A new scientific warning has many looking with concern toward the Pacific Northwest. Experts say the Cascadia Subduction Zone could unleash a disaster unlike anything modern America has seen before: a “mega-tsunami” so large it could rise up to 1,000 feet and crash into the U.S. Pacific Coast.

Scientists from Virginia Tech sounded the alarm in a recent study, describing the danger from the 600-mile fault that stretches from Northern California to Vancouver Island. The report estimates there is a 15% chance of a magnitude 8.0 or greater quake striking there within the next 50 years.

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Such an event, they warn, would be sudden and catastrophic. “Unlike gradual climate-driven events, a Cascadia earthquake would happen suddenly, leaving no time for adaptation or mitigation,” explained Tina Dura, a Virginia Tech geoscientist and lead author of the study. Researchers note that the quake could cause land to drop by as much as 6.5 feet, which would “dramatically expand floodplains and trigger giant waves that would reach shorelines within minutes.”

And the size of those waves would be staggering. While ordinary tsunamis typically rise only a few feet, the simulations show a Cascadia mega-tsunami could tower hundreds of feet, “far exceeding current hazard maps.” That would put millions of people and countless homes, businesses and critical infrastructure in the direct path of destruction.

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The Biblical Lens

While the science highlights the risk, believers know that none of this should come as a surprise. Jesus Himself warned that before His return, the world would experience increasing signs of upheaval: “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains” (Matt. 24:7–8). Faults shifting deep beneath the earth will always produce earthquakes, and in turn, earthquakes can produce tsunamis.

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It is not a matter of if these things will happen, but when. Yet Christians are not called to live in fear of these warnings. Instead, they are called to live with urgency. While the earth groans and shakes, we have a clear mission that does not change: the Great Commission.

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Rather than being paralyzed by fear of what may come, we should be energized to focus even more on spreading the gospel, making disciples and preparing hearts for the return of Jesus.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Oxford and Cambridge academics are claiming that the end of civilization could be closer than many think.

According to the Daily Mail, Oxford’s Toby Ord, an expert on artificial intelligence, says the odds of humanity being wiped out within 75 years are the same as a game of Russian roulette—“one-in-six.” His colleague Nick Bostrom is even more pessimistic, estimating a one-in-four chance of extinction by the next century. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jared Diamond gives humanity no better than even odds of survival beyond 2050.

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Cambridge researcher Luke Kemp, in a chilling new book, argues that civilizations always collapse. “Every civilization in human history has been ‘self-terminating,’” he writes, pointing to a recurring pattern of greed, inequality, corruption, over-expansion, and environmental ruin. He warns that the modern “globalized Goliath” is far more fragile than empires of the past—when it falls, there may be nothing left to replace it.

The article lays out a litany of existential threats: nuclear weapons, climate change, pandemics created through biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and even solar flares capable of destroying modern infrastructure. It also notes how billionaires such as PayPal’s Peter Thiel and OpenAI’s Sam Altman are preparing luxury bunkers and escape plans. Yet Kemp warns that such measures are futile, since societies built on coercion and inequality always fail.

The Bible as the Authoritative Voice

While scientists describe frightening scenarios and the wealthy scramble to prepare, Scripture has already revealed how history will unfold. Jesus foretold in Matthew 24 that there would be “wars and rumors of wars… famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.” These align with the very threats scientists fear today—nuclear war, pandemics and natural disasters.

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The Daily Mail highlights the danger of viruses engineered to spread rapidly through air travel. Revelation 16 speaks of plagues that will strike the nations in the last days. Climate change is described as unfolding at unprecedented speed, but Revelation 16:8-9 foretells a judgment where men are “scorched with great heat.” Even the fear of artificial intelligence echoes the prophetic warning of Revelation 13, where the Antichrist will use a system to demand global worship and control.

God, Not Man, Decides the End

Scientists warn that humanity’s destruction may be inevitable and imminent, but the Bible declares that the end does not rest in human hands. Acts 17:31 reminds us that God “has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.”

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The Daily Mail compared the threats facing mankind to a revolver loaded with bullets of nuclear war, climate catastrophe, artificial intelligence, and pandemics. But Scripture reminds us that no weapon or invention will decide the fate of creation—God alone will.

Fear or Faith?

The world may tremble at predictions of annihilation and billionaires may build bunkers, but Christians know the truth: these warnings echo the prophetic words given nearly 2,000 years ago. Revelation tells us plainly that the kingdoms of this world will collapse, judgment will come, and Jesus Christ will return to establish His eternal reign.

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While the world’s experts frame the end in terms of chaos and chance, the Bible shows us it is neither. It is the outworking of God’s plan. And though these events cause fear in the hearts of many, for those who trust in Christ they are reminders that the pages of Revelation are unfolding exactly as God said they would.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Satan’s influence over the music industry has long been debated, but revivalist Isaiah Saldivar says a former rapper’s confession leaves no room for doubt. In a recent reaction video, Saldivar highlighted testimony from a member of Three 6 Mafia, who openly admitted that his group’s music was created with demonic intent.

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Saldivar opened his remarks by warning: “If you did not think that the music industry was demonic, if they were hypnotizing people, all that, you will after this.” He said the rapper’s words confirm what many have suspected for years—that music is being used as a tool to lead people away from God.

“We Knew What We Were Doing”

The artist explained that the group’s name, Three 6 Mafia, was no accident. “We knew what we were doing,” he said, acknowledging that Satan was using him to spread darkness through music. He also admitted to owning satanic and witchcraft materials while producing songs that sold millions of copies and reached audiences worldwide.

Saldivar explained: “He’s revealing that during this time when Three 6 Mafia was popular, everyone was saying, ‘It’s not real. It’s not a big deal.’ But here he is, saying it was real. He admitted that Satan was using him.”

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Making 666 Normal

The rapper further confessed that one of his goals was to make the number 666 seem acceptable. “I was used to make 666 normal,” he said, describing how he embedded satanic imagery into his music so that even churchgoers would become comfortable with it.

Saldivar pointed out the danger: “Isn’t that crazy how the devil used him to do that? 666 is the number of the beast, the Bible says. And he’s admitting it. He was used to make 666 normal.”

Hypnotizing Audiences

The testimony also revealed the group’s deliberate use of repetitive phrases to manipulate their listeners. “We were trying to hypnotize people,” the rapper admitted, describing how chants of “triple six” were intentionally repeated over beats.

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Saldivar tied this to Scripture: “If you don’t think music has power to hypnotize you, to influence you and change your desires, it does. Satan has musical instruments in his body according to the Bible. What do you think he’s going to use on the earth after getting cast out of heaven? He’s going to use music.”

Spiritual Warfare Implications

For years, concerns about occult influence in music were dismissed as “Satanic panic.” But Saldivar argues that this testimony confirms the truth. “This is one of the most blatant admissions I’ve ever seen. He said Satan was using him. How many artists right now is Satan using?”

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He urged Christians to take the warning seriously: “Everything is spiritual. The music you listen to, the movies you watch, the eye gates, the ear gates—be vigilant with what’s coming in your house.”

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

The Temple Institute in Jerusalem announced on Facebook that the shofar has been sounded on the Temple Mount, a moment that carries with it immense prophetic meaning.

The full post reads:

“SOUNDING THE SHOFAR ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT!
For the first time in 2,000 years the shofar is being sounded on the Temple Mount. The shofar is the sound of Israel returning to HaShem and the sound of the coming ge’ula (redemption):
‘And it shall come to pass on that day, that a great shofar shall be sounded, and those lost in the land of Assyria and those exiled in the land of Egypt shall come and they shall prostrate themselves before HaShem on the holy mount in Jerusalem.’ (Isaiah 27:13)
Do not despair! It is happening!”

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The Temple Institute’s declaration — “It is happening” — carries weight beyond symbolism. For many Jews, it reflects a growing conviction that the rebuilding of the Temple is drawing nearer. Such a development would almost certainly require Israel to assert greater control over the Temple Mount, one of, if not the most, contested religious sites in the world. The brief but emphatic phrase suggests that what was once seen as distant hope is now viewed by many as an unfolding reality.

This also marks what appears to be only the second time in recent years that the shofar has been blown on the Temple Mount. The first known sounding took place in 2024 during Rosh Hashanah, when groups managed to bring hidden shofars onto the Mount to complete the traditional blasts despite police opposition. Just weeks earlier, worshippers also sounded silver trumpets overlooking the site on Tisha B’Av, symbolizing a return to ancient Temple traditions.

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Rising Jewish Desire to Worship on the Mount

In recent years, Jewish activity on the Temple Mount has sharply increased.

• Record numbers of Jewish visitors are making pilgrimages, with official counts surpassing 56,000 in the past year.
• Restrictions have loosened, allowing public prayer and even prostration, once prohibited.
• Priestly blessings have been carried out, alongside the blowing of shofars and trumpets, all pointing to renewed efforts to restore Jewish worship on the Mount.

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These developments reveal an unmistakable rise in Jewish yearning to worship at their most sacred site and, for many, a preparation for the restoration of the Temple.

Prophetic Significance

These recent events echo the end times warnings of Scripture. The book of Revelation describes a rebuilt Temple that will one day be desecrated by the Antichrist (Rev. 11; 2 Thess. 2). Jesus Himself commanded us to “watch” the signs of the times, urging vigilance as the day of His return draws near (Matt. 24).

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As we witness these prophetic milestones unfolding, it is imperative that we as believers pay attention to what is happening and remain faithful to the Great Commission, proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to all nations until He comes again.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Historical discoveries continue to confirm the truth of the Bible, and they seem to be accelerating as archaeological tools and technology improve. One of the most striking finds tied to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ is the so-called “Jesus Boat” uncovered in the Sea of Galilee.

In 1986, a severe drought lowered the lake’s shoreline near Magdala, revealing the remains of a large wooden vessel. Amateur archaeologists Moshe and Yuval Lufan of Kibbutz Ginosar noticed iron nails in the mud and began to dig, only to find an oval-shaped boat buried for nearly 2,000 years.

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“It’s a 2,000-year-old boat from the Sea of Galilee, the type mentioned in the Gospels, and sized for about 12 people,” biblical archaeology expert Danny Herman told the Daily Mail. “You can actually connect it to one of the most famous stories every Christian knows, the account of Jesus walking on water and calming the storm on the lake.”

A Link to the Gospels

Carbon-14 testing placed the cedar-planked vessel in the first century, aligning with the era of Christ. Its flat-bottomed design was ideal for fishing in shallow waters, and evidence of repairs with cheaper wood suggest it belonged to poor fishermen, much like the disciples themselves.

Archaeologists also found a cooking pot and an oil lamp buried in the same silt layer, further hinting at night journeys. “The oil lamp found near the boat suggests it was used for a night journey, just like the Gospel story of Jesus calming the sea,” Herman noted.

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The Gospel accounts in Matthew 14, Mark 6 and John 6 describe the disciples battling storm winds on the Sea of Galilee before Jesus approached them, walking on the water. When Peter stepped out to meet Him but began to sink, Jesus reached out His hand and said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” The Bible records that they landed at Gennesaret—the same region where the boat was discovered. “They landed at Gennesaret, the ancient name for Ginosar, almost exactly where the boat was found,” Herman said.

A Race Against Time

The excavation was nearly lost to rising waters after months of drought gave way to heavy rains. A double rainbow appeared as the vessel was lifted, a detail that many tied to divine symbolism. Archaeologist Shelley Wachsmann described the 12-day excavation as a “delicate process,” with workers encasing the fragile wood in fiberglass and foam before floating it to safety.

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For 16 years, conservators replaced the mud with a transparent chemical to preserve the structure. Since 2000, the boat has been displayed at the Yigal Allon Museum in Ginosar, drawing Christian pilgrims from around the world.

Prophecy and Discovery

While archaeologists caution that no one can prove Jesus ever stepped inside this boat, Herman said: “It’s not just an archaeological find; it’s tied to the most famous story of Jesus on the lake. While I can’t prove it’s the boat, it’s certainly the type used in that story.”

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Finds like this should cause us to pause and reflect. The book of Daniel speaks of a time when “knowledge shall increase” (Dan. 12:4). Could the accelerating pace of discoveries tied to Scripture be part of that prophecy? As we draw closer to the return of Jesus Christ, will more evidence of His life and ministry be uncovered for us to see?

The question placed before us is the same one faced by the disciples on the Sea of Galilee: do we trust Him, or do we doubt?

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

With more than four decades in the Christian music industry, Michael W. Smith says his greatest lesson is that fame fades but God’s glory endures. In a recent interview with The Christian Post, the 67-year-old artist reflected on the importance of keeping faith at the center of his life and career.

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Faith Before Fame

Despite selling more than 18 million albums and earning 45 Dove Awards and three Grammys, Smith said his identity has nothing to do with accolades.

“My identity is not being Michael W. Smith the artist,” he told The Christian Post. “The things that are near and dear and more important to me are, first and foremost, my relationship with the Lord. Then my family, my wife, my kids, my grandkids, my friends that I walk through life with.”

He cautioned against finding worth in career achievements: “Your craft can’t be your identity. If it is, it will consume you, and not in a good way.”

Dangers of the Spotlight

Smith admitted that earlier in his career he struggled with pride and chasing recognition.

“Back in the day, it was about how many records we sold, what awards we won,” he said. “I was young, kind of immature. I got caught up in it. I wish I could go back and talk to that younger version of myself.”

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Today, he makes it a discipline to deflect applause away from himself and back to God. “God doesn’t share His glory with anybody,” he said, repeating a line a friend once shared with him on a Florida porch. “That stuck with me. And now, every night before I go on stage, I pray: Let my posture be pure. Let me walk out in humility.”

“The spotlight can be dangerous,” he added. “So I do everything I can to deflect the glory, to keep it on Him.”

Concerns for Christian Music

Looking at today’s contemporary Christian music scene, Smith expressed both excitement and concern.

“There’s a lot of great stuff happening,” he said. “But I also see this surge of fame, and I worry about that.”

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He pointed to younger artists like Forrest Frank, whose bold faith is reaching massive crowds, but urged caution: “I pray for Forest. He’s filling arenas and boldly pointing people to Jesus. That’s amazing. But I hope he stays grounded. I hope he’s got good people around him.”

Keeping Perspective

Even with new projects and tours ahead, Smith said his goal is simple: to stay humble, keep his focus on God, and remember who deserves the credit.

“When people applaud, I try to deflect that glory right back to Him,” he said. “Because I know this was never about me.”

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Smith’s posture of humility offers a model for everyone navigating a culture driven by applause and achievement. By deflecting the spotlight and keeping his focus on Christ, he reminds Christians everywhere that success is fleeting but God’s glory is eternal, and that true fulfillment comes not from fame, but from faithfulness.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma media.

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk is commending Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson for not backing down after receiving criticism for sharing a faith-based message on social media.

Jackson, a two-time NFL MVP, reshared Kirk’s Sunday post on X that read, “It’s all about Jesus.” The repost quickly drew backlash from critics online, with one writing, “It’s not the message that is the problem, it’s the messenger. If Lamar Jackson was a plumber and not a NFL player, Charlie Kirk would call him a DEI hire he wouldn’t trust to work in his home.”

It’s all about Jesus.

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) August 17, 2025

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Despite the pushback, Jackson has continued to share faith-centered content. His timeline on X is filled with messages like “God is Good” and passages of Scripture from other accounts.

Kirk applauded the quarterback’s resolve during an appearance on Fox & Friends, saying, “I just want to say to Lamar… you are more than welcome in this big movement that we are building. You could be a Democrat, you could be on the left. I don’t care. Jesus is honestly the most important thing.”

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Kirk added that Jackson’s decision not to apologize shows “courage and conviction.” He said, “He’s a phenomenal talent, a once-in-a-generation, two-time MVP, and I’m just thrilled that he hasn’t apologized or backed down, to the best of my knowledge, for just retweeting a very simple Sunday message: ‘It’s all about Jesus.’”

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Kirk also tied the moment to what he sees as a larger spiritual movement in the U.S. “We are seeing Gen Z go back to church in record numbers. We are seeing a Christian revival. That should give everyone in this audience hope,” he said. “Who cares what the naysayers say? He’s standing firm for what matters most, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

A Biblical Lens: Public Faith and Unity in Christ

The pushback Lamar Jackson faced is a reminder of how polarizing public expressions of faith can be in today’s culture. Yet the Bible makes it clear that confessing Christ is essential. Jesus said, “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven” (Matt. 10:32).

Faith was never meant to be hidden, nor was it meant to be a wedge that divides people into political camps. At its core, Christianity is about unity in Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).

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Jackson’s simple repost, “It’s all about Jesus,” cuts through the noise of politics and culture wars to remind believers what truly matters. When faith is professed publicly, it not only strengthens the one declaring it but also encourages others who may be hesitant to stand. The backlash he received only highlights the spiritual truth that the gospel often provokes opposition, yet it remains the power of God unto salvation.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Pastor and prophecy teacher Billy Crone recently raised alarms about Elon Musk’s technological empire, warning that while Musk may not realize it, his innovations could help set the stage for the end-times system described in the Bible.

“I’m not saying that he’s knowingly doing it, like he wakes up every day like, ‘Yep, I’m going to help advance the Antichrist kingdom,’” Crone said. “But at the same time, that’s what I call on the front porch. Can we talk about what’s going on in the backyard? Because what’s going on in the backyard has everything to do with building the infrastructure for the Antichrist kingdom.”

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Starlink and Neuralink: A Global Matrix

Crone pointed to Musk’s Starlink satellite network and Neuralink brain chip program as major concerns.

“You create a global matrix for the first time in man’s history that no one can escape. They even say even if you’re on the top of the Himalayan mountains you’ll be connected to the matrix Starlink,” he explained. “So you call this matrix globally Starlink and then your brain chips are Neuralink. What are you going to be linking there?”

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Mark of the Beast Connection

For Crone, Neuralink in particular ties directly into biblical prophecy. Revelation 13 speaks of a mark on the right hand or forehead, and until now, many questioned how the forehead application would come about.

“It just so happens it’s not an arm chip or a foot chip. A brain chip. And for many years, people saying, ‘Well, wait a second. Mark of the Beast, right hand or what? Forehead.’ We’ve been used to the hand being used to be marked and make payments. But everybody’s been sitting back going like, ‘What’s up with the forehead, man? When’s the forehead thing going to come on?’ It’s here.”

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Urgency for the Church

Despite the sobering warnings, Crone insisted this is no time for fear but for faith and action.

“This makes me feel more propelled to an urgent, you know, an urgency to share the gospel than ever before,” he said. “The moment you get to that final corner and you see the finish line … what do you do? You run faster. And so, we’re seeing the finish line and so we need to run faster. It’s a time to be faithful, not fearful.”

God’s Word Still Stands

Above all, Crone reminded believers that prophecy proves the Bible’s reliability.

“None of this has taken him by surprise,” he said. “This book had to come from God. This is the only one that we can trust.”

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Even as the world races toward the fulfillment of prophecy, we can take heart knowing that God is in complete control. Jesus promised, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).

The end times are not a reason for despair but a reminder that our Savior is returning soon. These signs don’t spell fear, they point to hope, victory and the assurance that the best is yet to come in Jesus Christ.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Pastor Tom Hughes of Hope for Our Times recently sat down with Dr. Andy Woods, pastor of Sugar Land Bible Church and president of Schaefer Theological Seminary, for a wide-ranging conversation on Bible prophecy. One topic kept coming back into focus: the future of Babylon.

“Is Babylon going to be rebuilt? Is New York City Babylon? Is Rome Babylon? Lots to talk about there,” Hughes said as the two launched into the subject.

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Dr. Woods made the case that Revelation is pointing to both a spiritual system and a physical city. “Revelation 17 to me is … a spiritual dynamic that’s been here since the beginning and has infected all of humanity. But 18 is a city,” he explained. “Chapter 17 is more religious, 18 is more commercial, but it’s the same destruction at the same time.”

For Woods, there’s no reason to treat Babylon as symbolic when the rest of Scripture uses the name literally. “The word Babylon is used about 300 times in the Bible and it always means Babylon,” he said. “Even in First Peter 5, that everybody says that really means Rome. Well, that doesn’t mean Rome. That means Babylon.”

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Hughes nodded to the dramatic way prophecy describes the city’s fall. “You’re also saying then that prophets say when Babylon falls, she’s going to fall just like Sodom and Gomorrah, which was instantaneous,” he added.

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Tracing Babylon’s roots back to the Tower of Babel, Woods pointed to the city’s role as the fountainhead of false religion. “She’s called in chapter 17 verse 5, ‘the mother of harlots,’ not a mother—the mother. And mother is your source. It’s where you come from,” he said. “There’s only one city that’s ever existed in all of humanity that’s the mother of all harlotry. Rome doesn’t qualify. Rome absorbed the system, but she didn’t export it.”

And according to Woods, the prophecy of Babylon’s final destruction hasn’t yet been fulfilled. “Isaiah 13–14 says, ‘When Babylon falls, she will never again be rebuilt,’ which has never happened in history,” he explained.

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For both Hughes and Woods, the rise and fall of Babylon isn’t just ancient history, it’s a reminder that the Bible’s prophecies are still unfolding. “With all of these things, of course, they point to the soon coming of Jesus Christ,” Hughes said.

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Pastor Jentezen Franklin of Free Chapel recently delivered a stirring message about God’s call to move forward into a new season of victory, urging believers not to get stuck in the past but to be prepared for sudden transition.

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“Something is shifting and it’s time to move,” Franklin declared. “You need to be ready to move and you need to expect God to lead you out of the past into the new season and a new level and a new beginning and a new miracle that He has promised that He would do in our lives.”

A Call to Be Ready

Franklin drew from the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, emphasizing that God calls His people to be prepared to move quickly when the moment comes. “Don’t get so stuck in the scene you’re in that when God says, ‘Let’s go,’ you’re not ready to go and you’re not prepared to go,” he said.

Using imagery from the Exodus, Franklin told the church: “Let’s put our shoes on and get our staff in our hand. I’m bringing my family with me. I’m bringing my joy with me. I’m bringing it all with me. Hell can’t have any of my babies. Glory. We’re not staying here as a church. There’s a new season coming.”

Breaking Free From the Past

The pastor challenged believers not to grow comfortable with brokenness, sin or despair. “You’ve accepted and got comfortable with this addiction and comfortable with this sin and comfortable with this discouragement and comfortable with depression and fear and hopelessness. But I want you to get your shoes on…because when I do it, I’m going to do it quick. I’m going to send it suddenly,” he preached.

Franklin stressed that transition requires preparation. “Some of you keep tripping over your garments of heaviness. You just keep living in the past and you can’t move because you keep tripping over where you’ve been. But there comes a transition time. There comes a time to move. There’s a shift on the way,” he said.

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A New Day and a New Promise

Franklin encouraged his congregation to see this moment as a prophetic shift not just for individuals, but for the church and the nation. “Something is coming and it’s bigger and it’s better and it’s greater and we need to get our shoes on and we need to say I’m done with this mess. I’m moving forward in Jesus’ mighty name. Tell somebody, it’s a new day.”

He concluded with a declaration of God’s promises: “There is victory in your future. The curse is broken. The addiction is broken. Shame is over. The drought is over. I hear the sound of an abundance of rain.”

Encouragement for Believers

Franklin’s message is a reminder that while seasons of waiting may feel long, God has appointed times of breakthrough and deliverance. The call is to be ready, expectant and faithful.

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When God says it is time to move, may we have our shoes on, our staff in hand and our hearts prepared for His promises. The past cannot hold us, because in Christ, “there is victory in your future.”

James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.