The Allied invasion of Normandy, code-named “Operation Overlord,” was the largest seaborne invasion in the history, landing on a 50-mile wide stretch of coast divided into five sections, Gold, Juno, Sword, Utah and Omaha beaches, on the shores of Nazi-occupied France.

Casualties that day were over 10,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead. The night before, more than 24,000 American, British and Canadian airborne troops parachuted behind enemy lines into France to secure bridges and landing zones as well as to protect the invasion’s flank. At Pointe du Hoc, a rocky 100-foot cliff protecting a German artillery battery between Omaha and Utah beaches was assaulted by the 2nd Ranger Battalion. The battle raged for another two days up and over the cliffs to secure the enemy positions. Of the 225 men who began the assault, only 90 were able to continue fighting. The remainder were killed or wounded.

Bravery was in no short supply during these events, as men knowingly marched forward into the abyss of war, in the same spirit of offering oneself as commanded by Jesus in John 15:13: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Stephen the martyr was a friend to Jesus. He offered up his own life in service to his Lord and Savior, in the hope that his words, his final speech in obedience to the commands of Jesus Christ, may sway the very hearts and minds who were looking to end his life.

This sacrifice, still discussed at length some 2,000 years later, is of the same spirit of sacrifice that the men of D-Day carried with them. So too was the storming of the gates of hell, when Jesus died for all of humanity and spilled His precious blood on Calvary. The war was won with His Resurrection and victory over sin and death; His sacrifice saved mankind from the grasp of Satan.

Let us honor both the Lord Jesus Christ and the brave men who stormed the beaches of France by taking up the same sacrificial spirit, in grateful love for our Savior and brethren and sisters, and display to the world the sacrificial love that was demonstrated to them on the cross.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

After the movie “Jesus Revolution” stunned audiences with the amazing story centered on Greg Laurie, hippie street-preacher Lonnie Frisbee and Pastor Chuck Smith, Pastor Greg Laurie wants to invite the Holy Spirit to continue the ministry in a mass baptism.

In a video announcement, Laurie says there will be a baptism event on July 9, 2023, at 3 p.m. (PST) at Pirates Cove in California, the same place he was baptized by Frisbee.

“This is where I was baptized 50 years ago,” Laurie says in the video announcement. “This is where my wife Cathe was baptized. This is where thousands of other people were baptized as well, and you saw it in the ‘Jesus Revolution’ film. Guess what? We’re doing a ‘Jesus Revolution’ baptism right here at Pirates Cove on July 9!”

Join us on July 9 at Pirate’s Cove for an afternoon of lives being changed through baptism! And make sure to RSVP for the Harvest Crusade happening at the Honda Center July 1-2. pic.twitter.com/mSCncTJyIl

— Greg Laurie (@greglaurie) June 5, 2023

The story of Calvary Chapel and Pastor Chuck Smith opening the doors to the socially rejected hippies led by Frisbee resonated with Christians across the country, as America is enduring the same spiritual drought as the 1960s and 70s. People want what Jesus offers, the quenching waters of eternal life that come with inviting Him into one’s heart.

Laurie has been continuing that call from the Great Commission for over 50 years, and discerning just how deeply “Jesus Revolution” resonated with people, wants to give them the opportunity to be baptized as Jesus commanded in the same spot he surrendered all those years ago.

“We’ll be here, [at] Pirate’s Cove for the Jesus Revolution Baptism,” says Laurie on location.

“If you’ve not been baptized, make plans to join us,” Laurie encourages viewers.

Joining Laurie will be a multitude of different churches and ministries who will take part in the event.

Following in the footsteps of John the Baptist, Laurie is making this baptism public, open to all who seek forgiveness of their sins or are simply curious about who this Jesus really is.

Pirates Cove was the site for the recent event “Baptize SoCal,” which saw more than 4,000 people baptized in the name of Jesus.

As reported by the Christian Post, “Pastor Mark Francey, one of the lead pastors of California-based Oceans Church and one of the people behind the event, told The Christian Post that God gave him the vision to do the event during ‘a prayer time back in May of 2022.'”

These movements that are furthering the gospel fall in line with the words of Evangelist Nick Hall of Pulse Ministries following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Asbury University: “God is moving. It’s not over. It’s just starting,” Hall shared. “I only left Asbury because I felt like I had to bring it home.”

Like Hall, many who visited Asbury felt rejuvenated and renewed by the Holy Spirit and understood the urgency that this outpouring is not meant to die—it is meant to spread.

Now that fire is spreading with mass baptism events, college campuses hosting ministry events and crusades such as evangelists Mario Murillo and Greg Laurie hold frequently include thousands coming forward for the living waters of Jesus Christ.

Pray that this fervor for Jesus continues, and instead of blocking the workings of the Holy Spirit, believers embrace the gifts of the Helper sent by Jesus with open arms and receptive hearts.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

Finances are often a touchy subject for people.

The topic itself conjures images of preachers putting money before God and using their congregations to enrich only themselves.

While the Bible warns against the love of money many times, throughout the Old and New Testaments the Word of God confirms that the Lord wants to bless His people for their faith in Him.

Financial expert and Pastor Jim Baker recently sat down with Charisma News to share three reasons he believes a Christian may not be receiving the full blessings of the Lord in their life.

• A Lack of Knowledge

“One of the reasons Christians are not prospering is they lack knowledge,” says Baker. “‘My people perish for a lack of…’ didn’t say lack of faith, doesn’t say lack of money, doesn’t say lack of time, people perish for a lack of knowledge.

“Financial knowledge acts as a ceiling to somebody’s financial growth. … If you want to have a greater [number] of resources for the King in His kingdom, you need to increase your ability, you need to increase your financial knowledge. As you increase it, it doesn’t take money to make money. It takes money to invest money,” he adds.

• The Spirit of Mammon

“I would lump that [the love of money] under the spirit of Mammon. Mammon tries to get you to look to money the way you’re supposed to look to God, right?” asks Baker.

“Here’s an example: If you feel more significant and more secure when you’ve got more money in your checking account, that’s the spirit of Mammon because your security and your significance are supposed to come from God,” explains Baker.

“You can see how sneaky this thing is, it really influences. It’s the spiritual influence behind money that God talks about, and that Jesus talks about in Matthew 6.

“It’s like a two-sided coin. There’s fear on the one side that says there’s not going to be enough, and on the other side, there’s greed, which is the same message [that] there’s not enough. We need to break that because God’s supernatural cannot flow into that fear and worry. Fear and worry are the symptoms of the spirit of Mammon,” says Baker.

• Not Having a Financial Map

“No NFL team goes into the Super Bowl and they’re like, ‘Hey, let’s just line up on the line of scrimmage. Let’s just pray in the Spirit and see what happens,’ right? No one is doing that,” says Baker.

“We all love Jeremiah 29:11…He had a plan for Joseph and how he was going to prosper during those seven years of plenty so that he could save the world during the time of famine. He had a specific plan,” Baker explains.

“God has a plan for you, and how you’re going to prosper. So, the wealth map is…different than your financial plan. It’s not a way to build up wealth in the first place. So, a wealth map is not how you are going to start with point A and get to point Z. It is, how are you going to get the provision for your vision? What are the action steps? How are you going to do it? How do you reliably build wealth using timeless biblical truths and proven financial principles customized to you? That’s your wealth mapping,” says Baker.

To learn more about building wealth along biblical principles to help grow the kingdom of God, sign up for the free online workshop with Pastor Jim Baker on Wednesday, June 7 at noon and 8 p.m. (EST).

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

Target is reeling amid continued backlash and boycotts across the country.

The retailer’s stock has shed $13 billion in value according to Bloomberg.

Target has long been a proponent of the transgender movement, allowing men to use the women’s bathroom back in April, 2016. Now, when news broke that Target was working with a “trans-satanist” designer and was targeting children with items such as “tuck-friendly” swimwear and chest binders, people finally stood up and said they were done with the store.

To celebrate “Pride month,” Target teamed up with UK-based company Abprallen, owned by trans-man (biological woman) Erik Carnell.

According to Carnell’s business Instagram, much of the products Abprallen offered had satanic imagery and slogans on them such as “Satan Respects Pronouns.”

In an interview with Reuters, Carnell lamented Target’s decision to terminate their working relationship.

“It’s a very dangerous precedent to set, that if people just get riled up enough about the products that you’re selling, you can completely distance yourself from the LGBT community, when and if it’s convenient,” says Carnell. “If you’re going to take a stance and say that you care about the LGBT community, you need to stand by that regardless.”

Target is far from the only corporation trying to implement far-left ideologies into their marketing campaigns these days.

Bud Light is still reeling from teaming up with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

According to the New York Post, Anheuser-Busch, the parent company to Bud Light, has lost around $27 billion due to the boycott from the Bud Light customer base.

Yet the boycotts have not stopped corporations from sponsoring Pride events, such as Bud Light and the Cincinnati Pride Parade.

Christians can wield a large amount of influence in the world, if they are willing to stand up for what the Bible says is right and moral before God. Doing so takes boldness and courage granted by the Holy Spirit, but Christians are called to stand firm on the Word of God while proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ to the world.

When they do not take part in the cultural, economic and political arenas, Satan will take them over in the easiest battles of his existence.

Christian silence sees men and women become so confused they think they can alter their genders as they see fit, and corporations can push this belief onto their consumer base without resistance. As Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:11, “And do not have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; instead, expose them.”

These acts are to be called out by Christians, in love. Target is simply the most recent attempt by Satan to infiltrate every aspect of American culture. He wants his image on every article of clothing sold across the nation, and it took Christians standing up against this invasion to stop it in its tracks.

There will be more battles like this one, and Christians can win them with the power of the Holy Spirit.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

Even though we deserved the punishment due to our sin, as Scripture reveals, Jesus took our place and forgave our sins from the cross. He was buried in a tomb, and then the unexplainable happened—He rose from the dead!

On the third day after the crucifixion, Matthew 28:1-2 says, “At the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And then there was a great earthquake. For the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat on it.”

Then, in verse 5, the angel says, “”Do not be afraid. For I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.” Then the angel instructed them (v. 7) to tell the disciples that Jesus rose from the dead. They departed quickly, “with fear and great joy” (v. 8) to tell the amazing news, and they encountered the risen Christ!

There were probably many thoughts running through the minds of these ladies who were sent from the tomb to go tell the disciples the great news, as they were overcome with excitement and emotion. A question that has been asked through the centuries is “Who raised Jesus from the dead?” And the Bible gives us these answers.

Scripture shows that:

1. God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. The apostle Paul said in Romans 6:4, “Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Also, our personal salvation hinges on confessing with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead (see Rom. 10:9).
2. God the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. Romans 8:11 says, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that lives in you.”
3. God the Son raised Himself from the dead. In the John 10:17-18, Jesus told His disciples, “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I received this command from My Father.”

These were incredible and miraculous events that have shaped the course of history since. No other event or person in history has affected the world like Jesus and the events surrounding His birth, life, death and Resurrection.

The participation of the Trinity in the Resurrection of Jesus is truly miraculous and awe-inspiring. It reveals the unity of God, and how each person of the Trinity works together, being equal in divine perfection and attribute. They complemented one another’s roles in raising Jesus from the dead (Open Bible Core Beliefs). Please reflect on this truth and marvel in its mystery as together we celebrate our Lord and Savior.

*Note: This article was originally published on April 12, 2017.

Jared Laskey is a contributing writer to Charisma‘s online magazine. He lives to see Jesus awaken this generation to the power of His Holy Spirit. Follow him on Twitter @jaredalaskey or visit firebornministries.org.

Not wanting to fall into the same pit of boycotts and media attention that has gripped major corporations like Bud Light, Target and Kohl’s, fast-food retailer Kentucky Fried Chicken has been quiet about their newest collaboration.

Partnering with video game giant Activision-Blizzard for the release of their upcoming title “Diablo IV,” KFC is laying low about the campaign featuring the demon Lilith.

@justinknoop KFC now Promoting Demons?? #kfc #demons #lilith #diabloIV #Deliverance ♬ original sound – Justin Knoop

The subtle marketing campaign has made it so that people are not just given the Diablo IV themed items, but instead must link their BlizzardBattle.net account to their KFC account and order their food online.

That is because they know just how their audience would react when they found out they are actively promoting perhaps the most satanic and spiritually oppressive game release to date.

Imagine how their customers across the country would react to being given Diablo IV themed wrappers after church on Sunday.

The Diablo series is nothing new to the video game world, as the first game came about in January of 1997, but during those days people were much less accepting of the openly satanic imagery and story the series is built upon.

Franky, the United States was a much different place in the late 90s, but the spiritual seeds that were planted back then are now coming to fruition.

The occult, satanism and witchcraft along with radical gender ideologies that were once considered unimaginable are now mainstream and the dominating force in American culture today.

Now, it is so widely accepted in the U.S., KFC is confident in its marketing ploy to work with Activision-Blizzard in promoting the very real entity of the Lilith demon, as creature of the night mentioned in Isaiah 34.

For many who enjoy the Diablo series, it is not an intentional act to delve into satanism and demonism, it is an engaging game with fast-paced action that offers players the ability to create overpowered characters.

This digital world is often an escape for gamers, leaving behind a world that they may feel they have no place in or are struggling with their identity that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

But it does not matter to Satan if they are ignorant of his plans or devices for them, his intent is still to kill, steal and destroy everything that God created. Including those who play video games.

Diablo IV is another method he is using to desensitize the masses to the reality of his being. And Christians need to be aware: This game is going to be a massive, worldwide release that celebrates Satan and the demon Lilith.

On June 6, 2023, (6/6/23 or 6/6/2*3=6 to arrive at ‘6-6-6’ for those who want to look deep into the date), there will be a massive spiritual attack that many will simply be unaware of with the release of this game.

The imagery, the pentagrams, the influence, the praise for a game so steeped in evil will resound throughout the spiritual realm, and it is the duty of Christians to engage it in spiritual warfare through prayer, fasting and intercession for those who know not what they do.

As the ‘Watchmen on the Wall,’ Christians must shine the light of Jesus on the darkness that is being spread by KFC. It is just as sinister as what Target, Kohl’s and Bud Light have been doing, perhaps even moreso as they do not even try and disguise the evil within the game.

Christians must take up the full armor of God as detailed by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:10-18, so that when they engage in the spiritual warfare they called to partake in, they not only can withstand the attacks of the enemy, but overcome his schemes by the power of the Holy Spirit.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

It has been two months since the tragic shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee.

Pastor Chad Scruggs, Senior Pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church, lost his daughter Hallie in the shooting that claimed the lives of two other 9-year-old students, Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney, along with three staff members of the school: Mike Hill, Katherine Koonce and Cynthia Peak.

The shooter, former student and trans-identified activist Audrey Hale, was killed by responding law enforcement officers during the attack on March 27.

On Mother’s Day, May 14, Pastor Scruggs took to the pulpit for the first time since losing Hallie and answered the question he and his family have been asked the most: How are you doing in the aftermath of this tragedy?

“The answer you’ll typically get for us from us is, ‘we don’t know,'” Scruggs said. “It’s not a bad question, [we] just don’t know how to answer it yet—don’t know how to judge what doing well is or doing not well.

“We’re kind of searching for a new baseline in life right now,” he adds.

Even in his grief, Pastor Scruggs spoke love over the congregation at the beginning of his sermon.

“First of all, we love you,” says Scruggs. “”We loved you before March 27th and we love you more now because of how you’ve loved us, so … we love you.”

Scruggs then addressed what life was like after losing someone so precious to a family that it is akin to losing a piece of oneself.

“‘How are you doing?’ Well, we’re learning to live with a part of us missing—like losing an arm, perhaps—knowing that the phantom pain of that lost arm will always be there with us,” explains Scruggs.

“Just know that, from our perspective now, it feels impossible to ever pretend the arm will regenerate or that it will ever feel whole this side of heaven,” he continues. “So, I’d say we’re learning to live with sadness and I would tell you that that’s OK—you can do that—learning to live with sadness.”

Scruggs explained that his family was living out Isaiah 40:28-31, which reads:

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

“At this point,” he said, “[we’re] not yet soaring on wings like eagles, not running without weariness, but that third category, somewhere, trying to walk without fainting.”

Grief is no respecter of persons, as all Christians can expect to encounter it at some point in their life.

Pastor Bill Johnson of Bethel Church in Redding, California, shared his personal story of grief when his wife of 49 years, Benni, died from a long battle with cancer on July 13, of 2022.

Johnson shared invaluable, Spirit-inspired wisdom from the depths of his grief that he felt led to share with people around the world to help them during their times of sorrow.

“Pretending all is well when it isn’t doesn’t help. I must anchor my soul to who He is and what He has promised. Otherwise, I will spend my days wandering without a sense of purpose, never settling into why I am alive. Who He is remains the foundation of my life,” Johnson wrote in Charisma magazine.

“Pain, loss and disappointment are unavoidable in this life. If that weren’t true, there would be no reason for verses such as, ‘God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose’ (Rom. 8:28, NASB). This beautiful promise helps us to see that the master chef is able to take the worst parts of our lives and work them into a recipe, creating a masterpiece that illustrates His goodness.”

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

Major corporations are suffering through massive financial setbacks from boycotts.

The Bud Light brand performed what some are calling the worst marketing campaign in history, while Target is now enduring an even greater falling out from a large section of their customer base.

So, what changed? These corporations are pushing leftist messaging and ideologies, and have been for years now.

Christians finally got some boldness in them and are speaking out and acting against the targeting of children by the radical, gender ideologues.

Pastor Marcus Rogers of Firehouse Church in Chicago is calling Christians across the country into action by exposing just how deep the demonic influence is in American culture today:

“You know, Target has been doing this for a while now, but look at this,” says Rogers holding up “Pride” clothing aimed at children and in child sizes, including clothing that is “tuck friendly.” “It’s absolutely ridiculous, and this is how it starts. Remember when they first started off, doing this ‘oh love is love,’ right? But now it’s just gotten progressively worse.

“I think that, as believers, we [have] a responsibility here because they’re getting so bold with it. …The more we don’t say anything and the more we don’t do anything, it’s going to continue to happen,” adds Rogers.

Rogers correctly points out that the activists within the radical gender ideology movements only target Christians when it comes to mockery, destruction of Bibles and other forms of derision for those of faith.

“Think about it. Why at the LGBTQ [events]…they had a guy hanging on the cross, and then some other guy is using the cross as a stripper pole. Then at many other parades they always have a gay Jesus? Why do they not do this to any other religion?” Rogers asks.

This spiritual warfare taking place encompasses much more than the fight for God’s design when it comes to gender. Satanists on other fronts are attacking the Word of God because there is a spiritual battle taking place and it manifests as attacks against God and the truth of Jesus Christ.

“Why are they only kicking Bibles around [and] ripping Bibles up at Satancon and LGBTQ events? Why is it only Christianity and not any other religion?” Rogers continues, knowing full well that Satan will attack the truth wherever he can get a tactical foothold in a person’s life.

Which brings Rogers to the current tactics the enemy is using in places like Target and Kohl’s.

The targeting of children. To normalize and desensitize children to the hyper-sexualization that is taking place in front of their impressionable eyes, and which their minds are not able to fully comprehend at that point in their lives. It sets up an entire future generation for further perversion of God’s design, and paves the way for more grotesque actions the Lord finds abominable.

“Why do [they] insist, with the drag shows, doing it with kids? Why do we have all these videos with the children? Why are you throwing money at kids, having kids dancing in bars? Why is it so important to them to do this stuff in front of kids? Why does nobody say anything?” asks Rogers.

“Here in Chicago, they got guys dressed with all kinds of filthy costumes. Some of them just all the way, you know, completely butt naked. You got grown men on leashes with thongs and stuff like that and you got little kids in the crowd and nobody seems to want to ask ‘Is that appropriate for children to see?’ How is that not child abuse?” Rogers continues.

“It is so obviously demonic,” claims Rogers. “It’s a demonic spirit, a demonic antichrist agenda behind all of it. …The spirit is trying to defy that it’s the spirit of rebellion and guess what? Rebellion is as witchcraft.”

Now the war is intensifying as Christians appear to finally be taking up positions and saying “No, we aren’t giving up anymore ground to the devil.”

The battle will only heat up, however, as Satan and his forces will not simply stop trying to corrupt the world when they are dealt a blow here or there. They will find new avenues of attack and employ even sicker tactics against the world God designed.

That is why, says Rogers, Christians must be the “Watchmen on the wall.”

“If the watchmen don’t cry out, hey, that blood is on your hands. If you’re a pastor and you’re not speaking up, that blood is on your hands.

“There’s an agenda being pushed on our children. There’s an attack on our children, and it’s a spiritual war and a lot of Christians are silent,” says Rogers.

As commanded in the book of James 1:22, “Be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” The time for action has come, and any Christian that does not believe the enemy is going to try and make things even worse, is simply deceiving themselves.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

For all the talk Major League Baseball has done about welcoming fans of all backgrounds and faiths, the Los Angeles Dodgers superbly alienated millions of fans within their own city and across the country.

In their back and forth of inviting, then disinviting, then re-inviting the anti-Catholic group the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,” they have riled Christian and Catholic players within the league who are taking a stand against the bigotry and hatred the group represents.

Two of the Dodgers’ own players, pitchers Clayton Kershaw and Blake Treinen, have spoken out against the club inviting the ‘Sisters’ and presenting them with an award for community service.

Treinen asked his friend, worship leader and evangelist Sean Feucht, to share a letter he wrote on social media condemning the Dodgers’ decision and stating publicly it is because of his belief that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior:

My friend and @MLB pitcher Blake Treinen asked that I post this statement for him in regards to the @Dodgers honoring of the sisters of perpetual indulgence. #HoldTheLine pic.twitter.com/jIDeDJF8ke

— Sean Feucht (@seanfeucht) May 30, 2023

Kershaw criticized the team’s decision to host the group due to the disrespect and mockery of faith that is the foundation of the group’s existence.

“I don’t agree with making fun of other people’s religions,” Kershaw says. “It has nothing to do with anything other than that. I just don’t think that, no matter what religion you are, you should make fun of somebody else’s religion. So that’s something that I definitely don’t agree with.

“This has nothing to do with the LGBTQ community or Pride or anything like that,” Kershaw adds. “This is simply a group that was making fun of a religion, that I don’t agree with.”

In response to the severe backlash, Kershaw and the Dodgers announced a “Christian Faith Day” later in the season.

“I think we were always going to do Christian Faith Day this year, but I think the timing of our announcement was sped up,” Kershaw told the Los Angeles Times on Monday. “Picking a date and doing those different things was part of it as well. Yes, it was in response to the highlighting of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence [by the Dodgers].”

The most vocal opponent to the Dodgers decision has been devout Catholic and pitcher for the Washington Nationals, Trevor Williams:

pic.twitter.com/P8MMcvfjQq

— Trevor Williams (@MeLlamoTrevor) May 30, 2023

Williams released a statement condemning the Dodgers and for violating their own Discrimination Policy which explicitly states, “Any conduct or attire at the ballpark that is deemed to be indecent or prejudice against any particular group (or religion) is not tolerated.

“It seems that the Dodgers have made an exception in this case,” wrote Williams. “Doubling down that this group—which grossly disrespects and openly mocks many of the traditions and beliefs that Catholics hold most dear—should be celebrated.”

These are just a few of the players, fans and organizations who claim to be targeted, ostracized and insulted by the Dodgers’ decision to honor the group.

For those of faith who are speaking truth in love, Treinen summed up his position on the matter up perfectly:

“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” (Josh. 24:15).

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

Chick-fil-A has built a dominant brand at the peak of the fast-food industry based on good food, great service and in the minds of Christians throughout the country, its adherence to biblical principles.

Now there are accusations that the makers of “God’s chicken” have abandoned those values and instead bowed down to cultural pressure. The recent flurry of criticism is based on a statement made by Chick-fil-A, viewable on its website, that promotes the company’s purpose as “Committed to being Better at Together,” and has sent some conservatives into an uproar.

The statement begins by saying:

“Chick-fil-A’s Corporate Purpose is ‘To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-fil-A.'”

Sounds like that has been their motto for some time now, and nothing new there. First and foremost, before all other things, their goal is to glorify God.

The statement continues:

“Our founder, Truett Cathy, believed that ‘a great company is a caring company,’ and since the beginning, care has been at the center of everything we do. We understand that the path toward Better at Together looks different for every business. At Chick-fil-A, Inc., our commitment is to approach this work with intention and humility, always believing the best in one another and striving for common ground. We’re early on in our journey, but we’re honored by the opportunity to steward our organization’s greatest asset—our people—and are energized by the road ahead.”

Caring for people, having sympathy, respect and love for one another, is straight from the Bible.

Jesus cared about people, not the religiosity that had infected the Jewish leaders of His time.

Chick-fil-A, like every major company in the United States, does have a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion VP, Erick McReynolds. McReynolds assumed the role back in 2021 however, and nothing has changed with the company. He has also been with the company for over 16 years according to his LinkedIn profile, and is well aware of what the company stands for.

McReynolds also posted a statement on the company’s website:

“Chick-fil-A restaurants have long been recognized as a place where people know they will be treated well. Modeling care for others starts in the restaurant, and we are committed to ensuring mutual respect, understanding and dignity everywhere we do business. These tenets are good business practice and crucial to fulfilling our Corporate Purpose.”

The ‘woke’ movement may be trying to co-opt words like “respect” and “dignity” but the Christian church has been living that for a long time now.

To “love one another” is a commandment from Jesus Christ, and the early church was founded on living in spiritual unity with one another. These are not tenets of ‘wokeness’ which divides, accuses and tears down anything that is in the way of the ideology.

There are three areas of “focus” that Chick-fil-A lists on its DEI page, and they are notably different from what a customer will find with other major corporations.

The areas are: ensuring equal (not equitable) access; valuing differences; and creating a culture of belonging.

America has always fought for equality, including a Civil War, so that others may be free, but equality is not the same as being equitable. Equality allows for everyone to start at the same spot, and through hard work and perseverance, the cream will rise to the top, not be stifled and hindered because the outcome is not equitable.

Jesus’ disciples had to learn to lean on and value one another. There are instances of conflict in the Bible, take Paul and John Mark, Paul and Peter or even all of the disciples arguing who was the greatest among them. Valuing one another and the unique perspective each person brings to the table is not ‘woke,’ it is called team-building and is one of the many reasons Chick-fil-A is successful today.

Creating a culture of belonging has, and continues to be, a problem for the church today. Being kind is not ‘woke,’ having understanding while someone makes errors in the learning process is not ‘woke,’ and creating a workplace culture that allows people to grow and thrive and progress is one of the most capitalist things a company can do!

Are there keywords that have been used in the statements Chick-fil-A has put out that triggered the ‘outrage posse’ on social media? Sure. But if people would take the time to sit down and read what they are saying exactly, it is far from the DEI initiatives that have corrupted the American university system and caused corporations to target children with gender ideology and LGBTQ products.

America cannot afford to allow the ‘woke’ movement to co-opt words such as kindness, respect or dignity, for if they do, these qualities will disappear from society and become mere dogwhistles for the radical left.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.