There are moments when the veil thins and the machinery behind the world’s stage flickers into view. It doesn’t happen in classified briefings or dramatic exposés. It happens in glitches—small, unsettling moments that feel out of sync with what should be possible. One such moment resurfaced from a trending congressional hearing involving Delegate Stacey Plaskett, where a woman seated behind her began mimicking her mouth movements in real time, matching words, cadence and even mistakes.

Most people dismissed it. Prophetic commentator Joseph Z did not.

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For Z, the clip is part of a broader pattern of “mind control” operating in government, media and elite institutions. He told his audience, “This is the type of thing when you talk about MK Ultra or people getting mind control operating and you see this so much in different places. There’s little threads, little moments that show something’s not right about some of the people that are speaking.”

What others saw as an odd facial expression, Z views as a symptom of a much deeper system operating beneath the surface.

MK Ultra Echoes in Modern Government Behavior

Z pointed to the Plaskett hearing clip as evidence of lingering influence from government mind-control efforts. In his words, “She mimicked the mistake with her mouth.” He then warned, “There’s so many conspiracies that are indeed happening that take place,” adding that mind-control programs never really died; they simply adapted.

Z explained that these patterns show up in multiple places: “You’ll see people freeze. There’s a lot I could get into with that.” He referenced public incidents involving media figures, including the moment when Al Roker appeared to freeze during a broadcast after someone referenced the Holy Spirit.

For Z, these are not random glitches or awkward expressions. They are data points. “There is a great nefarious thing happening in many forms of our society,” he said, arguing that manipulation is occurring “behind the scenes” to shape public perception and political behavior.

A Luciferian Elite and the Techno-Spiritual Agenda

From mind-control to metaphysics, Z then widened the frame. He described a global elite motivated by a spiritual worldview directly opposed to biblical truth. “What do I mean by Luciferian?” he asked. “Luciferians that run certain areas of society and sectors of the culture from all over the world truly believe that Lucifer is the good guy and Yahweh is the bad guy.”

According to Z, this worldview isn’t philosophical—it’s operational. He warned that elites are using “AI technology, digital editing, editing the genome, editing DNA, transhumanism, all the things they want to bring about,” to build a new kind of global power structure. Their aim, he said, is to reach a place where they can claim, “We don’t need Yahweh. We don’t need God.”

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Z connected this ambition to Genesis 11. “They want to do another Babylon, another Tower of Babel,” he said. The elites’ vision, as he described it, is to “punch a hole into the veil and go into the realm of the spirit,” using advanced technology as their tower.

He added, “This is really part of their religious system and they want to conquer heaven.”

“The Rules” and Why Elites Signal Their Intentions

Z also referenced what insiders call “the rules,” based on the elites’ belief that they must disclose their activities symbolically to gain public permission. “They have to show the culture what they’re doing before they do it,” he said.

According to Z, they broadcast their plans through:

• symbolism
• award shows
• halftime performances
• cartoons
• pop stars
• predictive programming

“They show you what they’re doing through movies, through posts, through pop singers, through Super Bowl halftime shows,” he said. “And if the church and the people just go, ‘Oh well,’ and we don’t stand up to it, you know what’s going to happen? Then they have permission.”

In his view, apathy becomes agreement.

A Prophetic Warning, Not a Call to Fear

Despite the gravity of the issues, Z urged his audience not to panic. “Jesus is Lord,” he said repeatedly. He insisted that the purpose of exposing these systems is not fear but discernment.

“We are disrupting the plans of darkness,” he said. “It is not the will of God that this place goes down or that it burns or that the wicked lizard overlords take over.”

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He believes the church remains the greatest obstacle to the Luciferian agenda: “We’re here, and we’re a real problem for this wicked lizard overlord pervert mafia agenda.”

Z called on believers to remain spiritually alert, politically engaged and unafraid. “You gotta stay in faith,” he urged. “You gotta stay encouraged when you see 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.

A massive wildfire tore through the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee and unexpectedly opened one of the most important biblical discoveries in recent memory: the long-lost village of Bethsaida, the hometown of Peter, Andrew and Philip. Chris Mitchell of CBN News reported from the dig site, where scorched earth suddenly revealed what 2,000 years had concealed.

Fire That Cleared the Way

When flames engulfed the area of El-Araj, excavation director Dr. Steven Notley thought their work was ruined. “Oh my goodness,” he said. “This is going to upend all of our excavation.”

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But as soon as the ground cooled, archaeologists realized the fire had peeled away layers of brush and soil, exposing walls, pottery and Roman-period remains that had never been seen. Dr. Moti Aviam said, “We found the remains of walls on the surface… everything from the surface is Roman period.”

Even more astonishing, the fire stopped right at the tarps covering a Byzantine basilica—leaving a major biblical inscription untouched. “No one can explain it,” Aviam said. Notley called it “the hand of God.”

The Mosaic That Identified Bethsaida

Under that basilica, archaeologists had already uncovered a 6th-century mosaic—an inscription honoring Peter as ‘the keeper of the keys.’

“When the letters ‘apostles’ came out in Greek, everyone was like a rocket sent to the sky,” Aviam said. The inscription is unique in the ancient world, and it confirmed what many suspected: this wasn’t just another fishing village. It was Peter’s home.

A Village That Matches the Gospels

New Testament scholar Notley explained how Scripture guided the search. “The eyewitnesses… tell us where it was,” he said. The New Testament places Bethsaida on the northeast side of the lake, and Josephus records its distance from the Jordan River. Every detail aligns.

This is the place where:

• Jesus fed the 5,000
• Jesus healed a blind man
• A quarter of His disciples were born

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Artifacts from the dig—stone vessels, fishing weights and even a rare inkwell—show a literate, devout Jewish community. “The stones are telling me there was life here,” said Dr. Carrie Wood.

Faith Strengthened in the Dirt

For Notley, the experience has been deeply spiritual. “It reinforces for me the reality of my faith,” he said. “It’s not pie in the sky… it has substance.”

Wood said simply, “The Bible is true. Archaeology strengthens the word of God.”

Another Reminder the Bible Stands Firm

Bethsaida was the last major gospel site whose location remained unclear. Now, through ash and stone, its identity has been confirmed. Once again, archaeology has caught up to Scripture.

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As discoveries continue across Israel, they form the same pattern: the Bible isn’t myth, legend or wishful thinking. It is rooted in real places, real people, and real history—and time keeps proving 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.

Pastor Billy Crone isn’t pulling any punches. In a recent interview with Charisma Media about global instability, rising antisemitism and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, he said believers should take the signs of the times seriously. “They should be scared of the seven-year tribulation, which is seven years of hell on earth,” Crone warned.

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Crone believes something changed the moment Donald Trump returned to the White House. According to him, the pace of prophetic fulfillment has accelerated dramatically. “Since Trump got in office, Bible prophecy-related issues are happening on a scale. I call it in turbo mode,” he said. For Crone, this isn’t an exaggeration or an emotional reaction. It’s a sober reading of Scripture in light of world events.

A Church Asleep at the Wheel

For Crone, the real crisis isn’t happening in Washington or Beijing. It’s happening in the pews. He argues that some Christians have slipped into complacency because they assume Trump’s second term provides a kind of spiritual buffer. “Some of the church has basically said, ‘Oh, Trump’s in. I got a four-year vacation,’” he said.

He rejects that mindset outright. “You never take a vacation from your walk with Jesus Christ,” Crone said. He warns that spiritual apathy is leaving believers unprepared for what the Bible says is coming.

Division on the Other Extreme

While some Christians are asleep, Crone believes others have swung in the opposite direction. They cut off fellow believers, accuse Trump of being the Antichrist or get swept up in conspiracy-driven antisemitism. “If prophecy does not translate into greater excitement for Christ’s return, you are off track,” he said.

Crone insists that prophecy should never produce apathy or hostility. It should produce urgency, unity and boldness in sharing the gospel.

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The Charlie Kirk Moment

The assassination of Charlie Kirk shook the nation, but Crone says the wake-up call is already fading. He compared it to the spiritual surge that followed 9/11, a surge that evaporated within a week. “Attendance went exactly back where it was before 9/11,” Crone recalled. “It lasted one week. It was a flash in the pan.”

He sees the same pattern after Kirk’s death. Some have awakened, but many are already returning to business as usual. Even worse, Crone says antisemitic voices are hijacking the tragedy to push anti-Israel narratives. “They’re using the Charlie Kirk assassination to actually fuel antisemitism,” he said.

The Stargate Program and the AI Prophetic Connection

For Crone, one of the most prophetically significant developments happened on the first day Trump returned to office. “He launched this Stargate program,” Crone said. “It’s an AI investment. It invests $500 billion… to speed up the process of AI.”

What many assume is a domestic tech initiative, Crone believes is a global structure rapidly taking shape. “They’re building data centers in the UK, Norway, Japan, even Dubai,” he said. He argues that this global development mirrors exactly what Scripture describes about the future Antichrist government.

Crone says the missing piece of prophetic infrastructure was always technological. Revelation 13 describes a world where two individuals—the Antichrist and the False Prophet—monitor every person, every transaction and every act of obedience or disobedience. “There’s not one piece of technology left that I see in the scripture that is needed to pull out the Antichrist kingdom,” Crone said.

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Humanity could never create or manage a global surveillance system on its own, he argues. But AI can. “For the first time in man’s history, we have now something superhuman that can monitor a global system,” Crone said. From tracking location to monitoring behavior to enforcing financial compliance, AI makes the Revelation scenario plausible for the first time in history.

Daniel 12 and the Age of Exponential Knowledge

Crone connects the expansion of AI to Daniel 12:4, which describes the end times as a period of exponential knowledge growth. “God calls that moment when information technology begins to spiral out of control… end of times,” he said. AI developers call this moment the “singularity,” the point at which machines surpass human intelligence and begin to improve themselves.

“AI is growing out of control,” Crone said. That isn’t science fiction—it’s prophecy.

“We Need to Get Motivated”

Crone’s message is urgent and straightforward: pay attention. “We’re so close to the seven-year tribulation, it’s not even funny,” he said. But instead of fear, he stresses preparation, clarity and gospel urgency.

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“Our job,” Crone said, “is to be the last days whistleblowers.”

Whether believers agree with every detail of his interpretation, the warning is unmistakable: the world is changing fast, Scripture has already spoken, and the church cannot afford to drift back into sleep.

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.

Kim Kardashian is not just another celebrity. She sits at the center of modern American culture with a reach that stretches across entertainment, fashion, business and technology. Her words shape trends. Her choices move markets. Her beliefs influence millions who follow her every post and clip. When Kardashian blasted psychics in a recent TikTok video, the outburst was not simply celebrity drama. It exposed a spiritual fracture with consequences far beyond a bar exam.

“I’m just letting you guys know that all of the … psychics that we have met with and that we’re obsessed with are all … full of ____,” Kardashian said, visibly angry that at least four psychics predicted she would pass the bar exam. Those predictions turned out to be dead wrong.

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To most viewers, it looked like a frustrated celebrity calling out bad advice. Ex-psychic-turned-Christian Jenn Nizza says Kardashian is missing the real danger entirely.

“She sees them as a pathological liar because the prediction didn’t come true,” Nizza told CBN News. “But they’re also lying when they’re pretending to be her deceased father, and that’s what I don’t think that she understands.”

According to Nizza, the problem is not that psychics get the future wrong. It is who is actually speaking through them. “She’s just looking at this result of a prediction, which is made by a demon,” she said. “And demons do not know the future.”

That claim might sound dramatic to a culture flooded with horoscopes, tarot readers and TikTok mediums. Yet Scripture has been consistent on this issue for thousands of years. The occult is real, spiritual forces are real and seeking guidance from them has always been dangerous.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 warns against mediums, spiritists and diviners, calling these practices “detestable.” Leviticus 19:31 says, “Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them.” The Bible does not treat the occult as superstition. It treats it as a spiritual counterfeit powered by beings whose goal is deception.

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Nizza, having lived inside that world, says that is precisely what is happening to Kardashian and anyone else who seeks counsel from the spiritual realm outside of God. “Demons will lie … they’re lying spirits,” she explained, adding that these spirits often “pretend to be Robert Kardashian to hook Kim.”

She says their accuracy comes not from divine insight but from long-term observation of behavior, family lines and patterns. “You and I can make predictions … with a high rate of accuracy, but we’re not God,” she said. “Only God knows the future.”

For Kardashian, a woman whose name alone can shift cultural norms, this deception carries a ripple effect. Millions watch her spiritual experiments. Millions follow her pursuit of psychics, shamans and New Age practices. When she embraces something, an entire generation takes it seriously. When she rejects something, people take note.

That makes her latest reaction spiritually significant. She is not rejecting the occult because it is wrong. She is rejecting it because it did not work for her. As Nizza put it, Kardashian is “throwing the baby out with the bathwater” and still “failing to see the truth of the matter.”

The danger is not simply that Kardashian was misled. The danger is that she has the cultural power to normalize the very spiritual forces the Bible warns against.

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Nizza says the long-term consequences are far heavier than a failed exam. “It’s keeping you away from the only way, truth, and life, and his name is Jesus Christ,” she said. She describes psychic involvement as a path that leads to “spiritual oppression, if not possession,” damaging a person emotionally, mentally, relationally and spiritually.

Kardashian, like many Americans, claims to believe in God. But Nizza says that is not enough. Many of her former clients said the same thing, yet they were still immersed in practices Scripture forbids. “They’re not believing in the true God, the God of the Bible,” she said.

Nizza’s final message was not anger but compassion and urgency. “We need to pray for her,” she said, calling on believers to intercede for Kardashian and her family.

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That may be the most important takeaway from this entire moment. A woman with unparalleled influence is neck-deep in spiritual deception she believes is harmless. Millions are watching. Millions are following. Millions could be drawn deeper into the same darkness unless someone stands in the gap.

Kardashian’s platform makes her powerful. Her soul makes her priceless. If ever there were a family worth praying for fervently, consistently and intentionally, this is one of them.

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.

When a Church of England infant school in Dorset asked students not to sing songs from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, some parents dismissed the concern as overprotective. One father said the ban was “ridiculous,” insisting the film is just colorful fun and harmless music.

But the school wasn’t reacting to choreography. It was reacting to a worldview.

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Lilliput Infant School explained that demon-themed lyrics could make some Christian students “deeply uncomfortable.” For a faith-based school, the issue wasn’t K-pop—it was the spiritual messaging. And those concerns echo what several Christian leaders have been warning: KPop Demon Hunters isn’t just another animated hit. It is drenched in supernatural themes that shape how children think about good, evil, and identity.

It Looks Like Entertainment, but It Preaches a Message

As Charisma Media previously reported, Pastor Vlad Savchuk has been outspoken about the film’s spiritual undertones. “Parents need to be alert,” he warns. “This is not just entertainment. It’s an entrance into your soul.”

His concerns fall into five major areas:

1. It normalizes shamanism.

Spiritual battles are fought with magic songs and mystical shields—ideas rooted in shamanistic and New Age concepts rather than Scripture. This shifts children’s understanding of what spiritual authority looks like.

2. It blurs the boundary between light and darkness.

A half-demon heroine becomes the savior of the story. Scripture draws a clear line between the two; the film softens it until good and evil blend together.

3. Music becomes a spiritual weapon without God.

In the Bible, music carries power when connected to God’s presence. In the film, it becomes a mystical force of self-expression, teaching children that spiritual power can come from anywhere.

4. It champions self-acceptance over repentance.

The heroine’s breakthrough moment is embracing her demonic identity. Savchuk warns that this mirrors cultural ideas of self-empowerment, not the Christian message of becoming a new creation.

5. It glamorizes demonic themes for young audiences.

Romantic duets with demons, idol-like characters, bright visuals and catchy hooks create emotional attachment to beings Scripture warns against.

When you combine these elements, the film presents a worldview where demons are relatable, sin becomes identity and inner darkness is embraced rather than rejected.

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This Is Why the Dorset School Sounded the Alarm

The school’s letter didn’t ban children from enjoying the movie at home. It simply asked parents to respect that some families in a Christian community take the spiritual realm seriously. For those families, demon language—playful or not—isn’t just storytelling. It’s a distortion of spiritual truth.

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The controversy is not about kids singing pop songs. It’s about children absorbing ideas about good and evil without realizing it.

Parents Need to Consider Who’s Doing the Discipling

As KPop Demon Hunters becomes one of Netflix’s most successful animated films ever, its reach is undeniable. But so is its messaging.

Savchuk puts it plainly: “Do not let Netflix disciple your children more than Scripture does.”

Parents don’t need to panic. They need to pay attention. A film that packages spiritual rebellion as empowerment, romanticizes demonic characters, and redefines identity is not neutral entertainment. It shapes how young hearts interpret the supernatural.

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Children will be discipled by something—media, culture, peers or faith.

The real question is who gets the final say.

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 decades, prophecy teachers have warned that the world was moving toward a climactic moment in history. Many shrugged it off, convinced the warnings were exaggerated or premature. Perry Stone understands that reaction well. As he put it plainly, “You want evidence… and nothing has happened yet.” But in his most recent teaching, Stone argues that believers aren’t paying attention to what the Bible actually says about the end of the age — and what is unfolding right now.

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The issue, he argues, is not that prophecy is unclear. It’s that we’ve grown dull to its precision. “People may not really be taking the scripture and seeing what it has to say about what is happening now and how it fits what has been written,” he said.

And for Stone, the evidence is no longer subtle.

What Jesus Really Meant About the ‘End of the World’

Stone goes straight to the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, the moment when Jesus’ disciples asked Him three foundational prophetic questions. They weren’t just curious. They wanted clarity about the future:

• “When shall these things be?”
• “What will be the sign of your coming?”
• “What will be the sign of the end of the world?”

But Stone stresses that the King James translation can mislead modern readers. “When you see in the King James translation the phrase ‘end of the world,’ you have to do a little bit of a word study,” he explained.

The Greek word in Matthew 24 does not mean the planet. “It is a Greek word that actually means the end of the age,” Stone said. An age is “a set time in history where something ends and something new takes its place.”

The change coming is not annihilation. It is a government transfer. “It’s the end of man’s government on earth being replaced by the government of the Messiah,” he said.

The Six Categories of End-Time Signs

If skeptics want proof, Stone argues the Bible gives more than enough. He outlines six major categories of prophetic signs that Jesus pointed to — and says they are now occurring at the same time:

• Signs to Gentile nations and leaders
• Signs to Israel, Jerusalem and the Jewish people
• Signs to the Church and the Kingdom of God
• Cosmic signs in the sun, moon and stars
• Signs beneath the earth, including earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
• Signs in nature, such as famines, droughts, floods and violent storms

“These six things I listed to you are different than things that have been taught in the past because these are connected to actual verses,” Stone said.

The criticism he hears most often — “there have always been earthquakes, always been hurricanes” — misses the point entirely. Jesus didn’t say one isolated sign would mark the end. He said the convergence would.

“When all of these things… begin to come to pass, look up, lift up your head for your redemption draws nigh,” Stone said.

The Prophetic Restoration of Israel

Among the signs Stone highlights, Israel stands at the center. The prophetic clock began ticking the moment the Jewish people returned home.

He lists several key fulfillments:

• Israel becoming a nation
• Jerusalem restored as its capital
• Jews returning from every nation
• Israel’s agricultural explosion
• Israel becoming a “mighty army”
• Israel filling the world with fruit

“All of that’s happening,” he said, and it aligns with Ezekiel, Isaiah, and other prophetic books.

Cosmic Disturbances and Earth Changes

Stone believes the heavens are sounding an alarm as well. “I’m actually working on a powerful message on how all the tribulation judgments are connected to the sun or the cosmic activity,” he said. Although he did not elaborate, he made it clear that the patterns are becoming impossible to dismiss.

He noted “the earthquakes, the volcanic eruptions,” and “very, very strange discoveries being made under the earth.” In his view, nature itself is groaning.

The Gospel Going Global

Another requirement of the end is already happening: “The gospel has to be preached around the world and the Holy Spirit must be poured out upon all flesh.” Stone believes that global evangelism and spiritual hunger are part of the countdown.

A Warning That Echoes Noah and Lot

Some listeners still reject the idea that the end of the age is approaching. Stone refuses to be discouraged.

“You say, ‘Well, they don’t listen to me.’ Well, they didn’t listen to Noah either. How did that turn out for the folks that weren’t listening?” he asked. “They didn’t listen to Lot. How did that turn out for the men of Sodom?”

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His conclusion is simple: “I’m only the messenger. And I bring you the message, and you have to determine how you feel about it.”

A Convergence Without Precedent

Stone’s point is not that one disaster marks the end. Nor is it that one sign determines the season. He argues that the simultaneous fulfillment of all six categories — geopolitical, natural, cosmic, spiritual and prophetic — forms a picture too complete to ignore.

“Because all these things are beginning to come to pass,” Stone said, believers must remain awake, alert and ready.

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And perhaps that is the actual warning of Matthew 24: not simply that the age is ending, but that the Church must not sleep through 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.

Something unexpected is happening inside one of America’s biggest college football programs, and it has nothing to do with rankings or playoff brackets.

During a recent interview, CBN’s Raj Nair sat down with Ohio State national champion Gee Scott Jr. to talk about a revival movement sweeping through the Buckeyes locker room—one marked by transformed lives, bold faith and a sincerity that can’t be manufactured.

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Scott didn’t try to dress it up with slogans or strategy. He described what he and his teammates witnessed: a genuine change taking root in the heart of a Division I powerhouse. He said it began quietly, long before cameras caught players wearing “Jesus Won” shirts or speaking openly about their faith. According to him, the real story isn’t the public moments. It’s the internal ones.

Scott explained that players began to notice things in each other that couldn’t be chalked up to maturity or discipline. Teammates who once lived one way were now living another, and the shift was so pronounced that players who had known each other for years could barely recognize the men standing before them. He called these changes “undeniable,” describing them as something no person could have orchestrated.

What makes the story compelling is how widespread it became. From household names to role players, athletes across the roster began sharing their personal stories. The testimonies sparked curiosity, then participation, and eventually a kind of momentum that carried the team well beyond Xs and Os. Scott said it wasn’t about hype or attention. It was about honoring the one they believed had turned their lives around.

Nair, who once covered the team as a college reporter, noted that moments like this aren’t entirely new for the Buckeyes. He recalled earlier seasons marked by similar sparks of spiritual hunger. Still, the breadth of what happened in 2024 stood out to him. He described feeling chills as he watched the program he loves find renewed purpose.

That story is now being told in a documentary titled “Redemption,” which highlights the sweeping revival inside the team as well as the individual journeys that shaped it. Scott said the film, releasing on Amazon Prime, captures the heart of what unfolded in Columbus over the past year.

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Near the end of the conversation, Nair asked Scott what message he would offer to the fan or student who keeps hearing about this movement but doesn’t know what to make of it. Scott didn’t hesitate. His answer came quickly, and he said he felt the words forming before the question finished.

In paraphrased form, here is what he urged seekers to do:

• Don’t rely on secondhand stories.
  Explore the truth for yourself rather than taking someone else’s experience as your own.
• Be honest about where you are.
  Whether strong in faith, struggling or unsure, start from your real place.
• Seek the One who brings rest.
  Bring your burdens, your questions and your weariness to the only source of lasting peace.
• Look beyond temporary escapes.
  Set aside the distractions that promise comfort but never satisfy, and pursue the One who offers more than a momentary lift.

Scott closed his remarks by encouraging anyone who feels the pull of curiosity to take one step forward. His message wasn’t polished or rehearsed. It was the voice of someone who has seen something too real to ignore.

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What’s happening at Ohio State isn’t about a program, a brand or a trend. It’s a reminder that even in unexpected places, revival can break through. And when it does, it often starts the same way it did in this locker room—with a few willing hearts, a spark of curiosity and a message that spreads faster than anyone could have anticipated.

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.

Islam’s growing influence in American public life is no longer a fringe concern or a social media rumor. It is happening in politics, in key states like Texas, and across the digital landscape where young people form their worldview. CBN’s latest report on the subject raises serious questions about where this trend is headed and what it means for Christians who care about the nation’s future.

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Christians are not called to fear, but to discern. Scripture speaks plainly about guarding truth, resisting deception and recognizing threats that undermine the freedom to live out our faith. As this report shows, the rise of political Islam in the United States is something Americans should be paying attention to.

1. Islam’s Expansion Into American Politics

The first area of concern is political. As the CBN segment notes, “Twenty-four years after 9/11, a foreign-born Muslim will be sworn in as mayor of New York City.” His election, the report suggests, may “inspire more Muslims to enter politics.”

The question is not whether Muslims have the right to run for office. They do. The concern raised by youth culture and religion expert Alex McFarland is whether these political victories will be used to promote secular governance or advance Islam and Sharia law in American cities.

McFarland told CBN there is “a very real concern about the encroachment of Islam and really the infiltration of Islamists into American government.” He added that this is not “Islamophobia” but “realism,” especially given what he describes as long-term ideological goals within segments of the Islamic world.

According to McFarland, Western leaders are “very naive to think that they do not desire a cultural infiltration and the ultimate bringing down of America.”

2. Islam’s Growing Footprint in Texas

The second area CBN highlights is Texas, where rumors and reports of new Islamic centers, mosque expansions and organized efforts to influence local culture have been circulating.

A viral video shared on X shows San Diego imam Shahid Umar Ibn Farooq stating, “Know this, that Islam will enter every house. Every house. Don’t worry about the Islamophobes. They can yap all they want. Their children will be Muslim.”

Farooq denies he intends to dominate or impose Sharia law and told interviewers he only wants to “spread faith.” McFarland strongly disputed that claim, saying, “Muslims are taught that they are at liberty to lie. It’s the doctrine that they can lie for the cause of Islam.”

He argues that when Islamists speak of spreading faith, the real goal is “further to weave Islam and Sharia concepts into American life to ultimately subjugate and bring down the great infidel. That’s us.”

McFarland even described interviewing workers involved in the construction of a large Islamic center in Texas. According to him, some tradesmen refused the job until they were offered “as much as three times the going rate” to participate. He believes centers like this “are threatening the stabilization and the security of America.”

Texas lawmakers have taken notice. The state banned Sharia law in its cities, joining ten other states that have passed similar legislation. McFarland said, “It is not an overreaction. It’s very prudent.” He went further, suggesting that states “should use eminent domain to take back” centers that could become “jihadist terror cell incubators.”

3. Islam’s Digital and Cultural Push Among Young People

The third front McFarland identifies is social media, where Islamic activists are intentionally trying to shape the next generation.

Farooq has urged young Muslims to “flood social media with pro-Muslim posts” to advance Islam in the United States. McFarland warns that this is a deliberate strategy aimed at influencing young Americans and normalizing Islamic ideology in public discourse.

He emphasized that Christianity is the only force strong enough to resist ideological systems that seek to dominate. “Ultimately, the force that can hold at bay either the iron fist of Marxism or the iron sword of Sharia is Christianity,” he said.

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McFarland also referred to an article from The Atlantic stating that “the jihadists are the faithful Muslims” and that moderate, westernized Muslims are considered “backsliders.” In his view, the popular claim that Islam is a religion of peace is “really naive.”

The Christian Obligation to Be Watchful

The interview is not a call to hatred or fear. Christians are commanded to love their neighbors, including Muslims, and to pray for all to come to the saving knowledge of Christ. McFarland made that clear, saying he prays “for the salvation of the Islamic world because that is really the ultimate hope.”

But love does not mean blindness. These developments carry long-term implications for the nation’s legal structure, civic identity and cultural stability.

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If Christians care about religious liberty, the Constitution and the mission Christ gave His people, then vigilance is not optional. It is necessary.

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 July 1 burning of a red heifer in Samaria triggered a flood of speculation. Still, both the Temple Institute and the Sanhedrin have now clarified the central issue: the animal burned was not a qualified red heifer according to biblical standards. Their statements were issued to correct incorrect claims spreading across social media and to reset expectations about where Israel truly stands in the prophetic timeline.

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The Temple Institute reminded the public that the requirements for a legitimate red heifer are stringent and that only a few scholars fully understand the details. They have been studying and preparing for years, but the July 1 animal did not meet the biblical criteria. The Sanhedrin echoed the same point in its own statement, emphasizing that no purification for Temple service was achieved through this ceremony.

Even so, the event is not meaningless. The heifer burned was one of the calves brought from Texas in 2022, raised at Shiloh, and prepared by a Kohen at a hidden location in Samaria. While not qualified, the ceremony reflects the broader national effort to train, prepare and restore the knowledge needed when a true biblically valid heifer finally emerges.

The clarification is the real headline. Israel is moving deliberately toward conditions described in Scripture, but this was not the moment of prophetic fulfillment. It was preparation, not completion.

That distinction matters. And it is precisely why the statements from the Temple Institute and the Sanhedrin deserve careful attention.

Here is the full statement released by the Temple Institute:

In light of incorrect information that has been published regarding the red heifer, the Temple Institute would like to announce:

1. For about ten years, the Temple Institute has been engaged in preparations for producing the ashes of the red heifer, both from an educational and practical perspective. The observance of these commandments, the raising of a red heifer according to Torah law and the production of kosher ashes for the purification of the ritually impure, is very complex and includes thousands (!) of details, which require great knowledge and skill in execution. Therefore, the process also includes a number of practical experiments and exercises.

2. About three months ago, a practice was held in the Samarian mountains, in which a simulation of the making of the ashes of the red heifer was conducted.

3. Of course, ashes of the red heifer that are not made on the Mount of Olives while facing the site of the Holy Temple are completely invalid (Mishnah, Para 4:2; Rambam, Para Aduma 4:5). Therefore, we clarify that the simulation was only an exercise, part of a series of exercises that were and, with G-d’s help, will continue to be conducted, before we are properly prepared to fulfill the mitzvah according to Torah requirements. The act was not kosher for additional reasons, including: a heifer was chosen for the exercise whose overall color was red, but was, nevertheless, the most invalid and unkosher of the heifers in our possession. (Its tail was damaged and it had a defect). Likewise, the priestly garments worn by the kohen conducting the practice exercise were not consecrated. The purpose of the exercise was to improve our readiness for producing the ashes, and indeed, the exercise improved our understanding of the process, as well as the kohen’s skill, and also revealed various weak points that we must deal with, such as the proper way to lead the heifer to its destination.

4. For this reason, the ashes were mostly left by us in place without any care on our part. We did collect samples of the ashes by people who are tamei met, (impure due to contact with a corpse), and are therefore rendered ineligible for performing this mitzvah, only for the purpose of checking whether the equipment we have is suitable for the task, and important lessons were learned in this regard as well. In any case, all of the ashes are completely ineligible.

5. Anyone who claims otherwise, that the heifer was kosher and the ashes produced from it are kosher for the purpose of purification, is mistaken and misleading, either intentionally or unintentionally.

6. There are currently four red heifers at the Shiloh site, some of which are owned by Rabbi Ariel, head of the Temple Institute. Their halachic status has not yet been definitively determined, and we are monitoring them.

7. The real red heifer will be made, G-d willing, when we have a kosher red heifer (according to the opinion of the rabbis of the Temple Institute and the rabbis they consult with), and when we are ready in all other aspects of the matter. This is a long process that requires patience and perseverance.

Here is the statement released by the Sanhedrin as reported by Israel365 News:

We sat together as one court.

Questions have reached the Sanhedrin regarding red heifer ashes, and particularly regarding the recent exercises that was conducted. We hereby announce that we completely rely on the attached announcement from the Temple Institute.

And we address all Gentiles throughout the world with the following call:

We, the Sanhedrin, whose ancestors and families stood at Mount Sinai and witnessed the revelation of the Holy One, Blessed be He, to the entire world – generation after generation, we have studied the Torah that the Holy One, Blessed be He, gave us. And we know that the Holy One, Blessed be He, asks those who come into the world to accept upon themselves the Seven Noahide Commandments.

The moment a person accepts upon themselves the Seven Noahide Commandments, they receive directly from the Holy One, Blessed be He, three amazing gifts: 

• They receive a portion of the soul. 
• They receive a portion in the World to Come. 
• They are called “Righteous Among the Nations.”

Anyone who invents something other than the Seven Noahide Commandments causes those who listen to him to sin, and this includes anyone who invents that the ashes from a red heifer exercise purify Gentiles, or heals Gentiles, or anything else – such a person is among the fraudsters and swindlers, and one must distance oneself from him and distance him.

So what does this clarification mean prophetically?

It means we are still in the preparatory phase. The infrastructure, training, and priestly readiness are being constructed piece by piece. A fully qualified red heifer has not yet been burned. That reminder should heighten our discernment, not dampen it. It shows that Israel is steadily moving toward the conditions described by the prophets — but the final steps have not yet been taken.

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Jesus urged His followers to watch the signs without jumping to premature conclusions. The Temple Institute’s correction helps us avoid that very mistake. The July 1 event was not the fulfillment. But it was another deliberate movement in that direction.

The world may shrug. The media may misinterpret. But Israel’s own institutions are telling us something vital: the prophetic timeline is progressing, but the biblical requirements have yet to be met.

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And for believers who understand prophecy, that tension — “not yet, but drawing closer” — is precisely where Scripture said the world would be as the last days approach.

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.

Scripture warns that in the last days many will “fall away” and embrace teachings that oppose God while still claiming His name (2 Thess. 2:3). The Bible describes a time when people will “not endure sound doctrine” and will gather teachers who tell them what they want to hear (2 Tim. 4:3–4). These warnings apply to those inside the church, not outside it. Signs of end-times apostasy include the rejection of biblical authority, the redefinition of sin and the elevation of personal desire above divine truth (Rom. 1:25). The cultural decay around us is directly tied to the theological collapse inside the American church.

That collapse was on full display this week. Several liberal Protestant and Jewish denominations declared transgenderism “holy” in a public statement meant to rebuke the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for voting to bar transgender procedures in Catholic healthcare facilities. The Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ, the Unitarian Universalist Association, Reform Judaism and others are now affirming a worldview that contradicts God’s design.

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Their statement claims “our beloveds are created in the image of God, Holy and whole,” and argues that “there is a disgraceful misconception that all people of faith do not affirm the full spectrum of gender, a great many of us do,” as reported by The Christian Post. Their message is that biblical distinctions between male and female no longer matter, and that identity should be shaped by feelings rather than by creation.

Scripture does not support this. Genesis states clearly that God “created them male and female” (Gen. 1:27). These categories are not flexible or interchangeable. They reflect intentional design. To call transgender identity “holy,” as these denominations do when they “proclaim the holiness of transgender, nonbinary and intersex people,” is to redefine holiness itself. Holiness in Scripture means alignment with God’s character and His commands (1 Peter 1:15–16). No biblical passage suggests that denying one’s biological reality honors God. Instead, the Bible repeatedly warns about exchanging truth for falsehood and placing human desire above the Creator (Rom. 1:24–28).

The statement goes further by suggesting that resisting transgender ideology is sinful. “When people of faith and conscience stay silent in the face of oppression, we are all made less whole,” it reads. It claims that speaking against transgender ideology “violates the sacred in its own name,” effectively labeling biblical teaching as immoral. This is precisely the inversion of truth Scripture warns about, a generation calling good evil and evil good (Isa. 5:20).

The statement’s lead author, the Rev. Sofía Betancourt of the Unitarian Universalist Association, comes from a belief system that long ago rejected core Christian doctrines such as the Trinity and original sin. Her academic focus includes womanist theology, Earth justice and anti-oppression activism, which reflects modern ideological frameworks rather than biblical authority. When she and others declare transgender individuals to be “holy,” the term is no longer rooted in Scripture but in contemporary activism.

In contrast, the Catholic Church has drawn a moral line at a time when many Protestant bodies have surrendered it. The USCCB approved revisions to its Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, reaffirming the teaching that “Catholic health care services must not perform interventions, whether surgical or chemical, that aim to transform the sexual characteristics of a human body into those of the opposite sex.” Bishop Robert Barron emphasized the serious nature of this decision, stating, “About the gender ideology, I think it’s very important the church makes a strong statement here.”

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This matters. More than one in seven patients in America receives care at a Catholic hospital. The bishops’ vote signals that some Christian institutions still recognize the difference between compassion and compromise and refuse to abandon the truth of creation.

America’s decline did not begin in politics. It started in pulpits. When churches dilute Scripture to fit cultural expectations, the nation loses its moral foundation (Matt. 7:24–27). When pastors trade conviction for applause, society drifts into confusion and spiritual darkness (Gal. 1:10). And when denominations publicly declare the “holiness” of what God calls sin, they embody the very apostasy Scripture warns will rise before the return of Christ (1 Tim. 4:1).

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There is still time for America to turn, but that time is not unlimited. Our nation must return to the truth of God’s Word. Our churches must reclaim biblical authority. Every believer must decide whether to follow culture or Christ (Josh. 24:15).

America must repent and return to the ways of God before judgment falls on this nation (2 Chron. 7:14).

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.