Jerusalem is once again the epicenter of global tension. Diplomats scramble. Terror groups dig in—world leaders posture. Protests erupt on American campuses and in European capitals. What appears to be another chapter in a decades-long conflict, Pastor James Kaddis says, is something far more significant.

In a recent video, Kaddis warned that the instability gripping Israel is not random and it is not merely political. It is prophetic.

“I wish I could tell you that I am surprised,” Kaddis said. “But we have the Scriptures and the Bible teaches us what is coming and what to be expecting.”

At the center of his warning is Zechariah 12, a passage he believes is moving from ancient ink to modern headlines.

A Cup of Trembling

Reading from Zechariah 12:2, Kaddis quoted, “I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about.”

He argued that the imagery fits the present moment with striking clarity.

“What we’re seeing right now is not just conflict, but it’s literally instability. It’s fear. It’s agitation. And it is spreading outward from Israel to the entire region,” he said.

For Kaddis, this is not about a single flare-up between Israel and Hamas. It is about a regional and increasingly global ripple effect. Nations that once kept their distance are now entangled. Media networks amplify every development. International coalitions float plans for intervention.

“Exactly what the prophet describes being inspired by God himself are things that are beginning to happen,” he said.

He cautioned viewers not to mistake temporary lulls for lasting peace.

“What looks like calm is not peace. It’s the quiet before a massive storm,” Kaddis said. “We are about to watch it break loose.”

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A Burdensome Stone

Kaddis then turned to Zechariah 12:3: “In that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people.”

The language, he said, is deliberate. Jerusalem does not force itself upon the world. The world chooses to lift it.

“God does not say that Jerusalem becomes burdensome because Israel is aggressive,” Kaddis said. “The Bible actually says that this will happen because they choose to burden themselves with it.”

He described global efforts to manage, divide or reshape Jerusalem as attempts to move a stone that cannot be carried.

“Every nation, every organization and leader that tries to move it or manage it or even try to reshape it are going to find themselves in a position where they’re going to be strained,” he said. “They’re going to be exposed, and eventually they’re going to end up being destroyed.”

For Kaddis, the growing involvement of the United States, Qatar and international diplomatic forces illustrates that burden in motion.

All Nations Gathered

Zechariah’s prophecy goes further, declaring that “all the people of the earth” will be gathered against Jerusalem. Kaddis believes the groundwork for that gathering is visible.

The conflict, he said, is no longer regional. It is ideological, global and accelerating.

“The conflict is not going to stabilize nations. It’s going to destroy those nations,” he said. “It’s going to fracture those nations.”

He pointed to verse 9 as the ultimate conclusion of the chapter: “I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”

“It’s a bad idea,” Kaddis said. “God is going to come and he’s going to deal with the situation himself.”

Not Politics, but Prophecy

Kaddis emphasized that Zechariah is not offering commentary but divine decree.

“Zechariah opens by reminding us that prophecy here isn’t coming from him. It’s actually coming from the Lord,” he said. “It’s a divine declaration.”

To him, the rising hostility toward Israel, the deepening international entanglement and the unrelenting pressure on Jerusalem are not coincidences. They are markers.

“None of this should surprise us,” he said. “We’re watching it manifest. It’s happening and it’s serious.”

Kaddis closed with urgency, not fear.

“If you don’t know the Lord, put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ,” he said. “God has given you a call to speak the truth and make sure people know the truth because things are changing, and they’re changing rapidly.”

Jerusalem is not merely a geopolitical flashpoint. It is the stone Zechariah described, and the nations are already straining under its weight. What many call breaking news, he believes, is the early rumble of a storm Scripture said would come.

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 [email protected].

Christian author and speaker Lisa Bevere says what many believers dismiss as personality flaws or family dysfunction can in fact be generational strongholds that require deliberate spiritual warfare to break.

In a recent interview on The Lila Rose Show titled “How to Break Generational Wounds and Overcome Anger,” Bevere shared deeply personal stories about her family history, Freemasonry and what she described as demonic oppression that followed her lineage. She framed her testimony not as sensationalism but as a call to repentance, forgiveness and obedience to the Holy Spirit.

“I do believe that there are demonic things that happen in families and patterns that the enemy tries to propagate,” Bevere said.

A Family Pattern of Brokenness

Bevere traced dysfunction in her family through multiple generations. Her grandmother married and divorced the same man, then remarried and divorced again. Her parents followed a similar pattern.

“My parents were married, divorced, remarried each other and divorced,” she said. “I was like, you know, we’re stopping this pattern.”

She described her mother as abandoned as a child and later struggling with emotional instability. Her father battled alcoholism. Abuse and abandonment marked her upbringing. Though her father never physically abused her, she said her mother was physically abusive and hid it from him.

Bevere believes such patterns are not only psychological but can also have spiritual roots that must be confronted directly.

“Every generation has this ability to be the beginning of a thousand generations who love God and keep His commandments,” she said.

Freemasonry and Vows That Followed Generations

One of the most striking portions of the interview centered on her grandfather who was a 32nd degree Mason. Bevere said he was involved in the Manhattan Project and had taken vows associated with Freemasonry that she later came to view as spiritually dangerous.

“He was a 32nd degree Mason which is the architects of time,” she said.

According to Bevere, Masonic vows included consequences tied to descendants if secrecy was broken. She said she later found prayers that outlined those vows and renounced them on behalf of her family.

As she prayed through the various levels of Freemasonry, she encountered one vow in particular that stunned her.

“One of the things was if I break this vow of secrecy, one of my descendants will lose their eye,” she said, referring to the language she found in the renunciation materials. “I mean, it’s crazy. It’s like very demonic deities in there.”

Bevere lost her eye to cancer when she was five years old.

“Isn’t that crazy?” she said when recounting the connection she later discovered between the vow language and her childhood surgery.

While some would dismiss such connections as coincidence, Bevere sees them as evidence of spiritual legal grounds that must be confronted through prayer and repentance.

“God is not a legalist but Satan is,” she said.

A Hooded Figure and a Call to Renounce

Bevere also described what she called a demonic manifestation she witnessed in her grandmother’s home when she was 14 shortly after her grandfather’s death.

“It was a hooded figure,” she said. “It appeared.”

Years later, one of her sons reported seeing what she described as the same hooded figure. That experience prompted her to investigate Freemasonry more deeply and begin praying through renunciation prayers.

“I’m going to stand in the gap for my generation,” she said.

She called her son while away writing a book and instructed him to put her on speakerphone as they prayed together to break the vows and attachments tied to Freemasonry.

“We are breaking this right now,” she said she told him.

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Open Doors and Spiritual Oppression

After becoming a Christian, Bevere said she experienced sleep paralysis and felt something choking her at night. When she tried to say the name of Jesus, she said she felt resistance.

“What door have I left open?” she asked in prayer.

She later remembered that before her conversion she had hidden marijuana in her attic. Though she had not used it, she had stored it with the idea that she might use it later. She flushed it and prayed that the enemy no longer had legal ground.

“There is a bloodline. You cannot come in. You cannot torment me,” she said she prayed.

She also grew up in a home that included a Ouija board and astrology. Her parents were cultural Catholics but not consistent churchgoers.

“They bought me a Ouija board,” she said. “We had holy water and Ouija boards.”

Bevere believes such objects and practices can open doors to spiritual oppression. She later went through her parents’ home praying over each room. At one point, she said a door began opening and slamming shut on its own.

“You will not make me afraid in my own house,” she said she declared before confronting what she described as a demonic presence.

Excavating the Family Tree

Bevere used the word excavate to describe what she asked God to do in her life. She believes Christians must be willing to examine both psychological and spiritual roots of dysfunction.

“I want you to excavate my life,” she prayed.

She warned against two extremes in spiritual warfare. Some obsess over demons while others deny their existence entirely. She called for a balanced biblical approach grounded in prayer, obedience and the authority of Christ.

“There are two unhealthy balances,” she said, citing C.S. Lewis. “We either obsess or we say there’s nothing.”

For Bevere, obedience became central. She said forgiving her mother was an act of warfare that broke a cycle of abuse.

“When God told me to forgive my mom that was like taking back a territory that had been lost,” she said.

A New Legacy

Today, Bevere says she sees the fruit of breaking generational bonds in her children and grandchildren. Her sons are raising families of their own and she believes the legacy has shifted.

“We’re stopping this pattern,” she said.

Her testimony serves as a warning and an invitation. Generational curses, secret vows and occult involvement are not merely relics of the past in her view. They are spiritual realities that require confession, renunciation and faith in the finished work of Christ.

“Obedience is the highest form of spiritual warfare,” she said.

Her testimony presents generational bondage as something that must be confronted directly. Family patterns do not dissolve through awareness alone. They are broken through repentance, forgiveness and the deliberate renouncing of spiritual agreements that were never aligned with God.

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 [email protected].

He was preparing to carry out a globally recognized satanic ritual. Candles flickered inside a dark room reserved within a satanic church building. The atmosphere was heavy and deliberate. Riaan Swiegelaar, once a leader within the satanic church, said the ritual had international significance within occult circles and required formal appointment.

He had just lit a second candle when everything changed.

“This whole room lit up,” Swiegelaar said during a recent interview with Isaiah Saldivar. The space, normally illuminated only by torches and candlelight, suddenly filled with a brilliance that did not come from any earthly source. He stood up and turned around.

“A man was standing there,” he recalled. Assuming at first it was an intruder, he demanded to know who had entered. The response stunned him.

“When he said to me, ‘I’m Yeshua of Nazareth,’ I said to him, ‘I’m sorry, but I don’t believe you. You’re going to have to prove it then.’”

What followed, Swiegelaar said, was not condemnation but overwhelming love. “He flooded me with so much love,” he said. In that moment, he described seeing the full weight of his own sin while simultaneously encountering what he called undeniable compassion and authority. “Everything that I’ve seen in the occult and in Satanism… doesn’t compare even closely to who Jesus is.”

The encounter lasted less than two minutes. It was enough to dismantle years of allegiance.

Swiegelaar abandoned the ritual and eventually resigned from the satanic church. He lost homes, properties, cars and financial stability. He severed ties with the influence and access that once defined his life. “I lost everything,” he said. “And you know what? I don’t regret it for a second.” The power he once pursued through occult practices faded in comparison to what he now describes as a solid, unchanging foundation in Christ.

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In the days that followed the encounter, he said he felt physically exhausted and emotionally undone. On the fifth day, he awoke at 3 a.m. to what he described as a voice instructing him to go to the beach. There, for the first time in his life, he began speaking directly to God.

His transformation did not happen in isolation. His parents had discovered his involvement in Satanism through a newspaper article years earlier. Though their relationship was strained, his mother asked him one question. Was it real? She needed to know how to pray.

After nearly four years without speaking, Swiegelaar would later see in his mother’s Bible the verses where she had written his name again and again. She had dedicated him to God as a baby and believed she could pray him back into the kingdom. “She said to the devil, ‘Sorry, you’re not going to have my child because he belongs to God.’”

Testimonies like Swiegelaar’s raise uncomfortable questions within the modern church. Deliverance ministry and open discussions about demonic oppression were once central to Christian preaching and practice. Today, many American churches rarely address spiritual warfare directly. Conversations about casting out demons, confronting occult influence or engaging in intercessory battle are often avoided in favor of more culturally palatable themes.

The silence has consequences. When believers neglect the reality of spiritual warfare, the enemy faces little resistance. Scripture portrays a spiritual conflict that demands vigilance, prayer and authority rooted in Christ. Swiegelaar’s account underscores that the occult is not imaginary theater but a spiritual system he says carries real influence.

Yet his testimony also highlights something more powerful. The authority of Jesus is not fragile or passive. It confronts darkness. It exposes sin. It restores what was lost.

The Gospels show that nearly 30 percent of Jesus’ earthly ministry involved casting out demons and delivering those bound by unclean spirits. Deliverance was not a fringe activity. It was central to demonstrating the kingdom of God advancing against darkness.

If spiritual bondage remains a present reality, then deliverance remains a present necessity. Swiegelaar’s story is a reminder that no one is beyond redemption and no darkness is beyond the authority of Christ. The church must not retreat from engaging in spiritual warfare but stand firm in the power that Scripture declares still sets captives free.

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 [email protected].

Something big just went down at the Pentagon, and a lot of Christians are seeing it as a straight-up moment in the spiritual battle that’s been brewing for a while.

Just a couple days ago, on February 15, the Army Chaplain Corps put out a post on X celebrating Maha Shivaratri, the Hindu festival honoring Shiva, describing him as a god of transformation and renewal, encouraging meditation and devotion.

The post read: “Today is Maha Shivaratri, celebrating the Lord Shiva’s power to transform & renew. This Hindu festival calls for meditation, devotion, & introspection. May all who observe be inspired by Shiva’s example of transformation to find clarity in their spiritual journey.”

Today is Maha Shivaratri, celebrating the Lord Shiva’s power to transform & renew. This Hindu festival calls for meditation, devotion, & introspection. May all who observe be inspired by Shiva’s example of transformation to find clarity in their spiritual journey.#MahaShivarati pic.twitter.com/vIIAY2HyUE

— Army Chaplain Corps (@ArmyChaplains) February 15, 2026

That kind of recognition hits hard. From a biblical standpoint, passages like Deuteronomy 32:17 and 1 Corinthians 10:20 make it clear that sacrifices to other “gods” are actually offered to demons. So when an official military channel promotes devotion to what Scripture calls a false deity, it feels like a line being crossed, and not in a good way.

Then bam, just two days later, on Feb. 17, the Department of War’s Rapid Response account drops photos from the Pentagon’s monthly worship service with the caption: “We have gathered at the Pentagon for our monthly worship service. We are One Nation Under God.”

We have gathered at the Pentagon for our monthly worship service.

We are One Nation Under God. pic.twitter.com/o5L8GgjFS8

— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) February 17, 2026

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hosted the gathering, and he brought in pastor Doug Wilson to preach. Wilson talked about trusting God for protection in battle and pointed to the military as a potential spark for real spiritual revival across the country. Hegseth jumped in afterward, thanking Wilson, calling him a friend and doubling down on the belief that God is sovereignly in charge of the nation.

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder’s office backed it up, saying: “Secretary Hegseth, along with millions of Americans, is a proud Christian and was glad to welcome Pastor Wilson to the Pentagon today.”

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The timing? Hard to ignore. One post lifts up a demonic entity (from a Christian view), and the very next major signal from leadership blasts back with unapologetic Christian worship and “One Nation Under God.” Folks on X, including analyst Sam Shoemate, are calling it exactly what it looks like: a public escalation in the silent war that’s been playing out behind closed doors in the Pentagon for years, policy fights, agenda clashes, and now it’s breaking out into the open on social media.

I used to talk to a Major General assigned to the pentagon. He told me about this silent war between ideals and agendas that played out quietly in policy and political jockeying.

This post from the DOW was absolutely a response to the Army Chaplain Corp’s demon god post 2 days… pic.twitter.com/ePo89xVQWe

— Shoe (@samosaur) February 18, 2026

This isn’t just about two posts. It’s part of a bigger spiritual civil war inside the military that lines up perfectly with what’s happening across America. On one side, there’s pressure to “include” every belief system, even ones the Bible warns against. On the other, leaders like Hegseth are pushing hard to bring back real faith, virtue and biblical truth, scrapping what he calls “New Age” or watered-down chaplain fluff and going top-down to restore spiritual strength.

Hegseth started these monthly services back in 2025 for exactly that reason: to remind everyone who’s really running things and to build spiritual readiness in the ranks. Supporters see it as a much-needed course correction in a force that’s supposed to defend a nation founded on Judeo-Christian principles.

Social media blew up over it. People cheered the bold Christian stand, while others worried about optics or career pressure. But for many believers, it’s refreshing to see a high-level pushback rather than quiet compromise.

Hindu service members make up less than 1% of the active-duty force, according to DoD numbers, so the push for these recognitions feels out of step to many, especially when it risks opening doors to spiritual confusion or worse.

Bottom line: This back-to-back sequence feels like a clear line in the sand. The Pentagon isn’t just a building. It’s ground zero for bigger fights over America’s soul. And right now, in the heart of it, there’s a growing call to choose sides: stick with biblical truth or keep blending in everything else.

As we watch this series of spiritually poignant events unfold, it’s a reminder to pray, stay alert and support the moves that honor God above all else. Because if the military, the tip of the spear, gets this wrong spiritually, the whole nation feels it.

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 [email protected].

Leaked documents from the New Zealand Defence Force reveal that soldiers spent much of 2025 practicing lethal force against a made-up Christian nationalist group in scenarios set on maps resembling their own country. This training is predictive programming that foreshadows the rising persecution of believers in the last days.

Independent journalist Penny Marie obtained the files through the United We Stand coalition and exposed them in Dec. 2025. Conservative writer Kurt Mahlburg amplified the details in a widely shared X thread on Feb. 17, 2026. “The New Zealand Defence Force spent 2025 training soldiers to take out a fictional Christian terrorist group — on a map of their own country,” Mahlburg wrote.

The New Zealand Defence Force spent 2025 training soldiers to take out a fictional Christian terrorist group — on a map of their own country.

None of NZ's 23 listed terrorist orgs are Christian.

They say no offence was intended.

Here's what the documents actually show 🧵 pic.twitter.com/SOCEpPfWTy

— Kurt Mahlburg (@k_mahlburg) February 17, 2026

The fictional enemy is the Visayan People’s Front portrayed as separatists seeking to establish a Christian state. “Their war game profile included weapons smuggling, attacks on security forces and Islamophobia,” Mahlburg noted. Soldiers were instructed to use lethal force against them.

The scenarios placed the action in real New Zealand locations. “It wasn’t a vague hypothetical set in a distant fictional land” Mahlburg said. “The map looks like their own homeland,” with places like Murchison, Nelson St Arnaud and Rainbow Ski Field featured.

These exercises were conducted at least four times in 2025, including a junior noncommissioned officer course, Exercise Urban Warrior, Exercise Cassino, and Exercise Belesia Stability. “Each time, ‘Christian nationalists’ were the opposing force, soldiers trained to destroy,” according to the thread.

The material originated from the U.S. Army’s Decisive Action Training Environment, which was adopted by New Zealand in 2021. The group was described as wanting to deport Muslims and create a Christian nation, labeled “quasi-socialists,” deliberately evoking a Nazi-like caricature. “The Nazi caricature was deliberately crafted,” Mahlburg wrote.

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Penny Marie observed that the narrative “explicitly mirrors Maori-Christian history and present-day rural/urban political divides.” This script reads like a cut-and-paste of today’s culture war.

This occurs alongside the NZDF’s diversity programs including $45000 spent on Pride Pledge fees over three years Rainbow Excellence Awards and compulsory LGBTQI+ sensitivity training. The same institution promotes rainbow inclusion while training to fight Christians with traditional values.

NZDF Chief of Staff Brigadier Grant Motley confirmed in a Feb. 5 2026 letter that the scenario was used but claimed “no harm or offence was intended.” He provided no explanation for choosing conservative Christians as the enemy. New Zealand lists 23 designated terrorist entities — none are Christian. “The fictional threat in these war games has no basis in New Zealand’s actual security landscape,” Mahlburg emphasized.

This is clear predictive programming for the end times. The Bible foretells increasing hatred toward followers of Christ. “They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake” (Matt. 24:9). In the Great Tribulation, saints will declare the name of Jesus and face martyrdom as shown in Revelation 6:9-11 and 20:4. These exercises condition soldiers and society to see biblical Christianity as a threat.

This is actually happening — a clear sign that prophetic warnings are coming to pass. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos. 4:6). Ignorance is not an excuse. Believers must watch the world around them, seek discernment through Scripture, pray without ceasing and proclaim the Gospel boldly while there is still time.

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 [email protected].

The Epstein files demand immediate attention. What they contain is not distant scandal but active spiritual corruption reaching into the highest levels of power. These documents pull back the veil on practices that mirror the child sacrifice and ritual bloodletting once demanded by Baal, Ashtoreth and Molech. The same ancient entities the Bible condemned thousands of years ago now appear woven into modern elite networks.

Jonathan Cahn laid this out plainly in The Return of the Gods, well before these files were fully released. He described how the abandonment of biblical foundations in the West creates openings for these spirits to return with force. Baal as the driver of possession and moral collapse, Ashtoreth as the force of sexual distortion and cultural inversion, Molech as the devourer of children. The book maps exactly the trajectory we now see accelerating.

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One file lists a bank account tied to Epstein labeled Baal. Another set of communications uses coded terms that point toward child sacrifice. These are not accidents. They signal deliberate alignment with the same demonic powers Leviticus 18:21 forbids: passing children through fire to Molech profanes the name of God Himself. Judges 2:13 records Israel turning to Baal and the Ashtaroth after forsaking the Lord. The pattern repeats today on a global scale.

Public desensitization has been engineered for years. Comedy routines hand babies to Molech on national television, and audiences laugh. Replicas of Baal’s arch rise in major cities. Calls to Islamic prayer echo in places once anchored by Christian influence. Each step grants spiritual territory. Demons require invitation or legal right; rituals and symbols provide both.

Epstein’s own words betray the reality. Asked if he is the devil he deflects without denial. When Jesus is named he reduces Him to a carpenter then abruptly ends the conversation. The reaction is not intellectual disagreement. It is the instinctive recoil of darkness from the name that carries authority over it.

This moment is not another news cycle. The darkness is concentrating. Sin is no longer hidden in shadows but flaunted in plain sight. The same forces that prepared the way for Christ are now being mimicked and corrupted to prepare for the man of perdition. Israel stands at the center as prophecy converges: surrounding armies, rising antisemitism, the Ezekiel alignment forming before our eyes.

Scripture does not leave us guessing. Revelation records the conclusion. The Great Commission has not expired. Believers are summoned to more than private prayer. Offensive spiritual warfare is required alongside the proclamation of the gospel. The Holy Spirit grants discernment to recognize the season.

The Epstein files are a siren. Ignore them, and the cost will be measured in souls. Pay attention now. The battle is here. The Word of God has already declared the outcome, but the responsibility to stand for Christ in this hour belongs to us.

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 [email protected].

Five people were injured Tuesday morning after an explosion ripped through Abundant Life Fellowship church in Boonville, New York, leaving catastrophic damage and sending multiple firefighters and the church’s pastor to the hospital.

The blast happened shortly after 10:23 a.m. on Feb. 17 after people inside the church reported smelling gas, as reported by WKTV News. According to New York State Police, “first responders were dispatched to the church on the 4930 block of St. Rt. 12 at about 10:23 a.m. after people inside smelled gas.” A member of the Boonville Fire Department entered the church during the response, and “an explosion happened while they were inside,” police said.

State Police identified the injured as David Pritchard Jr., 60, Boonville fire chief; Brandon Pitts, 43, pastor of the church; Allan Austin, 67; Nicholas Amicucci, 43; and Richard Czajka, 71, all members of the Boonville Fire Department except Pitts. The victims were transported to Upstate Hospital and Wynn Hospital in Utica. “Hospital officials advise that all five individuals are currently listed in critical but stable condition,” according to NYSP.

Authorities said the church was heated by propane cylinders, but the exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation. Officials added there is “no indication of criminal activity at this time.” Route 12 in both directions near Potato Hill Road and Kerwin Road was closed as emergency crews continued their work.

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Oneida County Executive Anthony Picenete said in a statement, “I am deeply saddened by the explosion at Abundant Life Fellowship church in the Village of Boonville and am praying for all those impacted by this tragic incident.” He added, “I commend the bravery and professionalism of our first responders who rushed toward danger to protect others.”

As the investigation continues, readers are encouraged to pray for the injured firefighters, Pastor Pitts, their families, first responders and the entire Boonville community during this difficult time.

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 [email protected].

Investigative reporter Nick Shirley says he has uncovered alarming irregularities within California’s voter rolls, raising fresh concerns about election integrity in a state that already faces scrutiny over its voting policies.

Shirley traveled across California examining addresses listed on official voter rolls. His findings, documented on video, point to what he describes as glaring weaknesses in how the state maintains and verifies its voter database.

🚨 California is the breeding ground for voter fraud in America, as millions of people vote with no ID, month-long election processes, inaccurate voter rolls, dead people caught voting, even a dog successfully registered to vote, and voter verification is all based on your… pic.twitter.com/7nOIZe5x9D

— Nick shirley (@nickshirleyy) February 16, 2026

California does not require voter ID and allows widespread mail-in voting, ballot harvesting and ballot curing. Elections can stretch for weeks beyond Election Day as ballots continue to be processed. Critics argue that these policies create vulnerabilities that are difficult to monitor at scale.

Among the most striking examples cited is the case of Laura Lee Yourex of Costa Mesa, who was arrested and charged after illegally registering her dog to vote and casting ballots in the animal’s name. According to Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, the dog’s ballot was successfully counted in the 2021 recall election involving Gov. Gavin Newsom before a subsequent ballot was rejected in 2022. The case became a flashpoint in the broader debate over voter roll accuracy and verification safeguards.

Shirley also reported what he described as multiple irregularities within the voter rolls, including more than 30 individuals registered to a single mail store address and voters listed at implausible ages, including one recorded as 125 years old. He argued that outdated voter rolls combined with a lack of voter identification requirements form what he called a “complex system where fraud is inevitable.”

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The controversy has expanded beyond independent journalism. Harmeet Dhillon, serving as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, filed a lawsuit against Orange County Registrar of Voters Robert Page, alleging refusal to provide records related to non-citizens registered to vote and receiving ballots in federal elections. The legal action underscores the seriousness of the dispute and signals that federal authorities are now directly engaged.

Shirley’s California investigation echoes concerns he previously raised in Minnesota, where he turned his camera towards massive fraud in state-funded social service programs.

In Minneapolis, he documented child care centers that were billing large sums through the Child Care Assistance Program while appearing inactive or minimally staffed. He also investigated non-emergency medical transportation companies receiving Medicaid funds, highlighting clusters of businesses registered at shared addresses and raising questions about billing practices.

Those Minnesota reports followed the massive Feeding Our Future scandal, in which federal prosecutors alleged hundreds of millions of dollars were siphoned from pandemic food aid programs. Shirley argued that weak oversight mechanisms allowed public funds to be exploited, and he suggested similar systemic vulnerabilities exist wherever accountability is lax.

Now, with his focus on California’s elections, Shirley contends that the same pattern of weak safeguards and delayed corrective action creates fertile ground for abuse. Whether examining social services in Minnesota or voter rolls in California, his central message remains consistent: systems without strict verification and transparent oversight invite exploitation — and once exposed, demand reform.

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 [email protected].

A 56-year-old man opened fire during a high school hockey tournament Monday afternoon, killing two people and critically injuring three others before taking his own life, Rhode Island authorities said.

The suspect was identified as Robert Dorgan, who also used the name Roberta Esposito, as reported by the New York Post. Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves said investigators confirmed his birth name as Robert Dorgan and noted that he also went by Roberta and used the surname Esposito.

The shooting occurred at an ice rink in Pawtucket during a tournament involving North Providence High School. Police said officers responded within two minutes of the first emergency call. Witnesses described spectators scrambling toward exits while others attempted CPR on victims inside the arena.

Investigators said the attack stemmed from a domestic dispute. Multiple reports indicated that the victims included relatives connected to Dorgan’s son, who was competing in the tournament. Authorities have not publicly clarified the exact relationships of all victims as the investigation continues.

In the hours before the shooting, Dorgan posted a message on X that read, “keep bashing us. but do not wonder why we Go BERSERK,” in response to criticism of transgender individuals. Authorities said an account believed to belong to him contained numerous inflammatory posts, including antisemitic and extremist rhetoric.

Court filings cited by local media show Dorgan underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2020. Divorce documents from that year initially referenced issues tied to the surgery before being amended to cite irreconcilable differences. Additional filings detailed prior disputes involving extended family members.

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Witnesses said a bystander intervened and disarmed Dorgan, but police reported he had a second firearm. Authorities recovered multiple weapons at the scene. Dorgan died by suicide shortly afterward.

Outside the Pawtucket police station, a woman identifying herself as Dorgan’s daughter told reporters, “He shot my family, and he’s dead now.” She said her father “has mental health issues” and was “very sick.”

Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien described the city as grieving and pledged a full investigation in coordination with the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office. “Pawtucket is a strong and resilient community, but tonight we are a city in mourning,” Grebien said.

The Rhode Island shooting follows other high-profile attacks involving suspects who identified as transgender, including the 2023 shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville that left six people dead, and the 2025 shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, where children were killed during a church-school gathering. Those incidents have intensified national debate surrounding warning signs, online rhetoric and the roots of such violence.

America’s crisis is not merely political or psychological but spiritual. Scripture teaches that God created humanity intentionally and with purpose. He is not the author of confusion. Human beings are made in His image, and His design is not accidental or mistaken.

When a culture redefines identity apart from biblical truth, disorder follows. Confusion about who we are inevitably leads to deeper instability in families, communities and institutions. Violence does not erupt in a vacuum. It grows in soil where truth has been uprooted.

Lasting healing will not come through ideology, legislation or social movements. It will come through repentance and a return to God’s design. God does not make mistakes, and peace cannot be found by rejecting the way He created us.

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 [email protected].

Jeffrey Porter never considered the idea of God worth a second thought. A lifelong atheist and self-described mocker of faith, Porter says everything changed July 25, 2020, when he suffered his seventh stroke on his sailboat in North Carolina. Blood stopped flowing to his brain for 52 minutes, and his last words before collapsing were a challenge: “If You’re real, show me something.”

In a powerful new episode of Heaven Encounters with Randy Kay, Porter recounts what he describes as a journey through hell and heaven that left him convinced eternity is real and Jesus is returning.

Porter tells Kay he found himself in a terrifying darkness, chased and trapped with no escape until he saw a tiny pinhole of white light that carried overwhelming hope. Each attempt to reach it failed until, he says, a voice warned, “This is your last chance.”

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What followed was a dramatic rescue through a white tunnel and into what he describes as the unmistakable presence of God, marked by indescribable love and a life review that revealed hidden sins, private struggles and moments of divine intervention he never knew existed.

The episode is intense, personal and filled with details that are hard to ignore. Porter also explains how the experience sparked a 90-day search that led him from defiance to full surrender and why he now feels compelled to warn others.

Watch the full interview above and hear the testimony directly from the man who says he was given a second chance.

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 [email protected].