The Update

On March 22, 2025, Kalon Mitchell will present the first split sermon, titled, “Dokimazo,” and Michael Link will present the second split sermon, titled, “Victory Over Defeat.”

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.

The recent German federal election, held on February 23, proved to be a real thriller. The election campaign itself, in which all parties were involved, can only be described as a farce. With each party attacking the others, and candidates fighting for every vote, the campaigns of the long-established parties were full of lies and deceit. Election programs were copied and declared as their own; and in the TV shows, the questions were constructed in such a way as to defame others. Every politician fought for his own power, and many voters were ultimately cheated of what they wanted to obtain.

However, it was interesting to see that voter participation had not been as high in almost 40 years as it was on that day. At the end of February, I read the following article on zdf.de: “An extremely polarizing election campaign and overlapping domestic and foreign policy crises have pushed voter participation in Sunday’s federal election to its highest level in almost 40 years… According to the preliminary results published early Monday morning, it was 82.5 percent.”

That is indeed enormous. Therefore, about 48.84 million people, out of 59.2 million eligible voters, participated in the election. Needless to say, they did not all vote for the same candidate, but for different parties and people.

This shows how desperate people are in Germany and, of course, all over the world. For many decades, people have been taken for fools by politicians, cheated, lied to and robbed of their possessions through various forms of expropriation; they have been arbitrarily imprisoned, made ill and even killed as a result of vaccinations. TODAY, however, people are turning a blind eye to this and want the whole scenario to be quickly forgotten. But God will not forget anything unless there is sincere repentance.

We know that Satan is behind all of this, as we can read in the Book of Revelation, in the 12th chapter and in verse 9: “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world…” And Paul explains in his letter to the Romans, in chapter 8 and verse 22: “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.”

Even back then, during the 430 years of the Israelites’ captivity in Egypt, the world was in a state of disorder, and when the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, unfortunately their voter participation for God was not 82.5%. On the contrary, well over 90% voted against God. They constantly complained, murmured, and were not particularly blessed because of their disobedience. This, of course, increased the discontent of the Israelites until they finally decided to completely reject Jesus Christ as their Savior and King. Note 1 Samuel 8:1-22.

Yes, the world is still in a state of disorder today, but now at the beginning of sorrows. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are riding ever faster, more violently and more corruptly, until it will ultimately come to a triumph when our Savior JESUS CHRIST returns to earth and puts an end to all this madness.

But before that happens, true Christians still have some time to dwell here, and as Paul so fittingly wrote, they live in the midst of a perverse and crooked generation. In this context, Paul warns us not to behave like the ancient Israelites, and that we should remain steadfast and be counted worthy.

He wrote the following in Philippians 2:14-16: “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”

Of course, we don’t want any of God’s called elders and pastors to have run in vain or labored in vain for the gospel of Christ and the salvation of the brethren. Christ commanded Peter to tend His sheep, and this task is entrusted to the elders and pastors today. We must therefore all remain steadfast, today more than ever, because the time that remains for us until the return of Christ is indeed extremely short!

Let us therefore constantly strive to ensure that our voter participation for God the Father and Jesus Christ is 100%.

Initial translation from German: Daniel Blasinger

by Norbert Link

We begin with articles predicting that Putin will not accept a ceasefire with Ukraine, stating that Trump cannot do much to persuade him otherwise, and that Putin plays Trump like a fiddle, while Trump is repeating some of Putin’s lies. We also address the phone call between Trump and Putin.

Please view in this context our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Will Trump and Putin End the Russia-Ukraine War?”

We continue with Trump’s successful strikes on the Houthis and ISIS, while warning Iran.

We speak on Europe’s and especially Germany’s waking up to reality, with many voices demanding that Germany takes the lead in Europe, while Britain is being warned of becoming a useless ally.  

We speak on Trump’s revealed plans to acquire Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal, which include military actions; the prospect of another travel ban for many countries; and the controversy surrounding the Khalil case and the rights and privileges of green card holders, and others.

We report on China’s preparations to invade Taiwan; and a Jewish push to return to the Temple Mount; as well as Israel’s attack on Gaza; and we conclude with a ludicrous decision against Starbucks and the question as to what happens to our brain when we die.

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

Putin Won’t Accept 

Fox News wrote on March 14: 

“Zelenskyy is correct – peace in Ukraine is a long way off. Putin is highly unlikely to accept President Trump’s current peace plan… 

“Trump demands that his staff accomplish things at record speeds, or ‘in Trump time’…  But with all due respect to President Trump and his accomplishments, the Russia-Ukraine situation is extremely complex. Russia has a very different strategic culture from Western culture. And Putin is an entirely different kind of animal from anyone Trump has dealt with before… [Putin] wants to end the war but only on his terms, which, if accepted by the U.S., would humiliate Washington.  

“On March 6th, Putin publicly ruled out making any concessions on Ukraine… Putin believes he can call the shots. Unconscionable Russian (and Ukrainian) losses notwithstanding, Russia is capable of dragging this war out for years. Indeed, Putin has been developing his strategy ever since he became president, a quarter of a century ago… This is why the Russians largely dismissed Trump’s threat of ‘large-scale’ sanctions. ‘To speak with Russia from the position of strength and to threaten with sanctions is a road to nowhere,’ said State Duma Representative from the Crimea Region Yuri Nesterenko. Additional sanctions are highly unlikely to change Putin’s decision calculus… 

“Putin has indicated multiple times that a temporary break in fighting was out of the question as he doesn’t want to give a strategic pause to Ukraine, Europe or the U.S., to rearm… Russia, being on a wartime footing, now produces more weapons in three months than the entire NATO alliance in one year… Putin also increased Russia’s armed forces above the constitutionally allowable size, to ensure that Russia can fight till the last Ukrainian… 

“Putin ruled out negotiating with Zelenskyy, having told state Rossiya 1 TV that ‘he [Zelenskyy] has no right to sign anything,’ having called the Ukrainian leader ‘illegitimate.’ Indeed, Zelenskyy’s presidential term expired in May. The Ukrainian parliament, at the end of February, rebuffed U.S. calls for elections by passing a resolution that ruled out elections during wartime, citing martial law, in compliance with the Ukrainian constitution…” 

Unstable From the Start 

The Mirror wrote on March 13: 

“Vladimir Putin has said Ukrainian troops involved in a counter-offensive will have to ‘surrender or die’ before he agrees to a ceasefire… Putin also recalled his visit to Kursk yesterday, where Russian troops are attempting to repel a Ukrainian counteroffensive in their own territory. He said ‘the situation is fully under our control, and the group that invaded our territory has been fully isolated’. The Russian leader added that Ukrainian troops can no longer leave the area, and they will have to ‘surrender or die’. He identified the fighting in the region as one of the issues preventing a deal being reached… 

“One defence and security analyst told the Mirror that he does not believe the US be able to persuade Russia to change its position – and that the West should prepare for war with Russia… Michael Clarke said: ‘… The Kremlin also has an agenda to weaken Europe in all ways possible and thinks it is on a roll now so there will be a sense of military momentum behind what Russia plans next.’ He said any ceasefire that is reached would be an ‘unstable truce from the start’…” 

“Putin Is Playing Trump (Again)” 

Politico wrote on March 14: 

“U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the ball was in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s court. But it was an easier ball for the Russian leader to play than many thought… It was classic Putin… There was no firm Russian nyet to stoke the U.S. leader’s anger, rather a teacher’s applause for Trump’s idea and effort. The temporary truce was ‘correct’ and ‘we support it,’ the Russian leader said, but, alas, there were many sticking points…

“It was all drawn from the playbook that he and his lugubrious Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have used time and again: Obfuscate, delay, muddle, throw in some whataboutism, be sorrowfully unctuous, but make sure to dangle a carrot… so far, the play seems to be going as planned. For Trump, Putin’s response was ‘very promising.’… The carrot is working, and he can slow Trump’s eagerness for a deal… 

“Trump’s options for forcing Putin into doing anything aren’t great. Earlier this week, he threatened to apply economic pressure on Russia if Putin didn’t agree to a ceasefire… But Russia’s already been sanctioned every which way since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago…” 

Trump Repeats Putin’s Lie 

Bild Online wrote on March 14: 

“Ukrainians are threatened with a massacre in Kursk, Putin claims – and Trump is portraying himself online as their savior. But the whole story is nonsense… Putin claimed in Moscow: ‘A 30-day ceasefire is beneficial for Ukraine, as all its military personnel are blocked in the Kursk region.’ Putin added, verbatim: ‘It is becoming increasingly impossible for the Ukrainian military to escape the encirclement.’ 

“Complete nonsense! Except for small groups of Ukrainian soldiers (about 25 men in total), thousands of Ukrainians have managed to withdraw from Kursk toward the Ukrainian region of Sumy… Even the maps of Russian war bloggers clearly show that there are NO ‘encircled,’ ‘surrounded,’ ‘encircled,’ or ‘blockaded’ Ukrainian units in Kursk… 

“Hard to believe: The day after the baseless claim, US President Donald Trump repeated Putin’s propaganda. ‘Thousands of Ukrainian troops are completely surrounded by the Russian military,’ Trump said on the network ‘Truth Social.’ He asked Putin to ‘spare their lives’ to prevent a ‘horrific massacre.’ ‘This would be a horrific massacre, the likes of which hasn’t been seen since World War II,’ Trump wrote – completely beside the point.”

Putin, a mass murderer, liar and former KGB agent and spy, knows how to play his cards to his advantage. 

Trump-Putin Phone Call 

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 18 and March 19: 

“Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President  Donald Trump agreed in a phone call that Russia and Ukraine stop attacking each other’s energy infrastructure for 30 days…  ‘It was emphasized that the key condition for preventing the escalation of the conflict and working towards its resolution by political and diplomatic means should be a complete cessation of foreign military assistance and the provision of intelligence information to Kyiv,’ the Kremlin said… 

“‘We’ve seen that attacks on civilian infrastructure have not eased at all in the first night after this supposedly ground-breaking, great phone call’ between Putin and US President Donald Trump, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in a TV interview, adding that ‘Putin is playing a game.’ The German minister also described as ‘unacceptable’ the Kremlin’s insistence that a ‘key condition’ for peace would be a complete halt to Western military and intelligence support for Ukraine’s embattled military…. 

“Germany is set to deliver additional military supplies to Ukraine this year… The package includes €3 billion ($3.3 billion) in aid for 2025 and a further €8.3 billion for the years 2026 to 2029.  A spokesman for Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the equipment would consist of Iris-T air defense systems, guided missiles, surveillance radars, drones, combat vehicles and light weapons.” 

The Sun wrote on March 18 and 19: 

“Putin’s red lines remain intact and he has not shifted from his original goals of a Nato rollback in Eastern Europe or a demilitarised Ukraine… The Russian said… that he would not agree to a full ceasefire until all military aid to Ukraine from the US and its allies stopped… 

“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron have vowed to keep arming Ukraine, directly pushing back against Vladimir Putin’s demand for a ‘complete cessation’ of Western military support… 

“IT is a sign of how badly Donald Trump has been played that Putin’s only concession to Kyiv was not to murder prisoners of war. [Putin] rejected calls for full 30-day ceasefire. He rejected calls to end all air strikes and attacks in the Black Sea…” 

The New York Post Editorial Board wrote on March 19: 

“Putin’s publicly ruling out a ceasefire unless he first gets a total halt on all foreign military aid and intelligence-sharing to Ukraine… 

“46% of Americans think Washington isn’t doing enough to help Ukraine, the highest level of support Ukraine’s enjoyed here since the war began — up 16 points since December and 21 since October. Meanwhile, the share who think we’re doing too much has plunged from 37% in December to 30%. And a majority, 53%, actually want to help Ukraine reclaim territory it’s lost to Russia, even if it prolongs the conflict — vs. 45% who want to end it quickly and let Russia keep land it’s stolen. 

“Trump is right to try to end the war, but getting to peace will require strength — including, if Putin keeps playing games, strengthening Ukraine. Remember, Russia itself is running out of manpower and materiel.” 

Trump Strikes Houthi Terrorists, Warns Iran 

The Associated Press wrote on March 14: 

“President Donald Trump said he ordered a series of airstrikes on the Houthi-held areas in Yemen on Saturday, promising to use ‘overwhelming lethal force’ until the Iran-backed rebels cease their attacks on shipping along a vital maritime corridor… He also warned Iran to stop supporting the rebel group, promising to hold the country ‘fully accountable’ for the actions of its proxy… 

“A U.S. official said this was the beginning of air strikes on Houthi targets that are expected to continue.” 

Trump and Sudani Kill ISIS Terrorists 

Politico wrote on March 15: 

“A joint Iraq-U.S. operation killed a leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, according to Washington and Baghdad. Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rufay’i, also known as Abu Khadija, was responsible for Islamic State operations, logistics and planning and directed ‘a significant portion of finance for the group’s global organization,’ the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said… Friday. He was killed alongside one other IS operative in a ‘precision airstrike’ in Iraq’s western Al Anbar province, CENTCOM said. 

“Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said Khadija was considered ‘one of the most dangerous terrorists in Iraq and the world.’… 

“Islamic State seized large swathes Syria and northern Iraq in 2014… [It] has remained active… U.S. commander General Michael Erik Kurilla said Khadija was ‘one of the most important ISIS members in the entire global ISIS organization.’” 

America First—An Impossibility 

Focus wrote on March 12: 

“Perhaps Trump has fallen so in love with the idea of a Fortress America that fends off foreign people (migrants) and goods (imports) alike that he is willing to test the robustness of the financial and labor markets in his first year in office… 

“Perhaps later, when historians, rather than psychologists, have passed judgment, we will realize: America First was not an option in an interconnected world, but an impossibility.” 

Needed—a European Army 

Indianetwork News wrote on March 14: 

“The European rearmament is ‘a first necessary step’ [towards a European Army]… the former president of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, [said]… 

“‘When Russia attacked Ukraine I told myself if we had had a common army, it would not have done it ‘… [We need] one in which ‘there is a common [only or single] command in which everyone participates.’” 

Europe WILL have a common army, and IT will attack Russia and other Far Eastern nations, but they will retaliate. 

Germany War-Ready? 

Deutsche Welle reported on March 14: 

“The conservative CDU/CSU bloc… and the SPD have agreed in principle with the Greens on plans for a massive increase in state borrowing ahead of a parliamentary vote next week. The debt reform plan, put forward jointly by the conservatives and the SPD, would exempt defense spending from the country’s constitutionally enshrined debt brake… ‘It is a clear message to our partners and friends, but also to our opponents, to the enemies of our freedom: we are capable of defending ourselves and we are now fully prepared to defend ourselves,’ [Merz] said… ‘There will be no shortage of financial resources to defend freedom and peace on our continent… Germany is making its major contribution to the defense of freedom and peace in Europe.’ 

“Meanwhile, Social Democrat co-leader Lars Klingbeil said a major government borrowing and investment push was a ‘powerful boost’ for Europe’s largest economy. ‘We have laid the foundation for Germany to get back on its feet and protect itself,’ Klingbeil said…” 

Suddenly, all leading politicians are united in their view that Germany must become war-ready. Note the following articles. 

Guttenberg Paints a Bleak Picture of German Foreign Policy 

Die Deutsche Handwerkszeitung (“The German Crafts Newspaper”) wrote on March 14:

“Former Federal Minister of Economics Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has… sharply criticized German foreign policy over the past decades. ‘We have settled into a state of dependence,’ he said. The country has been in a ‘deep sleep.’ The dependence on the US for defense, previously on Russia for energy supplies, and on China for trade is worrying. These interdependencies have put Germany in a dangerous situation. ‘The law of the strongest prevails again,’ Guttenberg emphasized, referring to Washington, Moscow, and Beijing. 

“He made it clear that Europe can no longer rely on US protection. ‘The world after Donald Trump’s reign will never be the same.'” 

In this context, please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “Politicians Demand What We Have Told You For Decades!” 

Schulz: America No Longer Wants to Be a Partner! 

Forum wrote on March 14: 

“The formation of a new federal government is under enormous pressure. The Trump administration’s policies demand swift and decisive reactions from Europeans. They, in turn, expect a strong role from Germany. Martin Schulz, [former President of the European Parliament], demands: We should accept the fight… 

“‘The Federal Republic of Germany must assume a leading role in the European Union… I believe we must soberly acknowledge that the United States of America, under the leadership of this President, no longer wants to be a partner of the Europeans. The US views Europe as enemy territory… The 450 million people on this continent, even if we are not all rich, represent the richest region in the world with the greatest purchasing power. We don’t need to hide from the United States of America, quite the opposite…” 

Germany Must Lead! 

Vorwaerts wrote on March 13: 

“[European Council President] António Costa… made it clear: ‘We need Germany with its determined investments in our common defense…’ Because the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has shown how urgently it is necessary to build a European defense… 

“SPD Chairman Lars Klingbeil [said:] ‘The West as we knew it is finished, at the latest with the re-election of Donald Trump’… This is also why Europe is needed more than ever… ‘This can only succeed if we finally make Europe strong,’ Klingbeil demanded. At the same time, Europe is more fragile than it has been for a long time. ‘Europe is at a crossroads; either we pull ourselves together and move forward together, or Europe dies… Peace in Europe is in danger today,’ Klingbeil said. To defend it, Germany has a leadership role to play. ‘We must be prepared to take on this leadership role,’ he demanded.” 

“Germany’s Bundestag Votes in Favor of Reforming ‘Debt Brake’” 

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 18: 

“The multibillion-euro package loosens borrowing limits and allows new investments in defense, infrastructure and climate… The legislation now goes to the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, where a vote is scheduled for Friday… 

“DW’s political correspondent Michaela Kuefner has said a vote in favor of the changes would give chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz a free hand when it comes to defense spending. ‘It means he would have the money to do what he says he wants to do, which is for Germany to take more of a leading role in Europe… spending more on European defense… He effectively has a blank check when it comes to defense spending which is fully exempt from the debt brake… 

“AFD co-leader Tino Chrupalla has accused the conservative CDU/CSU and center-left Social Democrats of a ‘spectacle’ in bringing the vote on the debt brake before the outgoing Bundestag. The package has been brought to the old parliament rather than the newly elected one, due to hold its first session on March 25, because parties that were unlikely to agree to the change have just over one-third of the seats in the new chamber….”

NPR added on March 18: 

“The package will exempt from the debt rules spending on defense and security, including intelligence agencies and assistance to Ukraine, worth more than 1% of GDP. It also foresees a 500 billion-euro ($544 billion) fund, financed by borrowing, to pour funding into Germany’s infrastructure over the next 12 years and help restore the stagnant economy — Europe’s biggest — to growth. At the Greens’ insistence, 100 billion euros from the investment fund will go into climate-related spending.” 

The French-German Engine Is Running Again… Thanks to Trump 

Politico wrote on March 19: 

“French President Emmanuel Macron has finally found the kindred German spirit he’s spent years looking for — and he has Donald Trump to thank… France is delighting at the prospect of a German leader [Merz] who, even before taking office, is moving with urgency to clear a path for his country to invest billions of euros in infrastructure and arms… 

“Merz and Macron were probably always going to get along well. Both are former creatures of the corporate world, though Merz’s career in the private sector — which included stints at white shoe law firm Mayer Brown and on the board of investment firm BlackRock — was much longer than Macron’s time as a banker at Rothschild & Co.. But without Trump, it’s not clear that the two leaders would’ve gotten off on such good footing.” 

Britain to Become a “Second-Tier” European Nation? 

Daily Mail wrote on March 13: 

“Britain is on course to becoming a ‘second tier’ European nation like Spain or Italy due to economic decline and a weak military that undermines its usefulness to allies, an expert has warned.

“Research professor Dr Azeem Ibrahim OBE concluded in a damning new report that the U.K. has been paralysed by low investment, high tax and misguided policies that could see it lose its standing as a top-tier middle power at current growth rates… ‘Britain no longer has the industrial base to logistically sustain a war with a near-peer like Russia for more than two months,’ he wrote in The Henry Jackson Society’s latest report, Strategic Prosperity: The Case for Economic Growth as a National Security Priority. 

“The report assesses… that [Poland’s] military will soon surpass the U.K.’s along lines of both manpower and equipment on the current trajectory… Britain’s usefulness to its allies is now ‘falling behind even second-tier European powers’, [Ibrahim] warned… 

“The former advisor to the 2021 Integrated Defence and Security Review noted in the report that in spite of the ‘weakening’ of the institutions once ‘secured’ by the U.S., Britain is responding by harming the last vestiges of its military might and economic power. The U.K., he said, ‘seems to be making increasingly expensive gestures’ like the £9bn handover of the strategic Chagos Islands and opening talks on reparations for Caribbean Slavery….”

The former glory of the British Empire has long passed, but the Bible says that Britain (Ephraim) does not realize it. 

Portugal Rejects F-35 Jets Due to U.S. Unpredictability 

BulgarianMilitary.com wrote on March 14: 

“Portugal has slammed the lid on any flicker of hope that it might one day strap into [America’s] Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II… Defense Minister Nuno Melo laid down the law: the fifth-generation jet isn’t in Portugal’s future, and Donald Trump’s fresh stint in the White House is a glaring reason why… it’s a blaring alarm about how a NATO ally is weighing U.S. trustworthiness in an era that’s starting to feel like a geopolitical rollercoaster… 

“As of March 2025, 14 NATO nations are either flying or waiting on F-35s, locking it in as the alliance’s top bird. For Lockheed Martin, every potential customer is a lifeline. Foreign sales keep the factory humming in Fort Worth, Texas… Portugal was never a sure bet, but it’s hard ‘no’ prick the bubble of F-35 inevitability just the same… The White House has sold the F-35 as a unifier, a way to stitch NATO together with shared tech and tight-knit ops. Portugal’s rejection, even of a what-if buy, frays that story at the edges… 

“European rigs like the Eurofighter Typhoon or Dassault Rafale keep popping up in the rumor mill, offering a clean break from U.S. strings. The Typhoon, flown by Germany, Spain, and the UK, packs a multirole punch and slots into NATO’s playbook, though its price tag rivals the F-35’s… The stakes reach way beyond Portugal’s hangars. Its Atlantic perch makes it a keystone in NATO’s western wall, especially as Russian subs and surface ships poke around more often, testing the edges of allied waters. 

“The F-35’s stealth cloak and sensor suite would’ve handed Lisbon a razor-sharp edge in that cat-and-mouse game—something its aging F-16s can’t even fake… If other small NATO players—say, Slovakia or Romania—start sniffing around non-American kit, the ripples could swell into a tide…” 

Another American ally turning against the USA.

Acquiring Greenland?

The Hill wrote on March 13: 

“President Trump on Thursday expressed confidence the United States would annex Greenland, even suggesting the head of the NATO alliance could be a key player in facilitating the acquisition. ‘I think it will happen,’ Trump told reporters in the Oval Office during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte… ‘You know, Mark, we need that for international security,’ Trump said, gesturing to Rutte. 

“Rutte agreed that Greenland and the Arctic Circle are critical for security reasons, noting that China and Russia have a growing presence in the region. But he said any discussion about Trump’s attempts to acquire Greenland were outside of his purview. ‘I don’t want to drag NATO in that,’ Rutte said.” 

Daily Mail wrote on March 14: 

“Greenland’s Prime Minister has declared ‘enough is enough’ in response to President Donald Trump’s threat to dispatch soldiers to annex the island… [Trump said:] ‘We have a couple of bases on Greenland already and we have quite a few soldiers. May be you will see more and more soldiers go there,’ he threatened… 

“In early January, after he was elected but before inauguration, Trump indicated he was willing to use force on both Greenland and Panama…”

Reclaiming the Panama Canal? 

Express wrote on March 13: 

“Donald Trump has reportedly ordered the US military to come up with plans to increase the number of troops in Panama as part of his mission to ‘reclaim’ the canal. US Southern Command, responsible for security cooperation and operations in Central America, has drafted ideas such as working with the Panamanian military and US troops taking the canal by force…  The likelihood of military force depends on the level of partnership agreed upon by the Panamanian military… 

“The US president said last week that ‘to further enhance our national security, my administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal, and we’ve already started doing it’. While it remains unclear what ‘reclaiming’ means,… US Southern Command chief Admiral Alvin Holsey sent draft strategies to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth this week ahead of his visit to Panama next month. [It was] stressed that military action in Panama would only be considered if the country does not allow Mr Trump to ‘reclaim’ the canal.” 

Conquering Canada?

NBC News wrote on March 14: 

“Speaking with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump… riffed about how Canada shouldn’t exist as a sovereign country before getting to what has increasingly become a fixation: wholesale annexation of Canada as a U.S. state… ‘If you look at a map, they drew an artificial line right through it, between Canada and the U.S. Just a straight, artificial line. Somebody did it a long time ago, many many decades ago. Makes no sense… why should we subsidize another country for $200 billion?… we don’t need their lumber, we don’t need their energy. We have more than they do. We don’t need anything. We don’t need their cars. I’d much rather make the cars here. And there’s not a thing that we need. Now, there will be a little disruption, but it won’t be very long. But they need us. We really don’t need them. And we have to do this. I’m sorry.’ 

“Trump has been unapologetic in his quest to conquer the Canadians… Few think he’s joking…, and the Canadians have stopped laughing. A source with direct knowledge of the discussions told NBC News that Trump is heavily focused on Canada in conversations with aides, who believe he is completely serious about making the country the 51st state — even with Trudeau out of power and a new prime minister in place… 

“The president made clear in a phone call with Trudeau last month that he wants to revise the boundary between the two nations set by a 1908 border treaty… The president has also mentioned renegotiating agreements that dictate how the Great Lakes and Columbia River are governed… Trump wants to control the Northwest Passage, a maritime path that begins west of Greenland and cuts through Northern Canada to the Arctic Ocean…” 

All of this causes America’s “friends” to become extremely alarmed. 

A New Travel Ban?

Newsmax wrote on March 14: 

“The Trump administration is considering a three-tiered travel ban targeting 43 countries, including 11 that would be hit with an outright ban on all travel to the United States, The New York Times reported Friday. 

“Iran, Libya, North Korea, and Venezuela are among the ‘red’ list countries whose citizens would be barred from entering the U.S., according to the Times. 

“Another 10 countries on the ‘orange’ list, including Russia and Pakistan, would be slapped with sharp restrictions on visas; the rest of the countries, the ‘yellow’ list, would require 60 days to address concerns, according to the report. 

“The restrictions being considered are broader than the travel ban Trump implemented in January 2017 on seven majority-Muslim countries, all of which are on the ‘red’ list this time around save for Iraq, which is not targeted for any ban or restriction, according to the Times. 

“The State Department compiled the list of 43 countries several weeks ago and changes by the White House are likely, the Times reported. Those likely to be banned on the ‘orange’ list include people on tourist visas while business travelers might be allowed in, according to the report. Regardless, any person on the ‘orange’ list would be subjected to a mandatory, in-person interview to receive a visa, the Times reported. 

“Other ‘red’ list countries include Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, according to the report. 

“The other ‘orange’ list countries include Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Turkmenistan, the Times reported. 

“The ‘yellow’ list is composed of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe, according to the report.” 

Although not yet final, these preparations create further animosity towards the USA. 

Deporting Green Card Holders? 

ABC News wrote on March 13: 

“The detaining of Mahmoud Khali, the Columbia University student and Palestinian activist who possessed a green card, has raised questions about the deportation risks faced by lawful permanent residents amid the Trump administration’s escalating crackdown on immigration. President Donald Trump’s administration, which has alleged that Khalil was a supporter of Hamas,  has said it has the authority to deport Khalil under the Immigration and Nationality Act. ‘Secretary [Marco] Rubio reserves the right to revoke the visa of Mahmoud Khalil under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Secretary of State has the right to revoke a green card or a visa for individuals who are adversarial to the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States of America,’ White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press conference this week. Khalil… is married to an American citizen who is eight months pregnant… 

“Under the Immigration Nationality Act,… the government can charge a green card holder as being deportable without being convicted of a crime if there are reasonable grounds to believe they engaged in certain criminal or terrorist activities… But experts and immigration attorneys… said the statute does not give the secretary of state the power to deport green card holders like Khalil without going through a procedure… After the federal government invokes the statute, individuals like Khalil are entitled to argue their case before an immigration judge. Khalil is set to appear before an immigration judge later this month in Louisiana… 

“Experts told ABC News there are a number of reasons why an individual could lose their green card, including marriage fraud, immigration fraud, violent crimes and other offenses. Andrew Nietor, an immigration attorney, told ABC News said that while there are cases where the government invokes the Immigration and Nationality Act for certain green card holders with criminal convictions, he said he has never seen a case like Khalil’s…” 

Voice of America added on March 13: 

“In immigration court, the burden of proof is on the government; it must show the person violated immigration laws. In a case like Khalil’s, ICE attorneys will ask for deportation, but they will have to prove he is a threat to national security.” 

Unconstitutional? 

Zeteo added on March 13: 

“Yes, a green card holder (or lawful permanent resident) can be deported. The most common way is if they committed a crime. But in Khalil’s case, he has not been charged with any crime. Instead, Secretary of State Marco Rubio personally signed off on targeting Khalil using a narrow, little-used authority from the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), Under the provision – section 237(a)(4)(C)(i) – an immigrant who is not a citizen or US national, but ‘whose presence or activities in the United States the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States is deportable.’ 

“While the provision has an exception for conduct deemed ‘lawful’ in the US (such as free speech), the exception has an exception: if the secretary of state ‘personally determines that the alien’s admission would compromise a compelling United States foreign policy interest.’ That personal determination seems to be driving Rubio’s insistence that the Trump administration can deport legal permanent residents whom it deems to be ‘pro-Hamas.’… 

“It’s worth mentioning that the Jewish publication Forward called the INA a ‘McCarthy-era antisemitic law’ that was widely viewed at the time of its passage in 1952 as a way to target ‘Eastern European Jewish Holocaust survivors suspected of being Soviet agents.’… 

“The Department of Homeland Security on Saturday accused Khalil of leading ‘activities aligned to Hamas’ and said authorities detained Khalil ‘in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism.’ The Trump administration has not provided any specific evidence on which it is basing its determination. Khalil’s legal team has rejected the Trump administration’s claim that Khalil supported a terrorist organization… 

“It’s worth noting, however, that a district court in 1996 did find that the provision was ‘unconstitutionally vague,’ said Lindsay Nash, an associate professor at Cardozo School of Law and co-director of the Kathryn O. Greenberg Immigration Justice Clinic. According to Nash, the judge, who was none other than Donald Trump’s sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, essentially said that ‘providing the secretary of state [the ability] to determine deportability’ deprives the court of the role it would ‘normally have in reviewing these types of determinations.’ The law, the court said, also doesn’t give non-citizens a way to know what is prohibited, and it violated procedural due process because ‘it provides no opportunity to be heard on the charges against you before you’re determined to be deportable,’ Nash told Zeteo. Ultimately, the court found the provision was an ‘unconstitutional delegation of legislative power to the executive.’ However, that ruling was thrown out by an appeals court, which did not comment on the constitutionality of the provision but rather said the district court did not have jurisdiction in the case. 

“Courts have previously found that green card holders, who are lawful permanent residents, are protected by the Constitution, including First Amendment rights. ‘Technically, the text of the First Amendment does not distinguish between citizens and non-citizens – so all persons in the US should be entitled to First Amendment protections,’ [attorney] McKanders told Zeteo. 

“For now, Khalil remains detained in an ICE facility in Louisiana. A federal judge in New York has ordered the government not to deport Khalil while a challenge to his detention is pending… Separately, Khalil is scheduled to appear before an immigration judge in Louisiana on March 27…”

We most certainly do not condone the—at times violent—antisemitic activities and anti-Israel protests of the students at Columbia University. But this case has much broader application than just the person of Khalil. It does already have a chilling effect on green card holders and creates an uncertainty as to their rights and privileges. In this regard, the following [incorrect] comments by JD Vance are of great concern. 

JD Vance Off-Base… Again! 

India Today wrote on March 13: 

“US Vice President JD Vance has said that green card holders in the United States do not have an indefinite right to stay in the country and can be deported at the administration’s discretion… Vance said that the decision is ultimately about whom the American public wants to include in the national community… Vance stressed that if the US President or the Secretary of State decides that a person should not be in the country, ‘they have no legal right to stay here. It is as simple as that’. 

“When asked about more deportations similar to that of … Khalil,  Vance said the US would certainly see some people get deported if the country determines that it is not in the best interest to have them.”

In light of the foregoing articles, the issue is not that simple. Vance, who is also an attorney, is clearly off base, legally, with his comments. 

Germany Monitors USA 

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 17: 

“Germany is ‘monitoring’ how its citizens are treated when traveling to the United States, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday. The announcement comes after the recent detention of three Germans in separate incidents. Two have been deported, but one person is still being detained. Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer said Germany was trying to assess ‘whether this represents a change in American immigration policy or whether these are isolated cases.’… 

“Fabian Schmidt, the German still in detention, was arrested at Logan Airport in Boston last week after returning from Luxembourg. He is being held at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island. Schmidt is an electrical engineer who has been living in the US since 2007. It’s unclear why Schmidt, a US Green Card holder, was detained… 

“Tourists from EU countries such as Germany typically have visa-free access to the United States for up to 90 days. Two German tourists said they tried to enter the US legally but were detained and eventually sent back home. 

“Lucas Sielaff, a 25-year-old German, was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on February 18 as he and his US fiancée were crossing the border from Mexico, according to Der Spiegel. He spent two weeks in detention after his entry permit was canceled at the Mexican border. 

“Jessica Brösche, a 29-year-old tattoo artist from Berlin, was also taken into custody at the Mexican border as she tried to cross with a US friend in late January, the magazine said. Brösche originally planned to stay in LA until mid-February, according to her Instagram profile. She was also returned to Germany last week. Both were held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, a prison in San Diego, California, before being sent back to Germany… 

“Tourists from other Western countries have reportedly also been detained by US immigration authorities recently. It appears to be a result of the strict immigration policies implemented by President Donald Trump.” 

Subsequently, a fourth case involving a German citizen, as well as cases involving British citizens, have been reported. These are hardly isolated cases. A Canadian actress was also detained after she tried to enter the USA from Mexico legally with filled-out documentation.  All those detained report on the inhumane, horrible and filthy conditions in those detention centers. 

Musk in Trouble Again 

Indy100.com wrote on March 14: 

“Elon Musk has sparked backlash after the billionaire reposted on his social media platform X… a post which declared that Hitler ‘didn’t murder millions of people,’ but rather it was public sector employees. 

“The post in full read, ‘Stalin, Mao, and Hitler didn’t murder millions of people. Their public sector workers did.’ It appears Musk has since taken down the repost…” 

What a ridiculous post. Utter appalling nonsense. 

The Daily Beast added on March 14: 

“Six million Jews were systematically killed as a result of Hitler’s maniacal quest for what he saw as racial purity during his reign as Germany’s Führer between 1933 and 1945… Stalin, who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953, had nearly a million of his own citizens murdered and millions more are thought to have perished in forced labor camps, famine, and massacres under his regime. ‘Chairman’ Mao Zedong founded the People’s Republic of China and led the country from 1949 until his death in 1976. During that time, tens of millions died as a result of maltreatment, starvation, and Communist Party purges.” 

China Preparing for Taiwan Invasion? 

The New York Post wrote on March 14: 

“Photos emerged Friday that apparently show China’s newly constructed and behemoth naval vessels that experts have reportedly suggested would fit right into a strategy for an invasion of the coveted island of Taiwan. Naval News first reported months ago that China was building at least five unique, massive barges outfitted with a long road-bridge extending 393-feet from their bow that could be used to land tanks on a shore… vessels fitting that description [are pictured] in Guangzhou Shipyard in southern China upriver of the coastal Hong Kong. 

“‘Any invasion of Taiwan from the mainland would require a large number of ships to transport personnel and equipment across the Strait quickly, particularly land assets like armored vehicles,’ Dr. Emma Salisbury, Sea Power Research Fellow at the Council of Geostrategy, told Naval News. This extended reach capability of the ships means that China could choose from a wider range of targets for landing their ships than previously considered and would no longer be reliant on Taiwanese ports for landing military vehicles, according to Naval News.” 

Naval News had already written on January 10: 

“The traditional view is that there are only a small number of beaches on the main island of Taiwan which are suitable for amphibious landings. And these could be heavily defended. [China] could seize fishing villages or a port for larger scale landings. But the view has been that any attempt to take the islands by force would mean landing in predictable places. These new barges change that. 

“The extreme reach of the Bailey Bridges means that [China] could land at sites previously considered unsuitable. They can land across rocky, or soft, beaches, delivering the tanks directly to firmer ground or a coastal road. This allows China to pick new landing sites and complicate attempts to organize defences. Instead of relying on Taiwanese ports, China can now sail its own mobile port across the straits.” 

The article referred to China as “PRC—the People’s Republic of China.” We replaced this with “China” in brackets. PRC is as much a misnomer as the reference to the former DDR—the “German Democratic Republic.” In both cases, we are or were speaking of total dictatorships. 

Return to the Temple Mount? 

Israel 365 News wrote on March 12: 

“Right-wing Ministers and MKs addressed a letter today (Monday) to members of the US Senate, calling on them to promote a declaration in Congress to ‘recognize the eternal and inalienable right of the Jewish people to the Temple Mount.’ The letter was signed by Minister of Communications Shlomo Karhi and Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar from the Likud and several MKs from the Likud, Religious Zionism, and Otzma Yehudit factions. ‘This is the place where our Temples stood, which were destroyed by the Babylonian and Roman empires about 2,500 and 1,900 years ago,’ it said. 

“The initiative is being led by a group of temple activists led by Beyadenu – Returning to the Temple, following the victory of Donald Trump and the Republicans in the US elections… Yosef Rabin, Chairman of Shofar in Zion, said, ‘With Trump’s return to power, we have a historic opportunity to correct the international narrative on the Temple Mount and rectify the grave injustice perpetrated against the Jewish people. The denial of the Jewish people’s religious and national rights to the Temple Mount must end… We are facing a modern-day Cyrus moment, and it is our duty to seize it. We must declare loudly: there is no Zionism without Mount Zion—this is a fight for the soul of the land.’” 

“Tom Nissani, CEO of Beyadenu – Returning to the Temple Mount, one of the initiators of the letter, said, ‘This important letter calls for the adoption of an important and natural call that will come from our friend overseas that recognizes and confirms the exclusive right of the people of Israel to their holiest place, the Temple Mount… The American administration supports full Israeli sovereignty over the Temple Mount.’” 

The “modern-day Cyrus moment” is of course not limited to just having access to the Temple Mount. As we all know, Cyrus allowed the Jews to build the Second Temple. 

Israel Attacks Gaza 

Newsmax wrote on March 17: 

“Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, saying it was striking dozens of Hamas targets in its heaviest assault in the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January… Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the strikes because of a lack of progress in ongoing talks to extend the ceasefire. Officials said the operation was open-ended and was expected to expand. ‘Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,’ Netanyahu’s office said… 

“The surprise overnight attack… raised questions about the fate of the roughly two dozen Israeli hostages held by Hamas who are believed to still be alive… Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said the ‘gates of hell will open in Gaza’ if the hostages aren’t released. ‘We will not stop fighting until all of our hostages are home and we have achieved all of the war goals,’ he said.” 

Itamar Ben-Gvir Returns 

Newsmax wrote on March 19: 

“Itamar Ben-Gvir on Wednesday returned to Israel’s government as national security minister after it carried out a wave of heavy strikes that killed over 400 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. 

“Ben-Gvir had left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition in January to protest the ceasefire with Hamas, which was shattered by Israel’s bombardment Tuesday… Ben-Gvir supports the full resumption of the war with the aim of annihilating Hamas, depopulating Gaza through what he refers to as the voluntary migration of Palestinians and rebuilding Jewish settlements there.” 

In August of 2024, Ben-Gvir famously proclaimed that “he would build a Jewish synagogue at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem if he could.” In this context, it was mentioned that “the campaign to build a ‘Third Temple’ on Al-Aqsa is growing in Israel” and that “Hamas… called on Arab and Islamic countries ‘to take responsibility for protecting the holy sites’” (Aljazeera, dated August 26, 2024).   

Ludicrous Decision Against Starbucks 

The New York Post wrote on March 15, 2025: 

“Starbucks will have to fork over $50 million to a man whose genitals were severely burned after a hot tea spilled in his lap at a California drive-through. Delivery driver Michael Garcia underwent skin grafts and other procedures after the fateful spill of the piping hot, venti-sized Starbucks beverage, which immediately fell onto his crotch area after he bought it on Feb. 8, 2020…  a Los Angeles County jury decided in his favor, finding an employee of the Seattle-based coffee chain had not wedged the scalding hot drink into a takeout tray well enough before handing it over to him… 

“In July of 2023, a South Florida jury awarded $800,000 in damages to the family of then-4-year-old Olivia Caraballo for the second-degree burns she suffered when a hot Happy Meal Chicken McNugget fell in her lap in 2019.” 

CNN reported on March 14 that “damages included physical pain, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, humiliation, inconvenience, grief, disfigurement, physical impairment, anxiety and emotional distress… The lawsuit is reminiscent of a famous 1994 lawsuit against McDonald’s in which a woman spilled hot coffee on her lap and suffered third-degree burns. The plaintiff in that case… was originally awarded nearly $3 million.” 

This decision against Starbucks, as well as the previous decision against McDonald’s and, to a lesser degree, the Happy Meal Chicken McNugget, will go into the annals of history as some of the most ludicrous ones in the 20th and 21st centuries. Our legal system, based in part on a questionable and manipulative jury system with emotionally charged and quite biased jurors, is SO broken!!! 

“What Happens in Our Brain When We Die?” 

Die Welt wrote on March 13: 

“What do people experience in the last seconds of their lives? Current research shows: Shortly before death, there is a renewed surge of intense neuronal activity in the brain… 

“Neuropsychologist Dr. Christian Hoppe of the University Hospital of Bonn explains that medical death is defined by the irreversible loss of all brain functions. Nevertheless, studies show that the brain can once again be exceptionally active in the final moments. Experiments with dying patients have shown that some brain regions emit particularly intense electrical impulses—particularly those responsible for conscious experience. 

“This high-frequency activity could indicate that the brain is still processing experiences in the last seconds of life. It’s even possible that a form of consciousness could exist shortly before the final extinction. Many people report near-death experiences—such as seeing a light at the end of a tunnel or the feeling of leaving one’s own body. Researchers suspect that these phenomena are due to neurological processes. For example, stimulation of the visual cortex can cause people to perceive a point of light—a possible explanation for the often-described ‘light at the end of the tunnel.’ 

“The feeling of out-of-body experience—seeing oneself from above or being outside one’s own body—can also be artificially induced by targeted stimuli in the brain or through virtual reality. These experiments suggest that near-death experiences are not supernatural but have neurological causes.”

These are really interesting comments. We know, of course, that a person does not keep on living when he dies.

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.

This is an age-old question, and to say it right from the start—the answer is difficult for us to comprehend and accept. Still, the Bible does give us numerous hints, leads towards and proofs for the correct understanding.

When someone were to ask where the Bible talks about the beginning of creation, many who know Scripture would turn to Genesis 1:1, where it says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This statement identifies God as the Creator, and “God” describes more than one Person—the Hebrew word “Elohim” is a plural word, followed here by a singular verb, revealing the fact that God is a Family, consisting of the Father and the Son. We read that God the Father created everything through Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 8:6 states:

“… for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.”

Hebrews 1:1-2 confirms:

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.”

In this last passage, the reference is to the physical creation, as it is also the case in Genesis 1:1. But in 1 Corinthians 8:6, quoted above, creation is expanded to the spiritual world, as God created “all things” through Jesus Christ.  This aspect is also revealed in Colossians 1:15-16:

“He [the Son, cp. verse 13] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.”

The next verse is very revealing:

“And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”

So, Christ existed before anything was created (“all things”). And Christ is described as “being the brightness of His [God the Father’s] glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power.”

The fact that Christ is upholding “all things”—the universe included—by His great power is confirmed in Isaiah 40:26:

“Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.”

As Christ was before all things, it follows that the Father was before all things as well. They created everything which is visible and invisible to the human eye. In addition, Philippians 2:5–7 explains that Christ was in the “form of God” and “equal with God” the Father, but that He took the “form of a bondservant,” and came “in the likeness of men.” We read in John 17:5 that Christ had glory before the world existed–showing that Christ existed as a glorious Being before the world was made. As Philippians 2:6 says, He existed as a divine Being—He was EQUAL with God and therefore God.

Some claim that Christ—the Son—is a created Being; that the Father created the Son, and then created everything else through the Son. But this is not what the Bible teaches. We read in Revelation 3:14 that Christ was “the Beginning of the creation of God.” A better rendition would be, “the Beginner.” Compare our Q&A https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-1997/

We find this revelation about Christ, also known as Melchisedek, the king of righteousness and of peace, in Hebrews 7:3: “…without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like (better: “resembling,” compare RSV) the Son of God, remains a priest continually.” He is identified, not as a mortal man, but as one who lives (cp. verse 8).

We also read in Micah 5:2 about Christ:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”

Christ had no beginning; rather, He IS the “beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13). God the Father had no beginning either. As we said earlier, this may be difficult for us to comprehend, as we are used to thinking in terms of a “beginning.” Things just don’t exist without a beginning, and this is very true when applying this to physical or even spiritual “things.” The existence of “things” demands the existence of someone who brought them into existence. In other words, creation demands a Creator.

The universe (the “heavens” in Genesis 1:1) must have had a beginning; somebody must have brought it into existence. The idea which has been propagated by the world’s leading ”scientist,” that the universe created itself is preposterous to us; still, even this concept requires the idea that the universe had a beginning when it “began” to create itself.

God, however, had no beginning. Whatever we might define as “beginning,” God existed “before” that.

We asked the question above where the Bible speaks about the beginning of creation and answered that most people would turn to Genesis 1:1. Actually, that is not the Scripture which reports the earliest time of God’s creation. Apart from the fact that it does not seem to refer to the spiritual realm, but just to the physical world (the heavens and the earth, having been created at approximately the same time, “in the beginning”), it still makes a reference to God’s existence at the beginning, whenever that was.

Another passage makes clear that whatever we might refer to as “the beginning,” God had already existed before then.

We read in John 1:1-3:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

The “Word”—“Logos” in the Greek—describes the Spokesman—Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But He was also God—the Second Member in the God Family. “All things”—visible and invisible—were made through Him. And He—the Word—became flesh and dwelt among us (verse 14).  He was “Immanuel”—God with us (compare Matthew 1:23).

He had no beginning. He existed already when creation began.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible states the following:

“What he [John] saith of him [is] enough to prove beyond contradiction that he is God. He asserts… his existence in the beginning: In the beginning was the Word. This bespeaks his existence, not only before his incarnation, but before all time. The beginning of time, in which all creatures were produced and brought into being, found this eternal Word in being. The world was from the beginning, but the Word was in the beginning… the Word was God: a distinct person…”

In Genesis 1:1, we read that Elohim created heavens and earth in the beginning. But in John 1:1 we read that Elohim already existed “in the beginning”—before ANYTHING was created. We also read in Hebrews 11:3 how God created the physical world: “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” Another translation has here: “God created everything out of nothing” (Luther Bible 1984).

We need to have faith to believe this, as we need to have faith that God exists who created all things (verse 6: “… he who comes to God must believe that He is.”). But we are not talking about blind faith, but faith which can be understood and proven. Romans 1:19-20 explains:

“… what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead  so that they are without excuse…”

Only foolish atheists deny the existence of God and believe instead in the fairy tale of evolution—the most juvenile and stupid “explanation” of the existence of the physical world. Psalm 14:1 says: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Many times, an “atheist” knows, deep down inside, that his belief is foolish, but he wants to avoid accepting any responsibility for his lifestyle. Psalm 10:4 explains: “The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.” Psalm 53:1 adds to this: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good.”

It is the Will of God to give us eternal life, through Jesus Christ. John 3:15 declares: “…whoever believes in Him [Jesus] should not perish but have eternal life.” Christ confirmed in John 6:58: “This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” Also in John 8:51: “Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.” In Romans 6:22-23, we are given the following assurance:

“But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This is something our human mind may grasp… to an extent. Living forever—the dream of mankind! But not living forever in misery, pain and heartache, but in peace, joy and abundance. Not in the flesh, but as immortal Spirit Beings together with the Father and the Son where there is joy forever more. As we read in Revelation 21:4: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

And Revelation 22:5 adds: “And they shall reign forever and ever.”

That we can live and reign forever and ever, without end, as God will live forever and ever, is something the human mind can appreciate. We can agree with what we read in Revelation 10:6 about God, that He “lives forever and ever.” Jesus said about Himself: “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore” (Revelation 1:18). And we can believe that this will apply to us as well, if we make it into His Kingdom.

This is perhaps so as God has revealed this fact to mankind, and by faith we embrace this Truth. We read in Ecclesiastes 3:11: “He has put eternity in their hearts…” They can and do know in their hearts that everlasting life is something which God can, may and even wants to grant them.

When it comes to appreciating the fact that God has always existed “forever,” from all eternity, before there was any time or anything created, the human mind is somewhat at a loss. But why is that the case?

Maybe we cannot quite comprehend that eternity applies not only to the future, but also to the past. As we read in Deuteronomy 29:29: “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

We may think that God has revealed to us that He and we will live forever, but not that God has lived forever. But the Truth is that God has revealed this to us as well.

We read in Revelation 21:6 about God the Father: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End…” In Isaiah 48:12, we read: “Listen to Me, O Jacob, And Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last.”

If He is the End and the Last, why then can we not comprehend that He is also the First and the Beginning? Nothing—no god or idol outside the God Family will come after Him; and nothing—no other god or idol was before Him. He existed before anything and everything else. In passing, the above-quoted Scriptures in the book of Isaiah have been rightly understood to refer to idols which cannot help; they do not say that there is only one God Being or that God—the God Family—is not reproducing Himself through man. Compare the discussion of Isaiah 45:5 in one of our Q&As.  https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-9801/ . See also our Q&A on the God Family https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-9824/

God had no beginning. As He will live forever and ever, so He HAS lived forever and ever. The Bible makes this fact very clear.

We read in Psalm 90:2:

“Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”

Also note Psalm 93:2: “Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.” This applies to the Father and the Son (compare again Micah 5:2).

God has and will have everlasting life (as we will have), but He also had everlasting life in the past. This is also confirmed in Habakkuk 1:12: “Are You not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One?” The word for “everlasting” in this passage means, “what is before (in time or place).”

God is “from everlasting,” from eternity, without beginning of days or end of life. Hebrews 7:3, describing Jesus Christ or Melchizedek, is rendered in the Living Bible as follows: “He was never born and he never died…,” except of course for the three days and three nights in the grave, as Jesus Himself confirmed in Revelation 1:18, quoted above.

God the Father was not created by anyone, and the same is true for Jesus. Nobody was there to create God, and He did not create Himself either. This we understand “by faith.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

compiled by Dave Harris

“Will Trump and Putin End the Russia-Ukraine War?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary:

Will Putin agree to a ceasefire and perhaps even to the end of the war between Russia and Ukraine? Many doubt this. Still, the end of that war will come, but not now; not in ways most expect or anticipate; and not due to “negotiations” between Trump and Putin. What does this all mean for YOU? What does GOD tell us about war in general, and this war in particular?

“Werden Trump und Putin den Russland-Ukraine Krieg beenden?” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German program covers the same topic as described above.

“Noah and the Flood” is the latest video published in our Bible Stories series on YouTube.

“Der kommende falsche Prophet,” is the title of this Sabbath’s new German sermon, presented by Norbert Link. Title in English: “The Coming False Prophet.”

“Hat Christus ein Wohlfühl-Evangelium gepredigt?” last Sabbath’s German sermonette presented by Mike Richter, is now posted. Title in English: “Did Christ Preach a Feel-Good Gospel?”

“Alles eine Vertrauenssache,” last Sabbath’s German sermon presented by Thilo Hanstein, is now posted. Title in English: “It’s All a Matter of Trust.”

“Red Tape,” last Sabbath’s sermonette presented by Frank Bruno, is now posted. Here is the summary:

We’ve all had our experiences with bureaucracy at various levels of both government and the private sector. Whether one is attempting to get a permit to renovate one’s home or trying to deal with the family automobile insurance or one’s health insurance. In this Sermonette we will consider various scriptures that will illustrate that as true Christians we must strengthen, and lean into our relationship with God the Father to keep our spiritual home in order. All else pales in comparison.

“God Is Our Refuge,” last Sabbath’s sermon presented by Dave Harris, is now posted. Here is the summary:

Finding true refuge is an illusive dream for many downtrodden people. However, that opportunity is available for those whom God has and will call to be a part of His eternal Family. Can we say that God is also our refuge?

2025 SPRING HOLY DAYS:

Passover: April 12 (observed evening before)

Days of Unleavened Bread: April 13-19 (first and last days are Holy Days with live Services being broadcast).