From city councils to state lawmakers, bans on so-called “Conversion Therapy” are the latest attempt of the Left to attack parental rights and codify Leftist values into society.

The so-called bans are deceptively marketed as a step to enhance youth mental health protections, but in reality, these fraudulent claims actually seek to do the opposite. They seek to deny critical care for young people at a time when they most desperately need, it in order to advance a radical transgender agenda.

The truth is that these “bans” are not about banning practices at all, but about banning values.

There are many issues with banning “Conversion Therapy,” beginning with the term itself. “Conversion” is a misnomer used to give the idea that it is something being forced, rather than undertaken voluntarily.

But which one sounds more like an attempted conversion? Helping a young girl by talking about unwanted anxiety and confusion she has about her body, or taking away the talk therapy option and instead telling her parents the only approach is to affirm her as a boy, push her to “socially transition,” give her testosterone injections and eventually a double mastectomy?

It’s clear which side of this issue is attempting conversions.

The laws and ordinances that are put forth use loose language in an attempt to build an association between abusive forceful tactics and simple talk therapy. They allude to practices that are not in use anywhere today and would already be deemed illegal under existing laws.

That is why these bans are clearly about banning values, not practices.

The bans are out of touch with the latest research and with many medical professionals and parents who prefer to help young people accept their bodies rather than permanently alter them. This approach is based on the fact that 80-95% of children who have confusion about their gender and do not pursue “transition” have their distress eventually go away on its own. So, forcing gender conversion is clearly not the answer.

As one medical doctor I spoke to recently said, “the medical practitioners who are for the medical conversions simply see patients as revenue streams, rather than a patient they want to help.” He went on to say that these doctors are not professionals anyone would trust with standard health care.

If a child gets put on cross-sex hormones at a young age, they can spend between $100,000 and $1 million over their lifetime on drugs and surgeries.

Perhaps that point alone gives insight into what’s really behind the agenda: money. Even still, money is a distant second to the motivation of destroying the traditional family, which is the bedrock of any thriving society.

Banning talk therapy completely ignores the massive movement today of people who are de-transitioning after seeing that transitioning was not the answer to their problem.

So, with so many risks to children and no benefits, why is the practice of forced gender transition allowed by regulators?

Many are surprised to learn that nearly half the FDA’s annual budget is funded by “user fees” paid by the very pharmaceutical companies the FDA is supposed to regulate.

These payments to the FDA by pharma companies are possible because of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) that was originally passed in 1992. The law allows companies to pay for “expedited approval” for drugs or medical devices.

To state it plainly, nearly half the budget of the regulating agency is paid for by the companies the agency exists to regulate. This fact, along with executives rotating between public and private leadership roles, seem to provide a clear example of agency capture.

Fortunately, the long run of self-serving interests of regulators, drug companies and LGBT activists may soon be coming to an end.

We are seeing the tide turning as conservative states are beginning to ban the practice of medically transitioning minors. More than 80 bills are moving through legislatures quickly across nearly 30 states.

Legislation is also in discussion at the federal level, such as the “Protecting Minors from Medical Malpractice Act.” This Senate bill () would make “a medical practitioner who performs a gender-transition procedure on an individual who is less than 18 years of age liable for any physical, psychological, emotional or physiological harms from the procedure for 30 years after the individual turns 18.”

While we see signs of the tide turning in our favor, we must continue to push hard for our children. Children are the future of our nation and we must stand ready to fight for them. The truth behind this attempted ban on traditional values is clear.

Listen to this episode as I talk more about a local city example and many of the other important aspects of this fight today. {eoa}

Bring Charisma magazine home with a subscription today!

Ryan S. Howard, Ph.D., is the Host of Cutting Edge Faith, a podcast that shares the truth behind the headlines and equips Christians to live out their faith in the cultural chaos of today. Ryan has worked in global purchasing for more than 15 years and has visited over 20 countries. Ryan is the author of “21 Days to a Spirit-Led Life,” a devotional available as a free download. He lives in Iowa with his wife, Bruna, and their son, John. Learn more at

From city councils to state lawmakers, bans on so-called “Conversion Therapy” are the latest attempt of the Left to attack parental rights and codify Leftist values into society.

The so-called bans are deceptively marketed as a step to enhance youth mental health protections, but in reality, these fraudulent claims actually seek to do the opposite. They seek to deny critical care for young people at a time when they most desperately need, it in order to advance a radical transgender agenda.

The truth is that these “bans” are not about banning practices at all, but about banning values.

There are many issues with banning “Conversion Therapy,” beginning with the term itself. “Conversion” is a misnomer used to give the idea that it is something being forced, rather than undertaken voluntarily.

But which one sounds more like an attempted conversion? Helping a young girl by talking about unwanted anxiety and confusion she has about her body, or taking away the talk therapy option and instead telling her parents the only approach is to affirm her as a boy, push her to “socially transition,” give her testosterone injections and eventually a double mastectomy?

It’s clear which side of this issue is attempting conversions.

The laws and ordinances that are put forth use loose language in an attempt to build an association between abusive forceful tactics and simple talk therapy. They allude to practices that are not in use anywhere today and would already be deemed illegal under existing laws.

That is why these bans are clearly about banning values, not practices.

The bans are out of touch with the latest research and with many medical professionals and parents who prefer to help young people accept their bodies rather than permanently alter them. This approach is based on the fact that 80-95% of children who have confusion about their gender and do not pursue “transition” have their distress eventually go away on its own. So, forcing gender conversion is clearly not the answer.

As one medical doctor I spoke to recently said, “the medical practitioners who are for the medical conversions simply see patients as revenue streams, rather than a patient they want to help.” He went on to say that these doctors are not professionals anyone would trust with standard health care.

If a child gets put on cross-sex hormones at a young age, they can spend between $100,000 and $1 million over their lifetime on drugs and surgeries.

Perhaps that point alone gives insight into what’s really behind the agenda: money. Even still, money is a distant second to the motivation of destroying the traditional family, which is the bedrock of any thriving society.

Banning talk therapy completely ignores the massive movement today of people who are de-transitioning after seeing that transitioning was not the answer to their problem.

So, with so many risks to children and no benefits, why is the practice of forced gender transition allowed by regulators?

Many are surprised to learn that nearly half the FDA’s annual budget is funded by “user fees” paid by the very pharmaceutical companies the FDA is supposed to regulate.

These payments to the FDA by pharma companies are possible because of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) that was originally passed in 1992. The law allows companies to pay for “expedited approval” for drugs or medical devices.

To state it plainly, nearly half the budget of the regulating agency is paid for by the companies the agency exists to regulate. This fact, along with executives rotating between public and private leadership roles, seem to provide a clear example of agency capture.

Fortunately, the long run of self-serving interests of regulators, drug companies and LGBT activists may soon be coming to an end.

We are seeing the tide turning as conservative states are beginning to ban the practice of medically transitioning minors. More than 80 bills are moving through legislatures quickly across nearly 30 states.

Legislation is also in discussion at the federal level, such as the “Protecting Minors from Medical Malpractice Act.” This Senate bill () would make “a medical practitioner who performs a gender-transition procedure on an individual who is less than 18 years of age liable for any physical, psychological, emotional or physiological harms from the procedure for 30 years after the individual turns 18.”

While we see signs of the tide turning in our favor, we must continue to push hard for our children. Children are the future of our nation and we must stand ready to fight for them. The truth behind this attempted ban on traditional values is clear.

Listen to this episode as I talk more about a local city example and many of the other important aspects of this fight today.

Bring Charisma magazine home with a subscription today!

Ryan S. Howard, Ph.D., is the Host of Cutting Edge Faith, a podcast that shares the truth behind the headlines and equips Christians to live out their faith in the cultural chaos of today. Ryan has worked in global purchasing for more than 15 years and has visited over 20 countries. Ryan is the author of “21 Days to a Spirit-Led Life,” a devotional available as a free download. He lives in Iowa with his wife, Bruna, and their son, John. Learn more at

An attorney with First Liberty Institute, a conservative legal firm, addressed the Supreme Court’s recent decision to decline to hear a case brought by the city of Ocala, Florida, predicting atheists will ultimately lose in the ongoing legal feud.

The city was sued by atheists who believe officials’ participation in a 2014 prayer vigil violated the Constitution. The city of Ocala appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing atheists’ complaints should be rejected, specifically the claim the vigil inflicted injury.

The first judgment in the case came in 2018, when a judge ruled the plaintiffs were correct Ocala violated the First Amendment and were thus entitled to $1 each.

But in July 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, which upheld atheists’ legal standing to challenge the vigil, also sent the ruling back to a district court to have a judge reconsider.

The review was sparked by last year’s Supreme Court ruling in favor of a high school football coach who lost his job for praying on the 50-yard line after games.

Justin Butterfield, deputy general counsel at First Liberty Institute, dismissed the latest claims by some the Supreme Court’s denial was a victory of sorts for the atheist plaintiffs and the American Humanist Association, explaining the justices felt it wasn’t “at the position” in which they could take up the case.

“The Supreme Court’s just saying, ‘We’re looking at it, we have our eyes on it. We’re not gonna jump in yet,'” Butterfield told CBN’s Faithwire. “It’s not time for that yet, but it’s certainly not a victory for the atheists.”

He explained the basis of the initial complaint, noting religious leaders went to the police chief to seek out a community prayer vigil after a series of shootings.

The chief reportedly agreed and shared the event on the department’s Facebook page; some police chaplains also participated with religious leaders during the event, which created clamor among atheists.

“There were a few who heard about this [and attended] … then filed a lawsuit, saying that the police department should not have been able to be involved in having this prayer vigil for the victims of this unfortunate shooting,” Butterfield said.

Atheists filed suit under the offended observers standing, a concept Butterfield said the Supreme Court has never officially recognized.

The attorney also dove into the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, noting it was “designed to prevent the state from creating a state religion.” Butterfield added, “Quite frankly, this country has a long and varied history of government participating with religious communities in this country.”

For the original article, visit our content partners at .{eoa}

Reprinted with permission from . Copyright © 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. All rights reserved.

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Dr. Lance Wallnau is one of the most trusted prophetic voices encouraging us in these turbulent times.

In this special interview from the recent Roundtable Leaders Summit, Wallnau tells us how to go where the doors are open and the harvest is ripe. This is an incredibly encouraging exhortation to bring us all fresh inspiration and vision.

If you desire to “keep step with the Spirit” and have God’s distinct signature on your life and ministry, take 10 and invest it wisely by watching this video now.

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“Jesus loved the people we hate,” the recent Super Bowl-video concluded, before posting the sponsoring “He Gets Us” campaign website.

Opinion pages, liberal websites and even leftist politicians reacted with their fake offense at the perceived repugnant “agenda” of these religious sponsors—as if none of the other commercials had agendas!

So much for “free speech.”

Jesus Warned

Jesus warned that human-hatred will be indicative of the generation when He returns–especially hatred aimed at His followers. In Matthew 24:9, Jesus confided to the disciples that before He will return to establish His rule and reign over this earth, “all nations will hate you.”

The word translated in English as “nations” is the Greek word “ethnon.“ It does not refer to the 193 member states of the United Nations. Rather, the use of the cognitive word of “ethnos” here more likely speaks of “ethnicities” or people groups. Non-followers of Jesus will eventually, actively hate His followers. All who are true to His words and ways will suffer.

Pains, Persecution and Plagues

We read in the preceding verses (24:5-8) of prophesied birth-pains, persecution and plagues which will affect all people groups, as context for our Lord’s ominous warning of the world’s hatred:

“For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me” (NIV).

Trials, Troubles and Tribulation

Jesus taught that these personal trials and public troubles “must happen, but the end is still to come.” In verse 9 (Matt. 24), where He warned us of being hated “because of me,” we also note that we must even be prepared to be “handed over to be persecuted and put to death.”

Persecution because of our faith may come our way today (John 16:33). Paul warned Timothy that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” (2 Tim. 3:12). These trials and troubles may even elevate to the status of tribulation for those followers of our Lord who “endure to the end.”

There is a difference in the repetitive times of trials, troubles and tribulations we all may face and the “great tribulation,” which Jesus warns of in later verses of Matthew 24:

“For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again. And if those days had not been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short” (NASB).

The End-Times Events

The shortened days may reflect the sudden appearance of our Lord and His angels to “gather his elect” (Matt. 24:30-31; 1 Thess. 4:15-17; 2 Thess. 2:1-12). The word rapture is never used in English translations of Scripture.

The significant end-times events have to do with the prophesied Antichrist, False Prophet, one-world government and the mark of the beast, (Rev. 13, 16). They will involve the predicted Two Witnesses (Rev. 11), the progressive releasing of prophetic seals (Ch. 6), trumpets (Ch. 8 and 9) and bowls of God’s wrath (Ch. 16). The final warfare will see armies assembled at Armageddon from around the world to fight against Christ at His Second Coming (Ch. 19), and more!

Saints will reign with Christ on earth “for a thousand years,” after which the imprisoned Satan will be thrown into the “…lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev 20:7-10).

Then a new heaven will come down from heaven, where God the Father will dwell in “the holy city,” the “new Jerusalem,” on a new earth and Jesus the Conqueror will have us as His “heritage” forever in that Holy City (Rev. 21, 22).

Jesus concludes His extensive end-times Revelation by proclaiming, “Surely, I am coming soon” (Rev. 22:20). And we can join with John the Revelator to say, “Amen. Come Lord Jesus!” {eoa}

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Gary Curtis served in full-time ministry for 50 years, the last 27 years of which he was part of the pastoral staff of The Church on The Way, the Van Nuys, California, Foursquare church. Now retired, Gary continues to write a weekly blog at and frequent articles for digital and print platforms.

Three years ago, former Saddleback Church pastor and founder Rick Warren found himself in the unenviable position of repenting for a stance concerning the church he had held for many, many years.

Since founding Saddleback Church in California in 1980, Warren held the widespread belief that women should not be allowed to have authority within the body of Christ and to preach the gospel. It’s something he simply took for granted.

But in 2020, when the COVID pandemic hit, Warren, who retired from his position at Saddleback last year, began “reading every book I could find on the Great Commission and on church history.”

On a recent podcast interview with former Southern Baptist Church Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission President Russell Moore, Warren said he read over 200 books on the subject and that of church missions, and he began to question his own steadfast beliefs on whether or not women belonged in the pulpit or in places of authority within the church.

The issue became especially volatile last month when the Southern Baptist Convention expelled Saddleback from the SBC over its decision to hire a female pastor. When Warren retired, Andy Wood and his wife, Stacie, took over the duties as lead pastors.

Because Stacie Wood’s role was that of a “teaching pastor,” the church was found to not be in friendly cooperation with the necessary credentials under the Southern Baptist Convention, as reported by Baptist Press.

Warren told Moore that his study of the Great Commission “caused me to change my view about women. I came upon three different Scriptures. We like to call ourselves Great Commission Baptists, and we claim that we believe the Great Commission is for everybody, both men and women are to fulfill the Great Commission. But not really.”

Warren cited Matthew 28:19-20, when Jesus told his disciples, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

“There are four verbs in the Great Commission: ‘go,’ ‘make disciples,’ ‘baptize’ and ‘teach,” Warren said. “Women are to go. Women are to make disciples. Women are to baptize and woman are to teach, not just men. This is one of the reasons why Saddleback Church has baptized more people than any church in American history—57,000 baptisms in 43 years. Anybody can baptize anybody that they led to Christ.”

Warren said it was Jesus who authorized women to teach. “Jesus said ‘all authority is given to Me, therefore baptize.’ If you have a problem with the Great Commission, you have a problem with Jesus. I had to repent when I took a hard look at the Great Commission. I had to say it’s not just for ordained me, it’s for everybody.

A passage in Acts 2 also helped Warren change his thinking:

“The second thing that changed my mind was the day of Pentecost,” Warren said. “A few things happened that day. We know women were in the Upper Room. We know women were filled with the Holy Spirit. We know that women were preaching in languages other people couldn’t understand.”

A third verse of evidence for women in church authority came in John 20:17, when Jesus told Mary Magdalene to tell the disciples about His resurrection, and that Jesus “chose her to be the first preacher of the gospel.”

Warren said that during his studies, he looked at more than 300 commentaries on those verses and came to the conclusion that “everyone gets to preach and everyone gets to prophesy.”

“The people who don’t like that ignore those verses,” Warren said. “John MacArthur doesn’t’ even cover that verse, he just skips over it. Jesus told a woman to deliver the message to men.”

Indeed, Warren now supports women becoming pastors.

“I have to say with humility, it doesn’t bother me if you disagree with me,” Warren says. “For 2,000 years, the church has debated the role of women in culture. “If I’m wrong, I’ll say I’m wrong. But it’s just everyone’s interpretation of Scripture.”

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Shawn A. Akers is the online editor at Charismas Media.

A couple weeks ago, I wrote, “Parents, Pastors, Everyone: Go See The Jesus Revolution Movie!” If you haven’t, with a smile and a wink, I say, “What are you waiting for?”

Like many people, I lead a very full life with marriage and children, seven grandchildren, ministry responsibilities and all the rest but I went by myself immediately and carved out time to go with my wife and another couple, then went with my daughter and her friend and I hope I can go again!

This movie is bringing rave reviews from believers and unbelievers. The secular movie review group Rotten Tomatoes scored it a 99% audience rating and an A+ CinemaScore! It’s low budget, but it’s blowing away all the Oscar nominated films being paraded and promoted for the upcoming Oscars.

For two weeks I’ve talked about it with so many people with whom I interact in my relational sphere. I’ll offer to pay for somebody if they need or want it. Those who have seen it (some have gone back repeatedly like my teenage grandson who has gone three times and another one said he wanted to be baptized afterwards!) tell me they laughed, cried, prayed, reminisced, celebrated and asked God to keep drawing the multitudes who will discover God’s miraculous intervention during a turbulent time similar to today.

May I strongly encourage you to prioritize going ASAP to enjoy and be inspired by this true story of the “Jesus People” movement that was actually covered in an eight-page article in Time Magazine during that time. Don’t sit back and say, “I’ll wait ’till it comes on TV so I can simply stream it.” What catches the attention of Hollywood and onlookers are revenues and success at the box office, and you have a golden opportunity to be part of making a difference in people’s lives by your response.

Some Stunning Stats

• This miracle movie was projected to bring in about $7 million in the opening weeks and after only two weeks of release, it has already grossed more than $30 million!
• The amount of money brought in domestically by the Oscar nominated films includes The Banshees of Inisherin ($5 million); Tar ($7million); Triangle of Sadness ($5 million); Women Talking ($9 million); and The Fablemans ($17 million).
• The above, Oscar-nominated films, starring big-name stars and running a long time in theaters nationwide have only grossed $43 million altogether. The Jesus Revolution docudrama, starring, Kelsey Grammer, of “Cheers” fame, and Kimberly Williams Paisley, star of Father of the Bride with Steve Martin and wife of singer Brad Paisley, plus others not that well-known may pass this in a couple more weeks!
• Movie studios, doled out millions to promote these Hollywood films with big-name celebrities appearing on late night talk shows, yet all of them have not had much impact as man reading this right now say, “I’ve never heard of most of these!” That’s OK, but as the “buzz” continues to build, you can be a part of it and more and more will see this film and God will use it to draw them to Himself and His Son, Jesus!

America Needs Awakening

The recent outpourings at Asbury University and on other campuses, along with divinely orchestrated events taking place on our watch, should motivate all of us to seize the moment and do whatever we can to raise awareness that it’s time for our nation to turn back to God. This movie is incredibly relevant for us in this critical hour!

My wife and I were converted during the Jesus Movement so this movie is extremely personal for us and other Christian leaders who came to Christ at that time, and are now trying our best to influence you through our ministries. Contemporary Christian music was born in this era. The upcoming generation knows nothing about this for the most part and they need to sit back in the movie theater and enjoy seeing God’s intervention that is so needed today.

Picture me as a Christian who just experienced the transformative “new birth” and took my first post-collegiate job as an intern across from the White House in Washington, DC. Living upstairs in the home of a widow (where I paid $15 rent a week!), someone knocked on my door and invited me to the gathering of a small group of Christians, some of whom just returned from Calvary Chapel in California with a passion to see the nation’s capital likewise impacted by the Jesus People Movement.

What God was doing in California reverberated to our locality and within a matter of years, over 2,000 primarily young people gathered together about 10 minutes from the White House to celebrate Jesus Christ and discover the “abundant life” He promised to those who would repent and follow Him in faith and obedience. Ask Messianic Jew Sid Roth who sat on the front seat as a young man, if what I share isn’t rock solid reality.

Like Asbury and all the past awakenings and revivals in America, it wasn’t simply about young people finding freedom in worship, lingering in God’s presence, but rather focusing in on total commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, repenting of sins and “denying self, picking up our cross and genuinely following Him.”

Here’s the Deal: It’s time for another Jesus Movement in America, however God wants to birth it and bring it to fruition for the end time harvest. Hunger, humility and holiness are the earmarks and I invite you to partake of this movie with your family and friends and not delay! “It only takes a spark to get the fire going.” Get in on the action and enjoy the adventure that’s unfolding in these momentous and exciting last days.{eoa}

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This article first appeared on Curt Landry Ministries.

*Note this is the second of a two-part series. You can view the first part here.

Why would you invest time and effort into learning about spiritual warfare?

Yes, you’re saved

Yes, you’re born-again.

Yes, you’re filled with the Spirit.

But you invest in learning about spiritual warfare because the ancient principles of the Old Testament are confirmed in the New Testament, which is where the authority and the power of the One New Man come from. The authority comes when we come together in unity as One New Man in Yeshua.

Transformation follows a pattern in Scripture. If you’ve read my book “Reclaiming Our Forgotten Heritage,” you know my birth name was Joseph, and then I was adopted, and my name was changed to Curtis in the adoption process.

But in the spirit, I really feel like a “Joseph.” So if I go to Joseph in the Bible and I look at what he does, I see he is into humanitarian aid. Joseph was a business person and leader in what he did.

I love what he says at the end, in Genesis 50:20, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”

And that’s what happened. And so I just relate to that whole thing. I relate to Nehemiah. I relate to Daniel and Paul.

When You Are in the Transforming Process of Spiritual Warfare

When you’re in the transforming process, go into the Word of God and find the person you identify with.

For example, if you’ll go in and say, “Okay, here’s Paul. He gets knocked off a horse. He’s blinded. He realized that his last occupation, trying to protect his people by killing Christians, wasn’t his best choice. It wasn’t what he was called to do.

Paul’s Transformation

So, Paul had to have new habits and patterns, new levels of spiritual warfare, because now he has all this word in him.

• He was a rabbi’s rabbi.
• He had dual citizenship: a citizen of Rome and Israel.

He was a unique place and had a unique platform, and God says, “Listen, I’m going to send you as a Jew and as a rabbi’s rabbi, highly educated, to the Gentiles.” There had to be a process of transforming him by the love of the Father from the hateful Saul that he was into this apostle, anointed Paul to fulfill his purpose.

Identifying Your Transformation in God’s Word

If you look at…

• Abraham’s transformation
• Joseph’s transformation
• Esther’s transformation
• And so many more…

You’ll realize, “Oh my gosh, I identify. I’m in this part of the season. I’m at that crossroads where I have an Esther, let’s say. I’m at that crossroads of spiritual warfare where I will have to take it to another level because the prophet (in this case, Mordecai) comes to Esther and says, ‘Hey Esther, guess what? You were born for such as time as this! Is deliverance coming through you, or will the Lord bring it from somebody else? But don’t think that if you say no, you and your family will be safe.'”

So are you at that crossroads like Esther was, you need to study God’s Word in the book of Esther.

• How did she answer Mordecai’s question?
• What did she do to prepare beforehand for the question that came?
• Was she able to say yes?
• How was she able to, by faith, face the king, Haman and his 10 sons?

Much of what had to be done was done in preparation. So I would encourage you in this season of time, in your transformation time, to really get honest with yourself about where you are and what habits and patterns you are creating to prepare for the victory.

Pick one or two characters in the Bible and see what season you’re in.

Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7, “But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.”

And part of perfecting the godliness in you is discovering that if you walk in the spirit and discipline and you come out of agreement with…

• Traditions and legends
• Folklores
• Myths
• Habits and patterns that are not productive

Then you’ll get a real change and real results in your life.

Spiritual Disciplines, Habits and Patterns Are Not About Legalism

Now it’s tempting to turn the idea of spiritual disciplines into legalism. It’s really easy. I’ve seen tons of people do that. Please don’t do that. I’m not teaching legalism when we study the law. The law is your friend because it’s the instruction. Actually, the translation of the word “law” is instruction.

So here’s the key. It’s how your heart practices these things and what’s behind the spiritual disciplines that God is looking for.

• Second Corinthians 5:17 say, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
• So if you’re going to be made new, then you need to have new practices, new habits, new patterns that facilitate and help the transformation project.

So if you’ve been created for a kingdom purpose, and you have, then you want to be able to walk in that kingdom authority according to that kingdom instruction.

So in Luke 6:45, it says, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” The question is here, do you believe it? That’s the key.

Do you act in agreement with truth? Because in Luke 6:45 it says, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Spiritually, discipline allows us to take what is in our hearts, match it to what is in Heaven, and create a portal of blessing.

God Wants to Make You the Head, Not the Tail

So when you connect your dreams, goals and desires with your godly goals, which means managing time, tasks and activities, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail.

Because now you’re in that One New Man relationship. You transformed into a new man and you see God anew. Suddenly, He is now a God of great power and authority. Deuteronomy 28:13 says, “And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.”

Speaking in Alignment with God’s Word Delivers You!

So taking spiritual discipline and adjusting your heart through them allows your mouth to speak right and shifts actions through your heart and mind. There’s a synergy with you in heaven. And remember, the words and the habits testify to what’s in your heart. Spiritually, discipline starts to cut the bone and the marrow. It cleanses the weight of your heart and the intentions of your heart so that your mouth begins to speak because the power of life and death is in the tongue.

Every time you decree things, you are creating your future. And so when you reproduce after the Word of God rather than the sins in the garden, you are training for godliness. And there are spiritual disciplines and promises that God gives you. If you’re wanting to maintain a high level of spiritual life and to maximize your salvation, then you need to understand these ancient principles of kingdom authority in the sense that you need to understand that you’re actually working through a lifestyle of deliverance. So it says in Proverbs 28:26, “He who trust in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.”

Speaking in Alignment with God’s Word Protects You!

Deliverance is more than you think.

A lot of times you think of deliverance as praying in the Courts of Heaven and going through a deliverance process. There is deliverance like this, and I love it. We have people that travel the House of David, and we have deliverance teams, our prayer team, who will pray and pray for you in the Courts of Heaven, and you’ll go through a deliverance process.

And that’s one type of deliverance. But what it’s saying here in Proverbs is that the heart of the fool doesn’t bring in wisdom, but if you walk in wisdom, it will deliver you.

Deliverance removes foolish thoughts. And the truth, the Word of God, through the power of the blood of Jesus, is brought in and delivers you. It is the Spirit bringing life. And what it does is it removes the foolishness. So once the foolish thoughts, actions and plans are removed, that’s called deliverance. And then there’s protection from it. If you look at Exodus 23:22, it says, “But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversary.”

That’s one of the nine blessings of putting your feet under the Passover table–protection. And Exodus 23:22 tells us when we obey it, God’s protection is released over us. There has to be a decree.

• These are really Passover Scriptures, and that’s one of the reasons we do celebrate Passover. Do you have to celebrate Passover to be saved? No. Do you have to do it for anything? No. Really, the only reason you would celebrate the Feasts of the Lord is to be more intimate with God and to receive the blessings.

Speaking in Alignment with God’s Word Provides for You!

I’m going to close with this: provision. Leviticus 26:3-5 says,

• “‘If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.”

So we understand that when we bring in the wisdom and knowledge of spiritual warfare and practice spiritual warfare, and learn ancient principles and kingdom authority, we are trusting in God rather than our own hearts. He who trusts in his own heart (carnal knowledge) is a fool. But whoever walks wisely will be delivered. {eoa}

Click here to view Rabbi Landry’s book on spiritual warfare!

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Curt Landry, founder of Curt Landry Ministries, and his wife, Christie, travel extensively, preaching and teaching about the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. Together, their passion is to empower families to live and leave Kingdom legacies and understand their own personal heritage.

First lady Jill Biden has been slammed across social media for awarding a biological man an award meant for women on International Women’s Day. The intent of the award is to honor international women who have made a difference in the world to build a brighter future for all people.

A barrage of posts are circulating online with women of all ages infuriated that biological men now believe they are better at being a woman than those who have experienced the triumphs and struggles of womanhood in our world today.

One Twitter user posted, “International Women’s Day: Not just for women anymore.”

International Women’s Day: Not just for women anymore.

— Andrea Katherine (@AndreaKatSTL) March 8, 2023

Another frustrated woman saying “women have officially been cancelled.”

Women have officially been cancelled. This is embarrassing, stupid and crazy. These people don’t work for America, Joe and Jill were placed in the WH to do Satan’s bidding. No words!

— AMABLACKPATRIOT (@DrShayPhD) March 9, 2023

I believe, as a woman myself, that there are an innumerable amount of bold, courageous and inspiring women throughout history who represent what it truly means to be a Spirit-filled unashamed woman of God. Let alone the rich history of women’s rights in our country.

Let me be clear, this article isn’t meant to bash those who identify as transgender. Taking the bait of Satan and perpetuating hate is never the answer.

In a world that is riddled with slavery, little children in labor camps and young girls forced into prostitution to this day, there are women who deserved to be honored for the work they are doing to bring freedom to the captives.

Here are some of the women throughout history who, if they were here today, deserve to be honored for the boldness and bravery.

On July 13, 1848 on a hot summer day in upstate New York, Elizabeth Cady Stanton gathered together with some of her girlfriends for some tea. They sat around a table talking about the staunch differences between men and women’s rights during that time.

Married women were legally dead in the eyes of the law. They weren’t allowed to vote or own property. Husbands had the legal power and responsibility over their wives and could imprison or beat them with impunity. Divorce and child custody laws favored men over women and most jobs didn’t allow women. If they allowed women employees, they were paid a fraction of what men were paid.

Those harsh realities fueled Stanton and her courageous friends to hold the world’s first Women’s Right Convention which was the start of a movement that led to the freedoms women hold in our country today. Women in America are now mothers and CEO’s of companies. Women can own property, vote and have the opportunity to fulfill their wildest dreams. Little did Stanton know at that time, their tea talk would change the world.

In the Bible there are numerous women who deserved to be honored. Miriam, the first female prophetess. Deborah was a prophetess and the only female judge. Queen Esther used her position of influence to save the Jewish people who were on the verge of being annihilated. She risked her life for them.

Throughout history we’ve also seen people like Amy Carmichael, who at 28 years old traveled to India from Ireland as a missionary. Shocked and deeply disturbed by the 5 and 6-year-old girls being forced into marriage and prostitution, she started to rescue them one by one. She became known as “mother” to more than 1,000 little girls. Amy ministered to the sinners and sufferers in India for 50 years without one single furlough.

Then you have Corrie and Betsie Ten Boom, the Dutch sisters who helped Jews escape the Holocaust. After hiding the Jews in their home they were discovered by the Nazi’s and thrown into concentration camps. Betsie died in the camps, but Corrie was released through a “clerical error” one week before everyone her age was sent to the gas chambers.

Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in Maryland. In 1849 she escaped to freedom and through the leading of the Holy Spirit directing and guiding her, she made 13 trips helping 300 slaves to freedom. Tubman later was a strong advocate for women’s right to vote.

Today, I choose not to become part of a cultural and political war, bashing Jill Biden. I simply choose to honor the women who have come before me that have deeply influenced my life and beliefs. They are the women I aspire to be.

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Shelby Bowen is an assistant editor for Charisma Media.

Former President Trump’s “I am your retribution” comments at CPAC have created the expected firestorm. For his loyal supporters, this was vintage Trump, as once again, he stood up boldly to fight for “us” against “them.”

To paraphrase, “They may have hurt you, but I will make them pay!” For Trump critics, this was Trump at his arrogant and dangerous worst, pledging a holy war against those who stood in his way.

To quote Trump in full, “In 2016, I declared I am your voice. Today, I add I am your warrior, I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution. I am your retribution. Not going to let this happen. Not going to let it happen. I will totally obliterate the deep state.”

To repeat those central words: “I am your retribution.”

What are we to make of this?

What immediately came to my mind when I heard these words was a passage from Romans 12.

There Paul wrote, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:19–21, quoting from Deut. 32:35 and Prov. 25:21-22).

To be sure, as followers of Jesus, we are to pursue justice, which is one of the highest values in God’s sight.

That’s why the prophets constantly exhorted the people of Israel to plead for the cause of the widow and orphan and to stand up for the poor and the oppressed. As stated in the Law itself, “Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the LORD your God is giving you” (Deut. 16:20).

Or, in the oft-quoted words from the book of Amos, after the Lord stated plainly that he had no interest in Israel’s hypocritical religious celebrations, He said, “let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream” (Amos 5:24).

Justice and righteousness were the things God desired, not some empty, hypocritical religious display.

In fact, justice is so important that the Scriptures actually state that, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of [God’s] throne” (Ps. 89:14; 97:2). That is saying something!

By all means, then, as God’s children, let us pursue justice on every level.

But justice is very different than retribution. Retribution is about vengeance, about settling a personal score, about hurting the ones who hurt you. Paul says plainly that we are to leave that to God. He Himself will repay, and when He does, it will be dreadful.

Again, this does not mean that it is wrong to pursue a righteous settlement in court if your business partner betrayed you or if you ex-husband stops paying alimony. And when we see inequities in the society or when we encounter acts of cruelty, we should openly oppose them and work against them.

But it is another thing entirely to have it in for someone, to determine to strike them back (or even take them out), to seek to impose pain on them.

To say it again, that is God’s business and God’s prerogative. He knows how to make people pay for the wrong they have done.

And what if He decides to show mercy? What if He decides to give someone time to repent? What if His timetable (or approach) is different than ours?

Our responsibility is simple. We are to overcome evil with good. We are to repay cursing with blessing. We are to pray for our persecutors, not asking the Lord to destroy them but to save them. After all, didn’t He have great mercy on us when we were living in sin and rebellion?

As for the treatment of our personal enemies, this is a command, not a suggestion: “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” To this Proverbs adds, “and the LORD will reward you” (Prov. 25:22).

And what does it mean to heap burning coals on your enemy’s head?

Commentators suggest that, “The action is interpreted as producing punishment, or a burning shame, or remorse and conversion. Of these, the best understanding is that a change of heart on the part of the enemy is produced. Moreover, there is the assurance that the Lord will reward the person who acts with such magnanimity toward an enemy” (Rowland E. Murphy).

So, rather than try to destroy our enemies or bring retribution on them, our goal should be their conversion and transformation. That is the radical Jesus way.

Of course, some of us will immediately try to rationalize our way out of this command, saying that such efforts are a sign of compromise. Or we’ll create ridiculous scenarios, asking, “So, if a killer breaks into my house, am I supposed to cook him a nice meal?”

That is obviously not what the Word is saying.

But God is calling us to crucify our flesh, to put down our carnal desires for retribution, and to make it our goal to overcome evil with good, thereby following in the footsteps of the Lord.

As for vengeance and retribution, we do best to leave that to God. {eoa}

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Dr. Michael Brown () is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is “The Political Seduction of the Church: How Millions of American Christians Have Confused Politics with the Gospel.” Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.