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What’s Age Got to Do with It? / To Be First

On May 6, 2023, Kalon Mitchell will present the first split-sermon, titled, “What’s Age Got to Do with It?” and Michael Link will present the second split-sermon, titled, “To Be First.”

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 Power of Together

by Eric Rank

Over the years, I have found that it is not uncommon to refer to the annual Church conference as “a Feast.” I have noted myself and others making the same association. Of course, the conference is not mentioned in the Bible as a commanded observance like the Feast of Tabernacles. However, there are several similarities that make it easy to draw this comparison.

Those who attend the conference gather together, in person if possible, to discuss doctrine, review the past year, and make plans for how we will perform the Work for the coming year, among other operational details of the Church. Thought and conversations are dedicated to matters that are spiritual. We take a great deal of time to carefully consider how we carry out the commission we have from God to preach the Gospel and feed the flock. In addition to the Work carried out during our meetings, we get to spend a lot of time together as brethren. We enjoy meals, leisure activities, and sometimes a modest adventure with one another. Like the Feast of Tabernacles, it is a time when we have a chance to focus our attention on the most important aspects of life and revive our energy for the year with brethren that we don’t normally see throughout the year. It’s no wonder to me that I so easily call the conference a “Feast,” given the similar focus on the Work of God and joy of camaraderie.

Coming home from the conference this year, I am contemplative of how valuable it is to spend time with brethren beyond the structured time of conference meetings or of Sabbath services. Only by spending time with another person are we able to have the kind of common experience that builds a relationship. A simple conversation about life, or even sitting quietly together, can have the power of building a bond of friendship. Being with one another helps us to understand the context of each other’s life in subtle ways that build empathy and deepen our capacity for love. As Christian brethren, the potential for building a meaningful relationship with others of like mind is great because we have the same purpose that drives us.

The instruction we have in Hebrews 10:24-25 carries tremendous meaning, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Reflecting on this passage, we not only see the importance of assembling together, but we can also see the purpose. It is far too easy to become weary as we battle against the influence of the world that stands opposed to the righteousness we strive to live by. To carry on day after day without the support from others can become a grueling task. To say it plainly and simply, we need one another for encouragement to hold fast to love and righteousness.

Assembling together on the weekly Sabbath and annual Holy Days is the commanded and ideal way to both give and receive the support we need. Yet, we are a Church with members spread out over long distances, which makes attending weekly and annual Sabbath services in person not always possible. We also understand that physical ailments may make it prohibitive to attend in person as well. Given any real limitations, we ought to carefully consider if we are taking advantage of the opportunities to be together when possible. If we are physically limited in our ability to gather together on the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days, we can still connect in other ways. A simple note or phone call to someone when we’re thinking about them can be extremely uplifting, and it doesn’t take much commitment.

The fact is, we all need encouragement to endure until the end. Life is hard, and it doesn’t seem to get much easier when we consider the circumstances in the world around us. We can take heart in reading Paul’s encouragement to the Thessalonians, “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

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by Norbert Link

We report on deeply unpopular Joe Biden’s and Kamala Harris’ bids for reelection, as well as Robert F. Kennedy’s participation in the race as a (for now) Democratic candidate; and we speak on the surprise ouster of Tucker Carlson from Fox News. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Should Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Be Censored?

We address dramatic developments pertaining to the Russia-Ukraine war [note our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “Will Russia Win Against Ukraine?” ] and continue with Germany’s “toxic” relationship with Russia; insane worldwide military spending; and de-dollarization attempts.

We point out some of Germany’s unpopular measures; speak about the fear of prosecution of Christian Bible-preaching pastors and the lack of prosecution of real criminals; and conclude with some very good news which was long overdue.

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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Biden and Harris Announce Bid for Reelection

The New York Post wrote on April 25:

“President Joe Biden formally announced his bid for re-election Tuesday, asking voters to give him another four years as America’s oldest president to help him ‘finish the job’ despite plunging support… He tweeted a more than three-minute video… making clear he will run again with Vice President Kamala Harris… However, the announcement came in the face of overwhelming proof that Americans want him to step down…”

Breitbart added on April 25:

“… his campaign launch video… opens with scenes from January 6th and featured issues such as abortion (‘personal freedom’) and LGBTQ…

“Over images of former President Donald Trump… as well as Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Biden warned that ‘MAGA extremists’ are looking to go after American’s social security benefits, despite the Republican Party opposing such measures.

“Mr Biden will not only face a challenge from the Republicans in his re-election bid, but also from Democratic candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who is already polling in double digits after he announced his bid to enter the race…

“[Kamala Harris’]aspirations to run again are contrary to what the vast majority of voters feel about her contributions up to now, with critics seeing her as stumbling eagerly from one disappointment to the next.”

Biden Should Not Run Again… Say the Right…

Fox News wrote on April 22:

“The Wall Street Journal editorial board… alleged the White House ‘goes to great lengths’ to hide what they speculate is Biden’s declining health. ‘But his decline is clear to anyone who isn’t willfully blind… the risk of an accelerated decline for Mr. Biden is considerable. The chance that he could serve a full second term is hardly assured,’ they wrote. The editors argued that Vice President Kamala Harris would make a poor commander-in-chief and that she would be nearly unelectable should Biden be forced to drop out of the race…”

… and the Left!

Fox News wrote on April 21:

“CNN anchor John King… spoke on his show ‘Inside Politics’ about the issues undermining Biden’s re-electability. King noted that Biden ‘clearly has liabilities’ and said, ‘he’s 80 years old. He will be 82 on Inauguration Day 2025.’  ‘Do the American people want that?’ he asked. ‘Do they want four more years for this president?’

“King then spoke about various political issues that have dogged Biden’s presidency. ‘Immigration is an issue where the Biden Administration, the numbers are not working in his favor, and the Republicans plan to make a very big deal of that,’ he said. ‘Inflation and recession fears, obviously, issue number one…

“He then noted a poll with grim implications for Biden’s electoral chances… ‘Nearly three quarters of Americans say the country is going in the wrong direction. Joe Biden is asking for four more years,’ he said. ‘When 74 percent of Americans think the country is heading the wrong way it’s hard for the boss to say “give me four more years.” This is a giant challenge for the president.’”

Breitbart wrote on April 28:

“Biden’s approval rating among independents in five of the latest national polls registered at 33.2 percent, while an average of 56.2 percent of independents disapprove of his performance…”

Biden Fit for Office?

Express reported on April 29:

“Biden’s latest public blunder saw the US President forget about his trip to Ireland – less than two weeks after it took place… To add further embarrassment, President Biden had to be reminded about the trip by a [three-year-old] child on the White House lawn… The blunder was even more bizarre considering that President Biden spent a significant time in Ireland speaking about his emotional and ancestral connection to the country…

“It comes in the same week that President Biden was caught using a ‘cheat sheet’ during a press conference, which suggested he had advance knowledge of a question from a journalist… President Biden has been ridiculed for relying on detailed cheat sheets in the past…

“Back in February, the White House physician said that the US President remains healthy, vigorous and fit to successfully execute his duties. However, the physical… did not include a cognitive test.”

Biden a Wise Man???

Bild Online published the following comment by Franz Josef Wagner on April 26:

“… to me you are ‘not an old fool.’ You are a wise man to me. You stumble up Air Force One sometimes – … you have age-related spinal arthritis.

“To me, Donald Trump is an old fool who has crushes on younger women…

“Your age and his age cannot be compared. There is much suffering in the face of Joe Biden. His first wife had an accident with her daughter. You were a single father to your sons. Then your son Beau died of a brain tumor. With this suffering he tried to become a decent person.

“Joe Biden has been accused of mumbling. Joe Biden has been a stutterer since childhood. He trained himself to stop stuttering with 100,000 exercises.

“But he’s too old, critics say. What nonsense. Character doesn’t get old. Decency doesn’t get old. I think it’s good that Joe Biden is running for President again. I would choose him.”

This is typical of the propaganda of the mass media with which the German people are kept in ignorance when it comes to the obvious failings of Joe Biden. Examples of his blatant incompetence are basically ignored.

Biden’s Economic Success Story?

The left-wing Deutsche Welle spoke in an article about Biden’s astonishing economic “success story.” Nothing could be remotely further from the Truth. Note the following article by the Sun, dated April 25:

“Biden has faced domestic and international challenges since entering office in January 2021.

“The aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic saw widespread supply chain shortages and energy prices have skyrocketed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In June, inflation in the US hit 9.1 percent – its highest figure in four decades. Florida Senator Rick Scott claimed that high inflation was Joe Biden’s ‘fault’ and said he was ‘asleep at the wheel.’”

Daily Mail wrote on April 25:

“Financially, the US is still working to manage a cost of living crisis and make up for labour shortages. The IMF warned this month that the US faces a ‘rocky recovery’ as it looks to build back from the uncertainty around the financial sector, high inflation, the war in Ukraine and Covid. The update forecast 1.6 per cent growth for the US this year… down significantly from the 2.8 per cent last year… the overall picture is still ‘clouded’ by uncertainty. The country also faces rising interest rates, affecting the ability to borrow money…

“Abroad, Biden has poured billions into supporting Ukraine against the Russian invasion, providing military, humanitarian and financial aid – and slapping Russia with costly sanctions. Trump has positioned himself against Biden, arguing the US should avoid sending aid abroad.”

Living in America, one knows how misleading the claim of Deutsche Welle is. But the German mass media has had a tendency of whitewashing Obama and Biden, while attacking Bush and Trump.

“Did Biden Steal The Election?”

Ron Paul wrote in the Ron Paul Institute, dated April 24:

“On or around Oct. 17, 2020, then-senior Biden campaign official Antony Blinken called up former acting CIA director Mike Morell to ask a favor: he needed high-ranking former US intelligence community officials to lie to the American people to save Biden’s lagging campaign from a massive brewing scandal.

“The problem was that Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, had abandoned his laptop at a repair shop and the explosive contents of the computer were leaking out. The details of the Biden family’s apparent corruption and the debauchery of the former vice-president’s son were being reported by the New York Post, and with the election less than a month away, the Biden campaign needed to kill the story…

“In short, at the Biden campaign’s direction Morell launched a covert operation against the American people to undermine the integrity of the 2020 election… Social media outlets prevented any reporting on the laptop from being posted and the mainstream media could easily ignore the story as it was merely ‘Russian propaganda.’…

“The Democrats and the mainstream media have relentlessly pushed the lie that the ruckus inside the US Capitol on Jan. 6th 2021 was a move by President Trump to overthrow the election results. Hundreds of ‘trespassers’ were arrested and held in solitary confinement without trial to bolster the false narrative that a conspiracy to steal the election was taking place.

“It turns out that there really was a conspiracy to steal the election, but it was opposite of what was reported…  Did the Biden campaign’s disinformation campaign help rig the election in his favor? Polls suggest that Biden would not have been elected had the American electorate been informed about what was on Hunter Biden’s laptop. So yes, they cheated in the election.

“The Democrats and the mainstream media are still at it, however. Now they are trying to kill the story of how they killed the story of the Biden laptop. This is a scandal that would once upon a time have ended in resignation, impeachment, and/or plenty of jail time. If they successfully bury this story, I hate to say it but there is no more rule of law in what has become the American banana republic.”

Biden falsely denied that the Biden family had received a $1.3 million China payout—more evidence that a huge cover-up took place to protect Hunter Biden and, more importantly, Joe Biden. An IRS Whistleblower allegedly said that he will provide evidence that Attorney General Merrick Garland lied under oath to Congress, according to an article by the New York Post, dated April 20.

Biden’s Denial of His Grandchild

Daily Mail wrote on May 1:

“Last week, ironically, at a White House ‘Take your child to work day’ event, Biden was asked how many grandchildren he has… He told the crowd of sweet, trusting, naive kids that he has six grandchildren. But that is a flat lie. Joe Biden has seven grandchildren. The human being that goes without mention is Navy Joan Roberts – Hunter’s four-year-old daughter. She’s persona non grata in the White House…

“Navy was reportedly conceived in a relationship that occurred while Hunter was still involved with his brother Beau’s widow, Hallie Biden. Ms. [Lunden Alexis] Roberts gave birth to Navy in August 2018. Subsequently, Hunter denied paternity of the child, but a 2019 DNA test reportedly proved otherwise and has since gone uncontested. In 2020, Hunter reportedly settled with Roberts for $2.5 million…

“… since Navy’s birth, according to court filings, Hunter ‘has never seen or contacted’ the child and could not pick her out of a photo lineup… if there’s anything that the Washington press corp and the Democratic Party are good for – it’s giving Joe and Hunter a pass. They’ve known about Navy for some time and turned a blind eye…

“The gutting tragedy of all of this is that a sinless child is the victim…

“Let me ask you a question, Mr President. How can you heal a nation if you can’t acknowledge the life of your own grandchild?… I can’t accept that our nation is so far gone that we don’t demand our president speak the name of his innocent grandchild.”

This is so sad and disturbing.

Robert Kennedy, Jr.’s Announcement Speech

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on April 20:

“Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s presidential campaign announcement speech on Wednesday included much that advocates of limiting the power of the United States government can cheer, including strong criticism of the US government’s crackdown in the name of countering coronavirus and of the series of wars in which the US government has engaged from Vietnam to Ukraine…”

According to various polls, Kennedy has an approval rate of about 13% or 14% of Democratic voters who voted for Biden in 2020. The press has been anxious to paint Kennedy in the most unfavorable light, saying overwhelmingly that Kennedy has no chance of succeeding. Still, many Democrats seem to be looking for an alternative to Biden whom they perceive to be too old, feeble and unproductive. Interestingly, Breitbart, Fox News and Newsmax broadcast interviews with and segments on the Democratic candidate, Robert Kennedy, Jr., and had not much to say about him in negative terms, and Newsmax moderator Rob Schmitt even said, in effect, that there is not much which you can disagree with.

“Robert F Kennedy Jr. vs. Democrat National Committee (DNC)

Breitbart wrote on April 24:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed the Democrat National Committee (DNC)… for having a ‘rigged’ primary system, with no debates and moving voting in South Carolina ahead of New Hampshire on the calendar…”

Will Kennedy Jr. continue to run as a Democrat, or perhaps in a different capacity? He also told Breitbart News this weekend that his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, has lost jobs in Hollywood for supporting his campaign. He said that cancel culture exists and it is “alarming.”  Though Cheryl Hines has been critical of her husband’s anti-vaccine advocacy in the past, she did issue a short statement in support of her husband’s presidential run. At the same time, Trump has allegedly said that he would not participate in presidential debates with Republican contenders as he would subject himself to “being libeled and slandered” and because “his poll numbers are so high he has no reason to compete with the rest of the field.”

Opposition to Transgenders in Women’s Sport

Breitbart wrote on April 30:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr…. told CNN on Saturday that ‘biological males’ threaten women’s sports. ‘I am against people participating in women’s sports who are biologically male,’ Kennedy said. ‘I think women who have worked too hard to develop women’s sports over the past 30 years I watched it happen and I don’t think that’s fair.’

“Kennedy said his opposition to trans athletes in women’s sports represents another area where he and Biden ‘differ really dramatically.’ The politician also recently came out in opposition to cancel culture…

“President Biden has been a fierce supporter of transgenders in women’s sports.”

Appalling Censorship by ABC News

The Ron Paul Institute published the following opinion piece on May 1 by Law Professor Jonathan Turley:

“Before he was assassinated, Robert F. Kennedy declared that ‘hand in hand with freedom of speech goes the power to be heard.’ That does not appear to be the view of ABC News, which censored his son who is now running for the Democratic presidential nomination. ABC objected to Kennedy’s views on COVID-19 vaccines, so it simply announced that it was preventing viewers from hearing those views to protect them from dangerous ideas.

“ABC’s Linsey Davis began the interview by introducing Kennedy as ‘one of the biggest voices pushing anti-vaccine rhetoric, regularly distributing misinformation and disinformation about vaccines, which scientific and medical experts overwhelmingly say are safe and effective based on rigorous scientific studies.’ That apparently was not enough. After telling viewers that this is one of his most famous stances (and its own disagreement), it then censored those views.

“After airing the interview, Davis announced “[w]e should note that during our conversation, Kennedy made false claims about the COVID-19 vaccines. We’ve used our editorial judgment in not including extended portions of that exchange in our interview.’

“Kennedy tweeted that ‘47 USC 315 makes it illegal for TV networks to censor Presidential candidates but Thursday, ABC showed its contempt for the law, democracy, and its audience by cutting most of the content of my interview with host Linsey Davis leaving only cherry-picked snippets and a defamatory disclaimer.’…

“Putting aside the federal law, this is wrong. ABC can challenge such views, but it is actively seeking to prevent voters from hearing a presidential candidate on an issue of great public interest and debate. It is particularly troubling after prior media censorship has been shown to have been wrong in silencing dissenting scientific views.

“We have seen various journalistic and scientific figures banned for expressing skepticism over pandemic claims from the origins of the virus to the efficacy of certain treatments… The same is true with the debate over the efficacy of masks…

“It is also not clear where ABC draws the line. Joe Biden has made so many false statements that the Washington Post gave him a ‘bottomless Pinocchio.’ Likewise, many view contested claims over climate change and transgender issues to be dangerous. Will ABC now be censoring these other candidates or positions?…”

Sadly, ABC has become more and more one of the left-wing propaganda machines in support of the Biden Administration.

Tucker Carlson Out

Breitbart reported on April 24:

“The political world was shaken Monday after Fox News announced it had parted ways with prime time host Tucker Carlson…”

This development is “a shocker,” sensational and stunning. On Monday, it was also announced that CNN had fired long-time moderator Don Lemon, but it pales in comparison with what appears to be Tucker Carlson’s firing. Speculation is ripe that his apparent dismissal was a somewhat undisclosed part of the highly controversial settlement agreement less than a week before between Fox and election technology company “Dominion Voting Systems” for more than $787 million. In this context, Fox was charged with having violated the freedom of speech by entering in the settlement. It appears Carlson did not know of his “dismissal” on Friday, when he wished viewers a nice weekend and stated he would be back Monday.

It appears Fox News is moving further and further away from its at one-time strong conservative platform. According to Mike Huckabee, Carlson’s audience out-paced that of MSNBC and CNN combined.

Also on Monday, it was announced that Susan Rice was leaving the Biden White House “with world chaos in her wake,” according to former ambassador Ric Grenell, continuing, “Sudan is only the latest disaster she has overseen.”

Tucker Carlson Responds

The New York Post wrote on April 26:

“In a video posted to Twitter, Carlson… accused political leaders on both sides of the aisle of silencing voices and shutting down media outlets that uncover corruption or reveal truths… Both political parties and their donors have reached a consensus on what benefits them and they actively collude to shut down any conversation about it. Suddenly, the United States looks very much like a one-party state,’ he added.”

The Hill reported on April 27:

“[The video] racked up more than 57 million views on Twitter as of Thursday afternoon [in less than 24 hours].”

Ukraine to Become Part of NATO AFTER Having Won the War Against Russia?

Breitbart wrote on April 21:

“(NATO) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told cameras [in Germany] that Ukraine’s membership of the alliance [NATO] was coming. Regardless, and possibly to reassure those who fear the consequences of admitting a country already at war into the fold of the NATO nuclear mutual assurance club would mean, Stoltenberg made clear that the present conflict would have to be won first… [He said:] ‘without a sovereign, independent Ukraine there is no meaning in discussing membership’…

“Russia… said in the past that allowing Ukraine to join the alliance would trigger ‘world war three’… Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said preventing Ukraine from joining NATO was one of the key purposes of the war…’”

It does not appear that Ukraine will win this war against Putin, so NATO membership would be a moot issue.

Medvedev Threatens to Destroy Berlin

Bild Online wrote on April 21:

“After Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (63, SPD) said on Thursday evening… that he considered limited attacks by Ukraine on Russian territory in the fight against the invasion acceptable, [ex-Russian President Dmitry] Medvedev freaked out again on Twitter. This time his destination: Berlin!

“‘The German defense minister (…) certainly envies the fame of the warlords of the Third Reich,’ said Medvedev… And the Kremlin’s mouthpiece threatens all of Germany: ‘The German who wants to attack Russia must be prepared for our parade in Berlin.’…

“It’s not the first time that the ex-Russian president and Putin friend has threatened Germany. In March he spoke openly of dropping bombs on Berlin. Reason for the threatening gestures: a possible arrest of the Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin (70) after an arrest warrant was issued by the International Criminal Court…

“Medvedev at the time: ‘The current head of a nuclear state arrives on the territory of, say, Germany and is arrested. What is that? A declaration of war against the Russian Federation.’ Should an arrest take place in Germany, ‘all our means, rockets and so on, will fly at the Bundestag, the Chancellery and so on,’ said Medvedev…”

From the context, it did not appear that Pistorius advocated a German attack on Russia. He spoke about an attack by Ukraine. Medvedev seems to have used that statement suggesting that Germany’s delivery of weapons to Ukraine makes it complicit IF Ukraine were to attack Russia on Russian soil. This is even more interesting as allegedly, Ukraine is preparing for a “big bang” strike to retake Crimea which has been in Russian hands since 2014, according to the Sun, dated April 22, 2023. Military experts seem to think that the key for Ukraine’s victory in the war against Russia is winning Crimea. Also note the next article.

Drone Attacks on Sevastopol

The Associated Press reported on April 29:

“A massive fire erupted at an oil depot in Crimea after it was hit by two of Ukraine’s drones, a Russia-appointed official there [Mikhail Razvozhayev] reported Saturday, the latest in a series of attacks on the annexed peninsula as Russia braces for an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive…

“Razvozhayev said the fire at the city’s harbor was assigned the highest ranking in terms of how complicated it will be to extinguish. However, he reported that the open blaze had been contained. Razvozhayev said the oil depot was attacked by ‘two enemy drones,’ and four oil tanks burned down. A third drone was shot down from the sky, and one more was deactivated through radio-electronic means, according to Crimea’s Moscow-appointed governor, Sergei Aksyonov…. Earlier this week, Razvozhayev reported that the Russian military destroyed a Ukrainian sea drone that attempted to attack the harbor…”

Ukraine Allegedly Tried to Kill Putin

Italy 24 Press News wrote on April 26:

“Ukrainian intelligence allegedly tried to kill the Russian president… with a UJ-22 explosive drone on April 23, when he was supposed to visit the Rudnevo industrial park near Moscow. This is what the newspaper ‘Bild’ reveals, adding that the assassination attempt is ‘kept secret by the Russian authorities although it failed’…”

On May 3, yahoo!news reported this:

“The Russian presidential administration said Wednesday that the Kremlin was attacked by drones overnight in an attempt on President Vladimir Putin’s life.

“Moscow residents had reported hearing two explosions behind Kremlin walls shortly after 2 a.m. local time, after which the lights went out. Footage shared by residents in a local Telegram channel captured the incident, as smoke was seen filling the sky above the Kremlin. Videos also appeared to show part of the Kremlin on fire.

“Now, authorities say it was a brazen attack by Ukraine using two drones, both of which they say have been destroyed…

“The Kremlin, describing the incident as a ‘planned terrorist attack’ and ‘assassination attempt on the president of Russia,’ is now threatening to take ‘retaliatory measures.’

“A spokesman for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied that the country was behind any attack on the Kremlin…”

But reports that Ukraine is trying to assassinate Putin are increasing.

Germany’s Toxic Relationship with Russia

MSN wrote on April 8:

“Over the past 75 years, the Germans have rebuilt Europe in their own image. With its coalition politics, mercantile economics, green ideology and woke culture, the EU is in many ways the Federal Republic writ large…

“Public support for Ukraine’s fight for survival is falling: half the country no longer supports sending arms and four out of five think it is more important to end the war quickly than for Ukraine to win.

“German trade with Russia almost halved by volume in 2022, but the value of imports actually rose by 6.5 per cent. This means that last year Germany alone contributed more than £30 billion to Putin’s war chest… anti-Americanism has surged…

“So why does Germany still have such a toxic relationship with autocracy? The short answer is: because that was the price of German reunification… The fact that the Federal Republic was able to absorb East Germany without violence was seen as a miracle, made possible by Mikhail Gorbachev’s reluctance to use military force. The quid pro quo came with the disastrous Ostpolitik of Gerhard Schröder and Angela Merkel, which left Germany dependent on Russian energy and virtually defenceless….”

Under a new German government being less friendly towards Russia and China, this may all change.

Switzerland’s Ban on Exporting Ammunition to Ukraine

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 24:

“Swiss ambassador to Berlin Paul Rene Seger said he was surprised by the ‘extent of the criticism that is raining down’ on his country over Switzerland’s ban on reexporting ammunition for Germany’s Leopard (or Gepard) tanks to Ukraine… Seger pointed to Switzerland’s long-running tradition of neutrality, which is one of the basic principles of Swiss foreign policy…

“Until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Germany had a very similar policy about not sending weapons to hot conflicts as Switzerland’s and often faced criticism in 2022 for its perceived reluctance to provide weaponry for Kyiv.”

Of course, Germany has had a history of violating its policy, when economically advantageous, long before the Ukraine conflict.

On the other hand, the Ron Paul Institute wrote on May 2:

“Washington’s old guard can’t help itself: when it comes to throwing endless streams of our money down a foreign boondoggle they just never refuse. Even if they promise to do so. Speaker Kevin McCarthy is backing off his ‘no blank check’ promise when it comes to Ukraine – even after $100 billion has already been authorized!”

Worldwide Military Spending at an All-Time High

Breitbart wrote on April 24:

“The world has never spent so much on military muscle. Figures released Monday show $2.24 trillion was outlaid globally in 2022 with Europe leading the way due to Ukraine’s demands for continued supplies of battlefield hardware… There was a 13 percent rise in Europe, the steepest in at least 30 years…

“Overall the United States remains by far the world’s biggest military spender. U.S. military spending reached $877 billion in 2022, which was 39 percent of total global military spending and three times more than the amount spent by China, the world’s second largest spender…

“[Following Russia as the world’s third highest military spender,]India’s military spending of $81.4 billion was the fourth highest in the world… In 2022 military spending by Saudi Arabia, the fifth biggest military spender, rose by 16 percent…”

The Associated Press added on April 24:

“… the three largest arms spenders were the United States, China and Russia, who between them accounted for 56% of global expenditure.”

De-Dollarization Attempts

Bitcoin.com wrote on April 27:

“Russia’s former head of state, Dmitry… Medvedev… predicted… late December that the U.S. dollar will be losing its status of global reserve currency in 2023, amid the increasing spread of digital currencies.

“Russia has been working on a digital ruble and a new payment system that officials claim will not restrict digital currency payments. Pressed by Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow also intends to legalize crypto payments in international settlements as part of its de-dollarization attempts.”

It was also reported on the Internet that China plans to create a $58 billion railway system connecting Pakistan and China to reduce Western trade dependence. The South China Morning Post reported on April 27 that “many other train systems could connect China to Turkey and Iran moving forward. China, the world’s largest manufacturer of goods, is bypassing the U.S. dollar dominance by improving and promoting the Chinese Yuan’s utility. If the development goes through, it would open direct access for China to trade with other Asian nations.”

The Challenge of the BRICS Countries

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 10:

“… the BRICS nations — Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa — are setting themselves up as an alternative to existing international financial and political forums… South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor has said worldwide interest in the BRICS group was ‘huge.’ [She said] she had 12 letters from interested countries on her desk. ‘Saudi Arabia is one,’ she said. ‘United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Algeria, and Argentina,’ as well as Mexico and Nigeria… [Subsequently, it was reported that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and Algeria have formally requested to join the BRICS alliance; and that Iran has also shown interest in joining].  

“Since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine, the BRICS countries have only distanced themselves further from the so-called West. Neither India, Brazil, South Africa or China are taking part in sanctions against Russia. This has become increasingly clear with near-historic levels of trade between India and Russia, or in Brazil’s dependence on Russian fertilizer.”

Watcher Guru added on April 28 that the BRICS countries are moving “to replace the US dollar with a new currency of global stage to settle international trade”; and that they are a challenge to the G7 countries (the US, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, the UK and Japan).

South Africa Wants to Arrest Putin During BRICS Summit?

Newsmax wrote on May 2:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin has been warned that he could be arrested if he travels to the BRICS summit in South Africa this August, with officials in the country saying they will have to detain him on the warrant issued this March by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

“According to the South African outlet The Sunday Times, government officials there are trying to convince Putin to attend the BRICS summit in Cape Town by videoconference rather than in person, because as a member of the ICC, South Africa would have to honor Putin’s arrest warrant.”

Earlier, South Africa had assured Putin that they would NOT arrest him if he were to enter their country. Why the sudden change in approach?

Germany’s Unpopular Measures

Breitbart wrote on April 21:

“Germany’s Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck announced that the cabinet of Chancellor Olaf Scholz will back the Building Energy Efficiency Act, which would require that all new heating systems run on at least 65 per cent of so-called renewable forms of energy. This would effectively ban new gas and oil heaters, which would need to be replaced with heat pumps or hybrid systems that only use fossil fuels as a backup.

“According to the draft legislation, the plan would cost the German public some 9.16 billion euros ($10 billion) per year until at least 2028…

“… nearly half of the 41 million households [are] using natural gas for heating and 25 per cent using oil.

“The green agenda push is apparently not appreciated by the German public, who have been suffering under an energy crisis as a result of dried-up supplies of Russian gas…  78 per cent of Germans are opposed to the legislation, as opposed to just 18 per cent who back the bill. Over six in ten people also told the pollster that they believed the move towards renewables would result in their heating bills costing more.

“The push to ban new gas and oil heaters comes just days after Germany closed down its final three remaining nuclear power plants…”

Habeck from the Green party has turned out to be one of the most unpopular politicians in Germany. With Habeck’s insane green-driven woke agenda, how can Germany’s incompetent government survive?

Germany’s “Energiewende”

Forbes wrote on April 20:

“Germany has been at the forefront of efforts to transition away from nuclear power and towards renewable energy sources with its ‘energiewende’ initiative…

“Germany’s decision to phase out nuclear power appears to be at odds with the country’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions… Germany’s phaseout of nuclear power is all the more stunning because it comes at a time when Europe is grappling with high energy prices caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine…

“Germany’s nuclear phaseout has angered many, including some environmentalists… Despite the criticisms, German leaders appear committed to their energiewende initiative. This may be premised on the false belief that renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, can completely replace nuclear and coal on the path to zero carbon emissions…”

Swearing Allegiance to the King?

AFP wrote on April 30:

“All Britons will be called on to swear allegiance to King Charles III at his coronation, an oath hitherto reserved for British nobility…

“The office of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who will lead the coronation ceremony on May 6 at Westminster Abbey, announced on Saturday that the traditional ‘Homage of Peers’ — during which representatives of the nobility kneel before the king and pledge allegiance to him — would be scrapped. Instead, the ceremony will include a ‘Homage of the People’, with the archbishop calling on all people in the United Kingdom and other places where King Charles is the head of state to swear allegiance…

“The order of service will read: ‘All who so desire, in the abbey, and elsewhere, say together: I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.’

“British parliamentarians, but also Canadians since the British sovereign is their head of state, already swear allegiance to the monarch when they take office…

“At Saturday’s ceremony, women bishops will take part for the first time, as well as representatives of non-Christian faiths…”

Very strange indeed.

Pastor Threatened with Jail for Quoting the Bible

Fox News wrote on April 24:

“An outspoken street preacher is appealing to the Oklahoma Supreme Court after he was slapped with a five-year restraining order that threatened him with jail time if he speaks out in opposition against a local LGBTQ advocacy group…

“Penkoski referenced Bible verses condemning homosexuality, including Romans 1:32 – ‘and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same but also give hearty approval to those who practice them’…

Penkoski made two additional posts in which he expressed his disapproval of several Pride events in Bartlesville. In one post, he criticized local Disciples Christian Church for sharing photos of children celebrating Pride Month last June…

“… the Rutherford Institute, which represented Paula Jones in her sexual harassment claim against former President Bill Clinton, took on Penkoski’s case because they believe it could set a dangerous precedent that could chill the speech of Christians or anyone else who publicly opposes LGBTQ ideology… Whitehead [a constitutional attorney of the Rutherford Institute] said that if Penkoski fails in his appeal, the First Amendment is ‘dead,’ which he believes ‘would open [the] door for persecution, obviously… He quotes what Jesus Christ says, OK? If that’s a crime, then we’re in a bad state in this country,’ he added.”

We ARE in a bad state in this country!

No Consequence For Breaking the Law

The New York Post wrote on April 26:

“Under the new crop of George Soros-backed, soft-on-crime district attorneys, there is no consequence for breaking the law…

“In Chicago, two teens steal a car, speed down a road and kill a baby. That’s not enough to lock them up…

“Progressives will tell us with a straight face that crime isn’t increasing, and if it is, it has nothing to do with this new breed of no-bail, no-jail prosecutors. It’s ludicrous…

“This experiment in anarchy must end.”

Finally, Some GOOD NEWS–No More COVID Vaccinations for International Travelers

Reuters wrote on May 1:

“The United States will end its COVID-19 vaccination requirements for international travelers and federal workers on May 11, when the coronavirus public health emergency ends, the White House said on Monday. In February, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to lift the requirement that most foreign air travelers be vaccinated against COVID-19, one of the few remaining pandemic travel restrictions still in place.

“The Biden administration last June dropped its requirement that people arriving in the U.S. by air must test negative for COVID but kept in place Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccination requirements for most foreign travelers.

“The Homeland Security Department also said Monday starting May 12 it will no longer require non-U.S. travelers entering the United States via land ports of entry and ferries to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination upon request.

“The Biden administration’s rules imposed in September 2021 requiring about 3.5 million federal employees and contractors to be vaccinated or face firing or disciplinary action have not been enforced for over a year after a series of court rulings. A federal appeals court in March upheld a decision blocking enforcement of the employee vaccine requirement…”

It was more than overdue to end this insane policy; hopefully, it will stay that way.

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 God Love Everyone? Does the Bible Teach Unconditional Love? (Part 1)

A reader sent us the following message:

“[Someone] told me that God loves everyone, no matter what, but I can’t believe that. Now, if God loves everyone, why did He kill everyone in the Flood except for Noah and his family? If God loves everyone, why did He destroy all the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from heaven? If God loves everyone, why does He send people to the Lake of Fire (Eternal Death)? If God loves everyone, then all people would have to be written in the book of life, including Satanists [and] witches. That God loves everyone seems to me to be a widespread myth in Christianity. Romans 9:13 says God hated Esau. And Psalm 5:5 says God hates all workers of iniquity.”

These are important questions. In this new series, we will discuss those and other questions regarding God’s love, and answer whether God loves every human being and whether the Bible speaks of God’s “unconditional” love.

We want to begin with God’s statement that He loved Jacob and hated Esau. We read Paul’s words in Romans 9:9-13:

“For this is the word of promise: ‘At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.’ And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her, ‘The older shall serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.’”

As we will explain, this passage addresses God’s mercy (compare verses 15-16, 18) and the time of our calling (compare again verse 11 and verses 23-26). God calls only very few today to salvation, referring to them as the “firstfruits” (James 1:18; Revelation 14:4); and His calling has nothing to do with our works, but is strictly based on His mercy and grace (compare also Romans 11:32; 1 Peter 2:9-10; see as well Romans 11:5-6). But the timing of God’s election regarding the few does not show a lack of love of God for all of mankind, because, as we will see, everyone will be called to salvation, in his or her due time.

Everyone will get his or her chance to respond to God, but everyone in his or her own order (compare 1 Corinthians 15:23). God has not preordained anyone to eternal death — those who are not called yet are not judged yet — they will be judged later, when their time of calling has come. God most certainly does not hate anyone, “before having done any good or evil” (Romans 9:11).

In Romans 9:13, God explains that He CALLED Jacob, and that He did NOT CALL Esau at that time. We need to understand that God had decided to call or choose for salvation certain ones “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:3-4). We don’t know exactly, and God does not reveal, on what basis He chooses and elects those whom He had preordained, but we know that He does make such an election, as the Bible tells us so.

In calling Jacob, God loved him in a special way, by opening his understanding to His truth, and by ultimately granting him His Holy Spirit. God did not call Esau AT THAT TIME. He WILL call Esau and all of his descendants later — during the Second Resurrection and the Great White Throne Judgment period, as we will explain.

By comparison, God “loved” Jacob more than Esau. God’s “love” needs to be understood in light of God’s calling at that time. In not calling someone to repentance and to the understanding of His truth, God “loves” such a person “less” by comparison — at that moment in time — but not forever. God knows that such a person, still cut off from Him, will engage in sinful ways, bringing about automatic penalties.

God’s statement that He loved Jacob and HATED Esau must be understood as saying that God loved Esau LESS BY COMPARISON. We might also note that the Bible itself sometimes describes “hate” as “love less by comparison.”

In Luke 14:26 we read that Christ tells us, “If anyone comes to Me and does not HATE his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” In the parallel passage, in Matthew 10:37, the word “hate” is described as “love less by comparison.” We read, “He who loves his father or mother MORE than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter MORE than Me is not worthy of Me.” In other words, we must love them LESS, by comparison, than Jesus Christ. We are to love the Father and the Son with all our heart and our strength and our mind (compare Matthew 22:37). God must always come first in our lives. At the same time, we are to LOVE — not hate — our neighbor AS ourselves (compare Matthew 22:39). We are not to hate our neighbor, including our own family, nor are we to hate ourselves (but we must hate it when we do something wrong). We are to love them and us LESS than God, though, by comparison.

Another biblical example, where the meaning of “hate” must be understood as “loving less by comparison,” can be seen in Genesis 29:30-31, which states:

“Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years. When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.”

The Margin of the New King James Bible states that the word for “unloved” is literally “hate.” Compare also Deuteronomy 21:15-17 in the Authorized Version.  

When God said that He “hated” Esau, by loving him less than Jacob, He was talking about His decision to call Jacob, but not Esau, to salvation at that time. The time for Esau’s and his descendants’ salvation is still coming.

The fact that God WILL call ALL for salvation proves that God loves ALL. But this does not mean that God loves evil doing. When God calls us, He wants us to forsake unrighteousness and love His Way of Life. God HATES it when we sin. Likewise, God hates it when He sees unconverted people sinning, and at times, He might intervene to stop them from doing so, as He did in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah and also at the time of Noah. But as we will see, this does not negate His love for those whom He destroyed, because He will raise them up in a “Second Resurrection” to offer them salvation at that time.

It is important, however, to consider as to WHY God decided at times to intervene and destroy evil people and rotten societies, even though generally speaking, it is Satan and his demons, and not God, who rule this world (compare Luke 4:5-8; John 14:30; Ephesians 2:1-2; 6:12). In the case of Noah’s Flood, please note how the people were described at that time. Genesis 6:5-13 explains:

“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’… The earth… was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.’”

The people were so corrupt and violent that God was sorry that He had made them. He felt it was better to destroy them and make a new beginning with righteous Noah, rather than let evil men continue to live with their wickedness and defile perhaps even Noah and his wife and family.

We even read in Genesis 6:1-2 about another abomination at that time:

“Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.”

This passage does in no way address the erroneous concept that righteous or fallen angels cohabited with women. Such conduct would have been impossible at the time of the Flood, nor would it be possible today. This whole idea is in fact a demonic and blasphemous abomination. The sons of God in Genesis 6 were not angels or demons, but male descendants of Seth (the third-born son of Adam and Eve), who sinned when marrying unrighteous female descendants of Cain (Cain was Adam and Eve’s unrighteous first-born son who had murdered his righteous brother Abel). For extensive proof, please read Part 5 of our free booklet, “Heavens and Earth… Before and After the First Man!”

Clearly, Satan and his demons were behind these events, in that they influenced the descendants of Seth to marry the unrighteous descendants of Cain. This ungodly behavior by Seth’s descendants, apparently even with the use of violent conduct (“they TOOK wives for themselves of all whom THEY CHOSE”), was another reason why God decided to make an end to that evil generation. Seth’s “righteous” descendants had become “unrighteous” themselves by marrying unrighteous descendants of evil and wicked Cain. Sinful rotten conduct had been adopted by just about everyone. But God knew of course that He would resurrect all of those whom He would destroy in the Flood to physical life again in the “Second Resurrection.”

But even during these terrible times, God granted people the opportunity to repent. While Noah built the ark and before God brought “in the flood on the world of the ungodly,” Noah warned the people of impending destruction, being called a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5).

In addition, we are told in 1 Peter 3:19–20 that Christ “went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water” (Authorized Version). Some claim that Christ went to “hell” to preach to the spirits of the “departed ones” or to imprisoned demons while He was in the grave for three days and three nights. This is utter nonsense. Rather, the correct understanding of this passage is that Jesus Christ preached to the spirits in prison—the demons—at the time of Noah, when God suffered long or “when the longsuffering of God waited patiently” (Margin of New King James Bible) and when He was about to protect Noah from destruction. Christ used this example to show that the demons who had sinned “some time”—before the creation of man—were still awaiting their judgment.

Turning to the destruction of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, their evil way had to be ended right there and then in the eyes of God, as even righteous Lot had already been defiled to an extent, and his wife and his sons-in-law had no desire to flee from that evil environment. We read God’s words about Sodom’s depravity in Genesis 18:20-21: “And the LORD said, ‘Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.’”

As it turned out, not even ten righteous people could be found in Sodom. We read in Genesis 19:4-9:

“Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.’ So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, and said, ‘Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly!… And they said, ‘Stand back!’ Then they said, ‘This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.’ So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door.”

The angels who lodged in Lot’s house helped him, and God’s judgment is revealed in Genesis 19:13-15: “‘For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.’… When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, ‘Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.’”

Homosexual practice, combined with violent behavior, was clearly part of the reason why God decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, “making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly” (2 Peter 2:6; compare also Jude 7), but more was involved. We read in Ezekiel 16:48-50:

“‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘neither your sister Sodom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done. Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit.’”

But as in the case of the people who died in Noah’s Flood, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah will also be brought back to life in the Second Resurrection or the Great White Throne Judgment period when they will be offered, as we will explain, an opportunity to receive salvation. Christ said in Matthew 10:15 that in comparison to the cities who rejected Christ’s apostles at the time of Jesus’ first coming, “it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!” [Compare also Luke 10:12.] He also said in Matthew 11:23-24: “… if the mighty works which were done in [Capernaum] had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”

The fact that God will resurrect the people of Sodom and Gomorrah to offer them salvation shows that He does not hate them, but that He loves them, even though He clearly hated their terrible ungodly conduct.

Sometimes, Scriptures may suggest that God does not only hate the sin, but also the sinner. For instance, we read in Psalm 5:4-6:

“For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.”

Psalm 11:5-6 states: “… the wicked and the one who loves violence His [the LORD’s] soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup.”

Furthermore, Psalm 7:11 states: “God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day.”

But correctly understood, God is angry with and hates the wicked behavior of the sinner. We read in Psalm 45:7 about Jesus Christ: “You love righteousness and hate wickedness…” When biblical passages say that God hates the workers of iniquity and the wicked persons, then the sin or wickedness is “personified.” Such usage of words is not uncommon in the Bible (compare Romans 7:8, 11, 17). But as we have seen, God loves the sinner (but not his sinful way, nor does He love what he is doing) and because of His love for him, He is willing to give him the opportunity to repent and submit to and love Him.

This becomes very clear when we discuss the doctrine of the Second Resurrection.  

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

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Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

compiled by Dave Harris

“Should Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Be Censored?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Some networks are trying to censor Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., allegedly due to his controversial views, but this could backfire. And what about censorship in general?

“Will Russia Win Against Ukraine?” is the title of our recent StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

There are more and more signs that Ukraine’s supporters in the West are not that anxious anymore to help Ukraine by delivering weapons and money. And without that help, Ukraine cannot survive and win against Russia. Does the Bible indicate as to what will happen ultimately? In this program, we focus on the true feelings of many Western Europeans, and especially Germans, towards Ukraine.

“Hat Biden überhaupt eine Chance, Präsident zu bleiben?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “Does Biden Even Have a Chance to Remain President?”

The 2023 Ministerial Conference was conducted on April 27 and 28. Details will be presented in our next monthly Member Letter.

Our new booklet, “The Rise and Fall of Germany and Europe,” has reached its final review cycle and will be sent to the printer very soon.

“Wer ist der wahre Gott?” the sermonette presented last Sabbath in Germany by Tahir Coban, is now posted. Title in English: “Who Is the True God?”

“Leuchtet das Licht in uns mit voller Kraft?” the sermon presented last Sabbath in Germany by Christoph Sperzel, is now posted. Title in English: “Does the Light Within Us Shine With Full Force?”

“Joshua,” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted.

The Law of God Makes All the Difference,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Brian Gale, is now posted. Here is a summary:

If everyone on earth kept just one of God’s Ten Commandments, the whole world would be so very much better for doing that and what a difference it would make.   But when Jesus Christ sets up the Kingdom of God on earth, all 10 of the Commandments will be kept and the world will be a completely different place – and so much better for it! 

Spring Holy Day: Pentecost—May 28, 2023.

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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:

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