Update 1219

On August 8, 2026, Frank Bruno will give the sermonette, titled, “Atomic August,” and Eric Rank will give the sermon, titled, “Give Your Concerns to God.”

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

Without God’s involvement in the raw facts and events of reality, they carry no positive or negative value in themselves. They are simply events. Natural disasters like a tornado or wildfire happen on their own accord, doing what they do. Far less destructive events like a cool summer breeze or a rainbow after a rainstorm take place without any predetermined intention in themselves. Events with a human origin are also, on the face of it, mere moments in time. Weddings, funerals, a day at the beach, a scraped knee all occur as they do, as facts. Whatever happens factually becomes captured as a record in the annals of history as events.

Yet each of these events that take place as objective facts, without any inherent value, have the power to affect us emotionally. A situation may produce sadness, joy, anger, compassion, or myriad other emotions according to how we process it. Interestingly, the same event can produce opposite emotional responses even within the same person, depending on a shift in perspective. Our emotional responses can vary widely in both range and intensity.

Our emotions also affect us greatly, ultimately having the power to direct our chosen responses. In Thilo Hanstein’s powerful and insightful editorial, “Feelings That Can Deceive Us!,” published on February 27, 2026, he wrote about how we are to anchor ourselves by trusting in God so our feelings and emotions don’t lead us astray. He writes, “God’s Word does not say that we should suppress our feelings, but that we should not make them our ultimate standard. God is described as unchanging, while the human heart can falter. That is why trusting in God is not a feeling, but a decision.” He acknowledges that feelings are real and meaningful to us. But he continues to emphasize the importance of using those feelings to bring us closer to God, so that He can help us manage them. We need God to guide us in all things, and our feelings and emotions help Him to understand our situation.

The passage in Jeremiah 17:9 is one which, humanly speaking, is very troubling. Jeremiah writes, “‘The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?’” If we cannot trust our own hearts, even when we feel that our intentions are good, it can leave us untethered. If even our inner-most hearts cannot be trusted, what are we to do? The answer is that we go to God. The Holy Spirit is pure and with it, God will help us to understand our situation from a godly perspective. It is with that godly perspective that we are to guide our emotional response. As Mr. Hanstein astutely emphasized in his editorial, we must trust in God to help us process our feelings and emotions. This is the only way to avoid being led astray by the deceits of our human heart.

So then, if emotions are a synthetic response to factual events and if those emotions produced by our heart can lead us astray, is it wrong for us to have emotions? Should we deny the way we feel? Do our emotions have no value in the eyes of God? To answer any of these questions affirmatively is not what the Bible instructs. In fact, we see many counter examples demonstrating how emotions serve an important and powerful purpose in our lives and the lives of God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Shortly after the creation of man, God felt sorrow and grief after seeing the severe wickedness that had developed in mankind and moved Him to initiate the flood (compare Genesis 6:5-6). Even though there was such evil, God the Father also felt such strong love for humanity that He was willing to give His Son Jesus as a Sacrifice to cover their sins (compare John 3:16). Jesus Christ, being fully man when He was on the earth, felt strong emotion as well, which motivated His ministry. “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest’” (Matthew 9:36-38). Emotion is not an ungodly trait. Far from it. Emotion is a powerful force that we see through God’s example. In these examples, we can see how action became motivated through emotion.

Emotion is a motivating force. Without emotion, the events of our lives are neutral facts of history that fail to move us in any meaningful way. As Christians, we must be moved in the right direction by our emotions. What we do in the eyes of God matters. Therefore, our motivation needs to be aligned with God. The call to action is to bring emotions to Him so we choose the right direction.

Emotion, guided by God, will motivate us to understand how we should respond. Our hearts will be bound to lead us astray if we don’t include Him. However, when we invite God into our lives to help us understand the events that affect us, He has the power to fortify our emotions with righteous intent. This is what gives us strength to tackle the difficult events we face and to rejoice in the situations we are meant to appreciate.

God has a strong desire to work with us. He expects that we will have a heart with a capacity to feel joy, anguish, love, and more. He knows that we need that in our lives to be a motivating force. And He knows we need His strength.

When we have need, God invites us to pour out our innermost heartfelt emotions to Him. And we always have need. “…Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him…” (Lamentations 2:19). What we go through will certainly trigger emotional responses. When we lay down those emotions before God, He will help us to understand our circumstances from His perspective, motivating us to respond righteously.

By Norbert Link

We address the criticism of more and more conservative voices in regard to Trump’s Iran war; address his ballroom project and his renewed attempts to limit birthright citizenship. We speak on Anthony Fauci’s contempt of Congress; the ongoing disagreements about the control over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s overall goals; and we publish several articles speaking about Trump’s Iran trap and proclaiming that America’s era is coming to an end.

We address regime change in Cuba and Spain’s humanitarian disaster; as well as drone incidents in Europe for which Russia is blamed. We conclude with an alleged imminent threat of an Israeli takeover of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. 

Please view our recent message, titled “Israel to Take Over Al-Aqsa?—Comments on News and Prophecy, August 8, 2026.”

In addition, please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “No Peace for Israel.”

Fox Moderators Critical of Trump’s Iran War

The Guardian wrote on August 1:

“Throughout his two presidencies, Donald Trump has leaned on reliable support from the conservative opinion wing of his favorite cable news channel, Fox News. But, like a broad swathe of the American public, several traditionally supportive commentators on the channel have recently expressed concerns about whether the war on Iran is succeeding, suggesting that Trump is on increasingly dicey footing in the conservative media world he relies on for backing.

“While he isn’t close to losing the support of hosts such as Sean Hannity or Jesse Watters, Trump has received scrutiny from one of the network’s top personalities, Laura Ingraham, who has regularly questioned whether the US has achieved the tactical wins it has claimed in Iran. He has also faced reliable skepticism from one of the network’s most prominent commentators about the armed forces, Johnny ‘Joey’ Jones, a contributor and retired Marine Corps staff sergeant who lost both his legs in combat in Afghanistan…

“That’s not to mention the network’s military commentators, such as retired Lt Gen Keith Kellogg, who said on Fox on Wednesday that Trump needs to ‘change’ his strategy…  ‘Bombing is not going to get the job done.’…

“Brit Hume, a Fox News analyst, connected the quagmire to Trump’s political promises to voters. ‘He promised to keep us out of endless wars or unsatisfactory wars, and now he’s in one, and it’s not at all clear how it’s gonna end…’ In June, John Roberts, a Fox News anchor, said he was ‘a little puzzled’ about Trump’s Iran negotiation strategy. Even Watters, a reliable Trump booster, seemed skeptical about his ever-changing timelines for reaching a deal with Iran to end the war. ‘He keeps saying: “We’re very close. We’re days away.” And I don’t know what that means. We’ve heard that for a very long time,’ he said in June.

“Hosts on the network’s business channel have also regularly questioned the rising price of oil and the impact on American consumers, particularly ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.”

Trump’s Ballroom on Hold

The Associated Press wrote on August 7:

“A divided federal appeals court ruled Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must stop construction of the $400 million White House ballroom because Congress has not approved the project, a decision he blasted as ‘unjust’ while vowing to appeal it to the nation’s highest court….

“Friday’s ruling marked the second time this week that the Trump administration has made headlines for construction plans that have been called into question. An assessment by the National Park Service found that a 250-foot-tall (76-meter-tall) triumphal arch that Trump has proposed building could compromise the historical significance of dozens of sites near its planned location on a traffic circle between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery….

“After the lower court earlier this year ordered a halt to aboveground construction, the president argued that permission from Congress was unnecessary because public money was not being used to pay for it. Trump has said he has raised hundreds of millions of dollars from corporations and wealthy people, including himself, to cover the construction costs. But the Trump administration had requested $1 billion for the ballroom, which Congress refused in May…”

It is more than doubtful that the Supreme Court will side with Trump on this issue, but one never knows.

Birthright Citizenship—Trump Tries It Again…

Newsweek wrote on August 7:

“President Donald Trump on Thursday signed executive orders aimed at narrowing access to birthright citizenship, marking a renewed effort after the Supreme Court struck down a broader administration policy earlier this year. The move follows the Supreme Court’s June 30 rejection of Trump’s earlier executive order seeking to deny automatic citizenship to some children born in the United States to noncitizen parents.

“The orders target what the administration describes as ‘birth tourism’and seek to deny automatic citizenship in a limited number of circumstances that officials argue fall within longstanding exceptions to the 14th Amendment. The White House said the measures expand the definition of people ineligible for birthright citizenship and strengthen restrictions aimed at curbing so-called birth tourism. Administration officials argued the new orders fall outside the scope of the Supreme Court’s June ruling because they apply only to categories that they contend are not covered by birthright citizenship protections.

“The order directs federal agencies not to recognize U.S. citizenship for certain people born in the United States when neither parent is a U.S. citizen and one of several conditions applies… A separate executive order directs the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to take additional steps aimed at curbing birth tourism… Officials contend that some cases involving birth tourism involve fraudulent entry or misrepresentation by parents seeking U.S. citizenship for a child… The order defines birth tourism as a foreign national entering the United States on a nonimmigrant visa for the purpose of giving birth on American soil, or assisting another foreign national in doing so. The order authorizes federal agencies to deny visas or travel authorizations to people seeking to engage in birth tourism, revoke existing travel documents, permanently bar entry, and pursue action against individuals or organizations involved in facilitating such schemes….

“The American Civil Liberties Union, which successfully challenged Trump’s previous birthright citizenship order, said the new measures were unlikely to survive judicial scrutiny. ‘The Supreme Court already decided this issue: Birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the Constitution. No additional executive order can change the meaning of the Constitution,’ Cody Wofsy, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, said in a statement. Critics have argued that the 14th Amendment broadly guarantees citizenship to nearly everyone born on U.S. soil and that attempts to narrow that protection through executive action are unconstitutional. Civil rights groups and immigration advocates have long maintained that changes to birthright citizenship would require legislation or a constitutional amendment rather than executive action. Trump said Thursday that he believed the new actions were constitutional.

“The new orders come after the Supreme Court dealt a major blow to Trump’s broader effort to restrict birthright citizenship through executive action. In June, the court ruled that children born in the United States are generally citizens at birth, reaffirming a longstanding interpretation of the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause while leaving intact certain historical exceptions. The decision preserved the legal framework established by the court’s landmark 1898 ruling in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which held that a child born in the U.S. to immigrant parents was an American citizen.

“Trump and his allies have argued that the Citizenship Clause has been interpreted too broadly and have pointed to what they describe as abuses of the system through birth tourism. Following the ruling, Trump called on Congress to pursue legislation addressing the issue, writing on Truth Social that lawmakers should ‘start TODAY’ on efforts to end birthright citizenship.”

In that Trump asked Congress to act, he admitted that he does not have the authority to unilaterally act via executive order. His “belief” that the new orders are constitutional is meaningless because Trump is not even a lawyer… what does he know about the Constitution? He admitted in the past that he does NOT understand the Constitution, in that he does not know whether he has to uphold it.

Hypocritical Moves

Newsweek wrote on August 12:

“Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose parents were not United States citizens when he was born in the U.S., announced Wednesday that the State Department has revoked more than 600 visas as part of a new crackdown on so-called ‘birth tourism’ networks…

“The announcement places Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants who were later naturalized, at the forefront of one of the administration’s most aggressive efforts yet to curb what officials describe as the exploitation of citizenship laws. Born in Miami in 1971, around 15 years after his parents arrived in the U.S., Rubio became a U.S. citizen under the same constitutional principle now at the center of a heated political debate. When his presidential eligibility was challenged in 2016, his lawyers argued that his U.S. birth made him a natural-born citizen under English common law, Supreme Court precedent, and the Fourteenth Amendment tradition.

“That argument is in line with what has long been the legal understanding of birthright citizenship, but conflicts with a broader theory pushed in an executive order by President Donald Trump in 2025 to make parental citizenship or permanent residence necessary for American citizenship to be granted to newborns… Traveling to the United States while pregnant is not, by itself, illegal. The legal issue is the traveler’s primary purpose and whether she truthfully represents that purpose.”

Fauci in Contempt of Congress

NPR wrote on August 7:

“The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee yesterday voted along party lines to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. The decision comes after Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination during a hearing on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Justice Department will decide whether to pursue potential criminal prosecution of Fauci. Prosecutions are rare, but two former Trump advisers — Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro — were imprisoned on contempt of Congress charges during President Joe Biden’s administration.”

One will have to see whether Fauci will ever be held accountable for his conduct. Sadly, the chances are rather slim.

Opening of Strait of Hormuz… At What Cost?

NPR wrote on August 7:

“Iran’s parliament is considering an agreement with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The proposal would ban ships connected to the U.S., Israel and other ‘hostile countries’ from the key waterway until Iran receives compensation for war damages. Commercial vessels passing through the strait would be subject to fees of up to 7% of cargo value and a 20% fine for noncompliance. On Wednesday, Iran said it was finalizing a shipping route agreement with Oman, a U.S. ally. The Trump administration disputes Iran’s characterization of the agreement, maintaining that the U.S. currently controls the strait through its naval blockade of Iran. Oman has not commented…

“The stalemate has raised concerns from observers that the U.S. may have to accept terms worse than the previous status quo, which was free movement through the Strait. Current negotiations are also focused on the waterway reopening rather than issues like uranium enrichment, which Trump originally cited as justification for the war.”

Newsmax wrote on August 8:

“Iran’s top national security official said Saturday the Strait of Hormuz will not fully reopen unless the United States meets a sweeping list of demands, including lifting sanctions and its naval blockade, withdrawing U.S. military forces from around Iran, and paying compensation for damage caused by the war…

“The conditions cast new uncertainty over efforts to restore commercial traffic through the critical waterway…”

US in Control of Hormuz?

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 11:

“US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States controls the Strait of Hormuz and had swept the strategic oil waterway for Iranian mines… Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to six that day, compared with a 10-day average of about 11 vessels, shipping data showed, amid fading hopes of a peace deal between the US and Iran.

“Four commodity vessels, including two empty oil product tankers, entered the waterway… Two vessels – a small tanker laden with liquefied petroleum gas and another carrying residual fuels – exited the Strait… In pre-war days, about 130 to 140 ships typically transited the strait.”

Trump’s declarations are not believed or shared by Gulf States. They are also not realistic. See the next article.

Gulf States Accept a New Normal in Hormuz: Iran Is in Control

The Wall Street Journal wrote on August 10:

“Persian Gulf energy producers are concluding that Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz will become permanent, disrupting their oil and gas exports and global energy supplies indefinitely.

“The problem is they worry the alternative—going back to war—would be worse.”

Trump Concerned About Low Weapons Stockpile

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 9:

“Russia and China could feel emboldened to begin a hot conflict with America due to the US’s rapidly depleting weapons supply, senior officials and defense experts told the New York Times on Saturday….

“The… low stockpile levels have been a driving factor in Trump’s latest decisions in his campaign against Iran. The president reportedly chose not to go through with a major bombing campaign he threatened last month due to the low level of munitions.”

The attack will not come from Russia and China, but from Europe.

Trump in Big Trouble

Daily Mail wrote on August 10:

“Donald Trump’s strategy to defeat Iran is facing more roadblocks as the US weapons stockpile and cash to fund the military operation runs dry. Further complicating the path to peace, Tehran is refusing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz until Washington pays war reparations, lifts sanctions, and ends its naval blockade. Meanwhile, War Secretary Pete Hegseth has failed to sell skeptical senators on Trump’s record $1.5 trillion defense budget. The chamber left town for its five-week summer recess without advancing it, or the separate war funding the Pentagon says it urgently needs…

“Iran’s demands amount to a message that the regime does not plan to submit to Trump in the near future. Tehran wants US forces out of the region and a compensation check for the damage, terms Washington has consistently ruled out… Nearly every condition Tehran listed on Saturday already appears in the memorandum of understanding Trump signed on June 17, an agreement that collapsed when American strikes resumed and the blockade was reimposed on July 14.”

Trump really does not seem to know what he is doing. The next article proves this.

Trump’s Empty Boasts of “Victory”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 5:

“[Trump] has declared ‘total and complete victory, 100%’ in Iran in several versions, at least 32 times… Yet the war, now in its sixth month, sputters on and on – along with the president’s other empty boasts. Just this week, after more threats to obliterate the ancient Persian civilization with ‘the biggest attack since WWII,’ he suddenly called the attack off ‘for the Future benefit of the world.’ He apparently didn’t even inform his Israeli partner, who reportedly learned of the decision the same way the rest of the world did: in a post on Trump’s Truth Social account.

“It looked like another case of what has come to be known as TACO, Trump Chickens Out Again. This is not the first – nor likely the last – time he warns of apocalyptic strikes only to back down at the last minute. The Iranians, along with America’s adversaries and allies, see it as a sign of weakness…

“On June 25, 2025, he declared Iran’s nuclear capacity had been ‘completely and totally obliterated.’ However, seven months later, re-obliteration was his rationale for starting a war of choice in partnership with Israel. He did not cite any imminent threat to justify the February 28 surprise attack… Trump apparently had no clear strategy, no support base, or exit plan for his war. Allies were not briefed in advance… Control of the Strait of Hormuz is potentially worth tens of billions of dollars annually in transit fees for Iran and power over a major portion of the world’s resources.”

Iran is not going to give up this lucrative power. It seems America is ruled by incapable “children” (compare Isaiah 3:4, 12).

Iran’s Goal

The Guardian wrote on August 7:

“Tehran has set out a protracted negotiating timetable designed to keep Donald Trump embroiled in the Iran conflict until the midterm elections, in the hope of inflicting the same ruinous blow on his presidency as Jimmy Carter suffered over the 1979-81 US embassy hostage crisis…

“But the focus on the midterms became more obvious this week when the deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, told the official IRNA news agency that after agreeing a route for commercial shipping through the strait of Hormuz, it would take two to four months to reach the second phase of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme…

“If Tehran gets its way on this timetable, Trump will be going to the polls with no Iranian commitment on nuclear weapons, only a hefty economic bill for a failed war…”

And so, Trump started a war with Iran which he could not win. Note the next article.

Trump Caught in the Iran Trap

Bild Online reported on August 8:

“In addition to mounting pressure regarding the Iran war, US President Donald Trump (80) is now also facing the consequences of weaknesses in his own economy! The monthly US labor market report (the ‘Jobs Report’) took both experts and the administration by surprise: instead of the job boom Trump had promised, 23,000 jobs were lost in July. Furthermore, the figures for May and June were revised downward by a combined total of 103,000 jobs. While the unemployment rate did fall to 4.1 percent, it did so for the wrong reason: 264,000 people gave up looking for work and dropped out of the labor market.

“Trump thus finds himself in the midst of a dual crisis: regarding the Iran conflict, Tehran is increasingly dictating the terms of negotiations over a potential reopening of the oil shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz. Now, grim news from the domestic economy has been added to the mix—traditionally one of the key factors in how citizens evaluate a presidency…

“The Iran war has not only driven up gasoline prices; transport and energy costs are rising too—bringing with them the risk of further price hikes. Trump’s trade conflicts are having a similar effect: he recently imposed new import tariffs of 10 to 12.5 percent on goods from 60 countries. Higher import costs can burden companies and push consumer prices even higher. At the same time, Trump is betting heavily on the expansion of artificial intelligence. Yet, public concern is growing that AI could act as a ‘job killer,’ replacing millions of positions. Moreover, the drastic decline in immigration and increased deportations are exacerbating labor shortages in certain sectors—such as agriculture, construction, and the hospitality industry.

“… Trump’s popularity has recently fallen to record lows, primarily due to the unpopular Iran war. US political science professor Scott Erb views the new job figures as ‘a real weakness in the US economy.’ Trump, by contrast, seeks to ‘sugarcoat’ the situation and focuses on issues ‘that miss the mark regarding the concerns of many voters’… Consequently, Trump could cause massive damage to the Republicans in the congressional [midterm] election campaign.”

“America’s Era Is Coming to an End”

t-online wrote on August 8:

“America’s global power is clearly waning. Entangled in a war trap in the Middle East; humiliated by Tehran’s militias and by the imperialist Putin in Eastern Europe; burdened by massive debt and depleted weapons arsenals; and barely able to curb China’s aggressive rise in Asia—the former ‘world policeman’ now shuffles through the global arena in a rumpled uniform and with a battered sheriff’s badge. Thirty-five years after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, the era of American supremacy is drawing to a close. Donald Trump’s constant threats against everyone and everything are the most glaring sign of this diminishing influence. Those who lose their authority shout all the louder…

“Less obvious to European observers is the dynamic unfolding within the US itself. Yet it appears no less dramatic than the developments in foreign policy. The balance of power is shifting rapidly—both within Trump’s administration and between the Republican and Democratic parties—compounded by the most profound technological revolution since industrialization 150 years ago: Artificial Intelligence is transforming the entire economic landscape, and only the digital economy is saving the US from a severe recession…”

Cuba Regime Overthrow?

The Telegraph wrote on August 8:

“Regime change in Cuba would look more like Iran than Venezuela, American spy agencies have warned… The Cubans who would take power…  are from hard-line factions, like their Iranian counterparts… It is unclear who the White House would prefer to lead Cuba, and there is a lack of practical options.

“This week, the Cuban ambassador to Britain declared that the Cuban people would fight to the death against any US military intervention….”

Greenland Warns Trump

Firstpost wrote on August 9:

“Greenland issued a ‘strong warning’ after an American oil company connected to US President Donald Trump started preparing to sink wells in the Arctic region without any permission from local authorities. The firm’s project is coming at a time when the American leader has renewed his threats to claim the vast Arctic territory. The Greenlandic authorities began to express concern when drilling materials were brought ashore in recent days on the island’s eastern coast. The move has prompted Greenland’s government to issue a ‘strong warning’ that no approval had been granted to land the kit.

“‘All future logistical matters must be advised and approved by the mineral resources authority – before they are carried out,’ the government said in a statement. However, two days later, Trump made a menacing post on Truth Social, showing himself looming over a Greenlandic village [The AI-generated image showed a giant Trump, looming over the island, with the words, “Hello, Greenland!”]

“The company in question is Greenland Energy, which is based in Texas and was set up last year. They have claimed that $1 trillion of crude may lie beneath the Jameson Land region. Hence, the firm announced plans to spend $60 million drilling two wells to find out. However, it is pertinent to note that the Greenland authorities stopped issuing new oil licences in 2021 on environmental grounds. But despite this, a UK company called 80 Mile had secured exploration rights in Jameson Land. Greenland Energy’s corporate filings say it will take a majority stake in the project in exchange for funding the exploration, though it still needs government permission to proceed.

“The American firm is retained by Phil McGraw, popularly known as Dr Phil, a prominent rightwing former chat show host who served on Trump’s religious freedom commission… It has also appointed the director, a US Navy veteran who is working on Golden Dome, the missile defence plan for which Trump says controlling Greenland is “vital”. Larry Swets, Greenland Energy’s chair and a big shareholder, appears to enjoy access to Trump’s circle….

“The Greenland government’s statement… said it ‘would not be proportionate’ to demand the equipment be removed. An application for permission remained under processing, it added…”

UPI added on August 8:

“Trump has, for years, been adamant in his desire to annex Greenland. He has claimed the United States needs it ‘for defense.’  In January, he told European leaders that one of the reasons he renewed his push to own the territory was because he did not win the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump has been rebuffed by officials in both Denmark and Greenland.”

Spain’s Humanitarian Disaster

Sue Reid wrote the following article, which was published by Daily Mail on August 7:

“… a deceitful narrative is being peddled by politicians, including our own new Prime Minister, that this crisis is over. The truth is it’s only just beginning.

“This week, to my horror, I have witnessed a migration catastrophe unfolding in Ceuta, with a multitude of children, some only 11 or 12, at the heart of it. For make no mistake, between 2,000 and 4,000 young north African and sub-Saharan boys have not budged an inch since arriving – and have no intention of doing so. They have become pawns in a migration disaster sparked by families sending their children to find a better life in Europe, spurred too by an avalanche of social media messages flooding Africa that encourage the young to up sticks and leave via Ceuta, which is seen as a gateway to Madrid, Berlin or London….

“Outside the main police station, I watched hundreds of children on Wednesday and Thursday sitting pathetically in rows on the street as they waited in the vain hope that the Spanish authorities would give them the paperwork necessary to allow them to board ferries to mainland Spain… This is a humanitarian disaster unfolding in real time, which also threatens the national security of Europe. Spanish intelligence services say ISIS jihadis from across war-torn Africa have been caught among the tens of thousands who seized the chance to enter Ceuta.”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 7:

“Spain’s leftist government expects to transfer some migrant minors from overcrowded reception centers in the North African enclave of Ceuta to the mainland within weeks… 1,342 minors had been registered so far and more staff would be drafted in to help the effort. [Youth Minister Sira Rego] acknowledged the ‘painful images’ of children sleeping rough on Ceuta’s streets…

“Ceuta’s local government head Juan Jesus Vivas said the modest local facilities could host up to 90 children, and were now saturated by roughly 1,100 unaccompanied minors who arrived before the border rush…”

Drone Incidents Raise Security Concerns Across Europe

AFP and Reuters wrote on August 8:

“In Germany, a spokesperson for the armed forces said on Saturday that two drones were spotted at about 10pm (20:00 GMT) on Thursday at a military base in Mechernich in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, 35km (22 miles) from the Belgian border…

“German media reported that the Bundeswehr armed forces site in Mechernich has a high-security underground storage facility for equipment and spare parts for military hardware. It is also a base for personnel responsible for the maintenance of US Patriot air defences.

“A drone was also discovered late on Tuesday at Leipzig/Halle Airport – a civilian freight and NATO logistics hub – near several Ukrainian Antonov An-124 cargo transporters, according to German media reports. The drone incidents across the continent have revived concerns about Moscow’s war on Ukraine entangling neighbouring NATO states.

“They have also intensified debate about whether strategically important members of the military alliance such as Germany are ready to cope with new security threats. German government officials have not blamed any foreign countries publicly for this week’s drone incursions, but some politicians have accused Russia, which has been at war with Ukraine since its military invasion in 2022. NATO and European Union officials have blamed Russia for previous drone sightings.

“Last month, after a suspected Russian drone was spotted over NATO member Romania’s airspace, the European Commission said it showed Russia’s war had ‘crossed yet another line.’ NATO chief Mark Rutte has said Moscow’s ‘reckless behaviour is a danger to us all’. The US ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, has pledged that the alliance will ‘defend every inch’ of its territory.

“Russia has rejected the allegations. On Friday, the Russian embassy in Berlin dismissed the discovery in Leipzig as a ‘fabricated provocation’, saying it was another example of accusations against Russia without evidence.”

Ultimately, rumors from the north and the east will cause a revived Europe to attack Russia and China.

Netanyahu Rejects US Peace Plan for Gaza

Fox News wrote on August 9:

Israel is rejecting a 15-point Gaza proposal put forward by the Board of Peace, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, declaring that Israeli forces will not withdraw from the enclave until Hamas fully gives up its weapons… ‘When I say Hamas is disarmed, that means the heavy weapons, the less heavy weapons, all the weapons,’ he added…

“He also reiterated his opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state in either Gaza or the West Bank. ‘As long as I am prime minister, there will be no Palestinian state, not in Gaza and not in Judea and Samaria,’ Netanyahu said. ‘Neither “Fatahstan” nor “Hamastan.”’”

Israel to Take Over Al-Aqsa?

The Guardian wrote on August 4 and August 5:

“Jordan is convening an emergency meeting of foreign ministers from the Arab and Islamic world over what it says is an ‘imminent’ threat of an Israeli takeover of the most important Muslim site in Jerusalem…

“The… Jordanian warning… follow[s] an escalating pattern of government-backed incursions by Jewish religious extremists on the compound around al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock, in violation of a status quo treaty overseen by Jordan’s Hashemite monarchy, by which only Muslims can pray at the site. On 23 July, more than 2,000 Israelis from the religious right… prayed and performed rituals all around the compound in what Jordanian officials said was the worst violation in modern history.

“Amman has also been alarmed at a recent recruitment drive for religious Jews for a special Temple Mount police unit, and is braced for more direct challenges to traditional Jordanian custodianship by extremist Israeli leaders in the major Jewish holidays in September. This year, those holidays will come amid an intense election campaign, in which the far-right coalition of the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will be fighting for survival. ‘This is… a dangerous threat that we’re trying to counter in every tool that we have possible,’ Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, told the Guardian. ‘We warn that tampering with the status quo … could trigger a religious conflict that will reverberate beyond Palestine and Jordan into the whole Muslim world.’”

Anything Could Happen?

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 8, 2026:

“Reports from Jerusalem suggest that Israeli authorities are taking over one of Islam’s holiest sites, the Al-Aqsa Mosque. If they do, experts say anything could happen, from war to terrorism to ending diplomatic ties.

“The statement issued after this week’s meeting in Jordan was blunt about what might happen next. Israeli infringements on one of Islam’s holiest sites, the Al-Aqsa Mosque in east Jerusalem, could lead to ‘a religious conflict with repercussions that will extend beyond the region and threaten regional and international peace and security,’ the foreign ministers of 10 countries belonging to the Arab League said after Wednesday’s emergency meeting in Amman, Jordan. The statement was also signed by ministers from Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Malaysia.

“Jordan’s foreign minister called the meeting because of mounting evidence that the Israeli government is surreptitiously changing a decades-old agreement meant to ensure intercommunal peace at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, an area of great religious significance to Muslims, Jews, and Christians… Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a response, saying the statement was inaccurate…

“This is not the first time that the governments of Muslim-majority countries and activists in Jerusalem have issued such warnings. For decades, Jewish fringe groups, often referred to as the Temple Mount movement, have demanded that they be allowed to pray at the site. The most extremist of these groups say they want to demolish the mosque and construct a new Jewish temple. At first they were mostly ignored… But [as one observer stated]… that ‘radical fringe’ has become more mainstream. ‘Over time, the Temple Mount movements, backed by more than 100 rabbis associated with the settler movement in the West Bank, became more visible, more vocal and more provocative…’

“‘This crisis has been decades in the making… [another observer said]. There’s been an effort from religious extremists to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque since at least the 1980s, when plots to do that were uncovered. But those groups and those ideologies have gained more representation within the Israeli [parliament] Knesset today.’”

ABNA wrote on August 8:

“Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has called for greater unity among Muslim countries in response to regional developments and Israeli policies, describing the recent defence agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye as a step toward broader cooperation across the Muslim world…

“As if also said that, particularly in light of developments involving Israel, Muslim countries should stand together…”

But it’s much more than just cooperation between Muslim nations. See the next article.

Lulling Israel Into Sleep

Israel Hayom wrote on August 10:

“A disturbing secret proposal emerged during talks between countries in the Middle East: Officials in one country advised another to sign an agreement with Israel as a tactical move aimed at ‘lulling’ Israel into a false sense of security while using the time to prepare for a larger military confrontation against it, Kan 11 reported Monday, citing knowledgeable sources.

“According to the report, the discussions between the two sides took place in recent months. During the talks, officials proposed that their counterparts show flexibility toward Israel and work to advance an agreement with it, but not with the intention of treating it as a long-term arrangement.

“Instead, according to the report, the proposal was to use the period covered by the agreement to ‘lull’ Israel while simultaneously preparing for war against it. Once conditions were considered ripe, the agreement could be broken and a confrontation launched. The identities of the countries involved in the discussions cannot be published.

“The revelation raises questions about how Israel assesses the intentions of countries in the region, particularly against the backdrop of efforts to advance normalization agreements. Kan 11 raised the question of whether Israel could once again find itself fundamentally misreading the other side’s intentions, as it did in the period preceding Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack, and whether an apparent willingness to move closer to Israel could, at least in some cases, serve as cover for preparations for a future confrontation…

“On Friday, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, a trilateral defense pact stipulating that an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be considered an attack against all of them. The agreement was signed in Mecca on Aug. 7 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.”

Israel will NOT enjoy peace and friendship with Arab nations.

Robot Dogs on the Moon?

The Independent wrote on August 10:

“Chinese scientists are mulling the use of robot dogs to guard the country’s future bases on the Moon, alongside wheeled and other humanoid robots built for finding resources on the lunar surface…

“China plans to build an International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) near the Moon’s south pole in collaboration with Russia and other international partners, and says it wants to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030….

The idea is that these human astronauts will then collaborate with the robots on the Moon.

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 the contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing to worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.

In our last Q&A, titled, “Are there phrases in the Bible that have become normal in society today? (Part 2),” we covered this question briefly, as follows:

“God will never give you more than you can handle

“This is another common phrase which, as quoted, is not in accordance with Scripture. It is not found in the Bible. One commentary stated astutely: ‘When someone is going through a difficult time in life, whether they are feeling overwhelmed, stricken with grief, or just generally burdened, they are often encouraged that though their challenges are considerable, God would never give them more than they could handle. But, despite what we might say, God will give us more than we can handle [or bear].  Rather, God will never allow us to be tempted [or tested] beyond what we are able to [handle or bear]. He will always provide a way for us [to escape and] to be faithful to Him, even when the pull toward a different path is as strong as it has ever been.’… So, whatever we are being confronted with, GOD will help us. We need GOD… on our own, we can do and accomplish nothing. But with God, we can do and endure everything.”

We also quoted 1 Corinthians 10:13 in that portion of the above-cited Q&A, which reads:

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

In this Q&A, we will address the issue at question in more detail.

Of course, God does not tempt us so that we sin.   In our booklet: “Teach Us To Pray” on page 60, we read under the heading: “But…God Tests Us:

“While God never tempts us to sin, He does test us, to help us NOT to sin. Sometimes His tests can be very difficult. And so, this is another way we can understand Christ’s admonition to us regarding our prayer to the Father. For instance, in the Jewish New Testament, by David H. Stern, it is written: ‘And do not lead us into hard testing…’ This is also an accurate translation in the context, and here is why:

“The New Testament Greek word for ‘temptation’ (‘peirasmos’), and the Greek word for ‘to tempt’ (‘peirazo’), can also mean, ‘trial’ and ‘to test.’ The same is true for the Hebrew words in the Old Testament, ‘massah’ and ‘nasah,’ which can mean ‘temptation’ and ‘tempt,’ or, ‘trial’ and ‘test.’ The context of the passage dictates the correct usage, and in most cases, the correct rendering is very clear.

“As we will see, we should want God to test us so that we grow stronger in a spiritual sense, so that we will become approved in His eyes. We know, however, that we can ask the Father not to make it too hard for us, as Christ indicated in the outline prayer. Jeremiah once prayed: ‘O LORD, correct me, but with justice; Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing’ (Jeremiah 10:24). So did David (Psalm 6:1; Psalm 38:1).

“In addition, especially insofar as end-time Christians are concerned, they should also pray, ‘… do not subject us to the final test’ (Matthew 6:13; New American Bible). This refers to the Great Tribulation—’the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth’ (Revelation 3:10). Christ says that those who follow Him diligently will be able to escape that hour of final test (same verse).”

Everyone who has ever lived will have had tests and trials at one time or another, and true Christians are not exempt in any way.   In fact, we read in Acts 14:22 that Paul was “…strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’”

It is interesting to read about God’s promise and intent in 1 Corinthians 1:8: “… who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In this verse, stating that God is confirming us to the end, it means that we will make it with His help.   Paul’s expression in Philippians 1:6, under godly inspiration, was very similar, stating that he was “confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…”

God hasn’t called us to fail and He will do everything He can to see that we succeed. He doesn’t give us anything that we can’t overcome because He is there assisting us, and maybe at times pushing us past our human limits but not beyond our total limit which includes His marvellous and wonderful help.

The overall message and understanding is that God is always faithful to His chosen ones, and with every trial that we encounter, He will offer us the strength needed in such circumstances.   And that is why we need to be and stay close to God, through daily prayer and study, where He sees our commitment to Him, and He will grant us His supernatural help whenever we need it.

So, it is biblically incorrect to say that God will never give us more than we can handle, if we just focus on our human strength. In fact, based on our human strength, we cannot do anything, and we cannot handle any trial which God gives us or allows to test us.

On the other hand, it is biblically correct to say that God will never give us more than we can handle when we focus on God’s help, who will sustain us to succeed. God knows how severe a trial He can allow, as He knows us better than we do, and He knows that with His help, we can succeed.

Prolific Christian writer, Charles R Swindoll, in his book on Abraham, pages 258-259, makes these observations:

“A test usually makes us feel vulnerable.   We get weak.   We begin to panic.   We try to find safety in the familiar.   We avoid taking risks.   But tests of faith call for boldness.   You may have heard it said that ‘God never gives us more than we can handle’.  That’s absolutely wrong!   He frequently challenges us to trust Him more by giving us far more than we can handle on our own.  He wants us to turn to Him in desperation and ask for His assistance.   He’s always willing to help, but he wants us to recognise our need and to want Him.”

When the apostle Paul writes that God won’t test us beyond what we are able to bear, he means not beyond what we are able to bear with God’s help. We are not independent of God when this happens; God makes up the difference between our own capacity and that which we need to handle the situation in hand. It is also important to note again the second part of Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says: “…but with the temptation [He] will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Sometimes, we need a way out of trouble, and God must show us that way; otherwise, we might indeed be unable to bear the trial.

We said earlier that Paul’s statement that “no temptation” has overtaken us which is uncommon to man, and that God will not allow us “to be tempted” beyond what we are able to bear (as He will provide us with His help), should be rendered with “severe trial” or to be tested.” This is certainly true, as God does not tempt us to sin. On the other hand, God does at times ALLOW Satan to tempt us, and we should be mindful of this fact and ask God not to “lead us into temptation”—that is, not to allow Satan to bring severe temptations upon us. As we should ask God not to test us too severely, so we should also ask God not to allow Satan to tempt us too severely.  But even when those trials and temptations come, which we could not master on our own, we can rely on God who is there to help us so that we can bear (or escape) all of them.

We should note that God’s Spirit LED Christ into the wilderness after His baptism TO BE TEMPTED by Satan (Matthew 4:1) for forty days and forty nights. But God the Father was with Christ the entire time to give Him the power and strength, as well as the wisdom, to reject and overcome Satan’s temptations.

And so, we need God’s assistance at all times and then, with His help, we can truly say that we can handle anything that is thrown at us as we head towards the Kingdom of God.  The good news is that God will give us all the help we need in every situation we face even if by our own normal human standards, such testing is beyond our human capabilities to handle.   And that is the key.  And God gets the glory!

It is not God’s Will that we should fail and He will help us to overcome the testing and trials and temptations that may come our way so that we may have everlasting life in His soon-coming Kingdom!

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

Compiled by Norbert Link

“No Peace for Israel” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

What did Jesus say about the fate of Jerusalem, and what does the Bible prophesy for the end time? In this program, we will show you many indications that Jerusalem’s desolation is near, and that Israel will never enjoy peace and friendship with Arab nations; instead, the exact opposite is prophesied.

“Kein Friede für Israel” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topics as described above.

Norbert Link’s sermonette has been posted, titled, “Israel to Take Over Al-Aqsa?—Comments on News and Prophecy, August 8, 2026.” 

 Here is a summary:

Some reports point out that Russia is preparing an impending attack on NATO. We also quote from an insightful article dealing with July 20, 1944—the assassination attempt on Hitler—and the duty of soldiers to refuse unlawful orders. We report on Trump’s renewed efforts to fight birthright citizenship; and we warn of the mostly unrealized dangers of AI. We address America’s desperate attempts to have Iran open the Strait of Hormuz; and speak of an alleged imminent threat of an Israeli takeover of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Kalon Mitchell’s sermon has been posted, titled, “The Weight of God’s Glory.”  

Here is a summary:

This message explores what the Bible actually means by “the glory of God,” tracing the shift from kavod (weight, substance) in the Old Testament to doxa (glory made visible) in the New Testament. It considers how a person’s life gets tested over time, the way a foundation and building materials are tested by storm and fire. It closes by contrasting those who took credit for what God did with those who redirected glory back to Him.

A new Bible Stories video has been posted, titled, “Moses’ Calling.” 

Norbert Link’s German sermon for this week has been posted. It is titled, “Warten auf Gott.” (Title in English: “Waiting for God.”) 

Manuel Giermann’s sermonette from last Sabbath was posted. It was titled, “Was ist Gottes leises Säuseln?“  (“What Is God’s Quiet Whisper?”).