The situation unfolding in Syria is nothing short of barbaric, according to Israeli Druze activist Mansor Ashkar, who described it as “an actual genocide, ethnic cleansing sponsored by the government of Syria.”

In a recent interview with CBN News, Ashkar detailed the horrific violence being committed against Druze and Christian communities in the region, including beheadings, abductions and the use of women and children as war trophies by jihadist fighters. “We’re seeing horrific videos of people walking with the heads of the Druze people that they beheaded, mocking them, laughing at them,” he said.

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One of the most disturbing reports involves a Christian family whose home was invaded by jihadists.

Ashkar recounted how the attackers mocked the family’s faith, telling the daughter, “Do you want us to make him look like Jesus?” before forcing the father to build a cross with the intention of crucifying him. “At that moment when she prayed,” Ashkar said of the mother, “the Israeli jets came over the sky and landed a missile in that area… they managed to escape, bring back their daughter, saved by the Druze fighters.”

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Despite these horrors, global media and governments remain largely silent.

Ashkar believes geopolitical interests and alliances with Sunni regimes are enabling the cover-up of mass atrocities.

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“There is literally one of the most gruesome attempts to ethnically cleanse an entire minority in the Middle East,” he warned, noting that only Israel has tried to intervene but has been pressured to stop. “Let us go and save the Christians and the Jews in that mountain,” he pleaded. “We can do it. Just stop holding us back.”

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If you want to learn more about the atrocities being committed in Syria at this very moment, watch the full video above.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

A video of an alleged adulterous couple caught on camera at a Coldplay concert has gone viral, but it wasn’t just the moment itself that caught the attention of Christian influencer Kap Chatfield.

It was the internet’s reaction.

“I wasn’t even planning on making a video about this,” Chatfield admitted in his recent commentary. “But after watching that clip…what shocked me more than just the affair itself in this video was the reaction.”

As the video spread across social media, Chatfield noted a wave of comments declaring marriage obsolete. “People are saying stuff like, ‘This is why I’ll never get married. Marriage is a joke. Just be single and do whatever you want,’” he said.

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Rather than feeding into gossip, Chatfield used the viral moment to push back against cultural influencers like Andrew Tate and Myron Gaines who promote polygamy and diminish monogamy.

“Andrew Tate, you’re the one who’s under satanic deception,” Chatfield said. “You are free to follow the Andrew Tates of the world…and join all the other people in human history who have done that, who have rejected the way of God and are burning in hell for all of eternity.”

Chatfield argued that despite cultural trends, biblical marriage remains the standard set by Jesus.

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“Jesus set a standard that was already written thousands of years before He even walked on the planet,” he said. “That one man be joined to one wife for life.”

He also countered the argument that the Bible condones polygamy.

“Polygamy was not condoned by God in the Bible. It was allowed in His sovereignty, but it wasn’t God’s best and it wasn’t what God instructed.”

Chatfield cited multiple passages, including Matthew 19, Ephesians 5 and Hebrews 13, to underline the biblical call to covenant faithfulness. He explained that marriage is a spiritual parallel of Jesus’ relationship with His people.

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“Marriage is not for your comfort. Marriage is for your consecration. Marriage is for your conformity to Christ,” he said. “Marriage is: I will give 100% even if you give me zero. That’s what Jesus did for us.”

He warned of the real-world consequences of ignoring this covenant, especially on children citing a series of sobering statistics:

• 75% of children feel lingering betrayal toward a cheating parent.
• 80% say it negatively shapes their view of romance.
• 70% report it affects their general trust in others.
• Children of divorce are twice as likely to experience emotional or behavioral problems.
• Teens from divorced homes show higher rates of depression, social fear, and suicidal ideation.
• Children who witness infidelity are twice as likely to be unfaithful in their own marriages.
• Kids from divorced homes are twice as likely to drop out of high school.

“Marriage absolutely works, but it takes work,” Chatfield said. “We need to stand up for what God’s definition of marriage is.”

Still, he offered hope for those who’ve fallen short: “Even if you have [committed adultery or gone through divorce], there is redemption and grace and mercy for you if you’re willing to give it over to God.”

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For Chatfield, the takeaway is simple.

“Don’t throw out marriage just because the devil has hijacked the meaning of marriage,” he said. “There’s a better way. And if you want that better way, you’ve got to give your life to Jesus.”

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

A recent red heifer burning in Israel has reignited prophetic discussions surrounding the rebuilding of the Jewish temple and the arrival of the Antichrist, according to Bible prophecy experts L.A. Marzulli and Mondo Gonzales.

“There was simply a five-second video clip of a red heifer burning,” Gonzales said during an interview on Supernatural Confrontations. “It was in flames… but you could tell immediately that it was not the Mount of Olives… This looks like Samaria, which is where Shiloh is, which is where the five cows were or are.”

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Gonzales reached out to Byron Stinson, who was instrumental in getting the red heifers to Israel, and he confirmed the ceremony was a “practice run” using one of the disqualified animals. “Of the five, there were two that are still preliminarily qualified,” Gonzales said.

Beyond the religious implications, the ritual may have sparked political consequences. “In January of 2024, Hamas made a public statement that one of the reasons why they attacked on October 7th was because of the desire for Israel to change the status quo on the Temple Mount,” Gonzales said. “They brought up, according to their language, the red cows.”

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Referencing multiple prophetic texts, the pair underscored the literal fulfillment of Scripture. “In the context of Revelation 11, it’s very, very physical,” Gonzales said. “Paul says that the Antichrist is going to sit in the temple of God declaring himself to be God. That’s just allegory? I don’t even know how you’d make it allegory at all.”

Gonzales explained that the red heifer ceremony is found in Numbers 19 and is crucial for ritual purification. “They sprinkle the blood towards the base of the Temple Mount, they burn the cow whole, they collect the ashes, they mix it with water, and then they use that to purify people.”

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However, the two plots of land on the Mount of Olives, required by Jewish tradition for the ceremony, are surrounded by Arab neighborhoods, making security a challenge. “The only way they’re going to be able to do it is with massive security,” Gonzales said.

Marzulli then asked whether this purification could lead to the building of the Third Temple. Gonzales responded, “He will cause to prevail the covenant… the Mosaic covenant… he’s going to allow them… to build their temple. And then in the middle of the week, he [the Antichrist] stops the sacrifices and offerings, commits the abomination of desolation.”

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“What was written will come to pass,” Marzulli concluded. “He’s going to return on the Mount of Olives. He’s not returning to Walla Walla, Michigan. That’s not going to happen.”

Gonzales agreed: “The prophecies of the first coming are literal… in the second coming, let’s go with that. Ninety-nine percent are literal.”

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Why did Abraham send his servant all the way to Haran to find a wife for Isaac? According to Mark Gerson, it wasn’t about the distance—it was about the culture.

In a recent article on Fox News, Gerson points to an often-overlooked detail in Genesis: Haran is where Abraham once “made souls.” In other words, it was fertile ground for goodness. “Culture is the most important thing about a place and its people,” Gerson writes—and that insight is more vital today than ever.

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So, what kind of culture should we be looking to build?

The answer, Gerson says, shows up in Exodus when God reveals His character to Moses in what Jewish tradition calls the Thirteen Attributes. One trait stands out above the rest: “slow to anger.”

That may sound simple, but in a world addicted to outrage, it’s radical. And it’s exactly the kind of trait that defined many of the Bible’s greatest leaders. Abraham could have exploded at Lot for his selfishness. He didn’t. Moses and Rachel were publicly insulted. No revenge. No meltdowns. Just composure and grace.

“Totally cool,” as Gerson puts it.

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What’s more, the Bible’s examples stand in stark contrast to the cultural forces shaping people today. Gerson identifies two toxic extremes: honor culture and victim culture. The honor culture says, “If you’re disrespected, hit back harder.” The victim culture says, “If you’re offended, amplify the grievance.” In both cases, anger is the reflex—and the badge of honor.

“In the honor culture, you fight; in the victim culture, you complain,” he explains. But the God of Scripture rejects both.

Instead of promoting grievance or retaliation, God calls His people to remember they were once strangers in Egypt—not just slaves. Why? Because a culture of constant victimhood paralyzes people from living with purpose. In Leviticus, God commands judges to show neither favoritism to the rich nor bias toward the poor, elevating merit and responsibility above emotional reaction.

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In our time, Gerson notes, institutions increasingly encourage people to hunt for microaggressions and unconscious bias. The result? An epidemic of short fuses, damaged relationships, and even health consequences. “Persistent quickness to anger can lead to heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, migraines, memory impairment, risky behaviors and a compromised immune system,” he writes.

What’s the alternative?

A culture of dignity. This is the biblical model, and it’s sorely needed. “A dignified culture is composed of people who act thoughtfully and strategically, unlike those in the victim and honor cultures, who are acted upon,” Gerson writes. It’s about restraint, responsibility, gratitude, and focus.

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Yes, it’s countercultural. But it’s also timeless truth.

“God was right,” Gerson concludes. “Culture is the most important thing for human flourishing – and the biblical ideal of a culture of dignity provides the model for the one we should build.”

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

In a powerful display of unity and faith, 92 people were baptized in the sea near Boscombe Pier in southern England, publicly declaring their commitment to Jesus Christ in front of hundreds of onlookers.

The July 13 event, hosted by five local churches from Bournemouth, began early Sunday morning with hymns, testimonies and worship. It attracted the attention of national media, including the BBC and the Bournemouth Echo, as crowds gathered to witness the moving celebration of new life in Christ.

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“On a bright sunny Sunday morning, amongst the thousands filling the seven-mile stretch of beach in Bournemouth, 1,300 gathered right among them, from five Bournemouth churches to worship together and witness the baptisms of 92 new believers,” said Rev. Mike Smailes, associate minister of Lansdowne Church. “An incredible experience. Christians uniting from different churches and backgrounds. Confidently showing that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

The five participating churches—Bournemouth Community Church, Catch the Fire Church, Lansdowne Church, Coastline Vineyard Church and Lovechurch—described the day as a spiritual milestone for the city.

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“The gospel remains the hope of the world and the local church here is declaring it loudly!” Smailes added. “God is adding to our churches those He’s saving from every community.”

Among those baptized was a woman named Hope, who shared how her search for identity in the world led to anxiety, fear and disappointment until a friend invited her to a Zoom Bible study. “Over the span of a year, I was worshipping and praying to the Lord, asking Him to bring me closer to Him,” she said. “My identity is solely in Him. The Lord has given me an unexplainable peace.”

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Another testimony came from Jack, a former atheist who once dismissed Christianity as “nonsensical fairy tales.” After watching The Passion of the Christ and diving into historical research about Jesus, he came to a life-changing realization. “By the end of my research, it was undeniable to me: Jesus is who He said He is,” he said. “I had become a Christian and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. My life has never been the same since.”

Jack said he has since broken free from destructive habits. “Despite years of mockery, Jesus has saved me and changed my life.”

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From joyful songs to heartfelt testimonies, the day became more than just a baptism—it was a celebration of revival in modern Britain. Smailes summed it up best: “May the Lord now strengthen us all with greater boldness to live and speak for Him.”

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Pastor Tom Hughes of Hope for Our Times is offering a powerful message of encouragement for believers navigating fear, grief and uncertainty. In a recent episode of The Tom Hughes Report, Hughes reminds us that death is not the end—and that something far greater lies ahead for those who trust in Jesus.

“Heaven is as real as Earth,” Hughes said. “Believers in Jesus that have gone before us are there as surely as they once were here. To die now is to go into the presence of Jesus.”

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Hughes admitted he doesn’t look forward to dying. “I look forward to being in the presence of the Lord in heaven, but I don’t look forward to the process of getting there,” he said. “Truth be told, I’d rather skip death altogether.”

He pointed to 1 Corinthians 15:51, which says, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed,” explaining that some believers may go straight into glorified bodies at the rapture. “We will not all die, but we will all be changed,” he said.

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Stephen’s Peaceful Exit

To illustrate hope beyond the grave, Hughes shared the story of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Though Stephen was brutally stoned to death, Hughes emphasized that “Stephen did not call for vengeance on his murderers, but he called for mercy.”

The Bible describes Stephen’s death as “falling asleep.” Hughes explained, “The Bible doesn’t give all the physical details—it simply says he fell asleep, implying a peaceful death despite all the rage Satan’s angels could muster against him.”

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Even bodies lost or destroyed, Hughes said, will be restored. “God created our DNA and He’s going to get you back together for all of those who are in Christ Jesus. There will be a new body, a resurrected body.”

5 Promises of the Rapture

Hughes highlighted five reasons the rapture is the believer’s “blessed hope,” quoting author Steve Miller:

1. A home in heaven — “I go to prepare a place for you,” Jesus said in John 14.
2. Reunion with loved ones — “We do not sorrow as others who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4).
3. Escape from God’s wrath — “We are not appointed to wrath,” Hughes said, referencing 1 Thessalonians 5.
4. A glorified body — “We get new glorified bodies that will never ever die” (Phil. 3:21).
5. Eternal life with Christ — “What a great and incredible future,” he said.

Hughes also suggested the rapture may leave behind visible signs. “The graves of Christians all over the world will be split open. They will see the empty graves. It will stand as a powerful testimony that Jesus is Lord.”

A Reason to Hope

Despite growing darkness in the world, Hughes urged believers not to lose hope.

“The trials we face are real, but they are not final,” he said. “God is using even the difficult days to prepare us for eternity.”

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Quoting Revelation 21:4, he said, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.”

“Don’t lose heart,” Hughes added. “Keep your eyes fixed upward. The King is coming, and His timing is perfect.”

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Evangelist Perry Stone is raising new alarms about “great and fearful signs” appearing in the heavens, citing astronomical anomalies and unexplained signals from space that he says match the predictions of Jesus in the New Testament.

In a recent video message, Stone dove deep into what he believes are unfolding end-times signs, echoing Luke 21:11 where Jesus warned that there would be “fearful sights and great signs from heaven.”

“These are the great wonders of the heaven. The thing that the natural eye could not see. This is what fascinates me,” Stone said. He referenced the “Eye of God” and “Hand of God” nebula formations captured by telescopes, adding, “These were not pictures that somebody made up with AI. These are pictures from years ago. And I’ve seen these, and it’s just fascinating.”

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Stone draws a distinction between signs that are “great” and those that are “fearful.” The “great” signs, he said, are awe-inspiring discoveries enabled by modern telescopes and satellites like Hubble and Voyager. The “fearful” ones, however, represent potential threats, such as asteroids, solar flares and unexplained energy sources that could impact Earth.

“Fearful to me always meant an asteroid striking the earth, a meteorite striking the earth, a solar flare hitting the earth, possibly knocking out the electricity,” he warned. “The constellations, things would fall out of the sky to the earth. All of that’s mentioned exactly in the book of Revelation.”

Mysterious Signals from Deep Space

Stone shared several recent developments that have left the scientific community stunned, including what he called a “mysterious 44-minute signal from deep space.”

“Astronomers detected a celestial object emitting synchronized radio and X-ray pulses every 44 minutes. Its nature remains unknown,” Stone said. “Possibly a new class of stellar object of some kind.”

NASA’s Voyager 1 probe, now more than 22.5 billion kilometers from Earth, also detected something strange.

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“It picked up a consistent structural signal unlike any previously recorded, sparking speculation about the unknown cosmic phenomena,” he added.

He also noted radio pulses emerging from beneath Antarctic ice at impossible angles, which he described as a fulfillment of Joel 2:30: “There will be signs in the heavens above and in the earth beneath.”

“What can be living underneath the ice?” Stone asked. “It’s one of those signs in the earth beneath. That’s what I believe.”

AI Unlocking the Unknown

Stone also sees artificial intelligence as both a blessing and a danger.

“Artificial intelligence has a very, very dark side,” he said. “But sometimes it can get information to you that quick, and that’s one of the amazing parts.”

He noted that AI is helping scientists uncover new cosmic phenomena that were previously undetectable and even theorize about intelligent life or forces guiding the universe.

“They won’t call it God,” Stone said, “but some of these signals are coming from some type of an intelligence. Well, hello. I think God and the angels live out there.”

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God’s Word Still Creating

Addressing why galaxies continue to form if God created everything in the beginning, Stone gave a theological answer rooted in the power of God’s spoken word.

“When God says something by His spoken word and it’s released in the universe, it continues to live because heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall never pass away,” he said. “He hangs the earth upon nothing. What’s it hanging on? How does a globe this big that weighs this much just hang out on nothing? There must be a God.”

He cited Hebrews 1:3, stating, “God is upholding all things by the word of His power.”

Urging Preparation and Faith

While cosmic signs are increasing, Stone encouraged his audience not to panic but to prepare and place their trust in God.

“Jesus warned that men’s hearts would fail them for fear of looking after those things which were coming upon the earth,” he said. “So, there’s things that you cannot determine when they’re going to happen. But you can be prepared.”

He advised families to develop emergency plans, but to also ensure that children are taught faith and not fear.

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“We don’t want our children to live that way,” he said. “We want them to live with faith in God. So we teach them about the coming of the Lord. They hear teaching on the powers of darkness, but they hear teaching angels are greater than any bad spirit.”

Stone ended the message with a reminder of God’s eternal care for children.

“Even when a child passes away, I believe Luke 16, that the angel carries that child’s spirit directly to the presence of God,” he said. “Because Jesus talked about in heaven their angels do behold the face of the Heavenly Father.”

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

President Donald Trump is back in office, and he’s wasting no time in pushing forward a bold agenda that’s rattling entrenched powers in Washington.

On a recent episode of Stakelbeck Tonight, bestselling author and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza sat down with host Erick Stakelbeck to unpack Trump’s rapid political moves, judicial challenges and battle against bureaucratic corruption.

“Trump is trying to change the way that we sort of do business in America,” D’Souza said. “He is making not just the political left or the Democrats, but all the people who have gotten comfortably used to living off and profiting off of our system nervous.”

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D’Souza emphasized how Trump is not merely confronting partisan opponents but also taking aim at the deep-rooted administrative state. “So all those people are his secret or not so secret opponents and they are all wishing that he fails and they all [are] working in their own way to subvert him,” he said. “And so he’s up against a very powerful force. It’s really the force of inertia.”

One major hurdle to Trump’s agenda, D’Souza noted, is the unchecked power of activist judges. “Where does a federal judge get the authority to make a nationwide injunction? … As it turns out, there is no such law,” he said. “You can read the Constitution and you won’t find it in there.”

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Rather than ignore judicial overreach—an option Trump has considered—D’Souza urged a strategic approach. “I think what’s going to happen is Trump has been tempted to ignore the judges. I don’t think he should do that… Trump is better off doing, I think, is accelerated appeals through the process to the Supreme Court.”

The conversation also turned to the issue of political violence and intimidation. “The left saw that violence paid off for them during the BLM riots. They got away with it. They got a lot of money out of it. BLM got grants from the most mainstream corporations. They cashed in big time,” D’Souza said.

He also praised Trump’s bold action against DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) initiatives in higher education. “Trump is going in and saying look… if you want the federal money then you need to follow the letter of the law when it comes to the Civil Rights Act,” he explained. “It doesn’t say you can discriminate against whites and in favor of blacks… All discrimination is bad. It’s not allowed.”

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On the topic of election integrity, D’Souza revisited the impact of his film 2000 Mules. “It busted a scheme that once it is publicly busted cannot be done again,” he said. “We didn’t see it in 2024 and the Patriots were looking for it, which is why I think the 2024 election was a more honest election than 2020.”

Stakelbeck also asked D’Souza about the state of the U.S. border and the growing crisis under the previous administration. D’Souza responded bluntly: “Trump has stopped it dead in its tracks.”

The discussion concluded with a wide-angle view on foreign policy and economic restructuring. “Trump is rethinking the kind of world order as it’s existed,” D’Souza said. “For Trump I think his domestic vision and his international vision go together.” He noted that Trump’s transactional style resonates globally: “What can you offer me? He’s got leverage and he’s not afraid to use it.”

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Looking to the future, D’Souza expressed cautious optimism. “When the election occurred, my initial feeling was not even exhilaration, but almost relief,” he said. “It was that we were careening toward the precipice and we averted it… What I didn’t anticipate was this kind of Trump blitzkrieg.”

President Trump is, as D’Souza put it, “a man with a sense of urgency. He’s got four years to do it, so it’s a breakneck pace.”

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

In a recent interview with Charisma Media, biblical prophecy expert L.A. Marzulli warned that the destruction of Damascus could be approaching rapidly, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 17.

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“Damascus will be destroyed… It becomes a ruinous heap and just overnight,” Marzulli said, pointing to current Israeli airstrikes as a possible “prequel” to the prophecy’s ultimate fulfillment. He referenced footage from Russian media showing entire suburbs of the ancient city reduced to rubble: “Complete rubble. 100% rubble… it’s a bomb site.”

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Marzulli emphasized that the Israeli government has already signaled a potential escalation. “The Israelis have already signaled that if you do this, we will completely destroy Damascus. It’s already on the table,” he said.

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He tied these events to a larger prophetic timeline, underscoring the significance of a literal interpretation of Scripture: “If you’re in the amillennial camp… then you can’t possibly understand what’s happening.” He argued that the developments in Syria and Israel are not isolated political events but are unfolding as part of God’s prophetic plan.

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This discussion is part of a broader conversation Marzulli had with Charisma Media covering major prophetic milestones in today’s news cycle.

Watch the full interview in the video above to hear Marzulli share more on:

• The preparation and literal rebuilding of the Third Temple in Jerusalem
• The prophetic role of Israel and rejection of replacement theology
• The red heifer sacrifice and its significance
• Arab sheikhs in Judea and Samaria extending peace offers to Israel
• The Nephilim connection to modern spiritual warfare

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

A veteran paranormal investigator died suddenly after showcasing a haunted doll believed by some to be demonically possessed, raising serious questions about the spiritual dangers of engaging with the occult.

Dan Rivera, 54, was found unresponsive in his hotel room in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, just hours after the final stop of the “Devils on the Run” tour. The tour featured the infamous Annabelle doll, the same Raggedy Ann figure that inspired The Conjuring films and was at the center of a case handled by legendary investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.

Rivera, a husband, father of four and U.S. Army veteran, served as the lead investigator for the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR). While the cause of death has not yet been released, officials confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Rivera’s passing was described by NESPR as “sudden and heartbreaking.”

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While many remember Rivera as compassionate and committed to helping others, his death so close to an occult-related event has reignited debate among Christian voices about the unseen consequences of engaging with the demonic.

“Doing this stuff definitely gets a target on your back,” said Christian investigator and podcaster Tony Merkel in an interview with Charisma Media about the spiritual dangers of investigating the occult. “If you say you’re a Christian and you’re just riding the bench, nobody’s going to guard you. But as soon as you start becoming a problem, that’s when the opponent pays attention to you.”

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Merkel, who has spent years researching supernatural phenomena from a biblical worldview, emphasized the real danger of spiritual warfare, especially when exposing or even being near occult objects or activity.

“When I first started really understanding this idea of portals, I was fascinated by it… and I regretted it on a spiritual level,” he said. “I felt like I disrespected the Lord… I felt like God gave me a lot to be trusted with and I abused that at certain points.”

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Annabelle, the haunted doll Rivera presented during his final public event, is said to have left notes, moved on its own, and even physically attacked people, according to case files from the Warrens. While a psychic once claimed the doll was inhabited by a child’s spirit, Ed and Lorraine Warren determined it was something far more dangerous: “a malevolent entity… using the guise of innocence to manipulate and ultimately harm.”

That assessment aligns with warnings from Merkel, who stated: “Hunting for portals, not a good idea. It’s a doorway to another realm, and things go in and out of that.”

Though Rivera was not attempting to summon spirits, simply handling or publicizing objects tied to demonic activity may still result in spiritual consequences. “We don’t need to conjure things or pull out Ouija boards,” Merkel said. “We just go out into the woods and exist in these environments to see what happens… But you have to be on guard and know the boundaries.”

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Remember, the spiritual realm is not only real but active. Jesus spent a significant portion of His earthly ministry casting demons out of people (see Mark 1:39, Luke 4:41), and Scripture warns that the enemy prowls like a lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).

For those without Christ, the danger is even greater. Engaging with the occult without the spiritual protection found in Jesus leaves people vulnerable to forces they cannot control or comprehend. The Bible commands believers to “put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Eph. 6:11). Without that armor, people are spiritually exposed in battles they are not equipped to fight.

While some may view Rivera’s work as simple curiosity, people must be aware of the unseen cost of dabbling in darkness, even for the sake of exposure or education. True protection and discernment come only from a relationship with Jesus Christ, the one who holds authority over every spiritual power and principality.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.