In the final speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights advocate spoke out on April 3, 1968, against what he called “totalitarian” denial of First Amendment rights. He also spoke prophetically in a way that seems to refer to his assassination, which took place the next day, as well as to America’s future.

He gave the speech at the Church of God in Christ headquarters, the Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee.

“I don’t know what will happen now,” King tells the assembled crowd in this clip. “But it really doesn’t matter with me now—because I’ve been to the mountaintop.

“Like anybody, I would like to live a long life,” he says. “Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will, and He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain, and I’ve looked over and I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land.”

For more of King’s inspiring words, watch the video clip from “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” above or at this link. {eoa}

For more information on how you can fight back against cancel culture, make sure to get a copy of what Charisma founder and CEO Stephen Strang says is his most important book yet. God and Cancel Culture, released Sept. 7, is now available wherever fine books are sold. Order it at stevestrangbooks.com.

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.

Is your life prophetic? Pastor Jack Hibbs both asks and answers this question in a recent message.

“There’s a future that lies ahead,” he says. “In fact, everything that’s gone on in your life thus far has only been preparatory for your future.

“And if you’re an atheist, you’re preparing for your future. Your life is prophetic. …. Your life is prophetic if you’re a believer. That is true. And we’re going to hear reasons why.”

He quotes from G.K. Chesterton, validating the need for God’s redemptive message found throughout Scripture: “Whatever else is or is not true, this one thing is certain: Man is not what he was meant to be.”

Does this mean we are to focus on pleasure, grabbing all the gusto we can? Absorb God’s truth as you watch Hibbs’ powerful message above or at this link. {eoa}

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.

An Oklahoma pastor who lost his Bible 15 years ago was overjoyed to find out that it had been used to bring someone into a relationship with Christ.

Pastor Paul Daugherty with the Tulsa-based megachurch Victory posted the story on Facebook titled “Crazy Story.”

“Meet Clayton—he found this old Bible at a shelter 10 years ago and started reading it, and saw the name P. DAUGHERTY on the front cover not knowing who that was but seeing all kind(s) of little journal notes, and underlines and scribble thoughts next to scripture verses from the Old Testament to the New Testament,” he wrote.

The pastor wrote that Clayton would occasionally read the Bible and “treasured those little scribbled thoughts and notes as much as the Bible verses. He surrendered his life to Christ recently and broke free of a lot of stuff.”

After giving his life to God, Clayton came out to Victory last weekend and asked Daugherty if this was his Bible.

To read the rest of this story, please visit our content partners at CBN News. {eoa}

Reprinted with permission from CBN.com. Copyright © 2022 The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. All rights reserved.

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.

At “The Renewal” crusade in Plant City, Florida, last Saturday, Kent Christmas, founding co-pastor of Regeneration Nashville, released a prophetic word unto our nation that this year, 2022, will be the beginning of the final harvest for God.

Christmas says the pain that the wicked has inflicted on his people in past years come back on the evil who perpetrated it, and this movement of the Lord will shine forth His glory in all the earth.

Christmas prophesied the Lord said:

“God says I feel the pain of my people, the Lord said I never created you to suffer, but I created you to triumph. In the year 2021, I began to uncover the hearts of men, not only in this nation but around the world. I began to divide, says the Lord, who is on whose side. But this year, sayeth the Lord, is not a year of dividing but this is a year of conquering for the church for the most high.

Ted Cruz is a vital leader in our cause. He is an articulate, lightning-fast debater. And I believe in his stated core values.

However, I also believe the enemy is tempting him to make a devastating mistake. The damage from this mistake cannot be overstated. Please read what his mistake is and why he is making it, and why we must pray.

Cruz is publicly lending credence to the great hoax regarding last Jan. 6. Here are his recent comments: {eoa}

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.

Legendary talk show host Kathie Lee Gifford responded to Christians who deny or ignore the biblical “gifts of the Spirit,” telling Life Today host Sheila Walsh far too many Westerners are needlessly “terrified” of them.

Gifford said there’s “so much misunderstanding” of the gifts of the Spirit and there shouldn’t be so much “mystery surrounding” the biblical concept.

“Once you understand—you meet the people that have these gifts, and you see the way that they use them for the kingdom of God, any bias you have about it is dispelled,” she said. “Because you see what’s done in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Gifford continued, “You cannot say, ‘This is not God.’ This is redemption, this is healing … and nobody’s getting the credit for it but Almighty God.”

The former Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee host went on to say she believes “Westerners have been way too terrified of the gifts of the Spirit —and for far too long.” She implored Christians to look at what Scripture—and, in particular, the apostle Paul—has to say on the matter.

“We’re all supposed to have gifts of the Spirit. They’re supposed to be different, used like different parts of the body for one good work, but we’re all supposed to use them,” Gifford said. “And people go, ‘Oh, Jesus doesn’t do that anymore; God doesn’t do that anymore.’ Really?”

To read the rest of this story, visit our content partners at faithwire.com. {eoa}

Reprinted with permission from CBN.com. Copyright © 2022 The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. All rights reserved.

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.

Following are snippets of the top stories featured this week oncharismamag.com. We invite you to visit the links to read the stories in full.

Mario Murillo Issues New Prophetic Warnings About 2022

2022 is going to fool a lot of people. The same way that 2020 and 2021 fooled them.

Do not let yourself be one of those who is fooled again. 2022 will be a year of extremes. It will either be your greatest year of opportunity or a massive missed opportunity.

Here are the big questions that confront us in the New Year:

VOE Board Clarifies Newspaper Reports on Perry Stone

The Voice of Evangelism board has issued a statement to Charisma Media to lay to rest allegations from critics of Perry Stone, pointing out that a Dec. 25 newspaper article was much ado about nothing.

“There is nothing new to report,” the statement reads. “The story reported by the Chattanooga Times Free Press is lacking in true journalistic substance, and most of all the sources were offered and granted anonymity, allowing the story to be sensationalized. The VOE board stands firm in its decisions and will continue to operate in true biblical godly integrity.”

Charisma News reported earlier this week on the accusations that resurfaced against Stone through the Times Free Press, which included a report that the FBI is investigating his ministry, and shared a statement from VOE that said the newspaper story “bears no new information or allegations.” Charisma News also posted a recent video teaching from Stone that addressed integrity in the media; however, this video was prerecorded and not intended as a response to the recent allegations, per VOE.

Maranatha Megachurch Pastor Ray Bentley Dies of COVID Complications

Pastor Ray Bentley, founding and senior pastor of Maranatha Chapel in San Diego, California passed away on Jan. 4. The church released this statement:

Dear Church Family,

“With grieving hearts, we need to let you know that our dear Pastor Ray went home to be with the Lord this afternoon due to complications of COVID. We are all in shock and heartbroken. We find comfort in knowing that he is rejoicing in heaven with his beloved Jesus. Certainly, he was welcomed with those beautiful words, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ Please pray for Vicki and their family and for our church. More information will follow, but for now we needed to let you know and ask for prayer.

What the Lord Prophesied on New Year’s Eve

This not a light and fluffy or dreamy prophetic word being regurgitated by a timid minister who is trying to convince their congregants to think happy thoughts, as they apprehensively move into the new year, to disguise their own fear. Neither is it a positively, powerful word to trick listeners into believing that 2022 is going to be a year of great things—more prosperity and dreams come true—so they can gain more followers. That’s what happened before entering into 2020 and 2021, and none of the fluffy, dreamy words even remotely came to pass.

The body of Christ doesn’t need to be placated or coddled any longer by cowardly ministers who can barely handle the truth themselves, much less dole it out to their followers. Believers need to be told the truth…the real truth. Lack of knowledge causes people to perish but the truth sets people free.

I want the raw and real facts, not the fluff, so that I can be battle-ready just like a soldier for whatever may be ahead. I want words that cause courage to rise up in me and cause me to stand unshakeable and immovable in Christ while staring directly into the face of fear. God has commanded us to be strong and courageous, not timid and afraid. The truth be told, Revelation 21:8 says that cowards will be thrown into the lake of fire along with all the grossest and most evil sinners. So we need truthful words that will make us brave in this season.

When Jezebel’s Intercessors Attack You

Jezebel’s intercessors are on a mission to steal, kill and destroy what God is trying to build in your life, your church, your business or your city! It’s up to you to stop tolerating this demon’s antics.

While I was teaching in my School of Prophecy, I had an unction from the Holy Spirit about Jezebel’s intercessors. Here’s what I said:

“There are those who espouse themselves to be intercessors but they are nothing more than gossipers. They never pray about a thing. They just want the information. They are Jezebels in disguise. Jezebel is an information-seeking spirit. They are not seeking the information so they can pray and see God intervene, they are seeking information to prey—p-r-e-y—on your hurts and wounds….All intercessors are not pure-hearted or true. Some of them have false agendas.” {eoa}

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.

We see that difficult times are upon us and that persecution against us is ramping up. Many fear what might happen, and others question if they have what it takes to endure persecution. Let’s examine our hearts and ask ourselves the hard question, “Can I endure these difficult times?”

How does our Lord Jesus respond to the church in Smyrna? Let’s read this portion of Scripture to find out.

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

“The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:

‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the slander by those who say they are Jews, and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death” (Rev. 2:8-11, NASB).

They do not hear a rebuke, but only words of encouragement. Who are they? They are the persecuted church. He encourages them to not fear their imminent sufferings, but to be faithful to the end.

Therefore, the question to ask ourselves is, “Do I have the level of faithfulness it takes to endure persecution?”

What else do we read about fear in God’s Word that will help us to remain fearless? We read in 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV), ” For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Fear is beyond just an emotion; it is a spirit, and it is not a spirit that comes from God. And instead of fear He gives to us power.

In Zechariah 4:6 (BSB) we are told, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

Our Lord knows what we are about to face, and He understands what it will take for us to overcome this spirit of fear. Where does this power come from? And what will we do with this power? Acts 1:8 makes it plain, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

According to 2 Timothy 1:7, we not only receive power, but also love. There is power in love, and without love, we are powerless. First John 4:16 (NIV) tells us, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” Just as supernatural power is found in Him, so too is love. He doesn’t just love, He is love. And it will take His power fueled by His love to overcome persecution. Our love for Him will keep us on the straight and narrow, even during times of tribulation, difficult times.

We are also told in 2 Timothy 1:7 that instead of fear, God gives us a sound mind. During these intense times we see how our enemy, Satan, is attacking our mind and emotions to wear us out so that we give up the fight. Let’s not give up this good fight of faith but take the enemy head-on, bring him down and walk in the victory we have been given. As we see in His holy Word, we have been given the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). His Word is sharper than any two-edged sword, and it pierces us to our innermost being (Heb. 4:12).

This message may be simple, but it’s filled with reassurance, that even in times of persecution for our faith, He will be with us. And He has equipped us with powerful weapons of faith such as power, love and a sound mind to endure even in times of persecution.

Let’s pray.

“Father God, You tell us not to be afraid, and I need to confess that sometimes I struggle with fear about being persecuted. I am not filled with fear because I think You are weak, but that I know my own frailties spiritually. And sometimes I am unfaithful to trust You to protect me. I know this is not right, and I desire to get to the place where I know that I know, I trust You. I trust You no matter what they say to me or how they act out against me. I choose to rely upon Your strength, and I thank You that You are faithful to me. In Jesus’ name, amen.” {eoa}

This article originally appeared at authorbeckydvorak.com.

Becky Dvorak is the host of the dynamic teaching program, Empowered for Healing and Miracles, featured globally on the It’s Supernatural! Network on ISN. Join her on Mondays at 8:30 AM and 8:30 PM EST. Preorder a copy of Becky’s new book, The Waves of Healing Glory.

The Indian government has blocked a famous Catholic charity founded by Mother Teresa from receiving foreign funds, rejecting the ministry’s license renewal application.

Missionaries of Charity (MoC) found out on Christmas Day that its application, which allows it to receive funds from abroad, was not considered by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) due to “adverse inputs,” The Guardian reports.

The rejection is just the latest shocking example of the rising discrimination against Christians in India, especially in states run by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In the last few years, the BJP government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has increased its control of non-governmental organizations in India that receive foreign funding.

According to The Guardian, Christian pastors face ongoing persecution and churches have been under attack, including the recent vandalism of a statue of Jesus Christ.

The latest move by India’s MHA drew strong criticism on social media, with parliament leader P. Chidambaram referring to the rejection as “shocking.”

To read the rest of this story, please visit our content partners at CBN News.

Reprinted with permission from CBN.com. Copyright © 2022 The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. All rights reserved.

This prayer from Billy Graham, written for The Saturday Evening Post in 2008, is just as relevant as we head into 2022.

Our Father and our God, as we stand at the beginning of this new year we confess our need of Your presence and Your guidance as we face the future.

We each have our hopes and expectations for the year that is ahead of us—but You alone know what it holds for us, and only You can give us the strength and the wisdom we will need to meet its challenges. So help us to humbly put our hands into Your hand, and to trust You and to seek Your will for our lives during this coming year.

In the midst of life’s uncertainties in the days ahead, assure us of the certainty of Your unchanging love.

In the midst of life’s inevitable disappointments and heartaches, help us to turn to You for the stability and comfort we will need.

In the midst of life’s temptations and the pull of our stubborn self-will, help us not to lose our way but to have the courage to do what is right in Your sight, regardless of the cost.

And in the midst of our daily preoccupations and pursuits, open our eyes to the sorrows and injustices of our hurting world, and help us to respond with compassion and sacrifice to those who are friendless and in need. May our constant prayer be that of the ancient psalmist: “Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end” (Ps. 119:33).

We pray for our nation and its leaders during these difficult times, and for all those who are seeking to bring peace and justice to our dangerous and troubled world. We pray especially for Your protection on all those who serve in our armed forces, and we thank You for their commitment to defend our freedoms, even at the cost of their own lives. Be with their families also, and assure them of Your love and concern for them.

Bring our divided nation together, and give us a greater vision of what You would have us to be. Your Word reminds us that “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Ps. 33:12).

As we look back over this past year we thank You for Your goodness to us—far beyond what we have deserved. May we never presume on Your past goodness or forget all Your mercies to us, but may they instead lead us to repentance, and to a new commitment to make You the foundation and center of our lives this year.

And so, our Father, we thank You for the promise and hope of this new year, and we look forward to it with expectancy and faith. This I ask in the name of our Lord and Savior, who by His death and resurrection has given us hope both for this world and the world to come.

Amen. {eoa}

© 2008 Saturday Evening Post Society. Reprinted with permission.

This article originally appeared at billygraham.org.

Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.

An elementary school in upstate New York removed “Jingle Bells” from its roster of Christmas songs all over the holiday tune’s supposedly “questionable past.”

The backlash was swift, with critics calling the decision as “liberalism run amok” and “cancel culture at its finest,” according to WHAM-TV. An informal Twitter poll by the outlet showed 95% of respondents disagreed with the move.

Matt Tappon, principal of Council Rock Primary School in Brighton, New York, told the Rochester Beacon he decided to scrub “Jingle Bells” from the school’s repertoire and instead replace it with a song that doesn’t have the “potential to be controversial or offensive.”

The principal and other school staffers confirmed to the local outlet the decision was inspired in part by a 2017 article written by Boston University Professor Kyna Hamill, whose research purportedly showed the iconic Christmas song was first publicly performed during a minstrel show in Boston in 1857 and allegedly featured performers donning blackface. That potential link was enough for Tappon to deem the song altogether problematic.

Hamill, though, told the Beacon she was “quite shocked” to learn the school nixed “Jingle Bells” over her years-old research, explaining she “in no way recommended that it stopped being sung by children.”

“My article tried to tell the story of the first performance of the song; I do not connect this to the popular Christmas tradition of singing the song now,” the professor said. “The very fact of [“Jingle Bells'”] popularity has to do [with] the very catchy melody of the song, and not to be only understood in terms of its origins in the minstrel tradition. … I would say it should very much be sung and enjoyed, and perhaps discussed.”

To read the rest of this story, please visit our content partners at faithwire.com. {eoa}

For more information on how you can fight back against cancel culture, make sure to get a copy of what Charisma founder and CEO Stephen Strang says is his most important book yet. God and Cancel Culture, released Sept. 7, is now available wherever fine books are sold. Order it at stevestrangbooks.com.

Follow breaking news like this on our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS.