For years, the warnings sounded absurd.

Now they sound familiar.

On a recent episode of Roseanne Barr’s podcast, the comedian-turned-cultural firebrand pulled listeners deep into what she described as the real battle unfolding behind the headlines: a biblical civil war stretching from the days of Moses to the chaos consuming the modern world.

“This is a war that goes on,” Barr said. “That’s the real civil war in my opinion.”

What began as a conversation about the book of Exodus quickly turned into something darker and far more prophetic. Barr connected the rebellion in the wilderness, the golden calf and the corruption surrounding Pharaoh’s system to what she sees emerging again in modern politics, media and global power structures.

“It is about good and evil,” Barr said. “It is about Satan and God.”

The discussion carried the tone of an end times decoder ring. Every institution was placed under the microscope. Governments. Media. Marxism. Globalism. Israel. Religion. Artificial narratives. Psychological manipulation. Even the growing hatred surrounding biblical faith itself.

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And beneath all of it, Barr insisted the same ancient spirit remains at work.

“They hate God,” she said. “They don’t even believe in God. So they have to break people’s connection to God.”

Barr repeatedly returned to the Exodus story, specifically Moses leading Israel out of Egypt. But in her telling, the true mystery hidden inside Scripture was not simply Israel escaping slavery. It was the infiltration that came with them.

“There’s a civil war,” Barr said. “That’s the Jewish civil war. It’s always been going on since we left Egypt.”

She pointed to the biblical account of the golden calf and argued that the same spirit of rebellion and corruption still exists today through systems that glorify power, control, greed and manipulation.

“They think they’re smarter than God,” Barr warned.

To Barr, modern society is not collapsing randomly. The unraveling is spiritual.

“This is Lucifer’s reign,” her son Jake suggested during the discussion. Barr responded by warning listeners not to surrender to hopelessness but instead recognize humanity’s responsibility to fight spiritual darkness with truth and faith.

“We have the power to do so,” Barr said. “If you believe in God, you definitely can solve it and fix it because that’s why God created you.”

The conversation repeatedly circled back to Israel, antisemitism and the growing hostility toward the God of Abraham.

“They attack Trump supporters because they’re Christian Zionists,” Barr said. “They like Israel. They like the Bible. They like the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

At times, the episode sounded less like political commentary and more like an underground transmission warning about a spiritual deception consuming the nations.

“They elevated Satan to be equal to God,” Barr said while discussing what she described as pagan corruption of biblical truth. “But he is not.”

Barr insisted the ultimate battle is not race, politics or ideology. It is whether humanity chooses hatred or love, rebellion or repentance.

“Love is the strongest thing in the universe,” she said. “Love is God and God is love.”

And while much of the modern world races toward anger, division and confusion, Barr believes the veil is beginning to lift.

“The mission is that we open eyes,” she said. “The veil is removed and everybody sees themselves clearly.”

The conversation echoed warnings found throughout Scripture: deception in the last days, nations in turmoil, hostility toward God and Israel and a world increasingly unable to distinguish darkness from light.

The signs are no longer hiding in the shadows.

They are flooding headlines 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@.

There is a growing hunger inside the church right now for something real.

Not polished religion. Not emotional hype. Not viral Christianity built around personalities and performances.

People are desperate for genuine fellowship with God again.

That was the heartbeat behind a recent episode of the John Bevere Podcast, where bestselling author and minister John Bevere delivered a strong but deeply encouraging message about the Holy Spirit, spiritual deception and the danger of drifting away from intimacy with Christ while still appearing spiritually healthy on the outside.

At the center of the discussion was a repeated command found in 1 John 2: remain in fellowship with Christ.

Bevere said many Christians have reduced the Holy Spirit to emotional moments during worship services instead of recognizing Him as Lord over everyday life.

“What does that look like for the Holy Spirit to be Lord in my life?” Arden Bevere asked during the discussion. “Is that just when I’m in a service and I feel the Holy Spirit come upon me because the worship’s so powerful, because the word’s so good? But what does that look like in my daily life?”

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John Bevere responded with a story about a billionaire businessman who reached a breaking point after trying every worldly strategy imaginable to grow his company. Then one day he realized something: pastors depend on the Holy Spirit every week to preach and lead spiritually, so why shouldn’t a businessman rely on the Holy Spirit too?

“He said every morning he committed to this process. He sat down with his Bible, sat down with a notepad and for 30 minutes he said, ‘Okay, what are my instructions today?’” Bevere recalled. “Now at first God was telling me to do things that I thought wouldn’t help my business. They were insignificant. Some of them looked actually silly.”

Those acts of obedience eventually opened extraordinary doors and transformed the man’s business empire.

For Bevere, the story reveals something many Christians have forgotten: the Holy Spirit wants involvement in every area of our lives, not just church services.

At the same time, Bevere warned against unhealthy extremes that often surround conversations about the Holy Spirit.

“Weirdness does not attract the Holy Spirit,” he said. “Obedience attracts the Holy Spirit.”

He acknowledged many believers have become uncomfortable with emotionally charged spiritual environments that feel more performative than biblical.

“The Holy Spirit’s not weird though. The people were weird,” he said. “They think weirdness for some reason will attract the Holy Spirit and that’s not true.”

But Bevere also pushed back against another growing trend inside Christianity: rejecting pastors and spiritual authority altogether.

“I don’t need a pastor. I don’t need to listen to this podcast. I don’t need to read this book. I’ve got the Holy Spirit. You’re wrong,” he said.

The conversation later shifted into a warning about distorted teachings on grace and the fear of offending people.

“Grace is not permission to sin,” Bevere said. “Grace is power to obey.”

According to Bevere, many churches have softened biblical truth in an effort to keep people comfortable.

“It is the fear of man,” he said. “It is wanting to hold people to the message without losing them.”

One of the most powerful moments of the podcast came when Arden shared a story about two women who approached him after hearing one of Bevere’s sermons on repentance and sexual immorality.

“They said, ‘We have been going to this church for about a year now and no one has told us that we’ve been living in sin,’” Arden recalled.

For Bevere, that moment highlighted the church’s responsibility to speak truth with compassion instead of compromise.

“You have to speak the truth in love,” he said. “You got to love these people. You got to realize, hey, this is what’s going to liberate you. This is what’s going to set you free.”

Near the end of the discussion, Bevere compared fellowship with Christ to a football huddle. Players connected to the quarterback know the play call and understand where to move next. But the player standing outside the huddle is left confused and guessing.

“We pull ourselves out of the huddle of Jesus,” Bevere said. “We really don’t know what to do. We really don’t know what the play call is.”

Bevere closed with a final reminder about staying spiritually ready for Christ’s return.

“We don’t want to have any shame when He returns,” he said. “He wants you to have confidence. He wants you to have courage.”

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@.

Many Christians want God’s blessings. Far fewer want His correction.

That was the central warning from Rabbi Kirt Schneider during a recent teaching on the tabernacle, where he challenged believers to confront what he called a growing resistance to conviction, repentance and spiritual discipline. Drawing from the brass laver described in Exodus, Schneider said modern believers often avoid the painful self-examination necessary for transformation.

“We need to be aware of what’s going on in our heart,” Schneider said. “What are the impulses that are arising from our heart? How are we relating to the world around us? Are we easily frustrated? And then when we get frustrated, we get angry. And then when we get angry, we hate or we judge people or we condemn people.”

Schneider explained that the brass laver, where Israel’s priests washed before entering deeper into God’s presence, was uniquely made from mirrors. That detail, he said, carries a prophetic message for believers today.

“What do we use a mirror for? We use a mirror to see what we look like,” Schneider said. “The brass laver is about cleansing.”

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As the priests looked into the water-filled basin and saw their reflections, Schneider said believers today must allow the Holy Spirit to expose areas of sin, selfishness and spiritual weakness.

“That if you and I are going to be cleansed, we need to see ourselves through the eyes of the Spirit,” he said.

Throughout the message, Schneider repeatedly warned against what he described as comfort-driven Christianity. He shared personal stories of conviction in his own life, admitting that even spiritual activities can sometimes become excuses for avoiding responsibility and service to others.

“But sometimes the Lord is saying, ‘No, that’s a sin for you just wanting to lay here because you love My Word so much when I’m putting something in front of you that I’m asking you to do,’” Schneider said. “Get off your couch, go spend time with your grandkids, go spend time with your wife.”

Schneider compared believers to soldiers who must abandon comfort in order to fulfill their mission.

“We need to have a mindset like a soldier,” he said. “They’ve got a mindset that they’re there to do a job, not to be comfortable in the world.”

He also warned that many Christians selectively listen to God, embracing encouragement while tuning out conviction.

“The Spirit’s speaking, but because He’s speaking to us about something that we’re uncomfortable about, or we’re too lazy to do something about, or it makes us uncomfortable because to obey the Spirit’s voice, it would stretch us out of our comfort zone, I wonder how many of us have shut Him out and we’re not listening,” Schneider said.

Despite the strong warning, Schneider emphasized that conviction is not condemnation but part of God’s process of transformation.

“Discipline is a good thing. It’s a blessing,” he said. “It allows us to grow. It allows us to repent. It allows us to change.”

Schneider concluded by urging believers to embrace holiness over comfort and allow the Holy Spirit to continually refine their hearts.

“As we cooperate with God through the pattern of the tabernacle, we’re going to become pure and more and more see His face,” he said.

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@.

Authorities in eastern China have demolished a prominent Protestant church in what advocates say is part of an escalating campaign against independent Christians across the country.

According to a report from ChinaAid, Yazhong Church in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, was reduced to rubble after months of arrests, surveillance and government pressure targeting the congregation.

The church, also known as Yayang Church, was located in a region often called “China’s Jerusalem” for its large Christian population. ChinaAid reported that authorities arrested 103 church members during a coordinated Dec. 14-15 raid and later detained additional believers as demolition crews moved in.

“That same week, at a public event, an unidentified government official announced: ‘We will see this campaign through to the end,’” ChinaAid reported.

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ChinaAid stated that heavy construction vehicles later entered the area through tightly controlled security checkpoints before crews demolished the sanctuary “from the top down, reducing it to rubble.”

The organization also reported that authorities imposed strict information controls before the demolition, including checkpoints, guard posts and electronic surveillance designed to prevent photos and videos from circulating online.

“Individuals attempting to take photographs or record video with mobile phones were immediately intercepted, expelled, or detained,” ChinaAid reported.

The conflict reportedly intensified after government officials ordered the Chinese national flag to be displayed inside the sanctuary and a flagpole erected on church property. Congregants viewed the directive as an attack on the sanctity of their faith.

ChinaAid President Bob Fu said the persecution facing Christians in China has become increasingly severe.

“These recent actions show that the persecution of Christians by Chinese authorities has intensified, becoming more institutionalized and targeted,” Fu said.

Fu also warned that the Chinese Communist Party continues to target churches that refuse to submit fully to state control.

“Any Christian church unwilling to submit to state power — even this one, without any political involvement — the Chinese Communist Party feels it has to silence and even destroy,” Fu said.

Despite the destruction, Fu said believers remain steadfast.

“Our sources confirm that this beautiful and sacred place of worship has been destroyed – but our prayers are not reduced to rubble,” Fu said. “May this loss wake up the global church to what’s happening in China, a great conflict between faithful believers and state power.”

As Christians around the world watch the growing pressure facing believers in China, we should pray for courage, protection and endurance for the underground church as many continue worshipping Christ under the threat of arrest, intimidation and persecution.

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@.

President Donald Trump is tying the future of a potential Iran nuclear agreement to one of the most consequential diplomatic developments in modern Middle East history: the expansion of the Abraham Accords.

Trump announced Monday that six Muslim-majority nations must normalize relations with Israel if they want to participate in a broader agreement involving Iran.

“The president said he told the heads of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, and Jordan during a Saturday call that he wants those countries to normalize relations with Israel by agreeing to the 2020 US-brokered accords,” the New York Post reported.

Leaders from United Arab Emirates and Bahrain also participated in the discussions. Both nations signed the Abraham Accords during Trump’s first administration, helping reshape diplomatic relations across the Middle East.

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“I stated that, after all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, according to the New York Post.

“It may be possible that one or two have a reason for not doing so, and that will be accepted, but most should be ready, willing, and able to make this Settlement with Iran a far more Historic Event than it would, otherwise, be,” Trump added.

Trump also warned nations against refusing participation in the accords.

“If they don’t, they should not be part of this Deal in that it shows bad intention,” Trump wrote.

The Abraham Accords marked a seismic geopolitical shift in 2020 when multiple Arab nations formally recognized Israel. The agreements shattered decades of regional hostility and opened economic, diplomatic and security cooperation between Israel and several Muslim-majority nations.

Trump is now floating an even more dramatic possibility: Iran itself joining the accords.

“In speaking to numerous of the Great Leaders mentioned above, they would be honored, as soon as our Document is signed, to have the Islamic Republic of Iran as part of the Abraham Accords. Wow, now that would be something special!” Trump declared.

“[I]f Iran signs its Agreement with me, as President of the United States of America, it would be an Honor to have them also be part of this unparalleled World Coalition.”

The Trump administration is simultaneously working to finalize what officials described as a “broad template” for peace with Iran. One senior official told the New York Post negotiations are roughly “95%” complete.

Trump also made clear he does not want negotiations rushed.

“Negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are proceeding nicely! It will only be a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all — Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before — And nobody wants that!” Trump wrote.

The negotiations come as tensions across the Middle East remain elevated following the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack and the ongoing war in Gaza, both of which dramatically complicated normalization efforts between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

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@.

As missiles streak across the skies of the Middle East and fears of a wider regional war intensify, Pastor John Hagee stepped behind the pulpit with an open Bible and a blunt declaration: biblical prophecy is unfolding before the world’s eyes.

“The signs Jesus told us to watch for are no longer whispering,” Hagee declared. “They are shouting.”

The message centered on Psalm 122 and the command to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” as tensions surrounding Israel, Iran and Russia continue to escalate. Hagee framed the growing instability in the Middle East as a direct fulfillment of prophetic warnings found in Ezekiel and other biblical passages.

“The winds of war are blowing over the ancient city of Jerusalem in the Middle East,” Hagee said.

Turning to Ezekiel’s prophecy concerning the “king of the north,” Hagee identified Russia as the nation Scripture says will one day lead an invasion against Israel alongside Iran, Turkey and allied forces.

“The prophet Ezekiel makes it clear that in the end of days, right now, the king of the north, which is Russia, will invade Israel,” Hagee said.

He pointed to the growing alignment between Russia and Iran, along with the relentless hostility toward Israel throughout the region, as evidence that the prophetic stage is rapidly being set.

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Then came the warning.

“Ezekiel states that God, quote, in the fury of His wrath, will send a great earthquake in the land of Israel,” Hagee said. “Mountains will fall and every wall shall fall to the ground.”

Hagee described three supernatural judgments that he said God will unleash against the invading armies: a devastating earthquake, confusion that causes enemy forces to kill each other and massive hailstones falling from heaven.

“The third weapon God’s going to use as He crushes the adversaries of Israel is hailstones from heaven,” Hagee said. “The stones from heaven killed more than the swords of Israel.”

Again and again, Hagee returned to the same message.

“This is going to happen,” he said.

The sermon widened beyond Israel and focused squarely on America’s spiritual condition. Hagee warned that the shaking described in Scripture will impact nations across the earth, including the United States.

“I will shake all nations,” Hagee quoted from Haggai 2. “That certainly will include the United States of America.”

He lamented America’s moral decline, attacks on biblical values, antisemitism and political hatred while calling the nation back to repentance and prayer.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,” Hagee proclaimed. “All nations that forget God are turned into hell.”

The heart of the message centered on the power of prayer to alter the course of nations. Hagee pointed to Daniel, Hezekiah, Gideon and America’s founders as examples of men who sought God during moments of national crisis.

“The secret of America survival is prayer,” Hagee said. “Prayer from God’s people.”

He called on Christians to engage in spiritual warfare for both America and Israel.

“Saints of the living God, America and Israel are under fire,” Hagee declared. “The victory is going to be won in the supernatural. Walk out onto the battlefield of prayer. Open fire and let God arise and let His enemies be scattered.”

The conflict surrounding Israel is no longer just another geopolitical crisis. Ancient biblical warnings are colliding with modern world events as nations align exactly as the prophets described thousands of years ago.

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 Texas school district is facing mounting scrutiny after Qurans, hijabs and pamphlets promoting Sharia law were distributed inside Wylie East High School, triggering a forceful Christian response from local parents, students and community members who say America’s biblical foundation is being steadily erased from public life.

The controversy began in February when a “Why Islam?” table connected to the school’s Muslim Student Association operated on campus and handed religious materials to students.

According to Fox News, Wylie Independent School District later admitted the event violated district policy.

In a message to parents, Superintendent Kim Spicer stated, “Wylie ISD does not allow the distribution of any religious materials to students, regardless of the group or message,” describing the incident as a “clear violation of board policy.”

That admission only intensified frustration among families who watched Islamic outreach efforts gain access to students inside a public school while Christian expression is routinely fenced off, restricted or treated like a problem to manage.

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Student Marco Hunter-Lopez became one of the most visible voices confronting the situation after publicly exposing what happened. He later testified before Congress during a hearing titled “Sharia-Free America.”

“The principal was there that day looking on,” Hunter-Lopez said. “So even if policies were broken, the principal looked on and did nothing about it.”

Fox News Digital also reported that Principal Tiffany Doolan previously posted photos to Instagram showing herself participating in World Hijab Day activities alongside students. One caption read, “I LOVED this experience!”

The issue extends far beyond one table at one school.

Americans are increasingly watching aggressive religious and ideological movements, such as Islam, gain cultural protection and institutional access while Christianity, the faith that shaped this nation’s moral framework, is pushed toward silence in the very country our founders built on biblical principles and acknowledgment of God.

In response, local believers gathered outside the school this week to distribute hundreds of Bibles before classes began. The outreach included miniature Jesus figures, bracelets and signs reading “Bibles Not Qurans.”

The event was organized in part by Dallas-Fort Worth radio host Chris Krok.

“My listeners and my podcast followers have been saying, ‘Why don’t you pass out Bibles?’” Krok told Fox News Digital.

Unlike the original Islamic display, organizers deliberately remained off school property and complied with district procedures.

“If Islamic people are allowed into this school to proselytize, we’re going to show up and we’re going to stand up against it,” Krok said. “And we’re saying you cannot proselytize in there. Come out here like we are.”

Community members repeatedly emphasized they were there to share Jesus Christ, not attack Muslims.

Local resident Justin “JB” Bennett told Fox News Digital, “Let’s share the love of Jesus, let’s spread the message about the Gospel: how Jesus died for your sins.”

Meanwhile, Hunter-Lopez revealed the backlash for speaking publicly has included violent threats.

“I had people saying that they were going to be at my house waiting for me to get home and they were going to shoot me,” he testified. “I had people telling me to kill myself.”

Still, he stood firm in his faith.

“I wake up every morning with victory with Christ,” he said.

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@.

Evangelist Mario Murillo announced that his extended Stockton, California, tent crusade will continue for another four weeks after what organizers described as a massive response marked by salvations, healings and growing community outreach efforts.

What was expected to be the final night of the “Living Proof” crusade instead became what Murillo called a commissioning service, as ministry leaders unveiled plans to mobilize 1,000 evangelists across Stockton neighborhoods, schools and businesses while keeping the tent open daily for prayer and ministry gatherings.

“How could we take this Tent down?” Murillo said as crowds filled the altar during the service, according to the ministry blog.

The meetings are being held at LifeSong Church in Stockton, where the ministry says thousands have attended since the crusade began earlier this month. Organizers announced Murillo and worship leader Catherine Mullins will return June 14-17 for four additional nights under the tent.

During the service, Mullins called young people to holiness and bold faith, declaring from the platform, “There is a man named Jesus, and He healed sickness. He healed diseases. And He’s worthy of radical praise.”

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Murillo told attendees the expansion came after sensing he should remain in the city despite spiritual opposition.

“This morning, the Devil told me to leave town,” Murillo said. “And that’s when I knew. When the Devil wants you out, you stay.”

The evangelist also preached a message titled “Why Are All Your Friends Becoming Christians?” in which he pointed to growing interest in faith amid global instability and dissatisfaction with secular solutions.

“Your friends read the Bible, and they came up with this,” Murillo said while referencing Matthew 24. “It’s going by the book.”

According to the ministry, the meetings included altar calls, worship services and prayers for healing involving cancer, neurological disorders and other illnesses. Hundreds reportedly responded for salvation and healing prayer throughout the crusade.

Murillo, who has conducted tent crusades across California and the United States for decades, said Stockton could be entering a historic spiritual season.

“You are on the cusp of the greatest spiritual history of Stockton,” he told the crowd.

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@.

For years now, the corporate media complex has presented Stephen Colbert as the friendly face of modern Christianity in entertainment. He teaches Sunday school. He references Catholicism. He talks openly about faith. The media establishment loves it because it offers a version of religion that feels polished, harmless and culturally approved.

Then the mask slips for five seconds and suddenly the entire illusion falls apart.

During a recent episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, comedian Jim Gaffigan asked Colbert one of the most important questions any human being will ever answer: “What do you think happens when we die?”

According to Breitbart, Colbert responded, “I think there is some continuance of some kind. But it’s like a dispersion of the self into some other greater being.”

A dispersion of the self into some other greater being.

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That is not Christianity. That is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is mystical spiritualism dressed up in late-night television humor while millions of Americans sit there absorbing it as wisdom.

Gaffigan joked, “What you’re saying is: we become Febreze.”

Colbert smiled and answered, “Yes. Right. That’s exactly right.”

No, it is exactly wrong.

Jesus Christ never taught that humanity dissolves into a cosmic consciousness. He never taught that personal identity evaporates into “some greater being.” Christianity teaches resurrection, judgment, eternal life and reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ alone.

John 14:6 says plainly: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

That verse alone destroys most of modern celebrity spirituality.

And here is the bigger issue Christians need to recognize. The media does not elevate people like Colbert because they faithfully represent biblical Christianity. The media elevates people like Colbert because they soften Christianity into something vague enough to fit comfortably inside the culture.

Corporate media despises absolute truth. It despises the exclusivity of Christ. It despises repentance, holiness and biblical authority. But vague spirituality? Mysticism? Cosmic enlightenment? The language of universal consciousness and “higher understanding”? The entertainment industry cannot get enough of it.

That is why the media constantly platforms counterfeit spirituality while portraying faithful Christians as dangerous extremists. That is why the media constantly platforms counterfeit spirituality while portraying faithful Christians as dangerous extremists.

Breitbart noted that many online compared Colbert’s comments to ancient Gnosticism and eastern mysticism. The article referenced the ancient Gnostic concept of the “pleroma,” the belief that humanity ultimately dissolves back into a divine fullness or collective consciousness.

Sound familiar?

Modern culture repackages this exact same lie every single day. Now it comes wrapped in phrases like “source energy,” “collective awakening,” “higher consciousness,” “spiritual evolution,” and “ascension.” The wording changes. The rebellion against God does not.

The serpent told Eve in the garden, “You shall be as gods.” Humanity has been chasing that deception ever since.

Now it is pumped into society through celebrities, entertainment, social media influencers and self-appointed spiritual gurus who preach transcendence without repentance and salvation without a Savior.

A Baptist pastor quoted by Breitbart articulated the biblical position clearly: “Scripture does not teach that we are ‘dispersed’ into some greater impersonal being after death. Human beings remain personal, conscious, morally accountable, and either in the presence of Christ or under judgment.”

That is historic Christianity.

The Christian hope is not absorption into the universe. It is resurrection through Jesus Christ. It is eternal fellowship with God while retaining the identity He created us with. Scripture teaches that death is not the disappearance of the self but the doorway into eternity where every person stands before a holy God.

What Colbert described is not biblical faith. It is the religion of modern celebrity culture. It sounds enlightened because the culture has conditioned people to distrust certainty and worship ambiguity.

And frankly, this is why Christians cannot trust corporate media to guide people spiritually. These institutions consistently point people away from the exclusivity of Jesus Christ while pretending to celebrate “faith.” They applaud spirituality that never confronts sin and never declares biblical truth.

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@.

Vatican News reported Friday that Pope Leo XIV is urging the Catholic Church to help shape the future of artificial intelligence while promoting what he called a “restored trust in technology.”

Speaking during the Vatican’s International Conference on Artificial Intelligence titled “Preserving human faces and voices,” Pope Leo said the Church must help direct how AI and digital technologies are used across society.

“This desire for everyone ‘to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth’ must therefore inform not only our decisions and actions, but also the use and direction given to media, digital technology, and artificial intelligence,” the Pope said, according to Vatican News.

He also warned against “unbridled implementation of technology at the expense of human dignity,” saying such systems can exploit humanity’s deep need for relationships and connection.

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The Vatican is now positioning itself as a voice in the rapidly expanding global conversation surrounding AI ethics, digital systems and the future of humanity itself. Pope Leo called the AI age “an essential theme for the Church” and urged leaders to work with educators to strengthen AI literacy and critical thinking among young people.

“We must therefore help them to encounter the living Christ and teach them to integrate the use of technology within a holistic Christian lifestyle,” he said, according to Vatican News.

As artificial intelligence advances at breathtaking speed, more people are carefully watching how governments, corporations, financial systems and religious institutions are increasingly embracing interconnected digital infrastructure.

The Bible’s warnings about global control systems in the last days are impossible for many of us to ignore.

Revelation 13:16-17 describes a future system in which no one may “buy or sell” without authorization connected to the Beast system. Revelation 13 also describes a global system of influence, economic control and deception unlike anything the world had previously seen.

AI-driven surveillance, biometric systems, digital currencies and centralized communication platforms continue moving the world toward systems that resemble the kind of global infrastructure described in Scripture.

Jesus warned in Matthew 24:4 to “take heed that no one deceives you,” while Revelation 13:14 warns of a coming deception that will mislead the world.

Pope Leo closed his remarks by expressing hope “that these reflections lead to a restored trust in technology as a fruit of the genius of the human person in harmony with God’s creative design.”

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence continues raising serious spiritual questions about discernment, dependence on technology and the direction of an increasingly connected world system.

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@.