Current News & Events

Tuesday Watchdog Alert: When Politics Tries to Play Prophet

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Iran’s ruling clerics don’t just talk politics — some openly talk apocalypse.

Recent reporting highlighted how hardline Iranian leaders and Revolutionary Guard figures continue using “Mahdist” language — the belief that chaos, war, and resistance against global powers can help prepare the way for the return of the Hidden Imam, or Mahdi. Analysts warn this ideology is becoming more central inside Iran’s leadership culture.

“Clerical figures aligned with the Guard have made their views explicit. As Hojatoleslam Ali Saeedi, formerly the Supreme Leader’s representative to the IRGC, said in a 2012 speech: ‘The IRGC is one of the tools for paving the way for the emergence of the Imam of the Age [Mahdi] in the field of a regional and international awakening.’ “- From the Hungarian Conservative

In plain English? Some leaders believe global conflict is not a problem to avoid — it’s a stage to set. That should wake people up.

The Bible warned long ago that rulers and nations would chase power through deception, fear, and spiritual blindness. Christians aren’t called to panic over every headline, but we are called to recognize when political movements start sounding like counterfeit salvation stories.

Our Lord already told us who wins history.

“See that no one leads you astray.” — Matthew 24:4

The world keeps looking for a warrior-politician, a system, or an ideology to save humanity. But broken people cannot build heaven on earth with missiles, propaganda, or “holy” revolutions. That usually just creates more graves.

And honestly, if your end-times plan requires nukes and chaos to “help God out,” maybe rethink the strategy.

The real Kingdom of God will come with great power and glory when Jesus Christ returns, but that won’t be according to man’s timetable — and it won’t be by any manufactured apocalypse.

So what?
Today, spend 10 minutes reading Matthew 24 and praying for discernment. Don’t let headlines shape your worldview more than Scripture does.

Thursday Watchdog Alert: Rumors Of Peace, Rumors Of War

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The Middle East is on fire again. Iran tensions are escalating, missile threats are growing, and global powers are scrambling to avoid a wider war. Meanwhile, Islamic extremism keeps dragging entire populations into cycles of fear and violence.

Rumors of a peace deal, then back to rumors of war the very next day.

So… is this biblical prophecy?

Maybe. Maybe not exactly the way YouTube prophecy gurus with blurry thumbnails claim every Tuesday night.

But Jesus did say: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars… nation will rise against nation.” — Matthew 24:6-7

The point of prophecy was never “guess the date.” The point was: wake up. This world is fragile. Human governments cannot save us. And every missile launch reminds us we desperately need a King greater than Caesar, presidents, ayatollahs, or influencers with ring lights.

Here’s what should concern Christians most: global conflict always squeezes ordinary believers caught in the middle. Churches shrink underground. Fear rises. Hope fades. Yet historically, Christianity often grows strongest where comfort dies.

Funny how humans keep trying to build heaven without God… and accidentally create another dumpster fire instead.

Pray for Christians trapped in conflict zones. Read Matthew 24 slowly. Then do one bold thing this week that brings light instead of outrage—encourage someone, help someone, or share your faith without apology. The world has enough heat. Be light.

And remember this: There will be no peace absent the Prince of Peace.

Watchdog Alert: Faith That Doesn’t Bow

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Leaders of a prominent underground church have been detained in south-west China, according to a church statement, the latest blow in what appears to be a sweeping crackdown on unregistered Christian groups in the country.
From The Guardian

“The Chinese government has ushered in the new year with new arrests of underground Protestant church members,” said Yalkun Uluyol, China researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The government should immediately free those detained and let them freely practice their religion.”
From Human Rights Watch

Two headlines. Same message.

In China, authorities have detained pastors and church leaders from underground congregations, part of a sweeping crackdown on independent Christianity.
At the same time, reports confirm dozens of Zion Church leaders arrested and facing prison, simply for preaching outside state control.

That’s not ancient persecution. That’s right now.

Different cities. Same demand: Submit—or suffer.

“Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” — 2 Timothy 3:12

This is where the gap becomes obvious. In parts of the world, following Jesus costs your freedom. In others, we’re still debating how to make Christianity more comfortable.

But the gospel was never designed for comfort—it was built for conviction. Those pastors didn’t get arrested for being extreme. They got arrested for being faithful.

They refused to let the government define their message. They refused to dilute truth to stay safe. And that’s the dividing line coming into focus globally.

Not Catholic vs Protestant.
Not denominational labels.

Faithful… or flexible. Because pressure doesn’t destroy real faith. It reveals it.

The underground church in China is growing, not shrinking—because when everything is stripped away, what’s left is real. No branding. No performance. Just belief.

And that raises the question for us: What happens to our faith when it actually costs something? If our faith depends on comfort, it won’t survive conviction—but real faith stands when everything else is taken away.

Same Ground, Same Pressure, Same Plan

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The headlines out of the Middle East keep tightening—escalation, retaliation, alliances shifting, pressure building from every side. It feels unstable.

But that region has always been a pressure point—not just politically, but spiritually. Nations rise, fall, negotiate, and fight over the same land because it was never just about land. It’s about God’s plan for His creation.

Let’s go back to the beginning, where God tells Abraham in Genesis 17:7–8, “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you.”

Where? Not Ireland or Rome. Not America or France. It’s the land of Canaan—the place where both the modern and ancient state of Israel is and was located. The general area of what we now call the Middle East.

It’s called the Holy Land for a reason.

For how long? God established it by a holy covenant and gave it to Abraham and his seed forever—not just until the Church was born, not paused for a few thousand years, not waiting to restart when Jesus returns.

Forever means forever.

Who? Abraham and his, “…descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.”

The world keeps trying to solve something God already defined. Peace deals come and go. Ceasefires break. Tensions reset.

Everlasting peace doesn’t come from negotiation—it comes from the return of the King. Until then, pressure builds, and the Holy Land still matters. Israel still matters. A lot.

Let’s be vigilant and watch—but not through the eyes of fear. Through the lens God gave us.

Watchdog Alert: Culture Versus Truth

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The headlines keep proving the same point: America doesn’t have a noise problem—it has a truth problem.

Every day it’s something new—identity debates, speech battles, moral lines being redrawn in real time. What was obvious five years ago is now “controversial.” What was stable is now negotiable. Culture isn’t just shifting. It’s untethered.

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” — Isaiah 5:20

That’s not ancient history—that’s today’s news cycle.

We’re watching a society try to function without fixed truth. And it doesn’t work. It can’t work. Because when truth becomes personal preference, reality starts breaking down. So people get louder. More aggressive. More defensive.

Because deep down, everyone knows something’s off.

Here’s the difference: culture chases approval—truth confronts reality. Our Lord didn’t adjust truth to fit the crowd. He stood on it, even when it cost Him everything.

So What?

And that’s where this lands for us. We don’t need to win arguments online. We don’t need to out-shout the culture. We need to be anchored.

Because when everything around us shifts, the only thing that keeps us standing is something that doesn’t. Truth isn’t evolving. It’s been established.

If our beliefs change with the culture, they were never built on truth to begin with.

Watchdog Alert: Pope Leo XIV Wrong Again

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Photo via Julius Silvers, pexels.com

In a recent post, I pointed out that the current Pope was wrong about God not answering prayers from those engaged in war. Today we have another example of the Pontiff making erroneous claims.

On April 16, 2026, during his peace meeting at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral in Bamenda, Cameroon, Pope Leo XIV said the following:

“Jesus told us, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, but woe to those who manipulate religion in the very name of God for their own military, economic, or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.’”

Jesus didn’t say that.

The only part of what the Pope claimed — “Jesus told us…” — that Jesus actually told us is “Blessed are the peacemakers.” The other stuff about “political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth”, was not something Jesus said.

In other words, the Pope is either lying about what our Lord said, intentionally trying to deceive people in order to make a political point, or he simply doesn’t know what Jesus actually said according to the Bible.

It may be a combination of all three.

Watchdog Alert: Pope Leo XIV Is Wrong

Rick Tryon1 Comment

In his Palm Sunday homily, Pope Leo XIV explicitly that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war,” quoting Isaiah 1:15: “Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood.”

The Pope is counting on the biblical illiteracy of Christians when he isolates this verse from Isaiah without regard to its context and uses it as a universal proclamation against all war for all time.

Isaiah chapter one is specifically referring to the idolatrous and exceedingly sinful nation and people of Judah and Jerusalem.

Isaiah 1:4 (KJV) – Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

Of course God heard and answered the prayers of His prophets, kings and others during their wars and delivered victory into their hands. Just read the Bible.

Moses & Joshua — Israel defeated Amalek when Moses interceded (Exodus 17).

Joshua at Jericho — Victory came and God commanded the battle (Joshua 6).

David — Before fighting the Philistines, David repeatedly asked, “Shall I go up?” and God answered (2 Samuel 5:19).

Jehoshaphat — God delivered Judah miraculously when they prayed and worshiped (2 Chronicles 20).

The Pope is wrong. The Bible is clear.

Watchdog Alert: Nigerian Palm Sunday Massacre

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At least 15 Christians were slaughtered by extremists using guns and machetes during Holy Week observances. Homes were torched; survivors fled into the bush.

“On Palm Sunday, suspected militants reportedly killed at least 15 Christians in a raid near Jos, Nigeria. Attackers on motorbikes used guns and machetes to target the farming community, leaving many injured and homes torched. While three suspects are said to be in custody, the massacre highlights escalating land and religious tensions in the country’s Middle Belt.“

From latestly.com – read the whole article here.

Watchdog Alert: Continuing Christian Persecution

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It would be easy to allow the war in Iran distract us from the horrific persecution going on elsewhere in the world, but let’s not allow that to happen. Our adversary is still busy all over the globe killing, stealing, and destroying. Because he knows his time is short.

Pray for our brothers and sisters who are being relentlessly persecuted for their faith in our Lord, and do what you can to help.

Nigeria

Over 50,000 Christians killed since 2009, new report finds

A Nigerian rights group (Intersociety) reports that 52,250 Christians have been murdered since the Boko Haram insurgency began, with 18,000 churches and 2,200 schools burned. The violence continues into 2026 with over 1,000 Christians killed this year alone.

UK lawmakers warn of “persistent and entrenched” anti‑Christian violence

British MPs echoed U.S. concerns, noting that more Christians are killed in Nigeria each year than in all other countries combined. The debate highlighted killings, kidnappings, and legal suppression targeting Christians.

China

China intensifies crackdown on underground churches

China has escalated arrests of pastors and Christian lawyers, including revoking legal licenses for those defending persecuted believers. At least 18 members of Zion Church are detained, with experts warning the crackdown is now a national security priority for the CCP.

North Korea

Under Kim Jong Un’s renewed term, religious freedom worsens

North Korea continues to be the world’s most dangerous place for Christians. Open evangelism is impossible, and Christian radio broadcasts into the country have dropped by 80%, further isolating believers who already face imprisonment or execution if discovered.

Lions Don’t Have Masters

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Photo via cottonbro studio at pexels.com

So far this year, I’ve read two books on Israel’s history and military—The Lion’s Gate by Steven Pressfield and Six Days of War by Michael Oren. Anyone who thinks Israel and the IDF need the USA to do their work for them should read up on the modern history of Israel and the region.

Israel’s War of Independence in 1948, the Six-Day War in 1967, and their numerous subsequent fights for survival have proven time and time again that Israel can take care of itself quite ably in a very, very rough neighborhood.

Israel has been surrounded by hostile enemies who hate them with a perfect hatred and who have ceaselessly sought to annihilate them since their modern rebirth in 1948. They have prevailed against astonishingly superior forces every time.

And they have beaten impossible odds even without American help—just read the history.

Israel is definitely not America’s puppet, and America is definitely not Israel’s puppet. Israel is our friend and ally, as it should be, since they are the only Western‑style democracy and modern free society in the region.

Israel is not our master, and we are not Israel’s master, because lions don’t have masters—lions can handle the wolves and jackals together, or on their own if need be.