DC Comics has outed The Green Lantern. Despite his womanizing maneuvers in last summer’s Green Lantern movie, the alien ring-toting superhero has no interest in the opposite sex. It seems when he’s not wearing his neon green garb and accomplishing superhuman feats, the chiseled Green Lantern enjoys kissing his new boyfriend. And an upcoming issue of the comic will show just that to innocent children everywhere.

Perhaps DC Comics is trying to compete with its rival Marvel Comics, which announced just days earlier that it would host the first gay wedding in the June 20 issue of Astonishing X-Men #51. Of course, Marvel Comics has long proved more progressive on the gay superhero front. Northstar, an X-Men character, became the first openly gay superhuman in American comic book history way back in 1992.

And holy cow! There’s also speculation that Batman is about to come out of his caved closet, which would confirm decades-old rumors that Batman and Robin are much more than friends in tights. In the name of gender equality, the comic book industry isn’t likely to leave the ladies out. Will we soon see superheroines like Wonder Woman, Catwoman and the Invisible Woman holding hands, kissing and planning lesbian weddings within the pages of children’s comic books?

Some have said the recent same-sex moves in the comic book industry are about driving more revenue to the bottom line. Others claim it’s political correctness. I can’t judge the motives of man’s heart. No matter the motive, I see the rise of gay superheroes as just another example of the spirit of immorality waging war on young souls. Although gay comic book heroes are far from the only example of how the spirit of immorality is targeting kids, it’s one of the most blatant I’ve seen in some time.

By printing comic book covers showing gay marriage and men kissing within the publication’s pages, the industry is planting seeds in young minds that this is a cultural norm. Sadly, it may be a cultural norm—54 percent of American adults consider gay or lesbian relations morally acceptable, according to a recent Gallup poll. Nevertheless, gay marriage is not a biblical norm. People can twist Scriptures to show God smiling on the spirit of immorality in any form it takes—and homosexuality is merely one manifestation looking for the Christian nod in today’s society. But that doesn’t make it true.

The word the Holy Spirit brought to my mind is “insidious,” which Merriam-Webster defines as “awaiting a chance to entrap (treacherous); harmful but enticing (seductive); having a gradual and cumulative effect (subtle); and of a disease—developing so gradually as to be well established before becoming apparent.” Insidious is the absolute right word to describe the spirit of immorality’s work in the earth. The injection of gay superheroes into our children’s worldview is just one of the most shocking recent examples.

One Million Moms may have said it best: “Children desire to be just like superheroes. Children mimic superhero actions and even dress up in costumes to resemble these characters as much as possible. Can you imagine little boys saying, ‘I want a boyfriend or husband like X-Men’? Why do adult gay men need comic superheroes as role models? They want to indoctrinate impressionable young minds by placing these gay characters on pedestals in a positive light.”

We’re in an all-out war for the next generation—a generation too young to understand the battle. The spirit of immorality is working overtime to seduce our children—and the spirit of immorality doesn’t fight fair. We need to bind the spirit of sexual immorality. But we also need to pray for the people behind the industries that are pumping out anti-Christ content laced with immorality and idolatry of all kinds. We need to pray because I believe people who are leading our children into sin will pay a price if they don’t repent.

Jesus said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” (Matt. 18:6-7)

I’m not condemning gays, lesbians, bisexuals or transgenders. God loves all people—all people: “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17). I believe that. I’m talking to the spirit of immorality that’s deceived many—and it’s not just gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders. The spirit of immorality’s influence is widespread and gaining ground in the pulpit and in the pews. You’ve read the headlines. And there are likely many more cases of the spirit of sexual immorality’s handiwork that you’ll never hear about.

Indeed, when we come against the so-called “gay agenda” and other agendas that don’t line up with the Word of God, we have to remember that gays and lesbians—flesh and blood—are not the enemy. Our enemy, in this case, is the spirit of immorality. And we’re witnessing more than a culture war with the same-sex marriage debate, with the revelation of sex-selective abortions in the U.S., with human trafficking and even with ungodly entertainment. We’re witnessing the manifestation of a spirit that we’re called to subdue in the name of Jesus.

At the same time, we can’t merely sit around and whine about how the spirit of immorality is working to capture the hearts and minds of our children. It’s our responsibility as parents to raise our children with biblical values—and it’s not impossible. The Bible says if we raise a child up in the way he should go, he won’t depart from it (Prov. 22:6).

We can’t blame the drug dealers and the porn pushers and the gay agenda for apathetic youth who don’t want to go to church by the time they are old enough to drive somewhere else on Sundays. We need to teach them the gospel, keep them in prayer, confess the Word over them, equip them to walk in Christ—and take authority over every spirit that would turn their hearts away from the truth. Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Heart of the Prophetic. You can e-mail Jennifer at

[email protected] or visit her website here.

Prophets would do well to keep their mouths tightly shut when they don’t have an unction from the Holy Spirit. Yet too many prophets feel the people pressure—the natural expectation that comes with the office—to prophesy profusely in public meetings. And too many prophets feel they must offer up a “prophetic word” about the latest natural disaster, governmental shift or economic crisis.

Yes, God surely does nothing unless He reveals it to His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7). But that doesn’t mean prophets and prophetic people should move beyond the unction and in to presumption, does it? We can prophesy according to the proportion of our faith all day long, but that doesn’t necessarily make it accurate, does it? Prophetic ministry is not an exercise that is ego-boosting—or at least it shouldn’t be.

Week in and week out I write this column. Sometimes I share experiences from my life. Sometimes I share prophetic insights. Sometimes I offer warnings. This week I am fighting a horrible cold and I didn’t really have anything to say. I was not moved by the Holy Ghost to offer a profound exhortation or even some simple edification when I sat down at my computer to start typing. I didn’t have anything to say.

Sure, I could wax eloquent about the healing power of God and how I am standing on the Word even while lying on my back. (And I do believe in the healing power of God.) But the Holy Spirit isn’t leading me to remind you about the benefits of the atonement. I could reach back into my teaching notes and pull out a column that would delight many and anger some. But the Holy Spirit is not leading me in that direction. I could regurgitate a recent message that I found especially powerful and add my insights. But I don’t believe that is what the Holy Spirit wants me to do.

I don’t have anything to say. And I’m not going to let the pressure of a weekly column push me into writing something that’s not led by the Holy Spirit just to please the people who expect to read something new every week. No, I’m not going to make that mistake because the column could lack anointing at best and could move into error at worst. Apart from Him, I can do nothing.

I’ll say it again. Prophets would do well to keep their mouths tightly shut when they don’t have anything to say. Yet too many feel the people pressure—the expectation that comes with the office—to prophesy profusely in public meetings. Too many prophets feel they must offer up a “prophetic word” about the latest natural disaster, governmental shift or economic crisis.

I understand the pressure that’s on prophets to offer a word in season and out of season, so to speak. I get phone calls and emails or Facebook messages almost every day from people looking for a prophetic word. Some even offer to pay for it. (Don’t get me started on the Internet prophets who manufacture so-called prophetic words on demand for a special price!)

If I wasn’t secure in my calling I would succumb to these requests and offer up something that may or may not be coming from the Holy Spirit just to preserve my “reputation.” But I am far more concerned about my reputation in heaven as a faithful steward of the gifts God has given me than I am about my reputation with man. So I don’t have anything to say.

Noteworthy is the Scripture that says, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise” (Proverbs 10:19). Also, “I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress (Psalm 17:3). James suggested that we should be slow to speak and quick to listen (James 1:19). Ecclesiastes 5:2 says, “Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.”

Scriptures abound on the mouth. All believers, but prophets in particular, should pray this Scripture: “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3). So like I said, I don’t have anything to say. Or maybe I did after all. But only by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including Did the Spirit of God Say That? You can e-mail Jennifer at

[email protected] or visit her website here.

Sabine Barig-Gould apologized for the famous English hymn “Onward, Christian Soldiers” he wrote in 1865. Why? For writing it so quickly that some of its lines were “faulty.” He permitted hymnbook compilers to change some of the lyrics, such as the phrase “one in hope and doctrine” to “one in hope and purpose” and “we are not divided” to “though divisions harass.”

If Barig-Gould were alive today, he may be compelled to offer his permission to change the title, adding the word “wounded” to the plight of the Christian soldier.

Sadly, there are too many wounded saints limping around the church trying their level best to serve God. Rather than walking in their Christ-given victory, they are walking in emotional defeat that oft holds them in bondage. Beloved, many of us have battle scars but many others are still the walking wounded. They need the healing balm of Gilead, spiritual medicine to heal their souls. But they also need natural, practical help to break free.

Identifying Demon-Inspired Imaginations
I started thinking about all this on Sunday afternoon. I went down to a beachfront park near my condo to pray for a friend who was acting so erratic that I just wasn’t sure what to do. She would hardly speak to me and was moving in the realm of demon-inspired imaginations that were leading her to make untruthful accusations about herself. I tried to dispel the lies but the truth wasn’t getting through.

As an intercessor, I felt heavy. That’s one of the reasons I left my condo. I felt more like sleeping than praying. That oppressive spirit didn’t leave me as I strolled around the beachfront park, Bible in hand, looking for a quiet place to sit and pray. But I was determined to get some answers.

I started toward one tree, but it didn’t feel right. Eventually, I found my spot and settled on some sand and pine needles. I was reading in 1 John and praying. As I had been doing for two straight weeks, I continued to ask the Lord to show me what to do to help this person—to show me the root of what was going on.

Suddenly, I looked over my left shoulder and saw a piece of plastic partly covered with sand. Normally, I wouldn’t pay attention, but the Holy Spirit illuminated it to me. I looked closer and I could see that it was a toy soldier. His owner had abandoned him, leaving him face down in the dirt. I scooped up the toy soldier and shook the sand off of him. He was in full military garb, complete with a hard hat and an impressive-looking weapon. He was still in a running stance, ready to charge to the front of the battle line and engage the enemy. But he couldn’t run. He couldn’t even walk. He was missing a foot. He was sorely wounded.

Receiving Prophetic Revelation
It was in that moment that I received a flash of revelation. This was my friend. She wants to run to the battle line. She wants to go hard after God. But she can’t run. She can barely walk. She is wounded. It’s not a mortal wound—but it’s a wound bad enough to interfere with her daily walk with God. And it’s not her fault. The enemy took some sucker punches early in life, then later in life, and then again and again throughout her life—and really poured it on in recent months. Many Christian soldiers who should have been there to help over the years failed to bear her burdens—and some even shot this wounded soldier, offering more pain to her already-suffering soul.

So what do you do with a wounded soldier that is so hurt and exhausted both physically and emotionally that they can’t take another step forward? Some in the church today would offer a scriptural platitude and a dose of condemnation for failing to count the trials all joy. Others would pressure the wounded soldier to get back in the fight despite the gaping bloody wound in their soul, spewing testimonies about how others on the brink of death cast the mountain into the sea by faith. Still others would insist on casting out the devil.

Well, it’s not always so easy to count it joy or to get back in the fight. And it’s not always a devil. I mean, yes, the devil is ultimately behind many of the attacks that leave the wounds. But that doesn’t mean a wrestling match in a deliverance session will put the wounded soldier back on his feet. And it doesn’t mean we need to encourage a pity party and help the wounded soldier lick his wounds, either. So what do you do? Where’s the balance?

Helping Wounded Soldiers
I was talking with one of my spiritual mentors about this. Sometimes when you try to help a wounded soldier he lashes out at you and makes accusations against you, sort of like a wounded animal bites the hand that would save it. That’s what happened to me. I didn’t want to abandon my wounded friend like the child abandoned his wounded toy soldier in the sand at the beach. But nothing was working. I was out of answers. I was now being accused and attacked. My spiritual mentor offered me some sound wisdom that I’ll share with you:

“Be present. Listen. Gently speak the opposite of the lies and encourage her to take the steps necessary to get better. There are many Christians who are at the point of breakdown—and others who are healthy now but may, later on, have periods of breakdown in their lives for many different reasons. They cannot war in the way we know it when they don’t feel good. But they bounce back with us standing with them, and they war and fight again. God is in all of it and as they continue to make right choices along the way they will come out on the other side stronger than ever.”

So next time you come in contact with a wounded soldier—and there are many, far too many—be quick to listen and slow to speak. Don’t offer them pat answers from the Bible because you don’t know their pain. Don’t judge them for where they are because you don’t know what you would do if you took the hits they took. If they hurl accusations against you, don’t retaliate. Walk in love, and pray. Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including Breakthrough!. You can e-mail Jennifer at

[email protected] or visit her website here.

A young woman called me looking for a prophetic word. She was
befuddled, sore vexed and all-out desperate to hear from God about a
certain situation.

This young, Spirit-filled woman, we’ll call her
Tammy, insisted she just couldn’t hear from God. She had prayed. She
has worshipped. She had read books on how to hear the voice of God.
Yet she adamantly confessed that she could not hear a word. She called
me because she wanted to me to “go to the throne” on her behalf.

Tammy
went on to rehearse every detail the devil was telling her. She told me
how the devil said she was going to get fired on the next round of job
layoffs. She told me how the devil said her car was going to break down
soon. She told me how the devil said she was going to get sick. And she
was full of fear.

Can you see the contrast yet? Tammy did not believe she could hear
the voice of God—and this after I had coached her for weeks on how to
quiet her soul and listen for that still small voice—yet
she could tell me every lie the devil was whispering in her ear with
pinpoint accuracy. And her fear testified that she believed those lies.

The
thief had come to steal, kill and destroy, and he was making steady
progress because Tammy was willfully letting him in and, through her
fear, actively entertaining his plan to make her jobless, take her
transportation, and put sickness on her body. Tammy’s fear was a twisted
faith in the devil’s wicked prophetic words.?

Jesus
said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the
sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief
and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the
sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he
calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out
his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they
know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will
flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers” (John 10:1-5).

Jesus
said His sheep don’t know the voice of strangers. So why do so many
Christians listen to what some demon tells them and sit up at night
fretting? Why are so many Christians tormented by ungodly imaginations
that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God? Why do so many
Christians act on the whisperer’s tempting suggestions and fall into
sin? Why do they follow the voice of strangers? Here is one reason:
Those voices are no strangers. Some have given heed to those demonic
voices for so long that they have become familiar—and some take their
twisted advice.

Saints, it’s a sad day in the church when we
become more familiar with the voice of the devil than the voice of God. I
believe part of the reason for this is because too many five-fold
equipping ministers are too quick to prophesy over people instead of
teaching them how to discern the will of God for themselves.

When
we make people dependent upon us for counsel, we are stripping them of a
chance to grow in Christ. Yes, everyone needs wise counsel from time to
time, especially when major life decisions are at hand. But people need
to learn how to hear the voice of God for themselves, too. And
sometimes that means they skin their knees while they are in training.
But that’s how we learn.

God speaks to our spirit and our spirit
speaks to our conscious. The devil, on the other hand, speaks straight
to our unrenewed mind. When our mind is not renewed with the Word of God
in a certain area, the devil works to enter as a thief and a robber to
sow his dastardly seeds in our soul. He’s looking to establish a
stronghold. He wants us to meditate on the false prophetic words
he’s offering us and eventually give life to them by speaking them out
of our mouth. Our mouth can agree with the enemy or with God. Too often,
our agreement aligns with the one whose voice is loudest.

Christians
are tuned in to the voice of the devil because it’s easy to hear. The
devil is always blabbing like a loud mouth in a quiet movie theater. If
you are thinking about giving into the special offering in the church,
the devil will tell you that you can’t afford it. If you are considering
going on a mission trip, the devil will tell you that you are too busy.
If you are trying to stop smoking, the devil will tell you one more
cigarette won’t hurt. If you have a little sniffle, the devil will tell
you that you are getting sick. If people are getting laid off at work,
the devil will tell you that you’re next.

God, on the other hand, will tell you that he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly (2 Cor. 9:6). God will tell you that He supplies of all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19). God will tell you that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. 6:19). God will tell you that by His stripes you were healed (1 Peter 2:24). God will tell you the truth. The voice of strangers work to exalt demon-inspired lies over God’s truth.

Why
do we listen to the voice of strangers? Again, because they are not
really strangers. We’ve grown familiar with demonic voices like the
voice of an old friend. But the devil is no friend. In fact, the devil
is out to steal, kill and destroy your life. That’s his ministry. And he
can find ministry success much more quickly if you listen to his voice
and prophesy his words over your life. How can two walk together unless
they are agreed? (Amos 3:3)

As for Tammy, she was deceived. Remember, she kept insisting that she could not hear the voice of God? Who do you think told her that? Was it the Holy Spirit,
who comes to lead us into all truth? Or was it the thief who comes to
lead us into destruction? The devil told Tammy repeatedly that she could
not hear from God and she believed it, she confessed it and she walked
in that reality—until we identified the voice of the stranger and cast
it down. Now, she has stopped following the stranger and she is led
forth by the Holy Spirit into all truth. Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including Did the Spirit of God Say That?. You can e-mail Jennifer at

[email protected] or visit her website here.

Day and night. Night and day. These are themes that run through the Bible—from Genesis to Revelation—and they are awakening the praying church to new realms of intercession.

Fellowshipping with God through prayer and worship is what we were created for. It’s just that simple. Yet how easy is it to stray from this reality when the spirit of the world is tugging on your sleeve with trouble, with persecution, with the worries of this life, or with the deceitfulness of riches?

How easy is it? Too easy in an American church that’s being lulled to sleep by a false gospel working its way into our mindsets through compromised Christian television preachers and seeker-friendly congregations that look to make numbers rather than disciples.

Although I’m no stranger to the prayer movement, I was especially impacted by IHOP-Miami’s first-ever Night and Day conference at Ekklesia Church in Miami this past weekend. The building was hardly overflowing with Miamians seeking God, but the fiery spirits who gathered there were unified—and the group was rewarded with God’s manifest presence. IHOP-KC’s Justin Rizzo led worship while Brandon Hammonds ministered the Word on Saturday night.

The message came from Joel 2. Hammonds sounded two trumpets: a wake up call (Joel 2:1-2) and a call to prayer (Joel 2:15). Perhaps it impacted me so because of a prophetic word the Lord recently gave me about my own life as it relates to the prayer movement. Or perhaps it impacted me so because it was pure and simple truth that is less often trumpeted these days.

Or maybe it impacted me because I was knee deep in Charisma News coverage of culture wars ranging from President Obama’s endorsement of same-sex marriage to the threat of shariah law in America to police threating a Christian in Buffalo for handing out tracts to Americans being split over whether homosexuality is a sin to a New York appeals court ruling that it’s legal to view online child porn to foreign gods gaining ground in the U.S. … I could go on—and those are just headlines from the past week.

Whatever the reason, I walked away from the IHOP-Miami conference with an even greater sense of urgency for the cause of night and day prayer. And I suppose that was Hammond’s intent. With the Global Day of Prayer and Pentecost Sunday approaching, it’s time to renew our commitment to night and day prayer so that when the dust settles the intercession continues to rise.

When I explored Scripture, I found this running “night and day” and “day and night”  theme I mentioned earlier. There is both biblical precedent and modern day history for night and day prayer and we can see the fruit of it in Scripture. God’s Word does not return to Him void, but it shall accomplish what He pleases and it shall prosper in the thing for which He sent it (Isaiah 55:11). When we pray out His Word day and night, it will make an impact on the earth. It has to.

Day and night. We know that David, a prophetic worshipper, cried out to God day and night (Psalm 88:1). That left a mark on his son and heir, Solomon. When Solomon finished rebuilding the temple—and when he finished his prayer of dedication—he blessed the assembly. In that blessing, he declared, “May these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be near the Lord our God day and night …” (1 Kings 8:59). We know that Nehemiah prayed before the Lord, day and night, while he was rebuilding the wall (Nehemiah 1:6). No matter what you called to, day and night prayer is part of that calling.

Day and night. Jesus made us a promise around prayer in the Parable of the Unjust Judge: “Shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily …” (Luke 18:7-8). No matter what the enemy has stolen from you—no matter what injustice God has called you to confront—day and night prayer is the means to invite God’s righteous rule into the situation.

Night and day. Anna, an elderly prophetess, was one of the first to recognize the Messiah in the flesh. The Bible says she “did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day” (Luke 2:37). We know that Paul prayed day and night for the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 3:9-11) and for his spiritual son Timothy (2 Tim. 1:3). Intercession for God’s will upon the earth is a night and day work because our enemy never sleeps.

There is a long history of day and night prayer works in the earth. About 1,000 years before Christ came to the earth, David commanded that the Ark of the Covenant be carried into Jerusalem on the shoulders of the Levites and placed in a tent. He hired 288 prophetic singers and 4,000 musicians to minister before the Lord night and day (1 Chron. 15:1–17:27).

In modern times, David Yonggi Cho, pastor of the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, South Korea, established Prayer Mountain with night and day prayer in 1973. And in 1999, the International House of Prayer in Kansas City started a worship-based prayer meeting that has continued for 24 hours a day, seven days a week for more than 13 years.

Today, there are 24/7 houses of prayer and prayer mountains in every continent on the earth. I’m encouraged that the church is seeing a restoration of night and day—day and night—prayer among the nations. Houses of prayer are springing up around the world with a mandate to praise His name from the rising of the sun even to its going down (Malachi 1:11), to contend for justice, to cry out for revival, and to prepare a way for the Lord.

The question is: What role will you play in the prayer movement? It’s not about supporting a certain ministry or even agreeing with everything forerunners in this movement teach. It’s about a personal commitment to pray without ceasing as the Bible commands. We’re all called to intercede. Will you commit in this critical hour to pray for His will to be done and His kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven? Will you sow that seed? Or will you allow the spirit of the world to distract you while the enemy brings more destruction?

I’m blowing the trumpet. Who hears me?

At first, I thought it was New Age culture. But I was wrong. It was occultism.

As I strolled through the streets of Key West on a 24-hour getaway with my daughter, I noticed something that I had never witnessed in Key West before: Occultism seems fully woven through the culture.

I’ve been going to Key West for more than 20 years and have spent weeks at a time on the tropical island. But something disturbing had happened in the 10 years since I last visited—and it’s merely a microcosm of what’s happening in the world today.

You can no longer walk down Duval Street—the famous drag of shops and restaurants—without running into the likes of Mahadeo Jerrybandhan, a renowned “peerless palmist” from Trinidad with a long white beard and an even longer white robe. But Jerrybandhan is not alone. He has plenty of peers in Key West, from psychics to mediums to channels to healers to tarot card readers to astrologers. The only group I didn’t find down there were the crystal readers.

Then there’s “Robert the Doll.” Key West profiteers have designed so-called ghost tours that explore the haunted history of Key West, including old wooden houses where spirits purportedly walk. Tour guides will tell you that Key West is one of the most haunted cities in the world with elevated paranormal activity. A local voodooistic icon, Robert the Doll will supposedly curse you if you take his picture without permission or forget to thank him for the privilege.

The Abomination of Occultism

As you can imagine, seeing all this grieved my spirit. But I should not have been so surprised. Occultism has been slowly creeping into American culture for decades as movie makers exalt witchcraft and vampires while the music industry pumps occult rock. Beloved, we are in the midst of a great spiritual crisis even now. Our literature, music, video games, comics, films and television shows are full of mysticism and the occult. Some of it is subtle. Some of it is blatant. All of it is wicked.

Again, this is nothing new. Occultism—which broadly includes magic, séances, channeling, hypnosis, necromancy, astrology, extra-sensory perception, alchemy, spiritualism and divination—is strongly condemned in the Bible.

“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire [which is an ancient occult practice], or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord” (Deut. 18:10-12).

The Lord rebuked Israel for practicing astrology (Is. 47:10-14). Jezebel practiced witchcraft (2 Kings 9:22) and we know how that ended. Ephesus was known for a population that practiced magic arts (Acts 19:19). And the book of Revelation makes it clear that “the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8).

Kabbalah, Kundalini and Jezebel

And yet we see occult practices, like Kabbalah, gaining momentum in the church. We see “prophetic words” delivered in what appears to be Kundalini fashion, with violent shaking and demonic tongues against a backdrop of tribal bongos that set the congregation into hysteria. We see a Jezebel spirit working to seduce saints into idolatry and sexual immorality—and oftentimes succeeding. We see all sorts of strong delusion and strange fire with occultic ties in the modern church.

But we should not be surprised. The rise of occultism is a sign of the end times. Satan’s plan is to fascinate our hearts with occult power and deceive us. The Holy Spirit, meanwhile, wants to fascinate our spirits with a revelation of the Son of God. I believe God’s people are enticed by occultism when they begin seeking spiritual experiences above seeking God. It’s a subtle—and dangerous—shift. Many Christians are on fire for God, but that fire can suddenly turn strange if we are not rooted in the Word. If we seek supernatural experiences, we will find them—but they don’t always come from Jesus.

Beloved, we must not play with strange fire. Ultimately, the occult leads to murder and mayhem—immorality of all kinds. It’s not likely that you would ever willfully visit the likes of Mahadeo Jerrybandhan, the peerless palmist—or any of his peers. But could you ignorantly be engaged with occultic practices that are opening the door to deceptive dangers? Could it be coming from what appears to be godly influences—even within church culture?

Discernment or Deception?

Don’t brush the question off before praying about it. If you want the truth, the Holy Spirit will lead you and guide you into all truth. Please hear me! Even a little occult is a deadly poison—a little leaven leavens the whole lump. The Bible warns about deceptive teachers, false apostles and deceitful workers. The Bible warns about self-deception. And it’s your responsibility to keep your heart pure. If you’ve stepped into this demonic ditch, repent now and warn others.

Friends, we’re in an end-times war with eternal consequences. Satan is using the occult to seduce people away from the kingdom of God to dance in the kingdom of darkness. I pray that the Lord gives you discernment and awakens your spirit, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming (Matt. 24:42).

Let me leave you with a warning from the apostle Paul: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Col. 2:8). Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Spiritual Warrior’s Guide to Defeating Jezebel. You can email Jennifer at [email protected] or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

God can—and often does—speak through natural encounters in our everyday lives. So when I saw two U.S. Army soldiers pumping gas in the car next to mine last week—and when my spirit suddenly went on high alert—I knew the Lord was trying to show me something.

See, I used to live a mile outside the gate of Fort Rucker in Ozark, Ala. Interacting with military personnel was part of everyday life. But since I returned to South Florida 10 years ago I haven’t seen a single military man (or woman). At least not one in uniform. These men were dressed in their camouflage gear complete with boots. No one else seemed to notice them, but I couldn’t take my spiritual eyes or ears off them.

As I watched and listened to how they interacted, I was impressed with both the camaraderie and respect they showed one another. I noticed at least one of them had been deployed—risking his life for the security of the nation—and returned home safely from war by the patch on his sleeve. Finally, before they left, I stepped out and thanked them for serving our country. The major’s smiling response: “It’s our pleasure.” Humble.

When I got back in my car, I asked the Lord what that was all about. He said, “What if these soldiers were out in the middle of the battlefield arguing with each other?”

What would happen is this: They would leave themselves open for a blindside from the enemy. Soldiers on the battlefield must have one another’s backs. They can’t be found arguing over who is the greatest or whether or not the corners on their bunk beds were tucked in tightly enough that morning. In other words, there’s no room for petty arguments over non-essential matters. Lives are on the line. Soldiers in the U.S. Army have to lay aside personal preferences—and personal ambition—for the good of their unit.

Beloved, we are not only the bride of Christ; we are also soldiers in the army of the Lord. We are in a spiritual war. Lives are on the line. Good soldiers—soldiers that are ultimately promoted to higher ranks—are motivated by the mission. Seasoned soldiers in the army of the Lord are devoted to one another in love and honor one another above themselves (Rom. 12:10). Many have taken bullets for their fellow soldiers—bullets they didn’t have to take—in the name of executing the battle strategy or keeping a senior officer (or just a fellow soldier) safe. We call them heroes and give them silver stars.

Yet too often soldiers in the army of the Lord are struck with so-called friendly fire that they never saw coming. Why is there so much bickering among us? Why is there so much striving for promotion? Why are there so many personal attacks? I’m not talking about calling out error or sin. I am talking about mean-spirited critical, judgmental, personal attacks that hit below the belt. My brethren, this ought not be so. That’s not the spirit of Christ. And it needs to stop. Now.

Christian ministry isn’t a corporate ladder where you step on those around you to get to the top. Christian ministry isn’t a forum to call out the faults of your fellow soldiers to prove your own worth. Christian ministry isn’t an open invitation for so-called believers to hurl fiery darts at one another on the enemy’s behalf.

So what is Christian ministry? Well, James said pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world (James 1:27). Christian ministry is doing what God has called you to do in the right spirit—without following the world’s way. Pure Christian ministry demands a self-sacrificing spirit that trusts God to promote you, to vindicate you, or to do whatever else you need done by His grace and in His timing.

I’m reminded of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Jesus called blessed those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn over sin, those who are meek, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, those who are merciful, those who are pure in heart, those who are peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (Matt. 5:3-10).

The Beatitudes portray the core of the character of a mature soldier in the army of the Lord. These core values go against the grain of the world system that pushes us to perform for earthly rewards and recognition. These values encourage us to pursue a relationship with the Father that will cause us to walk in humility, be quick to repent, be kind and gentle, seek first the kingdom of God, show mercy, purify our motives, seek peace with all men and endure the persecution that comes with walking out the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle.

If U.S. soldiers—many of whom are not even Christians—can display such integrity of character and devotion to one another’s wellbeing, can’t we? Selah.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Heart of the Prophetic. You can e-mail Jennifer at

[email protected] or visit her website here.

It’s just a setback; it’s not your future.

I remember when the Holy Spirit spoke those words to me some years ago. I had just taken a devastating blow—a one-two (three-four) punch from the enemy. It sent me reeling with a spinning head and wobbling legs.

Let’s just say I never saw it coming.

But when the Holy Spirit spoke those eight simple words to me it broke the spiritual oppression that was trying to settle on my soul. I suddenly had an all new—more hopeful—perspective. Instead of focusing on my immediate past, I began to immediately look for the next step in God’s good plan for my future.

Have you encountered a setback lately? Something unexpected that spoiled your plans and disappointed your heart? It could be a failed relationship, a broken dream, a financial calamity, a health issue. Beloved, see this setback for what it is. Setbacks are delays. Setbacks are hindrances. But setbacks are not necessarily failures. You did not fail because you encountered defeat. You only fail when you choose not to get back up and keep going. It’s just a setback. It’s not your future.

I like to put it this way: A setback is a form of feedback. In other words, when you encounter a setback it should cause you to stop and assess your situation. How did you come to this point? Could you have done something differently? How should you respond now? Stop, look, listen and learn from the Holy Spirit and you will find wisdom that will help you avoid similar setbacks in the future God has for you.

Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, once said: “Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward.”

There are countless books on great men and women who faced setbacks on their way to realizing their dreams. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Setback. Thomas Edison failed 1,000 times to invent the light bulb before he found success. Setback. Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper for not being creative enough. Setback. Steve Jobs was fired from Apple. Setback.

Despite the setbacks—all of them rather humiliating—each went on to make their mark on modern history. None of these men allowed their setbacks to become their future. Instead, they turned their mistakes into a coach. Imagine if they hadn’t. Beloved, you have something to contribute to the world. Don’t let your setbacks define your future.

I’ve seen my fair share of setbacks—and then some. One was a financial devastation. I had an enviable gig with a major broadcaster running editorial operations on a popular small business website. I was riding high, making the big bucks, and sure that my future was bright.

Then it happened. The dot-com bubble burst and the contract vanished in the twinkling of an eye. All of my proverbial eggs were in a single basket. Setback.

I had two choices: recover or starve. I didn’t have time to wallow in the shock. I had to let the mistake of putting all my eggs in one basket become a coach. It taught me the value of diversification. Instead of one revenue stream, I now have multiple revenue streams from various sources so that if one bubbling brook dries up there’s another to keep the finances flowing freely.

You may never face anything as devastating as divorce or job loss, but even minor setbacks can derail you if you don’t keep the right perspective. How do you recover? Again, remember that it’s just a setback. It’s not your future. American author Les Brown once said, “Anytime you suffer a setback or disappointment, put your head down and plow ahead.” And Harry S. Truman said, “I’ve had a few setbacks in my life, but I never gave up.”

I’ve have plenty of setbacks in my life—from abandonment and divorce to betrayal and imprisonment.  I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13). I would have given up if I hadn’t embraced the fact that the setbacks were just that—setbacks. It’s just a setback. It’s not your future.

So stop focusing on the past—even if the past was this morning—and focus on Him. Paul the apostle faced setbacks. But he pressed on to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus laid hold of him and he did it by looking ahead: “But one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind” (Phil. 3:13-15).

So remember, it’s just a setback. It’s not your future. God is still on the throne. Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including Breakthrough!. You can e-mail Jennifer at

[email protected] or visit her website here.

Many lessons will spring from Trayvon Martin’s tragic death. It has opened up new discussions on race relations in America and served as a catalyst for a renewed emphasis on unity in the body of Christ.

Although I am grieved over Martin’s death, I am grateful that the church is beginning to rise up and respond. Racism is a heart issue. Ultimately, we will only emerge victorious over this demon-inspired mindset when we attack it as a unified front in the name of Jesus. We overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21).

I’m nearly 42 years old … too young to remember the evils of segregation but not too blind to notice that Sunday morning is still the most segregated day in America—and it’s not just segregated by skin color or nationality, either. The body of Christ is splintered, with about 38,000 distinct Christian denominations preaching, praying and sometimes prophesying and casting out devils in the name of Jesus.

This is a bold statement and one that will probably anger many. But about seven years ago the Holy Spirit told me denominations were a tool the enemy uses to bring division in the church. I found out later that the very definition of denomination is “a division of part of a whole.” Selah.

It’s been said that Jesus didn’t come to start a religion. Well, I don’t believe Jesus meant for His body to be sliced and diced into 38,000 disagreeable parts, either.

Denominations breed a measure—and sometimes a large measure—of disunity because each denomination tends to think it adheres to the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help them God.

Many, if not most, believe other denominations are flowing in some sort of error, whether that’s speaking in tongues, baptizing in the name of Jesus only rather than in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, how to receive salvation or the path to heaven, whether or not women can preach or some other doctrine. You know me. If there’s major delusions going on, call it out. But there are some issues over which it’s not worth making a mountain out of a molehill.

You don’t see denominations in the book of Acts. There’s no pattern for denominations in the Bible that I can find. Jesus never taught us to form sects based on the teachings of any bishop, apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher. Rather, Jesus prayed that believers may be one, even as Father, Son and Holy Ghost are one (John 17:10). Paul actually pled with the church at Corinth not to allow divisions.

“Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Cor. 1:10-13).

Of course, now we have denominations—some 38,000 of them. It’s not likely that we will see the end to denominationalism until we see the other side of glory. And I don’t expect this article to change that. What I would like to see, though, is a greater unity among those who call Jesus Lord. I saw the inklings of this in Sanford, Fla., last week when I attended a meeting of about 75 pastors, chaplains and spiritual leaders of various races, ethnicities and denominations. I saw a community of pastors committed to working together in the face of a citywide crisis.

Although I was encouraged by this, I was at the same time grieved that it took the death of a young man to breed this commitment to unity. Think about it for a minute. There are young men like Trayvon Martin being slain—and other atrocities—in our nation every day. There are rapes, robberies, poverty, disease and other works of the devil manifesting in our midst while we argue over whether to dunk or sprinkle. Brethren, these things ought not be so.

No, I don’t expect the body of Christ to make a sweeping shift toward non-denominationalism. But I am challenging every apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher, bishop, deacon—every believer—to lay aside doctrinal differences and set out to impact your local communities in the name of Jesus and for the glory of God.

I am convinced that there is no single “denomination” that proclaims the inerrant truth. Jesus can set us all straight when we see Him. But I am also convinced that if we would focus on the common ground we do have—faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God—we could discover the unity that would be a witness to the world that Jesus is alive. After all, as it’s been said, we all have the same boss. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to stand before Jesus and explain why people went to hell while I was arguing about a doctrine with another believer.

I beseech you by the mercies of God to dig deep within your spirit and find a way to reach across the aisle, so to speak, and work with the Lutheran pastor (or the Episcopal pastor, Free Will Baptist pastor, Southern Baptist pastor, Independent Baptist pastor, Anglican pastor, Presbyterian pastor, Anabaptist pastor, Methodist pastor, Church of God pastor, Church of God in Christ pastor, Assemblies of God pastor,· Church of God of Prophecy pastor, Foursquare pastor, Vineyard pastor, Church of Christ pastor—you get the idea) and get about our Father’s business in our local communities. Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including Did the Spirit of God Say That? You can e-mail Jennifer at

[email protected] or visit her website here.

Sanford, Fla., pastors stood united on Friday morning in front of
Holy Cross Episcopal Church to declare unity among local clergy.

More than 20 pastors crossed ethnic and denominational lines in a
pledge to work side-by-side to bring healing and reconciliation to the
community in the wake of the tragic death of Trayvon Martin.

“We call not on our city but on our state and our nation to work
toward reconciliation,” said Rory Harris, pastor of Holy Cross Episcopal
Church. “There are certain things we need to deal with. There is work
to be done. We have to get past this and move forward.”

Martin, a 17-year-old African-American, was killed by the 28-year-old George Zimmerman
on Feb. 26. The Sanford community has seen protests and threats of
violence from the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, a black
political organization. In response, armed neo-Nazis are patrolling
Sanford.

“We aren’t going to stand on the side of black or white,” said David
Charlton, pastor of First United Methodist Church of Sanford. “We are
standing on the side of justice.”

In one of their first moves to bring healing to the divided
community, the pastors announced tentative plans for a citywide memorial
service for Martin. The ministers are seeking the Martin family’s
permission. Tim Waisanen, a local youth pastor, believes a memorial
would help.

“Young people want to rally around a cause that’s greater than
themselves. We believe this is a cause they can rally around,” he said.
“We want to usher in a spirit of peace and healing and love.”

The overarching sentiment at the gathering was clear: oneness.
Derrick C. Gay, pastor of Sanford’s Dominion Church International who
was involved in discussions around releasing the 911 tapes between
Zimmerman and police dispatchers on the night Martin was killed, made it
clear that the pastors were “casting aside our personal opinions” and
praying for both the Martin and Zimmerman family, seeing justice for
Martin and due process for Zimmerman.

The press conference comes a day after more than 80 pastors met in a
Charisma Media conference room to discuss how to foster true healing and
reconciliation amid the racial tension in Sanford. Raleigh Washington,
president and CEO of Promise Keepers, whose mission is to issue a
catalytic clarion call to the body of Christ and to hear and obey the
Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit, led the meeting. Bishop
Harry Jackson, senior pastor at Hope Christian Church in Beltsville,
Wash., also helped facilitate the multicultural meeting.

“You are not going to be able to come together with oneness unless
you create an environment of repentance and forgiveness,” Washington
said, noting that he was there to deal with the elephant in the room.
“You have to have a heart of forgiveness.”

Jackson, a Florida native, noted that the “Martin problem” has been
going on in the Sunshine State for years and offered some personal
examples. Then he asked a pointed question: Are we going to solve it
now? Jackson led the room of pastors and spiritual leaders in
repentance, which saw people bowing down to their knees in prayer.

“I don’t know of a white pastor who wouldn’t go to the Martin family
on their knees and ask for forgiveness,” said Joel Hunter, pastor of
Northland, a megachurch in nearby Longwood, Fla. “We have to figure out
what repentance looks like is what we are doing here.”

At the end of the meeting, Gay stood up and offered to lead the
charge toward unity and to work with local pastors to bring the
repentance, forgiveness, healing and reconciliation that needs to take
place for the injustice dealt to Martin and many others in Sanford over
the decades.

In a powerful move of the Holy Spirit, Sam Hinn, pastor of The
Gathering Place in Sanford, stood up and offered to be “an Aaron or Hur”
to Gay through this process. Other pastors rallied around the
32-year-old minister, who is an employee of Charisma Media, to lay hands
and pray for him as the group of pastors bands together to heal a
generation.