A common misconception holds that the Bible makes no mention of dinosaurs, placing these ancient giants firmly in the realm of modern paleontology rather than Scripture. In reality, however, the original Hebrew and Greek texts refer to colossal “dragons” and mighty beasts whose characteristics align remarkably well with what science today identifies as dinosaurs.

Daniel Maritz of DLM Christian Lifestyle unpacks this surprising overlap. With careful attention to language and context, Maritz demonstrates how modern translations have obscured references to creatures that ancient cultures knew well.

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Maritz begins by pointing out that “the word dinosaur… did not exist before the 1800s.” Coined in 1841 by Sir Richard Owen, dinosaur combines the Greek deinos (“terrible”) and sauros (“lizard”). Before then, people simply called these massive animals “dragons.” In the Old Testament, Maritz explains, the Hebrew term tannin is consistently rendered “dragon,” though many Bibles substitute phrases like “great sea creatures” or even footnote Behemoth as a hippopotamus, despite the clear detail that its “tail [is] like a cedar tree.” As Maritz observes, “These were real creatures, beasts, dragons,” not symbolic visions.

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The books of Job offer two vivid portraits. Behemoth, described with “bones like bronze, a tail like a cedar tree, limbs like bars of iron,” stands first among land beasts in strength and stature. Leviathan follows as a formidable sea monster whose “back is made of rows of shields” and who scoffs at swords, spears, and javelins. Maritz notes that natural defense mechanisms, such as the bombardier beetle’s explosive spray, suggest how ancient observers might have recorded fiery breath in marine reptiles or other prehistoric animals.

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Beyond biblical text, Maritz highlights a wealth of historical testimony. Cultures around the globe produced cave drawings, carvings, and written records of encounters with dragon-like creatures. Even classical historians tell of armies slaying enormous serpents 100 feet long and shipping their skins back as trophies.

According to Maritz, “The fact remains there are many historical writings about human encounters with dragons,” pointing to a past when humans and dinosaurs walked side by side.

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When we read these passages with fresh eyes, apparent conflicts between science and Scripture fade. Instead, we see a consistent testimony: the same Creator who breathed life into Adam also fashioned beasts of colossal size and power.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

As summer continues on and the temperature climbs, another, smaller threat makes its annual advance: the tick. Once confined to deep woods and rural pastures, these tiny invaders now lurk in our backyards, parks and hiking trails, transmitting Lyme disease and other illnesses with a single, nearly invisible bite. Health officials warn that 2025 could rival the worst years on record for tick-borne infections, and doctors emphasize recognition of early signs, “fatigue, fever, joint pain and the telltale bull’s-eye rash,” so that “if diagnosed early, Lyme disease can be treated effectively” before it becomes “chronic or life-altering.”

But what if this uptick in tick activity echoes something far more ancient?

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As reported by Israel365 News, Jewish tradition has long taught that the plagues of Egypt will return in magnified form at the time of final redemption. The Old Testament prophet Micah wrote, “I will show him wondrous deeds as in the days when You sallied forth from the land of Egypt” (Mic. 7:15). Midrash Tanchuma expands on this, declaring that “just as God struck the Egyptians with 10 plagues, so too He will strike the enemies of the Jewish people at the time of the Redemption.” Rabbi Bahya ben Asher adds that in Egypt, “God used only part of His strength. When the final redemption comes, God will show much, much more of His power.”

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The third plague, ‘kinim,’ is traditionally rendered “lice,” yet several medieval sages suggest a broader reading. The 11th-century North African scholar Rabbeinu Chananel identifies kinim as karatzim, blood-sucking creatures “such as ticks,” while Rashi’s vivid depiction of pests “emerging from dust” and tormenting man and beast mirrors the invasive nature of modern tick infestations. Ibn Ezra and Radak allow kinim to be “small biting insects arising from dust,” and Rav Saadiah Gaon literally calls them “tiny creeping things,” a term broad enough to include ticks or mites.

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In our era of red carpets and streaming platforms, these tiny pests have claimed a number of celebrity victims. “High-profile individuals such as Justin Timberlake, Bella Hadid, Ben Stiller and Shania Twain have publicly shared their struggles,” raising awareness and empathy for this creeping scourge according to People magazine. Timberlake is the latest star to speak out, describing his diagnosis as “debilitating” and joining a growing list of celebrities whose battles remind us that no one is immune.

Hollywood is not exactly renowned for its embrace of biblical values, so perhaps these headlines beckon us toward spiritual introspection. The plagues in Exodus were not mere punishments, they were wake-up calls. Today’s tick-borne upswing could similarly prompt us to examine our spiritual health and moral choices. As one rabbi quipped, “The U.S. isn’t just entering tick season, we might be entering the Third Plague.”

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Whether or not we view this as divine warning, the lesson rings clear: small things matter. And if we ignore the creeping dangers, physical, moral or spiritual, they may soon find their way under our skin.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

The Hebrew month of Av has long been marked by sorrow, and by deep opportunity. Though it falls in the height of summer, Av carries a weight of destruction and remembrance that calls believers to pause, reflect and realign their hearts with God’s purposes. It’s more than a calendar note; it’s an invitation to see how history’s darkest days can sharpen our faith.

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On a recent Curt Landry Podcast episode, Rabbi Curt Landry and Darrell Puckett dove into Av’s significance. They explained that “there are patterns and shadows of patterns inside the Hebrew calendar where you see things happen…in a cycle and they happen around the same time,” while reflecting on how recognizing these patterns “helps you plan for your personal life and your goals to grow.”

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Historical tragedies on the 9th of Av include:

• The 10 spies’ negative report from Canaan (Num. 13–14)
• Nebuchadnezzar’s destruction of Solomon’s Temple (586 BC)
• The Romans’ destruction of the Second Temple (70 AD)
• The fall of Betar fortress in the Bar Kokhba revolt (c. 132 AD)
• Massacre of Jews in York, England (1190 AD)
• Expulsion of Jews from England (1290 AD)
• Expulsion from Spain (1492 AD)
• Outbreak of World War I—leading toward the Holocaust (1914 AD)
• Gaza’s Gush Katif expulsion (2005 AD)

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Five practical responses for the month of Av:

1. Repentance.
   “This is a month when you say things like father god search me and know me for I desire truth in my inward parts.” Use this season to reflect, confess, and close doors to anything that leads you away from obedience.
2. Listening to the Spirit.
   “This is a time when you need to purposely get some quiet time where you can practice hearing the voice of the Lord and the presence of God.” Turn down the world’s clamor so you can tune in to His guidance.
3. Waiting on the Lord.
   “Do not change plans. Stick to the path…do not turn to the right or the left. Be like a Clydesdale. Put on the blinders…and just keep moving forward.” Trust God’s timing—even if it feels like everything around you is collapsing.
4. Protecting your ears.
   “This is a month where you need to be very careful to protect your ears…be careful to what you’re listening to and who you’re listening to.” Guard against complain­ing voices and toxic negativity.
5. Avoiding impulsivity.
   “Don’t act impulsively. And do not make decisions angry. If you start to get angry, then disengage.” When frustration flares, step back—don’t let harsh words or rash choices steal your peace.

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Though Av’s history is heavy, the season also brims with grace. As Christians, Av reminds us that even the darkest cycles can point us back to the light of Jesus. Let this month be your invitation to deeper repentance, clearer hearing of the Spirit and renewed trust in the Lord, drawing ever closer to Him in every step.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Jesus warned that the end times would mirror the moral and spiritual climate of “the days of Noah,” when fallen angels descended, corrupted humanity and ultimately brought judgment.

Today, we see eerie parallels as stories of UFO encounters and reverse-engineered technology echo the ancient pattern of deception. Understanding this connection helps believers recognize the spiritual battle unfolding around us, and cling ever more tightly to Christ’s truth and protection.

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In a recent Prophecy Watchers interview, host Gary Stearman sat down with researcher Lee Brainard to trace this pattern from Mount Hermon to modern UFO lore. Stearman opened the discussion by recalling Enoch’s account: “They … come down upon Mount Hermon,” imparting skills in metallurgy, pigments, and construction that humanity had never known before. Brainard agreed that ancient peoples hailed these beings as “saviors,” a title that, he warns, too easily became “nothing but satanic propaganda.”

They went on to draw a direct line from those first angelic inventions to today’s claims of crashed UFOs and clandestine government programs.

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As Stearman observed, “We all hear stories about major corporations getting hold of parts and pieces of crashed UFOs and reverse engineering and coming up with high technology. And I’m thinking to myself, that’s exactly what the Book of Enoch and the Bible say … the fallen ones bring technology to man.” Brainard added that mythologies across Sumerian, Babylonian, Greek and Roman traditions all tell of “god-kings” who taught warfare, empire building and economic exploitation, skills that have reverberated through human history ever since.

Why does this matter for Christians today? Jesus’ warning about “the days of Noah” calls us to discernment. Just as the fallen angels once used gifts of knowledge to lead people away from God, so today’s deceptions can lure us with promises of secret wisdom or savior-figures.

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But Stearman and Brainard remind us that every lie is ultimately a tool of the enemy, bent on undermining our worship and devotion. Rather than chasing after hidden powers, we’re invited to fix our eyes on Jesus, the one true Savior who alone has power over heaven and earth.

Despite the darkness of these revelations, the interview offers an encouraging truth: believers need not fear. Christ has already won the victory over the fallen realms, and He holds us safely in His hand.

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As we recognize the spiritual warfare all around, “principalities and powers, rulers of darkness in heavenly places,” we can stand confident in God’s unchanging goodness and sovereign care. Understanding the echoes of Noah’s day isn’t cause for panic, but an invitation to deepen our trust in the One who redeems and restores all things.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

From the dawn of human history to the headlines of today, the idea of a “new world order” has resurfaced again and again, each time promising unity but delivering control. Pastor John Hagee traces this pattern from Nimrod’s Tower of Babel all the way to modern institutions like the United Nations, showing that behind every political movement lies a spiritual battle for our allegiance.

Pastor Hagee reminds us that “the new world order is not a new concept. Its objective from the Genesis until today is to rebel against the authority of God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob because there is no other.” He points back to Genesis 11 at Shinar, where some historians believe it was Nimrod, whose very name “means revolt,” who “proposed to build the Tower of Babel” as a bid for absolute power. Quoting the historian Josephus, Hagee observes: “He gradually changed the government into tyranny to turn men from the fear of God and to bring them into constant dependence on his power.”

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That first rebellion did more than erect bricks; it launched the world’s first organized idolatry. Nimrod’s wife, Semiramis, “made herself and her son the objects of worship” by promoting what Hagee calls the “mother–child cult,” a system that endured from Babylon to Pergamus (called “the place of Satan’s throne”).

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Fast-forward to our own era, and the same impulse for centralized control resurfaces in political ideologies. “COVID-19 has politicized control to turn Americans from God,” Hagee argues, noting how governors and mayors “violated the Constitution of the United States” by locking down citizens—“You can’t leave your house for six weeks… your salary is cut off if you don’t go to work.” He warns that “socialism must attack the church” because “a socialist dictatorship cannot stand a Bible-preaching ministry.”

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Yet the message doesn’t end in despair. Hagee points believers to their true citizenship: “We are in another government with another king with another constitution. And we’ll stand on this. We are submitted to God Almighty and to his Son Jesus Christ.” He holds fast to the promise of the Rapture, “the trumpet of God is going to sound and we’re out of here,” and the return of Christ in power.

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Ultimately, the clash between earthly powers and divine authority finds its resolution in Jesus alone. “There is one mediator between God and man… It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords… His name is above every name, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

In a world tempted by every new “order,” that unchanging truth remains our bedrock.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

The resurgence of debate over Israel’s place on the world stage couldn’t be more timely. As global tensions rise and “Jew hatred” headlines increasingly dominate the news cycle, Pastor James Kaddis reminds us that “something inconceivable happened thousands of years ago. And as a result, a prophecy was given that affects us today.” His warning rings especially loud amid modern political disputes over Israel’s sovereignty and the alarming uptick in antisemitism worldwide.

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At the heart of Kaddis’s message is an urgent call to personal engagement with Scripture. He argues that “no understanding of the Bible in general and no real time to study Bible prophecy” has left many ill-equipped to discern current events.

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Instead, he urges believers to “dig deep. It’s be aware of. It’s study. It’s learn. It’s discern. It’s understand what God is saying in the moment, in the hour,” insisting that firsthand knowledge of God’s Word is essential in a world awash with opinions and half-truths.

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Underlying today’s headlines is the same ancient promise God made to Israel, which Kaddis illustrates by quoting 1 Chronicles 17: “I will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place, and shall be moved no more.” He stresses that if God were truly “done with Israel the way people say,” then “Christianity…would be a worthless lie.”

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For those eager to explore how these millennia-old prophecies intersect with our present reality, watch the full video above to dive deeper into biblical prophecy.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

A new drink being sold at gas stations and smoothie bars has raised serious concerns from both health and spiritual perspectives. Marketed as a “plant-based joy” beverage in a small blue bottle called Feel Free, the product has been linked to addiction, severe withdrawal symptoms, and troubling encounters with teens seeking it. While it appears alongside energy shots and gum, critics warn that its effects are far more dangerous.

Pastor Kap Chatfield recently addressed the issue after investigating claims surrounding the drink. “There’s a drink being sold at gas stations and smoothie bars right now that’s being marketed as plant-based joy. It’s an energy drink that is shaped like this in the small little blue bottle. It says Feel Free. But what’s inside may be opening a door that no parent or just any person, any adult should ignore,” he said.

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Chatfield recounted testimony from individuals who encountered its effects firsthand. One man described losing friends and hurting his family before coming to the realization of just how dangerous the drink was. Another user explained the devastation of addiction, saying, “I’ve lost friends, jobs, everything because of these drinks. If you see them, turn the other way. It’s not worth it.”

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Research shows the drink’s active ingredients are two powerful plants, kava and kratom. Chatfield explained, “These alkaloids hit the same brain receptors opiates do. The FDA flat out warns about the risk liver toxicity, seizures, and substance use disorder. People report real withdraw symptoms such as anxiety, sweating, insomnia, restless legs when they stop.”

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But beyond the health risks, Chatfield connected the issue to a spiritual dimension. He cited an engraving reportedly seen at the FDA headquarters that read: “The devil has got hold of the food supply of this country.” Pointing to Scripture, he said, “The Bible says that the thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. And Jesus says, ‘I have come that they may have life and they may have it more abundantly.’”

For Chatfield, the widespread marketing of products like this is part of a larger spiritual battle. “God’s will for you is not that you’d be bound into addiction. Not that you’d be bound in needing these certain substances or these certain foods or whatever that are ultimately created to hurt you, to keep you enslaved, to keep you in bondage, to keep you addicted. That’s the plan of the devil. God wants to set you free,” he said.

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While Feel Free is marketed as natural and healthy, testimonies and warnings suggest it can enslave rather than uplift. As Chatfield reminded, “Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and he came to heal the sick.”

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

We stand at a crossroads of innovation and identity: never before have humans wielded the power to reshape not just our tools, but our very biology. As robotics, nanotechnology, genetics and artificial intelligence merge into a single “hybrid age,” society faces questions more profound than convenience or productivity. At stake is nothing less than the essence of what it means to be human, and whether that essence is worth preserving.

On The Deep End podcast, Timothy Alberino urges us to confront two “essential questions that no other generation ever has had to contemplate.” First, he asks, “What does it mean to be a human being?” and then follows with the harder, paired query: “Is our humanity worth preserving?”

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Though AI may dominate headlines, and even spawn guilty pleasures like “the Bigfoot vlogs,” Alberino warns that it’s merely the most visible strand of a vast technological tapestry.

“Most of us are not interacting with technologies that can alter our genome,” he notes, yet those are arriving alongside AI. As these disparate fields “coalesce,” he says, they will culminate in the ability “to modify wholesale human biology…mind, body and soul.”

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From his Christian vantage point, Alberino reminds listeners that human dignity isn’t earned by technological feats but flows from our being “created in the image of God.” He frames our original state as “the pinnacle,” with Adam “communing with his maker.”

In contrast, he warns, trying to use tech to “steal the fruit from the tree of life” will only lead us further from lasting fulfillment. True restoration, he insists, comes “through the door, through Christ.”

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Every one of us, Alberino emphasizes, is already “slowly participating in the transition out of Adam and into some posthuman condition.” His mission, in writings, interviews and live events, is to help people anchor themselves amid this upheaval by “rooting themselves in the gospel of Christ,” the only sure defense against losing our shared humanity.

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As he puts it, after pondering the staggering price of redemption, “to just cast our humanity aside so that we can have what? Life extension, Neuralink,” that, he warns, is the real void we must avoid.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Near‑death experiences offer a window into something far greater than our everyday reality—a realm where time, space and even human limitations fall away.

In Gabe Poirot’s latest video, he shares two powerful testimonies of children who, while hovering at death’s door, encountered Jesus in vivid detail. One little boy described Him walking on a creek, dressed in a “white robe” with “a little beard and…brown hair,” while both children heard Him speak the same tender instruction: “Take care of your family.”

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These moments aren’t comforting hallucinations or side‑effects of anesthesia, they’re deeply personal encounters that have forever reshaped young lives.

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Poirot gently guides viewers through the uncanny parallels between these accounts and countless other near‑death visions, emphasizing not only the consistency of the imagery but the overwhelming sense of divine love and affirmation. He reminds us that every human heart carries a longing for more than the physical world can supply, and that these glimpses beyond the veil point to a perfect, relational Savior who loves us unconditionally and affirms our worth.

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To experience the full depth of these moving reactions, watch the full video above.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Many of us have wrestled with the strange references in Genesis 6 to beings called the Nephilim and wondered why the Flood followed so soon after. What exactly was the problem God addressed, and how does Noah’s story fit into His broader plan? By exploring these questions, we gain fresh insight into our origins, the depth of human brokenness, and the hope God extends through redemption.

On Prophecy Watchers, host Gary Stearman and guest Lee Brainard unpack this passage. Stearman explains that Genesis 6 “opens with this dramatic arrival of … the ones who came to corrupt mankind, and then it works its way into the great flood of Noah.” Brainard then highlights Noah’s unique role: “Noah was perfect in his generations. … He was able to be used of God to bring forth the messianic line untainted with the serpent seed.”

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They explain that the Flood wasn’t simply a response to human rebellion but addressed a deeper crisis: “if we don’t see that there was a tampering and a tainting of the human DNA … we’re going to have a difficult time comprehending why God was faced … to wipe out the entirety of humanity except for Noah, his wife, and his three sons and their wives.”

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Stearman and Brainard also point out that ancient cultures worldwide recorded similar accounts of cataclysmic floods and “super beings” living among humans: “there’s some long television programs out there on … the flood except not from the biblical point of view … chronicled … in what became the European countries, Greco, Roman, they all have their histories of the megalithic world and the time when super beings came and lived among men.”

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Yet many believers embrace dragon and flood legends as validating Scripture, “there’s flood stories all around the world. Harmonizes with the Bible,” but shy away from the Nephilim: “when we come to the Nephilim, it’s like the blinders are on.” That contrast only underscores how pivotal this topic is for understanding the full scope of biblical history.

Turning to prophecy, they note how Daniel 2:43 signals a revival of this hybrid line at the end of the age: “as the iron doesn’t mingle with the clay … it’s referring to the kings don’t mingle with the seed of men.” Those 10 kings in Revelation, along with the Antichrist and False Prophet, are portrayed as the final Nephilim rulers, cast into the abyss and later released.

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Rather than leaving us in despair, this revelation points us firmly to Christ’s redeeming work. As Brainard emphasizes, humanity’s deepest need isn’t just moral correction but full restoration from every form of corruption. Because Jesus came to heal both our sin and our spiritual DNA, we can face the future with confidence, fully assured that God’s plan, woven from Genesis through Revelation, secures our redemption and renews all creation.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.