THE WEEK IN BRIEF

This week, several stories deserve a closer look.

Saudi Arabia is considering a major offensive against the Iran-backed Houthis, possibly aimed at restoring control around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. At the same time, Reuters reports that Syrian officials and Hezbollah quietly met in Turkey, although Syria and Turkey deny the meeting.

At Durupınar in eastern Turkey, researchers have completed a new season of deep drilling at the site some believe could contain the remains of Noah’s Ark. Hundreds of samples are now being tested.

Inside the Church, we examine teachings about gender, sexual behavior, drag in worship, and what happens when politicians use Christianity to support political goals.

We also look at an attempted terrorist attack aboard an Israel-bound aircraft, the growing connection between artificial intelligence and government power, and the troubling case of a Dutch girl who was euthanized at only 17.

These stories are different, but our purpose remains the same: Understand the times, test what we hear against Scripture, and live ready for Christ’s return.

MIDDLE EAST WATCH

Saudi Arabia may be preparing for a much larger confrontation with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis.

Reuters reported on October 2 that Saudi Arabia is considering an offensive using Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and Saudi air power. One option would push along Yemen’s Red Sea coast toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most important shipping routes. Another would involve attacks on several fronts. No final operation has been publicly announced.

The development follows major Houthi gains around the strait and repeated attacks on Saudi territory.

The military story matters, but so do the relationships forming behind it.

Ezekiel 38–39 describes a future coalition against Israel that includes Persia (associated with modern Iran) and peoples historically connected to the territory of modern Turkey. Saudi Arabia is not listed among the attacking nations.

Today, Iran backs the Houthis while Saudi Arabia is considering a major military response. Turkey, Iran and other regional powers continue to adjust their relationships.

Scripture tells us what kind of alignment we are watching for. We will keep watching Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran and the nations surrounding Israel to see where these changing relationships lead.

Reuters reported October 1 that representatives of Syria’s government and Hezbollah met secretly in Turkey in September to reduce tensions. Six sources were cited, including Syrian officials, a U.S. official and a Lebanese security source close to Hezbollah. No agreement was reached.

There is an important problem: Syria and Turkey deny that the meeting happened. That leaves detailed reporting from several sources on one side and firm government denials on the other.

If the meeting occurred, it shows how quickly relationships along Israel’s northern border are changing. Turkey is gaining influence in Syria, Hezbollah is trying to protect its position in Lebanon, and Iran is trying to preserve its regional influence.

Ezekiel 38–39 names Persia and peoples historically associated with modern Turkey among the future nations that will come against Israel.

Today the pieces do not yet fit neatly into Ezekiel’s description. But they are moving. That is why we are watching Turkey’s growing role in Syria, Iran’s relationship with Hezbollah, and the changing northern arc around Israel.

BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY

The boat-shaped Durupınar formation in eastern Turkey has fascinated Ark researchers for decades. For me, this story is also personal.

I visited the area in the 1990s, when reaching the site was difficult. I asked local people what they knew about the unusual formation. They told me it was connected with Noah and that they believed it was artificial, but beyond that they could tell me very little.

Local tradition is not archaeological proof. But the memory has stayed with me.

Now researchers are trying to answer the question with evidence from beneath the ground. The 2026 field season included deep drilling inside and outside the formation. Researchers report collecting more than 300 samples, with some drilling exceeding 60 feet. Andrew Jones says deep boreholes inside the formation did not encounter a continuous mass of solid limestone or bedrock. Researchers also encountered cavities and organic-rich samples that are being tested.

But researchers have not excavated wooden walls, rooms or an ancient ship. Claims about corridors, rooms and right angles remain readings of scans beneath the ground, not excavated structures.

There is also serious evidence for a natural explanation. A 1996 geological study by Lorence Collins and David Fasold concluded that Durupınar is a natural formation. Even the Institute for Creation Research, which affirms the biblical Flood, has recently argued that the formation is probably natural.

The new samples matter because they can be tested.

Genesis 8:4 says the Ark came to rest “on the mountains of Ararat.” It does not say the summit of the modern mountain called Mount Ararat.

Jesus went on to describe people going about ordinary life until the Flood came (Matthew 24:38–39). We do not need to speculate that the Durupınar investigation itself is a prophetic sign. It is simply interesting that the historical account Jesus pointed His disciples toward continues to be the subject of serious investigation.

Our confidence in Genesis does not depend upon finding Noah’s Ark. But if something unusual has survived in the mountains of Ararat, there is every reason to investigate it carefully.

More than 300 samples are being tested. We will keep watching what they reveal.

APOSTASY & THE STATE OF THE CHURCH

Baptist minister and chaplain Will Brown’s 2026 book, No Longer Male and Female, asks Christians to rethink gender, including transgender and nonbinary identities. Galatians 3:28 plays an important part in that discussion.

But what is Paul saying? The surrounding verses answer the question. Paul explains who belongs to Christ and who inherits God’s promise (Galatians 3:26–29).

Jewish believers did not stop being Jewish. Slaves did not automatically become legally free. Likewise, men and women did not cease being male and female.

Genesis says, “male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). Jesus affirmed that creation pattern in Matthew 19:4.

Galatians 3:28 teaches something wonderful: men and women stand equally before God and equally inherit His promise in Christ. It does not say God erased the distinction He created.

Compassion matters. Christians should treat transgender and nonbinary people with dignity and love. But compassion cannot force Scripture to say something it does not say.

When Galatians 3:28 is used to move Christianity beyond God’s creation of male and female, we should ask: Is that what Scripture actually says?

In this case, the answer is no.

Rev. Dr. Beverly H. Dale’s teaching recently returned to Christian discussion because she defended pornography and other sexual practices.

This is not based on one isolated clip. Dale founded the Incarnation Institute for Sex & Faith, which promotes what it calls “sex-positive Christianity.” Its own materials address pornography, masturbation, kink and BDSM, non-marital sex, hooking up and gender variation.

There is something Christians should affirm here: the body is not evil, and sexual pleasure is not inherently sinful. The problem comes when affirming sexuality becomes rewriting its biblical boundaries.

Jesus warned against lust (Matthew 5:27–28). Paul told believers to flee sexual immorality and honor God with their bodies (1 Corinthians 6:12–20). First Thessalonians 4:3–5 calls believers to sexual holiness and self-control. Hebrews 13:4 tells us to honor marriage and keep the marriage bed pure.

The biblical choice is not pleasure or repression. Sexuality is God’s good creation, governed by God’s good boundaries.

Dale presents these ideas as Christian teaching and trains others to teach them.

Paul also warned that people would gather teachers who tell them what their itching ears want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3–4).

The question is simple: Do we allow Scripture to define sexual holiness, or do we reinterpret Scripture until it approves what we already want?

The body is good. Sexuality is God’s creation. But the Creator—not the culture, our desires, or a Christian teacher—has the authority to tell us what His creation is for.

A story recently circulating online concerns First Church in Ipswich, Massachusetts, but the event itself occurred July 28.

The church held what was described as “Drag Church.” Drag performers provided the musical prelude, postlude, and hymns in full drag as part of a traditional worship service led by Rev. Rebecca Pugh.

This was not simply a performance held in a church building. Drag was incorporated into Christian worship.

Christians should not simply transfer every Old Testament regulation directly into the Church. But the principle here fits the larger biblical pattern: God created humanity male and female (Genesis 1:27), a distinction Jesus affirmed in Matthew 19:4.

Drag deliberately uses clothing, appearance, and mannerisms associated with the opposite sex. That makes Deuteronomy 22:5 relevant, even though Moses was not discussing the modern performance known as drag.

Jesus welcomed sinners. So should we.

Someone who performs in drag should be welcome to walk through the doors of a church and hear the Gospel. But incorporating drag into worship sends a different message.

One welcomes a person and calls that person, as the Gospel calls all of us, to repentance and faith in Christ. The other affirms behavior for which Scripture calls us to repentance.

The Church can welcome the sinner without affirming the sin. Love requires both welcome and truth.

“Come to Christ and be transformed” is very different from “Come as you are and remain as you are.”

Two Senate candidates are making Christianity an important part of their public message: United Methodist pastor Adam Hamilton in Kansas and James Talarico in Texas.

This is not about telling Christians which party deserves their vote. Nor are we judging either man’s salvation. But when politicians tell us what Christianity teaches, Christians should test those claims against Scripture.

Hamilton has publicly questioned biblical inerrancy and has argued that Christians may conclude that some biblical writers were wrong. That approach affects how difficult passages are handled: instead of Scripture correcting us, the reader can begin deciding which parts of Scripture need correction.

Talarico approaches the issue differently. He often appeals to Jesus’ commands to care for the poor, the stranger, and the suffering, and connects those commands to government policy. Christians absolutely must care for the poor and the stranger. But Jesus gave those commands to His followers. The early Church responded by sharing possessions, feeding people, and caring for widows (Acts 2:44–45; 4:32–35; 6:1–6).

Government has a God-given duty to administer justice (Romans 13:1–7). Christians may support government programs they believe help their neighbors. But that is different from saying Jesus commanded government to carry out a particular program.

Jesus’ command remains personal: You feed the hungry. You welcome the stranger. You care for the suffering.

People tried to make Jesus fit their expectations even during His ministry. After He fed the five thousand, the crowd wanted to make Him King by force (John 6:15). Peter correctly confessed Jesus as the Messiah, but then rebuked Him when Jesus explained that He must suffer and die. Peter wanted the Messiah to conform to his expectations rather than to God’s plan (Matthew 16:21–23).

The same temptation remains today. We can begin with the political outcome we already want, then look for ways to make Jesus support it. Do not fall for it.

That warning applies equally to the political left and the political right. Jesus does not belong to either party, and Scripture should never be bent to serve a political agenda.

Do not begin with politics and ask how Jesus fits into it. Begin with Christ and Scripture—and let them shape and, when necessary, correct your politics.

ISLAMISM, FUNDAMENTALISM & CONFLICT WITH THE WEST

An Israel-bound passenger aircraft carrying more than 170 people came dangerously close to disaster when its co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with an emergency axe and attempted to seize control of the aircraft.

Flydubai Flight FZ1073 was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. Passengers and crew subdued the co-pilot, and the aircraft landed safely in Saudi Arabia. UAE prosecutors describe the incident as an attempted terrorist attack.

The co-pilot had reportedly raised earlier concerns over extremist views. Investigators continue to examine his background and motive.

The aircraft’s destination makes the Israel connection important, but we should not assign responsibility to Iran, Hamas or another organization without evidence.

The flight began in the United Arab Emirates, one of the Arab countries that normalized relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords. Those agreements changed political relationships. They did not erase hostility toward Israel in parts of the region.

This incident also shows why we distinguish ordinary Muslims from radical Islamism and violent jihadism.

For now, the facts are serious enough: someone trusted with the controls of an Israel-bound passenger aircraft allegedly tried to turn that position into an act of terrorism. We will watch what investigators uncover.

WORLD DEVELOPMENTS WITH A BIBLICAL PROPHECY NEXUS

Artificial intelligence is moving beyond business and entertainment and deeper into national security.

Recent reporting says the administration is organizing a White House AI task force expected to deliver recommendations within 120 days. The larger issue is the growing connection between powerful AI systems and government intelligence, security and decision-making.

The Bible does not name artificial intelligence. But Revelation 13 describes a future system involving remarkable deception, political power and control over buying and selling.

AI can already create convincing false images and voices, analyze huge amounts of information, assist surveillance, and automate decisions. When combined with digital identity, financial systems, and government power, those abilities deserve our attention.

The important question is what these systems may eventually make possible. The technology is advancing quickly, and its connection with government power is growing with it. We will keep watching where that leads.

Jesus warned that one mark of a world increasingly shaped by lawlessness would be a chilling of human love:

Coldness does not always look cruel. Sometimes it can speak the language of kindness, dignity, and compassion.

That is what makes Milou Verhoof's story so difficult.

Milou was 17 years old when she died by euthanasia in the Netherlands in October 2023 after years of severe psychological suffering. Her case returned to the news in 2026 because of a legal dispute involving doctors who later questioned the circumstances surrounding her death.

Fourteen doctors, most of them psychiatrists, asked prosecutors to examine the roles of Milou’s parents and doctors. They had not treated Milou or reviewed her case firsthand. Dutch authorities found no basis for a criminal investigation, and the official euthanasia review concluded that the legal requirements had been followed. The later court dispute concerned the identities of the doctors who signed the letter.

Those facts matter. But so does something much more basic.

Milou was 17. She was suffering profoundly. And she had reached a point where death appeared to offer the only escape from her pain.

Christians should never use suffering like Milou’s as ammunition in a culture war. Her suffering was real, and it should be treated with compassion.

But biblical compassion does not simply feel another person’s pain. It enters that pain and helps carry it.

When someone can no longer carry hope for herself, we should help carry hope for her.

That is especially important when the person suffering is a child.

Christianity does not deny despair or pretend that every wound is easily healed. It points the suffering person toward a Savior who calls the weary and broken to Himself:

There is a profound difference between relieving a person's suffering and ending the life of the person who suffers.

A compassionate society should surround someone like Milou with treatment, protection, companionship, patience, and care—even when recovery is uncertain, and the burden is heavy.

Jesus warned that love would grow cold. Perhaps one question Christians should therefore ask is not simply whether society still talks about compassion, but what compassion has come to mean.

When a suffering 17-year-old sees no hope for tomorrow, our answer should be to help carry her through tomorrow.

And when compassion begins to advocate ending the life of the person who suffers, we must ask:

Has compassion itself begun to grow cold?

THE WATCHMAN’S RESPONSE

This week’s stories take us from Yemen and Syria to Turkey, American churches, a passenger aircraft, artificial intelligence, and the death of a 17-year-old girl. They are very different stories, but Scripture gives Christians a way to face a confusing world without panic.

Watch. Test. Remain faithful.

We do not chase every rumor. We do not accept every teaching simply because someone puts the word Christian in front of it. But neither do we close our eyes.

We watch the nations surrounding Israel. We test teachers against Scripture. We recognize technologies that may change how power is used. We defend truth while showing compassion to people who are hurting.

Above all, we keep our eyes on Christ.

Prophecy was not given merely to make us good at predicting events. It calls God’s people to recognize the times, remain faithful, and be ready for the King's return.

Understand the times. Live ready.

PRAY

SOURCES

Saudi Arabia Turns Toward a Possible Houthi Offensive
Reuters — Saudi plans for an offensive against the Houthis and the Bab el-Mandeb situation
Axios — Saudi and Yemeni forces and the Bab al-Mandeb counteroffensive

Secret Talks in Turkey? Syria, Hezbollah and a Changing Northern Arc
Reuters — Syrian officials and Hezbollah reportedly held secret talks in Turkey
Al Jazeera — Syria denies officials held secret talks with Hezbollah in Turkey

Noah’s Ark at Durupınar? New Drilling—and an Old Question
2026 Durupınar core-drilling project update
Fox News — Researchers probe beneath the Durupınar formation
Geological assessment by Lorence Collins — Durupınar as a natural formation
Institute for Creation Research — Geological assessment of alleged Noah’s Ark sites

“No Longer Male and Female”? What Does Galatians 3:28 Actually Mean?
Presbyterian News Service — Will Brown discusses No Longer Male and Female
Presbyterian News Service — Westminster John Knox Press publishes No Longer Male and Female

When “Sex-Positive Christianity” Rewrites Biblical Sexual Ethics
Incarnation Institute for Sex & Faith — Videos and teaching materials
Incarnation Institute — Mission and beliefs
Rev. Beverly Dale — Ministry biography

When Drag Becomes Part of Christian Worship
First Church in Ipswich — Official church website
The Local News — Ipswich coverage of Dr. Viola Voilà

When Politicians Speak for Jesus
The Texas Tribune — James Talarico, Christianity and politics
The Texas Tribune — Talarico's position on abortion in the 2026 Senate race
Religion News Service — Adam Hamilton and debates over Christian identity and biblical authority
United Methodist Insight — Adam Hamilton announces Senate candidacy

Terror in the Cockpit: Attack on an Israel-Bound Flight
Reuters — Flydubai incident and airline background
Reuters — Australian counterterrorism authorities investigate co-pilot's background
PBS NewsHour/AP — Report on prior extremism concerns involving the co-pilot

AI Moves Deeper Into Government Power
Associated Press — New federal AI task force
Wall Street Journal — AI task force, risks and 120-day review

She Was 17: When Compassion Ends a Life
Government of the Netherlands — Euthanasia law and requirements
DutchNews — Doctor apologizes over criticism of euthanasia of 17-year-old Milou
NOS — Milou's parents and controversy surrounding their daughter's euthanasia
DutchNews — Court orders release of euthanasia-letter signatories