Jonathan Cahn’s first book The Harbinger, written back in 2012, outlined nine harbingers of warning that revealed an ancient mystery behind everything from 9/11, to the economy, from the housing boom, to the war in Iraq, to the crisis on Wall Street—Everything in precise detail.

God used The Harbinger to send a prophetic message on which America’s future hangs. Yet, the mystery has never stopped. Today in 2020 it is still coming to fulfillment—and there is much more to come.

Cahn has now released the long-awaited sequel called The Harbinger II: The Return. It reveals more about the ancient secret that lies behind everything that’s happening now: the coronavirus, the economic collapse, the division of America—why it’s happening, where it’s all leading, what the future holds and the keys that God’s people must have for dealing with the days ahead.

The book was released on Sept. 1, 2020, and on Sept. 9 Cahn appeared on Sid Roth’s show, It’s Supernatural. Here is part of that interview:

Sid Roth (SR): When did you first know you were to write The Harbinger II?

Jonathan Cahn (JC): When I wrote The Harbinger, I knew that the mystery wasn’t finished.

First, there was so much to be revealed that I could not put in that first book—more than what I did put in, was what I couldn’t put in!

Second, the mystery continued. America has been continuing moving to judgment.

Third, I knew it wasn’t the time and I had to I pray to the Lord, “what is the time?” Just before this year began, I got the go ahead from God. He said, “This is the time the shakings will begin again. And the harbingers are going to continue. You must write the book.”

The Harbinger II is a warning that America is replaying the ancient mystery of judgment. What happened in the last days of Israel is happening in America now. And America has been continuing on the course of ancient Israel, away from God. There’s going to be a window of time when the nation can repent and turn back to God, but if it doesn’t, the shakings will resume.

SR: What did the ancient mystery reveal would happen after 9/11?

JC: The mystery says the nation that’s falling away from God is warned by God. He allows this strike on the land. This is classic, a biblical sign of judgment. It happened with ancient Israel. It happened with America on 9/11.

But then what? Ancient Israel went farther away from God—they defied him. That’s what the warning is. And America has been following the steps of ancient Israel from that day, falling away farther and farther, brazenly going away from God. And that puts us at a much more dangerous moment now.

SR: Are there harbingers of judgment that continued after you wrote the first Harbinger book?

JC: Yes. One is in Isaiah 9:10 (NKJV), which says:

“The bricks have fallen down,
But we will rebuild with hewn stones;
The sycamores are cut down,
But we will replace them with cedars.”

It says the sycamore will be struck down, which it was, in the corner of Ground Zero on 9/11. And the Scripture says we will plant the cedar in its place, and that already happened. They actually planted this biblical tree at Ground Zero—this cedar tree—as defiance, and it was called the “erez tree.” They named it the “Tree of Hope,” and it was a harbinger. It was like America saying, “We’re coming back stronger and stronger and stronger.”

Do you know what happened to that tree? It started withering away. And withering is a biblical sign of judgment. A nation going away from God was literally withering away—it was a sign that America is spiritually and morally withering away.

So the Tree of Hope—the erez tree at Ground Zero—fell. It was destroyed. And that represented America falling—it was the sign of the fall of a nation.

Not only that, but when it fell, it was on a Hebrew holy day—it fell on Passover. And in the heavens, the moon was dark in that night and turned blood red. So there were three signs of national judgment there at Ground Zero.

SR: Are the shakings that are happening now part of these ancient judgments?

JC: The Bible template says that after the nation is worn and shaken from the strike, it’s given a period of time—a window of time— to come back to God and repent, or else head to judgment. Well, America has been going the wrong way, and as the window starts to close, the shakings resume.

If you read the end of The Harbinger, it speaks about what kind of shakings will come: the shaking of division will come on the nation, a disorder will come, natural calamity, manmade calamity, economic collapse. We’re watching all these things happen right now.

SR: The book The Harbinger was without question a very important book, a book from God. Is The Harbinger II even more important?

JC: I believe it is more important because this is where we are now. We’re at a much more critical moment, so we need to know and be prepared. America is hanging in the balance. So I believe in many ways, this book more critical.

SR: Jonathan, what is the ancient mystery behind the pandemic?

JC: When Jeremiah the prophet said that judgment was coming to Israel, he spoke about a plague or pestilence coming—he said that because of what they did to their children, it was going to come back upon them (Jer. 32:35-36).

There’s not just one reason for a plague, but he said this invokes the judgment of God. They offered up thousands of their children. But America has offered up 60 million unborn children, and the world has offered up over a billion. This generation has done more of this than any other generation in history.

And what is this plague that has come upon us? The sin of killing children is the sin of the older against the younger. So we have now a plague that especially strikes down the older rather than the younger.

And where does it happen? Jeremiah said that it would return to the place that is the center of where you lifted up your children. Well, the center of abortion in America is New York—and New York became the center of the plague.

The day that the headlines filled America saying that the plague had come to our soil, it was January 22. That’s the same day that America legalized the killing of children. It was the one year anniversary—one year to the day—that New York passed the gruesome law of killing children up to the time of birth.

SR: Jonathan, you teach about a key Scripture that you say is the most urgent Scripture for this moment in history.

JC: Yes, it’s in both The Harbinger and in The Harbinger II. It’s so critical:

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14).

I saw that this Scripture literally changed the history of America and the world many times in our past, and it can do it again. But look at the verse before, look at the context. In verse 13 God says, “When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land” (2 Chron. 7:13a). And 2020 has been the year of the locusts, the greatest plague of locusts in our lifetime.

It’s all converging, saying that this is the critical moment for destruction or for redemption.

SR: Jonathan, at the end of The Harbinger II, you revealed a top secret event.

JC: Yes, this is something I’ve never spoken about. And I’ll just say a little bit here—the rest is in the book.

Two years before 9/11, I was led to go to the Statue of Liberty, the gate of America with other watchmen who had come to New York City from all over. We knew by the Spirit that a terror attack was coming to America and to New York City specifically, so we came to pray.

And after we prayed I lifted up the shofar and sounded it. Someone took a picture at that moment, and it created a prophetic image. In the picture, the shofar is literally touching the north tower where the attack would begin two years later—the exact spot where it all began.

That day was also the feast of trumpets, which I believe is really important. Because that’s a warning. That’s a “get ready.” It’s not the end. It’s the beginning. There is judgment coming and we—all of us—need to get right with God. There’s something special that is going to happen, something supernatural. God wants us ready for the global glory. This is going to open the heavens for the global glory.

SR: This country stands in the balance and I believe this book will trigger prayer, repentance and coming to God—the greatest outpouring of God’s Spirit, called the global glory—in history.

JC: Yes, and I just pray prophetically that this is going to open the heavens for the global glory. As you read this, let’s pray together. Lift up your hands and receive from God:

“Father we praise You, have Your way in our life. Help us to be ready for the days to come. The trumpet is sounding Father—we commit to revival, we commit to Your glory, we commit to Your will. We repent of anything that shouldn’t be in our life. Lord, hear from heaven and heal our land; do great and mighty things. We pray, Father, for end time revival, whatever it takes. Let Your glory come in the name of Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. Amen.”

This is a holy moment, with the glory of God coming on planet earth. It’s going to be the greatest event in your life, or the worst. If you have repented of your sins, it will be the greatest. If you have not, you’re not ready. Say this prayer out loud with me right now: “Dear God, I have sinned against You, and I’m so sorry. I believe the blood of Jesus washes away all my sins. And now I proclaim that Jesus is my Savior and my lord. Amen.”

Find out more at . {eoa}

Renowned fitness expert Kim Dolan Leto wants people to know the godly truth, even if it’s cliché: The journey to health isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.

Health and happiness, she says, require more than just a few weeks of intense dietary restriction or physical exertion. Dolan Leto believes people can succeed at attaining a healthy lifestyle by combining their faith and their fitness, and “doing real life with God.”

She is the host of a new podcast, Strong. Confident. His on the Charisma Podcast Network and the author of a new book called . (Faith Inspired Transformation): Healthy, Happy and Fit God’s Way.

“Only in Him do we find the strength to make health a lifestyle. Everything else is just a temporary fix with an unending cycle of deprivation, overconsumption and exhaustion,” Dolan Leto tells Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of Greenelines on the Charisma Podcast Network. “I’ve been in the fitness industry for 20 years, and with a lifetime of Christ working with in me, I felt the pull on my heart to share that truth of getting fit God’s way versus the world’s way.

“The world says things like, ‘Here’s six weeks to this or 12 weeks to that and just white-knuckle it; you can do this,'” she says. “But any time we leave God out of it, it just doesn’t work.

“The difference is that the world is going to tell you that you’re not good enough and that you need to look like this XYZ person,” Dolan Leto says. “God is saying, ‘You’re enough right now in Me.’ He wants you to seek Him. He wants you to surrender to Him. And He wants you to do it in His strength, like in Matthew 6:33. It says, ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things will be added.’

“If we do not seek Him first, there will always be something that is going to be like an effect that’s continually tripping us,” she says. “We’ll never find success. And if we do, it will be fleeting and unsettling.”

For more about how to get fit God’s way, listen to the entire podcast here. And be sure to tune into the Strong. The Confident. His. podcast on the Charisma Podcast Network. {eoa}

No wonder so many people have affectionately called President Donald Trump the “Energizer Bunny” since his 2016 election.

The president, who recently tested positive for the coronavirus, is not only back at the White House after his treatment for COVID-19—first at Walter Reed National Medical Center, then continuing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue—but he was ready to debate Democrat challenger Joe Biden in person again.

This week’s debate was scheduled for Oct. 15, but according to The New York Times, Oct. 22 is the official date of the next debate between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden. The Commission on Presidential Debates wanted a virtual debate but the president rejected that idea, saying he would not participate unless the debate was restored to its original, in-person format.

With the election just three weeks away, Trump is also geared up to restart the campaign rallies that are so popular with his supporters and allow Trump to speak directly to Americans. Recently, the president’s doctor explained Trump had “completed his course of therapy” for COVID-19 and could move again into the public sphere.

Stephen E. Strang, founder of Charisma Media and author of the compelling new book God, Trump and COVID-19, declares that in an already dramatic election season, “all eyes have rightly been focused on the president’s health. Not only is the nation still praying for his and the first lady’s continued strong recovery, but the American people are thrilled to see him raring to go as usual. They want him to keep representing their interests and our country.”

Adds Strang, “This president is a hardworking, highly determined individual. He has survived every other attack, and now he’s survived an attack on his health. He’s showing the nation that this virus can be survived—and that we must not live in fear nor shut down the nation.”

Strang also says, “Trump is a strong leader during these unprecedented times. And it’s time for him to get out his message as the election approaches—the most important election of my lifetime.”

Importantly, Strang—who has written authoritatively about this president for years—also notes that Trump and those in the White House have been taking the coronavirus as seriously as they should, given what we know about this virus and its progression. But “the virus is not going to stop this president from working for the American people,” says Strang. “He’s a true leader—and as such, he knows he has to be out in front.”

Stephen Strang’s newest book is God, Trump and COVID-19, a dynamic follow-up to his earlier book, God, Trump and the 2020 Election. The new book, in addition to sharing important insider information about China and the virus, addresses a key question for Christians: “Where is God in all this?”

God, Trump and COVID-19 is published by Frontline, an imprint of Charisma House, which publishes books that challenge, encourage, teach and equip Christians. The book is available in hardcover, paperback and e-book formats at . {eoa}

Stephen E. Strang is an award-winning journalist who founded Charisma magazine, the only national evangelical magazine to endorse President Donald Trump. He is also the bestselling author of God and Donald Trump. Voted by Time magazine as one of the 25 most influential evangelicals in America, Strang has interviewed four U.S. presidents—including President Trump—and has been featured on many media outlets, including Fox News, CNN, MSNBC and CBN.

Lately when I wake up, I hear the sound of worship songs in my spiritual ears. The songs are hymns or choruses from the days when I first fell in love with the Lord.

And I’ll sing along with them. I’ll also hear them at times throughout the course of the day and when I am going to sleep. The songs remind me of simpler days.

These songs spoke a lot to me in the early days of my faith. They were powerful, pure, refreshing; ministering to me as I grew in the Lord. I dedicated my life to serving the Lord when I was 18, and many of the songs from the 1990s renewal movement were ones I sang to and were hymns from my childhood.

Have you been hearing the songs of the Spirit? What songs are you hearing in your spiritual ears? I went onto a Facebook forum of prophetic people, and many people are testifying of hearing the same things: songs of faith ringing in their ears from their earlier days with Jesus. Are you hearing them? What do you think it means?

I believe it’s a call to return to our first love. To remember simpler times, when our faith was new, raw and everything was exciting. When Scriptures seemingly jumped off the pages of the Bible we were reading while listening to songs that were forming our faith.

We are being called to return to our first love, in spite of what is going on in the world. It’s a summons to pray and intercede, but most importantly, to worship King Jesus. We are to return to the foundations of our faith, the basics of faith knowing God remembers His covenant forever (Ps. 111:5). So He remembers you and will answer your prayers and cries in this current season of shaking.

Isaiah 49:15-16 says, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.”

He remembers us! You are not forgotten. Even though it seems we are surrounded on every side by sin, sickness, political divides, a pandemic of fear, we must remember Him. He remembers us. Something is about to break!

God has given us His wonderful Holy Spirit to remind us of the words of Jesus and how He walked. In John 14:26, Jesus told His disciples, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”

The disciples remembered His words and taught others the gospel message, and John and Peter wrote Scriptures teaching about Him, among the other apostles of the New Testament. But right now, we are to remember when times were simpler, when our faith was fresh and new, vibrant and incredible.

As we remember Him, He will send breakthrough! A double portion of His favor and anointing is on the way.

When you start hearing the spiritual songs from the early days of your relationship with Him, turn your heart to Him in worship. And know that He is remembering you and will bring forth His promises to you as you remain faithful to Him.

Let’s return to our first love. {eoa}

Jared Laskey, ., M.A. Christian Ministry, is the founder of Fireborn Ministries and host of the Adventures in the Spirit podcast. He lives to see Jesus awaken this generation to the power of the Holy Spirit. Jared loves teaching people how to hear God. He has recently published the Spirit-Empowered Journal, available on Amazon, and e-course, Entry Level Prophecy. His testimony of how God supernaturally healed him of PTSD is in Joan Hunter’s new book, Miracles for Veterans.

This week in synagogues all over the world, the Torah scrolls have been rolled back from Deuteronomy to Genesis as the reading cycle begins again. This takes place during the celebration known as Simchat Torah (the Joy of Torah).

Simchat Torah has become a part of the celebration of the biblical celebration of Sukkot (Tabernacles). However, when we read in Leviticus 23 concerning Sukkot, we find we are commanded to observe Sukkot for seven days, followed by a celebration of the eighth day. So when we read about Sukkot, we do not see the celebration of Simchat Torah.

Then why do we celebrate it? I believe the answer to that question is prophetic and can be found when we dig a little deeper into the Scriptures. Before we do, let me take a moment to remind you that every one of the appointed times in Leviticus 23 has a prophetic fulfillment in the narrative of G-D’s redemptive plan.

For instance, Yeshua’s death takes place on Passover. His resurrection happened on First Fruits. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 takes place on Shavuot or Pentecost. Many believe Yeshua’s return will happen on Yom Teruah/Rosh HaShana (Trumpets) and that the judgment day will be on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. That brings us to Sukkot, or Tabernacles.

If each of the other appointed times have a direct correlating prophetic fulfillment in the redemptive plan, then Sukkot must also.

Could it be that Sukkot represents the thousand years described in Revelation 20:1-5? But if Sukkot represents the thousand years as we see in Revelation 20, why does Sukkot last only seven days, or eight if we include the commanded eighth day? Wouldn’t it need to have 10 days to fit in the figurative prophetic picture?

What if I told you that Sukkot actually does have 10 days associated with it? To understand this, we first need to understand that every one of the biblical appointed times has one extra day associated with it. This day is known as preparation day.

Every week before Shabbat, there is a day of preparation. Before Passover, all of the leaven must be removed before the feast of unleavened bread begins on the day of preparation. This is the same for each of the appointed times.

So when we include the day of preparation we now have nine days associated with Sukkot. But, what about the 10th day? What if Simchat Torah, while not commanded in Leviticus 23, was a part of G-D’s plan and instituted to complete the prophetic picture of Sukkot?

In Genesis 1:26-27 (TLV), we read a unique passage in the telling of the creation. We know that the Bible was written perfectly and that G-D purposefully chose each word He used. So when we read Genesis 1:26-27, and we see the words “us make” in verse 26, and the words “G-D created” in verse 27, we should notice that the words “us” and “G-D” are different and that the words “make” (asar) and “create” are also different:

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness! Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the flying creatures of the sky, over the livestock, over the whole earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the land.’ God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.”

Let’s dig a little deeper. We read in Genesis 1 that man was created on the sixth day and that G-D instituted the Sabbath on the seventh day. So man was created on the day of preparation, but man was not made on the sixth day. The making of man is still taking place. Man is being made by “us.”

G-D gave Torah and all of the appointed times in order to complete the making of man. He created man on the day of preparation, but mankind will be made on the eighth day, the day of new beginnings (which is the ninth day when we include the preparation day). We will rejoice in the fullness of Torah, the completion of the work of Yeshua as man becomes not just created, but made on the tenth day, the celebration which completes the prophetic picture of Sukkot and its witness of the thousand-year millennial reign.

It was added by design by man as a celebration because this day of rejoicing in the Torah is about the prophetic time when man will no longer just be created, but on that day, they will have been made. {eoa}

Eric Tokajer is the author of Overcoming Fearlessness, What If Everything You Were Taught About the Ten Commandments Was Wrong?, With Me in Paradise, Transient Singularity, OY! How Did I Get Here?: Thirty-One Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before Entering Ministry, #ManWisdom: With Eric Tokajer, Jesus Is to Christianity as Pasta Is to Italians and Galatians in Context.

Although she’s a popular Bible teacher and the daughter of Billy Graham, Anne Graham Lotz admits she has struggled with the discipline of prayer. And she realizes it’s a trouble spot for many other believers as well, which hinders their relationship with Christ.

But as a kingdom warrior, Lotz wants desperately to correct that issue not only in her own life but in the lives of the people she teaches. She has developed a passion to help kickstart believers’ prayer lives, and this passion led her to write her new book, The Light of His Presence: Prayers to Draw You Near to the Heart of God.

“Especially if you’re a Christian leader, you don’t want to admit that prayer is a struggle,” Lotz told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of Greenelines on the Charisma Podcast Network. “But I’ve struggled with consistency, just praying every day, what to say when I pray and just keeping my focus when I pray. Time in prayer has been a struggle for me in those areas.

“I was just asking the Lord to help me to know what He wants me to pray: ‘Please help me.’ So He brought to my mind to write down my prayers. And when I write down my prayers, it helps me with concentration. If you lose your concentration, you can see it on paper. It’s helped me with content, just putting in elements in the prayer that I feel like I should include.

“COVID has actually been a blessing me with to help me with consistency, because I’ve been at home. I’ve never been so consistent in prayer. This little book on prayer comes out of my own experience, and these are my prayers. … They are not meant to be a substitute for other people’s prayers, but just to help them get into their own prayers. Just write down what God has put on your heart.”

For more about how to enhance your prayer life, listen to the entire podcast with Anne Graham Lotz.

As a veteran exposed to the horrors of the Vietnam War, David Friend has a strong heart and desire to help those like him who continue to suffer from the effects of not only that conflict, but other wars as well.

Now a pastor at Dream Center First Assembly of God Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, Friend continues his mission to honor and help veterans who suffer from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and the residual health issues created by the dangerous chemical Agent Orange. Friend considers it his mission to bring attention to the problems these veterans—there are from Vietnam living today—still encounter nearly a half-century later and to honor them for their service.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to reach out to people and let them know about these issues veterans face today,” Friend told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of Greenelines on the Charisma Podcast Network. “Many people believe that the Vietnam thing is just kind of history and in the past, that it’s over and done with and there’s nothing else really happening with it. But the problems from Vietnam are very real, and they’re very alive.

“And the issues of Agent Orange and PTSD are sadly alive and well,” he said. “We need to reach out to people and bring awareness to the situation and let people know of God’s healing touch and his ability to turn this whole thing around.

“As a Vietnam veteran diagnosed with Agent Orange-caused cancer and trials with PTSD, I have attempted to examine these two potential death sentences,” Friend said. “America needs a plan of action to help these veterans still living today. Because of God’s grace, I can expose these issues to the American people.

“In our churches, we need to become aware of these veterans who serve in our churches and our communities, to get to know them, be aware of them and honor and bless them as a group,” he said. “If nobody else will do it, your pastor can step up. That’s what I did—just to simply get to know these people, these men and women now who just need help and guidance and let them know that people care.”

For more about Pastor David Friend’s ministry to veterans, listen to the entire podcast. {eoa}

Does Satan speak in tongues? No.

Satan does not speak in tongues. There is no counterfeit.

The false teaching that Satan speaks in tongues and we could receive a satanic counterfeit to God’s gift has caused many to fear seeking God for this promise. This article should take everyone’s fear out of speaking in tongues. May it free them from the chains of bondage that prevent them from entering into the fullness of the Spirit and enjoying this gift of divine communication with the Father through the Holy Spirit.

If Satan spoke in tongues, Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul would have warned us about it in Scripture. Never do they mention it anywhere in their teachings. Since Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul were not concerned about it, neither should we be. Nor should pastors tell their congregations that Satan speaks in tongues, because those who do are teaching doctrine contrary to Scripture and are adding to scriptural teaching.

John the beloved warns us in the book of Revelation about the judgment that awaits those who add to the things in the revelation given him. He said, “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book” (Rev. 22:18). So perhaps judgment might also await those who add to any portion of the Bible, including those who teach that Satan speaks in tongues. We should all be careful that we do not teach any false doctrine clearly contrary to and not in Scripture.

The apostle Paul says that every utterance is significant: “There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance” (1 Cor. 14:10). The J.B. Phillips translation says it this way: “There are in the world a great variety of spoken sounds and each has a distinct meaning.” Every utterance spoken has meaning with God, and it is impossible to make a mistake when speaking in tongues. Also, there are 6,000 languages spoken in the world today. No one has the right to tell anyone speaking in tongues that they are not speaking intelligible utterances according to Scripture and linguistics. God understands it all.

Furthermore, Isaiah warns us on behalf of God about those who cause believers to stumble, preventing them from receiving the fullness of the Spirit. God said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, take up every stumbling block out of the way of My people” (Isa. 57:14). While this verse is taken out of context, the principle is relevant to our subject. Pastors and teachers cause people to stumble when they teach that Satan speaks in tongues, for they cannot back it up with Scripture.

Jesus Christ said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them. For to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14). This command would be thwarted when pastors use scare tactics to prohibit the children from coming to the Father in praying in the Spirit. I have laid hands on people of all ages to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit in church meetings at the altar, and in other places, including children under ten years old, and they have spoken in tongues as witnessed by altar workers. I received the baptism with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues when I was nine years old when my parents prayed for me and laid hands on me at the altar of Claremont Assembly of God in San Diego. I have spoken in tongues ever since.

Another thing some pastors teach is that Jesus Christ did not speak in tongues, so why should we? Now it is true that Jesus Christ did not speak in tongues, but to therefore say that we should not either does not emanate from exegetical Bible teaching. Here is the answer: It is true that Jesus Christ did not speak in tongues. Jesus Christ’s life on earth pre-dated the New Testament. Speaking in tongues is a New Testament phenomenon. Jesus Christ came and lived during the Old Testament.

The New Testament Church was born 50 days after the crucifixion on the day of Pentecost with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus Christ sent, and which ensued with speaking in tongues. This was the fulfillment of the eschatological hope in Isaiah 44:3, “For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.” Christ sent the Spirit also in fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy about the coming of the Holy Spirit, saying, “And it will be that, afterwards, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. Even on the menservants and maidservants in those days I will pour out My Spirit” (Joel 2:28-29).

Also, Christ sent the Spirit in fulfillment of John the Baptist who said that Jesus would be the one who baptizes in the Spirit, saying, “I indeed baptize you with water to repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matt. 3:11). Jesus Christ, Himself, said, “And look, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). Also, Jesus Christ, as the Son, had perfect communication with the Father and knew the Father’s heart. So, He did not need to speak in tongues.

Consequently, speaking in tongues was the telltale sign of the outpouring of the Spirit on every occasion in the New Testament. In Acts 2:4, in A.D. 33, believers received the baptism in the Spirit through the direct sovereign will of God, meaning that no hands were laid on them. In Acts 8:14-17, in A.D. 39, believers received it through the laying on of hands. In Acts 10:44-46, in A.D. 41, believers received it through the direct sovereign will of God. In Acts 19:1-7, in A.D. 54, believers received it through the laying on of hands. Paul admonishes believers to speak in tongues in 1 Cor. 14:14-15 and 39 in A.D. 55; Eph. 5:18 and 6:18 in A.D. 64; and Jude also admonishes to pray in the Spirit in Jude verse 20 in A.D. 70. The only two possible methods for receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit as confirmed by speaking in tongues is either through the direct sovereign will of God or through the laying on of hands. Either way is God’s will.

We can document speaking in tongues up to 37 years after the day of Pentecost in A.D. 70 in Scripture. If speaking in tongues should not continue at the present time, where is the historical line drawn? Where in Scripture did the theological change take place? Since we today are still in the New Testament Church age, why shouldn’t speaking in tongues, therefore, continue at the present time? Furthermore, if speaking in tongues should not continue today, why has the Roman Catholic Church documented speaking in tongues along with signs and wonders for the past 2,000 years? And why did some of the early church fathers experience speaking in tongues along with signs and wonders?

Today, many people are saved but do not manifest the Spirit whom they have received. We should pray with these believers that they might speak in tongues. Because the Holy Spirit has already been given, there is no reason to wait on the Holy Spirit to speak in tongues. The only time in the Bible in which it was necessary for believers to wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was the ten-day period between Jesus’ ascension into heaven and the day of Pentecost. Jesus, commanded the believers, “And look, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).

They had to wait until Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit. From that time forward, whenever people were saved but did not speak in tongues by the direct sovereign will of God, the apostles prayed for believers to manifest the Holy Spirit by speaking in tongues through the laying on of hands. This is the biblical model. The apostle Paul said, “Therefore, brothers, eagerly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues” (1 Cor. 14:39).

A similar false teaching is that God is like a ventriloquist who speaks through people or makes them do the speaking, and all people have to do is wait for God to speak through them. Not so. This takes the obedience and faith out of the operation of speaking in tongues. Rather, speaking in tongues is a matter of one’s own volition and will. The apostle Paul said so: “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding” (1 Cor. 14:14-15).

So, no, Satan does not pray in the Spirit. This is one of the most damaging and heretical teachings that some pastors have ever concocted, causing some of God’s people to stumble and preventing them from entering into the fullness of the Spirit.

There are too many hindrances in this world from the things of God. We should not be adding to that by preventing people from receiving and entering into the things of God, including speaking in tongues.

If you have not received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and you would prefer to receive it through the direct sovereign will of God rather than through the laying on of hands, then, as Oral Roberts said, “Get with those who are praying in the Spirit and enter in.” {eoa}

James F. Linzey, ., studied church growth under C. Peter Wagner and signs and wonders under John Wimber at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the chief editor of the Modern English Version Bible and is ordained as a Southern Baptist Convention minister.

Fear is an enemy that torments the soul and seeks to steal our life. Conquering it is not something we do in one day; it’s something we conquer one day at a time with God’s help.

Fear can show up unexpectedly. One of our goals should be to recognize it so we can deal with it right away.

I remember a time when I was waking up at about 2 or 3 in the morning and then having difficulty going back to sleep. After two nights of that, I found myself going to bed with a vague sort of fear that it would happen again, and it did until God reminded me that I could pray and resist Satan—the source of all fear. According to God’s Word, the sleep of the righteous should be sweet (Prov. 3:24). So I prayed immediately and went back to sleep, and have not had any problems since then.

Being free from fear doesn’t mean that we will never experience fear or be confronted by it. It means that we are committed to not allowing it to rule our lives, and when necessary we will do what we need to do, even if we have to “do it afraid.”

Each time you feel fear and decide to do it afraid, you will experience a new freedom and become more determined to end your days of slavery to fear. That doesn’t mean you won’t still need to confront your fears, but it does mean that you will be more and more resolved to keep confronting them.

Galatians 5:1 (NIV) says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” This Scripture is very clear that even though we have been completely liberated from a yoke of bondage, we will need at times to “stand firm,” and not allow ourselves to be entrapped by it again.

Satan is very shrewd and he doesn’t give up easily. I guess we can say that he never completely gives up the hope of drawing us back into bondage. We must live watchfully, ready to recognize and immediately confront the things that steal our liberty in Christ.

The Bible says that the righteous man falls seven times and gets up again (Prov. 24:16, ESV). I love that Scripture and I’m greatly encouraged by it. Even the most righteous person fails to do everything he knows to do all the time, but he is committed to not giving up. So when you have a weak moment, that doesn’t mean you have lost your victory.

But if we give up, even God can’t help us because we receive His help through faith, not through hopelessness. We need to stay positive, hopeful and filled with faith, and when we do, we can overcome anything with God’s help. I often say that anyone can succeed if they refuse to give up!

Some fears are more deeply rooted in us than other ones are, and we need to be more aggressive against them. Mine is the fear of making people angry. My father was always angry, and I never really knew if I had done something to make him that way or not. I would like to be able to say that after all of these years of teaching others, I no longer have to deal with this fear, but that’s not the case. However, the good news is, I recognize it and deal with it, so I still have the victory.

Being able to recognize the lies, deceits and strategies of the devil is so important. We should always be ready to resist him at the onset of his attacks. Because the longer we let a fear remain, the more difficult it is to get rid of. So make a decision to be a person of action, and remember that in Christ, you have what it takes to win!

The Word of God says that we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us (Rom. 8:37). God has given us everything we will ever need to overcome our fears through Christ, every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3) and His power and authority to overcome the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). We have what it takes, but we must be active and never give up.

I want to encourage you to be patient with yourself. Possessing the full freedom that is yours in Christ is a journey. And it’s important to enjoy your progress instead of merely looking at how far you have to go. Today is a new day, and every day you can be one step closer to conquering your fears! {eoa}

For more on this topic, order Joyce’s two-teaching CD and DVD resource Living Courageously. You can also contact us to receive our free magazine, Enjoying Everyday Life, by calling 800-727-9673 or visiting .

Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 100 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and Your Battles Belong to the Lord (FaithWords). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit .

Have you asked the question, “Are we living in the end times? Is the rapture coming soon?”

There are wars taking place, a declared global “pandemic” with COVID-19 that has affected President Trump and many other world leaders, and more taking place. There are pages online dedicated to discussing what the Bible has to say about the “last days.”

With some of these questions on my mind, I had a discussion on my Charisma podcast, Adventures in the Spirit, with Cindye Coates, Ph.D. She is an expert in the study of eschatology (the theological study of the “end times”), theology professor, church planter and author. Her husband, Stan, is a three-time Grammy Award nominated singer and songwriter as well as a professor of koine Greek.

My goal was to encourage people, giving them hope and deep biblical insight in having dominion. Knowing that our conversation will challenge and stretch people’s views, I said, “People are talking about Matthew 24, and they’re talking about the rapture.” I continued, saying, “People say ‘this is that,’ but what does the Scripture show?”

Coates said, “When we look at the Bible, we have to realize who was writing, to whom are they writing, where are they writing, when are they writing, why are they writing and what are they saying?” She teaches a course on Matthew 24 saying that whenever anyone is studying Matthew 24, they’ll have to also study Mark 13 and Luke 21, which overlap each other.

“Matthew is very detailed,” Coates said. “So those three accounts lay on top of each other. And we have to realize there were no chapter dividers in the original writing. In order to get the full story of Matthew 24 you’ve got to go to Matthew 21, which is the beginning of Holy Week. Jesus was riding into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey. It’s Palm Sunday, and that’s where it starts. You’ve got to read the entire story from Matthew 21 to Chapter 25, reading it in context.

“When we see Jesus in Matthew 24, He has just laid into the Pharisees and Sadducees in the temple, letting them know they had a minute to repent but they didn’t, and He called them out,” she told me. “He said, ‘You are vipers and snakes.’ They didn’t repent. Therefore Jesus left the temple and four of His disciples walked up to the Mount of Olives with Him.”

“The four disciples who went with Jesus were Peter, James, John and Andrew (Mark 13:3),” Coates said. “Asking Him a question in Matthew 24:3, the brothers asked Jesus about the ‘end of the age.’ Jesus then answered their question about the end of the age.”

Listen to this encouraging and insightful podcast to find out if Matthew 24 applies today. {eoa}

Jared Laskey, ., M.A. Christian Ministry, is the founder of Fireborn Ministries and host of the Adventures in the Spirit podcast. He lives to see Jesus awaken this generation to the power of the Holy Spirit. Jared loves teaching people how to hear God. He has recently published the Spirit-Empowered Journal, available on Amazon, and e-course, Entry Level Prophecy. His testimony of how God supernaturally healed him of PTSD is in Joan Hunter’s new book, Miracles for Veterans.