John Lindell took time during his sermon Sunday to “apologize” for inviting both Driscoll and Magala to the Stronger Men’s Conference, which took place in mid-April.
“I want to apologize and let you know I take full responsibility for the decision that was made to invite Mark Driscoll and Alex Magala to the Stronger Men’s Conference,” he said, according to The Roys Report. “I am deeply saddened by the division that our invitation has brought to the Body of Christ. That was never our intent.”
The pastor added, “The Stronger Men’s Conference is about reaching men for Jesus Christ, and it will continue to be about reaching men for Jesus Christ.”
The recent passing of Mandisa Hundley, known to many as simply Mandisa, has left a hurt in the hearts of family, friends and fans worldwide. As authorities continue their investigation into her unexpected death, the focus remains on celebrating her remarkable life—a life marked by faith, resilience and triumph.
To date, the Franklin, Tennessee, Police Department has ruled out any “suspicious or criminal activity.”
The Franklin Police Department is continuing to investigate the death of a woman found inside a Beamon Dr. residence last Thursday evening.
Over the weekend, a medical examiner identified the deceased individual as Mandisa Hundley, 47.
There’s something much greater and deeper to the Iranian attack on Israel than meets the eye.
While news outlets can only provide the basic facts and propose diplomatic solutions, Rabbi and prophetic voice Jonathan Cahn says that what happened with the Iranian attack is actually a spiritual battle and the beginning of the fulfillment of end times prophecy.
Looking at Ezekiel 38, which discusses an invasion of Israel, Cahn says there are specific details mentioned in this Scripture that are key to what we are seeing today.
Taylor Swift is holding nothing back on her latest album when it comes to her personal beliefs.
Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” is nothing short of blasphemous when it comes to her choice of lyrics. Using stories from Scripture in negative manners, Swift is using the Bible to flush out her anger.
By turning against the principles of the Bible which this nation was founded on, violence, crime and corruption have taken hold in the United States and is fighting to maintain its grip.
In response to this, Christian worship artist Sean Feucht has announced a “Jesus March for Israel” to be held on Thursday, Apr. 25, at 6:30 p.m.
Who would have thought our world would come to a place where children are terrified of their classmates, not because they are bullies, but because they believe they’re animals?
In Utah, middle schoolers protested after dealing with classmates who identify as furries. Furries are people who identify as animals, whether as a dog, cat or other creature. They believe their true self is an animal, not a person. Some of these people will dress up in animal costumes, masks and headbands.
Now, the children of Mount Nebo Middle School have had enough of the charade.
After a swarm of occurrences from last week’s Stronger Men’s Conference, Mark Driscoll has since been called off of the platform by John Lindell, reconciled to him and was then asked to publicly repent by James River Church for his comments about the Jezebel spirit being at the conference.
So, what is Driscoll’s response to Lindell and James River Church?
Four days ago, Driscoll wrote on Facebook, “Going to livestream every day this week to help everyone understand the Ahab, Jezebel, and Elijah spirit. The same spirits are at work today. Get ready.”
Mandisa Lynn Hundley, the Christian singer-songwriter and “American Idol” finalist known professionally as Mandisa, has died in her Nashville, Tennessee, home at age 47, according to multiple reports.
Born in California, the platinum-selling artist and five-time Grammy nominee rose to fame when she responded with grace to “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell’s critique following her Season 5 performance. She finished in the top 10 and in 2007, released her first album, “True Beauty.” In 2014, she won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music album for her iconic release, “Overcomer.”
K-LOVE, one of the first outlets to break the news of her death, posted the following on social media platform X:
After hosting a baptism service on Clearwater Beach, FL this Easter, a former witch turned minister and worship leader is planning to lead one of the biggest revivals in the U.S. this May.
“During baptism, all of a sudden HUNDREDS of birds began flying over us and kept circling around and DOLPHINS jumped out of the water right behind us,” she wrote. “It was as if all of Creation was celebrating what the Lord was doing on the beach!!!”
Weaver later told Fox News, “It is a blessing to be a part of what God is doing in Clearwater, Florida.”
Top of the Week: Megachurch Scandal Erupts at Iconic Gathering
Following are snippets of the top stories posted over the past week on mycharisma.com. We encourage you to visit the links to read the stories in full.
James River Church stirred up quite the controversy at their men’s conference that took place late last week.
This happened during the Stronger Men’s Conference at James River Church after a performance by a swordsman prompted prominent ministry leader Mark Driscoll to make a statement about spiritual entities plaguing the church.
The swordsman performance by Alex Magala stirred up this controversy after he removed his shirt and ascended up a pole for his performance, sword in mouth.
Renowned charismatic evangelist, pastor and author Dr. Jerry Savelle died Monday, April 15, at age 76, as announced by his ministry, Jerry Savelle Ministries International. He and his wife, Carolyn, were founding pastors of the Heritage of Faith Christian Center in Crowley, Texas, where his ministry is based.
His ministry posted the announcement of his death on its website as well as on social media channels:
It is with both profound sorrow and divine peace that we announce Dr. Jerry Savelle, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, pastor, mentor, and resolute friend, has stepped into his eternal reward this day, Monday, April 15, 2024… https://t.co/0IrhCfOty7pic.twitter.com/552bR05bqL
A recording from IHOP University an internal email from IHOPU President Matt Candler refer to the closing, according to The Roys Report. The recording reveals that the ministry is losing hundreds of thousands of dollars a month, partly due to the many donors closely connected to Bickle.
“We began to accrue some pretty significant financial challenges, with our expenses outpacing our revenues by about $500,000 a month… with no end in sight,” IHOPKC Forerunner Church Pastor Isaac Bennett says.
Mark Driscoll and John Lindell have reconciled following controversy at the Stronger Men’s Conference.
During the conference, Driscoll called out the spirit of Jezebel for being present due to sword swallower Alex Magala’s performance where he removed his shirt and climbed up a pole.
Lindell called Driscoll off of the stage, and the two of them spoke in private. Following this discussion, the two came back to address the matter.
John Lindell is calling on Mark Driscoll to repent.
Following the controversy that ensued last week at the Stronger Men’s Conference, John Lindell is now asking Mark Driscoll to repent as he releases new information and personal communication between Driscoll and the Lindell family.
In his message to James River Church, Lindell addressed the faith of Alex Magala, the sword swallower performer whose performance at the Stronger Men’s Conference has been at the center of the entire controversy.
Mandisa Lynn Hundley, the Christian singer-songwriter and “American Idol” finalist known professionally as Mandisa, has died in her Nashville, Tennessee, home at age 47, according to multiple reports.
Born in California, the platinum-selling artist and five-time Grammy nominee rose to fame when she responded with grace to “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell’s critique following her Season 5 performance. She finished in the top 10 and in 2007, released her first album, “True Beauty.” In 2014, she won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music album for her iconic release, “Overcomer.”
K-LOVE, one of the first outlets to break the news of her death, posted the following on social media platform X:
5-Year-Old Praised for Saving Family From Potentially Deadly House Fire
A 5-year-old Michigan boy is being hailed a hero after alerting his mother to a house fire and helping save his siblings’ lives.
Juwan Perry, Jr., woke up last Friday around 4:40 a.m. to smoke and immediately began yelling for his mother—an act she said saved the family from a deadly catastrophe.
“If it wasn’t for Juwan, we probably all would be dead,” mom Britteny Lee told WXYZ-TV, becoming tearful as she recounted what unfolded. “If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be here. He is my hero. Always.”
The small child’s call for Lee sent her jumping out of bed. She then discovered the unthinkable.
“I instantly jumped up and ran,” Lee told the outlet. “By the time I made it to their room, everything was on fire.”
She immediately started gathering her seven children to get them out of the home and to safety. Tragically, the home was totally lost, but everyone walked away safe and unscathed.
MSNBC’s Bizarre Treatment of Bible Ministry Sparks Shock: ‘Like a ‘Saturday Night Live’ Sketch’
The founder and CEO of an organization that provides Bible education during the public school day said recent MSNBC coverage of his efforts was so bizarre it felt like a “Saturday Night Live” sketch.
“The MSNBC piece frankly, to me, was hilarious,” Joel Penton, founder of LifeWise Academy, told CBN News. “It genuinely felt like an ‘SNL’ sketch.”
Even a brief viewing of the nine-minute MSNBC segment—which reportedly left out positive data from LifeWise showing academic improvements among participants—provides context to exactly what Penton is describing.
Titled, “Christian group uses public school-adjacent Bible study program to breach church-state wall,” the video segment, led by host Alex Wagner, said LifeWise is “raising serious questions about the separation of church and state” despite Bible studies taking place during free periods and off campus.
“Penton’s LifeWise Academy is currently influencing the minds of public school kids in progressive cities like Columbus,” Wagner, who called Penton’s work “distressing,” said. She added he wants to reach every public school in America and warned of the impact on progressive ideals.
Wagner continued, “Blue Islands … those blue islands in red states and swing states … they could be swayed by LifeWise.”
At other points in the report, warnings were heeded that some LifeWise chapters “promised ice cream or popcorn parties if kids got their friends to sign up” and that the organization somehow “found a legal way to offer Bible lessons.”
“I just wonder if this is not running afoul of certain First Amendment stuff,” Wagner added.
Penton found the entire segment—a segment for which he and his team willingly sat down with NBC—quite odd.
“That they would turn it into something that they find distressing … it was funny,” he said.
Penton said he has done many interviews about LifeWise and spent a long time with the NBC team. He was surprised to see it all boiled down into a few minutes, with the material being framed in a way that “wasn’t really balanced.”
So far, LifeWise has exceeded its goal of reaching 25 schools by 2025 and is already in more than 300 schools in multiple states—and the organization is only poised to grow.
Penton explained the parameters of how it all works.
“In the same way that a child will maybe have art class once a week, and music class once a week, and gym class a couple times a week, through our program, a public school student can have Bible class once per week,” he said. “It has to be off school property, privately-funded, parent-permitted, but the Supreme Court has ruled on this, there’s state laws about it.”
Penton is referring to “release time” rules allowing kids to get religious instruction during the school day. LifeWise launched in 2019, after Penton heard about another effort in his hometown of Van Wert, Ohio, to educate children about Christian values during the public school day.
Last night I had a dream about a key leader in Congress. He is a personal acquaintance, so the conversation with him in the dream seemed very real and vivid.
We were at what looked like a retreat center with other congressmen around, but we were sitting away from the rest at a picnic table across from each other. He was sharing confidentially with me about the pressure and pain of his job and how it was affecting him, his family and his walk with God. He looked severely depressed, but there was a love for God in his eyes that I could see shining through. He wanted God to move in his life, but he could barely breathe because his busy schedule, staff members, the constant push and pull from different voices and the deep problems in the nation that need to be solved were consuming him.
I crossed to the other side of the picnic table, knelt beside him and asked if I could put my hand on his heart and pray. He said yes, so I did and started praying gently for his heart to come alive. No one had to hear me. I wasn’t praying in a showy way, just saying “Jesus, please come. Jesus, please touch Your son right now who needs you. Jesus, meet him now!”
In that moment, the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit touched him. I could feel fire going through my hand into his heart, and he knew that God was showing up.
Tears immediately began welling up in his eyes—and then pouring over. Within a few minutes, he was weeping uncontrollably. The pressure that had been on him was being released, the presence of God was coming on him and the realization that he no longer cared who was around him or who saw his “undignified” reality was palpable. He needed God, and he needed God desperately.
In that moment, the world stood still. Nothing else mattered but him knowing that Jesus loved him, God was with him and that he, as a leader in our nation and as a child of God, would make it through this season.
Then I woke up. With the dream came a strong burden to pray.
Prophetic Dreams
As I shared in my book, “Jesus and Politics: One Woman’s Walk with God in a Mudslinging Profession,” I am not normally a dreamer. Nonetheless, I have had two dreams about elected officials that have come true. With that understanding, I know this dream is a call to intercede with diligence for this national leader and all my friends in Congress.
In addition to my 16 years walking beside members of Congress as a campaign manager and consultant, these dreams have placed a deep burden on me to stir up intercession for our national leaders.
I say this all the time in churches where I speak almost every Sunday: We have elected some godly Christian people to represent us in Washington and in our state houses, but then we forget that they are missionaries going into a hostile environment, and we leave them with no prayer covering.
Just this morning, I read out of Proverbs, “Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing” (Prov. 12:18, NLT).
We can all make all kinds of cutting statements against our elected officials and national leaders, but how many of us are doing the hard work of intercession?
How many of us are warring for them against the demonic forces that want to destroy them, their families and our nation? How many still believe God wants to make a way for them to remain steadfast and full of courage?
There are three things you must understand about elected officials to pray for them effectively.
No Time or Privacy
Can you imagine having your whole life scheduled in 15-minute increments? Can you imagine running from meeting with a constituent in your office to a committee hearing, to a quick lunch with a colleague, then a caucus meeting, then back to your office for a meeting with another constituent?
What about after work, when you need to be at receptions or other events three or four times a week? Afterward you might go back to your office (sleeping on an air mattress as some congressmen do) or your apartment. When you should finally be done for the day, your staff expects you to read all the briefing papers, legislative updates and bills you will vote on the next day before you go to sleep.
This is a normal day of a member of Congress. Similarly, your state legislators and local officials are also trying to juggle their regular lives, careers, families and public service at the same time. They are strained for time, and they have no privacy.
Trying to find time to read their Bibles takes commitment from every believer, but congressmen don’t have time for deep fellowship with other believers outside the Capitol Bible studies and appearances at local churches when they are in their districts. They struggle to find quality time with their spouses and children—and when they do, they are mentally distracted by the hundred items on their to-do lists.
Senators are recognized everywhere they go. Members of Congress are stopped at airports, the grocery store and church by people asking them questions or giving their opinions. State and county officials are in the public eye wherever they go because they live in their districts and with their voters. It is called “public service” for a reason. They have opened themselves to both public praise and criticism by holding office.
Imagine dealing with that every day. Could you maintain a close and vibrant relationship with Jesus and your family in the midst of it?
Our elected officials need our intercession. We need them to be healthy.
The longer someone serves and the further they progress in leadership, the smaller their pool of deep friendships become. They simply don’t have time to maintain as many relationships, and the people who become the closest to them are their colleagues, staff, consultants and the key leaders in their lives. It takes effort to schedule a coffee, a meeting and fellowship even within their church communities.
If you have an established relationship with an elected official, respect their time but try maintain the relationship however you can. Keep encouraging and praying for them.
I recently dropped into a meeting a congressman was leading in his office. He wasn’t expecting me, but when he saw me he launched into a passionate speech about how much our ministry meant to him, and that his most impactful meeting last year was speaking to our Christians Engaged group and getting prayer.
“You know why this meeting was so incredible?” he asked. “It was the fellowship of the brothers and sisters. They didn’t want anything from me. They just wanted to minister to me. I needed the fellowship that day, and I need it now.”
I almost wept right there. Our elected officials need our intercession—badly. We need them to be full and fulfilled in their lives and on the job.
The Warfare Is Real and Unrelenting
Can you imagine making choices that will impact millions of families for decades or even generations? The warfare over our nation’s future is intense, and our national and state leaders are at the center of it.
Offenses, bitterness and anger can take over our elected officials’ hearts as they try to combat the warfare and the public criticism they constantly face, whether deserved or not. Some of them fight it off; some don’t.
Our nation is under spiritual attack, and our elected officials are on the front lines. We need them to be victorious over the schemes of the enemy and the witchcraft-fueled assaults.
Does Scripture tell us to cut our elected officials down or pray for them?
First Timothy 2:1-4 (NKJV) says: “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
It is in all of our best interest to pray for our elected officials. We need our brothers and sisters in Christ who are serving in government to stand firmly and courageously. Our nation needs them to be healthy and free.
Today, I am amplifying my prayers and intercession for them. Will you join me?
The singer-songwriter told CBN News about his unique collaboration with a slew of Christian artists, including Chris Tomlin, Hillary Scott, Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, Naomi Raine, Blessing Offor, Jon Reddick, TAYA, Brian and Jenn Johnson, Matt Maher, Pat Barrett, Benjamin William Hastings, Ryan Ellis and Mitch Wong—familiar voices known as vocal powerhouses in their own rights.
The wide array of such prominent voices speaks to the song’s prevalence in the church today.
“You go around churches, different streams and expressions of church—you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t find some kind of connection to this hymn,” Redman said, noting the song spread like “wildfire” once it started being played at Billy Graham crusades.
“I think it might be because it has this beautiful story, starts with creation, gets the cross, but we get our chance to say what we think about those things,” Redman said. “I think some of the best hymns, they’re like a classroom and a chapel—they … educate us, inspire us, bring something to mind. and then they give us a chance to respond to that, say what we think about that.”
He said the song, unlike many old hymns, is still under copyright. The copyright holder—which is typically very protective of the song—approached Redman and asked him if there was a way to celebrate the song’s 75th anniversary.
Considering what’s happening in Ukraine as Russia continues to battle the much smaller nation, the song’s history becomes even more pertinent. Redman shared a historical fact about the tune: British missionary Stuart Hine wrote the English lyrics while in Ukraine.
Victor Sharrah, 59, woke up one day in November 2020—in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic—thinking he had crossed over into some sort of demonic realm.
“My first thought was I woke up in a demon world,” he told NBC News, referring to the disturbing faces looking back at him—faces with ears, noses, eyes and mouths stretched back with deep grooves in their foreheads and cheeks.
Sharrah knew someone who taught the visually impaired and suggested he might be suffering from a disorder called prosopometamorphopsia, also known as PMO. The illness—which is exceedingly rare with fewer than 100 reported cases—causes those infected to see faces in a distorted manner.
The disturbing distortions occur only when those suffering from PMO see other people face-to-face, rather than in photos or through computer screens. Because that’s the case, it allowed researchers the opportunity to create accurate images of what Sharrah said he sees when he looks at people’s faces.
The scientists had Sharrah observe photos of people next to the flesh-and-blood individuals, and he described to them the differences between the images and the real-life faces. They then created digital versions of the distortions for him to approve.
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The Cost of a Free Lunch
They say there is no such thing as a free lunch. Now we are learning the costs of our government’s free lunch economics.
It all began with the COVID pandemic lockdowns, which history has shown to be an unnecessary and costly mistake. After strangling the economy, the government spent trillions of dollars of borrowed money to prevent a collapse. By the end of 2020 the economy was coming back to life and did not need any more government stimulus.
Then came a new administration in Washington, D.C., bringing in a new batch of economists who believed that the government could borrow an unlimited amount of money with no economic harm. Free lunch economics propelled an unprecedented borrowing and spending binge beginning in 2021. The result was the highest inflation in 40 years.
At first the government denied that there was inflation. Then they said it was temporary. Then they blamed others such as Donald Trump, the Republicans, the Russians and American businesses. Finally, after the Federal Reserve was forced to raise interest rates to stop runaway inflation, the president made the incredible statement that more spending would reduce inflation and passed the ludicrously named Inflation Reduction Act.
We can start counting the cost of free lunch economics by calculating the cost of inflation. When the current administration took office, the Consumer Price Index sat at 261.582. Three years later, in January of 2024, it had increased to 308.417, a jump of 17.9%. So you are paying for the free lunch by paying 17.9% more for your monthly living expenses. This is the equivalent of losing two months worth of pay.
A second cost is the cost of the interest rate increases put in place by the Federal Reserve to fight inflation. Not only are you paying more for big-ticket items such as homes and autos, but you are also paying higher interest rates to finance them. Home interest rates doubled, making it impossible for many to buy a home. Car loan rates have also doubled, resulting in the highest level of delinquent car loans since the 2008 recession.
Then there is the national debt problem. During World War II our national debt exceeded our gross national product but was quickly paid down after the war by an expanding economy. Now the national debt once again exceeds gross national product, not to finance winning a world war but to finance vote buying by pandering politicians. Real needs like national defense against threats from China, Russia and Iran will be squeezed out as more and more interest is paid on the national debt. If politicians can’t quit free lunch economics we will face job-killing tax increases or runaway inflation. Or both.
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
The question for the American people is: How much are you willing to pay so your politicians can buy your votes?
Ron Allen is a Christian businessman who is active in ministries spreading a message of reconciliation to God, to men and between believers. He is the founder of American Wake Up Call.
