‘Nothing Short of a Move of God’: Nearly 5,000 Decisions for Christ at Recent ‘Life Surge’ Events

Leaders overseeing a faith-based leadership and business event are watching something phenomenal taking place in stadiums around the country. Hundreds, and sometimes even thousands of attendees, are giving their lives to Jesus in what they are calling “a move of God.”

Life Surge gathers thousands of people from around the country to “learn why and how to create and multiply financial resources for Kingdom Impact,” according to their website.

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

Joe Johnson founded the for-profit organization that invites prominent faith speakers and artists, such as Priscilla Shirer, Tim Tebow, and Chris Tomlin. Additionally, it is known to attract well-known business leaders like Robert Herjavec from Shark Tank and Marcus Lemonis from The Profit.

Johnson previously founded Welfont and, according to his website, is a “diehard Jesus follower.” He told Startup Magazine he started Life Surge to help integrate faith with careers.

“Another guiding philosophy I would say is we talk about this as an organization, but as individuals, that there’s the biblical commandment to be fruitful and multiply, fill the Earth, but we use that in a business setting that we want to be fruitful as individuals — and we’re always multiplying,” Johnson told the outlet.

Order Jonathan Cahn’s Newest Book, “The Avatar” on !

At a recent Grand Rapids, Michigan, meeting, more than 5,000 attendees participated in worship, received dynamic teaching, and gained practical tools to bring back to the marketplace.

The event’s lineup included motivational speaker Nick Vujicic, Duck Dynasty’s Willie Robertson, football champion Tim Tebow, Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, Auntie Anne’s founder Anne Beiler, author and podcast host Ed Mylett, and worship leaders Paul and Hannah McClure of Bethel Music.

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up-to-date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

Each speaker brought unique stories of faith, perseverance, and calling that left a lasting impression on attendees, Life Surge reported.

“Through worship, teaching, and practical strategies, attendees were encouraged to align their faith with their finances—discovering how to build businesses, steward wealth, and invest in Kingdom purposes,” reads a press statement from the organization.

However, the most impactful part of the weekend was the 1,033 people who made decisions for Christ.

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

“Seeing thousands of people worship together and over a thousand respond to the Gospel in one city is nothing short of a move of God,” said Life Surge President Shawn Marcell. “Our prayer is that this is just the beginning of revival in Grand Rapids and beyond.”

Over the course of the summer, Life Surge has seen a momentous shift during their events. Marcell recently told CBN News Digital that when they first began these events in 2021, he didn’t think to present the Gospel because it was an event that had been designed for Christians.

To read the full story, visit our content partners at CBN News.

Community Honors Pastor Killed After Being Shot in His Own Home

A San Diego County community is honoring the life of a local pastor who was shot and killed in his own home earlier this month.

Pastor Felipe Ascencio is being remembered as a godly father-figure, mentor, and friend by members of Templo Monte Horeb in Ramona, California.

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

“He really found a bunch of value in me when nobody really did,” Jesus Flores told KGTV. Flores grew up in the Templo Monte Horeb church.

Other church members shared how they too were impacted by the sudden death of Ascencio.

Order Jonathan Cahn’s Newest Book, “The Avatar” on !

“For a moment it was just something we couldn’t believe,” said Miguel Hernandez, a longtime churchgoer. “Even on Wednesday, we had church, and we were still thinking that he was going to walk in and say hello to everyone.”

According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to calls about a shooting and found an individual with a gunshot wound.

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up-to-date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

“Deputies requested paramedics, and they arrived soon after. Unfortunately, the individual succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene,” the Sheriff’s Office reported.

The Sheriff’s Homicide detectives are continuing an investigation into the incident after law enforcement officials were able to identify 22-year-old Joel Martin Dukes III as the suspect.

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

“At this stage of the investigation, the motivation and circumstances of the crime are still under investigation,” the office noted.

To read the full story, visit our content partners at CBN News.

‘Changed for Eternity’: 1,000+ Choose Christ at Massive Gathering

Tens of thousands of people gathered recently under a 110-foot cross to seek Jesus Christ at FaithFest in Wilkesboro, NC. Official numbers have not been released, but reports indicate more than 1,000 attendees made decisions to give their lives to Christ, and approximately 100 were baptized on the spot.

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

FaithFest reported on Saturday night, “Closing in on 100 baptisms and more to go! Praise Jesus!”

Organizers stated, “We are still speechless after FaithFest 2025. For the first time ever, we completely sold out – but even greater than that, we saw eternal impact. Salvations. Rededications. Baptisms. Restoration. Revival. The Lord’s Spirit swept through this venue in a way we will never forget. Praise Jesus!”

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up-to-date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

Pastor Greg Laurie preached at the two-day, weekend event, sharing how God had saved his life when he was a young man, confused and searching for truth.

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

“Franklin Graham called and asked me to speak at FaithFest in North Carolina. He spoke at it last year and loved it – so I said yes. And what a blessing it was!” Laurie stated Facebook.

To read the full story, visit our content partners at CBN News.

IDF Progresses in Gaza City as Israeli Laser System Operational; Netanyahu Decries Kirk Murder ‘Big Lie’

JERUSALEM, Israel – As the war continues in Gaza City, the world takes sides for and against Israel. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted what he called a “monstrous, big lie” that Israel was behind the murder of Charlie Kirk, and he suggested that perhaps the liars are funded by Qatar. And, on the battlefront, Israel’s military has announced that the Iron Beam laser defense system is “fully operational.”

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

Addressing the widespread reports on social media that Israel is involved in Kirk’s assassination, Netanyahu remarked, “Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister, said, ‘The bigger the lie, the faster it will spread.’ Well, somebody is fabricating a monstrous, big lie that Israel had something to do with Charlie Kirk’s horrific murder. This is insane. It is false. It is outrageous.”

Conspiracy theorists are claiming Israel was behind the murder because Kirk recently mildly criticized Israeli policies. In a video post on X, Netanyahu noted that Kirk defended Israel, and the prime minister welcomed Kirk’s honesty.

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up-to-date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

“This is the essence of Charlie,” Netanyahu stated, “This is the essence of a free country. It’s exactly what Charlie stood for. And I knew that his suggestions always came from the heart, from his love for Israel, and from his love for the Jewish people.”

In Gaza City, Israeli troops continue to advance, dismantling terrorist infrastructure and targeting terrorists. On Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces spokesman reported that the military struck a weapons storage facility containing explosive devices intended to strike IDF troops.

Meanwhile, according to reports, the Israeli push forward has emboldened some Gazan clans to stand up against Hamas and take over certain areas.

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

Military officials were quoted as saying that a number of clans had deployed armed operatives to prevent Hamas from reasserting control, and that at least one clan had made an agreement with the IDF.

To read the full story, visit our content partners at CBN News.

As Israeli Troops Advance, IDF Claims Hamas Turned Gaza into ‘Largest Human Shield in History’

JERUSALEM, Israel – As Israel’s ground operation in Gaza City kicks into high gear, the Israel Defense Forces claim Hamas has turned Gaza into the largest human shield ever, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he’s again been invited to visit the White House.

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

He’s due at the White House after he addresses the United Nations later this month. It will be his fourth meeting on Pennsylvania Avenue since President Donald Trump took office in January.

Netanyahu, who watched from a military command center as the Israeli Air Force launched a retaliatory attack on the Houthis’ key port in Yemen on Tuesday, said nearly 400,000 Gazans have fled the Gaza City area as Israeli troops penetrate deeper into the last Hamas stronghold.

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up-to-date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

On Tuesday, the prime minister declared, “Today I gave an order in a discussion at the Ministry of Defense to find ways to allow them to leave more easily. They want to leave, they want to get out of there, from the city, because they are responding to us and not to Hamas, which by the way is shooting at them, to prevent them from doing so.”

The IDF issued a map of a new transportation route south that will be open to Gazans for two days.

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

One fleeing resident, Alaa Ismail, commented, “The situation is very difficult for us, and we have no money at all. My father is in poor health and needs to help push the handcart. There is no safe place in Gaza, and we’ll have to sleep on the street like others tonight.”

IDF Spokesman . Effie Efrin noted that the military is using precision strikes with air, ground, and intelligence forces to target Hamas military positions in what he called the central hub of Hamas’s governing power.

To read the full story, visit our content partners at CBN News.

Murder, Torture and Chaos: How Russia Reportedly Targets Evangelicals

A film about evangelicals under duress in Ukraine has sparked a plethora of intrigue as the Eastern European nation continues its battle against Russia.

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

Colby Barrett, executive producer of “A Faith Under Siege,” told CBN News he became involved in the project after a friend called and asked if he wanted to visit Ukraine.

At first, Barrett was reluctant and offered up a litany of reasons why he couldn’t go.

Order Jonathan Cahn’s Newest Book, “The Avatar” on !

“I’ve got four kids,” he said. “There’s a war there. … Life is busy.”

However, despite these roadblocks, something sparked Barrett to disregard his reasons for not visiting — and seize the opportunity.

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up-to-date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

“God sometimes doesn’t follow our logic, and I really felt called to go over there to do a humanitarian aid mission and then also to document what was happening to Christians in the Russian-occupied territories,” Barrett said. “So we traveled the entire length to the front lines … interviewed over 30 people who had directly suffered in this conflict.”

While the filmmakers spoke to Christians of many denominations, they primarily interacted with evangelical Christians, whom Barrett said have been the most targeted throughout the dispute.

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

Overall, at least 47 religious leaders have died, with claims of Russian soldiers killing and torturing Christian leaders. Christian heritage sites have also been caught up in the chaos and destroyed.

To read the full story, visit our content partners at CBN News.

‘Gaza is Burning’ as Ground Invasion Begins; Trump Warns Hamas on Moving Hostages

JERUSALEM, Israel – The long-awaited ground invasion into Gaza has reportedly begun, and it comes as Israel faces a coordinated, global campaign to delegitimize the Jewish state.

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz released a statement Monday night saying, “Gaza is burning. The IDF is striking with an iron fist at the terror infrastructure, and IDF soldiers are fighting bravely to create the conditions for the release of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas. We will not relent and will not retreat – until the mission is complete.”

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up-to-date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

Yet, as the Israeli military enters Gaza City, Hamas may put the hostages in greater danger. On Truth Social, President Trump warned, “I have just read a news report that Hamas has moved the hostages above ground to use them as human shields against Israel’s ground offensive. I hope the leaders of Hamas know what they’re getting into if they do such a thing. This is a human atrocity, the likes of which few people have ever seen before. Don’t let this happen, or all ‘bets are off.’ Release all hostages now.”

Speaking to a group of visiting U.S. state lawmakers on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is also facing an organized campaign to delegitimize the Jewish State.

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

The prime minister told the legislators, “We value and cherish your support, and there is an active effort to erode it. That effort to besiege Israel, not merely isolate it, as much as besiege Israel. That is orchestrated by the same forces that supported Iran – Iran’s effort to put a military siege on us and ultimately choke us.”

To read the full story, visit our content partners at CBN News.

Assassination Suspect Reportedly Had Trans Tie; Thousands Fill Kennedy Center to Honor Kirk

Utah Governor Spencer Cox says investigators are not ready to discuss a motive in the killing of conservative activist and Christian advocate Charlie Kirk, in part because the suspect, Tyler Robinson, is not being cooperative with investigators. Cox told CNN that Robinson’s family says he had been indoctrinated into a leftist ideology.

Cox told CNN that Robinson’s family says he had been indoctrinated into a leftist ideology. He also confirmed reports that his roommate is cooperating, but knew nothing of the attack.

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

“His roommate was indeed a boyfriend who is transitioning from, from male to female. He is cooperating with authorities, as well,” he said.

A capacity crowd filled the Kennedy Center on Sunday night to honor Kirk. CBN News reporter Michelle London was there and said, “So many young people and students filling this room here at the Kennedy Center tonight to celebrate and pay tribute to a man they’re calling a fearless defender of truth and a faithful man of God. There also was a call to action for all of us to continue walking boldly in our faith in Jesus Christ, carrying out Charlie’s legacy, not to be overcome by evil, but overcoming evil with good.”

Order Jonathan Cahn’s Newest Book, “The Avatar” on !

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told the crowd, “We remember that our dear friend Charlie would never want us to be overcome by despair. He would want exactly the opposite.”

Other speakers included top officials like HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, Kari Lake and more.

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up-to-date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

The national debate over why Kirk’s assassination happened and what needs to be done continues.

University of Chicago Professor Robert Pape told CBS that America is in the grip of a new violent populism, but more so on the Left.

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

Pape said, “Thirty-nine percent of Democrats say they agree that the use of force is justified to remove Donald Trump from the presidency. When we go deeper to probe, what do they mean by use of force? 55% are talking about assassinations. They’re talking about lethal uses of force. We also, in the very same survey, we found 24% of Republicans agree that Donald Trump is justified in using the U.S. military to suppress democratic protestors.”

To read the full story, visit our content partners at CBN News.

Doctor Who Died and Visited Heaven Sheds Light on Life After Death: ‘I Was Being Held by Christ’

Dr. Mary Neal is an accomplished spinal surgeon whose Near-Death Experience (NDE) has inspired millions. Her story, told in Angel Studios’ film “After Death,” unfolded on a South American river when she became submerged while kayaking, and says she visited heaven.

“My husband and I are avid kayakers,” Neal recently told CBN Digital. “We’ve kayaked for decades all around the country [and] internationally.”

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

So, they joined friends in Chile for a special trip for her husband’s birthday, but while they were making their way down a river, the jovial occasion was obliterated.

Neal ended up going over a waterfall and experienced something she could “never have dreamed up.”

“The boat and I were immediately submerged under eight to 10 feet of water,” she said. “I didn’t panic. I set about trying to free me or free the boat … but the weight of the water and the force of the current was too great for me to do anything.”

Order Jonathan Cahn’s Newest Book, “The Avatar” on !

As she pondered her options, she came to the conclusion she would very likely die, finding herself forced to face the unthinkable. Neal said she somehow mustered the strength to ask God for His will to be done.

“The moment I asked that, I was immediately overcome with this very physical sensation of being held and comforted and reassured that everything would be fine,” she said.

And this is where Neal’s story takes a wild turn: she then said she found herself in heaven.

“I never felt alive and then dead, conscious and then unconscious,” Neal said. “I felt conscious and then more conscious, alive and then more alive.”

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up-to-date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

She added, “I was being held by Christ.”

While in heaven, Neal said she was still herself but that she was her “best” self. At first, she thought it was a hallucination based on her trauma and said she was doing “self-assessment examples” in heaven.

“I knew I’d been underwater too long to still be alive,” Neal said. “So, I thought, ‘OK, I have an air pocket. So I would think about, ‘OK, take a breath. Do you feel air?’ And I’d say, ‘No.’”

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

But she wasn’t suffering or struggling to breathe. Instead, she felt “glorious.” Neal described sensing Christ’s love and being guided through a life review. She said she even felt her spirit leave her body.

To read the full story, visit our content partners at CBN News.

Rubio Visits Israel in Wake of UN Vote for Palestinian State

JERUSALEM, Israel – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel this weekend and has met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the meantime, some Israeli leaders are calling for the government to declare sovereignty over biblical Judea and Samaria after the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to support a Palestinian state.

Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!

Rubio began his trip with a visit to the Western Wall for prayer. Even after last week’s Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar, a U.S. ally, Netanyahu insisted the relationship is solid.

Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up-to-date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more!

“My extraordinary friend, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and his wife Jeanette, I think his visit here is a testament to the durability, the strength of the Israeli-American alliance. It’s as strong and as durable as the stones of the Western Wall that we just touched,” Netanyahu declared.

Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!

The U.N.’s vote in New York on Friday was 142 to 10, with 12 abstentions, to pass the Palestinian state resolution, in diplomatic speak titled, The New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine.

To read the full story, visit our content partners at CBN News.