Messianic Jewish broadcaster Sid Roth says the escalating tensions involving Israel and Iran mirror the biblical drama of the Book of Esther and signal a powerful spiritual moment.

Speaking on his program It’s Supernatural, Roth connected the current geopolitical situation with the Jewish holiday of Purim, which celebrates the defeat of an ancient plot to destroy the Jewish people.

“Have you heard this story before? Have you ever read the book of Esther?” Roth asked viewers. “It’s the same story. It’s like the book of Esther is a dress rehearsal for right this moment. Welcome to Purim 2.0.”

Roth began the broadcast with a testimony of what he described as supernatural protection. While driving near his home in North Carolina, his vehicle spun out on an icy exit ramp before landing in a snowbank.

“I spun off the road into a snowbank,” Roth said. “I didn’t have one bit of damage to the car. I didn’t have one bit of damage to me.”

Two trucks soon arrived from different directions and helped pull the vehicle free.

The broadcaster then pointed to dramatic developments in the Middle East. Roth referenced statements from President Donald Trump about the destruction of Iran’s military capabilities.

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“Trump says Iran’s air force, navy and air defense are gone,” Roth said.

The moment could open the door to a period of stability in the region.

“If Iran’s infrastructure and the zealous militants are removed, we could have three and a half years of peace in the Middle East,” Roth said. “That would be wonderful.”

At the same time, a remarkable spiritual shift is taking place inside Iran.

“There is a great revival that is going on in Iran,” Roth said. “Iranians are turning to Jesus in such large numbers at this point.”

The biblical story of Esther centers on Haman, a powerful figure in ancient Persia who sought to annihilate the Jewish people. The plan ultimately collapsed, and the Jewish people gained victory over those who sought their destruction.

Roth drew a direct connection between that story and the hostility toward Israel seen around the world today.

“This is my definition of a synonym,” Roth said. “A synonym for antisemitism or anti-Jewish is to hate God.”

Scripture promises that God remains committed to Israel and the Jewish people. Roth pointed to the promise in Genesis 12:3.

“I will bless those who bless the Jewish people and I will curse those who curse them,” Roth said.

The program concluded with a call for prayer rooted in the words of Psalms.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” Roth said. “They shall prosper that love thee.”

The celebration of Purim commemorates the moment when a plot to destroy the Jewish people was overturned and victory replaced despair. Roth says the message of that story still resonates today as global events continue to unfold.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

A rare earthquake rattled Louisiana early March 5, setting a new seismic record for the state and renewing focus on the powerful New Madrid Fault Line that runs beneath the central United States.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that a magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck at 5:30 a.m. CT about 36 miles southeast of Shreveport, Louisiana, at a depth of roughly 3.1 miles. The tremor was felt across multiple states.

“With more than 1,100 reports of shaking so far, the USGS says residents as far north as Shreveport, along with some in southern Arkansas and western Texas, have felt the tremors,” according to the report.

The quake immediately entered the record books.

Local officials described it as the “largest recorded earthquake on Louisiana soil,” a milestone confirmed by authorities in Red River Parish.

“It’s unknown at this time if any damage, injuries or deaths have been reported,” the report noted.

Even without widespread destruction, the event has reignited national attention on the broader seismic system beneath the heartland of America.

The New Madrid Fault Line

The Louisiana quake occurred within a region influenced by the New Madrid Seismic Zone, one of the most powerful fault systems in North America.

Shreveport sits approximately 300 to 350 miles southwest of the New Madrid Fault Line, which stretches from southeastern Missouri through Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky. The city is also roughly 180 to 200 miles west of the lower Mississippi River, the waterway historically reshaped by the massive earthquakes of the early 1800s.

Between 1811 and 1812, the New Madrid Fault produced some of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in the continental United States. Entire landscapes shifted. Church bells rang hundreds of miles away. Sections of the Mississippi River reportedly flowed backward as the ground violently heaved.

Those historic quakes devastated communities across the central United States and permanently reshaped the region’s geography.

Seismic activity in nearby states has continued in small bursts over the decades. Events like the Louisiana quake remind the nation that the New Madrid system remains active.

Biblical Warnings of Earthquakes

Scripture directly connects rising seismic activity with the final period before the return of Jesus Christ.

In Matthew 24, Jesus warned that the world would experience “earthquakes in various places.” He described them as birth pains, signals that events leading toward His return are intensifying.

Earthquakes function as reminders that the earth itself is groaning as history moves toward its prophetic conclusion.

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Bob Jones Prophecy and the New Madrid Fault

The New Madrid region has also been the subject of prophetic warnings for decades.

During a 1997 New Year’s Eve conference at MorningStar Ministries in Charlotte, North Carolina, the late prophetic voice Bob Jones described a vision involving seismic activity connected to the United States.

“I have been showing My prophets these things for years. Now walk into it. I am beginning to perform My Word,” Jones said he heard the Lord declare.

He described seeing two mighty angels connected to seismic plates.

“I saw two mighty angels. One was holding the ‘San Diego plate’ and the other, the New Madrid Fault Line,” Jones said.

According to the vision, both angels held vessels that would eventually be released.

“When each cup is full, the angel will turn loose, and the quakes will happen. They will be sudden,” Jones warned.

Jones specifically pointed to the New Madrid system and described the possibility of an enormous earthquake that could devastate cities across the central United States.

He warned that the Mississippi River itself could dramatically expand after such an event.

The Eclipse Pattern Over America

Another phenomenon has captured national attention in recent years. Two total solar eclipses have traced a massive “X” across the United States.

The Great American Eclipse of 2017 crossed the nation from Oregon to South Carolina. The Great American Eclipse of April 8, 2024 crossed from Mexico through Texas and the Midwest into the northeastern United States.

Together the two paths formed a massive X directly across the heartland of America.

A striking historical parallel exists.

In 1806 a solar eclipse crossed North America from Baja California to Massachusetts. Five years later another eclipse completed a similar X pattern across the same region.

Just months after that celestial crossing was completed, the catastrophic New Madrid earthquakes of 1811 and 1812 began shaking the central United States.

Another unusual event occurred in the skies leading up to the 2024 eclipse. A comet widely nicknamed the “Devil Comet” appeared in the heavens shortly before the eclipse completed the modern X over America.

A Moment Demanding Attention

A magnitude 4.9 tremor may not devastate cities, but it sends a signal that the fault lines beneath the nation remain active.

The events unfolding across the nation call for watchfulness. History shows that seismic shifts often begin with smaller tremors before something far larger follows.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

The Temple Mount in Jerusalem has once again entered the global conversation after commentator Tucker Carlson warned that the sacred site could become the trigger for a worldwide religious conflict amid the ongoing war involving Iran and Israel.

In a recent broadcast, Carlson repeatedly pointed to the Temple Mount as one of the most dangerous flashpoints on earth, describing the hill in Jerusalem as the spiritual center of multiple world religions.

“The holiest spot on earth is something called the foundation stone,” Carlson said during the segment. “It’s on that spot that Jews believe the world began. It’s on that spot that Muslims believe the prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven.”

Carlson argued that the site’s religious significance makes it uniquely explosive in times of conflict.

“Think about what would happen if this war leads to the destruction of the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa complex on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem,” Carlson said. “A war that began with the killing of the head of Shia Islam.”

His commentary went even further, suggesting the conflict could create conditions for the rebuilding of a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount.

“There are key players involved in this war… who believe that what we’re seeing will usher in events that begin with the destruction of the Dome of the Rock and the rebuilding of the third temple,” Carlson said.

Carlson also raised the possibility that if the Islamic structures on the Temple Mount were destroyed during the conflict, responsibility might be misdirected.

“All of a sudden the Al-Aqsa complex is vaporized,” Carlson said. “Oops, the Iranians did it.”

The remarks frame Israel as the primary actor capable of manipulating events surrounding the Temple Mount while minimizing the role of hostile forces in the region who openly threaten the Jewish state.

Yet Carlson correctly identifies one critical truth: the Temple Mount remains one of the most significant religious locations on earth and interest in Jewish worship there has grown in recent years.

A Renewed Desire for Temple Worship

Jewish visitors have been ascending the Temple Mount in historic numbers over the past decade. Jewish prayer on the site has increased dramatically after decades of restrictions, and several organizations in Israel have prepared ritual items associated with temple worship, including priestly garments and instruments used in biblical service.

Carlson acknowledged this growing movement.

“There are people who would like to begin the process of tearing down the Dome of the Rock… and rebuilding the third temple,” he said.

At the same time, the reality on the ground remains far more complex than Carlson’s framing suggests. The Temple Mount is administered by the Islamic Waqf under a delicate political arrangement, and Israel itself restricts Jewish prayer there in order to prevent unrest.

The desire among some Jews to worship where the biblical temples once stood reflects deep religious conviction rather than a coordinated political plan.

The Temple in Biblical Prophecy

While Carlson frames the possibility of a future temple primarily through the lens of geopolitics, Scripture presents the Temple Mount within a much larger prophetic narrative.

The Bible indicates that a temple will exist in Jerusalem during the final period of history.

In Matthew 24:15, Jesus referenced a future event tied to the temple when He said, “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place… let the reader understand.”

The prophecy Jesus referenced appears in Daniel 9:27: “He will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the midst of the week he will cause the sacrifice and offering to cease. And on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate.”

The apostle Paul described the same future moment in 2 Thessalonians 2:4, writing that the man of lawlessness will sit “in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.”

Together these passages reveal a consistent biblical pattern: a temple exists in Jerusalem in the last days, sacrifices resume and the Antichrist eventually desecrates the sanctuary.

Rather than ushering in peace, the temple becomes the stage for one of the most dramatic acts of rebellion in human history before the return of Jesus Christ.

A History Larger Than Politics

Carlson also suggested that Judaism historically depended entirely on the temple, saying during the broadcast that without the temple “the religion just didn’t work.”

The destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in A.D. 70 did end the sacrificial system that once defined temple worship. Yet Jewish religious life did not collapse. Jewish leaders reorganized worship around prayer, Torah study and synagogue life, a transformation that allowed Judaism to flourish for nearly two thousand years without a temple in Jerusalem.

Today’s renewed interest in the Temple Mount represents a religious aspiration among some Jews rather than a universal goal shared by all of Judaism.

Jerusalem at the Center of World Tension

Carlson is correct that the Temple Mount remains one of the most explosive religious locations on earth.

Scripture tells us that Jerusalem would become a focal point of global tension long before modern political conflicts emerged.

Zechariah 12:3 states, “In that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all peoples. All who try to lift it will surely injure themselves.”

The turmoil surrounding Jerusalem today reflects the reality Scripture described thousands of years ago.

A Different Perspective on the Temple Mount

Carlson correctly identifies the Temple Mount as one of the most consequential places on earth. Yet his interpretation frames the site primarily through suspicion and geopolitical intrigue.

The Bible presents a different perspective.

Events surrounding Jerusalem unfold not because of secret political schemes but because history is moving toward the fulfillment of God’s prophetic timeline.

The Temple Mount stands at the center of that story.

Another temple will stand in Jerusalem before the return of Jesus Christ. Yet the Bible also makes clear that this temple will ultimately be desecrated by the Antichrist before Jesus returns to establish His kingdom.

The hill in Jerusalem that Carlson describes as the world’s most explosive religious site is also the place where biblical prophecy says the final chapters of history will unfold.

To view Tucker Carlson’s full video addressing Israel’s motives on the Temple Mount, click here (Editor’s Note: mild language).

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma will be nominated to serve as the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security while current Secretary Kristi Noem will move into a new role tied to a Western Hemisphere security initiative.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Mullin will take over leadership of the agency at the end of the month while praising Noem’s work at the department.

“I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026,” Trump wrote.

Trump added that Noem, “who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!), will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida.”

The president concluded by thanking her for her work at the agency. “I thank Kristi for her service at ‘Homeland.’”

Mullin nominated to lead Homeland Security

Trump praised Mullin’s political background and alignment with his administration’s policies.

Serving 10 years in the House and three in the Senate, Mullin has been a vocal supporter of the administration’s border and security agenda.

Trump described him as “a MAGA Warrior” who understands the resolve required to implement the administration’s priorities.

“He will work tirelessly to Keep our Border Secure, Stop Migrant Crime, Murderers, and other Criminals from illegally entering our Country, End the Scourge of Illegal Drugs and, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN,” Trump wrote.

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Noem’s tenure marked by aggressive border enforcement

The leadership change follows a year in which DHS reported major enforcement actions along the southern border.

According to Fox News, Noem’s leadership “marked a distinct reversal of the open-border policies permitted by predecessor Alejandro Mayorkas during the Biden administration.”

The outlet reported that the department recorded “record drug interdictions totaling more than half a million pounds of illegal drugs in her first year.”

Fox also reported that enforcement actions resulted in more than 2 million self deportations in 2025 and roughly 670,000 removals of illegal immigrants.

Congressional hearing raises controversy

The leadership transition also comes days after a contentious House hearing where Noem faced questions from Democratic lawmakers regarding allegations involving longtime Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski.

Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove asked Noem directly during the hearing, “At any time during your tenure as director of Department of Homeland Security, have you had sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski?”

Noem rejected the premise of the question.

She told lawmakers the claims were “tabloid garbage” and described the accusations as “offensive.”

She later criticized the hearing itself, saying lawmakers were engaging in “peddling this tabloid garbage in this committee today.”

Media outlets have reported extensively on the allegations. The Daily Mail reported that “Noem and Corey Lewandowski are engaged in a romantic affair,” though the outlet noted that “both are married and deny the romantic relationship.”

The same report said Noem “refused to deny under oath that she had sex with Lewandowski,” responding instead that the accusations were “garbage.”

‘Shield of the Americas’ summit set for Florida

While the controversy surrounding the hearing generated headlines, Trump’s announcement points to a broader strategic development with the creation of what he called the “Shield of the Americas.”

The initiative is expected to be formally unveiled Saturday during an event in Doral, Florida.

Leaders from across the Western Hemisphere are expected to attend the summit, signaling what could become a significant regional security effort.

The leaders attending the historic summit are:

• Javier Milei, President of Argentina
• Rodrigo Paz Pereira, President of Bolivia
• José Antonio Kast, President-elect of the Republic of Chile
• Rodrigo Chaves Robles, President of Costa Rica
• Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona, President of Dominican Republic
• Daniel Roy Gilchrist Noboa Azín, President of Ecuador
• Nayib Bukele Ortez, President of El Salvador
• Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana
• Nasry “Tito” Asfura, President of Honduras
• José Raúl Mulino Quintero, President of Panama
• Santiago Peña, President of Paraguay
• Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

If the initiative involves coordinated security efforts across the Western Hemisphere, it could represent a new phase of cooperation among nations in North, Central and South America on border security, migration enforcement and regional stability.

A development that raises larger prophetic questions

The scope of the summit immediately raises deeper questions about the direction of global political alignment.

Scripture describes a world in which nations consolidate power and form large regional blocs as history moves toward its final chapter. Developments that bring large numbers of nations together under shared security frameworks often draw attention in that context.

The gathering in Doral places leaders from across the Americas in one room to discuss a hemispheric security structure. If the “Shield of the Americas” initiative moves toward deeper continental cooperation, it would represent one of the most significant political alignments in the Western Hemisphere in modern history.

Whether this initiative is simply a regional security partnership or something that eventually contributes to the global structures described in biblical prophecy remains an open question.

Saturday’s announcement in Florida may provide the first real clues about how far reaching this new initiative will become.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

A growing clash within American faith over biblical interpretation has intensified after Pastor Landon Schott publicly rebuked Texas state representative James Talarico in a pointed Facebook post, warning believers about deception within the church.

Talarico has drawn widespread criticism from pastors and Christian leaders for not only supporting progressive policies such as abortion rights, LGBTQ policies and other left-wing social positions but also for attempting to frame those views as consistent with biblical teaching.

Schott framed his message as a pastoral warning, invoking Jesus’ teaching about false prophets and urging Christians to be discerning about those who use Scripture while promoting beliefs that contradict it.

“It’s time to hunt for WOLVES!” Schott wrote. “It’s a shepherd’s job to protect the flock. Real pastors warn and protect Christians from wolves!”

‘Beware of false prophets’

Schott grounded his warning in the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves,” Schott quoted from Matthew 7:15–16. “You will recognize them by their fruits.”

Schott argued that spiritual deception often appears respectable and religious on the surface.

“Notice, He didn’t say they would look dangerous,” Schott wrote. “He said they would look like sheep. That means they know church talk.”

He continued with a blunt assessment: “But they don’t know Jesus.”

The pastor specifically accused Talarico of twisting Scripture to support political and cultural agendas that conflict with historic Christian teaching.

A warning about ideological Christianity

Schott’s criticism centered on the danger of reshaping biblical teaching to fit modern ideology rather than allowing Scripture to shape belief and conduct.

“When someone claims Christ yet promotes agendas that oppose protecting the unborn, that is abomination,” Schott wrote. “Scripture is clear that God forms life in the womb.”

He also condemned efforts to reinterpret biblical teaching on sexuality and gender.

“When someone speaks about faith while affirming sexual sin or redefining marriage, that is perversion,” Schott wrote.

“When leaders promote the erasing of male and female, even encouraging irreversible decisions for minors, that is EVIL.”

Schott argued that using the Bible selectively to justify political or cultural ideology mirrors the tactic used by Satan when he quoted Scripture while tempting Jesus.

“His scripture twisting like Satan tempting Jesus has been embraced by the promoters of wickedness in the media,” Schott wrote.

‘The time is coming’

Schott said the rise of biblical reinterpretation reflects warnings found throughout Scripture about deception in the last days.

He cited Isaiah 5:20 which says, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.”

The apostle Paul delivered similar warnings in the Second Epistle to Timothy, cautioning that many would eventually abandon sound doctrine.

“For the time will come when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires,” Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 4:3–4.

Paul also warned church leaders in the Acts of the Apostles that deception would arise from within the church itself.

“I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock,” Paul said in Acts 20:29.

For Schott, these warnings are clear signs of biblical prophecy.

“WE ARE LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS,” he wrote.

A call for discernment

Schott concluded his message by urging believers to evaluate spiritual leaders by their alignment with Scripture rather than their popularity or political messaging.

“The TRUE body of Christ needs to BE WARNED,” he wrote.

Schott delivered his most direct criticism at the end of the post.

“James Talarico is a textbook WOLF!” he wrote. “Don’t let his Old Navy Seminary suit, sheep’s costume fool you.”

For Schott and other pastors who share his concerns, the issue is not political affiliation but biblical authority. Scripture, they argue, must shape a believer’s worldview rather than be selectively quoted to affirm personal ideology.

The Bible repeatedly calls believers to test teachings carefully.

As the apostle Paul warned in the First Epistle to Timothy, “The Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.” (1 Tim. 4:1)

Schott’s message reflects a growing conviction among many pastors that guarding biblical truth is a responsibility the church cannot afford to ignore anymore.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

A powerful geothermal feature in Yellowstone National Park has suddenly come back to life after years of silence, drawing fresh attention to one of the most closely watched volcanic systems on Earth.

The world’s largest acidic geyser, Echinus Geyser, erupted again for the first time since 2020, according to a recent report from the Daily Mail. The geyser sits in the Norris Geyser Basin and measures roughly 660 feet across.

In earlier decades, Echinus erupted regularly. During the 1970s it blasted acidic water as high as 75 feet into the air roughly every hour, sometimes erupting for up to 90 minutes at a time.

That pattern eventually faded. Only a handful of eruptions were recorded in recent years before the geyser fell silent again.

Now it has suddenly reawakened.

Eruptions began again Feb. 7 and continued sporadically through February. The new bursts are shorter than the geyser’s historic displays, lasting up to three minutes with water reaching about 30 feet high.

“For the first time since 2020, Echinus Geyser is erupting!” the U.S. Geological Survey announced.

Mike Poland, scientist in charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, confirmed the renewed activity.

“Echinus Geyser is the largest acidic geyser in the world,” Poland said. “And it’s been putting on a bit of a show in February.”

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Poland said small temperature spikes appeared before the eruptions began.

“This was followed by a few more eruptions… and then by the middle of the month, we started seeing very frequent eruptions that lasted until about February 24,” he said.

Despite the renewed activity, scientists say Yellowstone’s supervolcano is not currently on the verge of eruption.

“There is nothing really brewing right now… the magma chamber is nearly solid,” Poland said.

Still, Yellowstone continues to reveal new activity beneath the surface.

A study published last year uncovered more than 86,000 previously hidden earthquakes beneath Yellowstone between 2008 and 2022. More than half of those quakes occurred in swarms, clusters of small interconnected tremors that sometimes appear in volcanic regions.

Researchers believe the seismic clusters are caused by hot mineral rich water forcing through cracks deep beneath the caldera. The same geothermal processes power Yellowstone’s famous geysers.

Scientists also announced the discovery of a newly opened volcanic vent in the Norris Geyser Basin last year. The vent is releasing steam near the base of an ancient lava flow, highlighting the constant geothermal movement beneath the park.

Yellowstone has long been surrounded by speculation about a possible supereruption. The system contains a massive underground magma reservoir capable of producing an eruption far more powerful than historic volcanic disasters such as Krakatoa.

Similar attention surrounds other geological systems across the United States, including the New Madrid Fault Line in the central region of the country and the San Andreas Fault in California. Worldwide volcanic and seismic activity across the Pacific Ring of Fire also continues to remind observers of the immense forces at work beneath the Earth’s surface.

Scripture speaks directly about a world increasingly shaken by natural events.

In Matthew 24, Jesus warned that earthquakes and other upheavals would mark the period leading up to His return, describing them as the “beginning of sorrows,” a phrase often translated as birth pains.

Birth pains begin slowly and increase in intensity.

Renewed activity at Yellowstone does not signal an imminent eruption. It does serve as another reminder that the Earth is active and constantly shifting beneath human civilization.

The Bible describes a world that will experience increasing turmoil as history moves toward its prophetic conclusion.

No one knows the exact day or hour of the Lord’s return. Scripture repeatedly instructs us to watch, discern and remain alert.

When massive forces beneath the Earth stir again, it naturally causes us to look up and pay attention to the times in which we live.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

The role of prophets in the church has long been a subject of discussion among Christians.

In a recent message, author and researcher Randy Kay suggested the church may need to reconsider how it understands prophetic voices.

Drawing from years of documenting near-death testimonies, Kay argued that those who have experienced heaven after clinical death may carry a type of testimony that aligns with the biblical pattern of those who stood in the presence of God and returned to speak.

Kay, who has spent more than a decade interviewing people who say they died and encountered heaven, said the modern church often misunderstands the nature of prophetic authority.

“These men and women are not just witnesses. They are prophets,” Kay said. “Not prophets in the way the modern church has diluted the term. Not purveyors of vague declarations and cryptic spiritual language. They are prophets in the deepest biblical sense.”

Kay referenced the apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13 as he explained the difference between partial revelation and direct encounter with God.

“For now we see in a mirror dimly but then face-to-face,” Kay said, quoting the passage.

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He explained that many spiritual gifts, including prophecy, operate within human limitations.

“These are real gifts of the Spirit,” Kay said. “But they are partial. They are refracted. They come through the veil of flesh shaped by human limitation.”

By contrast, Kay said individuals who experienced heaven describe a different kind of encounter.

“The one who has seen face-to-face. The one who is pulled out of their body ushered past the veil and stood in the very presence of the living God,” Kay said. “Those who have survived clinical death and encountered Jesus Christ have crossed that line.”

Kay also addressed what he described as problems within some areas of the modern prophetic movement. Without naming individuals, he said prophetic language can become so broad that it is difficult to measure or test.

“These statements may contain kernels of spiritual truth,” Kay said. “But they are wrapped in so many layers of abstraction that they could mean almost anything to almost anyone.”

Kay pointed to Scripture as the clear standard for prophetic authority. He cited the words recorded in Jeremiah as the defining question for anyone claiming to speak prophetically.

“But which of them has stood in the counsel of the Lord to see or to hear his words,” Kay said, quoting Jeremiah. “If they had stood in my counsel they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways.”

Throughout Scripture, prophets were shown heavenly realities before delivering messages to God’s people. Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up. Daniel witnessed the heavenly court seated before the Ancient of Days. The Apostle John saw events in heaven that revealed the unfolding of God’s plans.

“In every case the prophet was not imagining. The prophet was there,” Kay said. “And when they returned they spoke with the authority and specificity of someone who had stood in the counsel of the Lord.”

Scripture establishes the pattern for how prophetic voices are recognized and tested. The standard remains whether the message aligns with the Word of God and reflects the character and authority of the Lord. Kay’s message calls the church to examine prophetic claims carefully while remaining rooted in the biblical understanding of what it means to stand in the counsel of the Lord and declare His truth.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

Artificial intelligence is transforming industries around the world. Religious leaders say it is also entering a much older battlefield.

Priests, imams and rabbis are being invited to Rome for a training program examining concerns about artificial intelligence being used in occult practices and digital deception.

The program, called the “Course on the Ministry of Exorcism and Prayer of Deliverance,” will be held at the Vatican affiliated university Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum. About 170 participants from different religious traditions are expected to attend.

The university says the course offers “a solid foundation of theological, canonical, medical and psychological knowledge for those who work or wish to collaborate in discernment and liberation ministry.”

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Concerns About AI and the Occult

Father Luis Ramirez Almanza, a Mexican priest who organizes the annual course, warned that artificial intelligence carries enormous power.

“Artificial intelligence is a great power,” Almanza said.

“A force for both good and evil and can therefore be used for devil worshipping.”

Organizers say one focus this year will examine how technology allows hidden groups to communicate online and produce digital material connected to occult symbolism.

David Murgia, president of the Gruppo di Ricerca e Informazione Socio-religiosa which monitors cult activity in Italy, said authorities are seeing signs that some groups are experimenting with these tools.

“Police tell us satanists are using AI to hide their content online and communicate with each other,” he said.

The Battlefield Is Changing

Every generation has seen the tools of culture change. The early church confronted pagan temples and sorcery. Later generations dealt with secret societies, occult books and hidden rituals.

Today the battlefield looks very different.

Information moves instantly. Entertainment streams constantly. Images, voices and entire stories can now be generated by machines.

Artificial intelligence can create content that appears real. It can spread messages across the world in seconds. It can shape what people watch, read and believe.

The methods have evolved. The spiritual conflict has not.

Scripture makes the nature of that conflict clear. Ephesians 6:12 says believers “do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age.”

The Bible never changes. The message of the gospel never shifts. Truth remains truth no matter how advanced technology becomes.

The question now facing believers is simple.

If the world has entered a digital age where ideas, entertainment and deception move faster than ever before, has the church entered that age spiritually as well?

Spiritual warfare has not disappeared. It has adapted.

The question is whether believers are ready to stand firm in truth in a world where the battlefield now includes the digital realm.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a chilling warning this week, declaring that the “gates of hell will open more and more” against the United States and Israel as the war in the Middle East intensifies.

Iranian forces launched new attacks using combat drones targeting Israeli military areas and American bases in the region, including Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Iranian military officials said the strikes were carried out by the army’s ground, air and naval forces.

The threat came as Iran vowed to continue its campaign without pause.

“The enemy should expect continuous and instructive attacks,” IRGC spokesperson Brig. Gen. Naeini said. “The gates of hell will open moment by moment, more and more, on America and Israel.”

Iran framed the attacks as revenge for the deaths of senior Iranian leaders killed in recent strikes during the military campaign.

At the same time Iran issued a warning to European powers. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said any move by Germany, Britain or France to join the conflict would be considered an act of war.

“It would be an act of war,” Baqaei said. “Any such act against Iran would be regarded as complicity with the aggressors.”

Meanwhile Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli airstrikes targeted major Iranian state institutions in Tehran including the presidential compound and the Supreme National Security Council building. Training facilities and other military infrastructure were also struck.

Katz said the campaign will continue until Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities are dismantled.

The United States has also begun reducing its diplomatic presence across the region. The State Department ordered non-emergency personnel to leave several countries, including Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan, due to the growing threat of armed conflict.

But amid the fiery rhetoric coming out of Tehran, one phrase stood out in particular.

“The gates of hell will open.”

Oh ho. The gates of hell will prevail, huh? Not so fast.

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The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail

That phrase should sound familiar to anyone who has spent time reading the Bible.

Jesus Himself used it.

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus declared:

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Notice something important. In Scripture the gates of hell are not something that conquer God’s people. They are something that fail.

Gates are defensive structures. They do not attack. They try to hold the line.

Jesus’ words describe the kingdom of God advancing so powerfully that even the gates of hell cannot stop it.

So when Iran’s leaders declare that the gates of hell will open against Israel and America, believers cannot help but notice the irony. The very phrase they use as a threat is one that the Bible already declared powerless against the plans of God.

God’s Covenant With Israel

The Bible is also clear about something else.

God made a covenant with Israel.

Genesis 12:3 says:

“I will bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you.”

For decades Iran’s leadership has openly called for the destruction of Israel. The regime routinely refers to the Jewish state as an enemy that must be eliminated.

Yet throughout Scripture, the survival of Israel is never in doubt.

Nations rise. Empires fall. Kings threaten. Armies gather.

But the God of Israel keeps His word.

Psalm 121:4 reminds us:

“He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”

A Region the Bible Said Would Shake

None of this turmoil should surprise students of the Bible.

The prophets warned that the Middle East would be a center of global tension in the last days.

Zechariah wrote that Jerusalem would become “a cup of trembling” to the nations. Ezekiel spoke of massive military tensions surrounding Israel.

Today, the headlines read like daily reminders of those ancient warnings. Missiles. Drones. Military alliances are shifting across the region.

And yet through it all, Israel still stands.

Not because of luck. Not because of politics. Because the God who formed that nation still watches over it.

So when Iran threatens to unleash the gates of hell, believers can read the headline and smile a little.

The Bible already told us how that story ends.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.

The Museum of Christian & Gospel Music in Nashville has received national recognition after being officially designated as a site along the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.

The designation was announced by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and highlights the historic role that gospel music played during the Civil Rights Movement. The Jefferson Street Sound Museum was also recognized this year, bringing Tennessee’s total to 17 locations on the Civil Rights Trail.

Museum leaders say the recognition affirms the deep connection between faith, music and the fight for justice.

“There are more intersections between Gospel Music and the Civil Rights Movement than you can imagine,” said Museum Executive Director Steve Gilreath. “Music fueled the protesters, defined the moral structure of the effort and gave a national voice to the struggle.”

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The museum, which opened in October 2025 in downtown Nashville, tells the story of how gospel music strengthened communities and inspired hope during one of the most pivotal periods in American history. Through exhibits, artifacts and storytelling, visitors discover how faith-filled songs became an anthem for perseverance and unity.

Community leaders and supporters gathered last week to celebrate the museum’s new designation during a special ceremony co-presented by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.

The event opened with prayer from Frank Stevenson of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and included remarks from Commissioner Mark Ezell. Gaither Homecoming artist Lynda Randle delivered a performance during the ceremony while Dr. Chris Williamson of Strong Tower Bible Church and Nashville leader Howard Gentry also shared remarks. Gospel Music Association President Jackie Patillo concluded the gathering with prayer.

The Museum of Christian & Gospel Music stands as a tribute to the enduring influence of faith-filled music. Its inclusion on the Civil Rights Trail highlights how songs of worship became a soundtrack of courage and hope during a defining chapter in American history.

James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact media@.