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 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] 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 , 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 back to Bible basics, living the ‘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 . 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.

As a mental health crisis sweeps across America, people are looking for answers to issues such as depression, loneliness and hopelessness.

These issues affect everyone, and single, never-before-married Christians are bending to the seduction of the world in the misguided hope that they find relief outside of biblical doctrine.

According to a new report by Communio titled “Nationwide Study on Faith & Relationships,” Christian singles are struggling to find suitable marriage partners and are turning away from biblical views on sexuality.

The Bible is clear in its teachings on sexual immorality and the importance of abstaining from it. Despite the clarity of these teachings, many Christians still struggle with living a sexually chaste life.

As reported by the Christian Post, “Author JP DeGance, the founder and president of Communio, said this secular attitude among single Christians toward sex and sexuality is likely among the drivers causing single Christians to delay or decline getting married today.

“Despite scriptural teaching to the contrary, research has shown that most never-married Christian men and women are not living lives of sexual chastity. This engagement in sexual relationships outside of marriage coincides with and likely fuels delays and declines in marriage,” De Gance says.

“The delay in marriage represents what some scholars have called the shift from a cornerstone view of marriage to the view of marriage as a capstone institution,” he adds.

One of the biggest reasons why Christians may struggle with living a chaste life is the culture we live in. Secular values often promote casual sex and sexual exploration, which can lead to confusion about what is right and wrong. In addition to these snares, modern media often portray sex as something that is expected and celebrated outside of marriage.

All of these factors can make chastity difficult for Christians who want to live according to their faith.

Another reason Christians may struggle with sexual chastity is the lack of accountability within the community. Many churches do not address the topic of sex and relationships enough within their sermons and teachings. This leaves their members with little guidance on how to navigate these issues in a healthy and God-honoring way.

Additionally, Christian singles who may feel the pressure to engage in sexual activity may not have any support or accountability from their peers and spiritual leaders to help them remain pure. Despite these challenges, it is important for Christians to remember the value of sexual purity.

In Hebrews 13:4. the Bible says, ” Marriage is to be honored among everyone, and the bed undefiled. But God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.” Sexual purity is not just a suggestion, but rather a commandment from God. It reflects the love, commitment and trust that is supposed to be present within the covenant of marriage.

De Gance believes that church leadership needs to stand in the gap for these single Christians who are still maturing in their relationship with God as they weather the cultural storm of sexual promiscuity in life.

“Beyond the moral and biblical imperatives, church leaders must not reinforce the current zeitgeist. Instead, they must find ways to push back against the cultural narrative around sex and reestablish a cornerstone model, because, in part, it leads to less loneliness, more relationship satisfaction and greater happiness,” De Gance says.

In a letter to the Christian Post, De Gance details a plan of action to address the loneliness epidemic affecting Christians of all backgrounds.

“To effectively evangelize today, we must address the declining number of marriages, poor marital health and improve the effectiveness of fathers in those marriages. By addressing these three issues, we can end the loneliness epidemic as well as spark a sustained revival in Christian faith and active church attendance. The link between marriage and faith is clear, yet 85% of all churches in the United States report spending zero dollars annually on marriage and relationship ministry,” De Gance explains.

“These survey results show that the alternative (capstone approach to relationships) leads to epidemic levels of loneliness and suffering among their congregants. Going beyond preaching, churches must also embrace ministry approaches that both champion and give agency to healthy relationships from youth, young adulthood and deep into the married life. Christian parents and churches must take a more effective approach on marriage alternatives such as cohabitation, and sexual choices including premarital sex and pornography,” wrote De Gance.

“Church leaders must also find ways to balance the gender gap within the pews. Among the never married, there are 42% more women than men in churches. While many women may prefer Christian marriage to the available counterfeits, a lack of marriageable men, faithful to the gospel’s view of sex inside of marriage, remains a real and substantive obstacle to the cornerstone model of marriage,” he adds.

If not, the data shows that biblical principles will continue to erode from both society and the church.

Christians must take a stand and preach the unedited, unadulterated, Word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to take control and move within their lives as they struggle against the systems of the world.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

As spiritual warfare reaches a fever pitch in every aspect of American culture, Christians must arm themselves with wisdom and discernment or else the enemy will succeed in his attempts at deceiving them.

Satan’s tactics of deception have disarmed many Christians over the course of centuries, and it is imperative to be equipped with the full armor of God to combat these attempts at destroying human life.

If successful, Christians will witness events such as the tragedy that struck the Vallow family.

As Charisma News reported, Lori Vallow and her husband, Chad Daybell, were accused of murdering their two children, 7-year-old Joshua “J.J.” Vallow and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan, along with Chad’s ex-wife, 49-year-old Tammy Daybell, and also charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and grand theft by deception.

Now, Vallow’s courtroom journey is at an end as she was convicted of murdering her two children and of conspiracy to murder her husband’s first wife almost four years ago.

Yet this tale of woe reveals America’s refusal to see the spiritual influence and control demons have in society today.

While the prosecution believed that the causation for this story lay in the physical temptations that led Daybell and Vallow to commit atrocious acts, they fail to recognize that the root origin of these sins lays in the spiritual realm.

“We told you this was about money, power and sex. We talked about religion, but this was not about religion. This was about money, power and sex,” prosecutor Rob Wood said Thursday in his closing statements.

All of these reasons Wood lists stem from spiritual forces influencing Daybell, who had already opened himself up to demonic influence with his doomsday, anti-biblical writings, and Vallow, who was seduced by Daybell’s books about end times.

As reported by Fox News, “They referred to each other as biblical figures named James and Elena and discussed their beliefs that people can have light or dark spirits—some so dark that they could be considered zombies.

“Lori wants to tell you how much she loves Jesus. … But is she a leader or follower? She’s not leading anyone. She’s a follower of Chad,” defense attorney Jim Archibald said Thursday in closing statements. “She thinks Chad is a follower of Jesus. But he’s not. He’s a follower of the storm.”

These are not the beliefs, strategies or plans of someone merely looking for fulfillments of the flesh. These are the statements of people who are under severe demonic oppression and torture. It led them to make the decision to commit multiple murders and continue living their lives as though nothing happened, the same form of demonic oppression and deliverance presented in the recent movie, Come Out In Jesus Name.

Yes, Vallow is ultimately responsible for her actions, as every human being is, but Christians are not called to ignore demonic influence and control in society, they are to cast it out and set those in bondage free in the name of Jesus.

The oppression Vallow was under was stifling, an oppression that she opened herself up to, revealing the power that the spiritual realm holds over the physical.

This case leaves only death and the destruction of several families in its wake. That was Satan’s goal, and sadly, he accomplished it.

God can take what Satan meant for evil and turn it for good. This story can serve as a lesson for Christians to become aware of how entrenched the world is in spiritual warfare.

Healing can come to the families affected by this senseless tragedy. If the chains of bondage were to be broken, Chad Daybell and Lord Vallow could thwart the enemy’s plans by repenting for the heinous crimes and truly enter a relationship with Jesus Christ, not the false iteration they were deceived into following.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

Drinking alcohol has been a topic of heated-discussion amongst the church for quite a long time.

The Bible references wine on numerous occasions, while Peter admonishes believers to be “sober-minded” throughout the book of 1 Peter.

Author and senior pastor at Long Hollow Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, Robby Gallaty addressed the question, “Is it wise for a Christian to drink alcohol” in a recent sermon.

“Alcohol is a pretty hot pastors I talk to, with Christians I meet with, everybody wants to know about drinking,” says Gallaty.

It is naturally a place of confusion and interest for American Christians who want to do the right thing according to the Bible, but are beset on multiple sides about what the Bible interprets as appropriate when it comes to drinking.

“The way you look at drinking kind you on one of two sides: on one side you may use drinking as a litmus test to determine someone’s spirituality. You may judge someone and say ‘oh look there, they drink,’ and so they live this way,” Gallaty discusses with his congregation.

“On the other hand, you look at someone who doesn’t drink or abstains from drinking as being ‘old-fashioned’ or maybe legalistic in their faith, and so it’s important for us to figure out what the Bible actually says about drinking,” he adds.

Gallaty has been open throughout his ministry regarding past struggles with alcoholism and drug use in his earlier years. After thousands of dollars and two rehab stints, Gallaty made the decision to give up drinking alcohol for good.

“By God’s grace, last Monday, May 1, I haven’t drank alcohol in 20 years,” he shares.

Taking the approach of not whether the Bible says to or not, Gallaty asks the congregation, “Is it wise to drink alcohol?” putting the decision of imbibing squarely in the laps of the individual and their personal convictions.

“I want you to go figure it out for yourself,” Gallaty explains.

Addressing what the Bible says about alcohol, Gallaty shares several points in helping a Christian come to the decision themselves about whether to drink or not.

• Drinking is not a sin (John 2:1-11).
• Drunkenness is a sin (Gal. 5:19-21).
• Wine was safer than water [to drink] in the first century.
• Drinking alcohol can lead to reckless living (Eph. 5:15-18).
• Drinking alcohol can cause others to stumble (Rom. 14:15).
• Drinking alcohol masks a deeper problem (Prov. 31:6-7).

Going through Scripture and addressing what the apostle Paul says about drinking, wisdom and sober-mindedness, Gallaty comes to a definitive answer for his question: Is it wise for Christians to drink alcohol?

One particular area that Gallaty researched was the texts of Charles Quarles, a research professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, who wrote in depth about the dilution process of wine in the biblical age.

“A careful study of the Mishnah and Talmuds [Jewish texts] shows that the normal dilution rate among the Jews was three parts water to one part wine,” Quarles wrote. “[T]his was very likely the commonly accepted dilution rate among Jews of the [New Testament] era as well. This dilution rate reduces the alcohol content of New Testament wine to to 3.0 percent.”

Pastor Gallaty then took the numbers Quarles researched and compared them to the alcohol content of multiple spirits imbibed in today’s culture.

“The answer is, according to Paul, in many situations and circumstances at different stages of life, it’s not,” wise for Christians to drink alcohol, Gallaty says.

The best thing a Spirit-filled Christian can do in times of questioning and uncertainty, when they’ve heard the different lessons preached by biblical authorities but still have questions, is to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and ask, “Lord, what do You want me to do about this situation?”

Allowing the Holy Spirit to guide one’s path is not always easy, but it is the best decision a Christian can make.

To watch Pastor Gallaty’s full message on Christians and alcohol click here.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

In a refreshingly open and honest interview with Fox News, megastar Mark Wahlberg opened up about his growing faith and changes that he has made in life recently.

The movie star shared that his life has been blessed since making God and his faith a top priority for him and his family.

“I attribute everything good and everything positive in life to my faith. … As soon as I started putting my faith and focus on God, good things started happening for me,” says Wahlberg.

“And even when they didn’t, it gives you the coping skills to deal with things that are inevitable, like loss and failure and those things. But, you know, again, my faith and my family, those are the most important aspects of my life,” he adds.

Wahlberg addresses a key point in the Christian faith many struggle with today. That even when things do not go the way we may expect, and embarking on a faith-walk in life will often see God do things we do not understand or want to do, God is still there giving His children the strength and determination to persevere and endure under strenuous situations.

The actor is no stranger to promoting godly values to the public, as his Instagram post on the National Day of Prayer garnered nearly 750,000 likes.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Mark Wahlberg (@markwahlberg)

This new outlook the actor has adopted also led him and his wife, Rhea Durham, who have been married since 2009 and have four children together, to leave the perceived glitz and glam of Hollywood for a more family-friendly environment in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“My kids are doing fantastic,” he revealed. “You know, I wish I would’ve made the move sooner. … I spent lots of time in LA pursuing my own professional aspirations. And, so, to be able to now put them in a position to where they can pursue theirs, their interests, it’s definitely the right thing to do, and it’s long overdue.”

Wahlberg’s devout Catholic faith led him to pursuing the role of Father Stuart Long in the 2022 film “Father Stu.” The film is based on the real-life story of Long, who was a boxer before becoming a Catholic priest.

Wahlberg revealed when discussing the film, it was “his calling” and “mission” to see Long’s story come to life on the big-screen.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

Less than six months into 2023, news and media companies are withering at an incredible rate.

The internet boom brought with it many new third-party news outlets that began reaching viewers in new ways that legacy media had never dreamed of prior to their existence.

Now, many of these outlets are suffering a tremendous shaking in the industry, which has been prophesied by multiple faith leaders prior to the collapse.

Here is a short list of the layoffs compiled by Emily Washburn of Forbes:

• Jan. 4 – Gannett fires 50 employees in Indiana while closing a printing press in Greece, New York affecting 108 workers.
• Jan. 12 – NBC News and MSNBC lay off 75 employees.
• Jan. 13 – Mail-Tribune out of Medford, Oregon, shuts down affecting an unknown number of workers whose severance packages are tied into signing a non-disclosure agreement, per the Oregonian.
• Jan. 19 – Fandom lays off an unspecified number of people at the outlets of GameSpot, Giant Bomb, Metacritic and TV Guide four months after acquiring the properties.
• Jan. 21 – Vox Media fires 7% of its staff, resulting 133 people losing their jobs.
• Jan. 23 – AdWeek lets go of 10% of their staff, resulting in 14 layoffs.
• Jan. 24 – The Washington Post shuts down the video game and kid sections leading to 20 people being laid off.
• Feb. 9 – News Corp, owners of the Wall Street Journal and HarperCollins, announces 1,250 firings by the end of 2023, according to Chief Executive Robert Thomson.
• Feb. 17 – The Takeaway is cancelled on New York public radio station WNYC after 15 years on air. Twelve people involved in the production lose their jobs.
• Feb. 26 – The Birmingham News, The Huntsville Times and the Press-Register, three print newspaper in Alabama, fire 100 staff due to a decline in print circulation.
• March 19 – Sea Coast Media and Gannett close another printing press, this time in Portsmouth, New Hampshire resulting in 34 people laid off.
• March 21 – New England Public Media, an NPR affiliate, fires 20% of its staff. This resulted in 17 employees laid off.
• March 23 – NPR cancels four podcast series, resulting in 100 employees losing their jobs to reduce their $30 million budget deficit.
• March 29 – Salem Media Group announced they would be firing 3% of their 1,436 employees.
• April 20 – Insider Inc., formerly known as Business Insider, announced a reduction of staff by 10% according to Forbes.
• April 20 – It is announced that Buzzfeed News will be shut down by Buzzfeed CEO Jonah Peretti.
• April 27 – Vice Media is expected to lay off approximately 100 employees and shut down Vice World News.
• May 9 – Paramount Media Networks announces a cut to 25% of its workforce, including shutting down MTV News.

These massive and unprecedented cuts to media organizations does not even include the biggest shakers in the industry when it comes to layoffs in 2023:

• 7,000 layoffs from Disney
• 21,000 layoffs from Meta (since Nov. 2022)
• 12,000 layoffs from Google
• 18,000 layoffs from Amazon (since Nov. 2022)
• 10,000 layoffs from Microsoft

And there are many, many more.

The New Year brought with it prophecies from many Christian leaders, including Christian apologist Dr. Michael Brown, who believes that God is going to shake the institutions of America to its core:

“Just as the nation is massively divided politically now. And just as the ideological divide between left and right is growing deeper, and the divide between the believer and the world growing deeper, I believe God is going to continue to shake the things that we’re putting our trust in,” Dr. Brown says.

Millions of Americans put their hope in the media establishment, and they are currently witnessing the demise of traditional media as the world knows it. In its place, citizen journalism is flaring up to discuss topics and expose corruption that the legacy media simply will not tolerate.

Apostle Alexander Pagani declared that “digital Jehu’s” would arise and reform world systems.

This is exactly what is happening with Tucker Carlson following his historic split from Fox News.

Recently Carlson announced he would have a new show that is going to be broadcast on Twitter, now considered the last true public square of free speech.

“I believe the Holy Spirit has impressed upon my rise of the Jehu’s,” says Pagani.

“It will be a time and the rise of the Jehu’s, the ‘Wild Ones,’ who will be sanctioned by God [and] be able to confront systems that has been oppressing God’s people, and they’re not going to have that religious, piety and policy mindset,” Pagani adds.

The tearing down of certain structures while others rise in their place, and the speed at which this is occurring, are indicative of the word given by Pastor Greg Locke.

“I’ve really been seeking into the Lord about the word ‘acceleration’,” Locke says.

Locke believes that the Lord is using “suddenly moments” to spur the church to action and no longer be silent against the assault of the enemy, but to declare the truth of the Lord, in the physical and digital world.

There are few systems as oppressive and restrictive when it comes to addressing matters of good and evil, spirituality and salvation in Jesus Christ as the modern-day media and social media. Now, the shakings are just beginning.

God has much more planned and Christians are called to take part in the plan, to be proactive and stand for the name of Jesus.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

Singer, songwriter, actress and social icon Dolly Parton has not been shy about discussing her faith as of late, and gives all the credit to God for the blessings in her life.

Parton, 77, has also written several children’s books and has her own wildly successful charity to help engage children in reading called the Imagination Library.

“When we started that 26 years or so ago with my dad, you know, where we give books to children from the time they’re born, they get a book once a month until they start school, and they get the book with their little name on it. So, it’s going to encourage them to read or encourage somebody to read it for them. And so, I think that’s their most impressionable years,” Parton tells Fox News Digital.

“And I’m just proud of that. And to date, we’ve given over 200 million books, and that’s a lot of books, that’s worldwide. So, that’s a lot of kids and that’s a lot of books. And it’s a great program that I’m very, very proud of, but I’m proud of everything good that happens,” she adds.

Education has been a passion of Parton’s for decades now, and the Lord has used her to help inspire millions of children in the pursuit of knowledge through the works of The Dollywood Foundation.

According to the Dollywood Foundation’s website, their main purpose is “to inspire the children in her home county to achieve educational success.”

As reported by Fox News, “Now, she [Parton] gives out $15,000 scholarships every year to five students graduating from Sevier County who communicate a dream they wish to pursue. This is on top of other scholarships she gives out on a case-by-case basis.”

The source of all this charity and drive to help others, Parton says, comes from her relationship with God.

“My faith impacts everything that I do because I do believe that, through God, all things are possible,” Parton says. “And so, I always ask God to bless everything that I do and the people that I work with and to bring all the right things and right people into my life and to take the wrong ones out.

“So, I try to just live through love as much as I can. And so, I just think that my spirituality has been a guiding light in my life and my strength, really, in my creative energy. And my spiritual energy has really been a great force to keep me going all these years and still being productive.”

This reliance on God and trust in Him has led to a business empire that includes best-selling books, iconic songs, a theme park and much more.

According to Matthew 7:16: “You will know them by their fruit. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?” and the fruit that Dolly Parton is producing as a result of her faith has helped change the lives of millions, for the better.

All while giving God the glory.

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

Romans chapter 13 brings up a difficult topic for today’s America. A topic many would like to ignore.

The first verse of the chapter says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are appointed by God.”

Nothing happens without God knowing about it. Everything that took place before, during and after the 2020 election, and every election there ever will be, is known by God.

There has been much talk since the 2020 election on what role President Biden’s son, Hunter’s, laptop played, or did not play. And God knows exactly what went down behind closed doors that the public is still not aware of.

When the New York Post first broke the story about the laptop, its contents and possible corruption within the Biden family, it was dismissed by all major media and social media outlets as misinformation. While many across the country decried a rigged election, America just moved forward while many forgot or simply did not care to revisit the election and whether laws had been broken.

God never forgets.

Now, in 2023, the story of Hunter Biden’s mysterious laptop has been verified as legitimate while Republicans control the House Judiciary Committee. This is a story that may have influenced the tide of the election.

Remember, outlets such as NPR refused to report on it because, according to their own words: “We don’t want to waste our time on stories that are not really stories, and we don’t want to waste the listeners’ and readers’ time on stories that are just pure distractions.”

Yet here we are, almost three years later, and it turns out Hunter introduced his father, then-Vice President Joe Biden, to a top executive at the Ukrainian energy company, Burisma. A company for which Hunter sat on the board of directors, pulling in a whopping $50,000 a month salary.

Aside from contradicting Joe Biden’s statement claiming he had “never spoken to me about his overseas business dealings,” it shined a light on the deception, censorship and corruption at the very top of the American government.

None of this was hidden from God’s vision. He allows people to live out their free will. If they choose to commit sin against His will, which Joe Biden claims to know about as a self-proclaimed devout Catholic, then His hand of protection and blessing is removed from their lives.

While prophecy does not carry the weight it once did in the eyes of society, as many believe it is a gift that is no longer available for Christians or is simply a trick used by charlatans to gain clout and monetary compensation, it is a gift from the Lord that is as alive today as it was in ancient times.

When Israel had kings who did evil in the sight of the Lord, He would send prophets to warn the king and the nation to repent with a humble heart before the Lord. This path of disobedience and rebellion against the Lord led to the eventual destruction of Israel and her people being scattered.

Why would things be any different for America?

Prophets such as Albert Milton have recently proclaimed that on April 20, 2023, Jim Jordan was going to be involved in what God is doing next:

“God told me that He is going to use a lot of the people in the House of Representatives; that He would raise them up in this time and season,” Milton says. “God has spoken to me about many of those in Congress, like Sen. Josh Hawley, Rep. Jim Jordan and Marjorie Taylor Greene and others. God specifically told me to pray for them and pray for their protection, to pray that they have wisdom and knowledge and that they lead from God so that they can do exactly what God wants them to do.

“On that, it’s all about truth. It’s all about bringing the reality as it is and then that is the justice and vindication. That is what God is going to do through the House of Representatives and especially through Jim Jordan in this case. So, I strongly believe that on the 20th, something is going to happen spiritually and also physically.”

And what happened with Milton’s prophecy, that Charisma News recorded on Wednesday, April 19th?

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg had a change of heart of Thursday, April 20. Now, the deposition of Mark Pomerantz will move forward. Pomerantz will testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee in regards to the historic arraignment of a former-U.S. president.

It is still early in the proceedings for former President Donald Trump’s legal battles, but with Republican control of the House Judiciary Committee, crucial information will not be so callously swept under the rug as it has been in past years.

Bring Charisma magazine home with a subscription today!

James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.