America has plenty of churches willing to talk about “practical” Christianity, but far fewer willing to preach the parts of Scripture that make people nervous. End-times prophecy sits near the top of that list.

In a recently re-published video that is apt for the times we live in, Prophecy Watchers contributor, author and researcher Mondo Gonzales put his finger on the problem: many pastors avoid prophecy because they assume it is too divisive, too complicated, or too risky. He argues that avoidance is not neutral. It leaves believers less prepared, less grounded in Scripture, and less equipped to answer a culture that is already asking what is happening to the world.

Gonzales lays out “seven reasons to study prophecy,” and he frames them as seven reasons Christians should stop treating prophecy like an optional hobby for a niche crowd. He also refuses the lazy excuse that prophecy cannot be understood.

“It was sad to me that he felt that it was unable to be understood,” he said, recalling a pastor who mocked Daniel’s prophecies with a tinfoil hat. Gonzales acknowledges that Revelation has difficult sections, but insists God gave believers an outline and expects them to pay attention.

Here are the seven reasons Gonzales says Christians should not ignore prophecy.

1. Prophecy centers on Jesus Christ, not speculation

Gonzales starts where prophecy is supposed to start: with Jesus. He points to Christ’s own rebuke in John 5 and then lands it on Revelation’s opening line. “Jesus is talking to the Pharisees there and he simply says, ‘Hey, you guys are looking at the scriptures, but what I’m telling you is they’re all about him,’” Gonzales said. Then he adds the interpretive key: “When we think about the book of Revelation specifically, the first verse in the book of Revelation says the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

He stresses that “apocalypse” does not mean chaos for its own sake. “The word means unveiling. It’s the revealing,” he said. In other words, the point of prophecy is not to feed conspiracy culture. It is to unveil Christ’s majesty, His return and His rightful claim to what He purchased. Gonzales’ bottom line is simple: if a church claims to be Christ-centered while sidelining the book that opens by calling itself the unveiling of Jesus Christ, something is off.

2. Prophecy accuracy builds deeper faith because God’s Word proves itself

Gonzales argues prophecy is not a distraction from faith. It is fuel for faith because it demonstrates that God does what He says. He quotes Isaiah 55’s principle that God’s Word “will accomplish what I desire,” then applies it directly to Revelation. “God gave the book of Revelation not to be ignored but to be studied, to be obeyed,” he said, pointing to Revelation 1:3: “Blessed are all those who hear the words of the prophecy of this book and keep the words, obey them.”

He goes further and ties prophecy to personal endurance, especially when emotions crash. “Emotion doesn’t save you. Emotion will destroy you,” Gonzales said. Prophecy, in his telling, anchors believers to what is solid when feelings are not. “Your book, which is shown to be true by prophecy, unique above all, tells me you won’t,” he said, referring to God’s promise to never leave or forsake His people. The point is not academic. It is survival-level confidence in a God who keeps His Word.

3. Prophecy is God’s built-in challenge to every rival “holy book”

Gonzales calls biblical prophecy a straight-up authenticity test. He points to Isaiah 46 and Isaiah 41 where God issues a challenge to the nations. “He is challenging all religions of the world,” Gonzales said. “Let’s see who it is out there that can predict the future and speak about things to come.”

He frames it as a question Christians should not be shy to ask: “What makes the Bible distinct and unique?” His answer is prophecy with a standard of total accuracy. “In Deuteronomy 18, he puts the standard at 100%,” Gonzales said.

Then he contrasts that with other religious movements that attach timestamps to predictions. He cites a specific example from Mormon history to make the point that failed prophecy is not a small mistake. “As soon as he put a time on there, all we had to do is wait,” Gonzales said, describing a prediction he says never materialized. He adds the theological punchline: “Does God do that?” meaning, does God walk back His own prophecies. “No,” Gonzales answered.

His critique is not aimed at winning arguments. It is aimed at waking up Christians who treat prophecy as an embarrassment. Gonzales flips it. Prophecy is one of Scripture’s strongest public claims. If Christians hide it, they are hiding one of the clearest pieces of evidence the Bible offers about itself.

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4. A large portion of the Bible is prophetic, so ignoring prophecy means ignoring Scripture

Gonzales challenges pastors who treat prophecy as a fringe topic by pointing to the scale of it. He says many churches avoid teaching prophecy even though, as he put it, “it’s a third of the Bible.” He ties this to Jesus’ rebuke of religious leaders who could read the sky but not the moment. “Jesus tries, he scolds the Pharisees and says, ‘You guys know how to discern the weather, but you aren’t discerning the signs,’” Gonzales said.

He references Daniel as an example of prophetic specificity and says the religious leaders of Jesus’ day had no excuse for missing it. “Jesus was very, very gracious and compassionate to the lay person,” Gonzales said. “But to the scribes, the professional religious leaders, he was hard on them because they should know better.”

His message to today’s church is obvious without needing to be stated. If leaders can build entire sermon calendars around “felt needs” but treat prophecy as too controversial to touch, they are repeating the same failure Jesus confronted: refusing to handle the parts of Scripture that demand discernment.

5. Prophecy opens doors for evangelism because believers can explain what is happening

Gonzales says prophecy has street-level value: it gives Christians a way to speak clearly into fear, confusion and cultural chaos. He quotes 1 Peter 3:15 and stresses the posture: “We are to have an answer,” he said, but “with gentleness and respect.”

In the discussion, practical examples pour out. The group points to “lawlessness” and fear as themes Jesus named in Matthew 24, and they describe how people’s anxiety becomes an opening for gospel conversations. Gonzales gives a direct, modern illustration from the pandemic era. “None of my immediate family are Christians,” he said, then described relatives reaching out with end-times questions: “They’re reaching out to us looking for some sort of clarification because for them there’s a little bit of fear there, man. Evangelistic opportunity.”

He is direct about what prophecy can do in those moments. “To say what it is and to provide clarity. No, this isn’t the mark of the beast,” Gonzales said. But he also warns that conditions can be set. “This is setting the conditions of society to embrace something because of fear of being alienated or being ostracized or not being able to travel,” he said.

He also points to Israel as a headline-level apologetic. “Did you know that the prophetic age began with the establishment of Israel?” Gonzales said. He describes Israel’s national rebirth as a conversation starter that forces skeptics to deal with the Bible’s long-range claims.

6. Prophecy comes with a promised blessing and a reward for those who long for Christ’s return

Gonzales insists prophecy is not just permitted. It is blessed. He quotes Revelation 1:3: “Blessed is the one who reads out loud the words of this prophecy … and take it to heart what is written in it because the time is near.” He also ties prophecy to the Christian’s forward-facing posture, citing 2 Timothy 4:8 and emphasizing the phrase: “all who have longed for his appearing.”

For Gonzales, longing is not passive. It shapes stewardship and accountability. He says believers will stand before Christ and face questions about faithfulness. “What did you do with the Christian life I gave you?” he said. “Time, gifts, and your resources. Stewardship.”

That emphasis cuts against the way prophecy is often caricatured. Gonzales does not use prophecy as an excuse to disengage. He uses it as an argument to live with urgency and responsibility because Christ’s return is not a theory.

7. Prophecy produces holiness and an expectant life that stays ready

Gonzales ends where many prophecy teachers should end: personal purity. He quotes 1 John 3: “All who have this hope in him purify themselves just as he is pure.” His conclusion is blunt. Expectation changes behavior. A believer who actually believes Christ can return is not drifting through life numb and distracted.

He also emphasizes Jesus’ repeated commands to watch. “This is a command,” Gonzales said, quoting Mark 13: “What I say to you, I say to everyone. Watch.” He then presses how constant it is supposed to be: “Your job is to be staying awake,” and from Luke 21 he quotes, “Be always on the watch.”

Gonzales ties that watchfulness to readiness and to endurance. “To me, I’m going to watch because that’s going to cause me to be ready,” he said. He refuses the fake bravado some Christians wear and admits why watchfulness matters: “I want to escape all these things that are going to be coming.”

The honesty is part of the point. Prophecy is not a party trick. It is a wake-up call that forces believers to take discipleship seriously, to repent quickly, to live clean and to keep their eyes on Christ rather than on comfort.

Gonzales’ argument ends up being an indictment and an invitation. The indictment is for churches that treat prophecy as an optional elective because some people might argue about it. The invitation is to read Revelation and the prophetic Scriptures the way Jesus intended: as friends who are not kept in the dark.

The modern church does not need less prophecy. It needs less fear of it, less laziness about it, and far more of the watchful, Christ-centered obedience Gonzales says Revelation was given to produce.

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.

A growing body of research suggests that America’s decline in religious participation has had consequences far beyond cultural change. A new study reported by StudyFinds links falling church attendance in the late 20th century to a measurable rise in what economists call “deaths of despair,” including suicide, drug poisoning and liver disease. The analysis focuses on an overlooked policy shift that reshaped American life: the repeal of Sunday “blue laws” that once restricted commercial activity.

Researchers examined how the erosion of Sunday observance altered community behavior and public health outcomes, finding that religious participation provided protective social benefits that were not replaced when attendance declined.

Key findings from the study

• Repealing Sunday blue laws coincided with a sharp drop in church attendance
  When states eliminated restrictions on Sunday commerce in the 1980s and early 1990s, “religious attendance dropped 5–10 percentage points” among middle-aged Americans. Researchers found that making Sunday shopping legal made it easier to skip church, accelerating disengagement from organized religion.
• Deaths of despair increased in states that repealed blue laws
  The study found that “death rates from suicide, drug poisoning, and liver disease increased by about 2 per 100,000 people” in states that lifted the restrictions. Suicide showed the strongest response, with deaths “jumping by 1.2 per 100,000.”
• Religious decline may explain a large share of rising mortality
  According to the researchers, “religious decline could account for roughly 40% of the mortality increase observed by 1996,” a rise that occurred before the introduction of OxyContin. By that year, death rates among white Americans ages 45 to 64 were about 17% higher than expected based on earlier trends.
• The effects appeared before the opioid crisis escalated
  The researchers note that blue law repeals occurred “in the 1980s and early 1990s, before the current opioid crisis exploded.” The study period ends in 2000, well before fentanyl became widespread, suggesting that social vulnerability was already present.
• Middle-aged Americans without college degrees were hit hardest
  The decline in church attendance was “driven precisely by” middle-aged white Americans without college degrees. Weekly church attendance among this group “dropped by 32% from its peak by the end of the decade,” while deaths of despair rose sharply.
• Other causes of death did not follow the same pattern
  The study found that “other common causes of death like heart disease, diabetes and most cancers showed no consistent pattern,” strengthening the case that the mortality increase was specific to despair-related deaths.
• Church attendance was not replaced by other social activities
  Researchers tested whether people substituted church with civic engagement or socializing and found “little evidence” they did. “Whatever benefits religious communities provided couldn’t easily be replicated elsewhere,” the study concluded.
• Behavioral and belief changes followed religious decline
  After blue law repeals, middle-aged adults became “much more likely to report sometimes drinking too much,” an increase of 8.5 percentage points. The study also found evidence of “decreased belief in the afterlife,” suggesting changes in both behavior and worldview.
• State-level patterns reinforced the findings
  States with higher church attendance in the late 1980s generally had lower deaths of despair. States that experienced the largest declines in attendance between 1986 and 2000 “saw the largest increases in these deaths.”

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The research was conducted by scholars from Wellesley College, University of Notre Dame, and The Ohio State University and published in The Journal of the European Economic Association.

While the authors acknowledge limitations inherent in observational research, they argue the findings highlight how policies unrelated to health can reshape social behavior in ways that carry long-term consequences. The study suggests that the erosion of religious participation removed a stabilizing force from many American communities, leaving them more exposed when later crises emerged.

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.

Offense quietly corrodes the life of the church. It fractures relationships, distorts discernment and opens the door to deception, all while convincing believers they are justified in holding on to their pain. Scripture warns that offense increases as the return of Christ draws nearer, and that warning functions as a present, living reality. It is not merely predictive. It describes what is happening now, in real time, among believers who allow wounds to harden into unforgiveness.

In a recent episode of The John Bevere Podcast, John Bevere and his son, Arden Bevere, confront this issue directly. Drawing from Scripture, personal experience and Jesus’ teachings, they argue that offense is not a personality issue or an emotional weakness but a serious spiritual matter. Their conversation centers on how unforgiveness blinds believers to their own sin, fuels division within the church and ultimately blocks God’s purposes from unfolding freely in a person’s life.

The Beveres frame offense as one of the enemy’s most effective tools against Christians. When believers justify unforgiveness based on how deeply they were hurt, they lose sight of the cross and minimize what Christ forgave. They repeatedly point to Jesus’ warning that many will be offended and that deception will follow. An offended heart, they explain, becomes fertile ground for false conclusions, broken relationships and spiritual stagnation. With that foundation established, the episode moves toward practical instruction on how believers actually break free.

Five practical steps for dealing with offense

1. Call offense what it is: sin.
   The first step the Beveres stress is refusing to rebrand offense as caution, discernment or emotional self-protection. Offense is treated in Scripture as a moral issue, not a therapeutic one. When believers excuse unforgiveness by pointing to how badly they were treated, they create room for self-deception. Naming offense as sin removes its power to hide. It brings the issue into the light, where repentance and healing can begin.
2. Go directly to the person, not around them.
   One of the clearest dangers discussed is the habit of talking sideways instead of face to face. Calling friends, venting to coworkers or airing grievances indirectly may feel relieving, but it steadily turns hurt into gossip. The Beveres point to Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 18 as a safeguard: go to the person first. When believers bypass direct conversation, offense deepens and unity erodes. What starts as sharing pain quickly becomes sowing discord.
3. Seek godly counsel that speaks truth, not sympathy alone.
   The episode distinguishes between counsel that validates offense and counsel that uproots it. Godly counsel uses Scripture to expose lies rather than reinforce narratives of victimhood. The Beveres emphasize that wise counsel does not excuse unforgiveness or anchor identity to past wounds. Instead, it redirects the believer to truth, obedience and freedom. Counsel that only affirms feelings without addressing sin leaves offense intact.
4. Pray a blessing over the one who caused the hurt.
   This step is presented as both challenging and transformative. Praying for someone who caused deep pain confronts the heart directly. The Beveres describe how praying for another person’s blessing breaks torment and heals internal wounds. This practice aligns with Jesus’ command to love enemies and do good to those who mistreat us. It shifts the believer from rehearsing injustice to participating in Christlike forgiveness.
5. Anchor your life in God’s truth, not your pain story.
   Using Joseph’s story as a central example, the Beveres argue that people do not control a believer’s destiny. Offense does. Joseph’s brothers intended harm, yet God used their actions to fulfill His promise. The danger lies in believing that betrayal, rejection or injustice determines the future. When believers anchor themselves in God’s faithfulness rather than their wounds, offense loses its leverage. Truth, not memory of injury, governs their direction.

The conversation returns repeatedly to the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18, where Jesus warns that refusing to forgive results in being handed over to torment. The Beveres connect this torment to the internal unrest many believers experience today, including anger, obsession, division and constant conflict. Unforgiveness does not punish the offender. It imprisons the one who holds it.

Offense thrives when left unchallenged, especially within the church. It disguises itself as righteousness while eroding love, unity and witness. The warning remains active and urgent: forgiveness is not optional for believers who follow Christ. Jesus’ words from the cross, “Father, forgive them,” continue to define the standard. Freedom follows those who release offense, walk in truth and refuse to let bitterness dictate their future.

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.

Pastor John Kilpatrick recently delivered a message unlike his usual ministry tone, telling his congregation the Holy Spirit pressed a warning on him about global changes already underway. “This message is not a normal encouraging message,” he said. “It’s more or less a concern that the Lord has placed on my heart about some things that I see are right at the door.”

Kilpatrick said believers will be affected even if God sustains them through the shaking. “The things that I’m seeing is going to affect everybody, the nation and the nations,” he warned. “God’s going to take care of you, but it’s going to affect you.”

His primary concern is the collapse of the U.S. dollar and the transition to digital control systems. “The currency of the United States, which is the dollar, has been in intensive care for a long time,” he said. Efforts by both political parties have failed to fix their decline. “The time has come for seismic changes in the currencies of the world, and it will touch every individual.”

Kilpatrick believes this collapse opens the door to the next phase: enforced digital finance.

“Everything is going to shift into digital money. It’s coming. It’s right at the door,” he said. The transition, he added, won’t be optional. “Cash is on the way out,” and once digital currency is centralized, “everything that people spend money on will be tracked and can be controlled.”

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He sees this movement as the infrastructure for Revelation’s prophetic warnings. Quoting Scripture, he emphasized that the Antichrist system “causes all … to receive a mark … that no one will be able to buy or sell” without allegiance. Kilpatrick said, “I’m not telling you that we’re there right now, but … it’s creeping that way.”

To illustrate the danger, he pointed to China’s social credit model, where behavior determines access to banking, travel and schooling. “They have developed social credit scores … based on a person’s behavior,” he said. Losing points can mean losing fundamental freedoms. Kilpatrick believes this mindset is spreading to Western nations, citing the United Kingdom’s move toward requiring digital ID for employment: “You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID.”

He fears similar policies will surface in America. “The day may come when preachers like myself also may be silenced,” he said. “But while I’ve still got a voice, I’m going to lift it.”

Kilpatrick also warned about how technology conditions society to accept these systems. He asked, “Has this generation already been programmed to accept the beast system?” noting that younger people have “already had the reset” and that digital dependency has normalized surveillance and control. “If you take the phones away from kids or young people, it drives them crazy,” he said.

Even the elimination of the penny and the weakening of money’s purchasing power carry prophetic meaning for him. “The death of the penny is a classic textbook case of currency debasement,” he said, adding that when the smallest unit collapses, everyone should pay attention to the health of the dollar.

Still, Kilpatrick does not end in fear. He insists God is preparing His church for the days ahead. “We have got to have a divine reset,” he declared. Quoting Jesus, he affirmed, “‘I will build My church … and the gates of hell will not prevail against what I’m going to build.’”

His closing question is simple but pointed: “Are you ready for what’s coming?” Readiness is not political or financial but spiritual. “The only thing that you can do to be ready is to yield yourself totally into the hands of 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.

Evangelist Ray Comfort is responding publicly to recent comments made by actor and Christian commentator Kirk Cameron about the nature of hell, emphasizing that Living Waters remains committed to what Comfort called the historic Christian doctrine of eternal conscious torment.

In a video message, Comfort stressed his long friendship with Cameron while also drawing a clear theological line after Cameron discussed conditional mortality and annihilationism, views that teach the wicked will ultimately cease to exist rather than experience ongoing punishment.

“Kirk Cameron has been a dear friend of mine for decades,” Comfort said, describing Cameron as “a godly man” who loves “the Lord, his family and the Church.” Comfort noted that, particularly within Hollywood, he believes Cameron is “the real deal.”

The controversy began after Cameron, during a conversation on his show with his son, shared “his questions and developing thoughts about the biblical nature of hell and the fate of the wicked.” Comfort said Cameron indicated the annihilationist view is “compelling” and “possibly biblically supported.”

While some listeners took Cameron’s remarks as a settled position, Comfort said Cameron told him privately he has not reached a conclusion.

“When I spoke with him personally on the phone, he told me that while he believes the Bible appears to point in the direction of this view, he’s not settled on the matter and has asked for further discussion,” Comfort said.

Comfort said the video was released after supporters asked whether Living Waters holds the same position and whether Cameron still works with the ministry in an official capacity.

“The answer is no,” Comfort said. “While we believe Kirk is sincere, we believe that conditional mortality and annihilationism are erroneous views and that the Bible’s clear teaching on hell is known as eternal conscious torment.”

“We firmly believe that this is the only correct biblical view,” he added.

Comfort also clarified Cameron’s relationship to Living Waters, noting that although they have collaborated in the past, Cameron has not been part of the ministry’s official staff for years.

“While we’ve written books and made television shows together, Kirk has not officially worked here for well over 10 years,” Comfort said.

Comfort said the video was not intended to provide a comprehensive theological defense, but to restate Living Waters’ position and reassure supporters that the ministry has not changed its doctrine.

“Once again, we’re releasing this video because we want to reaffirm that Living Waters does indeed hold to the biblical and historic Orthodox doctrine of conscious eternal torment,” he said.

A fuller defense of the historic view of hell is planned in an upcoming Living Waters podcast episode, Comfort said. The episode will be released on major podcast platforms and the ministry’s YouTube channel, with announcements shared across Living Waters’ social media accounts.

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.

The Pentagon marked a historic moment Wednesday, Dec. 17, hosting its first-ever Christmas worship service in the center courtyard, drawing military personnel and civilians together for songs of praise and a message centered on the hope found in Jesus Christ.

As reported by CBN News, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth welcomed attendees by pointing them to the heart of the Christmas story.

“The greatest story ever told. And the best part about it is it’s a true story,” Hegseth said. He reflected on Christ’s humility and calling, noting, “It’s a true story of a King who arrived not on a throne, but in a humble manger… And all He asked of us is to believe, is to honor Him with who we are and what we do.”

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Evangelist Franklin Graham echoed that message, urging reflection on the deeper meaning of the season.

“Jesus took our shame and He died in our place and He rose again,” Graham said. “And this is why we celebrate Christmas. He’s living. He’s alive. He’s in heaven. And He’s coming back. And He’s coming back someday soon.”

The service, filled with worship music and Scripture-centered hope, highlighted a renewed public focus on faith, gratitude and the timeless message of Jesus’ birth.

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.

A disagreement has emerged between King Charles III and his eldest son, Prince William, over how the royal family should observe Christmas traditions, according to a Fox News report citing royal commentators and experts.

Royal broadcaster Neil Sean told Fox News Digital that William wants to modernize certain long-standing customs, including the structured exchange of gag gifts and the public Christmas Day walk to church. “William wants to get rid of it because he believes it’s forced,” Sean initially said of the gag gift tradition, before clarifying that William’s real aim is broader inclusion and a less rigid atmosphere. “What William wants to do is include more participation from palace staff, where they could mingle. My sources tell me William enjoys the informal gatherings hosted by Princess Catherine’s family and wants to move in that direction — more family-oriented, less formal, and less about seniority.”

Another point of tension is the annual Christmas Day walk to church, a public-facing tradition that draws crowds. “William thinks this also needs a radical rethink,” Sean said. “He does not necessarily like being on display on what he views as a private and sacred day.”

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Charles, however, favors keeping the tradition intact. “For the king, it’s important to interact with the public who give up part of their Christmas Day to meet the royals,” Sean added. The divide reportedly extends to William’s wife, Catherine, who, according to Sean, “shares the same mindset as her father-in-law” on the importance of the public walk.

Royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that William’s views are consistent with his broader discomfort with hierarchy. “He rejects this sort of pecking order,” she said, referring to the gift-giving tradition. “He isn’t comfortable with rigid class distinctions in general.”

While the disagreement reflects a familiar generational divide between tradition and modernization, it also presents a larger opportunity. As Charles serves as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and William is expected to inherit that role one day, both men hold platforms that reach far beyond palace walls.

Christmas, after all, is not merely a cultural event or a ceremonial tradition, but a celebration rooted in the birth of Jesus Christ.

Tradition has its place and should not be dismissed lightly, particularly within an institution built on continuity and history. Yet the season itself points to something far greater than pageantry or protocol. With global attention fixed on the royal family each December, Charles and William are uniquely positioned to emphasize the true reason for the season: the birth of the Lord and Savior of the world.

In a moment marked by internal disagreement, the focus could shift from how Christmas is celebrated to why it is celebrated at all.

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 many Christians, the rapture has become the centerpiece of end-times discussion. Charts are studied, dates are debated, and signs are endlessly scrutinized. But reducing the return of Christ to a single moment of escape distorts the purpose of biblical prophecy. Scripture does not present the rapture as a loophole out of responsibility but as a call to readiness, holiness, and urgency. When the focus narrows to an event, the preparation God intends is often lost.

That warning is at the heart of a recent Charisma Media interview with John Bevere, a bestselling author and longtime ministry leader.

Bevere, known for teaching on holiness, obedience, and spiritual maturity, said he spent decades avoiding eschatology altogether. That changed after what he describes as a clear prompting from the Holy Spirit around 2021. “I went 40 years and didn’t talk about eschatology,” Bevere said. “I realized I’ve never preached a full message until this year on eschatology.”

Bevere said his reluctance stemmed from how end-times teaching is often handled. “When I first looked at eschatology, I got turned off to it because people argued that I’m pre-trib, post-trib, mid-trib,” he said. “You’re just like, I don’t want anything to do with this.” But as he studied Scripture more closely, he said, ignoring the subject was no longer an option. “It’s the second most talked about subject in the New Testament other than salvation,” Bevere said. “One out of every 30 verses in the New Testament talks about the second coming of Jesus.”

Rather than creating passivity, Bevere said proper teaching on the return of Christ is meant to create urgency. He compared it to a football team late in a game. “They’re down 14 points with six minutes left. There’s no huddles. There’s an urgency,” he said. “If eschatology is presented in the correct way, it creates an urgency because Jesus said, ‘Do business till I come.’”

That urgency, Bevere said, is intentional. Scripture repeatedly emphasizes the nearness of Christ’s return to keep believers spiritually alert. “Could it be that in the wisdom of God, He kept an urgency on every single generation of His imminent return for our protection?” he said. Bevere warned that when believers assume Christ is delayed, compromise follows. “The servant who says, ‘My master delays his coming,’ is the one who begins to be more worldly and starts partying,” he said.

Bevere said expectation of Christ’s return produces holiness, not fear. “The Bible says that everyone who has this hope, this eager expectation of His imminent return, purifies himself even as He is pure,” he said. He added that previous generations did not have what modern believers have. “Now, of course, in all the other generations you didn’t have Israel,” Bevere said. “That’s the big super sign of the second coming. We really are in the generation.”

He also challenged the idea that the rapture should be viewed primarily as an event. “When you dwindle it down to just an event, a rapture, you miss the big picture,” Bevere said. “The big picture is this is a lovesick groom coming back for his bride.” He pointed to ancient Jewish wedding customs to explain Jesus’ language about preparing a place and returning. “All these disciples, they know exactly what Jesus is talking about,” he said.

That imagery, Bevere explained, carries responsibility. Believers are not casually waiting; they are already betrothed. “We’re married to Him now,” he said. “That’s why if we sleep with the world, we’re called adulterers.” He emphasized a passage often overlooked in Revelation. “The bride has made herself ready,” Bevere said. “It doesn’t say God made her ready.”

Preparation, he said, is where many believers fall short. “When it comes to eschatology, we spend the majority of the time talking about the five- or 10-minute aspect, or we don’t talk about it at all,” Bevere said. “But we don’t major on the preparing.” Scripture, he added, makes clear there will be accountability. Quoting 1 John, Bevere said, “There’s going to be two responses by believers when Jesus returns. One is confidence, one is being ashamed.”

Bevere strongly rejected date-setting, calling it unbiblical and misguided. “I could tell you the day He’s probably not coming,” he said. “Because I don’t believe any of us will know the day He comes.” He compared it again to the Jewish wedding tradition. “The groom didn’t even know when he was coming. It wasn’t until the father said, ‘Go get her,’ that he was to go.”

Leaving the audience with encouragement and wisdom, Bevere tied readiness to forgiveness and freedom from offense. “Some of you, you’re just oppressed. You’re tormented. You don’t know why,” he said. “It’s because you’re harboring an offense.” He reminded listeners that forgiveness is not optional. “The way you forgive is the way you’re going to be forgiven,” Bevere said. “That very same love that forgave you from the cross is the very same love you have in your heart.”

The rapture, Bevere made clear, is not meant to distract believers from faithfulness or fuel endless speculation. It is meant to sharpen focus, deepen holiness, and stir action. Christ’s return is not an escape plan but a reunion. Until then, the call is not to watch the clock, but to prepare the bride.

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.

Online detectives say they have uncovered a way to bypass redactions in recently released Jeffrey Epstein files, raising fresh concerns about how the Department of Justice handled the disclosure of sensitive records tied to the late financier.

According to the New York Post, portions of the documents that federal officials blacked out became visible when copied and pasted into common software programs. “Some portions of the documents, initially blacked out in Adobe Acrobat by the federal agency, pop up when copied and pasted into Google Docs or Microsoft programs like Word,” the Post reported, noting it confirmed the issue during testing. The outlet added that it “cannot confirm the veracity of the redactions.”

The discovery gained traction online after a video demonstration circulated on social media. “Anyone can read redactions of the Epstein Files by just copying and pasting them into a Word doc,” influencer Jake Broe wrote on X. He added, “The people at Trump’s Justice Department are so stupid they used Adobe Acrobat to black out the documents.”

The release of the records follows a bipartisan law signed by President Donald Trump requiring the DOJ to turn over all unclassified materials related to Epstein. Since Friday, the department has released hundreds of thousands of documents connected to the convicted sex offender.

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The document trove includes previously unseen photographs showing Epstein with high-profile figures, including Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Mick Jagger, and Michael Jackson. Additional images show Bill Clinton alongside Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, including photos taken during international travel and private gatherings.

The Post reported that photos show Clinton “lounging with an unidentified woman in a jacuzzi” and swimming with Maxwell, as well as traveling with Epstein to destinations including the United Kingdom, Brunei and Thailand. Clinton has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein.

In a statement responding to the release, Clinton spokesperson Angel Ureña criticized the DOJ’s handling of the files. “What the Department of Justice has released so far, and the manner in which it did so, makes one thing clear: someone or something is being protected,” Ureña said. “We do not know whom, what or why. But we do know this: We need no such protection.”

The document release also includes thousands of photographs of Maxwell and images showing Trump, some previously released and others newly disclosed. Despite a congressional deadline to make the full Epstein file public, the DOJ said remaining records will be released on a rolling basis.

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.

The year 2026 will not be a neutral transition point. It will be a year that exposes foundations. What has been built in compromise will not hold. What has been ignored will surface. What has been delayed will collapse under pressure. This is not speculation. It is a biblical pattern. Storms never create weakness. They reveal it. And the coming season will make clear who built on rock and who settled for sand.

That warning was laid out plainly by Amanda Grace of Ark of Grace Ministries during a recent interview with Charisma Media. Speaking with urgency and clarity, Grace framed 2026 as a decisive year for the church and the nation, one that demands repentance, discernment and disciplined action. Her message was direct: the window to build correctly is now, because what is coming next will test everything.

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Below are the central prophetic themes Grace addressed and why they matter as 2026 approaches:

• Foundations will determine survival, not intentions.
  Grace anchors her warning in Matthew 7, where Jesus contrasts foundations built on rock with those built on sand. In 2026, storms intensify and outcomes separate builders. Compromise acts as sand. It weakens structures from within and guarantees failure under pressure. This applies spiritually to believers, institutionally to the church and nationally to leadership. Anything built on convenience, moral shortcuts or divided loyalty will not stand. The exposure will be unmistakable and irreversible.
• The 2026 midterms will expose what the nation is built on.
  The coming midterm elections are not a routine political cycle. They are a test of foundations. Grace makes clear that political positioning without moral correction leads to collapse. Leadership that tolerates compromise cannot preserve stability. The battle is not over party labels but over structural integrity. What is left unfixed now will fail later, and the consequences will shape the years that follow. 2026 sets the trajectory toward 2028, and there is no way to bypass this test.
• 2026 is a national and spiritual wake-up call.
  Grace identifies 2026 as a year saturated with warning signals that demand attention, not apathy. The convergence of critical moments ahead of national turning points signals urgency from heaven. Just so you know, wake-up calls are not invitations to observe. They are commands to respond. Repentance, realignment and vigilance are required. Complacency is not an option. Those who sleep through alarms do not escape the consequences that follow.
• The Esther pattern is repeating, and silence is not a survival strategy.
  Grace draws directly from the book of Esther, where destruction advances through legal decrees and public authority until courage intervenes. The lesson is explicit: silence does not preserve safety. Refusing to act invites disaster. Divine reversals follow obedience, not avoidance. The church faces the same choice Esther faced. Act with courage or allow destructive agendas to proceed unchecked. Neutrality is not righteousness. Silence is not protection.
• The church must build and defend with discipline, not drift.
  Grace identifies complacency as the church’s greatest vulnerability. Gaining ground is meaningless if it is not defended. Victory requires vigilance. She rejects superficial faith that refuses depth, precision and awareness. Spiritual warfare is strategic, not casual. Believers are called to build deliberately, pray precisely and remain watchful. The church must function as watchmen, not spectators. Anything less invites erosion from within.

Grace’s message leaves no room for delay or denial. The season ahead will not reward passivity. It will expose it. What is being built now determines what survives later. The window is open, and the cost of ignoring it is severe.

To hear Amanda Grace’s full warning on 2026 and beyond, watch the video above.

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.