A retired pastor in Northern Ireland is refusing to back down after being convicted and fined for preaching a gospel message near a hospital where abortions are performed.

Clive Johnston, 78, announced this week that he has filed an appeal after a judge found he violated Northern Ireland’s Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act while preaching a sermon based on John 3:16 near Causeway Hospital in July 2024.

The conviction has become a flashpoint in the growing debate over religious liberty, public evangelism and free speech throughout the United Kingdom.

According to Fox News, Johnston was found guilty of being “reckless” regarding whether his actions of preaching and standing near a large cross might “‘influence’ someone accessing the hospital’s abortion services.”

The court imposed a fine of 450 pounds, approximately $614.

Johnston maintains his message had nothing to do with abortion.

According to Fox News, he said he did not mention abortion during the sermon and was simply pointing people “to the hope found in Jesus Christ.”

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Rather than retreating from public ministry, Johnston has chosen to challenge the ruling.

“If this conviction is allowed to stand, it will signal that basic Christian witness and public expressions of faith can be criminalized simply because they take place in the wrong location,” Johnston said. “That should concern every person who values freedom of religion and freedom of expression, regardless of their views on abortion.”

His legal team at The Christian Institute said the appeal will challenge the conviction as a “disproportionate interference with fundamental rights protected under the European Convention on Human Rights and codified into UK law under the Human Rights Act, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of peaceful assembly.”

The Christian Institute said Johnston is the first person prosecuted under the law for preaching a sermon unrelated to abortion within a protected zone.

Simon Calvert, deputy director of The Christian Institute, said the case centers on a much larger question than one pastor or one sermon.

“This case was never about harassment or intimidation,” Calvert said. It is about “whether the state can criminalize the peaceful expression of Christian faith in a public place.”

Calvert warned that the consequences extend far beyond Northern Ireland.

“The implications of this dangerous ruling reach far beyond one individual pastor in Northern Ireland,” he said. “If public authorities can prosecute someone for reading the Bible and preaching on God’s love, then fundamental freedoms are at risk.”

Johnston previously warned that government officials were claiming authority over what forms of Christian expression may be permitted in public spaces.

“Once the state claims the authority to decide that peaceful biblical preaching is an unacceptable ‘influence,’ in some places, the space for Christians to live out and share their faith in public life risks becoming increasingly narrow,” Johnston told Fox News Digital.

He also raised concerns about where such restrictions could ultimately lead.

“And we can go further than faith-related concerns – if an act that doesn’t mention abortion is criminalized, what other acts could fall within the reach of this law?” he said.

Johnston made clear that his decision to preach near the hospital was intentional.

“The whole point of preaching within the buffer zone was to stand against the chilling effect that these zones have on gospel preaching,” he said.

As Christians around the world watch this event unfold, Johnston’s appeal serves as a reminder that opposition to the Gospel is not new. Scripture repeatedly calls believers to remain faithful under pressure, stand firm in their convictions and continue proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul urged believers to persevere until the end, declaring in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Johnston’s appeal now moves forward as a test case with implications for the future of Christian expression in the United Kingdom.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

A new study is delivering a message that will encourage Christian families across America: the most powerful influence on whether children keep their faith into adulthood is the home.

Research from the Institute for Family Studies and Communio found that parents play the central role in passing faith to the next generation. The report, titled Passing the Torch: How Faith Moves Across Generations, examined adults raised in Christian homes and identified the habits most closely linked to lasting faith.

Researchers found that children whose parents regularly attended church, prayed daily, talked openly about their faith and built strong family relationships were significantly more likely to remain committed Christians as adults.

Church attendance proved especially important. Adults whose parents attended church weekly were more than twice as likely to attend church regularly later in life. Children who attended church with both parents showed even stronger rates of faith retention.

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The study also found that simple spiritual practices at home make a lasting impact. Families who prayed together, said grace before meals and discussed faith several times a week raised children who were more likely to attend church, pray daily and identify as Christian as adults.

Strong family relationships emerged as another key factor.

“Research suggests parent–child relationship quality does not transmit religion by itself, but it creates the relational conditions under which transmission becomes more likely,” the study stated, according to Fox News.

The findings showed that adults who had strong relationships with their parents were more likely to attend church, pray, read Scripture and believe in God. The role of fathers stood out, with strong father-child relationships linked to substantially higher levels of church attendance, prayer and belief later in life.

Healthy marriages also contributed to stronger faith transmission. Children raised in happy, stable homes were more likely to maintain spiritual disciplines as adults, while parents who reported greater marital satisfaction had more faith-centered conversations with their children.

Study authors Jesse Smith, Ph.D., and Jane Lankes Smith, Ph.D., said parents must take an active role in discipling their children.

“In a culture where religion is no longer reinforced by broader society, parents cannot assume faith will simply ‘rub off’ on their children,” the Smiths said, according to Fox News. “The families most successful at passing on faith are the ones who practice it openly, talk about it regularly, and build it into everyday life.”

JP De Gance, founder and president of Communio, said the findings offer hope because many of the factors influencing a child’s faith are within a parent’s control.

“The number of marriages, the health of those marriages, the quality of a parent’s relationship with his children, and the types of conversations we have with our kids are all major factors affecting the future of faith in America,” De Gance said, according to Fox News. “Here’s the good news: many of these factors are within a parents’ control. This research shows that the family really is the best small group ever created.”

The study points to a simple conclusion: the strongest discipleship program in America is not found in a church building. It is found in Christian parents faithfully living out their faith at home every day.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

Negative thoughts rarely appear out of nowhere. According to Christian author and speaker Lana Savchuk, they often follow a deliberate strategy designed to build strongholds in the mind.

In a recent teaching, Savchuk outlined what she described as the enemy’s step-by-step process for establishing mental strongholds and explained how believers can break free through the truth of God’s Word.

“Have you ever wondered why certain thoughts keep repeating in your mind?” Savchuk asked. “Thoughts like I’m not good enough. Nothing will ever change in my life. God doesn’t really love me. He doesn’t care for me.”

She said those thoughts are not random.

“The enemy builds strongholds in our mind and once they are established, he begins to control the way you live, the way you think, how you feel,” she said.

According to Savchuk, the process begins when the enemy finds what she calls an “open door.”

“Before Satan builds a stronghold, he needs an open door,” she said.

She identified several common entry points:

• Unforgiveness
• Sexual sin
• Involvement with the occult
• Trauma and abuse
• Lies spoken over a person
• Habitual sin

“These things give the enemy legal footing, legal access to influence your life,” Savchuk said.

Once access is gained, she said the enemy begins planting lies.

“If someone experiencing rejection growing up, the lie would be no one loves me,” she said. “If somebody constantly fails in life, the lie can sound like, ‘I will never succeed.’ Or if someone experienced abuse, the enemy will whisper, ‘You are worthless.'”

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Those lies become dangerous when they are repeated.

“The enemy rarely whispers a lie only once. He repeats it over and over again,” Savchuk said.

She explained that repeated thoughts eventually become beliefs and form what Scripture describes as strongholds.

“What repeats in your mind eventually becomes what you believe,” she said.

Over time, Savchuk said those repeated lies form a mental fortress that influences every area of life.

“Once that fortress is built, it begins to influence the emotions, reactions, decisions, and identity of a person,” she said.

She added that strongholds often produce visible emotional bondage, including:

• Fear
• Anger
• Anxiety
• Bitterness
• Condemnation
• Depression
• Loneliness
• Hopelessness
• Negative self-image

“What begins as a lie eventually becomes a mindset, and a mindset begins to control person’s life,” Savchuk said.

One reason strongholds are difficult to recognize, she said, is because they feel natural.

“Strongholds, they are difficult to break because they feel like your own thoughts,” Savchuk said.

She warned that the enemy understands the power of the mind.

“Once he can influence your thoughts, he can influence your mindset. And once he controls your mindset, he can influence your whole life.”

Despite the seriousness of strongholds, Savchuk emphasized that freedom is available.

“The good news is that every strongholds that the enemy has built can be demolished,” she said.

The answer, she said, is found in renewing the mind through Scripture and replacing lies with God’s truth.

“Strongholds they survive and thrive on lies that we believe, but the truth of God’s word demolishes them piece by piece,” Savchuk said.

Quoting John 8:32, she reminded viewers, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

Savchuk concluded by encouraging those struggling with mental battles not to lose hope.

“The enemy builds those strongholds of lies over time, but God destroys the strongholds step by step with the truth of his word,” she said. “Freedom in your mind is possible, and it begins with the renewing of your thoughts with the truth of God’s word.”

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

The killing of actor James Handy has raised a chilling spiritual question that the mainstream press will never touch: Was this another act of violence influenced by a regional spirit of murder?

Handy, 81, was found with a fatal stab wound to the chest outside his Tarzana home. Police arrested Michael Gledhill, 44, who lived at the residence with his mother and Handy.

Authorities say Gledhill called 911 before officers arrived and allegedly told police, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.”

That statement demands spiritual discernment.

The phrase “man of sin” carries direct biblical weight. Second Thessalonians 2:3 says, “Do not let anyone deceive you in any way. For that Day will not come, unless a falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction.”

Handy’s talent agent, Pam Ellis-Evenas, confirmed his death, saying, “With great sadness, I can confirm that the gentleman who was attacked and killed on Wednesday in Tarzana was the actor James Handy.”

The tragedy came months after director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner, were found murdered inside their Brentwood home. Their son, Nick Reiner, was arrested and later pleaded not guilty to multiple murder charges.

Two brutal family-connected killings. Two Los Angeles-area homes. Two scenes of shocking violence involving knives. One region already known for exporting spiritual darkness through Hollywood, the music industry, drugs, occult influence, homelessness, sexual perversion and open rebellion against God.

The question before us is not only what happened.

The question is what was operating behind it.

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Scripture reveals territorial spirits. Daniel encountered this reality when an angel told him that demonic opposition had delayed the answer to his prayer.

Daniel 10:13 says, “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been detained there with the kings of Persia.”

That was not an earthly prince. That was a spiritual ruler attached to a region.

The Bible shows us that demonic powers operate over territories, cultures and kingdoms. Principalities influence regions. They shape atmospheres. They work through sin, deception, rage, confusion, addiction and bloodshed.

Los Angeles stands as one of the most influential cities on earth. Hollywood exports images, values and rebellion across the globe. The music industry shapes minds. Drug abuse destroys families. Homelessness reveals civic and spiritual collapse. Ministries continue fighting for souls in the middle of it all, bringing the hope of Jesus Christ to the broken, the addicted and the lost.

But when a region gives darkness room to operate, darkness produces fruit.

First Peter 5:8 warns, “Be sober and watchful, because your adversary the devil walks around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

Jesus revealed the enemy’s nature in John 10:10, saying, “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy.”

Those who serve darkness reflect the nature of the one they serve. Satan steals. Satan kills. Satan destroys. His influence moves through sin, hatred, delusion, addiction, violence and rebellion against God.

Paul warned us to put on the full armor of God because we are not dealing with ordinary conflict.

Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”

When we neglect prayer, Scripture, holiness and obedience, we leave openings for attack. When people reject Jesus Christ, deny who He says He is and live outside His covering, they stand exposed to spiritual forces they refuse to acknowledge.

The result is visible in shattered homes, broken minds, destroyed families and bloodshed.

Individuals remain responsible for their actions. Crime remains crime. Evil remains evil. Murder remains murder.

But we cannot ignore the biblical pattern.

When language connected to Scripture appears in the mouth of a man accused of murder, we should pay attention. When violence erupts in repeated, disturbing patterns in the same region, we should pay attention. When a culture celebrates rebellion against God and then acts shocked when destruction follows, we should pay attention.

The media will analyze motives, mental health, criminal charges and court dates.

We must discern the spirit behind the act.

Was this the work of a principality, a regional spirit of murder and violence operating over Los Angeles?

The Bible gives us the framework to ask that question. The bloodshed gives us the urgency to pray.

We should pray for the families grieving these horrific losses. We should pray for justice. We should pray for Los Angeles. We should pray for every ministry standing in the gap. We should pray that strongholds fall, captives are set free and the name of Jesus Christ breaks every demonic power operating in the region.

The world sees another crime scene.

We see a spiritual battlefield.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

Death is not the end. It is a doorway.

That was one of the central themes Rabbi Jason Sobel shared during a recent appearance on the Blurry Creatures podcast, where he explored the meaning of Christ’s death, resurrection and the hope of eternal life.

Sobel recounted a supernatural encounter that transformed the course of his life before he ever opened a New Testament.

“One day I was meditating and my soul began to vibrate and it left my body, went through the ceiling, through the clouds, and the next thing I know I was standing in heaven and there was this king high and lifted up in this glorious light, and I felt the power of God pulsate through every cell of my body,” Sobel said. “It’s a indescribable experience.”

“He told me I was called to serve and then I knew that king was Jesus. I knew nothing about Jesus. No one ever shared with me about Jesus, but I knew that was Jesus.”

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Later in the discussion, Sobel pointed to the resurrection as the ultimate picture of God’s power to bring life where death appeared to have won.

“The Hebrew word for tomb is kever. And it’s the same word for womb,” he said. “How can tomb and womb be the same word?”

He explained that both serve as gateways into different realities.

“The tomb and the womb are connected because they’re both portals. The tomb is a portal to the afterlife. The womb is a portal to this life.”

“They’re both doors. They’re both portals to realities.”

The empty tomb reveals God’s ability to transform what appears to be an ending into a new beginning.

“The reason why these words are the same is because Jesus is in the business of transforming the tomb into a womb,” Sobel said. “The very thing that seems like it was going to be the end is the very thing that God uses to become the beginning.”

Sobel also connected the resurrection to freedom from fear.

“When Jesus resurrected from the dead it said your fear is as empty as the empty tomb,” he said. “We don’t need to live in fear. Fear is empty. Jesus overcame.”

He closed with an encouragement rooted in the victory of Christ.

“The very thing that seems that’s going to be your end is the very thing that God wants to transform into that new beginning for you,” Sobel said. “So don’t worry. Don’t live in fear. Let’s live by faith. Place it in Jesus because He changes everything.”

The resurrection story declares that death does not have the final word. Jesus does. The empty tomb stands as a testimony that God brings life out of death, hope out of despair and new beginnings out of what appeared finished.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

Pastor Jack Hibbs is calling Christians to understand three distinct prophetic events revealed throughout Scripture: Christ’s First Coming, Christ’s Appearing and Christ’s Second Coming.

“We’ve got the first coming of the king. That’s 2,000 years ago roughly. We’ve got the appearing of the king. We’re going to talk about this tonight. And then thirdly, we’ve got the second coming,” Hibbs said during a recent message.

The distinction carries enormous implications for understanding Bible prophecy, the future of the church and God’s plans for Israel.

The King’s First Coming

The first event centers on Jesus presenting Himself as Israel’s King.

“The first coming is not Bethlehem. The first coming is the Mount of Olives when Jesus Christ is on the back of that little donkey that we know as Palm Sunday and he announces himself to the nation and to the national leadership as the coming king,” Hibbs said.

That moment fulfilled Zechariah 9:9 as Jesus entered Jerusalem while the crowds proclaimed Him the Son of David.

“The national leaders, the government of the theocracy of Israel, Judaism, those in power, they rejected him,” Hibbs said.

The rejection of Jesus by Israel’s leadership opened the door for the gospel to spread throughout the world.

“Thank God, glory be to God, right? The first church was Jewish and through their preaching of the gospel, that’s how the Gentiles heard the gospel,” Hibbs said.

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The King’s Appearing

The second event is Christ’s appearing for His church.

“In the middle, He does not present Himself as king. His appearing presents Himself as the groom or Christ, the husband of the bride of Christ, the church,” Hibbs said.

Unlike the First Coming and Second Coming, Jesus does not come to Earth during this event.

“He appears in the atmosphere. He receives the church to Himself. He never comes to earth in the middle in the rapture. He doesn’t touch the earth. What He does is He comes through the atmosphere. He calls the church up to Himself. He takes us back to the place where He’s been preparing for us,” Hibbs said.

Quoting from John 14, Hibbs highlighted Jesus’ promise to His followers:

“Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

The appearing includes the resurrection of deceased believers and the transformation of living Christians.

“The dead in Christ will rise first and we will meet them in the air with the Lord. That’s what the Bible teaches,” Hibbs said.

The expectation of Jesus’ return should produce anticipation among believers.

“The return of Jesus Christ, if it’s tonight, should excite you to no end,” Hibbs said.

“If you’re not excited about Christ’s return, I want to ask you why. You should be excited.”

Hibbs also addressed those who feel they still have earthly ambitions to fulfill before Jesus returns.

“I promise you, whatever the world offers you, no matter how good it is, it’s nothing compared to five minutes in heaven.”

The King’s Second Coming

The third event is Jesus’ return to Earth at the end of the Tribulation.

“Christ is coming back to the nation of Israel as prophesied in the second coming, not the rapture,” Hibbs said.

The Second Coming fulfills God’s promises to Israel and establishes Christ’s reign from Jerusalem.

“He must return to Jerusalem. He must establish His throne on Zion or we’ve got the wrong Jesus tonight. That’s how critical that is. God either keeps His word or He doesn’t,” Hibbs said.

The restoration of Israel remains central to God’s prophetic plan.

“God is not done with the nation of Israel. That is for sure,” Hibbs said.

The culmination of these events is described in Revelation 19, where Jesus returns in glory with the armies of heaven.

“Christ comes out of heaven and we are with Him and He we with Him are returning to earth,” Hibbs said.

“Out of His mouth goes a sharp two-edged sword. He will strike the earth with the word of His mouth. And He will gather together the nations of the world and judge them there in Jerusalem.”

The return of Jesus concludes the Tribulation period and begins His earthly kingdom.

“Your king is coming back and He’s going to set up His kingdom and He’s going to judge the nations of the earth,” Hibbs said.

Living in Expectation

The reality of Jesus’ return calls believers to action.

“Let’s be busy about our Father’s business. Let’s get up with a sense of urgency and do the right thing because He’s worthy of that action,” Hibbs said.

Bible prophecy is a call to readiness, faithfulness and obedience. Jesus’ First Coming fulfilled prophecy exactly as God promised. His Appearing for the church will happen exactly as Scripture declares. His Second Coming will establish His kingdom exactly as the prophets foretold.

As we await the return of our King, we must keep our hearts right before God, walk in holiness, preach the gospel, make disciples and fulfill the Great Commission with urgency. The same Jesus who came once is coming again.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

A prison cell became the place where Jermaine Wilson stopped looking at his circumstances and started looking to God.

Wilson, who later became a pastor and two-time mayor of Leavenworth, Kansas, shared with Fox News Digital how a cry for help from behind bars became the turning point that reshaped his future and the future of his family.

Raised in a home marked by addiction and incarceration, Wilson entered prison at 15 for robbery. He returned to prison at 19 for drug dealing after becoming involved in gang activity. While serving time in a maximum-security prison, he faced a realization that changed the direction of his life.

“My father had been to prison, my brother was in prison, my sister was in jail. I knew if I didn’t change my life, my son was going to end up going to prison,” Wilson told Fox News Digital. “And so, I wanted to break that cycle of crime and incarceration. And that’s when I cried out to God and said, ‘God, I need help.'”

That prayer led Wilson to Prison Fellowship, a Christian prison ministry founded by Chuck Colson. He enrolled in the organization’s yearlong Prison Fellowship Academy program, where he began rebuilding his life from the inside out.

Wilson said the program helped him develop accountability while surrounding him with men who encouraged him to pursue a different path.

“It was the accountability piece that really helped me and shaped me and motivated me to be the man that I am today,” Wilson told Fox News Digital. “But ultimately it’s because I surrendered and gave my life to Christ. That’s when the transformation started to take place, not just in my mind but also inside of my heart as well.”

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His decision to follow Jesus reached far beyond prison walls.

Through Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree program, Wilson was able to send a Christmas gift and handwritten note to his young son. The gesture reopened communication with his longtime girlfriend, Jessica, and brought healing to strained relationships.

“The church did more than just deliver a present,” Wilson told Fox News Digital. “The presence of God showed up through that gift.”

Jessica later became a Christian after witnessing the change in Wilson’s life. The couple eventually married following his release from prison.

Wilson continued growing in his faith after graduating from the academy in 2009. He attended Bible studies, met with counselors and mentored other inmates before leaving prison and stepping into community leadership.

Today, he serves as a pastor, mission ambassador for Prison Fellowship and a former two-time mayor.

His story arrives as Prison Fellowship celebrates its 50th anniversary and marks a significant milestone. The organization recently became the first nonprofit to receive an evidence-based recidivism reduction designation from the Federal Bureau of Prisons for its Prison Fellowship Academy program.

Prison Fellowship President and CEO Heather Rice-Minus told Fox News Digital that a Texas Department of Criminal Justice study found academy participants had a recidivism rate of less than 6%. Graduates were also more than 50% less likely to return to prison than inmates with similar criminal histories who did not complete the program.

“We really know that the program is making that kind of impact based on the evidence,” Rice-Minus told Fox News Digital.

The ministry plans to continue expanding its work in federal prisons while remaining anchored in the message that changed Wilson’s life.

“For people of faith, especially if you’re a Christian, you have received a second chance from Christ,” Rice-Minus told Fox News Digital.

Wilson now shares his testimony with a message that reaches beyond prison ministry and speaks to every person carrying the weight of yesterday.

“We all have made mistakes, and we are all made in the image of God,” Wilson told Fox News Digital. “And we all walk around with scars and each one of our scars tells a story. Your scars can reflect strength or shame.”

He pointed to a truth that remains at the center of his journey.

“The world would define you by your past, but God redefines you by His purpose,” he told Fox News Digital.

Wilson’s story stands as a reminder that God’s work does not stop at failure, regret or a prison sentence. He still writes new chapters. He still restores families. He still reaches people exactly where they are and leads them toward the purpose He created them to fulfill.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

A 12-year-old Israeli boy has uncovered a rare gemstone in Korazim, the ancient Galilean town known in Scripture as Chorazin, one of the communities Jesus rebuked during His earthly ministry.

According to Israel365 News, Alon Horowitz made the discovery during a community excavation at Korazim National Park conducted by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority in cooperation with Ariel University.

“After three days of excavations, about 10 minutes before we finished, I was digging with a pickaxe and suddenly saw something blue, round, and special,” Horowitz said in a statement released by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. “I picked it up and showed it to the archaeologist. When I realized it was something rare, I felt really happy and proud.”

Archaeologists identified the artifact as a Nicolo stone, a prestigious variety of agate prized during the Roman and Byzantine periods. The gemstone dates between the first and sixth centuries A.D. and was likely set in a piece of jewelry.

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The discovery took place just a few miles north of the Sea of Galilee in a city directly connected to the ministry of Jesus Christ.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus issued a powerful warning to Chorazin after its people witnessed His miracles:

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes” (Matt. 11:21).

Excavations at the site have uncovered a synagogue, a mikveh, agricultural installations and other remnants of daily life from the biblical era.

Israel's Galilee region has been in the headlines in recent months because of rocket and drone attacks by the Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah. However, on Monday, the region made news for a very different reason when a school excavation trip at Korazim National Park led to…

— All Israel News (@all_israel_news) June 2, 2026

The discovery adds to a growing list of significant finds at the location. Israel365 News noted that “in 2021, another young visitor discovered a 1,500-year-old bronze coin while touring the national park.”

More than 2,000 years after Jesus spoke those words over Chorazin, the ancient city continues to reveal pieces of its history. Each discovery brings fresh attention to a place where Jesus walked, taught, performed mighty works and called people to repentance. The ground of Israel continues to testify to the historical reality of the biblical world and the ministry of Jesus Christ.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

The Archdiocese of Washington has removed Monsignor Stephen Rossetti from his role as an exorcist after comments he made linking UFO sightings to demonic activity.

In a statement released Wednesday, Cardinal Robert McElroy announced that Rossetti, a priest of the Diocese of Syracuse, New York, had been removed as an exorcist of the Archdiocese of Washington. The archdiocese also ended all affiliation with the Saint Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, a Washington-based nonprofit founded by Rossetti.

Cardinal McElroy said, “Statements made by Monsignor Rossetti linking UFOs to demonic presence and the Center’s recent use of social media gravely undermine the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism.”

Rossetti is one of the most recognizable Catholic exorcists in the United States. A psychologist as well as an exorcist, he has more than 148,000 followers on Instagram. His Saint Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal has focused on spiritual healing and ministry, particularly for priests facing various difficulties.

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The controversy stemmed from a May 29 video in which Rossetti discussed UFO sightings and the possibility of alien life.

“There’s a danger here,” Rossetti said in the video. “As an exorcist, I wanted to raise that danger. And that is that demons like to hide… They don’t want us to know what they’re doing because they’re more effective when we don’t realize it.”

He added, “They can kind of get into your head, you know, and manipulate things in the world to influence us to do evil.”

Rossetti later stated, “It’s my personal belief that probably many if not most of these UFO sightings are in fact demons.”

Following his removal, Rossetti issued a statement expressing regret.

“I ask forgiveness for any ways that I have not been faithful to the teachings of the Church’s Magisterium, particularly in the cited video on ‘aliens and the demonic,’” he said.

Rossetti added, “I believe it is of the utmost importance to be obedient to the Church and I will continue to endeavor to subject all that I do and the Center to be thus obedient.”

The decision raises questions that are unlikely to disappear anytime soon. If a veteran exorcist with decades of experience dealing with claims of demonic activity can be removed for publicly discussing a possible connection between UFO phenomena and the demonic, many will ask why the response was so swift and severe. Was this simply a matter of Church discipline, or does the Vatican fear where that conversation could ultimately lead?

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

Katie Souza’s recent interview with Pastor Darren Stott covered a remarkable range of subjects. CIA consciousness research. Astral projection. Dream manipulation. UFO disclosure. Psychedelic spirituality. Spirit guides. Occult symbolism in entertainment. Spiritual warfare.

At first glance, the topics appear unrelated.

One discussion centers on a CIA document known as the Gateway Intermediate Workbook. Another explores the growing popularity of astral projection and consciousness expansion on social media. Another examines the modern UFO phenomenon and reports of non-human intelligences. Yet another focuses on psychedelic experiences, spirit guides and occult practices.

Souza and Stott argued that these subjects are not separate conversations at all.

They are pieces of a larger puzzle.

Throughout the interview, Stott repeatedly pointed to what he described as a growing “consciousness revival” spreading throughout culture.

“It’s a new world religion,” he said.

That observation highlights one of the most significant spiritual developments taking place in the world today.

For decades, society was told that science and technology would eventually replace spiritual belief. Instead, the opposite has happened. A generation raised in an age of skepticism has become increasingly fascinated with the supernatural.

Gen Z is discussing spiritual awakening, supernatural experiences, UFO disclosure, consciousness expansion, spirit guides and altered states of consciousness with a level of interest that previous generations rarely displayed.

Many are finding Jesus Christ.

Many are searching elsewhere.

That distinction sits at the center of the conversation Souza and Stott explored.

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As the interview unfolded, a hidden thread began connecting subjects that normally occupy entirely different corners of culture.

CIA consciousness research.

Astral projection.

Psychedelic spirituality.

Manifestation culture.

UFO encounters.

Occult symbolism in music and entertainment.

Viewed independently, they seem disconnected.

Viewed together, they reveal a civilization searching for spiritual knowledge and supernatural experiences.

“The future is far faster than what we think,” Stott said.

He described a world where concepts once confined to occult circles are now spreading through social media, podcasts, entertainment and mainstream discussions surrounding consciousness and spirituality.

The convergence is impossible to ignore. UFO disclosure, consciousness expansion, psychedelic spirituality, astral projection, spirit guides, manifestation culture and New Age spirituality are all gaining mainstream attention at the same moment. What appears to be a collection of unrelated trends increasingly looks like a single spiritual movement. Each promises hidden knowledge, expanded awareness or supernatural experiences. Each encourages people to explore spiritual realities. Each offers a pathway to enlightenment.

The language has changed.

Ancient spiritism is now discussed as consciousness exploration.

Occult practices are presented as wellness tools.

Spirit guides are described as higher intelligences.

Forbidden knowledge is marketed as awakening.

The packaging changes. The destination does not. This is where the discussion becomes prophetically significant.

The first deception recorded in Scripture was not an invitation to reject God. It was an invitation to pursue enlightenment apart from Him.

The serpent told Eve:

“For God knows that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen. 3:5).

The temptation was not unbelief. The temptation was hidden knowledge.

Expanded awareness. Spiritual advancement without submission.

Thousands of years later, that same promise continues to appear under different names.

Awakening. Ascension. Consciousness expansion. Spiritual evolution.

Many of the subjects discussed by Souza and Stott revolve around that same pursuit.

When discussing the CIA document, Stott argued that practices once associated with occult traditions are increasingly being repackaged through the language of energy, vibration and consciousness.

When discussing astral projection, he warned against efforts to normalize spiritual exploration detached from biblical boundaries.

When discussing psychedelic spirituality, he pointed to a growing movement that presents altered states of consciousness as gateways to enlightenment and healing.

When discussing the UFO phenomenon and UFO disclosure, he connected the fascination with non-human intelligences to humanity’s age-old desire to gain access to hidden mysteries.

Even their discussion of entertainment centered on the same theme.

Stott argued that modern music and entertainment increasingly use imagery involving portals, gateways and spiritual access points. Discussing the Astroworld tragedy, he described the event as “The whole theme of this festival was a portal into hell.”

Whether the topic was UFOs, consciousness expansion, psychedelics or occult symbolism, the underlying issue remained the same.

Humanity is searching for the supernatural.

The Bible explains why.

Ecclesiastes says God has “set eternity in their hearts” (Eccl. 3:11).

Human beings were created to know God. We were created to experience His presence. We were created for relationship with our Creator.

That longing never disappears.

What changes is where people look to satisfy it.

This may explain why spiritual awakening and spiritual deception often emerge side by side throughout history.

When Moses confronted Pharaoh, God’s miracles appeared alongside counterfeit signs from Pharaoh’s magicians.

When Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal, genuine spiritual authority stood opposite a counterfeit system.

When the early church exploded with growth in Acts, Simon the Sorcerer emerged seeking spiritual power for himself.

The pattern repeats throughout Scripture.

Whenever people become hungry for the supernatural, competing voices emerge offering alternative paths.

That reality gives new meaning to the cultural moment unfolding before us.

A generation is rejecting the idea that human beings are merely biological machines.

Young people are asking questions about Bible prophecy, spiritual warfare, supernatural encounters, UFO disclosure, consciousness expansion and unseen realities.

Those questions are leading many people to Jesus Christ.

They are also leading many people into New Age spirituality, occult practices, spirit guide encounters and alternative spiritual systems that promise enlightenment while bypassing the Gospel.

That is why spiritual discernment has become so important.

Jesus warned that deception would increase in the last days. The most effective deception is never built entirely upon lies. It succeeds because it mixes fragments of truth with distortions that ultimately lead people away from the source of truth itself.

As Souza and Stott’s conversation demonstrated, subjects such as UFO disclosure, consciousness expansion, astral projection, psychedelic spirituality and occult practices may appear unrelated on the surface. Yet beneath them runs a common current: humanity’s desire to access spiritual realities apart from the One who created them.

That reality makes this far more than a discussion about strange phenomena, government documents or emerging spiritual trends.

It is a battle over the source of truth itself.

A generation is awakening to the reality that there is more than the physical world. At the same time, ancient deceptions are returning with modern language, modern technology and unprecedented reach.

Scripture warned that such a time would come. The last days would not be marked by a disappearance of spirituality but by a flood of counterfeits competing with the truth.

The supernatural is not returning to culture. It never left.

What is changing is that millions of people are becoming aware of it again.

The defining spiritual battle of this generation is not whether people will seek the supernatural.

They already are.

The battle is over who gets to define it.

As the worlds of UFO disclosure, consciousness expansion, psychedelic spirituality, occult practices and spiritual awakening continue to converge, one reality becomes increasingly clear: humanity is not moving away from the supernatural. It is moving deeper into it.

In the midst of that search, the Gospel remains what it has always been.

Not one path among many.

The truth standing in the middle of a thousand counterfeits.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.