Should You Let Your Child Celebrate Halloween?

Ah, Halloween—the holiday sure to ignite a debate no matter where you fall in the body of Christ. Some believers think it’s totally fine to trick or treat and let their kids have a go at the candy. Others abstain completely, acknowledging the pagan roots of the celebration. So what’s the right answer? Watch the debate and let us know.



Ex-New Age Expert Drops Major Truth Bomb About Oct. 31

With October 31 rapidly approaching, many churches are preparing for fall festivals and trunk or treats, tried-and-true Christianized methods for celebrating Halloween.

But this puts a burr in the saddle of New Age expert-turned-believer Steven Bancarz. The end of the month is about much more than a holiday with pagan roots, especially for those who claim Jesus as Lord.

In a Facebook post, he writes:

The only reason we aren’t all Roman Catholic, the only reason we are allowed to actually read Bibles and keep them in our homes without putting our lives at risk, the reason we are able to worship Jesus in a way that is separated from government, the only reasons we have freedom to voice our disagreements with church authorities, the only reason we have pastors and not priests, the only reason we aren’t being burned at the stake or exiled for sharing the true Biblical Gospel is because of the Protestant Reformation that happened 500 years ago on October 31.

We owe a HUGE thank you to people like Luther, Tyndale, Calvin, Zwingli, Hus and other people who put their lives on the line to preserve God’s word. Praise God that we had people willing to do that to bring us back to a pure form of Christianity. I am learning a little bit about this lately and am fascinated not only with the history but the theological convictions of those who opened the floodgates of every denomination besides the Roman Catholic church.

It concerns me and saddens me that the vast majority of Western churches will do far more to celebrate Halloween, a Satanic holiday rooted in witchcraft, than celebrate the 500th year anniversary one of the greatest moves of God in human history and the freedom in Christ that it has brought us.

PLEASE do not forget about the reformation this Halloween! I am going to make a post a day on something regarding the reformation for every day until the end of this month so that those who love Christ can hear about the wonderful history and move of God that brought Christianity back to the Bible.

Do you agree? Sound off below!



President Trump’s Evangelical Supporters Ready and Waiting ‘For Such a Time as This’

Donald Trump’s presidency has been filled with headlines, both positive and negative. And Americans are divided on their opinions of him as well—some remaining staunchly supportive while others are still opposed.

Those evangelical Trump supporters have been buoyed by his actions that have made good on his campaign promises—to protect religious liberty, defend the unborn, represent Judeo-Christian values on the Supreme Court and stand for America’s churches.

These supporters have been waiting “for such a time as this.”

In his new book, God and Donald Trump, award-winning journalist and author Stephen E. Strang tells the story of Trump’s evangelical voter base through personal interviews and behind-the-scenes reports, detailing the events that helped shape the dramatic Trump presidency thus far.

“Few people outside the four walls of a church pay much attention to what God is doing in the world,” Strang writes in the chapter titled “For Such a Time” in God and Donald Trump. “To them, acts of God are what you call tornadoes and hurricanes. But is it possible God has a plan for this nation? Is it possible He has a plan for His people? I’ve tried to make the case that President Trump won the evangelical vote by the largest margin in history, because, as (Pastor Robert) Jeffress said, Christians understood that he alone had the leadership skills and the unwavering persistence to reverse the death spiral of our nation.”

Strang added that Trump affirmed—time and again—what Christians had been waiting to hear from a national leader. “My administration will always support and defend your religious liberty,” Trump told a Kennedy Center audience during the first Independence Day celebration of his presidency. “We don’t want to see God forced out of the public square, driven out of our schools or pushed out of our civic life. We want to see prayers before football games, if they want to give prayers.” Before he even finished the sentence, attendees were on their feet with loud and resounding applause, after seeing too many examples of secular schools stamping on the beliefs of religious students. Trump added, “We want all children to have the opportunity to know the blessings of God. … As long as I am president, no one is going to stop you from practicing your faith or from preaching what is in your heart.”

Strang added in his book, “As I listened to those words, I wondered if people were asking themselves why Donald Trump was saying such things. For most of his life, he has not been very religious. He was more interested in making money—lots of money—than defending religious liberty. But just as millions of Christians were praying for someone to stand up and help turn things around, here came Donald Trump, seemingly out of left field. At first most Christians didn’t think much of him. Perhaps they didn’t believe him. But now they’re happy to know he has their back.

“Not everyone appears so happy about this new Donald Trump, however,” Strang continued. “If you’re secular, you see the world through a different lens. You may not even believe God exists. And if that’s the case, you feel there’s no reason to be concerned with such things. While people decry ‘the downward spiral,’ calling for restoration and renewal of the culture, Hillary Clinton and her supporters have been saying that everything is just fine. When Trump raised concerns about the moral decline in America, he was lampooned by the media as a hypocrite. Leftists, meanwhile, were marching in the streets for abortion on demand, and celebrating the right to take the life of an unborn child right up to the moment of birth. They were glad same-sex marriage has been validated by the Supreme Court, and that marijuana is being legalized in state after state. And when it comes to old-fashioned morality, the mantra of the secular culture these days is simply, anything goes. But most Americans recognized the problems; they didn’t have to be religious to perceive that something is wrong with the way this country has been going.”

Set for release on Nov. 7, almost a year to the day from the presidential election, God and Donald Trump, which contains a foreword from presidential hopeful and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, takes an incisive look at these and other factors that drove those conservative and evangelical voters to the polls.

Strang is an award-winning journalist and successful businessman who began his career as a newspaper reporter at the Orlando Sentinel before founding a Christian publishing house and media company while interviewing and writing about nearly every Christian leader in the country over the past four decades.

For more information on “God and Donald Trump” visit  and view the book’s video here. Visitors to the site can also download a free chapter and pre-order the book.

God and Donald Trump is published by Frontline, an imprint of Charisma House, which has published books that challenge, encourage, teach and equip Christians, including 13 New York Times best-sellers.



The Idol Most Women Have But Refuse to Admit

Nearly every woman has had that moment—the one where she’s hunched over in the dressing room and catches sight of her body. She can immediately pinpoint exactly what’s wrong with it or what she would change. Rarely does she use that moment to reflect on how God created her fearfully and wonderfully.

Nineteen-year-old beauty video blogger Chelsea Crockett has been there—along with other stops on the self-esteem train—as she works out who she is in Christ and her divine purpose.

“God has given us our faces and our bodies for a divine purpose, and if we are emphasizing that, he’s created us uniquely and beautiful in our own ways,” Crockett says.

Crockett is as quick to laugh as she is to discuss difficult topics for a Christian teen. Her vlog conquers doozies like how to honor God in a culture saturated with sex and pornography, but also has captures the moment of sweet adoration when she surprised her long-distance boyfriend for his birthday.

What’s she’s most known for, though, might be her fresh makeovers and beauty tips that coincide with the seasons. As much fun as it is, she says, a woman must be careful to guard her heart.

Her YouTube channel has more than 1.5 million subscribers.

“Whenever we look at ourselves in the mirror, whenever we’re changing, it can be kind of discouraging when we see ourselves like that, we think, ‘I wish I could do this to change, that it’s time to get on diet plan.’ Some of us follow through, but a lot of us don’t have that willpower, and we eat all these Cheetos, do whatever, and get stuck in this cycle,” Crockett says. “But even then, I think we have to know we are made in God’s image, and we are created with a divine purpose.”

She continues: “All in all, I think if this is all you’re thinking about throughout the day is your appearance and how you view yourself and your weight, then you probably need a new heart check and probably need to ask God for guidance. That’s becoming your idol—it’s hard to face, but that’s the truth of it. I’m preaching to the choir too, because this is a hard answer for me to give, I think it’s something we all struggle with.”

YourOwnBeautifulIt’s all documented in Your Own Beautiful, due out Oct. 24.

In her debut book, Crockett talks faith and fashion and everything in between. With Charisma News, she wasn’t afraid to speak candidly about the modesty culture within the church.

“I like to feel confident in the clothing I wear,” Crockett says. Her go-to fall outfit is jeans, heeled booties and an oversized sweater.

“In the summer when I wear swim suits and stuff around guys at the beach, I wear one-pieces and want them to be cute and flattering,” Crockett says. “I get one pieces from H&M, and I always get compliments on them. … I feel like a lot of people are too strict on the modesty thing, but also some are too loose sometimes. I kinda fall in the middle, maybe.”

Your Own Beautiful isn’t the only book on Crockett’s mind right now. She’s enrolled at a local community college, where she studies communications. She says she wants to hone her public speaking skills so she can one day address and empower women.

“So many conferences have come up lately, but I wanna do something different. I just don’t know what that is,” Crockett says. “I love Beth Moore, love Sadie Robertson, but I generally think the world needs something more personal, more intentional that lets [attendees] relate to their community and [shows them how to share the] gospel intentionally within their communities.

“It’s so mysterious, what do you do? I’m just praying God reveals this beautiful picture or dream.”

 

 



How Soon Before David Wilkerson’s Earthquake Vision Comes to Pass—Or Has It Already?

As natural disasters pummel all corners of the earth, David Wilkerson’s words in The Vision and Beyond sound frighteningly accurate.

In a recent episode of The Jim Bakker Show, Bakker himself reads from the book and discusses how these prophecies may be coming to fruition.

Take a look.



Beth Moore Lends Her Voice to Disturbing Reality of Sexual Harassment and Assault

“Me, too.” 

These two words may flood social media newsfeeds today as women and men speak up about a time they were sexually harassed or assaulted.

The movement birthed out of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and prove horrifying statistics aren’t just numbers, but neighbors, friends and family. The movement started with Hollywood actress Alyssa Milano, who tweeted: “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.”

According to Atlantic Training, about 1 in 3 women between the ages or 18-34 has been sexually harassed at work, and 81 percent of women have been verbally sexually harassed (jokes, name-calling and so on).

Lest you think the church is immune to the problems of the secular world, take a look at the reality of some of today’s prominent Christian leaders:

Evangelist and activist Alveda King told Charisma News she, too, has experienced sexual harassment.

“I remember applying for a job, I guess it was the ’70s or ’80s. Now I’ve been a state legislator, I’ve been a presidential appointee and I’ve encountered some sexism and other types of behavior through the years. But I remember I was applying for a job at an agency in Atlanta, Georgia, and the person interviewing me was a man, and the thing was well, ‘Why don’t you cross your legs and lean back, and we’ll talk.’ And I’m thinking … What does me crossing my legs and leaning back have to do with my ability to do my job? I think I probably said something like that and I was dismissed from the interview, but so I’ve encountered those kinds of things,” King says, a vocal abolitionist in the church today.

An article in Vice even claims that the church fosters this kind of harassment and abuse.

Author James Nolan writes:

In reality, “religion” is a generalized term. Better to specify what kind of religion—or, better still, what kind of culture—fosters it, and how there are varying degrees. Janet Heimlich, one of the world’s foremost authors on the topic and writer of the book Breaking Their Will: Shedding Light on Religious Child Maltreatment, says children are more vulnerable to abuse and neglect if they live in religious authoritarian cultures.

“There are three perfect-storm factors that identify a religious culture or community as authoritarian: One, the culture has a strict, social hierarchy. Two, the culture is fearful. And three, the culture is separatist,” she told the Huffington Post in 2011. “The more intense these three factors are—the more authoritarian the culture is – the more likely children will be harmed.” …

“Part of what has allowed abuses to continue unabated so long in very large religious institutions, such as the Methodist Church and others, is the power they have over congregants,” Heimlich told me. “They have the power to not only convince them they should not report abuses to outside authorities, but to tithe [give money]. These institutions also have power over politicians, who can be lobbied to keep statutes of limitations short, which, of course, benefits the institutions financially and keeps cases of abuse hidden from the public eye because survivors don’t get their day in court.”

With high-profile cases of Christians suffering sexual indiscretion, it can be difficult to disagree with Heimlich’s thoughts.

Evangelical author and professor Karen Swallow Prior summarizes the pervasiveness of the problem like this: 

One expert estimates that between 1 percent and 5 percent of the population molest children. This means that if you know 100 adults, chances are good that at least one of them is a child molester. Maybe more. There is no evidence to suggest that the church population differs significantly in reflecting the general population.

Of course, accepting the commonness of the problem does not mean accepting the problem. It is with sexual abuse as it is with a dog’s jumping: it should be neither shocking nor tolerated.

Nor does opening our eyes to the problem mean we should establish a battery of fear-based rules and regulations for young people and for those that serve them. Rather, we must be fiercely communicative, open, vigilant and wise. We need to understand the fact that abusers, potential abusers and their victims are all around us. There is no need to adopt a culture of fear, suspecting anyone whose hand we shake at Sunday morning worship is a thief—but we don’t leave our wallets unattended in the robe room either.

So what’s the church to do? 

King, whose father, Rev. A.D. King, was the brother of Martin Luther King Jr., has an idea.

“Once I was born again in 1983, I became a different person, and when I got those types of approaches, I would simply pray,” says King, whose new book, King Truths: 21 Keys to Unlocking Your Spiritual Potential, is due out early next year. “But they do need to be addressed, and women need to be silent no more in every area. With me, me being post-abortive, having abortions and everything, … I publicly talk about injuries and pains that God has delivered me from and healed me, but that’s the point that I want to make there that as the women are coming forth and saying, “Me, too” [they need to] be prepared to be healed, to forgive in the process. For those who are hearing these testimonies, [they need to] be prepared to help the healing process in love rather than to condemn.”



With New Optimism, Christians Are Waking Up

Over the past several months, Christian voters have had much to celebrate. From strides in religious liberties protections to bills defending the unborn, some of President Donald Trump’s promised agenda is being realized. And the optimism of those who put him in office is palpable.

Award-winning journalist and author Stephen E. Strang says that feeling is reminiscent of election night in Nov. 2016, when Christians sensed the nation had turned a corner—given a window of opportunity and a reprieve from God with Trump’s election.

In Strang’s new book, God and Donald Trump, set for release on Nov. 7, nearly one year to the day after the historic election, the author recounts some of those election night scenes and Christians’ hope for the future. God and Donald Trump also reveals the strategies, behind-the-scenes activity and profound voices that helped shape the dramatic events of the election and presidency thus far.

“I believe that Christians are waking up,” Strang said. “The evidence we’ve seen tells me that there is a new optimism and a new spirit rising all across the land. Many Christians believed they had to vote for Donald Trump or the downward spiral of the past eight years would continue. There is no doubt things would have gotten worse under Hillary Clinton’s administration. Even though our own culture and all of Western civilization remains in a downward spiral, there is hope. Two years ago, I would have never suspected that God would raise up a brash billionaire from Queens, New York, to undertake the transformation of America, not only politically but also spiritually. I expected to vote for Ted Cruz in November, but when he left the race, I had to reconsider my options. Now, I have a better understanding of why that reorientation was necessary.

“Could it be that this intersection of God and Donald Trump, or the simultaneous shifts in the United States of America and the kingdom of God, are much more than a random anomaly of coincidental occurrences?” Strang continued. “Is it possible that Donald Trump was raised up suddenly out of the obscurity of the business and entertainment environment with what Frank Amedia called a ‘breaker anointing’ that was activated to make a way for our nation to return to God? Is it the Creator’s plan that the diverse factions of the Christian church be united in a way to take back our country for God?”

A website and video for God and Donald Trump, which contains a foreword from presidential hopeful and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, may be found at ; view the video here. Visitors to the site can also download a free chapter and preorder the book.

Strang is an award-winning journalist and successful businessman who began his career as a newspaper reporter at the Orlando Sentinel before founding a Christian publishing house and media company while interviewing and writing about nearly every Christian leader in the country over the past four decades.

God and Donald Trump is published by Frontline, an imprint of Charisma House, which has published books that challenge, encourage, teach and equip Christians, including 13 New York Times best-sellers.



Francis Chan: Why I Left the Megachurch I Created

Francis Chan started his California megachurch in his living room. He says it was all he knew to do. Until the Holy Spirit convicted him. Here’s why.



Jonathan Cahn’s ‘The Paradigm’ Continues to Top Best-Seller Lists Across the Country

New York Times best-selling author Jonathan Cahn continues to dominate the charts with his new book, The Paradigm: The Ancient Blueprint That Holds the Mystery of Our Times (), which has mesmerized readers with its shocking and amazing details that uncover the hidden story and mysteries behind the news of our times.

This week, for example, The Paradigm reached No. 2 on the Publisher’s Weekly Religion Nonfiction best-seller list. Cahn’s books have staying power because of their incredible content that draws in readers, as evidenced by the fact that two of his past books remain on this week’s Top 10 Publisher’s Weekly Religion Fiction best-seller list: The Book of Mysteries (2016) is at No. 2 and The Harbinger (2012) still holds a place at No. 9—five years after its debut.

Other current rankings for The Paradigm include the following:

  • New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction—No. 13
  • New York Times Combined Nonfiction and eBook—No. 13
  • USA Today—No. 45
  • Wall Street Journal Nonfiction—No. 8
  •  (as of 7 a.m. ET Oct. 13, 2017)
    • Books > Top 100—No. 76
    • Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Theology—No. 1
    • Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Theology > Prophecy—No. 1
    • Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Bible Study & Reference > Prophecies—No. 1
  • Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) Christian Bestsellers—October 2017—No. 2

The Paradigm, the fourth book from the acclaimed author, is already in its third printing with more than 350,000 copies—just over three weeks since its debut.

Cahn’s publisher said there’s not necessarily a secret to the author’s success other than excellent content, a committed writer and publishing team, and loyal readers.

“Jonathan Cahn is a very disciplined author who is proactive in support of his books,” said Marcos Perez, publisher and executive vice president of Charisma House. “Given his history and track record, complemented by our relationships with accounts and audience constituencies, we were able to do a seamless weave that culminated in wonderful timing in the marketplace. Our analytics led us to make the right calls in key moments, for which we are grateful.”

More than 300 readers have given The Paradigm an average of 4.8 out of 5 stars, with 89 percent saying the book is a 5-star read:

  • “READ THIS IF U CAN ONLY READ ONE BOOK | A total must read for ALL Christians!”
  • “Five Stars | “Wish I could give it 7 stars!!!”
  • “Enlightening | This book answered so many of my questions about what God is doing and helped me to understand the old saying, ‘History repeats itself.’ I’m planning to buy every book that Jonathan Cahn has written.”
  • “History Proves Crucial | Amazing insight to connections of our modern day political leaders and leaders of Israel. No coincidence! He lays out the foundation of all of the major points and then gives excerpts as a refresher and breaks down the paradigm.”


Prominent Evangelist: Sodom and Gomorrah Weren’t Destroyed Just Because of Their Sin

Evangelist Nick Hall says Sodom and Gomorrah weren’t destroyed just because of their sin, but because the righteous could not be found. And while many believers in America today compare modern society to that of the wicked biblical cities, the Pulse Movement founder says there is a remnant, and the country can be saved. Watch the video to see.