This Week in the News

“From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free!”

Israel Today wrote on November 5:

“Tens of thousands took to the streets in many major European cities and the USA over the weekend to show their solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. From their point of view, Israel alone is responsible for all evil. Israel massacres the people of Gaza, they say, but not a word about the actual massacre in Israel. ‘ From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free”– shouted people in the streets…

“In London, according to police reports, around 30,000 people demonstrated in Trafalgar Square. In the French capital Paris, police estimated the number of demonstrators at 20,000, but other sources said there were more. Of course, Palestinian flags and signs reading ‘Free Palestine’ could be seen everywhere. The state of Israel should be boycotted immediately, some Arab demonstrators said, while others held up signs reading ‘Israel is a terrorist state.’

“In Germany, pro-Palestinian demonstrations also took place yesterday in Düsseldorf and Berlin. According to police information, there were around 17,000 people on the streets in Düsseldorf and an estimated 10,000 in Berlin. Thousands of people also protested in Milan yesterday against Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Strip.

“In Washington, thousands have called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. In front of the White House, they accused US President Joe Biden of genocide: ‘Biden, Biden, you can’t hide, you have approved genocide.’ People in Montreal, Canada, also called for the ‘liberation’ of Palestine. A few days earlier, a large demonstration took place in Istanbul. The Turkish ‘Sultan’ Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a Muslim, but not an Arab. Nevertheless, he tries to be more Arab than the Arabs. He stands up for the Palestinians like no other Arab leader in the Middle East…

“Anyone who believes that Muslims as a collective will gradually integrate or adapt to Western or Christian culture in Europe is mistaken… Do people in Europe, in this case Christians, believe that Muslims will be merciful to Christians? No. For Muslims, the Christian West is the stronghold of the Crusaders, and they slaughtered the Muslims in the Holy Land a thousand years ago. Muslims don’t forget this. According to the Koran, Jews and Christians are ‘infidels’ and therefore arch enemies of Islam. Furthermore, Muslims are obliged to reconquer Islamic lands once they were under Islamic rule… Parts of Europe were… under Muslim rule throughout history…

“‘From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free’ must be a warning to Europe and America. For years, radical Muslims in Europe have been talking about liberating Europe from the hands of Christians…”

Tlaib Censured

The New York Post wrote on November 7:

“The House of Representatives voted Tuesday night to censure Rep. Rahida Tlaib for defending Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack against Israel as ‘resistance’ and calling for the destruction of the Jewish state. Tlaib (D-Mich.) is the 26th member of Congress to be censured by the House in the legislative body’s history… Twenty-two Democrats voted with 212 Republicans to censure Tlaib, and four Republicans voted with 184 Democrats against the resolution. 

“The resolution mentions Tlaib’s Nov. 3 video post on X, which included the first portion of the phrase ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,’ a call for the eradication of Israel.

“The resolution notes Tlaib’s ‘false narratives’ around the Oct. 7 attack, in which jihadists slaughtered 1,400 civilians in Israel — including at least 33 American citizens. The censure further cites lies that Tlaib spread about the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital bombing on Oct. 17, which she claimed had been perpetrated by the Israeli military — despite President Biden and the US intelligence community assessing with ‘high confidence’ that it was caused by [Hamas]…”

As the Hill explained on November 7, “A vote to censure another member of Congress does not hold any other power beyond a public condemning of that member’s behavior. It does not expel a member from Congress or deny the rights or privileges of that member within Congress.”

Please read our Q&A in this issue, titled, “Does the Bible reveal anything about the immediate future of the State of Israel?” Also, note below one article about the dreadful actions committed by Islamists in Germany and a call to action.  

Obama’s “Wisdom”

Israel 365 News wrote on November 5:

“[In an] interview… the former president said… that ‘what Hamas did was horrific, and there is no justification for it. And what is also true is that the occupation, and what’s happening to Palestinians, is unbearable.’… He added that ‘nobody’s hands are clean’ and that ‘all of us are complicit to some degree.’

“According to Matt Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, it is Obama that is complicit. When Israel faces ‘a barbaric attack from Hamas, Obama blames Israel,’ said Brooks. ‘It is Barack Obama who is complicit in the death and suffering over the last month in Israel and in Gaza. His policies and those of President Joe Biden put billions of dollars into Iranian coffers, money used to fund and train Hamas and other terrorist groups whose stated goals are the destruction of Israel and the annihilation of Jews,’ he continued…

“According to Israeli philosopher Yoram Hazony, it was Obama’s ‘complexity’ theory that led directly to the current situation in the Middle East… ‘He created this hell with his own hands,’ wrote Hazony. ‘Obama’s theory of the “complexity” of the Middle East—from which he concluded that Iran needs to be strengthened so it can “balance’ Israel,” led directly to the current crisis,’ he continued.

“Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America, called the former president the ‘Israel-hater-in-chief’…”

Obama’s and Biden’s failed politics have truly contributed to the current disaster in Gaza.

Turkey Breaks With Israel

AFP wrote on November 4:

“Turkey said Saturday it was recalling its ambassador to Israel and breaking off contacts with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in protest at the bloodshed in Gaza… [Ankara’s] tone hardened against both Israel and its Western supporters — particularly the United States… ‘Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to. We have written him off,’ Turkish media quoted Erdogan as saying.

“Israel had earlier withdrawn all diplomats from Turkey and other regional countries as a security precaution. The Israeli foreign ministry said last weekend it was “re-evaluating” relations with Ankara because of Turkey’s increasingly heated rhetoric about the Israel-Hamas war…”

According to the Bible, Turkey will become one of Israel’s arch-enemies.

Leave Lebanon

Fox News wrote on November 4:

“The US Embassy in Lebanon is urging Americans to evacuate the country due to increasing danger of the Israel-Hamas conflict spilling over. ‘The State Department recommends that U.S. citizens in Lebanon leave now, while commercial flights remain available, due to the unpredictable security situation,’ the embassy said in a security alert…

“‘There is no guarantee the U.S. government will evacuate private U.S. citizens and their family members in a crisis situation,’ it added.”

It is only a matter of time before the terrorist organization Hezbollah will become more actively involved in the war against Israel. Note the next articles.

Hezbollah Threatens Israel and the USA

The Associated Press wrote on November 3:

“Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Friday that his powerful militia is already engaged in unprecedented fighting along the Lebanon-Israel border and threatened a further escalation…

“Hezbollah is prepared for all options, he declared, ‘and we can resort to them at any time.’ The fighting would ‘not be limited’ to the scale seen so far, he added. In recent weeks, Hezbollah has fired rockets across the border daily, mainly hitting military targets in northern Israel, but it has a substantial arsenal capable of hitting anywhere in Israel and thousands of battle-hardened fighters…”

The Times of Israel added on November 3:

“Hassan Nasrallah says Hezbollah is not intimidated by American threats and by US forces deployed to the region. ‘Since the outbreak of the war, the US has threatened to bomb us in Lebanon from its military ships in the Mediterranean. We are prepared for whatever scenario,’ he says. ‘If an all-out war breaks out, you Americans will pay with your ships, your aircrafts and your soldiers,’ he threatens.

“‘Remember your defeats in Lebanon and Iraq, and your humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan. Those who defeated you in Lebanon in the 1980s are still alive and their children and grandchildren are ready to face you,’ he claims. ‘Your fleet in the Mediterranean do not scare us… We are ready to face the fleet you threaten us with,’ Nasrallah says… ‘I tell Israel: Do not go any further. Many civilians have already died. I promise you: A civilian for a civilian.’

Sadly, Biden’s humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan has emboldened America’s enemies as never before.

The Source of Antisemitism in the USA

Breitbart wrote on November 2:

“Breitbart Editor-in-Chief… Alex Marlow said… ‘The Jew hatred that is pervasive on the web shows you that anti-Semitism is alive and well. Contrary to what people say it is not really coming from the far-right in America. I mean it is there certainly but I’m saying that is not where the movement is taking place. The secular left is a huge part of it, the Arab world is a part of it. But most immortally for this conversation is the enablers of those people. And one of the top enablers is Joe Biden.’

“He continued, ‘He is the guy who wanted to revive the Iran nuclear deal. He has funded the funders of terrorism. He has fake experts at the Pentagon who are compromised by Iran… His Afghanistan withdrawal left the terrorists all these weapons which they could either use or sell. He has snubbed our allies in Israel, Saudi Arabia. The List goes on.’

“Marlow added, ‘This is all deeply deeply political… If Donald Trump was president none of this would be happening…’”

Antisemitism on American Campuses

Fox News wrote on November 4:

“Two New York Jewish college students detailed the fear they have felt with the rise of antisemitic sentiments on campus…  While many in the international community were initially horrified by the events [on October 7], soon after, many teachers and students in American schools nationwide started expressing support for Hamas and antagonizing Jewish students. ‘Being a Jew at NYU right now is scary,’ Ingber said. ‘We are seeing an uptick in anti-Israel protests that are turning antisemitic. There are signs that read “globalize the Intifada” which is a historical call for the extermination of Jews and call for violence against Jews.’

“Ingber went on to say that Jewish people are hearing chants of ‘gas the Jews’ and ‘Hitler was right,’ leaving students horrified…

“”We are seeing a constant… justification of Hamas’ brutal terror attack at NYU..  when it comes to Jews the world is silent.’

“… a group [at Barnard College which is partnered with Columbia University] called Students for Justice in Palestine had agreed to host a speaker who ‘praised the second Intifada, something where there were suicide bombers who came into Israel, and they’re allowing this man to preach to our students on our campus? It’s disgusting… We are analyzing the relationships we have made with our peers that are silent as calls for our death and our global extermination are running rampant across all college campuses and not just college campuses, in a lot of other major cities,’ she said…”

One cannot but be appalled with “peers” who cowardly keep quiet in the face of such atrocities.

Germany, Do Something!

Bild Online wrote on November 4:

“Thousands of Islamists march through downtown Essen with their flags, demonstrating their power and shouting their slogans. They are only marginally calling for ‘Free Palestine’; they are concerned with something bigger: the establishment of a global caliphate, a strictly religious empire, like the terrorist militia ‘Islamic State’ achieved in Syria and Iraq between 2014 and 2019.

“The Hamas war has revealed what liberal Muslims… have been warning about for years: There are tens of thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, of radicals living in Germany who not only reject our free society, but want to overthrow it. But instead of listening to warnings, they were at best ignored, at worst denigrated as racist. Now we see the result of looking away for so long…

“The caliphate, which is openly called for on posters in Essen, would be hell on earth for EVERYONE who lives in it, especially for those who are classified as ‘infidels’ by the Islamists… For secular Muslims who fled to the West  from countries ruled by a radical Islamists. these images must be the ultimate nightmare. They know what this ideology has done in their countries of origin…

“If you park incorrectly in Germany, you can be sure that you will be cited after 30 minutes at the latest [often even after 5 minutes, or even less]. When young people hugged each other in the park during the corona pandemic, they were mercilessly pursued by police officers, almost killing them with their police cars. But when the ‘Islamic State’ almost literally marches in Essen, practically nothing happens. The police should actually be at the door of EVERY one of the 3,000 participants, checking their residence status, initiating searches and criminal proceedings, checking and arranging deportations. Use the entire arsenal of the rule of law that these radicals want to abolish.

“There have been many strong speeches in the past three weeks. Now… you should judge them by their deeds. Finally do something.”

Russia Says That Israel Has No Right to Defend Itself

Israel365News wrote on November 2:

“Israel does not have the right to defend itself, Russia’s representative to the United Nations said on Wednesday… Last week, Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-sponsored U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Hamas

“A Russian resolution was also rejected that denounced Hamas but also condemned ‘indiscriminate attacks’ on civilians in Gaza…”

Russia’s past persecution of the Jews is well-known.

Hamas Will Repeat October 7 Terror Attack

Breitbart wrote on November 1:

“A senior political official in the Palestinian Hamas terror organization told Lebanese television last week that the group intends to repeat its October 7 terror attack until Israel is annihilated… Hamas political official Ghazi Hamad says that attacks on Israeli civilians are justified; that the cost in terms of Palestinian ‘martyrs’ is worth the ultimate goal of ending Israel; and that Hamas will continue to mount such attacks…

“Ghazi Hamad of the Hamas political bureau said in an October 24, 2023 show on LBC TV (Lebanon) that Hamas is prepared to repeat the October 7 ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ Operation time and again until Israel is annihilated. He added that Palestinians are willing to pay the price and that they are ‘proud to sacrifice martyrs.’ Hamad said that Palestinians are the victims of the occupation, therefore no one should blame them for the events of October 7 or anything else, adding: ‘Everything we do is justified… We must teach Israel a lesson, and we will do this again and again. The Al-Aqsa Flood is just the first time, and there will be a second, a third, a fourth, because we have the determination, the resolve, and the capabilities to fight…’

“Ghazi claimed that Hamas did not intend to harm civilians, but said ‘complications’ caused Hamas to murder civilians, including 260 people at a music festival.”

No Cease-Fire

The New York Post wrote on November 3:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that his country would not consider halting its war on Hamas, rejecting Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s call for ‘humanitarian pauses’ to allow civilians out of the Gaza Strip. Israel ‘refuses a temporary cease-fire that doesn’t include a return of our hostages,’ Netanyahu told reporters, referring to the more than 200 people taken captive by terrorists during their Oct. 7 attack that killed more than 1,400 Israelis — including at least 33 Americans.

“The prime minister spoke after a meeting with Blinken, during which America’s top diplomat urged Netanyahu to stop the conflict to minimize Palestinian civilian deaths as Israel pursues Hamas jihadists hiding among the population in Gaza… Netanyahu said his country would continue hitting the Gaza Strip with ‘all of its power.’

“IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told The Post Friday that a ‘pause’ is currently ‘not on the table.’ ‘We’re fighting. We’re in the first stages of a war against an enemy that has proven that we cannot allow that enemy to continue to exist at the end of this war…’

“In addition to the temporary pauses, the US has been pushing Israel to allow humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza. Blinken said officials ‘identified mechanisms to enable fuel to reach hospitals and other needs in southern Gaza Strip’ during their meeting… Netanyahu said in a statement that ‘Israel won’t allow entry of fuel to Gaza and objects to transfer of money to Gaza’ despite Blinken’s report. ‘Israel raised appropriate concern we share about Hamas hoarding fuel in northern Gaza,’ Blinken said of the discussion.”

Subsequently, Blinken flip-flopped and declared that there must not be a cease-fire. Then, the Biden Administration flip-flopped again and stated that there should be a temporary pause…

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 11:

“Israel will begin daily four-hour pauses in northern Gaza to allow people to flee fighting in the territory, the White House said… Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his position that there would be no cease-fire talks until the militant Islamist group Hamas releases the more than 200 people it is holding hostage… 

“US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that the first humanitarian pause would be announced Thursday and that the Israelis had committed to announcing each four-hour window at least three hours in advance.”

Trump: No One From Gaza!

Fox News wrote on November 4:

“Former President Trump said people who want to abolish Israel shouldn’t be allowed to enter America. Trump made the comments during the Florida Freedom Summit on Saturday, where other 2024 GOP presidential contenders also spoke, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy.

“‘If you hate America, if you want to abolish Israel, if you sympathize with jihadists, and then you don’t want your country to do well, you don’t want your country to be successful, you’re just not going to get in, you’re not getting in, you’re not coming into our country,’ Tump said…

‘”On day one, I will restore the Trump travel on entering from having people that like to blow up our shopping centers and kill our people and do lots of bad things. Entry from plagued countries. We will not allow people to come in and will implement strong ideological screening for all immigrants,’ Trump said…

“Trump’s comments come after he promised to deport immigrants who are publicly supporting Hamas during an Iowa campaign speech Oct. 16. ‘We aren’t bringing in anyone from Gaza,’ Trump also said at the event.”

“Returning Temple Vessels From Italy?”

Israel365News wrote on November 3:

“Recently, shortly after the Jewish High Holidays, a compelling article was written… about a leading Italian member of parliament who had a Zoom meeting with Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu.  The Italian MP stated that Italy is in fact prepared to return the lost Temple vessels to Israel and that the time is now to do so. The reaction here in Israel has been overwhelming.  Could this be true?…  Is this real or fake news?…

“The answer is that there’s a little of both, i.e., some genuine news, and some fake news. 

“… we must first understand that the Vatican Church and the government of Italy are two very distinct entities… Pope Francis, along with the Secretariat of State… are the main decision-makers on this case.  The Italian government can exert a limited amount of pressure by way of the press, but that’s about it.

“The good news in this scenario is that the official Vatican position currently is that they neither confirm nor deny possessing any Herodian Temple objects like the golden Menorah, sacred tables, altars, priestly garments, and the like… Another development worth mentioning is that incidents have been reported that concern high-ranking Vatican officials who were willing to reveal the location of these holy vessels to religious Jews before going on pension or resigning from their posts…

“What was written in the article indeed is the opinion of this particular Italian politician; however, he isn’t the first to state that Rome has possession of Jerusalem’s Temple vessels and would like to see them returning, ultimately, to Israel. He also said that they are in their cellars and that nothing is being done with them now at any rate. Of course, he doesn’t have concrete, academic proof of this, but it is something he believes and wants…”

If true, this would be remarkable in connection with the building of the Third Temple AND the man of sin taking possession of the same.

Pope Francis’s New Theology

LifeSiteNews wrote on November 3:

“Pope Francis has issued new priorities and statutes for the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Theology, stating that a newly focused theology is needed, based on a popular ‘common sense’ that is ‘often not corresponding to the Christian face of God.’…

“Yet the papal document presents what appears to be an essentially anti-Catholic concept of theology, tasking theologians with engaging in dialogue with various cultures and religions rather than drawing on the timeless, and unchanging truths of the Catholic faith… [This was of course written by a Catholic and does not reflect our opinion on this matter.]

“Francis… argued that theology would necessarily move away from a path of presenting and teaching truths, ‘into a culture of dialogue and encounter between different traditions and different knowledge, between different Christian denominations and different religions, openly confronting everyone, believers and non-believers alike.’… But in order to practice the new theological style, wrote Francis, theologians would have to prioritize ‘common’ ideas found amongst people, even though such ideas reject the Catholic concept of God.”

Gag-Order for Trump’s Attorneys

Newsmax wrote on November 3:

“… attorney and Donald Trump legal spokeswoman Alina Habba… was the subject of an expanded gag order issued by New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron on Friday, prohibiting Habba and Trump’s legal team from commenting about the judge’s staff, namely his clerk, Allison Greenfield… Trump’s legal team has complained about eye rolls of Greenfield and her apparent ‘co-judging’ — handing the judge 30 to 40 notes in one day, Trump’s team noted. So, Engoron shut down Trump and his entire legal team, including Habba [who said:]

“‘Judicial ethics and judicial codes structure these items very, very clearly about bias, about the belief of bias, about impropriety, and it’s very important for the public to have faith in the judicial system… That’s why these things are in place. That’s why there are numerous rules in place to oversee and keep regulations on court systems. We are in a banana republic.

“‘We are in a situation right now, where [New York Attorney General] Letitia James is allowed to freely go out and rip whoever she wants to talk about before she even becomes the AG, before she has any knowledge of anything in the organization, to call them criminals, to call them frauds,’ Habba said. ‘But then, when she comes in, she can go out and talk… about… Donald Trump Jr…. and the Trump family and the president, a leading political candidate, [and can] say whatever she wants, and there is no gag order on her… That is what you do in communist countries when you want to silence your political opponents, and that is the current situation that we are dealing with…’”

A similar gag-order was imposed on Trump by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in the Washington case, barring Trump from making public statements targeting prosecutors, court staff and potential witnesses in the case accusing him of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. The Court of Appeals put the gag-order temporarily on hold.

It appears that both judges are extremely biased and, based on decency and fairness, they should have recused themselves.

New York’s Witch-Hunt Against Trump

Fox News wrote on November 6:

“The former president and 2024 Republican presidential front-runner took the stand Monday morning in the non-jury civil trial stemming from [New York Attorney General Letitia] James’ lawsuit against him, his family and his businesses. James [a Democrat] alleged Trump defrauded banks and inflated the value of his assets. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has repeatedly said his assets were actually undervalued. Trump has repeatedly said his financial statements had disclaimers, requesting that the numbers be evaluated by the banks…

“James filed the lawsuit against Trump ‘under a consumer protection statute that denies the right to a jury,’ a Trump spokesperson told Fox News Digital [This is correct, even though in New York,  a jury consisting of mostly Democrats, not much would have changed, according to Trump attorney Alina Habba.]  … During Trump’s unprecedented testimony Monday, New York Judge Arthur Engoron [a Democrat] tried to cut him off from providing lengthy answers to state lawyers’ questioning, and he even said, ‘I don’t want to hear everything he has to say.’..

The judge, in September, ruled that Trump and the Trump Organization committed fraud while building his real estate empire by deceiving banks, insurers and others by overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.

[Judge Engoron made the ruling via summary judgment. Summary judgment can only be granted if no material facts are in dispute. In this case, entering summary judgment in light of the hotly disputed value of Trump’s property is ludicrous and must be overturned on appeal by fair-minded judges. But since the judge—incorrectly —prejudged the case, the current trial only deals with the “damages”—there are none—and the penalty the judge wants to impose on Trump and the co-defendants, thereby trying to give this hoax the resemblance of some legitimacy.]

“‘He ruled against me without knowing anything about me,’ Trump said on the stand… Trump went on to slam Engoron for undercutting the value of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida — a property that Engoron valued at $18 million [This is in fact a laughable misevaluation, as confirmed by realtors and other experts in the area. According to The Associated Press, dated October 9, a sale of 1 billion dollars or more would be possible. It shows, however, the judge’s incredible bias.].$18 million, he said. And I’m a fraud for not valuing the property? How do you call a man a fraud when you have a property 50 to 100 times more?’ Trump said. ‘You believed the political hack back there [James] and that’s unfortunate.’ [He then proceeded to call Engoron a fraud.]

Trump attorney Alina Habba on Monday also slammed Engoron and James… ‘I don’t care who you are, you have a right to hire a lawyer who can put objections on the record,’ Habba said outside the court during a break… ‘But I was told to sit down today. I was yelled at, and I’ve had a judge who is unhinged, slamming [the] table,’ Habba continued. ‘Let me be very clear. I don’t tolerate that in my life. I’m not going to tolerate it. And you know what? You shouldn’t either, because not every American citizen gets a camera and a microphone.’

“Habba went on to blast James [a black woman], saying she ‘taunted’ Trump before she ‘came into office, before you saw one record, one statement of financial condition — you taunted him… You said his administration was too male and too pale,’ Habba said. ‘Those are her words.’ [And they are deeply offensive and racist, but they reflect James’ true colors.]

“Meanwhile, Trump was asked questions about terms of loan agreements and handed documents about specific loans. ‘This loan was paid off in full, with no default, no victims…’”

Also, Trump pointed out that the banks were more than happy to grant him the loans, knowing themselves the value of his property. They were most certainly no victims or “defrauded” in any way.

The Daily Mail reported  on November 6:

“The lawyer [Alina Habba] added: ‘I’m seeing such a demise of (the) American judicial system and democracy. The judge doesn’t like when President Trump explains what actually happened because it’s not good for his narrative.’ She said the judge ‘clearly has an issue’ and ‘if you’ve seen his behavior with me, his behavior with the president today, he has a clear issue with facts that are not good for the case. He (the judge) is clearly enraged, his face is red, he is – he came in hot, and he doesn’t know how to handle him (Trump).’

“Habba spoke moments after Trump delivered another series of blistering attacks on James and the judge in very combative testimony. The furious 77-year-old singled out James, who is sitting in the front row of the court, and accused her of being a ‘political hack’ who brought the case against him to help her failed bid to become New York governor…”

Habba’s powerful comments were right on. The inappropriate and cheering “reporting” of left-wing outlets, such as CNN, MSNBC and ABC, was filled with propaganda. On the other hand, the coverage of Fox News and also of Newsmax was quite good and accurate, from all the evidence available to us.

Real Clear Politics wrote on November 6:

“George Washington University law professor and FOX News contributor Jonathan Turley on Monday weighed in on former President Donald Trump’s New York civil fraud trial and described the legal theory behind the case as throwing matches at a tinder box. ‘This crosses the line from law to entertainment. It should be concerning for people because it does appear that this is a case uniquely created for Trump under a law that hasn’t been used in this same way against others…

“‘It’s very disturbing when [New York Attorney General Letitia] James was running for office,’ Turley said. ‘I wrote a column saying where are the New York attorneys who are saying hey, this is not our bar, this is not what we stand for? You don’t run for office on a trophy defendant. You don’t run for office promising a thrill kill. That’s what was happening here. She’s really fulfilled the worst expectations for some of us… she’s going for total annihilation. She is asking to take this iconic figure and effectively ban him from business in New York and the question is why? The answer is because that’s what she promised to do. To seek his utter destruction if she can…

“‘Part of the problem is the underlying law which doesn’t require any victim. It doesn’t require anyone to lose money. The banks were not complaining. They apparently made money. But that doesn’t matter….’”

New York’s Kangaroo Court

The New York Post wrote on November 7:

“The case itself is the scandal.  It’s a strange allegation of fraud where there is no victim… The charges are based on the assertion that Trump and his family inflated the value of their properties for insurance and loan purposes.  As one real estate lawyer told me, if that’s a crime, two-thirds of New York developers belong in jail…

“Bringing the case after her [James’] public attacks and threats represents a clear abuse of office that state courts should have blocked. It’s an abuse she reinforces with her unusual and unprofessional appearances in the courtroom and her mini press conferences at the end of the day…

“From the start, the case has reinforced a suspicion that it is rigged. Beyond James’ conflict of interest, it features a bizarre process where there is no jury and the judge [Engoron]] quickly ruled that Trump and the other defendants were guilty, creating the impression of verdict first, trial second.  The same judge now presides over the penalty phase, and also gets to decide the punishment, which could be dramatic.”

The typical hallmarks of a “banana republic.”

This law is clearly unconstitutional and must be stricken. For James and Engoron to even apply this ancient and totally neglected law (for good reasons) is a major problem all by itself, showing their true motives. Habba is correct: The legal system in the USA, as well as virtually all the other “systems” and agencies, including the FBI and the Justice Department, are in demise and reflect a banana republic and dictatorship, but not a democracy.

It is clear that Trump will lose this case in New York. Not because he should, but because the judge wants him to, and he had made up his mind, it seems, when he “took” the case (which he should never have done, given his blatant bias against Trump.)

Trump calls all of this “election interference,” and it is also interesting that at the same time, Biden is losing badly to Trump in critical swing states. But surely, this is pure coincidence??? While this kangaroo court is going on, Trump’s poll numbers are rising.

Newsmax, dated November 7, referred to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index and explained that Trump’s fortune has grown by 500 million dollars to 3.1 billion dollars since leaving office in 2021. His fortune could be higher as it does not take into consideration his brand on the values, as well as other reasonable factors, concluding that his fortune could amount to 4.5 billion dollars for 2021 or far more.

Ukraine Is Losing

AFP wrote on November 4:

“In eastern Ukraine, where another gruelling winter is descending — along with it a likely freeze in major frontline movements — one Ukrainian soldier had a grim assessment of the conflict. The 35-year-old fighting near the war-battered town of Bakhmut went further than comments from Ukraine’s most senior military official, who conceded this week that the war with Russia had reached a stalemate. ‘I’ve been saying that for some time now already. Step by step we’re losing the war,’ the serviceman… told AFP. ‘The longer this static war continues, the worse it is for us,’ he said in a phone interview.

“The frontline between the Ukrainian army and Russian forces occupying the east and south of the country has barely moved since last November, despite repeated Russian strikes and a Ukrainian counteroffensive. Ukraine’s General Valery Zaluzhny surprised observers of the invasion this week with an unusually candid assessment that the warring parties had reached a deadlock along the sprawling front… The comments poured cold water on the highly-touted counteroffensive that Ukraine launched this summer after stockpiling Western weapons and training new recruits.”

EU and USA Broach Topic of Peace Negotiations With Ukraine

NBC News wrote on November 3:

“U.S. and European officials have begun quietly talking to the Ukrainian government about what possible peace negotiations with Russia might entail to end the war, according to one current senior U.S. official and one former senior U.S. official familiar with the discussions.

“The conversations have included very broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to give up to reach a deal, the officials said. Some of the talks, which officials described as delicate, took place last month…  The discussions are an acknowledgment of the dynamics militarily on the ground in Ukraine and politically in the U.S. and Europe, officials said.

“They began amid concerns among U.S. and European officials that the war has reached a stalemate and about the ability to continue providing aid to Ukraine, officials said. Biden administration officials also are worried that Ukraine is running out of forces, while Russia has a seemingly endless supply, officials said. Ukraine is also struggling with recruiting and has recently seen public protests about some of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s open-ended conscription requirements.

“And there is unease in the U.S. government with how much less public attention the war in Ukraine has garnered since the Israel-Hamas war began nearly a month ago, the officials said. Officials fear that shift could make securing additional aid for Kyiv more difficult… Officials also have privately said Ukraine likely only has until the end of the year or shortly thereafter before more urgent discussions about peace negotiations should begin. U.S. officials have shared their views on such a timeline with European allies, officials said…

“The Biden administration does not have any indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to negotiate with Ukraine, two U.S. officials said. Western officials say Putin still believes he can ‘wait out the West,’ or keep fighting until the U.S. and its allies lose domestic support for funding Ukraine or the struggle to supply Kyiv with weapons and ammunition becomes too costly, officials said…”

“A Quarter of Americans Now Say Covid-19 Shots Are Unsafe”

The Daily Mail wrote on November 3:

“Americans are growing more skeptical about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines… millions… have changed their minds in recent months and no longer see them as safe… two politicians are building vaccine skepticism into their 2024 campaign platforms — Robert F. Kennedy Jr, an independent, and Ron De Santis, Florida’s Republican Governor.

“… the share of Americans who see Covid-19 vaccines as unsafe has jumped from 18 percent in August last year to 24 percent last month. Meanwhile, the share of people who linked autism in children to the growing use of vaccines has risen from 10 percent in April 2021 to 16 percent last month… Nearly a quarter of respondents — 24 percent — said they knew someone personally who died from side effects of a Covid-19 shot… millions of Americans also say they would be keen to join a class-action lawsuit against Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna, and other manufacturers over the side effects of shots…

Kennedy… has long campaigned against vaccines, among other offbeat theories. Earlier this year, he said in a podcast that ‘there’s no vaccine that is safe and effective,’ and told FOX News that shots can cause autism.

The DeSantis administration last month urged Floridians under the age of 65 from against getting the updated Covid-19 shots… The Governor said Covid-19 vaccines had been rolled out without proper studies and that federal officials were wrong about their risks and benefits….”

Covid Authoritarians Without Apology

Zero Hedge wrote on October 30:

“We hear many covid authoritarians talk about forgiveness but very few of them actually apologize for their behavior… within months of covid becoming active in the US, the data was already available showing that the virus was not a legitimate threat. So the claim that their information was ‘the best they had at the time’ does not hold water. There was more than enough evidence to warrant opposition to unconstitutional policies (frankly, even if covid had been more deadly it doesn’t justify violations of the Bill of Rights). Millions of Americans tried to explain the truth to those panicking over covid, and they chose not to listen, calling us ‘selfish conspiracy theorists.’ 

“But the greatest trespasses were among those analysts and ‘influencers’ who used covid as an opportunity for political gain, knowing that there was information that debunked government and media spin. The worst people are those that have no intention of making amends because they plan to try again. People who do wrong and refuse to give a legitimate apology are the kinds of people that are likely to commit similar offenses in the future… 

There were calls to fine the unvaccinated, imprison people who question the vaccine, put the unvaccinated on home lockdown and even take away their children. In some states, like New York, there was active legislation put forward to create detention facilities for people that did not comply (covid camps). That is some serious Stalinist behavior and we are still waiting for it to be addressed and for certain political leaders to be punished…

“The covid event was really a litmus test for authoritarian tendencies in the US. At least half the public failed that test miserably… It is important to make a note of how the individuals around us behave when they think it’s safe to be evil, and we must remember who they are…”

In addition, the horrible and unconstitutional governmental measures inflicted upon innocent people must not be forgotten… lest they are allowed to be repeated.

What Killed the Dinosaurs?

Fox News wrote on November 4:

“A new study looking into what might have killed off dinosaurs determined that it is likely the ancient species were done in by a mighty cloud of dust… According to the study, scientists researching the sediment layers of the Tanis paleontology site, a heavily studied region of North Dakota that has preserved evidence of the asteroid impact thought to have killed off dinosaurs, discovered new insight into the catastrophic impact. In a Washington Post report that described the aftermath of the impact as an ‘apocalyptic dust plume,’ planetary scientist Cem Berk Senel explained that the impact of the asteroid led to a chain of events that ultimately caused the demise of dinosaurs… ‘It could result in a chain reaction of extinction to all species in the food chain.’

“Scientists have long attempted to model the aftermath of the asteroid impact  in the Gulf of Mexico…, with most agreeing that the impact triggered the mass extinction of nearly three-quarters of all species living on Earth at the time. Some researchers have theorized that the asteroid impact kicked up a giant cloud that starved plants of sunlight, led to large global wildfires and resulted in sulfur aerosols being released into the atmosphere.

“However, questions remained about just how long the sun was blocked and how a prolonged period of darkness caused apocalyptic damage… Pairing a computer simulation with an analysis of sediment layers of the North Dakota site, researchers discovered that the fine dust grains that became part of the dust plume could have persisted in the atmosphere for over a decade. The researchers argued that those particles, which were about the same size as microscopic bacteria, would have made a larger contribution to blocking sunlight than soot particles or sulfur aerosols. ‘The duration of darkness is really important, because if, in fact, photosynthesis was shut down, and that drove extinctions, it has to be dark for a fairly substantial length of time,’ David Kring, a planetary scientist who was not involved in the study, told the Washington Post….”

This would fit with the biblical account that the earth became void and empty, “and darkness was on the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2).

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.

Update 1089

The Righteous and the Wicked / Be Strong

On November 11, 2023, Dave Harris will present the sermonette, titled, “The Righteous and the Wicked,” and Eric Rank will present the sermon, titled, “Be Strong.”

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.

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The Christian Attitude

by Christoph Sperzel (Germany)

Some people have the right attitude. These individuals are convinced that they can achieve anything they set their minds to.

What kind of attitude do we bring to the table?

Paul wrote about attitude in his letter to the Philippians. Philippians 2:4-5 tells us, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…”

I would assume that the people in Philippi had their own problems. They needed to grow in the Holy Spirit just like we do. It is a process.

Paul’s letter was intended to help them to grow in the Holy Spirit. One reason for us to study his letter would be, that we may have the same problems as they had.

We should ask ourselves: What is my attitude towards my brothers and sisters in the Church? Or towards my co-workers? Is it positive or negative? Is the Holy Spirit of God growing and firmly grounded in me? Am I helping others to grow?

Answering such questions can be difficult, but facing the facts and reflecting on them is a valuable exercise.

The motivation for our behavior could be pride. Our actions and views can be driven by personal ambition, greed, revenge, or other motives that are obviously wrong. These ungodly traits creep in slowly, and we need to be on guard against them.

For this reason, Paul admonishes us to engage in a certain amount of self-examination.

How can we know if we are on the narrow path that Christ has shown us? The answer lies in esteeming others higher than ourselves. Philippians 2:3 says: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better [higher] than himself.” The New Jerusalem Bible says: “… everyone should give preference to others…”

Paul does not mean that we should become inactive and disregard our own strengths and abilities. Now let’s read Philippians 2:4 again: “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

His point is that we should not be busy exploring how great we are. We should also focus on others, not just on ourselves.

Such is the right attitude of a true Christian. It is not self-evident for us human beings. But it would be worth working on it, and with God’s Holy Spirit, it is achievable.

Our decisions are molded in our minds and hearts. In order to have the mind or attitude of Christ, we need to understand how Christ actually was, and how He sees things.

In the following verses, we find possible clues. Philippians 2:6-8 tells us, “[Christ] who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Do we follow the example and resemble the mindset of Christ? Because that is the kind of attitude we should have.

But as usual, it is easier said than done.

Is the well-being of others generally more important to us than our own?

Every day, we are faced with decisions. We shape our character through the choices we make every day. We can mold a good or a bad character.

We should follow the model of Christ. Through His Holy Spirit, He will help us to become more and more like Him.

Is it worth the effort? Absolutely!

In 1 Peter 3:8-9, we read: “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 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.”

(Initial Translation: Daniel Blasinger)

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by Norbert Link

We report on ongoing barbarity in the Middle East; further planned terrorist attacks by Hamas; and growing anti-Semitic demonstrations around the world as well as atrocities on American campuses, coupled with the desire to kill all Jews and establish a global caliphate. We focus on Obama and Biden who are blamed for being responsible for the situation in Gaza; the hateful war-monger Erdogan; and the role of Lebanon’s terrorist organization Hezbollah.

We report on interesting developments regarding the Vatican’s alleged possession of Judah’s lost Herodian temple vessels; and address Pope Francis’ new theology which has been criticized as being anti-Catholic.

We address unconstitutional gag-orders imposed on Trump (and his attorneys) by biased judges; and focus on the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine with some remarkable developments.

We speak about the increasing distrust of many Americans towards vaccines;  and close with an interesting article about the reasons for the extinction of the dinosaurs which could make sense in light of the biblical record.

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “New York’s Witch Hunt Against Trump”

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

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“From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free!”

Israel Today wrote on November 5:

“Tens of thousands took to the streets in many major European cities and the USA over the weekend to show their solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. From their point of view, Israel alone is responsible for all evil. Israel massacres the people of Gaza, they say, but not a word about the actual massacre in Israel. ‘ From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free”– shouted people in the streets…

“In London, according to police reports, around 30,000 people demonstrated in Trafalgar Square. In the French capital Paris, police estimated the number of demonstrators at 20,000, but other sources said there were more. Of course, Palestinian flags and signs reading ‘Free Palestine’ could be seen everywhere. The state of Israel should be boycotted immediately, some Arab demonstrators said, while others held up signs reading ‘Israel is a terrorist state.’

“In Germany, pro-Palestinian demonstrations also took place yesterday in Düsseldorf and Berlin. According to police information, there were around 17,000 people on the streets in Düsseldorf and an estimated 10,000 in Berlin. Thousands of people also protested in Milan yesterday against Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Strip.

“In Washington, thousands have called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. In front of the White House, they accused US President Joe Biden of genocide: ‘Biden, Biden, you can’t hide, you have approved genocide.’ People in Montreal, Canada, also called for the ‘liberation’ of Palestine. A few days earlier, a large demonstration took place in Istanbul. The Turkish ‘Sultan’ Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a Muslim, but not an Arab. Nevertheless, he tries to be more Arab than the Arabs. He stands up for the Palestinians like no other Arab leader in the Middle East…

“Anyone who believes that Muslims as a collective will gradually integrate or adapt to Western or Christian culture in Europe is mistaken… Do people in Europe, in this case Christians, believe that Muslims will be merciful to Christians? No. For Muslims, the Christian West is the stronghold of the Crusaders, and they slaughtered the Muslims in the Holy Land a thousand years ago. Muslims don’t forget this. According to the Koran, Jews and Christians are ‘infidels’ and therefore arch enemies of Islam. Furthermore, Muslims are obliged to reconquer Islamic lands once they were under Islamic rule… Parts of Europe were… under Muslim rule throughout history…

“‘From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free’ must be a warning to Europe and America. For years, radical Muslims in Europe have been talking about liberating Europe from the hands of Christians…”

Tlaib Censured

The New York Post wrote on November 7:

“The House of Representatives voted Tuesday night to censure Rep. Rahida Tlaib for defending Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack against Israel as ‘resistance’ and calling for the destruction of the Jewish state. Tlaib (D-Mich.) is the 26th member of Congress to be censured by the House in the legislative body’s history… Twenty-two Democrats voted with 212 Republicans to censure Tlaib, and four Republicans voted with 184 Democrats against the resolution. 

“The resolution mentions Tlaib’s Nov. 3 video post on X, which included the first portion of the phrase ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,’ a call for the eradication of Israel.

“The resolution notes Tlaib’s ‘false narratives’ around the Oct. 7 attack, in which jihadists slaughtered 1,400 civilians in Israel — including at least 33 American citizens. The censure further cites lies that Tlaib spread about the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital bombing on Oct. 17, which she claimed had been perpetrated by the Israeli military — despite President Biden and the US intelligence community assessing with ‘high confidence’ that it was caused by [Hamas]…”

As the Hill explained on November 7, “A vote to censure another member of Congress does not hold any other power beyond a public condemning of that member’s behavior. It does not expel a member from Congress or deny the rights or privileges of that member within Congress.”

Please read our Q&A in this issue, titled, “Does the Bible reveal anything about the immediate future of the State of Israel?” Also, note below one article about the dreadful actions committed by Islamists in Germany and a call to action.  

Obama’s “Wisdom”

Israel 365 News wrote on November 5:

“[In an] interview… the former president said… that ‘what Hamas did was horrific, and there is no justification for it. And what is also true is that the occupation, and what’s happening to Palestinians, is unbearable.’… He added that ‘nobody’s hands are clean’ and that ‘all of us are complicit to some degree.’

“According to Matt Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, it is Obama that is complicit. When Israel faces ‘a barbaric attack from Hamas, Obama blames Israel,’ said Brooks. ‘It is Barack Obama who is complicit in the death and suffering over the last month in Israel and in Gaza. His policies and those of President Joe Biden put billions of dollars into Iranian coffers, money used to fund and train Hamas and other terrorist groups whose stated goals are the destruction of Israel and the annihilation of Jews,’ he continued…

“According to Israeli philosopher Yoram Hazony, it was Obama’s ‘complexity’ theory that led directly to the current situation in the Middle East… ‘He created this hell with his own hands,’ wrote Hazony. ‘Obama’s theory of the “complexity” of the Middle East—from which he concluded that Iran needs to be strengthened so it can “balance’ Israel,” led directly to the current crisis,’ he continued.

“Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America, called the former president the ‘Israel-hater-in-chief’…”

Obama’s and Biden’s failed politics have truly contributed to the current disaster in Gaza.

Turkey Breaks With Israel

AFP wrote on November 4:

“Turkey said Saturday it was recalling its ambassador to Israel and breaking off contacts with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in protest at the bloodshed in Gaza… [Ankara’s] tone hardened against both Israel and its Western supporters — particularly the United States… ‘Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to. We have written him off,’ Turkish media quoted Erdogan as saying.

“Israel had earlier withdrawn all diplomats from Turkey and other regional countries as a security precaution. The Israeli foreign ministry said last weekend it was “re-evaluating” relations with Ankara because of Turkey’s increasingly heated rhetoric about the Israel-Hamas war…”

According to the Bible, Turkey will become one of Israel’s arch-enemies.

Leave Lebanon

Fox News wrote on November 4:

“The US Embassy in Lebanon is urging Americans to evacuate the country due to increasing danger of the Israel-Hamas conflict spilling over. ‘The State Department recommends that U.S. citizens in Lebanon leave now, while commercial flights remain available, due to the unpredictable security situation,’ the embassy said in a security alert…

“‘There is no guarantee the U.S. government will evacuate private U.S. citizens and their family members in a crisis situation,’ it added.”

It is only a matter of time before the terrorist organization Hezbollah will become more actively involved in the war against Israel. Note the next articles.

Hezbollah Threatens Israel and the USA

The Associated Press wrote on November 3:

“Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Friday that his powerful militia is already engaged in unprecedented fighting along the Lebanon-Israel border and threatened a further escalation…

“Hezbollah is prepared for all options, he declared, ‘and we can resort to them at any time.’ The fighting would ‘not be limited’ to the scale seen so far, he added. In recent weeks, Hezbollah has fired rockets across the border daily, mainly hitting military targets in northern Israel, but it has a substantial arsenal capable of hitting anywhere in Israel and thousands of battle-hardened fighters…”

The Times of Israel added on November 3:

“Hassan Nasrallah says Hezbollah is not intimidated by American threats and by US forces deployed to the region. ‘Since the outbreak of the war, the US has threatened to bomb us in Lebanon from its military ships in the Mediterranean. We are prepared for whatever scenario,’ he says. ‘If an all-out war breaks out, you Americans will pay with your ships, your aircrafts and your soldiers,’ he threatens.

“‘Remember your defeats in Lebanon and Iraq, and your humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan. Those who defeated you in Lebanon in the 1980s are still alive and their children and grandchildren are ready to face you,’ he claims. ‘Your fleet in the Mediterranean do not scare us… We are ready to face the fleet you threaten us with,’ Nasrallah says… ‘I tell Israel: Do not go any further. Many civilians have already died. I promise you: A civilian for a civilian.’

Sadly, Biden’s humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan has emboldened America’s enemies as never before.

The Source of Antisemitism in the USA

Breitbart wrote on November 2:

“Breitbart Editor-in-Chief… Alex Marlow said… ‘The Jew hatred that is pervasive on the web shows you that anti-Semitism is alive and well. Contrary to what people say it is not really coming from the far-right in America. I mean it is there certainly but I’m saying that is not where the movement is taking place. The secular left is a huge part of it, the Arab world is a part of it. But most immortally for this conversation is the enablers of those people. And one of the top enablers is Joe Biden.’

“He continued, ‘He is the guy who wanted to revive the Iran nuclear deal. He has funded the funders of terrorism. He has fake experts at the Pentagon who are compromised by Iran… His Afghanistan withdrawal left the terrorists all these weapons which they could either use or sell. He has snubbed our allies in Israel, Saudi Arabia. The List goes on.’

“Marlow added, ‘This is all deeply deeply political… If Donald Trump was president none of this would be happening…’”

Antisemitism on American Campuses

Fox News wrote on November 4:

“Two New York Jewish college students detailed the fear they have felt with the rise of antisemitic sentiments on campus…  While many in the international community were initially horrified by the events [on October 7], soon after, many teachers and students in American schools nationwide started expressing support for Hamas and antagonizing Jewish students. ‘Being a Jew at NYU right now is scary,’ Ingber said. ‘We are seeing an uptick in anti-Israel protests that are turning antisemitic. There are signs that read “globalize the Intifada” which is a historical call for the extermination of Jews and call for violence against Jews.’

“Ingber went on to say that Jewish people are hearing chants of ‘gas the Jews’ and ‘Hitler was right,’ leaving students horrified…

“”We are seeing a constant… justification of Hamas’ brutal terror attack at NYU..  when it comes to Jews the world is silent.’

“… a group [at Barnard College which is partnered with Columbia University] called Students for Justice in Palestine had agreed to host a speaker who ‘praised the second Intifada, something where there were suicide bombers who came into Israel, and they’re allowing this man to preach to our students on our campus? It’s disgusting… We are analyzing the relationships we have made with our peers that are silent as calls for our death and our global extermination are running rampant across all college campuses and not just college campuses, in a lot of other major cities,’ she said…”

One cannot but be appalled with “peers” who cowardly keep quiet in the face of such atrocities.

Germany, Do Something!

Bild Online wrote on November 4:

“Thousands of Islamists march through downtown Essen with their flags, demonstrating their power and shouting their slogans. They are only marginally calling for ‘Free Palestine’; they are concerned with something bigger: the establishment of a global caliphate, a strictly religious empire, like the terrorist militia ‘Islamic State’ achieved in Syria and Iraq between 2014 and 2019.

“The Hamas war has revealed what liberal Muslims… have been warning about for years: There are tens of thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, of radicals living in Germany who not only reject our free society, but want to overthrow it. But instead of listening to warnings, they were at best ignored, at worst denigrated as racist. Now we see the result of looking away for so long…

“The caliphate, which is openly called for on posters in Essen, would be hell on earth for EVERYONE who lives in it, especially for those who are classified as ‘infidels’ by the Islamists… For secular Muslims who fled to the West  from countries ruled by a radical Islamists. these images must be the ultimate nightmare. They know what this ideology has done in their countries of origin…

“If you park incorrectly in Germany, you can be sure that you will be cited after 30 minutes at the latest [often even after 5 minutes, or even less]. When young people hugged each other in the park during the corona pandemic, they were mercilessly pursued by police officers, almost killing them with their police cars. But when the ‘Islamic State’ almost literally marches in Essen, practically nothing happens. The police should actually be at the door of EVERY one of the 3,000 participants, checking their residence status, initiating searches and criminal proceedings, checking and arranging deportations. Use the entire arsenal of the rule of law that these radicals want to abolish.

“There have been many strong speeches in the past three weeks. Now… you should judge them by their deeds. Finally do something.”

Russia Says That Israel Has No Right to Defend Itself

Israel365News wrote on November 2:

“Israel does not have the right to defend itself, Russia’s representative to the United Nations said on Wednesday… Last week, Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-sponsored U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Hamas

“A Russian resolution was also rejected that denounced Hamas but also condemned ‘indiscriminate attacks’ on civilians in Gaza…”

Russia’s past persecution of the Jews is well-known.

Hamas Will Repeat October 7 Terror Attack

Breitbart wrote on November 1:

“A senior political official in the Palestinian Hamas terror organization told Lebanese television last week that the group intends to repeat its October 7 terror attack until Israel is annihilated… Hamas political official Ghazi Hamad says that attacks on Israeli civilians are justified; that the cost in terms of Palestinian ‘martyrs’ is worth the ultimate goal of ending Israel; and that Hamas will continue to mount such attacks…

“Ghazi Hamad of the Hamas political bureau said in an October 24, 2023 show on LBC TV (Lebanon) that Hamas is prepared to repeat the October 7 ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ Operation time and again until Israel is annihilated. He added that Palestinians are willing to pay the price and that they are ‘proud to sacrifice martyrs.’ Hamad said that Palestinians are the victims of the occupation, therefore no one should blame them for the events of October 7 or anything else, adding: ‘Everything we do is justified… We must teach Israel a lesson, and we will do this again and again. The Al-Aqsa Flood is just the first time, and there will be a second, a third, a fourth, because we have the determination, the resolve, and the capabilities to fight…’

“Ghazi claimed that Hamas did not intend to harm civilians, but said ‘complications’ caused Hamas to murder civilians, including 260 people at a music festival.”

No Cease-Fire

The New York Post wrote on November 3:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that his country would not consider halting its war on Hamas, rejecting Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s call for ‘humanitarian pauses’ to allow civilians out of the Gaza Strip. Israel ‘refuses a temporary cease-fire that doesn’t include a return of our hostages,’ Netanyahu told reporters, referring to the more than 200 people taken captive by terrorists during their Oct. 7 attack that killed more than 1,400 Israelis — including at least 33 Americans.

“The prime minister spoke after a meeting with Blinken, during which America’s top diplomat urged Netanyahu to stop the conflict to minimize Palestinian civilian deaths as Israel pursues Hamas jihadists hiding among the population in Gaza… Netanyahu said his country would continue hitting the Gaza Strip with ‘all of its power.’

“IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told The Post Friday that a ‘pause’ is currently ‘not on the table.’ ‘We’re fighting. We’re in the first stages of a war against an enemy that has proven that we cannot allow that enemy to continue to exist at the end of this war…’

“In addition to the temporary pauses, the US has been pushing Israel to allow humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza. Blinken said officials ‘identified mechanisms to enable fuel to reach hospitals and other needs in southern Gaza Strip’ during their meeting… Netanyahu said in a statement that ‘Israel won’t allow entry of fuel to Gaza and objects to transfer of money to Gaza’ despite Blinken’s report. ‘Israel raised appropriate concern we share about Hamas hoarding fuel in northern Gaza,’ Blinken said of the discussion.”

Subsequently, Blinken flip-flopped and declared that there must not be a cease-fire. Then, the Biden Administration flip-flopped again and stated that there should be a temporary pause…

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 11:

“Israel will begin daily four-hour pauses in northern Gaza to allow people to flee fighting in the territory, the White House said… Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his position that there would be no cease-fire talks until the militant Islamist group Hamas releases the more than 200 people it is holding hostage… 

“US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that the first humanitarian pause would be announced Thursday and that the Israelis had committed to announcing each four-hour window at least three hours in advance.”

Trump: No One From Gaza!

Fox News wrote on November 4:

“Former President Trump said people who want to abolish Israel shouldn’t be allowed to enter America. Trump made the comments during the Florida Freedom Summit on Saturday, where other 2024 GOP presidential contenders also spoke, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy.

“‘If you hate America, if you want to abolish Israel, if you sympathize with jihadists, and then you don’t want your country to do well, you don’t want your country to be successful, you’re just not going to get in, you’re not getting in, you’re not coming into our country,’ Tump said…

‘”On day one, I will restore the Trump travel on entering from having people that like to blow up our shopping centers and kill our people and do lots of bad things. Entry from plagued countries. We will not allow people to come in and will implement strong ideological screening for all immigrants,’ Trump said…

“Trump’s comments come after he promised to deport immigrants who are publicly supporting Hamas during an Iowa campaign speech Oct. 16. ‘We aren’t bringing in anyone from Gaza,’ Trump also said at the event.”

“Returning Temple Vessels From Italy?”

Israel365News wrote on November 3:

“Recently, shortly after the Jewish High Holidays, a compelling article was written… about a leading Italian member of parliament who had a Zoom meeting with Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu.  The Italian MP stated that Italy is in fact prepared to return the lost Temple vessels to Israel and that the time is now to do so. The reaction here in Israel has been overwhelming.  Could this be true?…  Is this real or fake news?…

“The answer is that there’s a little of both, i.e., some genuine news, and some fake news. 

“… we must first understand that the Vatican Church and the government of Italy are two very distinct entities… Pope Francis, along with the Secretariat of State… are the main decision-makers on this case.  The Italian government can exert a limited amount of pressure by way of the press, but that’s about it.

“The good news in this scenario is that the official Vatican position currently is that they neither confirm nor deny possessing any Herodian Temple objects like the golden Menorah, sacred tables, altars, priestly garments, and the like… Another development worth mentioning is that incidents have been reported that concern high-ranking Vatican officials who were willing to reveal the location of these holy vessels to religious Jews before going on pension or resigning from their posts…

“What was written in the article indeed is the opinion of this particular Italian politician; however, he isn’t the first to state that Rome has possession of Jerusalem’s Temple vessels and would like to see them returning, ultimately, to Israel. He also said that they are in their cellars and that nothing is being done with them now at any rate. Of course, he doesn’t have concrete, academic proof of this, but it is something he believes and wants…”

If true, this would be remarkable in connection with the building of the Third Temple AND the man of sin taking possession of the same.

Pope Francis’s New Theology

LifeSiteNews wrote on November 3:

“Pope Francis has issued new priorities and statutes for the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Theology, stating that a newly focused theology is needed, based on a popular ‘common sense’ that is ‘often not corresponding to the Christian face of God.’…

“Yet the papal document presents what appears to be an essentially anti-Catholic concept of theology, tasking theologians with engaging in dialogue with various cultures and religions rather than drawing on the timeless, and unchanging truths of the Catholic faith… [This was of course written by a Catholic and does not reflect our opinion on this matter.]

“Francis… argued that theology would necessarily move away from a path of presenting and teaching truths, ‘into a culture of dialogue and encounter between different traditions and different knowledge, between different Christian denominations and different religions, openly confronting everyone, believers and non-believers alike.’… But in order to practice the new theological style, wrote Francis, theologians would have to prioritize ‘common’ ideas found amongst people, even though such ideas reject the Catholic concept of God.”

Gag-Order for Trump’s Attorneys

Newsmax wrote on November 3:

“… attorney and Donald Trump legal spokeswoman Alina Habba… was the subject of an expanded gag order issued by New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron on Friday, prohibiting Habba and Trump’s legal team from commenting about the judge’s staff, namely his clerk, Allison Greenfield… Trump’s legal team has complained about eye rolls of Greenfield and her apparent ‘co-judging’ — handing the judge 30 to 40 notes in one day, Trump’s team noted. So, Engoron shut down Trump and his entire legal team, including Habba [who said:]

“‘Judicial ethics and judicial codes structure these items very, very clearly about bias, about the belief of bias, about impropriety, and it’s very important for the public to have faith in the judicial system… That’s why these things are in place. That’s why there are numerous rules in place to oversee and keep regulations on court systems. We are in a banana republic.

“‘We are in a situation right now, where [New York Attorney General] Letitia James is allowed to freely go out and rip whoever she wants to talk about before she even becomes the AG, before she has any knowledge of anything in the organization, to call them criminals, to call them frauds,’ Habba said. ‘But then, when she comes in, she can go out and talk… about… Donald Trump Jr…. and the Trump family and the president, a leading political candidate, [and can] say whatever she wants, and there is no gag order on her… That is what you do in communist countries when you want to silence your political opponents, and that is the current situation that we are dealing with…’”

A similar gag-order was imposed on Trump by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in the Washington case, barring Trump from making public statements targeting prosecutors, court staff and potential witnesses in the case accusing him of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. The Court of Appeals put the gag-order temporarily on hold.

It appears that both judges are extremely biased and, based on decency and fairness, they should have recused themselves.

New York’s Witch-Hunt Against Trump

Fox News wrote on November 6:

“The former president and 2024 Republican presidential front-runner took the stand Monday morning in the non-jury civil trial stemming from [New York Attorney General Letitia] James’ lawsuit against him, his family and his businesses. James [a Democrat] alleged Trump defrauded banks and inflated the value of his assets. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has repeatedly said his assets were actually undervalued. Trump has repeatedly said his financial statements had disclaimers, requesting that the numbers be evaluated by the banks…

“James filed the lawsuit against Trump ‘under a consumer protection statute that denies the right to a jury,’ a Trump spokesperson told Fox News Digital [This is correct, even though in New York,  a jury consisting of mostly Democrats, not much would have changed, according to Trump attorney Alina Habba.]  … During Trump’s unprecedented testimony Monday, New York Judge Arthur Engoron [a Democrat] tried to cut him off from providing lengthy answers to state lawyers’ questioning, and he even said, ‘I don’t want to hear everything he has to say.’..

The judge, in September, ruled that Trump and the Trump Organization committed fraud while building his real estate empire by deceiving banks, insurers and others by overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.

[Judge Engoron made the ruling via summary judgment. Summary judgment can only be granted if no material facts are in dispute. In this case, entering summary judgment in light of the hotly disputed value of Trump’s property is ludicrous and must be overturned on appeal by fair-minded judges. But since the judge—incorrectly —prejudged the case, the current trial only deals with the “damages”—there are none—and the penalty the judge wants to impose on Trump and the co-defendants, thereby trying to give this hoax the resemblance of some legitimacy.]

“‘He ruled against me without knowing anything about me,’ Trump said on the stand… Trump went on to slam Engoron for undercutting the value of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida — a property that Engoron valued at $18 million [This is in fact a laughable misevaluation, as confirmed by realtors and other experts in the area. According to The Associated Press, dated October 9, a sale of 1 billion dollars or more would be possible. It shows, however, the judge’s incredible bias.].$18 million, he said. And I’m a fraud for not valuing the property? How do you call a man a fraud when you have a property 50 to 100 times more?’ Trump said. ‘You believed the political hack back there [James] and that’s unfortunate.’ [He then proceeded to call Engoron a fraud.]

Trump attorney Alina Habba on Monday also slammed Engoron and James… ‘I don’t care who you are, you have a right to hire a lawyer who can put objections on the record,’ Habba said outside the court during a break… ‘But I was told to sit down today. I was yelled at, and I’ve had a judge who is unhinged, slamming [the] table,’ Habba continued. ‘Let me be very clear. I don’t tolerate that in my life. I’m not going to tolerate it. And you know what? You shouldn’t either, because not every American citizen gets a camera and a microphone.’

“Habba went on to blast James [a black woman], saying she ‘taunted’ Trump before she ‘came into office, before you saw one record, one statement of financial condition — you taunted him… You said his administration was too male and too pale,’ Habba said. ‘Those are her words.’ [And they are deeply offensive and racist, but they reflect James’ true colors.]

“Meanwhile, Trump was asked questions about terms of loan agreements and handed documents about specific loans. ‘This loan was paid off in full, with no default, no victims…’”

Also, Trump pointed out that the banks were more than happy to grant him the loans, knowing themselves the value of his property. They were most certainly no victims or “defrauded” in any way.

The Daily Mail reported  on November 6:

“The lawyer [Alina Habba] added: ‘I’m seeing such a demise of (the) American judicial system and democracy. The judge doesn’t like when President Trump explains what actually happened because it’s not good for his narrative.’ She said the judge ‘clearly has an issue’ and ‘if you’ve seen his behavior with me, his behavior with the president today, he has a clear issue with facts that are not good for the case. He (the judge) is clearly enraged, his face is red, he is – he came in hot, and he doesn’t know how to handle him (Trump).’

“Habba spoke moments after Trump delivered another series of blistering attacks on James and the judge in very combative testimony. The furious 77-year-old singled out James, who is sitting in the front row of the court, and accused her of being a ‘political hack’ who brought the case against him to help her failed bid to become New York governor…”

Habba’s powerful comments were right on. The inappropriate and cheering “reporting” of left-wing outlets, such as CNN, MSNBC and ABC, was filled with propaganda. On the other hand, the coverage of Fox News and also of Newsmax was quite good and accurate, from all the evidence available to us.

Real Clear Politics wrote on November 6:

“George Washington University law professor and FOX News contributor Jonathan Turley on Monday weighed in on former President Donald Trump’s New York civil fraud trial and described the legal theory behind the case as throwing matches at a tinder box. ‘This crosses the line from law to entertainment. It should be concerning for people because it does appear that this is a case uniquely created for Trump under a law that hasn’t been used in this same way against others…

“‘It’s very disturbing when [New York Attorney General Letitia] James was running for office,’ Turley said. ‘I wrote a column saying where are the New York attorneys who are saying hey, this is not our bar, this is not what we stand for? You don’t run for office on a trophy defendant. You don’t run for office promising a thrill kill. That’s what was happening here. She’s really fulfilled the worst expectations for some of us… she’s going for total annihilation. She is asking to take this iconic figure and effectively ban him from business in New York and the question is why? The answer is because that’s what she promised to do. To seek his utter destruction if she can…

“‘Part of the problem is the underlying law which doesn’t require any victim. It doesn’t require anyone to lose money. The banks were not complaining. They apparently made money. But that doesn’t matter….’”

New York’s Kangaroo Court

The New York Post wrote on November 7:

“The case itself is the scandal.  It’s a strange allegation of fraud where there is no victim… The charges are based on the assertion that Trump and his family inflated the value of their properties for insurance and loan purposes.  As one real estate lawyer told me, if that’s a crime, two-thirds of New York developers belong in jail…

“Bringing the case after her [James’] public attacks and threats represents a clear abuse of office that state courts should have blocked. It’s an abuse she reinforces with her unusual and unprofessional appearances in the courtroom and her mini press conferences at the end of the day…

“From the start, the case has reinforced a suspicion that it is rigged. Beyond James’ conflict of interest, it features a bizarre process where there is no jury and the judge [Engoron]] quickly ruled that Trump and the other defendants were guilty, creating the impression of verdict first, trial second.  The same judge now presides over the penalty phase, and also gets to decide the punishment, which could be dramatic.”

The typical hallmarks of a “banana republic.”

This law is clearly unconstitutional and must be stricken. For James and Engoron to even apply this ancient and totally neglected law (for good reasons) is a major problem all by itself, showing their true motives. Habba is correct: The legal system in the USA, as well as virtually all the other “systems” and agencies, including the FBI and the Justice Department, are in demise and reflect a banana republic and dictatorship, but not a democracy.

It is clear that Trump will lose this case in New York. Not because he should, but because the judge wants him to, and he had made up his mind, it seems, when he “took” the case (which he should never have done, given his blatant bias against Trump.)

Trump calls all of this “election interference,” and it is also interesting that at the same time, Biden is losing badly to Trump in critical swing states. But surely, this is pure coincidence??? While this kangaroo court is going on, Trump’s poll numbers are rising.

Newsmax, dated November 7, referred to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index and explained that Trump’s fortune has grown by 500 million dollars to 3.1 billion dollars since leaving office in 2021. His fortune could be higher as it does not take into consideration his brand on the values, as well as other reasonable factors, concluding that his fortune could amount to 4.5 billion dollars for 2021 or far more.

Ukraine Is Losing

AFP wrote on November 4:

“In eastern Ukraine, where another gruelling winter is descending — along with it a likely freeze in major frontline movements — one Ukrainian soldier had a grim assessment of the conflict. The 35-year-old fighting near the war-battered town of Bakhmut went further than comments from Ukraine’s most senior military official, who conceded this week that the war with Russia had reached a stalemate. ‘I’ve been saying that for some time now already. Step by step we’re losing the war,’ the serviceman… told AFP. ‘The longer this static war continues, the worse it is for us,’ he said in a phone interview.

“The frontline between the Ukrainian army and Russian forces occupying the east and south of the country has barely moved since last November, despite repeated Russian strikes and a Ukrainian counteroffensive. Ukraine’s General Valery Zaluzhny surprised observers of the invasion this week with an unusually candid assessment that the warring parties had reached a deadlock along the sprawling front… The comments poured cold water on the highly-touted counteroffensive that Ukraine launched this summer after stockpiling Western weapons and training new recruits.”

EU and USA Broach Topic of Peace Negotiations With Ukraine

NBC News wrote on November 3:

“U.S. and European officials have begun quietly talking to the Ukrainian government about what possible peace negotiations with Russia might entail to end the war, according to one current senior U.S. official and one former senior U.S. official familiar with the discussions.

“The conversations have included very broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to give up to reach a deal, the officials said. Some of the talks, which officials described as delicate, took place last month…  The discussions are an acknowledgment of the dynamics militarily on the ground in Ukraine and politically in the U.S. and Europe, officials said.

“They began amid concerns among U.S. and European officials that the war has reached a stalemate and about the ability to continue providing aid to Ukraine, officials said. Biden administration officials also are worried that Ukraine is running out of forces, while Russia has a seemingly endless supply, officials said. Ukraine is also struggling with recruiting and has recently seen public protests about some of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s open-ended conscription requirements.

“And there is unease in the U.S. government with how much less public attention the war in Ukraine has garnered since the Israel-Hamas war began nearly a month ago, the officials said. Officials fear that shift could make securing additional aid for Kyiv more difficult… Officials also have privately said Ukraine likely only has until the end of the year or shortly thereafter before more urgent discussions about peace negotiations should begin. U.S. officials have shared their views on such a timeline with European allies, officials said…

“The Biden administration does not have any indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to negotiate with Ukraine, two U.S. officials said. Western officials say Putin still believes he can ‘wait out the West,’ or keep fighting until the U.S. and its allies lose domestic support for funding Ukraine or the struggle to supply Kyiv with weapons and ammunition becomes too costly, officials said…”

“A Quarter of Americans Now Say Covid-19 Shots Are Unsafe”

The Daily Mail wrote on November 3:

“Americans are growing more skeptical about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines… millions… have changed their minds in recent months and no longer see them as safe… two politicians are building vaccine skepticism into their 2024 campaign platforms — Robert F. Kennedy Jr, an independent, and Ron De Santis, Florida’s Republican Governor.

“… the share of Americans who see Covid-19 vaccines as unsafe has jumped from 18 percent in August last year to 24 percent last month. Meanwhile, the share of people who linked autism in children to the growing use of vaccines has risen from 10 percent in April 2021 to 16 percent last month… Nearly a quarter of respondents — 24 percent — said they knew someone personally who died from side effects of a Covid-19 shot… millions of Americans also say they would be keen to join a class-action lawsuit against Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna, and other manufacturers over the side effects of shots…

Kennedy… has long campaigned against vaccines, among other offbeat theories. Earlier this year, he said in a podcast that ‘there’s no vaccine that is safe and effective,’ and told FOX News that shots can cause autism.

The DeSantis administration last month urged Floridians under the age of 65 from against getting the updated Covid-19 shots… The Governor said Covid-19 vaccines had been rolled out without proper studies and that federal officials were wrong about their risks and benefits….”

Covid Authoritarians Without Apology

Zero Hedge wrote on October 30:

“We hear many covid authoritarians talk about forgiveness but very few of them actually apologize for their behavior… within months of covid becoming active in the US, the data was already available showing that the virus was not a legitimate threat. So the claim that their information was ‘the best they had at the time’ does not hold water. There was more than enough evidence to warrant opposition to unconstitutional policies (frankly, even if covid had been more deadly it doesn’t justify violations of the Bill of Rights). Millions of Americans tried to explain the truth to those panicking over covid, and they chose not to listen, calling us ‘selfish conspiracy theorists.’ 

“But the greatest trespasses were among those analysts and ‘influencers’ who used covid as an opportunity for political gain, knowing that there was information that debunked government and media spin. The worst people are those that have no intention of making amends because they plan to try again. People who do wrong and refuse to give a legitimate apology are the kinds of people that are likely to commit similar offenses in the future… 

There were calls to fine the unvaccinated, imprison people who question the vaccine, put the unvaccinated on home lockdown and even take away their children. In some states, like New York, there was active legislation put forward to create detention facilities for people that did not comply (covid camps). That is some serious Stalinist behavior and we are still waiting for it to be addressed and for certain political leaders to be punished…

“The covid event was really a litmus test for authoritarian tendencies in the US. At least half the public failed that test miserably… It is important to make a note of how the individuals around us behave when they think it’s safe to be evil, and we must remember who they are…”

In addition, the horrible and unconstitutional governmental measures inflicted upon innocent people must not be forgotten… lest they are allowed to be repeated.

What Killed the Dinosaurs?

Fox News wrote on November 4:

“A new study looking into what might have killed off dinosaurs determined that it is likely the ancient species were done in by a mighty cloud of dust… According to the study, scientists researching the sediment layers of the Tanis paleontology site, a heavily studied region of North Dakota that has preserved evidence of the asteroid impact thought to have killed off dinosaurs, discovered new insight into the catastrophic impact. In a Washington Post report that described the aftermath of the impact as an ‘apocalyptic dust plume,’ planetary scientist Cem Berk Senel explained that the impact of the asteroid led to a chain of events that ultimately caused the demise of dinosaurs… ‘It could result in a chain reaction of extinction to all species in the food chain.’

“Scientists have long attempted to model the aftermath of the asteroid impact  in the Gulf of Mexico…, with most agreeing that the impact triggered the mass extinction of nearly three-quarters of all species living on Earth at the time. Some researchers have theorized that the asteroid impact kicked up a giant cloud that starved plants of sunlight, led to large global wildfires and resulted in sulfur aerosols being released into the atmosphere.

“However, questions remained about just how long the sun was blocked and how a prolonged period of darkness caused apocalyptic damage… Pairing a computer simulation with an analysis of sediment layers of the North Dakota site, researchers discovered that the fine dust grains that became part of the dust plume could have persisted in the atmosphere for over a decade. The researchers argued that those particles, which were about the same size as microscopic bacteria, would have made a larger contribution to blocking sunlight than soot particles or sulfur aerosols. ‘The duration of darkness is really important, because if, in fact, photosynthesis was shut down, and that drove extinctions, it has to be dark for a fairly substantial length of time,’ David Kring, a planetary scientist who was not involved in the study, told the Washington Post….”

This would fit with the biblical account that the earth became void and empty, “and darkness was on the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:2).

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.

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Does the Bible reveal anything about the immediate future of the State of Israel?

Indeed, there are prophecies about the descendants of Judah which apply today, and some are finding dramatic fulfillment now!

Specifically, note this end-time prophecy in the Book of Zechariah:

‘Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it’” (Zechariah 12:2-3).

This prophecy will find its ultimate fulfillment “in that day”—a reference to the Day of the Lord, immediately before the return of Christ. We should see from the events which are taking place right now that that time cannot be that far off.

The State of Israel became a worrisome focus for many beginning with its founding in 1948. Since then, this tiny nation has fought wars, suffered attacks and been the focus of raging hatred by people all over the earth, but especially in the Middle East.

Now, in November of 2023, there is war between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip. However, this has drawn worldwide attention. Demonstrations by the tens-of-thousands are taking place in many nations, and, predominantly, support is for Hamas.

The mantra repeated by these crowds attacks not only the State of Israel but all Jewish people! Note the following from a Jewish Internet entry, acj.org: “From the River to the Sea”:

“‘From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free’ is a common call-to-arms for pro-Palestinian activists, especially student activists on college campuses. It calls for the establishment of a State of Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, erasing the State of Israel and its people. It is also a rallying cry for terrorist groups and their sympathizers, from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) to Hamas, which called for Israel’s destruction in its original governing charter in 1988 and was responsible for the October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israeli civilians, murdering over 1,000 people in the single deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.”

Movements, such as Hamas, openly proclaim their vile hatred toward the State of Israel:

Top Hamas official Ghazi Hamad “… made the threat explicit last week in an interview republished Wednesday: Hamas’ Oct. 7 bloodletting ‘is just the first time, and there will be a second, a third, a fourth, because we have the determination, the resolve and the capabilities to fight,’ he vowed. ‘We will do this again and again’” (New York Post, November 1, 2023).

What is ahead for the State of Israel might first be more victories over its enemies (as has been the case since 1948), but we also read that Judah will receive a wound (Hosea 5:13)—apparently a military defeat—prior to the beginning of the Great Tribulation, and subsequently, Jerusalem and the State of Israel will suffer terrible domination by the Beast power [a powerful European army under German leadership] until Christ returns. Zechariah 12, verses 1-9, summarizes these current and future events.

Our two booklets, The Book of Zechariah,” and, The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” go into more detail about the Jewish people. Also, our booklet, The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People,” provides insight for what must still happen in Jerusalem and the State of Israel—which includes the building of a new Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem!

The possibility of the Jews gaining control of the Temple Mount and constructing a Third Temple is a source of ongoing violence in the State of Israel. The Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine, sit atop the Temple Mount, and Muslims want exclusive control of this area. However, so do the Israelis. 

In the near future, a Third Temple will be built on the Temple Mount: Beginning with Chapter 40 of Ezekiel, the plans for what will become the Third Temple are carefully described; Zechariah 6:12-13 notes that the BRANCH (a reference to Jesus Christ) will inspire and guide the construction of the new Temple; Malachi 3:1 reveals that “the Lord” will return and come to the Temple; Paul writes of a future Temple of God being occupied by “the man of sin” (a designation of the “false prophet”—an influential religious personage) in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; and Revelation 11:1-2 speaks of an existing Temple of God at the beginning of the work of the Two Witnesses.

The building of the Third Temple is one of the many things of prophecy which deal specifically with the Jewish People and which will lead up to the return of Jesus Christ. 

Right now, President Biden is trying to dictate war strategy to Israel, and this comes along with people in the U.S. turning against Israel. We see the State of Israel becoming more and more isolated and without friends in the world. This foreshadows a time in which Israel’s staunchest supporters will turn against the Israelis—as prophesied in Isaiah 9:21:

Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.”

In this end-time prophecy, Manasseh refers to the USA, and Ephraim to the United Kingdom and possibly other English-speaking nations such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand. While there will be fighting between modern Ephraim and Manasseh, they will be combined in their disapproval of Judah—the State of Israel. 

Our booklet, The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” presents further proof of this important understanding.

Also, Zechariah 11:14 points to this event:

“Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.”

Israel is used in this end-time prophecy as referring to the leading modern nations of the ancient House of Israel—primarily the USA and the UK.

Verses 19-21 of Joel 3 point to the unending future which Judah will have—in spite of being surrounded by enemies now, who are seeking to wipe these people from the face of the earth:

“‘Egypt shall be a desolation, And Edom [modern Turkey] a desolate wilderness, Because of violence against the people of Judah, For they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall abide forever, And Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not acquitted; For the LORD dwells in Zion.’”

And as a contrast to the claims about the State of Israel’s destruction, it is interesting to consider what the Bible says in the last part of Zechariah 9:10 about the future reign of the Messiah, Jesus Christ:

“‘I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; The battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be “from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.”’”

The immediate future of the State of Israel is taking place on the world stage—involving people and events which will only grow more troublesome… until Jesus Christ returns to save Judah, Israel, and the rest of mankind and establish the Kingdom of God on the earth!

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

“New York’s Witch Hunt Against Trump,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

New York Attorney General Letitia James, a black woman and a Democrat, filed a civil lawsuit against Donald Trump, his children, and the Trump Organization, claiming that Trump defrauded banks by inflating the value of his assets in his financial statements. Judge Arthur Engoron, a Democrat, decided by summary judgment, without a trial or a jury, that fraud was committed. His evaluation of Trump’s property has been strongly criticized as being blatantly false, showing, allegedly, his bias against Trump. The current trial only deals with the “penalty phase.” As this program shows, both the law which is being used to decide against Trump as well as the entire legal procedure are seriously flawed. Is it true, then, that the legal system in New York can be compared with a banana republic, as some claim? “New Yorks Hexenjagd gegen Trump,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This program in German covers the same topic as described above.

A Tech Team meeting (November 5, 2023) was conducted via Google Meets. Hosted by Eric Rank, major emphasis was placed on our Google Ads campaign featuring our booklets.  Additionally, plans for our 2024 Church Conference and FOT location were discussed.

“Mitleid, Barmherzigkeit und Vergebung,” this Sabbath’s new German sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Title in English: “Compassion, Mercy and Forgiveness.”

“Im Hause des Herrn sein,” last Sabbath’s split German sermon presented by Mike Richter, is now posted. Title in English: “To be in the House of the Lord.”

“Ears to Hear,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

How are we to use our ears properly when it comes to what Christ refers to when He says that we need to make sure we use our ears to hear?

“Compassion, Mercy and Forgiveness,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

What is the close connection between compassion, mercy and forgiveness? How does a righteous person manifest these characteristics in his life? On the other hand, in what way does an unrighteous person show that he does not have mercy, compassion and the will to forgive? Why must we, as God’s people, be truly merciful, moved with compassion, and ready to forgive?

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How This Work is Financed

This Update is an official publication by the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God in the United States of America; the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada; and the Global Church of God in the United Kingdom.

Editorial Team: Norbert Link, Dave Harris, Rene Messier, Brian Gale, Margaret Adair, Johanna Link, Eric Rank, Michael Link, Anna Link, Kalon Mitchell, Manuela Mitchell, Dawn Thompson

Technical Team: Eric Rank, Shana Rank

Our activities and literature, including booklets, weekly updates, sermons on CD, and video and audio broadcasts, are provided free of charge. They are made possible by the tithes, offerings and contributions of Church members and others who have elected to support this Work.

While we do not solicit the general public for funds, contributions are gratefully welcomed and are tax-deductible in the U.S. and Canada.

Donations should be sent to the following addresses:

United States: Church of the Eternal God, P.O. Box 270519, San Diego, CA 92198

Canada: Church of God, ACF, Box 1480, Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z0

United Kingdom: Global Church of God, PO Box 44, MABLETHORPE, LN12 9AN, United Kingdom

Ears to Hear / Compassion, Mercy and Forgiveness

On November 4, 2023, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Ears to Hear” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Compassion, Mercy and Forgiveness.”

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.

This Week in the News

Israel Expands Ground Operation in Gaza

The Associated Press wrote on October 27:

“Israel on Saturday expanded its ground operation in Gaza with infantry and armored vehicles backed by massive strikes from the air and sea, including the bombing of Hamas tunnels — a key target in its campaign to crush the territory’s ruling group after its bloody incursion in Israel three weeks ago.

“The bombardment, described by Gaza residents as the most intense of the war, also knocked out most communications in Gaza

“The Palestinian death toll in Gaza on Saturday rose to just over 7,700 people since Oct. 7, with 377 deaths reported since late Friday, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. A majority of those killed have been women and minors, the ministry said…

“Israel says its strikes target Hamas fighters and infrastructure and that the militants operate from among civilians, putting them in danger…

“The intensified air and ground campaign also raised new concerns about dozens of hostages dragged into Gaza on Oct. 7. On Saturday, hundreds of relatives of hostages gathered in a square in downtown Tel Aviv, demanding to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallat. Some in the group demanded that Israel push for the release of all hostages before proceeding with the campaign against Hamas…

“The overall number of deaths in Gaza and Israel far exceeds the combined toll of all four previous Israel-Hamas wars, estimated at around 4,000…

“The conflict has threatened to ignite a wider war across the region. Arab nations — including U.S. allies and ones that have reached peace deals or normalized ties with Israel — have raised increasing alarm over a potential ground invasion, likely to bring even higher casualties amid urban fighting.”

Whether these maneuvers mark the official start of an invasion is unclear and may pose a question.

“Netanyahu seemed to confirm that himself: ‘This is our second war of independence,’ he declared Saturday evening. ‘We are only at the beginning’” (Deutsche Welle, dated October 29).

Widespread Support in Gaza for Hamas

Israel Today wrote on October 26:

“Despite claims now being made that the majority of Gaza’s population desires peace and is being held captive by Hamas, data and evidence collected over the past two decades consistently demonstrates the opposite. Hamas enjoys widespread support among Gaza’s civilian population, which voted Hamas into power and would likely do so again. This support finds expression not only in public opinion polls, but in active participation in Hamas attacks.

“In the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, the last to be held in the Gaza Strip as well, Hamas won 76 of 132 seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council. Of the 24 seats assigned to the Gaza Strip, Hamas won 15 (62%). Following Fatah’s refusal to recognize the results of these elections, Hamas violently took control of the Strip in 2007, and no general elections have been held in Gaza since. However, public opinion polls conducted in recent years indicate the Gazan public’s continued support of Hamas. According to an average of polls conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR) during 2022, approximately 60% of the Strip’s residents on average supported the ‘armed struggle’ (i.e. terrorist attacks) against Israel, compared to approximately 40%-50% of West Bank residents. In March 2023, support for armed struggle among Gaza residents rose to 68%… In a June 2023 PCPSR poll… support for armed struggle was at 64%.

“In this poll, 38% of the Strip’s residents felt that the rise of armed Islamic movements such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and their armed struggle against Israel, were the best thing to have happened to the Palestinian people in the last 75 years… Local journalists in Gaza have described widespread public support for the massacres committed by Hamas [on October 7]… All  available evidence indicates that approximately 60% of the Gaza Strip’s population supports Hamas and its armed struggle against Israel…

“This leads to the conclusion that claims regarding the existence of a clear ideological or political demarcation between the majority of Gaza’s residents and Hamas are entirely unfounded. None of the above is intended to conflate uninvolved Gazan civilians with Hamas terrorists, whether or not those civilians support Hamas, in the context of Israel’s ongoing war against the terror group. International law makes a clear distinction between uninvolved civilians and those taking part in military activities. However, both with regard to decisions related to the military campaign, and to post-war arrangements in the Gaza Strip, it is important to present an accurate picture regarding the widespread support in Gaza for Hamas.”

Erdogan’s Outrageous Claims and Threats

Politics Today wrote on October 28:

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, addressing a massive pro-Palestinian rally in Istanbul on Saturday, October 28, denounced Israel’s role in the ongoing bombardment in Gaza. He stated that Turkey would introduce Israel to the world as a war criminal.

“The ‘Great Palestine Meeting,’ organized by Turkey’s governing Justice and Development (AK) Party, saw hundreds of thousands gather at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport to protest Israel’s continuous bombardment of the Gaza Strip and advocate for a ceasefire.

“Erdoğan emphasized that the Western world has been instrumental in legitimizing the massacre in Gaza…  Erdoğan reiterated that Hamas is not a terrorist organization and that Israel’s main grievance lies with the West, which he accuses of being the real instigator behind the devastation in Gaza.

“President Erdoğan said: ‘We are on the side of the oppressed’ and rebuked Israel. During his speech, which caused an outcry among the public, Erdoğan said: ‘From now on, we will continue on our path with the motto that we may suddenly knock on your door one night.’”

In other words, he is threatening with military intervention in the Middle East and in Gaza, and with an attack on individual Jews. According to Bild Online, dated October 29, he also accused Western countries of creating a “crusade” atmosphere against Muslims, a new war between “cross and crescent moon.”

These threats should not be taken lightly. Erdogan is a ruthless dictator, filled with rage and hatred for the state of Israel and the Jewish people. As Turkey is part of NATO, NATO members admit now that Erdogan’s comments pose a serious problem for NATO.

Spain Condemns Israel

Yeni Safak wrote on October 28:

“Spain’s acting Social Rights Minister Ione Belarra on Saturday issued a passionate appeal to the EU countries, calling on them to respond to the recent escalation of attacks by Israel in the northern region of Gaza and other areas.

“‘After this hellish night in Gaza, I have a very simple but very important message for European leaders. Do not make us complicit in genocide. Act. Not in our name,’ she said in a video message on X… She further underscored that many Europeans are growing increasingly concerned about the situation and are asking: ‘Is no one going to do anything about what’s happening in Gaza?’

“Belarra put forward several concrete measures that she believes the European nations should take. She called for cutting diplomatic ties with Israel, imposing economic sanctions as a deterrent against those responsible for the ongoing violence, and advocating for the prosecution of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes against humanity.”

Spain’s persecution and horrible murders of Jews in the past are well known. With unqualified comments and irresponsible demands and antisemitic lies by governmental officials, Spain should be VERY careful not to give the impression of wanting to repeat past atrocities.

“Germany, We Have a Problem!”

Bild Online wrote on October 29:

“Our world is in chaos, and we are right in the middle of it. Since the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, we are experiencing a new dimension of hatred in our country – against our values, democracy, and against Germany.

“The recent days reveal what has been simmering and boiling in our society for a long time: In our country, there are many people who oppose our way of life. People who celebrate the murder of innocent civilians. Those who teach their children to hate others, because they are ‘infidels’…  We must not accept this! This cannot continue!… Germany must now say NO!…  Because: Never again is now!…  Never again anti-Semitism in Germany, never again tyranny and racism. All of this applies to all people who live in this country….”

Then, Bild published a “manifesto” with 50 points, describing what is expected from those who live in Germany. Sadly, many of these points are outright ludicrous.

Violence Breaks Out in London

Express wrote on October 28:

“Pro-Palestinian protests have descended into violence as activists marching in support of the state’s civilian population ahead of an anticipated Israeli ground invasion take to UK streets… Police expected about 100,000 people to join the demonstration in London organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, with other rallies organised elsewhere in the UK – including in Manchester and Glasgow…

“Senior police have warned that Iranian agents are deliberately stoking Gaza protests ahead of today’s demonstrations, with The Times reporting that counterterrorism officers have privately said that Tehran is trying to heighten tensions at rallies. The publication said the officers ‘have warned of increased hostile-state activity in Britain’ which is ‘directly linked to the Iranian regime’.”

Only those who are willfully blind and deaf may deny the FACT that Iran is behind Hamas’ vicious attacks and terrorist activities.

The Horrors of War

The Sun wrote on October 28:

Where I live in North West London, you see a lot of heartbreaking posters put up on walls, showing kidnapped Israeli children.  And you see the same posters torn down, ripped up and lying in the gutter. It is profoundly shocking — all of it. The smiling faces of those lost children. Recalling the sadistic brutality of the terrorists who kidnapped them. And, most shocking of all, the tragic fact that in tolerant, diverse, civilized London,  there are plenty of people who tear those posters down and laugh as they are doing it. Or snarl with unhinged rage…

“I can’t comprehend how someone can tear down a poster of a kidnapped child…  Do they think the kidnappings did not really happen? Is it all just wicked Israeli propaganda? Or are they in denial? Is it that they just can’t face the sickening reality of the crimes of Hamas?  

“The only human response is to feel pity for children stolen from their homes by Hamas, just as anyone who has anything resembling a heart feels pity for the Palestinian children who are currently having their names written on their ­bodies by their parents, so that they can be identified if they are blown to bits by a bomb. As the tanks roll in, we do well to remember that there are no guilty children in a war.

“There are no children — Israeli or ­Palestinian — who deserve what they get…

The mind struggles to comprehend the world we are living in… Nobody ever murdered, raped and ­kidnapped their way to freedom.

Palestinian-born Queen Rania of Jordan told CNN: ‘I just want to emphasise that this conflict did not begin on October 7, although it has been portrayed as that. This is a problem that far precedes Hamas and will continue after Hamas.’

“Yes, this conflict goes back through 75 years of war and conflict since the formation of Israel in 1948 and two peoples claiming the same land as their home. And it goes back beyond 1948 to the gas chambers of the Holocaust, and ­further back still to the pogroms of ­Eastern Europe, and all the way back to the Jewish diaspora in the Bible.

“Queen Rania is right. The conflict won’t end when Hamas is destroyed…  This conflict did not begin on October 7 and it is impossible to see how it will end within our lifetimes. Because when there are fools who can laugh as they rip down posters of kidnapped children, how can there ever be peace?”

This conflict will ONLY end when Jesus Christ returns to bring peace to the world. Hopefully in our lifetimes.

Worldwide Antisemitism

CNN wrote on October 31:

“The Hamas attacks – a pogrom against Jews that killed 1,400, mostly civilians – have initiated a sequence of events that have left Jewish people around the world feeling threatened… In the United States there is a climate of growing fear.

“Jewish day schools have canceled classes. Synagogues have been locked. Social media has pulsated with hatred against Jews, leaving a community that can never escape its historic trauma yet again wondering where and when it can ever be safe.

“… The idea that Jewish Americans studying at Cornell University could so fear for their lives on their Ivy League campus in rural New York that they couldn’t even eat together in 2023 seems almost impossible to believe. Yet it’s the case after death threats were posted online…

“The frightening online threats at Cornell, which are just part of the spate of antisemitism exacerbated by the fallout of the Gaza war, has many Jews wondering if their safety can be guaranteed in the United States — let alone in Israel where the attacks shattered illusion of security for the Jewish people. Pro-Palestinian protests at some universities have crossed over the line into antisemitism and prompted Republicans and some Democrats to warn campuses are in the grip of far-left radicalism.

“Elsewhere, in one of many other incidents, a Beverly Hills home of a Holocaust survivor was daubed with antisemitic graffiti… There have also been multiple cases of antisemitism in Europe, which was often criticized by US officials in years past for doing too little… In one of the most shocking scenes, a crowd of people stormed an airport in Russia’s mostly Muslim region of Dagestan, where a flight from Israel arrived on Sunday, chanting, ‘There is no place for child-killers in Dagestan.’ These are scenes with chilling echoes of the 1940s…

“Nearly a century after the rise of Nazism and the beginning of the Holocaust, which killed at least 6 million European Jews, descendants of the dead are yet again being threatened because of who they are, their history and how they worship… antisemitism could grow more pervasive in the coming weeks.”

Especially the situation at Cornell University, displaying utter incompetence of the police and the attempts of the left-wing media and university officials to downplay or even deny the real dangers for Jewish students, shows to what extent this country has sunk into the abyss of irresponsibility and helplessness.

The West—Incapable of Helping the Jews?

The Wall Street Journal wrote on October 30:

“The disturbing fact of the past month is that Jews are under attack not only in Israel and not only by Hamas. The weeks since the barbaric Oct. 7 Hamas invasion of Israel have witnessed physical assaults on Jews the world over, including in the U.S. and Europe. This most modern of pogroms—global, televised, politicized—demonstrates exactly what is at stake as Israel ramps up its defensive war against Hamas in Gaza.  The Islamist group and its Western enablers are pursuing or justifying a genocidal war against Jews, not merely a territorial dispute with Israel…

Germany has witnessed a spate of anti-Semitic incidents, including an attack with Molotov cocktails against a synagogue in Berlin on Oct. 18. Some Jews found Stars of David painted on their homes, an echo of the Nazi persecution. German politicians have been forceful in their denunciations, but apparently not forceful enough in their policing.

“Two Jewish schools in London closed for a period over safety concerns, and some British Jews  no longer feel safe wearing visible symbols of their faith. They’re probably right to worry the state can’t protect them. Tens of thousands of protesters in London over three successive weekends called for ‘jihad’ and chanted ‘from the river to the sea,’ a demand for the erasure of Israel and by extension its citizens. A crowd in Sydney, Australia, chanted ‘gas the Jews’ after the Hamas attack.

“Americans like to believe such things couldn’t happen in the U.S. They have…

“Yet many Western intellectuals—and a growing number of politicians—[have] seen what Hamas has done to innocent Israeli civilians, and what pro-Hamas protesters have said and done in Western streets. They’d nonetheless forgive any violence by Hamas or Hezbollah against Jews as anticolonial defiance. This is why… it’s inexcusable for any Western politician now to demand a cease-fire in Gaza. No leader who is demonstrably incapable of protecting Jews in his or her own country should try to prevent Israel from defending itself…

“This global war on Jews also clarifies what is at stake for Western societies in this fight. The West spent the decades after the civilizational catastrophe of the Holocaust vowing never again to allow itself to slide into such barbarism. What we see now in the attacks on Jews is how that slide began.

“Before there was a Chancellor Hitler in 1933, there were roving bands of Brownshirts inflicting political and anti-Semitic violence on the streets of Germany. They too often went unchecked by police, prosecutors and politicians who didn’t understand the menace, sympathized with the offenders, or merely felt overwhelmed by the scale of the danger. Hitler gained power in part because the German state no longer could maintain its monopoly on violence in defense of democratic values.

“… one lesson is the same and is crystal-clear: A Western society that can’t or won’t muster the will to defend its Jewish neighbors and fellow citizens won’t be able to defend itself.”

America’s downfall IS irreversible.

“Europe Will Be Next”

JNS wrote on October 31:

“Israel is at the forefront of a global clash of civilizations, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Tuesday. ‘Hamas, Al Qaeda and Islamic State are all together in wishing to ban us all from the face of the earth,’ he told a group of European Jewish leaders. ‘It starts with Israel, it starts with the Jews. It will never end there. Europe will be next. And that is why we are fighting a battle on behalf of the entire world.

“Herzog expressed serious concern about the significant rise in antisemitism in Europe and around the world in recent weeks. ‘This is a message that must be heard loud and clear,’ he said. ‘When [anti-Israel protesters] say “from the river to the sea,” they mean without any Jews… When they demonstrate on campuses against Israel—they mean without Jews. When they criticize Israel fighting to defend its people, and fighting against the most brutal attack that humanity has seen in last generation—they mean no Jews,’ he added.”

Herzog is absolutely right. And the anti-Semitic hatred will not be limited to fighting the Jews, but it will be directed at anyone who believes and practices religious concepts which they would classify as “Jewish.” Famously, Martin Luther, in his hatred for the Jews, wrote a pamphlet, entitled: “Against the Jews and All Those Who Keep the Sabbath” or the “Sabbatarians.”

Russia Threatens Europe

Reuters wrote on October 29:

“Russia will confiscate assets belonging to European Union states it deems unfriendly if the bloc ‘steals’ frozen Russian funds in a drive to fund Ukraine, an ally of President Vladimir Putin said on October 29.

“Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said on October 27 that the EU executive was working on a proposal to pool some of the profits derived from frozen Russian state assets to help Ukraine and its postwar reconstruction. Vyacheslav Volodin, the State Duma chairman, said Moscow would retaliate in a way that would be more costly to the bloc if the EU moved against Russian assets.”

Corruption in Ukraine

Breitbart wrote on October 31:

“A top advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly admitted that corruption is so rampant in the wartorn former Soviet state that officials are ‘stealing like there’s no tomorrow’.

“Speaking anonymously to Time magazine, what is alleged to be a top presidential advisor to Zelensky said that the Ukrainian government’s efforts to stamp out corruption have proved fruitless, given that they were implemented too late to have any impact…

“The issue of corruption in Ukraine, which has been ranked by Transparency International as the most corrupt European country except Russia, is becoming a major issue in Washington D.C. as President Biden continues to push for more American taxpayer dollars to be sent to the former Soviet state…”

Another piece of evidence to show that Ukraine will NOT win the war against Russia.

Utter Destruction in Mexico

Daily Mail wrote on October 27:

“Aerial footage has emerged showing the devastation Hurricane Otis caused in Acapulco after the storm ripped through the city. At least 27 people have died after 165 mile per hour winds caused power outages, widespread flooding and debris across the area. Desperate residents have turned to looting supermarkets left in disarray with pictures showing locals taking bottled water and food from ransacked shelves while others have packed their belongings into plastic bags in hope of finding safe shelter. 

“Due to the severe winds that Otis brought with it, it is now on record as the strongest landfalling Eastern Pacific tropical cyclone. The disastrous weather front was centered about 55 miles south-southeast of Acapulco, and its ruinous effects were also moving north-northwest at 9 mph. 

“Otis turned from mild to monster in record time, and scientists were struggling to figure out how and why they didn´t see it coming…

“Many of the once-sleek beachfront hotels in Acapulco looked like toothless, shattered hulks a day after the Category 5 storm blew out hundreds – and possibly thousands – of windows. While some 10,000 military troops were deployed to the area, they lacked the tools to clean tons of mud and fallen trees from the streets.

“Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador toured an area of the city on Thursday and said that Otis toppled every power-line pole in the region… Hundreds of trucks from the government electricity company arrived in Acapulco early Wednesday, but seemed at a loss as to how to restore power…

“Acapulco is at the foot of steep mountains – where luxury homes and slums alike cover the hillsides with views of the Pacific Ocean. Once drawing Hollywood stars for its nightlife, sport fishing and cliff diving shows, the port has in recent years fallen victim to competing organized crime groups that have sunk the city into violence… Otis was a stronger hurricane than Pauline, which hit Acapulco in 1997, destroying swaths of the city and killing more than 300 people.

This example serves as a reminder how quickly and unexpectedly terrible disasters can strike.

Is Trump Losing It?

Media TV wrote on October 28:

“Former President Donald Trump raged at Judge Arthur Engoron over his demand that former First Daughter Ivanka Trump testify in the fraud trial currently unfolding in New York.

“Trump has appeared frequently during his trial in the fraud case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James and presided over by Judge Engoron… His last appearance culminated with Trump stunning his Secret Service detail by abruptly storming out of court after repeated legal smackdowns by Judge Arthur Engoron that included a $10,000.00 fine for violating his gag order again.

“But despite threats of further punishment, Trump completely lost it on social media Saturday morning over Judge Engoron’s decision that Ivanka must testify in person, which she is appealing. On his Truth Social platform, Trump raged at Engoron and repeated other attacks about the trial:

“‘My daughter, Ivanka, was released from this Fake Letitia James case by the Court of Appeals, but this Trump Hating, Unhinged Judge, who ruled me guilty before this Witch Hunt Trial even started, couldn’t care less about the fact that he was overturned. I also won on Appeal on Statute of Limitations, but he refuses to accept their decision. I truly believe he is CRAZY, but certainly, at a minimum, CRAZED in his hatred of me. This case should have never started, but now must be dismissed. Financial Statements were LOW, NOT HIGH, had a 100% Disclaimer Clause, Banks were fully paid, ‘on time, on schedule,’ with never even a minor default, there was NO VICTIM, EXCEPT ME. Any other Judge in the Country would have thrown this case out on day one. He’s an out of control ‘Nut Job,’ who fined me $10,000 over a ridiculous Gag Order so that the publicity for the day would take over from the fact that Racist James and the Judge’s Star Witness admitted LYING TO CONGRESS on the stand – CASE OVER!”

The prosecution’s “Star Witness” was of course disgraced, disbarred and convicted felon, former Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen. Trump is most certainly correct with his assessment that Judge Engoron is biased and should have recused himself. But his verbal and unhinged attacks on him could backfire. It has also been commented on social media that Trump looks “worn out.”

On the other hand, Trump is clearly the Republican frontrunner, with no one even coming close, and several candidates dropping out of the race, like Mike Pence, Perry Johnson and Larry Elder did last week. (While Johnson and Elder endorsed Trump, Pence did not). Others who have no chance of winning, such as Chris Christie, will undoubtedly drop out soon.

Trump: I Will Restore the Travel Ban

Newsmax wrote on October 29:

“Amid Israel’s war on Hamas and an uptick of antisemitic hate against Jews, former President Donald Trump vowed to bring [back] the travel ban of those from countries markedly in support of terrorist-designated organizations…

“The controversial travel ban policy that was legally challenged and upheld in the courts during the early days of the Trump administration in 2017 will return, Trump vowed.”

Even though reasonable on the face of it, the travel ban was clearly overbroad and abused in the past, and it would certainly be abused again in the future.

Is Biden’s Fate Sealed?

Axios wrote on October 29:

“On the foreign policy front, President Biden’s re-election bid is playing out similarly to that of the last Democratic president who failed to win a second term: Jimmy Carter… Three destabilizing overseas crises have taken place during Biden’s presidency: The chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and now, the prospect of a regional war in the Middle East.

“The chaos across the globe is leading many Americans to conclude that we’re facing a moment of historic danger…  That sense of fear and dread…  is very bad news for any president running for re-election…

“There are some striking similarities to the political challenges Biden is facing and the headwinds faced by former President Carter, who was dragged down by twin foreign policy crises heading into his re-election.

“Carter’s demise was fueled by the 1979 Iranian Revolution that ousted the pro-American shah for an Islamic fundamentalist regime still in power today. The Iranian regime’s holding of dozens of American hostages dominated the headlines — and drained Carter’s political capital — through his re-election campaign.

“In December 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, prompting the Carter White House to take a harder line with the Soviets. But that newfound toughness did little to change American perception that the world was adrift.

“Once again, a Democratic president is facing wars fueled by Iran (led by Hamas and Hezbollah, its proxies in the Middle East) and Russia. Once again, American hostages are being held — and the U.S. looks like it’s struggling to deter its enemies. Like Carter, Biden faces softening support from a key part of the Democratic coalition: young, progressive voters…

“The demand for global leadership against hostile powers… is running up against a growing isolationism and dismissiveness of America’s role as a guarantor of global security — within both parties…”

Interesting parallels.

“Safely” Communicating with the Dead?

Life Site News wrote on October 27:

“The New York Post published on Wednesday an article titled ‘How to use a Ouija board — your guide to communing with the dead safely this Halloween,’ raising concerns that dangerous contact with preternatural forces could be encouraged. While Ouija boards are purportedly designed to communicate with the dead, exorcists have warned that using them opens the door to communication with evil spirits.

“Kyle Clement… explained… how Ouija board use can open the door to diabolical influence and even possession

“Reda Wigle noted that over 68% of Americans believe the boards ‘possess supernatural abilities,’ with a third of respondents saying they would never attempt to play. A quarter of those who have played say they would avoid doing so in the future…

“The response to the New York Post article has been overwhelmingly negative, with many commenters warning that the use of Ouija boards is dangerous and some advising that there is ‘no safe way’ to play with it.

“Ouija boards are considered a form of ‘divination,’ something explicitly forbidden in Scripture…”

Fox News added on October 30:

“Attempting occult practices, such as purportedly trying to contact the dead via an Ouija board, are a way to open oneself up to demonic activity inadvertently, said Reehil [a Catholic priest]. ‘Demons lie and impersonate dead people,’ said Reehil. ‘When asking a board for information about a deceased person, or a life decision, they are all too happy to embed themselves into your life. Using an Ouija board is inviting a demon into your life, whether the person has that intention or not.’

“The Ouija board was first developed in the late 19th century as a parlor game; these were formerly called ‘talking boards.’ At the time, séances and other spiritual practices were quite popular activities. The board consists of an alphabet, the words ‘yes,’ “no,’ ‘goodbye,’ and the numbers zero through nine. To operate the board, a person places their hands on a ‘planchette,’ which spirits purportedly move to spell out answers to questions. 

“In 1890, a Baltimore spiritualist and medium named Helen Peters asked the talking board what she should call it, said the website for the Talking Board Historical Society. The board responded ‘O-U-I-J-A,’ which it said meant ‘good luck.’ The Ouija board was patented the following year. Legend regarding the Ouija board’s patent says that Peters accompanied attorney Elijah Bond to the patent office, where the two were instructed by the patent officer to prove that the board worked by spelling out his name, said Smithsonian Magazine. Peters reportedly asked spirits for assistance, and then spelled out the patent officer’s name.”

This practice is foolish and VERY dangerous. So are active participations in Halloween activities.

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.

Update 1088

Ears to Hear / Compassion, Mercy and Forgiveness

On November 4, 2023, Michael Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Ears to Hear” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “Compassion, Mercy and Forgiveness.”

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.

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When We Feel Like Giving Up

by Michael Link

Life is indeed hard sometimes, and every day distractions can be a hindrance to what is most important.  How strongly are we committed to the Truth and God’s Way of Life?  We may sometimes have that feeling of quitting, having doubt or a lack of faith, and that kind of thinking could even bring us to the point of giving up.  We have to be careful that we don’t think that way. 

In the 13th chapter of Matthew, Christ talks about the parable of the sower.  In verse 19, He states, “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.”

We must be diligent in understanding the Truth, and we do that by studying God’s Word and asking God for His wisdom and understanding.  Satan the devil is very eager to draw us away from God’s Truth, and he loves it when we stumble. 

Instead, we are to be joyful when we hear God’s Word (verse 20).  The key is that we remain joyful and enthusiastic about God’s Way of Life, lest we drift away, due to various trials in our lives.  Verse 21 states, “… yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.” 

Christ also describes a category of people who do know the Truth but are still attached to the world in some way:  “Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful” (verse 22).  We cannot serve God and mammon  (Matthew 6:24).  Being caught up in the world is a huge distraction from God’s Way of Life, and therefore, it is impossible to bear fruit.  In verse 23, Christ states: “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” We must also remember the fact that we, as converted Christians, were predestined to be called, and we were chosen for this life, to know God’s Truth and His Law.  God has called us out of this world to a potentially better life that is to come in the near future.  With this understanding that we have, we must act on it, and whenever we may have that feeling of giving up, know that God is always there to help us and that we will be blessed far more than we can ever imagine. Keep going, and we will see what God promises the faithful.

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by Norbert Link

We begin with further updates on developments in the Middle East and the world’s hostile stance against Israel, with frightening reactions in Turkey, England, Germany, Spain, Russia and the USA; speak on the horrors of war; new animosity between Russia and Europe; and the devastating destruction of Acapulco/Mexico through an unforeseen hurricane.

We report on problematic conduct and declared goals of Donald Trump and the question whether Joe Biden’s fate is sealed; and we conclude with a deeply disturbing and irresponsible article about “safely” communicating with the dead with the help of Ouija boards.

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, ‘“Harmless Communication with the Dead?”

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

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Israel Expands Ground Operation in Gaza

The Associated Press wrote on October 27:

“Israel on Saturday expanded its ground operation in Gaza with infantry and armored vehicles backed by massive strikes from the air and sea, including the bombing of Hamas tunnels — a key target in its campaign to crush the territory’s ruling group after its bloody incursion in Israel three weeks ago.

“The bombardment, described by Gaza residents as the most intense of the war, also knocked out most communications in Gaza

“The Palestinian death toll in Gaza on Saturday rose to just over 7,700 people since Oct. 7, with 377 deaths reported since late Friday, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. A majority of those killed have been women and minors, the ministry said…

“Israel says its strikes target Hamas fighters and infrastructure and that the militants operate from among civilians, putting them in danger…

“The intensified air and ground campaign also raised new concerns about dozens of hostages dragged into Gaza on Oct. 7. On Saturday, hundreds of relatives of hostages gathered in a square in downtown Tel Aviv, demanding to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallat. Some in the group demanded that Israel push for the release of all hostages before proceeding with the campaign against Hamas…

“The overall number of deaths in Gaza and Israel far exceeds the combined toll of all four previous Israel-Hamas wars, estimated at around 4,000…

“The conflict has threatened to ignite a wider war across the region. Arab nations — including U.S. allies and ones that have reached peace deals or normalized ties with Israel — have raised increasing alarm over a potential ground invasion, likely to bring even higher casualties amid urban fighting.”

Whether these maneuvers mark the official start of an invasion is unclear and may pose a question.

“Netanyahu seemed to confirm that himself: ‘This is our second war of independence,’ he declared Saturday evening. ‘We are only at the beginning’” (Deutsche Welle, dated October 29).

Widespread Support in Gaza for Hamas

Israel Today wrote on October 26:

“Despite claims now being made that the majority of Gaza’s population desires peace and is being held captive by Hamas, data and evidence collected over the past two decades consistently demonstrates the opposite. Hamas enjoys widespread support among Gaza’s civilian population, which voted Hamas into power and would likely do so again. This support finds expression not only in public opinion polls, but in active participation in Hamas attacks.

“In the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, the last to be held in the Gaza Strip as well, Hamas won 76 of 132 seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council. Of the 24 seats assigned to the Gaza Strip, Hamas won 15 (62%). Following Fatah’s refusal to recognize the results of these elections, Hamas violently took control of the Strip in 2007, and no general elections have been held in Gaza since. However, public opinion polls conducted in recent years indicate the Gazan public’s continued support of Hamas. According to an average of polls conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR) during 2022, approximately 60% of the Strip’s residents on average supported the ‘armed struggle’ (i.e. terrorist attacks) against Israel, compared to approximately 40%-50% of West Bank residents. In March 2023, support for armed struggle among Gaza residents rose to 68%… In a June 2023 PCPSR poll… support for armed struggle was at 64%.

“In this poll, 38% of the Strip’s residents felt that the rise of armed Islamic movements such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and their armed struggle against Israel, were the best thing to have happened to the Palestinian people in the last 75 years… Local journalists in Gaza have described widespread public support for the massacres committed by Hamas [on October 7]… All  available evidence indicates that approximately 60% of the Gaza Strip’s population supports Hamas and its armed struggle against Israel…

“This leads to the conclusion that claims regarding the existence of a clear ideological or political demarcation between the majority of Gaza’s residents and Hamas are entirely unfounded. None of the above is intended to conflate uninvolved Gazan civilians with Hamas terrorists, whether or not those civilians support Hamas, in the context of Israel’s ongoing war against the terror group. International law makes a clear distinction between uninvolved civilians and those taking part in military activities. However, both with regard to decisions related to the military campaign, and to post-war arrangements in the Gaza Strip, it is important to present an accurate picture regarding the widespread support in Gaza for Hamas.”

Erdogan’s Outrageous Claims and Threats

Politics Today wrote on October 28:

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, addressing a massive pro-Palestinian rally in Istanbul on Saturday, October 28, denounced Israel’s role in the ongoing bombardment in Gaza. He stated that Turkey would introduce Israel to the world as a war criminal.

“The ‘Great Palestine Meeting,’ organized by Turkey’s governing Justice and Development (AK) Party, saw hundreds of thousands gather at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport to protest Israel’s continuous bombardment of the Gaza Strip and advocate for a ceasefire.

“Erdoğan emphasized that the Western world has been instrumental in legitimizing the massacre in Gaza…  Erdoğan reiterated that Hamas is not a terrorist organization and that Israel’s main grievance lies with the West, which he accuses of being the real instigator behind the devastation in Gaza.

“President Erdoğan said: ‘We are on the side of the oppressed’ and rebuked Israel. During his speech, which caused an outcry among the public, Erdoğan said: ‘From now on, we will continue on our path with the motto that we may suddenly knock on your door one night.’”

In other words, he is threatening with military intervention in the Middle East and in Gaza, and with an attack on individual Jews. According to Bild Online, dated October 29, he also accused Western countries of creating a “crusade” atmosphere against Muslims, a new war between “cross and crescent moon.”

These threats should not be taken lightly. Erdogan is a ruthless dictator, filled with rage and hatred for the state of Israel and the Jewish people. As Turkey is part of NATO, NATO members admit now that Erdogan’s comments pose a serious problem for NATO.

Spain Condemns Israel

Yeni Safak wrote on October 28:

“Spain’s acting Social Rights Minister Ione Belarra on Saturday issued a passionate appeal to the EU countries, calling on them to respond to the recent escalation of attacks by Israel in the northern region of Gaza and other areas.

“‘After this hellish night in Gaza, I have a very simple but very important message for European leaders. Do not make us complicit in genocide. Act. Not in our name,’ she said in a video message on X… She further underscored that many Europeans are growing increasingly concerned about the situation and are asking: ‘Is no one going to do anything about what’s happening in Gaza?’

“Belarra put forward several concrete measures that she believes the European nations should take. She called for cutting diplomatic ties with Israel, imposing economic sanctions as a deterrent against those responsible for the ongoing violence, and advocating for the prosecution of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes against humanity.”

Spain’s persecution and horrible murders of Jews in the past are well known. With unqualified comments and irresponsible demands and antisemitic lies by governmental officials, Spain should be VERY careful not to give the impression of wanting to repeat past atrocities.

“Germany, We Have a Problem!”

Bild Online wrote on October 29:

“Our world is in chaos, and we are right in the middle of it. Since the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, we are experiencing a new dimension of hatred in our country – against our values, democracy, and against Germany.

“The recent days reveal what has been simmering and boiling in our society for a long time: In our country, there are many people who oppose our way of life. People who celebrate the murder of innocent civilians. Those who teach their children to hate others, because they are ‘infidels’…  We must not accept this! This cannot continue!… Germany must now say NO!…  Because: Never again is now!…  Never again anti-Semitism in Germany, never again tyranny and racism. All of this applies to all people who live in this country….”

Then, Bild published a “manifesto” with 50 points, describing what is expected from those who live in Germany. Sadly, many of these points are outright ludicrous.

Violence Breaks Out in London

Express wrote on October 28:

“Pro-Palestinian protests have descended into violence as activists marching in support of the state’s civilian population ahead of an anticipated Israeli ground invasion take to UK streets… Police expected about 100,000 people to join the demonstration in London organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign demanding a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, with other rallies organised elsewhere in the UK – including in Manchester and Glasgow…

“Senior police have warned that Iranian agents are deliberately stoking Gaza protests ahead of today’s demonstrations, with The Times reporting that counterterrorism officers have privately said that Tehran is trying to heighten tensions at rallies. The publication said the officers ‘have warned of increased hostile-state activity in Britain’ which is ‘directly linked to the Iranian regime’.”

Only those who are willfully blind and deaf may deny the FACT that Iran is behind Hamas’ vicious attacks and terrorist activities.

The Horrors of War

The Sun wrote on October 28:

Where I live in North West London, you see a lot of heartbreaking posters put up on walls, showing kidnapped Israeli children.  And you see the same posters torn down, ripped up and lying in the gutter. It is profoundly shocking — all of it. The smiling faces of those lost children. Recalling the sadistic brutality of the terrorists who kidnapped them. And, most shocking of all, the tragic fact that in tolerant, diverse, civilized London,  there are plenty of people who tear those posters down and laugh as they are doing it. Or snarl with unhinged rage…

“I can’t comprehend how someone can tear down a poster of a kidnapped child…  Do they think the kidnappings did not really happen? Is it all just wicked Israeli propaganda? Or are they in denial? Is it that they just can’t face the sickening reality of the crimes of Hamas?  

“The only human response is to feel pity for children stolen from their homes by Hamas, just as anyone who has anything resembling a heart feels pity for the Palestinian children who are currently having their names written on their ­bodies by their parents, so that they can be identified if they are blown to bits by a bomb. As the tanks roll in, we do well to remember that there are no guilty children in a war.

“There are no children — Israeli or ­Palestinian — who deserve what they get…

The mind struggles to comprehend the world we are living in… Nobody ever murdered, raped and ­kidnapped their way to freedom.

Palestinian-born Queen Rania of Jordan told CNN: ‘I just want to emphasise that this conflict did not begin on October 7, although it has been portrayed as that. This is a problem that far precedes Hamas and will continue after Hamas.’

“Yes, this conflict goes back through 75 years of war and conflict since the formation of Israel in 1948 and two peoples claiming the same land as their home. And it goes back beyond 1948 to the gas chambers of the Holocaust, and ­further back still to the pogroms of ­Eastern Europe, and all the way back to the Jewish diaspora in the Bible.

“Queen Rania is right. The conflict won’t end when Hamas is destroyed…  This conflict did not begin on October 7 and it is impossible to see how it will end within our lifetimes. Because when there are fools who can laugh as they rip down posters of kidnapped children, how can there ever be peace?”

This conflict will ONLY end when Jesus Christ returns to bring peace to the world. Hopefully in our lifetimes.

Worldwide Antisemitism

CNN wrote on October 31:

“The Hamas attacks – a pogrom against Jews that killed 1,400, mostly civilians – have initiated a sequence of events that have left Jewish people around the world feeling threatened… In the United States there is a climate of growing fear.

“Jewish day schools have canceled classes. Synagogues have been locked. Social media has pulsated with hatred against Jews, leaving a community that can never escape its historic trauma yet again wondering where and when it can ever be safe.

“… The idea that Jewish Americans studying at Cornell University could so fear for their lives on their Ivy League campus in rural New York that they couldn’t even eat together in 2023 seems almost impossible to believe. Yet it’s the case after death threats were posted online…

“The frightening online threats at Cornell, which are just part of the spate of antisemitism exacerbated by the fallout of the Gaza war, has many Jews wondering if their safety can be guaranteed in the United States — let alone in Israel where the attacks shattered illusion of security for the Jewish people. Pro-Palestinian protests at some universities have crossed over the line into antisemitism and prompted Republicans and some Democrats to warn campuses are in the grip of far-left radicalism.

“Elsewhere, in one of many other incidents, a Beverly Hills home of a Holocaust survivor was daubed with antisemitic graffiti… There have also been multiple cases of antisemitism in Europe, which was often criticized by US officials in years past for doing too little… In one of the most shocking scenes, a crowd of people stormed an airport in Russia’s mostly Muslim region of Dagestan, where a flight from Israel arrived on Sunday, chanting, ‘There is no place for child-killers in Dagestan.’ These are scenes with chilling echoes of the 1940s…

“Nearly a century after the rise of Nazism and the beginning of the Holocaust, which killed at least 6 million European Jews, descendants of the dead are yet again being threatened because of who they are, their history and how they worship… antisemitism could grow more pervasive in the coming weeks.”

Especially the situation at Cornell University, displaying utter incompetence of the police and the attempts of the left-wing media and university officials to downplay or even deny the real dangers for Jewish students, shows to what extent this country has sunk into the abyss of irresponsibility and helplessness.

The West—Incapable of Helping the Jews?

The Wall Street Journal wrote on October 30:

“The disturbing fact of the past month is that Jews are under attack not only in Israel and not only by Hamas. The weeks since the barbaric Oct. 7 Hamas invasion of Israel have witnessed physical assaults on Jews the world over, including in the U.S. and Europe. This most modern of pogroms—global, televised, politicized—demonstrates exactly what is at stake as Israel ramps up its defensive war against Hamas in Gaza.  The Islamist group and its Western enablers are pursuing or justifying a genocidal war against Jews, not merely a territorial dispute with Israel…

Germany has witnessed a spate of anti-Semitic incidents, including an attack with Molotov cocktails against a synagogue in Berlin on Oct. 18. Some Jews found Stars of David painted on their homes, an echo of the Nazi persecution. German politicians have been forceful in their denunciations, but apparently not forceful enough in their policing.

“Two Jewish schools in London closed for a period over safety concerns, and some British Jews  no longer feel safe wearing visible symbols of their faith. They’re probably right to worry the state can’t protect them. Tens of thousands of protesters in London over three successive weekends called for ‘jihad’ and chanted ‘from the river to the sea,’ a demand for the erasure of Israel and by extension its citizens. A crowd in Sydney, Australia, chanted ‘gas the Jews’ after the Hamas attack.

“Americans like to believe such things couldn’t happen in the U.S. They have…

“Yet many Western intellectuals—and a growing number of politicians—[have] seen what Hamas has done to innocent Israeli civilians, and what pro-Hamas protesters have said and done in Western streets. They’d nonetheless forgive any violence by Hamas or Hezbollah against Jews as anticolonial defiance. This is why… it’s inexcusable for any Western politician now to demand a cease-fire in Gaza. No leader who is demonstrably incapable of protecting Jews in his or her own country should try to prevent Israel from defending itself…

“This global war on Jews also clarifies what is at stake for Western societies in this fight. The West spent the decades after the civilizational catastrophe of the Holocaust vowing never again to allow itself to slide into such barbarism. What we see now in the attacks on Jews is how that slide began.

“Before there was a Chancellor Hitler in 1933, there were roving bands of Brownshirts inflicting political and anti-Semitic violence on the streets of Germany. They too often went unchecked by police, prosecutors and politicians who didn’t understand the menace, sympathized with the offenders, or merely felt overwhelmed by the scale of the danger. Hitler gained power in part because the German state no longer could maintain its monopoly on violence in defense of democratic values.

“… one lesson is the same and is crystal-clear: A Western society that can’t or won’t muster the will to defend its Jewish neighbors and fellow citizens won’t be able to defend itself.”

America’s downfall IS irreversible.

“Europe Will Be Next”

JNS wrote on October 31:

“Israel is at the forefront of a global clash of civilizations, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Tuesday. ‘Hamas, Al Qaeda and Islamic State are all together in wishing to ban us all from the face of the earth,’ he told a group of European Jewish leaders. ‘It starts with Israel, it starts with the Jews. It will never end there. Europe will be next. And that is why we are fighting a battle on behalf of the entire world.

“Herzog expressed serious concern about the significant rise in antisemitism in Europe and around the world in recent weeks. ‘This is a message that must be heard loud and clear,’ he said. ‘When [anti-Israel protesters] say “from the river to the sea,” they mean without any Jews… When they demonstrate on campuses against Israel—they mean without Jews. When they criticize Israel fighting to defend its people, and fighting against the most brutal attack that humanity has seen in last generation—they mean no Jews,’ he added.”

Herzog is absolutely right. And the anti-Semitic hatred will not be limited to fighting the Jews, but it will be directed at anyone who believes and practices religious concepts which they would classify as “Jewish.” Famously, Martin Luther, in his hatred for the Jews, wrote a pamphlet, entitled: “Against the Jews and All Those Who Keep the Sabbath” or the “Sabbatarians.”

Russia Threatens Europe

Reuters wrote on October 29:

“Russia will confiscate assets belonging to European Union states it deems unfriendly if the bloc ‘steals’ frozen Russian funds in a drive to fund Ukraine, an ally of President Vladimir Putin said on October 29.

“Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said on October 27 that the EU executive was working on a proposal to pool some of the profits derived from frozen Russian state assets to help Ukraine and its postwar reconstruction. Vyacheslav Volodin, the State Duma chairman, said Moscow would retaliate in a way that would be more costly to the bloc if the EU moved against Russian assets.”

Corruption in Ukraine

Breitbart wrote on October 31:

“A top advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly admitted that corruption is so rampant in the wartorn former Soviet state that officials are ‘stealing like there’s no tomorrow’.

“Speaking anonymously to Time magazine, what is alleged to be a top presidential advisor to Zelensky said that the Ukrainian government’s efforts to stamp out corruption have proved fruitless, given that they were implemented too late to have any impact…

“The issue of corruption in Ukraine, which has been ranked by Transparency International as the most corrupt European country except Russia, is becoming a major issue in Washington D.C. as President Biden continues to push for more American taxpayer dollars to be sent to the former Soviet state…”

Another piece of evidence to show that Ukraine will NOT win the war against Russia.

Utter Destruction in Mexico

Daily Mail wrote on October 27:

“Aerial footage has emerged showing the devastation Hurricane Otis caused in Acapulco after the storm ripped through the city. At least 27 people have died after 165 mile per hour winds caused power outages, widespread flooding and debris across the area. Desperate residents have turned to looting supermarkets left in disarray with pictures showing locals taking bottled water and food from ransacked shelves while others have packed their belongings into plastic bags in hope of finding safe shelter. 

“Due to the severe winds that Otis brought with it, it is now on record as the strongest landfalling Eastern Pacific tropical cyclone. The disastrous weather front was centered about 55 miles south-southeast of Acapulco, and its ruinous effects were also moving north-northwest at 9 mph. 

“Otis turned from mild to monster in record time, and scientists were struggling to figure out how and why they didn´t see it coming…

“Many of the once-sleek beachfront hotels in Acapulco looked like toothless, shattered hulks a day after the Category 5 storm blew out hundreds – and possibly thousands – of windows. While some 10,000 military troops were deployed to the area, they lacked the tools to clean tons of mud and fallen trees from the streets.

“Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador toured an area of the city on Thursday and said that Otis toppled every power-line pole in the region… Hundreds of trucks from the government electricity company arrived in Acapulco early Wednesday, but seemed at a loss as to how to restore power…

“Acapulco is at the foot of steep mountains – where luxury homes and slums alike cover the hillsides with views of the Pacific Ocean. Once drawing Hollywood stars for its nightlife, sport fishing and cliff diving shows, the port has in recent years fallen victim to competing organized crime groups that have sunk the city into violence… Otis was a stronger hurricane than Pauline, which hit Acapulco in 1997, destroying swaths of the city and killing more than 300 people.

This example serves as a reminder how quickly and unexpectedly terrible disasters can strike.

Is Trump Losing It?

Media TV wrote on October 28:

“Former President Donald Trump raged at Judge Arthur Engoron over his demand that former First Daughter Ivanka Trump testify in the fraud trial currently unfolding in New York.

“Trump has appeared frequently during his trial in the fraud case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James and presided over by Judge Engoron… His last appearance culminated with Trump stunning his Secret Service detail by abruptly storming out of court after repeated legal smackdowns by Judge Arthur Engoron that included a $10,000.00 fine for violating his gag order again.

“But despite threats of further punishment, Trump completely lost it on social media Saturday morning over Judge Engoron’s decision that Ivanka must testify in person, which she is appealing. On his Truth Social platform, Trump raged at Engoron and repeated other attacks about the trial:

“‘My daughter, Ivanka, was released from this Fake Letitia James case by the Court of Appeals, but this Trump Hating, Unhinged Judge, who ruled me guilty before this Witch Hunt Trial even started, couldn’t care less about the fact that he was overturned. I also won on Appeal on Statute of Limitations, but he refuses to accept their decision. I truly believe he is CRAZY, but certainly, at a minimum, CRAZED in his hatred of me. This case should have never started, but now must be dismissed. Financial Statements were LOW, NOT HIGH, had a 100% Disclaimer Clause, Banks were fully paid, ‘on time, on schedule,’ with never even a minor default, there was NO VICTIM, EXCEPT ME. Any other Judge in the Country would have thrown this case out on day one. He’s an out of control ‘Nut Job,’ who fined me $10,000 over a ridiculous Gag Order so that the publicity for the day would take over from the fact that Racist James and the Judge’s Star Witness admitted LYING TO CONGRESS on the stand – CASE OVER!”

The prosecution’s “Star Witness” was of course disgraced, disbarred and convicted felon, former Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen. Trump is most certainly correct with his assessment that Judge Engoron is biased and should have recused himself. But his verbal and unhinged attacks on him could backfire. It has also been commented on social media that Trump looks “worn out.”

On the other hand, Trump is clearly the Republican frontrunner, with no one even coming close, and several candidates dropping out of the race, like Mike Pence, Perry Johnson and Larry Elder did last week. (While Johnson and Elder endorsed Trump, Pence did not). Others who have no chance of winning, such as Chris Christie, will undoubtedly drop out soon.

Trump: I Will Restore the Travel Ban

Newsmax wrote on October 29:

“Amid Israel’s war on Hamas and an uptick of antisemitic hate against Jews, former President Donald Trump vowed to bring [back] the travel ban of those from countries markedly in support of terrorist-designated organizations…

“The controversial travel ban policy that was legally challenged and upheld in the courts during the early days of the Trump administration in 2017 will return, Trump vowed.”

Even though reasonable on the face of it, the travel ban was clearly overbroad and abused in the past, and it would certainly be abused again in the future.

Is Biden’s Fate Sealed?

Axios wrote on October 29:

“On the foreign policy front, President Biden’s re-election bid is playing out similarly to that of the last Democratic president who failed to win a second term: Jimmy Carter… Three destabilizing overseas crises have taken place during Biden’s presidency: The chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and now, the prospect of a regional war in the Middle East.

“The chaos across the globe is leading many Americans to conclude that we’re facing a moment of historic danger…  That sense of fear and dread…  is very bad news for any president running for re-election…

“There are some striking similarities to the political challenges Biden is facing and the headwinds faced by former President Carter, who was dragged down by twin foreign policy crises heading into his re-election.

“Carter’s demise was fueled by the 1979 Iranian Revolution that ousted the pro-American shah for an Islamic fundamentalist regime still in power today. The Iranian regime’s holding of dozens of American hostages dominated the headlines — and drained Carter’s political capital — through his re-election campaign.

“In December 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, prompting the Carter White House to take a harder line with the Soviets. But that newfound toughness did little to change American perception that the world was adrift.

“Once again, a Democratic president is facing wars fueled by Iran (led by Hamas and Hezbollah, its proxies in the Middle East) and Russia. Once again, American hostages are being held — and the U.S. looks like it’s struggling to deter its enemies. Like Carter, Biden faces softening support from a key part of the Democratic coalition: young, progressive voters…

“The demand for global leadership against hostile powers… is running up against a growing isolationism and dismissiveness of America’s role as a guarantor of global security — within both parties…”

Interesting parallels.

“Safely” Communicating with the Dead?

Life Site News wrote on October 27:

“The New York Post published on Wednesday an article titled ‘How to use a Ouija board — your guide to communing with the dead safely this Halloween,’ raising concerns that dangerous contact with preternatural forces could be encouraged. While Ouija boards are purportedly designed to communicate with the dead, exorcists have warned that using them opens the door to communication with evil spirits.

“Kyle Clement… explained… how Ouija board use can open the door to diabolical influence and even possession

“Reda Wigle noted that over 68% of Americans believe the boards ‘possess supernatural abilities,’ with a third of respondents saying they would never attempt to play. A quarter of those who have played say they would avoid doing so in the future…

“The response to the New York Post article has been overwhelmingly negative, with many commenters warning that the use of Ouija boards is dangerous and some advising that there is ‘no safe way’ to play with it.

“Ouija boards are considered a form of ‘divination,’ something explicitly forbidden in Scripture…”

Fox News added on October 30:

“Attempting occult practices, such as purportedly trying to contact the dead via an Ouija board, are a way to open oneself up to demonic activity inadvertently, said Reehil [a Catholic priest]. ‘Demons lie and impersonate dead people,’ said Reehil. ‘When asking a board for information about a deceased person, or a life decision, they are all too happy to embed themselves into your life. Using an Ouija board is inviting a demon into your life, whether the person has that intention or not.’

“The Ouija board was first developed in the late 19th century as a parlor game; these were formerly called ‘talking boards.’ At the time, séances and other spiritual practices were quite popular activities. The board consists of an alphabet, the words ‘yes,’ “no,’ ‘goodbye,’ and the numbers zero through nine. To operate the board, a person places their hands on a ‘planchette,’ which spirits purportedly move to spell out answers to questions. 

“In 1890, a Baltimore spiritualist and medium named Helen Peters asked the talking board what she should call it, said the website for the Talking Board Historical Society. The board responded ‘O-U-I-J-A,’ which it said meant ‘good luck.’ The Ouija board was patented the following year. Legend regarding the Ouija board’s patent says that Peters accompanied attorney Elijah Bond to the patent office, where the two were instructed by the patent officer to prove that the board worked by spelling out his name, said Smithsonian Magazine. Peters reportedly asked spirits for assistance, and then spelled out the patent officer’s name.”

This practice is foolish and VERY dangerous. So are active participations in Halloween activities.

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.

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What is the purpose of the Second Tithe, and how should it be used?

Recently, questions arose as to the purpose and use of the second tithe.

In our free booklet, “Tithing—Today?”, we explain that the Bible speaks of three different types of tithes—the first, second and third tithe. In this Q&A, we will concentrate merely on the second tithe. In this regard, we state the following in our booklet:

“The SECOND tithe (or a second ten percent of one’s earnings or other income) is an additional tithe of one’s ‘increase’ (Deuteronomy 14:22–26). Soncino confirms that Deuteronomy 14:23 discusses the ‘second tithe.’ They state, ‘This refers to the second tithe, because the first tithe was to be given to the Levites who were allowed to eat it anywhere (cf. Num. xviii. 26, 31).’ The Ryrie Study Bible has a similar comment pertaining to Deuteronomy 14:22–27, confirming the existence of a ‘second tithe.’ So does ‘The New Bible Commentary: Revised,’ copyright 1970, on page 220: ‘This is the so-called “second tithe,” as contrasted with that tithe of the produce given to maintain the Levites (see Nu. 18:26–28).’

“The individual saves the second tithe each year for use in observing God’s annual Holy Days, mainly the Feast of Tabernacles (FOT), as members are commanded to travel for the FOT to one of God’s designated feast sites. (For more information, please read our free booklet, ‘God’s Commanded Holy Days.’) This tithe is to be saved for use by the individual. Only ‘excess second tithe’—the portion of the second tithe exceeding necessary individual use—should be sent to the Church. The Church will distribute such amount to members who were unable to save sufficient second tithe for the Holy Days, and it might use remaining funds for necessary Church-related Feast expenses (such as hall rentals).”

In regard to the second tithe, the following comments in our booklet are also relevant:

“More than 30 years ago, God’s Church made the administrative decision to ask Church members and co-workers to send one tenth of their second tithe to the Church to be used for necessary Feast of Tabernacles expenses, including rental for Church halls. Since then, the Church has usually referred to this amount as the ‘tithe of the tithe.’ Church members and co-workers were asked to calculate the amount of second tithe that would be available to them at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, and to send ten percent of that (calculated) amount to the Church, in advance as directed by the Church. This practice has allowed the Church to avoid using general contributions for the payment of Feast expenses, instead of being used for preaching the gospel and feeding the flock….”

In this Q&A, we want to set forth the long-standing teaching of the Church regarding the purpose and use of the SECOND TITHE, by quoting selectively from numerous Church publications.

In “The Good News,” dated October 1961, the article “Help the Poor” points out the following regarding the second tithe:

“This tithe is a specific command for all to come and rejoice before God on His annual Feast days—especially the Feast of Tabernacles. Included in this tithe –THE SECOND TITHE – are also the Levite…”

In “The Good News,” dated August 1980, the article, “How to Use Your Second Tithe,” states this:

“[The second tithe] is to provide for your Feast expenses – for your transportation, lodging, food, entertainment and pleasure during these days…  If your car needs repairs for you to attend the Feast, you may pay a certain portion of the cost from second tithe…”

The following cautionary remark is added:

“You could spend the bulk of your second tithe fixing your car and then not have enough money left to pay for Feast expenses. Obviously this would not be the thing to do…”

The article continues:

“Normally, you should not plan to buy clothing with your second tithe, except for special types of clothing that would be needed for the Feast but would not normally be a part of your wardrobe… Rarely should you buy an integral part of your wardrobe with second tithe. However, such an exception might arise in the case of an individual who simply does not have proper clothing to wear to attend God’s Feast and could not otherwise afford it. We should all appear before God well-groomed and nicely dressed.”

It was also pointed out in the article that it might be a good idea, for some, to deposit the second tithe money in a separate bank account (or use other safe procedures) to make sure one does not “borrow” from the second tithe… perhaps with the intent to pay it back later, which normally does not occur. Also regarding clothes, an example was given when brethren from warmer climates travel to a Feast site with cold weather where warmer clothing is needed; in such cases, second tithe could be used.

Regarding what type of items could be bought with second tithe, the article continues:

“Even though [certain] items would not be used primarily at the Feast, [some] reason that the scripture says you are to buy ‘whatever your soul desires,’ and their soul certainly desires … tricycles… or fishing equipment [unless they are being used during the Feast, such as some modest fishing equipment for a fishing trip]. This is erroneous reasoning. God is talking about buying whatever you might desire to be used at the Feast—primarily food, drink and good-quality housing. The whole reason for spending your tithe this way is that you may rejoice and look forward to the wonderful time of the Millennium.”

“Then is it wrong to buy gifts for the children and family? No. But use wisdom. You should not buy your child expensive gifts simply because it is from your second tithe. Suitable toys, books or games that will help make the Feast enjoyable for our child are perfectly all right. But do not buy the year’s supply of toys on the way to the Feast.”

In addressing the travel to the Feast, the article explains that one needs to be careful with sight-seeing trips and journeys for other reasons than going to the Feast, stating, “But when the trips [by car] begin to entail additional hundreds of miles in the opposite direction of the Feast, they should not be taken on second tithe… If the reason for the trip is to see the family—and incidentally, you are going to one of God’s Festivals—that is wrong.”

Regarding “excess second tithe,” the article explained:

“What if you are one of those who was abundantly blessed by God and have an excess of second tithe? God’s way is the way of giving, sharing and outgoing concern… God repeatedly exhorts us to remember the Levite, the widow, the fatherless, the poor and the stranger within our gates. The Levitical priesthood was replaced by Christ’s ministry today. God’s ministers do not save a second tithe [at least, they do not have to, but some choose to save the full or at least a portion of their income for second tithe], even as the Levites didn’t. Your excess second tithe helps pay their way to the Feast so they might teach you the plan of salvation.

“Your extra second tithe also is used by the Church to help some of the elderly or widows who have no second tithe to attend the Feast…”

In using some of the second tithe for attendance during the other annual Holy Days, it was pointed out that a small amount could be used “because that is where God has put His name for these feasts.” But this cautionary remark was added: “Never cut yourself short by spending too much money at the other feasts so that you cannot be with God’s people at the great Feast [of Tabernacles] in the fall.”

In “The Good News,” dated September 1981, the article “The Festival Tithe—Your Questions Answered,” contained additional comments as to the use of second tithe:

“This permission in unusual circumstances [to use some second tithe, “where there is sufficient money to take care of the other needs as well,” to buy “proper clothing so that (one) might be better able to go to the Feast”] has been used by some to justify large or expansive purchases of clothing or even whole wardrobes. Using the festival tithe in this way violates the basic spiritual intent of the law.”

The article also pointed out:

“…some people have overdone the giving of gifts at Feast time, sometimes buying expensive items they couldn’t really afford. Usually such items are used during the rest of the year as well. This goes far beyond the principle of using the festival funds to provide a joyous, happy Feast…”

Again condemning the idea of “borrowing” or rather “stealing” from the second tithe with the intent to pay it back later, the article addressed extra second tithe as follows:

“There are always those who have insufficient tithe to attend the Feast, or not enough to go and pay for normal expenses. To provide for this need, it has always been the practice of the Church members who have more than they need to turn in this excess to the Church. The Church then… uses these funds to take care of such needs… [Regarding new people who have not been tithing long enough to save enough festival tithe to attend,] it may be possible to assist them with enough funds for this one year, so that they can go.”

Other considerations should be mentioned.

We are commanded to give God an offering during each annual Holy Day. This offering should not be paid exclusively from second tithe. It is however possible to supplement the offering with second tithe.

Gifts for and at the Feast of Tabernacles should not become a substitute for Christmas, which could easily become the case if we are buying expensive gifts for just everyone.

The second tithe for the Feast of Tabernacles would not be ten percent of increase from the entire year, but somewhat less, as portions of the second tithe would have been used for the other annual Holy Days [making sure, however, that there is enough second tithe left for attending the Feast of Tabernacles].

Regarding the question of saving some of the second tithe for a special international trip to a Feast site the following year, this should be discussed with one’s pastor who can give advice based on special circumstances.

Finally, regarding assisting others financially, the individual desirous to do so should know the reasons why someone else does not have enough second tithe. Assisting someone who has mishandled his or her funds may not be the appropriate course of action, and it would be wise to counsel with a minister who might know more about the individual situation.

This Q&A was intended to give some guidelines and principles as to the proper use of second tithe, and undoubtedly many more questions might arise. In most cases, an honest self-examination, based on the statements set forth in this Q&A, will lead to the correct answer, without the need of consulting a minister. In unusual cases, the ministry is most certainly available to help.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

“Harmless Communication with the Dead?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

It was recently claimed that people can communicate safely with the dead with the help of a Ouija Board. Many have warned that this practice is very dangerous. Why are they so concerned, and what is the history of Ouija Boards?  

“Gefahrlose Kommunikation mit den Toten?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German language program covers the same topic as described above.

“Was hat es mit dem zweiten Zehnten auf sich?” this Sabbath’s second split German sermon, presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Title in English: “What about the Second Tithe?”

“Die Zeit, die uns noch bleibt,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Christoph Sperzel, is now posted. Title in English: “The Time Which We Still Have.”

“Give Me a Vision,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Kalon Mitchell, is now posted.

“How Satan Rules the World,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Satan is the god and ruler of this world. He is worshiped by man, even though many don’t realize it. He is ruling man, even though most don’t realize that either. In this sermon, we will show the terrible deception and destruction Satan and his demons have been, are and will be causing, and how God’s people can avoid their evil influence.

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How This Work is Financed

This Update is an official publication by the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God in the United States of America; the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada; and the Global Church of God in the United Kingdom.

Editorial Team: Norbert Link, Dave Harris, Rene Messier, Brian Gale, Margaret Adair, Johanna Link, Eric Rank, Michael Link, Anna Link, Kalon Mitchell, Manuela Mitchell, Dawn Thompson

Technical Team: Eric Rank, Shana Rank

Our activities and literature, including booklets, weekly updates, sermons on CD, and video and audio broadcasts, are provided free of charge. They are made possible by the tithes, offerings and contributions of Church members and others who have elected to support this Work.

While we do not solicit the general public for funds, contributions are gratefully welcomed and are tax-deductible in the U.S. and Canada.

Donations should be sent to the following addresses:

United States: Church of the Eternal God, P.O. Box 270519, San Diego, CA 92198

Canada: Church of God, ACF, Box 1480, Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z0

United Kingdom: Global Church of God, PO Box 44, MABLETHORPE, LN12 9AN, United Kingdom

Give Me a Vision / How Satan Rules the World

On October 28, 2023, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “Give Me a Vision,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “How Satan Rules the World.”

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.

This Week in the News

Hamas and the Palestinians

The Algemeiner wrote on October 20:

“The typically staid US House Foreign Affairs Committee erupted on Thursday over the claim that Palestinians generally support the Hamas terrorist organization, which controls the Gaza Strip next to Israel. Speaking during a markup hearing on a bill scrutinizing Palestinian textbooks, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the top Democrat on the committee, exploded at Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) for saying that ‘Hamas is the Palestinians.’…

“Mast had repeatedly said that Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre of 1,400 people in Israel and kidnapping of some 200 hostages required a re-examination of how much popular support Hamas has among the Palestinians.”

Of course, Mast is right. The Palestinians voted for Hamas. Meeks is wrong. And so is Joe Biden. Note the next article.

Most Palestinians Support Hamas

Israel Today wrote on October 20:

“US President Joe Biden… has been at the forefront of a campaign by Western leaders and media to convince everyone that Hamas doesn’t represent the Palestinian public in general. Biden and others try to paint a picture of Hamas as an isolated, fringe movement that stands in opposition to the more ‘peaceful’ leanings of the majority of Palestinians. It surely isn’t based on surveys of the Palestinian public, or on what the Palestinian masses taking to the streets are chanting…

“On Friday morning, the Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas… published an official government document urging mosques under its jurisdiction to offer sermons that effectively call for the destruction of the Jews… But if Abbas and his regime were hoping to score points by echoing Hamas, survey data shows they failed. The Palestinian public would still prefer to be ruled by Hamas.

“… if elections were held today, Hamas would win… It is true that Hamas does not represent every Palestinian. We personally know some Palestinian Arabs who are disgusted by Hamas, and who blame the terror group, not Israel, for all their troubles. But the sad fact is that they are the minority. Hamas is popular and powerful because the Palestinian public made it that way. The Islamist group could never have grown to what it is now without being planted in fertile soil.”

Biden should stick to the Truth for once.

Muslim Rage

Reuters wrote on October 20:

“Protesters from Jakarta to Tunis on Friday demanded an end to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza after nearly two weeks of intense air and artillery strikes…  While some Western governments have voiced support for Israel’s military campaign, many Muslim states have called for an immediate ceasefire, with many of their people… expressing solidarity with Palestinians…

“In Jordan, which made peace with Israel in 1994, but where much of the population has Palestinian heritage, more than 6,000 protesters marched in the centre of the capital while thousands more rallied near the Israeli embassy. Protesters voiced support for Hamas, urging it to attack Israel with rocket strikes and suicide bombings, and addressing the Palestinian group with the chant: ‘We are your army.’

“Thousands of demonstrators also gathered in each of Turkey and Egypt, two other countries that have long had full diplomatic relations with Israel…

“Israel’s biggest regional foe Iran, and allied groups around the region, also held state-sanctioned protests. In Iraq, Shi’ite militias backed by Tehran mobilised hundreds of supporters in Baghdad…”

Demonstrations and riots are not limited to the Arab world. Note the next article.

Pro-Palestine Demonstrations in Germany

Bild Online wrote on October 21:

“Pro-Palestine demonstrations have been announced again in major cities for Saturday. The security forces are on alert because there have been repeated outbreaks of violence and anti-Semitic slogans in the last few days… Around 7,000 people gathered at Düsseldorf Central Station at 2 p.m. who wanted to march across Königsallee towards the state parliament. Hundreds of police are on site and also have reinforcements from Bavaria.

“Incredible: One of the speakers openly threatened the CDU mayor Dr. Stephan Keller (53). He should change his course, otherwise the demonstrators would come every Saturday – their children would already make up 30 percent of the students in Düsseldorf. Apparently they were referring to children of Muslim parents… A hate sign read: ‘Israel is committing genocide..’ [The sign also said: ‘Extinguish the families, their mothers and children. These animals are no longer allowed to live.’…

“A woman in a leather jacket shouted into the microphone: ‘Mass murderer Israel! Women murderer Israel! Child murderer Israel!’ On her T-shirt the outline of the State of Israel and the Palestinian territories are pictured – but the entire area bears the Palestinian colors. A clear sign that she wants to wipe out the state of Israel and wipe it off the map.”

Pro-Palestinian Rally in London

Breitbart wrote on October 21:

“An estimated 100,000 people joined a pro-Palestinian rally in London on Saturday, including supporters of radical Islam and far-left groups such as Antifa and various socialist organisations… protesters carried signs including some depicting both British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Hitler moustaches.

“.. people at the rally [did] carry signs in support of radical Islamic jihad and calling for the ‘Muslim armies’ of the world to enter the fight against Israel.”

Many more pro-Hamas demonstrations occurred in the Western world.

Erdogan: “Hamas Are Liberators”

AFP wrote on October 25:

“‘We had a project to go to Israel, but it was cancelled, we will not go,’ Erdogan told ruling party lawmakers in parliament, adding that he viewed Hamas as ‘liberators’ fighting for their own land. Ankara’s relations with Israel froze over an Israeli raid on a Turkish ship carrying aid into Gaza, which killed 10 civilians in 2010.

“Erdogan met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a United Nations summit in New York last month, marking an improvement in relations that began with a decision last year to reappoint ambassadors.

“The Turkish leader did not say when he had intended to visit Israel… ‘Of course, we had good intentions, but (Netanyahu) abused them,’ Erdogan said. ‘If he had continued with good intentions, our relations might have been different, but now, unfortunately, this will not happen either.’”

Erdogan is showing his true colors once again. He is and always has been an extreme hater of Israel. The relationship between the two countries will continue to deteriorate.

Israel Will “Cut Off the Head of the Snake”

The Daily Mail wrote on October 21:

“Israel last night vowed to cut off ‘the head of the snake’ and launch a military attack against Iran if Tehran-backed terror group Hezbollah joins the war…. Nir Barkat, Israel’s Minister of Economy, warned that Iran’s Ayatollahs will be ‘wiped off the face of the earth’ should Hezbollah, their proxy terror group in Lebanon, attack Israel…

“… fears are growing that Israel could be forced to fight on two fronts, with Hezbollah and the Israel Defence Forces last week repeatedly trading fire across Israel’s northern border with Lebanon…

“In a direct threat to deter Tehran from intervening further, Mr Barkat warned that not only would Israel ‘eliminate Hezbollah’, if it believes the terror group is opening up a ‘northern front’, but ‘we will actually target Iran.’

In a sense, Hezbollah has already joined the war.

Israel Clashes With UN

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 24:

“Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to resign, accusing him of ‘expressing an understanding’ for the ‘terrorism and murder’ of Hamas’ October 7 attacks.

“In comments to the United Nations Security Council earlier Tuesday, Guterres decried ‘clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza.’ He said Palestinians had been subjected to decades of occupation, before adding: ‘It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.

“Erdan took to the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, and said Guterres’ comments meant he was ‘not fit to lead the UN.’ The UN chief’s remarks also angered Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who pointed his finger at Guterres and raised his voice to recount graphic accounts of civilians, including young children, who were murdered on October 7. ‘Mr Secretary-General, in what world do you live?’ Cohen said.

“Cohen canceled a planned meeting with Guterres after the clash. ‘I will not meet with the UN Secretary-General. After October 7th there is no room for a balanced approach. Hamas must be wiped off the face of the Earth,’ wrote Cohen on social media.”

The ineffective UN with its left-wing leaders is an embarrassment to the world. Subsequently, Guterres claimed that he had been misinterpreted, but what he said was very clear.

Where We Stand

Judge Andrew Napolitano wrote on October 19:

“The U.S. has been Israel’s best and most faithful friend since Israel’s creation… Foreign aid is nowhere authorized in the Constitution… former Rep. Dr. Ron Paul, has argued eloquently…  that Russia has won the war in Ukraine…

“We have a president who cannot put two sentences together, much less credibly negotiate with foreign heads of state for peace. We have a Congress beholden to the intelligence community and the military-industrial complex. We have one big government party in Washington. It is pro-warfare, pro-deep state… History shows indisputably that when all else fails, governments bring us to war.”

Much of what Napolitano wrote in his article, we cannot agree with, but the above-quoted sections appear to be accurate.

American Leadership?

Reuters wrote on October 19:

“President Joe Biden launched a new mission on Thursday to convince Americans they should spend billions more on supporting Israel and Ukraine in their wars… ‘American leadership is what holds the world together. American alliances are what keep us, America, safe,’ said Biden…”

Once upon a time perhaps, but most certainly not now under the current Administration.

Biden’s Catastrophic Oval Office Address

Breitbart wrote on October 19:

“Joe Biden gave a rare Oval Office address Thursday night that began with a clear condemnation of Hamas terror, but quickly shifted focus to cynical politicking and narrative setting, even while Americans are still being held hostage.

Joe Biden has harmed Israel in numerous ways over his presidency and vice presidency while simultaneously enabling terrorists and their funders. He is also clearly perceived as a weak target by our adversaries around the world; so, the longer the media is focused on Israel, Jews, Hamas rockets, decapitated babies, and American hostages, the worse Joe is going to look. His political instincts told him to try to switch gears.

“He did that in his speech tonight. It was not only clumsy, it was offensive… The world thought the speech would be about Israel. And he did talk about Israel. But the speech was really about Ukraine.

“He tried to connect Israel and Ukraine in order to suggest to Americans that if you support Israel’s war for its own survival, you must also support limitless taxpayer resources being sent to Ukraine…

“Israel is not Ukraine. Israel is a much closer ally. It is a democracy, and has been for far longer than Ukraine… If Israel is wiped off the map—the stated objective of those who are at war against it right now—then the Holy Land will be in jeopardy… Ukraine is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, and Israel is not…

“Joe Biden and his cabinet are in league with the military-industrial complex, none more so than his Secretary of State, Antony Blinken… Joe [Biden] scolded Americans for Islamophobia from two decades ago, despite the fact that radical Muslims targeted Jews for torture, rape, and murder just this month… Joe Biden rarely misses an opportunity to divide so long as he believes it advances his political position.”

Most conservative newscasters rejected the speech and Biden’s approach; especially, as he did not condemn Iran for its role in the atrocities committed by Hamas.

Biden Requests $106 Billion

Thomson/Reuters reported on October 20:

“The White House on Friday asked Congress for nearly $106 billion to fund ambitious plans for Ukraine, Israel and U.S. border security, but offered no strategy for securing the money from Congress…

By grouping Israel funding with Ukraine, border security, refugee assistance, measures to counter China, and other hotly debated priorities, Biden is hoping he has created a must-pass national security spending bill that can win support in a chaotic House of Representatives… Some Republican lawmakers have grown skeptical of the need to fund Ukraine’s war with Russia, and have threatened to halt government altogether to put an end to debt-fueled fiscal spending…

“… the largest share of funding, $61.4 billion, would be for Ukraine. The request includes billions to replenish the country’s military equipment, providing economy and security aid and support for refugees in the United States.”

This package will never pass Congress.

Biden Is Played by Iran, Hamas and Qatar

The New York Post wrote on October 20:

Despite telling the world Hamas is evil, President Joe Biden is pursuing policies of appeasement toward the terrorist group’s two largest patrons and, in so doing, undermining American and Israeli deterrence… While Biden Thursday night promised the American people we would hold Iran accountable for its sponsorship of Hamas, the mullahs in Tehran do not today perceive any credible threat of coercion from the United States.

“Quite the opposite, in fact. The Biden administration entered an unacknowledged nuclear arrangement with Iran over the summer, offering upwards of $50 billion for Tehran to delay production of weapons-grade uranium. That agreement still holds, with billions of dollars available for Iran’s use in Iraq-, Oman- and Qatar-based bank accounts — and billions more generated through oil exports to China.

“Indeed, the same day Biden visited Israel this week, he allowed the United Nations missile embargo on Iran to expire… Tehran rightly perceives American weakness and fear of escalation — which is one way to guarantee Iranian escalation…

“For the last few days, Iran’s proxies in Iraq and Syria have attacked US forces without any American military retaliation… Hezbollah escalated its attacks on Israel this week with daily anti-tank missiles and rocket launches.

“The other delaying factor in Israel launching further operations to destroy Hamas is America’s undermining role in empowering Hamas and its Qatari sponsors to run the table on a hostage negotiation. Never mind Qatar was the broker of the last US hostage deal, which netted Iran $6 billion for five people… Right now, Hamas wants to buy time — and it’s using its hostages to prematurely end Israel’s military response…

“With Qatar finally facing calls to designate it a state sponsor of terrorism, Hamas unexpectedly released two American hostages Friday — and thanked Qatar for its efforts to win their release… Rather than allow Hamas to leverage America, America should leverage Qatar: threatening tough economic sanctions if all hostages are not released within 48 hours… If America doesn’t get tough with Iran and Qatar, Hamas will survive, and Iran will emerge more dangerous and emboldened than ever…”

America is most certainly NOT the leader of the Free World. America is not even being led right now by its “leadership.”

Biden’s Three Wars

Ron Paul wrote on October 23 in an article published by the Ron Paul Institute:

“President Joe Biden announced last week that the United States would be funding – and possibly fighting – three wars in three different parts of the world at the same time. It is an ambitious foreign policy for a president who doesn’t even seem to be able to express a coherent thought without the help of a teleprompter. Nearly every word of Biden’s speech was untrue, including the preposterous suggestion that ‘American leadership is what holds the world together. American alliances are what keep us, America, safe.’

“… The world is literally falling apart in front of us as Biden claims we are the only thing holding it together!…

“Recent polls show that most Americans disagree with Biden… the majority of Americans oppose sending weapons to Israel…

“As Biden demands another $105 billion to fund the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Taiwan… [he] may have miscalculated the level of support he will get for being a ‘World-War-Three-time president.’”

Unprecedented Debacle of the House Republicans

The Associated Press wrote on October 20:

“Republicans dropped Rep. Jim Jordan on Friday as their nominee for House speaker, making the decision during a closed-door session after the Donald Trump ally failed badly on a third ballot for the gavel… In the 17 days since Kevin McCarthy was removed in a rebellion by right-wing hard-liners, no other Republican has been able to muster enough votes to replace him, sparking one of the worst institutional crises Washington has seen in decades…

“The House is now ending its third work week without a leader. That means it cannot act on a $106 billion national-security package unveiled by Biden on Friday that would bolster U.S. border security and send billions to support the war campaigns of Israel and Ukraine. Republicans control the House by a narrow 221-212 majority and can afford few defections on party-line votes. Aside from McCarthy and Jordan, Republicans have also rejected their No. 2, Steve Scalise, who won the nomination last week but dropped out after he was unable to consolidate support…

“Republicans have already considered and rejected a backup option that would allow the House take up pressing matters, like Biden’s aid package or funding for the U.S. government that is due to expire on Nov. 17. That plan would give more authority to Republican Representative Patrick McHenry, who is filling the speaker’s chair on a temporary basis… Republicans opted not to pursue it on Thursday…

“Jordan’s failure has deepened bitter divisions within the Republican Party, extending a weeks-long paralysis of Congress at a time of heightened international tension and with a government shutdown looming in less than a month… Republicans have no realistic or workable plan to unite the fractured GOP majority, elect a new speaker, and return to the work of Congress that has been languishing since hard-liners ousted Kevin McCarthy at the start of the month… The House Republican majority appears to have no idea how to end the political turmoil and get back to work.”

We are reminded of this prophecy in Isaiah 3:6-7. But then, a last minute “rescue” operation took place… sort of.

Johnson Elected Speaker of the House

CNN wrote on October 25:

Rep. Mike Johnson secured the speaker’s gavel without losing any GOP votes Wednesday after weeks of party infighting left the House in chaos. The Louisiana lawmaker has been a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump and was a key congressional figure in the failed efforts to overturn the 2020 election…. There were 220 votes for Johnson and 209 votes for Democrat Hakeem Jeffries…

“House Republicans faced intensifying pressure to elect a new speaker after former speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted more than three weeks ago. The House has remained effectively frozen since then — a dire situation as Congress faces a November funding deadline and as crisis unfolds abroad in Ukraine and with Israel’s war against Hamas.”

Breitbart added on October 25:

“Newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) is a strong advocate of the House’s impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden for his involvement in the Biden family business.”

It appears that Johnson was selected by the GOP because of desperation, not “conviction,” if that word can even be used for the House Republicans at this point. We will see whether Johnson will retain the support of the Republicans when he gets to work amongst a host of many contentious issues.

The Russian-Ukraine War… No End in Sight

The Associated Press wrote on October 20:

“Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke by phone with U.S. President Joe Biden about Washington’s future support for Kyiv, and Russian President Vladimir Putin visited a military base near the Ukrainian border, as the warring countries laid plans for the winter and next year’s combat operations. Almost 20 months of war have sapped both sides’ military resources. The fighting is likely to settle into positional and attritional warfare during the approaching wintry weather, analysts say, with little change along the more than 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line…

“With uncertainty over the scale of Kyiv’s future Western aid, and after Ukraine’s five-month counteroffensive sapped Russian reserves but apparently only dented Russian front-line defences, the two sides are scrambling to replenish their stockpiles for 2024.

“Ukraine has been expending ammunition at a rate of more than 200,000 rounds per month, according to Jack Watling, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute think tank in London. ‘Sufficient ammunition to sustain this rate of fire is not going to be forthcoming as NATO stockpiles deplete, and production rates for ammunition remain too low to meet this level of demand,’ Watling wrote in an assessment published late Thursday.

“Meanwhile, Russian production ‘has turned a corner,’ he said. Moscow’s domestic ammunition production is growing quickly, at more than 100 long-range missiles a month compared with 40 a month a year ago, for example, according to Watling. Also, Russia is reported to be receiving supplies from Iran, North Korea and other countries….”

Russia will win this war, or in some way, Russia and Ukraine will unite. It is only a matter of time.

EU Army Debuts

European Conservative wrote on October 24:

“EU militarisation stepped up a notch as European troops completed what is likely just the first of many live exercises as one joint EU fighting unit off the coast of Cadiz in southern Spain.

“For the first time, European militaries operated under a single flag to conduct a joint drill using actual troops and equipment. A total of 2,800 military personnel from 19 member states simulated the initial phase of a ‘stabilisation operation,’ involving land, air, sea, and cyber components…

“The joint exercises are also seen as the dress rehearsal for the debut of EU Rapid Deployment Units later this year. These will consist of 5,000-person commando units, and Brussels elites hope that they will be able to respond to the emergence of sudden crises… Eurofederalists see the creation of a single EU army as essential to ensuring the bloc’s geopolitical voice is heard on the world stage.

“Political critics from the left and the right have long warned that the emergence of an EU army would severely undermine the power of individual member states and electorates to set their own foreign policy. However, these concerns have been largely swept aside as the bloc seeks to militarise in the aftermath of the Ukraine crisis.”

The long-awaited EU Army is moving forward.

What If Trump Becomes Next President…

The American Prospect wrote on October 25:

“Donald Trump… been laying out an agenda for a potential second term… [According to Rolling Stones,] Trump is planning to tear up NATO, in form if not in fact. ‘Trump, the sources say, has continued to express an openness to pulling the U.S. out of NATO altogether.’ Apparently, he might consider not doing so if other members agree to sharply increase their military spending, and re-evaluate ‘the bedrock principle that an attack on one member is tantamount to an attack on all.’…

“… most European NATO members do not spend the required 2 percent of GDP on defense. That is true, and it is also true that the U.S. has provided far and away the bulk of NATO’s military power over its life… If Trump yanks the NATO rug out from under the EU, European nations will have no choice but to carry out a full-scale rearmament program… with massive production of tanks, ships, planes, artillery, rockets, and so on. Without the security blanket of American protection, German dithering over the Bundeswehr will end. Poland is likely to go for a nuclear weapons program; it has already suggested hosting U.S. nukes. Theoretically, France or the U.K. could provide a nuclear guarantee, but having been burned once, Poles may conclude that it is best to have a domestic arsenal. And they might not be the only ones.

“All this may come too late to save Ukraine, which currently depends heavily on American aid that Trump has already argued should be cut off. Should Putin defeat the Ukrainian military, the result will almost certainly be a grinding insurgency and shattering regional refugee crisis that will only escalate the urgency of European rearmament

“In sum, a second Trump term would be a complete disaster for peace and security around the world. He would… create another major military alliance bloc, armed to the teeth. This bloc would be rightly enraged by American betrayal, and potentially end up as outright hostile…”

Indeed, a hostile military EU power bloc will emerge.

Jens Spahn on Immigration

The Daily Mail wrote on October 24:

“… former German health minister Jens Spahn demanded that ‘anyone who is rescued in the Mediterranean must be returned to the North African coast.’ The deputy chairman of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) went on to say that the closure of EU borders ‘will happen’

“Mr Spahn said: ‘The key question is not repatriation, but limiting irregular migration. ‘If we talk about illegal migration, logically the number should be zero, because it’s illegal.’… he said that if necessary the EU must ‘use physical violence to stop irregular migration movements’.”

Trump Allies Cave In

Newsmax wrote on October 20:

“Kenneth Chesebro, who served as a campaign legal adviser for former President Donald Trump, has accepted an offer to plead guilty as jury selection was under way in connection with the Fulton County, Georgia, election interference case. Chesebro was charged along with Trump and more than a dozen co-defendants for attempting to delay the transfer of power after the 2020 election, and agreed on Friday to plead guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit filing false documents… He had originally faced seven felony counts in the case.

“Chesebro’s plea means he will serve five years in prison, pay $5,000 in restitution to the state, and serve 100 hours of community service. He was also ordered to write a letter of apology to the citizens of Georgia and to testify truthfully as the other cases move along.

“His plea comes one day after attorney Sidney Powell pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor charges in connection with an election data breach in Coffee County, and after Atlanta bail bondsman Scott Hall reached a plea deal in the same incident. Chesebro and Powell both sought speedy trials, with Chesebro described by the prosecution in the case as playing a major role in a plan for Republican electors being organized in support of Trump.

“He had drafted memos suggesting the General Assembly or Congress could declare Trump as having won the 2020 election in Georgia, using voting fraud as a reason. Before the deal, Chesebro was unsuccessful in a bid to have the memos excluded as trial evidence. He and Powell were to have been tried in the same proceedings.”

These coerced cowardly acts of “self-preservation” were predictable, but they could cause great harm to Trump.

Another Trump Attorney Flips

CNBC wrote on October 24:

“Jenna Ellis, the right-wing attorney who worked on the Trump 2020 presidential campaign, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a criminal charge in the Georgia election interference case… The slew of recent plea deals in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ racketeering case signals a growing threat to Trump, who is fighting criminal charges in four separate cases as he runs for president in 2024.

“Ellis, 38, pleaded guilty in Fulton County Superior Court to one count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings. The charge related to false claims of voter fraud that were made to members of the Georgia Senate at a hearing in early December 2020.

“In a tearful statement before Judge Scott McAfee, Ellis expressed regret for her actions in the wake of Trump’s loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election… she said… I failed to do my due diligence.’ Instead, she said she relied on information that was provided to her by other lawyers ‘with many more years of experience.’…

“Ellis will avoid prison time as part of her plea agreement. She was sentenced to five years of probation and must pay $5,000 in restitution, in addition to completing 100 hours of community service and penning an apology letter to the people of Georgia. She must also testify truthfully at all hearings or trials involving other co-defendants in the case, including Trump… The three others who have already pleaded guilty — Powell, ex-Trump campaign attorney Kenneth Chesebro and bail bondsman Scott Hall — also agreed to provide truthful testimony in their co-defendants’ cases…”

The pressure of the prosecution on Ellis to make a plea deal is obvious. Also, it was reported that former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was granted immunity to testify under oath against Trump in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s January 6 case. All of this smells very bad.

Gag Orders Against Trump Suppress Free Speech

The Ron Paul Institute published the following article by Professor Jonathan Turley on October 21:

“The imposition of a gag order on former President Donald Trump was overwhelmingly applauded by pundits and press alike. Journalists described the order from US District Judge Tanya Chutkan as ‘narrow’ and ‘limited.’…

“However, this order should concern everyone who values freedom of speech. While the odds may favor Chutkan on appeal, this order should be overturned as overbroad and dangerous.

“For years, many of us have criticized Trump for his personal attacks on judges and opponents alike. Undeterred, Trump has continued such inflammatory attacks on ‘deranged’ Special Counsel Jack Smith and the ‘biased, Trump-hating Judge Chutkan.’ Smith has pushed aggressively for a gag order, even though one of the major issues in Trump’s campaign is whether the Biden Administration has weaponized the criminal justice system against him and other Republicans…

“The First Amendment was written in the aftermath of such abuses, including the infamous prosecution of publisher John Peter Zenger 290 years ago in 1733. Some polls show that a majority now believe the Trump prosecutions are ‘politically motivated.’ Tens of millions oppose the prosecutions, and this will be the single most-discussed issue of the campaign. Yet, one candidate would be both the subject of this national debate and a gag order barring full participation in it.

“Chutkan steadfastly refused to recognize that either this case or this defendant are far from typical. Her order bars Trump from making statements against Smith, his staff, court personnel, and potential witnesses. That last category could include one of Trump’s opponents in the presidential election, former Vice President Mike Pence… Chutkan… has imposed a vaguely worded court order that could turn campaign speeches into criminal contempt…

“Smith has long adopted extreme legal positions that ignore constitutional values. This includes his prosecution of the former governor of Virginia, Robert McDonnell (R), which was reversed in a unanimous 8-0 decision by the Supreme Court in 2016…

“The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit… stressed that any such limits on free speech should be treated as ‘presumptively void and may be upheld only on the basis of a clear showing that an exercise of First Amendment rights will interfere with the rights of the parties to a fair trial.’…”

This gag order by biased judge Chutkan is in addition to the gag order imposed by Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron and the imposition of a fine of $5,000.00 for its alleged intentional violation with the obviously biased judge’s warning that future violations will subject Trump to “far more severe sanctions” — including imprisonment.

Partisan Judge Does It Again

The Associated Press wrote on October 25:

“The judge in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial fined the former president $10,000 on Wednesday, saying Trump violated a limited gag order barring personal attacks on court staffers. The fine came after Trump was called to the witness stand to explain his comment outside the courtroom about ‘a person who’s very partisan sitting alongside’ the [“partisan”] judge in the case, Judge Arthur Engoron’… Trump and his lawyers said his comment Wednesday was about witness Michael Cohen, not the clerk.”

The biased judge stated he does not find Trump’s testimony credible, fined him with another $10,000.00 [in addition to the $5,000.00 previously imposed] and said, “Don’t do it again or it will be worse.” This is such a travesty of justice! The whole trial is a joke.

As Newsmax explained on October 25, “Before the trial began on Oct. 2, Engoron found that Trump fraudulently inflated his net worth and ordered the dissolution of companies that control crown jewels of his real estate portfolio, including Trump Tower in Manhattan. That ruling is on hold while Trump appeals.

“The trial largely concerns damages. James is seeking at least $250 million in fines, a permanent ban against Trump and his sons Donald Jr and Eric from running businesses in New York and a five-year commercial real estate ban against Trump and the Trump Organization.”

Biden Free to “Contact” Social Media Platforms

The New York Times wrote on October 20:

“The Supreme Court on Friday allowed Biden administration officials to continue to contact social media platforms to combat what the officials say is misinformation, pausing a sweeping ruling from a federal appeals court that had severely limited such interactions.

“The justices also agreed to hear the administration’s appeal in the case, setting the stage for a major test of the role of the First Amendment in the internet era — one that will require the court to consider when government efforts to limit the spread of misinformation amount to censorship of constitutionally protected speech.

Three justices dissented from the court’s decision to lift the restrictions on administration officials while the case moves forward. ‘Government censorship of private speech is antithetical to our democratic form of government, and therefore today’s decision is highly disturbing,’ Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch.

“Justice Alito criticized the majority for acting ‘without undertaking a full review of the record and without any explanation’ and allowing the administration to continue its interactions until the court finally rules, ‘an event that may not occur until late in the spring of next year.’…

“The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled last month that officials from the White House, the surgeon general’s office, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the F.B.I. had most likely violated the First Amendment in their bid to persuade companies to remove posts about the coronavirus pandemic, claims of election fraud and Hunter Biden’s laptop computer….”

And so, for now, Biden can continue threatening social media platforms in an attempt to censor opinions contrary to his agenda.

Sebastian Kurz on Trial

Politico wrote on October 18:

“Former Austrian leader Sebastian Kurz, his political and personal future hanging in the balance, appeared in a courtroom here on Wednesday for the opening of what could be the first of multiple trials that will determine whether he was a corrupt manipulator as chancellor, as prosecutors allege, or the victim of overzealous state attorneys and political rivals intent on undermining him.

“The Austrian’s fairytale rise from unknown youth leader into an international political star and chancellor at just 30 ended abruptly in October of 2021, when he was forced to resign amid accusations of corruption…

“Kurz faces criminal charges for allegedly giving false testimony to a parliamentary committee. Prosecutors also suspect him of misusing public funds to pay for doctored public opinion polls, though he has yet to be indicted in that case. The trial that began Wednesday concerns the false testimony accusation. Kurz denies any wrongdoing on both fronts…

“Kurz’s lawyers offered a spirited rebuttal of the prosecutors’ claims in court on Wednesday, dismissing them as ‘fake,’ insisting there was ‘no evidence’ against Kurz and suggesting that [prosecutor] Adamovic had manipulated witness testimony (he denied the claim).

“The latter accusation prompted the presiding judge to enquire whether the defense was accusing the prosecution of malpractice, to which Kurz’s counsel responded he would leave it up to the court to make that determination.

“The most dramatic turn in the trial came near the end of the day, when Kurz’s former deputy Glatz-Kremsner suddenly agreed to settle her case by acknowledging ‘mistakes’ and paying a fine of about €100,000…

“A conviction would complicate Kurz’s new career, which he told the court was as an ‘entrepreneur.’ It would also likely dash any lingering hopes he may have for a future in politics. Since his resignation as chancellor, he has worked as a consultant for Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel and started a cybersecurity firm in Israel…”

AFP wrote on October 20:

“Austria’s former chancellor Sebastian Kurz told a court Friday he was the victim of a selective prosecution and an opposition out to ‘destroy him’, defending himself against accusations of having given false testimony… Kurz accused prosecutors of having misinterpreted his answers to the 2020 inquiry, and of having submitted selected pieces of evidence to paint a skewed picture…

“It is the first time in more than 30 years that a former chancellor has stood trial…”

The parallels with the witch-hunt against Trump are all too obvious.

The Dangerous Gender Ideology

The Daily Mail wrote on October 21:

“A former Tavistock Trust doctor [Dr. Az Hakeem] has said Britain could become a nation of chemically castrated children if trans and gender theory is allowed to fester unchallenged… he told MailOnline society is in an ‘awful situation’ when it comes to trans people – and it’s even worse for those who realise they want to revert to their original sex… He said 26 per cent of his patients… regretted transitioning…

“’The culture is one where people don’t challenge someone who says they are a different sex. Increasingly organisations are going on with this narrative that people are born in the wrong body. No one is born in the wrong body.’”

Of course not. It is unbelievable that many believe this nonsense.

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.

Youth Forum

God’s Help

by Henrik Mikoleit (9)

I was having a normal day at school until I noticed a boy talking badly about me behind my back and spreading lies about me. This made me angry and sad. At home, I told my parents.

That same evening, I prayed to God with them and asked Him for wisdom in this situation. My mom then conducted a role-playing exercise with me on how I should best act in such situations.

Before I went to school the next day, I asked God for help again in my morning prayer. When I had a break, I met the boy. God gave me the courage to point out his meanness to him. Although I was very nervous, God intervened and gave the boy insight so that he stopped.

I am very grateful that God helped me in this situation, and I have had peace and tranquility ever since.

Update 1087

Give Me a Vision / How Satan Rules the World

On October 28, 2023, Kalon Mitchell will present the sermonette, titled, “Give Me a Vision,” and Norbert Link will present the sermon, titled, “How Satan Rules the World.”

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.

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It IS Worth Getting Out of Bed!

by Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

Very recently, I read a letter in a national newspaper which was in response to an earlier article that had been published, entitled “Why Do Older People Groan When They Get Up?”   As an “older” person myself, I was somewhat amused by the following printed response:

“As a retiree, I can suggest some reasons.   We have a government with no sense of purpose and a similar Opposition.   Common sense views are dismissed as not ‘woke’ and those who express them risk being ‘cancelled’.   Highly paid (health service) consultants endanger patients by going on strike.  The Government has spent billions on a rail link from Birmingham to the middle of nowhere.

“Electric cars are the future, if you can find a charging point.   The choice of candidates at the next U.S. election is between two old lunatics.

“Its creators have realised that AI is a threat to humanity but have no idea how to stop it.   Shoplifting is increasing and no one can stop that, either.  

“It’s not so much a case of groaning when we get up.   Some of us wonder if it’s worth getting out of bed!”

And, although that letter was probably somewhat tongue in cheek, many may sympathise with the state of the nation and the world at large.  Had we not been given a knowledge of the Truth through the Church of God, we may have felt the same.

Having just returned from the annual Feast of Tabernacles celebration, we will have heard messages about what is just ahead of us.   Sermons will have been given about how things will change and the return of Jesus Christ ushering in an entirely different Way of Life for those who survive the horrors of the Great Tribulation.   Things may be bad now, and they will get much worse, before mankind will, at long last, have decisive, honest, sympathetic and righteous rule over all the earth.

As a 12-year-old, Jesus was in Jerusalem for the annual Passover, and His parents were anxiously looking for Him.   After 3 days, He was found in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions (compare Luke 2:46). In verses 48-49 of Luke 2, we read: “So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, ‘Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.’   And He said to them, ‘Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’”

In verse 50, we read that “…they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.”

Nearly 2,000 years later and with all the information contained in God’s Word, we can understand what Jesus was referring to.  It could be that some may wonder today if it really is worth getting out of bed.  But that must not be our approach and our Way of Life, and, like Jesus, we must be about our Father’s business.   Times may be difficult for many, but the recent Feast foreshadowed better times that are ahead of us, and we must get that message out to the world as much as possible.   

And that will be achieved by getting out of bed and doing whatever we can to assist in proclaiming that message at this critical time in the history of man!

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by Norbert Link

We report on further events in and pertaining to the Middle East, and especially on Muslim rage and growing antisemitism in the USA, Europe and Germany; continue with Joe Biden’s catastrophic oval office address and developments regarding Donald Trump and the failing GOP in Congress; we speak on the EU army and the Russia-Ukraine war; publish an interesting analysis if Trump were to become the next president; report on legal troubles for Austria’s Sebastian Kurz and conclude with the dangerous gender ideology.

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Are Hamas Terrorists Freedom Fighters?”

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

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Hamas and the Palestinians

The Algemeiner wrote on October 20:

“The typically staid US House Foreign Affairs Committee erupted on Thursday over the claim that Palestinians generally support the Hamas terrorist organization, which controls the Gaza Strip next to Israel. Speaking during a markup hearing on a bill scrutinizing Palestinian textbooks, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the top Democrat on the committee, exploded at Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) for saying that ‘Hamas is the Palestinians.’…

“Mast had repeatedly said that Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre of 1,400 people in Israel and kidnapping of some 200 hostages required a re-examination of how much popular support Hamas has among the Palestinians.”

Of course, Mast is right. The Palestinians voted for Hamas. Meeks is wrong. And so is Joe Biden. Note the next article.

Most Palestinians Support Hamas

Israel Today wrote on October 20:

“US President Joe Biden… has been at the forefront of a campaign by Western leaders and media to convince everyone that Hamas doesn’t represent the Palestinian public in general. Biden and others try to paint a picture of Hamas as an isolated, fringe movement that stands in opposition to the more ‘peaceful’ leanings of the majority of Palestinians. It surely isn’t based on surveys of the Palestinian public, or on what the Palestinian masses taking to the streets are chanting…

“On Friday morning, the Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas… published an official government document urging mosques under its jurisdiction to offer sermons that effectively call for the destruction of the Jews… But if Abbas and his regime were hoping to score points by echoing Hamas, survey data shows they failed. The Palestinian public would still prefer to be ruled by Hamas.

“… if elections were held today, Hamas would win… It is true that Hamas does not represent every Palestinian. We personally know some Palestinian Arabs who are disgusted by Hamas, and who blame the terror group, not Israel, for all their troubles. But the sad fact is that they are the minority. Hamas is popular and powerful because the Palestinian public made it that way. The Islamist group could never have grown to what it is now without being planted in fertile soil.”

Biden should stick to the Truth for once.

Muslim Rage

Reuters wrote on October 20:

“Protesters from Jakarta to Tunis on Friday demanded an end to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza after nearly two weeks of intense air and artillery strikes…  While some Western governments have voiced support for Israel’s military campaign, many Muslim states have called for an immediate ceasefire, with many of their people… expressing solidarity with Palestinians…

“In Jordan, which made peace with Israel in 1994, but where much of the population has Palestinian heritage, more than 6,000 protesters marched in the centre of the capital while thousands more rallied near the Israeli embassy. Protesters voiced support for Hamas, urging it to attack Israel with rocket strikes and suicide bombings, and addressing the Palestinian group with the chant: ‘We are your army.’

“Thousands of demonstrators also gathered in each of Turkey and Egypt, two other countries that have long had full diplomatic relations with Israel…

“Israel’s biggest regional foe Iran, and allied groups around the region, also held state-sanctioned protests. In Iraq, Shi’ite militias backed by Tehran mobilised hundreds of supporters in Baghdad…”

Demonstrations and riots are not limited to the Arab world. Note the next article.

Pro-Palestine Demonstrations in Germany

Bild Online wrote on October 21:

“Pro-Palestine demonstrations have been announced again in major cities for Saturday. The security forces are on alert because there have been repeated outbreaks of violence and anti-Semitic slogans in the last few days… Around 7,000 people gathered at Düsseldorf Central Station at 2 p.m. who wanted to march across Königsallee towards the state parliament. Hundreds of police are on site and also have reinforcements from Bavaria.

“Incredible: One of the speakers openly threatened the CDU mayor Dr. Stephan Keller (53). He should change his course, otherwise the demonstrators would come every Saturday – their children would already make up 30 percent of the students in Düsseldorf. Apparently they were referring to children of Muslim parents… A hate sign read: ‘Israel is committing genocide..’ [The sign also said: ‘Extinguish the families, their mothers and children. These animals are no longer allowed to live.’…

“A woman in a leather jacket shouted into the microphone: ‘Mass murderer Israel! Women murderer Israel! Child murderer Israel!’ On her T-shirt the outline of the State of Israel and the Palestinian territories are pictured – but the entire area bears the Palestinian colors. A clear sign that she wants to wipe out the state of Israel and wipe it off the map.”

Pro-Palestinian Rally in London

Breitbart wrote on October 21:

“An estimated 100,000 people joined a pro-Palestinian rally in London on Saturday, including supporters of radical Islam and far-left groups such as Antifa and various socialist organisations… protesters carried signs including some depicting both British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Hitler moustaches.

“.. people at the rally [did] carry signs in support of radical Islamic jihad and calling for the ‘Muslim armies’ of the world to enter the fight against Israel.”

Many more pro-Hamas demonstrations occurred in the Western world.

Erdogan: “Hamas Are Liberators”

AFP wrote on October 25:

“‘We had a project to go to Israel, but it was cancelled, we will not go,’ Erdogan told ruling party lawmakers in parliament, adding that he viewed Hamas as ‘liberators’ fighting for their own land. Ankara’s relations with Israel froze over an Israeli raid on a Turkish ship carrying aid into Gaza, which killed 10 civilians in 2010.

“Erdogan met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a United Nations summit in New York last month, marking an improvement in relations that began with a decision last year to reappoint ambassadors.

“The Turkish leader did not say when he had intended to visit Israel… ‘Of course, we had good intentions, but (Netanyahu) abused them,’ Erdogan said. ‘If he had continued with good intentions, our relations might have been different, but now, unfortunately, this will not happen either.’”

Erdogan is showing his true colors once again. He is and always has been an extreme hater of Israel. The relationship between the two countries will continue to deteriorate.

Israel Will “Cut Off the Head of the Snake”

The Daily Mail wrote on October 21:

“Israel last night vowed to cut off ‘the head of the snake’ and launch a military attack against Iran if Tehran-backed terror group Hezbollah joins the war…. Nir Barkat, Israel’s Minister of Economy, warned that Iran’s Ayatollahs will be ‘wiped off the face of the earth’ should Hezbollah, their proxy terror group in Lebanon, attack Israel…

“… fears are growing that Israel could be forced to fight on two fronts, with Hezbollah and the Israel Defence Forces last week repeatedly trading fire across Israel’s northern border with Lebanon…

“In a direct threat to deter Tehran from intervening further, Mr Barkat warned that not only would Israel ‘eliminate Hezbollah’, if it believes the terror group is opening up a ‘northern front’, but ‘we will actually target Iran.’

In a sense, Hezbollah has already joined the war.

Israel Clashes With UN

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 24:

“Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to resign, accusing him of ‘expressing an understanding’ for the ‘terrorism and murder’ of Hamas’ October 7 attacks.

“In comments to the United Nations Security Council earlier Tuesday, Guterres decried ‘clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza.’ He said Palestinians had been subjected to decades of occupation, before adding: ‘It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.

“Erdan took to the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, and said Guterres’ comments meant he was ‘not fit to lead the UN.’ The UN chief’s remarks also angered Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who pointed his finger at Guterres and raised his voice to recount graphic accounts of civilians, including young children, who were murdered on October 7. ‘Mr Secretary-General, in what world do you live?’ Cohen said.

“Cohen canceled a planned meeting with Guterres after the clash. ‘I will not meet with the UN Secretary-General. After October 7th there is no room for a balanced approach. Hamas must be wiped off the face of the Earth,’ wrote Cohen on social media.”

The ineffective UN with its left-wing leaders is an embarrassment to the world. Subsequently, Guterres claimed that he had been misinterpreted, but what he said was very clear.

Where We Stand

Judge Andrew Napolitano wrote on October 19:

“The U.S. has been Israel’s best and most faithful friend since Israel’s creation… Foreign aid is nowhere authorized in the Constitution… former Rep. Dr. Ron Paul, has argued eloquently…  that Russia has won the war in Ukraine…

“We have a president who cannot put two sentences together, much less credibly negotiate with foreign heads of state for peace. We have a Congress beholden to the intelligence community and the military-industrial complex. We have one big government party in Washington. It is pro-warfare, pro-deep state… History shows indisputably that when all else fails, governments bring us to war.”

Much of what Napolitano wrote in his article, we cannot agree with, but the above-quoted sections appear to be accurate.

American Leadership?

Reuters wrote on October 19:

“President Joe Biden launched a new mission on Thursday to convince Americans they should spend billions more on supporting Israel and Ukraine in their wars… ‘American leadership is what holds the world together. American alliances are what keep us, America, safe,’ said Biden…”

Once upon a time perhaps, but most certainly not now under the current Administration.

Biden’s Catastrophic Oval Office Address

Breitbart wrote on October 19:

“Joe Biden gave a rare Oval Office address Thursday night that began with a clear condemnation of Hamas terror, but quickly shifted focus to cynical politicking and narrative setting, even while Americans are still being held hostage.

Joe Biden has harmed Israel in numerous ways over his presidency and vice presidency while simultaneously enabling terrorists and their funders. He is also clearly perceived as a weak target by our adversaries around the world; so, the longer the media is focused on Israel, Jews, Hamas rockets, decapitated babies, and American hostages, the worse Joe is going to look. His political instincts told him to try to switch gears.

“He did that in his speech tonight. It was not only clumsy, it was offensive… The world thought the speech would be about Israel. And he did talk about Israel. But the speech was really about Ukraine.

“He tried to connect Israel and Ukraine in order to suggest to Americans that if you support Israel’s war for its own survival, you must also support limitless taxpayer resources being sent to Ukraine…

“Israel is not Ukraine. Israel is a much closer ally. It is a democracy, and has been for far longer than Ukraine… If Israel is wiped off the map—the stated objective of those who are at war against it right now—then the Holy Land will be in jeopardy… Ukraine is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, and Israel is not…

“Joe Biden and his cabinet are in league with the military-industrial complex, none more so than his Secretary of State, Antony Blinken… Joe [Biden] scolded Americans for Islamophobia from two decades ago, despite the fact that radical Muslims targeted Jews for torture, rape, and murder just this month… Joe Biden rarely misses an opportunity to divide so long as he believes it advances his political position.”

Most conservative newscasters rejected the speech and Biden’s approach; especially, as he did not condemn Iran for its role in the atrocities committed by Hamas.

Biden Requests $106 Billion

Thomson/Reuters reported on October 20:

“The White House on Friday asked Congress for nearly $106 billion to fund ambitious plans for Ukraine, Israel and U.S. border security, but offered no strategy for securing the money from Congress…

By grouping Israel funding with Ukraine, border security, refugee assistance, measures to counter China, and other hotly debated priorities, Biden is hoping he has created a must-pass national security spending bill that can win support in a chaotic House of Representatives… Some Republican lawmakers have grown skeptical of the need to fund Ukraine’s war with Russia, and have threatened to halt government altogether to put an end to debt-fueled fiscal spending…

“… the largest share of funding, $61.4 billion, would be for Ukraine. The request includes billions to replenish the country’s military equipment, providing economy and security aid and support for refugees in the United States.”

This package will never pass Congress.

Biden Is Played by Iran, Hamas and Qatar

The New York Post wrote on October 20:

Despite telling the world Hamas is evil, President Joe Biden is pursuing policies of appeasement toward the terrorist group’s two largest patrons and, in so doing, undermining American and Israeli deterrence… While Biden Thursday night promised the American people we would hold Iran accountable for its sponsorship of Hamas, the mullahs in Tehran do not today perceive any credible threat of coercion from the United States.

“Quite the opposite, in fact. The Biden administration entered an unacknowledged nuclear arrangement with Iran over the summer, offering upwards of $50 billion for Tehran to delay production of weapons-grade uranium. That agreement still holds, with billions of dollars available for Iran’s use in Iraq-, Oman- and Qatar-based bank accounts — and billions more generated through oil exports to China.

“Indeed, the same day Biden visited Israel this week, he allowed the United Nations missile embargo on Iran to expire… Tehran rightly perceives American weakness and fear of escalation — which is one way to guarantee Iranian escalation…

“For the last few days, Iran’s proxies in Iraq and Syria have attacked US forces without any American military retaliation… Hezbollah escalated its attacks on Israel this week with daily anti-tank missiles and rocket launches.

“The other delaying factor in Israel launching further operations to destroy Hamas is America’s undermining role in empowering Hamas and its Qatari sponsors to run the table on a hostage negotiation. Never mind Qatar was the broker of the last US hostage deal, which netted Iran $6 billion for five people… Right now, Hamas wants to buy time — and it’s using its hostages to prematurely end Israel’s military response…

“With Qatar finally facing calls to designate it a state sponsor of terrorism, Hamas unexpectedly released two American hostages Friday — and thanked Qatar for its efforts to win their release… Rather than allow Hamas to leverage America, America should leverage Qatar: threatening tough economic sanctions if all hostages are not released within 48 hours… If America doesn’t get tough with Iran and Qatar, Hamas will survive, and Iran will emerge more dangerous and emboldened than ever…”

America is most certainly NOT the leader of the Free World. America is not even being led right now by its “leadership.”

Biden’s Three Wars

Ron Paul wrote on October 23 in an article published by the Ron Paul Institute:

“President Joe Biden announced last week that the United States would be funding – and possibly fighting – three wars in three different parts of the world at the same time. It is an ambitious foreign policy for a president who doesn’t even seem to be able to express a coherent thought without the help of a teleprompter. Nearly every word of Biden’s speech was untrue, including the preposterous suggestion that ‘American leadership is what holds the world together. American alliances are what keep us, America, safe.’

“… The world is literally falling apart in front of us as Biden claims we are the only thing holding it together!…

“Recent polls show that most Americans disagree with Biden… the majority of Americans oppose sending weapons to Israel…

“As Biden demands another $105 billion to fund the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Taiwan… [he] may have miscalculated the level of support he will get for being a ‘World-War-Three-time president.’”

Unprecedented Debacle of the House Republicans

The Associated Press wrote on October 20:

“Republicans dropped Rep. Jim Jordan on Friday as their nominee for House speaker, making the decision during a closed-door session after the Donald Trump ally failed badly on a third ballot for the gavel… In the 17 days since Kevin McCarthy was removed in a rebellion by right-wing hard-liners, no other Republican has been able to muster enough votes to replace him, sparking one of the worst institutional crises Washington has seen in decades…

“The House is now ending its third work week without a leader. That means it cannot act on a $106 billion national-security package unveiled by Biden on Friday that would bolster U.S. border security and send billions to support the war campaigns of Israel and Ukraine. Republicans control the House by a narrow 221-212 majority and can afford few defections on party-line votes. Aside from McCarthy and Jordan, Republicans have also rejected their No. 2, Steve Scalise, who won the nomination last week but dropped out after he was unable to consolidate support…

“Republicans have already considered and rejected a backup option that would allow the House take up pressing matters, like Biden’s aid package or funding for the U.S. government that is due to expire on Nov. 17. That plan would give more authority to Republican Representative Patrick McHenry, who is filling the speaker’s chair on a temporary basis… Republicans opted not to pursue it on Thursday…

“Jordan’s failure has deepened bitter divisions within the Republican Party, extending a weeks-long paralysis of Congress at a time of heightened international tension and with a government shutdown looming in less than a month… Republicans have no realistic or workable plan to unite the fractured GOP majority, elect a new speaker, and return to the work of Congress that has been languishing since hard-liners ousted Kevin McCarthy at the start of the month… The House Republican majority appears to have no idea how to end the political turmoil and get back to work.”

We are reminded of this prophecy in Isaiah 3:6-7. But then, a last minute “rescue” operation took place… sort of.

Johnson Elected Speaker of the House

CNN wrote on October 25:

Rep. Mike Johnson secured the speaker’s gavel without losing any GOP votes Wednesday after weeks of party infighting left the House in chaos. The Louisiana lawmaker has been a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump and was a key congressional figure in the failed efforts to overturn the 2020 election…. There were 220 votes for Johnson and 209 votes for Democrat Hakeem Jeffries…

“House Republicans faced intensifying pressure to elect a new speaker after former speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted more than three weeks ago. The House has remained effectively frozen since then — a dire situation as Congress faces a November funding deadline and as crisis unfolds abroad in Ukraine and with Israel’s war against Hamas.”

Breitbart added on October 25:

“Newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) is a strong advocate of the House’s impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden for his involvement in the Biden family business.”

It appears that Johnson was selected by the GOP because of desperation, not “conviction,” if that word can even be used for the House Republicans at this point. We will see whether Johnson will retain the support of the Republicans when he gets to work amongst a host of many contentious issues.

The Russian-Ukraine War… No End in Sight

The Associated Press wrote on October 20:

“Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke by phone with U.S. President Joe Biden about Washington’s future support for Kyiv, and Russian President Vladimir Putin visited a military base near the Ukrainian border, as the warring countries laid plans for the winter and next year’s combat operations. Almost 20 months of war have sapped both sides’ military resources. The fighting is likely to settle into positional and attritional warfare during the approaching wintry weather, analysts say, with little change along the more than 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line…

“With uncertainty over the scale of Kyiv’s future Western aid, and after Ukraine’s five-month counteroffensive sapped Russian reserves but apparently only dented Russian front-line defences, the two sides are scrambling to replenish their stockpiles for 2024.

“Ukraine has been expending ammunition at a rate of more than 200,000 rounds per month, according to Jack Watling, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute think tank in London. ‘Sufficient ammunition to sustain this rate of fire is not going to be forthcoming as NATO stockpiles deplete, and production rates for ammunition remain too low to meet this level of demand,’ Watling wrote in an assessment published late Thursday.

“Meanwhile, Russian production ‘has turned a corner,’ he said. Moscow’s domestic ammunition production is growing quickly, at more than 100 long-range missiles a month compared with 40 a month a year ago, for example, according to Watling. Also, Russia is reported to be receiving supplies from Iran, North Korea and other countries….”

Russia will win this war, or in some way, Russia and Ukraine will unite. It is only a matter of time.

EU Army Debuts

European Conservative wrote on October 24:

“EU militarisation stepped up a notch as European troops completed what is likely just the first of many live exercises as one joint EU fighting unit off the coast of Cadiz in southern Spain.

“For the first time, European militaries operated under a single flag to conduct a joint drill using actual troops and equipment. A total of 2,800 military personnel from 19 member states simulated the initial phase of a ‘stabilisation operation,’ involving land, air, sea, and cyber components…

“The joint exercises are also seen as the dress rehearsal for the debut of EU Rapid Deployment Units later this year. These will consist of 5,000-person commando units, and Brussels elites hope that they will be able to respond to the emergence of sudden crises… Eurofederalists see the creation of a single EU army as essential to ensuring the bloc’s geopolitical voice is heard on the world stage.

“Political critics from the left and the right have long warned that the emergence of an EU army would severely undermine the power of individual member states and electorates to set their own foreign policy. However, these concerns have been largely swept aside as the bloc seeks to militarise in the aftermath of the Ukraine crisis.”

The long-awaited EU Army is moving forward.

What If Trump Becomes Next President…

The American Prospect wrote on October 25:

“Donald Trump… been laying out an agenda for a potential second term… [According to Rolling Stones,] Trump is planning to tear up NATO, in form if not in fact. ‘Trump, the sources say, has continued to express an openness to pulling the U.S. out of NATO altogether.’ Apparently, he might consider not doing so if other members agree to sharply increase their military spending, and re-evaluate ‘the bedrock principle that an attack on one member is tantamount to an attack on all.’…

“… most European NATO members do not spend the required 2 percent of GDP on defense. That is true, and it is also true that the U.S. has provided far and away the bulk of NATO’s military power over its life… If Trump yanks the NATO rug out from under the EU, European nations will have no choice but to carry out a full-scale rearmament program… with massive production of tanks, ships, planes, artillery, rockets, and so on. Without the security blanket of American protection, German dithering over the Bundeswehr will end. Poland is likely to go for a nuclear weapons program; it has already suggested hosting U.S. nukes. Theoretically, France or the U.K. could provide a nuclear guarantee, but having been burned once, Poles may conclude that it is best to have a domestic arsenal. And they might not be the only ones.

“All this may come too late to save Ukraine, which currently depends heavily on American aid that Trump has already argued should be cut off. Should Putin defeat the Ukrainian military, the result will almost certainly be a grinding insurgency and shattering regional refugee crisis that will only escalate the urgency of European rearmament

“In sum, a second Trump term would be a complete disaster for peace and security around the world. He would… create another major military alliance bloc, armed to the teeth. This bloc would be rightly enraged by American betrayal, and potentially end up as outright hostile…”

Indeed, a hostile military EU power bloc will emerge.

Jens Spahn on Immigration

The Daily Mail wrote on October 24:

“… former German health minister Jens Spahn demanded that ‘anyone who is rescued in the Mediterranean must be returned to the North African coast.’ The deputy chairman of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) went on to say that the closure of EU borders ‘will happen’

“Mr Spahn said: ‘The key question is not repatriation, but limiting irregular migration. ‘If we talk about illegal migration, logically the number should be zero, because it’s illegal.’… he said that if necessary the EU must ‘use physical violence to stop irregular migration movements’.”

Trump Allies Cave In

Newsmax wrote on October 20:

“Kenneth Chesebro, who served as a campaign legal adviser for former President Donald Trump, has accepted an offer to plead guilty as jury selection was under way in connection with the Fulton County, Georgia, election interference case. Chesebro was charged along with Trump and more than a dozen co-defendants for attempting to delay the transfer of power after the 2020 election, and agreed on Friday to plead guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit filing false documents… He had originally faced seven felony counts in the case.

“Chesebro’s plea means he will serve five years in prison, pay $5,000 in restitution to the state, and serve 100 hours of community service. He was also ordered to write a letter of apology to the citizens of Georgia and to testify truthfully as the other cases move along.

“His plea comes one day after attorney Sidney Powell pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor charges in connection with an election data breach in Coffee County, and after Atlanta bail bondsman Scott Hall reached a plea deal in the same incident. Chesebro and Powell both sought speedy trials, with Chesebro described by the prosecution in the case as playing a major role in a plan for Republican electors being organized in support of Trump.

“He had drafted memos suggesting the General Assembly or Congress could declare Trump as having won the 2020 election in Georgia, using voting fraud as a reason. Before the deal, Chesebro was unsuccessful in a bid to have the memos excluded as trial evidence. He and Powell were to have been tried in the same proceedings.”

These coerced cowardly acts of “self-preservation” were predictable, but they could cause great harm to Trump.

Another Trump Attorney Flips

CNBC wrote on October 24:

“Jenna Ellis, the right-wing attorney who worked on the Trump 2020 presidential campaign, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a criminal charge in the Georgia election interference case… The slew of recent plea deals in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ racketeering case signals a growing threat to Trump, who is fighting criminal charges in four separate cases as he runs for president in 2024.

“Ellis, 38, pleaded guilty in Fulton County Superior Court to one count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings. The charge related to false claims of voter fraud that were made to members of the Georgia Senate at a hearing in early December 2020.

“In a tearful statement before Judge Scott McAfee, Ellis expressed regret for her actions in the wake of Trump’s loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election… she said… I failed to do my due diligence.’ Instead, she said she relied on information that was provided to her by other lawyers ‘with many more years of experience.’…

“Ellis will avoid prison time as part of her plea agreement. She was sentenced to five years of probation and must pay $5,000 in restitution, in addition to completing 100 hours of community service and penning an apology letter to the people of Georgia. She must also testify truthfully at all hearings or trials involving other co-defendants in the case, including Trump… The three others who have already pleaded guilty — Powell, ex-Trump campaign attorney Kenneth Chesebro and bail bondsman Scott Hall — also agreed to provide truthful testimony in their co-defendants’ cases…”

The pressure of the prosecution on Ellis to make a plea deal is obvious. Also, it was reported that former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was granted immunity to testify under oath against Trump in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s January 6 case. All of this smells very bad.

Gag Orders Against Trump Suppress Free Speech

The Ron Paul Institute published the following article by Professor Jonathan Turley on October 21:

“The imposition of a gag order on former President Donald Trump was overwhelmingly applauded by pundits and press alike. Journalists described the order from US District Judge Tanya Chutkan as ‘narrow’ and ‘limited.’…

“However, this order should concern everyone who values freedom of speech. While the odds may favor Chutkan on appeal, this order should be overturned as overbroad and dangerous.

“For years, many of us have criticized Trump for his personal attacks on judges and opponents alike. Undeterred, Trump has continued such inflammatory attacks on ‘deranged’ Special Counsel Jack Smith and the ‘biased, Trump-hating Judge Chutkan.’ Smith has pushed aggressively for a gag order, even though one of the major issues in Trump’s campaign is whether the Biden Administration has weaponized the criminal justice system against him and other Republicans…

“The First Amendment was written in the aftermath of such abuses, including the infamous prosecution of publisher John Peter Zenger 290 years ago in 1733. Some polls show that a majority now believe the Trump prosecutions are ‘politically motivated.’ Tens of millions oppose the prosecutions, and this will be the single most-discussed issue of the campaign. Yet, one candidate would be both the subject of this national debate and a gag order barring full participation in it.

“Chutkan steadfastly refused to recognize that either this case or this defendant are far from typical. Her order bars Trump from making statements against Smith, his staff, court personnel, and potential witnesses. That last category could include one of Trump’s opponents in the presidential election, former Vice President Mike Pence… Chutkan… has imposed a vaguely worded court order that could turn campaign speeches into criminal contempt…

“Smith has long adopted extreme legal positions that ignore constitutional values. This includes his prosecution of the former governor of Virginia, Robert McDonnell (R), which was reversed in a unanimous 8-0 decision by the Supreme Court in 2016…

“The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit… stressed that any such limits on free speech should be treated as ‘presumptively void and may be upheld only on the basis of a clear showing that an exercise of First Amendment rights will interfere with the rights of the parties to a fair trial.’…”

This gag order by biased judge Chutkan is in addition to the gag order imposed by Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron and the imposition of a fine of $5,000.00 for its alleged intentional violation with the obviously biased judge’s warning that future violations will subject Trump to “far more severe sanctions” — including imprisonment.

Partisan Judge Does It Again

The Associated Press wrote on October 25:

“The judge in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial fined the former president $10,000 on Wednesday, saying Trump violated a limited gag order barring personal attacks on court staffers. The fine came after Trump was called to the witness stand to explain his comment outside the courtroom about ‘a person who’s very partisan sitting alongside’ the [“partisan”] judge in the case, Judge Arthur Engoron’… Trump and his lawyers said his comment Wednesday was about witness Michael Cohen, not the clerk.”

The biased judge stated he does not find Trump’s testimony credible, fined him with another $10,000.00 [in addition to the $5,000.00 previously imposed] and said, “Don’t do it again or it will be worse.” This is such a travesty of justice! The whole trial is a joke.

As Newsmax explained on October 25, “Before the trial began on Oct. 2, Engoron found that Trump fraudulently inflated his net worth and ordered the dissolution of companies that control crown jewels of his real estate portfolio, including Trump Tower in Manhattan. That ruling is on hold while Trump appeals.

“The trial largely concerns damages. James is seeking at least $250 million in fines, a permanent ban against Trump and his sons Donald Jr and Eric from running businesses in New York and a five-year commercial real estate ban against Trump and the Trump Organization.”

Biden Free to “Contact” Social Media Platforms

The New York Times wrote on October 20:

“The Supreme Court on Friday allowed Biden administration officials to continue to contact social media platforms to combat what the officials say is misinformation, pausing a sweeping ruling from a federal appeals court that had severely limited such interactions.

“The justices also agreed to hear the administration’s appeal in the case, setting the stage for a major test of the role of the First Amendment in the internet era — one that will require the court to consider when government efforts to limit the spread of misinformation amount to censorship of constitutionally protected speech.

Three justices dissented from the court’s decision to lift the restrictions on administration officials while the case moves forward. ‘Government censorship of private speech is antithetical to our democratic form of government, and therefore today’s decision is highly disturbing,’ Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch.

“Justice Alito criticized the majority for acting ‘without undertaking a full review of the record and without any explanation’ and allowing the administration to continue its interactions until the court finally rules, ‘an event that may not occur until late in the spring of next year.’…

“The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled last month that officials from the White House, the surgeon general’s office, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the F.B.I. had most likely violated the First Amendment in their bid to persuade companies to remove posts about the coronavirus pandemic, claims of election fraud and Hunter Biden’s laptop computer….”

And so, for now, Biden can continue threatening social media platforms in an attempt to censor opinions contrary to his agenda.

Sebastian Kurz on Trial

Politico wrote on October 18:

“Former Austrian leader Sebastian Kurz, his political and personal future hanging in the balance, appeared in a courtroom here on Wednesday for the opening of what could be the first of multiple trials that will determine whether he was a corrupt manipulator as chancellor, as prosecutors allege, or the victim of overzealous state attorneys and political rivals intent on undermining him.

“The Austrian’s fairytale rise from unknown youth leader into an international political star and chancellor at just 30 ended abruptly in October of 2021, when he was forced to resign amid accusations of corruption…

“Kurz faces criminal charges for allegedly giving false testimony to a parliamentary committee. Prosecutors also suspect him of misusing public funds to pay for doctored public opinion polls, though he has yet to be indicted in that case. The trial that began Wednesday concerns the false testimony accusation. Kurz denies any wrongdoing on both fronts…

“Kurz’s lawyers offered a spirited rebuttal of the prosecutors’ claims in court on Wednesday, dismissing them as ‘fake,’ insisting there was ‘no evidence’ against Kurz and suggesting that [prosecutor] Adamovic had manipulated witness testimony (he denied the claim).

“The latter accusation prompted the presiding judge to enquire whether the defense was accusing the prosecution of malpractice, to which Kurz’s counsel responded he would leave it up to the court to make that determination.

“The most dramatic turn in the trial came near the end of the day, when Kurz’s former deputy Glatz-Kremsner suddenly agreed to settle her case by acknowledging ‘mistakes’ and paying a fine of about €100,000…

“A conviction would complicate Kurz’s new career, which he told the court was as an ‘entrepreneur.’ It would also likely dash any lingering hopes he may have for a future in politics. Since his resignation as chancellor, he has worked as a consultant for Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel and started a cybersecurity firm in Israel…”

AFP wrote on October 20:

“Austria’s former chancellor Sebastian Kurz told a court Friday he was the victim of a selective prosecution and an opposition out to ‘destroy him’, defending himself against accusations of having given false testimony… Kurz accused prosecutors of having misinterpreted his answers to the 2020 inquiry, and of having submitted selected pieces of evidence to paint a skewed picture…

“It is the first time in more than 30 years that a former chancellor has stood trial…”

The parallels with the witch-hunt against Trump are all too obvious.

The Dangerous Gender Ideology

The Daily Mail wrote on October 21:

“A former Tavistock Trust doctor [Dr. Az Hakeem] has said Britain could become a nation of chemically castrated children if trans and gender theory is allowed to fester unchallenged… he told MailOnline society is in an ‘awful situation’ when it comes to trans people – and it’s even worse for those who realise they want to revert to their original sex… He said 26 per cent of his patients… regretted transitioning…

“’The culture is one where people don’t challenge someone who says they are a different sex. Increasingly organisations are going on with this narrative that people are born in the wrong body. No one is born in the wrong body.’”

Of course not. It is unbelievable that many believe this nonsense.

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.

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Does it matter whether we have a good report from those outside the Church?

It is a good question because there have been those, in the past, who have not been too bothered about their reputation outside the Church, as long as they had a good report within the Church of God.   It is a topic worth reviewing.

First of all, let us look at “having a good report” within the Church of God.  If we can’t measure up to this requirement, then we shouldn’t be a Church member, and having a good report from those outside the Church becomes irrelevant.

In respect of the ministry, we read in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 about the qualifications of the ministry. Verse 2 says: “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach.”   Verses 3-6 continue along the same lines, and in verse 7, we read: “Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”   Many other translations reflect this same need to have a good testimony or report from those who are not Church members.

This clearly shows that a minister in the Church of God must have a good report both inside and outside the Church, and he is to speak the Truth and shepherd the flock.  There are many other Scriptures that give the same advice and instruction; for example, see Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:14-26; Titus 1:7-9; Titus 2:7; 1 Peter 5:2-3 (and there are many more).

Ministers have to set the example in the Church of God but such an example is not the preserve of just ministers.   Likewise, members have to live up to high expectations as required by God of His people.

In a piece by one Christian author, entitled, “An Example for Others to Imitate,” he wrote that “being a godly example is not an option, it is commanded in Scripture. We have no choice in being an example of some kind and having an impact on those around us, but we do have a choice in the kind of witness and impact we provide. Someone is going to follow us and be influenced by us. We need Christian maturity that provides people with real honest-to-God examples of authentic Christ-like living and that mature Christians and leaders have a responsibility to maintain consistent example.”

Let us review just a few Scriptures about members inside the Church.

Matthew 5:13-16 reads: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

God is not calling the whole world now. He is only working with a small group of people at this time to get a specific job done, that of preaching the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God in all the world as a witness to all nations (see Matthew 24:14).   In other words, Christians are rare.   True Christians are basically sprinkled across the earth like you would sprinkle salt across food – sparingly.   But what a difference they make in the world!   One thing we can learn from Christ’s metaphor of salt is that our calling and commission are unique, important and highly valuable.   It is indeed a rare opportunity to be called by God in this age.

We can see that salt is pure. It spices and flavours, it creates thirst, and it preserves, and all the analogies are applicable to a Christian’s life.   

In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, we read about Paul serving all men: ”For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”

Unfortunately, some take this to mean that a true Christian must be accommodating about all things, which is obviously in error.  One commentator wrote that “We do not lower our standards but we waive our privileges.”  When rightly understood, this is about setting the very best example to encourage and help those who may be interested in the true message of the Bible and showing that we are not hypocrites but live by every word of God (see Matthew 4:4).

1 Thessalonians 1:2-4 shows us that we are to be about our Father’s Work: We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.”

We have been chosen by God.  1 Peter 2:9-10 states: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”

Further, we are to follow Christ’s example, as we read in 1 Peter 2:22-23: ““Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth’; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously…”

Acts 16:2 reads: “He (Timothy) was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.”

We must always be cognisant of the fact that our attitude and approach can affect hundreds, maybe even thousands of people during our lifetime.

A review of some Scriptures about having a good report outside the Church will show us how important this is.

Proverbs 22:1 states: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold,” and Ecclesiastes 7:1: reads: “A good name is better than precious ointment…”

One writer observed: “There are people you have never seen or met—yet just their name gives you an opinion of them. For example, when you hear the name George Washington, you think of a man who sacrificed greatly to help form the United States of America; but when you hear the name Adolph Hitler, a very different picture comes to mind.”   A good name usually refers to the reputation of that person.

Romans 12:17 states: “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.”   Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers observes: “Let your purposes be such that all men shall recognise their complete integrity. Do not engage in enterprises of a doubtful character, that might bring not only yourselves but the Christian body into ill repute.”

Romans 15:1-3 reads: “We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.’”

This is about helping others and not being self-serving which is a trait and a trap that most in this world can fall into.

1 Corinthians 10:32 exhorts: “Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God”.  Ellicott’s Commentary put this succinctly: “A practical test of whether any course of conduct is to the glory of God. If it cause[s] any human being to offend then it is not to God’s glory.”

1 Thessalonians 1:6-8 points out: “And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.”   Put another way, their actions were worth a thousand words, and in spite of “much affliction,” this did not deter them from setting the right example.

As mentioned previously, 1 Timothy 3:7 stated: “Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”   This couldn’t be clearer, and while this is speaking about a minister, the same principles would certainly apply to a Church member who falls into reproach, that is, into disapproval, criticism or disappointment, which, inevitably, will damage the reputation of both the Church and that individual.

Titus 2:6-8 reads: “Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded,in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.”

How could any opponent of the Truth of God have anything wrong to say about a Christian who would exhibit such an example, unless they twisted what was said and done in a distorted and dishonest way – and that would be to their shame, should they do so.

1 Peter 2:12 reads: “…having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”  This shows that true Christians will be “spoken evil of” by those who have little or no knowledge of the Way of God but they will realise, at some time in the future whenever God chooses, that the example of beliefs of such Christians was the Truth all along.   This shows that our example and current life-style is so important, not only at the present time but also at some time in the future for those who may mock and scorn us now.

As Benjamin Franklin once observed: “A good example is the best sermon.”

There is no doubt that there will be times, probably many times, when true Christians have to go against the prevailing ethos or culture in our respective countries and stand out as being different for the sake of our beliefs.   As time goes on, this will surely accelerate as society plunges into new depths of anti-godly behaviour, and we will be out of sync with most people.   That should not worry us; surely, the worry would be if we were in tune with what is going on.

Mr Herbert Armstrong told the story of those who managed a particular Feast site and who remarked that Church members were great but “oh that crazy religion”—never realising that it was their religion, their Christian faith, which made them the decent individuals that they dealt with.   At that time, such members set a very good example of God’s Way of Life.

We should be concerned about the way we are perceived by others, as we don’t live in a vacuum.  In short, we should always endeavour to set the very best possible example that we can, both in the Church and outside in society, but realise that many times we will have to set our face against the prevailing ways of man which will set us apart, and if that means that we will “be spoken of as evil” (see Romans 14:16), then that is the price we have to pay.  

We are to have a good report from those outside the Church, but without compromising or accommodating the world in any way.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

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Youth Forum

God’s Help

by Henrik Mikoleit (9)

I was having a normal day at school until I noticed a boy talking badly about me behind my back and spreading lies about me. This made me angry and sad. At home, I told my parents.

That same evening, I prayed to God with them and asked Him for wisdom in this situation. My mom then conducted a role-playing exercise with me on how I should best act in such situations.

Before I went to school the next day, I asked God for help again in my morning prayer. When I had a break, I met the boy. God gave me the courage to point out his meanness to him. Although I was very nervous, God intervened and gave the boy insight so that he stopped.

I am very grateful that God helped me in this situation, and I have had peace and tranquility ever since.

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

“Are Hamas Terrorists Freedom Fighters?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

They are, if you want to believe Turkish President Erdogan. Suddenly the villain has become the victim, and the victim the villain. What abomination! And what about the Palestinians? Do they support or reject Hamas? The wrath of the Muslim world—but not just the Muslim world—is directed against Israel, and many sometimes violent demonstrations and riots, including in England, France and Germany,  provide ample testimony as to what is the real goal of Israel’s enemies.  But their plans will fail!

“Sind die Hamas Terroristen Freiheitskämpfer?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This program in German covers the same topic as described above.

A new Member Letter (October 2023) has been posted and mailed to our subscribers. Norbert Link writes a follow-up report, having attended the Feast in Germany this year. Additionally, he points to biblical events which are drawing closer to fulfillment, and he encourages us to be and stay prepared as times grow more and more difficult.

“Was sagt die Bibel über Unzucht, Ehebruch und unmoralische Begierden?” is the title of this Sabbath’s German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “What Does the Bible Say About Fornication, Adultery and Immoral Lusts?”

“Halte fest, was Du hast,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Dmitrij Niemann, is now posted. Title in English: “Hold on to What You Have.”

“Katholisches Bußsakrament oder Gottes wahre Vergebung ,” last Sabbath’s German sermon presented by Thilo Hanstein, is now posted. Title in English: “Catholic Sacrament of Penance or God’s True Forgiveness.”

“Outsiders,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary:

God’s true followers are a rarity in the world at this time. What does it mean to be set apart from the world as an outsider?

“How’s the Family?” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary: Are we building our families by biblical standards, or have we allowed society to pollute and even threaten to destroy our family structure?

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How This Work is Financed

This Update is an official publication by the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God in the United States of America; the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada; and the Global Church of God in the United Kingdom.

Editorial Team: Norbert Link, Dave Harris, Rene Messier, Brian Gale, Margaret Adair, Johanna Link, Eric Rank, Michael Link, Anna Link, Kalon Mitchell, Manuela Mitchell, Dawn Thompson

Technical Team: Eric Rank, Shana Rank

Our activities and literature, including booklets, weekly updates, sermons on CD, and video and audio broadcasts, are provided free of charge. They are made possible by the tithes, offerings and contributions of Church members and others who have elected to support this Work.

While we do not solicit the general public for funds, contributions are gratefully welcomed and are tax-deductible in the U.S. and Canada.

Donations should be sent to the following addresses:

United States: Church of the Eternal God, P.O. Box 270519, San Diego, CA 92198

Canada: Church of God, ACF, Box 1480, Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z0

United Kingdom: Global Church of God, PO Box 44, MABLETHORPE, LN12 9AN, United Kingdom

Outsiders/ How’s the Family?

On October 21, 2023, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled,  “Outsiders”, and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “How’s the Family?”

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.

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