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Pastor Wayne Edwards continues his sermon series from the Heritage Baptist Church, Perry, Georgia, USA. The service begins at approximately 19 minutes by clicking the link above. The Watchmen’s Report follows this preamble.

Gibber! Gibber!

Chugley

PASTOR WAYNE WRITES:

30, 2026

God’s plan of salvation, which He devised and developed before the foundation of the world, was not only to bring sinners into a right relationship with Him, through their faith in Jesus Christ, but to bring those He saved in to a right relationship with one another, as the essential evidence of their new relationship with the Lord.

When Christians, from totally different backgrounds, people who have nothing else in common with one another, are able to live in harmony, to love one another, care for one another, serve one another, worship and work together to build up the kingdom of God, not only do they glorify the Lord who saved them, but they show the world God’s power to save. Therefore, God intends His Church to be a display of His glory!

The Church is a covenant community; a people who have been graciously called into a relationship with God, and bound in a loving relationship with every other believer. To be saved is to belong to the family of God.

The title of this Sunday’s sermon is: “I Believe in the Holy Christian Church.” We encourage you to review the attached study guide and share it with others who may benefit.

·         The sermon may be viewed at theheritagechurch.org

·         The sermon will be available on our website and YouTube.

·         The YouTube URL:  ttps://www.youtube.com@heritagebaptistchurchperry

Thank you for your continued support. Please share these guides with anyone who may find them helpful.

Wayne J. and Linda J. Edwards
PO Box 766
Perry, GA 31069
706-599-3966

THE WATCHMEN’S REPORT

NEWS STORIES THAT CONNECT WITH BIBLICAL PROPHECY

BY Wayne J. Edwards, May 31, 2026

PNW STAFF, MAY 28, 2026

For decades, Bible prophecy teachers have pointed to one mysterious passage in the book of Daniel as a possible roadmap for the final chapter of human history. The verse is Book of Daniel 9:27 — the prophecy describing a future leader who will “confirm a covenant with many” for seven years before everything collapses into betrayal, tribulation, and global chaos.  To many Christians, it has long sounded almost impossible. How could the Middle East — perhaps the most divided and volatile region on Earth — ever unite under some type of sweeping peace framework involving Israel, Arab nations, and possibly even the Temple Mount itself? And yet today, ideas once considered fantasy are now openly discussed by world leaders.

This week, reports emerged that President Donald Trump held a high-stakes conference call with leaders from several Arab and Muslim nations, pressing them to consider normalizing relations with Israel in an expanded version of the Abraham Accords once a deal to end the Iran conflict is finalized. According to reports, the leaders included representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain.

Just pause and think about that for a moment. Only a generation ago, many of these same nations would not even publicly acknowledge Israel’s legitimacy. Some still officially reject it today. Yet now the conversation is no longer merely about ceasefires or backchannel diplomacy. It is about formalized regional peace structures, economic cooperation, security agreements, and potentially a completely redesigned Middle East order. That alone is historic. The original Abraham Accords already shattered decades of assumptions when the UAE and Bahrain normalized relations with Israel in 2020.  Since then, prophecy watchers have increasingly wondered whether the accords could eventually evolve into something much larger — perhaps even laying groundwork for the covenant described in Daniel. Yet there is another important detail often overlooked in modern prophecy discussions: Daniel’s covenant is specifically connected to a seven-year timeframe.

7 years

Daniel 9:27 says the coming ruler “shall confirm the covenant with many for one week,” with the “week” widely understood by prophecy teachers as a seven-year prophetic period. That distinction matters. The current peace efforts being discussed in the Middle East are aimed at producing broad, long-term regional stability. President Trump’s push for expanded normalization between Israel and Arab nations is not being presented as a temporary seven-year arrangement. There would seemingly be little reason for diplomats to intentionally construct a peace framework designed to expire after exactly seven years. This is one reason many prophecy scholars caution against immediately labeling every new agreement as the fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 itself. Instead, what may be happening now is something different: the gradual construction of the political architecture that could eventually make such a future covenant possible. In other words, today’s diplomacy may not be the covenant — but it could help create the environment for a later agreement that fits Daniel’s description more precisely. And this is where discussions surrounding Jerusalem and the Temple Mount become especially significant.

If future negotiations were tied to a highly sensitive issue such as Jewish worship rights on the Temple Mount, shared religious governance, or even authorization connected to a future temple structure, then suddenly the idea of a specific timed arrangement becomes easier to envision. A temporary framework surrounding one of the most explosive religious sites on earth could potentially involve carefully negotiated timelines, guarantees, or phased agreements unlike traditional diplomatic treaties.

Right now, that remains speculative. But even speculation of this kind would have sounded absurd only years ago.

Of course, Christians should be cautious about claiming any one event definitively fulfills prophecy. Scripture warns believers to watch carefully, not speculate recklessly. God’s timing often unfolds differently than human expectations.

And there are major obstacles standing in the way. Several Arab states continue insisting that no true normalization with Israel can happen without the establishment of a Palestinian state.  Nations like Pakistan and Turkey remain deeply hostile toward fully embracing Israel diplomatically. Even Saudi Arabia, once viewed as the crown jewel of future normalization, has reportedly cooled considerably amid the Gaza conflict and regional instability.

In other words, this entire effort could still collapse tomorrow. But that may actually be part of the prophetic picture itself.

Bible prophecy does not necessarily portray lasting peace — only the appearance of it. Many prophecy teachers have long warned that any future Middle East agreement could begin as a hopeful diplomatic breakthrough before unraveling into catastrophe. What makes the current moment especially fascinating is not merely the diplomacy itself, but what could eventually become attached to it. Increasingly, discussions surrounding Jerusalem and the Temple Mount are entering mainstream geopolitical conversation in ways almost unimaginable a decade ago.

Recent reports have even suggested proposals involving a “multi-faith center” arrangement on the Temple Mount that could expand Jewish prayer rights while altering the long-standing Jordanian custodianship structure over the site. While some officials have denied aspects of those reports, the mere fact such ideas are circulating publicly is extraordinary. 

Why does this matter prophetically? Because according to many evangelical prophecy teachers a future Jewish temple appears central to end-times prophecy. Daniel’s prophecies, Jesus’ Olivet Discourse, and the book of Revelation all seem to imply temple activity existing during the Tribulation period.

For years skeptics mocked the idea entirely. There was no political pathway. No Muslim nation would tolerate it. The Temple Mount was simply too explosive. Yet suddenly the impossible no longer seems quite so impossible. Could a future regional peace agreement include unprecedented religious concessions in Jerusalem? Could international pressure eventually produce some form of shared administration, expanded Jewish access, or even construction beside the Dome of the Rock? Right now, such scenarios still sound radical. But so did Arab-Israeli normalization not very long ago.

There is also another fascinating detail in Daniel’s prophecy that many Christians overlook. Daniel does not say the coming world leader creates the covenant. He says the ruler will “confirm” it. That wording has led many prophecy teachers over the years to suggest the Antichrist may not introduce an entirely brand-new peace agreement from nothing. Instead, he could strengthen, expand, enforce, guarantee, or officially confirm an already existing framework or regional arrangement that had been developing beforehand. That possibility makes current events even more intriguing.

The agreements, coalitions, and normalization efforts taking shape today could eventually become the foundation upon which a future global leader builds something larger and more comprehensive. What begins as diplomatic progress could later evolve into a far more binding covenant under entirely different leadership and under very different global circumstances. Again, Christians should avoid dogmatism here. Scripture gives important clues, but many prophetic details only become fully clear in hindsight.

This is why many Christians are watching these developments so carefully. Not because every headline fulfills prophecy directly, but because the infrastructure for prophecy appears to be forming in real time. Diplomatic alliances, regional coalitions, discussions about peace guarantees, international security arrangements, and Temple Mount conversations are all converging simultaneously. The stage appears to be moving into position. At the same time, believers should resist sensationalism. Jesus Himself warned against date-setting and false certainty. God’s prophetic timeline is precise, but human interpretation often is not. Still, something undeniable is happening in the Middle East.

The old barriers are shifting. Enemies are talking. Former impossibilities are becoming policy discussions. And the very phrase “peace agreement with many nations involving Israel” no longer sounds distant or theoretical. It sounds increasingly plausible. Whether these current negotiations ultimately succeed or fail, they reveal something profound: the geopolitical conditions necessary for the kind of covenant described in Daniel are no longer unimaginable.

For students of Bible prophecy, that alone is worth paying attention to.

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PETE HEGSETH DETAILS TRUMP’S ORDERS

FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR TO PROTECT

NIGERIAN CHRISTIANS

HANNAH KNUDSEN, MAY 27 2026

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth detailed President Donald Trump’s instructions for the Department of War to protect Christians in Nigeria who were being targeted and murdered by ISIS terrorists.

Giving some examples of what the establishment media does not focus on when it comes to President Trump and the Department of War, Hegseth pointed to the plight of Christians in Nigeria.

“I just want to note one more thing to give you a sense of how committed this president is. Maybe a year ago he heard the call of Nigerian Christians who were being targeted and killed by ISIS in Nigeria, and he said, ‘Pete, I want the War Department to focus on ensuring that we do everything we can to protect those Christians,’” Hegseth revealed during Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting. “Partnerships like that can take time behind the scenes, but he never wavered on it,” he continued, explaining that they put out their assets and have successfully killed one of the ISIS heads inflicting harm on Nigerian Christians “Over the last month — and there hasn’t been much coverage of this — we killed ISIS’ number two in Nigeria, who is most responsible for killing Christians and trying to target the U.S. homeland, and have since — because of the intel we gathered — killed hundreds of ISIS members who were targeting and killing Christians in Nigeria, creating a whole new opportunity there,” the secretary revealed. “So, there’s a lot of things we do that the media pays attention to, and a lot of things the President empowers the department to do on behalf of the American people that he deserves great credit for,” Hegseth continued, noting that the American people are happy with what the president is doing as evidenced by the increased recruitment rates.

DYING LIBERAL CHURCHES CONTINUE TO ELEVATE

UNBIBLICAL LEADERSHP

PNW STAFF, MAY 30, 2026

There was a time when America’s mainline Protestant denominations filled massive sanctuaries, shaped public culture, and sent missionaries around the world. Today, many of those same denominations are shrinking at a historic pace, closing churches, selling off properties, and watching younger generations drift away. Yet instead of asking why their pews continue to empty, many of their leaders appear determined to double down on the very theological changes that helped accelerate the decline.

The latest example comes from the Episcopal Church, where the Rev. Sarah Fisher was installed as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina. Fisher, who is in a same-sex relationship with the Rev. Mandy Brady, reportedly became the first openly lesbian Episcopal bishop leading a diocese in the southern United States. Her election was celebrated as a historic milestone by church leaders, but it also serves as another reminder of how far many mainline denominations have moved from historic biblical Christianity.

Supporters view such developments as progress. Critics see something very different: a denomination continuing to elevate leaders whose lifestyles openly contradict centuries of Christian teaching while wondering why membership continues to collapse. The numbers tell a sobering story.

The Episcopal Church had approximately 2.1 million members in 2006. By 2023, membership had fallen to roughly 1.54 million. The decline has been relentless. Churches have closed, congregations have merged, and attendance has steadily weakened. The downward trend accelerated following the denomination’s embrace of progressive theological positions, including the consecration of Gene Robinson in 2003 as the church’s first openly gay bishop. That decision triggered a massive exodus of conservative congregations and years of legal battles over church property.

Yet rather than viewing these developments as a warning sign, many leaders appear committed to pushing even further.

The Episcopal Church is hardly alone.

The United Methodist Church recently experienced one of the largest denominational splits in modern American history. Thousands of congregations chose to leave over disagreements surrounding biblical authority, sexuality, and doctrine. In the midst of that turmoil, the denomination celebrated the election of another openly gay married bishop, Kristin Stoneking, after delegates voted to remove longstanding restrictions regarding LGBTQ clergy and leadership.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has followed a similar path. In 2025, the Metropolitan New York Synod elected Katrina Foster as its first openly gay bishop. The denomination has spent years embracing progressive positions on sexuality and gender identity, while also elevating transgender and openly LGBTQ leaders into prominent roles.

At some point, an obvious question must be asked. If these changes are supposedly revitalizing Christianity, where are the crowds? Where is the growth? Where is the revival? The answer is difficult to ignore. Most of the denominations leading the charge into progressive theology are simultaneously among the fastest-declining religious bodies in North America.

This is not merely a political issue. It is fundamentally a theological one.

Historically, Christianity has grown when churches confidently proclaimed biblical truth, called people to repentance, preached salvation through Jesus Christ, and distinguished themselves from the surrounding culture. The early church did not attract converts because it mirrored Rome. It attracted converts because it stood apart from Rome. Today, many liberal denominations appear to be pursuing the opposite strategy. Rather than confronting culture, they often seek affirmation from it.

• Rather than asking what Scripture teaches, many appear more concerned with what modern activists demand.
• Rather than calling people to transformation through Christ, they increasingly reshape doctrine to accommodate contemporary social movements.

The result should not surprise anyone. When churches become nearly indistinguishable from secular culture, people begin asking an uncomfortable question: why bother attending church at all? If a congregation simply echoes the same messages people hear from universities, Hollywood, corporate diversity departments, and social media, the church ceases to offer something unique. It loses its prophetic voice. It loses its spiritual authority. Eventually, it loses its members. Ironically, many of the fastest-growing churches around the world are those doing the exact opposite.

Across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and even pockets of North America, churches that maintain traditional biblical teachings continue to grow. They preach repentance. They preach the authority of Scripture. They preach Christ crucified and risen. They offer certainty in a confused age rather than confusion wrapped in religious language.

The contrast could hardly be clearer. Liberal denominations frequently speak about inclusion, diversity, and relevance. Yet year after year, they continue reporting declining attendance, declining membership, declining baptisms, and aging congregations.

Meanwhile, churches that refuse to surrender biblical convictions often face criticism from the culture but continue attracting those hungry for truth. None of this means every conservative church is healthy or every liberal church is empty. But broad trends matter. And the broad trend is undeniable. 

When denominations spend decades undermining biblical authority, redefining morality, and elevating leaders whose lifestyles openly conflict with historic Christian teaching, they should not be shocked when fewer people view them as trustworthy guardians of the faith.

Galatians 6:7 contains a timeless principle: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” For decades, many mainline denominations have sown theological compromise. They have sown accommodation to cultural pressures. They have sown doubt regarding the authority of Scripture. Now they are reaping the harvest.

The tragedy is not merely declining membership statistics. The deeper tragedy is that many souls searching for truth enter these churches looking for biblical guidance and instead receive affirmation of the very culture that has already left so many spiritually empty.

A church cannot abandon its foundation and expect the structure to remain standing forever. History–and increasingly the membership rolls–are proving that lesson in real time.