Update 949

On November 28, 2020, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy (November 28, 2020),” and Rene Messier will present the sermon, titled, “Draw Close 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.

Over the years I have had many visits from a usually well-dressed couple of people who wanted to discuss Jesus Christ. At times I would answer their questions, but it was always obvious that they believed they knew the truth and wanted to explain it to me. As you might realise, their congregation was named Jehovah’s Witnesses. And they believed that what they were doing was a required part of their calling to be a witness.

The question that arises from this is, do we have a part in witnessing for Jesus Christ and, if so, what is it? First of all, we must know what a witness is. Here are some definitions from various dictionaries of what a witness could be.

1. An eyewitness. A person who sees an event and gives testimony about it.
2. An expert witness. A person who does not see an event but is highly knowledgeable about a pertinent subject and uses that knowledge in testifying.
3. In a religious sense, it can be an open profession of one’s religious faith through words or actions.

In the New Testament Church, the original apostles were eyewitnesses. They lived with Jesus Christ for three and a half years, ate with Him, saw His miracles and were taught by Him personally. He sent them out to the whole world as witnesses. Acts 1:8 reads: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Wherever they travelled, they taught about Christ from their extensive personal experience. The apostle Peter mentions this in 2 Peter 1:16: “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” The “we” refers to Peter, James and John who all saw the vision of the transfiguration of Christ on the mountain (Matthew 17:1-9). The apostle John also mentions this in John 1:14.

There are many other passages where the apostles, especially Peter, claimed to be eyewitnesses of the life and teachings of Christ. The apostle Paul was also directly taught by Christ and instructed to be a witness in Rome as well as Jerusalem. Acts 23:11 reads: “But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, ‘Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.’”

After these apostles, others were called to continue preaching and witnessing about Christ. An early biblical example is the evangelist Timothy. 2 Timothy 3:14-15 informs us that he was taught what was needed to be an evangelist, but also, that he had known the Holy Scriptures from childhood. While he was not an eyewitness, he would today be called an expert witness. Because of his knowledge and understanding, he was able to preach and teach (2 Timothy 4:2).

In Revelation 2:13, we read about another witness at Pergamos, Antipas. Most old and new versions of the Bible, except basically those related to the King James Bible or the Authorized Version, state that he was “My faithful witness who was killed among you…” This is, of course, where the Editorial’s title comes from. Actually, in three places God names His people as witnesses to the fact that He alone is God (Isaiah 43:10, 43:12 and 44:8).

That is some biblical history of witnesses. But what about us today, what is our role in witnessing? We know the Gospel will be preached in all the world as a witness (Matthew 24:14), and the Church will continue to be a part in that. While the ministry performs most of the preaching of the Gospel, the members support that preaching with their prayers and offerings. But individually, we also have a part to play in the witnessing.

In the sermon of the mount, Christ made this comment about His people, in Matthew 5:14,16: “You are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Jesus Christ wants us to live our lives as examples to all who see us. He wants us to interact with others in a manner and behaviour that shows a good light on God. In effect, we are to be a witness to God. Notice it does not say many words but good works. They may not understand what this witness means now, but they will understand in the future.

But there is a time to use words. As Peter writes in 1 Peter 3:15: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” If we are seriously asked what we believe and why we believe it, we should be able to respond to their questions in an appropriate and friendly manner. Colossians 4:6 also gives us instructions on how to answer: “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how you ought to answer each one.”

So, none of us in this day are eyewitnesses and only a few are called to preach, but all of us should be living our lives in a manner that is pleasing to God. We should be a right example to others by our way of life and behaviour and by the way we answer them. In other words, each of us is to be a faithful witness to God.

by Norbert Link

We begin with a report on the current “unsatisfactory” status of Europe’s fragmented and unprepared defense abilities and the renewed push for a unified European army; French President Macron’s “Napoleon Moment”; and Poland’s and Hungary’s warning of European dictatorship reminiscent of the “communist regime of old.”

We continue with events in or related to the USA, including the sad likelihood of and preparation for civil unrest or even civil war (please view our new StandingWatch program in this context, titled, “Are You Prepared for Civil War?”); the ongoing attempts of the Trump legal team to prove massive voter fraud, which, if true, would reveal an appalling degree of political corruption within the USA; and we report on a lone voice in the wilderness and a mission by the US Air Force to the Middle East. We also speak of a “report” about “storming” the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and Pope Francis’s rather strange ideas and positions.

Focusing on governmental restrictions because of the coronavirus, we publish an eye-opening article of Britain’s Daily Mail, questioning the official data and predictions of the British government, and the subsequent attempt of the government to ridicule or even silence the paper, which attempt backfired; and we speak on Britain’s intention to create “freedom passes” and coronavirus certificates.

We also address ongoing demonstrations in Germany against the coronavirus restrictions; the German government’s harsh and polemic response; and California Governor Newsom’s incredible hypocrisy and a warning to people in Oregon not to become “rats.” We speak on corona vaccines’ side-effects and the coming vaccination mandate for (at least) international travelers; publish an article claiming that, based on science, “lockdowns are the greatest policy error of this generation,” and conclude with interesting discoveries regarding Mars.

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

EU Lacking Military Capacities—Action Urged

Reuters reported on November 21:

“The European Union acknowledged on Friday that it lacks the capabilities to meet its goal – pushed most strongly by its biggest members – to become a standalone military power able to help NATO or deploy troops rapidly to regional crises. Seeking to address major shortfalls, the EU’s first annual defence review, presented to the bloc’s defence ministers on Friday, found that only 60% of the national troops and weapons nominally available to NATO are in a fit state to be deployed.

“EU governments are also reluctant to deploy those troops, the report found. Formal EU military missions receive just 7% of all EU states’ military personnel committed worldwide, with problems generating troop levels, it said. While such EU weaknesses were largely known, because the bloc has never had the military strength to match its economic might, major EU governments including France, Germany, Italy and Spain hope the detailed review and public recognition of failures will be a watershed… EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters: ‘European defence suffers from fragmentation, duplication and insufficient operational engagement.’…

“Meanwhile, tiny Belgium and Luxembourg are among the lowest military spenders in Europe, and Denmark has opted out of EU defence initiatives. France and Germany also disagree on how far to develop EU military cooperation independent of the United States, by far the biggest power in NATO and Europe’s effective security guarantor since World War Two. But after four years of hostility towards NATO from U.S. President Donald Trump, the EU says it can no longer rely solely on the United States to solve crises in its neighbourhood.

“The EU has been working since December 2017 to develop more firepower independently of the United States. The effort has been led by France, the EU’s remaining major military power after Britain, which opposed such cooperation, left the bloc. With a weapons development fund being set up, backed by 8 billion euros ($9.50 billion) from the EU budget for the first time next year, French President Emmanuel Macron has called for more ‘sovereignty’ in the EU’s ability to defend itself.

“The 27-nation EU aims to draw up a military doctrine by 2022 to define future threats and ambitions. The report, part of an EU strategy to develop self-standing military capacity over the next decade, urged EU governments to jointly produce six areas of weaponry and end costly national duplication, including focusing on a new battle tank, a patrol class surface ship and counter-drone technology.”

This “wakeup call” might trigger renewed efforts to create a unified European army. However, some European countries might not want to participate. The “need” for a core Europe of powerful wealthy member states seems to become inevitable.

German Social Democrats (SPD) Seek an Independent EU Army

Express wrote on November 18:

“A working group on Security and Defence Policy of the SPD ‒ Germany’s second-biggest political party ‒ has published a plan to create a 28th EU Army. Instead of concentrating on the further development of cooperation between the 27 national armed forces as before, the 12-page paper reveals how a new, separate force is to be created – parallel to the national troops such as the Bundeswehr. The 28th Army would report directly to the EU Commission and would be under the responsibility of a newly-appointed Commissioner for Defence… Fritz Felgentreu, Defence policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, said: “Our aim is to improve the EU’s ability to act, regardless of the tiresome questions of sovereignty… According to the concept paper, the nucleus of the 28th Army is based on already existing battlegroups…

“The original 12-page concept paper was originally published in the Welt am Sonntag newspaper… According to one of Germany’s most senior defence officials, the creation of an EU Army is now pretty much inevitable. In 2017, Hans-Peter Bartels, a former national defence commissioner, called for NATO’S EU members to organise their forces into a single unit. Mr Bartels said: ‘… In the end, there will be a European Army.’…

“Britain has repeatedly blocked plans for an integrated European defence policy, but other member states have warned it cannot expect to have a say in the issue post-Brexit. France has also led calls for a European Army. The Netherlands and Germany  have already merged some units, while the Czech Republic and Romania have expressed interest. Funding for a European Defence Fund has been included in the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) this year.”

The push for a European army from all sides and political parties is increasing.

Macron’s Napoleon Moment

The Algemeiner wrote on November 20:

“Napoleon Bonaparte… came to power at a crucial moment in French history. The glorious revolution of 1789 had descended into chaos. He saved it and restored order and French pride.

“At this moment, France is at a crossroads again. The decapitation of schoolteacher Samuel Paty by a Muslim extremist, and other subsequent attacks, is the continuation of an existential struggle for France’s character and future. Every country has the right to decide its character. If France wishes to remain an open and free society for all its citizens, it must fight for it. This is President Macron’s Napoleon moment…

“Napoleon had shown sympathy for Jewish aspirations at the siege of Acre in 1799 when he published a proclamation in which he invited all the Jews of Asia and Africa to gather under his flag. Unfortunately, Napoleon’s forces lost to Britain and he could not carry out his plan… The Jews of central Europe regarded Napoleon as the major forerunner of Jewish emancipation. In Austria, Chancellor Metternich said, ‘I fear that the Jews will believe [Napoleon] to be their promised Messiah.’ All the states that came under French authority applied Napoleon’s reforms. In Italy, the Netherlands, and the German states, the Jews were emancipated and able to act as free people for the first time in those nations. After Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo, the Council of Vienna reimposed all previous restrictions on Jews outside France and the restoration of discriminatory measures. And post-Napoleon France’s antisemitism was so endemic that it led to the Dreyfus Affair, Marshall Petain, and continues to this day in certain circles.

“Napoleon was probably the greatest European military genius. His armies swept across the continent, winning battle after battle. But his success had the effect of forcing others to unite to destroy him. Even after defeat and exile to Elba, he was able to come back and try again with the support of his faithful armies. Finally, at Waterloo in 1815, he was brought down. Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena…

“Napoleon enshrined the concept of secularism in France. This vision is now being challenged and faces enormous pressure from a growing threat of radical Islamism in France. Up to now, Europe has treated the threat half-heartedly. At this moment, President Macron is talking the talk, but I doubt that he will do anything. Political expediency seems to override principle everywhere. Napoleon must be turning over in his grave.”

Whether the assessment of Napoleon is accurate or not, the article shows the “dilemma” Macron finds himself in, and the warning against extreme radical Islamism in France is well-taken. The question is, How will France react?

Poland Warns of Dictatorial EU

Breitbart wrote on November 22:

“Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has accused the European Union of wielding a ‘propaganda bludgeon’ against his country like the communist regime of old. ‘We know the use of propaganda bludgeons very well from communist times,’ he recalled, adding that a European Union ‘in which there is a European oligarchy that punishes the weaker and pushes them into a corner is not the EU that we joined. This is not an EU that has a future,’ he warned…

“‘The establishment in Germany and Brussels is trying to carry out a revolution and create a single European state based in Brussels or maybe Germany,’ warned Zbigniew Ziobro, a member of the United Poland party which governs alongside Law and Justice who serves as Minister of Justice. Prime Minister Morawiecki also bristled at suggestions that… Poles must ‘get on their knees’ and accept being dictated to…

“The Poles and Hungarians do have some reason to believe that the EU’s dominant powers intended to use any ‘rule of law’ in the budget to interfere in domestic politics, with European Parliament vice president Katarina Barley, of Germany, having suggested they should be ‘starved financially’ if they do not govern in a way Brussels approves…”

Poland and Hungary may have a point. Their warning should not be ignored.

Preparing for Civil War?

The U.S. Sun wrote on November 20:

“Hundreds of far-right groups have sprung up across the US and are ramping up recruitment in the fallout from the highly charged election and the coronavirus pandemic. Online forum My Militia – which promotes itself as an ‘American Patriot Network’ – has more than 20,000 users and has seen a flurry of activity in recent weeks. The network claims there are 544 militias currently active in the US, carries instructions on how to make explosives and improvised weapons, survivalist tips, threads dedicated to conspiracy theories, and lists of names of members of ‘Antifa.’  Many of the self-appointed militiamen say they are preparing to ride out mass civil unrest, while others more dramatically predict an upcoming ‘Civil War.’

“It comes after a string of violence over the summer with Donald Trump blaming extreme left-wing groups for stoking mayhem. Some groups are braced for attacks by ‘Antifa’ who Trump branded ‘scum’ after clashes at a recent march in Washington DC. Dr Rakid Ehsan, a research fellow from think tank the Henry Jackson Society,… warned the potential of these organisations clashing with extreme left-wing groups could turn the US into a ‘powder-keg’…

“Antifa is an umbrella term for far-left militant groups… Trump has blamed Democrats for enabling the movement, and Barr has said police in ‘every city’ where there has been protests ‘identified Antifa as the ramrod for the violence’.”

Violence in the USA over the outcome of the election and regarding other matters, such as coronavirus restrictions, is inevitable. Please view our new StandingWatch program in this context, titled, “Are You Prepared for Civil War?”

When Christmas Was Cancelled in England…

The Conversation published an article on November 13 by  Martyn Bennett, Nottingham Trent University:

“… it seems likely that 2020’s [Christmas] festivities will be much more intimate affairs, potentially with households banned from mixing indoors.  But what if families ignore distancing rules, should they remain in place, and celebrate together rather than on Zoom? Politicians seeking to come down hard on rule-breakers might wish to recall a previously restricted yuletide.

“Back in 1647, Christmas was banned in the kingdoms of England (which at the time included Wales), Scotland and Ireland and it didn’t work out very well. Following a total ban on everything festive, from decorations to gatherings, rebellions broke out across the country. While some activity took the form of hanging holly in defiance, other action was far more radical and went on to have historical consequences.

“In 1647, parliament had won the civil war in England, Scotland and Ireland and King Charles was held in captivity at Hampton Court. The Church of England had been abolished and replaced by a Presbyterian system. The protestant reformation had restructured churches across the British Isles, and holy days, Christmas included, were abolished.

“The usual festivities during the 12 days of Christmas (December 25 to January 5) were deemed unacceptable. Shops had to stay open throughout Christmastide, including Christmas Day. Displays of Christmas decorations – holly, ivy and other evergreens – were banned. Other traditions, such as feasting and the celebratory consumption of alcohol, consumed in large quantities then as now, were likewise restricted.

“Christmas Day, however, didn’t pass quietly. People across England, Scotland and Ireland flouted the rules. In Norwich, the mayor… ignored illegal celebrations across the city. In Canterbury, the usual Christmas football game was played and festive holly bushes were stood outside house doors. Over the 12 days of Christmas, the partying spread across all of Kent and armed force had to be used to break up the fun.

“Christmas Day was celebrated in the very heart of Westminster and the churchwardens of St Margaret’s church (which is part of Westminster Abbey) were arrested for failing to stop the party. The London streets were decked with holly and ivy and the shops were closed… Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk also celebrated Christmas rowdily. Young men armed with spiked clubs patrolled the streets persuading the shopkeepers to stay shut.

“Taking up arms and breaking the rules weren’t just about experiencing the fun of the season. Fighting against the prohibition of Christmas was a political act. Things had changed and the Christmas rebellion was as much a protest against the ‘new normal’ as it was against the banning of fun. People were fed up with a range of restrictions and financial difficulties that came with the Presbyterian system and the fallout of the civil war.

“The aftermath of the Norwich Christmas riots was the most dramatic. The mayor was summoned to London in April 1648 to explain his failure to prohibit the Christmas parties, but a crowd closed the city gates to prevent him from being taken away. Armed forces were again deployed, and in the ensuing riots, the city ammunition magazine exploded, killing at least 40 people. Norwich was not alone. In Kent, the grand jury decided that the Christmas party-going rioters had no choice but to answer to the law and the county went into exuberant rebellion against parliament. Royalists capitalised on the popular discontent and began organising the rioters.

“Successively in 1647 and 1648, parties led to riots, these riots led to rebellions, which, in turn, caused the Second Civil War that summer. King Charles was put on trial after his defeat in the war and was executed. This resulted in a revolution and Britain and Ireland became a republic – all because of Christmas.

“This Christmas, police across the country are ready to enforce COVID regulations and break up gatherings… politicians could learn from the fallout of the last time Christmas was cancelled. Like in 1647, many people today are fed up with the government’s restrictions. Many have also suffered financial difficulties as a result of the COVID regulations…

“Such a situation will have to be handled gingerly. There has already been civil disorder over lockdowns…  the last thing the country needs is further unrest…”

This goes for America too, as well as for other “Christian” nations. Even though God does not want His people to celebrate Christmas, the parallels between 1647 and 2020 are striking.

Explosive Charges

Newsmax wrote on November 21:

“Levying explosive claims of widespread voter fraud specifically tied to Dominion Voting Systems and potentially a pay-for-play scheme with GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell… vowed to deliver a ‘biblical’ voter fraud case this week…

“Among the most explosive claims alluded to by Powell were: Joe Biden votes being ‘weighted’ at 1.25 times and President Donald Trump votes being parsed at 3/4. Algorithms that gave Democrats 35,000 extra votes. Modifications made to voting machines after statutory cutoff dates for changes. Past election victories, including Hillary Clinton’s primary victory over Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., being forced decided by Dominion Voting Systems. Alleged pay-for-play kick backs to public officials, potentially even Georgia GOP Gov. Kemp for a late grant to use Dominion Voting Systems.

“‘Georgia is probably going to be the first state I’m gonna blow up,’ Powell said rhetorically with her pending lawsuits alleging massive voter fraud.”

If massive voter fraud can be proven, then America stands convicted as a terribly corrupt country… to be comparable with the worst dictatorships… whether the presented evidence will allow Trump to stay in office or not.

Powell Not Part of Trump Legal Team?

Breitbart wrote on November 23:

“Lawyer Sidney Powell said in a statement Sunday evening via Gen. (Ret.) Michael Flynn that… she understood the Trump campaign’s statement that she is not part of the campaign’s legal team and she is proceeding to file an ‘epic’ lawsuit this week. After Twitter suspended Powell for 12 hours, Flynn posted her statement on his Parler account, which said:

“‘I agree with the campaign’s statement that I am not part of the campaign’s legal team. I never signed a retainer agreement or sent the President or the campaign a bill for my expenses or fees. My intent has always been to expose all the fraud I could find and let the chips fall where they may —whether it be upon Republicans or Democrats. The evidence I’m compiling is overwhelming that this software tool was used to shift millions of votes from President [Donald] Trump and other Republican candidates to Biden and other Democrat candidates.  We are proceeding to prepare our lawsuit and plan to file it this week.  It will be epic. We will not allow this great Republic to be stolen by communists from without and within or our votes altered or manipulated by foreign actors in Hong Kong, Iran, Venezuela, or Serbia, for example, who have neither regard for human life nor the people who are the engine of this exceptional country…’

“Powell released the statements after the Trump campaign legal team, led by Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis, released a short statement that said: ‘Sidney Powell is practicing law on her own. She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team. She is also not a lawyer for the President in his personal capacity.’”

The Trump team had clearly said previously that Powell was part of their team, and Trump had declared that Powell was one of his attorneys. What is going on? Giuliani subsequently attributed the break to the pursuit of two different legal theories.

Sidney Powell Files Lawsuits in Georgia and Michigan because of Alleged Organized Voter Fraud

Breitbart wrote on November 26:

 “Attorney Sidney Powell filed lawsuits Wednesday challenging the results of the presidential vote in Georgia and Michigan, alleging ‘ballot stuffing,’ which she alleges was ‘amplified and rendered virtually invisible by computer software created and run by domestic and foreign actors.’…

“She alleges in Georgia: Mathematical and statistical anomalies rising to the level of impossibilities, as shown by affidavits of multiple witnesses, documentation, and expert testimony evince this scheme across the state of Georgia… This scheme and artifice to defraud affected tens of thousands of votes in Georgia alone and ‘rigged’ the election in Georgia for Joe Biden.

 “Powell makes similar allegations in Michigan, noting an ‘especially egregious range of conduct in Wayne County and the City of Detroit, though this conduct occurred throughout the State at the direction of Michigan state election officials.’ Powell traces the fraud to ‘software and hardware from Dominion Voting Systems Corporation,’ which she said derives from software created by ‘Smartmatic Corporation, which became Sequoia in the United States.’ She goes on to allege, in both the Georgia and the Michigan complaints, ‘Smartmatic and Dominion were founded by foreign oligarchs and dictators to ensure computerized ballot-stuffing and vote manipulation to whatever level was needed to make certain Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez never lost another election.’

“Based on the affidavit of a whistleblower, Powell alleges that the systems were designed to make ballot-stuffing hard to detect by a ‘simple audit.’ They were manipulated, she says, by people who had access to the systems.

“In Georgia, she says: [V]ideo from the State Farm Arena in Fulton County shows that on November 3rd after the polls closed, election workers falsely claimed a water leak required the facility to close. All poll workers and challengers were evacuated for several hours at about 10:00 PM. However, several election workers remained unsupervised and unchallenged working at the computers for the voting tabulation machines until after 1:00 AM. She also claimed that ‘the Dominion software was accessed by agents acting on behalf of China and Iran in order to monitor and manipulate elections, including the most recent US general election in 2020.’ One expert, she says, ‘concludes that hundreds of thousands of votes that were cast for President Trump in the 2020 general election were transferred to former Vice-President Biden.’

“And she adds that ‘Georgia’s election officials and poll workers exacerbated and helped, whether knowingly or unknowingly, the Dominion system carry out massive voter manipulation by refusing to observe statutory safeguards for absentee ballots. Election officials failed to verify signatures and check security envelopes. They barred challengers from observing the count, which also facilitated the fraud.’

“In Michigan, Powell says, in addition to problems with Dominion, there were ‘additional categories of “traditional” voting fraud and Michigan Election Code violations, supplemented by healthy doses of harassment, intimidation, discrimination, abuse and even physical removal of Republican poll challengers to eliminate any semblance of transparency, objectivity or fairness from the vote counting process.’

“Powell alleges, citing expert testimony, that Michigan saw tens of thousands of ‘excess voters,’ where unassigned or blank absentee ballots were filled out by election workers, and nearly all of those votes went to Joe Biden. She also alleges that in four precincts, more ballots were counted than could be physically processed during a two and-a-half hour interval Nov. 4. She alleges that glitches in Michigan — such as one that mistakenly counted 6,000 votes for Biden in Antrim County — were always in Biden’s favor. There are enough ballots affected, Powell argues, for the courts to set aside the results of the 2020 election in each state.”

Trump Approves Transition Proceedings, but…

The U.S. General Services Administration chief [Emily Murphy] informed Biden that her agency would move ahead with transition proceedings, stating: “In the days ahead, transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response, have a full accounting of our national security interests, and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration’s efforts to hollow out government agencies.” Trump pledged to continue his legal challenge of election results, tweeting: “Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good fight, and I believe we will prevail! Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily [Murphy] and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same” (compare Fox News, dated November 23, 2020).

In addition, Newsmax added on November 24:

“President Donald Trump is vowing to ‘never concede,’ the ‘most corrupt election in American political history’— despite the General Services Administration giving the go-ahead to Joe Biden to begin a transition to the White House. Trump’s remarks came in a late Monday night tweet. He wrote, ‘What does GSA being allowed to preliminarily work with the Dems have to do with continuing to pursue our various cases on what will go down as the most corrupt election in American political history? We are moving full speed ahead. Will never concede to fake ballots & “Dominion.’”

Newsmax wrote on November 24:

“Newsmax is naming Joe Biden the winner of Michigan, Nevada, and Pennsylvania after those states officially certified their election results. Newsmax has not yet called the entirety of the 2020 presidential race for former vice president Joe Biden, but expects to make a determination shortly after reviewing legal challenges made by the Trump campaign.”

Voter Fraud in Pennsylvania?

 Breitbart wrote on November 25:

 “Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani appeared at a public hearing of Pennsylvania Republicans Wednesday to review his claims of voter fraud and election irregularities in the commonwealth… Several witnesses appeared in person to describe the voting irregularities they witnessed as they were prevented from meaningful access to the voting process… Other witnesses explained that thousands of ballots were counted in secret, as they were kept out of the room… Attorney Justin C. Kweder, a certified canvass observer… also raised concerns about more than 5,000 damaged mail-in ballots that were duplicated by poll workers.

“Other witnesses appeared via video teleconferencing to talk about their concerns with ‘illegal pre-canvassing,’ as Democrat counties contacted voters to help ‘cure’ their ballots so they would be counted… Giuliani also brought an election security specialist to talk about the voting systems in the United States. The expert questioned the anomaly of reporting spikes in the voting counts for Biden late in the evening as a ‘prime indicator of fraudulent voting.’ He claimed that there was a discrepancy of around 700,000 ballots between the number of mail-in ballots sent out and the mail-in ballots that were received. The audience laughed and gasped in shock as the expert noted a point when a spike of votes recorded in Pennsylvania had 600,000 votes for Biden and only 3,200 for Trump.

“President Trump called in to the hearing, appearing impressed by what he had heard from the witnesses. He vowed to fight the results of the election and thanked everyone present for sharing their testimonies. ‘We have to turn the election over, because there’s no doubt,’ Trump said. ‘We have all the evidence, we have all the affidavits, we have everything. All we need is to have some judge listen to it properly without having a political opinion or having another kind of a problem.’”

Where there is so much smoke, there got to be huge fires.

Trump said on Thursday he will leave the White House if the Electoral College votes for Joe Biden. The Electoral College is scheduled to make this decision on December 14, but it will only be publicly announced on January 6.

Trump Pardons Flynn

 Breitbart wrote on November 25:

 “President Donald Trump pardoned his former National Security Advisor, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn (Ret.), on Wednesday… Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to the FBI. He later withdrew his plea as exculpatory evidence emerged…

 “After Flynn had taken up his position at the White House, Comey sent FBI agents to interview him there, advising him not to bring counsel. Notes suppressed by the FBI but later revealed indicated that the FBI agents had discussed whether their purpose was to have him fired, or prosecuted. Flynn was not told that he was being investigated. He was asked about his conversations with the Russian ambassador. Agents later reported that they did not believe he was lying to them.

 “However, after the contents of the surveillance intercepts were leaked to the Washington Post, Flynn was accused of having lied, both to the FBI and to Vice President Mike Pence, who had defended Flynn several weeks before. By the second week of February, Flynn was forced to resign… Flynn accepted a plea deal that required him to cooperate with the [Mueller] investigation, which he did; it later emerged that prosecutors had also pressured Flynn, ostensibly by threatening to prosecute his son as well…

 “The Department of Justice soon asked to drop the prosecution. But Judge Sullivan refused… [He] was accused of… waiting for a new administration to appoint new prosecutors to the case… [The pardon] was not the exoneration Flynn might have wanted, nor will it make him whole, or silence his critics, or restore faith in the justice system. But to millions of Americans, Flynn’s pardon is, at long last, the least he deserved.”

 What corruption galore!

“Trump Should Pardon Himself”

 Click Orlando wrote on November 25:

 “Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz said President Donald Trump should pardon himself and others in his administration before leaving office to prevent the ‘radical left’ from prosecuting them. Some Democrats have called on the incoming Biden administration to investigate Trump and other members of his administration for possible crimes such as conspiring with the Russians during the 2016 campaign, illegal campaign contributions and obstruction of justice…”

 It was pointed out by legal experts that even if a President can pardon himself legally [an open question which has not been addressed in the Constitution, nor has it ever been decided in courts], a pardon in this case would be “difficult” as Trump has not been convicted of anything. 

What If…?

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on November 24:

“If Joe Biden is successful in his fight for the White House, he will be bringing with him a foreign policy team that is responsible for some of the biggest and deadliest fiascos in the past quarter century.

“From the idiotic attack on Yugoslavia, to arming jihadists in Syria, to the murder of Libya and the Ukraine coup, the team of rabid interventionists readying themselves to return to power have left a scorched earth behind them.”

Putin Not Ready to Recognize Biden

Newsmax reported on November 22:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin said he… isn’t ready to recognize the election victory of Joe Biden. ‘We will work with anyone who has the confidence of the American people,’ Putin said on Russian state TV Sunday. ‘But that confidence can only be given to a candidate whose victory has been recognized by the opposing party, or after the results are confirmed in a legitimate, legal way.’

“The comments are some of the most detailed since the election from Putin, one of a dwindling number of leaders who haven’t recognized Biden as the next U.S. head of state… When asked if the move could damage U.S.-Russia relations, he said: ‘there’s nothing to damage, they’re already ruined.’”

A lone voice in the wilderness…

US Supreme Court Sides with Churches against Cuomo

CNN wrote on November 26:

“In a 5-4 ruling, the US Supreme Court sided with religious organizations in a dispute over Covid-19 restrictions put in place by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo limiting the number of people attending religious services… it highlights the impact of Justice Amy Coney Barrett on the court… In the late-night decision, Barrett sided with her conservative colleagues in the dispute, while [left-leaning] Chief Justice John Roberts joined the three liberal justices in dissent. Last spring and summer, before the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the court split 5-4 on similar cases out of California and Nevada, with Roberts and the liberals in the majority siding against houses of worship. Barrett was confirmed in October to take Ginsburg’s seat…

“In the main, unsigned opinion, the majority ruled in favor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and Agudath Israel of America that argued that the restrictions violated the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment because the regulations treated the houses of worship more harshly than comparable secular facilities…

“Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote his own concurrence… to explain his vote. He said that other businesses such as bicycle repair shops, did not have similar restrictions. ‘So, at least according to the Governor, it may be unsafe to go to church, but it is always fine to pick up another bottle of wine’ or ‘shop for a new bike,’ Gorsuch wrote…”

With Barrett on the Court, preventing Roberts to cast a “decisive vote,” future decisions might have a different outcome. 

Air Force Sends Bombers to Middle East

KFYR wrote on November 21:

 “B-52 Stratofortress crews assigned to the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base conducted a ‘short-notice, long-range mission’ in the Middle East Saturday, according to U.S. Central Command… the mission was intended to ‘deter aggression and reassure U.S. partners and allies.’… the bombers integrated with at least four other national defense elements.

“It’s unclear how many aircraft or crew members from Minot were involved in the mission… the last U.S. long-range bomber presence in the Middle East took place earlier this year. Minot Air Force Base is one of two military installations in the United States that houses the B-52s, the other being Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.”

 Just a “routine” exercise… or more?

The Times of Israel added on November 23:

“The United States this week rapidly deployed several heavy [B-52] bombers to the Middle East this week in an apparent threat to Iran, amid swirling speculation that US President Donald Trump plans to take military action against Tehran before President-elect Joe Biden enters office… The bombers were accompanied on the mission by F-15 and F-16 fighter jets, as well as KC-10 and KC-135 refueling planes…”

Storming of the Temple Mount?

Israel 365 wrote on November 23:

“Wafa News and other Palestinian news sources reported that former Likud Knesset Member Rabbi Yehudah Glick had ‘stormed’ Al Aqsa Mosque located on the Temple Mount… Among the offenses listed was the police allowing Jews to visit the site for an extra half-hour on Sunday, from 12:30-2:00 instead of limiting Jewish visitation to the site until 1:30. The Palestinian authorities also accused 28 Jews of breaking into the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Jews are expressly forbidden from entering the Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock located in the Temple Mount Compound…

“Rabbi Glick, the man accused of ‘storming’ Al-Aqsa, was surprised to hear of his alleged exploits. ‘I “storm” the Temple Mount every Sunday,’ Rabbi Glick told Israel365News. ‘I don’t know why the Arab media thought yesterday was different. Everyone is welcome to join me in “storming” the Temple Mount.’

“Rabbi Glick has been misidentified in the past by the left-wing media as ‘the most dangerous man in the Middle East’ due to his advocating universal rights to pray at the Temple Mount. In 2014, Rabbi Glick survived an assassination attempt by a Palestinian who shot the rabbi four times at close range. ‘Sunday was one of the quietest, most pleasant days on the Temple Mount,’ Rabbi Glick said…

“This month, a prominent Saudi journalist published an article in which he dispelled the claim that the mosque on the Temple Mount is the Al Aqsa Mosque described in the Koran. Rabbi Glick founded the Shalom Jerusalem Organization to ‘redeem the Temple Mount from the Muslim demands for exclusive rights there, ensuring that all religions enjoy total freedom of access to and worship on the Mount, in order to turn the Mount into the prophetic House of Prayer for All Nations and pave the road for the rebuilding of the Third Temple.’”

 A third Temple will be built in Jerusalem and on the Temple Mount before Christ returns.

The Pope’s Strange Ideas

The Sun wrote on November 23:

“Pope Francis appears to compare President Donald Trump’s rallies to Hitler’s and praised Black Lives Matter reforms in his new book. In the pope’s 150-page book, set to be released on December 1, he supports demands for racial justice in the wake of Floyd’s police murder last May. He also blasted Covid skeptics and the news media that spread conspiracies in the book, which was penned during the Vatican’s coronavirus lockdown.

“In parts of Let Us Dream, it appears as though Francis is directing a message directly [to] the United States. Without identifying the US or Trump by name, Francis singled out Christian-majority countries where nationalist-populist leaders seek to defend Christianity from perceived enemies. ‘Today, listening to some of the populist leaders we now have, I am reminded of the 1930s, when some democracies collapsed into dictatorships seemingly overnight,’ Francis writes in his book. ‘We see it happening again now in rallies where populist leaders excite and harangue crowds, channeling their resentments and hatreds against imagined enemies to distract from the real problems.’…

“Francis also touched upon the pandemic and blasted people who have protested lockdown restrictions. He blasted those people ‘as if measures that governments must impose for the good of their people constitute some kind of political assault on autonomy or personal freedom!’

“[He also related] the respiratory infection that nearly killed him when he was 21… After being saved, Francis decided to join the Jesuit religious order. [He also spoke about] the nearly two years he spent in exile in Cordoba, northern Argentina, as penance for his authoritarian-laced reign as head of the Jesuit order in the country….

“But he also revealed that [while in Exile] he read a 37-volume of the ‘History of the Popes.’ ‘Once you know that papal history, there’s not that much that goes on in the Vatican Curia and the church today that can shock you,’ he wrote.”

Indeed. It’s truly a corrupt church, and the Jesuits, too, have a lot to answer for.

What They do NOT Tell You about Covid

Daily Mail wrote on November 20:

“How accurate were the Government’s grim predictions? The short answer is: not very. In a July report commissioned by Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, scientists estimated that there could be 119,000 deaths if a second spike coincided with a peak of winter flu. Yesterday, that figure stood at 54,286 – less than half that… In mid-September, Sir Patrick made the terrifying claim that the UK could see 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October unless more draconian restrictions were introduced. Yet we have never got near that figure.

“What about its prophecies on deaths? Ditto. Its warnings simply don’t bear any relation to reality. During the ‘Halloween horror show’ press conference used by Sir Patrick and Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty to scare the Government into implementing a second lockdown, one of their slides suggested that daily Covid-19 deaths could reach 4,000 a day by December. With ten days to go, we’re still at less than 15 per cent of that figure… the current death rate is significantly below almost every modelled winter scenario.

“Are hospitals close to full capacity? The answer is ‘no’ – contrary to what the Government experts would have you think after they last month published a chart that gave the impression that hospitals were close to overflowing, when at least half didn’t have a single Covid-19 patient. Currently, only 13 per cent of NHS beds are occupied by patients with Covid-19. On Monday this week, 16,271 hospitals beds across the UK were taken up with patients who had tested positive for Covid-19. This did show a steady rise from the previous Monday, when there were 14,279 patients with Covid. But to put this figure into perspective, the NHS in England had 101,255 general and acute beds available in March of this year plus 15,392 in Scotland and 10,563 in Wales.

“How does it compare with last year? Remarkably… the number of NHS England beds currently occupied is lower than last year’s average. On November 5, the most recent date available, there were actually 1,293 fewer patients in hospital beds than last year’s November average…

“So who is Covid-19 killing? To put it simply, the victims are overwhelmingly the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. Of the 37,470 Covid-19 deaths recorded by NHS England up to November 18, 53.7 percent were of people aged over 80. In comparison, there have been just 275 deaths (only 0.7 per cent of the total) in people under 40. And crucially, those who have died from Covid-19 are overwhelmingly likely to have suffered from a pre-existing condition. Of those who have died from coronavirus, 35,806 people (95.6 per cent of the total) had at least one pre-existing serious medical condition. In fact, there have been just 42 deaths of people aged under 40 without a pre-existing condition…

“Are more dying now than in the first wave? No. The number of Covid-19 deaths is significantly lower than the peak in April… On April 21, for example, there were 1,224 Covid-19 deaths, and a daily average for the week of 838. Yesterday, 511 new deaths were reported.

“Are more dying now than last year? Despite what the fear-mongers would have you think, deaths are not far above average for this time of year…

“Surely more elderly people are dying than normal? It doesn’t look like it. According to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures – for October 2020 – in spite of all the Covid-19 deaths, the average death rate in the over-75s was significantly lower this year than it was last October – 6,901.7 per 100,000 people, compared with 7141.7 for last year.

“But isn’t the infection rate now going up? The latest ONS estimate shows that in the week ending November 14, new infections were already levelling off: one in 80 people in England had the disease that week, compared with 1 in 85 the week before. And it could now be falling: according to research published this week by scientists at Cambridge University – whose data is used by the Government’s Sage advisory group – infection rates of Covid-19 have actually stopped growing across England… the infection rate is actually highest in school-age children and students – the least vulnerable demographics – and lowest among the over 70s.  In the week to November 14, the infection rate among secondary school pupils was 2.03 per cent, while in those over 70 it was just 0.48 per cent and falling…”

We dare to say that the same development can be seen in other countries as well, including in the USA. However, the British government’s response to the article was swift… and appalling. Note the next article.

British Government Fires Back.. but It Backfired

Daily Mail wrote on November 22: “Big Brother fury as the government uses Twitter as a propaganda tool to attack the Mail’s coronavirus analysis… last night a post on the [Health] department’s Twitter account declared: ‘This article is misleading. This is a global pandemic – national restrictions have been introduced to keep people safe and save lives. It is vital people follow the rules and continue to stay at home so we can bring the transmission rates back down and get back to normality.’

“Last night, leading Tory MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith rebuked the Department of Health – telling it to get on with its job of looking after people’s health and stop criticising newspapers. The former Tory leader praised the Daily Mail report as ‘good journalism’ and said it was right to look beneath the official figures which ‘ultimately do not help the public understand the nature of the disease.’ He said: ‘The Daily Mail is right to highlight the problems with the [official] figures that are being produced. It’s what good journalism is about…’

“Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the Tories 1922 backbench committee, signalled that it was not the Department of Health’s job to stifle debate on tackling the virus. ‘Our British tradition is that the people tell government what it can do – not the other way round,’ he said. ‘It’s essential that we have an open, national debate about the best way to tackle Covid-19 and everybody should be free to contribute to that.’

“Meanwhile, the Department of Health came under fire itself on Twitter last night. Ex-England footballer Matt le Tissier wrote: ‘Slightly desperate sounding tweet’. Carol McGiffin, of ITV’s Loose Women tweeted: ‘How? Exactly? No it IS NOT a global pandemic. It has nothing at all to do with ‘keeping people safe and saving lives’ and you know it?!!!’… Talk Radio presenter Mike Graham said: ‘Why is it misleading?…’”

It is incredible and disgusting how arrogant governments all over the world are trying to suppress the voices of those who dare to disagree with the “official” position.

“Freedom Passes” in the UK

Breitbart wrote on November 22:

“The British government will reportedly introduce ‘freedom passes’… for those who have two negative coronavirus tests per week. The government is also working with passport manufacturers to create coronavirus certificates for those that can prove they are free of the virus, according to The Telegraph.

“The immunity certificate would be stored on people’s phones after they receive a letter, card, or document from the government on testing negative for the virus. It is thought that the pass will permit Britons to see members of their families, which is largely banned at the moment, as well as being able to travel without a mask…

“It is not clear at the time of this reporting whether the government will be handing out the ‘freedom passes’ to those who have been vaccinated… Factories and workplaces across the country will be subject to mass testing… It is possible that the military may carry out testing…

“The government will likely need the support of the left-wing Labour Party to pass the measure through Parliament, as a group of 70 Tory MPs has threatened to vote against the restrictions. In a letter to Mr Johnson, the anti-lockdown Covid Recovery Group of Conservative MPs demanded that the government reveal the economic damage that further lockdowns would incur… It is likely that the measures would pass through Parliament, however, as the Labour Party has consistently favoured harsher restrictions on the British public.”

The same is true for the USA where it is mainly left-wing Democrats who insist on harsher restrictions. The name for the passes is telling. If you have them, you are “free”… if not, you remain a slave and a captive?

“Gavin Newsom the Hypocrite Punishes Californians with Curfew”

The Washington Times wrote on November 22:

“Show the governor in a bad light — and you will pay. That’s the message sent Californians’ way after a photo that outed Gov. Gavin Newsom as a face mask-less, non-social distancing partying hypocrite surfaced, and shortly after, he ordered state residents to obey a curfew… It’s hard to see how this is scientific. It’s hard to see how this order comes by way of consideration of the real, true, accurate dangers of the coronavirus — and not as a petty toddler tantrum reaction to being shown a hypocrite.

“That’s right; Newsom is a hypocrite. Just a few days ago, a photo showed he and his wife dined in the cushy French Laundry restaurant with several friends and acquaintances — and lobbyists — in celebration of the 50th birthday of political adviser Jason Kinney. In midst of his scolding California residents to social distance, wear face masks, stay home when possible. In midst of his canceling of Thanksgiving — or, more to point, his order to residents to stay home for Thanksgiving and give up the normal family gatherings…

“That’s what hypocrites do — place demands upon others that they themselves refuse to abide. This is not the way of good governance. This is not the way of good leadership.

“In America, the people are the bosses, the governing officials the employees, and the Constitution the rule of law that’s supposed to be equally applied. The first rule of leadership is to lead by example, not dictate. Newsom, like too many in today’s coronavirus times, falls far short of that rule. It’s high time for citizens to demand accountability and insist public servants follow the same rules they create for others…

“A government of separate and unequally applied standards is not a republic. It’s a dictatorship. And far too many governors are using the coronavirus as cause to dictate.”

Sadly, so true. Such vindictive hypocrisy!

More Hypocrites

Breitbart wrote on November 23:

“Denver Mayor Michael Hancock (D) is flying to Mississippi to spend Thanksgiving with his family despite advising residents against traveling for the holidays if possible as part of an effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus. His spokeswoman confirmed that Hancock was traveling to Houston Wednesday to visit his daughter in Mississippi, and that his wife is already there. About 30 minutes before the flight, Hancock’s account tweeted out to ‘avoid travel, if you can’ in order to slow the spread of COVID-19… an email to city employee obtained by 9News, shows Hancock advised: ‘[A]s the holidays approach, we all long to be with our families with [sic] person, but with the continued rise in cases, I’m urging you to refrain from travel this Thanksgiving holiday. For my family that means cancelling our traditional gathering of our extended family.’

“Hancock’s decision to ignore his own travel advice comes after Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) called off Thanksgiving plans with his 89-year-old mother and two of his daughters after strong backlash. In recent days, Cuomo has urged New Yorkers to  ‘stay away’ from their loved ones during the holidays.”

This is incredible and SO appallingly hypocritical! Where is this country heading with such kind of “leadership”?

Covid-9 rate in Oregon Way Overblown

FM News 101 kxl reported on November 20:

“The covid-19 positivity rate in Oregon could actually be about half of what officials thought it was. The Oregon Health Authority now says the rate is about seven percent. They were saying it was about 13 percent… the OHA admits the virus numbers have not been accurate. Until now, people were testing negative more than once, and only their first result was counted. The state is now tracking the total number of tests taken, including all test results, which lowers the positivity rate. That rate is one of the metrics that decides if schools should be open and if businesses should close.”

However, that does not fit into the paradigm of Oregon’s governor. Note the next article.

You Tell on People? Shame on You!

Breitbart wrote on November 23:

“Not only is Gov. Kate Brown (D-OR) instituting an utterly pointless six-person limit on at-home get-togethers during Thanksgiving week, she’s calling on Oregon residents to snitch on one another if the six-person limit is violated… if you call the police on them, you are not being a good citizen, you are being a rat, a snitch, a tattletale, a jerk, and un-American. Shame on you forever.

“People have the right to do whatever they want in their own homes, and the Constitution declaratively goes out of its way to protect the right to peaceably assemble, and that includes over turkey and dressing…

“Another story has revealed the human cost of lockdown as video footage revealed the moment a great-great-grandmother with dementia living in a care home was told she couldn’t hug her daughter… Man, you’d have to be a real scumbag, a born and bred authoritarian, to snitch on a neighbor because he invited over one too many aunts. Your neighbor did nothing to harm you, and you’re turning him into the Democrat-run Stasi, setting him up for 30 days in jail, a $1,250 fines or both…

“Governor Stalin is illegally imposing these lockdowns and bans (you can’t eat out, can’t go to the gym, etc.) by way of an executive order. The Marion County Sheriff basically said he won’t enforce any of this. ‘We recognize that we cannot arrest or enforce our way out of the pandemic, and we believe both are counterproductive to public health goals,’ he said in a statement.

“Now that’s a great American.”

Demonstrations in Germany

RT wrote on November 22:

“German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has hit out at protesters who compared their struggle against restrictions to the struggle of the anti-Nazi resistance, accusing them of ‘trivializing’ the Holocaust. ‘Anyone who compares themselves to Sophie Scholl or Anne Frank today is mocking the courage it took to take a stand against Nazis,’ Maas tweeted on Sunday.  ‘It trivialises the Holocaust and shows an unbearable ignorance of history. Nothing connects the corona protests with the resistance fighters. Nothing!’

“Maas’ outburst came a day after a woman in Hanover spoke at a protest against coronavirus restrictions, telling the crowd that she felt ‘just like Sophie Scholl’, a student sent to the guillotine by the Nazi regime in 1943 for distributing anti-war leaflets in Munich. At a demonstration in the city of Karlsruhe last weekend, an 11-year-old caused uproar when she compared her lockdown-defying birthday party to Anne Frank’s life of hiding from Hitler’s forces in occupied Amsterdam.

“Germany… went into a new partial lockdown on November 2. Restaurants, bars, theaters, cinemas, and gyms have been forced to close for a month, with private gatherings limited to 10 people from no more than two households…

“Protests against the partial lockdown have broken out in cities across the country, with some gatherings drawing counter-protesters and police deploying tear gas and water cannons. Germany still struggles to atone for its Nazi past, and criminalizes Holocaust denial and National Socialist symbols and insignia. Yet politicians and activists there are apparently as keen as anywhere else to fling Nazi comparisons at their opponents, particularly as the government limits liberty in the name of fighting the coronavirus.

“The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has compared Merkel’s new lockdown-enabling Infection Protection Law to the 1933 Enabling Act, which granted Adolf Hitler the power to rule by decree. Anti-vax protesters have used Nazi-era Stars of David at their demos, while left-wing counter-protesters [in an article of November 21, RT described them as “Antifa members”] have marched against the ‘Corona deniers and Nazi pigs’ on the sceptics’ side. Maas has been busy sniping at anyone making such comparisons. Shortly after the AfD compared the lockdown legislation to the Nazi-era Enabling Act, he tweeted that ‘whoever makes such opprobrious comparisons mocks the victims of National Socialism and shows that he learns nothing from history.’”

Propaganda and unsubstantiated accusations don’t destroy the facts. What is happening in Germany, under the disguise of protecting the German population, is horrifying. The frightening thing is that most Germans, IF you can believe the published polls, are in favor of such drastic and draconian governmental restrictions.

How Germany Wants to “Save” Christmas

Deutsche Welle wrote on November 23:

“German state premiers have agreed on new coronavirus lockdown measures for December and probably January. They also include a mini-amnesty over the Christmas period, from December 23 to January 1…

“The restrictions imposed this November are set for an extension for at least three weeks, until December 20.  Hotels, restaurants and gyms will remain closed. People should stay at home as much as possible, avoiding unnecessary travel and contact. Private gatherings will be limited to members of two households and up to five people…

“Christmas exemptions [to] apply from December 23 to January 1: Meetings involving people from more than two households to be permitted. Maximum of five may be increased to 10 people (under-14s still exempt). Afterwards, people will be encouraged to voluntarily self-isolate for several days. Churches may be permitted to conduct festive ceremonies — aiming to avoid typical, larger services.”

How does this make any sense???

New Controversial Coronavirus Measures in Germany

 Deutsche Welle wrote on November 26:

 “New coronavirus measures in Germany will last until at least January, Angela Merkel has told lawmakers in the German Parliament [on Thursday]. A Christmas amnesty cannot be guaranteed… The speech in Parliament came after new restrictions were agreed during a seven-hour meeting with Germany’s 16 state premiers… If things go well, the rules will be relaxed slightly between December 23 to January 1 for the celebration of Christmas. Up to 10 people are to be allowed to meet, with children aged 14 and under exempt from the limit. Restaurants and bars will still be required to stay closed over the holiday period. People are urged to voluntarily self-isolate before and after holiday gatherings…

“After the speech, Beatrix von Storch, deputy leader of the AfD’s parliamentary party, told DW that the new laws were too onerous, and claimed that they were in breach of the constitution. ‘They are shutting down businesses, they are forcing people to stay home, they are forcing people to stay under quarantine. They are forcing people to wear masks… We can sit in the parliament, 1.5 meters apart from one-and-other, without a mask. And at the same time we ask people to wear a mask when they go shopping. We tell the people they can’t meet at home with more than 10 people, … but if you want to meet all your friends then go to a public bus. … There you can meet your friends.’

“The leader of the Left party in Parliament, Dietmar Bartsch, claimed the Chancellor and State Premiers were ‘not legitimized’ to intervene in basic rights. Business-friendly FDP faction leader Christian Lindner accused the government of setting the wrong agenda, saying it was relying on broad measures to prevent a spillover to vulnerable groups.”

Opposition was also expressed from a member of Parliament of Merkel’s own party. The German government has set the date of September 26, 2021 for new elections, which will determine who will succeed Merkel as the next German chancellor [assuming Merkel will not run again, as she had promised.]

“Lockdowns Greatest Policy Error in this Generation”

The Ron Paul Institute published the following article on November 21:

“Lockdowns are back on in Europe and are making a quick comeback in the US as well. Spain, the UK, Belgium, and France are back in full lockdown mode, although a multitude of restrictions on movement within each country remained in place even when full lockdowns were ended over the summer… Moreover, eastern Europe… is quickly finding that lockdowns aren’t likely to suppress total deaths there, either…

“… politicians and their allies in the ‘public health’ bureaucracies insisted that lockdowns would substantially reduce total deaths in countries that imposed them. Countries that failed to lock down would, on the other hand, experience runaway contagion with total Covid deaths per million orders of magnitude higher than those seen in countries that didn’t lock down. That’s not what happened.

“As early as July, studies were already beginning to show that lockdowns didn’t actually suppress total mortality. This one in The Lancet, for example, concludes [that] government actions such as border closures, full lockdowns, and a high rate of COVID-19 testing were not associated with statistically significant reductions in the number of critical cases or overall mortality.

“And in 2006, an extensive study in Biosecurity and Bioterrorism reported: ‘There are no historical observations or scientific studies that support the confinement by quarantine of groups of possibly infected people for extended periods’ to slow the spread of influenza. No evidence has been offered for why this might be true of flu, but not true of Covid. Moreover, in a recent report from JPMorgan, Marko Kolanovic concluded that ‘re-opening did not change the course of the pandemic’ and that “While we often hear that lockdowns are driven by scientific models, and that there is an exact relationship between the level of economic activity and the spread of [the] virus—this is not supported by the data.’ Overall, evidence backing the lockdown theory has simply failed to materialize.

“Dr. Gilbert Berdine [said:] ‘The data suggest that lockdowns have not prevented any deaths from covid-19. At best, lockdowns have deferred death for a short time, but they cannot possibly be continued for the long term.’ This, of course, is why even the WHO does not recommend lockdowns except as a very short term and ad hoc measure. The side effects of the lockdowns themselves are too dangerous.

“We already know that isolation, unemployment, and other social ills caused by lockdowns affect both physical and mental health. But we also know that lockdowns lead to deaths from untreated medical conditions. Moreover, government health experts in many cases have callously cut off the elderly from all their social and family support. The Associated Press estimates that for ‘every two COVID-19 victims in long-term care, there is another who died prematurely of other causes.’ Many of these deaths are brought on by neglect and isolation caused by state-mandated lockdown policies..

“After taking the unprecedented economic depression into account, history will likely judge these lockdowns to be the greatest policy error of this generation.”

But millions upon millions of people have suffered from the lockdowns in the meantime, with people dying or their livelihood being destroyed. Those responsible for such suffering WILL have to give account to God for their actions.

Beware of Side Effects!

MSNBC wrote on November 23:

“The CDC must be transparent about the side effects people may experience after getting their first shot of a coronavirus vaccine, doctors urged during a meeting Monday with CDC advisors. Dr. Sandra Fryhofer said that both Pfizer’s and Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccines require two doses and she worries whether her patients will come back for a second dose because of potentially unpleasant side effects after the first shot. Both companies acknowledged that their vaccines could induce side effects that are similar to symptoms associated with mild Covid-19, such as muscle pain, chills and headache… ‘We really need to make patients aware that this is not going to be a walk in the park,’ Fryhofer said… ‘They are going to know they had a vaccine. They are probably not going to feel wonderful. But they’ve got to come back for that second dose.’…

“Participants in Moderna and Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine trials told CNBC in September that they were experiencing high fever, body aches, bad headaches, daylong exhaustion and other symptoms after receiving the shots… One North Carolina woman in the Moderna study who is in her 50s said she… suffered a bad migraine that left her drained for a day and unable to focus…

“During the meeting on Monday, Patsy Stinchfield, a Children’s Minnesota nurse practitioner, said officials and drugmakers could try talking about the side effects in a more positive way… ‘These are immune responses,’ said Stinchfield…”

Interesting. Present serious side effects as positive immune responses. Or to put it differently: Explain why healthy people become sick when they take the vaccine.

No Vaccination Mandate? Think Again!

The Sun wrote on November 23:

“AUSTRALIAN airline Qantas will require travelers on international flights to have had the coronavirus vaccine once an inoculation is ready, CEO Alan Joyce said. He told Australian news programme A Current Affair: ‘Whether you need that domestically, we’ll have to see what happens with COVID-19 in the market, but certainly for international visitors coming out and people leaving the country, we think that’s a necessity.’ Other airlines are likely to impose similar requirements once health regulators around the world approve a vaccine, according to Joyce.

“He said the policies could be enforced by providing travelers with a digital ‘vaccination passport’ that shows what vaccine they’ve received and whether it’s ‘acceptable to the country you’re traveling to.’ He added: ‘I’m talking to my colleagues in other airlines around the globe and I think it’s going to be a common theme across the board. There’s a lot of logistics, a lot of technology that’ll be needed to put in place to make this happen, but the airlines and the governments are working on this as we speak.’”

The Associated Press wrote on November 24:

“South Korea’s largest airline has a similar message. Jill Chung, a spokesperson for Korean Air, said Tuesday there’s a real possibility that airlines will require that passengers be vaccinated. She said that’s because governments are likely to require vaccinations as a condition for lifting quarantine requirements for new arrivals… Air New Zealand echoed Chung’s position.”

We knew this was coming! Big Brother’s dictatorships continue.

Megafloods on Ancient Mars?

New Atlas wrote on November 22:

“Mars may be incredibly dry and dusty today, but evidence continues to pile up that it was once a very watery world. Now the Curiosity rover has found signs of an ancient flood of biblical proportions, most likely kicked off by a climate-changing asteroid impact. Apart from a few super salty underground lakes, modern Mars is a global desert. But that wasn’t always the case – decades of observations by orbiters in the sky and rovers on the surface have revealed the dried-up remains of rivers, lakes, and even oceans…

“In the new study, researchers from Jackson State University, Cornell, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Hawaii identified sediment structures in Gale crater indicating that megafloods occurred there around 4 billion years ago.

“Alberto G. Fairén, co-author of the study [said:] ‘The planet had the conditions needed to support the presence of liquid water on the surface – and on Earth, where there’s water, there’s life. So early Mars was a habitable planet. Was it inhabited? That’s a question that the next rover Perseverance will help to answer.”

What we know from the Bible is that God created in the beginning the heavens (the universe) and the earth, and that due to catastrophes, the earth became void and empty. The assumption is that the universe was also not created in a waste and empty state, which it is in today, but that it became that way due to similar catastrophes. For more information, please read our free booklets, “The Theory of Evolution” and “Heavens and Earth.. Before and After the First Man!”

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In the previous parts of this series, we began to discuss the concept taught by the Roman Catholic church that the “immortal souls” of departed ones may be in Hell or Purgatory, and that “indulgences” or prayers for the dead can allegedly remove, partially (“plenary”) or completely (“in full”), punishment for sin, so that their souls can be freed from Purgatory or even Hell to go to Heaven. In order to answer the question regarding indulgences, we reviewed, among other questions, related issues such as the fact that we do not have an immortal soul; that we neither go to Heaven (where we, as immortal saints in Heaven, could allegedly receive prayers from the living and intervene on their behalf), nor do we go to Hell (as defined by orthodox Christianity) or Purgatory when we die.

We also discussed the spirit in man and showed that it is not just another concept for an immortal soul; but that the spirit in man has no consciousness when a person dies. We then began to review the Roman Catholic church’s teaching on Purgatory and showed why this concept is wrong.

With this background, we will now discuss in much detail the Roman Catholic church’s teaching on indulgences.

Indulgences are required, according to Catholic tradition and theology, to ensure that help and assistance is given in Purgatory, a place that doesn’t exist and has no validity from Scripture, so that humans can go to Heaven which Scripture clearly shows is not the place for the dead, nor is Hell, as commonly understood in orthodox Christianity! However, understanding the mind of man at work in setting up an elaborate and unnecessary system in an apostate church, which it has been throughout its existence and which it will continue to be at the end of this age, the enemy of true Christians, helps us to realise where many of our future problems will emanate.

To better understand the concept of indulgences, we should point out that it applies in at least three different ways: It addresses those who are in “Purgatory” (or “Hell”) and for whom prayers and “indulgences” (see below) are given by the living or the “saints in Heaven”, so that they can be freed from Purgatory (or Hell); and it can apply to people in this life who give indulgences (for themselves) so that they do not have to suffer in Purgatory (or Hell) for as long as they otherwise would have to.

On the website https://www.aboutcatholics.com/beliefs/indulgences/ we read the following:

“The History of Indulgences

 “Indulgences have a controversial place in the history of the Catholic Church. The buying and selling of indulgences is what helped to launch the Reformation.

 “Indulgences began in about the ninth century A.D. as a means to substitute a set of tasks for a difficult to fulfill penance. Since the time of the early Church, penance for sins was usually long, difficult, and severe. Someone might do penance for years. So sometimes praying a particular prayer or performing an act of piety could substitute for a penance altogether or take some time off the assigned penance. This type of practice created a sort of Church currency by which people could exchange a difficult penance for a calculated number of prayers or alms. Indulgences showed the mercy of God, exercised through the authority of the Church.”

It is interesting to read that “people could exchange a difficult penance for a calculated number of prayers or alms.” We read in Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Those who are looking for an easier way out are not those who expect to live a difficult way of life because of the opposition to the true Way of God.  It is a reduced “opt-out” clause which cannot be sanctioned by the correct reading of Scripture!

Christ asks the timeless question, in Matthew 16:26: “… what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” The answer is, he cannot buy himself or others out of their destiny. David adds: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require… I delight in Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:6, 8). In Psalm 51:16-17, we read: “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, you will not despise.” Again, the thought is conveyed that one cannot buy himself or others out of punishment by giving God (or the church) money or “sacrifices.”

“During the Crusades under Pope Urban II (1088-1099) Christians who could not participate in the Crusades personally could do so vicariously by almsgiving. Those who personally took part received a plenary indulgence upon death.

“In 1343 Pope Clement VI officially sanctioned the view that Christ had left the Church a treasury of satisfactions that Church officials could dispense (an indulgence) for the remission of the temporal punishment due to sin. By this point indulgences usually were associated with time in Purgatory rather than public penance on earth. One obtained an indulgence, usually granted by the Pope, by performing some good work, sometimes a donation of money. Official doctrine always required internal repentance by the recipient, even if the practice of donating money was often abused.”

Our good works do not save us from death, nor do they abolish punishment. Eternal life is a gift from God—we do not receive it because of our works—and punishment for sin (eternal death or physical consequences because of sin) can be mitigated or avoided upon deep and sincere repentance of the wrong which we might have done.

There is no biblical evidence “that Christ had left the Church a treasury of satisfactions that Church officials could dispense (an indulgence) for the remission of the temporal punishment due to sin.”  This is simply the Catholic church taking to itself power that it has not received in the first place and Scripture has to be manipulated to make this an official doctrine.

“The Controversy Surrounding Indulgences

“Martin Luther objected to indulgences because the common practice of his day did not fit well with his view that good works could not take away the punishment due to sin. Indulgences also set up the Church as a mediator of God’s grace, a role that Martin Luther thought the Church could not and should not play. Furthermore, although Catholics would disagree with Martin Luther’s theology, it is undeniable that abuses were occurring at the time.

“With the abuses of indulgences in his day, often the only thing that was officially preached by Church leaders was offering indulgences in exchange for making a donation to the church. Often there was little emphasis on Christ’s sacrifice and the forgiveness of sin which only comes from God. Luther did not initially seek to strike down indulgences altogether (although by the end of his theological career he was entirely against indulgences), but he challenged the common practice at the time.

“The practice of trading indulgences for money wrongly de-emphasizes the need for interior conversion and repentance. Although donating money is a pious action, it is easy to see how this practice devolved into people believing they could buy their way out of Purgatory.”

It is true that ONLY the supreme Sacrifice of Jesus Christ can free us from eternal death, upon our repentance and belief in His Sacrifice. In addition, donating money is not necessarily a pious action; it can be given for personal enhancement.  People could not buy their way out of a place that didn’t exist in the first place (Purgatory), but it helped the finances of the church, a very rich church, to increase their wealth through an unproved and unscriptural way.

“The Council of Trent, which was held to respond to the challenges of the Reformation, addressed indulgences. The Council affirmed that the Church has the right and the power to grant indulgences. However, the Council agreed with the Protestant reformers that there were many abuses surrounding indulgences that needed to be corrected.”

The concept that “The Council affirmed that the Church has the right and the power to grant indulgences” shows that this was a self-serving council who either had no real biblical knowledge or were complicit in deceiving their membership. No wonder they didn’t want the Bible to be available to the masses, in English or in any other “common” language spoken and understood by the people, as their fraud could have been discovered by those with sufficient learning at that time. It is abhorrent, but true, to realize that the Catholic church FORBADE their members to possess or read the Bible and that even today, Catholic priests do not have to study the Bible to become priests.

“Later History of Indulgences

“Pope Paul VI changed the norms around indulgences by seeking to eliminate the commercial aspect they had acquired over the centuries. He described it as a treasury of merits. Indulgences are now designed to spur Christians to spiritual tasks such as devotion, penance, and charity.”

The concept of “penance” is another false idea. The Bible does not speak of penance, but of repentance. It does not require certain actions–such as going on a pilgrimage—but a change of heart and mind—a deep recognition as to how wrong one has been and has acted, and to acquire a new heart, to leave the false way behind and to go the Way of God.

We then read about the types of indulgences from this same website.

“A partial indulgence removes part of the temporal punishment due to sin.

“Some ways to gain a partial indulgence are by

     “Praying the Magnificat or Hail, Holy Queen;

     “Praying the Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love, and the Creed;

     “Making the sign of the cross;

     “Visiting the Blessed Sacrament; or

     “Visiting a cemetery.

“A plenary indulgence removes all temporal punishment due to sin.

“The conditions for a plenary indulgence are

     “Receive the sacrament of Reconciliation;

     “Receive Holy Communion; and

     “Say a prayer for the Pope. 

“Some ways to gain a plenary indulgence are through 

     “Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for at least one-half hour;

     “Reading Scripture for at least one-half hour;

     “Reciting the Way of the Cross; or

     “Praying the rosary in a church or with a family group or religious community.

“There may be other ways not listed here that the pope or a local bishop could authorize as a means to gain a partial or plenary indulgence. Often plenary indulgences are attached to actions Catholics can do appropriate to particular feast days.

“Note that the ways to obtain an indulgence all involve prayer or an act of piety. This is because our sins hurt the world, and our prayers can help the world heal from the hurt our sins cause.”

When you read some of the requirements as above, it would be humorous if it were not so serious! Making the sign of the cross, visiting a cemetery, saying a prayer for the pope, reading Scripture for at least one-half hour, praying the rosary, plus much more! All made up from the mind of man – and no Scriptural references whatsoever. In addition, many of the concepts associated with the way as to how to obtain indulgences are blatantly blasphemous—such as praying to Mary, “the holy Queen” (whereas the true Mary, the mother of Jesus, is dead and in her grave).

There was a comment from someone who had read all of these “rules and regulations” as above, who wrote:

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23). Only God can forgive sin, and only by his grace through Jesus Christ – nothing that we can do. Making up all these rules to ‘pray this’ and ‘read scripture for at least a half hour’ makes a mockery of the free gift that Jesus gives.”

We will address the concept of the removal of “temporal” punishment below.

On the website: https://www.catholic.com/tract/myths-about-indulgences we can read about a number of myths that the Catholic church address. We will quote just a few of these.

“Myth 1: A person can buy his way out of hell with indulgences.

“Since indulgences remit only temporal penalties, they cannot remit the eternal penalty of hell. Once a person is in hell, no amount of indulgences will ever change that fact. The only way to avoid hell is by appealing to God’s eternal mercy while still alive. After death, one’s eternal fate is set (Heb. 9:27).”

Again, we see that the Catholics believe that people go to hell which we have proved by our many writings over many years is not a biblical concept.

In addition, it is not true that when a person dies, his or her fate is sealed. This is only correct for those who died in Christ (as true Christians)—they will be resurrected to eternal life in the Kingdom and Family of God—and for those who have committed the unpardonable sin. They will be cast in the Third Resurrection into the lake of fire, to be burned up. The parable of Lazarus and the rich man shows that at that time, nothing can be done to change that fate; no amount of prayers or indulgences will save the unrepentant sinner from total annihilation.  But for those who were not called in this life and who did not commit the unpardonable sin, they will be resurrected to a physical existence in the Second Resurrection, and then they can determine their fate—whether they are willing to live God’s Way of Life, or whether they are willing to die the eternal death. But again, indulgences won’t help them in regard to their fate.

“Myth 3: A Person can ‘buy forgiveness’ with Indulgences

“The definition of indulgences presupposes that forgiveness has already taken place: ‘An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven’ (Indulgentarium Doctrina 1, emphasis added). Indulgences in no way forgive sins. They deal only with punishments left after sins have been forgiven.”

The belief is that indulgences can be for people still alive and who are “in purgatory,” neither of which have any Scriptural support.

When the Catholic church speaks of “temporal” punishment, they mean the time of torture in Purgatory. This concept is blatantly false and blasphemous. But it is true, of course, that sins can have physical consequences. We discuss this in great length in our free booklet, “Punishment for Our Sins.” A person who drinks and drives might have an accident and lose a leg. His sin will be forgiven upon true repentance, but the physical consequence—the lost leg—is something he will have to live with, and indulgences won’t restore the person to his former state in this life. (Of course, certain physical and spiritual consequences can be mitigated or even eradicated in this life, due to prayer and faith in Christ’s Sacrifice and in God’s almighty power, subject to the Will of God, such as the consequence of depression due to sin or the contraction of a disease due to sinful conduct.) On the other hand, once a person dies and then is resurrected, he is NOT resurrected with only one leg if he lost the other leg prior to his death, due to his sin. This kind of “temporal” penalty does not exist, either.

“Myth 5: An indulgence will shorten the time in purgatory by a fixed number of days.

“The number of days which used to be attached to indulgences were references to the period of penance one might undergo during life on earth. The Catholic Church does not claim to know anything about how long or short purgatory is in general, much less in a specific person’s case.”

As there is no Purgatory where the soul will suffer, the whole concept of trying to figure out as to how long the person (the “soul”) would suffer in Purgatory without indulgences, and how to shorten that time through indulgences, is just ludicrous. It would also certainly compound a grave error if the Catholic church were to claim the length of any case of [a non-existent] Purgatory. By propounding such a doctrine makes it an opponent of true Christianity.

“Myth 6: A Person Can Buy Indulgences”

“The Council of Trent instituted severe reforms in the practice of granting indulgences, and, because of prior abuses, ‘in 1567 Pope Pius V canceled all grants of indulgences involving any fees or other financial transactions’ (Catholic Encyclopedia).”

At least the Catholic church acknowledges abuses although it would be difficult to do otherwise as history shows that Martin Luther made a great play of their unscriptural basis.

(To be continued)

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

compiled by Dave Harris

“Are You Prepared for Civil War?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

We are facing numerous challenges, all of which can lead or have already led to violence, but the outcome may not only be civil unrest, but also civil war. This program discusses some of the current challenges, from the contested US election and racism to coronavirus restrictions, which, taken together, are turning the US into a “powder-keg” and creating a perfect storm; and it presents an astonishing and frightening lesson from history. Are you prepared for what might be coming very soon?

“Die Last, die wir tragen,” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Daniel Blasinger. Title in English: “The Burden We Carry.”

“What Does Matthew 28:19 Prove?” the sermonette presented last Sabbath by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Baptizing “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” is a flagrantly false practice. All other references in the New Testament for how to baptize a person use only “the name of Jesus Christ.” The Word of God does not contradict itself!

“Be Of Good Cheer,” the sermon presented last Sabbath by Eric Rank, is now posted. Here is a summary: On several occasions, Jesus Christ offered encouragement to His disciples as they faced obstacles and uncertainty. What can we learn from those events recorded in the Bible to find encouragement and strength in our lives in this age?