Chaos erupted outside an In-N-Out Burger drive-thru on Feb. 9 when gunfire tore through a family’s vehicle, striking 28-year-old Marcio Garcia in the head while his wife and two young sons sat beside him.

What followed stunned doctors, investigators and everyone close to the family.

According to a report from Fox News, Garcia somehow remained conscious after the bullet entered his head, driving his wounded family away from danger and to safety before seeking medical treatment himself.

More than three months later, on Wednesday, May 14, Oregon police announced the arrests of two suspects connected to the shooting.

Authorities arrested Ethan Adrian Armenta-Lagunas, 20, and Gabriel Alex Javier, 18, both of Salem. They face charges including first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon, criminal mischief and recklessly endangering another person.

Police said multiple firearms were allegedly discovered inside Armenta-Lagunas’ apartment during the investigation. Authorities are still searching for a third suspect, Anthony Taylor-Manriquez, 22, who is considered armed and dangerous.

Investigators said Garcia was leaving the restaurant with his wife and children, ages 2 and 7, when shots rang out near the drive-thru. Bullets shattered the family’s car windows, though Garcia’s wife and children escaped physical injury.

Yet amid the violence and fear, Garcia’s actions became the story that captured widespread attention.

“In the middle of chaos and fear, while he was injured and in pain, he somehow found the strength to drive us out of the scene to safety,” Garcia’s wife wrote in an online fundraiser, according to Fox News. “He protected our family before thinking of himself. That is the kind of man and father he is.”

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The account reads like something out of a movie, but for this Oregon family, it became a testimony of survival and what many are calling a miracle.

Images shared online reportedly showed the bullet removed from Garcia’s head during surgery. Despite the severity of the injury, his wife said he avoided major brain damage and is now recovering at home.

“The doctors told us what we already believe — this is nothing short of a miracle,” she said, according to Fox News. “Now he faces a long road of rest, healing, and recovery.”

Stories like this remind us how fragile life can be and how quickly ordinary moments can turn into tragedy. A routine stop for food became a nightmare no family should ever endure. Yet in the middle of violence, God’s protection remained evident.

Scripture reminds us in Psalm 46:1 that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Garcia’s survival after such a devastating injury stands as a powerful reminder that the Lord still moves in ways doctors and human understanding cannot fully explain.

As Garcia continues recovering and authorities search for the remaining suspect, we should keep this family lifted in prayer. Pray for complete healing for Garcia, peace for his wife and children after the trauma they experienced, and protection over their family in the difficult days ahead.

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 [email protected].

The laughter was loud. The jokes were brutal. But according to Jim Breuer, the recent celebrity roast exposed something far more unsettling than comedians trading insults on stage.

It exposed a culture so addicted to fame that morality barely matters anymore.

During a recent podcast segment, Breuer unraveled a stream of thoughts that jumped from artificial intelligence and media manipulation to celebrity scandals, entertainment hypocrisy and the growing feeling that modern life itself has become artificial.

“We only get to see what the media shows you,” Breuer said.

The former Saturday Night Live star did not speak as someone observing Hollywood from a distance. Breuer spent years inside the entertainment machine, building a career through stand-up comedy, acting and television before later embracing Christianity and openly speaking about his faith in Jesus Christ.

That journey gave added weight to his frustration with what he sees happening inside celebrity culture.

The conversation began with Breuer reacting to the explosion of AI-generated content online. From fake videos to digitally recreated actors, Breuer questioned how much of modern media can actually be trusted anymore.

“Do you really think AI is just showing up now?” he asked. “Or do you think maybe AI’s been around a long time?”

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Breuer pointed to digitally recreated actors appearing in recent Star Wars films and wondered how advanced the technology may already be behind closed doors.

“Did you ever think, ‘Wow, can you imagine if they used AI for government and government officials with people that weren’t even real?’” Breuer said. “You really don’t know anymore.”

The comedian also reflected on visiting EPCOT decades ago and seeing futuristic technology concepts like video calling long before they became mainstream.

“How would they know that?” Breuer asked. “How long have they known that?”

But the podcast shifted into much deeper territory once Breuer began discussing the recent roast event involving comedians like Shane Gillis, Tony Hinchcliffe and Katt Williams.

For Breuer, the bigger story was not the jokes themselves.

It was the public’s willingness to ignore nearly any scandal, controversy or moral failing if the celebrity involved remains entertaining enough.

“Are we the only industry,” Breuer asked, “where your morality is put aside when your favorite pop star, favorite comedian, favorite whoever does it and you just pretend it doesn’t happen?”

Breuer referenced how celebrity scandals often disappear almost instantly from public memory while ordinary families would be shattered by similar behavior.

“In the real world, you can’t get past these situations,” he said.

Even while criticizing the entertainment world, Breuer repeatedly stopped short of personally condemning anyone involved.

“To each his own,” he said.

The deeper message throughout the segment carried a tone of exhaustion more than outrage.

Breuer explained that he no longer follows mainstream news closely, avoids politics and has largely disconnected from professional sports because so much of modern culture feels manipulated or scripted.

“What is real anymore?” Breuer asked. “What isn’t real anymore?”

For someone who spent years climbing through Hollywood, the comments sounded less like a conspiracy rant and more like a man who walked through the machine, saw behind the curtain and no longer trusts the performance.

To watch the segment, click here (Editor’s Note: Mild language).

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 [email protected].

One flash of lightning changed everything for Alice Tran.

One second, she was laughing in the waters off South Carolina with her sister and boyfriend during a family beach trip. The next, her body floated face down in the ocean after a lightning strike sent her into cardiac arrest.

“It was lightning and it struck the water,” Tran recalled during a recent interview with CBN News. “I had flatlined.”

The moment became far more than a terrifying survival story. It unraveled everything she thought she knew about God, suffering, purpose and peace.

Raised in a deeply Buddhist family with generations of tradition behind it, Tran said Buddhism shaped nearly every corner of her childhood. Shrines filled the home. Offerings were made regularly. Temple visits were part of family life.

“It was more like a way of life,” she said. “It was so deeply integrated into our culture and our family and just how we did things.”

Growing up, Tran believed life revolved around good works, discipline and striving toward enlightenment. Suffering was something to escape. Peace was something to earn.

Then came the storm.

Tran had just graduated dental assisting school in 2018 and was preparing for an even bigger step into dental hygiene training when her family vacation turned into a life-altering nightmare.

Storm clouds rolled overhead while she and her loved ones stayed in the water a little too long.

“You never think it’s going to be you,” Tran said.

The lightning strike stopped her heart.

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Strangers rushed to help. Bystanders performed CPR on the beach while an ambulance, mysteriously nearby despite the worsening storm, arrived within minutes.

Tran spent three days in a coma.

When she finally woke up, her old life was gone.

“I didn’t really have any physical capabilities of functioning on my own,” she said. “I was bedridden for the majority of the day.”

What stunned her most was not the physical pain. It was the emotional collapse.

Her future plans disappeared overnight. The achievements she spent years building suddenly felt fragile and meaningless. The belief system she grew up with no longer gave her answers.

“I had everything planned to a tee,” Tran said. “My entire world revolved around all of my achievements, my accolades, just everything that I built with my own hands basically.”

Then something unexpected happened.

Christians showed up.

Coworkers prayed for her. Churches prayed for her. Friends cared for her around the clock. They fed her, encouraged her and surrounded her with compassion during the darkest season of her life.

Tran said the love they showed her was unlike anything she had experienced before.

“This was that kind of love and more and different,” she said.

Still, she resisted God.

Bitterness followed her everywhere. She questioned why a “good person” who worked hard and followed the rules would suddenly suffer so deeply.

“I don’t see it as a miracle,” she remembered thinking after the accident. “This doesn’t seem like a good thing.”

Underneath the anger was exhaustion.

Tran spent years trying to carry the crushing weight of fixing herself. Depression, intrusive thoughts and emotional turmoil consumed her life. She kept trying to outrun the emptiness through effort, achievement and self-improvement.

Nothing worked.

Then one ordinary drive home from work changed everything again.

A sermon played quietly through her speakers. At first, she barely listened. Near the end, the pastor said something that stopped her cold.

“You can work for your whole life,” the pastor preached. “You can run after a good career. You can run after achievements. But those are not the answer. Jesus is the answer.”

Something inside her broke open.

Tran prayed along with the pastor’s salvation prayer.

“The second I did, I was wrecked with the peace of God,” she said.

Not fear. Not pressure. Not striving.

Peace.

The kind of peace she spent her entire life searching for through performance and good works.

In that moment, Tran sensed God speaking directly to her heart about the lightning strike that haunted her for years.

“A little small voice in my head said, ‘That day on the beach was a miracle. I was with you the entire time. Not only did I save you, but I saved you from hell.’”

Everything changed.

The bitterness dissolved. The confusion lifted. For the first time, Tran understood Christianity was not about earning salvation through endless effort.

It was about grace.

“It is not my responsibility to save myself,” she said. “I couldn’t even do it if I tried.”

Today, Tran openly shares her testimony with people from every background, especially those trapped in works-based religions or crushed under the pressure of trying to hold life together on their own.

Her message is simple.

God is closer than we think.

“Christ suffered so that we don’t have to suffer alone,” Tran said. “He is one who hurts with us. He is one who suffers with us and wants to go through it with us.”

For Tran, the lightning strike that once looked like destruction became the doorway to a new life.

Not because suffering disappeared.

Because she discovered she no longer had to walk through it alone.

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 [email protected].

A fresh DNA study tied to Christopher Columbus is reigniting debate over one of history’s most controversial figures while raising larger questions about how modern society is being taught to view the past.

Researchers from Spain’s Citogen laboratory and the Complutense University of Madrid released findings suggesting Columbus may not have come from humble Italian origins as generations were taught. Instead, the explorer may have descended from powerful Galician nobility connected to the influential Sotomayor family of medieval Spain.

According to the Daily Mail, scientists analyzed DNA from descendants buried in the Counts of Gelves family crypt and uncovered genetic links pointing toward Pedro Alvarez de Sotomayor, also known as Pedro Madruga, a powerful 15th-century Spanish nobleman.

Using more than 10,000 genetic markers and a computerized reconstruction spanning 16 generations, researchers concluded Madruga was the most likely ancestral connection. The study also pointed to historical clues supporting the theory, including linguistic traits in Columbus’ writings and similarities between his coat of arms and symbols linked to the Sotomayor family.

Researchers described the findings as the first “robust genetic support” for the theory that Columbus may have originated from Galicia rather than Genoa, Italy.

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Yet beyond the fascinating discovery sits a larger issue many Christians are noticing more frequently: the constant push to “rewrite history.”

Modern media and academic institutions increasingly portray historical figures through ideological lenses designed to reshape how societies understand the past. Columbus has become one of the clearest examples. Rather than being remembered primarily as the daring explorer whose voyage permanently changed world history, he is often reduced to a symbol of oppression and villainy.

Now another “history-changing” revelation arrives, accompanied by language about rewriting accepted narratives. Society has been conditioned to embrace these constant shifts without hesitation. One generation is taught one version of history, while the next is handed an entirely different framework and told it is the unquestionable truth.

This is how deception spreads across cultures. It rarely arrives all at once. It develops gradually through education systems, media campaigns, entertainment and carefully crafted narratives that slowly reshape public perception over time.

Scripture warned us this would happen. Isaiah 5:20 declares, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness.” Jesus also warned repeatedly about deception in the last days, telling His followers in Matthew 24:4, “Take heed that no man deceive you.”

We are living in an era where truth itself is constantly being challenged, revised and reconstructed. That is why believers must stay grounded in the Word of God and sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We cannot blindly accept every new reality presented to us by institutions that continually redefine morality, history and even human identity.

The battle unfolding across the earth is spiritual. The enemy works through confusion, manipulation and distorted truth because people disconnected from truth become easier to control. That is why Ephesians 6 commands us to put on the full armor of God.

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

Not every historical revision is automatically false, and some discoveries are legitimate. But the relentless effort to reconstruct reality itself should concern every discerning Christian paying attention to the times we are living in.

Small articles plant seeds. Over time, those seeds shape worldviews, influence entire generations and redefine how nations understand truth. Thankfully, we are not left defenseless. We have the Bible, the Holy Spirit and discernment through Jesus Christ to help us navigate an age filled with confusion and deception.

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 [email protected].

The battle erupting between The New York Times and the nation of Israel is about far more than one controversial article. Beneath the headlines and legal threats is something ancient, something Christians and Jews alike have watched rise and fall throughout history: the resurgence of hatred toward God’s covenant people.

This week, Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel would pursue legal action against the New York Times after columnist Nicholas Kristof published allegations accusing Israeli soldiers and officials of widespread sexual violence against Palestinians.

Netanyahu did not mince words.

“One of the most hideous and distorted lies ever published against the State of Israel in the modern press,” he declared.

Later, in a statement posted to X, Netanyahu accused the publication of reviving a familiar evil that has stalked the Jewish people for centuries.

“They defamed the soldiers of Israel and perpetuated a blood libel about rape, trying to create a false symmetry between the genocidal terrorists of Hamas and Israel’s valiant soldiers,” Netanyahu wrote. “We will fight these lies in the court of public opinion and in the court of law. Truth will prevail.”

Today I instructed my legal advisers to consider the harshest legal action against The New York Times and Nicholas Kristof.

They defamed the soldiers of Israel and perpetuated a blood libel about rape, trying to create a false symmetry between the genocidal terrorists of Hamas…

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 14, 2026

That phrase, “blood libel,” carries terrifying historical weight.

For nearly a thousand years, Jews were falsely accused across Europe of murdering Christian children for ritual purposes. Entire Jewish communities were slaughtered because of those lies. The article from Israel365 News notes that protesters outside the Times headquarters immediately recognized the connection. Demonstrators carried signs referencing the Dreyfus Affair and chanted, “Stop the libels, stop the hate.”

What we are witnessing is not isolated political outrage. It is the steady normalization of anti-Semitism under the cover of modern political rhetoric.

Scripture warned us this day would come.

The prophet Zechariah foresaw a future moment when the entire world would turn against Jerusalem: “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about…” (Zech. 12:2).

Just a few verses later, the prophecy intensifies: “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people. All who burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth gather against it” (Zech. 12:3).

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That is exactly where the world is heading.

The isolation of Israel on the global stage is not fading. It is accelerating. Political institutions, media outlets, activist organizations and governments increasingly portray the Jewish state as uniquely evil while excusing or minimizing the barbarity of terrorist movements openly committed to Israel’s destruction.

The article notes that Israel’s Foreign Ministry accused the Times of publishing Kristof’s column immediately before the release of a report detailing Hamas’ systematic sexual violence during the Oct. 7 attacks. Protesters outside the paper also referenced earlier reporting failures surrounding the Al-Ahli hospital explosion in Gaza.

Meanwhile, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert publicly rebuked the column for misrepresenting his statements.

“I did not validate these claims,” Olmert said. “I have no knowledge supporting these claims as I said to Mr. Kristof.”

Yet despite mounting criticism, the Times doubled down.

Christians who study Bible prophecy should not be surprised by any of this.

Jesus Himself warned that the final years before His return would be marked by unprecedented deception, hatred and global turmoil (Matt. 24). The prophet Daniel described a coming world ruler, the Antichrist, who will deceive nations and make temporary agreements involving Israel before unleashing catastrophic persecution (Dan. 9:27).

The apostle Paul reminded us that Israel’s covenant relationship with God has never been revoked:

“For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom. 11:29).

God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob still stands.

That does not mean Israel escapes judgment or suffering. Scripture makes clear the Jewish people will endure unimaginable trials during the Great Tribulation. Zechariah 13 describes a refining fire coming upon the land. Revelation 12 depicts Satan turning his fury directly toward Israel in the final days.

But prophecy also declares redemption.

Paul writes in Romans 11:26: “And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.'”

The Jewish people are not abandoned. They are central to the prophetic timeline unfolding before our eyes.

What makes this moment so dangerous is how quickly anti-Semitism now disguises itself as moral enlightenment. Hatred no longer arrives wearing swastikas alone. It cloaks itself in activist slogans, selective outrage and media narratives that portray the Jewish state as uniquely monstrous among nations.

Naya Lekht, founder of Stop Antizionism, warned protesters outside the Times building that history is repeating itself.

“We are in the cycle of libels,” she said. “Blood libels right now that dress themselves up as politics.”

That statement cuts to the heart of the issue.

The spirit behind anti-Semitism has never disappeared. It merely changes language with each generation.

As Christians, we must not look away from this reality. We are watching prophecy move in real time. The pressure surrounding Israel is growing. The hostility is intensifying. The isolation is becoming more pronounced.

Yet Scripture already revealed the ending.

The Messiah will return. Jesus Christ will reign from Jerusalem. The nations will be judged. Israel will be redeemed. And the lies that fueled generations of hatred will finally be exposed in the light of God’s 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 [email protected].

For decades, Messianic worship leader Paul Wilbur carried a message most of the evangelical world largely ignored: America had lost touch with the biblical rhythm of rest, worship and covenant that began in Genesis itself.

Now, after President Donald Trump publicly called the nation back to Shabbat, Wilbur believes the conversation has suddenly moved from the fringes straight into the White House.

“Donald Trump has become the first US president to call for a national Shabbat,” Wilbur said during a recent episode of “Today with Paul Wilbur.” “Did I see this coming? Honestly, never in a million years.”

The moment stunned Wilbur because the message of Shabbat has defined much of his ministry for more than 50 years. But to Wilbur, this is not about politics. It is about restoration.

“We have a president that’s calling the nation to Shabbat,” Wilbur said. “This is just so unreal for us here.”

What makes Wilbur’s perspective so different from mainstream evangelical reactions is the lens through which he sees the issue. He does not view Shabbat as a discarded Old Testament ritual. He sees it as part of the eternal culture of God’s Kingdom.

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“There is a culture that attends to that king and his kingdom and his covenant,” Wilbur explained. “This Shabbat is bringing a shift, hopefully, to America.”

That shift, according to Wilbur and his son Nathan, reaches far beyond taking a day off work.

Nathan Wilbur described modern society as spiritually inverted because it abandoned God’s original order.

“Everything we see here on Earth right now is actually backwards,” Nathan said. “It’s upside down. Why? Because we’ve fallen away from the original purpose of God, which revolves around a day of rest.”

The Wilburs repeatedly pointed back to Genesis, arguing the biblical pattern of rest was established before the law of Moses, before Israel became a nation and before modern denominational divisions ever emerged.

“Chapter two speaks about this rest,” Paul Wilbur said. “It goes all the way through the prophets and through the Torah … all the way to Yeshua who is Lord of the Sabbath for a good reason.”

That phrase, “Lord of the Sabbath,” sits at the center of Wilbur’s argument.

For years, many Christians have been taught Jesus abolished Sabbath observance entirely. Wilbur pushed back directly against that interpretation, pointing to Matthew 5.

“Don’t think that I’ve come to abolish the Torah or the prophets,” Wilbur quoted from Scripture. “I’ve not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.”

Wilbur argued the Greek word for “fulfill” means “to raise to its highest expression,” not to eliminate.

“He said, ‘I came to make them abound,’” Wilbur explained. “I didn’t come to do away with the Torah. I came for it to prosper in your hearts and minds.”

This is where the conversation takes on a prophetic tone.

Wilbur does not claim Trump fulfilled prophecy by calling America to Shabbat. But he clearly sees something spiritually significant unfolding beneath the surface.

The discussion repeatedly returned to restoration, covenant and the coming Kingdom of God.

Nathan Wilbur pointed to Isaiah 66, where Scripture describes worship “from Shabbat to Shabbat” during the future reign of Christ from Jerusalem.

“God doesn’t create something and then do away with it,” Nathan said. “He restores it and brings it back to its original purpose.”

To the Wilburs, this is not legalism. It is invitation.

“Honestly, nobody has to do anything they don’t want to,” Nathan said. “They’re all invitations to join in the story.”

That “story” is the part many modern believers have never fully explored.

Wilbur described Christians as being “grafted” into an ancient covenant story connected to Israel, the feasts of the Lord and the Kingdom culture established by God from the beginning.

And that is why Trump’s public comments caught his attention so deeply.

For Wilbur, the mystery is not merely why a president mentioned Shabbat.

The mystery is why America suddenly seems willing to listen.

“We’re excited about it because it’s another opportunity for our brothers and sisters who love the Messiah of Israel … let’s think about this Shabbat thing again,” Wilbur said.

The deeper question now hovering over the conversation is impossible to ignore: Is America witnessing the early stages of a spiritual restoration many believers never expected to see in their lifetime?

Wilbur believes one thing with certainty.

“Yeshua, He is the message,” he said. “Sabbath is not the message, it is part of the message.”

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 [email protected].

The death of former military intelligence officer Ed Dames has reignited public fascination with one of the strangest chapters in modern American history: the U.S. government’s deep involvement in psychic warfare, remote viewing and occult-style intelligence operations.

Before his death in March at age 76, Dames issued one final warning about what he called the coming “Killshot,” a catastrophic solar event he believed would devastate Earth during the current Solar Maximum cycle.

According to the Daily Mail, Dames warned that massive eruptions from the sun would cripple infrastructure worldwide, collapse communications systems and trigger widespread chaos.

“You wake up and there’s no power and there’s no water and there’s no gasoline, it’s going to be a bad nightmare scenario,” Dames said during an October 2025 interview released last month, as reported by the Daily Mail. “That’s what you’re going to be confronted with. The government is not going to help you.”

Dames spent years tied to the infamous Project Stargate, a classified Cold War initiative in which U.S. intelligence agencies explored psychic phenomena and remote viewing for espionage purposes.

The government framed the program as intelligence gathering. Spiritually, it mirrored the same occultic practices Scripture has condemned for thousands of years.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 states:

There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire, or who practices divination, or a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, or one who casts spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord.

The deeper we examine these programs, the clearer the spiritual reality becomes. Governments did not merely stumble into scientific curiosity. They actively pursued supernatural power outside the authority of God.

That pursuit never ends well.

Dames warned that humanity was entering a dangerous period connected to Solar Cycle 25, claiming the sun was behaving in unprecedented ways.

“Right now we’re at the beginning of the solar cycle. 25 Solar Max,” Dames said, according to the Daily Mail. “Solar Max should last for about two years, and the sun’s doing unprecedented stuff.”

What makes these warnings especially striking is how closely they parallel biblical prophecy concerning the last days.

Revelation 16:8-9 declares:

Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. Men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, who has power over these plagues. And they did not repent and give Him glory.

Scripture literally warns of a future time when the sun will scorch the earth with intense heat as part of God’s judgment during the Tribulation period.

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Luke 21:25 also says:

There will be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, and on the earth distress of nations with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring.

The convergence is impossible to ignore. Scientists openly warn about severe solar storms capable of disabling satellites, GPS systems and electrical grids. Meanwhile, figures tied to occultic government programs describe apocalyptic solar catastrophes and global collapse scenarios.

This is not random.

We are witnessing a generation obsessed with forbidden knowledge, paranormal experiences and supernatural power apart from God. The rise of psychic experimentation, AI spirituality, UFO deception narratives and occult fascination all point toward the spiritual confusion Scripture warned would dominate the last days.

The pattern surrounding many researchers and personalities connected to these subjects is equally disturbing. Figures tied to fringe intelligence research, esoteric investigations and paranormal disclosure movements often spiral into destruction, disappear mysteriously or die unexpectedly. Public fascination with voices such as David Wilcock reveals how deeply people hunger for spiritual answers while rejecting biblical truth.

Christians cannot afford to treat this lightly.

Ephesians 6:11-12 commands us:

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

We are in a spiritual war.

The battle is not merely political, technological or cultural. It is supernatural. Satan has always counterfeited the things of God through occult practices, hidden knowledge and deceptive spiritual experiences.

That is exactly what we see in programs like Stargate and the growing obsession with psychic phenomena.

But Christians do not walk in fear.

We walk in discernment.

Jesus Christ already warned us that deception would intensify before His return. Matthew 24 repeatedly warns believers not to be deceived as signs increase across the earth and heavens.

The answer is not hidden government programs, psychic revelations or apocalyptic predictions.

The answer is Jesus Christ.

As darkness spreads and the world chases forbidden spiritual power, we must stay anchored in the Word of God, filled with the Holy Spirit and clothed daily in the full armor of God.

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 [email protected].

Countless Christians spend years wondering if we are truly hearing from God or simply listening to our own thoughts. Fear, anxiety and disappointment have trained many believers to second-guess every spiritual impression, every inner conviction and every moment of peace that interrupts the noise of daily life.

But Scripture paints a completely different picture.

Jesus declared plainly in John 10:27, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” God never intended for us to stumble through life spiritually disconnected from Him. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture reveals a Father who speaks, leads, corrects, comforts and guides His children.

During a recent episode of “The Deep End” podcast with host Taylor Welch, prophetic minister Dale Mast tackled one of the most important spiritual questions many believers wrestle with today: How do we actually hear from God?

Mast pointed directly back to God’s original design for humanity.

“We were created to walk and talk with God,” he said.

That truth sits at the center of the Christian life. Prayer was never meant to be a one-sided religious exercise. God speaks to us through Scripture, conviction, peace, wisdom, dreams, impressions and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

“If we’re praying and God does not hear, it’s not praying. We’re just talking,” Mast said.

God Often Speaks Through Whispers, Not Thunder

Many believers miss God’s voice because we expect dramatic spiritual encounters while ignoring the quieter ways the Holy Spirit moves.

Mast explained that God frequently speaks through thoughts, impressions and subtle inner nudges that align with His Word and character.

“The thoughts that they think are theirs actually are God’s,” Mast said while describing how believers learn to recognize the Holy Spirit’s leading.

Scripture confirms this reality repeatedly. Isaiah 30:21 says, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.’”

The Holy Spirit leads us internally. He convicts. He redirects. He stirs peace or warning inside the heart of believers walking closely with Christ.

One of the strongest themes from the discussion centered around spiritual “background noise.” Anxiety, fear, bitterness and constant distraction can make it difficult for us to recognize God’s leading.

“Too much background noise,” Mast said while explaining why many Christians struggle to hear God clearly.

Peace sharpens discernment. Chaos clouds it.

Philippians 4:7 calls the peace of God a guard over our hearts and minds. The Holy Spirit often leads through peace that settles deeply inside our spirit, even when circumstances remain uncertain.

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Childlike Faith Opens the Door

One of the most powerful moments from the interview came when Mast described the difference between wounded adult faith and childlike faith.

“You need the childlike faith because your adult faith is still burned with bitterness, hurt, and insecurity,” he said. “Your childlike faith, you can just dream again.”

Jesus Himself taught this principle in Matthew 18:3 when He said believers must become like little children.

Children trust easily. They expect good things from their father. They believe without overcomplicating everything.

Many of us have allowed disappointment, betrayal and spiritual exhaustion to harden our expectation toward God. But faith begins to breathe again when we return to simple trust in the goodness of the Father.

Mast encouraged Christians not to approach God with cynicism or endless striving.

“Everybody’s trying to earn what God needs them to receive,” he said.

That aligns directly with the Gospel itself. Salvation is received. The Holy Spirit is received. Spiritual gifts are received. We walk in obedience, but we do not earn God’s love or His presence.

Obedience Unlocks Greater Clarity

Hearing God becomes clearer through obedience.

Mast explained that mature believers often receive smaller “whispers” from the Lord because deeper relationship creates greater spiritual sensitivity.

“If you don’t move in what you know, the who you know cannot come through you,” he said.

That principle appears throughout Scripture. Abraham obeyed before seeing fulfillment. Peter stepped onto the water before understanding how the miracle would unfold. The disciples left their nets before knowing where following Jesus would ultimately lead.

Faith moves first.

James 1:22 commands us to be doers of the Word, not hearers only. Spiritual maturity develops through obedience, not endless analysis.

God Still Confirms His Direction

The interview also emphasized the importance of biblical confirmation.

Mast warned believers against building our lives around one isolated emotional experience or prophetic statement. Scripture says important matters are established by multiple witnesses.

God confirms His direction through His Word, peace, wise counsel, circumstances and repeated spiritual confirmation.

Mast shared multiple stories about how God confirmed major decisions in layers rather than through one dramatic moment. That pattern reflects biblical wisdom and protects us from emotional deception.

Conviction Is Different Than Condemnation

Another critical point from the discussion centered around learning the difference between the Holy Spirit’s conviction and the enemy’s condemnation.

Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

The Holy Spirit corrects us in love and draws us closer to Jesus. Satan accuses, shames and drives people toward hopelessness.

Mast explained that unresolved bitterness and self-righteousness can distort spiritual perception. He shared how God confronted hidden resentment inside his own heart during prayer.

“I said, ‘God, that’s not right.’ And God said to me, ‘You’re not right,’” Mast recalled.

The Christian life requires continual surrender. God exposes hidden wounds not to destroy us, but to heal us.

God Desires Relationship With His People

The clearest message from the entire conversation was simple: God still speaks because He still desires relationship with His children.

Christianity is not built on dead religion, empty ritual or distant theology. It is built on fellowship with the living Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Every believer can grow in spiritual discernment. Every believer can become more sensitive to the leading of God. Every believer can learn to recognize the Shepherd’s voice more clearly.

Hearing from God is not reserved for a spiritual elite.

It is part of walking with Him.

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 [email protected].

For years, conversations about UFOs and alien disclosure sat on the fringe of culture. Late-night radio shows, grainy documentaries and sci-fi conventions carried the discussion while most people laughed it off and moved on. That world no longer exists.

Now the topic dominates congressional hearings, Pentagon investigations, mainstream media specials and social media feeds viewed by millions. Former intelligence officials openly discuss unidentified aerial phenomena. Pilots testify about impossible objects maneuvering in restricted airspace. Government agencies release footage once considered too controversial for public consumption.

People are searching for answers.

And as Christians, we cannot ignore what is unfolding around us.

While the world races to explain the phenomenon through politics, technology or extraterrestrial theories, much of the church remains strangely quiet. Yet this discussion strikes directly at the heart of spiritual warfare, biblical prophecy and humanity’s understanding of the unseen realm.

At the same time, something deeper is happening beneath the headlines. Fear is increasing. Confusion is increasing. Spiritual deception is increasing. The fascination with “non-human intelligence” has exploded alongside growing instability across the globe. We are watching a generation become increasingly open to supernatural explanations while simultaneously drifting further from God’s truth.

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That was the focus of a recent interview released by L.A. Marzulli in which a Christian woman named Deborah described terrifying encounters she says began in 1999 while living in Chicago.

Marzulli opened with a warning that immediately framed the conversation around prophecy and discernment.

“UFOs are real. The abduction phenomena is real,” he said. “Why should this surprise us? The Lord himself tells us it’ll be like the days of Noah when He returns.”

That statement cuts directly into the modern disclosure movement. For decades, popular culture conditioned people to expect alien visitors from distant galaxies. But Marzulli argued these manifestations are not extraterrestrial at all. He pointed to Genesis 6, Matthew 24 and Daniel 2:43 as evidence Scripture already warned humanity about deceptive supernatural entities operating in the last days.

Whether people agree with Marzulli or not, one thing is undeniable: the world is becoming increasingly obsessed with the supernatural. Governments are discussing it. Hollywood is glorifying it. Tech leaders are speculating about it. Social media influencers are monetizing it. And many believers are left wondering why the church rarely addresses it directly.

Deborah’s testimony added a deeply personal dimension to the conversation.

She explained that she became a Christian at 14 years old and remained committed to her faith throughout her life. Then, after relocating to downtown Chicago with her husband for his tech job, strange experiences began unfolding in the middle of the night.

“I went into what I can only describe as a deep freeze,” Deborah said while recounting one of the first encounters. “I could not blink my eyes. I could not move.”

She described seeing gray beings with oversized black eyes emerge through the wall of her bedroom before one allegedly moved inches from her face.

“It was as if he was trying to suck the thoughts out of my head,” she said.

The interview became even more unsettling as Deborah described encounters involving mantis-like creatures, tall humanoid figures and what she believed was a fallen angel presenting itself as a beautiful being from another world. She immediately recognized the deception.

“He said, ‘I’m from another galaxy, another star system,’” Deborah recalled. “And as soon as he said it, he knew that I knew he was lying.”

Throughout the interview, Deborah repeatedly rejected the idea that these encounters were extraterrestrial in nature. Instead, she described them as spiritual persecution.

“I have seen this as a persecution, a continuation of persecution like the martyrs of old,” she said.

That distinction matters because one of the greatest dangers surrounding disclosure is the gradual normalization of supernatural phenomena apart from God’s Word. Society increasingly interprets spiritual manifestations through the language of advanced civilizations, cosmic evolution and interdimensional intelligence rather than recognizing the reality of spiritual warfare.

As believers, we should not be surprised that the enemy would attempt to repackage ancient deception in a modern form that sounds scientific and sophisticated. Scripture already warned us these days would come.

Marzulli repeatedly returned to the words of Jesus concerning the days of Noah and argued that humanity is witnessing a modern replay of ancient rebellion and deception.

“The UFO phenomena is being rolled out. Do not be deceived,” he warned near the end of the interview.

For us as Christians, none of this changes Scripture. It confirms it.

The Bible already speaks about fallen angels, deceptive spirits and supernatural manifestations that would intensify in the last days. Ephesians 6 reminds us that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world.” Jesus warned repeatedly about deception before His return. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4 that “some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.”

That is why we cannot afford to ignore this conversation.

People are frightened. People are curious. People are searching for explanations. If we remain silent while the world offers counterfeit spiritual answers, confusion will only deepen.

At the same time, we do not need to fear every headline tied to disclosure. No government report, viral video or mysterious encounter rewrites the authority of Scripture. No new theory overturns the Gospel. No so-called revelation changes the identity of Jesus Christ.

If anything, the growing obsession with UFO disclosure reveals how desperately humanity is searching for meaning beyond the material world. The hunger for supernatural answers is real. The deception is real. But so is the truth.

And that truth has not changed.

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 [email protected].

Politics has become one of the most uncomfortable topics inside many churches, but a growing number of pastors are no longer interested in avoiding the conversation.

In a fiery and wide-ranging discussion on the “Live Free” podcast, three megachurch pastors unpacked why they believe churches can no longer separate discipleship from culture, government and public policy.

Hosted by Josh Howerton, the conversation featured Ryan Visconti and Josh McPherson, who openly discussed why they have become far more vocal about political and cultural issues in recent years.

The pastors made it clear they do not see themselves as partisan operatives or political commentators. They see themselves as shepherds trying to prepare Christians to live faithfully in a culture that increasingly pushes against biblical values.

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One of the strongest ideas repeated throughout the podcast was that many churches created an artificial line between “spiritual life” and “public life,” as if faith should remain inside church walls while culture moves in a completely different direction outside of them.

The pastors argued that issues like education, parenting, economics, religious liberty and government policy now directly shape the daily lives of Christian families. Ignoring those realities, they said, leaves believers unprepared and vulnerable.

The discussion intensified as the pastors described what churches and families are facing in progressive states, including battles over gender ideology in schools, government regulations affecting churches and policies they believe undermine biblical morality and parental rights.

At multiple points, the pastors reflected on how many church leaders were taught to avoid controversial cultural topics in order to maintain unity and remain “seeker friendly.” But after the political and social upheaval of recent years, they argued that approach has failed to produce strong discipleship.

Instead, they said many Christians entered cultural battles without a biblical framework for understanding what was happening around them.

The conversation also focused heavily on the idea of “Christian statesmanship,” encouraging believers to see civic engagement and public leadership as meaningful responsibilities rather than distractions from the gospel.

Inside the full podcast episode, viewers will hear the pastors break down:

• Why many pastors now believe political silence inside the church has created long-term spiritual confusion for Christians trying to navigate modern culture
• How COVID-19, BLM protests and recent cultural battles exposed hidden fractures and disagreements inside many congregations
• Why the pastors believe discipleship must include conversations about government, education, public policy and civic responsibility
• Detailed concerns about abortion policy, gender ideology, DEI initiatives, parental rights and religious liberty protections
• Stories from progressive states where pastors say government regulations and cultural pressure are making it increasingly difficult for churches and Christian families to operate freely
• Why the pastors argue that schools, media, entertainment and government are actively discipling the culture while many churches stayed silent
• The theological argument that Jesus is Lord over every area of life, not just church attendance or personal spirituality
• Why the pastors reject the claim that discussing controversial issues automatically drives people away from Christianity
• Testimonies from church leaders who say stronger biblical clarity has actually increased church growth, salvations and discipleship in their congregations
• The growing movement toward what the pastors call “Christian statesmanship,” encouraging believers to engage culture rather than withdraw from it
• Discussions about whether Christians have a responsibility to help shape laws, policies and the moral direction of society
• Why the pastors believe many churches unintentionally separated faith from public life for decades and are now trying to reverse course
• Repeated warnings that when Christians refuse to lead in culture, other worldviews quickly fill the vacuum

The conversation moves quickly, covering theology, parenting, church leadership, politics and culture with an intensity that reflects the growing debate happening inside churches across America right now.

The episode captures a major shift taking place among many Christian leaders as they wrestle with how the church should respond to a rapidly changing culture.

Watch the full podcast episode in the video above.

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 [email protected].