Friday Church News Notes
June 19, 2026 - Volume 27, Issue 25
The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, though this does not imply an endorsement.
1992–1996 EU poster based on Pieter Bruegel's
famous painting of the Tower of Babel.
famous painting of the Tower of Babel.
THE ROMAN EMPIRE AND THE EUROPEAN UNION (Friday Church News Notes, June 19, 2026, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The Roman Empire has continued in many forms, as prophesied by Daniel, who said it would continue to the time of the Antichrist. The ten toes of the feet of the image in Daniel 2 represent 10 rulers that will be associated with the rise of the Antichrist. Compare Daniel 7:7-8. The Roman Empire has existed in the east in the Byzantine Empire headquartered in Constantinople, in the Holy Roman Empire founded by Charlemagne in AD 800, in Napoleon’s (1769-1821) empire, in Adolph Hitler’s (1889-1945) Third Reich, and in the Tsarist Russian empire (Tsar means Caesar). The Roman Empire continues to exist in the unified European nations. In 1957, six nations signed the Treaty of Rome, pledging unity (France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands). In 1958, the European Economic Community was born, often called the Common Market. In 1979, an election was held for the first European Parliament. In 1993, the European Union was formed, encompassing 500 million people and (in 2014) owning about 24% of the world’s gross domestic product. In 2002, the Euro was adopted as a common currency. One of the symbols of the European Union is the ancient Tower of Babel. It was featured on a European Union poster in 1992, and the Union’s headquarters in Strasbourg, France, is shaped like an unfinished tower. Another symbol of the Union is the ancient goddess Europa riding a bull, which is a woman riding a beast! See Revelation 17:3. Europa has appeared on a Euro coin, and a statue of her resides outside the European Union’s headquarters in Brussels. We don’t know if the existing European Union will play any role in the rise of the Antichrist, but we do know that some sort of European Union will. The ten toes of Daniel’s prophecy signify that eventually there will be ten kingdoms within the old Roman Empire, and the Antichrist will assume control of them and use that base to build his short-lived, but terrible world kingdom
BRITISH POLICEMAN SACKED FOR ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM: A CULTURE OF FEAR (Friday Church News Notes, June 19, 2026, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “British Cop Sacked - There Is a Culture of Fear,” Front Page Magazine, June 8, 2026: “The UK Telegraph reports that Luke Salmons, a Christian police support officer with the North Yorkshire force, was fired after merely asking questions about Islam in a diversity training session he had been led to believe was a ‘safe space.’ During his eight-year policing career, Salmons, 46, had received a commendation from the chief constable and a rare ‘outstanding’ grade in a professional review. ... Then, in October 2024 Salmons attended a race, religion and culture training session at police headquarters. He later told the Telegraph that it became an ‘indoctrination’ session in which trainers lectured about white privilege: ‘The whole day was pretty much about Islam. At one point the trainers walked up and down the room for several minutes saying Islam is a religion of peace over and over again. It was bizarre.’ Encouraged to ask questions in what staff were told was a safe space, Salmons asked a Muslim officer his views on terrorist attacks by Islamic groups such as Hamas. The officer happily discussed the issue with him and even invited him to chat further over coffee. In anticipation of the meeting, Salmons took a book with him to work called Answering Jihad--A Better Way Forward by Nabeel Qureshi, a former Muslim who converted to Christianity. Two colleagues found it in his locker, photographed it, and reported him as a ‘risk’ to superiors. ‘I quickly discovered that questioning Islam is now treated as wrongthink within North Yorkshire Police,’ said Salmons. The next day, he was hauled into a meeting with a female inspector who told him, ‘I don’t like your beliefs,’ and sent him home. After a months-long suspension in July 2025, he was formally dismissed for gross misconduct and placed on the College of Policing barred list. ‘And that was the end of my career, even though I had done nothing wrong,’ Salmons said. ... ‘There is a culture of fear--people are scared to say anything or ask anything in case they get pulled up for it,’ Salmons told the Telegraph.
NIGHTLY GLASS OF WINE NOT HARMLESS, STUDY SAYS (Friday Church News Notes, June 19, 2026, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from ‘Nightly glass of wine,” Fox News, June 12, 2026: “A new study is challenging the conventional wisdom that a small, daily dose of alcohol might be good for your health. The research, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, suggests that the safest amount of alcohol to consume is actually none at all. If adults do choose to drink, the team of scientists recommends setting a limit of one per day. This challenges older guidelines, which often suggested that up to two daily drinks for men was a safe limit. ... ‘Even low levels of alcohol use come with health risks,’ lead study author Kevin Shield, an associate professor at the University of Toronto, said in the same press release. ‘And that risk continues to increase the more someone drinks.’ After evaluating the cumulative risks for conditions like liver disease, stroke and certain cancers, the study suggests that the assumed benefits of drinking are heavily outweighed by the potential dangers. ... Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst warned that ‘alcohol is bad for the heart, the liver and the brain, and it increases inflammation and certain cancers, all of which lead to increased mortality risks.’”
CONKED HAIR AND ZOOT SUITS: DRESS AS A LANGUAGE (Friday Church News Notes, June 19, 2026, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Dress is a language; it is a social message. The knowledge of this is the engine that drives the fashion industry, and the child of God needs to understand it, as well. I need to ask myself what message is my clothing broadcasting? American fashion designer Rachel Zoe said, “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak” (goodreads.com). Jean Cocteau, French designer, playwright, filmmaker, says, “Style is a simple way of saying complicated things” (goodreads.com). Miuccia Prada, Italian fashion designer, says, “Fashion is instant language. ... Basically I’m trying to make men more sensitive and women stronger” (brainyquote.com). George Harrison of the Beatles said, “Going in for flash clothes, or at least trying to be a bit different … was part of the rebelling. I never cared for authority” (Hunter Davies, The Beatles, p. 39). This was true in the black communities in the 1930s and 1940s and it still is today. “Hair styles in the African-American community then, as now, carried a certain weight or meaning, and whether or not to straighten one’s hair--conking it with various chemicals--was a contentious issue. ... The conk was the emblem of the hippest, street-savvy black, and choice of hustlers, pimps, professional gamblers, and criminals. It was directly influenced by wavy-haired Latins, whom blacks sought to emulate. Similarly the zoot suit uniform was an act of defiance against white standards of behavior. In the wave of national patriotism following Pearl Harbor and the United States going to war, zoot-suiters were widely identified with draft dodging” (Manning Marable, Maldolm X: A Life of Reinvention, pp. 70-71). (For more on this subject we recommend Dressing for the Lord, which is available in the Books section of www.wayoflife.org.)
THE PSALMS AND STARTING ONE’S DAY RIGHT (Friday Church News Notes, June 19, 2026, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - It is very important to start off the day right, and the Psalms teach God’s redeemed people how to do this. “But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee” (Ps. 88:13). Start the day with prayer, worship, and thanksgiving. “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up” (Ps. 5:3). “I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning” (Ps. 59:16). “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night” (Ps. 92:1-2). Start the day with putting it in God’s hands and determining to walk in His ways. “Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee” (Ps. 143:8). If I am redeemed, God promises that my times are in His hands (Ps. 31:15), but I also have the privilege of cooperating with God by putting my times in His hand. In prayer, I can dedicate my day to God and ask Him to lead, protect, and bless. Start the day with reading and studying and meditating in God’s Word. “I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word” (Ps. 119:147). Develop a habit of daily Bible study so that you start the day in God’s Word. Nothing is more important. It is a major way of honoring God and putting Him first in my life. It is a major way of immersing myself in God’s life-changing Word. (On this subject, we recommend the Effectual Bible Student for a basic course and Understanding the Bible for Yourself for an advanced course. See the Courses section of www.wayoflife.org.)
PLANT STONES (Friday Church News Notes, June 19, 2026, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) The following is from CreationMoments.com, November 13, 2024: “Have you ever wondered how you could get cut by a blade of grass or the edge of a palm leaf? Plants have a nasty secret. They absorb silica, the same stuff of which glass is made, and store it in their cells. Some plants, like corn, store large mounts of silica on their leaves, making the edges of the leaves sharp and strong enough to give you a nasty slash. And yes, they do this largely to protect themselves. Insects that like to eat plant leaves find that when they chew on plants with lots of silica, their mouth parts wear out faster. Plants also store silica between their cells, giving them a strong, stony skeleton. These silica particles made by plants are called phytoliths, which literally means ‘plant stones.’ Chemically they are colorless and transparent opals. They can range in size from a thousandth of a millimeter to a millimeter. Each plant forms phytoliths that are unique in shape, and some plants make up to a dozen different types. After the plant has died and decayed, the phytoliths and their unique shapes remain in the soil. This means that with a microscope and a good knowledge of which plants make which phytoliths, you could examine the soil and tell which plants have grown there in the past. This is how scientists learned that the Indians were growing corn in South America 2,500 years before the birth of Christ! God’s creation is filled with wonderful surprises. And every one of them glorifies Him! Notes: Ivars Peterson, ‘Plant Stones,’ Science News, Vol. 124, pp. 88-94.”
CONCLUSION: The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, but this obviously does not imply an endorsement. We trust that our readers will not be discouraged. It is God’s will that we know the times (1 Ch. 12:32; Mt. 16:3) and that we be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The News Notes remind us that the hour is very late, and we need to be ready for the Lord’s coming. Are you sure that you are born again? Are you living for Christ? “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Ro. 13:11-14).
BRITISH POLICEMAN SACKED FOR ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM: A CULTURE OF FEAR (Friday Church News Notes, June 19, 2026, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “British Cop Sacked - There Is a Culture of Fear,” Front Page Magazine, June 8, 2026: “The UK Telegraph reports that Luke Salmons, a Christian police support officer with the North Yorkshire force, was fired after merely asking questions about Islam in a diversity training session he had been led to believe was a ‘safe space.’ During his eight-year policing career, Salmons, 46, had received a commendation from the chief constable and a rare ‘outstanding’ grade in a professional review. ... Then, in October 2024 Salmons attended a race, religion and culture training session at police headquarters. He later told the Telegraph that it became an ‘indoctrination’ session in which trainers lectured about white privilege: ‘The whole day was pretty much about Islam. At one point the trainers walked up and down the room for several minutes saying Islam is a religion of peace over and over again. It was bizarre.’ Encouraged to ask questions in what staff were told was a safe space, Salmons asked a Muslim officer his views on terrorist attacks by Islamic groups such as Hamas. The officer happily discussed the issue with him and even invited him to chat further over coffee. In anticipation of the meeting, Salmons took a book with him to work called Answering Jihad--A Better Way Forward by Nabeel Qureshi, a former Muslim who converted to Christianity. Two colleagues found it in his locker, photographed it, and reported him as a ‘risk’ to superiors. ‘I quickly discovered that questioning Islam is now treated as wrongthink within North Yorkshire Police,’ said Salmons. The next day, he was hauled into a meeting with a female inspector who told him, ‘I don’t like your beliefs,’ and sent him home. After a months-long suspension in July 2025, he was formally dismissed for gross misconduct and placed on the College of Policing barred list. ‘And that was the end of my career, even though I had done nothing wrong,’ Salmons said. ... ‘There is a culture of fear--people are scared to say anything or ask anything in case they get pulled up for it,’ Salmons told the Telegraph.
NIGHTLY GLASS OF WINE NOT HARMLESS, STUDY SAYS (Friday Church News Notes, June 19, 2026, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from ‘Nightly glass of wine,” Fox News, June 12, 2026: “A new study is challenging the conventional wisdom that a small, daily dose of alcohol might be good for your health. The research, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, suggests that the safest amount of alcohol to consume is actually none at all. If adults do choose to drink, the team of scientists recommends setting a limit of one per day. This challenges older guidelines, which often suggested that up to two daily drinks for men was a safe limit. ... ‘Even low levels of alcohol use come with health risks,’ lead study author Kevin Shield, an associate professor at the University of Toronto, said in the same press release. ‘And that risk continues to increase the more someone drinks.’ After evaluating the cumulative risks for conditions like liver disease, stroke and certain cancers, the study suggests that the assumed benefits of drinking are heavily outweighed by the potential dangers. ... Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst warned that ‘alcohol is bad for the heart, the liver and the brain, and it increases inflammation and certain cancers, all of which lead to increased mortality risks.’”
CONKED HAIR AND ZOOT SUITS: DRESS AS A LANGUAGE (Friday Church News Notes, June 19, 2026, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Dress is a language; it is a social message. The knowledge of this is the engine that drives the fashion industry, and the child of God needs to understand it, as well. I need to ask myself what message is my clothing broadcasting? American fashion designer Rachel Zoe said, “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak” (goodreads.com). Jean Cocteau, French designer, playwright, filmmaker, says, “Style is a simple way of saying complicated things” (goodreads.com). Miuccia Prada, Italian fashion designer, says, “Fashion is instant language. ... Basically I’m trying to make men more sensitive and women stronger” (brainyquote.com). George Harrison of the Beatles said, “Going in for flash clothes, or at least trying to be a bit different … was part of the rebelling. I never cared for authority” (Hunter Davies, The Beatles, p. 39). This was true in the black communities in the 1930s and 1940s and it still is today. “Hair styles in the African-American community then, as now, carried a certain weight or meaning, and whether or not to straighten one’s hair--conking it with various chemicals--was a contentious issue. ... The conk was the emblem of the hippest, street-savvy black, and choice of hustlers, pimps, professional gamblers, and criminals. It was directly influenced by wavy-haired Latins, whom blacks sought to emulate. Similarly the zoot suit uniform was an act of defiance against white standards of behavior. In the wave of national patriotism following Pearl Harbor and the United States going to war, zoot-suiters were widely identified with draft dodging” (Manning Marable, Maldolm X: A Life of Reinvention, pp. 70-71). (For more on this subject we recommend Dressing for the Lord, which is available in the Books section of www.wayoflife.org.)
THE PSALMS AND STARTING ONE’S DAY RIGHT (Friday Church News Notes, June 19, 2026, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - It is very important to start off the day right, and the Psalms teach God’s redeemed people how to do this. “But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee” (Ps. 88:13). Start the day with prayer, worship, and thanksgiving. “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up” (Ps. 5:3). “I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning” (Ps. 59:16). “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night” (Ps. 92:1-2). Start the day with putting it in God’s hands and determining to walk in His ways. “Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee” (Ps. 143:8). If I am redeemed, God promises that my times are in His hands (Ps. 31:15), but I also have the privilege of cooperating with God by putting my times in His hand. In prayer, I can dedicate my day to God and ask Him to lead, protect, and bless. Start the day with reading and studying and meditating in God’s Word. “I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word” (Ps. 119:147). Develop a habit of daily Bible study so that you start the day in God’s Word. Nothing is more important. It is a major way of honoring God and putting Him first in my life. It is a major way of immersing myself in God’s life-changing Word. (On this subject, we recommend the Effectual Bible Student for a basic course and Understanding the Bible for Yourself for an advanced course. See the Courses section of www.wayoflife.org.)
PLANT STONES (Friday Church News Notes, June 19, 2026, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) The following is from CreationMoments.com, November 13, 2024: “Have you ever wondered how you could get cut by a blade of grass or the edge of a palm leaf? Plants have a nasty secret. They absorb silica, the same stuff of which glass is made, and store it in their cells. Some plants, like corn, store large mounts of silica on their leaves, making the edges of the leaves sharp and strong enough to give you a nasty slash. And yes, they do this largely to protect themselves. Insects that like to eat plant leaves find that when they chew on plants with lots of silica, their mouth parts wear out faster. Plants also store silica between their cells, giving them a strong, stony skeleton. These silica particles made by plants are called phytoliths, which literally means ‘plant stones.’ Chemically they are colorless and transparent opals. They can range in size from a thousandth of a millimeter to a millimeter. Each plant forms phytoliths that are unique in shape, and some plants make up to a dozen different types. After the plant has died and decayed, the phytoliths and their unique shapes remain in the soil. This means that with a microscope and a good knowledge of which plants make which phytoliths, you could examine the soil and tell which plants have grown there in the past. This is how scientists learned that the Indians were growing corn in South America 2,500 years before the birth of Christ! God’s creation is filled with wonderful surprises. And every one of them glorifies Him! Notes: Ivars Peterson, ‘Plant Stones,’ Science News, Vol. 124, pp. 88-94.”
CONCLUSION: The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and is published by Way of Life Literature’s Fundamental Baptist Information Service. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, but this obviously does not imply an endorsement. We trust that our readers will not be discouraged. It is God’s will that we know the times (1 Ch. 12:32; Mt. 16:3) and that we be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The News Notes remind us that the hour is very late, and we need to be ready for the Lord’s coming. Are you sure that you are born again? Are you living for Christ? “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Ro. 13:11-14).
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Distributed by Way of Life Literature, publisher of Bible Study Materials and reports for Fundamental Baptists and other fundamentalist, Bible-believing Christians. Established in 1974, Way of Life Literature is a fundamental Baptist preaching and publishing ministry based in Bethel Baptist Church, London, Ontario, of which Wilbert Unger is the founding Pastor. Brother Cloud lives in South Asia where he has been a church planting missionary since 1979. OUR GOAL IN THIS PARTICULAR ASPECT OF OUR MINISTRY (REPORTS AND FRIDAY NEWS) IS NOT DEVOTIONAL, BUT TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ASSIST PREACHERS IN THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCHES IN THIS APOSTATE HOUR.
David Cloud, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org
The Way of Life Literature preaching and publishing ministry is based at Bethel Baptist Church, London, Ontario, of which Wilbert Unger is the founding Pastor. A mail stop is maintained in Port Huron, Michigan.
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