Below are headlines from the first quarter hour of this week's broadcast. There's much more to follow when you listen in, including response from listeners. --The Trump administration has confirmed that a new oil company will drill across more than a dozen oil fields in Venezuela and the administration will take a 35% equity stake in that new company. --Five energy companies have now signed deals with Venezuela to rapidly increase oil and gas drilling with some new wells expected to begin as soon as this week. --Iran attacked American military positions across the Middle East Wednesday after the U.S. carried out its largest strikes against the Islamic republic since July, raising fears that the six month conflict is returning to full scale, regional warfare. --Iranian hackers are relentlessly trying to get into U.S. critical infrastructure. --More than a half-dozen commissaries on military bases in the continental U.S. reported refrigeration outages this week. --Russia has been secretly helping Iran develop advanced supersonic cruise missiles capable of threatening U.S. aircraft carriers and other warships in the Middle East. --Tuesday, Israeli forces captured a senior Hamas official during an operation to remove threats in the northern Gaza Strip. --Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Iran that should Tehran attack the country, Israel will respond with retaliatory strikes targeting energy and other infrastructure. --Israel Defense Forces said yesterday it had completed clearing a strategic Hezbollah underground facility in southern Lebanon, preparing the tunnel complex for demolition.

What do those who are entering life do? Mark 9:43–50 looks forward to the hearing of God's Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord's Day. In these eight verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that those who are entering life are in the business of putting sin to death. The devotional examines Mark 9:43-50 to explain the dual nature of God's fire as both purifying for believers and condemning for the unsaved. It emphasizes that mortifying sin is not a means to earn salvation but evidence of genuine faith and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Pastor clarifies that hell involves eternal conscious punishment, described through imagery of unquenchable fire and an undying worm, representing inner agony. True sanctification is presented as a work completed by Christ, assuring believers of their ultimate glorification despite present struggles. The message calls listeners to rely on the Spirit's power to fight sin and rest in the certainty of God's preserving grace.

Reverend James Harden is president and CEO of CompassCare Pregnancy Services in New York. They are saving lives in places like Buffalo, Rochester, Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island, New York. He's a dedicated pro-life advocate that became a victim of an ANTIFA off-shoot's firebomb attack in 2022 in wake of the Dobbs decision. Last week, the U.S. State Department and the Treasury Department corroborated key findings that Rev. Harden has advanced since his pro-life center was firebombed in 2022. It was discovered that Jane's Revenge is basically a front-group for an international Marxist insurgency known as ANTIFA. This was learned only because CompassCare had to hire private investigators to do the job that the Biden era FBI and DOJ refused to do. According to Reverend Harden, ANTIFA stands for "anti-facism." However, the definition of facism that they employ is based on a Marxist one. In other words, they're anti-capitalist and anti-free market, but they're also atheistic with the ultimate goal of destroying the current nation-state system. So what does this have to do with abortion? Reverend Harden noted that ANTIFA doesn't actually care about left-wing causes, but they do like to "piggyback" off of them. One of those causes is abortion. They will use this debate to "gin up the grassroots base and then engage in what they call direct action targeting to destabilize society." The result of their efforts has been a "prairie fire of violence against pro-life Christian pregnancy centers and churches."

Tom Deweese is president of American Policy Center. Tom is one of the nation's leading advocates of individual liberty, free enterprise, private property rights, personal privacy, back-to-basics education, American sovereignty and independence and protecting our constitutionally guaranteed rights. A growing concern is building across the country about the use and the abuse of Flock camera systems. From small towns to large metropolitan areas, the public is increasingly becoming aware of the growing use of these cameras and that their whereabouts are being tracked through the license plate reader system. As such, some communities are putting bags over the cameras to keep them from capturing images. Some states and communities are placing restrictions on them, while others are removing all Flock cameras from state roads. The next area of concern surrounds the growing number of data centers to facilitate the storing of your contacts, photos, text messages, emails, financial reports and anything you will put in the cloud. In some places electric rates are skyrocketing. In other communities the power of eminent domain is being used to take people's property for the establishment of data centers. Are these two, unconnected issues or is there something larger that's building before our eyes? You decide when you review this broadcast which features plenty of input from listeners as well.

What is good to do in YHWH's sight? 1Chronicles 19–20 looks forward to the hearing of God's Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord's Day. In these twenty-seven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that it is good in YHWH's sight to establish and complete the kingdom of Christ. The devotional examines 1 Chronicles 19 and 20 to illustrate how God's providence advances the kingdom of Jesus Christ even amidst human betrayal, sin, and overwhelming odds. It highlights Joab's strategic reliance on divine will rather than military strength, showing that Yahweh does what is good in His sight by subduing enemies for His anointed King. The text contrasts David's historical failures with the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise in Christ, encouraging believers to remain faithful despite mischaracterization and internal church strife. Listeners are urged to serve with wisdom, diligence, and courage, trusting that God is building His church against the gates of hell. The message concludes with a call to reject discouragement and rest in the certainty of Christ's eternal reign.

Usama Dakdok is the founder of the Straight Way of Grace Ministry. He's the speaker on Revealing the Truth About Islam and founder of The Straight Way of Grace Ministry. Usama speaks fluent Arabic and has translated the Qur'an in English. He is the author of Exposing the Truth About the Qur'an and Exposing the Truth About Jihad as well as the booklets, The Violent Truth About Islam and The Straight Way to Eternal Life. JihadWatch recently reported that "Islamic organizers are advancing a nationwide plan to back Muslim and other Islamic-friendly candidates with financing from a potential political war chest of more than $140 million a year in mosque and other donations from the swelling Muslim-American community." Indeed there is a surge of Islamic candidates representing Islamic interests as the Islamification of the United States is underway. Communities across the country are in controversy regarding the establishment of more mosques and Islamic Centers. It's important to listen to what Muslims are saying such as Imam Siraj Wahhaj, a former vice president of the Islamic Society of North America. He said: "Democracy will crumble, and there will be nothing, and the only thing that will remain will be Islam." He went on to say: "Muslims in America are the most strategic Muslims on Earth. If you get involved in politics, you have to be very careful that your leader is for Allah. You don't get involved in politics because it's the American thing to do. You get involved in politics because politics are a weapon to use in the cause of Islam.

How should we navigate friendship? Proverbs 27:1–10 looks forward to the opening portion of morning public worship on the coming Lord's Day. In these ten verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that humility, gentleness, discernment, and loyalty are essential to making proper use of God's good gift of friendship. This devotional explores biblical principles of friendship, emphasizing the need for humility and trust in a friend's judgment. It warns against associating with those who are easily angered, jealous, or deceitfully pleasant, while highlighting the value of a friend who offers faithful correction. The text encourages believers to remain content in their current relationships rather than pursuing ambitious social elevation. Finally, it calls for loyalty to established neighbors and friends over distant relatives or new acquaintances during times of trouble.

How do legalists respond to the gospel? Job 15 looks forward to the hearing of God's Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord's Day. In these thirty-five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we find that legalists respond to the gospel with accusations and arrogance. This devotional contrasts the gospel of grace with the self-righteousness of legalism by analyzing Eliphaz's rebuke of Job in Job 15. Eliphaz holds to a tradition of works-based righteousness that ridicules and accuses Job's gospel hope. While Eliphaz claims Job is unrepentant and condemned, whereas Job's hope is in God Who regenerates, gives faith, forgives, and makes clean. The message warns against adopting legalistic standards that demand better behavior to earn God's favor, which ultimately rejects Christ's sufficiency. Believers are encouraged to cling to Christ and trust in God's grace even when facing accusations from religious traditionalists.

Pastor Wayne Van Gelderen, Jr., is senior pastor at Falls Baptist Church in Menomonee Falls. Under his leadership, several hundred members have been trained to serve the Lord and are engaged in ministry. He also started Falls Baptist Academy High School and Baptist College of Ministry & Theological Seminary to train the next generation of laborers for the harvest field. He's the speaker on the radio broadcasts, The Bible Stands and On to Victory, and this week is celebrating 40 years of ministry on VCY and also at this church. At VCY America, our main purpose in bringing glory to God, is "to serve as a resource for and extension of the Church of Jesus Christ, God's chosen agency, partnering with local churches in reaching the lost, edifying the body of Christ, and advancing the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by every biblically legitimate and effective means." God ordained the establishment, the work and the ministry of the local church. Many times on our Friday News Roundup we have stated that the Lord's Day is coming and trust you'll be in a Bible-believing, Bible teaching local church. It's important we do that even as the writer of Hebrews stated, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Indeed, believers in Christ are to come together in worship and glorifying God, in using the talents and gifts He has blessed us with, in encouraging believers, and in giving to support the ministry and outreach of the church.

The sermon explores Nehemiah chapter 10, illustrating how God's covenant mercy moves repentant believers from confession to grace-enabled faithfulness. It highlights three key aspects of this renewal: public commitment by leaders, distinct ordering of daily life according to Scripture, and devoted support for temple worship. The preacher emphasizes that genuine repentance produces concrete obedience in practical areas like family, finance, and Sabbath observance, rather than remaining abstract. While acknowledging human inability to keep such vows independently, the message points to Jesus Christ as the ultimate Covenant Keeper who fulfills these requirements. Ultimately, believers are called to rest their hope in Christ alone while actively participating in the responsibilities of the church through worship and stewardship.