Fasting is not a modern spiritual trend or a religious performance. As Pastor Vlad Savchuk of HungryGen Ministries teaches, it is one of the oldest disciplines in Scripture and one that God has consistently used in moments of major spiritual significance. Fasting creates space. It quiets the flesh, sharpens spiritual sensitivity, and restores hunger for God.

Throughout the Bible, fasting appears before revelation, ministry, repentance, and spiritual breakthroughs. Jesus fasted before beginning His ministry, the early church fasted before major decisions, and believers today are still called to practice it with wisdom and purpose.

What Fasting Is

Fasting means to go without food in order to hunger for God. It is a voluntary, temporary abstinence from nourishment for spiritual reasons. In Scripture, fasting expressed humility, submission, repentance, mourning, and preparation for God’s direction. While only one fast was commanded in the Law, fasting was widely practiced by God’s people and emphasized even more clearly in the New Testament.

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Five Reasons Every Believer Should Fast

1. Jesus Expected His Followers to Fast
   Jesus said, “When you fast,” not “if you fast.” While He rebuked hypocritical fasting, He never removed the practice itself. Fasting is assumed to be part of a believer’s spiritual life.
2. Fasting Restores Hunger for God
   Fasting exchanges physical hunger for spiritual hunger. It helps reset a distracted or dull spiritual life and rekindles desire for God’s presence.
3. Fasting Prepares You for Temptation
   Learning to say no to what is lawful strengthens the ability to resist what is sinful. Fasting disciplines the flesh and builds spiritual self-control.
4. Fasting Is a Biblical Way to Humble Yourself
   Scripture repeatedly connects fasting with humility. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Fasting is a voluntary way to position yourself for God’s help rather than His resistance.
5. Fasting Prepares You for a New Level in God
   Fasting often precedes new assignments, clarity, and spiritual growth. It is not about striving for power, but about obedience and preparation for what God is releasing next.

Three Things to Keep in Mind While Preparing to Fast

1. The Right Time
   Fasting is not appropriate for everyone in every season. Those who are pregnant, nursing, under 18, or managing medical conditions should seek guidance. Minors are encouraged to consider non-food fasts.
2. The Right Motive
   Fasting should never be forced or copied from others. Extended fasts must be Spirit-led and done out of obedience, not pressure or comparison.
3. The Right Preparation
   Reducing caffeine and solid foods ahead of time helps physically. Preparing the heart through prayer and repentance matters even more. Fasting begins internally before it becomes external.

Fasting is not about proving spirituality. It is about humility, focus, and renewed hunger for God. When practiced biblically and wisely, it remains a powerful discipline that aligns believers with God’s presence, direction, and purpose.

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 birth of Jesus is familiar territory. A manger, a stable, shepherds under a star-filled sky. But Messianic Rabbi Jason Sobel says when the story is viewed through its original Jewish context, it becomes far more intentional, prophetic and breathtaking than most realize.

Appearing on The 700 Club, Sobel explained that Jesus was not born in a wooden barn at all. “He wasn’t born in a barn,” Sobel said. “He was actually born in a cave.”

That single detail, he explained, changes everything.

According to Sobel, the location of Jesus’ birth was no accident, nor was the identity of the shepherds who first received the angelic announcement. “These weren’t ordinary shepherds,” he said. “They were priestly shepherds. They were raising the Passover lambs for the Temple in Jerusalem.”

Those lambs, Sobel noted, were born and cared for in caves surrounding Bethlehem. “Those lambs were brought into the caves around Bethlehem when they were born,” he said. “So they see Him born in the same place that the Passover lambs were born.”

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Even the sign given to the shepherds carried a meaning they would instantly recognize. “Behold, you’ll see a baby lying in swaddling cloth, lying in a manger,” Sobel quoted, asking why such a specific sign mattered. “Why were those signs of any signs that could have been given?” he said.

Sobel believes the answer lies in priestly practice. “I believe He was swaddled in not ordinary garments but in priestly garments,” he said, noting that sacrificial lambs were wrapped carefully at birth to prevent blemish.

What makes the account even more striking, Sobel said, is how Jesus’ birth quietly points forward to His death. “His birth in a stone cave and put in a stone manger points to His burial in a cave,” he said. “And His being wrapped in swaddling cloth at His birth points to the linen cloth that He’s buried in as well.”

To Sobel, the parallel is impossible to dismiss. “So His birth and His burial are connected,” he said. “He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.”

Sobel, author of Transformed by the Messiah and a consultant for The Chosen, said this kind of detail reveals a depth to Scripture that feels anything but random. “The beginning and the end are all connected,” he said, a reminder that the Christmas story, when fully understood, carries far more weight than sentiment alone.

Far from diminishing the wonder of Jesus’ birth, Sobel said these connections make it even more astonishing. A Messiah born not just humbly, but prophetically. His mission was woven into stone, cloth and location from the very first moment.

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 recent discussion on The Israel Guys Roundtable Podcast tackled several fast-moving developments that are reshaping the conversation around Israel, Gaza, and the future of Jerusalem. Drawing from on-the-ground observations, regional reporting and biblical context, the panel outlined why certain political moves—especially involving Turkey and international “peace” efforts—are causing deep concern, while parallel spiritual developments on the Temple Mount are being viewed as highly significant.

Rather than treating these events as disconnected headlines, the discussion framed them as part of a broader pattern that students of Scripture have observed—foreign powers promising peace, mounting pressure on Israel, and key spiritual shifts occurring in Jerusalem.

Below is a breakdown of the core issues discussed and why they matter

Turkey, Gaza and the Promise of “Peace”

• Turkey seeking to deploy troops into Gaza: Turkey has openly stated it is prepared to send troops into Gaza as part of an international stabilization force. This is raising alarms because Turkey has consistently taken a hostile posture toward Israel and has publicly aligned itself with Hamas rhetoric. Biblically, Israel’s history shows that foreign armies entering the land under promises of peace often become instruments of pressure rather than protection.
• Growing pressure on Israel from allies: Despite Israeli objections, there are increasing claims that friendly nations are pressuring Israel to accept Turkish involvement. Scripture repeatedly warns that Israel’s most significant strategic failures came not from direct enemies, but from relying on alliances that slowly demanded compromise.
• The “Board of Peace” and false peace warnings: The concept of a global “Board of Peace” sounds stabilizing, but it echoes the biblical warning in Jeremiah about leaders declaring “peace, peace” when no true peace exists. The concern is not diplomacy itself, but peace frameworks that ignore the root threat and instead restrain Israel’s ability to defend itself.
• Hamas disarmament being delayed: Proposed plans reportedly prioritize separating Israeli forces from Hamas before demanding Hamas disarm. Practically, this allows Hamas to survive intact. Biblically, it follows a familiar pattern where evil is temporarily contained but never removed, only to return stronger.
• Foreign troops operating inside Israel: Reports of foreign soldiers in uniform inside Israel are described as unprecedented. For many, this aligns with biblical prophecies describing nations gathering around Israel and Jerusalem in the last days—not always as allies, but as sources of mounting pressure.

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The Temple Mount and Spiritual Signals

• A breakthrough on the Temple Mount: Reports of Levites singing on the Temple Mount are being described as historic, marking what some believe is the first such moment in nearly 2,000 years. In Scripture, worship on the Temple Mount is closely tied to God’s presence and activity among His people.
• From suppressed prayer to open worship: Only years ago, Jews were arrested for quietly praying on the Temple Mount. The shift toward open worship reflects not only a political change but also a spiritual one. Biblically, the return of prayer and praise after prolonged suppression often signals an approaching turning point.
• Worship preceding restoration: Throughout the Old Testament, worship and repentance frequently come before deliverance. The reemergence of song on the Temple Mount is being interpreted as a prophetic indicator that spiritual foundations are being restored in advance of larger events.

Prophetic Patterns and Hanukkah Parallels

• Hanukkah as a living parallel: With Hanukkah now here, current pressures are being compared to the Maccabean era, when foreign empires imposed control under the promise of peace and progress. Deliverance then came not through international coalitions, but through faithfulness under impossible odds.
• A spiritual, not merely political conflict: The struggle surrounding Israel is increasingly framed as spiritual and ideological rather than purely military. Scripture consistently places Israel at the center of spiritual contention, making modern geopolitical pressure feel strikingly familiar.
• Warning signs, not reassurance: The convergence of foreign troops, international peacekeeping structures, and unprecedented activity on the Temple Mount is not being viewed as a sign ofstability. Instead, it resembles the biblical pattern where pressure intensifies even as signs of spiritual awakening begin to surface.

Why This Moment Matters

Taken together, these developments suggest Israel is entering a season that requires discernment rather than reassurance. History and Scripture both show that peace plans built on political pressure—while sidelining spiritual reality—tend to unravel quickly. At the same time, the quiet but undeniable shift taking place on the Temple Mount points to something deeper unfolding beneath the headlines.

The Bible consistently shows that moments of greatest pressure often precede moments of restoration. What is happening now does not signal calm, but it does align with the biblical expectation that God’s purposes for Israel advance even as the nations gather and tensions rise.

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.

Across politics, culture and media, once-unthinkable ideas are now treated as normal, while basic truths are openly disputed. What many dismiss as simple chaos or confusion may point to something deeper: a society losing its grip on reality itself.

Pastor Tom Hughes addresses this collapse in clarity on The Tom Hughes Report, arguing that the cultural madness on display is not random. He describes it as both a spiritual condition and a prophetic indicator of where the world is headed. “There’s a good chance… you’re going to find yourself saying, ‘That’s crazy,’” Hughes says, calling it “an excellent definition of the times that we live in.”

The Pattern Behind the Chaos

Hughes points to Soviet defector Yuri Bezmenov, who outlined a strategy for overthrowing societies:

• “Number one is you demoralize the people.”
• “Number two, you destabilize.”
• “You create a crisis.”
• “And then you normalize.”

Demoralization, Hughes explains, happens when “facts don’t matter.” In that condition, “the masses of people can no longer tell fact from fiction,” making them “easily manipulated.” He warns, “The demoralization process appears to be complete.”

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When Truth Is Abandoned

“When truth is abandoned, the vacuum is filled with madness,” Hughes says. He cites Hannah Arendt, who wrote, “The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is… people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction no longer exists.”

Hughes points to institutional confusion as evidence. Asked to define a woman, a Supreme Court nominee replied, “I’m not a biologist.” Hughes responds, “How can you act on behalf of women if you don’t know what a woman is?”

Self-Destruction Disguised as Freedom

Hughes warns that rejecting truth leads inward. “People are literally destroying themselves in following their pride, their greed, their lust.” What is marketed as freedom, he says, produces bondage. “The ultimate expression of rebellion is… self-destruction in the name of liberation.”

A Debased Mind

Quoting Romans 1, Hughes notes, “God gave them over to a debased mind.” He explains that such a mind “reverses the importance of everything,” leaving a culture where “evil seems good and good evil.”

He points to modern examples:

• “For millions today, Hitler’s become a hero.”
• “Homosexual and transgender people publicly taking a stand for Hamas.”
• “Glamour magazine… awarded their women of the year award to nine men who dress like women.”

“I think we’ve passed crazy,” Hughes says. “I think this world is going mad.”

Where Hope Remains

Hughes wraps up his report by reminding believers where clarity is found. “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind.” Even as confusion deepens, he says, “Darkness may rise, but it can never overwhelm the light of Christ.”

“The world may exchange truth for lies,” Hughes adds, “but we hold on to the one who is 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 many Christians, Satan is treated as either an exaggerated cartoon figure or a vague symbol of evil. But what if Scripture paints a far more detailed, organized and unsettling picture? In a recent documentary, one Christian preacher argues that the Bible not only explains Satan’s origin and downfall, but also exposes a consistent strategy still being used today — one that believers often underestimate.

A 30-Minute Biblical Documentary With a Unique Approach

In a recent Bible documentary, Christian preacher Joe Kirby of Off the Kirb Ministries traces the story of Satan from his rebellion to his future judgment, using Scripture, historical geography and animated world maps. Kirby describes the project as an effort to make biblical theology visual and accessible, saying, “Once you see this and this, you will know that Satan is closer than you think.”

Kirby walks viewers through key passages in Genesis, Job, Isaiah, Ezekiel, the Gospels and Revelation, arguing that the Bible reveals a consistent pattern in how Satan operates. “No one has ever seen this before,” Kirby says, “but I believe there is an invisible strategy that Satan operates from.”

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Deception, Accusation and the Battle for Worship

According to Kirby, Satan’s earliest tactic in the Garden of Eden was not force, but deception — specifically the suggestion that God was withholding something good. “He will trick you into thinking God is hiding or concealing something good from you so that you’ll fall into sin,” Kirby explains, adding that the same lie still convinces people that obedience to God is restrictive rather than freeing.

Kirby also highlights Satan’s role as “the accuser of God’s people,” pointing to courtroom scenes in Job and Zechariah. “When Satan talks to us about God, he lies,” Kirby says. “But when he talks to God about us, he tells the truth.” In contrast, Kirby emphasizes Christ’s role as advocate, pointing to the cross as the moment where justice and grace meet.

From Heaven’s Courts to Earth’s Thrones

One of the documentary’s more striking claims involves Satan’s access to heaven and the location of his earthly throne. Kirby argues that Scripture shows Satan still having limited access to heavenly realms, a reality that will change during a future event described in Revelation 12. “Satan is actually not in hell right now,” Kirby says. “Believe it or not, he still has access to heaven.”

Kirby also addresses Revelation 2:13, concluding that the Bible identifies Pergamum — in modern-day Turkey — as the location of Satan’s throne, dismissing popular online claims placing it elsewhere. He describes Pergamum as a center of emperor worship, idolatry and serpent symbolism, aligning with Satan’s desire for exaltation and control.

The End of the Story Is Not in Doubt

While Kirby presents Satan as active, organized and persistent, he repeatedly emphasizes that the devil’s fate is sealed. Drawing from Revelation, he reminds viewers that Satan will ultimately be cast into eternal judgment. “If the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed,” Kirby says, pointing viewers back to the hope found in Christ rather than fear of the enemy.

The documentary, which you don’t want to miss, ultimately serves as both a warning and a reassurance: Satan’s strategies are real and ongoing, but they are no match for the authority, righteousness and victory of Jesus Christ.

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.

Concerns about transparency, ethics and parental rights in public education are intensifying following a report alleging the San Diego Unified School District is actively promoting ideological concepts while shielding critical information from families.

The findings, released by the parental rights group Defending Education, center on SDUSD’s official “Equity & Belonging” online hub. According to the report, the district’s website guides students on changing their name and gender identity. It promotes instructional materials asserting the existence of nine gender identities and 28 sexual orientations.

The district describes its equity initiative as an effort to “dismantle systems of oppression,” while incorporating resources from organizations such as the Zinn Education Project, Black Lives Matter and GLSEN.

On a page labeled “Youth Advocacy,” district materials outline what they describe as nine gender identities, including “demogirl,” “demiboy,” “third gender” and “agender.” Separate slides list 28 sexual orientations, featuring terms such as “androsexual,” “panromantic sexual” and “graysexual.”

The report also raises alarms about age appropriateness. Lesson packets connected to the initiative are reportedly intended for students in grades three through six and include subjects such as “Trans kids in the Boy Scouts” and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

“San Diego Unified is just another example of ideological capture in K-12 and while I suspect most parents and staff aren’t even aware of what’s on this page of their website, it has to be interpreted as the official position of the district,” Erika Sanzi, senior director of communications for Defending Education, said in a statement provided to The Christian Post.

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Sanzi argued that such policies fundamentally undermine confidence in public education.

“Education is not compatible with a district that believes or even entertains the idea that there are nine different gender identities and 28 sexual orientations,” she said. “This lunacy must end, or trust will be lost forever.”

Beyond curriculum concerns, the report highlights district procedures that critics say deliberately exclude parents from major decisions affecting their children. A district “Name & Gender Change Form” states that “all students have a right to privacy,” including the right to decide “when, with whom, and how to share private information.”

The document directs staff not to disclose a student’s transgender or “gender nonconforming” status without the student’s consent, even in conversations with parents or guardians.

“San Diego Unified has turned its ‘Equity & Belonging’ hub into an engine for ideology rather than education,” said Kendall Tietz, an investigative reporter for Defending Education.

Tietz said the district is embedding activist frameworks into classrooms while discouraging parental pushback.

“San Diego Unified is promoting 28 sexual orientations and nine gender identities, declaring its mission to ‘dismantle systems of oppression and inequity’ and pushing these concepts into the minds of the youngest, most impressionable students,” he said.

He also accused the district of misleading families about federal requirements.

“The district is telling families that federal law under Title IX requires gender-identity policies, even though the Biden-era Title IX rewrite was vacated nationwide,” Tietz said, adding that concerned parents are often treated as “‘resistance’ to be managed.”

Under President Donald Trump, federal policy recognizes only two biological sexes and directs agencies to apply Title IX accordingly, including restrictions on male participation in female athletic competitions.

“This is not neutral education or simple kindness, but politicized programming imposed through the public school system,” Tietz said.

The report clearly shows a growing belief that public school systems no longer see families as partners. As districts obscure policies, advance contested ideologies and restrict parental involvement, trust continues to erode, raising serious questions about whether such institutions can be entrusted with children’s moral and intellectual formation.

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 man’s guilty plea in a series of grotesque animal mutilations outside churches in England’s New Forest exposes what this case truly represents: spiritual warfare carried out openly and without shame.

As reported by the Daily Mail, 47-year-old Benjamin Lewis admitted to dumping decapitated animal remains, including a deer’s head and stolen lamb carcasses, outside multiple churches across Hampshire. He pleaded guilty to seven offenses, including five counts of religiously aggravated harassment, and admitted to displaying hostile messaging toward a religious group. These were not isolated acts of cruelty. The repeated targeting of Christian churches, the bloodshed and the deliberate use of sacrificial imagery make the intent unmistakable.

This is not countercultural behavior, misunderstood symbolism, or harmless rebellion. It is an assault on the ways of God. The desecration of church grounds and the use of animal sacrifice imagery echo the oldest expressions of defiance against God found throughout history.

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Scripture is clear about the nature of such acts: they are rooted in darkness that seeks to mock, intimidate and defile what is holy. Attempts to sanitize or rebrand Satanism as merely expressive or philosophical collapse under the weight of these actions.

The case also sits within a troubling pattern. Authorities have linked Lewis’ crimes to a broader series of ritualistic animal killings in the New Forest, including mutilated sheep, inverted crosses, pentagrams, candles, and remains left at historic churches and ancient sites.

This is a clear reminder that spiritual battles are not abstract concepts. They manifest in real acts of violence and intimidation. Our response should not be fear or confusion, but vigilance, prayer and a firm stand for truth as darkness continues to test the church’s resolve.

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.

Kevin Costner is known for portraying rugged heroes and resilient leaders on screen, but in a recent interview, the award-winning actor made clear that the strength guiding his life off camera is rooted in faith. As personal and professional storms have collided in recent years, Costner says belief has remained the steady force that carries him forward.

Speaking about his faith journey, Costner reflected on how it was shaped early and sustained through adversity, as reported by USA Today.

Raised in a church-centered home, he described faith not as a cultural accessory but as a lived reality that formed his worldview long before Hollywood success followed. “Our friends came from the church,” Costner said. “The church was central in our lives.” He added that the spiritual lessons passed down through generations still anchor him today.

That foundation came alive again while working on ABC’s two-hour special, Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas, which explores the Nativity story alongside historical and theological context. “We all think we know [the story],” Costner said. “We all wait for this time of year and then we get mad at it, too, because now it’s ‘so much stuff I have to do, and I hate this.’ It’s ‘too many people are coming to the house.’ There’s this other story that changed the world, a lot of the world.”

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Costner said participating in the project brought him genuine joy, even as he anticipated skepticism. “I was proud to be able to do it,” he said. “I’m sure I’m going to confront the cynics and the nonbelievers, who I invite them to sit down, too, and they can feel how they feel. But I was really happy. This gave me pleasure to do it.”

Costner also spoke openly about the sustaining power of faith during hardship. In recent years, he has navigated a high-profile divorce and mounting challenges surrounding the financing and release of his ambitious film series, Horizon: An American Saga.

Through it all, he says belief has kept him grounded. “We can’t always explain what moves us or what gives us this kind of determination or this faith that we will come out of this dark spot,” Costner said. “We can’t. We just choose to believe, and it’s something that has really sustained me.”

At the heart of Costner’s reflections is an honest acknowledgment that faith does not remove struggle but gives meaning within it. In a candid moment, he summed up what perseverance looks like when belief meets reality:

“I have had tremendous ups, and I have been bruised equally,” Costner said. “I’ve had things said about me that I know, you know − but I have to endure them. And so, how do I choose to live my life, in anger or in faith that things will reveal themselves in the right way? And so I’ve just chosen to do that. But being a human, you keep thinking to God, ‘You need to hurry up, God. Listen, I’ve been praying for this for a long time. You got to pick it up a little bit.’ But we live with faith, so we’re going to be tested. It’s just we’re tested all the time.”

Faith is not a slogan or seasonal sentiment. It is a daily decision to trust, endure and believe that even in testing, purpose is being formed.

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 striking image circulating online has ignited speculation and spiritual unease after Google Earth users identified what appears to be a deep red formation in a remote stretch of northern New Mexico.

The coordinates, located just northwest of Santa Fe, have been described by some as a “large pile of blood” seeping from the desert floor, triggering widespread discussion about whether the unsettling sight could carry biblical significance.

As reported by Daily Mail, the viral post showing the site has been viewed more than two million times on X, with the caption reading, “Growing increasingly concerned about the large pile of blood in the desert.”

While many users reacted with humor, others pointed to Scripture, asking, “Isn’t this in the Bible?”—a reference to the Book of Exodus, which recounts how God turned the Nile to blood as a sign of judgment. “Thus says the Lord: By this you shall know that I am the Lord… I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood,” Exodus 7:17–21 reads.

Geologists have offered a natural explanation, identifying the formation as a cinder cone created by ancient volcanic activity. Its deep red coloration comes from “iron-rich volcanic material that has oxidized over time,” preserved by the region’s arid climate.

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The material, known as oxidized red scoria, is actively mined for road construction, landscaping and water treatment, and any runoff is naturally occurring and harmless, despite its blood-like appearance.

Similar fears surfaced recently in Israel when the Sea of Galilee turned a vivid crimson, leaving visitors rattled and warning of a “bad omen.” Scientists later determined the discoloration was caused by a bloom of algae that turns red under intense sunlight.

While such explanations may satisfy scientific inquiry, the haunting visuals continue to raise a deeper question: in a nation that has increasingly embraced moral rebellion and normalized sin, should moments like these be dismissed outright, or do they serve as a warning that calls for reflection, humility and repentance?

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 Jack Hibbs is not joining the growing chorus declaring that America is experiencing a sweeping spiritual revival. Instead, he is urging believers to look carefully, biblically and historically, at what is actually unfolding across the nation. What he sees, he says plainly, is not revival, but something far more serious.

“There’s a lot of talk,” Hibbs said, explaining that he has been “very, very hesitant to throw my hat into the ring on all of the rhetoric and all of the talk about the great revival that’s taking place in America.”

While many celebrate what they call a great awakening, Hibbs says one trend is undeniable and deeply concerning. “There’s one thing I am not doubting, and that is the rise of Islam in America like never before.”

That statement alone reframes the moment. This is not a season for spiritual complacency or naive optimism. It is a time that demands discernment.

‘Add the Word Invasion’

Hibbs does not mince words when describing what he believes is happening.

“You want to talk about an awakening or a revival, I think you ought to add the word invasion,” he said.

He warned that Islam has “found a home among progressive left people” and, in what he called a stunning contradiction, “remarkably, ironically, among the gay community,” a partnership he said “is not going to turn out well for them.”

History, Hibbs suggests, has already written this story. The problem is that few are willing to read it.

Political Capitulation and Cultural Testing

According to Hibbs, what follows acceptance is always testing.

“Wherever Islam is on the rise, it will push the envelope to test the culture that it lives in,” he said. “They will push and push and push and see if anybody reacts. And if they don’t react, then they simply take over.”

Blocked streets, halted traffic and public demonstrations are not random acts, Hibbs said, but calculated measures to see whether a society will resist or submit. These incidents, he noted, are no longer hypothetical. They are already happening in parts of the United States.

This pattern is not accidental, and it is not new.

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Beyond Traditional Strongholds

Hibbs emphasized that the expansion is no longer confined to cities long associated with Islamic populations.

“Not just Dearborn, Michigan, not in areas that have always had this Islamic presence,” he said, pointing to Minneapolis, Texas, Arizona and other regions.

Even more troubling, Hibbs warned, is the willingness of local governments to yield ground. “City councils are capitulating to the demands of even hosting or allowing Muslims to hold Sharia courts, which supersede the U.S. Constitution and our American jurisprudence,” he said.

“They have a law above our law.”

That statement alone should sober anyone who values constitutional freedom.

‘Not If, But When’

Hibbs placed his warning squarely in a post-9/11 reality.

“Is there an invasion of Islam taking place in a post-9/11 world? Absolutely,” he said. “Are they on the move? Yes. Could it turn militant? I think it’s not if, I think it’s when.”

He cautioned that America is entering unfamiliar territory. “Living in America will not always be comfortable as we’ve known it in the past,” Hibbs said. “It’s not always going to be easy to be a believer as we’ve known it in the past.”

“I think we’re in a new America,” he added, “and I think it’s going to be something that will be quite shocking.”

For Christians who understand biblical prophecy, this should not come as a surprise.

‘Make Sure You’ve Got the Right One’

Hibbs ended his message where every true warning must end, with Jesus Christ.

“Jesus Christ is the answer,” he said. “The Jesus Christ of the Bible is the answer. The Jesus Christ who is the Son of God is the answer.”

He made a direct and necessary distinction. “Contrary to Islam, Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the dead,” Hibbs said. “That’s the Jesus Christ that you should be following. Make sure that you’ve got the right one.”

A Need for Discernment

Hibbs’ words are not meant to inspire fear, but clarity. Scripture repeatedly warns that deception will increase as the last days draw near. This moment demands discernment, not denial. It demands believers who are grounded in the Word, committed to prayer and unafraid to speak truth.

Now is the time to stay awake, stay faithful and move forward boldly, fulfilling the Great Commission in whatever way the Lord has gifted each believer. The days are serious, the stakes are eternal and the answer remains the same. Jesus Christ is Lord.

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.