Update 1120

On July 20, 2024, Eric Rank will present the sermonette, titled, “Compassion,” and Dave Harris will present the sermon, titled, “Will an Aborted Child Live Again?”

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.

We know that ALL things are possible through God when we put all our burdens on Him. We also understand that we must have the faith that He will come through for us.  So why then do we at times still struggle with doubt?

Many in the Bible went through several various trials to have their faith tested, to see if they would be able to persevere.  They also continued to go through trials to see how strong and committed they really were, just as we all do.

Those who are willing to be baptized need to take that ultimate step as they are filled with enthusiasm and determined to live a new life, filled with anticipation, a general desire, and a willingness.  They have this sudden urge, a drive within their minds that gets them determined for something great that lies ahead.  These are all wonderful feelings to have as they know that their lives are about to start over, spiritually speaking, as they get rid of the old man and become the new man.  However, it is not an easy road as trials and tribulations will come to test them to see how strong they really are.  

For those of us who are properly baptized, this was something we have all been faced with, and we continue to go through adversity.  For example, can we handle the burdens we go through; whether it be money problems, working on the Sabbath, family differences, material possessions, etc.?  Better yet, will we put our burdens into God’s hands and trust that He will take care of us, no matter what problems we are faced with?

Satan tries to do whatever he can to discourage us in EVERY possible way by tempting us to sin while God tests us to see if we can conquer Satan by living a life pleasing to Him and remaining faithful and wise in understanding that we constantly need to ask God for His help.

Is our life filled with joy, sorrow, or doubt?  Are we let down easily and do we take criticism harshly or personally, with a proud heart, and are we easily offended?  Is God trying to tell us something through the ministry when something is revealed to us?  Is our life affected by others and are we surrounded by drama, or does drama surround our life?  These are things that one must consider as every one of us is tested in our own way, in just the things that could affect us the most, what we struggle with the most.  Paul was just like us for he knew exactly what all Christinas go through as he explains in Romans 7:14-25.

The world distracts us and it will continue to do so.  We can get distracted very easily by the things that we are involved with in our lives.  When it comes to our spiritual lifestyle, what is it that we can do to be spiritually motivated and to persevere amidst this busy life we find ourselves in?

Prayer is extremely powerful because it brings forth our faith inside of us, knowing that God is the only One who can make anything happen, and as much as we have a part to do in our belief, God will respond and take action.  

When it comes to our spiritual needs, prayer is just as beneficial.  We go through trials continually and we do get sidetracked often.  What do we do when that happens? James 1:2-6 admonishes us to ask in faith, without doubting, especially during times we need God the most, when our motivation begins to deteriorate.   

As Hebrews 12:1-3 points out, we must remember that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, as God also witnesses the things that we are doing.  When it comes to God, and everything that He has created, we are a witness to that and His existence.  Have we sometimes just taken the time and take notice of all the things that God has done for us and admire all that He has made? Just knowing that, we should be willing to “lay aside every weight and sin that easily ensnares us.”  And if we are struggling, here is when we need to pray to God to show us what we need to change and fix in our lives. 

It is not only sin that can hinder us, but it’s also people, or anything else that we are involved with, that can do the same.  There could be someone or something in our life that can prevent us from doing what God wants us to do, and if so, we would need to fix the problem, by re-evaluating our relationships with others and/or asking God for wisdom and guidance to make the right choices. God comes first over all things, without compromising.   

When we have removed the things in our lives that hinder us, it should be easier for us to run the race that is set before us.  Running a race is no easy task because it can be exhausting and frustrating at times.  The goal here is to keep on running, to keep going the same path, not drifting off course, but going in the direction that God is leading us.  There are times when fatigue sets in, and when we become weary, we have to remember the persecutions Christ and some of the apostles went through.  As Christ says in Matthew 24:13, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

by Norbert Link

We begin with the nearly fatal assassination attempt on Donald Trump and, what appears to be, grave security lapses. We continue with Hungary’s Orban’s meeting with Trump prior to the assassination attempt; the dissatisfaction of many Americans with Joe Biden; the hypocrisy of America’s mass media; and the alleged “catfight” between Jill Biden and Kamala Harris.

We continue with Turkey’s hostility towards Israel and Biden’s criticism of Israel. We also report about a troublesome plan of Republicans to initiate mass deportations affecting 11 million people.

We speak on controversial plans to transfer American long-range missiles to Germany; and point out a deeply troublesome development in Germany pertaining to those who dare to criticize the government.

We conclude with articles about the Neanderthal Man and further archaeological proof for the accuracy of the Bible. Please view in this context our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Germany Crushes Freedom of Speech and of the Press.”

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

Assassination Attempt on Donald Trump

Daily Mail wrote on July 14:

“A 20-year-old gunman opened fire at ex-President Donald Trump on Saturday in what is being dubbed the most serious attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate since 1981. Thomas Matthew Crooks, from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was identified as the shooter by the FBI following the shocking incident that took place during a rally in Butler. It has since emerged through federal campaign finance records that the gunman was a registered Republican  who had previously made a $15 donation to the liberal ActBlue political action committee on January 20, 2021 –  Biden’s Inauguration Day… Crooks had no criminal history…  Crooks appeared to have graduated in 2022 from Bethel Park High School, and received a $500 ‘star award’ that year from the National Math and Science Initiative…

“On Saturday, Crooks opened fire from the rooftop 150 yards from where Trump was on stage addressing thousands of fans in Butler at 6:15pm. Footage of the moment shows Trump suddenly grabbing his ear as blood poured down his face after at least eight shots were fired in his direction… But in a show of strength, Trump emerged from the cover of the suited agents and raised a fist, shouting ‘Fight, fight, fight,’ before he was ushered away from the chaotic scenes and sent to a hospital.

“Crooks had killed a member of the crowd and critically injured two others before he was gunned down by the Secret Service… Images show at least four members of law enforcement surrounding the bloody gunman and the AR-15-type semiautomatic rifle he used on the roof, while they point their guns towards his body…

“Current President Joe Biden also took to X following the attack to condemn the assassination attempt, and it has since been confirmed that he has spoken with Trump following the shooting… Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson added: ‘It is a miracle that Donald Trump escaped an attempted assassination’…

“Speaking out for the first time following the assassination attempt, Trump thanked law enforcement officers and the Secret Service for their ‘rapid response’. He added: ‘Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured. It is incredible that such an act can take place in our country.’”

Grave Security Lapse?

The Sun wrote on July 14 in several articles:

“Due to the assassination attempt, President Biden’s campaign team announced they will be pulling the president’s election campaign ads. Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also shared his prayers for his competition. ‘Now is the time for every American who loves our country to step back from the division, renounce all violence, and unite in prayer for President Trump and his family,’ Kennedy wrote.

“Speaking to the BBC, eyewitness Greg said he saw a man crawling onto a nearby roof with a rifle as Trump spoke to supporters onstage at the Pennsylvania rally. He said minutes later the man remained in prime position and fired a shocking five times before Secret Service agents ‘blew his head off.’ His first-hand account raises serious doubts about security measures at the rally, as Trump came incredibly close to taking a bullet to the head…

“Greg told the BBC… he and a group of friends pointed at the man and told police what they saw. Only minutes later, the man fired around five bullets at Trump. Greg said: ‘We’re pointing at him, the police are down there running around on the ground – we’re like ‘hey man there’s a guy on the roof with a rifle’ and the police did not know what was going on.’”

NBC News reported on July 14: 

“The assassination attempt… appeared to be the result of a grave lapse, perhaps the biggest since President Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded outside a Washington hotel in 1981.”

 Breitbart wrote on July 14:

“Political commentator and former New York Police Department officer John Cardillo posted on X, ‘This looks really bad. This looks like the counter sniper team had eyes on the shooter, let him fire first, then returned fire.’ Even the FBI is questioning how the Secret Service allowed the shooter to fire off several rounds…”

The New York Post wrote on July 14:

“Former FBI Director Chris Swecker… said, “If there had been a second shooter, there would have been plenty of opportunity to take him out again, so this breaks every rule of the Secret Service protocol… The security at the rally was a ‘breakdown from start to finish,’ Swecker said… ‘I don’t want to issue harsh judgments, but it was definitely a security breakdown,’ he said.”

WPXI wrote on July 15:

“Channel 11 News uncovered dramatic new details Monday in the moments leading up to the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump. According to multiple law enforcement sources, Thomas Crooks was spotted by law enforcement on a roof nearly 30 minutes before shots were fired that injured Trump, killed a former fire chief and injured two others in the crowd.”

Breitbart wrote on July 15:

“A retired sniper from a team that once held the world record for longest confirmed kill said he has ‘no doubts’ that Trump rally gunman… had help from ‘an agency, an organization, or the government’ during Saturday’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.”

Local Officer Retreats Just Before Assassin Shoots

The Associated Press wrote on July 14:

“One local police officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who pointed his rifle at the officer. The officer retreated down the ladder, and Crooks quickly took a shot toward Trump, and that’s when Secret Service snipers shot him, said the officials… The officials also told AP that bomb-making materials were found inside Crooks’ vehicle, and bomb-making materials were found at his home.”

The New York Post added on July 15:

“The Secret Service blamed local police for failing to secure the rooftop from which gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to assassinate… Trump insisting it was outside the perimeter the federal agency was tasked with protecting.”

A weak “defense.”

Jesse Waters and Dr. Ron Paul: Be Skeptical of What You Hear!

Fox News published on July 14 Jesse Water’s monologue on “Jesse Waters Primetime”:

“We don’t know if the alleged assassin acted alone or if he was a part of a conspiracy. The FBI is telling us he was a lone actor, but we don’t trust the FBI. We don’t trust the media. All Americans should be skeptical about what they hear. Reagan’s wannabe assassin was a lone wolf. JFK’s assassin wasn’t. He had help, and there was a cover-up. So our job is to be curious. This is the most serious assassination attempt in 40 years. How can a man climb a ladder onto a roof, mount a rifle, and unload eight rounds at a former president from 130 yards?…

“Why didn’t the Secret Service, when they surveyed the site of the rally, account for this building? Why weren’t there counter-snipers on that roof? The Associated Press says a local police officer saw Crooks climb the roof but when he confronted him, Crooks pointed his rifle at him and the officer retreated. And then Crooks opened fire on 45. The FBI is denying that report, which is weird because the FBI never comments on active investigations. Many other people noticed the shooter on the roof. 

“Why did it take eight rounds to ring out before somebody returned fire? Sources tell ‘Primetime’ that the counter-sniper team that neutralized Crooks were Secret Service sharpshooters, but the Washington Post reports that the counter-snipers were local cops. Now, if that’s true, why is the Secret Service relying so heavily on locals?  And why did the counter-snipers who had their rifles trained on this assassin not shoot first?”

Another question would be: Why weren’t drones used to survey the area?

Dr. Ron Paul wrote on July 15 in his weekly column:

“…But what if there was a genuine investigation that actually revealed the truth about what happened at the Trump rally over the weekend? Could we rely on the mainstream media to even report it?… This is the same mainstream media that… now pretends to be shocked that their vile rhetoric ended up in violence. There is a good reason why the mainstream media is regarded by the American public with record levels of contempt…

“We shouldn’t count on hearing the truth about the attempted assassination from the mainstream media. No wonder the elites remain determined to censor social media sites like Twitter/X and TikTok. We live in an empire of lies, propped up by the mainstream media. And seeking the truth in this empire of lies is the greatest challenge for us in the moral bankruptcy in which we live.”

How Piers Morgan Sees It

The Sun published on July 14 the following article by Piers Morgan:

“I’d feared this moment for years. There are few more divisive or polarising public figures in the world than Donald Trump, and a lot of people hate him with a dangerous, visceral passion. There is also considerable precedent. Four American presidents have been assassinated, the most recent being John F. Kennedy in 1963. Two more survived assassination attempts, including Ronald Reagan outside a Washington hotel in 1981. 

“So, the threat of a sniper’s bullet is never far away for any occupant of the White House in a country awash with gun violence and increasingly toxic political tensions. Tragically, as many predicted, it was only a matter of time before some deranged lunatic tried to kill Donald Trump…

“Incredibly, Trump cheated death by what must have been an inch at best as the would-be assassin’s bullets whistled past his head. Instead, he suffered just a graze to his ear, and lives, as he shouted, to fight another day.  And thank God for that, as the consequences of him being killed in such an attack don’t bear thinking about.

“I genuinely think America might have tipped into some kind of civil war given how popular Trump is with his many millions of supporters and how convinced they already were, with good reason, that there has been a deliberate attempt by Democrats to weaponise the justice system against him to stop him being re-elected president…

“It was complete madness for President Biden to allow a Democrat attorney-general in New York to bring criminal charges against his predecessor for paying off a porn star, Stormy Daniels, over an alleged one-night stand 18 years ago and then trying to hide it from scrutiny before the 2016 election.  When presidents try to put their political opponents in prison, the country they run becomes a banana republic no better than Russia, North Korea, or corrupt nations in South America.

“And although I don’t want to blame Biden or Democrats for the actions of a mentally disturbed shooter, there is no doubt that the constant ludicrously exaggerated liberal depiction of Trump as ‘the new Hitler’ and their undisguised glee at the prospect of putting him in a jail cell, has played a part in whipping up partisan political rivalry to incredibly dangerous levels…

“The Secret Service massively dropped the ball, and senior heads will doubtless roll as a result. But the inevitable impact of this dreadful attack on American democracy is that it will now almost certainly propel Donald Trump back to the White House… Now, he’s literally taken a bullet for his country, and the images of his extraordinary and heroic defiance in the seconds after the shooting will surely compel many more Americans to vote for him in November. The shooter wanted Donald Trump dead, but ironically, has instead cemented his political resurrection.”

Shameful Biden

In a follow-up article, Piers Morgan wrote on July 16 in The New York Post:

“President Biden, during his last rambling incoherent, bad-tempered and often excruciatingly awkward TV interview, was very clear about one thing regarding Donald Trump’s shooting: Don’t blame me, pal! In fact, he looked indignant that the interviewer, NBC’s Lester Holt, would even suggest such a terrible thing.

“It was extraordinarily insightful to watch Biden working so hard to deflect any attention to his own culpability in raising the political temperature to such scarily dangerous levels that someone would try to assassinate his rival four months before the election.

“When asked for his first reaction to the shooting, Biden instantly went on his favorite Trump-bashing greatest-hits rant about January 6, Charlottesville, Nazis, both sides, etc…. Here is the president of the United States declining to even pretend to care that his immediate predecessor, and current rival for the forthcoming election, just came within an inch of being killed…

“To his credit, Holt was having none of it, and pointed out that just days before the shooting, Biden declared Trump an ‘existential threat’ to America and told donors: ‘It’s time to put Trump in the bull’s-eye.’ But even when confronted with his use of such obviously violent language, Biden scurried to avoid any responsibility for his shameful rhetoric. ‘I didn’t say crosshairs!’ he exclaimed, as if that made any tangible difference. They mean the same thing when used about human beings: Making someone a target…”

JD Vance Named Republican Vice Presidential Candidate

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 15:

“Ohio Senator JD Vance has been named as the Republican vice presidential candidate for the November election. In recent days, Vance attracted controversy for his comments on the assassination attempt against Trump.

“‘The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,’ Vance wrote on social media. ‘That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.’”

Within Inches

The New York Post wrote in several related articles on July 13:

“Former President Donald Trump says he ‘felt the bullet ripping through [his] skin’… ‘I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear… I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening’…

“President Biden called the attack ‘sick’ in remarks Saturday night… after the White House took heat for merely calling the shooting an ‘incident’ in initial press statements… ‘However, five days earlier, Biden was heard in a campaign meeting saying, “it’s time to put Trump in a bullseye” with regards to the campaign…

“‘[Trump] came within inches of having his face shot open,’ a senior law enforcement source told The Post.”

The New York Post wrote on July 14:

“Donald Trump slightly turned his head to look at a jumbotron at the same time shots rang out at his Pennsylvania rally Saturday evening – and the split-second move saved his life, an expert says… The small adjustment came right at the moment Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, aimed and shot at the former president’s head, causing the bullet to skim the Republican frontrunner’s ear as opposed to penetrating his skull…

“‘Snipers are typically trained to shoot into the cerebral cortex of the cerebellum at the top of the brain stem,’ Cohen explained to host Trace Gallagher. ‘It incapacitates you, it keeps your hands from moving. …  It’s about the distance of the shot. One hundred thirty yards. That’s a putt. Anyone can put a two, two, three, optic on a target from that distance and hit it. It’s not a difficult shot to make,’ he said. If Trump’s head had been straight when Crooks fired, ‘it would have been lights out,’ Cohen said. ‘The fact that he just happened to be turned this way with that shot coming in is what saved his life,’ the special ops expert said…

“Former FBI Director Chris Swecker agreed with Gilliam’s take and said the attempt on Trump’s life was ‘almost a kill shot.’”

“Pure Luck”?

Bild Online wrote on July 14:

“‘He hit Trump with the first shot. The fact that the ex-president was only hit in the ear was ultimately pure luck,’ says German weapons expert Lars Winkelsdorf (47) after analyzing the video of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump (78) in Butler (Pennsylvania)… ‘Four centimeters further to the right of the shooter’s view, then the bullet would have hit Trump’s skull and the ex-president would probably be dead… You can initially hear three shots. These were very targeted shots, with the first one scoring.

“‘When the shooter notices that the Secret Service men are protecting Trump with a human wall, he switches to rapid wildfire. That then explains the other injured people and the fatality… Trump realized very quickly that he had been shot at – and reacted accordingly, ducking away.

“This suggests that the Secret Service plays out such extreme situations very regularly with the people entrusted to it.”

Pure luck or God’s intervention? Note the next article.

Trump: God Alone Saved Me

Newsmax wrote on July 14:

“Former President Donald Trump on Sunday morning said ‘God alone’ saved him from a would-be assassin’s bullet and said it is ‘more important than ever’ that Americans stand united.”

But will America be united? The next article suggests the opposite.

US in Free Fall?

Vox wrote on July 13:

“America is not ready for what comes next… The United States is an extraordinary country: the wealthiest and most powerful ever to exist in human history. But it is riven by what might be its greatest internal divisions since the Civil War.

“The gravity of that particular comparison should underscore both the dangers here and the uncertainty. A gunman’s bullet has just sent the country hurtling into an abyss. The only question now is how far we fall.”

Mar-a-Lago Classified Documents Case Against Trump Dismissed!

NBC News reported on July 15:

“The Florida judge overseeing Donald Trump’s classified documents trial dismissed the case against the former President Monday on the grounds that the appointment of and funding for special counsel Jack Smith was illegal.

“U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump nominee, said in her 93-page decision that Smith’s appointment was ‘unlawful’ and unconditional. ‘The clerk is directed to close this case,’ the judge wrote… Trump praised the ruling… and said other criminal cases against him should be tossed as well…

“Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith as special counsel in November 2022… Trump’s lawyers argued in court papers filed in February that the appointments clause of the Constitution ‘does not permit the Attorney General to appoint, without Senate confirmation, a private citizen and like-minded political ally to wield the prosecutorial power of the United States. As such, Jack Smith lacks the authority to prosecute this action’…

“Smith will be able to appeal this dismissal to the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. That court will certainly hear the case and likely hold oral arguments. However, even if it were to be heard on an expedited basis, and even if the appeals court were to overturn Cannon’s ruling, Monday’s ruling all but guarantees the classified documents case could not go to trial before the election.”

Deutsche Welle wrote: “A major legal victory for Trump.”

Orban Visits Trump

Breitbart wrote on July 12:

“Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban flew direct from the NATO summit in Washington, DC, late Thursday night to meet with former President Donald Trump at his Florida compound Mar-a-Lago. The pair convened at Trump’s beachside facility and shared a photo of the moment on social media. The caption said: ‘We discussed ways to make peace. The good news of the day: he’s going to solve it!’ On his own Truth Social media site, Trump posted: ‘Thank you Viktor. There must be PEACE, and quickly.’

“The Hungarian leader… expressed hopes the Republican will be able to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine through diplomacy as opposed to further bloodshed. The European Union’s longest-serving leader has long held close ties to Trump and other conservative Republicans, and expressed his belief a new Trump presidency remains the ‘only serious chance’ for an end to the war in Ukraine…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 11:

“Orban, who is widely considered to have the warmest relations with the Kremlin among all EU leaders, made an unannounced visit to Kyiv last week, where he held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, suggesting a truce. Some observers interpreted the visit as a sign that Hungary… might be taking steps toward the pro-Ukraine stance of the EU mainstream. But instead, days later, Orban made an unannounced trip to Moscow and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The trip drew condemnation from Kyiv and other European capitals.

“Orban then flew to Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jimping. He described China as a stabilizing force amid global turmoil and praised its ‘constructive and important’ peace initiatives. At a NATO summit this week in Washington, leaders condemned China’s role in ‘enabling’ Russia to maintain its war against Ukraine… Less than two weeks into the six-month term in the rotating EU presidency, Orban has already caused damage, the German Foreign Ministry said on Friday.”

To visit Zelenskyy is fine, but to visit Putin and Xi and Trump is not? What European hypocrisy! Note the next article.

Hungary Stands Alone

ntv wrote on July 12:

“At the conclusion of the alliance summit in Washington, the Hungarian government accused the NATO partners of double standards and failure in dealing with the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. ‘We will continue to advocate for dialogue and diplomatic channels, as the current strategy of the last two and a half years has been a total failure,’ Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to a spokesman. Szijjártó represented Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who left the summit early to meet former US President Donald Trump in Florida.

“Specifically, Szijjártó criticized the fact that it was inconsistent that NATO rejected dialogue with Russia while Israel was pressured to negotiate with Hamas. ‘They want Israel to negotiate with a terrorist organization to resolve a security crisis while diplomatic channels are closed to the Ukraine war,’ he said.

“Szijjártó also criticized the fact that pressure is being put on EU countries such as Hungary to end nuclear cooperation with Russia, while trade between the USA and Russia, especially in the field of uranium, is increasing. He also asked whether there might be secret negotiations. Regarding Ukraine’s desire to join NATO, Szijjártó said that the country’s membership could weaken the alliance from a Hungarian perspective. It is therefore important to check membership carefully.

“After the summit, meeting participants said that Hungary was isolated during the discussion. ‘Several allies have also made it clear that they do not agree with the Hungarian Foreign Minister’s statements.’”

But these statements were very noteworthy and to the point.

Renegotiating the Brexit Deal?

Daily Mail wrote on July 11:

“Joe Biden urges Keir Starmer to get ‘closer with Europe’ as they hold first talks in White House amid Brexit renegotiation push… The US president described the UK as the ‘transatlantic knot’ binding the two continents…

“Sir Keir has vowed to renegotiate the  Brexit deal, with concerns that he could make concessions such as paying into Brussels budgets – although he has insisted Britain will not rejoin the customs union or single market. At the start of the meeting, the President said: ‘I kind of see you guys as the knot tying the transatlantic alliance together, the closer you are with Europe…’”

The UK wants a close and friendly relationship with Europe and especially Germany, but it will not happen.

Biden Under Attack

The Huffington Post wrote on July 11:

“Barely two hours after mixing up Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin in public remarks, President Joe Biden mixed up his own vice president, Kamala Harris, with his coup-attempting predecessor, Donald Trump,  at a high-stakes news conference Thursday evening ― a gaffe likely to exacerbate concerns about his ability to beat Trump in November…

“Biden went on to suffer several smaller verbal stumbles. He told reporters gathered at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center that he follows the ‘advice of his commander in chief’ before correcting himself to say ‘chief of staff.’ Referring to the June jobs report… he said he just created ‘2,000’ jobs when he meant 200,000… Biden and Democrats have until mid-August to decide whether they will stick with him or choose a different nominee at their party’s convention in Chicago.”

Biden’s gaffes are really embarrassing and intolerable, but are they enough to get him out of the race?

European Leaders Defend Biden While European Media Dismisses Him

Reuters wrote on July 12:

“European leaders defended U.S. President Joe Biden after a number of gaffes during a NATO summit while the continent’s media took them as further evidence he was not fit to defeat Donald Trump in November’s presidential election… Britain’s Daily Telegraph… concluded that ‘Biden looks finished.’ ‘Slips of tongue happen, and if you always monitor everyone, you will find enough of them,’ German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said when asked by reporters about Biden confusing Zelenskiy with Putin. The sentiment was echoed by French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof.

“Newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking before Biden’s gaffes, said he and the president were able to address a number of issues ‘at pace’ during their first meeting. ‘He was actually on really good form, and mentally agile – absolutely across all the detail,’ Starmer told the BBC. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Biden looked ‘well’ and that he attended all summit sessions, unlike other leaders. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was less effusive but praised Biden’s organisation of ‘a very good summit’…

“Other European politicians were less forgiving. Geert Wilders, whose far-right party won the Netherlands’ last election, made fun of Biden, posting a photo of Zelenskiy and Harris on X under the title: ‘President Putin meets Vice President Trump’…

“A post-summit press conference failed to convince European media that Biden can rebuild confidence in his mental acuity. ‘This was Joe Biden’s chance to win over doubters. He blew it,’ said a Times of London headline, while Italy’s Il Giornale concluded it was the ‘end of the road for Biden’. Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung described Biden’s closing press conference as a ‘humiliation … To put it harshly: The dignity of the office holder has been irreversibly tarnished.’

“Britain’s Guardian newspaper agreed, describing the press conference as ‘painful to watch’ and ‘politics as bloodsport.’ Switzerland’s Neue Zuercher Zeitung daily concluded that the only chance the Democrats had of defeating the Republican Trump in November was for Biden to withdraw from the race. ‘An old man flexing his political muscles and raising his brittle voice does not come across as powerful…This president is not fit for a second term,’ the Zurich newspaper wrote.”

European politicians defend Biden because they are afraid of Trump. Trump won’t forget that.

“As Soon as the Teleprompter Was Turned Off”

The Independent wrote on July 12:

“The trouble began as soon as the teleprompter was turned off. Just two weeks after a disastrous debate plunged his campaign into chaos, and with heavy hitters in his own party refusing to publicly support him, Joe Biden’s performance needed to be flawless. But in his first answer, to the first question, at his first open press conference in eight months, he confused his running-mate, Kamala Harris, with his mortal enemy, Donald Trump. ‘I wouldn’t have picked vice president Trump to be vice president if I didn’t think she was qualified to be president,’ he said, without correcting himself.

“That might not have drawn so much attention if he hadn’t confused president Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine with his mortal enemy,  Russian president Vladimir Putin, just hours earlier. On the scale of presidential gaffes, they landed somewhere between George H. W. Bush vomiting in the Japanese prime minister’s lap at a banquet and a break-in at the Watergate Hotel.

“… His answers to simple questions were often rambling and trailed off. He would catch himself sometimes, ending a sentence abruptly with the word ‘anyway…’ Even on the occasions when he offered substantive answers, they seemed to last so long that the question was a distant memory…

“Biden has spent much of his presidency hiding from the full glare of the media. He has held fewer press conferences and media interviews than any of the last seven presidents at the same point in their terms. His last solo press conference, at which he took five questions from reporters, was eight months ago…”

The mass media has protected him. Now they turn against him. Note the next articles about the media’s hypocrisy.

How America Has Been Lied To

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on July 10:

 “The Editor at Large for the Wall Street Journal, Gerry Baker, says, ‘We’ve been “gaslit’ and deceived” – for years – ‘all in the name of ‘democracy’. That deceit ‘collapsed’ with the Presidential debate, Thursday’. Until the world saw the truth … [against] the ‘misinformation’ … the fiction of Mr. Biden’s competence … suggests they [the Democrats] evidently thought they could get away with promoting it. [Yet] by perpetuating that fiction they were also revealing their contempt for the voters and for democracy itself.’

“Baker continues: ‘[Now] it is going horribly wrong. Much of his party has no use for him anymore … in a remarkably cynical act of bait-and-switch, [they are trying to] swap him out for someone more useful to their cause…’

“Emmanuel Todd, the French anthropological historian, [stated:] ‘So when a senior WSJ editor tells us that the “deception and gaslighting” collapsed with the CNN Biden-Trump debate, we should surely pay attention; He is saying the scales finally fell from peoples’ eyes… Of course, Biden’s condition has been long known. So who then has been running affairs; making critical daily decisions about war, peace, the composition of the judiciary and the boundaries of state authority? The WSJ piece gives one answer: ‘Unelected advisers, party hacks, scheming family members and random hangers-on make the critical daily decisions’ on these issues.’

“Seymour Hersh, the well-known investigative journalist reports: ‘Biden’s drift into blankness has been ongoing for months, as he and his foreign policy aides have been urging a ceasefire that will not happen in Gaza whilst continuing to supply the weapons that make a ceasefire less likely. There’s a similar paradox in Ukraine, where Biden has been financing a war that cannot be won – yet refusing to participate in negotiations that could end the slaughter.’

“The reality behind all of this… is that Biden is simply ‘no longer there’ – in terms of understanding the contradictions of the policies he and his foreign policy advisers have been carrying out… In Todd’s words then, decisions are made by a small ‘Washington village’.

“Of course, Jake Sullivan and Blinken sit at the centre of what is called the ‘inter-agency’ view. This is where policy mostly is discussed. It is not coherent…’”

Worse Than Watergate and the Threat to Democracy

Newsmax wrote on July 13:

“Democrat operatives attempting to keep Donald Trump from the White House are the same ones covering for President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline, a political scandal of Bidengate that puts ‘Watergate in the shade,’ according to British journalist Andrew Neil… the famed former BBC broadcaster wrote in his Daily Mail column Friday:

“‘It was exposed as such in that fateful TV debate with Trump at the end of last month when Biden suffered a slow-motion car crash from which he has not recovered. Even then the White House lies did not stop. We were told it was just a bad night, that he had a cold, that he was suffering from jet lag. The excuses tumbled out from Team Biden, each one less credible than the last. But something significant had changed: even Jet-Lag Joe’s media cheerleaders no longer believed what they were being told.’

“The 1970s Watergate scandal put forth by former CIA operatives working for The Washington Post infamously led to the resignation of former President Richard Nixon, a Republican. Now, Democrats are working to force Biden out of office…’

“Now that the psyops has been exposed, lying media and spin-doctoring Biden administration officials and Democrats are jumping like rats off a sinking ship – turning the once-adoring media on the president, according to Neil. ‘Asked to choose between White House spin and what they’d seen with their own eyes, even partisan journalists chose their eyes,’ Neil wrote. ‘So did the American people. A huge majority now believes Biden is unfit to run again. A clear majority of registered Democrats agrees…

“‘The Democratic Party strategy to reelect Joe Biden as U.S. President was simple and stark: Donald Trump is a threat to democracy, so it is the constitutional duty of all patriotic Americans to stop him ever returning to the White House… We now know that those closest to President Biden in the White House and at the top of the Democratic National Committee (which is controlled by the White House) have been lying to the American people for months, nay years, about Biden’s fitness to run for a second term…

“‘When those at the heart of government and in control of the governing party are prepared to lie, dissemble and obfuscate to hide the truth from the people — and the plain, unexpurgated truth is that Biden is clearly in no condition to run for, never mind serve, a second term — I think it’s fair to conclude that those doing the lying are at least as big a threat to democracy as Trump.’ American voters now know which side was lying and suggesting Trump is the threat to democracy just no longer can land, according to Neil…”

But again and again, Biden postulates that he will not quit. The next article may give us a clue as to why.

The Catfight Between Kamala and Jill

The Daily Mail wrote on July 12:

“When Kamala Harris took to the stage during a Democratic primary debate before the 2020 election and implied that Joe Biden was racist, his wife, Jill’s, response was crystal clear. ‘Go f…yourself,’ the then-future first lady vented, as she allegedly admitted during a conference call with supporters. And the relationship between the two women – that began badly enough during that contentious battle for the presidential nomination – has only gone downhill from there. Now, political insiders have told DailyMail.com that Democratic advisors are struggling to push past the powerful role that Jill Biden’s loathing of Harris, 59, is playing in Joe’s resistance to pass the mantle to his VP…

“According to one former Democrat operative in Jill’s circle, the women’s long-seated animosity is ‘one hundred per cent’ part of Jill’s resistance to having her 81-year-old husband step aside. Because the truth, according to a source who knows the First Couple well, is that Jill’s is now the only voice to which the 46th president listens.  And as far as Jill, 73, is concerned, the only thing worse than her husband stepping down would be Kamala stepping up to replace him.  The bad blood between the First Lady and the Vice President, a feeling so strong that one source described it as, ‘hatred,’ dates to June 2019, when Kamala was running against Biden and condemned him during a televised debate  for opposing aspects of mandatory busing for school desegregation.

“’Jill holds grudges,’ one Democrat insider revealed. ‘She doesn’t let things go and she has never forgiven Kamala for comments that some took to be allegations of racism.’ According to one insider, that was the reason she never wanted Kamala to be her husband’s number two in the first place.

“They said, ‘Jill was trying to stop Kamala joining the Biden ticket in 2020. She has hated her ever since the school bus thing. But she bit her tongue because Biden boxed himself into a corner by saying he would pick a black woman for his running mate.’

“… according to one well-placed source while the light of public scrutiny is trained on Biden’s mental acuity, the real power behind the throne is Jill… The source told DailyMail.com, ‘Jill has become consumed by the power and prestige of the presidency and what that means to her.’… Jill is ‘absolutely unwavering about Joe staying [in the race] but if he is forced out or opts out, she would be fully opposed to Kamala replacing him.’

“One insider revealed, ‘Kamala never runs competent organizations. Every office, every campaign, devolves into toxicity. And Jill is keenly protective of Joe’s legacy.’”

When some women run a country…

“US President As If Replaced After Mistake: Who Are These Biden?”

Bild Online wrote on July 13:

“The two faces of US President Joe Biden (81)! After the huge blunders with Putin’s breakdown and VP mix-up, US President Joe Biden is undeterred in his election campaign against challenger Donald Trump (78). Despite dwindling support from within his own ranks.

“On Friday, just 24 hours after his misfires at the NATO conference, Biden traveled to the US state of Michigan… At smaller engagements… Biden’s decline was clearly visible. He swallowed words, spoke in a hoarse voice. Biden repeatedly broke off his sentences when it came to details and facts… Even at the official event, Biden had to clear his throat several times and spoke in an unclear voice.

“At the next appointment on the same day, Biden made an appearance at a high school near Detroit… Biden suddenly seemed like a different person! In front of several hundred cheering Democrats, Biden shouted into the crowd: ‘I’m running!’… Biden condemned his opponent Trump as a ‘convicted criminal’. And he warned that Trump wanted to turn the USA into a dictatorship. The room was beside itself! ‘We are behind you!’ shouted the Democrats. His campaign speech – this time with a teleprompter – was SIGNIFICANTLY more aggressive than any previous speech. Biden clenched his fist and reared up at the lectern. The whole nation was watching him: The American press is currently broadcasting almost every appearance live…

“The Democrats are still threatened with a revolt within the party. 19 members of Congress have so far called on the 2024 candidate to withdraw. ‘It’s time for President Biden to pass the torch,’ urged Congressman Mike Levin (45).”

The comments about the “two Biden” and his apparent switched personality, as well as the ecstatic reaction of the crowd at a high school near Detroit, are very interesting.

Biden—A Different Person

 Newsmax wrote on July 17:

“Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told Newsmax on Wednesday that he didn’t know which version of Joe Biden he would get when he met with the president after Republicans gained the majority of the House in 2023. ‘Every time I met with him, it was a different Joe Biden,’ McCarthy [said]… ‘Each meeting was different. I’d have a number of meetings, thinking, … he’s out of it. Then he’d come back and there’d be a meeting he was totally with it. I thought it’d be like a different person.”

Erdogan vs. Israel

ntv wrote on July 12:

“With the start of the Gaza war, relations between Turkey and Israel are deteriorating. Now Ankara is stepping up. Until there is no ‘comprehensive and sustainable peace’, the country also wants to oppose Israel in NATO…

“Erdogan described the Islamist Hamas as a ‘liberation organization’ and compared Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler.”

The relationship between Turkey and Israel will continue to deteriorate… and especially, when Europe turns against Israel as well.

Biden Criticizes Israel

JTA wrote on July 11:

“President Joe Biden said Israel had been ‘less than cooperative’ with the United States in its efforts to deliver assistance to Palestinian civilians… ‘I met with most of the Arab leaders to try and get a consensus going as to what had to be done to get more aid and food and medicine into the Gaza Strip,’ Biden said at a press conference on Thursday following a NATO summit…

“Notably on Thursday, the G7 issued a joint release condemning Israel’s latest settlement expansion, naming its far right finance minister, Betzalel Smotrich, who greenlighted the expansion.

“The talks, which in addition to Hamas include Qatar and Egypt, appear to be stuck in part on Netanyahu’s insistence that Israel reserve the right to restart the war in order to achieve its goal of  dismantling Hamas’ military and governing capabilities…

“Biden appeared to argue that much of the obstruction the United States has encountered stems from Israel’s government… ‘This war cabinet is one of the most conservative war cabinets in the history of Israel, and there’s no ultimate answer other than the two-state solution here,’ said Biden… Netanyahu adamantly rejects a two-state outcome as a long-term goal in the talks.

“Biden also rejected the Israeli far right’s ambitions to reoccupy the Gaza Strip, and of maintaining an Israeli military presence there. ‘The day after in Gaza has to be the end,’ he said, ‘has to be no occupation by Israel in the Gaza Strip, as well as the ability for us to access, get in and out as rapidly as you can for all that’s needed there.’”

The proposed “deal” is described as a “framework”—meaning, it is without consequence and meaningless.

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 16:

“Israel continued to bomb the Gaza Strip on Tuesday shortly after the US renewed its criticism over the high civilian death toll in the war on Hamas… On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to ‘increase pressure’ on Hamas and said Israel was remaining ‘firm’ in its demands…

“The Israeli military said it had killed ‘40 terror targets’ in Gaza. It said troops were continuing targeted raids in the southwestern city of Rafah and in central Gaza… the Israeli military said it had eliminated half of the leadership of Hamas’ military wing since the start of the war, claiming about 14,000 fighters killed or captured since the offensive began.”

Republican Party’s Plans to Launch Mass Deportations Alarming

JTA wrote on July 12:

“Three Jewish organizations dealing with immigration and community relations said they were alarmed by the Republican Party’s plans to launch mass deportations, saying they are steeped in a racist conspiracy theory that at times has veered into antisemitism. The Republican platform… pledges to ‘carry out the largest deportation operation in American history.’ ‘President Trump and Republicans will reverse the Democrats’ destructive Open Borders Policies that have allowed criminal gangs and Illegal Aliens from around the World to roam the United States without consequences,’ the platform says… Analysts have said that such a deportation order could affect as many as 11 million people…

“Mark Hetfield, the president of HIAS, the Jewish immigration advocacy group, said that such a plan would trigger legal challenges, and that HIAS would join them…  Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, a national community relations body, also predicted the community would challenge any plans for mass deportation… Jamie Beran, the CEO of Bend the Arc, a Jewish social justice activist network, singled out how deportation figures into the platform’s mention… antisemitism…

“Other Jewish groups that have in the past advocated for immigrants were silent: the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee declined comment, and the Jewish Federations of North America did not return a request for comment. Centrist Jewish groups generally avoid weighing in on hot button issues in an election year…

“Spitalnick and Hetfeld both expressed alarm at how the language of the platform appears to be steeped in ‘replacement theory,’  a baseless conspiracy alleging a liberal plot to replace whites with people of color. Versions of the theory have antisemitic overtones alleging that the plot is led by Jews.

“Hetfield singled out a passage targeting family reunion policies, which conservatives call ‘chain migration.’ ‘Republicans will prioritize Merit-based immigration, ensuring those admitted to our Country contribute positively to our Society and Economy, and never become a drain on Public Resources,’ the platform says. ‘We will end Chain Migration, and put American Workers first!’ The platform also declares, ‘We must not allow Biden’s Migrant Invasion to alter our Country.’”

Trump famously used Hitler’s language of poisoning the blood of the nation. The Republican’s plan of mass deportation, as described above, and the end of chain migration and maybe even DACA, should alarm all Americans.

Ursula von der Leyen Re-Elected

 Breitbart wrote on July 18:

“Arch-globalist Ursula von der Leyen has been re-elected as the President of the European Commission for a second five-year term by a comfortable margin in the European Parliament on Thursday. German politician Ursula von der Leyen will continue on as the top woman in Brussels…  Prior to the vote, the top globalist said that if given a second term she would double down on key issues, notably the European Green New Deal and the plans to see Ukraine join the European Union. She also appears set to continue her longtime battle with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whom she personally signalled out in her speech Thursday over his recent trip to Moscow to advocate for a peace settlement. Von der Leyen branded the trip as an ‘appeasement mission’ and vowed that Brussels will continue to ‘give Ukraine everything it needs to resist and prevail’.

“Responding to the vote, Spanish populist VOX MEP Jorge Buxadé said that it was a ‘sad day’ for Europe, particularly for farmers suffering under the green new deal agenda of Von der Leyen… French National Rally MEP and leader of the Patriots of Europe group the parliament, Jordan Bardella criticised centrists and conservatives for backing von der Leyen, saying that his faction in Brussels ‘will be the only patriotic group resolutely opposed to the Green Deal, the migration pact and the dissolution of our nations.’

“After it was revealed last month that Von der Leyen had the backing for a second term from the unelected European Council, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said: ‘Instead of inclusion, it sows the seeds of division. EU top officials should represent every member state, not just leftists and liberals!’

“Von der Leyen has long been a controversial figure, stemming back to her unimpressive stint as German defence secretary, however, she has become the darling on the globalist circuit…

 “Her first term as Commission president has also left much to be desired, having presided over draconian lockdown measures during the Chinese coronavirus, spearheading the push for  health passports and mass censorship of ‘disinformation’, for example. This was followed up by Europe being plunged into an energy crisis after being caught off guard by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and ill-equipped to deal with cuts in Russian gas supplies after embarking on the green agenda favoured by Von der Leyen and her allies. Her term has also been marked by increased attempts by Brussels to police — through monetary pressure — the domestic policies of member states,  imposing financial penalties on conservative governments in Hungary and Poland for enacting conservative policies on migration and gender.”

Criticism of Olaf Scholz

Die Welt wrote on July 12:

“Scholz rejected… Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s demand for a lifting of all conditions for the use of Western weapons against Russian territory…

“‘If they attacked us and killed our children, it is crazy to ask why we are not allowed to attack this military base,’ Zelensky said. ‘If we want to win, if we want to be victorious, if we want to save and defend our country, we must lift all restrictions,’ he added…

“US President Joe Biden, like Scholz, rejects the extensive use of weapons using the escalation argument… At the same time, Scholz praises the American transfer of long-range weapons to Germany from 2026. Together with France and Great Britain, Germany will develop cruise missiles itself. Deterrence is necessary because of Russia’s rearmament…

“However, Scholz received prominent opposition to his stance from the head of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen. He criticized not only him, but also most of the federal government for their communication about the war in Ukraine. ‘In Germany [the] defense minister [Pistorius] talks about the fact that we have to become ready for war,’ he said… But his cabinet colleagues still underestimated the seriousness of the situation. To this day I have the feeling that most responsible politicians believe that they cannot give the population pure wine and say: “We are dealing with aggression like in the Cold War”… Heusgen said that Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin has aimed at restoring the old Soviet Union. ‘We still downplay everything a bit,’ he complained…

“Putin has proven how aggressive he is. ‘And it is only right that we now draw conclusions for our part,’ he said, referring to the planned stationing of US cruise missiles with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers in Germany from 2026. The USA wants to do so for the first time since the Cold War Station weapon systems in Germany that reach as far as Russia. Heusgen emphasized: ‘You can only negotiate with someone like Vladimir Putin from a position of strength.’”

Scholz’s duplicity will soon be obvious to everyone.

Europe’s Capitals Targeted by Russia

Bild Online wrote on July 13:

“Russia has responded with threats to the planned stationing of US long-range weapons in Germany.

“On Saturday, the Kremlin said Europe’s capitals could be targeted by Russian missile attacks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov (56) said: ‘Europe is a target for our missiles, our country is a target for US missiles in Europe.’ The confidant of ruler Putin (71) added: ‘We have the capacity, to keep these missiles at bay, but the potential victims are the capitals of these European countries.’ Russia had already reacted angrily to the West’s missile plans on Thursday. Peskov told a state television station two days ago: ‘We are steadily taking steps towards the Cold War.’

“The reason for the excitement in Moscow: As part of alliance defense, the USA will be moving from 2026 a battery of the brand new ‘Typhon MRC’ missile system to German NATO territory. The mobile system, which can fire both Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of 2,500 kilometers and SM-6 anti-aircraft missiles with a range of 250 kilometers, will initially be temporarily and later permanently stationed in Germany.”

US Missiles in Germany

Nius wrote on July 12:

“The news of the stationing of US missiles on German soil shook the German media landscape like an earthquake… ‘We have a new threat situation. Vladimir Putin has shown what he is willing and capable of,’ said Defense Minister Boris Pistorius at the NATO summit in Washington… One cannot speak of a new arms race – ‘Russia has had these weapon systems for a long time which were, as we suspect, stationed in Kaliningrad, which means within absolute reach of Germany and other European nations,’ said the minister…

“Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) are clearly in favor of deployment. ‘We know that there has been an incredible build-up in Russia, with weapons that threaten European territory,’ said Scholz at the NATO summit. ‘Russia is not a peace partner at the moment, said Habeck…

“As a young social democrat on the left wing of the SPD, Scholz himself once protested against, among other things, the stationing of US Pershing II medium-range missiles [in Germany]… “

New Investigations Against Höcke

Bild Online wrote on July 10:

“AfD right winger Björn Höcke has new trouble with the judiciary. The Gera public prosecutor’s office wants to investigate the politician on suspicion of denigrating the state and its symbols. ‘We have requested that his immunity be lifted,’ a spokesman for the authority confirms. ‘Today my immunity was lifted for the 9th time,’ said Höcke himself on X (formerly Twitter)…

“According to a spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office, the subject of the investigation is a speech given by Höcke on October 3, 2022 in Gera at the so-called ‘German Freedom Day’…. In his speech, Höcke denounces Western democracies as a ‘rainbow empire’ that – led by the USA – is aiming ‘at the destruction of the nation through mass immigration’ and has declared war on women and men. Given the choice, he would choose the traditional East (meaning Putin’s Russia).

“Höcke himself writes… about an ‘alleged opinion crime’ [and] repeatedly asks the question: ‘Yes, how political is the judiciary in Germany?’ He also threatens again with committees of inquiry…

“If there is an indictment in the current investigation, it would be the fourth case against the AfD politician, who wants to become Prime Minister in Thuringia after the state elections on September 1st…

If all of this is true, Germany is becoming an absolute dictatorship that criminalizes any criticism of its policies, similar to the former GDR. Also note the next article.

Attack on Freedom of the Press and of Expression in Germany!

Report 24 wrote on July 16:

“The Compact magazine was banned in the media today – by an interior minister who wrote for an Antifa magazine. The police, press and a photographer close to Antifa surprised editor-in-chief Jürgen Elsässer in a bathrobe, while system media celebrated the step as a success for democracy. The reasoning behind the ban raises considerable questions: it is not clearly identifiable criminal statements or calls for violence that are being denounced, but criticism of the government. It is sometimes drastic, but anyone who remembers the cover of Stern, for example, which showed Donald Trump giving the Hitler salute with the title ‘Sein Kampf’, can be amazed at what is allowed and what is forbidden in… Germany…

“If you consider that Interior Minister Nancy Faeser herself wrote for an Antifa magazine and is now supposed to determine what is right-wing extremist and what, in her opinion, should be banned, it becomes clear how shaky the German constitutional state is now… If the state of law and order becomes a left-wing state, then this is not only a danger for freedom of the press, but freedom of expression is also under attack. Not only media producers are affected, but also every citizen who expresses unpleasant opinions too publicly. That’s why the ban of ‘Compact’ is by no means just explosive for the publishers and editors of the magazine as well as its readers…

“What does the content in question look like? The ‘Welt’ magazine classified it as follows: It presents readers with ‘doomsday scenarios and racism, conspiracy stories and agitation against politicians from the hated “old parties” – and as a way out of all the disaster: the AfD’. When media outlets that otherwise readily spread apocalyptic climate warnings write about doomsday scenarios, it seems unintentionally strange. Terms like ‘racism’, ‘conspiracy narratives’ and ‘incitement’ have long been commonplace in the best of Germany, worthless phrases that are spat out when political opponents are to be defamed. Strangely enough, people still refuse to call the defamation and discrimination against unvaccinated people hate speech. It’s only ‘incitement’ when the government line is under fire. After all, they make no secret of the fact that support for the only opposition party in Germany (the AfD) is undesirable.

“[Die Welt continues that] people are particularly outraged by the constant criticism of Angela Merkel… Donald Trump – just like AfD politicians – is now often equated with Hitler by the German mainstream, but that is of course okay…

“After Merkel, the Greens then became the ‘main ideological opponents’, it goes on to say… It is then also stated that, in addition to Annalena Baerbock [and] Ursula von der Leyen… even Interior Minister Nancy Faeser was criticized by ‘ Compact’ and was seen on a cover with the words ‘Asylum Bomb’, which casts the ban of the magazine in a particularly worrying light: by now, at the latest, the reader could come to the conclusion that everything that is against Nancy Faeser and the politics of the traffic light [coalition] could be banned. Because these discussions make criticism of the government sufficient reason for repression and a classification as ‘right-wing extremist.’ This is a hard blow to freedom of the press and freedom of expression…

“The fact that the Tagesschau [Germany’s main broadcasting company] also points out Compact’s criticism of Corona measures and the pressure to vaccinate in its report on the ban tops it all off. Here you can read: “The decisive factor for the ban is that, according to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Compact violates the free-democratic basic order and human dignity and in doing so acts in an ‘aggressive and combative manner.’

In fact, you don’t have to look far for evidence of this: Compact spoke of itself as a ‘resistance’, and since the pandemic the political system has been defamed as a corona or vaccination ‘dictatorship’. In a recent broadcast about bird flu it was said that a “new vaccination terror” was on the rise and that people were ‘forcibly vaccinated” during the corona pandemic.’”

“What do you call it when you are forced to accept a vaccine that you actually don’t want by the threat of loss of your job and livelihood and massive social exclusion? “Voluntary vaccination”? Is criticism of the undermining of fundamental rights a commitment against or for democracy and the rule of law? Whose human dignity was violated here – and by whom? Where is the evidence of a threat to democracy?

“Strangely enough, there is no evidence of the ‘anti-Semitic, racist, anti-minority, historical revisionist and conspiracy theory’ content that the magazine is said to have and which should justify its classification as ‘certain right-wing extremist’ at the end of 2021. Faeser implies that she has essentially shaken right-wing extremism to its foundations by banning the magazine, but a lot of people have never read Compact. [The government] should be able to understandably explain and prove to what extent there was a danger to German democracy… Instead, they indulge in indignation when the government is criticized. Would that hold up in court?

“Editor-in-chief Elsässer is now also said to have expressed ‘subversive fantasies’ with the goal of ‘overthrowing the regime’… The context remains unclear. However, if that is all that can be said against ‘Compact’, it must come as a surprise, given the constant demands for subversion from the left and climate radicals…

“All in all, today’s actions and media reporting leave critical observers perplexed. Compact can sue against the ban – the outcome is of course uncertain… If criticism of uncontrolled mass migration, green politics and Corona measures violating fundamental rights can justify the ban of a magazine, then not only German alternative media are living dangerously, but also the mainstream press itself which still occasionally shoots harshly against those in political responsibility – especially against the Greens. Do we want to eradicate this remaining balance in the German press landscape? With what aim? To prevent any genuine democratic opinion-forming by completely bringing the press into line with the government?”

FDP politician Wolfgang Kubicki considers the ban possibly illegal. If the ban is lifted, Faeser’s resignation would be “inevitable,” said the lawyer.

 Former constitutional judge Christoph Degenhart said: “This is a dubious interference with the freedom of the press.”

Elon Musk said it succinctly on X:  “Crushing freedom of speech under a jackboot is what that government is doing.“

These are alarming and extremely dangerous developments! It is of course prophesied in the Bible that Germany will become a totalitarian dictatorship.

New Findings About the Neanderthal Man

phys.org wrote on July 11:

“Ever since the first Neanderthal bones were discovered in 1856, people have wondered about these ancient hominins. How are they different from us? How much are they like us? Did our ancestors get along with them? Fight them? Love them? The recent discovery of a group called Denisovans, a Neanderthal-like group who populated Asia and South Asia, added its own set of questions.

“Now, an international team of geneticists and AI experts are adding whole new chapters to our shared hominin history. Under the leadership of Joshua Akey, a professor in Princeton’s Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, the researchers have found a history of genetic intermingling and exchange that suggests a much more intimate connection between these early human groups than previously believed…

“Neanderthals, once stereotyped as slow-moving and dim-witted, are now seen as skilled hunters and tool makers who treated each other’s injuries with sophisticated techniques and were well adapted to thrive in the cold European weather. All of these hominin groups are humans…”

The researchers came to these correct conclusions, among other things, by comparing DNA between “modern humans” and the Neanderthal Man. Of course, they are completely off when speaking of the time when the Neanderthals lived. For more information on the Neanderthal Man, please read our free booklets, “The Theory of Evolution—a Fairy Tale for Adults,” and “Heavens and Earth—Before and After the First Man!”

Archeology Proves the Bible

Daily Mail wrote on July 12:

“Archaeologists have uncovered secrets of a Biblical city that sat within the ‘Promised Land’ where the Israelites settled after Moses led them out of Egypt. The Israeli Antiquities Authority recently shared their findings from Zanoah, which is mentioned in the Old Testament, revealing stone walls, pottery and other artifacts that date back more than 3,200 years…

“It begins with the Israelites enslaved in Egypt, before the Pharaoh – coerced by 10 terrible plagues – agrees to release them and Moses leads them across the miraculously-parted Red Sea. Once they reached the Sinai Peninsula, scripture says they traveled to Mount Sinai, where Moses received the 10 commandments. The group then headed to the southern border of Canaan, but being too scared to enter, were condemned to spending decades in the wilderness by God. After passing the years at the oasis of Kadesh Barnea, the Israelites then traveled to the eastern border of Canaan, where Moses died and was buried on Mount Nebo.

“In the subsequent Book of Joshua, Joshua takes over the leadership of the Israelites, leading them into the Promised Land across the River Jordan and conquering Jericho – and Zanoah is mentioned in the Book of Joshua. Joshua 15:34,56 outlines the boundaries and cities within the tribal allotment of Judah once they entered the Promised Land, which includes Zanoah…

“The team uncovered walls fashioned with rows of large, white rocks, which they believed were retaining walls for farming terraces used to create level areas for planting and to protect steeper soil from erosion. Preserved pottery was also pulled from the ground, with one featuring a stamp on the handle that read ‘of the King,’ which was to honor King Hezekiah’s reign in Judah in 701 BC.

“The life of Hezekiah is described in the Bible book of 2 Kings, chapters 18-20. In 2 Chronicles, the king is said to have reopened the Temple of Solomon,  known as ‘the First Temple’… Hezekiah also smashed the bronze snake statue God commanded Moses to make, which is mentioned in Numbers 21:8-9: ‘Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a snake image and mount it on a pole.’

“Pottery fragments littered the landscape, with about 20 percent dating to the time the Israelites were said to have arrived after the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness- the rest were fashioned over the next 900 years…”

Our free booklet, “The Authority of the Bible” proves the accuracy of the Holy Scriptures.

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.

Many today are engaging in witchcraft and superstitious conduct in one way or another, consulting mediums, or believing in the reliability of horoscopes. They may think that this is harmless or even beneficial and desirable.

Let us ignore what man may think about this topic and see what the Word of God has to say on this matter.   After all, it should be the guide for all who claim that they follow the Judeo-Christian faith, but sadly, history and experience show us that that is not the case with so many.

In the Statements of Beliefs of the Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliates, we read the following:

“Our doctrines and practices are based upon a literal understanding of the ‘teachings revealed in the entire Bible. We believe that the Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments are God’s revelation of His Will to man, inspired in thought and word, and infallible in the original writings; that said Scriptures are the supreme and final authority in faith and life, the source of Truth and the foundation of all knowledge.’”

Let us now concentrate on wizards, witchcraft and related concepts.

What is a wizard?  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary has this definition: “one skilled in magic: SORCERER”.  Dictionary.com has this definition: “a person who practices magic: magician or sorcerer.”

The Easton’s Bible Dictionary say: “A wizard is a pretender to supernatural knowledge and power, ‘a knowing one,’ as the original Hebrew word signifies. As we will see from the Word of God, such was forbidden on pain of death to practise his deceptions.” 

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary gives several definitions, one of which is “One devoted to the black art; a magician; a conjurer; a sorcerer; an enchanter.”

In the Englishman’s Concordance, we read that this word is translated as spiritist and wizard.  We should know that the Word of God clearly forbids Spiritism and we are not to make any attempt to contact spirits.

There are 11 Old Testament references to “wizard” in Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, noting that the word used is yiddeoni.   Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance states that this is “from yada, properly, a knowing one; specifically, a conjurer; (by impl) a ghost — wizard.”

And so, let us look at some of these references which many do not take into consideration, thinking that they no longer apply today or they may not simply be aware of them.   But we must remember that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

All of the following quotations are from the King James Bible or the Authorized Version (AV), unless noted otherwise:

Leviticus 19:31: “Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.”

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers observes:

“Neither seek after wizards.—The expression ‘wizard,’ which in old English denotes ‘wise man,’ ‘sage,’ is almost the exact equivalent of the word in the original. These cunning men pretended to tell people their fortunes, where their lost property was to be found [etc.] According to ancient tradition, these wizards took in their mouth a bone of a certain bird called yaduā, burned incense, thus producing fumes which sent them off into an ecstacy, and then foretold future events. Hence their name, yidonee, as it is in the original. It occurs eleven times in the Bible, and always together with the word translated ‘familiar spirit.’”

Familiar spirit is always a reference to demons. They are called “familiar” spirits because they want to familiarize themselves with us and engage us in conversations with them, such is the case when we consult mediums, wizards, sorceries or other persons involved with the “black art.”

Leviticus 20:6: “And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.”

bibliaplus.org observes: “Witchcraft, being connected with idolatry, was ranked among the crimes which involved treason against Israel’s king, and hence, the severity of the punishment denounced against it…”

Leviticus 20:27: “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.”

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament write: “But because Israel was called to be the holy nation of Jehovah, every one, either man or woman, in whom there was a heathenish spirit of soothsaying, was to be put to death, viz., stoned (cf. Leviticus 19:31) to prevent defilement by idolatrous abominations.”

Deuteronomy 18:9-12, sub-headed “Avoid Wicked Customs” in some renditions of the New King James Bible: “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,or one who conjures spells, or a medium (AV: “a consulter with familiar spirits”), or a spiritist (AV: “a wizard”), or one who calls up the dead (AV: “a necromancer”). For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you” (New King James Bible).

This passage does not say that one can indeed call up the dead. Rather, it is a warning not to do so, as one may come in contact with demons who might pretend to be that dead person who is being “consulted.”

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary points out: “Was it possible that a people so blessed with Divine institutions, should ever be in any danger of making those their teachers whom God had made their captives? They were in danger; therefore, after many like cautions, they are charged not to do after the abominations of the nations of Canaan. All reckoning of lucky or unlucky days, all charms for diseases, all amulets or spells to prevent evil, fortune-telling, [etc.] are here forbidden. These are so wicked as to be a chief cause of the rooting out of the Canaanites. It is amazing to think that there should be any pretenders of this kind in such a land, and day of light, as we live in. They are mere impostors who blind and cheat their followers.”

Isaiah 8:19: “And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?” The New King James Bible translates: “Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?”

We read in The Pulpit Commentary: “Verses 19-22. – ISAIAH RECOMMENDS LOOKING TO GOD AND THE REVEALED WORD RATHER THAN TO NECROMANCY. AFFLICTION WILL BRING ISRAEL TO GOD. Isaiah returns, in ver. 19, to the consideration of his disciples. In the terrible times impending, they will be recommended to have recourse to necromancy; he urges that they should look to God and the Law. He then further suggests that, in the coming affliction which he describes (vers. 21, 22), men will generally turn for relief to the same quarter (ver. 20). Verse 19. – Seek unto them that have familiar spirits. In times of great distress the Israelites seem always to have been tempted to consult those among them who pretended to magic and divination. So Saul in the Philistine war resorted to the witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28:7-20); Manasseh, threatened by Esar-haddon, ‘used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards’ (2 Kings 21:6). Israel generally, oppressed by Syria and Assyria, ‘used divination and enchantments’ (2 Kings 17:17).  There was the same inclination now on the part of many Jews.” 

According to britannica.com: “Necromancy, communication with the dead, usually in order to obtain insight into the future or to accomplish some otherwise impossible task. Such activity was current in ancient times among the Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Etruscans; in medieval Europe it came to be associated with black (i.e., harmful, or antisocial) magic and was condemned by the church.”   This is not something to be involved with!

We read in Isaiah 19:3: “And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.” The New King James Bible says: “… And they will consult the idols and the charmers, The mediums and the sorcerers.”

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges points out: “the spirit of Egypt shall fail… lit. be poured out, cf. Jeremiah 19:7. ‘Spirit’ is here used of intellectual power, as ‘heart’ in Isaiah 19:1 denotes courage.  I will destroy or ‘swallow up,’ ‘annihilate’… In their desperation the Egyptians betake themselves to incantations, a sign in Isaiah’s view of hopeless intellectual embarrassment; ch. Isaiah 8:19.   The word rendered charmers means “mutterers” (of magical spells)…”

There are further passages of Scripture that are in accord with those which we have already covered, please see 1 Samuel 28:3, 9; 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Kings 23:24 and 2 Chronicles 33:6.

It is interesting that there are those who were initially against approval of witchcraft but who mellowed over the years. Is that what true Christians, the people of God want to be involved with?  The answer should be obvious.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

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