Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs are making NFL history this football season. And while the whirlwind of success has put them in the spotlight, the pair often deflect the recognition and say the “glory belongs to God.”

Dobbs, 28, was recently traded to the Vikings from the Arizona Cardinals after the team lost Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles tendon in October. Dobbs was then thrust into the starting lineup after Cousins’ replacement quarterback Jaren Hall suffered a concussion.

In last Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints, Dobbs orchestrated a 27-19 home victory.

Dobbs completed 23 of his 34 passes for 268 yards while also adding 44 yards on the ground. He became the first player in NFL history to amass 400 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, and no interceptions in his first two games with a team, according to ESPN.

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Dobbs, who lists the Bible verse Joshua 1:9 in his X bio, spoke at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis on Feb. 1, 2020, and shared his story of football and faith, Sports Spectrum reported.

“I truly learned what it meant to be a Christian—what it meant to have my faith as a priority—when I got to college,” he said. “… If church is going to be a priority, if faith is a priority, I have to make it a priority. I have to go get involved in a church. I have to go be present, be willing, be involved.”

Dobbs shared in a 2018 interview with the Jackson Sun that his focus, no matter his success, will remain on God.

“The day will come that I won’t be a part of any football team,” he said. “But the decision I made during my sophomore year in high school—to be a part of Team Jesus—I’ll be a part of that team for the rest of my life, and for all eternity.”

Stroud Stuns in Rookie Season

Meanwhile, Houston Texans rookie C.J. Stroud is also exceeding expectations on the field after completing 30 of his 42 passes for an NFL-rookie-record 470 yards and five touchdowns, with no interceptions in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Nov. 5.

Stroud led his team to victory and during a post-game interview was not shy about pointing out that God made a way for the team when they were down and almost out.

“First and foremost,” Stroud began, “I gotta give all glory and praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. … When you give your life to the Lord, He gives you opportunities and it’s what you do with it.”

“It’s a blessing,” he responded when asked about his rookie-record 470 yards passing. “… I do it for the glory of God.”

Stroud says he has held on to God and prayer in hard times.

In 2015, his father, a former pastor, was arrested when Stroud was just 13 years old. His dad is now serving a 38-year prison sentence on charges of carjacking, kidnapping, robbery, and misdemeanor sexual battery stemming from a drug-related incident, Sports Illustrated reported.

“He laid His life on the Cross for us. I really believe that. This is bigger than just ball, and if I have to use football for my purpose—to spread the gospel and the life of Jesus Christ—then I’ll do that. And I think that’s what God wants.”

Jalen Hurts is another NFL quarterback that is like-minded with Stroud and Dobbs. He led the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl last year and his team came up just short of a championship.

Then there is Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa, who has been an outspoken Christian since his says as a high school football player. {eoa}

For the rest of this article, visit our content partners at CBN News.

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

In the middle of life’s busyness and chaos, it can be easy to miss out or believe that God’s plan for our lives has been forgotten about or abandoned. What can be even worse is when we face tragedy or hardship, and the Lord seems to stay quiet. And yet, through the silence we can begin to see God do miraculous works so long as we stay still and allow Him to do what only He can do.

In the Bible, there are two stories in particular that show God’s restorative power as He took two very broken people and brought healing and redemption to their lives. The first is Naomi’s story from the book of Ruth.

Naomi, an older Israelite woman living in the foreign nation of Moab, lost her husband and later both of her sons. She told her sons’ widows that they no longer must stay with her as she returns back to her hometown of Bethlehem. However, one of her daughter-in-laws, Ruth, refused to leave Naomi’s side.

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Instead, she pledged to stay with her and worship the one true living God, only allowing death to separate them. So, Ruth went back home with Naomi where she found favor with one of Naomi’s relatives, Boaz, who allowed her to glean the grain from his field, while promising her safety among his young men and women. Eventually, Ruth and Boaz married, preserving Naomi’s family line. Ruth and Boaz’s son, Obed, was the grandfather of David, the lineage of which the Messiah would come to the world.

Sometimes when we cry out because of the circumstances we face, we have little to no idea of what God is about to do. Instead, He just needs us to act out in faith and believe that He will use all things together for our good. Naomi lost her family, yet God was able to not only restore her, but use the circumstance to bring the Savior to the world.

Another story we see in Scripture about the power of redemption and restoration is Job’s story. Job was a man who was completely devoted to the Lord in every way. In fact, Scripture refers to Job as a “blameless and upright man who feared God.”

Yet, Satan told God that the only reason Job was faithful was because God had blessed him. Knowing Job’s heart, God allowed Satan to test Job. Job ended up losing everything—his family, his livestock, his physical appearance—everything that you can imagine. Job experienced pain at the highest level. He was tested beyond belief with His experience. He felt suffering and the reality that God had allowed this kind of turmoil to happen. And through all of these losses, Job repented before the Lord. He knew God was the creator of all, and His divine wisdom far exceeded Job’s own human knowledge.

God used the pain and brokenness of Job’s circumstances to draw him in. God gave him a new family, a new life, and he was blessed after this repentance. Scripture says that: “Job lived a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons and their sons to the fourth generation. So Job died, being old and full of days,” (Job 42:16-17).

While we all experience tragedy, pain and heartbreak, the Lord is still good, He’s still on the throne, and we can still trust that His sovereign will is perfect. {eoa}

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Abby Trivett is a marketing copywriter and coordinator for Charisma Media.

Last week, Tuesday, Nov. 7, Ohio became the seventh state since the landmark Dobbs v. Jackson decision (overturn of Roe v. Wade and sent back to the states) where voters have decided to protect abortion access.

The Associated Press reported that voter turnout for Ohio’s amendment, including early voting, was robust for an off-year election.

Christian voter turnout, by contrast, was once more the opposite of “robust,” with the majority staying home in Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

The largest denominations of political currency are: 1) How many votes can you bring to the table, 2) How much money can you bring that brings votes to the table? For many Evangelical leaders, mobilizing means creating an opportunity to speak, which is not a denomination of political currency.

In 2022, Kansas effortlessly passed a pro-abortion referendum with 59% of the vote, with the majority of Evangelical and Pro-Life Catholic Christians staying home, again. Exhilarated by last week’s victories in Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania, The New York Times jubilated: “How abortion lifted Democrats … President Biden is unpopular, but his party and its policies are on a winning streak.”

Let’s pause for a moment to declare as delusional the notion that President Biden’s party and policies are on a winning streak. Barack Obama’s chief strategist David Axelrod cautioned last week, “Only @JoeBiden can make this decision [to run in 2024 or drop out]. If he continues to run, he will be the nominee of the Democratic Party. What he needs to decide is whether that is wise; whether it’s in his best interest or the country’s.”

James Carville, the lead strategist for Bill Clinton’s winning 1992 Presidential campaign, was a little more forceful. Often referred to as the ‘Ragin Cajun’, the 79-yr-old Carville fumed on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast: “Let’s say the election was November the third of this year. And they said the candidates are Joe Biden the Democrat, Donald Trump the Republican, Joe Manchin and Larry Hogan No Labels and Cornel West. Trump would be a betting favorite. If I told you I would give you even money, you would not take that bet.”

As to the plight of Republicans, nationally syndicated columnist Todd Starnes offered last Wednesday his diagnosis for the pitiful showing by Christians: “Many Millennial and Gen Z pastors have disengaged their churches from the culture war battles. They have taken great strides to make sure their pulpits don’t offend. The influence of the church has been neutralized. That’s why an overwhelming majority of Ohioans just enshrined birth date abortions in their state constitution. Silence in the face of evil is evil itself.”

The stark reality of 75% of Christian voters staying home on Election Day is that those favoring abortion and homosexual marriage will get a free pass to elect their representatives, draft and pass legislation, and so codify into law their secular profane values.

Contemporary culture is nothing but the public manifestation of the paganistic religion lording over the nation. Politics is downstream from the headwaters of culture, as study of secularized public education theories will show.

With the physical and low earthly passions given the upper hand over the spiritual, the Canaanitization of America could happen because woke pastors, educated in woke universities and seminaries, became the outposts for the worship of the golden calves of multiculturalism, political correctness and human secularism. As to Millennial and Gen Z pastors, intermarrying with worldly celebrities has become the latest passion, although it is Scripturally false and idolatrous.

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Even so, the church sleeps on, unwilling to engage in obedience to Christ’s ecclesia Kingdom assignment from Matthew 16:18: “Upon this rock, I will build my ecclesia, and the gates of hell won’t stand against it.”

Contemporary American Christendom keeps on pushing the sterile model of attendance, holdings and portfolios as a measurement of successful cultural involvement, and in addition can’t seem to make its workforce of born-again believers understand that although Canaan was a free gift to Israel, which they entered by grace alone, they still had to fight for every inch of it.

We raised a red flag on May 10, 2022—one month prior to SCOTUS overturning Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs vs. Jackson case. We wrote:

“Evangelicals ought to think through what’s coming soon to their own surroundings and prospects. Specifically, with the U.S. Supreme Court looking as if it may overturn Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs v. Jackson case, tremendous pressure will now be applied to state legislators and courts. The battle over snuffing out the lives of children in utero will move from the Judiciary to the Legislative Branch of government, hence to a place where success or failure is determined by grassroots, precinct-level organizing.

“Christians will have to take their Civics game therefore to a whole new level. Somebody’s values are going to reign supreme in the public square. If Evangelical and Pro-Life Catholic Christians stay home from the voting booth – in a presidential year no less than half of all Christians unfortunately refrain from being registered and voting – then those ‘who speak perverse things, who leave the paths of uprightness’ … will elect their candidates, create and pass legislation, bringing about anarchy as its ‘natural consequence and fitting punishment’ to a spiritually apathetic nation.”

A similar state of indifference to idolatry has befallen American Christendom that once overtook ancient Israel. We can no longer maintain, much less regain, the territory that Jehovah God handed to the American Founders. Peter J. Leithart has the details: “There are unbeatable giants in the land, as the 10 spies said (Numbers 13), and the walls of the cities of Canaan are impenetrable—not because they are powerful, but because Israel’s idolatry leaves it impotent. Idols are nothing, powerless, incapable of action, and ‘those who worship them shall be like them’ – deaf, dumb, weak, lame, blind (Psalm 115).”

Impotence, perhaps, is a good way to describe contemporary Christendom. In 1 Kings chapter 16, we find King Ahab thinking it not worth mentioning for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, as “he did evil in the sight of Yahweh more than all who were before him.” “Idolatry,” writes Dr. Leithart, “is uncreative and produces the death of identical repetition. Insofar as it moves at all, it degenerates. Idolatry tolerated and indulged breeds more flagrant idolatry.”

Until the sons and daughters of Issachar enter America’s public square, where every church all across the nation has a pastor, elder, deacon, or congregant running in 2024, 2026, 2028, and thereafter, flagrant idolatry will continue.

Thankfully, with praise to Jehovah, Gideon’s and Rahab’s have begun entering the public arena in America. {eoa}

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David Lane is the founder of the American Renewal Project.

The 2023 Global Prophetic Summit was held last weekend at Trinity Church in Cedar Hill, Texas in South Dallas, and, as prophet Cindy Jacobs reported on her Instagram page, it was a “breathtaking journey.”

“All who gathered were immersed in a powerful fusion of prophecy and purpose, as global voices shared their divine insights,” the Instagram page read. “The atmosphere buzzed with spiritual energy, nurturing deep connections and revelations. Highlights included stirring messages and soulful worship sessions that left us not only captivated, but yearning for more revelations.”

The theme for this year’s conference was “Breakthrough for Your Reset,” and Jacobs said that GPS 2023 was “designed especially to see you receive a huge breakthrough in your life.”

Jacobs said on a Facebook video that more than 34 nations were present at the conference.

In the video, Jacobs proclaimed: “God is talking to us, guys! We’re receiving reports that people are praying all over the world. Satan should never have tried what he’s trying. God gave me a word in Jerusalem a week and a half before everything went down that terrorists would be coming and this would be a dark time for Israel. But, afterwards, God said He was going to pour out His Spirit. We all need to just pray into that and believe unto our God.”

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Prophet Chuck Pierce spoke Friday night and said, “I can’t think of a more intense time than what we’re living in right now. And yet, it’s an exciting time because we’re seeing certain things happen that need to happen. America is in a very interesting time; nations are in a very interesting time. Multitudes are in the valley of decision. What this coming year will be about is how are you going to bring heaven down into the atmosphere around you? God is saying to us what he said to John when it was time for a major change after he had evaluated all of the churches of the region for that particular time. He’s saying to us, ‘Come up here. I’m going to show you things that are to come.’

“So, when we are talking about this year is about a door, a gate. We’re going to have to go up to this door and through it. We’re going to have to gain a place of access that we’ve been given because the heavens are shifting around us. When the heavens are shifting around us, that means the earth is shifting around us.”

Among those who spoke at the annual GPS conference last week included Pierce, Jane Hamon, Che Ahn, James Goll, Lou Engle, Troy Brewer, Guillermo Maldanado, Katherine Ruonala, Becca Greenwood, Jennifer LeClaire, Ken Fish, Matt Sorger and many other prolific kingdom leaders who gave inspiring messages for the body of Christ. {eoa}

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

In a recent interview with Charisma News, Pastor Brian Gibson shed light on the powerful revival sweeping through different areas under his ministry, including a significant transformation in the life of Pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church. The conversation delves into the origins of their collaboration and Locke’s journey from a cessationist perspective to embracing the charismatic movement.

Pastor Gibson reminisces about Locke’s early days, marked by a strong voice against lockdowns and government interference. The turning point occurred during a rally in Kentucky when Gibson invited Locke to join the cause against the lockdowns. Little did Gibson know that Locke, a full-fledged cessationist at the time, would become an essential ally in their shared mission. As they traveled together, Gibson’s charismatic expressions, including praying in tongues, challenged Locke’s preconceptions, eventually leading to a profound shift in his beliefs.

“So, Locke goes on the road with me, and we preach in like, 30 states,” Gibson shares. “And I didn’t know he was a full-fledged cessationist and that he hated charismatics back then. I didn’t know he had written a book about guys like me.

“I remember Locke looking over at me, like ‘what in the world’s happening,’ but he would watch us and I would give words of knowledge and prophesy. As we were travelling he kind of figured out, ‘Man, this guy’s not crazy, at least not totally crazy, right?’ And God was already speaking to Spirit of God was working on him.”

Locke’s immersion into the charismatic movement involved encounters with prophetic ministries and pivotal moments, such as a visit to Gibson’s church in Owensboro. A prophet named Gustavo Paez played a crucial role in revealing significant aspects of Locke’s life, ultimately impacting his ministry and prompting him to write a book about the experience.

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Addressing the sustainability of the ongoing revival, Pastor Gibson humbly acknowledges his lack of expertise but emphasizes the central role of passion for Jesus. Keeping Jesus as the focus and not overshadowing His presence with guest speakers is paramount in their approach. Gibson stresses the importance of continual prayer, especially in the face of heightened spiritual attacks. He shares personal experiences of late-night calls, such as a recent incident where the devil attacked his brother’s health.

Gibson underscores the power of gospel preaching as a form of spiritual warfare, highlighting the simplicity of proclaiming the message of Christ’s death, burial, Resurrection, repentance and belief. He also emphasizes the need for external support through prayer, as attacks intensify during times of revival.

“Middle of the night, I get a call and the devil attacked my brother’s health last night. My brother went down in front of his wife, got up straight out of bed, threw up and said call the ambulance,” recalls Gibson.

“You just get uncommon attacks when stuff like this is happening. Don’t fear it, right? We don’t have a spirit of fear. We have authority over the devil. But raising up that shield of faith with prayer. We need people praying for us, praying for our team, praying for safety, praying for protection.”

Looking ahead, Pastor Gibson reveals plans to rotate the revival meetings between different locations, observing that the revival seems to follow wherever they go. Testimonies of salvations during funerals, in beauty salons and at baptisms underscore the widespread impact of the revival.

As the flames of revival continue to burn, Pastor Brian Gibson and his team remain committed to walking humbly before the Lord, recognizing the need for awakening and revival in these crucial times.{eoa}

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James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

In an interview with Sid Roth, Pastor Frankie Mazzapica shared how building his faith upon the solid foundation of Christ led to him not only simply believe that Jesus was his Savior, but how he saw himself as able to perform the miracles that Jesus’ disciples did.

After praying for a single mother to overcome her battle with cancer, Mazzapica was sure that she would be healed. However, the mother still passed away. After this, Mazzapica decided to learn more about the key concepts of faith and prayer.

“I thought to myself, ‘God, I am tired of asking You to guide the hands of a doctor. I’m tired of asking You for that. I know You can heal them. Where is the gap?'” Mazzapica implored of the Lord. “And then I realized at that moment that there’s a difference between being a Christian and having the power of God in you as a Christian that can ignite miracles. And that’s when I said, ‘I am going to pursue this power and do exactly what the disciples did.'”

This led Mazzapica to wait on the Lord for His Holy Spirit to fill him up with His power. After this, Mazzapica went down to Brazil with Randy Clark where his life was forever transformed after experiencing what it was like to pray for people and see physical healings take place. One of these miraculous events included a blind man who received his sight. After praying for the man three times, Mazzapica finally declared that the man was healed in the name of Jesus. When this happened, the man finally blinked his eyes open and was amazed at how Jesus had healed him.

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“All of a sudden, he starts blinking,” Mazzapica said. “I said, ‘Can you see?’ He goes, ‘No, I can’t.’ And I said, ‘Well, you’re about to see in one minute.’ And faith just burst up. He couldn’t see, but I said, ‘You’re about to see right now in the name of Jesus, our Messiah, now!'”

After this, the man was able to see, giving credit to Jesus. It’s this kind of faith that can literally heal someone through the power of Jesus’ name that Mazzapica was able to bring back to his team.

While miracles, signs and wonders have been a catalyst to help people of no faith come to know Christ or have led many to restore their faith, there are dangers when believers unleash other spiritual entities into their life. In a Q&A Mazzapica and Evangelist John Ramirez discussed how there is a spiritual element to everything around us whether we want to admit it or not.

“The devil has avenues to introduce himself to culture, to music, fashion,” Ramirez told Mazzapica. “He knows that these are the avenues of the devil believes in systems and components, even in the church. That’s why Jesus was born outside of the system in the we don’t have to belong to the system.”

For Christians, it is imperative to stay vigilant about what we allow into our lives and feed our souls with. As we spend more time with the Lord we have the opportunity to build up our faith in Christ, similar to how Mazzapica did, so God can use us for His glorious purposes. {eoa}

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Abby Trivett is a marketing copywriter and coordinator for Charisma Media.

The state of our nation today reminds me of “The Twilight Zone” reruns that I watched as a young boy. They were always very eerie and unsettling.

This Is Fact Not Fiction

For those unfamiliar with “The Twilight Zone,” it was a science fiction horror series that ended in 1964. Each episode began with an introduction from host Rod Serling telling the viewer they were entering “the Twilight Zone”, and featured a story where the actors experience very disturbing or unusual events, sometimes scary, sometimes comical.

But for us today, this is no TV series—many disturbing events we hear of in the news and in our communities are real. For example:

• The support for pro-terror groups who butcher women and children: University of Maryland Palestinian rally under investigation after apparent calls for ‘Holocaust 2.0’
• The battle over ridiculous pronouns and the support for mental health issues surrounding illicit sexual behavior while silencing those who dare to challenge them. Instead of offering hope and direction, they are given accolades and applause: “The wicked freely parade and prance about while evil is praised throughout the land” (Ps. 12:8).
• The alarming increase in school shootings and the manifestos that reveal who should also be held responsible for their destructive influences.
• The enemy has penetrated our walls (borders). Like the Trojan Horse, it’s no longer a matter of “if” but “when” the hammer falls.
• The debilitating effects of the opioid and fentanyl crisis, especially in major cities.

• The drag queen story hours where godless and perverted men get permission to groom children.
• The thunderous applause from California, Ohio, and New York because they can kill their babies up to birth.
• The incredible stupidity that suggests men can have babies. Not even “The Twilight Zone” dared to go there!
• The weak and woke pastors who lack the courage and the backbone to boldly stand for the truth.
• And finally, the brokenness of families that few seemed concerned about. Michael Reagan, the son of Ronald Reagan, wrote of his parent’s divorce, “Divorce is where two adults take everything that matters to a child—the child’s home, family, security and sense of being loved and protected—and they smash it [to pieces], leave it in ruins on the floor, then walk out and leave the child to clean up the mess.”

Running from the Remedy

What alarms, shocks, and hurts the most is that most Americans are provoking God by running from the remedy and cursing the cure!

You may say, “Shane, this is hard to hear!” Yes, it is, but at this stage in the game, it’s very healthy to mourn and weep at the mess we’ve created.

We must procure the aid of God via the blessing of brokenness and the gift of humility: “The call to repentance is not cruel, but caring. The call to holiness is not enslaving, but liberating” (Rob Fultz).

We All Fear Something

We all fear something and fear controls our actions. The Left fears the Right, and the majority of the Right fears the Left. We need to start fearing God again: As we’ve learned throughout history, men are either controlled by the Bible or by the bayonet.

Let’s be crystal clear here: A national awakening sparked by the fear of God is our only hope (cf. Ex. 20:20). Christian galas, events, festivals and conferences are great, but they will never usher in God’s presence. Business as usual is not going to cut it anymore.

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The early church spent days waiting in an upper room before the fire fell. They understood that the secret to revival was the secret place. Spiritual awakenings aren’t birthed in arrogance; they are born in the womb of brokenness.

The Real Question

If you think salvation is coming in 2024, you’ll be gravely mistaken. God only knows the chaos that may ensue. The real question is, are you ready?

In the depths of a despairing world, we cannot forget about God’s grace and love. You may feel that you’ve done too much damage, but don’t lose heart. You will be amazed at what God can do with humility, brokenness and repentance. Humble yourself today and begin to fear God again.

Someone Must Light the Flame

At a critical time in Israel’s history, Elijah approached the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him!” The same call goes out today: How long will you waver?

Is His word in your heart like a “burning fire?” (Jer. 20:9). We must begin here. God still looks for men and women to light the fire and fan the flames: “It is only when the whole heart is gripped with the passion of prayer that the life-giving fire descends, for none but the earnest man gets access to the ear of God” (E.M. Bounds).

“Look at the world around you. It may seem immovable. It is not. With the slightest push—in just the right place—it can be tipped” (Malcolm Gladwell).

When God commands you to do something, never rely on someone else to see it through. This is our hour … our moment. Breakthroughs always cost someone something.

We must be willing to pay the price. Are you? There is always repentance before restoration. {eoa}

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Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Southern California. More can be found at , and free downloads of his books are available at . Visit him on Facebook and subscribe to his new podcast.

There are few things more frightening to leftist Americans than a Christian conservative who has political power. That’s why the unexpected, out of the blue rise to power of Rep. Mike Johnson sent shock waves through the left, as if to say, “These religious fanatics are trying to take over the country! Soon they’ll be imposing the Christian version of Sharia on every American! Danger!

Johnson even had the temerity to say this in an interview with Sean Hannity, “I am a Bible-believing Christian. Someone asked me today in the media, they said, ‘It’s curious, people are curious: What does Mike Johnson think about any issue under the sun?’ I said, ‘Well, go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it. That’s my worldview.'” Oh, the horror!

To be sure, countless political leaders in American history, including many of our presidents, also extolled the Scriptures. In the words of Abraham Lincoln in 1864, when presented with a Bible by “loyal colored people” in Baltimore, “In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man’s welfare, here and hereafter, are to be found portrayed in it. To you I return my most sincere thanks for the very elegant copy of the great Book of God which you present.”

More recently, in 1983, President Ronald Reagan said, “Of the many influences that have shaped the United States of America into a distinctive Nation and people, none may be said to be more fundamental and enduring than the Bible. … These shared beliefs helped forge a sense of common purpose among the widely dispersed colonies—a sense of community which laid the foundation for the spirit of nationhood that was to develop in later decades. The Bible and its teachings helped form the basis for the Founding Fathers’ abiding belief in the inalienable rights of the individual, rights which they found implicit in the Bible’s teachings of the inherent worth and dignity of each individual.”

But that was different (although, to be sure, many on the left openly expressed their concerns about Reagan’s ties to the religious right). That was before the rise of the ever present, always in the shadows, Christian movement called “NAR” – short for the New Apostolic Reformation. Yes, it is NAR that is trying to take over the world, and Mike Johnson is part of NAR. This really is frightful!

Yes, Johnson is “the most Christian nationalist speaker in history” and is actually a “false prophet.” Indeed, according to Rolling Stone, “The newly elected House speaker has ties to the far-right New Apostolic Reformation—which is hell-bent on turning America into a religious state.” Americans, beware!

Are you ready to connect the dots?

We are informed that “there’s a flag hanging outside his office that leads into a universe of right-wing religious extremism as unknown to most Americans as Johnson was before he ascended to the speakership”

This would be the “Appeal to Heaven” flag, of which Rolling Stone says, “Historically, this flag was a Revolutionary War banner, commissioned by George Washington as a naval flag for the colony turned state of Massachusetts. The quote ‘An Appeal to Heaven’ was a slogan from that war, taken from a treatise by the philosopher John Locke. But in the past decade it has come to symbolize a die-hard vision of a hegemonically Christian America.”

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I first heard about this flag with the publication of books by Dutch Sheets, “An Appeal To Heaven: What Would Happen If We Did It Again?” (2015) and Jennifer LeClaire, “The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening” (2017)—yes, a spiritual awakening, not a Christian takeover. The concept was that American leaders in the past looked to God for mercy and help in times of need, recognizing that our only appeal was to heaven. The same must happen again in our day there must be a fresh move of God, another great awakening—if our nation is to survive. Our only hope is an appeal to heaven!

Not so, say Bradley Onishi and Matthew D. Taylor, authors of the Rolling Stone article. Instead, “To understand the contemporary meaning of the Appeal to Heaven flag, it’s necessary to enter a world of Christian extremism animated by modern-day apostles, prophets and apocalyptic visions of Christian triumph that was central to the chaos and violence of Jan. 6. Earlier this year we released an audio-documentary series, rooted in deep historical research and ethnographic interviews, on this sector of Christianity, which is known as the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). The flag hanging outside Johnson’s office is a key part of its symbology.”

And despite a spokesman for Johnson stating that the flag was simply a gift to him from another congressman, Onishi and Taylor are not buying it: “It is simply untenable to think that Johnson is unaware of what the Appeal to Heaven flag signals today. It represents an aggressive, spiritual-warfare style of Christian nationalism, and Johnson is a legal insurrectionist who has deeply tied himself into networks of Christian extremists whose rhetoric, leadership and warfare theology fueled a literal insurrection.”

America, beware! Your beloved country is about to be turned into a religious state.

The truth to be told, reports of the nefarious activities of “NAR” are grossly exaggerated, both in terms of numbers, influence and goals. And while I certainly have differences with some of the leaders referenced in Rolling Stone, most of the Christian leaders I know who work in politics are no different than their colleagues on the left.

Both are working within the political, democratic system to advance their values and goals. Those on the left have their vision for what is best for America while those on the right have a different vision. But I do not personally know a single, significant, evangelical leader who wants to impose a theocracy on America. Not one.

As for Christians working to change the educational system, that’s exactly what the left has been doing for decades, with disastrous results. But that’s what every group does. We seek to convince others that that our convictions and beliefs and values are in the best interest of the nation, and we do our best to live those values out and to influence others. What is so wrong about that?

Without a doubt, Johnson is a deeply committed, Christian conservative, and without a doubt, he would love to see more Americans embrace the best aspects of our national Christian heritage.

But, aside from praying for God’s intervention in our nation—this is something every generation has done—he is committed to working within the political process. Even his attempts to challenge the results of the 2020 election were done in this spirit, ultimately stepping back from that pursuit as the courts refused to reexamine the elections.

In today’s climate, however, Johnson is the most dangerous Speaker of the House we have ever had, part of a conspiratorial plot to take over the nation and impose a fundamentalist version of Christian over every American.

You can expect this fear mongering, alarmist approach to become more shrill in the days ahead. Be prepared to respond with patience and with truth. Perhaps, over time, our fellow-citizens will realize that the alarmists are just crying wolf. {eoa}

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In Psalm 96:8-9 it says: “Give unto the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth.”

Well, how do we enter into His courts? Psalm 100:4 answers that question: “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”

When a worship leader sees a congregation that is not focused on the Lord and respecting the holiness that comes with worshiping Him, it is their responsibility to correct the people lovingly.

In a video uploaded recently to YouTube, that is exactly what worship leader Dr. Ron Kenoly does.

As Kenoly leads the congregation in worship, he notices behavior that is due for correction. How he does this is an example to all Christians, including those in positions of leadership and authority, about being submissive and yet authoritative at the same time by asking the pastor of the church for permission before moving forward and stopping the worship in its tracks.

“Pastor, how much authority do I have?” Kenoly respectfully asks. After being given the greenlight that he has the authority, Kenoly explains why the worship must stop.

“One of the things that bothers me the most is that when I am trying to get intimate with God and somebody’s taking pictures of me,” Kenoly explains.

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This action, which may be done in innocence and ignorance, takes the focus of worship off God, and places it onto the person being recorded.

“I want to get something clear: I am not an artiste. I am a worship leader. And my goal, my only goal, my only to teach you how to worship Him properly,” Kenoly explains.

Continuing to make his point clear as to the honor and reverence God is supposed to be shown, Kenoly explains the proper way to address a king and how to act in front of one, but not just any king, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

“Now the Bible tells us the appropriate behavior when we experience His manifest presence. And it says it right here in the song: ‘You deserve the glory, You deserve the honor.’ So, we lift our hands in worship. I don’t mind teaching you, because I [would] feel like I failed if I didn’t teach you,” Kenoly says.

All of this teaching, instruction and rebuke comes from one place in Kenoly’s heart: love.

“I am rebuking you because I love you,” Kenoly shares, who then proceeds to lead the congregation in pure, unadulterated worship of the Most High.

Taking the worship of the Lord seriously is a principle Christians must re-learn if they truly want to experience the manifest presence of God pouring out over their congregations, homes and communities. {eoa}

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James Lasher is Staff Writer for Charisma Media.

After a lengthy bout with cancer, Christian author, filmmaker and television producer Warren Marcus passed away Monday evening at 74, with his wife of many years, Donna, by his side.

In late October, Marcus’ family called for prayer for him through social media as he fought for his life. Donna Marcus said in October she and her family were “overwhelmed” by the prayer response for her husband.

Marcus wrote the Charisma House book “The Priestly Prayer of the Blessing” in 2018, which also included an accompanying 30-day journey to unlocking God’s ancient secret of blessing titled “Praying the Priestly Prayer.”

After receiving his salvation 1974, Marcus became an avid student of God’s Word. In the 1980s, Marcus was ordained in the Southern Baptist denomination as a Messianic Jewish minister.

Marcus formerly served as executive producer for Sid Roth’s “It’s Supernatural,” weekly television program. Roth paid tribute to him Tuesday on Facebook:

“While we here are saddened at the loss of our dear friend, we know he is happier than he ever has been now that he is where we all long to be—in the arms of Yeshua,” Roth wrote. “We were blessed enough to work alongside Warren for many years on ‘It’s Supernatural!’ as he led our TV, Radio and Development department through many changes at our ministry, including developing programs for the ‘It’s Supernatural!’ Network and Middle East Television.

“His prolific career as a film maker helped impact generations for the Messiah as the creator behind beloved children’s programs SuperBook and our own Supernatural Sid. However, nothing compared to his heart for the Jewish people and his hope that one day all of Israel would be saved. We ask that you please keep his family in your prayers during this difficult time.”

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Popular author Pastor Todd Coconato wrote on Facebook that he had the pleasure of meeting Marcus at the Sid Roth show and spent some time with him at the National Religious Broadcasters conference in 2022.

“This was a quality man of God who had such a pure and loving heart,” Coconato says. “So kind and sincere. Heaven has gained a general. We honor him, his life and ministry. Thank you for all of the lives you touched.”

Marcus also produced inspirational television programs for Dr. Jerry Falwell’s Inspiration Network in Charlotte, North Carolina and worked for the Christian Broadcasting Network, where he produced the animated Bible series for children, “Superbook” and “Flying House,” which was translated into a multitude of languages and distributed worldwide.

Friend Toochukwu Anyachonkeya, a model, actor and poet, wrote this about Marcus on Facebook: “God rest the soul of Warren Marcus in Jesus’ name. When we first met in 2009, he bought my poetry book and supported my acting career by hiring me for many parts on Sid Roth’s ‘It’s Supernatural.’ I was blessed to have over a decade of favor and love from him. He was always smiling and glorifying God.”

Another friend and former coworker, Melanie Nothnagle, wrote: “Thank you, Warren, for your kind, gentle and Godly spirit. You were always smiling and brought laughter. I’m thankful for your time together at Sid Roth and know you are a blessing in the glory of God.” {eoa}

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