There appears to be a large divide between how people view Jesus compared to how they view His followers.

Jesus is viewed quite favorably by most people, not just by Christians but also members of other faiths. When it comes to Christians however, especially in examples such as megachurches and celebrity pastors, the opinions sour rapidly, even among the Christian community.

In a national survey conducted by the Barna Group, the third part of their “Spiritually Open” series, 2,005 U.S. teens and adults were asked from December 13-22, 2022, if they had positive views on a variety of aspects of Christianity.

Jesus (71%), Spirituality (65%), the Bible (63%) and Christianity in general (57%) scored the highest in how Americans regard them.

There is a noticeable drop however once people are asked about topics such as the churches in their community (47%) and Christian pastors or priests (44%).

As the survey became more specific, it was clear that there is a disconnect between Jesus and what He preached, and how His modern-day followers are received by the public.

The list of those who are negatively viewed by both the Christian and non-Christian groups take five out of the 11 categories including: Evangelicals (25%); famous or well-known worship bands (26%); famous people or celebrities who are Christian (26%); celebrity pastors (17%); and megachurches (16%).

Working to find out why there is such a negative view, especially of people with “no faith” and of “other faith” in the survey, Barna discovered that by far the largest factor in their viewpoints was, “the hypocrisy of religious people” (66%).

As reported by Barna, “This isn’t to say that, at a surface level, present-day Christianity doesn’t have a welcome presence in the U.S. It is typically seen as respected, principled, loving, friendly, generous and so on. More telling than these general descriptions, however, are the glaring disparities between how Christians and those of no faith regard Christianity. These gaps represent the hurdles the Church needs to overcome, especially if sharing faith or welcoming people into churches is the goal.”

Looking at the pollical, social and economic landscape of America today, tribalism has taken over much of the culture. The adage of “if you’re not for me you’re against me” has taken root in many hearts across the country, including the church.

Much of the negativity from other faiths or people of no faiths derives from the fact that modern culture conflicts with many of the teachings within the Word of God. This has led the church to be viewed as anti-homosexual (40%), too involved in politics (42%), out of touch with reality (38%), hypocritical (49%) and judgmental (48%) by those of “no faith.”

According to David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group, “The work of Christians is to embody Jesus—full of truth and grace—and reflect His image in all they say and do,” he said. “The data shows they too often fall short.”

These feelings and views of those not belonging to the Christian faith show the words of Jesus in Matthew 9:13 are not being kept where He says: “But go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

There is a spiritual thirst in America today, and the living water that will quench it only comes from Jesus Christ, and according to the Barna Group:

“Our data on the rising spiritual openness in America reveals a tremendous opportunity for faith leaders. The challenge facing the Church is whether they are ready and able to meet the spiritually open—where they are, as they are.”

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

The occurrence of déjà vu has confounded people for millennia.

St. Augustine is credited as being the first to reference the concept of déjà vu, while it was French philosopher Emile Boirac who coined the term “déjà vu” in 1890.

But is there something more to the strong sensation of experiencing what some consider just a brain glitch, or is there a spiritual occurrence happening in a person’s soul?

Acting CEO of MorningStar Ministries and Lead Pastor of MorningStar Church Chris Reed believes that there is.

“When you’re talking about déjà vu, it’s like you’re in a moment,” Reed says in an exclusive interview with Charisma News. “And you’re like, ‘I’ve been here before, this happened. I don’t know if it’s a dream, if it’s a thought or a prophetic.’ It was what I would call a convergence or a confluence. In other words, you caught up with your face in the future.

“Meaning, where God had you at that moment … God was showing you before,” he adds. “You may not even [have] remembered it. But where you are at, you’re at the right place, at the right time. Convergence is the place where everything comes together.”

Reed points out that throughout the Bible, the woman at the well, Ananias on the street called Straight, even Jesus at the pool where he found a man paralyzed for 38 years, all had a calling on them by the Lord to be in a certain place at a certain time.

When people listen to the still, small voice in their spirit, they will find that the Lord’s timing is always the best timing in their lives.

“Remember what Ecclesiastes says, there’s a time for every purpose under heaven,” Reed says. “There’s another verse in Ecclesiastes that says, ‘That which has been is now and that which is to be has already been.'”

“So, the eternal realm was like a circle,” he explains. “Whereas time is like a timeline. When the eternal realm touches the timeline, that’s when we have those God moments. And I think that’s when miracles, supernatural signs and wonder and things like that happen.”

Discerning these signs and dreams is one of the many reasons Reed and MorningStar Ministries have their school of prophecy.

Being able to interpret dreams, visions, signs and wonders is not just for the heroes of the Bible like Joseph and Daniel. It is a practice that has sadly been let go and rendered unimportant by many around the world.

These God moments are written about in the Word of God for a reason and a purpose.

Be like Joseph, who was sold into slavery, lied about and thrown into jail yet never stopped pursuing the Lord. As it turns out, following the path God had for him ended up putting Joseph right where he needed to be—right when he needed to be there.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) is gaining supporters across the world as the idea of being able to decide when you die is being accepted by many.

What was once packaged as a program for the terminally ill that has now branched out to encompass a wide array of physical and mental illnesses, is on its way to America according to one conservative commentator.

Matt Walsh of the Daily Wire believes that as eugenics takes a choking grip on Canada, the world’s leading organ donor from euthanasia, it is only a matter of time before Americans accept this way of life as well.

“As always, culturally, we’re on the same track and on the same train as Canada, heading over the same cliff,” Walsh says. “We’re just maybe a few train cars back.”

The euthanasia program in Canada is far more extreme than you think. And it’s coming here soon.

pic.twitter.com/ghHCK8q58h

— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) May 24, 2023

Doctors and politicians around the world in countries such as Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain are praising the “selflessness” of people choosing euthanasia, even if they were not terminally ill.

This decline in moral ethics has given way to a rise in faithlessness that seeks to make the citizen a godlike figure, in that they get to decide on the decision of life and death.

“Canadians don’t believe in God anymore, at least in a traditional sense. They believe that they are gods,” says Walsh. “They think that they can change their sex just by wishing for it. God doesn’t choose whether you’re male or female, you get to choose it, and you could change your sex in literally an instant. That’s what they seriously believe, and that’s what everyone on the Left believes, so it’s only natural that a society like that would gradually assume more God-like powers, including the power to decide who dies and when they die.”

One does not have to look far at the path Canada is on to see how Walsh concluded America is following in their footsteps.

The embrace of radical gender ideologies and the rejection of God and His divine design for humanity, not to mention decades of slaughtering unborn human infants through abortion, has led many in the U.S. to hold the same depreciated view of life that Canada now holds.

As reported by the Daily Wire, Walsh “characterized the practice as “eugenics” targeted toward purported undesirables. Some residents in Canada have requested assisted suicide for reasons such as expected homelessness, and in other instances, government healthcare providers suggested the practice in response to long wait times for medical care.”

“Medicine has been inverted in this way in our society for a long time. Euthanasia is just the latest iteration,” Walsh claims. “Some of us, the so-called social conservatives, have been screaming about it from the rooftops for a long time, and we’ve been right all along. We have been right on every major cultural issue, from abortion, to gay marriage, to gender ideology, and we’re right about this too. Euthanasia is a dystopian abomination. It is a war on human life. It is a cancer, and like any cancer, it will never stay contained. It will never stop, it always spreads.”

As the practice of Nazi scientists that was once condemned by the world-at-large, the procedure of removing the least desirable of society is making a giant comeback, and is growing in acceptance.

The lack of God in society appears to be the driving factor. When the gospel was accepted by the majority of Western society and was the pillar upon which its expansion and success were built, life was a valued.

Within the pages of the Word of God are multitudes of verses professing the praises of life, and that Jesus is the path toward an eternal life. But it is Satan who seeks death for all of mankind. What better tactic than to trick humans into giving their own lives up willingly in a false-sense of selflessness and civic duty?

The warnings are being proclaimed that a deception is coming to America, one that will take the lives of even teenagers, as Walsh reveals.

Christians know the enemy is going to try and normalize these state-sponsored executions, many remember the actions of one Dr. Jack Kevorkian, and it would behoove them then to vote for those running for office who cling to biblical values. If not, the entirety of the U.S. government will shift along with Canada’s decaying morals.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

The waters in the Pacific are rapidly changing from their current La Niña condition to the warmer El Niño within a few short months.

The La Niña is a long, cold stretch of water that forms off the coast of South America, while the El Niño is a warm stretch of water that is expected to bring with it potentially catastrophic weather patterns.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “El Niño can affect our weather significantly. The warmer waters cause the Pacific jet stream to move south of its neutral position. With this shift, areas in the northern U.S. and Canada are dryer and warmer than usual. But in the U.S. Gulf Coast and Southeast, these periods are wetter than usual and have increased flooding.”

The change in weather pattern also brings with it staggering economic consequences for the countries that are hit the hardest by the transition.

According to the journal Science, the El Niño patterns of 1982-83 and 1997-98 had worldwide financial losses of $4.1 trillion and $5.7 trillion, respectively.

The current estimates for the developing weather pattern are expected to be in the range of $3 trillion over several years.

“There’s an economic legacy of El Niño in GDP [gross domestic product] growth,” says Christopher Callahan, an Earth system scientist at Dartmouth College. “That primarily occurs in the countries in the tropics that are strongly affected by El Niño. But this effect is quite large.”

So how are weather pattern changes linked with the decline of morality in the end times of the Earth?

Jesus prophesied what believers need to be on the lookout for when the “beginning of sorrows” occurs in Mark chapter 13.

The earth is subject to the Lord, and while these occurrences are not the coming tribulations the book of Revelation warns are coming, between the opening of the scrolls and pouring out of the bowls of judgement, the signs leading up to the Tribulation will also be filled with environmental upheaval.

The El Niño pattern is capable of causing severe drought in certain regions, leading to a loss of crops and potential famines. As the waters warm, the nutrients of the ocean that are brought up by the cooler El Niña are no longer raised from the depths leading to a potential loss of fish, which fishermen rely on for food and business.

Having the biblical literacy of when the end times do begin in their entirety is a necessity for believers to navigate such trying times, and put their faith in the One behind it all. There are clear cut instructions for Christians in the meantime. Continuing the Great Commission is a priority for every follower of Jesus, as is staying watchful for His return and being in prayer continuously.

Should disasters rise in the wake of the changing weather patterns, such as droughts, famines, floods, mudslides or any number of crises, Christians can prepare themselves and their ministries to be able to offer aid to those affected by these disasters.

As these occurrences will most likely increase as the world moves toward the end times of Revelation, the commands from the Word of God are clear:

• Be watchful (1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Pet. 5:8; Mark 13:33)
• Be in constant prayer (Col. 4:2; Luke 21:36; Eph. 6:18)
• Be ready for the Lord’s return (Luke 12:40; 2 Pet. 3:10; Matt. 24:44).

Abiding the Word of God and spending time in its wisdom, constantly, will prepare and fortify believers in a world that is not only turning away from God but consciously removing Him from their presence.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

Target has recently announced changes to their “pride” collection of apparel.

After conservatives across the nation called for a boycott, Target pivoted from their relationship with a “trans-satanist” designer.

Stores across the country transferred “pride” displays to the back of the store, or removed them altogether depending on the region.

Target eventually released a statement amid the furor over their products aimed at children:

“For more than a decade, Target has offered an assortment of products aimed at celebrating Pride Month. Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and wellbeing while at work. Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior. Our focus now is on moving forward with our continuing commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community and standing with them as we celebrate Pride Month and throughout the year,” a Target spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

Target was already under a boycott after photos of “tuck-friendly” swimwear went viral on social media. Parents were also outraged when it was found out that Target sells chest-binders to young girls, despite the damage that it causes to the body.

Then the tidal wave hit.

Reports started pouring in that the massive chain retailer had partnered with a ‘trans-satanist’ designer from London and was selling the items of Abprallen both online and in their stores. The proverbial dam broke when this information was made known to the public, with Target trending across all major social media platforms with major news coverage of the outrage.

Conservative commentator and personality Liz Wheeler called on Twitter for the boycott to ramp-up, saying:

“DO NOT fall for Target removing stuff from the Satanist designer from their website. Target isn’t apologizing. Target doesn’t think they did wrong. Target is blaming YOU, calling you extremists, as their excuse for removing the Satanist items. Do not back down.”

DO NOT fall for Target removing stuff from the Satanist designer from their website.

Target isn’t apologizing.

Target doesn’t think they did wrong.

Target is blaming YOU, calling you extremists, as their excuse for removing the Satanist items.

Do not back down.

— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) May 24, 2023

Just a week prior to the backlash, Target CEO Brian Cornell praised the companies “woke” stance of selling pro-drag queen clothing for kids in a recent episode of Fortune’s “Leadership Next” podcast:

“I think those are just good business decisions, and it’s the right thing for society, and it’s the great thing for our brand,” Cornell said. “The things we’ve done from a DE&I [diversity, equity and inclusion] standpoint, it’s adding value. It’s helping us drive sales, it’s building greater engagement with both our teams and our guests, and those are just the right things for our business today.”

Now, Christians across the country are encouraging others to stop shopping at Target due to their willingness to join forces, as short-lived as it was, with a pro-Satan designer.

In five days of protests, Target stock is down 11%, from near 161.20 on Thursday, May 18, to 142.91 on Wednesday, May 24. When people protest with their wallets, companies listen.

The current boycott shows no signs of slowing down, either, as Target is trending with over 716k tweets alone. Americans are no longer tolerating the intentional targeting of their children and associating with satanic entities. They are making their voices heard and using their wallets to make just as loud a statement.

There is power in a moral, unified movement among citizens, when they stand up to immoral corporations and say “Enough!”

Now, one of the questions that remains is, will this boycott have lasting effect on companies in America to stop forcing gender ideology onto their consumers?

Only time will tell, but hopefully many more eyes are opened to the war being waged against the nuclear family.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

Breaking down the walls of political tribalism and disunity, Jonathan Cahn released a prophetic message to the President of the United States.

This is not the first time that Cahn has tried to issue a warning to the president about the current course his administration has set for America, in love, and beseeched the president to alter that course.

After President Joe Biden signed the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act” into law on Dec. 13, 2022, Cahn issued a prophetic warning of apostasy to America, and the president.

Now, Cahn has released three prophetic words to Biden, hoping and praying that the president will repent and put God back into the White House.

“Not long ago you became the first president in American history to enshrine into federal law the alteration of marriage, to destroy the definition of marriage as it has always stood,” says Cahn addressing President Joe Biden.

“You rejoiced in the act of destruction with a mass celebration on the White House lawn. You sealed it all that night by lighting up the White House in the colors of the rainbow. Mr. President, you call yourself a Christian, you were raised to say prayers to the God of the Bible, but do you actually have any real fear of God?” asks Cahn.

“Do you think that God is silent and not able to act? Well, He is not silent and He’s actually answered what you have done,” reveals Cahn.

Cahn reveals that God has already dissolved marriages and unions that He finds to be sinful, and will do so again.

In Ezra chapter 10, the Israelites repent after hearing the words of Ezra in Jerusalem on the 20th of Kislev for their sinful marriages that God could not respect.

Will President Biden heed these words and repent of his and America’s sin the way Israel did? Time will tell.

The second mystery Cahn releases for the president, and America, is that the rainbow they painted the White House with does not belong to them. It belongs to God.

There is another entity who tries to stake claims to the rainbow as well, but this spirit is nefarious, and according to Cahn, behind the gender confusion and sexual deception taking place in America today.

“As President of the United States, you took that sacred sign [the rainbow] and turned it against the God to whom it belongs, but there’s more to it … It actually has to do with an ancient deity, a goddess, a spirit,” says Cahn.

This ancient spirit, known as the Enchantress, was a goddess worshipped for her sexuality and immorality. Her worshippers claimed that she had the power to turn a man into a woman and a woman into a man while using the rainbow as a sign of her divinity.

“This spirit, which is now taking possession of our culture, and on the day that you [Biden] redefine marriage, you place her sign on the nation’s highest house, the White House, the sign of the goddess, you are in effect placing the nation into her hands, her ownership, her possession, a demonic possession,” warns Cahn.

Everything that Satan attempts to corrupt from God is different than the original creation that God designed, including the rainbow.

The rainbow this goddess, the Enchantress, uses is different from the seven-colored rainbow that God used to seal His covenant with Noah. The “pride” rainbow only has six colors, the number of imperfection and incompleteness. Seven is the number of perfection and the completeness of the Lord.

The third mystery Cahn addresses not just to President Biden, but to all believers in America who value the religious liberty this country has prospered under for so long: “‘The Respect for Marriage Act,’ though a clause was added to give lip service to religious liberty, was actually setting a dangerous precedent and setting the state and opening the door to the ending of religious liberty in this land,” says Cahn.

“You and your administration denied it, and then your press secretary implied that actually removing the clause for religious liberty was on the agenda for the days ahead,” adds Cahn.

Cahn ended the prophetic message to Biden hoping and praying that the president will see the error of the path America is on, and right the ship before it is too late.

“Mr. President, on the day you stand before God, the laws that you signed into existence will not exist, but His law will exist. By His law you will be judged. Repent. Be Saved,” implores Cahn.

To believers, Cahn issued a word of encouragement in face of persecution that is on the horizon for Christians worldwide.

“Stand strong. Stand firm. Be strong and of good courage. Do not bow down your knee to Baal or any other god of this age, and do not be silent because the laws of man will pass away, but the laws of God will remain forever. Do not fear the future. The future belongs to God. No matter what happens in the world, in our culture, in our nation, remember this: God will always have the last word. If the dark is getting darker, it’s time for the lights of God to shine even more brightly. When evil goes from bad to worse, the light [must] go from good to great. It’s time to be bold for God. It’s time to be great for God, for thus says the Lord: ‘Arise and shine, for your light has come and the glory of God has risen upon you.'”

To watch the full message from Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, click here.

To read more about spiritual issues affecting America today, view Jonathan Cahn’s newest book, “The Return of the Gods.”

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

People of all backgrounds, faiths and ethnicities are noticing the winds of change that are blowing across America.

The times today are so radically different from where they were even a decade ago that many wonder how much worse the deluge of immorality and fiscal irresponsibility can get before the dam breaks and God’s judgment sweeps across the land.

Acting President of MorningStar Ministries and Lead Pastor of MorningStar Church Chris Reed sat down with Charisma News and shared how a prophetic dream the Holy Spirit gave him in March 2022 is developing and evolving into fruition.

Part of his dream focused on the future of the economic status of America and the prevalence of the U.S. dollar.

“I saw an unknown man dressed in a black suit, and [he] held a $50 bill in his hand. In the dream he tore off one-third of the $50 bill,” Reed read from his notes that he wrote after experiencing the dream.

“When he tore off one-third of the $50 bill, this triggered people coming up and handing me newspapers, then running off,” he said.

“The first headline that was brought up to me says, ‘The dollar drops 30% in value’ with a subtitle which read, ‘Mideast oil strikes deal with China instead of the U.S.'” Read continued. “Then I saw another headline which was given to me which said, ‘The Perfect Storm’ with a subtitle [saying,] ‘Inflation reaches a new high.’

“I was handed another headline which said, ‘Food shortage crisis as wheat and bread imports are at a stalemate.'” he read. “Another headline was handed to me which said, ‘Riots and civil unrest as citizens demand entitlement checks.'”

Reed is open about not knowing the specific timeline around these events taking place, but since he first experienced the dream, much has happened in the economic world to bring fear of an economic disaster.

Based on the current state of world affairs, with China becoming a dominant force on the world stage as the new economic bloc BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) continues to grow in size and influence, the U.S. dollar and economy are being threatened as never before.

Reed’s dream was not over, however; the Lord wanted more truth revealed.

“The man in black takes the rest of the $50 bill, after one-third has been previously torn off … and tears it in half,” Reed read. “When he did this, an earthquake happened under my feet.

“Another person walked up to me and handed me a headline which read, ‘Israeli and Palestinian two-state solution reached,'” he continued. “”Another headline was handed to me by another person which read, ‘Major Earthquake hits the middle of the U.S.’

“Then the man in black took the rest of the $50 bill and started tearing it into smaller pieces one by one,” Read read. “”And another person walks up [and] hands me a headline which said, ‘America in pieces’ subtitled, ‘More states secede from the nation in rebellion to the federal government.’

“Then the man in black took out a new dollar bill,” he added. “But what was interesting about it, the $1 bill looked like a cell phone … it had George Washington’s face on it … but it looked very different. I remember looking at it, and as I looked at it someone else came up and handed me another newspaper headline, and it read, ‘New currency for a renewed nation.’

“And another headline was handed to me, and it said, ‘Simplicity restored as Americans grow their own food again,'” Read recalled. “And that was the end of the dream. I had it at one of our properties up in Moravian Falls, North Carolina.”

Reed, along with many other Americans, has recognized the decline in the American economy and the dangers that are stemming from uncontrolled government spending.

These types of visions should not be the exception for Christians, but many find it difficult to believe in prophetic dreams, even from as trusted a source as Reed.

The Bible reveals how God has used prophetic dreams that often take years to come to fruition in both the Old and New Testament. Joseph, Daniel and Peter were all given dreams by the Lord when He wanted them to give a specific message to His people.

Joseph in particular addressed the social, economic and political climate of Egypt while he was prisoner and was eventually made second-in-command to Pharaoh due to the divine interpretations of dreams God gave him.

Why, then, is it so difficult for many to see that this gift has not disappeared and stands as a way for God to prepare a Goshen for His people during times of trial?

“The dream is an unfolding of events in the future that we must be prepared for,” Reed said—just as it was in the times of Joseph.

“We don’t get in fear, we just get prepared for it,” he added. “God has always provided a Goshen for His people when He was delivering them out of Egypt. When the plagues come, God always gives us a Goshen. So, the key word is preparation, not fear.”

For those who doubt, do what the Bible says and test the words given by prophetic voices such as Chris Reed against the Scripture. As it says in 1 John 4:1: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

But do not throw away the gift of prophecy or the interpretation of dreams. These are gifts and warning from God, as described in His Word, to prepare His people for what is to come.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

There is a concern among Spirit-filled worship leaders that the act of worship and ministering to the Lord is becoming just another genre of music.

This culture of worship that is lacking the presence of the Holy Spirit, while not bad in and of itself, is not focused on the glorification of God but on oneself and what a person gets out of being in the Lord’s presence.

Sitting down with Iris Global’s “Green Room” podcast, musical artist and worship leader Steffany Gretzinger shared how she feels praise and worship has deviated from the presence of God:

“We’ve gotten so caught up in the ‘calling’ to do this and the calling to that, [but] Jesus only ever called people to Himself. He said, come, follow Me and I’ll make you this and commission you to do that. The calling is not to be a worship leader and the calling is not to do all this, He called us unto Himself,” Gretzinger says.

“If He’s the way, and He’s the truth, and He’s the life, and in the secret place [where] we are truly yielded in walking with Him, those things, they don’t have any flavor, the reward is when you come home [and the] presence washes over you in that secret place,” she adds.

When one searches the Bible for passages on worship, they will encounter verses like Psalm 150:1-6, John 4:23, and Psalm 33:1-4, and discover the focus on worship is the Lord only. He is worthy of praise and when the subject and focus of worship moves from Him, it loses its spiritual power and anointing.

“He’s the water in the well…we always want living water, but He’s the only place we can get it. He’s not a genie, [He] isn’t a buffet, we eat the whole Lamb, bitter herbs [and] all…we need the whole Christ or have no part with Him,” Gretzinger explains.

Addressing the lack of the presence of the Holy Spirit in worship, Gretzinger believes that many were unprepared for the fame, stardom and wealth that come with the success they earned, but also did not have the spiritual foundation in place to ensure God was the focus.

“I think we’ve got a lot of people who have not built a structure of intimacy or maturity, and then there was a crown put on their head and it crushed them,” says Gretzinger.

This does not have to be the way forward however, as it is the role of mature worship leaders who honor God and minister to God while leading corporate worship with other believers, to raise up a new generation with a firm foundation built with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

“Well, it’s [worship leading] become very romantic, it’s become ‘super sexy’ and the idea of leading that many people and being on a platform…really, it’s quite costly,” warns Gretzinger.

She would know having been one of the most successful worship leaders at Bethel Redding for several years alongside other Spirit-filled leaders such as Jeremy Riddle.

“So many people that I’ve known through the years couldn’t open a Bible and tell you where anything was, [they] couldn’t preach the gospel, and that’s a lot of musicians, it’s a lot of artists [today],” Gretzinger says.

“This isn’t about the people in front of you, this is about ministering to the Lord, ministering to His presence. I’m trying to get them [younger generations] back to the gospel and go ‘Look! Can we first become obsessed with the One we are signing to?!’ This isn’t actually about your songs going all over the world,” continues Gretzinger.

“If you’ve ministered, if you’ve touched the Lord, you’ve touched His heart, you’ll know,” says Gretzinger. “Because His presence will be resting on you and in you like the fruit will always speak of the root.”

Getting back to the heart of worship, as the song goes, for Gretzinger is a total and complete focus on God and how great and wonderful He is. Before anything can move in a ministerial setting, the love for God must permeate the wall where His worship is being sung inviting an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

“We don’t have any business talking about how you’re going to do this and this and this for God, if you’re not even telling me what you love about Him. If you can’t even tell me what this [grabs her Bible] says, and get it right, ‘study to show yourself approved,’ that’s not just for if you’re a preacher, this should be for every one of us.

“So, I think it’s basics. It’s like…coming back to Bible basics, living the gospel…that’s following Jesus,” Gretzinger shares.

You can view the entire interview with Iris Global “Green Room” podcast here.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

The GO Movement is gearing up for a decade of evangelism that will span from 2023 to 2033, with the aim of reaching millions with the gospel.

The movement, which is an international network of churches, ministries and organizations, has already seen tremendous success in its past efforts to share the message of Jesus Christ with the world.

In 2022 alone, more than 46 million people found faith in Jesus Christ through the GO Movement. This success is due in part to the collaborative effort of different Christian organizations, including the World Evangelical Alliance, the Baptist World Alliance, Campus Crusades for Christ and many others.

The movement is set to launch on Pentecost weekend 2023, with the aim of reaching the whole world with the gospel by 2033.

The decade of evangelism will involve a series of evangelistic outreaches in over 150 countries, from remote African villages to major cities in Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and closed nations where preaching the gospel is against the law. Even war zones in Ukraine will be included.

“The Islamic influence from the north (Africa) is great,” said Bishop Stephen Mutua, Continental Leader for GO Movement Africa. “At the same time, millions of people found Jesus during the GO Month.” Mutua was one of several key leaders who met in Switzerland in January to plan to reach everyone worldwide from 2023 to 2033 with the gospel. This ambitious goal is possible thanks to the dedication and commitment of over 120 million believers who are committed to sharing their faith.

GO Day is on Saturday, May 27th, and will include believers sharing their faith with at least one person.

Pentecost Sunday is the next day, May 28, in which churches commit their Sunday Service to pray for a decade to reach every person with the Gospel by 2033.

The year 2033 is not coincidentally the 2000th anniversary of the death and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

To join this movement, visit the GO Decade website at www.godecade.world. The GO Movement has already shown its power to change lives, and the next decade promises to be even more transformative.

Arming oneself with wisdom and knowledge is a crucial part of the decision-making process when looking for a new church home.

Knowing the warning signs of an apostate church is valuable for those who love where they are, so that they know what to look for as many churches are making the move away from biblical principles in the hope of staying socially relevant and safe.

During an episode of the “Politely Rude with Abby Johnson” podcast, Lucas Miles, a well-known pastor, author and podcaster, shared warning signs that Christians must take note of when finding a church in which to worship and build community.

1.

“Of course, the very obvious things. If the flag is rainbow colored, or if there’s a BLM flag flying above the cross outside, then that might be something to note,” Miles said.

Notably, Miles’ issue is with the organization “Black Lives Matter,” which teaches a Marxist-based ideology and has seen multiple members of top leadership brought up on fraud charges for funneling money out of the organization for personal use, not the message that the lives of Black Americans matter.

2.

Miles also shares that Christians need to be informed on key buzzwords that churches who have adopted “wokeism” use and how the English language is being redefined to fit radical left-leaning ideologies.

“You want to listen for language, maybe, of critical race theory,” Miles says. “So, are they talking about white fragility? Are they using this word ‘diversity’ all the time? Are [the church leaders] more focused on that than [they] are about just loving people because Christ has called us to love everybody?”

3.

According to Miles, believers need to ask themselves if the gospel message is still front and center at a church, or if it has been replaced with social constructs that muddy the message of Jesus Christ for more “progressive” views.

“Is there still a handle on grace and truth? So, one of the things I always tell people is that … the Bible tells us … ‘The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ,'” Miles says.

“If you are elevating grace over truth, you become a progressive. If you elevate truth over grace, you become a bigot. We need both of those in full force,” he adds.

One of the best ways that a Christian can learn about a new church and make an informed decision about where they want to be rooted, is to be bold and ask the tough questions that need to be asked about where exactly the church stands when it comes to a variety of issues.

4.

“Are they teaching an open heaven?” asks Miles. “That you can go to hell, but maybe get out of it later on in life and kind of work your way back to heaven? That would be something to watch for.

“Does the pastor have pronouns in his bio? That’s probably something that you want to look for and really recognize there,” Miles adds. “I think also asking them what other nonprofits they support.

5.

“I think that you have the right if you’re going to attend there, and you’re going to give money there, to just come out and ask them … ‘Where do you stand on the issue of abortion, marriage, sexuality? Do you hold to a biblical framework? Do you perform gay weddings here at the church?'” Miles continues.

“Just ask those questions, just flat out, so that you don’t have to wonder and you’re not attending there for three or six months and your kids get invested in relationships and then you realize it’s a problem,” Miles concludes. “And what happens then, a lot of times, is people will stay because they don’t want conflict. They will stay in [the church], many times, and justify rather than [leave] over these issues.”

By asking questions and comparing how a pastor or elder of the church responds with Scripture, along with prayer, will greatly reduce the chances of joining a church that is not aligned with the Word of God but is instead aligned with the ways of the world which will ultimately lead people away from the Lord, not toward Him.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.