Despite every news report pumping viral fear, we’ve got a few other matters to discuss.  One is that Tehran has experienced its third major explosion in as many weeks.  The latest is said to have blown up a missile storage warehouse of the Revolutionary Guard. The blast was said to have caused widespread panic.

Other explosions and fires are attributed to oxygen tanks in one instance, and gas tanks in another.  One explosion occurred in an auto manufacturing plant.  Then for some reason, power was knocked out in a large segment of the city, without explanation.  Israeli sabotage is suspected, but no one seems to know for sure.

In the wake of China’s new “security law” being enforced in Hong Kong, both Australia and Canada have canceled their extradition treaties with Hong Kong.  China’s leadership is not amused, as you might expect.  It is now a crime to criticize China in Hong Kong, and the penalties are extreme.  It seems that both Australia and Canada are expecting major financial businesses and manufacturing concerns to want to move operations out of Hong Kong and into their countries.  China accuses both Australia and Canada of “interfering in Hong Kong’s internal affairs,” and has warned both that they will pay a heavy price.  We hope it’s the other way around.

Brexit is scheduled to finally take hold at the end of September.  Angela Merkel is advising companies in Germany to start planning for the possibility of reaching no deal with the UK as Brexit finally becomes a reality.  It’s leading to lots of internal strife within Germany and Europe as the deadline approaches without agreements on trade.  Merkel herself is receiving criticisms from German publications and politicians, as the rest of Europe is suspicious that some deal may be struck on Germany’s behalf that won’t apply to the rest of the EU.  She is said to be “shunned” by EU leaders.

And then there is the dreaded virus.  The news is reporting record cases, record deaths and worrying that everything isn’t shut down.  Some people are going in public without wearing masks!  An article this morning reports that a suburb south of Denver will begin issuing fines for going in public without one, and will see that recalcitrant mask-refusers spend one year in jail.

It’s hard to know what to believe about these reports.  Too bad the news media has made such a habit of lying to us, particularly over recent years.  We’ve watched them freaking out about global warming, ready to shed tears over the fact that they haven’t been able to foment large scale panic.  For decades they’ve been pedaling the “existential crisis” narrative and experienced total frustration at our lack of concern.  Now that they’ve got the COVID pandemic, they’ve given global warming a much-needed rest.  But don’t despair, it will be back front and center as soon as the virus panic begins to wane.

People are asking us what our plans are for the Feast of Tabernacles.  We tell them that we have contracts with the venues and expect to fulfill them without any last-minute “mandates” or cancellations.  Powers are being exerted that we never knew existed, and there seems no end to it.  Governors, mayors, judges, and county commissioners apparently have the power to issue orders in complete opposition to Constitutional guarantees.  Those powers are now the subject of dozens, maybe hundreds of lawsuits.  But as we know, EVERYTHING on earth is now a subject of political importance.

We are going to discuss current events, particularly when they apply directly to the rights that come from our Creator.  That, after all is the whole idea underlying the United States.  Rights conferred upon all humanity by God are not to be trifled with by human beings who are temporary officeholders.  But everybody’s rights are being trampled under the ideology that we must be protected from ourselves.  Since we have no sense at all, officials need to place us under one MANDATE after another, whether or not their mandates upend Constitutional freedoms.

Incalculable damage is being done to the national economy, and we don’t yet know the half of it.  Whether the United States survives the Chinese virus or the communist revolution that it made possible, we’ll have to wait and see.  We have an internal war going on, but only one side is fighting.  They’re determined to abolish the family, abolish the police, abolish safety and security for Americans, and anybody that says “boo” will be targeted.

Thankfully, Christians look forward to a future without communist tormentors.  But that includes troubled times for the United States and for the world.  May God have mercy on those who abide by His Laws, keep His Commandments, and refuse to play by the ever-changing rules being thrust upon us.

Mark

Source: http://www.intercontinentalcog.org/fridayupdates.php

The post Weekly Update by Mark Armstrong – 10 July 2020 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.