In this Sid Roth’s It’s Supernatural! classic episode from 2000: Art Mathias says that 80 percent of illnesses are tied to an emotional cause. When the emotional crisis is solved, people are miraculously healed!
American Idol runner-up Lauren Alaina has described the stunning moment she believes her stepfather entered into the presence of Jesus. Alaina, who came second in the 10th season of the popular talent show, took to Instagram to describe the moment her stepdad passed from this life to the next.
“My stepdad, Sam, went to heaven at one o’clock this morning,” Alaina wrote Oct. 21. “He was the purest example of how to love and live life fully.”
The singer, who released her second album, Road Less Traveled, last year, described in detail Sam’s heartbreaking, yet hopeful, final moments. {eoa}
Click here to read the rest of this story from our content partners at Faithwire.
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Living in one of the most severely persecuted nations on earth, the Christians of North Korea have to be incredibly resourceful when it comes to practicing their faith. The authorities that govern the Communist nation have become notorious for arresting, imprisoning, torturing and even executing those who claim to follow Jesus. As such, the estimated 300,000 North Korean Christians have largely been forced underground, with believers meeting at a whole host of secretive locations.
Such is the severity of persecution faced by many of these brave Jesus followers, that some have even been forced to meet in the middle of rivers so they can hold a simple Bible study without fear of arrest. “If they are caught reading the Bible, they could immediately be sentenced to 15 years in a labor camp—or worse,” noted World Help’s Rachel Godwin in a powerful column written at Fox News.
“They’ve heard the stories of what happens to people who are heard speaking the name of Jesus. Many of them have family members and friends who are living in the camps now … or have been buried there.” {eoa}
Click here to read the rest of this story from our content partners at Faithwire. {eoa}
America ran purple after the midterm elections with the vote was split narrowly down the middle between Republicans and Democrats, and Spirit-filled entrepreneur and conservative commentator Lance Wallnau says he knows why.
There was no blue wave, and there was no red wave, which may have shocked some believers.
“The prophets [who] prophesied red waves are delusional,” Wallnau says. “They’re listening to cue droppings; they’re delirious.”
But what about Christian campaigning?
“All of our money that we put into Christians and organizations, please listen to me. Most of the organizations we support are policy paper organizations, they’re not politics organizations. They don’t know how to get people elected. They know how to write papers and lobby for Christian-evangelical influence. We should learn from this,” Wallnau says.
How? Why? Wallnau answers these questions and more in his video.
Spiritual warfare isn’t just a metaphorical concept believers pretend to imagine. It’s a very real war raging in the unseen spirit realm. “Turning Point” radio host David Jeremiah spoke openly with Charisma about spiritual warfare and his new book, Overcomer.
Charisma: Why is the armor of God more than a metaphor?
David Jeremiah: The armor of God is essentially eight strategies for being prepared in the fight against the evil one and for overcoming in His name. In the armor illustration, we’re actually given practical instructions on how to protect our mind and our heart, reminders to stand firm on the truth and never compromise, reminders to be aware of the deception and lies of the devil and a reminder to turn to God’s Word in times of doubt and uncertainty.
Charisma: Why does spiritual warfare matter in today’s tension-filled climate?
David Jeremiah: Many Christians are living in the midst of a raging spiritual battle they may or may not know is taking place around them. We’re told very clearly in Ephesians that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but rather against spiritual forces. I think sometimes Christians forget this. We get caught up in the physical and ignore the underlying spiritual battle that needs to be fought first and foremost.
As children of God though, I don’t believe these spiritual attacks need to leave Christians defeated, discouraged or disillusioned. Instead, followers of Christ need to seek out greater connection to the Holy Spirit living inside of them, to tap into God’s strength and power to overcome life’s many obstacles.
Charisma: What do we not realize about the spiritual battles raging today?
David Jeremiah: From a spiritual perspective, an important distinction is that as Christians we are not fighting for victory, but from victory. How comforting is that? This is an important paradigm shift that will change everything if followers of Christ will grab ahold of this truth. Throughout Scripture, we’re called to be strong, and that means standing in the victory that’s already been won. As we look back, we rest in Christ’s victory over sin, Satan and death. As we look forward, we face the future, knowing God will always lead us in victory.
Charisma: How can we prepare ourselves for spiritual battle?
David Jeremiah: I’ve noticed something interesting, looking back on the story of David and Goliath. Notice the terms in the Bible describing Goliath are all physical: his massive size, the sight of him twice a day for weeks on end taunting the Israelites and the shout of his booming voice. But the terms used to describe David are all spiritual: his conviction, his courage and his confidence in the Lord. Going further, we read that David never asks about the weight of Goliath’s spear or the size of his shield. But he does reference the Lord’s strength nine times throughout the story.
David never lets himself get consumed with the physical aspect of the task at hand. He’s laser-focused on the supernatural power God has promised. So we need to take a page from David’s playbook. When we’re overburdened, oftentimes, the solution is to get our eyes off of the physical and readjust to the spiritual.
Charisma: How can we press in to victory when it seems like all hope is lost?
David Jeremiah: It’s all right to talk to God about your problems, but sometimes you need to talk to your problems about God. Preach the goodness of God to them. Prophesy the promises of God to them. Proclaim the victory of the cross to them.
Charisma: How is God moving today?
David Jeremiah: An important fact I constantly remind believers of is that the miracle-working God of the Bible is the same God who has empowered you today. I don’t say that to be cute. I mean it! Grab ahold of the authority you’ve been given and pray over every crisis in your life in Jesus’ name.
Alex and Stephen Kendrick, the brothers who brought you War Room, Courageous, Fireproof and Facing the Giants just debuted the trailer for their latest project, Overcomer.
According to the website synopsis:
Life changes overnight for coach John Harrison when his high school basketball team and state championship dreams are crushed under the weight of unexpected news. When the largest manufacturing plant shuts down and hundreds of families leave their town, John questions how he and his family will face an uncertain future. After reluctantly agreeing to coach cross-country, John and his wife, Amy, meet an aspiring athlete who’s pushing her limits on a journey toward discovery. Inspired by the words and prayers of a new-found friend, John becomes the least likely coach helping the least likely runner attempt the impossible in the biggest race of the year.
Watch the trailer and let us know what you think!
Author Henry Gruver says the Lord transported him to Rome one night. And he’s not the only one.
“Six people all from different places [transported] to another country? Tell me about that,” It’s Supernatural host Sid Roth says.
“Well, we were called the Spirit-filled strike force,” Gruver begins.
Watch the video to see the rest of his incredible story.
Just hours after their “fairytale wedding,” a young couple from Texas died in a tragic helicopter crash.
Will Byler and Bailee Ackerman Byler, seniors at Sam Houston State University, were married Saturday evening at the Byler family ranch in Uvalde before taking off in a helicopter in front of friends and family, CNN reported.
Local authorities received calls about a potentially downed helicopter around midnight Sunday morning. The aircraft crashed roughly 100 miles west of San Antonio, in northwest Uvalde County. {eoa}
Click here to read the rest of this story from our content partners at Faithwire.
The Atlantic reports more and more black women are leaving their Christian backgrounds in favor of the witchcraft-based religions of their ancestors.
More than 200 witches of color gathered in Maryland last month for a convention sponsored by Dawtas of the Moon.
The Atlantic’s Sigal Samuel reports that many of these women sought witchcraft as an escape from Christianity.
“I understand God more now, doing what I’m doing, than I ever did in the Church,” one woman reportedly said from behind a lectern.
Another woman, who says she grew up in the Apostolic church, says she found answers in the demonic when her Christian mother had none.
“I’m asking her questions about Christianity, and I’m like, ‘Why would you do this to us?’ She still can’t give me answers,” Monica Jeffries tells Samuel.
But why now? And where did it come from?
According to “The Witches of Baltimore” piece:
African-American witchcraft originated in West Africa, the birthplace of Yoruba, a set of religious traditions focused on reverence for ancestors and worship of a vast pantheon of deities known as orishas. Those traditions accompanied West Africans who were brought to the Americas as slaves, and were eventually combined with Western religions, such as Catholicism, that many slaves were pushed to embrace.
By the early 19th century, Cuban Santeria, Brazilian Candomble, Haitian Vodou, and other syncretistic faiths had emerged as a result. In cities like New Orleans, voodoo (slightly different from Haitian Vodou) and hoodoo, which also descend from West African faiths, grew popular. These practices—which often involve manipulating candles, incense or water to achieve a desired result—may have helped give slaves some sense of power, however minimal.
But Samuel isn’t the first to take note of the rising trend.
In 2016, Lakshmi Ramgopal interviewed black witch Lakeesha Harris, who founded Black Witch University.
Today, for Harris, being a black witch is about reclaiming ancestral knowledge about witchcraft and using it to fight deep-rooted, systemic oppression. “Audre Lorde says, ‘The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.’ So what will dismantle the master’s house? Your tools. Go and reclaim your tools. Your magic will dismantle the master’s house.” Harris adds that as a black witch, she focuses on how police brutality against Chicago’s black community has impacted what she calls the “vibration” of the city, and how can use her practice to combat that. “It would behoove us to use our own magic for the protection of ourselves and other people.”
With the university, Harris and her fellow black witches have another way to fight the ongoing colonization of African and Afro-American witchcraft by white culture, which frequently appropriates it and fails to credit those who created it. This appropriation is perhaps most obvious in the case of Haitian vodou, which is extremely popular among white witches and in mainstream white culture. “There is this thing about witchcraft being European,” Harris says scornfully, pointing to the white erasure of black witches from modern portrayals of witchcraft. “As if African traditions didn’t have witchcraft!” …
Bostic Seals also describes the hostility she encounters from white people who are surprised to learn a witch can be black. “Racism is rampant. Black Witch University is offering a safe space to people who feel left out or pushed out, who feel like they don’t fit in anywhere or have a place.” In addition, the university will help young black witches navigate relationships with Christian family members who think their interest in the occult will send them to hell. “Those young people are alone,” Bostic Seals says. “Their families are going to tell them that they’re evil, or that [practicing witchcraft is] wrong. If they don’t have a support system of like-minded individuals—that’s going to hurt them. Black Witch University is something that the black witch community really needs.”
“They scold you. Tell you it’s wrong to teach others because you aren’t ordained by their standards. Speak of many characters chosen by God, who lived not so great lives, but assert you can’t be the same. Made you feel insecure for sharing the knowledge because it’s not wrapped in scripture or because they didn’t teach it to you. Deem it incorrect or inadmissible. Ostracized because those church walls no longer connect with you and the truth which festers so deep, your Spirit can no longer contain,” ShaVaughn Elle writes for Medium.
Samuel at The Atlantic elaborates:
Omitola went on to differentiate between African witchcraft and “New Age [expletive],” like the witches who gather to hex President Donald Trump and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. But some of the black witches’ practices—astrology, say—are what the Pew Research Center considers New Age. In fact, a recent Pew study found that the rate of belief in New Age ideas is especially high among the communities that many convention attendees came from: historically black Christian denominations.
The study’s finding that New Age and Christian traditions often coexist in the same person was on full view at the convention. While some witches told me they were finished with Christianity, others said they still attend church, and argued that Christianity and African witchcraft are complementary, not mutually exclusive. As Omitola put it, “The Bible ain’t nothing but a big old spell book.” …
“The church is oppressive for a lot of black women,” said Tamara Young, a 32-year-old government program analyst. “But these African traditions empower women. They’re empowering you to have a hand in what you’re doing—to create your own magic.”
Jeffrey McCall will lead former members of the LGBT community this weekend to march with humility and share the freedom they’ve found in Jesus Christ.
McCall, a former transgender woman and male prostitute, says the Freedom March LA, to be held Nov. 4 in Pershing Square in Los Angeles, is a chance for salvation and revival to break out among the LGBT community. McCall spoke with Charisma News recently about the march.
Tell me about the vision behind the Freedom March movement?
McCall: The vision for the freedom March is to give Christians who formerly lived LGBTQ lifestyles a platform to tell their stories of deliverance through Jesus Christ redeeming blood. To share their stories of the grace God had given them to walk this out following Christ Jesus daily.
McCall: I got a word in early August 2016 that God wanted to open several platforms to me, and that it wouldn’t take long. Within months, I was doing my first television show. Then came radio, churches, youth events and other platforms to share my testimony. As all these platforms opened up, I thought about the many others who have a story similar to mine. About a year later, the Lord gave me this platform to begin the Freedom Marches.
McCall: A great friend of mine and sister in Christ, M.J. Nixon, had the idea for Los Angeles to be our next city. With everything going on in California with bill AB2943, we thought it was perfect! (The bill, which would not allow people struggling with homosexuality to pay for counseling services, was ultimately withdrawn.)
McCall: Ex-LGBTQ testimonies are so powerful to show the mercy and compassion of God! Though He detests that sin, He loves the people. He wants there to be freedom for all people, including freedom from sexual bondage. These testimonies are also so powerful because a lot of the church has counted these people out. The church can think that people in LGBTQ are too far gone, but that’s where Gods redeeming love comes in. No one is too far gone for Christ Jesus if they will repent and follow Him!
McCall: This March is going to be on a much larger scale than the original one in D.C. We have so much more support, and an excellent operations director in California, Kim Zember, spearheaded this event. We are going to have testimonies, worship, prayer tents, food and decor at the highest level.
McCall: I have dealt with spiritual warfare I didn’t even know existed before the first freedom March in Washington, D.C. that occurred in May. I dealt with spirit attacks both physically and mentally. In the end, though, I prevailed because Christ, the hope of glory resides in me. My Father was always with me through it all! He taught me a lot about being prepared and counting on Him, because without Him I can do nothing.
McCall: Following the Holy Spirit’s prompting is crucial to these events to pick the right people he wants to speak at each event. Also to have the right worship at each event. We also want to pick the right cities at the right time God wants to address these issues in that city. As we know from the Word of God, the wrong place at the wrong time equals disaster. When we chose L.A., I knew it was the right place. Some suggested waiting until next year, but I knew in my spirit we had to do it this year. We had to strike in California while the spiritual iron was hot!
McCall: I have been called everything from homophobic to bigot. I have been called a fraud and many other names. But at the end of the day, it’s Yeshua who calls me who I really am and tells me my identity.
McCall: As my friend Edward Byrd says, we had to really get a whole new identity. So the church should know these people who are leaving these lifestyles to follow Jesus Christ are truly having to relearn what God feels about their whole life. The LGBTQ lifestyle is an identity in itself. So we have to learn everything new and how to fit into the body of Christ. Sometimes we don’t fit the “norm” Christian look or ideal, but I think God is shattering that box and wanting all His children to walk in the highest form of freedom. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!
McCall: The church can help by just supporting us! We will continue to have these events all over the country. Our second annual Freedom March will be held in Washington, D.C., next year on May 25 at Sylvan Theater. The church can also help by opening up their churches to hear ex-LGBTQ Christians’ testimonies and open up the conversations about this topic. People need to hear the testimonies to know they can get help, and the people in the church need to know there is hope for their loved ones who are still living in those lifestyles. A great tool to use is the documentary that I, along with 12 others, am in called Here’s My Heart. It is 12 stories of freedom from homosexual/transgender lives. The producer, M.J. Nixon, travels the country showing the film at churches to open up this discussion in the churches.
People can get involved by checking out the website: . They can also check out our Facebook page: Freedom March
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Jeffrey McCall is CEO/event founder of Freedom Marches and also Head of For Such A Time Ministry.