It is rare these days to hear a Hollywood celebrity speak plainly about Jesus. In a culture saturated with commercialism, distractions and self-promotion, hearing actor Chris Pratt publicly point people back to Jesus at Christmas is refreshing.

In a recent video promoting the Christian prayer app Hallow, Pratt urged viewers to slow down and remember why the season matters. He began playfully: “It’s the most wonderful time of year, Christmas, the joy, the family time, the presents, the cookies,” he said while tossing a cookie over his shoulder.

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Then he got serious. “The real reason I love Christmas—it’s so much more important—it’s because we are celebrating the greatest gift God has ever given us, and that is His Son, Jesus Christ.”

In a cultural moment where faith is often sidelined or repackaged into something sentimental and vague, Pratt’s words stand out. He did not soften the message. He did not abstract it. He pointed straight to Jesus.

“Together, we can focus on what’s really important about this extraordinary season,” he encouraged, inviting people to re-center their hearts.

Pratt also shared the Scripture he meditates on daily: Psalm 46:10. “The words ‘Be still and know that I am God’ are words I recite in my head every single day,” he wrote. “Our lives are moving so fast, we just need to take a minute, especially at Christmas, and focus on the reason for the season, which is for sure not cookies.”

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That single line exposes something Christians, churches and families easily forget. Christmas is not about nostalgia, shopping or sweets. It is about worshiping the God who came to save. When a Hollywood figure says it plainly, it cuts through the noise.

In a season where Jesus is easily buried under gift wrap and digital distractions, Pratt’s message lands with clarity and conviction: slow down, remember God and keep Christ at the center. After all, as he said, Jesus is the “greatest gift” ever given.

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 years, Americans have watched the war on Christmas unfold as secular forces strip nativity scenes from public squares, ban manger displays from schools and scrub the name of Jesus from celebrations that exist because of Him. Yet under the current administration, the pendulum is swinging the other way.

Rather than apologizing for Christmas, the Trump administration is elevating it, and nowhere is that clearer than at the Pentagon.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, a combat veteran known for putting action behind conviction, is leading that charge.

The Blaze reported that Hegseth is launching an initiative to uproot woke culture in federal institutions, “by bringing Christmas to the Department of War.” This includes the first-ever Pentagon Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and newly expanded holiday décor “at this scale,” not seen under prior leadership, as reported by The Blaze.

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This is not a symbolic gesture. It is a visible course correction after years of cultural retreat. The Pentagon grounds, once home to a fading Amelanchier tree planted around 2008, have now been transformed. Hegseth signed off on replacing it with a “14-foot Nellie Stevens Holly,” sourced from Virginia, signifying new life and a renewed direction. Officials told The Blaze that bald eagles were seen flying overhead as the new tree was planted, a moment loaded with national symbolism.

This is not just about decorations. It is about messaging. Every staff member and their family has been invited to the lighting ceremony. One Department of War official told Blaze News, “We are pro-family and pro-Christmas at the department.”

That statement alone signals a dramatic shift. The Pentagon is not embarrassed by Christmas, family, faith or tradition.

Hegseth’s move reflects the belief that culture must be lived, not merely talked about. Leaders shape environments, and public displays of conviction are contagious. While previous Pentagon leadership toned down religion within federal spaces, Hegseth is doing what warfighters do: advancing rather than retreating.

As Christmas nears, our nation is reminded that cultural battles are never neutral.

If Christians do not show up, secularism will. The Pentagon’s bold return to Christmas points to a larger truth. The holiday is more than lights, holly and pageantry. At its core stands the birth of Jesus Christ. The Pentagon’s new Christmas emphasis underscores why it matters: America is better when it remembers where its hope comes from.

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.

Antisemitism is surging across political and cultural lines, and this escalation is not random. It aligns with the prophetic trajectory Scripture has warned about. Hatred toward Israel is not merely ideological. It is spiritual, historic and eschatological.

In this climate, Israel365 News reports that conservative commentator Tucker Carlson has been named a finalist for “Antisemite of the Year,” a symbolic but telling marker of where influential rhetoric is trending.

StopAntisemitism, a watchdog organization, stated Carlson has spent years “downplaying white supremacy” and packaging extremist narratives “into broadcast-ready talking points.” Their case intensified after Carlson’s two-hour interview with white nationalist Nick Fuentes, where Fuentes claimed that “organized Jewry in America” stands in the way of national unity. Carlson did not challenge the claim and praised Fuentes multiple times. Senior Republicans, including leading pro-Israel voices, condemned the exchange as legitimizing Holocaust denial and white nationalism.

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Carlson’s own remarks deepened the uproar. He described Christian Zionists as suffering from a “brain virus,” prompting Senator Ted Cruz to call his rhetoric a “dangerous poison.” Carlson also stated, “There is no such thing as God’s chosen people. This is heresy. God does not choose a people who kill women and children.” Jewish leaders rebuked the statement as “theologically hostile” and politically incendiary.

StopAntisemitism’s finalists illustrate that antisemitism is not confined to one ideology or party. Some of the nominees identified for amplifying anti-Jewish sentiment include:

• Ms. Rachel, a children’s YouTuber accused of “spreading Hamas-aligned propaganda”
• Cynthia Nixon, cited for her BDS activism and public commentary on Gaza
• Bryce Mitchell, UFC fighter described as a Holocaust denier
• Stew Peters, far-right media personality
• Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian, associated with The Young Turks network.

It’s that time of year – 2025 Antisemite of the Year.

Vote for your top 3 candidates by Friday December 12th!

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) November 30, 2025

These represent only part of the more exhaustive list. Notably, last year’s recipient, Candace Owens, was not nominated despite continued controversy, signaling the organization’s intent to spotlight additional figures advancing antisemitic narratives.

Israel365 News emphasizes that while the contest is symbolic, the ideas being flagged are not. Words spoken from influential platforms shape public thought, normalize hostility toward Jews and mainstream ideologies that once existed on the fringes. When those ideas target the Jewish people, they collide directly with the covenantal promise God made, a promise that remains unchanged.

Scripture is explicit. Hostility toward Israel will grow and converge before the return of Jesus Christ. We are commanded to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, but we also recognize where this rising hatred ultimately leads. It leads to the moment when Christ Himself returns to confront it and establish true peace.

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.

There is evil in this world that is not theoretical, symbolic or distant.

It has structure, belief, ritual and intent. Its fingerprints can be found in movements fueled by hatred, violence, exploitation and manipulation. Christians often talk about spiritual warfare, but rarely do we see its tactics exposed so plainly.

Recent revelations from cybersecurity investigator Ryan Montgomery reveal a chilling subculture steeped in occult ideology and cruelty. It is a reminder that darkness is not passive. It is active. It hunts.

Montgomery, known for uncovering hidden criminal networks, told Shawn Ryan that one of the largest online groups he infiltrated was directly influenced by a movement openly connected to Satanism. Describing its ideology, he said the group was shaped by the Order of Nine Angles, which he called a “Satanist group outside of the internet,” combining “Satanism, neo-Nazism, occultism and all kinds of things.”

Its belief system demanded “rejected empathy,” “promoted ritual violence” and embraced the idea that “real power comes from harming others without hesitation.” Montgomery summed it up bluntly: “That is like a whole Satanist belief.”

Key Revelations From Montgomery’s Investigation

• The cult is massive and purposely organized. Montgomery estimated one faction alone had “20,000, 30,000 people.”

• They operate manuals like scripture. Members circulate a “240-page manual on how to do this to children,” documenting tactics of manipulation and psychological warfare.

• Their ideology is overtly spiritual in its corruption. Montgomery explained the core teaching demanded the absence of empathy, ritualized harm and dominance rooted in occult and Satanist doctrine.

• They seek out the vulnerable, especially minors. He reported their typical targets are “9 to 17 years old,” prowling online spaces where youth seek belonging or emotional help. Montgomery said the movement began with a teenager “luring minors on Minecraft,” and added that similar recruitment happens across gaming platforms where children congregate, including Roblox and other social applications.

• They masquerade as helpers or friends. Montgomery said the group lures victims by pretending to “give them actual mental health therapy” before turning to coercion and extortion.

• They indoctrinate victims into the same system. According to Montgomery, many exploited youth became perpetrators, creating a “vicious cycle that needs to be broken.”

• Law enforcement knows and struggles to contain it. Montgomery referenced more than “250 ongoing investigations” tied to the group, yet sentencing for caught perpetrators is often “nothing, man… absolutely mind-blowing.”

• Their ultimate agenda is domination, humiliation and spiritual corruption. One of their goals, Montgomery explained, was to build a “lure book,” a trophy archive of control and destruction.

• Their actions confirm something Christians already know. Evil is real, intentional and seeks to destroy.

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This investigative work does more than reveal internet crime. It uncovers ideology, worldview and spiritual allegiance. Montgomery’s findings reveal a self-conscious embrace of what the Bible refers to as the works of darkness.

The group celebrates power through pain, bonding through destruction, and loyalty through fear. It is not accidental wickedness. It is chosen wickedness.

That is why the Church cannot retreat. The world is not neutral ground. Scripture calls it a battleground. Montgomery exposed practices rooted in spiritual rebellion, not just criminal depravity, and that means the response must also be spiritual.

This is not a time for soft Christianity or private faith. We are witnessing what Paul warned about: “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age.”

So the call is simple and urgent.

Christians must get back into the fight. Not with violence or outrage, but with the light that darkness cannot understand or extinguish.

Where deception spreads, we proclaim truth. Where despair is exploited, we bring hope. Where satanic ideology preys on the weak, we embody the compassion and authority of Jesus Christ.

Montgomery exposed the works of darkness. Now the Church must expose Christ through courage, discipleship, prayer and witness.

The enemy is active. So must we be.

Spread the light of Jesus wherever you go, to whoever you speak with. The battle is real, but so is the victory promised.

To watch the whole segment of The Shawn Ryan Show, click here (viewer discretion advised: strong language and disturbing topics are discussed in detail).

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.

Artificial intelligence has emerged as the newest frontier for both culture and the church, raising questions that many Christians never imagined they would need to confront.

As apps claim to let people “talk to Jesus” or “chat” with Scripture, theologians, pastors and everyday Christians are wrestling with what role, if any, machines should have in spiritual formation. The technological acceleration has created genuine excitement, yet also deep concern about deception, misplaced dependence, and the erosion of biblically rooted teaching.

As reported in a CBN News segment, AI-powered spiritual tools are increasingly being marketed as pathways to revelation. But CBN’s Billy Hallowell cautioned viewers that “you’re not speaking with Jesus. You’re not talking with the Bible. This is AI.” He warned that the impression of sacred interaction can be misleading, because the experience “isn’t prayerful, but it’s relying on technology.”

Raj Nair, also with CBN and a commentator on the segment, professed a deep affection for Scripture while sounding an alarm over the trend. “I adore this book,” he said. “I love to live in it.” For him, Scripture comes alive only when engaged spiritually. When people ask how to read the Bible, Nair said his answer is simple: “Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, to reveal things, to show things.”

Nair pointed to biblical precedent, citing John 14:26, reminding Christians that “the Holy Spirit… will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” He affirmed that AI may be acceptable for basic factual questions such as “Who came first, Joseph or David?” or “What were the 12 tribes of Israel?”

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However, he warned that it should not be used for spiritual revelation. “If you’re looking for a deeper meaning, a message from God, I’m really worried that this is not that,” he said.

The segment drew attention to a theological limitation no amount of code can solve. “The person without the spirit does not accept the things that come from the spirit of God,” Nair quoted from 1 Corinthians. He then added, “News flash, the AI, no matter how powerful it is, does not have the Spirit.”

Hallowell took the concern further, drawing parallels to practices Scripture condemns. Using AI to seek mystical knowledge, he warned, begins to feel “like divination or some sort of like, you know, people go to psychics, which they should never do.” He argued that these apps are “not Jesus, they are not the Bible,” and using them for spiritual advice “can be very dangerous.”

The pair also noted growing dependence among pastors themselves. Many leaders now turn to AI tools to craft sermons. Hallowell said it is one thing to request “outlines and ideas,” but another to deliver messages written by a machine. “Artificial intelligence is a machine,” he cautioned. “How much should we be relying on that?”

Nair underscored a sobering reality: intellectual knowledge of Scripture is not the same as spiritual understanding. “The enemy knows the Bible,” he said. “Demons and the enemy believe that there is a God.” What separates believers from deception, he argued, is Spirit-led submission.

The future of AI in spiritual contexts is still unfolding. Bible study apps and textual tools may remain helpful aids, but Nair offered a final warning that the church and society will need to heed as technology evolves. “Use the app if you want to … to intellectually understand Scripture,” he said. “But to have a relationship with God, that requires His Holy Spirit.”

As AI pushes into moral, cultural, and now theological territory, the church is not alone in facing these dilemmas. Governments, educators, ethicists, and institutions around the world are asking similar questions about how much trust humans should place in machines. For Christians, however, the stakes are uniquely spiritual, and the answer is timeless: technology may assist faith, but it must never replace 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.

There is a spirit of deception sweeping through churches and culture, pulling millions away from God’s design and biblical truth. While society celebrates self-reinvention, Scripture warns that confusion over identity is not liberation but bondage. It is one more symptom of a world exchanging truth for lies.

A Methodist pastor in New York recently announced plans to transition into a woman during a Nov. 23 service, as reported by Fox News. Rev. Phillip Phaneuf of North Chili United Methodist Church publicly declared, “I am transitioning. I am affirming to all of you that I am transgender. The best way to put this is that I am not becoming a woman, I am giving up pretending to be a man.”

This claim directly contradicts what the Bible teaches about creation and identity. God declares in Genesis that He made humanity male and female. Identity is bestowed by the Creator, not self-constructed through feelings or medical intervention. When Phaneuf claims to be “giving up pretending to be a man,” it assumes that God erred in assigning biological sex. Scripture denies that possibility. Psalm 139 says people are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” a truth ignored in the pastor’s announcement.

Phaneuf also claimed to be asexual, saying, “I am in the category of what they call asexual. I have been that way since we have all been together, in that I am not living my life in a way that involves looking for romance.”

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The pastor told Fox News Digital that the congregation has been “overwhelmingly affirming” and that the bishop and church leadership fully support the transition. This exposes how deeply mainline Protestantism has surrendered biblical authority. Instead of calling people to repentance, leaders now bless rebellion. Truth is determined by affirmation, not revelation.

Phaneuf acknowledged that his parents do not support this decision, saying from the pulpit, “They asked me to tell you all that they do not support me.” Ironically, the rebuke from family aligns with biblical teaching far more than applause from denominational leadership.

Fox News noted that the United Methodist Church recently reversed policies condemning LGBTQ identities and now claims sexuality is a “sacred gift” for all, regardless of orientation or gender identity. This is not compassion but compromise. Love does not confirm confusion. It confronts deception with truth.

The Bible teaches that Satan masquerades as an angel of light, offering counterfeits that feel affirming but destroy. A pastor standing in a pulpit, declaring, “I am not becoming a woman, I am giving up pretending to be a man,” is a public example of this deception. It is the fruit of a church that has abandoned Scripture and replaced holiness with applause.

God does not make mistakes. Men are not women in disguise. Identity is not fluid. Followers of Jesus must speak truth with clarity. The tragedy is not merely one pastor’s confusion, but the silence of pulpits that should be calling people back to the Word of God instead of applauding self-reinvention.

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.

On a recent segment of The Glenn Beck Program, commentator Glenn Beck issued a stark diagnosis of world economics. His message—rooted in historic analysis rather than speculation—is unsettling in its timing and trajectory. For the first time in recorded history, he argued, every major civilization has reached the same stage of the debt cycle at once.

“The entire globe is riding the same wheel at the same time,” Beck said. “This has never happened before.”

His assessment is built around what he identifies as a five-stage debt cycle proven through empires past, each stage echoing patterns familiar to students of prophetic Scripture.

Stage One: Discipline Leads to Prosperity

Beck said the ascent of the great powers always began the same way. “Discipline equals prosperity,” he explained, pointing to Rome’s reforms, the Dutch Republic’s rise, Britain’s fiscal stability and America’s postwar boom.

When self-restraint governs finance and production, societies flourish. But prosperity, he warned, rarely stays guarded.

Stage Two: Prosperity Breeds Complacency and Excess

“Success creates this fatal illusion,” Beck said, describing the moment cultures conclude their prosperity is permanent. Rome moved into bread and circuses, France borrowed to fund palaces, Britain leveraged empire into war, and America replaced gold discipline with debt expansion.

He labeled this as the era of entitlement, cheap credit, political bribery, and false compassion. “Different words, same exact sin,” he said.

Stage Three: Financialization Leads to Fragility

At this stage, nations trade production for promises. Rome debased its silver. France printed paper until it was wallpaper. Germany destroyed “a thousand years of savings in 18 months.” Japan masked its collapse with zero rates, and America embraced what Beck called “this intoxicating illusion” of quantitative easing.

“Nations convince themselves they’re immune to gravity,” he said. “This time it’s different. We can manage this debt.” History shows otherwise.

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Stage Four: The Breaking Point

Every empire eventually reaches an unmanageable moment.

“Debts cannot be serviced,” Beck said. “They can’t be inflated away quietly. They can’t be rolled over without consequence.”

Rome shattered its productive sectors. France imploded in 1788. Britain abandoned gold in 1931. Germany’s inflation invited extremism. Today, Beck argued, something unprecedented has occurred.

“America, Europe, China, Japan, and every other major power… have all hit stage 4 at the same time. Never before in human history has this happened.”

Bond markets are shaking. Currencies are unstable. Political leaders “are praying that no one notices the numbers no longer add up.”

Stage Five: The Reset

Beck said debt systems always end in one of three outcomes: inflationary wipeout, default and upheaval, or war leading to a new monetary order.

“But there is always a reset, always a new order that is born from the ashes of the old,” he noted. What makes this different, he said, is that no nation is rising to replace those declining.

“China is drowning in debt,” Beck asserted. “Europe is fractured. Japan is a demographic time bomb. America is politically frozen and insolvent.”

Therefore, the next reset is not regional. “It will be global,” Beck said. “It will be systemic. It will be everywhere.”

Yet his warning was not without hope. Beck pointed out that Rome’s collapse paved the way for Christian civilization, France birthed modern nation-states, Britain’s decline opened the way for America’s rise, and World War II preceded the most significant economic expansion in history.

“The next chapter is not written,” he said. Its outcome will be determined not by Washington or Wall Street, but “in our homes and our families and our churches and our communities.”

His analysis mirrors ancient biblical warnings: human systems inevitably reach a breaking point, illusions of economic invincibility always fail, and collapse always precedes the emergence of a new order.

Beck’s conclusion resonates strongly. “The debt cycle is not prophecy. It is a warning. You cannot borrow your way out of moral, fiscal, or spiritual bankruptcy.”

Whether he realizes it or not, his assessment aligns with something Scripture has declared for nearly two millennia: a global system will one day break, a new one will rise, and humanity will be forced to confront the consequences of believing it could outrun accountability forever.

Beck is correct—there is indeed a coming global reset. Long before analysts, economists, or talk show hosts warned of it, the Bible proclaimed it, chapter after chapter, era after era, as history’s most consistent message.

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.

Dreams and sudden impressions are more than background noise. As John and Lisa Bevere explained in their recent podcast episode, they can be a battleground—where God speaks, the mind processes life, or the enemy tries to intimidate.

“Not every dream is from God,” Lisa said. That distinction matters. Some dreams reflect daily stress or information the brain is sorting. Others stem from fear and accusation. Still others, like in Scripture, carry genuine direction or warning from the Holy Spirit.

The Bevere’s emphasize that the first step is discernment. Ask, What is the source? Fear-based imagery should be resisted, not absorbed. John shared how a young pastor was tormented by visions of dying early. Nothing changed until he began “using the word of God” against the fear instead of passively hoping it would go away. Once he stood on Scripture, the torment lifted.

Biblical examples reinforce this posture. Daniel and Joseph both insisted that “interpreting dreams is God’s business,” meaning believers must involve God rather than assume instant meaning. Sometimes revelation comes quickly; other times, like Daniel’s 21-day struggle for interpretation, it requires patience and persistence.

The Bevere’s urge believers to write things down when they sense God speaking. Daniel documented his dreams, and Jesus told John in Revelation to “write in a book everything you see.” John admitted many divine whispers are forgotten because people assume they will remember. Journaling protects clarity and honors God’s voice.

They also warn against trying to force fulfillment. John recalled nearly resigning his job to make a vision happen—only to later realize God had His own timing and method.

Above all, Scripture remains the filter. If a dream contradicts God’s written Word, John said, “reject it.” If it aligns but remains unclear, set it aside and pray for understanding.

Their message is practical and hopeful: God still speaks, but spiritual maturity requires discernment, resistance to fear, and a willingness to record and wait on His direction.

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.

Christians have long believed there is more to reality than what our senses can detect. Scripture opens windows into an unseen realm of angels, spiritual conflict and eternity. In 2 Kings 6, Elisha prays, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see,” and God allows his servant to witness heavenly armies surrounding them. That moment reflects a biblical truth many feel but struggle to defend: the supernatural is real.

Lee Strobel understands that struggle. “I’m a skeptic by nature,” he told Lakepointe Church. “My degrees are in journalism and law. I tend to want evidence. I tend to want data. I tend to want corroboration.” His search became the basis of his book Seeing the Supernatural.

In his message, he offered five categories of evidence that he believes strongly affirm the unseen realm.

1. Documented miracles

Strobel argues that God still intervenes today — and that some cases rise beyond storytelling. He points to a woman who had been blind for 12 years, who instantly regained her sight while her husband prayed over her.

“She opened her eyes and saw her husband for the first time,” he said. Four medical researchers documented the case in a peer-reviewed journal. Strobel concluded, “We can reasonably and rationally conclude that a miracle has occurred” when credible witnesses, medical documentation and the context of prayer align.

2. Deathbed visions

“A deathbed vision is when someone is on the verge of dying and just before they die, they look and they see what’s to come,” Strobel explained. He noted how Stephen saw heaven before his martyrdom in Acts 7.

Modern research suggests these experiences are common. In one hospice study, “Eighty-eight percent of them had a pre-death vision.” Some include striking corroboration — such as Doris, who saw her deceased sister in heaven even though no one had told her the sister had died. Strobel concluded, “These are encounters with the supernatural.”

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3. Near-death experiences

“In a near-death experience, the person is clinically dead,” Strobel said, yet many report seeing events they could not have known — such as a red sticker atop a ceiling fan blade that only someone looking from above could see.

He cited a study of blind people who reported seeing during near-death episodes. One researcher called it “impossible according to current medical knowledge.” Strobel said these accounts affirm “beyond a reasonable doubt that the Bible is telling us the truth — when we die, our spirit does separate from our body.”

4. Contemporary encounters with angels

“The Bible anticipates that some people will have interactions with angels in this lifetime,” Strobel said, referencing Hebrews 1:14 and 13:2. He shared the story of missionary John G. Paton, whose home was surrounded by an unseen army. When mob members were later asked why they didn’t attack, they replied, “Your house was surrounded by all these muscular men dressed in white with drawn swords.”

Strobel said, “I don’t know how else to explain that.”

5. Mystical dreams and visions among Muslims

Strobel noted that “more Muslims have become followers of Jesus Christ in the last couple of decades than in the 1,400 years since Muhammad,” and as many as one-third report a supernatural dream or vision about Jesus before conversion.

He emphasized that their dreams point them to external confirmation. He recounted Nor, a mother in Cairo who dreamed of Jesus and was told, “Ask my friend tomorrow about me.” The next day, she met the very man from her dream — an underground church planter — who spent hours showing her Christ in Scripture. Strobel says this pattern is “literally sweeping the Middle East.”

Strobel believes these streams form a reasonable conclusion: “The Bible is telling us the truth, that there really is a supernatural realm beyond what we can see and touch.”

For believers, these accounts don’t replace Scripture — they underline it. Let these stories strengthen your confidence, but let God’s Word anchor your faith. Return to promises like John 14, reminders such as Hebrews 9:27 and the assurance of 1 John 5:13.

As Strobel reminded his listeners, “Someday you are going to close your eyes for the last time in this world, and you’re going to open them in the world to come.”

Until then, walk encouraged — the unseen God is still at work, and His Word remains the surest evidence of 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.

Doreen Virtue once stood at the center of the New Age movement. Now she is warning Christians that the same practices that made her famous are leading multitudes into spiritual danger.

“In the New Age, I was very famous. I went on Oprah, all the talk shows, CNN, The View, everything,” she recalled. “I was writing about mediumship, teaching it, practicing it.” For decades she believed she was helping people and even thought she was serving God.

That illusion shattered when Scripture confronted her. Preaching from Matthew 7:21-23, she said, “I came so close to hearing those words,” referring to Jesus’ warning, “I never knew you.” Virtue admitted, “I thought I was a Christian my whole life. I was saved at age 59.”

Her story begins in New Thought churches that taught that “your thoughts create your reality.” From there she moved fully into New Age teaching, touring the world, filling convention centers and mentoring celebrities. “I thought that was my life,” she said. “And that whole time I thought I was doing God’s will because people told me that the New Age materials that I produced comforted them.”

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Virtue now describes New Thought and New Age as spiritually deadly because they shift the focus from God’s sovereignty to human self-exaltation. “New Thought is this belief that you can create through positive thoughts, positive feelings, positive actions,” she said. “The New Age, New Thought glorifies self and Christianity glorifies God.”

Behind the feel-good language of “you deserve it” and “follow your heart,” she sees a deeper appetite. “This is what we see in both New Thought and New Age is this desire to have power,” she said. People wounded by abuse, abandonment or betrayal are especially vulnerable. “They turn to New Age, New Thought because, again, it glorifies self and it makes you feel like a million bucks.”

Virtue warns that this quest for power quickly pulls people into occult practices the Bible explicitly condemns. She lists three pillars of New Age deception: “The first one is idolatry… the second thing is you see witchcraft or sorcery… and the third thing is divination.” These can appear in seemingly harmless forms such as crystals, essential oils marketed for “abundance,” energy language, astrology, numerology or vision boards.

She insists the spiritual power behind many New Age “results” is real but demonic. Speaking of manifestation tools, Virtue says, “Let me tell you, it does work. I did vision boards for decades and seemed to manifest fancy cars, fancy vacations, relationships, houses, everything. But it is sorcerers’ counterfeit. These things do work because demons are behind the scenes using them as Trojan horses for further deception.”

Confronted by passages such as Deuteronomy 18:10-12 and the New Testament warnings against sorcery and idolatry, Virtue walked away from the empire she had built. “I had to say to the whole world I was wrong. I’m sorry,” she said, after touring globally for 25 years and publishing in 38 languages. The cost was high: lost income, lost friends, estranged family members and selling her home. Yet she describes a peace she never found in the New Age.

Now she issues an urgent warning to the church about blending Christian language with New Age ideas. Citing Revelation’s warnings about idolaters and sorcerers, she says, “Idolatry could keep someone out of heaven into the lake of fire and destruction forever.” Virtue warns that “New Age, New Thought is sinful” and “cannot be blended with Christianity 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.