The rhetoric shocked even seasoned political observers. But the deeper reality reaches far beyond politics. It reaches into the ancient spiritual war Scripture says will intensify in the last days.

As reported by Fox News, Texas Democratic congressional candidate Maureen Galindo ignited national backlash after posting on Instagram that she would turn the “Karnes ICE Detention Center into a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers for human trafficking.”

“It will also be a castration processing center for pedophiles, which will probably be most of the Zionists,” Galindo wrote.

The remarks drew swift condemnation, including from fellow Democrats. Texas State Rep. James Talarico declared, “This antisemitic rhetoric has no place in our politics.”

Maureen Galindo, a Democrat running for Congress in TX-35, says in an Instagram post that she would turn an ICE detention center near San Antonio “into a prison for American Zionists”, and will also use it as a castration processing center for pedophiles, “which will probably be…

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 19, 2026

But the spiritual implications surrounding the controversy are even more sobering.

Scripture reveals a consistent pattern stretching from Genesis to Revelation: Satan relentlessly targets the Jewish people because God established covenant with Israel and brought the Messiah into the world through them. The hatred directed toward Jews throughout history has never been merely political. It has always been spiritual.

Pharaoh ordered Hebrew sons murdered in Egypt. Haman attempted genocide against the Jews in Persia. Herod slaughtered infants in Bethlehem in an effort to destroy the coming Messiah. The Roman Empire persecuted Jews and Christians alike. Nazi Germany built death camps under one of history’s most openly anti-God regimes.

The pattern never changes.

The enemy targets what God has chosen.

Jesus Christ entered the world through the Jewish people in fulfillment of biblical covenant promises. Because of that, Israel remains central to biblical prophecy and central to Satan’s hatred.

The prophet Zechariah warned of a future moment when the entire world would turn its attention toward Jerusalem. Zechariah 12:2-3 states, “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the surrounding peoples… and all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.”

That prophecy is unfolding before our eyes.

Israel has become the focal point of global outrage, international pressure and growing hostility unlike any other nation on earth. The Jewish state occupies a tiny strip of land, yet dominates global headlines, diplomatic conflicts and ideological battles across nearly every continent. Scripture foretold this exact reality thousands of years ago.

The book of Revelation expands the warning even further. Revelation 12 describes Satan as a dragon warring against Israel, symbolized as the woman who brought forth the Messiah. Revelation 12:13 declares, “And when the dragon saw that he had been cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.”

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The imagery is unmistakable. Satan wages war against Israel because Israel brought forth Jesus Christ into the world.

But that war did not begin in Revelation. It began in Genesis.

Immediately after the fall of man, God declared war between the serpent and the coming Redeemer. In Genesis 3:15, God told the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”

This became known as the seed war.

From that moment forward, Satan sought to corrupt, destroy or eliminate the bloodline through which the Messiah would come. That spiritual conflict echoes throughout all of human history. Cain murdered Abel. Giants appeared before the flood. Pharaoh slaughtered Hebrew children. Haman plotted genocide. Herod massacred infants. Hitler built extermination camps.

Every attack carried the same spiritual objective: destroy the covenant people tied to God’s redemptive plan.

Revelation shows that same war continuing into the final days of human history. Scripture reveals that as the return of Christ approaches, hostility toward Israel and the Jewish people will intensify globally because Satan understands his time is short.

Galindo denied being antisemitic during an appearance on Texas Public Radio while simultaneously escalating her rhetoric.

“I’m against Zionist Jews,” she said, according to The Times of Israel. “The Zionist Jews own our media, our banks, and all of our politicians.”

Those statements mirror the same propaganda themes used by anti-God regimes for generations. Demonize the Jews. Blame them for society’s corruption. Portray them as enemies hiding behind wealth, media and power. History shows where that road leads.

The spiritual darkness surrounding antisemitism becomes unmistakable when viewed through the lens of Scripture. Satan hates Israel because God chose Israel. Satan hates the Jewish people because God’s covenant remains tied to them. Satan hates biblical prophecy because every fulfilled prophecy points to the authority of God’s Word and the soon return of Jesus Christ.

What was once whispered on the fringes now erupts openly in mainstream political discourse. That escalation aligns precisely with biblical prophecy concerning the end times.

The same spirit that fueled Pharaoh, Haman and Hitler continues operating today under different banners and political movements. Scripture warned that hostility toward Israel would grow as the world moved deeper into deception and rebellion against God.

This is not merely a political controversy. It is another visible reminder that the spiritual battle described in the Bible is unfolding in real time before our eyes.

And according to biblical prophecy, that battle will intensify until Jesus Christ returns to establish His kingdom and fulfill every promise God made to Israel and His people.

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 headlines are increasingly dominated by chaos, outrage and moral confusion, a different kind of story is beginning to rise across the globe: thousands of believers publicly declaring their faith in Jesus Christ through water baptism.

On Pentecost Sunday, churches from dozens of nations are expected to unite for what organizers are calling “the world’s largest synchronized water baptism,” a global event led by California pastor Mark Francey and supported by congregations spanning multiple denominations and continents.

The growing movement represents more than a church event. It is a visible reminder that God is still moving powerfully in a culture saturated with darkness, division and spiritual confusion.

“The church was born on the day of Pentecost 2,000 years ago,” Francey told Religion News Service. “It was a prayer meeting that went into the streets that announced good news. And that day, 3,000 people believed, and that day, 3,000 got baptized.”

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That same spirit of bold public faith is now spreading worldwide.

The movement traces its roots back to the beaches of Southern California, where mass baptisms once became a defining image of the Jesus Movement in the 1970s. This year, organizers expect churches from Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas to participate together on Pentecost.

Francey said the heart behind the event is unity in Christ at a time when so much of modern culture is pulling people apart.

“I think the reason why God is blessing what we’re doing is it brings all of His kids together around what we agree on,” he said.

That message is resonating deeply in a generation searching for hope and authenticity. While entertainment headlines often glorify violence, immorality and self-destruction, scenes of believers worshipping on beaches, in rivers and inside churches offer a radically different picture. Families gathering to celebrate transformed lives. Young people boldly professing faith in Jesus. Churches working together instead of competing with one another.

Dustin Bates described the atmosphere at previous events as contagious.

“We see like a domino effect on these baptisms,” Bates said. “People that were in the congregation then came and began to ask if they could get baptized.”

He added that denominational labels seemed to disappear during the gatherings.

“It didn’t matter what church you came from, what background you came from, everybody came together under the same name — Jesus and being baptized in water,” Bates said. “You could feel the unity across the entire beach.”

That kind of public witness carries cultural weight. In an age where faith is often mocked or pushed to the margins, thousands of believers stepping into the water together sends a powerful message that the Gospel is still changing lives.

As Pentecost approaches, excitement continues to build around what could become one of the largest coordinated Christian baptism events in modern history. It is also a reminder that revival is not just something we read about in history books. God is still drawing people to Himself, and the name of Jesus is still being lifted high across the earth.

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@.

Police in the United Kingdom have dropped criminal charges against a Christian street preacher after a monthslong investigation into his public sermons, a decision supporters are calling a major victory for free speech and religious liberty.

As reported by Decision Magazine, Pastor Dia Moodley, 58, had been arrested in November while preaching in Bristol city center. Authorities accused him of “inciting religious hatred” after he publicly discussed Christianity, Islam and transgender ideology.

After four months under investigation, Avon and Somerset Police informed Moodley that “no further action will be taken,” according to Alliance Defending Freedom International, the Christian legal organization representing him.

“I’m glad Avon and Somerset Police decided to eventually do the right thing and drop their criminal investigation,” Moodley said in a statement released by ADF International. “This is a win for free speech, but I never should have been arrested, treated like a criminal, and investigated for months for peacefully sharing my faith in the public square.”

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Moodley was detained for eight hours and initially barred from entering Bristol city center during the Christmas season. Although those restrictions were later lifted, ADF International said the ongoing investigation effectively silenced his public preaching during Christmas and the weeks leading up to Easter because of fears of rearrest.

The case marked the second time Moodley had been arrested over his public comments regarding Islam and gender ideology. In a separate 2024 incident outside the University of Bristol, police also dropped an investigation after he stated that sex is binary while discussing Islam.

Jeremiah Igunnubole called the police decision a “vindication” of Moodley’s conduct and warned that the case reflects a broader erosion of free speech protections in the U.K.

“The war of attrition against free speech in the U.K., demonstrated in Pastor Dia’s case, must end,” Igunnubole said. “Censorial laws need to be repealed urgently, and stronger protections, including a Free Speech Bill, are needed to reverse the growing culture of censorship within law enforcement.”

Despite repeated arrests and confrontations while preaching publicly, Moodley said he will continue proclaiming the Gospel in the public square.

“I will continue to share my faith publicly, undeterred by the police’s censorship and the threats and violence I have faced, and will stand for free speech not just for myself, but for the rights of all people in the U.K.”

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@.

Pentecost did not begin in the upper room in Acts 2. According to Rabbi Kirt Schneider, the roots of Pentecost stretch back to the Torah, revealing God’s supernatural plan from the very beginning.

In a recent teaching, Schneider urged believers to rediscover the true meaning of Shavuot and embrace the power of the Holy Spirit that birthed the church.

“We’re going to begin by going to the Jewish root, the foundation of this in the Torah,” Schneider said while teaching from Book of Leviticus chapter 23.

Schneider explained that Pentecost, meaning “50” in Greek, was originally established by God as a feast celebrating His provision and the harvest.

“This was originally a feast of Thanksgiving,” Schneider said. “It was honoring the Lord as the Lord of life and the Lord of the harvest.”

Jewish people traditionally call the feast Shavuot, meaning “weeks,” because it occurs seven weeks after Passover. Schneider emphasized that Pentecost was first given to Israel long before Acts 2.

“Pentecost is not first a Christian holy day,” he said. “It was first one of the days that God gave Israel.”

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Turning to Acts 2, Schneider described the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as a supernatural moment that forever changed history.

“There came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind,” he read. “It was powerful and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.”

Schneider also clarified that the tongues spoken in Acts 2 were known human languages given supernaturally so people from many nations could hear the gospel in their own tongue.

“When they spoke in tongues, they were speaking in known languages that they had never learned for the purpose of proclaiming the gospel,” he said.

For Schneider, the deeper message of Pentecost is that Christianity was never designed to operate apart from the power of God.

“The church is a supernatural movement,” he declared. “We’ve been brought into covenant relationship … with a supernatural God.”

He warned believers not to reduce their faith to intellect and routine alone.

“Some of us are trapped in our own mind,” Schneider said. “We make all our decisions based on the pros and cons.”

Instead, Schneider called Christians to live with expectation that the Holy Spirit still moves, still empowers and still transforms lives today.

“God wants to show up supernaturally,” he said.

That message carries enormous weight for the church today. Pentecost was not simply a moment to remember. It was the beginning of a Spirit-filled movement that turned the world upside down through ordinary believers surrendered to an extraordinary God.

The same Holy Spirit poured out in Acts 2 still strengthens us, guides us and fills us with boldness to proclaim Jesus in a spiritually hungry world. Schneider’s message is a reminder that we were never called to follow Christ through human effort alone. We were called to walk in the power, fire and presence of God every single 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@.

The internet expected another messy feud. Instead, God used a broken back, a parody video and an honest rebuke to help bring a worship leader back home.

Cory Asbury, best known for the worship anthem Reckless Love, revealed this week that he spent the past five years running from church and worship ministry before experiencing a powerful restoration in his faith walk.

“After tasting the goodness of God in my 20s, I came to the end of myself when I realized my running was tearing apart my brothers and sisters that were still in the Father’s house,” Asbury wrote in a social media post discussed during a recent segment from CBN News.

“But God is good and the rebuke of my brother Forrest gained Heaven another soul,” he added. “This past autumn, God came running to find me bruised, beaten, and broken.”

The story traces back to last year when Forrest Frank suffered a serious back injury after falling off a skateboard. While recovering, Frank continued making music from bed and several songs went viral online.

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A post shared by Cory Asbury (@coryasbury)

As his popularity exploded, parody videos soon followed. Asbury participated in one of them, which sparked tension between the two artists.

But instead of responding in anger, Frank chose reconciliation.

“Instead of being angry and mad, Forrest connected with him,” journalist Billy Hallowell said. “They had a great conversation, became really good friends, collaborated on a song together.”

Hallowell said that kindness and friendship helped lead Asbury back to faith.

“That is the biblical model of what we should do when a brother or sister frustrates us,” he said.

The conversation also touched on the pressure many Christian artists face while living publicly in the spotlight. Raj Nair said many believers expect Christian musicians to appear spiritually perfect while giving little room for struggle or doubt.

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“They’re trophies of Christian culture,” Nair said. “They can’t doubt. They can’t question.”

Still, the heart of the story remained centered on restoration and mercy. Nair pointed to Jude 1:22, which says, “Be merciful to those who doubt,” while comparing Asbury’s return to the prodigal son coming home.

“He invites His children to come back,” Nair said. “Does He condemn the son when he comes back? No. He runs and throws a cloak around him and He has a feast.”

In a culture filled with outrage and public takedowns, the story stood out because two Christian artists chose reconciliation over division. And in the process, a wandering believer found his way home 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@.

The Trump administration is preparing to release another wave of UFO-related files, with Pentagon officials confirming that new materials tied to unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs, are currently being processed for public release.

The announcement comes just weeks after the administration’s first disclosure on May 8, which included previously unseen videos, photographs and government documents connected to unexplained aerial encounters involving military personnel and NASA missions.

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell announced Monday on X that the next batch of files is “actively being processed” and expected to be released “very soon.”

The latest development has intensified public fascination surrounding UFO disclosure as lawmakers continue pressuring federal agencies to release additional classified material that many believe has remained hidden from the public for decades.

Among the most vocal advocates for transparency has been Tim Burchett, a Republican congressman who has repeatedly pushed for the declassification of UAP records. Burchett suggested the first release was only the beginning.

“The 1st drop will be big, but in comparison to what is coming, they will be a drop in the bucket,” Burchett said following the initial disclosure.

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Burchett later alleged that resistance inside Washington may still be slowing the release of information.

“The problem we have right now is that the Deep State’s fighting a president on release. And he kept his word,” Burchett told Morell Media. “I suspect some of our not-so-friendly comrades in some alphabet agencies are slow-walking a lot of information. It’s about power, it’s about control. That’s kind of what runs Washington.”

The renewed attention surrounding the disclosures exploded online after Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image depicting himself alongside a handcuffed alien figure at a military base, fueling another round of debate over what the government may or may not know about unexplained aerial phenomena.

The administration’s first release included several pieces of footage and imagery that quickly spread across social media, including infrared military video from 2013 showing a glowing object moving erratically through the night sky. Additional materials reportedly included photographs connected to NASA’s Apollo 12 and Apollo 17 missions, FBI images from 1999 appearing to show unidentified objects near military aircraft and photographs allegedly captured by military pilots showing fast-moving objects near planes mid-flight.

At the center of the disclosure effort is Anna Paulina Luna, chair of the House Oversight Task Force on Declassification. Luna has repeatedly stated that additional military UAP footage remains hidden from the public and previously requested the release of 46 classified videos.

Officials have not confirmed what the next release will contain, leaving speculation swirling over whether additional videos, radar data, pilot testimony or intelligence assessments may soon emerge.

Even as interest surrounding UFOs continues growing worldwide, we must approach every claim carefully and biblically. Scripture repeatedly warns us not to be carried away by fear, deception or sensationalism, but instead to test all things against the truth of God’s Word.

While many questions remain unanswered about the government’s disclosures, we are called to remain grounded in Scripture rather than speculation. As more information is released in the weeks ahead, the growing fascination surrounding UFOs will likely continue raising profound questions about truth, deception and humanity’s search for answers beyond this world.

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@.

Could one of the world’s most advanced scientific facilities play a role in future prophetic events? That question is at the center of a recent episode of “Into the Supernatural” with Josh Peck, who explored the mysteries surrounding CERN and its Large Hadron Collider.

Peck examined the scientific breakthroughs associated with CERN while also warning Christians to pay attention to the spiritual implications some believe could emerge from advanced particle physics research.

“While everything found online about the mysteries of CERN cannot be believed, there are still some things we as Christians should know,” Peck said.

The discussion centered on CERN’s work involving antimatter, gravitational waves and theoretical particles known as gravitons. Peck noted that some physicists believe gravitons could potentially move between dimensions, fueling speculation about future “interdimensional communication.”

“There is an idea that gravitons can be used as a way to communicate with beings of higher dimensions,” Peck said. “Now this might sound like the stuff of popular science fiction but physicists today are seriously considering this possibility.”

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Peck also referenced the 2015 detection of gravitational waves by LIGO, calling it a major turning point in modern science.

“Now that waves of gravity have actually been detected, there’s no telling what the ramifications will be,” Peck said.

One of the most controversial aspects of the video focused on the Shiva statue displayed outside CERN headquarters. Peck explained the Hindu mythology behind Shiva as “the destroyer” and why the imagery has sparked concern among some Christians.

“Given the mythology behind the statue and the type of scientific pioneering CERN represents, it’s caused many to wonder if there’s a deeper meaning,” Peck said.

The conversation eventually turned toward biblical prophecy, particularly Revelation 9 and the opening of the abyss. Peck theorized that future breakthroughs involving higher-dimensional research could parallel prophetic events described in Scripture.

“The idea behind all of this is that it is possible the mechanism of opening the abyss, at least on the human physical side, is to open a communication system with gravitons or to breach the barrier between dimensions in order to explore what’s there,” Peck said.

For Peck, the issue is not simply about science fiction theories or internet speculation. It is about humanity once again attempting to cross boundaries God established for our protection. He warned that a culture obsessed with contacting “higher beings” may not fully understand what it is inviting into the world.

Still, Peck made clear that Christians should respond with discernment rather than fear.

“These things are not allowed to hurt followers of God, only those who reject Him,” Peck said. “If you belong to Jesus, this punishment is not for you.”

As scientific discovery accelerates and conversations about dimensions, extraterrestrials and unseen realms move further into the mainstream, Peck urged believers to remain grounded in Scripture and spiritually prepared for what may come next.

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 delivered a fiery warning to Christians during a recent sermon clip, arguing that believers who refuse to engage in the political process are helping accelerate America’s cultural and moral collapse.

“See, I don’t get involved in that stuff,” Hibbs said, mocking the mindset he believes has become too common among Christians today. “You’re exactly the problem.”

The California pastor framed civic engagement not as a partisan issue but as a spiritual responsibility, repeatedly invoking Jesus’ command for believers to be “salt” and “light” in the world. According to Hibbs, many Christians have withdrawn from influencing culture, while other ideological movements aggressively organize and mobilize politically.

“Statistically, what we do about it as Christians is almost nothing,” Hibbs said. “According to the data of the last several years, when voting happens, Christians don’t vote.”

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Throughout the sermon segment, Hibbs spoke with urgency and frustration, warning that disengagement has consequences Christians can no longer afford to ignore.

“‘See, I don’t get involved in that stuff.’ You’re exactly the problem,” he repeated to applause from the audience. “You’re refusing to be salt. You’re refusing to be light.”

Hibbs also quoted the famous warning commonly attributed to philosopher Edmund Burke.

“All that evil needs to do to triumph is for good men to do nothing,” he said.

The pastor pointed to organized political activism from groups with worldviews opposed to Christianity as evidence that believers cannot remain passive while culture shifts around them. He specifically discussed Muslim political organizing efforts in California and warned that Christians who refuse to participate in elections are surrendering influence over the direction of the nation.

“What are we going to do about it?” Hibbs asked the congregation. “Watch this. Statistically, what we do about it as Christians is almost nothing.”

The sermon clip also included practical comments about voting procedures. Hibbs encouraged Christians to vote early and carefully track their ballots, citing reports about ballots in Orange County, California, that allegedly were not counted after arriving past deadlines.

“A lot of people died so you can vote,” Hibbs said. “So, you’re going to want to vote.”

The message reflects a growing movement among many evangelical leaders who believe Christians must stop separating faith from public life. For Hibbs, political silence is not neutrality. It is surrender.

His blunt remarks struck a nerve precisely because they challenge a question many believers have wrestled with for years: Can Christians step away from the public square while still expecting biblical values to shape the culture around us?

Hibbs’ answer was unmistakable. No.

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@.

North Korea and the Global Crisis Facing Christians

A Bible in North Korea can reportedly become a death sentence. Not just for the person holding it, but for entire families.

According to Ryan Brown, the CEO of Open Doors, Christians discovered with Scripture in North Korea can disappear into prison camps “never to be heard of, never to be seen again.”

Yet the church there continues to grow.

That reality sat at the center of Brown’s recent conversation with Allie Beth Stuckey on her podcast Relatable, where the two discussed the exploding persecution crisis facing Christians across the globe and the astonishing resilience of believers living in some of the world’s darkest places.

“The country that has been on the top the majority of those years has been North Korea,” Brown said while discussing Open Doors’ World Watch List. “To be identified as a Christian, to be found as a Christian, is the equivalent of a death sentence in this area.”

Brown explained that persecution comes in different forms. Some Christians experience what he called a “smash” style of persecution involving violence, murder, church bombings and imprisonment. Others endure a “squeeze” form of persecution where believers are economically and socially isolated until life becomes unbearable.

But Brown said persecuted Christians around the world consistently ask for the same thing.

“They’re not necessarily asking that we take their persecution away,” he said. “They’re not asking that they be removed. What they are asking is that we not forget them in their persecution.”

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Syria, Yemen, Africa and Mexico

That persecution now stretches across vast portions of the globe.

In Syria, Brown said the collapse of the Assad regime and the instability that followed dramatically worsened conditions for Christians. Open Doors reported a major increase in church attacks and Christian deaths after extremist groups moved into the power vacuum.

“This year there were 27 that were killed because of their faith,” Brown said. “Twenty-two of those were killed in a specific church bombing that was just an absolute horrific event.”

Brown said Syria’s Christian population has dwindled to roughly 300,000 believers after years of violence and instability.

In Yemen, Christians face another kind of suffering. Civil war, famine and humanitarian collapse have devastated the nation, while believers are often denied aid because of their faith.

“Christians have an incredible vulnerability,” Brown said. “They experience all those types of things, but you add their faith component on top of that and it’s a difficult, difficult situation.”

Meanwhile, in Nigeria and across large portions of Africa, Brown said Islamic extremism continues driving violent attacks against Christians as Christianity rapidly expands throughout the continent.

“The church is advancing in Africa,” Brown said. “The growth of Christianity is seen as a threat.”

One of the interview’s most surprising revelations involved Mexico, a nation many Americans associate with tourism rather than Christian persecution.

Brown described pastors being threatened by cartels, communities cutting off water and electricity to converts and believers being denied access to schools and jobs because of their faith.

“The Christian church is bad for business,” Brown said of cartel-controlled regions. “Young men are not getting drafted into the ranks of the cartel.”

He recounted the story of Pastor Alberto, a Mexican believer who was imprisoned twice after converting to Christianity. His community cut off utilities to his home and barred his children from attending school.

At first, Alberto wanted to retaliate violently.

“If you’re coming swinging at me, I’m going to come back swinging at you,” Brown recalled him saying.

But after studying the teachings of Jesus, Alberto chose another path.

“He began to respond in love,” Brown said.

Over time, the pastor’s persecutors began converting to Christianity themselves. The church expanded into neighboring communities and eventually launched a bakery business that now helps fund church planting efforts across the region.

Persecution Is Growing, but So Is the Church

Brown repeatedly returned to one central truth throughout the conversation: persecution often strengthens the church rather than destroying it.

One story from Sudan especially illustrated that point.

Brown described meeting a Christian convert who had been imprisoned in a tiny dark cell after leaving Islam for Christianity. The man was ostracized by his family and community before eventually being jailed for preaching the gospel.

At times, Brown said, the believer was locked in spaces too small to lie down in. Other times he sat in total darkness.

Yet the man described the experience in astonishing terms.

“I would not have chosen these experiences, but I am thankful for them,” the Sudanese Christian told Brown.

“When I was in the darkness of that cell, the light of Christ was burning for me brighter in ways than I had ever experienced before.”

Then came the line that visibly impacted Stuckey during the interview.

“He said, ‘I went into prison as a kitten, but I came out as a lion.’”

That same courage exists even in North Korea, where Open Doors estimates there may still be hundreds of thousands of underground Christians.

Brown said some North Korean believers who escape the country eventually choose to return after recovering physically and spiritually in safe houses outside the nation.

“They’ve instead taken a posture of, ‘How can I be equipped so that I can go back and continue to share the gospel?’” Brown said.

Stuckey noted that oppressive governments throughout history consistently view Christianity as a threat because believers ultimately answer to God rather than the state.

“Christians speak truth, they kill us, the church grows,” she said. “You would think eventually we would be extinguished, but the gates of hell can’t prevail against it.”

Brown agreed.

“The things that this world would most seek to do to destroy the church,” he said, “even those things bend their knee to Christ and His purposes.”

As Christians around the world continue facing imprisonment, violence, discrimination and death for their faith, Brown urged believers in safer nations not to look away.

The persecuted church, he said, does not want pity.

It wants solidarity.

“Our brothers and sisters most ask for prayer,” Brown said. “Not to end their persecution, not to pull them out from persecution, but to pray and be present with them in that.”

Let us pray for our brothers and sisters suffering around the world today. May God strengthen believers hiding in underground churches, sitting in prison cells, worshipping under threat and enduring unimaginable hardship for the name of Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit give them courage, peace and endurance. May the church around the world refuse to forget them. And may the light of Christ continue shining in even the darkest nations on Earth.

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 world’s fascination with UFOs has exploded into the mainstream. Governments openly discuss UAP encounters. Military footage floods the internet. Hollywood continues pushing stories about extraterrestrial civilizations, cosmic saviors and hidden knowledge waiting to be revealed to humanity.

As Christians, we should be paying attention, but not for the reasons the culture thinks.

A chilling interview from the Daily Mail featuring Father Carlos Martins cuts directly to the heart of what many of us have quietly warned about for years: the UFO phenomenon increasingly behaves less like extraterrestrial contact and more like spiritual deception.

Martins is not some random internet personality speculating about aliens. He is an exorcist who says he has spent years confronting demonic manifestations firsthand, and his warning deserves serious attention from the church.

“If the devil brings it about, he can put it into the human imagination that there is extraterrestrial life, that there are civilizations out there, then he can cause doubt in the Scriptures,” Martins told the Daily Mail.

“What he’s done then is set up a competing account to the Christian scriptures.”

That statement may sound extreme to a culture raised on science fiction and endless alien entertainment, but it cuts directly into the spiritual reality unfolding around us. The world is being conditioned to look to the skies for answers while drifting further away from biblical truth. Ancient spiritual deception is simply wearing modern imagery.

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Martins shared a story about one of his closest friends allegedly witnessing a massive craft hovering silently over a suburban park years before converting to Christianity. According to Martins, the object was “many football fields in size” and capable of movements that defied everything we understand about physics.

“All of a sudden, it takes off with a speed that’s just unfathomable, instantly to the speed of a bullet,” Martins said.

What makes the account especially disturbing is that nobody else seemed to notice the craft. There were no reports, no emergency calls and no public reaction despite the alleged size of the object.

Years later, after becoming a Christian, Martins’ friend came to a conclusion that changed how he viewed the encounter forever.

“He said, ‘No question. It was the devil,’” Martins recalled.

That conclusion will sound absurd to people who approach the phenomenon purely through a scientific lens, but the deeper we examine many UFO and alien encounter stories, the harder it becomes to ignore the spiritual parallels. Missing time. Sleep paralysis. Fear. Oppression. Telepathic communication. Psychological torment. These encounters often resemble demonic manifestations far more than peaceful interaction with advanced civilizations.

Martins pointed directly to that overlap when discussing alleged alien abductions.

“When you read accounts of abductions of people that have been allegedly abducted, very similar to ones that are demonically tortured,” he said.

“There are large gaps in memory.”

For decades, the entertainment industry has normalized the idea that extraterrestrials may be humanity’s creators, guides or future saviors. Meanwhile, governments and media outlets steadily move the conversation further into the mainstream. As believers, we should recognize how dangerous that narrative can become because it creates an entirely different explanation for creation, humanity and the supernatural realm apart from Scripture.

Martins believes much of the phenomenon itself may involve illusion and manipulation rather than literal spacecraft traveling across galaxies.

“The senses can be deceived. Fake sense experience can be produced,” he said. “So an illusion, a mirage.”

That observation matters because Scripture repeatedly warns us that deception will intensify in the last days. The enemy has always counterfeited truth. What changes is the packaging. In ancient times, spiritual deception often appeared through idols, pagan gods and occult practices. In the modern Space Age, the same deception may simply be wrapped in advanced technology, cosmic language and promises of enlightenment from the stars.

Martins captured that idea perfectly when he said: “This is the modern-day folk account of leprechauns, tooth fairies and pixies.”

“It was only when we entered the Space Age. Then the view of man changed, and that became kind of the new realm.”

Not every unexplained light in the sky is supernatural. Some sightings may have natural explanations or involve classified military technology. But we as Christians should absolutely recognize that the rapid normalization of UFO culture carries profound spiritual implications.

The real battle is not over whether unidentified objects exist.

The real battle is over what humanity will ultimately believe about God, creation and the spiritual realm as the world becomes increasingly fascinated with signs in the heavens.

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@.