoulder the expense of transporting the contraceptives and the fact that they are inching closer to their expiration date, which could affect MSI’s ability to distribute them. 

The state department spokesperson did not specifically respond to a request for comment on Shaw’s allegation, but MSI does provide abortions as part of its global work, which may have led the department to rule it out as an ‘eligible buyer’…” 

This is another example of the rotten world with its evil demonic systems we are living in. 

500 Tons of Emergency Food to Be Destroyed 

The Atlantic wrote on July 14: 

“Five months into its unprecedented dismantling of foreign-aid programs, the Trump administration has given the order to incinerate food instead of sending it to people abroad who need it. Nearly 500 metric tons of emergency food—enough to feed about 1.5 million children for a week—are set to expire…, according to current and former government employees with direct knowledge of the rations. 

“Within weeks, two of those sources told me, the food, meant for children in Afghanistan and Pakistan, will be ash…” 

Doing Away With Capital Gains Tax on Home Sales? 

The New York Post wrote on July 22: 

“President Trump said Tuesday he is considering eliminating the capital gains tax on home sales — a potentially massive financial break for sellers… Trump was responding to a question from Real America Voice reporter Brian Glenn, who is in a relationship with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The Georgia GOP congresswoman recently introduced a bill in Congress calling for the elimination of the tax on home sales… 

“Minutes earlier, the president had unloaded on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not lowering interest rates. ‘It’s causing a problem for people who want to buy a home,’ Trump said… claiming that Powell will be out in ‘eight months’— despite his term expiring May 15… The president said the housing market could be unleashed ‘just by lowering the interest rates.’ 

“Single tax-filers can currently exclude a maximum of $250,000 in capital gains when they sell their homes, a limit that has been in place since 1997. Joint filers can exclude up to $500,000. ‘Families who work hard, build equity and sell their homes should not be punished with massive tax bills,’ Greene said in a statement about her bill. ‘The capital gains tax on home sales is an outdated, unfair burden…’ The elimination of capital gains tax would have to be passed by Congress.” 

This would be a step in the right direction. The fewer taxes, the better. 

Britain to Lower Voting Age to 16 

Semafor wrote on July 17:

“Britain’s government said it would lower the country’s voting age to 16 before the next general election in a bid to increase democratic participation. The proposal to allow 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in general elections represents the biggest change to the electorate since the voting age was reduced from 21 to 18 in 1969…

“The move to extend the franchise was part of the governing Labour Party’s manifesto: Labour argued that the change would bring greater fairness to 16- and 17-year-olds, many of whom already work and are eligible to serve in the military.” 

What stupidity! So, one evil is used to justify the next.

 Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:

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

In order to address this question, we need to know what a universalist is.

Wikipedia states the following: “The fundamental idea of Christian universalism is universal reconciliation – that all humans will eventually receive salvation. They will eventually enter God’s kingdom in Heaven, through the grace and works of the Lord Jesus Christ.”   They also have this reference:

“Otis Ainsworth Skinner (1807-1861), A Series of Sermons in Defense of the Doctrine of Universal Salvation, Page 209, [points out that universalism] is not part of mainline Christian doctrine either Catholic or Protestant. [He writes that] ‘Repentance is a means by which all men are brought into the enjoyment of religion, and we do expect any man will be saved while he continues in sin. However, Unitarian Universalism holds a universal salvation, because… ‘we expect all men will repent.’”

The Free Dictionary similarly defines universalism as “the doctrine held especially by some Christian groups, that all people will eventually be saved.”

On the website universalist.org under the heading “Who Are We?,” we read:

“We are a liberal, Universalist Christian church–liberal in that we have no creedal test for membership, Universalist in our belief in the final harmony of all souls with God, and Christian in that our mission is to create a loving community for worship and service in the spirit of Jesus Christ. We are a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA).”

We learn from Learn Religions.com that “Some universalists believe that after a certain cleansing period, God will free the inhabitants of hell and reconcile them to himself. Others say that after death, people will have another opportunity to choose God. For some who adhere to universalism, the doctrine also implies that there are many ways to get into heaven.”

On the website britannica.com, we read the following:

“From the beginning, Universalists have differed widely in matters of belief. Attempts to write statements of faith, one as late as 1935, met with only partial success. Liberalism, freedom of individual interpretation, tolerance of diversity, agreement on methods of approaching theological and church issues, and belief in the inherent dignity of each person have been the strongest elements keeping the movement together. Universalists generally stress the use of reason in religion and modification of belief in the light of the discoveries of science. Thus, the miraculous elements of traditional Christianity are rejected as incompatible with modern knowledge. Jesus is considered a great teacher and an example worthy of imitation, but he is not held to be divine. A broader conception of Universalism began to emerge in the 20th century. Although stressing their ties to the Christian tradition, Universalists were exploring the universal elements of religion and seeking closer relationships with non-Christian religions.”

There are many issues to be addressed from all of the above information.  Let us firstly address the belief that all humans will eventually receive salvation.

If everyone will eventually receive salvation (as it was stated by the Free Dictionary, quoted above), it simply does not matter, nor does it make any difference, how we live our lives.   The word “eventually” is interesting as it can give the impression that someone who may have lived an evil life may have to go through some “hoops” in order to finally receive their salvation.   If that was correct, it would be against all that the Bible teaches.

Let us review a few Scriptures that show behavior really does matter.

We read in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 with our emphasis underlined:

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?   Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

We read here that some used to behave in a wrong and sinful manner, before they became converted and members of the church of God,  but we also read in Proverbs 26:11:

“As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly,” meaning that some Church members could turn back to their former life. Therefore, anyone who has gone off the straight and narrow way and has not repented and got back on track will not be in the Kingdom of God.

Further, in 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, we read:

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” Paul says they have to hold fast to that which he preached to them.

Hebrews 10:26 is also instructive:

“For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.” So again, anyone who has been converted can still go off track and sin wilfully and will not be continuing in the Truth. For such a person, the consequences are dire.

We further read in 2 Peter 2:20-22:

“For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 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. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and, ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.’”

We know that at the end time, the love of many will grow cold.   We read in Matthew 24:12:

“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” The love mentioned here is “agape” which is godly love and applies to Church members.  Unconverted people of this world do not have godly love within them and, because of lawlessness, the love of many in the Church will grow cold. When that happens, those who lose this godly love will not make it into the Kingdom of God unless they repent quickly of this and return to fully following the Way of God.

We also know that there will be a falling away from the Truth at the end of the age, as we read in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3:

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.”

The time frame is obviously the end time as it talks about the man of sin or the false prophet, and verse 10 is very telling in the context of the “once saved, always saved” belief of some.  It states: “… and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” The love of the Truth is vital to our salvation; without it, we will lose out!

1 Timothy 4:1 is also a revealing piece of Scripture:

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” Departing from the faith, for whatever reason, will be a terrible position to be in unless there is true repentance.

And in Hebrews 6:4-6, we read:

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”

Can true Christians lose their salvation? Yes!  Once saved, always saved? The Bible gives an emphatic NO to that question also.  If we’re saved now and we can’t lose out whatever we do, where’s the motivation? Why continue to grow and overcome? There would be no need, as the matter would be unchangeable, irrespective of our future behavior. However, the Scriptures clearly tell us that we must grow and overcome AND endure to the end.   We are instructed in 2 Peter 3:18 to “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.”

We read in Revelation 3:11:

“Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown,” which clearly indicates that we could lose out.   The crown referred to is the crown of righteousness which we read about in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

And so, according to the above reference, the apostle Paul understood that he could be disqualified and not receive his crown.   That goes against the teaching that we have been reviewing.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Politicians, Wars and the Lies of This World,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:  

Why do we in God’s Church refuse to vote in governmental elections, to join the military and to fight in war? The answer is simple, and it has to do with the lies with which we are bombarded on a daily basis. Do you recognize those lies in their many different forms? What are some of those lies?  And do you believe God and the Truth, or Satan and his lying politicians?

“Politiker, Kriege und die Lügen dieser Welt,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers similar topics as described above.

“Was wäre der Mensch ohne die Tierwelt?”  last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Patrick Flück, is now posted. Title in English: “What Would Humans Be Without The Animal World?”

“Akeya – Where Are You?” last Sabbath’s first split sermon, presented by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted.

“Futile Excuses,” last Sabbath’s second split sermon, presented by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

What are some excuses that we may have said in our lifetime, especially when we were younger, that we have used to persuade ourselves from diligently studying God’s Word and keeping His Sabbaths correctly? What can we learn from the several young individuals in the Bible who obeyed God, and how can we, as children of God, continue to grow spiritually, making sure that we succeed?

On July 19, 2025, Kalon Mitchell will present the first split sermon, titled, “Akeya – Where Are You?”  and Michael Link will present the second split sermon, titled, “Futile Excuses.”

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.

In my business of industrial recycling, I handle items that are traded through the scrap metals market. Recently, due to an increase in stolen commodities being sold in the Denver, Colorado, area, very strict laws covering identifying anyone selling things like scrap copper, brass or aluminum have been enacted.

The identification process involves a personal signature on an electronic screen. However, also included is a statement which begins with, “I swear and affirm that I am the legal owner of the property…” Of course, I could not verify in this manner due to what Jesus instructed in Matthew 5:33-37 regarding not swearing. As a result, I won’t be able to do my business in this particular city.

Typically, choosing to affirm is an acceptable alternative to swearing in such matters. In this case, though, the scrap company was operating under a county-wide mandate and could not accept just affirming. This is a company I have conducted business with for almost forty years. Fortunately, I do have other areas to sell my material.

My experience illustrates what Jesus said of those who follow Him:

“‘I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world’” (John 17:14-16).

In small ways and sometimes in big ways, we are reminded that being a Christian means that we don’t fit in this world, its governments, businesses or religious practices. Sabbath and Holy Day observances set us apart. Refusal to join in military service, not voting or being involved in political elections, rejecting jury participation and following biblical guidelines for such things as marriage, foods we eat and don’t eat, keeping God’s weekly and annual Holy Days and rejecting this world’s pagan holidays, or simply how we conduct ourselves in society at large, are among some of the ways in which we are, and must be, different.

The lesson I take away from my recent experience is that we can unexpectedly come face to face with challenges that may test us to stand up for the Truth and to reaffirm that we are indeed “not of this world.” At times like this, it is helpful to be reminded of what Paul wrote:

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…” (Philippians 3:20).

by Norbert Link

We speak about upheavals in Germany’s coalition government, especially involving Jens Spahn, leader of the CDU/CSU parties; continue with President Trump’s controversial tariffs and trade war policies; and address ongoing raids which are based many times on racial profiling, causing tremendous collateral damage. Please watch a recent message, titled, “Do You Love or Hate a Stranger?” 

We speak about the Epstein scandal which might prove to be Trump’s Achilles’ Heel. Please note our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “The Epstein Scandal—No Murder and No Client List?” 

We also report on court decisions and numerous federal judges standing up to, what is perceived to be, Trump’s unconstitutional executive orders.

We conclude with the powerful Houthis; Iran’s call for Trump’s assassination; more weapons for Ukraine; Canadians’ perspective on the USA;  and developments in Spain.

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

Jens Spahn Faces Criticism Over Ongoing Costs From Mask Purchases 

The Munich Eye wrote on July 7: 

“The ongoing financial implications of mask procurement during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to draw scrutiny, particularly towards Jens Spahn, the former Health Minister of Germany. Despite the passage of time since the initial purchases, the federal government is still grappling with substantial follow-up costs associated with the acquisition of protective masks. According to a report by the Federal Court of Auditors submitted to the Bundestag’s Budget Committee, there remains a significant stockpile of 800 million masks as of 2024, for which no effective distribution strategy has been established. The expenses related to managing this excess procurement have surged by EUR57 million, totaling EUR517 million in 2024. Projections for the current year indicate an allocation of EUR45 million, with an anticipated total expenditure of EUR67.3 million for the years 2026 and 2027. This figure includes costs for storage, logistics, destruction of unused supplies, external consultancy, and legal advice. 

“Spahn is under increasing pressure due to the procurement strategies employed by the Health Ministry during his tenure. In 2020, the Ministry engaged directly in the procurement process, entering into fixed-price contracts without prior negotiations, which led to disputes with suppliers over unaccepted deliveries. The Federal Court of Auditors highlighted that the Ministry spent approximately EUR5.9 billion on 5.8 billion masks, yet only 1.7 billion were distributed domestically. Consequently, a significant portion of the procured masks had to be destroyed or remains pending destruction. 

“In response to the looming possibility of an inquiry, Spahn expressed a calm demeanor… He defended his actions during the pandemic, arguing that decisions made during that time should be contextualized within the crisis and criticized what he described as malicious allegations against him… However, subsequent investigations by several media outlets revealed that Spahn had played a crucial role in the mask procurement process, allegedly leading to inflated purchasing costs, favoring associates, and neglecting proper needs assessments. Spahn has denied all allegations of impropriety… 

“As discussions continue regarding the implications of the mask procurement strategy, further inquiries and testimonies are expected in the upcoming sessions of the Bundestag’s Budget and Health Committees.”

Germany’s Judicial Appointments Postponed 

Deutsche Welle reported on July 11: 

“The conservative CDU/CSU bloc has pushed for postponing the vote on one of the [three] judges… The union’s junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats, were outraged by the decision… The conservative bloc, made up of the CDU and the allied Bavarian… CSU, requested postponing the vote on the appointment of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf following plagiarism allegations. Brosius-Gersdorf’s candidacy was put forth by the… SPD, the junior partner in the ruling coalition. 

“The conservatives had already expressed skepticism over her liberal stance on abortions and her support for mandatory vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic… A two-thirds majority is needed for judges to be elected to the high court. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has said it would support [Federal Labour Court judge Günter] Spinner [who was proposed by the CDU], but not the SPD candidates. The conservative may be reliant on AfD votes to get its candidate through as it has so far rejected talks with the Left Party. However, votes are secret so it will not necessarily be clear if the AfD votes are what gets Spinner across the line.” 

But there is much more going on behind the scenes than meets the eye. Especially “power-hungry” Jens Spahn is again in the midst of controversy. 

Note the next article. 

This Disaster Has a Name: Jens Spahn 

Bild Online published the following commentary by lead author Peter Tiede on July 11: 

“A catastrophic day for our parliament!… The election of three lawyers to Germany’s highest court has become a scandal today. A monstrous embarrassment for parliament, the constitutional court, and the country. A brutal blow to this coalition. A subterranean dismantling of a lawyer. A unique event in the history of our parliament. And this scandal… bears two names: that of Chancellor Friedrich Merz and, above all, that of Jens Spahn, his CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader. 

“Because: Spahn should have fixed all this for Merz. Spahn should have recognized that his parliamentary group would NOT elect the SPD candidate for the highest court with a majority. Now, the scandal’s glaring traces are also sticking with Merz. Spahn should have protected Merz, his own parliamentary group, and, above all, his coalition partner from this damage. Spahn slept through this for weeks, or underestimated it, or let it run. 

“But almost worse than his failure at work… is his cowardice. Because what happened that Friday morning was cowardly: Spahn hid behind a flimsy, barely investigated accusation of plagiarism against the SPD’s candidate for judge. When it became clear that even individual discussions with MPs who did not want to vote for the SPD candidate were fruitless, when it became clear that many dissenters had NOT contacted HIM, Spahn hid behind the plagiarism hedge. And then the star witness, the plagiarism hunter, came along and said: He never mentioned plagiarism. And whoosh: the hedge was gone! Behind it was a caught Jens Spahn. And a duped chancellor. 

“For this coalition… the debacle is a catastrophe. Brutal for Merz: The SPD now has every reason for bloody revenge. It can now demand even higher prices for everything it doesn’t actually want, but which is agreed upon in the coalition agreement. From pensions to citizen’s income to investments – the SPD can demand, block, and pay back. Thanks to Spahn, it can lead Merz around the ring. There’s only one thing, according to SPD leadership, the SPD can no longer do: work with Jens Spahn in a spirit of trust. And so Friedrich Merz must ask himself whether he can and wants to continue to rely on Spahn, whether [Spahn] has the trust of his parliamentary group – and whether he, the Chancellor, can still expect the SPD to put up with this Jens Spahn. 

“Merz had also been warned from within his own ranks against appointing the power-hungry Spahn as parliamentary group leader. He did it anyway. Even though Spahn, as Minister of Health, is under massive pressure due to the procurement of masks during the coronavirus pandemic. Spahn has been in self-defense mode for weeks. And now it’s obvious that Merz was wrong, that Spahn can’t do both: take care of himself and the parliamentary group; cover both his own back AND the Chancellor’s. 

“Today’s election disaster is far worse than a million pointless or overpriced masks… The damage to Merz, the CDU/CSU, and Spahn is one thing. The damage to our country is something else entirely: Friedrich Merz and the CDU/CSU must ask themselves what and who they want to continue to subject us to. Because our country has never seen such a scandalous drama as today. This must not go without consequences…” 

t-online reported on July 13 that Merz clearly supported Spahn and described the process as “undramatic.” Due to tremendous pressure, Spahn has finally admitted that he has “some” culpability and liability for the disaster.   

And More and More Tariffs 

Thomson/Reuters wrote on July 11: 

“U.S. customs duty collections jumped again in June as President Donald Trump’s tariffs gained steam, topping $100 billion for the first time during a fiscal year and helping to produce a surprise $27 billion budget surplus for the month, the Treasury Department reported on Friday. The budget data showed that tariffs are starting to build into a significant revenue contributor for the federal government, with customs duties in June hitting new records… 

“Trump has long touted tariffs as a lucrative revenue source, saying on Tuesday that ‘the big money’ would start to flow in after he imposes higher ‘reciprocal’ tariffs on U.S. trading partners on Aug. 1. Trump disagrees with economists who consistently say those taxes are paid by U.S. consumers and importers… tariffs have now grown into the fourth-largest revenue source for the federal government… 

“… the president has put his tariff assault into overdrive, announcing 50% levies on copper imports and goods from Brazil and a 35% tariff on Canadian goods, all due to start on Aug. 1. The Trump administration is preparing more sector-based tariffs on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.” 

Trade War Continues 

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 12: 

“The US is set to impose a 30% tariff on all goods from the European Union from August 1, 2025… The 27-member bloc and the US failed to reach an agreement to strike a comprehensive trade deal, including zero-for-zero tariffs on industrial goods…. The US president said the trade relationship with the EU has been ‘unfortunately, far from Reciprocal,’ as such ‘we will charge the European Union a Tariff of only 30%.’ Trump has frequently described tariffs as charges on other countries, but in reality, the charge is usually paid by the consumer within the US. Tariffs make imported goods more expensive and thus less competitive… 

“The German economy, the biggest in Europe, is heavily reliant on exports and thus particularly vulnerable to a trade war with the US. 

“European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is prepared to take the necessary steps to safeguard its economic interests if the US proceeds with imposing a 30% tariff rate on EU exports…’ including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required.’” 

Trump also announced a 30% tariff against Mexico. The AP wrote: “With Saturday’s letters, Trump has now issued tariff conditions on 24 countries and the 27-member European Union.” 

Politico wrote on July 12: 

“GOP warning sign in new poll: Trump’s voters don’t love his tariffs… About 1 in 4 self-identified 2024 Trump voters… said last month that the president’s tariffs are hurting the United States’ ability to negotiate better trade deals with other countries. They’re also evenly divided on whether Trump should have the ability to unilaterally impose tariffs on other countries in the first place, with 45 percent saying he should and 44 percent saying he should get approval from Congress 

“… while the tariffs he has raised on imports like steel, aluminum and auto parts, as well as a baseline 10 percent duty on all foreign goods, have brought in billions of dollars, they are paid for by the companies and individuals importing the goods — costs many companies pass onto their consumers.” 

Crazy! 

EU’s Proposed Retaliatory Tariffs 

Politico wrote on July 14:

“The European Union is looking at targeting €72 billion in U.S. goods in a second round of trade countermeasures, including aircraft, cars and car parts… 

“The bulk of those exports targeted are industrial goods, totaling €65.7 billion, while €6.4 billion in agricultural products would also be hit if EU countries back the new retaliatory tariffs. The list includes bourbon whiskey… The biggest line item in the 200-page list is aircraft and aircraft parts, with tariffs set to target almost €11 billion of U.S. exports — potentially dealing a heavy blow to plane maker Boeing… 

“Then comes machinery, followed by cars and car parts; chemicals and plastics; medical devices and equipment; electrical equipment; and industrial goods — all of which fall into multibillion-euro categories.” 

Chaotic Raid on California Cannabis Farm 

The New York Post wrote on July 11: 

“A migrant farm worker died after sustaining ‘catastrophic’ injuries from a 30-foot fall during Thursday’s chaotic immigration raid at a southern California marijuana farm… The worker… suffered a broken neck and skull, along with a severed artery, after immigration agents descended on Glass House Farms in Camarillo during a large-scale operation that erupted into a violent scene as authorities clashed with dozens of demonstrators… 

“Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the worker wasn’t being pursued by federal authorities when he climbed onto the roof of a green house and fell… Several other farm workers were also critically injured during the raid, which resulted in the arrest of about 200 migrants suspected of being in the country illegally. US citizens were also detained, with some still unaccounted for, farm union officials said. 

“Ten migrant youths, most of them who crossed the border unaccompanied, were also found at the Ventura County pot farm… The facility is now under investigation for child labor violations… Glass House Farms has since denied claims that it violated hiring regulations or employed minors. The farm, which uses half of its space for cannabis while the other is dedicated to tomatoes and cucumbers, said it ‘fully complied with agent search warrants’ ahead of the immigration operation… Thursday’s raid is believed to be the largest carried out under the Trump administration…. 

“President Trump announced Friday that he’s granting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents ‘Total Authorization’ to arrest violent protestors following [the] chaotic California cannabis farm raid that resulted in rocks being hurled at federal law enforcement vehicles. The angry mob attempted to block a road between farm fields and several agitators appeared to be hurling rocks at the officers, who used canisters with an unknown substance and fired less-than-lethal rounds in an effort to get the crowd to retreat, according to ABC 7. 

“One man among the crowd of protesters appeared to fire a gun at advancing agents. The FBI is offering a reward up to $50,000 for information leading to the apparent shooter’s conviction.

Officers speeding away from the scene in SUVs and vans were also pelted with several large rocks… 

These violent confrontations will continue. They were so predictable. This won’t end well. 

Homan Admits: ICE Engaged in Racial Profiling 

Mediaite wrote on July 11: 

“President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, sparked a wave of angry reactions on Friday after he told Fox News that border patrol doesn’t need probable cause to detain suspected illegal migrants… ‘[They just need] articulable facts based on the location, the occupation, their physical appearance, their actions…’” 

The Forgotten Victims 

MSN wrote on July 12: 

“Federal immigration agents raided a Home Depot in Barstow last month and arrested a man who had his 3-year-old pit bull, Chuco, with him. A friend managed to grab Chuco from the scene and bring him back to the garage where he lives. The dog’s owner was deported to Mexico the next day. Pets belonging to people who are deported or flee are being left in empty apartments, dumped into the laps of unprepared friends and dropped off at overcrowded shelters… Unless people do take the initiative [and get the pets out], those animals will starve to death in those backyards or those homes… Yet with many animal refuges operating at capacity, it can be difficult to find temporary homes… Pets are like the collateral damage to the current political climate… 

“Animals suffer from the emotional strain of separation and unceremonious change when their owners vanish, experts said. When a mother and three young daughters from Nicaragua who were pursuing asylum in the U.S. were unexpectedly deported in May following a routine hearing, they left behind their beloved senior dog. She was taken in by the mother’s stepmom. Not long after, the small dog had to be ushered into surgery to treat a life-threatening mass. The small dog is on the mend physically, but ‘is clearly depressed, barely functioning and missing her family,’ the stepmother wrote… She is used to spending all day with the girls and sleeping with them at night, the stepmom said. From Nicaragua, the girls have been asking to get their dog back. For now, they’re using FaceTime.” 

LA Judge Orders ICE to Stop 

NPR wrote on July 11: 

“A federal judge in Los Angeles [who is black and was appointed by Joe Biden] ordered the Trump administration to stop carrying out immigration sweeps in which she said federal agents have been indiscriminately arresting people across southern California without reasonable suspicion that they’re in the country illegally. Since early June, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Border Patrol and other federal agencies have been roving Los Angeles and surrounding counties arresting thousands of people in what civil rights lawyers characterized in a lawsuit last week as an unconstitutional and ‘extraordinary campaign of targeting people based on nothing more than the color of their skin.’ 

“In her order, Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, said there is ‘a mountain of evidence’ to support the claim that agents are arresting people solely based on their race, accents, or the work they’re engaged in, in violation of the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable government seizure. ‘The seizures at issue occurred unlawfully,’ Frimpong wrote. 

“She issued two temporary restraining orders — one prohibiting immigration agents from arresting people without reasonable suspicion that they’re in the country illegally, and the other requiring agents to give people they arrest immediate access to lawyers. The orders, which apply to Los Angeles and six surrounding counties, are temporary while the case moves forward. But they could severely restrict the Trump administration’s ability to continue carrying out the raids that have sown fear and terror in immigrant and Latino neighborhoods since they started on June 6… 

“In a statement, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin criticized the ruling. ‘A district judge is undermining the will of the American people,’ McLaughlin said. ‘America’s brave men and women are removing murderers, MS-13 gang members, pedophiles, rapists — truly the worst of the worst from Golden State communities. Law and order will prevail.’ 

“But the ruling is the latest potential roadblock for President Trump as he escalates his immigration crackdown by focusing on large, Democratic-run cities whose leaders he’s accused of trying to sabotage his efforts to carry out his mass deportation plans. 

“It came a little more than a week after Public Counsel, the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups filed an emergency class action lawsuit alleging that ICE and Border Patrol agents are engaged in widespread racial profiling, arresting people they encounter in public solely because they have brown skin or because they’re doing work often done by immigrants. Since early June, agents have repeatedly raided known hubs for Latino workers, including car washes, day laborer gathering spots, and street vendor corners. They’ve also pulled people who appear to be Latino out of their cars, and picked them up from bus stops and on sidewalks. They’ve arrested immigrants without legal status and U.S. citizens alike. Many of the arrests have been filmed by bystanders and posted to social media… 

“Judge Frimpong said during Thursday’s hearing that she was skeptical of the government’s general assurances that immigration agents are not arresting people arbitrarily… Whether immigration agents will scale back their aggressive tactics in response to the judge’s order is unclear…”

California’s Original King of Deportation 

The Los Angeles Times wrote on July 12: 

“He sent federal immigration agents into Southern California communities, farms and workplaces vowing to drive ‘illegal aliens’ back across the border. His raids regularly netted hundreds of arrests a day and he once boasted about apprehending 70,000 people in a single month in San Diego County alone. 

“When L.A. declared itself a ‘sanctuary city’ for Central American migrants, he vowed to have Washington cut off the city’s federal funding. He took pride in arresting undocumented workers when they showed up to collect their lottery winnings… Before Donald Trump and Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem, there was Harold Ezell. 

“Ezell… ran one of — if not the — biggest deportation operation in California history… using his troops to, as he put it, turn back the ‘invasion’ and return America to ‘Americans’… 

“Ezell himself admitted in 1986 that all the arrests were not keeping up with the estimated 2,000 new border crossings each day. He insisted it was about sending a message. That same year, Congress passed the landmark Immigration Reform and Control Act, which gave a path to citizenship to more than three million immigrants here illegally… 

“Ezell eventually became a major supporter of Proposition 187, the California measure that prohibited undocumented workers from receiving public assistance. The measure passed, but it began a political backlash to anti-immigration policies. Changing attitudes and demographics made California much more supportive of immigration as a benefit to the economy and the culture… Ezell died in 1998… the extremism of the 1980s and 1990s anti-immigration movement were also the seeds of its destruction… Stephen Miller should learn well from Ezell, but not in the way he would like to think… History has not been kind to Ezell… that’s how history is already remembering Miller…” 

“Support For Immigration Reaches Historic High in US Despite Trump Crusade” 

El País wrote on July 12: 

“Against the backdrop of an unprecedented crusade against migrants, the United States is experiencing a surprising turnaround in public perception on immigration, according to a recent Gallup poll. Despite the fact that this was one of the issues that marked the presidential election and delivered the presidency to Donald Trump just eight months ago, support for immigration in the country has now reached record highs, even among Republicans. About 8-in-10 Americans, 79%, say immigration is ‘a good thing’ for the country today, up sharply from 64% a year ago and a high point in a nearly 25-year trend. In contrast, only two in 10 U.S. adults say immigration is a bad thing, down from 32% last year. 

“The poll, conducted between the 2nd and 26th of June, shows that the change in perception is across the political spectrum. While Democrats remain the most positive on immigration, at 91%, there was also a significant increase among Independents and Republicans over the last year: from 64% to 79%, and from 39% to 64%, respectively…. 

“More specifically, when asked about their opinion of President Trump’s immigration policy, only 35% approve of his administration’s management on migration, while 62% disapprove. Among Hispanics, support drops to 21%, 14 points below the national average, reflecting their strong opposition to policies such as mass detentions and deportations. However, the partisan breakdown on this point is stark: 85% of Republicans approve of Trump’s work on immigration, compared to just 28% of independents and a minimal 2% of Democrats. In contrast, 81% of Democrats report ‘strong’ disapproval.” 

Hundreds at Alligator Alcatraz Without Criminal Charges 

The Miami Herald wrote on July 15: 

“Hundreds of immigrants with no criminal charges in the United States are being held at Alligator Alcatraz, a detention facility state and federal officials have characterized as a place where ‘vicious’ and ‘deranged psychopaths’ are sent before they get deported… Mixed among the detainees accused and convicted of crimes are more than 250 people who are listed as having only immigration violations but no criminal convictions or pending charges in the United States… 

“A third of the detainees have criminal convictions. Their charges range from attempted murder to illegal re-entry to traffic violations. Hundreds of others only have pending charges… The information… suggests that scores of migrants without criminal records have been targeted in the state and federal dragnet to catch and deport immigrants living illegally in Florida… 

“Nationally, nearly half of detainees in ICE custody as of late June were being held for immigration violations and did not have a criminal conviction or charge…” 

And so, we are consistently being lied to. Note the next article

Mistrust the Government

The Ron Paul Institute published the following article on July 14 which was written by Ron Paul in his weekly column:

“The willingness of so many Trump allies to openly criticize the Epstein announcement and other actions like the bombing of Iran is a positive development. Advancing liberty requires that more people refuse to automatically trust government officials, whether concerning Epstein, wars, the economy, or other important matters… 

“Those who understand the philosophy, history, and economics of liberty can explain that it is not just that some government officials lie. Instead, all governments lie, and the more important the issue the bigger the lie. In fact, the modern state is built on a series of lies…

“Exposing such lies is key for restoring liberty…” 

So true! That’s why converted Christians must not have anything to do with it. 

Mistrust the (Fake) Media

The Record wrote on July 14:

“A Kremlin-linked disinformation group has been impersonating real journalists and publishing fake articles on spoofed news websites to spread false narratives in France, Armenia, Germany, Moldova and Norway, researchers have found… Storm-1516 used the names and photos of legitimate reporters on bylines to lend credibility to false claims published on the fake news sites…

“A fake article targeting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz claimed that he had illegally killed a family of polar bears during a hunting trip in Canada. The story was unsigned but listed several staff members of the Toronto Star as authors, none of whom were involved…” 

Is Trump Falling Apart Over Epstein? 

Showbiz411 wrote on July 12:

“The presidency is falling apart [over] Pam Bondi’s announcement that no Epstein files exist. They existed a short time ago, of course, when binders were waved around reading ‘Epstein Files.’… We can imagine Trump is [in the files] since Epstein called him his best friend and there is plenty of video evidence of their hanging out together. 

“So what does Trump do? He announces this morning, apropos of nothing, that he might revoke Rosie O’Donnell’s citizenship. Rosie has been living in Ireland just to get away from the madness here. She’s very much a US citizen, born in New York to American parents. 

“Trump knows he can’t do this, but it’s a misdirection, a fake out to get the press off the Epstein story. He also announced 30% tariffs on the UK and EU today. He’s trying to get away from the court ruling last night stopping ICE from acting like the gestapo. Trump is losing bigly. Trump also lost his final appeal to not pay E. Jean Carroll $5 million in the sex abuse case.”

Trump Responds… But Fails 

NBC News wrote on July 13: 

“On the weekend President Donald Trump decided to pick his biggest political fight to date with the MAGA base he created in his own image, thousands of his adherents were gathered together… Trump pulled the rug out from his base Saturday evening when he released a lengthy social media post that completely dismissed the importance of the issue, which has consumed the right for the past week — and longer…

“Trump’s supporters have gone along with him through every scandal and policy shift. When he made a decision, his base backed him. But the Epstein issue is challenging this alliance like never before... There was no escaping the topic of the Epstein files this weekend in Tampa, with many attendees and speakers calling for Bondi to be fired — even as Trump sent the clear message that he wants his supporters to move on…

“Former Florida state Rep. Anthony Sabatini, who was among Trump’s biggest supporters when in the state Legislature and was in attendance at the event, called Trump’s Truth Social post ‘out of touch.’ 

“On the main stage at the Student Action Summit on Friday night, Megyn Kelly, a high-profile conservative commentator and Trump supporter, asked crowd a simple question: Bondi or Bongino? ‘Bongino!’ the crowd screamed in unison Friday night. ‘It’s 7,000 to 0,’ responded Charlie Kirk, prominent conservative activist and the head of Turning Points USA, who was the master of ceremonies for the weekend.” 

Trump’s Achilles Heel

The Hill added on July 13:

“Elon Musk blasted President Trump on Saturday over his defense of Attorney General Pam Bondi… ‘Just release the files as promised,’ Musk added. Musk, a few minutes later, responded to a separate post calling the Epstein case Trump’s ‘Achilles’ heel,’ rebuking the president for pledging to release the files on the campaign trail and now dismissing the significance of the case. 

“‘This is a very big deal,’ Musk responded. ‘What… kind of system are we living in if thousands of kids were abused, the government has videos of the abusers and yet none of the abusers are even facing charges!?’… The president suggested some of his political opponents ‘created’ the Epstein files…” 

Trump’s opponents created files which don’t exist? Words fail… 

Epstein Scandal Will NOT Go Away! 

Fox News wrote on July 13: 

“Longtime conservatives and supporters of Trump sounded off on social media this weekend, as well as in person during a convention in Florida, with various messages pledging that the Epstein scandal will not ‘go away.’… 

“‘Donald Trump please understand the EPSTEIN AFFAIR is not going away,’ retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, Trump’s national security advisor from his first administration, posted to X on Saturday. ‘If the administration doesn’t address the massive number of unanswered questions about Epstein, especially the ABUSE OF CHILDREN BY ELITES (it is very clear that abuse occurred), then moving forward on so many other monumental challenges our nation is facing becomes much harder.’…

“‘We cannot allow pedophiles to get away. I don’t personally care who they are or what elite or powerful position they hold. They must be exposed and held accountable!!!’ Flynn continued in his X post.” 

Lingering Doubts Regarding Epstein’s “Suicide” 

Breitbart wrote on July 12: 

“[A] Wired article said on Friday that the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) recently released several hours of what it labeled ‘full raw’ video from a camera near the criminal’s cell the night before his demise. 

“Metadata embedded in the video and analyzed by WIRED and independent video forensics experts shows that rather than being a direct export from the prison’s surveillance system, the footage was modified, likely using the professional editing tool Adobe Premiere Pro. The file appears to have been assembled from at least two source clips, saved multiple times, exported, and then uploaded to the DOJ’s website, where it was presented as ‘raw’ footage. 

“Experts caution that it’s unclear what exactly was changed, and that the metadata does not prove deceptive manipulation. The video may have simply been processed for public release using available software, with no modifications beyond stitching together two clips. But the absence of a clear explanation for the processing of the file using professional editing software complicates the Justice Department’s narrative… 

“During a recent episode of The Drill Down podcast, hosts Peter Schweizer and Eric Eggers interviewed Epstein’s former attorney David Schoen… He continues to doubt that Epstein killed himself… based on the findings of Dr. Michael Baden, whom he called the best forensic pathologist in the world. He also said Epstein asked him to do work that would only have had an impact much later, suggesting he had no intention to kill himself…” 

Epstein Mysteries 

Daily Mail wrote on July 14: 

“Critics have pointed to the fact that there is a crucial minute missing from the jail house video that also does not show the door or, indeed, the inside of Epstein’s jail cell.” 

Only two cameras were operational in the vicinity of the Special Housing Unit at the time Epstein was found, and neither of them captured his cell door. Closer cameras, which might have captured the door, were reportedly malfunctioning at the time.  

Jeffrey Epstein’s cellmate was removed from his cell on the morning of August 9, 2019, as part of a routine, prearranged transfer. Despite a previous determination that Epstein needed to be housed with a cellmate, no replacement was assigned after this transfer. This left Epstein alone in his cell at the time of his death the next day. 

Coverup to Protect Prominent Pedophiles? 

Alter Net wrote on July 10:

“Alan Dershowitz… alleged in a bombshell disclosure that key documents tied to convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein are being withheld — not to protect victims, but to shield powerful figures… Dershowitz continued: ‘I know who’s suppressing them, but I’m bound by confidentiality from a judge and cases, and I can’t disclose what I know… But… I know the names of people whose files are being suppressed in order to protect them, and that’s wrong…’ 

“Meanwhile, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) reacted to Dershowitz remarks Thursday and wrote on the social platform X: ‘RELEASE THE EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST!!!!’ Political analyst Dominic Tripi wrote: ‘The names, the concealed documents, who’s being protected, all of that is available. It’s a pure coverup, they think if you find out the truth it will thoroughly destroy the legitimacy of governing institutions.’” 

Some claim that Epstein might have worked for the Mossad (Israeli intelligence) which Israel has denied. 

Trump Supporters Unhappy With Trump

Mediaite wrote on July 16:

“President Donald Trump, in a stunning Truth Social post Wednesday, branded the Jeffrey Epstein story — which has been perpetrated by the highest ranking members of his Justice Department for years — a ‘hoax.’… The president made clear he no longer wants the support of those who remain interested in the Epstein investigation…

“The comments from Trump come amid a raft of public criticism from prominent MAGA influencers over his handling of Epstein, and even public polling showing broad dissatisfaction among his base.”

Deutsche Welle added on July 15:

“Trump repeated his claim [on Tuesday]  that the Epstein files were fabricated by the Democratic presidents before him, despite having previously said during his 2024 election campaign that he would ‘probably’ release them… Many of Trump’s supporters… are accusing the administration of shielding powerful figures allegedly tied to the case…

“…far-right figures… and even his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump… have demanded more transparency. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson also broke with Trump, calling for full disclosure of any Epstein-related files, saying, ‘We should put everything out there and let the people decide.’ Several other Republicans have echoed the same view… ‘For this to go away, you’re going to lose 10% of the MAGA movement,’ said Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief strategist, amid the growing political fallout…”

Other prominent Republicans demanding the release of all the Epstein files include former Vice President Mike Pence, Senator John Kennedy, and Senator Ted Cruz.

AFP wrote on July 16:

“US President Donald Trump blasted ‘foolish’ [and ‘stupid’] Republican supporters Wednesday as he went on the attack against anyone questioning his administration’s handling of the case of dead sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein… “Trump is facing the most serious split in his loyal right-wing base since he returned to power…”

Trump needs to be careful that he does not lose more and more supporters. Attacking them like that is not the way to do it.

Most Americans Disagree With Trump

The New York Post wrote on July 16:

“As much as President Trump and the White House would like everyone to shut up and move on from the dead pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, a new poll shows that the scandal isn’t going away.

Rasmussen polling this week shows Trump has suffered a sharp drop in approval over the period of the Epstein brouhaha, plummeting from a plus-4 popularity rating to a negative-4 in three weeks.

“The poll of 1,164 likely voters conducted on July 8-10 found that just 21% believe the Trump FBI and DOJ are telling the truth about Epstein, who was found hanged in his jail cell in 2019.

While FBI Director Kash Patel and deputy Dan Bongino insist that Epstein committed suicide, only 31% of voters believe them.

“Roughly two-thirds of every political category — 68% of Democrats, 66% of Republicans and 69% of unaffiliated voters — reject the idea that the Epstein case is closed and instead believe that there are dozens of powerful and wealthy offenders who need to face justice.”

Three Minutes Missing

 WIRED wrote on July 16:

“Newly uncovered metadata reveals that nearly three minutes of footage were cut from what the US Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation described as ‘full raw’ surveillance video from the only functioning camera near Jeffrey Epstein’s prison cell the night before he was found dead…

“The metadata confirms that the first video file, which showed footage from August 9, 2019, continued for several minutes beyond what appears in the final version of the video and was trimmed to the 11:58:58 pm mark, right before the jump to midnight.”

Judge Blocks Trump Order on Birthright Citizenship 

Newsweek wrote on July 11: 

“The legal fight over President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship could soon return to the U.S. Supreme Court.  A judge in New Hampshire on Thursday blocked Trump’s order ending birthright citizenship for children born to those without legal status from taking effect anywhere in the U.S. Judge Joseph LaPlante, who was appointed by Republican President George W. Bush, issued a preliminary injunction and certified a class-action lawsuit that includes all children who will be affected. 

“The judge’s decision comes just weeks after the Supreme Court limited judges’ authority to issue nationwide injunctions… without settling the underlying question of the constitutionality of Trump’s order. 

“The court didn’t rule out whether judges could accomplish much the same thing by a different legal means, a class action. Birthright citizenship, enshrined in the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, makes anyone born in the U.S. an American citizen, including children born to mothers in the country illegally. 

“LaPlante wrote in his order…: ‘Respondents’ arguments about irreparable harm remain unconvincing to the court, which has no difficulty concluding that the rapid adoption by executive order, without legislation and the attending national debate, of a new government policy of highly questionable constitutionality that would deny citizenship to many thousands of individuals previously granted citizenship under an indisputably longstanding policy, constitutes irreparable harm, and that all class representatives could suffer irreparable harm absent an injunction…’ 

“LaPlante’s order included a seven-day stay to allow for appeal.” 

Judges Stand Up to Trump 

The Editorial Board of the New York Times wrote on July 12: 

“Many Americans in positions of power, including corporate executives and members of Congress, seem too afraid of President Trump to stand up to his anti-democratic behavior. Federal judges have shown themselves to be exceptions. ‘Judges from across the ideological spectrum are ruling against administration policies at remarkable rates,’ said Adam Bonica, a political scientist at Stanford University. 

“These rulings have halted Mr. Trump’s vengeful attempts to destroy law firms, forestalled some of his budget cuts and kept him from deporting additional immigrants. Yes, the Supreme Court has often been more deferential to the president. Still, it has let stand many lower-court rulings and has itself constrained Mr. Trump in some cases… 

“Courts have blocked some policies, including the deportation of additional detainees to a Salvadoran prison. Other policies remain in effect, including the confinement of immigrants previously deported to El Salvador. Many cases are still being heard.”

We are setting forth below findings by some of the judges appointed by Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump: 

“J. Harvie Wilkinson III, Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Appointed by Ronald Reagan 

“On the refusal to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia from El Salvador: ‘This is a path of perfect lawlessness, one that courts cannot condone.’… 

“Patrick J. Schiltz, District of Minnesota. Appointed by George W. Bush 

“On the revocation of a student’s visa: ‘The court cannot imagine how the public interest might be served by permitting federal officials to flaunt the very laws that they have sworn to enforce.’ 

“Clay D. Land, Middle District of Georgia. Appointed by George W. Bush 

“On an attempt to designate someone as an ‘alien enemy’ without due process: ‘Allowing constitutional rights to be dependent upon the grace of the executive branch would be a dereliction of duty by this third and independent branch of government and would be against the public interest.’ 

“Roger L. Gregory, Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Appointed by George W. Bush 

“On a claim that Venezuela has invaded the U.S.: ‘As is becoming far too common, we are confronted again with the efforts of the executive branch to set aside the rule of law in pursuit of its goals.’ 

“Stephanie A. Gallagher, District of Maryland. Appointed by Donald Trump 

“On the deportation of an asylum seeker to El Salvador: ‘Defendants have provided no evidence, or even any specific allegations, as to how Cristian, or any other class member, poses a threat to public safety. … This is a court of evidence.’ 

“Richard J. Leon, District of Columbia District. Appointed by George W. Bush 

“On an executive order targeting the law firm WilmerHale: ‘There is no doubt this retaliatory action chills speech and legal advocacy, or that it qualifies as a constitutional harm.’ 

“John D. Bates, District of Columbia District. Appointed by George W. Bush 

“On an executive order targeting Jenner & Block: ‘In short, the order raises constitutional eyebrows many times over. It punishes and seeks to silence speech ‘at the very center of the First Amendment.’ 

“Trevor N. McFadden, District of Columbia District. Appointed by Donald Trump 

“On The Associated Press’s access to the White House being restricted for not using ‘Gulf of America’: ‘Indeed, the government has been brazen.’ 

“John C. Coughenour, Western District of Washington. Appointed by Ronald Reagan 

“On the order denying birthright citizenship: ‘I’ve been on the bench for over four decades. I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order.’ 

“Joseph N. Laplante, District of New Hampshire. Appointed by George W. Bush 

“On the order denying birthright citizenship: ‘The executive order contradicts the text of the 14th Amendment and the century-old untouched precedent that interprets it.’ 

“Royce C. Lamberth, District of Columbia District. Appointed by Ronald Reagan 

“On a funding cut for the agency overseeing Voice of America: ‘It is hard to fathom a more straightforward display of arbitrary and capricious actions than the defendants’ actions here.’ 

“Mary S. McElroy, District of Rhode Island. Appointed by Donald Trump 

“On a claim that an agency was not responsible for a funding freeze it had announced: ‘In short, the government asks the court “to overlook the simplest, most logical explanation” for what happened. The court declines.’ 

“William G. Young, District of Massachusetts. Appointed by Ronald Reagan 

“On a cut in funding for research into health disparities: ‘I have never seen government racial discrimination like this.’ 

There have of course been many more judges, appointed by Democratic presidents, taking issue with Trump’s actions. 

The article continues: 

“The judiciary’s willingness to confront Mr. Trump over the past six months has been vital. In other democracies that have slid toward autocracy, the complicity of judges has frequently been a key reason. For now, many American judges are standing firm. They have done so even as Mr. Trump and his allies have personally threatened judges and made many feel unsafe. It remains unclear what will happen next. 

“One scenario is optimistic — namely, that judges on lower courts will continue to constrain Mr. Trump, the Supreme Court will ultimately uphold most of these rulings and the administration will largely obey them… Other scenarios are more disturbing: that the Supreme Court becomes even more deferential to him, or that the administration flouts court rulings more blatantly than it already has. Either way, federal judges have made clear that they consider Mr. Trump’s conduct to be more worrisome than the conduct of any other modern president.” 

The Houthis as Powerful as Ever 

The Telegraph wrote on July 10: 

“A little over two months ago, Donald Trump was emphatic in claiming to have halted Houthi militants’ attacks on shipping in the Red Sea… Despite Mr Trump’s confidence, this week the Houthis have sunk two vessels in quick succession on the critical shipping route and shattered months of relative calm off Yemen’s coast… The Houthi resurgence has taken some nations by surprise, especially after its biggest backer – Iran – was hit first by Israel and then by US B2 bombers. 

“But through careful alliance building, ruthless extortion rackets and more independence, the group is more powerful than it has been in years. This week’s attacks, which the Houthis said were conducted in solidarity with the Palestinians, not only show the hollowness of Mr Trump’s supposed ceasefire, but also the resilience of the militant group and the limits of air strikes… 

“Mr Trump’s declaration of victory in May was murky from the start… While Mr Trump had publicly said the Houthis had agreed to stop attacks, the group itself had continued to say it would attack vessels linked to Israel and its allies. Any deal between the two was in fact probably only restricted to US vessels… 

“A two-year campaign of strikes conducted under Joe Biden and then Mr Trump is estimated to have cost at least $7 billion… Last year, United Nations experts said the Houthis were allegedly collecting as much as $180 million each month from shipping agencies to allow vessels to sail through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden without being attacked. While the report was questioned by maritime safety experts, such income would be one of the Houthis’ main revenue streams….” 

Iran Wants Trump Assassinated 

Newsmax wrote on July 11: 

“Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, Iran’s top Shiite cleric, and Grand Ayatollah Hossein Noori Hamedani issued fatwas against Trump after the U.S. bombings of Iranian nuclear facilities last month, citing alleged threats against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and that anyone who works with the U.S. and Israel is an ‘enemy of Allah.’ Shirazi proclaimed that any ‘Muslims of the world’ who successfully assassinate Trump or Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be deemed ‘warriors of Allah’ and ‘receive blessings.’ 

“The fatwas prompted the creation of an organization called the ‘Blood Covenant,’ which claims to have raised nearly $40.3 million for Trump’s assassination… Iranian religious figures at the Howza-e Ilmiyya seminary in Qom offered support for the fatwas on Trump, saying July 2 that the president’s ‘blood is permitted’…” 

More Weapons for Ukraine 

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 14: 

“President Donald Trump said the US will send Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine and that they will be paid for by the European Union. During his announcement, Trump expressed his frustration in dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin… Trump has threatened to impose secondary tariffs of 100% on Russia and countries that trade with it (unless a deal to end the war with Ukraine is reached within 50 days)— in an attempt to bring the war in Ukraine to an end… 

“Berlin has already provided Kyiv with three of the 12 Patriot systems it previously possessed. ‘We only have six left in Germany,’ [German defense minister Boris] Pistorius said. [He] added that at least one Patriot unit was always unavailable due to maintenance or training, and that two others had been lent to Poland. ‘We definitely can’t give any more,’ Pistorius said. Pistorius also stated that Germany would not deliver its long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine despite Kyiv’s renewed request.” 

The Associated Press wrote on July 14: 

“Trump said European allies would buy ‘billions and billions’ of dollars of U.S. military equipment to be transferred to Ukraine…  Germany has offered to finance two Patriot systems…” 

CNN added on July 14 

“Trump spoke last week to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said on the call he was looking for the US to deliver the systems to Germany so they could be transferred to Ukraine.” 

EU Not Entirely Happy with USA Over Ukraine

 Deutsche Welle wrote on July 15:

“‘The 50 days that Mr. Trump has announced is rather long,’ Dutch foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp said… The [European Union’s foreign affairs chief Kaja] Kallas told reporters after Tuesday’s meeting that she would like to see Europe and the US ‘share the burden’ of arming Ukraine… Denmark’s Rasmussen made a similarly veiled allusion…

“While the US ranks as Ukraine’s single largest donor since its full-scale invasion by Russia, the European Union as a whole has spent roughly the same amount as Washington over the same period… The EU outspends the US when the cost of hosting and assisting Ukrainian refugees is factored in.”

“US Navy’s Next-Generation Submarine Program Faces Alarming Delay” 

Fox News wrote on July 14: 

“The Navy’s next-generation attack submarine won’t be a reality for at least 15 years, according to a new report. The Navy’s SSN(X) was originally slated to enter production in 2031. That timeline has since slipped – to 2035 and now to 2040, due to escalating costs and budget constraints. 

“The Navy requested $623 million in its FY 2026 budget to advance the program… 

“Despite nearly doubling its shipbuilding budget over the past two decades, the Navy has consistently fallen short of its ship-count goals. The Government Accountability Office noted that Navy shipbuilding programs and yards are effectively operating in a ‘perpetual state of triage.’”

More Than Half of Canadians See U.S. as a Top Threat 

National Post wrote on July 8: 

“As U.S. President Donald Trump pursues his global trade war and talk of annexation, a new poll suggests the percentage of Canadians who view the United States as a top threat has tripled since 2019. 

“While this year’s survey by the Pew Research Center suggests that 55 per cent of Canadians still say the U.S. remains this country’s most important ally, it also says that 59 per cent now see the U.S. as a threat — up from 20 per cent in the 2019 poll… In Canada, roughly three-quarters of respondents said the U.S. poses an economic threat and 53 per cent said it poses a national security threat.” 

Israel-Syrian War Continues

Axios wrote on July 16:

“The Trump administration has asked Israel to halt its strikes on Syrian government targets and to open direct talks with Damascus, a senior U.S. official told Axios on Wednesday… U.S. officials are highly concerned that the Israeli attacks — including on Syrian military headquarters in Damascus and near the presidential palace — could destabilize the new Syrian government.” 

The Jerusalem Post added on July 16:

“As of Wednesday afternoon, the IDF had undertaken 160 aerial attacks on Syrian regime forces in and around the vicinity of Sweida in southern Syria, where Israel says the regime’s forces are slaughtering Syrian Druze.

“In addition, the IDF has attacked, and possibly destroyed, Syria’s Defense Ministry, and also attacked part of the Presidential Palace in Damascus. Dozens or more Syrian regime forces are said to have been killed in IDF attacks.”

Daily Mail wrote on July 9: 

“Spain’s hard-right Vox party has doubled down on a vow to deport illegal immigrants by declaring it would also remove foreigners who ‘have not adopted our customs’. .. 

“’We don’t know how many there are,’ he added. ‘But when we reach the government, we will. And they will all go.’ The fiery rhetoric comes as Vox enjoys a significant boost in the polls after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s  Socialist Party (POSE) slipped in the wake of a corruption scandal… Sanchez, who leads a minority coalition government comprising far-left party Sumar, has thus far resisted mounting calls from the opposition to resign and call a snap election… 

“The main opposition People’s Party was well ahead on 33.3% support, while Vox – the third-largest party in Spain’s parliament – climbed 1.3 percentage points to 15.2%… The People’s Party has previously rejected proposed deportation plans put forward by Vox.”

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.

The Christian Post reported on September 15^th 2024 what the Pope (Pope Francis at that time) had said during a visit to Singapore.  It read as follows:

“During a three-day visit to Singapore, Pope Francis declared that ‘all religions are a path to God,’ sparking backlash among religious leaders in the U.S.  The statement was made at an interreligious meeting with young people at a Catholic junior college shortly before his departure back to Rome. Departing from his prepared remarks, Francis spoke off the cuff, stating that different religions are like ‘different languages to reach God. During his 2022 trip to Kazakhstan, he made similar statements. Auxiliary Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Astana, a frequent critic, had then commented on the risk of creating a ‘supermarket of religions.’”

The chaplain and Theology Department Chair at St. John XXIII College Preparatory in Katy, Texas, stated that: “Unsurprisingly, the pope’s remarks have drawn criticism, but what he said is not substantially different from things said by his immediate predecessors. Pope St. John Paul II was often criticized for his participation in interfaith prayer and dialogue. He said at a general audience in 1998 that other religions are ‘different routes’ that attempt to answer the same human desire for communion with God.”

The headline in the publication Christian Today in May 2018 was “Why Jesus is no longer the one way to heaven for many American Christians,” and this remark was made by a minister from the First Corinthian Baptist Church: “People take many paths to God, he argued, noting that he personally celebrates the paths others take in finding Him — even if that path does not involve faith in Jesus.  And so the key is you believe in God. And whatever your path is to God I celebrate that. Personally, I celebrate that.”

One writer, decrying the Pope’s comment, said: “Jesus is still the only way to heaven.”   This was correctly decrying a wrong concept and, then, mentioning another wrong concept about going to heaven at death which we have disproved time and time again.

vaticanfiles.org stated that “On April 15th, 2018 Pope Francis claimed that atheists go to Heaven thus reinforcing the impression that his opinions on the afterlife are somewhat clumsy when compared to standard biblical views.” 

In 2008, a Pew Research Center Study found that more than half of all American Christians believe that at least some non-Christian faiths can lead to salvation. Nearly a decade later, a new study has shown that even among the most traditional Christian groups, significant minorities are also rejecting God as described in the Bible.

We may recall that when the Israelites were in Egypt, that land had so many different gods.  Wikipedia writes that “gods and goddesses appear in virtually every aspect of ancient civilization, and more than 1,500 of them are known by name. Taking the Pope’s recent remarks, would any of the ancient Egyptians find the true God by worshipping these fake gods?”

It was interesting to read the following comments in the Christian Post in October 2021 with the heading “Nearly 70% of born-again Christians say other religions can lead to Heaven: study”:

“Nearly 70% of born-again Christians disagree with the biblical position that Jesus is the only way to God, according to a new survey from Probe Ministries.  The survey, which looked at religious beliefs and attitudes toward cultural behaviors, polled 3,106 Americans ages 18 to 55 from all religious groups, including 717 respondents who identified as born-again Christians.”

One other author wrote, “The very claim that there are many ways to God, assumes that some religions are wrong, because not all religions are trying to get to God.  I would like to humbly suggest that there are good reasons to think that the Christian position is true and hence, I am not angry that God has only provided one way to Him in the person of Jesus. Rather, I am grateful that, although I didn’t deserve it, God lovingly provided the way for me (and, indeed, for everyone who believes—c.f.  John 14:6.”

John 14:6 reads: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”

And that is correct! The Bible says that there is no other way other than through Christ!   And yet the Catholic Church themselves state: “In its own authoritative text on the ‘unicity and universality of the salvific mystery of Jesus Christ,’ the Vatican cites the Acts of the Apostles: ‘There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’‌ (Acts 4:12).”   You have to wonder how the Popes reconcile their views that atheists get to heaven (a wrong concept anyway) when their church quotes Acts 4:12.

Perhaps the Popes ought to preach and teach according to the beliefs that the Catholic Church has; otherwise, it is hypocrisy!

Christianity is a unique and exclusive faith, the One True God as outlined in His Word, the Holy Bible.  Along with John 14:6 and Acts 4:12 which clearly reveal this, we ought also to consider Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

True Christianity, as we have written and said many times, is the narrow gate and involves much more than just “giving your heart to the Lord”.

In our booklet: “Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen,” this shows that you cannot just join the Church of God.   We read on page 6 the following:

“Jesus called His disciples a ‘little flock’ (Luke 12:32), and history has certainly proven that very few people have ever been a part of the Church of God. Paul explained to the brethren in Corinth about whom God has chosen to call:

“‘For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence’ (1 Corinthians 1:26–29).”

True Christianity is the only Way to God today, and very few people have been called by God at this point in time!   The Conclusion in this booklet on page 65 reads as follows:

“What we have described and what you have learned in this booklet should prove the magnificent aspect of God’s incredible and awesome master plan for ALL of mankind. But it is YOU whom God might have predestined before time began to be called for salvation in this day and age. 

“If you understand and act upon the information contained in this booklet, as revealed in the Bible, there is every reason to conclude that YOU are one of the few—the firstfruits—who are called today with the potential to inherit eternal life and enter the Kingdom and Family of God when Christ returns.

“This means, then, that you would have a responsibility, because today would be YOUR day of salvation. It is up to you, with God’s help, to make your calling and election sure, and not to neglect such a great salvation offered to you. God is confident and convinced that you, whom He knew and predestined long before your birth to be called now, will make it into His Kingdom. Please, share His conviction in you, and act accordingly.”

The Bible is clear and unequivocal.   There is only one Way to the true God, and true Christianity is unique among all of the false religions of this world.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

A new Member Letter (July 2025) has been posted and mailed to our subscribers. Pastor Rene Messier writes about the creation of angels and the sin of Satan and those rebellious angels who followed him. Also, pointing to our unique potential to become members of the Family of God—if we remain faithful to God and stay engaged in the Work given to us.

“Jacob and Esau (Part 2) – Jacob’s Deception” is the latest video in our Bible Story Series on YouTube.

“Macht Euch bereit – das Ende ist nah!” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Michael Link. Title in English: “Get Ready – The End Is Near!”

“Sanftmut statt Aggression,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Robert Macher, is now posted. Title in English: “Gentleness Instead of Aggression.”

“Family Rules—Tu Dein Bestes,” last Sabbath’s German sermon presented by Christoph Sperzel, is now posted. Title in English: “Family Rules—Do Your Best.”

“Do You Love or Hate a Stranger?” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Do you love strangers—legal or illegal aliens with or without documentation—or do you hate and curse them? What does God, in His Word, the Bible, say about this? And what is the fundamental difference between the right kind of patriotism and the wrong kind of nationalism?

“Staying In Your Lane,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Rene Messier, is now posted. Here is the summary:

In this sermon, we will look at those who strayed out of their lane and authority designated to them and the disastrous results of doing so.

On July 12, 2025, Norbert Link will present, “Comments on News and Prophecy, July 12, 2025,” and Rene Messier will present the sermon, titled, “Stay in Your Lane.”

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

Recently, my 14-year old son joined me at the non-profit transportation company that I run. He will be working as an apprentice on a part-time basis over the summer school break in our vehicle maintenance department. It is difficult for younger teens to find meaningful work, and even more so in the areas of the skilled trades. However, with the arrival of electric buses and charging controls, automotive trades are rapidly requiring skills honed at the gaming stations of a new generation.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines an apprentice as someone who has agreed to work for a skilled person for a particular period of time and often for low payment, in order to learn that person’s skills. For example: Michelangelo was apprenticed to Ghirlandaio in Florence for three years prior to setting out on his own. While it is hard to imagine him as anything less than a master of art, architecture, and science, the fact is that we all begin at a common point of knowing little and needing to learn and grow in skill and proficiency. For most of us, this begins in the first tottering days of preschool, and continues on through university and beyond.

Additionally, in recent years, there’s been a noticeable shift in the career aspirations of younger generations.  Skilled trade careers are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. This has also been highlighted on social media platforms.

Young tradespeople are sharing their day-to-day experiences, inspiring a new generation to consider careers in skilled trades over traditional college routes. There is a young electrician who has over 1.1 million online followers, and she posts on various tasks. She illustrates the technical skills involved in her job and also shows young followers that hers is a fulfilling and lucrative career path.

Consider the metaphor of being an apprentice in our journey as true Christians. We must understand that as true Christians we are all apprenticed to the Father and Jesus Christ. As the apostles before us, we must study the Scriptures to better understand the importance of Paul’s words in Romans 10, 14-15 (New International Version throughout): “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” Continuing in verse 17: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”

These verses illustrate the importance of listening and learning from those who were sent and understand more than we do.

Jesus Christ was also an apprentice to the Father in Heaven as we see in John 8:29: “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” But Jesus was also an apprentice in the human sense as a carpenter alongside His human father, Joseph. We see this when Jesus was preparing for His ministry and preaching the Word in the synagogue. He was not treated as a master and expert in the Scriptures, but rather, as a carpenter’s son. This was not to denigrate Jesus for being a carpenter, but this trade was simply not considered on par with the Pharisees of the day. The leaders of the congregation illustrated this in Mark 6:3: “‘Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at him.” They took offense because they did not see Jesus as a teacher or an equal, but rather as a young upstart.

Yet, while He was honing His craft as a carpenter, He was also preparing for His own ministry. He studied the Scriptures and quoted the prophets and books of the Old Testament on many occasions. Even as He was dying on the cross for our sins, Jesus quoted a portion of Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus learned at the Father’s side and lived His life by obeying the commandments and preparing for His public ministry.

He also was, and is: The Master, as we read in Luke 16:13: “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” The supremacy of Jesus Christ is unmatched and forever will be. He is Lord and Master of the Creation, and our coming King of the New Jerusalem.

Consider now the role that Timothy played with the apostle Paul. Paul became a mentor to the younger man. He realized that Timothy had the calling from God and substance to become a minister of God’s Word and began to train him for what lay ahead. We see this in 2 Timothy 3:10-12: “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…”

Life entails apprenticeships in many ways. I could not have been a city manager without first serving as a deputy for many years and learning the intricacies of leading a city. Doctors and lawyers train for years prior to handling cases of their own.

King David realized that his son Solomon was not quite prepared for leadership in 1 Chronicles 29:1: “Then King David said to the whole assembly: ‘My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the LORD God.” David was praying for and preparing to hand the kingdom to his son Solomon. He had trained Solomon for leadership, but now trusted that God Himself would finish the task.

We can also go back to the time of Moses when God instructed Moses to take on Joshua as an apprentice. We see this described in Numbers 27:18-21: “So the LORD said to Moses, ‘Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him.He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the LORD. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.’”

In our physical world, an apprenticeship typically involves our work life or vocation. In the more important spiritual sense, becoming an apprentice with God and Jesus Christ is more akin to an enduring discipleship with Jesus. We must show up for this training and take our responsibilities seriously. There will always be the distractions of work, family, and hobbies, but think of this opportunity to train under the very best Master ever—not simply once in a lifetime, but forever!

by Norbert Link

We speak about the deeply troublesome conduct of ICE and the fearful expectation that it will get much worse as tremendous additional powers have been given them in the “One Big Beautiful Bill”; and Trump’s ongoing tariff chaos; and address Elon Musk’s new party, also in light of the controversial “Epstein files” and questionable statements of the Social Security Administration. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “The Epstein Scandal—No Murder and No Client List?”

We speak on Southeast Asian nations turning to Russia and the BRICS summit which has been described as another serious challenge to the USA, prompting a threat from Trump.

We speak on sudden renewed American support for Ukraine after a disappointing phone call between Trump and Putin; an uninformed warning of NATO chief Mark Rutte; and we conclude with the question as to what is meant by “Shylock” and developments in Germany.

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

ICE’s Illegal Arrests Continue 

NPR wrote on July 4: 

“Immigrant advocates and civil rights lawyers say evidence is mounting that immigration agents carrying out the Trump administration’s deportation crackdown in southern California are engaging in widespread racial profiling. They’ve raided known hubs for Latino workers almost daily – hardware store parking lots, car washes, and street vendor corners. Videos of many of those operations, filmed by bystanders and posted to social media, have shown agents arresting people who appear to be Latino as they stand on sidewalks or wait at bus stops. 

“On Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union and other legal groups filed a federal class action lawsuit alleging that immigration agents roving the streets are targeting people based on the color of their skin or their apparent occupation. They want a judge to declare the raids unconstitutional. ‘There is a real sense that it is open season on anyone who appears to be an immigrant,’ said Eva Bitran, director of immigrants’ rights at the ACLU of Southern California. ‘They are arriving, corralling people before asking one single question, just based on their location and their appearance. Often they are handcuffing people even before they have asked for their papers, or even after a person has said “I am a US citizen, I have a green card, I have every right to be here”…’ 

“Advocates say the Trump administration’s ambitious daily arrest quotas are leading immigration agents to lean on the thinnest of justifications and on false assumptions about people they encounter to justify arrests. ‘If you’re asking these law enforcement agencies to arrest 3,000 people a day, they cannot form reasonable suspicion for each specific person,’ Bitran said…” 

And if that was not enough already… note the next articles. 

Even Much More Power For ICE 

Salon wrote on July 3:

“Trump’s budget… allocated some $175 billion towards his mass deportation campaign, more money than almost any country spends on its military… According to estimates from the World Food Programme, the funds going towards deportation would… be enough to fully fund the program to end world hunger for four years… 

“Americans have already had a preview of some of what’s to come with the increased deportation budget, like on Wednesday, when Trump traveled to Florida to tour a new camp being built there to house immigrants… The facility is expected to cost around $450 million a year, just a fraction of the $45 billion that Republicans have allocated towards building new detention facilities…. Trump also suggested that the new camp could be the first of many, foreshadowing a new incarceration system in the United States.”

Rather than fighting worldwide hunger, America is fighting unliked “illegal” aliens… 

7,000 a Day! 

The New York Post wrote on July 7: 

“President Trump’s ‘border czar’ Tom Homan wants ICE agents to arrest at least 7,000 illegal immigrants every day — more than double the current quota — after the agency received a giant budget boost for its mass deportation campaign with the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill. 

“‘And for those that say 3,000 a day is too much, I want to remind them, do the math, we have to arrest 7,000 every single day for the remainder of this administration just to catch the ones Biden released into the nation,’ Homan told reporters Monday outside the White House. Trump signed the nearly 900-page bill into law on July 4, opening the door for ICE to hire 10,000 new officers and double its capacity to detain illegal immigrants… 

“White House adviser Stephen Miller recently pushed ICE to make 3,000 arrests per day… The Trump administration originally gave ICE a quota of 1,800 arrests a day in January and increased the expectations in May.” 

Horrific! 

Charging “Remittance Tax”? 

Breitbart wrote on July 3: 

“Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons is praising final passage of President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, mainly for its ‘unprecedented funding’ toward federal immigration enforcement… 

“The bill includes more than $46 billion for new border wall construction, $45 billion for ICE detention space, nearly $30 billion for ICE to go on a hiring spree and deport more illegal aliens, $10 billion to reimburse states who covered border security costs under former President Joe Biden, and $3.5 billion for the Department of Justice to issue grants to local governments who help locate and arrest illegal aliens, among other funding measures. Perhaps most significantly, the bill establishes a historic remittance tax to effectively fine illegal aliens who earn money in the U.S. and send that money back to their home countries.” 

A remittance tax refers to a tax on money transfers sent from the United States to recipients in foreign countries. It is primarily aimed at international cash transfers, particularly those sent by non-US citizens or nationals. The tax would typically be imposed on the sender of the remittance and collected by the entity facilitating the transfer (e.g., banks or money transfer operators). Imagine someone in the US wants to send money to their family abroad. A remittance tax would be an extra fee levied on that transfer, making the overall cost of sending the money higher. This is so abominable! But the next article describes even more abominable developments.

A Terrible Shift to Right Extremism 

Axios wrote on July 5: 

“Once-fringe tactics — an alligator-moated detention camp, deportations to war zones, denaturalization of immigrant citizens — are now being proudly embraced at the highest levels of the U.S. government. It’s an extraordinary shift from Trump’s first term, when nationwide backlash and the appearance of cruelty forced the administration to abandon its family separation policy for unauthorized immigrants. Six months into his second term… Trump is only just beginning to scale up his mass deportation machine… 

“Pro-Trump activist Laura Loomer drew outrage after tweeting that ‘alligators are guaranteed at least 65 million meals if we get started now’ — widely interpreted as a reference to the Hispanic population of the United States… 

“Some newer members of the MAGA coalition, such as podcaster Joe Rogan, have expressed deep discomfort with the targeting of non-criminal undocumented immigrants…. some MAGA influencers are pushing to weaponize denaturalization more broadly — not just as a legal remedy for fraud, but as a tool to punish ideological opponents… Prominent voices on the right have argued that immigrants who haven’t properly ‘assimilated’ — by their definition — should be vulnerable to losing their citizenship.” 

The hatred by political extremists is frightening. 

Federal Immigration Agents Descend on MacArthur Park in Los Angeles 

ABC Eyewitness News wrote on July 7: 

“Federal agents and National Guard troops descended on MacArthur Park while children were at a summer camp on Monday, sparking chaos and fear in the area. The neighborhood is home to a large immigrant population; however, agents appeared to have left largely empty-handed. 

“The raid began unfolding just before 11:30 a.m. AIR7 video shows what appears to be federal agents holding weapons and standing on an armored vehicle. The agents were not wearing any identification as they rolled through the park… Many large National Guard vehicles were also spotted in the area. Defense officials told ABC News that 90 armed troops were involved in the operation in support of immigration authorities in Los Angeles. All of the troops involved in the operation were activated members of the California National Guard. The operation included some 17 Humvees, four military cargo trucks and two military ambulances [with the agents seen carrying rifles and traveling across the grounds on foot, horseback and in armored vehicles.] 

“‘They brought terror to the community, but they didn’t have the guts to stick around because they knew if they stuck around here, to really do a big raid, the community would come out to defend the people,’ said Ron Gochez with Unión Del Barrio. ‘And that’s exactly why we’re here. They have all the courage when it’s a senior citizen vendor selling flowers by a cemetery. They had the courage to go kidnap her. But when the masses come out, where is the courage?’… 

“L.A. Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez said a summer camp was taking place at MacArthur Park when federal agents and troops moved in. She said the kids were quickly ushered into the lower level of the building used for the camp to keep them away from the immigration raid.” 

Just a Political Stunt? 

The Guardian wrote on July 7: 

“MacArthur Park has long been an immigrant neighborhood, with a history of political activism. In 2007, it was the center of the May Day rallies demanding amnesty for undocumented people, which were met with exceptional brutality by the Los Angeles police department… 

“‘This morning looked like a staging for a TikTok video,’ said Marqueece Harris-Dawson, president of the Los Angeles city council, adding if the border patrol wants to film in LA, ‘you should apply for a film permit like everybody else. And stop trying to… disrupt our economy every day.’”

The New York Post added on July 8:

“One Border Patrol official promised that federal agencies aren’t backing down… ‘The federal government is not leaving LA. … The federal government does not work for Karen Bass. We’re going to be here until that mission is accomplished,’ [he said]. ‘Better get used to us now because this is going to be normal very soon,’ he added.” 

Or a Botched Laughingstock? 

Ken Klippenstein wrote on July 7: 

“The news media is describing the operation as an ominous crackdown, but National Guard sources tell me that it was a botched laughingstock. The military aspect of the operation, codenamed Operation Excalibur, has not been previously reported. 

“The documents reveal that the erstwhile justification for the operation was to try to shut down the distribution of fake IDs. The mission of the 1st Squadron, 18th Cavalry is described as protecting DHS [Department of Homeland Security] ‘security points and blocking positions’ while they undertook their assault. The operation was meticulously planned, the threat listed as ‘HIGH.’ ‘Criminal elements, likely including FTO [foreign terrorist organization] MS-13 consider the park their home “turf” and could escalate to lethal violence,’ a threat assessment warned. 

“Then all that planning went bust. Because ICE and CBP apparently failed to communicate or coordinate effectively, the military showed up too late (and Los Angeles authorities weren’t notified until two hours prior.)… 

“This is just the latest operation that didn’t go off as planned, amplifying the sense amongst the California Guardsmen that the whole spectacle is idiotic and shameful. Part of the reason for the confusion is the sheer number of government agencies involved… 

“One Army source told me that it all felt like some joint military operation overseas, where soldiers need to identify themselves as ‘friendlies’ on congested battlefields. Treating Los Angeles as a foreign country with insurgents to be defeated, military and homeland security intelligence views MacArthur Park as a viper’s nest of illegality… Many of the soldiers involved, I’m told, view their mission as unnecessary and even ridiculous, with the Trump administration ordering the spectacle and the Pentagon leadership and chain of command smartly saluting. .. 

“Similarly last month, when leadership discussed during a briefing the idea of having Guardsmen wear masks similar to ICE and CBP, rank-and-file members groaned at the stupidity and bad optics for the uniformed military. The Guard, they said, should be seen as members of the community, not shadowy interlopers… 

“Mayor Karen Bass, as if an interloper in her own city, rushed to MacArthur park in her own SUV motorcade and asked the feds to leave. Bass told the Los Angeles Times that the feds needed ‘to leave and they need to leave right now, they need to leave because this is unacceptable.’ The uniformed military I’ve spoken to seem to agree with her. 

“While military leadership is embracing the Washington-inspired mission, sources say, the rank-and-file see the California operation as more akin to Afghanistan: doomed to failure and ultimately withdrawal.” 

Whatever the purpose of the raid was, the optics were horrible, reminding us of actions by the Gestapo during the Third Reich or of NVA soldiers [“National People’s Army” or “Nationale Volksarmee”) in former East Germany; or Russian invasions of former East Block countries, such as the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. 

No Amnesty for Farm Workers 

Newsmax wrote on July 8: 

“Illegal migrants who work on U.S. farms will not be given amnesty and could be subjected to mass deportation efforts as the Trump administration strives for ‘a 100% American workforce,’ Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said Tuesday. Rollins, though, did say the administration needs to be ‘strategic in how we are implementing the mass deportation so as not to compromise our food supply.’

“President Donald Trump last week in Iowa said he’s willing to let migrant laborers stay in the U.S. if the farmers they work for will vouch for them…”

What Rollins is saying now is not what Trump had originally announced. 

Trump’s New Tariff Chaos

The Daily Mail wrote on July 7: 

“President Donald Trump hammered Japan and South Korea for running up a trade imbalance with the U.S., declaring both countries will be slapped with a new 25 percent tariff starting August 1. Trump issued a scathing attack in two letters he sent the leaders of both countries, declaring ‘our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from reciprocal.’ Then he brought down the hammer, declaring what the new tariff would be, which could cripple the economies of two allies of the U.S…. 

“Markets immediately dropped on the news, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average shedding 400 points, and the broader S&P 500 losing nearly a percentage point in value. Trump concluded with another threat: ‘If for any reason you decide to raise your tariffs, then, whatever then number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 25% that we charge,’ he wrote… 

“The U.S. helped rebuild both economies after World War II and after the Korean War through extensive trade ties. For years U.S. consumers and companies have turned to both countries for automobiles and consumer products as well computer chips and technology vital to an array of other products… Japan already faced a 25 percent tariff on cars, auto parts, and steel, in addition to facing the 10 percent across the board tariff… 

“Following the briefing, Trump posted letters to a tranche of other countries: Malaysia, South Africa, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Kazakhstan, Vientiane, and others. The letter to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who clashed with Trump during an Oval Office meeting, included a 30 percent tariff.  

“Global markets are bracing for more tariff chaos as the White House plans to release a dozen or more letters signed by President Trump telling countries what taxes must be paid when they send goods to the United States.  The talk of the letters has now overtaken much of the conversation about ‘deals,’ with Trump’s team telling various nations in writing how much must be paid. The result could hike the costs that American pay for a variety of goods… 

“Trump has secured preliminary trade agreements with the United Kingdom, China, and Vietnam, though all three deals still require further negotiation to finalize terms. … In just one of the trade matters that is up in the air, Trump reportedly threatened the European Union with a 17 percent tariff on food exports, a move that could hammer that industry. Without a deal the EU faces a 50 percent tax on all goods going into the United States. EU officials told the Financial Times the new food tax is an escalation between the two trading partners….” 

Even though Trump had proclaimed that due to his tariff threats, countries would line up to make deals with the USA, this has simply not been the case. 

No Farmland for Chinese (and Others) 

The Washington Post wrote on July 8: 

“U.S. Department of Agriculture chief Brooke Rollins announced Tuesday that the U.S. government will move to ban sales of farmland nationwide to buyers tied to China and other foreign adversaries, citing threats to national security and food security — an effort that casts uncertainty over property currently held by China-linked investors. 

“Asked whether the U.S. government would seek to take back existing land owned by Chinese investors, Rollins said they are looking at ‘every available option’ as part of a clawback effort and that an executive order from the White House will probably follow ‘very soon.’… Rollins said that the USDA will also work with state legislators to quickly push through laws that will ban further purchases, with a particular focus on parcels of land near U.S. military bases… 

“The percentage of total U.S. farmland owned by Chinese investors amounts to just 0.0003 percent and has declined sharply in recent years…” 

Musk’s New Party 

Breitbart wrote on July 6: 

“Entrepreneur and former Department of Government Efficiency Director Elon Musk on Saturday announced the creation of the America Party. Musk says the American Party will restore democracy and freedom after suggesting he would start a new political party amid a high-profile feud with President Donald Trump. 

“He conducted a straw poll on his social media platform X on Friday, Politico reported. ‘By a factor or 2 to 1, you want a new political party, and you shall have it,’ Musk said Saturday afternoon in a post on X. ‘When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,’ Musk continued. ‘Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.’ 

“Musk suggested the political party would focus on two or three Senate seats and between eight and 10 House seats during the 2026 mid-term elections, CNBC reported. Given the narrow margins among House and Senate majorities in recent years, a small number of seats in both chambers would be enough to significantly influence legislation, Musk said. He said the party would caucus independently of Democrats and Republicans but enter into legislative discussions with both.” 

Deutsche Welle added on July 6: 

“He revived the idea of a new political party this week as US lawmakers approved Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill. Musk was among the legislation’s most vocal critics and has pledged to establish a new party to oppose Republicans who supported the bill… 

“A truly competitive third party could disrupt over a century of Democratic and Republican dominance at all levels of government. But Musk would not be the first person trying to establish a party to challenge their dominance. 

“Former President Theodore Roosevelt came the closest in 1912, after splitting from the Republican party. He ran as Progressive Party candidate and won 27% of the popular vote and 88 electoral votes. More recently, Ross Perot, another billionaire, won 19% of the popular vote but no electoral votes in the 1992 presidential campaign as an independent and later formed the Reform Party.” 

The Associated Press reported on July 7: 

“Asked about the effort by reporters on Sunday afternoon as he prepared to return to Washington from his home in New Jersey, Trump called Musk’s proposition ‘ridiculous,’ going on to tout ‘tremendous success with the Republican Party.’ ‘The Democrats have lost their way, but it’s always been a two-party system,’ Trump added. ‘And I think starting a third party just adds to confusion. It really seems to have been developed for two parties.’ Third parties, Trump said, have never worked.” 

Trump also told his followers: “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks.” 

According to Focus, dated July 7, “Original America didn’t care much for political parties. They aren’t mentioned at all in the Constitution. George Washington, the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797, belonged to no party.” 

There might have been much wisdom of the founding fathers in not speaking about the “necessity” of parties. Party affiliation far too often clouds the conscience of party members. The potential influence of Musk and his new party on the midterm elections should not be underestimated. Musk has no ambitions to become president… he could not anyhow, because he was not born in the USA, but in South Africa. But then, based on all the available evidence, it is not certain that Obama was born in the USA either. 

The Epstein File—The Final Straw? 

The Daily Mail wrote on July 7: 

“Outrage ensued following a stunning report claimed the Justice Department and FBI are concluding that disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein did not hold a ‘client list’ and did kill himself in prison. Among the top critics is billionaire Elon Musk who said the memo published by Axios on Sunday night is the ‘final straw.’… 

“Trump’s base is demanding answers and accusing Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel of ‘lying’ to the American public. Most of the online ire has been directed towards Bondi. ‘If Jeffrey Epstein had no client list, didn’t have elites raping girls on his island and hadn’t taken part in any blackmail schemes… Then… Why’d he kill himself?’ Pro-Trump content creator Robby Starbuck posted to X. He insisted: ‘Doesn’t pass the smell test Pam Bondi.’ 

“Right-wing media site the Gateway Pundit posted: ‘If Jeffrey Epstein Had No Client List Then Why Did AG Pam Bondi Tell Reporters the List ‘Is Sitting on My Desk Right Now to Review.‘… ‘Pam Bondi said the Epstein client list was on her desk to review for release to the public just a few months ago,’ Starbuck posted. ‘Now the DOJ she leads claims that there’s no Epstein client list.’ ‘Sorry but this is unacceptable,’ he insisted. ‘Was she lying then or is she lying now? We deserve answers.’” 

People added on July 7: 

“The Tesla CEO and former Trump ally [Musk] posted a meme on X, the social media platform he owns, depicting a man applying clown makeup next to text including, ‘There is no Epstein list.’” 

Vanity Fair wrote on July 7: 

“Elon Musk… also shared a post that read: ‘If the entire government is protecting pedophiles, it has officially become the government against the people. I hope you all understand that.’” 

The inconsistent and contradictory representations of the Trump administration on the Epstein matter are indeed cause for suspicion. 

The Epstein File—Tucker Carlson on the Attack 

The Daily Mail wrote on July 8: 

“A growing number of right-wing voices are calling for the resignation of Attorney General Pam Bondi after it was revealed no more arrests will be made in connection to Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes… 

“On his podcast Tuesday, conservative luminary Tucker Carlson theorized that Bondi is orchestrating a cover-up in order to protect members of the intelligence community who were ensnared in Epstein’s conduct. ‘The current DOJ under Pam Bondi is covering up crimes, very serious crimes by their own description,’ Carlson said. ‘Intel services are at the very center of this story, U.S. and Israeli and they’re being protected.’” 

Mediaite added on July 8: 

“Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson warned that President Donald Trump and his administration could be inviting a ‘revolution’ by not delivering on his campaign promise to reveal the truth about Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal sex enterprise…. 

“‘But how can you say that thousands of children were raped, but I’m not going to find out who raped them!? How can you say that!? They said that! By the way, when Pam Bondi went on television and said, “I have a videotape of kids getting abused,” I didn’t, I followed this case closely and I know a lot of the people involved, as I’ve told you, I had no idea. I didn’t know that. Really? Thousands of children got raped? Who raped them? Where are the rapists? Like, why aren’t they in jail? This is the Department of Justice.  That is so crazy. This is like-, this is honestly one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen in my entire life. And I just think it’s very dangerous to play around with this stuff. Like, very dangerous. I don’t want a revolution, but if you wanted a revolution this is how you would act.’” 

JD Vance Under Attack Too 

Irish Star wrote on July 8: 

“A post JD Vance made about the ‘most powerful people’ being connected to Jeffrey Epstein has reemerged as the DOJ says a ‘client list’ doesn’t exist, despite Pam Bondi claiming she had it on her desk. JD Vance has been brutally roasted over a social media post he made about… Epstein as MAGA rages at the Trump administration for breaking a key election promise… MAGA’s Epstein frustrations escalated on Monday when a memo sent by the DOJ and FBI said that no ‘further disclosure’ of Epstein’s files or materials would be appropriate or warranted… 

“Referring to Epstein, the future Vice President wrote: ‘Remember when we learned that our wealthiest and most powerful people were connected to a guy who ran a literal child sex trafficking ring? And then that guy died mysteriously in a jail? And now we just don’t talk about it.’ Both critics of the vice president and MAGA supporters have recently been responding to the post, pointing out Vance’s hypocrisy… ‘There goes your chance as president,’ one noted. A second wrote: ‘You’re losing credibility so quickly, you had an opportunity to do better and you guys are failing…’ Another noted: ‘The silence is deafening Mr Vance.’… 

“During their public feud after the tech billionaires departure from the White House, Musk wrote in a now-deleted X post: ‘Time to drop the really big bomb… Donald Trump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.’ He followed up shortly after: ‘Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.’ Trump has denied being on the list and Musk eventually said he’d taken things ‘too far.’” 

What list? We were just told that there is no list after Bondi said earlier that the list was on her desk. 

Does the Big Beautiful Bill Eliminate Tax on Social Security? 

The New York Times wrote on July 6: 

“In a celebratory email sent to Americans across the country, the Social Security Administration praised the Trump administration’s sprawling budget and tax bill and said it eliminated federal income taxes on most retirees’ benefits. But that’s not exactly what it does… 

“… the enhanced deduction will help reduce households’ tax bills on their overall income, including Social Security income. ‘The S.S.A. statement implies there is a direct tax cut on Social Security benefits,’ said Howard Gleckman, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank, ‘which there is not.’ 

“Instead, older single filers will get the extra $6,000 deduction ($12,000 for couples), as long as their income falls under a certain ceiling (below $75,000 for single filers or $150,000 for married joint filers). Above those income levels, the deduction begins to decrease, and it goes away once single taxpayers’ income reaches $175,000 ($250,000 for couples). Nor will the extra deduction benefit all Social Security recipients. Retirees who are 62 through 64 are ineligible. 

“And since the income of more than half of Social Security recipients is too low to be taxed anyway, lower income people won’t be helped much. The new break is expected to benefit middle- and upper-middle-class households, tax policy experts said. (Recipients who earn less than $63,300 owe an average of 1 percent of their Social Security benefits in taxes)… 

“‘It is discouraging to see such misrepresentation by the administration and the Social Security Administration,’ said Martha Shedden, president of the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts, a group that offers guidance to consumers and financial professionals on making Social Security decisions… 

“The email also says that ‘nearly 90 percent of beneficiaries will no longer pay federal taxes on their benefits.’ That, too, is misleading because the deduction is temporary, only in effect for tax years 2025 through 2028. The Social Security Administration did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.” 

The American Prospect wrote on July 7: 

“If you listen to Donald Trump’s speeches…,  you hear a lot about certain modest elements of this bill: no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security. That last one is not in the bill at all—there’s a temporary increase in the standard deduction for people over the age of 65 that is not tied to Social Security at all…” 

Churches Can Endorse Political Candidates? 

CNBC wrote on July 8: 

“The IRS said in a new federal court filing that churches can endorse political candidates to their congregations without risking the loss of their tax-exempt status. The move upends a 70-year-old interpretation of the U.S. tax code, whose Johnson Amendment has barred certain nonprofit groups, including churches, from endorsing political candidates without putting their tax-exempt status in jeopardy. President Donald Trump has long called for Johnson Amendment to be repealed. 

“‘Communications from a house of worship to its congregation in connection with religious services through its usual channels of communication on matters of faith do not run afoul of the Johnson Amendment as properly interpreted,’ the IRS said in the joint filing Monday.” 

Churches should stay out of the political arena by taking sides and endorsing political candidates. 

AI Used to Mimic Rubio’s Voice 

The Daily Mail wrote on July 8: 

“An imposter used AI technology to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio and contacted at least a handful of top U.S. and foreign government officials, according to a diplomatic cable warning of the stunning blunder… 

“The imposter used text messages and the encrypted Signal app, the same app that led to the ouster of former National Security Advisor Michael Waltz after he accidentally added a reporter to a Signal group chat where top officials discussed a bombing campaign.” 

Southeast Asia Turns to Russia 

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 3: 

“Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto skipped a G7 summit last month to visit Russia, where he and his counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agreed that bilateral ties are ‘getting stronger again.’… Prabowo’s trip came a month after Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s latest visit to Russia, his third in two years… Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta are exploring possible ways to expand trade, including in arms imports… 

“Several Southeast Asian states have an interest in exporting electrical goods and machinery to Russia… Last month, Vietnam and Moscow agreed to fast-track agreements that could see Russian firms help build Vietnam’s first nuclear power plants… many have looked to the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) grouping as an alternative arena for global politics. Indonesia is now a formal member of BRICS while Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam are partner countries… 

“Although Malaysia and Indonesia’s governments began their overtures with Russia before Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January, Washington turning away from international institutions since then has convinced many Asian leaders that they can no longer count on US support and that the future of the Western-backed international order might soon be over, analysts say…” 

The Far Eastern nations of the Kings of the East are forming. Iran should not be overlooked in that regard. Note the next article. 

Iran at BRICS Summit 

The New York Times wrote on July 5: 

“Battered by 12 days of war, Iran stands mostly alone and weakened in the Middle East. Yet the Islamic republic has found friends elsewhere in the world. Starting Sunday in Rio de Janeiro, Iran will join a two-day meeting of the BRICS group that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and other countries… 

“After Israel and the United States launched military strikes on Iran last month, the BRICS group issued a statement expressing ‘grave concern’ and calling the attacks a breach of international law and the United Nations Charter. Still the alliance, whose members represent more than half of the world’s population, stopped short of outright criticizing Israel or the United States…” 

Trump Threatens BRICS 

The New York Post wrote on July 7: 

“President Trump threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on any country that aligns itself with what he described as the ‘Anti-American politics of BRICS,’ intensifying global trade tensions as the bloc of developing nations holds its summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ‘Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy,’ Trump wrote Sunday evening… 

“Trump did not elaborate on which specific politics of BRICS… he considered anti-American. The bloc, formed in 2009, later added South Africa and last year included Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as members. 

“In December, Trump threatened 100% tariffs on BRICS if member nations decided to issue their own currency — a move aimed at potentially undermining the US dollar. His comment Sunday came shortly after BRICS leaders issued a joint statement appearing to criticize Trump’s protectionist trade policies.” 

As the Tide Turns 

Daily Mail wrote on July 4: 

“Donald Trump yesterday agreed to help Ukraine boost its aerial defences after Russia launched its biggest assault of the war. The US President made the pledge after a ‘very disappointing’ phone call with Vladimir Putin on Thursday night (with the Russian leader refusing to agree to a ceasefire), with Russia launching the barrage hours after. Mr Trump spoke to Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday and seemingly vowed to ‘strengthen the protection’ of Ukraine’s skies. They also discussed joint industrial projects. 

“The two leaders, who have previously traded insults and fell out spectacularly at the White House earlier this year, spoke at length hours after Putin fired a record 539 drones and 11 missiles at Ukraine. The bombardment left at least one dead and 23 injured in Kyiv… 

“It follows reports that the US is to reduce the amount of military hardware it gives Ukraine, with US defence officials yesterday denying rumours [stemming directly from Trump himself] of a weapons shortage. Defence secretary Pete Hegseth was also said to have halted weapons shipments to Ukraine without consulting other US government departments.” 

Trump had said: “Biden emptied out our whole country giving them weapons, and we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves” (Compare The Sun, dated July 4). 

Mark Rutte Warns of Simultaneous Russian and Chinese Invasions 

The Daily Mail wrote on July 6: 

“NATO chief Mark Rutte has chillingly warned that World War III will start with simultaneous invasions from Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin… Rutte suggested the combined attacks from the Chinese and Russian leaders could trigger a World War nightmare and bring the planet to the brink of Armageddon. 

“According to the NATO chief, China would start by seeking to grab Taiwan – while ensuring the Kremlin dictator simultaneously attacks NATO territory, amid fears Putin is anyway eyeing the Baltic republics Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, formerly part of the USSR. 

“Senior Putin security official Dmitry Medvedev – a former Russian president and ex-premier – lashed out on X: ‘Rutte has clearly gorged on too many of the magic mushrooms beloved by the Dutch. He sees collusion between China & Russia over Taiwan, and then a Russian attack on Europe. But he’s right about one thing: he should learn Russian. It might come in handy in a Siberian camp.’” 

This is not how World War III will start. The leaders and politicians of this world, not understanding biblical prophecy, look at all the wrong places, but overlook the coming real powerful and destructive enemy of the USA and the UK. 

What or Who Is Shylock? 

JTA wrote on July 4: 

“After facing criticism, President Donald Trump said he was unaware that the term ‘Shylock’ was widely considered antisemitic when he used it to describe unscrupulous bankers during a rally Thursday in Iowa… Shylock is the name of the Jewish money lender in William Shakespeare’s ‘The Merchant of Venice,’ a character that has come to be seen as an archetype of the stereotype that Jews are greedy and money-grubbing…

“Joe Biden, then vice president, decried ‘Shylocks’ in 2014 to describe unscrupulous lenders who he said preyed on U.S. military personnel…” 

Antisemitism is difficult to root out, and it is sometimes even inadvertently unrecognized. 

German Persecution 

The European Conservative wrote on June 25: 

“On Wednesday, June 25th, the German federal police carried out a major operation throughout the country, searching the homes and confiscating the electronics of 170 people over social media comments that either fall in the general ‘hate speech’ category or just insult sitting politicians.  

“While individuals can be targeted by the authorities at any time, these coordinated country-wide raids are organized once every year since the 2017 adoption of Article 188 of the Criminal Code, which makes insulting politicians punishable to the same degree as online hate speech—with up to three years in prison—while defamation and slander can get you locked up for up to five years. 

“These so-called ‘action days’ are also supported by several ‘hate crime’ reporting centers throughout the country, often run by left-wing NGOs who file the charges on behalf of offended people and politicians. Thanks to these organizations, the number of registered online hate crimes reached a record level of over ten thousand last year, meaning the number has quadrupled since 2021. According to officials from the ruling center-right CDU, all this is perfectly normal in a democracy…. 

“In many cases, the ‘crimes’ involved merely entail legitimate criticism of government policies—saying Berlin fails to control migration could be considered Islamophobia or racism, for example—or just the opinions of everyday people of their elected officials. The most prominent abuser of the law is former vice-chancellor and Green party leader Robert Habeck, who personally reported over 800 citizens for insulting him online. Recently, a 64-year-old pensioner was convicted for calling Habeck ‘a complete idiot’ following a similar house search, while another man was fined €6,000 for calling him ‘dirty’ and former Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock ‘stupid.’ 

“And while Chancellor Merz’s CDU was trying to capitalize on the Greens’ abuse of Article 188 during the election campaign, they’ve been weaponizing it just as easily when it suited them. Merz himself has personally filed charges in several cases, which resulted in home searches. These include the case against a 50-year old nurse who called him an ‘asshole’ and who had to pay a €1,000 fine; a Stuttgart resident who called him a ‘dirty drunk’; and a wheelchair-bound woman who called him a ‘Nazi.’ 

“And while the courts later dismissed all of these cases and ruled that the searches and confiscation of electronics were unlawful, none of them were compensated either for the damages or the criminal fines they were forced to pay.” 

“Pistorius Outlines Plans for Military Draft” 

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 8:

“A bill to be put forward by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius would allow the Cabinet, with parliamentary agreement, to call up conscripts if a situation arises that requires a rapid boost to the country’s armed forces, media have reported.  

“The bill is being seen as a compromise between some conservatives’ calls for the return of compulsory military service, which was suspended in Germany in 2011, and the opposition of many leftist lawmakers to such a move.”

The push for compulsory military service will continue. 

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.

God tells us that He will bless us when we obey Him and curse us when we disobey Him (compare Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28). He explains to us that He curses those who sin against Him. Are we therefore to curse those who sin against us—who have become our enemies?

In Matthew 5:43-44, we read: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…”

Christ loved us and died for us when we were sinners and His enemies, hoping that we would become His friends. Once that relationship of friendship with Him and His Church (His Body) has been established, He tells us to love one another with the same godly love with which He loved and loves us. This love (to love others AS He has loved us) He does not require of us in regard to our enemies in the world. But He does tell us that we are to love them which is really only possible if we have God’s love (agape) in us. How are we to love them?

The Study Bible says:

“‘You have heard that it was said.’ This phrase indicates Jesus is addressing common teachings or interpretations of the Law that were prevalent among His audience. It reflects the oral traditions and teachings of the Jewish leaders, such as the Pharisees and scribes, who often expanded upon the written Law with their own interpretations. This introduction sets the stage for Jesus to contrast these teachings with His own authoritative interpretation.

“‘Love your neighbor.’This part of the verse references Leviticus 19:18, which commands the Israelites to love their neighbors as themselves. In the Jewish context, ‘neighbor’ was often understood to mean fellow Israelites or those within one’s own community. Jesus later expands this definition in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-27), illustrating that ‘neighbor’ includes all people, regardless of ethnicity or social standing.

“‘and ‘Hate your enemy’. This phrase is not a direct quote from the Old Testament but reflects a common interpretation or attitude that had developed over time. While the Law commanded love for one’s neighbor, it did not explicitly instruct hatred for enemies. However, due to historical conflicts and the desire for national purity, some Jewish groups, such as the Qumran community, may have adopted a stance of enmity towards outsiders or those perceived as threats. Jesus challenges this mindset by teaching love for enemies, as seen in the following verses (Matthew 5:44-48) which aligns with the broader biblical theme of God’s love and mercy extending to all humanity.”

Luke 6:27-28 says: “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.”

The Study Bible points out:

“‘bless those who curse you.’ This phrase calls believers to respond to hostility with kindness, reflecting the teachings of Jesus on loving one’s enemies. In the cultural context of the time, cursing someone was a serious offense, often invoking harm or divine retribution. Jesus’ instruction to bless instead of retaliate is countercultural and radical, emphasizing the transformative power of love and forgiveness. This teaching aligns with Proverbs 25:21-22, which advises feeding one’s enemy and offering them drink, suggesting that such actions can lead to reconciliation and peace. The concept of blessing those who curse is also seen in the life of Jesus, who, during His crucifixion, asked for forgiveness for those who were executing Him (Luke 23:34).”

We are not to curse even our enemies by telling them, for example, ”go to hell,” wishing them eternal condemnation. Rather, we should pray for them—not to be blessed by God for their sinful ways or while they live in sin, but for their realization THAT their ways are sinful, and that they need to repent of them and cease from “spitefully” using us.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible explains:

“Bless them that curse you – The word ‘bless’ here means to ‘speak well of’ or ‘speak well to’ – not to curse again or to slander, but to speak of those things which we can commend in an enemy; or, if there is nothing that we can commend, to say nothing about him. The word ‘bless,’ spoken of God, means to regard with favor or to confer benefits, as when God is said to bless his people. When we speak of our ‘blessing God,’ it means to praise Him or give thanks to Him. When we speak of blessing people, it ‘unites’ the two meanings, and signifies to confer favor, to thank, or to speak well of.”

However, we have a duty to speak the Truth, when appropriate, and not to hide the Truth by keeping silent when there is a duty to speak, or to engage in flattery. Paul called a false prophet a “son of the Devil” (Acts 13:10); and Christ said the same to the Jews at His time (John 8:44). He did in no way flatter the evil and hypocritical Pharisees, nor did He remain silent when there was a duty to speak (compare Matthew 23:13-33). (Note also our two-part Q&A, “Who is to warn the leaders of the world?”)

Matthew Poole’s Commentary says about Luke 6:26-27: “Bless them that curse you: do not return reviling.”

This might include, being silent in the face of persecution.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible adds:

“Bless them that curse you: when wicked men curse you, as Shimei cursed David, do not ‘render evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing’; give good words, use kind language, mild and soft expressions [or saying nothing in return]; such as may either win upon them, or put them to shame and silence… Blessing here, does not signify praising them, for that would be sinful…”

It would be sinful, indeed, to “bless” a false teacher—an enemy of God—by wishing him “good luck” or “a nice day,” because if we would, we would become a partaker of his evil deeds (compare 2 John 10-11).

Romans 12:14, 20 reads: “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse… Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’”

Note the parallel Scripture in Proverbs 25:21-22: “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the Lord will reward you.”

Some say, this passage wants to convey that if we behave like this towards our enemies, we increase God’s wrath on them, as heaping coals of fire signifies the pouring out of God’s anger. But the better explanation is the following, as, for example, expressed by Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers:

“Thou shalt make him burn with shame at the thought of the wrong he has done thee. Thus, to bring a sinner to repentance is well-pleasing to the Lord, who shall reward thee for it.”

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible states in general:

“To curse denotes properly to devote to destruction. Where there is power to do it, it implies the destruction of the object… Where there is not power to do it, to curse implies the invoking of the aid of God to devote to destruction.”

This is not the attitude we ought to have in a relationship with anyone, including our enemies. Rather than wishing our enemy utter destruction, we hope and pray that God will lead him to repentance so that he ceases from his evil ways.

1 Corinthians 4:12 says: “Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure…”

This shows that blessing means, refraining from reviling.

1 Peter 3:9 adds: “… not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.”

This brings us to the issue of dealing with strangers. In our hateful world, many treat strangers as enemies, and when it comes to strangers or aliens without documentation, they are being reviled as criminals and invaders who don’t deserve any love, mercy or assistance, but who must be hunted to be placed in demeaning detention camps or prisons or in concentration camps to be deported to countries from which they had fled—or even to countries where they had never been or grown up.  This is, in effect, cursing a stranger. For instance, being in the USA illegally, all by itself, does not constitute a crime. Rather, it is a civil violation. However, entering the country illegally would be a crime in the sense of a misdemeanor, but not a felony. But the same is true every time one breaks a traffic law. If one speeds, that person is committing a crime in the sense of an infraction or a misdemeanor, but not a felony. As everyone has, at times, committed a traffic violation, he or she condemns him or herself when he or she curses a stranger by calling them a criminal.

The Bible tells us in Exodus 23:4-5: “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it.”

So, if we want to treat an undocumented alien as an enemy, we are still obligated to help him or her when in need. This might conflict with certain laws of the land, which, in accordance with some interpretations, would make it unlawful to help or assist an undocumented alien in any way (not even giving him or her a ride to the hospital or a grocery store). If such a situation arises, one has to decide whether one wants to obey God rather than man. Read our free booklet, “Obeying God Rather Than Man.”

In Job 31:28-30, righteous Job said this: “This also would be an iniquity deserving of judgment, For I would have denied God who is above.  If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, Or lifted myself up when evil found him.  (Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin By asking for a curse on his soul)…”

Proverbs 24:17-18 gives us the following admonition: “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, And He turn away His wrath from him.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible points out:

“Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth… These words are spoken not to the wicked man… but to the just man, or Solomon’s son, or the children of Wisdom; for by the ‘enemy’ is meant such who are at enmity with the people of God, as the seed of the serpent, and those after the flesh, are: and when these ‘fall’, saints should not ‘rejoice’; as when they fall into sin… Joy may be expressed at the fall of the public enemies of God and his people, as was by the Israelites at the destruction of Pharaoh and his host (Exodus 15:1), and as will be by the church at the destruction of antichrist, and which they are called upon to do (Revelation 18:20), partly on account of their own deliverance and safety, and chiefly because of the glory of God, and of his justice displayed therein; see Psalm 58:10, but as private revenge is not to be sought, nor acted, so joy at the calamity and ruin of a private enemy, or a man’s own enemy, should not be expressed…

“… and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth; even secret joy should not be indulged, gladness in the heart, though it does not appear in the countenance, and is not expressed in words; no, not at the least appearance of mischief, when he only stumbles and is ready to fall; and much less should there be exultation and rejoicings made in an open manner at the utter ruin of him.”

Jeremiah said that he never desired the evil day for his enemies (compare Jeremiah 17:16).

We even read in Proverbs 16:7: “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

This applies to our own personal lives, and also to our national relationship with other countries. We should ask ourselves whether, when we live in war, we are living in a way pleasing to God.

Insofar as the general distinction between blessing and cursing is concerned, we read in Exodus 21:17: “And he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.”

Proverbs 30:11 adds: “There is a generation that curses its father, And does not bless its mother.”

Matthew 15:3-6 states: “He answered and said to them, ‘Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, “Honor your father and your mother”; and, “He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.” But you say, “Whoever says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God’– then he need not honor his father or mother.” Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.’”

Here we see that blessing is equated with honoring and helping, while the unwillingness to help is equated with dishonor and by extension, with cursing.

Exodus 22:28 states: “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.”

But this is what people, in their despair, will do, as stated in Isaiah 8:21: “They will pass through it hard pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward.”

They will try to find fault for their misfortune in others, including the king and God.

Ecclesiastes 10:20 says: “Do not curse the king, even in your thought; Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom; For a bird of the air may carry your voice, And a bird in flight may tell the matter.”

This must not be misunderstood to mean that we have to turn a blind eye to the misrule of a leader. We must, as a Church, point out their sinful conduct (see our Q&As, quoted above), and when we are asked to pray for our leaders, this does not mean to bless them for their evil deeds, but only, to inspire them so that God’s Church can lead a quiet life and fulfill its commission (compare 1 Timothy 2:1-2).

In Acts 23:1-5, we read: “Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, ‘Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.’ And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, ‘God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?’ And those who stood by said, ‘Do you revile God’s high priest?’ Then Paul said, ‘I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, “You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

Here, Paul equates cursing with speaking evil. This passage has been understood in different ways. Some say, Paul had weak eyes so that he did not recognize Ananias. Others say, he did not know that Ananias was the high priest. The better explanation is that Paul recognized Ananias as the high priest, but said, that he was astonished that this hypocritical whitewashed wall could hold the office of high priest. William Barclay, “The Acts of the Apostles,” wrote on page 164: “Paul knew perfectly well that Ananias was high priest. But Ananias was notorious as a glutton, a thief, a rapacious robber and a quisling in the Roman service. Paul’s answer really means, ‘This man sitting there—I never knew a man like that could be high priest of Israel.’”

Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 says: “Also do not take to heart everything people say, Lest you hear your servant cursing you. For many times, also, your own heart has known That even you have cursed others.”

Nehemiah 13:23-25 brings up another interesting aspect of “cursing”:

“In those days I also saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people. So I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, ‘You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves.’”

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers points out:

“Cursed them.—Nehemiah simply echoed the covenant sanction on this very point.”

This, however, does not seem to be the best explanation.

The Benson Commentary states: “I cursed them — That is, excommunicated them, and cast them out of the society of God’s people; in the doing of which, I denounced God’s judgments against them.”

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary agrees:

“cursed them—that is, pronounced on them an anathema which entailed excommunication.”

Likewise Matthew Poole’s Commentary:

“Cursed them, i.e. caused them to be excommunicated and cast out of the society and privileges of God’s people. This and the following punishments were justly inflicted upon them, because this transgression was contrary both to a very plain and express law of God, and also to their own late solemn covenants and promises…”

Christ tells us that if a sinning member does not want to listen to the Church, he needs to be disfellowshipped and be treated “like a heathen and a tax collector” (Matthew 18:17; also note Paul’s statement regarding excommunication in 1 Corinthians 5:4-5). Such decisions have nothing to do with cursing the person, but they signify that God’s curse is over them unless they repent.

James 3:8-10 says: “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary states:

“Therewith bless we God; pray, and speak well of God… And therewith curse we men; rail on, revile, speak evil of, as well as wish evil to.”

To repeat: This does not mean that we must shy away from saying that sin brings about evil consequences. This is not cursing a person, but expresses the wish that the person repents so that he or she can be spared from experiencing God’s terrible wrath (compare John 3:36; Revised Standard Version).

Finally, we are admonished that we must not avenge ourselves.

Romans 12:19 states: “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

At the same time, it is not wrong to ask God to avenge us on those who persecute us because we belong to God.

In Revelation 6:9-11, we read how in a vision, murdered “souls” ask God to avenge them: “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”

Asking God to avenge us on our enemies who persecute us without cause is not the same as cursing them. Rather, we plead with God to show His majesty and power on those who mistreat, malign and even kill God’s people.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“The Epstein Scandal—No Murder and No Client List?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary: 

According to the Justice Department and the FBI, sex offender Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide, and no client list exists. This announcement was met with incredulity and outright rejection. What are the reasons that so many feel a gigantic coverup is being perpetrated to protect hundreds of prominent pedophiles who raped thousands of underage girls? 

“Der Epstein Skandal—Kein Mord und keine Kundenliste?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topics as described above.

“Warum Babylon zu Fall kommen wird,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Robert Indlekofer, is now posted. Title in English: “Why Babylon Will Fall.”

“Der Hass der Türkei gegen Israel Warum?” last Sabbath’s German sermon presented by Thilo Hanstein, in now posted. Title in English: “Turkey’s Hatred of Israel, Why?”

“Follow Me,” last Sabbath’s first split sermon presented by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Two simple words, yet when spoken by Jesus Christ they represented the chance, not merely of a lifetime, but of everlasting life with Jesus and the Father. In this Split Sermon we will consider many of the scriptures in which Jesus Christ offered this invitation as well as the meaning behind the words.

“How to Repent!” last Sabbath’s second split sermon presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is the summary:

We have all learned to apologize or say I am sorry, but do we really know how to repent to God in a way that He will accept?