Below are this week's Articles of Interest as compiled by Mr. Van Baker. This collection of articles is cultivated by Mr. Baker with the goal of highlighting some of the trends, upheavals, and things to watch for in our society. These articles are not necessarily the express views of the United Church of God, Mr. Baker, or me as the pastor, but they are informative of what is occurring in our nation and culture. In accordance with Christ's warning to correctly discern the times (Matthew 16:1-4), it is wise to be aware of what is going on around us. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

James Sammet obituary – [Steve Sammet's brother]
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/james-sammet-obituary?id=61471846

Chick-fil-A franchisee sued by US government for religious discrimination – The US government is suing a Chick-fil-A franchisee for allegedly denying an employee's request to take Saturdays off work for religious reasons. The lawsuit claims that Hatch Trick Inc, the franchisee, violated federal law by denying an employee's request to refrain from work on Saturdays for religious reasons. The employee was a member of the United Church of God, which observes the Sabbath on that day, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said in a press release.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3pyke2g0jo

China-Linked Group’s Socialist ‘Liberation Centers’ Coming to a Town Near You – The Party for Socialism and Liberation, a socialist group with ties to a China-based financier, has quietly opened at least 28 "Liberation Centers" across the U.S. since 2021, from Portland, Oregon to the West Virginia panhandle. The centers are used to recruit teenagers, organize anti-ICE protests, host "Trans Liberation" events, and run workshops on prison abolition from a Marxist perspective.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/05/19/liberation-centers-town-near-you/

Pastor Convicted/Fined for Preaching John 3:16 Near Hospital in Northern Ireland – Clive Johnston, a 78-year-old retired pastor in Northern Ireland, has been convicted and fined for preaching a Gospel-centered message near a hospital. District Judge Peter King at Coleraine Magistrates’ Court convicted Johnston on May 7 of breaching a so-called “safe access zone” outside Causeway Hospital in Coleraine on July 7, 2024, according to Fox News. Northern Ireland’s Abortion Services Act bans “influencing,” “preventing or impeding access,” or “causing harassment, alarm, or distress” to a protected person within 100 meters [328 feet] of any facility where abortions are performed. Johnston was found guilty of “influencing” within the perimeters of the protected zone and, as such, was fined 450 pounds [about $614]. The septuagenarian may very well be the first person prosecuted under the law for preaching a sermon that did not mention abortion, according to the Christian Institute, which advocated for Johnston.
https://cbn.com/news/cwn/pastor-convicted-preaching-john-316-near-hospital-northern-ireland

The Euphrates is dying and the Bible saw it coming – The river that watered the Garden of Eden, defined the borders of the Promised Land, and gave birth to the world’s first civilizations, is running dry. Scientists, government officials, and the United Nations now warn that the Euphrates River, the longest and most historically significant river in Western Asia, could be reduced to nothing more than a muddy trickle by 2040. This is happening now, in real time, and tens of millions of people are already suffering the consequences. The Euphrates marks the outer edge of the Promised Land. Its fate is woven into the fate of the nations that dwell in its basin. The biblical prophetic framework sees the Euphrates not as a random river but as a boundary marker for world history. The drying of those waters signals the unraveling of a world order, not as an environmental tragedy alone, but as a divine statement about the civilizations that built themselves along its banks and the choices those civilizations made.
https://israel365news.com/418101/the-euphrates-is-dying-and-the-bible-saw-it-coming/

2,000-Year-Old Roman Coin from Apameia Reveals One of the Earliest Depictions of Noah’s Ark – A remarkable Roman coin minted in ancient Apameia Kibotos— today’s Dinar [historic district in Turkey] — is drawing renewed attention for carrying what may be the earliest known biblical scene ever struck on currency. Dating between AD 192 and 253, the coin offers a rare fusion of Roman imperial authority and early Judeo-Christian imagery. The reverse of the coin presents a detailed and highly symbolic depiction of Noah and his wife during the Flood narrative described in Book of Genesis.
https://www.anatolianarchaeology.net/2000-year-old-roman-coin-from-apameia-reveals-one-of-the-earliest-depictions-of-noahs-ark/

Are we losing the ability to be still? ADHD, digital distraction and the spiritual battle for attention – Something troubling appears to be happening to human attention. Across social media, millions of people now describe themselves as “neurodivergent”, discuss executive dysfunction, or wonder openly whether they may have ADHD. What was once regarded as a relatively specialised medical diagnosis has become part of everyday cultural language.
https://www.christiantoday.com/news/are-we-losing-the-ability-to-be-still-adhd-digital-distraction-and-the-spiritual-battle-for-attention