Update 979

On June 26, 2021, Norbert Link will present “Comments on News and Prophecy, June 26, 2021,” and the sermon, titled, “Will YOU Have Eternal Life in God’s Kingdom?”

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 times we are presently in bring forth many temptations where we may be enticed to do or say things in response to statements that go against what we believe, where we may also want to have our “voice” heard.   But even if we were to say something based on our own convictions, is whatever we say going to make a difference?  Biting our tongue and keeping quiet can be quite a challenge.  Knowing when to stay silent and when to speak involves much patience and wisdom.  These two characteristics don’t come out of thin air, but it is a gift from God to develop these traits, through His Holy Spirit, which is the same power that Christ was filled with when He was in the similar situations that we all go through when we are put to the test.

The question we hear often with all the inconsistencies around us is, what is the Truth?  That is easy for us to answer since we have been called out of this world to understand the Truth, by believing in the Bible, which is the Book of Truth, and it has been proven to us that the Bible is in fact true.  We read in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”  The Bible proves itself.  We don’t pick and choose what we want to believe and accept things here and there that contradict and violate what the Bible says.   If we then believe that the Bible is the Truth, we need to go a step further as it says in the prior verses in 2 Timothy 3:14-15, “…continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

We do this through the two character traits of wisdom and patience, which go hand in hand, as wisdom produces patience. James 1:4-5 makes that clear.  “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Truth was also the focus of what Christ taught.  “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).  John 13:17 states: “And if you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

Our commission in the Church is to teach the Truth according to the Bible, and there will be those who do not agree and will forsake the Church, and there are also those who may know the Truth, BUT choose not to obey.  What has history taught us, when things had changed and change was introduced to the Truth?  It wasn’t Godly, for we read in Colossians 2:8,  “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

This is a warning for us to be cognizant of worldly beliefs and not to return to what we came out of.  God has called US out of that lifestyle for the purpose of NOT returning to it.  And He has shown us the Truth through His Word in the pages of the Bible.  Christ spoke the Truth boldly when He had to, and this is what we are to do, when we have to.  “The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion” (Proverbs 28:1).  When we are in a situation when our beliefs are being questioned, we need to stand up with boldness for the Truth, and there are many examples throughout the Bible of those who did just that.

We know what is right, we know what is good, and we know what the Truth is.  And if we know this, we have to do it, especially when the Bible makes it clear.  Using the knowledge that has been granted to us is vital in developing patience which will help us determine when to speak and when not to.

by Norbert Link

We are focusing on the election of radical cleric Ebrahim Raisi—called “the butcher”—as Iran’s new president; warn of new violence in Israel;  address Germany’s invasion of Russia 80 years ago, please view our new StandingWatch program titled: “Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union…But let’s stick to the Truth”; speak on the EU’s actions against LGBT dissenters; Europe’s enemy; and the fight of Austrian President Sebastian Kurz for his survival.

We address America’s relationship with Ukraine; the probability that the draft might be reinstituted in the USA; the US Supreme Court’s decision regarding same-sex couples and foster parents; and the resignation of many Oregon police officers in protest to perceived injustice or indifference of the government.   

We quote revealing and astute comments by a Holocaust survivor regarding coronavirus restrictions; and report on brainwashing in the USA and more nonsense in Britain.

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

The Butcher—Iran’s New President

The Sun wrote on June 19:

“Iranian hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi has won a landslide victory to be declared the country’s next president – but he has a bloody history steeped in murder and executions, activists claim… The 60-year-old’s securing of the office means all arms of the Iranian regime are now in the hands of ultra conservative hardliners… Iran’s president is the second-highest ranking official in the country, second only to the Ayatollah… As head of Iran’s judiciary, the traditionalist cleric is a close ally of the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose confidence he has gained after holding key positions of power over four decades.

“Raisi earned his ‘Butcher’ nickname [as he] was allegedly [involved] in the mass execution of political prisoners… It’s reported that he was a key member of the so-called ‘Death Commission’ which ordered thousands to be killed in the massacre of 1988… Amnesty International have… said that Raisi should face investigation for ‘crimes against humanity’ and torture…”

Thomson/Reuters wrote on June 19:

“… dissidents inside and abroad said popular anger over economic hardship and curbs on freedoms kept many Iranians at home… another deterrent for many pro-reform voters was a lack of choice, after a hardline election body barred heavyweight moderates and conservatives from standing… A U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Friday: ‘Iranians were denied their right to choose their own leaders in a free and fair electoral process’ – a likely reference to the disqualification of candidates.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 19:

“Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hailed the election as a victory for the nation over ‘enemy propaganda.’… Raisi, 60, has been the head of the nation’s judiciary since 2019 and belongs to the ultraconservative camp that most deeply distrusts the United States… The EU and the US have imposed sanctions on Raisi for his role in the human rights violations…

“But even though the president has significant influence to set direction on a wide range of issues, from economic policy to foreign affairs, ultimate power in Iran lies with the supreme leader, Khamenei. Nevertheless, many observers see Raisi as a possible successor to Khamenei, who turns 82 next month, as supreme leader.”

Khamenei served two terms as president before becoming supreme leader when the founder of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, died in 1989. It will be interesting to see how the EU and the USA are going to act now towards the new Iranian president whom they have sanctioned for human rights violations.

Bennett Warns the World

The Associated Press wrote on June 20:

“Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett… said at the Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem [on Sunday] that ‘of all the people that (Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei could have chosen, he chose the hangman of Tehran, the man infamous among Iranians and across the world for leading the death committees that executed thousands of innocent Iranian citizens throughout the years.’…

“Bennett said Raisi’s election as Iranian president was ‘the last chance for the world powers to wake up before returning to the nuclear agreement and to understand who they’re doing business with. These guys are murderers, mass murderers: a regime of brutal hangmen must never be allowed to have weapons of mass destruction that will enable it to not kill thousands, but millions…’”

But the world is not listening. Note the next article.

Reuters added on June 20:

“Negotiators for Iran and six world powers on Sunday adjourned talks on reviving their 2015 nuclear deal and will return to respective capitals for consultations as remaining differences still need to be overcome, officials said. ‘We are now closer than ever to an agreement but the distance that exists between us and an agreement remains and bridging it is not an easy job,’ Iran’s top negotiator Abbas Araqchi told state TV from Vienna.”

US Takes Down Iran-linked News Sites

The Associated Press wrote on June 22:

“American authorities took down [roughly three dozen websites] of Iran’s state-linked news websites they accused of spreading ‘disinformation’ on Tuesday, a U.S. official said, a move that appeared to be a far-reaching crackdown on Iranian media amid heightened tensions between the two countries…

“The takedowns come as world powers scramble to resurrect Tehran’s tattered 2015 nuclear deal and just days after the election victory of Iran’s hard-line judiciary chief, Ebrahim Raisi… [He] ruled out the possibilities of meeting with President Joe Biden or negotiating over Tehran’s ballistic missile program and support for regional militias… such as Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels…”

However one may want to look at news reports coming from Iran, to seize their websites sets dangerous precedents.

New Violence in Israel

The Times of Israel reported on June 18:

“Palestinian worshipers clashed with Israeli police on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount on Friday afternoon, amid fears of renewed fighting with the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip over the situation in the Holy City. Police said the clashes began after Friday afternoon prayers at the holy site in the Old City with a procession of several hundred people, dozens of whom refused to disperse when they arrived at the exit to the compound and began hurling rocks at police… The clashes occurred after the Israel Defense Forces conducted airstrikes on Hamas targets throughout the Gaza Strip on Thursday night in response to ongoing arson attacks from the enclave…

“On Tuesday, thousands of Jewish nationalists marched through parts of Jerusalem’s Old City, with some chanting racist slogans, as Israel reportedly warned Hamas, via Egyptian mediators, of a tough and immediate response to any rocket fire from the Gaza Strip…”

There will be no peace…

Ready to Invade the Golan Heights?

Israel 365 News wrote on June 17:

“The pro-Iranian Shi’ite Iraqi Al-Nujaba movement announced that its Golan Liberation Brigade is ready to embark on a campaign to ‘liberate the Golan’ when the Syrian government gives the command, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute’s Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (MEMRI-JTTM). In an interview with Hezbollah’s Al-Ahed News website, spokesman Naser Al-Shammari said the brigade’s fighters have received advanced training and have weapons that can attack deep inside Israel.

“Shammari said that ‘the Golan Liberation Brigade was established by the Al-Nujaba movement to serve as its main pathway to participation with the brothers in Syria in the campaign to liberate the Golan [Heights], which is drawing nearer every day.’ He voiced support for the proposal by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah that a violation in Jerusalem would mean regional war… [Nasrallah] claimed that all resistance movements would join against the Jewish state.

“[Shammari] also said that such a war… would [also be directed against] the United States, in addition to others in the region that collaborate with America and Israel….”

EU Highest Court Tells Jews How They Must (and Mustn’t) Live!

Israel 365 wrote on June 17:

“Jewish community leaders in Europe say the EU is not only outlawing certain methods of kosher and halal slaughter but is also instructing Jews and Muslims as to how to practice their own religions… This was the result of a recent ruling by the European Union’s highest court. It upholds bans in Belgium on manufacturing both kosher and halal meat, outlawing a practice in which livestock is slaughtered without initially being electrically stunned unconscious…

“However, the December 17 decision by the Court of the European Union takes it a step further… Shimon Cohen [is] campaign director for Shechita UK, a London-based organization that lobbies against attempts to ban shechita, or kosher slaughter. A secular court … ‘has no right to tell me how to practice. That’s gross overreaching.’

“Pinchas Goldschmidt, the president of the European Conference of Rabbis, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that for the court ‘to seek to define shechita is absurd.’…

“In addition to the court exceeding its purview, Cohen said that the court ‘lumped Muslim and Jewish customs together.’ The two religions have distinct methods for ritual slaughter. ‘The court’s ruling makes as much sense as moving Shabbat to Sunday because Christians are fine with it,’ Cohen said.”

“So-called Christians,” he should have said. True Christians know that the Sabbath is still in force and effect, while Sunday, a pagan holiday, has no place in godly worship.

Germany’s Invasion of Russia 80 Years Ago—but Let’s Not Distort History

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 19:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday looked ahead to next week’s 80th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, calling it ‘an occasion for shame.’ In her video podcast, she also criticized the ongoing crackdown against political opposition figures and civil society in Russia and Belarus… Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s commemorations, Merkel noted how millions lost their lives — especially in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states and other former Soviet republics —  when Adolf Hitler’s forces invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941…

“The invasion of Crimea and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine violated international law, she added. For Germany and the EU, Merkel said the situation was unacceptable….

“On Friday,  German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke at the German-Russian Museum in Berlin-Karlhorst… While representatives from the 15 countries comprising the former Soviet Union were invited to partake, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andrij Melnyk declined the invitation [calling the museum venue ‘an affront’ because of its ‘Russian’ focus and because the wartime persecution of other countries such as Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltic states was being ‘simply ignored.’].”

Steinmeier’s somewhat controversial speech has been reported, as follows, by Deutsche Welle on June 18:

“Steinmeier said… that the German war against the Soviets was carried out with ‘murderous barbarity.’ ‘It weighs on us that our fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers who waged this war, were involved in these crimes,’ he added….

“’From the first day the German campaign was driven by hatred, by antisemitism and anti-Bolshevism, by racist madness against the Slavic and Asian peoples of the Soviet Union,’ Steinmeier said. ‘Those who waged this war killed in every possible way, with unprecedented brutality and cruelty,’ he added. ‘It was German barbarism, it cost millions of lives and devastated the continent.’…

“He added that after the war, many Germans did not want to hear about the wartime suffering of people in the Soviet Union, whose story had been obscured by the Cold War and the division of Europe behind the Iron Curtain.”

This makes it sound as if every German soldier having fought in Russia was guilty of crimes of murderous unprecedented barbarism, hatred, and racist madness. This is of course simply untrue.

Deutsche Welle also reported the following on June 18:

“On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany launched its invasion of the former Soviet Union, which was code-named Operation Barbarossa. The attack involved 3.3 million troops along an 1,800-mile (2,900-kilometer) front, making it one of the largest invasion forces in history. Adolf Hitler famously broke the non-aggression pact, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, signed in secret between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union weeks before the war began in August 1939. The German invasion less than two years later caught the Soviets by surprise…

“Steinmeier’s office said in a statement that the series of memorial events this week is intended to draw attention to the suffering of the Soviet Union, which at 27 million incurred the highest number of casualties during World War II, 14 million of whom were civilians… ‘Only those who learn to read the traces of the past in the present will be able to contribute to a future that avoids wars, rejects tyranny and enables peaceful coexistence in freedom,’ Steinmeier said Friday.”

Steinmeier’s last statement, as quoted above, is correct. However, to say, as DW does, that the Soviets were caught by surprise, is only correct if implying that they did not expect Hitler’s invasion so soon.  Neither Stalin nor Hitler intended to abide by the non-aggression pact; both were preparing for war; and Stalin intended to invade Germany, but Hitler preempted him. War is terrible—each war fought by humans—and must be condemned. The suffering of Russian soldiers and civilians was severe, but so was the suffering of Germans who had to flee when the Russians invaded countries such as Hungary or Poland, where Germans lived for decades, as well as many German civilians, including women, when retaliating Russian forces invaded Germany.

According to the Bible, the same scenario will play out again in the future… but with even much more devastating and terrible atrocities and dimensions. See chapter 4 (especially pages 14-16) of our free booklet, “Biblical Prophecy… From Now Until Forever.” 

EU to Sanction Hungary over anti-LGBT Law?

The Jerusalem Post wrote on June 15:

“The EU could impose funding restrictions on Hungary over legislation that bans the dissemination in schools of content deemed to promote homosexuality and gender change, the bloc’s equality chief told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on Tuesday. Speaking shortly before Hungary’s parliament approved the ban, European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli said Brussels was prepared to take measures similar to those imposed on Polish regions that had declared themselves ‘LGBT-free.’…

“The Hungarian government… has said the ban on LGBT+ content was aimed at ‘protecting the healthy physical and mental development of children.’…

“In November, Dalli presented the first EU strategy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) equality… Backed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Dalli said the strategy had gained broad support from the 27 member states…”

But not from God.

Who is Europe’s Enemy?

Politico wrote on June 14:

“At a news conference on Sunday following the G7 leaders’ summit, French President Emmanuel Macron made clear that he was focused more on threats closer to the European homeland [rather than China or Russia], and said it was crucial for the alliance to recognize its true adversaries… ‘Who is the enemy?’ Macron asked. ‘Every power, every actor that wants to harm the territorial integrity of the members of the alliance, that threatens the security of members of the alliance, [is the enemy]… So we must prepare, in our plans, ways and means to protect ourselves in the face of that…’

“… some seem to worry that Biden will be too soft on the alliance — including Macron who… demanded recognition of Europe’s broader efforts to develop so-called strategic autonomy, the push to build up capabilities on the Continent.”

The king of the North (Europe’s future leader) will hear troubling rumors or “news” from the east and the north (the Far East, including Russia, China and others), apparently perceived as threatening Europe’s security, and he will go out against those nations “with great fury to destroy and annihilate many” (Daniel 11:44).

Austria’s Chancellor on the Defensive

Der Spiegel Online worte on June 20:

“Investigators are looking into both Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and many of his closest allies. There have been allegations of lying under oath and of cronyism. The young head of government is facing his most difficult challenge yet.

“For years, Kurz’s political career followed a constant upward trajectory. The Vienna native was first appointed to a cabinet post at the age of 24. At age 30, he promised that he would do everything differently if he were elected chancellor – more efficiently and more transparently. Now, four years later, his job-approval ratings are sliding. The ‘House of Kurz’ is in danger of collapsing like a house of cards, says the media. The heat is on the Austrian chancellor.

“Matthias Strolz, former head of the NEOS party, accuses Kurz and his team of ‘structurally fascist methods’ due to their repeated verbal attacks on the country’s public prosecutors. Leading politicians with the Green Party say the behavior of their coalition partner is ‘unacceptable’ and ‘unworthy’ of such a party. The initiators of an anti-corruption referendum said last Tuesday that Austria is ‘approaching a tipping point,’ and that respect for the rule of law and the country’s democratic institutions has recently been eroding. Among the critics is the ÖVP’s former spokesman for judiciary issues….

“The avalanche that has been careening toward the chancellor for the last several months threatens to knock over central pillars of the Kurz system – assuming state prosecutors haven’t overplayed their hand. Kurz himself is suspected of having provided false testimony to a parliamentary investigative committee and he could find himself in court as early as this fall. Meanwhile, close confidants like Finance Minister Gernot Blümel and Chief of Staff Bernhard Bonelli are also under investigation for different infractions. Other former ÖVP ministers and dignitaries with close ties to the party likewise find themselves in the judiciary crosshairs. All of the accused reject the allegations that have been leveled against them…

“Still, short of a conviction of the chancellor, a collapse of the coalition is considered highly unlikely… As things currently look, the committee will issue him a summons for a session in July. A decision as to whether to initiate possible criminal proceedings will likely only be made after the summer break.

“In the Chancellery… they have already started working on the story of a persecuted, unrelenting and successful chancellor who is innocent of any wrongdoing… Kurz himself says he sees no cause for concern – neither for himself nor for his party. ‘I am confident that in Upper Austria in September, we will win the ninth state parliamentary election in a row.’”

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Sebastian Kurz, who has been nicknamed “holy Sebastian.”

A New Catastrophe in the Making…

The Guardian wrote on June 22:

“A ban on farm feed made of animal remains introduced during the BSE crisis is to be lifted in the EU to allow cheap pig protein to be fed to chickens over fears that European farmers are being undercut by lower standards elsewhere… The EU’s member states have already endorsed the regulation, with only France and Ireland abstaining…

“The first case of BSE was reported in 1986 in the UK. The disease was spread widely by farmers feeding cattle with the meat and bone meal of dead and infected animals. More than 4m cattle were slaughtered in the UK and 178 people died after contracting the human variant, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, understood to be passed along by consuming infected beef…

“The UK continues to ban the use of PAP in the feed of farm animals. A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: ‘… following our departure from the EU there is no legal obligation for us to implement any of these changes…’”

From one pandemic to the next…?

USA Halts Lethal Aid Package to Ukraine

Breitbart wrote on June 18

“President Joe Biden’s White House halted a proposed package of lethal aid to Ukraine, according to a Politico report. State Department officials and the Pentagon worked to develop the aid proposal before the White House National Security Council put it on hold ahead of Biden’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The package’s development came in response to Russia’s massive military buildup near the Ukrainian border earlier in 2020…

“The United States considered including short-range air defense systems, small arms, and anti-tank weapons, Politico reported, but those plans are now on hold….”

It is not a surprise, then, that Ukraine did not feature prominently during Biden’s and Putin’s meeting in Geneva. Putin already got what we wanted prior to the summit. Please view our recent StandingWatch program, “Putin Won Big Time in Geneva.” 

Abolishing or Restoring the Draft?

The Ron Paul Institute republished an article on June 18 that had originally been published by the Future of Freedom Foundation:

“Young people might think the matter [of the draft] is irrelevant, given that there hasn’t been conscription since the Vietnam War. That is naive, wishful, and dangerous thinking. Every 18-year-old male is required, on pain of a felony conviction, to register for the draft. The reason? Because in the event of some major foreign war, make no mistake about it: The Pentagon will not hesitate to restore the draft because it will need soldiers to fight, kill, and die. Young men — and also most likely young women — will begin receiving draft notices ordering them to report to military facilities for training and ‘service’ to ‘their country.’

“… the possibility of a draft [is] even more likely. And once it happens, there is little anyone will be able to do to stop it. In fact, in the event of another major foreign war, I wouldn’t be surprised if they started jailing people for just challenging the draft, as US officials did in World War I…

“In fact, there is actually no difference between slavery and conscription. Under slavery, a person is being forced to serve his master. That’s what conscription is based on. It’s a system in which the individual is being forced to serve his master, with the master being the federal government, and specifically the Pentagon…

“Proponents of the draft say that sometimes it is necessary to force people to fight for ‘freedom.’ But that’s ridiculous because if you have a system where the government can conscript people, you no longer have a free society. Freedom has been destroyed in the name of protecting freedom…”

You might want to read our free booklet, “Should You Fight in War?”

America Could Lose Its Next War

War on the Rocks wrote on June 17:

“For several years, analysts have been sounding the alarm that the United States and its allies might not prevail in a high-level conflict with a near-peer adversary… American forces may be defeated even if its commanders don’t make any mistakes. Unfortunately, there exists a longstanding taboo in American strategic culture against the contemplation of defeat. To the extent that the possibility U.S. forces might lose on the battlefield is acknowledged at all, prescriptions for dealing with it fail to account for all the ways in which this defeat might transpire…

“U.S. decision-makers can no longer afford to pretend that defeat is not a real possibility. And, so long as policymakers do not take losing seriously, they are unlikely to take the difficult steps needed to prevent such a defeat…

“The most effective deterrent force is not necessarily the same thing as the most effective war-fighting force, as the military capabilities that appear most impressive to either adversaries or allies may not be the same as those that prove most effective on the battlefield once conflict begins…

“It is much more unpleasant to envision losing than winning — but this does nothing to change the fact that defeat is an increasingly plausible possibility in a war…”

The article makes the common mistake of looking at China or Russia as America’s enemies in a potential war. The real enemy will be Europe, but this does not change anything as to the sentiments expressed in the article.

US Supreme Court Decision on Same-Sex Couples as Foster Parents

RT wrote on June 17:

“The US Supreme Court has ruled that the city of Philadelphia violated the US Constitution when it ended a contract with Catholic Social Services (CSS) because the group refused to work with same-sex couples as foster parents. In a unanimous decision issued on Thursday, the court said the city failed to neutrally apply its non-discrimination policy when it ended CSS’s long-standing contract in 2018. ‘CSS seeks only an accommodation that will allow it to continue serving the children of Philadelphia in a manner consistent with its religious beliefs,’ Chief Justice John Roberts wrote. ‘It does not seek to impose those beliefs on anyone else.’

“The city relies on contracts with private agencies to place displaced children with foster families. CSS, which had been among those contractors for more than 50 years, had a policy against placing children with unmarried or same-sex couples…The ACLU tried to diminish Thursday’s ruling as ‘very narrow,’ saying it stemmed from the language of Philadelphia’s foster-services contract, but a city official acknowledged that the decision has ramifications for other public services… CSS is vastly outnumbered by agencies that gladly place children with same-sex foster parents…”

So, the US Supreme Court decision did NOT prohibit such practice; it only permitted CSS, under the circumstances of the case, to refuse from participating in it.

Oregon Police Officers Resign En Masse in Protest

ABC News reported on June 17:

“A team of 50 police officers who serve on a specialized crowd-control unit in Oregon and respond to Portland’s ongoing, often violent protests have resigned en masse after a team member was indicted… and accused of fourth-degree assault stemming from a baton strike against a protester last summer… Last summer, when Portland became the epicenter of Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd, the team was on the front lines. Many demonstrations devolved into clashes with officers late at night, and at times ended with vandalism, property damage and fires. The crowd-control team was the unit often directed to disperse groups after police declared unlawful assemblies or riots…

“In late October, the president of the police union, the Portland Police Association, sent the mayor and police chief a letter, urging both to ‘stand up and publicly support Police Bureau members who voluntarily serve on the Rapid Response Team.’ ‘Our RRT members do not volunteer to have Molotov cocktails, fireworks, explosives, rocks, bottles, urine, feces and other dangerous objects thrown at them,’ wrote Daryl Turner, then-president of the union. He noted that the team members volunteer for the work without any specialty pay…”

This seems to be so upside down…

Covid Mandates New “Fascist Dictatorship”

Life Site News wrote on June 17:

“A survivor of the Holocaust has denounced… public health policies during the COVID-19 crisis… In an interview earlier this year with German attorney Dr. Reiner Fuellmich, Vera Sharav, a long-time medical activist, drew on her experience under the Nazi regime as she warned about ‘unprecedented oppressive and repressive elements’ instituted in the coronavirus era.

“She told Fuellmich that ‘as a child survivor of the Nazi reign of terror I learned indelible lessons about the nature of evil. I know the consequences of being stigmatized and demonized as a spreader of disease.’ Born in Romania during the Second World War, Sharav was held in a Ukrainian detention center as a child and ultimately lost her father in the Holocaust.

“‘We were required… to wear a yellow Star of David to identify us, to segregate Jews,’ she said. ‘Exclusionary laws barred the family from normal life, from attending ordinary activities. Our property was impounded, we were forbidden to participate in all educational, religious, cultural gatherings. Travel was forbidden for Jews, so there was no escape. These painful memories from my childhood sensitized me to the threat posed by current restrictive government dictates.’

“Sharav blasted today’s ‘medical mandates’ as ‘a major step backward toward a fascist dictatorship’… ‘What they are doing with this virus is to institute absolutely unprecedented oppressive and repressive elements that imprison us in our homes,’ she said. ‘Mandatory masks are an insidious psychological weapon. They demean our dignity as free human beings,’ she added. ‘They do not work in this or any epidemic and they are the symbolic equivalent of the yellow star.’ Lockdowns likewise have ‘this time around proved to be [a] very effective tool for social control but they failed to change the course of the virus. People are being conditioned to submit passively to government dictates,’ while ‘children who are deprived of an education are being conditioned to distrust people’…

“The Holocaust survivor condemned the state of the medical establishment, drawing comparisons between contemporary medical policies and those employed by the Nazis. ‘Today, debate is forbidden. A doctor is not allowed to say that the virus is being exploited to maintain a state of fear. Doctors and scientists who express views that challenge official dictates are treated as heretics. They are threatened with loss of livelihood,’ and ‘muzzled and vilified by the media’ for speaking out about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, she said. ‘Fear and propaganda were the psychological weapons the Nazis used to impose a genocidal regime, and today some are beginning to understand why the German people didn’t rise up: fear kept them from doing the right thing,’ Sharav said…

“‘We’re being tracked, surveyed,’ Sharav told Fuellmich, pointing to the rise of vaccine credential systems, like ‘green passports,’ which she said create ‘an apartheid two-class society,’ with ‘one class privileged, the other reviled and discriminated against. Sound familiar? Will ghettos, detention camps follow?…’”

Can one really argue with that? The writing is clearly on the wall…

Just the Beginning?

The Guardian wrote on June 22:

“Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to jail people who refuse to be vaccinated against the coronavirus as the country battles one of Asia’s worst outbreaks, with a cumulative total of more than 1.3 million cases and 23,000 deaths.

“‘You choose, get vaccinated or I will have you jailed,’ Duterte said in a televised address on Monday following reports of low turnouts at vaccination sites in the capital, Manila.”

WHO: Do NOT Vaccinate Children!

The Ron Paul Institute wrote on June 21:

“In America, national, state, and local governments are pulling out all the stops to advance giving experimental coronavirus shots to children down to the age of 12. Up next, babies and children up to age 11. The shots are ‘safe and effective,’ the propagandists proclaim. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has a different approach. The WHO says do not vaccinate children, at least not yet.

“At its website, the WHO offers this advice regarding giving experimental coronavirus vaccines… to children:

“‘Children should not be vaccinated for the moment. There is not yet enough evidence on the use of vaccines against COVID-19 in children to make recommendations for children to be vaccinated against COVID-19…’”

Now, what about THAT?

Brainwashed in the USA

The Daily Mail wrote on June 19:

“The most bitterly funny story of the week is that a defector from North Korea thinks that even her homeland is ‘not as nuts’ as the indoctrination now forced on Western students… A staff member [of Columbia University in New York City] ticked her off when she revealed that she enjoyed classics such as the books of Jane Austen… but the staff member replied: ‘Did you know those writers had a colonial mindset? They were racists and bigots and are subconsciously brainwashing you.’

“After encountering the new requirement for the use of gender-neutral pronouns, she concluded ‘Even North Korea is not this nuts… North Korea was pretty crazy, but not this crazy.’… Eventually, she learned to keep quiet, as people do when they try to live under intolerant regimes…”

And so, the USA is descending more and more into the abyss of ridiculous confusion.

More British Nonsense

Daily Mail wrote on June 20:

“The BBC has sparked a discrimination row after only allowing people from ethnic minorities to apply for a trainee position. The broadcaster is advertising a one-year, £17,810 trainee production management assistant role with its Science Unit in Glasgow, but the position is ‘only open to black, Asian and ethnically diverse candidates’.

“Positive discrimination is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010, but ‘positive action’ is allowed for trainee and internship roles in areas where there is under-representation….”

Whatever happened to competence, no matter what the skin color or ethnic background?

Farage: Don’t Trust “Chameleon” Boris Johnson

Newsmax wrote on June 21:

“British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has changed like a ‘chameleon,’ winning election as a conservative, but now bowing to President Joe Biden’s campaign slogans, according to British Brexit architect Nigel Farage… ‘Don’t trust Boris Johnson; he’s not really a conservative; he cozied up to Biden,’ Farage said… Farage’s jaw dropped from a pair of notable shockers by Johnson, including calling Biden a ‘breath of fresh air’ and adopting leftist virtue-signaling ideology from Biden, saying ‘We’re building back better together, and building back greener, and building back fairer, and building back equal, and in a more gender neutral way, perhaps a more feminine way.’…

“‘Boris was elected as a conservative, and he’s now governing as a green. He’s obsessed with climate change, with carbon taxes, with carbon reduction, making British consumers ultimately paying massive bills for all of this.’…

Trump: “No, I have not Conceded”…  after admitting Defeat…

Newsmax wrote on June 22:

“Former President Donald Trump denied that he ever admitted defeat in last year’s presidential election… ‘No, I never admitted defeat,’ Trump said, adding that he has ‘not conceded.’ Last week during an interview with Sean Hannity, Trump said ‘shockingly, we were supposed to win easily at 64 million votes and we got 75 million votes and we didn’t win, but let’s see what happens on that.’

“Trump also refused to rule out that he will be reinstated as president this August, saying ‘I’m not going to comment on that. I’m going to just see what happens. If the election was fraudulent, people are gonna have to make up their own minds. It’s not going to be up to me. It’s going to be up to the public. It’s going to be up to, perhaps politicians, I don’t think there’s ever been a case like this where hundreds of thousands of votes will be found.’

“Commenting on reports that he would become speaker of the House next year, Trump said, ‘I have seen talk about that, but it’s nothing that I’ve ever considered,’  [He did say the opposite before].… Concerning speculation that he would run for president again in 2024, Trump remained evasive…”

Trump’s stories seem to change by the day…

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer

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

In the first three Q&As of this series, we have seen how the decline in societal standards has plummeted over many decades, particularly in the area of education, and where we have arrived at the juncture where this madness cannot go on for much longer.

Let us now move on to education in the future which is awesome to look forward to, when the standards that God will expect in the Kingdom of God will be instigated at the return of Jesus Christ.

Let us again quote from Mr Armstrong’s book, “The Wonderful World Tomorrow,” where he shows on page 63 WHY modern education is wrong:

“Modern education has been based on a false, erroneous, untrue foundation. The supposedly educated of this world — even the great minds — have absorbed false knowledge. They have been trained in a false approach to knowledge. Almost always, error is based on a false assumed premise or hypothesis, taken for granted, never questioned — and, of course, unproved. The ‘educated’ minds have been filled with such false hypotheses. They have allowed a false sense of values to flood their minds.

“Truth appears to them to be fable. What is right may be to them foolishness. That which may be utterly wrong appears to be right. They come to view things through the false concept of evolution.

“This miseducation holds their minds captive.

“It has been explained how the natural carnal mind, devoid of revealed knowledge from God, is limited to knowledge of the physical and material. The approach to all knowledge in the Western world has been through the evolutionary hypothesis — never through God’s revealed knowledge.

“In God’s millennial civilization, the basis of all knowledge dissemination will be revelation. Light will replace darkness — truth will replace error. Understanding will replace crass materialism. True knowledge will replace intellectual ignorance.

“The educating and re-educating of this world will be one of the most important tasks the Kingdom of God will face. Young people today follow too often false and deceptive values. Their entire thinking will require reorientation — a change of direction.”

“The educating and re-educating of this world” is a great place to start to review the massive difference between education today and God’s way of doing things.

We have briefly looked at education today at school, college and university levels, but when Christ returns, the whole world will need to be re-educated, and not just those young people in their scholastic and formative years. The world will have gone through the most horrendous time in all of human history, as we read in Daniel 12:1: “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.”

The world will literally be “shell-shocked,” as defined by the Free Dictionary as “stunned, distressed, or exhausted from a prolonged trauma or an unexpected difficulty,” and that is putting it mildly. Worldwide education of the young and old will be necessary to show them the right way to live after 6,000 years of human misrule, mismanagement and ungodly education.

First of all, we will have a new language, as we read in Zephaniah 3:9: “For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, That they all may call on the name of the Lord, To serve Him with one accord.”

The background to this whole scenario can be found in Genesis 11. In the first verse we read, “Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.^” Because of man’s attitude and behavior, God confused their language, as is stated in verse 9: “Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.” Man has been living ever since with the consequences of these actions.

According to Ethnologue, which is widely considered to be the most extensive catalogue of the languages of the world, there are currently 7,117 known languages spoken by people around the world. Of these languages, 90% are spoken by less than 100,000 people. There are around 46 languages that only have a single speaker! In Asia, there are 2,294 spoken languages, in Africa 2,144, in Americas 1,061, in the Pacific 1,313, and in Europe 287 languages.

It is amazing that there are so many languages in the world today; and what about all of the various accents within each language? Language is a means of communication – the thought in your mind is then translated into speech and uttered via the vocal cords, and the hearer hears the words that are uttered and the mind digests and, hopefully, understands what is being communicated. Unfortunately, all too often, because of double meanings, intonation and different levels of understanding, what is said may be misconstrued, and problems ensue. And that is just at the basic level of one language, but when translations are involved, the problems can multiply.

The problems that all of these languages currently can cause are immense but God is going to give all the nations a pure language so that they may all call upon His name and serve Him with unity of purpose. He will reverse the process by eliminating confusion and by restoring harmony and unity. Of the thousands of languages in the world today, not one of them is a pure language. All that will change with the return of Jesus Christ when He sets up the Kingdom of God on earth, and because it will be a pure language, there will be no double meanings which can often be confusing and even vulgar, and there will be no pagan names for most days of the week as we have them today in English and other languages. Through the vehicle of a pure, universal language, God will unite all nations under His perfect rule. And everyone can have understanding through this pure, universal language. There will be no loss of understanding through translation problems that we experience today. It will be a time of joy, happiness and abundance, with complete comprehension that only a one-world-language can give. And with one pure language, illiteracy will be eliminated.

This new language will be necessary for proper education, so that full understanding will be available to all in the same language in the future coming Kingdom of God.

(For further important information of the pure language to come, please read our Q&A, titled, “Is there a contradiction between Zephaniah 3:9 and Zechariah 8:23?”).

True education requires true educators, which in turn requires the establishment of God’s government. Sir Winston Churchill wryly observed that “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.” There is probably a good deal of truth in that statement because even democracy has monumental failings. The only government that can work correctly at all times is the government of God which will be instituted at the beginning of the 1,000-year reign of Christ. We find how this will happen in the book of Daniel, chapter 7:

Verse 14 states: “Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.”

This is about the responsibility given to Jesus Christ at His return.  And then we see, in verse 27, that the saints of God, those who will have been resurrected at His return, will be part of that spiritual government: “Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.”

Christ will rule over and with the saints who will assist Him in ruling on earth. We read in Luke 19:17-19, in the parable of the minas, how this will be achieved: “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’  And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’  Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’”

In Luke 22:29-30, we read: “And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” The disciples were told directly by Jesus that they would have judging responsibilities in the Kingdom of God.

Another encouraging verse is Revelation 5:10: “And [You] have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” In Revelation 2:26, we see the reward for those called by God who remain faithful and loyal to Him to the very end: “And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations…”

These verses show that government will be hierarchical—from the top down—and that authority will be given to those who remain faithful to God until Christ’s return. Unlike human government, it will be perfect and well organised. There will not be any elections or spending of huge amounts on electoral campaigning.

Revelation 1:6 shows us what positions the saints will occupy: “… [Christ] has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Corinthians 6:2 states: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?”

We have seen that the saints will be kings, priests and judges. God’s Law, not the law of man, will be paramount, and He has laid out the principles for living, as clearly shown in His Word. The God Family will enforce the laws, and the office of priest includes, and will continue to include, a teaching responsibility. Education for everyone will be spiritually based, and there will not be allowed any man-made rules and regulations that conflict with God’s perfect Way.

So far, we have taken some time to outline the basis of living in the Kingdom of God where there will be one universal language understood by all, and just one righteous government.

Right education is vital and re-educating the world will be no easy task. The world today has absorbed so many wrong values, many even sincerely, but that will have to be addressed as a matter of urgency. We see this false approach reflected today in Isaiah 5:20: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” However, there will be one huge advantage at that future time compared to today. We read in Revelation 20:1-3 about the removal of the influence of Satan and his demons during the Millennium:

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.”

“Satan’s Broadcasting System” (“SBS”) will be closed down for about 1,000 years during the Millennium.  We state in our booklet: “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World”, on page 54:

“In Romans 10, the ‘abyss’ is used as an analogy in association with the dead who are buried. It is also used as an analogy in Luke 8 and in Revelation 20.  When Satan and his demons will be placed in the ‘abyss’ at the beginning of the Millennium, they will be as good as dead—unable to influence and deceive the nations any longer during that time period (compare Revelation 20:3). The fact that they won’t be able to destroy others will give them spiritual torment—that is why they asked Christ whether He had come to torment them before ‘the time.’

“Satan’s spiritual torment, and that of his angels, will continue. After a time period called the Great White Throne Judgment, Satan and his demons will be cast into the lake of fire, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10; Matthew 25:41). Their torment will be spiritual, as they will see all of their evil works destroyed by fire (compare 2 Peter 3:10–13), and their influence on others will be gone forever. Their final fate might be revealed in Jude 13, referring to ‘wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.’ Compare, too, 2 Peter 2:17).

“God knows what is in store for them, and so do they.”

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

compiled by Dave Harris

“Germany’s Invasion of the Soviet Union … But Let’s Stick to the Truth!” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

80 years ago, Hitler’s Nazi Germany invaded Stalin’s Soviet Union. But the media and politicians paint a picture which does not always reflect the events accurately. This program sets the record straight and points to the future, as revealed in the Bible.

The new German sermon for this sabbath, titled: “Hass! Aber nicht Hassen!” Will be given by Michael Link. Title in English: “Hatred! But not Hating!”

“Deutschlands Einmarsch in die Sowjetunion … doch bleiben wir bei der Wahrheit!” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program, presented by Norbert Link. This German language program covers the same topics as discussed in the English version described above.

“Das Haupt und der Leib,” is the title of last Sabbath’s German sermonette, presented by Jens Herrmann. Title in English: “The Head and the Body.”

“Who Will Escape?” is the title of last Sabbath’s sermonette, presented by Dave Harris. Here is a summary:

The Bible speaks of unmatched tribulation which will be greater than anything that has or will ever occur. What can we do to escape these things?

“Increase and Contentment,” is the title of last Sabbath’s sermon, presented by Eric Rank. Here is a summary:

When is it good to want more? When is it better to be content? A balanced Christian life requires careful consideration as we guide our ambitions.

We will observe the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day for 2021, in Rapid City, South Dakota, and near Düsseldorf, Germany.  If you would like more information, check out our websites: https://www.eternalgod.org/feasts/  ; https://www.ewigengottes.de/wir-uber-uns/laubhuttenfest-2021/