NEWS ALERT: I am absolutely heartbroken over today’s tragic death of Charlie Kirk. Less than an hour after I completed this article Charlie was shot and killed, becoming a martyr for Jesus Christ and our country. May the courage that he exemplified be wildly contagious and lead to a true “turning point” in America, causing multitudes to turn to Christ and reject the deceptive and hollow teachings of Marxism and the other false religions. Although Charlie is now with His Savior, let us not stop praying for his dear wife Erika and their children, that the Lord would comfort them as they grieve their enormous loss.
In light of the many events unfolding in the US and abroad – some of which are covered in the various articles of this fall issue – I will endeavor to briefly address a few items of importance here in response to questions and comments received from friends. These significant issues will be impacting all of us in the near future, if they aren’t doing so already. The need for courage and godly discernment is great.
Hatred of Jews and Christians
As Israel’s efforts to root out the remaining Hamas fighters intensifies, public opinion has turned against Israel. Despite the fact that Hamas still holds innocent hostages taken captive two years ago, the global media has succeeded in portraying Israel as the aggressor and the Palestinian people as the victims. The narrative has shifted, and the hostages are rarely even mentioned.
What is intentionally being withheld from the public is the fact that a vast majority of Palestinians in Gaza have been supportive of Hamas. Here’s some history: In 2005, the George W. Bush administration brokered a deal forcing all Jews out of Gaza. Under this one-sided “unilateral disengagement plan” Israel had to move its 8,000 plus Jewish residents out of Gaza. Even the buried bodies of Jews had to be exhumed and removed. Anything Jewish had to go; no Jewish remembrance would be tolerated.
Members of Hamas terror group’s military wing
A few months later, in a January 2006 election, the Palestinian people voted in favor of Hamas, but the Fatah-ruled Palestinian Authority (PA) held on to power in Gaza until June 14, 2007, when Hamas took control. Polls at the time showed that approximately two-thirds of Gaza’s citizens supported Hamas, despite the fact that this terrorist group had openly campaigned against Jews, brazenly calling for their annihilation and the complete destruction of Israel.
Since Hamas took power, an entire generation of Gaza’s children have been indoctrinated to hate Israel. I have personally viewed cartoons specifically created for young Palestinian children, spewing vitriol and showing them how to kill Jews. As a result of this sick and relentless propaganda, an even higher percentage of Gaza’s young people support the extermination of Jews. Gaza has effectively been turned into a terrorist state.
But it wasn’t always like this. Prior to Israel’s forced withdrawal from Gaza, the Jewish presence was able to keep things under control. Gaza City, and the surrounding territory as a whole, were safer than most large US cities. Lawlessness was kept in check and the Palestinian people in Gaza were forging ahead, able to improve their lives. However, Hamas had different plans.
Rather than using the funds from Western nations to advance Gaza’s standard of living Hamas leaders poured these monies into building their military infrastructure and purchasing boatloads of weapons, while lining their own pockets. They brought Gaza low, essentially creating a military dictatorship in line with Nazi ideology and Islamist dictates. I have compassion for the minority of Palestinians who do not support Hamas, yet are caught in the current nightmare, especially the remaining small number of Gaza’s Christians who continue to suffer persecution under Hamas. (The last Christian bookstore in Gaza was forced to close some years ago because of the overwhelming hostilities directed toward them. We must pray for the protection of these dear saints and support them in whatever way we can. May God give them strength to stand firm for Him.)
As for Israel, imagine living next door to a terrorist state, knowing that a vast majority of its inhabitants want to see you dead. Most Americans and Europeans have no idea what this is like; yet our governments are pushing Israel to stop its pursuit of Hamas terrorists. Growing anti-Israel protests in the US are pressuring the Trump administration to intervene. Yet, historically, the US has only made matters worse when it interferes in Israel’s affairs. I pray that President Trump will allow Israel to finish the job.
The war is affecting the internal politics of many nations. Here in the US, hatred of Jews and those supporting Israel is steadily increasing. Anti-Jewish incidents in our country have risen 893 percent over the past 10 years. In 2024 alone, there were 9,354 such incidents in the United States.1 Last year there were also 415 acts of hostility on churches in the US, up 730 percent from 2018.2 Both Jews and Christians are feeling the heat from satanic forces determined to stamp out whatever remains of our Judeo-Christian ethic. Our spiritual foundation is being further eroded.
The same is occurring in the UK, France, Australia, New Zealand, and many other countries. Hatred against anyone supporting a Judeo-Christian worldview is spreading worldwide. This sounds more like Nazi Germany, but this time on a global scale. We must brace ourselves for persecution.
Coming to a City Near You?
If the communist Zohran Mamdani is elected mayor of New York City in November, radical elements in other cities across America will be emboldened. It will become increasingly difficult to halt their dark agenda. These rebellious groups are well funded by major foundations with a socialist/globalist agenda and a deep rooted hatred for any norms and values built upon a biblical foundation.
I expect that the election of Mamdani, if it materializes, will lead to a massive outflow of citizens from New York – especially Jews, who will get the message, considering the fact that Mamdani has called for a “global intifada”. Over 85 percent of America’s 50 biggest cities are led by Democrat mayors, most of whom lean very far left and are squarely in the “progressive” camp. At last count, only 7 large cities had Republican mayors; the most notable being Miami, Dallas and Oklahoma City. All this to say, if New York goes communist, other blue cities will likely follow suit. Those cities will not only throw their weight behind anti-Israel protests, they will also strongly oppose any efforts by ICE to deport criminals, while supporting LGBTQ initiatives that encourage further immorality, lawlessness, and violence against Bible-believing Christians and Jews. Some mayors – and governors – are already falling in line.
Unless God intervenes in our nation’s affairs, we could soon find ourselves in a situation bordering on civil war. The most determined forces fighting against biblical values in the United States – along with the groups mentioned above – are leftist judges. The current corrupt judicial system, I believe, was strategically put in place over many years for the purpose of serving as a firewall for socialism in case the American people were to finally wake up and push back against the globalist agenda. It remains to be seen whether President Trump can successfully navigate all the court cases being brought against his administration to prevent him from taking back America and restoring it as a Constitutional Republic. The time is short, and the odds are stacked against Americans who value their freedom of speech and God-given right to worship and pursue happiness.
Silence from the Vatican
One would think that the religious leader with the world’s largest following would speak into these compelling matters – hopefully opposing the pro-Marxist, anti-Israel/pro-Hamas, and pro-LGBTQ uprisings taking place globally. But not so. The newly installed Pope Leo XIV is continuing on the same course as his socialist predecessor; not surprising, since Francis appointed a majority of the Cardinals who voted Leo into power.
The popes of Rome have consistently allied themselves with the United Nations and the overall goals of globalists with a socialist worldview. The fact that Leo was born in the US will make it more difficult for Americans to reject his positions. Moreover, he is quite likeable and personable, along with being an excellent communicator. He is well on his way to becoming a very popular pope.
His Roman Catholic Church has been involved in a clever campaign targeting the disenfranchised who are looking for purpose and meaning in life, and who crave structure and stability. Catholic prayer apps have gained significant traction, being helped along with endorsements from celebrities. Many young people especially are being drawn toward Catholicism. We first noticed this trend three or four years ago, but it has gained momentum throughout this Jubilee Year of the Vatican. Pope Leo is being elevated to rock star status by millions of teenagers and young adults who seem to be enthralled with him.
Leo’s older brother, Louis, who lives in Florida, is a huge MAGA Trump supporter and seems to be genuine in his conservative, pro-America convictions. He and his wife Deborah recently visited the White House for a special “meet and greet” with the President.3 It will be tempting for President Trump to cozy up to Pope Leo, given all of the above “pluses.” He needs to be very careful not to step into a trap of cooperating too closely with the Vatican. As Abraham Lincoln made clear on more than one occasion, the Vatican is not a friend of our Republic and has historically worked against US interests. More recently, the Church of Rome has strongly opposed the growing evangelical Christian movement in Latin American countries. Being that Leo lived and served as a priest in Peru for many years, I wonder what actions he may have taken in this regard.
I have had numerous Catholic friends over the years with whom I’ve agreed on many political and spiritual matters. Not all Catholics are on board with the Vatican’s increasingly leftist/globalist agenda. There is room for cooperation with conservative Catholics on certain issues, as long as vital biblical doctrines which are central to our faith are not compromised. As believers in Christ we need to be more discerning than ever.
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Robert Francis Prevost (installed as Pope Leo XIV on May 18, 2025)
Robert F. Prevost, the Vatican’s first Augustinian Pope, was born in Chicago in 1955 to a Spanish mother and a father of Italian and French descent. He obtained a BS degree in Mathematics from Villanova in 1977 and entered the Augustinian Order that same year. He went on to take his Augustinian Vows in 1981. In 1982 Prevost received his Master of Divinity degree from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and was ordained a priest in Rome. He was ordained by Archbishop Jean Jadot, then pro-president of the Secretariat for Non-Christians, now called the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue (which promotes unity among the world’s religions, ie. interfaithism).
From 1985 to 1998 Prevost lived and served in Peru as a Catholic pastor while filling various other roles including that of theology professor. In 1999 he was elected Provincial Prior of the Augustinian Province in Chicago. This was followed by his election to Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine (located in Rome) where he served two six-year terms from 2001 to 2013.
Prevost then briefly returned to Chicago as Director of Formation at the Saint Augustine Convent before heading back to Peru to become the Apostolic Administrator of Chiclayo. In 2015 he was appointed Bishop of Chiclayo by Pope Francis. Francis appointed him to other positions before naming him President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America in 2023, and Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops – a position that is part of the Roman Curia (the Papal Cabinet). In this role Prevost was in charge of appointing all the Bishops in the Catholic Church (which implies his ideology is similar to that of Pope Francis who selected him). He was elevated to Archbishop and was named Cardinal in September 2023. He was personally very close to Francis and participated in his final Apostolic Journeys.
Summary
Robert Prevost is highly intelligent and presents his case well. He speaks English, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese fluently, and has a reading knowledge of German and Latin. Because of his strong ties and influence in Latin America and the United States I believe he was groomed by Francis and appointed by “his Cardinals” as Pope in part because of their belief that he can deliver the Americas to Rome. Prevost was closely aligned with Francis on every known front. He seems to be even more liberal than Francis when it comes to climate change and the issue of immigration. And, in 2023, he endorsed fiducia supplicans which allows non-liturgical blessings of same sex relationships. Vatican Insider Leo Zagami says he is “worse than Francis.”
Why did Robert Prevost choose “Leo” as his papal name? Interestingly, Pope Leo “the Great,” who reigned from 440 to 461, is best known for strengthening papal authority. And Leo XIII, Prevost’s predecessor in name (who served as Pope from 1878 to 1903) laid the foundation of modern Catholic Social Teaching, which has been enhanced and relabeled “Liberation Theology” in some circles. Unless Prevost does a 180 turnaround on his positions, his tenure as Pope Leo XIV will be known for moving the Catholic Church and its mainline Protestant allies further to the Left and possibly into a new interfaith world order.
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The Economic War & US Debt
Another area of concern where a serious battle is underway is the economy. Financially speaking, we are at a critical moment where things could change in an instant. The month of October has a history of market mayhem and financial collapse. Many Americans are uneasy about where things might be headed. There are those on the global stage who’d like nothing more than a market collapse, especially if they can somehow blame Donald Trump for causing it. In order to introduce their long anticipated new global financial system the current system must first fail. They are doing their best to see to it.
In early September, Xi Jinping of China invited some of his closest comrades to Beijing. Among the topics discussed was global separation from the US Dollar, which has long reigned supreme in the world’s economy. The BRICS nations – composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China and S. Africa – are a potent force and are adding other nations to their ranks, the goal being to replace the US Dollar with a global electronic (digital) currency. If they band together, refusing to cave to Trump on the tariffs, the threat of resulting inflation could shake the markets and trigger a collapse. MUCH is riding on the President’s tariff negotiations. Not making this challenge any easier is the fact that his efforts are being opposed and even deliberately sabotaged by socialists in the US Congress and by leftist activist judges who are declaring Trump’s tariffs illegal. This is exactly what globalist forces want to see because of the instability it creates.
Jinping with Putin and Jong Un
Here at home, 2025 has already witnessed some bond market upsets as investors are wary of economic uncertainty due to the trade/tariff disputes, shifts in monetary policy, the weaponization of sovereign debt and moves to de-dollarize by the aforementioned countries. There is also the growing overall debt load – with government liabilities firmly on the radar. As the US Dollar remains central to the global economy (at least for now), the federal government’s obligations are of special interest.
Economic analyst Lau Vegys writes,
In 2025 alone, the US needs to borrow around $10.9 trillion. That’s not a typo. Roughly $1.9 trillion of that is new borrowing to cover this year’s budget deficit. The rest – about $9 trillion – is old debt that matures this year and needs to be rolled over. Most of that was issued back when interest rates were near zero. Now it’s being refinanced at over 5%. All while the government is already spending more than $1 trillion a year on interest – more than the entire US military budget.4
As of August 7, the US federal debt hit $37 trillion, and the sale of 30, 10 and 3-year US bonds that week underperformed, signaling concern. It would help considerably if the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates at least some; this would lead to stronger economic growth and more tax revenue for the Federal Government to put toward the interest on our debt. What action will Fed Chairman Jerome Powell take between now and the end of the year? Will he yield to Trump’s pressure to lower the prime rate?
Another critical factor in how the US economy performs is the price of oil. Currently, a barrel of oil costs 62 US Dollars. This is much lower than it has been in several years. Therefore a gallon of gas in the US should be well under $3. Yet, the price that consumers are paying at the pump remains stubbornly high, not helping the economy. Are the world’s biggest oil companies playing games…lining their pockets at the expense of consumers? They don’t seem to be in a rush to help Trump and American consumers by lowering prices. Lower gasoline prices would help offset the potential cost increases in other consumer goods resulting from tariffs. If gas prices were lowered to the $2.50 – $2.80 range, the cost of groceries, home construction, travel, and just about everything else would come down significantly, thereby strengthening the economy while keeping inflation in check. This needs to happen quickly if we are to avoid a significant downturn or crash.
AI: Seeing is No Longer Believing
Globalists dedicated to creating a new world order are grand manipulators who will stop short of nothing to implement their agenda. Together with manipulating interest rates and energy prices – and putting forth leftist propaganda through their legacy media and universities – their number one way of controlling the public in the future will be through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The growing capability of AI is staggering and downright scary. Recently, while speaking at a conference in Arizona, one of the other speakers (Pastor Jack Hibbs) shared a 2-3 minute video clip highlighting people’s responses to various interview questions on important issues of our time. It was all quite interesting and informative. Then, at the very end, it was revealed that the entire segment had been generated and produced by AI. Nothing we had just witnessed was real! The audience was absolutely stunned.
The individuals in the video, their thoughtful statements and their beautiful natural surroundings were all fake, yet we couldn’t tell. It all looked SO real – prompting us to conclude that “seeing is no longer believing.” We are now living in a world where the lines between what is real and unreal have become blurred, making it much easier to be deceived.
This dangerous mind-bending technology is advancing exponentially. I feel sorry for our nation’s leaders (Trump, Vance, Rubio, Hegseth, etc.) who are facing incredibly difficult decisions regarding the proliferation of AI. They are between a rock and a hard spot.
China is putting enormous resources into AI development. If the US does nothing, China would soon rule the world. However, by competing with China for supremacy in this area, it will only accelerate the advancement of AI and its use for nefarious purposes. In my view, there is no turning back. The race is on, and the fulfillment of Revelation 13 and 14, warning of the Mark of the Beast, is close upon us.
The Growing Deception
When these developments are coupled with the fact that AI and Virtual Reality programs are now being used to induce altered states of consciousness in individuals, we find ourselves at the threshold of an occult/demonically controlled society. When a person goes into an altered state – whether through AI-driven interaction, the use of hallucinogenic drugs (like LSD, PCP, Ketamine, DMT, Salvia, etc.), or the practice of occult meditation (via TM, Guided Imagery, Yoga, Contemplative Prayer, etc.) – they are opening the door to the demonic realm. This “opening” is referred to in New Age circles as a gateway, star gate, or portal to “the gods” (really demons). Such an altered-state/trance experience creates a pathway to interact with demonic spirit beings which have a license to appear when invoked by humans, whether intentionally or not. These demonic creatures can “shape shift” since they are spirits, and can therefore manifest in human-like forms or as beings claiming to come from other places in the universe (extraterrestrials). They can also appear as orbs of light, reptilian creatures, and in a variety of other forms, depending on what their audience is open to receiving at the time. As an important reminder, God’s very first Commandment to us humans was, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3)
More and more otherworldly encounters are being witnessed even by the general public as we are nearing a planetary saturation point – a critical mass, if you will – where so many humans are engaged in occult activity that demons and fallen angels from the spirit realm are able to manifest on a scale not seen since the days of Noah (Genesis chapter 6). Jesus warned of such a time, declaring, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” If not for the promised return of Christ to stop this wickedness there would be no hope. However, in His Olivet Discourse, after first warning of the coming distress, Jesus reassures us with the certainty of His intervention to shorten those days (Matthew 24:37, 21-22). But meanwhile we need to be prepared for unimaginable deception on a global scale.
Alleged UFO sightings on the increase
What if an unresolved Russia-Ukraine conflict takes us to the brink of, or into, World War III, and humans believe we are on the verge of destroying ourselves and the planet? Could the sudden appearance of so-called extraterrestrials “to bring peace” (or under another false pretense) be embraced by a desperate humanity? Whatever the deception will be, we can count on it being huge – an elaborate scheme of Satan. We, as a people, have been primed and conditioned for decades to welcome such a deception. In one way or another the stage will be set for the Antichrist to rule.
Thank God we can be certain that He, and not Satan, will have the final say! Nonetheless, as human beings living during these increasingly deceitful times, we must remain alert and cognizant of the spiritual traps being set by Satan. Only with God’s help and through the wisdom bestowed by His Holy Spirit can we discern and overcome the deceptive lures of our Age.
Recently, a Jewish follower of Jesus sent me a quote which is so relevant to our current situation as believers. It comes from the book War on the Saints, by JP Lewis and Evan Roberts.
…As the Church of Christ draws near to the time of the End…the full force of the Deceiver and his hosts of lying spirits will be directed upon the living members of the Body of Christ…Knowledge of Truth is the primary safeguard against deception. The “elect” must know, and they must learn to “prove” the “spirits” until they do know what is of God, and what is of Satan. The words of the Master, “Take heed, I have told you,” plainly implies that personal knowledge of danger is part of the Lord’s way of guarding His own; and believers who blindly rely upon “the keeping power of God,” without seeking to understand how to escape deception, when forewarned to “take heed” by the Lord, will surely find themselves entrapped by the subtle foe.
We would do well to act on this sound advice. We cannot keep our heads in the sand and hope we won’t be led astray. Jesus warned that “even the elect” could be deceived in the last days – if that were possible (Matthew 24:24). We need to stay informed on the most relevant issues and remain alert to encroaching societal changes, and most importantly, know the Bible so that we can apply scriptural truth into our daily circumstances – at both a personal and national level. Only if we draw near to Jesus and walk closely with Him will we be able to recognize and overcome the deceptions of our adversary.
Stand Firm and Unashamed!
Along with the need for discernment we need an extra measure of courage to stand against the wiles of Satan in these last days. This is not a time to stand down or cower in fear. It’s time to stand firm, “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) We must draw our strength from the Lord, which can only happen if we live in continuous close fellowship with Him, completely entrusting our lives and our future to Him.
An African pastor, before being martyred for his faith in Christ, penned what has become known as “A Martyr’s Prayer.” Here is part of his prayer:
I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of [Jesus] and I won’t back up, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure…I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by the Holy Spirit’s power.5
The words of this courageous follower of Jesus should challenge us to stand strong when our faith is tested. When we remain unshaken in the midst of great hardship or persecution, God uses our example to inspire others to be bold as well. The fact is “Courage IS Contagious.” This was true in the early days of the Church, and it still holds true today.
With this in mind, let’s employ the power of the Holy Spirit residing in us to be overcomers, as we unashamedly and boldly contend for our faith in service and obedience to Jesus! ■
“So be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” — Ephesians 6:10-13
You are encouraged to read Gary’s book, The New World Religion, which addresses in detail many of the topics covered in this article. You can order a copy at www.garykah.org.
Endnotes:
1 The Faulkner Focus, Fox News, August 7, 2025.
2 The Will Cain Show, Fox News, August 28, 2025.
3 “Pope Leo’s brother meets with Trump in Oval Office,” Independent, May 21, 2025.
4 The Price of Being Broke – by Lau Vegys, crisisinvesting.com, May 27, 2025.
5 “A Martyr’s Prayer” as quoted in Our Daily Bread, “Unashamed for Jesus,” by Dave Branon, September 9, 2025.
*Sources for Pope Leo’s biography may be accessed via
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w4MHK8zGFWJYCs4exe0dkAoixWtCJs4Mx5BNJUvKroA/edit?usp=drivesdk. Information from 15 different sources was used to assemble the facts in Pope Leo’s biography.
Have You Trusted Jesus as Savior?
God loves mankind – his greatest creation. His perfect will is for all to be saved and none to be lost (John 3:15-18, 5:24). However, He makes clear that only those who have accepted (believed in) His divine Son, Jesus Christ, will be spared from the punishment of hell and will spend eternity with Him (Matthew 10:28 & II Peter 2:4-10).
If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you must believe that Jesus is who He says He is and that He paid the penalty for your sins with His death on a cross. Accept His free gift of eternal life which He can offer because He conquered death through His resurrection. Then, with the help of His Holy Spirit, turn from your old ways of living (repent) and follow Him. Take a moment and tell the Lord that you desire to receive Him into your life and ask His Holy Spirit to dwell inside of you and lead you into all truth.
Once you have settled this most important matter, be devoted in your relationship with the Lord. Spend time with Him by reading His Word (the Bible) and talking to Him (praying) daily. As you grow in His grace, He will direct you and open doors showing you how best to serve Him. With Jesus at the helm, your life and eternity are secure in His care. No situation or power of the enemy will be able to separate you from the love of Christ!
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?… No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
—Romans 8:35, 37-39