Are principalities and powers behind the timing of some of the controversies coming out of Dallas megachurches?

Within just a few months, we’ve seen famous pastors and their megachurches in the Dallas, TX area come out with controversy and scandal.

From accusations of T.D. Jakes being part of sex parties with music giant Sean “Diddy” Combs to Tony Evans stepping down from Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship due to “sin” and now Robert Morris of Gateway Church confessing “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady,” the number of leaders falling continues to grow.

While not in the same area, we also saw the founder of the International House of Prayer Kansas City, Mike Bickle, fall from leadership due to sexual acts, including with a minor, that happened years ago.

The falling of these pastors from leadership roles due to sin shows that perhaps there is more happening behind-the-scenes than we may think in a very real and spiritual way.

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Morris is the latest megachurch pastor to admit his sins. Morris’ “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” began in 1982 when Clemishire, Morris’ accuser, was 12-years-old.

Morris confessed his actions to the Elders of Shady Grove Church in 1987. He states that he followed steps the elders of the church asked of him and received counseling during that time before returning to ministry in 1989.

While Jakes denies any claims of his involvement in Diddy’s sex parties and the “sin” regarding Evans is uncertain, the commonalities between these cases of pastoral leaders is that they all lead ministries of influence in a similar area.

If we look at the state of Texas, it is a place of major influence for our entire nation. It is also the border to our nation where there is a real crisis related to immigration. Do these cases speak directly to how careful we are supposed to be with what we allow into our lives?

When the door is opened in any way for sin to creep in, it can affect an entire area, including a whole congregation.

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As we approach the return of Jesus, there will be a real falling away, a separation of wheat from chaff. In a 2024 prophetic word with Charisma Media, Bishop Alan DiDio said that this year would be a year of a changing guard that had to do with “mega pastors.”

“There is coming in 2024 mega pastors, not all; there are many wonderful mega pastors, but mega pastors who are more concerned about the crowd and appeasing the populace than they are about speaking the prophetic word of God,” DiDio said.

“There’s going to be a lot of dog whistles if you will within the Christian community where people are signaling that they’re on the side of Saul…so there’s a changing of the guard that’s taking place right now and the body of Christ is to make a decision of what side of the line we’re going to be on because judgment’s going to fall on the ignorant if they’re unprepared,” he continued.

The moment has come for darkness to be exposed by the light, and those who are committed first and far most to the Lord will stay committed to Him regardless of what news breaks about their favorite pastors and churches. Just as God is able to pour out His mercy on all who come to Him with a repentant heart, He is able to guide all those who place Him Lord above all things.

Pray for the area of Dallas for a coming revival to break out, as God takes evil and uses it for good.

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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

Father’s Day is a time to thank our fathers and reflect on the impact our dads have had on our lives. So, what are a few of the ways that godly men can make an impact on their kids for the Lord?

In a message to Life Church, Craig Groeschel discussed the three best gifts that parents can give to their kids.

• Christian fathers prioritize raise their kids in godly fellowship with others.

Having children is not a journey meant to be done alone. It should be done with others who can bring a biblical influence into their lives.

“If you asked me, Craig, or you ask Amy, what one thing did you all do as parents to help set your children up for lasting spiritual success? We both would answer that we worked to help them create, to build and to be a part of an intentional Christ-centered community,” Groeschel says.

Groeschel encourages parents that giving children a place to spiritually grow allows them the opportunity to become deeply rooted in Christ.

“If there is one thing that we did above anything else that helped our children thrive spiritually, it was to get them involved, to plant their roots deep in a very intentional Christ-centered community of like-minded friends,” Groeschel says.

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• Godly fathers give their children a standard worth achieving.

Parents that want their children to love the Lord with all of their heart have to model the kind of godly relationship they desire them to have with Jesus. Teaching them prayers and leading them in devotions are the kinds of examples that should be set so kids can see how to walk with the Lord.

“Let me remind you, if you don’t expect much from your kids, you won’t get much,” Groeschel says. “If you believe they are capable of more, if you believe they could actually memorize a book of the Bible, might not only make their bed, but they might grow spiritually.”

“So how are we going to help them love the Lord, the God with all their heart, mind and soul and strength?” he continues. “It’s probably not going to come by just making their TikTok videos their devotions as they’re watching somebody else on a 30-second clip.”

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• Faith-filled fathers focus on the truths about God that make faith worth sharing.

Instead of speaking to their children about God only on Sundays before church, Groeschel says it’s key for parents to make discussion about the Lord part of normal, daily routines. Kids not only then see that you are serious about your faith, but it makes them want to have a faith like yours.

“This becomes a challenge because if it’s not in you, they’ll see it,” Groeschel says. “Because there’s one thing you know about your kids is if anything that they hate, they hate fake. This generation despises hypocrisy.”

 This Father’s Day, take the time to focus on the wonderful men who have shown you what the love of Christ looks like and how they have sacrificially served you in the way Christ does.

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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

Fathers play one of the most important roles in a person’s life. But what are the key traits every Christian father should have?

In a YouTube message, Pastor Mark Driscoll gave some key traits of what a godly father should look like.

• A godly father has joy around his children.

Driscoll says the fruit of joy should be evident to all those who enter a family’s house.

“Evidence of joy is this: a sense of playfulness and non-anxious presence,” Driscoll says. “If you walk into a house, and mom is laughing and kids are playing…dad’s probably a joyful guy.”

• Godly fathers bring the Spirit of the Lord into their household.

Driscoll says fathers have two options; they can either bring in the spirit of the flesh into their household, or they usher in the Spirit of God. The choice is theirs.

“You either bring the spirit of the flesh or the Spirit of God. And you set the entire environment for your home,” Driscoll says.

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• A godly father has the goal of making memories with his family.

Driscoll believes that the kind of presence a father brings home with him changes the entire goal for himself and his family. A dad who brings in the Spirit of the Lord will want to make memories with his family.

“More important than what you say or the tactics you use as a husband and father is the spirit and presence you bring,” Driscoll says.

• A godly father brings love into his home.

Driscoll believes one of the traits of a godly father is that they bring love and joy into a home, willing to spend time with their family. Instead of focusing on the things happening in the world around them, a godly father focuses on his family when he’s present with them.

“Be praying with your wife and your kids and owning your home environment,” Driscoll says. “Turn off the news, no more politics, put down the cell phones, no more invasions from the internet.”

• A godly father has patience.

Driscoll believes a godly father uses the same kind of patience with his family that the heavenly Father uses with us.

“I’m going to treat you the way the Father treats me with some patience [and] kindness. This is being considerate and not rude,” Driscoll says.

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• A godly father treats his family with kindness and goodness.

Driscoll believes a godly father is one who treats his family with kindness and is willing to serve in the way God calls leaders to do so.

“Goodness; this is generosity,” Driscoll says. “You want to be those men that are for your wife, you’re for your kids, you’re for your friends, you’re for your brothers in Christ.”

• A godly father has a positive influence on his family.

Driscoll notes that the type of influence a father has on his family makes a dramatic difference on the entire household.

“Gentleness, not domineering, not overbearing. There are two ways that men lead: control and influence. Control is being domineering, loud, overbearing, intimidating. Influence says ‘I love you, I care for you, I’m here to help you, you can trust me,’” Driscoll says.

The call to being a father is not an easy one, but it is one that deserves the utmost respect. This Father’s Day, thank the godly men in your life who have made an impact on shaping you.

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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

In a fast-paced world, sometimes even Christians can forget what it means to slow down and spend time with God. Perhaps, there’s a key to living like Christ that we’ve forgotten.

In a recent message, Chris Garcia encouraged fellow believers to live in contentment even in the minute details of everyday living.

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“So many times we’re so distracted and it becomes addicting,” Garcia says. “Not every addiction is something that is completely horrible and destructive like maybe substance abuse or different forms of immorality.”

To pre-order Chris Garcia’s new book, “Fresh Oil,” visit Amazon.com.

Easy distractions in today’s world can come from items like the notifications we get on our phones as we constantly are being inundated with quick information, stimulating our dopamine levels.

So, what is the easiest way to kill our drive for constantly needing more and more information all the time?

“Contentment and in your simple relationship with God and your relationship with others will cause you to see the mundane things as moments of great enjoyment,” Garcia says.

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Garcia says it is in the times we take to be alone with the Lord in prayer and meditation on the Word of God that transforms and renews our mind for the better.

“We’ve got to get to a place where we pull away in solitude and engage in God, in moments of stillness, being alone, meditating upon Him, His Word [and] the wonder of His person,” Garcia says.

The more time we spend one-on-one with God, the more time Garcia says we will see His presence in our everyday tasks.

“What we begin to notice is the washing of the dishes becomes an act of worship. The playing with our children…becomes a moment of praise,” Garcia notes.

As we allow the glory of God to enter these tasks, our life no longer is about ourselves, but rather about God’s presence in every single area of our lives.

“The reality is just as Christ took on flesh and divinity took on humanity, there is a shared space and God wants to share space with you. Not just in times of prayer, but also in times of family relationships and all of these things,” Garcia says.

Instead of being afraid of the silence, the Lord calls us into times of solitude so that we can grow closer to him and see His goodness in every facet of our lives.

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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

Christian music artist Anne Wilson is facing backlash for her new tune, “Songs About Whiskey.”

The singer, who first rose to fame for her hit single “My Jesus,” has some of her fans concerned because of her reference to alcohol in this latest song.
Speaking with Crosswalk Headlines, Wilson says that some have been worried she’s “gone off the deep end.”

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“I’ve had some fans reach out already and be like, ‘Okay, no that kind of worries me like, have you gone off the deep end? Have you left God behind?'” Wilson says.

She encourages these fans who immediately look at the title of the song without listening to the lyrics to take the time to deep dive into its meaning before criticizing it.

“I’m like, ‘Just wait and listen to the song and then come back to me,’” Wilson says.

The chorus of the song actually uses references to country music songs about alcohol and other worldly pleasures not being enough to fill and stir the soul in the same way music about Jesus does.

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“I’ve heard songs about Jack Daniels / Songs about Jim Beam / Heard songs about one-night regrets / Neon and nicotine / I guess I’m just kinda fixed on / The only thing that’s ever fixed me / That’s why I sing songs about Jesus / Instead of singing songs about whiskey.”

While not everyone will agree with the take on the song and its title, Wilson says it’s her ultimate goal to glorify Jesus above all else.

“I do this for Jesus and His glory,” Wilson says.

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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

Our fast-paced, consumer society has made us expect God to do the miraculous on our own timetable. However, the kingdom of God does not work the same way the world works.

In a recent livestream, Isaiah Saldivar discussed the dangers of us wanting God to work instantaneously.

To pre-order Isaiah’s new book, “How to Cast Out Demons,” visit Amazon.com.

“Often times we rush the plan of God and we want a quick drive-thru miracle, a drive-thru deliverance, a DoorDash type sermon,” Saldivar says. “We have to understand these things take time. God is not a drive-thru type of God, and if you want a good meal, if you want God to make something good for you, you’ve got to give the Lord some time.”

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Saldivar reminds believers that God’s schedule is not our schedule because His ways are not our ways. Sometimes, when we ask God to do a miracle, to bring us deliverance and to move in new ways, He takes His time. Then, when God decides the moment has finally arrived for something to come to pass, He moves suddenly.

“You know what the Lord says?” Saldivar asks. “I’m working behind the scenes doing something in your life. I’m moving in your life. I’m healing. I’m delivering. I’m doing something and it’s going to feel suddenly to you.”

One of the greatest examples of those who waited on God and expected Him to move were the disciples as they waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is growing in spiritual maturity and with Christ that makes all the difference. Being strengthened by the Holy Spirit is one of the most valuable and necessary pieces for a believer’s life, something that only happens with plenty of time.

Living in a deep and powerful relationship with God is something Saldivar warns as crucial for what’s coming next.

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“This summer will not work if you’re not Spirit-filled,” Saldivar warns. “You will not survive what we’re seeing in these last days…we’re living in the darkest times of human history.”

This time of chaos is what Saldivar says the devil is using to spread one of his biggest lies of them all.

“Stop letting the devil lie to you and tell you [that] you don’t need the Holy Spirit,” Saldivar says.

It is through the Holy Spirit that we receive God’s gifts, experience deliverance and healing and have the endurance to patiently wait on the Lord for all that He wants to do for us and through us. It’s only with the Holy Spirit that we can live as Christ and not as the world.

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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

“The thief does not come except to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly,” (John 10:10).

It is Satan’s ultimate goal to destroy the people of God in any way he can, dragging them down into the pit of hell, and your children are no exception.

In a recent video, Jenny Weaver shared the not-so-hidden agenda that the enemy uses to try to bring your kids down.

• The devil tries to attack your kids through media.

In a technology-laden world, media can be used for good or evil. Media is an easy and accessible tool for the enemy to grab onto, and Satan will use it to his full advantage if he can.

“Satan is trying to twist and pervert kids’ lives and what he does is he uses media. He uses TV, he uses commercials, he uses programs, he’s using celebrities, he’s using secular singers on the radio that are not Christian,” Weaver says.

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• Satan is using pride to deceive kids.

Our world is celebrating pride in unprecedented ways right now. We even give an entire month dedicated to pride and its darkness. This is most evident in the LGBTQ agenda and the push for kids to embrace transgenderism.

“One of the biggest lies I’ve seen is Satan trying to get kids to be puffed up in pride and to leave the way that God made them and to switch over into something God never called them to be that they were not born like that,” Weaver says. “Many of them are deceived and they don’t even know it. It breaks my heart.”

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• Satan is trying move kids toward witchcraft.

Witchcraft, new age and occult practices continue to climb in our world’s cultural trends. Witchcraft has become commonly accepted in books, movies and games, pushing kids to engage with material that will leave them spiritually broken.

“The plan that I see Satan doing is he is trying to pull you into this web of witchcraft, manipulation, sorcery, magic,” Weaver says. “It’s literally everywhere.”

These areas are affecting the world that we live in constantly. It is Satan’s great agenda to use these things to pull your children away from God’s good and perfect Word. Whether it’s media, pride or witchcraft, parents need to monitor what kinds of activities, behaviors and objects are permitted in their home. Pray over your children, that the blood of Christ would protect them and keep them.

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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

Did Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior?

Jose Riesco, who goes by Jose The Evangelist online, posted on his TikTok, Instagram and Facebook accounts a photo and a statement that he had the privilege of speaking to the New York representative in the Ronald Reagan Airport where the two discussed Jesus.

“Praise the LORD! Let us pray for our sister Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who I just led to faith in the LORD JESUS CHRIST and prayed for her at Ronald Reagan International Airport, Washington, D.C.,” the evangelist wrote on Facebook.

The founder of Mark 16 Ministries, Riesco writes that he was on a ministry trip with Philip Renner Ministries. Riesco was heading home to Texas after preaching at a pride parade in Washington, D.C.

In an exclusive interview with Charisma Media, Riesco shared this story of meeting the congresswoman at the airport.

“She was very nice, very kind and respectful. And [the] first thing I said was, ‘can I pray for you?'” Riesco said.

“We both bowed our heads and we prayed…I prayed a blessing over her and then immediately went into a gospel presentation,” Riesco said.

Riesco said that Ocasio-Cortez repeated after him as they prayed the prayer of salvation.

“She was beaming after it,” Riesco said.

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Riesco said he shared Romans 3:23 and 6:23 with the New York representative and when he had the chance to pray with her. He also called for Christians to continue praying for Ocasio-Cortez and all of our nation’s leaders.

In a video on TikTok, Riesco and Ocasio-Cortez smiled for a photo and said, “Jesus.”

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While there were many positive comments about Riesco’s discussion with Ocasio-Cortez, others were left doubtful if there was a true conversion or not.

“The doubt in these comments is crazy and grieving,” one commenter wrote. “I love seeing this and am encouraged by it that God gave you such an opportunity to witness to her. Whether or not she bears fruit is between her and God, but she heard the gospel and received it and the seed was planted.”

Charisma reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s office for a statement and did not hear back by the time of this article’s publishing.

Romans 10:9 says “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” If the prayer has been confessed out loud and believed in the heart, then the faith is true and will end up bearing fruit.

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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

“Let Us Worship” leader Sean Feucht is going to legal battle with the city of Spokane, Washington for the sake of free speech.

Sean Feucht has filed a lawsuit against the city of Spokane for what he believes was a violation of freedom of religion and expression, according to Inlander.

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Last year, the city passed a resolution condemning Feucht’s event where Nadine Woodward, the city’s former mayor, came on stage to pray with Feucht and a former state representative, Matt Shea.

The Spokane city council said that they do not, “condone the hateful and dangerous behavior and beliefs espoused by Matt Shea and Sean Feucht, nor does it condone Mayor Woodward’s public appearance with him.”

Now, Feucht is fighting back from what he considers this action to be an overreach by the government.

“I am not ashamed of the gospel,” Feucht wrote on Facebook. It is the only hope we have as a people and a nation. Our nation was founded by Christians on biblical principles. Even our money is inscribed with ‘In God We Trust.’”

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“I won’t sit quietly and let these anti-Christian bigots get away with persecuting Christians for exercising our Constitutional rights. So I filed a lawsuit. I’m taking them to court. Their anti-Christian bigotry has gone too far,” Feucht continued.

As we continue to navigate a world that calls evil good and good evil, remember there are plenty of dark days still ahead but God has promised to be with us and to use us to spread His light to a broken and hopeless world.

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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

Maren Morris became a hit with country music fans back in 2016 with her song, “My Church.” Now, she is declaring herself a member of the LGBTQ community.

“Happy to be ‘B’ in LGBTQ+” Morris wrote on Instagram as she held a pride flag in the photo.

While Morris has not spoken out regularly about her religious views, her songs have had themes playing off of biblical principles. “My Church” uses the imagery of the power of the Holy Spirit relating back to how she feels about listening to music on the open road. Her song, “Dear Hate,” also uses imagery about the Garden of Eden to explain how love conquers over evil.

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Morris’ announcement as a member of the LGBTQ community comes just months after she filed for divorce from her husband, Ryan Hurd, whom she shares a four-year-old son with. Morris and Hurd’s divorce was finalized in January.

As TODAY reported, Morris described in 2022 how becoming a mother and going through postpartum depression dramatically shifted her perspective on life.

“Not just being a new parent and a new mother and dealing with postpartum depression for the first time…but also just knowing my worth without someone clapping for me,” Morris said.

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Cultural icons have also played a major role in shaping Morris’ personality. Since she rose to fame, Morris has also become known as a friend to none other than superstar, Taylor Swift.

“…she’s been so supportive of me and my career over the years,” Morris told People. “She’s setting a high bar.”

Pray for entertainers like Morris that she would no longer have to find her identity in the latest trend, fame or A-List relationships. As someone who has already admitted that she has gone through an “identity crisis,” pray that God transforms and renews her mind to be set on Him and that she may truly have an encounter with Christ.

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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.