The Update

On February 14, 2026, Norbert Link will present the sermonette, titled, “Do You Know Why God Has Called You?” and the sermon, titled, “End-Time Prophecies in the Book of Hosea.”

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.

Mr. Armstrong stated many times that your spiritual growth is linked directly to your dedication and involvement in the Work of God by supporting the effort to get the Gospel of the Kingdom of God out to the world as a witness, coupled with the warning of imminent destruction of the modern nations of the ancient House of Israel. These nations include the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, who can trace their lineage back to the children of Jacob, who had his name changed to Israel.

This Work is the most important work on the face of the earth which may lead to trials of mocking and persecution and in some cases martyrdom but for those who faithfully pursue this challenge to the end of their life or the return of Christ, whichever comes first, a great potential as resurrected children of God awaits them with the opportunity to rule with Christ during the Millennium and on into eternity for whatever God in His divine wisdom has in store for them.

Staying focused on this task is really a challenge in this day and age with all the distractions and temptations Satan likes to throw at us. We have to be aware of this as stated by Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:10-11: “Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

This was in reference to a member who had to be chastised, but following that, Paul was admonishing the brethren to forgive him, as they were aware of Satan’s devices.

Satan is not out to encourage us to faithfully push through trials we all face but wants us to get discouraged, weary and hopefully quit and potentially lose out on salvation if leaving the Truth is not repented of.

As the god of this world, he will do everything in his power to trip us up, who has polluted every aspect of society, including music, movies, books, church doctrines of this world, which teach a false Christ and Sunday worship, arts and language. He is the prince of the power of the air, and his footprint is everywhere and his influence is great.

The solution is his removal which will occur at the return of Christ, and his influence will cease until he will be used by Christ at the end of the Millennium to tempt mankind one more time. Afterwards, he will be dealt with by God, never again to influence mankind.

In the meantime, the question is: “Where is our heart?”

Deuteronomy 6:5 tells us: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

Fulfilling this takes time and effort on our part. This means that we have to diligently use the tools God has given us to accomplish this task, since it is possible for us to be successful. These tools include prayer, bible study, meditation and occasional fasting. There is no fast-tracking into the Kingdom of God; the path requires dedication and commitment on our part, but the outcome and the reward are really worth it.

You have to make the effort to draw close to God.  Then what will happen? 

James 4:8 says: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” 

The result is that God will draw close to you. The more you overcome sin which acts as a barrier and resistance, the more you can draw close to the Father and to Christ, and they will be close to you.

People are totally deceived who practice sin, including worshipping on the wrong day and breaking His commandments, sometimes with impunity, and who still think they have a close relationship with Christ and God the Father.

Thankfully, one day God will remove the veil from their eyes. They will be called and given the opportunity we now have. Let’s be grateful for that.

Matthew 6:19-21 admonishes us:  “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Treasures in heaven are building a strong relationship with God and Christ while our hearts have to be in the Work of God for us to truly fulfill our destiny and receive our glorious reward of a golden crown and rulership in the kingdom of God.

We begin with ICE’s ongoing brutal conduct and Trump’s racist posts.

Please watch our new message in this regard, “Admit Your Mistakes! Comments on News and Prophecy, February 7, 2026.”  

We continue with Germany’s endeavors in the Gulf region, while recognizing the lost trust in America; and speak on America’s financial doom.

We address Turkey’s ambitions in the Middle East, including Gaza; and the rise of the Jewish presence on the Temple Mount.

We point out Putin’s alleged attempt to “bribe” the USA in the Ukraine crisis; and Hungarian President Orban’s strong opposition to Ukraine’s conduct.

We speak about China’s warnings directed at the USA and its abolition of the freedom of the press, including in Hong Kong; and Trump’s renewed threats towards Canada.

We conclude with an interesting discovery pertaining to the Garden of Eden.

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “The Beast of Germany Over Ten Nations.”

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

A Softer Touch With ICE? Don’t Be Fooled!

The Huffington Post wrote on February 8: 

“Top Trump administration officials certainly put on a show last week about changing tactics in Minnesota… Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino lost his job. Border czar Tom Homan said he’s pulling 700 federal agents out of the state. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she’s sending body cameras to every DHS field officer in Minneapolis. Even President Donald Trump sort of registered problems with his surge of Immigration Customs and Enforcement officers in the state that continues to spark widespread protests, traumatize immigrant communities and has left two Americans dead, Pretti and Renee Good. ‘Maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch,’ Trump told NBC News on Wednesday, when asked if he’s learned anything from how his massive ICE operation has played out… 

“Local school officials here say ICE officers continue to circle their schools, looking for immigrant children to nab. Federal officers are still grabbing brown and Black people on the streets,  regardless of whether they’re in the country legally or have no criminal record… On Tuesday, ICE was in the parking lots of all of [the] schools… 

“There are still more than 2,000 federal agents swarming the region… despite the hundreds Homan said he’s withdrawing. And even if every DHS agent wears a body camera, which remains to be seen… that doesn’t mean the public will be able to see the footage from their encounters… 

“While the Trump administration may not be easing up at all in its efforts to intimidate and hunt down immigrants, neither are the residents of the Minneapolis-St.Paul region. In interviews with dozens of people over the past two weeks, it was clear that virtually everybody is hunkering down together and coordinating to carry out sophisticated operations to keep their neighbors safe during ICE’s ‘occupation’ here. 

“They take part in daily ICE patrols through neighborhoods, with people watching for unmarked cars and alerting each other to sightings. They drive each other’s kids to and from school, and even walk them into their homes, when those kids’ parents are too scared to go outside. They coordinate trips to grocery stores for immigrant neighbors and food deliveries to their homes. Schools and churches have become pantries. Between getting their children ready for school and cooking dinner for their families, parents use secure messaging apps like Signal to keep their constant communication with each other secret. 

“In Columba Heights, grandparents and retired teachers stand outside various public schools with whistles, blowing them when they see agents driving by when children are outside. School officials promptly provide cover…” 

These are horrible and appalling conditions in the land of the “brave and the free.” 

Brutal Conduct of ICE and Refusal to Investigate 

The Associated Press wrote on February 7: 

“Alberto Castaneda Mondragon says his memory was so jumbled after a beating by immigration officers that he initially could not remember he had a daughter and still struggles to recall treasured moments like the night he taught her to dance. But the violence he endured last month in Minnesota while being detained is seared into his battered brain. 

“He remembers Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents pulling him from a friend’s car on Jan. 8 outside a St. Paul shopping center and throwing him to the ground, handcuffing him, then punching him and striking his head with a steel baton. He remembers being dragged into an SUV and taken to a detention facility, where he said he was beaten again. He also remembers the emergency room and the intense pain from eight skull fractures and five life-threatening brain hemorrhages. ‘They started beating me right away when they arrested me,’ the Mexican immigrant recounted this week to The Associated Press… 

“Castaneda Mondragon, 31, is one of an unknown number of immigration detainees who, despite avoiding deportation during the Trump administration’s enforcement crackdown, have been left with lasting injuries following violent encounters with ICE officers. His case is one of the excessive-force claims the federal government has thus far declined to investigate… 

“The officers told nurses Castaneda Mondragon ‘purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall,’ an account his caregivers immediately doubted. A CT scan showed fractures to the front, back and both sides of his skull — injuries a doctor told AP were inconsistent with a fall. ‘There was never a wall,’ Castaneda Mondragon said in Spanish, recalling ICE officers striking him with the same metal rod used to break the windows of the vehicle he was in. He later identified it as an ASP, a telescoping baton routinely carried by law enforcement… 

“Castaneda Mondragon entered the U.S. legally in March 2022, and… the agency determined only after his arrest that he had overstayed his visa. A federal judge later ruled his arrest had been unlawful and ordered him released from ICE custody.” 

And ICE gets upset when their methods are being compared with that of the Gestapo? 

ICE to Withdraw From Minnesota

CNBC wrote on February 12:

“Border czar Tom Homan on Thursday said President Donald Trump has agreed to conclude the monthslong federal immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota… The total withdrawal ‘will continue to the next week,’ he said Thursday morning. Homan added that a ‘small footprint’ of personnel will stay in the area ‘for a period of time’ to transition command back to a local field office, and to ensure ‘agitator activity’ does not flare back up…

“The killings [of two American citizens] massively inflamed tensions over the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement efforts in Minnesota, spurring widespread protests and rapidly souring public opinion toward ICE…

“Homan stressed that the Trump administration’s efforts to remove vast numbers of undocumented immigrants will continue. ‘For those who say we are backing down from immigration enforcement or the promise of mass deportations, you are simply wrong,’ he said.”

Racism and Lies 

Deadline wrote on February 6: 

“While Democrats have condemned Donald Trump’s Truth Social post of a video featuring a racist AI depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, one of the president’s strident defenders also called it out. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who is [the only Black Republican in the Senate and who is] chairing the GOP’s Senate campaign efforts this year, wrote on X, ‘Praying it was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it.’ A couple hours after Scott’s statement, the Trump post was taken down, with a White House official saying, ‘A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down.’   

“Earlier on Friday morning, the White House acknowledged that Trump posted the video, and defended the president for doing so. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, ‘This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King. Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.’ [The video did not portray Trump as the King of the Jungle, or other Democrats; just the Obamas were depicted as apes.] 

“Another Republican, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), who faces a competitive reelection race this cycle, wrote, ‘The President’s post is wrong and incredibly offensive — whether intentional or a mistake — and should be deleted immediately with an apology offered.’… The NAACP said in a statement, ‘Trump posting this video — especially during Black History Month— is a stark reminder of how Trump and his followers truly view people. And we’ll remember that in November.’” 

The Daily Mail added on February 6: 

“Donald Trump has deleted a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes after a furious backlash from senior Republicans…. Other prominent Republican senators joined Scott in demanding that Trump take down the video.  

“Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi posted on X: ‘This is totally unacceptable. The president should take it down and apologize.’  Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska wrote: ‘Even if this was a Lion King meme, a reasonable person sees the racist context to this. The White House should do what anyone does when they make a mistake: remove this and apologize.’   

The Daily Mail stated in its headline, “Trump DELETES Obama ape video as White House throws junior staffer under the bus.” 

Also in light of the long history of racist posts depicting black people as apes or monkeys – a tool of slave traders and segregationists to dehumanize them –Trump’s racist post was clearly highly inappropriate and offensive, and the subsequent “excuse” in blaming a staffer only made matters worse. 

ABC News wrote: 

“President Donald Trump told reporters he didn’t see the entire video before it was shared on his social media platform… Trump said he only saw the first part… Asked if he would apologize for the video, Trump said, ‘No, I didn’t make a mistake…’” 

He is responsible for whatever he retweets and posts. 

Grand Jury Refuses to Indict Six Democratic Lawmakers 

The New York Post wrote on February 11: 

“A federal grand jury refused to hand up an indictment Tuesday against six Democratic lawmakers accused by President Trump of ‘seditious behavior’ this past fall. DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro led the failed effort to indict Reps. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Chris Deluzi (D-Pa.) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) and Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) over a video posted on social media urging members of the military and intelligence community to ‘refuse illegal orders.’.. 

“Kelly called the attempt to bring charges an ‘outrageous abuse of power by Donald Trump and his lackies.’…

“… the Pentagon [had] opened an investigation into Kelly, citing a federal law that allows retired service members to be recalled to active duty for possible court-martial or other punishment. War Secretary Pete Hegseth has censured Kelly for participating in the video and is trying to retroactively demote Kelly from his retired rank of captain.

“The senator is suing Hegseth to block those proceedings, calling them an unconstitutional act of retribution.” 

The rare refusal of a federal grand jury to indict the defendants in question was the only correct decision in this case. Subsequently, a federal judge, appointed by George W. Bush in 2002, sided with Mark Kelly, accusing Hegseth of “trampling” on Kelly’s right to free speech and suggested that Hegseth should be more “grateful” for the wisdom of retired service members. Hegseth announced that he would appeal the decision, but should really have no chance for success. The witch hunt against especially former astronaut Mark Kelly for only stating the law is terrible. 

Strong Accusations Against Trump in the Epstein Matter 

C-Span wrote on February 3, 2026: 

“Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus Ted Lieu (D-CA) tells reporters the Epstein files contain allegations that President Trump raped and threatened to kill children. He says House Republicans are trying to ‘distract’ from those allegations by seeking testimony on Epstein from former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He also says the Justice Department ‘violated the privacy’ of victims by failing to redact some explicit images from the files…” 

Lieu repeated these charges on Wednesday, February 11, during a contentious bi-partisan House “hearing” with Attorney General Pam Bondi. The congressional circus bordered on the ridiculous and showed the world again a deeply-divided America. 

The Future of Trump’s Tariffs 

Axios wrote on February 11:

“House Democrats are… planning to force votes overturning at least two of President Trumps’s tariffs, with more likely to follow… House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has repeatedly blocked these votes over the past year, but his attempt to do so on Tuesday was thwarted by a trio of Republican defectors in a late-night vote…

“‘We are going to do Canada today and follow with Mexico,’ House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Greg Meeks (D-N.Y.) told Axios in a text message Wednesday morning. The New York Democrat later told Axios that he also plans to force votes overturning the Brazil and global ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs…

“While the measures could garner the simple majority needed for Senate passage,  Trump could then simply veto it. It’s highly unlikely Congress has the two-thirds majorities in both chambers to overturn his veto. That means the House votes would effectively be symbolic rebukes of the president’s tariffs.”

Real clearance can only come through the US Supreme Court which has taken an unusually long time to address the issue. 

Merz in the Gulf Region 

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 6: 

“German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrapped up a three-day tour to the Gulf region in Abu Dhabi on Friday by positioning Germany as a reliable investment partner, and eyeing a central role in a potential EU trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE)… The chancellor’s trip, which included stops in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, comes as Germany seeks to diversify its economic and strategic partnerships amid increasing global economic instability, particularly brought on by US President Donald Trump’s erratic trade policies… 

“Summing up his three-day tour, Merz said his meetings in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE showed ‘what great potential we have.’ After meeting with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in Doha on Thursday, Merz said Germany would work ‘more intensively in arms cooperation than in recent years’ with what he described as reliable partners in the Gulf region.  

“Seeking closer ties with the autocratically governed Gulf states that have dubious human rights records — especially Saudi Arabia —  represents a turnaround from previous German governments… Saudi Arabia is notorious for its treatment of women and a draconian justice system. In 2018, the brutal murder and dismemberment of Saudi journalist and crown prince critic Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Turkey shocked the world. Western intelligence agencies like the CIA assess Khashoggi was killed at the behest of the crown prince, who has denied all involvement. According to Shuman Rights Watch, Saudi Arabia carried out a record number of 356 executions in 2025….” 

Germany’s involvement with Arab nations is remarkable in light of Psalm 83. 

Europe as a Superpower

Apollo News wrote on February 5:

“In a speech at the Catholic University of Leuven, where he was receiving an honorary doctorate, Mario Draghi called for drastic reforms to the European Union. He stated that the continent faces a choice: either to remain a mere single market or to become an independent superpower through closer integration. This leads him to demand that the European Union become a ‘true federation’ to maintain its global standing…

“Draghi’s demands would ultimately amount to the abolition of nation-states. Key competencies—including fiscal policy, defense, industrial policy, and foreign policy—would have to be transferred to the EU level. The member states of the European Union would no longer be sovereign.”

Draghi served as Prime Minister of Italy in 2021 and 2022. 

Spahn’s Fault For the Health Insurance Funds’ Bankruptcy

ntv wrote on February 11:

“‘I don’t think we’ll have to raise health insurance contributions again in 2026.’ That’s what Karl Lauterbach told the ‘Bild’ newspaper in October 2024, when he was still Federal Minister of Health. The prediction was wrong: At the turn of the year, almost half of all statutory health insurance funds in Germany raised their contributions, including large funds like Techniker Krankenkasse and DAK-Gesundheit, as well as AOK Sachsen-Anhalt and HKK…

“The statutory health insurance funds are notoriously bankrupt. The funds’ reserves have been depleted… Why are their finances in such a bad state? GKV (National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds) head Oliver Blatt offered an explanation on Deutschlandfunk radio: The last grand coalition government with Health Minister Jens Spahn ‘dug into the funds’ reserves’ – and now they’re paying the price… The former health minister used that money to pay for part of the high costs of the coronavirus crisis.”

Spahn, who has often been accused of incompetence and ruthlessness, has caused considerable damage in the past, including during his time as Health Minister. His popularity plummeted. Few seriously considered his return to the political arena. But now he’s back at the top—virtually second only to Merz—and is certainly striving, as he has for many years, to become Chancellor. Stranger things have happened in Germany. 

Germany’s Painful Estrangement From the USA 

Financial Times wrote on February 9: 

“Today that [German] community is in disarray. After repeated blows by the Trump administration to Nato and the EU, [Wolfgang] Ischinger [German Chair of the Munich Security Conference] wonders whether the first warning signs of American estrangement were already visible two decades ago, during the US invasion of Iraq. ‘Maybe I should have started worrying when America tried to drive a wedge into Europe by talking about “old Europe” and “new Europe’’, he says. ‘These are the friends of the United States, who are going with us into Iraq. And these are the old guys, the Germans and the French, whom we don’t like anymore because they’re not sharing our views.’ 

“Claudia Major, senior vice-president at the German Marshall Fund [said:] ‘The Americans taught the Germans democracy. It feels like a betrayal.’ 

“German Atlanticists took particular offence a year ago, when US vice-president JD Vance used the Munich Security Conference — which fell during the German federal election campaign — to lecture Europe over democratic values, before meeting far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) leader Alice Weidel on the sidelines. Shaken, [German Chancellor Friedrich] Merz… later described it as an ‘epochal rupture’… he declared it urgent for Europe to ‘achieve independence from the US’… 

“Long reluctant to assume a leading military role because of its Nazi past, Berlin, with its ample fiscal power, is now being pushed to the forefront of Europe’s rearmament…

“Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, German attitudes towards America have flipped from broadly positive to overwhelmingly negative… Last month, a Forsa poll conducted after Trump threatened to seize Greenland found that 71 per cent of Germans now viewed the US as an adversary rather than a partner. A majority of AfD sympathisers agreed. 

“During Trump’s first term, his administration announced plans to withdraw 12,000 troops from Germany — a move later blocked by Congress. European officials now await the Pentagon’s so-called Global Posture Review, which will determine the future for the 80,000 American soldiers stationed in Europe, about 37,500 of them in Germany… 

“Merz’s plan to pour billions into building the Bundeswehr into ‘Europe’s largest conventional army’ has broad backing across Germany’s mainstream parties, from conservatives to Greens and Social Democrats. 

“Yet policymakers remain torn over how far emancipation from the US should go — balancing fears that assertiveness might hasten US troop withdrawals and leave a deterrence gap, against hopes that, perhaps, the Trump administration proves to be an aberration… 

“But Julia Friedlander, the first American chief executive of Berlin-based Atlantik-Brücke, and a former Trump administration security adviser in charge of Europe, says it is high time that Germany steps up. A self-described ‘cold-hearted realist’, the 41-year-old argues that Europe’s most populous country must shed sentimentality. ‘The good old unipolar days, when everyone could feel very happy under the US umbrella, those are all gone,’ she says. 

“Friedlander describes her experience during her time in the Trump administration of growing ‘bitterness’ in Washington towards the EU, and Germany in particular, for failing to take its defence seriously… 

“Under pressure from Trump, Merz is now trying to ‘flip the narrative’, Friedlander says. Germany has overtaken the US as Ukraine’s largest provider of military aid, according to the Kiel Institute… 

“[Karsten] Voigt [former commissioner for German-American co-operation in parliament under SPD Chancellor Gerhard Schröder], feels this transformation is in full swing. ‘That’s uncharted territory but Germany is ready. We no longer feel guilty and we don’t feel completely alone. Our role has changed a great deal already. We look at ourselves in amazement and we wonder: is that really you? No, that’s no longer us. We are something new.’” 

This transformation will continue, and “new” Germany WILL BECOME the uncontested military leader in Europe. At the same time, the alienation with the USA will continue, leading to outright hostility and animosity. Germany’s mistrust of Trump is shared worldwide. Note the next article. 

Global Mistrust 

The Jerusalem Post wrote on February 8: 

“Global mistrust of Donald Trump has moved beyond mere partisan debate. It has become a driving force reshaping diplomacy, currency stability, and the very psychology that underpins alliances. The unease isn’t just about his grandiose claims, such as insisting he ended eight wars and his desire for a Nobel Prize. The real damage lies in the erratic warnings, personal threats, and refusal to follow any recognizable international norms... 

“The world now sees Trump as a financial predator whose actions threaten the very stability Switzerland depends on. When a neutral country openly expresses such disgust, not toward a dictator but toward an American president, it speaks volumes about how far trust has fallen.” 

European Pride Opposes JD Vance 

Politico wrote on February 9:

“The people who jeered U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the Winter Olympics were displaying ‘European pride’ following a string of critical comments about Europe from American officials, top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas said Monday. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, were greeted with a smattering of boos and jeers at the San Siro stadium in Milan last week when they briefly appeared on a giant screen waving U.S. flags during the opening ceremony. 

“Asked about the booing…, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said: ‘Well, I guess we have heard a lot of not-so-nice words from the United States regarding Europe. Of course, our public also has a pride, a European pride. So it shows,’ she added. The remarks capture the tense state of EU-U.S. relations…” 

Some Trump-supporting conservative outlets denied that JD Vance was booed, saying instead that he was cheered. That claim is blatantly false. The American athletes were cheered, but he was booed mercilessly when he was seen on the screen.

America’s Cost-Of-Living Crisis 

StudyFinds wrote on February 6: 

“Rent is due. The electric bill sits on the counter. The grocery receipt from last week still stings. For half of Americans, keeping up with basic monthly bills has become nearly impossible… Nine in 10 people believe the U.S. is experiencing a full-blown cost-of-living crisis, and nearly eight in 10 said everything became more expensive in 2025… 

“Half of respondents said they expect a tax refund this year, and among those, 73% admitted they need it more than ever before. Six in 10 said they need their refund earlier than usual just to stay afloat… When tax refunds stop feeling like extra money and start functioning as a financial backstop, something fundamental has shifted about what it means to get by in America.” 

Sadly, America is in an absolutely horrible state, financially. 

America’s Financial Doom Certain? 

Fortune wrote on February 7: 

“Elon Musk doubled down on his warnings about U.S. debt, predicting financial doom will be guaranteed without the transformative effects of AI and robotics on the economy. 

‘In the absence of AI and robotics, we’re actually totally screwed because the national debt is piling up like crazy,’ he added. Interest payments alone on the $38.5 trillion debt pile are about $1 trillion a year, exceeding the U.S. military budget, Musk pointed out…. ‘We are 1,000% going to go bankrupt as a country, and fail as a country, without AI and robots,’ he predicted… 

“While it’s ‘impossible’ to know when disaster will strike, ‘some form of crisis is almost inevitable’ without a course correction, the [Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget] said in a report.” 

How AI and robots could save us from national bankruptcy is a mystery only Musk seems to “understand.” 

AI Researcher Warns of the End of Humanity

Business Insider wrote on February 10:

“Nate Soares is the CEO of the non-profit Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI) in Berkeley, California. Previously, the computer scientist worked at Microsoft and Google. In an interview with the Handelsblatt newspaper, the prominent AI researcher spoke about the growing dangers of the technology… and how much time humanity has left. His central thesis: AI is becoming increasingly powerful, and we humans have less and less to counter it…

“Soares warns urgently of the dangers of superintelligent AI systems… Platforms like Moltbook have already demonstrated how bizarre and autonomous AIs can behave when unleashed. They are not yet malicious – but that could change. His worst-case scenario: that every human being on this planet dies. As soon as AIs can build their own infrastructure, they will form their own species with their own goals. They will create factories, their own economy, their own world – and be much faster than we are…

“The problem is indifference… According to the researcher, this development must be stopped… Once superintelligence is achieved, it can no longer be stopped… According to Soares, there isn’t much time left, perhaps two to ten years…” 

Turkey’s Ploy to Become Central Actor 

The Jerusalem Post wrote on February 9: 

“The emerging move points to a substantial deepening of Turkish involvement in the Palestinian arena and is advancing in clear opposition to Israel’s stated position… the combination of overt meetings with Hamas’s leadership and the sustained series of contacts with the Palestinian Authority reveals a broader and more coherent picture… 

“Turkey is working to advance a framework in which Hamas would be recognized and integrated into any future Palestinian arrangement, both on the political level and within governing mechanisms, including in Gaza… 

“This Turkish initiative does not exist in a vacuum. Ankara is seeking to position itself as a central actor in the Palestinian arena, in line with a neo-Ottoman worldview that identifies Jerusalem as a key strategic hub of influence.” 

America’s vision of peace in Gaza has been doomed from the outset. 

Jewish Presence Rising on the Temple Mount 

Israel365News wrote on February 8, 2026: 

“The flow of people on the Temple Mount has shifted in a way that would have been unthinkable only a few years ago. Jewish presence is rising steadily, openly, and visibly, while Arab attendance is declining… the number of Arabs ascending the Temple Mount has dropped by roughly half, even as Jewish ascent has surged to record levels… 

“Over the past year, approximately 70,000 Jews ascended the holiest place to the Jewish people, with a stated goal of reaching 100,000 annually… When Jews bow there in humility before G-d, even Israel’s adversaries understand what that signals. The retreat of Arab presence alongside the return of Jewish worship is not coincidence. It is a declaration, visible on the stones themselves, that the heart of the Jewish people is beating again in the place where it always belonged.” 

And so, the next major visible step will be the building of the Third Temple on the Temple Mount. 

Putin’s Ukraine Cooperation Proposal With USA 

The Sun wrote on February 8: 

“Vladimir Putin covertly offered the United States a $9 trillion economic cooperation deal behind Ukraine’s back, according to Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian leader hinted that the proposal may be a ploy by the Kremlin to gain leverage in ongoing peace talks… 

“Ukraine once again confirmed its positions on the Donbas issue. ‘We stand where we stand’ is the fairest and most reliable model for a ceasefire today, in our opinion.’ He added that Kyiv will not tolerate Russia and the US making deals about Ukraine behind its back.” 

Putin’s intentions are clear, and so the question is: Is Trump willing to throw Ukraine under the bus? 

Orbán: Ukraine Our Enemy

DPA wrote on February 8: 

“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has labelled Ukraine, which is under attack by Russia, an ‘enemy’ of his own country. ‘The Ukrainians must stop constantly demanding in Brussels that Hungary be cut off from cheap Russian energy,’ the right-wing populist said in an election campaign speech… on Sunday. ‘As long as Ukraine does this, it is our enemy,’ he added… 

“Orbán is considered Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in the European Union, and his country is highly dependent on Russian gas and oil supplies… 

“Parliamentary elections are due to be held in Hungary on April 12. For the first time in his 16 years in office, Orbán faces a strong challenger [conservative Péter Magyar].” 

In his speech, Orbán reiterated his opposition to Ukraine joining the EU, arguing that a “military or economic alliance” with Kiev “will lead to trouble.” He also claimed that Europe is planning to give Ukraine within the next ten years 800 billion Euros in financial aid, in addition to 700 billion Euros in military aid. He said that Hungary will not participate in those payments.   

Xi Warns Trump 

Irish Times wrote on February 4: 

“China’s president Xi Jinping has told US president Donald Trump that the United States should handle arms sales to Taiwan with caution, describing the future of the self-governing island as the most important issue in China-US relations. The warning came during a call on Wednesday during which they also discussed Ukraine, Iran and the economic relationship between China and the US. ‘Taiwan is Chinese territory, and China must defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. It will never allow Taiwan to be separated from China…’ 

“Earlier on Wednesday, Xi had a video call with Russian president Vladimir Putin during which they discussed their relations with the US as well as the deepening economic co-operation between China and Russia… Xi said he wanted to work with Putin on a new blueprint for the relationship between Beijing and Moscow, declaring that they should ‘use a historic opportunity to continue deepening strategic co-operation.’” 

China’s desire to invade Taiwan is clear. Will America come to Taiwan’s defense when that happens? 

China’s Decline of Press Freedom 

npr wrote on February 9: 

“Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy former Hong Kong media tycoon and a fierce critic of Beijing, was sentenced on Monday to 20 years in prison in the longest punishment given so far under a China-imposed national security law that has virtually silenced the city’s dissent… The democracy advocate’s arrest and trial have raised concerns about the decline of press freedom in what was once an Asian bastion of media independence… 

“Lai founded Apple Daily in 1995, two years before the former British colony returned to Chinese rule. Its closure in 2021 shocked the local press scene.” 

Britain’s transfer of Hong Kong to China was a colossal mistake, but it was biblically prophesied to happen. Hong Kong had been under British rule for 156 years (from 1841 to 1997). Whatever little is left of any press freedom in China (or Hong Kong, which is under China’s autocratic rule) is disappearing quickly. 

Trump’s Continued Threats Against Canada 

The Washington Post wrote on February 10: 

“President Donald Trump has threatened to block the opening of a bridge between Michigan and Ontario, claiming Canada is trying to ‘take advantage of America’ and calling for compensation [for everything we have given them for decades] in the latest flash point in the simmering tensions between the United States and its northern neighbor. The Gordie Howe International Bridge — a six-lane bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, that has cost about $4.7 billion to build — has been under construction since 2018 and is due to open early this year… 

“The complaint is the latest in a string of blows he has leveled at Canada and Prime Minister Mark Carney, rupturing the traditionally close relationship between the two allies… 

“The bridge is financed by the Canadian government but is publicly owned by the governments of Canada and Michigan… 

“The latest comments mark a sharp contrast to Trump’s previous support for the project… Trump [had] highlighted the closeness of the two countries and praised the bridge as a ‘vital economic link.’” 

Trump’s threats against Canada will continue.

Satellite Images Point to the Garden of Eden 

The Daily Mail wrote on February 8: 

“A series of orbital scans has revealed an ancient, now-dry riverbed in Saudi Arabia that some scholars believe aligns with the biblical description of Eden’s main river, the Pishon. The Book of Genesis describes Eden as a paradise watered by a single river that split into four: Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates.  

“While the Tigris and Euphrates are well-known rivers in modern-day Iraq, the Pishon and Gihon have long been lost to history, until now.

The dry riverbed, called Wadi al-Batin, stretches from the western highlands of Hejaz near Medina northeast to the northern Persian Gulf near Kuwait. Its winding course corresponds closely with the biblical description of the Pishon, which Genesis states ‘compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.’… 

“Complementing this, Iran’s Karun River, a twisting waterway flowing through the Zagros Mountains, may correspond to the Gihon. The Hebrew word ‘sabab,’ meaning to circle or twist, aptly describes the Karun’s meanders… The alignment of these rivers with biblical text is striking, as together with the Tigris and Euphrates, Wadi al-Batin and the Karun would have converged into the Persian Gulf, forming a fertile cradle of civilization.” 

Another proof that the Bible is true after all. 

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:  

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

In previous Q&As, we addressed, at times, the workings of the Apostle Paul. It is therefore interesting to investigate, in more detail, his three missionary journeys which are recorded in the Book of Acts.

Paul was born and raised in Tarsus, in Cilicia, as a Roman citizen. Tarsus was known as an educational center. Commentaries tell us that Paul learned seven languages there. He later moved to and resided in Antioch, where he and Barnabas pastored a church for a year (Acts 11:25-26). Tarsus was about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of Antioch.

He began his first missionary journey from Antioch together with Barnabas (a Levite from Cyprus, Acts 4:36), after they had both been appointed as Apostles.  The ordination occurred about AD 47 and, and, according to William Barclay, “The Acts of the Apostles,” the journey lasted about three years. Others say it lasted one to two years. Paul travelled on his first missionary journey approximately 1,400 to 1,500 miles (2,250-2,400 kilometers), going from Antioch to Cyprus and continuing to Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). He travelled by boat or on foot, walking on Roman roads.

We read in Acts 13:1-4:

“Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.”

From that moment on, Saul became known as Paul. Prior to this episode, Barnabas was always mentioned before Saul. But shortly thereafter, Paul is listed first. Also, notice that Barnabas and Paul were ordained to the office of apostle [compare Acts 14:4,14], the highest office in the hierarchy of the Church, but this did not happen directly through an apostle, but it occurred through ordained prophets and teachers, under the guidance and inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit.

The fact that it says that the Holy Spirit “spoke” and “sent out” the apostles does not entitle us to conclude that the Holy Spirit is a person. It is not, but the power and mind of Jesus Christ who acted through the Holy Spirit (compare 2 Corinthians 3:17; for a thorough discussion, see our free booklet, “Is God a Trinity?”).

One of those prophets or teachers was Simon who was also called Niger. He probably came from Africa, as Niger is an African name. There is a certain tradition that he was the Simon who carried Jesus’ cross (Luke 23:26).

They were accompanied and assisted by John Mark, a relative of Barnabas (Acts 13:5; compare Acts 12:25).

They went to the island of Cyprus, a Roman province, and in Salamis and Paphos, two cities on the island of Cyprus, they preached the Word of God. Paphos, the capital of Cyprus, was infamous for its worship of Venus, the goddess of love. There, they had an encounter with a sorcerer whom Paul called “son of the devil” (verse 10; compare also 1 John 3:10). God struck the sorcerer blind because of his rebellion, and as a consequence, the proconsul of the city believed (verses 11-12).

Then, they left Paphos and sailed to Perga in Pamphylia. It was there that John Mark left them to return to Jerusalem (verse 13). This departure would later lead to a separation between Paul and Barnabas. Mark was “the cousin of Barnabas” (Colossians 4:10). The Bible did not say that this separation was ever cured. But we read that many years later, Paul told the Colossians from his prison in Rome to receive Mark (see again Colossians 4:10), and when writing just before his death, Paul stated that Mark was very useful in serving him (2 Timothy 4:11).

Mark had been a young man when he departed from Barnabas and Saul. His mother’s house in Jerusalem seemed to have been the place where many brethren assembled (Acts 12:12). Why Mark went back to Jerusalem, the Bible does not say specifically.

From Perga, they traveled to Antioch in Pisidia, where Paul preached in their synagogues. This Antioch is not the same city as the Antioch where Paul resided and from which he had begun his journey. Antioch in Pisidia was part of a Roman territory, as were the cities of Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. In a synagogue in the city of Antioch in Pisidia, Paul was asked by the rulers to speak to them, and he delivered a lengthy message about God’s Work and the role of Jesus Christ (Acts 13:16-41).

The word spread, and the Gentiles asked Paul to speak to them the next Sabbath (verses 42-43). Verse 44 says: “On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.” Notice, Paul spoke to them on the next Sabbath. He did not speak to them on the next day, Sunday, but waited an entire week to preach to them again on the Sabbath. And the entire city knew that Paul kept the Sabbath and that he would preach to them on that day.

This proves that Paul kept the Sabbath long after Jesus’ death and resurrection, and that he did not believe that Jesus had nailed the Sabbath to the cross. It also shows that Paul taught the Gentiles, not just the Jews, on the Sabbath, thereby pointing out that the Sabbath still had to be kept.

The Jews became jealous. They opposed Paul and Barnabas and even though the Gentiles “were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed” (verse 48), the “Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region” (verse 50).

Note that they had been “appointed” to eternal life. They had been preordained to be called at that time (Romans 8:28-30). Jesus confirmed that no one can come to Him unless His Father draws them (John 6:44, 65).

They went to Iconium, which was 90 miles away. There they spoke and “a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed” (Acts 14:1). They stayed there “a long time”, but again, unbelieving Jews “stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren” (verse 2). Still, Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly, and Christ granted signs and wonders “to be done by their hands” (verse 3). Signs and wonders done by their hands would include miracles of healing through anointing sick persons with oil and the laying on of hands (compare Mark 6:13; 16:18; Acts 28:8).

As the city was divided and a violent attempt was made “by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them,” they “fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region” (Acts 14, verses 5-6), where they continued to preach the gospel (verse 7).

In Lystra, Paul healed a cripple who had never walked, but the idolatrous people were about to worship him and Barnabas as pagan gods (Hermes and Zeus) which Paul strongly opposed in a lengthy speech (verses 11-17). His message is timeless and very relevant for us today as well. He said, among other things:

“‘Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness’” (verses 15-17).

Still, “they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them” (verse 18).

But Jews from Antioch and Iconium came to Lystra to convince the multitude to stone Paul, and they “dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead” (verse 19). However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city” (verse 20). Consider Paul’s boldness. He went right back into the city and to the people who had stoned him, being totally unafraid of them, knowing that God was with him.

From Lystra, Paul and Barnabas departed the next day—not right away—to Derbe (verse 20), where they preached the gospel and many became disciples through their preaching. Paul would later say in the letter to the Romans:

“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!’” (Romans 10:14-15).

Afterwards, they returned to “Lystra [where Paul had been stoned], Iconium, and Antioch (in Pisidia)” (verse 21). He encouraged and strengthened the brethren, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and it was on that occasion, that Paul’s famous words were uttered, in verse 22: “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” He later would tell Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:10-12:

“But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra–what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

They appointed elders with prayer and fasting in every church (Acts 14, verse 23), went again to the city of Perga (where John Mark had left them) and preached there “the word” (verse 25). After that, they returned to Antioch (from which Paul had begun his first missionary journey), and “when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. So they stayed there a long time with the disciples” (verses 27-28).

God must open doors to His Church to go through them and to fulfill its commission.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 16:9:

“For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

He added in 2 Corinthians 2:12:

“… I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord,”

He elaborated in Colossians 4:3-4:

“… praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.”

In Revelation 3:8, 10-11, Christ gives His end-time church the following promise:

“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name… Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”

And as we saw above, God must also open doors to individuals, like the “door of faith.”

This ended Paul’s first missionary journey.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“The Beast of Germany Over Ten Nations,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

The Bible shows us that in these last days, a powerful military leader will arrive in Europe, called the Beast, and that ten nations will give him their authority. Also, that Germany will be the leading European country. In this program, we discuss developments in Europe and Germany which confirm with astonishing accuracy these biblical prophecies.

“Das Tier Deutschlands über zehn Nationen,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topics as described above.

“Valentine’s Day – A Celebration of Love?” is the latest short video which has been posted on YouTube.

“‘Christus in uns’—was heißt das?” is the title of this Sabbath’s German split sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “ ‘Christ In Us’—What Does This Mean?”

“Zucht als Ausdruck von Liebe–Gottes Handeln und elterliche Verantwortung,” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Mike Richter, is now posted. Title in English: “Raising Children as an Expression of Love – God’s Action and Parental Responsibility.”

“Admit Your Mistakes!–Comments on News and Prophecy, February 7, 2026,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

When we do wrong or say wrong things, do we admit our mistakes and apologize? Or do we deny responsibility, blame someone else and say, “I didn’t make a mistake”? Focusing on Nancy Guthrie, do we understand that under Old Testament rules, a kidnapper was to be put to death? Also, what is our personal thorn in the flesh? Who were all the “Mary’s” in the Bible? What is the future of Ukraine and Taiwan? What is Germany doing in the Gulf region? When will the third temple be built? These and many other questions are discussed in this program.

“Ask And You Shall Receive,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Michael Link, is now posted. Here is the summary:

If you were granted three wishes, which ones would you choose? Would many of those wishes actually come true, and would they be in accordance with God’s Will?