‘One Nation Under God’

Good morning!

President Trump wants to “rededicate America as one nation under God.” Yesterday he announced his intent to do that at an event in D.C. on May 17. The announcement brought cheers and a standing ovation from his audience at the 74th annual National Prayer Breakfast.

[BRIEF]

The May 17 event, “Rededicate 250,” invites Americans to gather on the National Mall for a national jubilee of prayer, praise and thanksgiving in preparation for the country’s 250th anniversary of independence.

The president emphasized the central role of faith and religion in America’s strength and success. He said he has revived religion in public life more than any previous president. America’s rapid recent progress has been fueled by its religious spirit, he said, calling prayer America’s “superpower.”

America truly does need to be rededicated as one nation under God! That is a goal worth standing and cheering for.

The Bible, on which Christianity is founded, shows us how. And it has many examples of people who dedicated themselves in vain. Jesus Christ repeatedly warned about not only false religion but also false Christianity.

This means that to undertake such a rededication, we must look into, believe and obey the Bible. It clearly requires more than simply invoking God’s name. And the Bible shows that prayers have no power if they are offered in vain.

There is plenty to show that the way the president is pursuing this noble goal will not achieve what he hopes—in fact, its effect will be very different from what he expects. Our feature story this morning highlights why.

We should yearn for real rededication. It is actually possible, if not for the nation, then for each American who will look into the Bible, believe and obey.

Germany Ready to Sell More Weapons in the Middle East

Europe’s largest economy is building a new global alliance, and it includes Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. We are seeing the solidification of an alliance that was prophesied in your Bible.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is on his third and last day of a Middle East trip in which he is discussing potential oil, gas and arms deals.

• After Merz met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh for more than two hours on Wednesday, the German delegation told dpa news agency that he wants to take the relationship with Saudi Arabia to a “new level.” The talks covered energy, defense, artificial intelligence and regional geopolitics.
• Germany’s n-TV said: “German government officials are currently making pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia in droves. Like almost everything these days, this also has to do with the unpredictable U.S. President Donald Trump.”

Merz traveled to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. He was accompanied by the ceos of German energy company Uniper and Diehl Defense, among others, and promised these governments reduced restrictions on German weapons exports.

• Germany has restricted these weapons in the past, stating that it does not want to support regimes involved in human rights violations and conflicts like the civil war in Yemen.
• While nothing much has changed on this front, Germany is now willing to overlook these concerns to build stronger partnerships. Yesterday in Doha, he called Qatar and Saudi Arabia “reliable cooperation partners.”

Regarding the promise of more extensive arms cooperation, Merz told journalists:

This is in our mutual interest ‍because we want to ensure that the world becomes safer, and it will only become safer if we are able to defend ourselves.

Germany began loosening arms export restrictions last year, approving the sale of Eurofighter jets to Saudi Arabia. “This does not mean that we will now supply all arms to all countries completely unchecked. Each case will still be reviewed individually,” he said at the time.

In return, Merz expects more investments from the Gulf states in Germany and energy imports such as liquefied natural gas from Qatar.

The new focus on the Gulf states brings to light a mysterious prophesied alliance in Psalm 83 that is yet to be fulfilled.

Iran ‘Can Easily Trick Him’

The Trump administration is still hunting for a deal with Iran. United States Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is in Oman right now negotiating with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. This comes after massive protests against the Iranian regime erupted in December, the regime murdered tens of thousands in response, and U.S. President Donald Trump threatened military force and regime change.

The talks are supposed to diffuse tensions. But circumstances suggest that Iran could diplomatically outwit the U.S.

• The U.S. wanted the talks to be held in Turkey, monitored by representatives of Arab countries. Iran initially agreed, then insisted on uninviting observers and moving the talks to Oman. The U.S. acquiesced.
• The U.S. wants the talks to include Iran’s nuclear program, its ballistic missile program and its sponsorship of terror group proxies. Iran insists it will only negotiate on its nuclear program.
• Witkoff is a concerning choice to lead negotiations. His efforts to convince Russia to end its war on Ukraine have yet to bear fruit. When negotiating between Israel and Hamas, Witkoff admitted that Hamas “duped” him in talks. Mohsen Sazegara, a founding member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, bluntly told the Telegraph: “If Iran wants to sit around a table, especially if Witkoff is at the other end of the table, it sounds like they can easily trick him. The Russians did.”

President Trump is known for his unpredictability and may yet take forceful action. “If Trump attacks Iran,” analyst Melanie Phillips wrote for Jewish News Syndicate, “we’ll finally know that he realizes that deal-making among nations has its limits.” But she noted that “the fact that he keeps being persuaded to continue with these talks, however reluctantly, has created fears that he’s being played by the world’s supreme masters of tactical concessions, delay and manipulation.”

In the May-June 2025 Trumpet, executive editor Stephen Flurry said President Trump’s peace negotiations have a “fatal flaw.” That flaw is seen in Witkoff’s negotiation style, which assumes the best about the world’s worst actors. Iran has a history of manipulating the U.S. in negotiations. The fact that President Trump continues to let Iran “play its usual game” is a concerning sign.

IN OTHER NEWS

Russia has struck Ukraine with 71 missiles and 450 drones so far this week: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a strike on Tuesday injured nine people and knocked out heat for thousands of Ukrainians. Temperatures in the country have dropped as low as 13 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, and Russian President Vladimir Putin is proving more than willing to weaponize winter conditions to cause even more civilian suffering in an effort to break Ukraine and move on to far greater imperialistic goals.

India won’t stop purchasing Russian oil: Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said yesterday that maintaining sufficient energy flows remains the “supreme priority” of the government, and that “[a]ll of India’s decisions are taken and will be taken with this in mind.” United States President Donald Trump claimed Monday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made several trade agreements with the U.S., including “to stop buying Russian oil.” Other Western officials responded positively to the claim, since Indian purchases of Russian oil are largely financing the latter’s invasion of Ukraine. But Jaiswal’s statement contradicts Trump’s statement and indicates that, despite any arrangements with the U.S., real or fictitious, India is allying more closely with Russia.

German factories are heating up: Provisional statistics provided by the German government yesterday show that manufacturing orders rose by 7.8 percent in December, a 13 percent increase from December 2024. The figure was 5.7 percent higher than in November and the “strongest monthly increase in two years,” according to the Wall Street Journal. Although Germany’s historically world-class manufacturing sector has reported numerous negative statistics in recent months and years, some economists think this might be a turning point. Bible prophecy indicates that ultimately German manufacturing will surge beyond belief as Germany arms for war.

Germany to require cultural investment from U.S. companies: A proposed new German law announced yesterday will require streaming services operating in the country to invest 8 percent of their German revenue into the European film industry. It also sets a quota for German-language productions, according to DPA. France and Italy have similar laws already, but the new law would reduce profits to American companies and further escalate the trade conflict simmering between Europe and the United States. It would also promote German culture, a trend worth watching, since a massive cultural counterrevolution in Europe is prophesied in the Bible. Learn more about this oncoming transformation of European identity in “The Holy Roman Empire Goes Public—Big Time!”

Iranian foreign minister insults German chancellor: “Germany was once the engine of Europe’s progress; now it has turned into an engine of regression,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said yesterday, later adding that it is “regrettable that an individual such as Mr. Merz now represents Germany on the world stage.” Araghchi’s insult follows German Chancellor Friedric Merz’s statement on Wednesday that Germany is “prepared to further increase the pressure and to engage in talks” to end Iran’s nuclear program. Merz called Aragachi’s comment a sign of insecurity. Bible prophecy warns that the world is heading toward a clash of civilizations between Iran-led radical Islam and German-led Catholic Europe.

At least 167 Nigerians were slaughtered by gunmen on Tuesday. Though no group claimed responsibility for the attacks, Mohammed Omar Bio, a legislator from the region, claimed that the Islamic State-affiliated group Lakurawa is to blame. Video from the villages of Nuku and Woro shows burning houses and murder victims with tied hands. This is one of the worst attacks in Africa in recent years. At least 13 people were killed by unknown gunmen in another village on the same day, and 36 were murdered at a construction site last week. Why do such massacres and suffering occur if there really is a loving God? To learn the Bible-based answer few have heard, read Chapter 4 of Mystery of the Ages, by Herbert W. Armstrong.