From violent gang member to transformed minister, Alexander Pagani’s testimony is nothing short of miraculous. Raised in the Bronx amidst drugs and crime, Pagani was arrested by age 11 and entrenched in gang life by his teens. Soon, he was facing 20 years for robbery, burglary and kidnapping—and made a brutal statement by stabbing inmates his first day at Riker’s Island. But it was in solitary confinement that God began to reach him.

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Through the persistent love of his Christian aunt and a prison guard whose peace intrigued him, Alexander began to wonder if there was more to life. Then, in a supernatural moment in the courtroom, he heard God speak and saw a vision that changed everything. He accepted a reduced sentence and surrendered his life to Jesus.

The transformation was instant and total—cursing, violence and addiction fell away. Alexander began to study the Bible and discovered the love of God as Father. Today, he’s a pastor, author, and spiritual father to the very community he once terrorized.

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This powerful story proves that no one is too far gone for God’s grace. Watch the full video below and be inspired by what only Jesus can do.

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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.

In a recent episode of The John Bevere Podcast, author and teacher John Bevere shared how understanding the ancient Jewish wedding reveals powerful insights into the return of Jesus Christ.

“A wedding imagery is often used to describe the relationship of Jesus and the church,” Bevere said. He explained that many phrases spoken by Jesus and the apostles—like “no one knows the day or the hour”—come directly from ancient wedding customs that are largely lost on modern Western culture.

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Bevere walked through how the bride and groom in ancient Israel would be separated after the engagement, with the groom preparing a place at his father’s house. “Once they finished [the wine], they would not drink a glass together again, nor would they see each other again,” Bevere said. “Only the father of the groom knows” when the groom would return, a direct parallel to Jesus’ own words about His return.

This moment would come with loud shouts and trumpet blasts, echoing the rapture described in 1 Thessalonians: “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout.”

The imagery doesn’t just teach us about timing, it also calls the church to action.

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“Our works don’t save us, but our works do prepare us,” Bevere said. He reminded listeners that Jesus is returning for a pure, prepared bride.

For anyone who wants to better understand the end times through a biblical and cultural lens, watch the full episode of The John Bevere Podcast on YouTube, titled “The Ancient Wedding That Explains the End Times.”

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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Luigi Mangione, the man accused of assassinating United Health CEO Brian Thompson in broad daylight, has reignited the national debate over the death penalty.

As calls for capital punishment intensify, Pastor Jack Hibbs is speaking out, urging believers to consider what the Bible actually says about justice, mercy and the role of civil government.

“The death penalty is not new,” Hibbs said. “It would only be new to people who are not educated.” From ancient civilizations to modern governments, capital punishment has always existed in one form or another. But for Hibbs, the issue isn’t about trends—it’s about truth.

“The Bible does not say, ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ Nowhere in the Bible does it say that. It says, ‘Thou shalt not murder.’ There’s a difference.”

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God’s Law and Civil Justice

Hibbs roots his position not in emotion, but in Scripture. “You shall not murder was known before the Ten Commandments were ever given,” he explained. “God has written His truth on the heart of the human who’s been created in the image of God.”

While many argue that Christians should focus only on forgiveness, Hibbs says that misses the point of civil justice. “Forgiveness is personal. Justice is societal,” he said. “The state of New York is not a person. It’s the law. And the state of New York says you’re going to be shot or you’re going to be hung or you’re going to be electrocuted. That’s justice.”

Referencing Romans 13, Hibbs added, “The authority who has been appointed by God does not bear their sword in vain.”

The Case of Luigi Mangione

Hibbs brought his message into sharp focus with a disturbing modern example. He described the murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of United Health, who was allegedly assassinated in broad daylight by Mangione.

“Luigi came up behind him, dressed like a criminal,” Hibbs said. “In the middle of the day, he’s wearing a hoodie tightly pulled around his head… puts the bullet of his pistol… and blows the head up and murders, murders Brian Thompson.”

Mangione fled the scene and was later apprehended. “Was Luigi Mangione guilty? He dressed for the crime. He fled the scene. By his actions, he admits that he’s guilty. Period.”

The case, now under scrutiny with calls for the death penalty, has exposed a troubling cultural dynamic that Hibbs doesn’t shy away from. “People are saying Luigi Mangione is handsome… there are women who have expressed their desire to marry him. That’s a disease in the brain,” he said. “Everybody knows who Luigi Mangione is, but you probably don’t even remember Brian Thompson.”

Emotional Arguments vs. Biblical Authority

For Hibbs, the disconnect in culture today is due to a lack of biblical grounding. “People are going to make emotional arguments to what God’s word has declared and what even natural law declares,” he said.

He emphasized the biblical foundation for capital punishment, citing Exodus 21 where crimes such as murder, rape, and bestiality are met with death. “A life for a life. This is moral law that is written on the human heart.”

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And what about the woman caught in adultery in the New Testament?

“Yes, Jesus told the Pharisees, ‘Whoever is without sin, let him throw the first stone.’ But He never said the law was wrong. He never said she shouldn’t be punished. He just exposed their hypocrisy,” Hibbs said.

Justice and the Gospel

Hibbs proposed a biblically inspired solution to capital punishment that combines justice with mercy.

“If I were the attorney general of the United States,” he said, “I would issue a decree that we are calling for all states to implement the death penalty… only after the gospel has been given to the convicted for two weeks. Every day the gospel will be presented… and at the end of two weeks, they will be either electrocuted or they’ll be hung or shot.”

He concluded with a sobering reminder for the Church. “The death penalty is justice. It is right. It is to be implemented by civil governments, not you, not me. And it’s what God has ordered until He comes again.”

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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Bill Wiese, author of 23 Minutes in Hell, isn’t interested in softening the truth about eternity. In his latest message, he answers one of the most unsettling questions a person can ask: Who will be in hell?

“Jesus said in Matthew 7:13 and 14, ‘Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it … narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it,’” Wiese said.

According to Wiese, these are not vague warnings. He pointed out that “many are going to hell and few are going to heaven,” emphasizing that the Bible gives clear and repeated answers on who ends up there — and why.

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The core issue, Wiese explained, is not our ability to be “good” but whether we’ve received Christ. “It is the rejection of the provision for our sins, Jesus Christ, which sends a person to hell,” he said.

Quoting 1 Corinthians 6:9, he continued, “‘Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?’” Wiese warned that many fail to realize just how comprehensive this warning is. “For whoever shall keep the whole law, yet offend it in one point, well, he is guilty of all,” he said, referencing James 2:10.

Wiese gave examples from Scripture of specific individuals who are condemned. “Jesus said to [the Pharisees], ‘You shall seek me and shall not find me, and where I am, you cannot come,’” Wiese said, citing John 7:34. He also quoted Jesus’ sobering words to Judas in Matthew 26:24: “It had been good for that man if he had not been born.”

From there, Wiese listed the sins outlined in multiple passages of Scripture that, without repentance and salvation through Christ, lead people to hell.

He quoted 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: “The fornicator will not be in heaven. The idolator, the adulterer, the effeminate, the abusers of themselves with mankind, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners — they shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

From Galatians 5:19-21, he added: “The adulterer, the fornicator, uncleanness, lewdness, the idolator, witchcraft, hatred, contentions, jealousy, wrath, strife, dissensions, heresies, envyings, murderers, drunkenness, and revilings.”

He then quoted Revelation 21:8: “The fearful, the unbelieving … the abominable, the murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire.”

“This list leaves us all out of heaven,” Wiese said. And yet, he offered hope.

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Job 15:16 says, “How much more abominable and filthy is man who drinks iniquity like water.” Isaiah 64:6 follows with, “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags.”

But there is a way out.

“There is only one way a person can be saved,” Wiese said. “It is by repenting of our sins and trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Jesus said He is the only way to heaven in John 14:6. And He said also, we must repent in Luke 13:3.”

Wiese closed with this final warning: “Repent while you have the opportunity or you will be one of hell’s occupants.”

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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

As environmental debates heat up—from Greta Thunberg-led student strikes to Apple’s slick “Mother Nature” ad campaigns—many believers are left wondering: Where do Christians stand in all of this?

Pastor Vlad Savchuk takes a bold, biblically grounded approach in his teaching, “Christians, Climate Change and the End Times: What You Need to Know.”

The Rise of a New Religion?

Environmentalism, for some, has moved beyond concern into the realm of worship.

“Mother Nature has become the functional religion of our culture,” Savchuk says. “There’s an absolute devotion to a cause. There’s sacrificing immediate gratification for the ultimate success of this cause. And there’s explaining all of life in the terms of saving the planet.”

He warns that a culture so committed to protecting the planet while ignoring the sanctity of human life is “not embracing a biblical worldview but a world worldview.”

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The Three Views on Climate Change

Savchuk lays out three dominant perspectives on climate change:

1. Climate Deniers
   “These are people who believe that people are too worried about climate change. Climate change is natural, and it’s not mainly caused by humans.”
2. Climate Alarmists
   “These people believe that climate change is real, and it’s mainly caused by humans using too much oil and gas. And if we don’t change how we live, like right now… we will harm the earth.”
3. Climate Realists
   “They believe that climate change is real and most likely comes from humans using oil and gas. They view the earth’s problem with climate change as more like having diabetes than having a suddenly deadly virus.”

Biblical Stewardship, Not Nature Worship

Savchuk emphasizes that Christians are to care for creation—not to idolize it.

“We are the stewards of the earth, but we are not worshippers of the earth,” he says. “Adam was a gardener, caring for God’s creation.”

He also notes the danger in replacing God with nature: “What I see happening in our culture… is that Mother Nature has really replaced Father God.”

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The Three Views on the Environment

Drawing from theologian Scott Rae’s work, Savchuk outlines three theological frameworks:

1. Biocentric View
   “This view sees that the environment should be protected because it has an intrinsic value.”
2. Anthropocentric View
   “That’s the view that argues the environment has no inherent value whatsoever. The only value… is really coming from its usefulness for humans.”
3. Theocentric View
   “Our Christian view on the environment is theocentric, meaning [the] environment, this world, has value because it’s God’s creation. It is placed under human dominion and our responsibility and stewardship to be used responsibly for human benefit.”

Human Life Over Animal Rights

Savchuk doesn’t shy away from confronting the cultural shift that elevates animals over people.

“You and I were made in the image and likeness of God,” he says. “Any view that views animals and plants above humans or on the same level of humans is not biblical.”

While he emphasizes treating animals with dignity, he reminds believers that “animals do not have a fundamental right to life like humans do.”

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End Times Are No Excuse for Earth Abuse

Even with an end-times worldview, Savchuk insists Christians can’t throw environmental care out the window.

“The future resurrection of your body does not justify today’s abuse of your body,” he says. “Just because bad things will happen to the earth before God makes it new, it does not give us an excuse to not care for our earth.”

Judgment and Hope

Savchuk concludes with a sobering reminder and a hopeful promise.

“You will give an account to God for what you do with this earth,” he says, citing Revelation 11:18. But he also declares, “Our God will remake all that humans and devils have wickedly harmed, damaged and destroyed.”

As our culture becomes increasingly confused about the line between Creator and creation, Christians must ensure not to worship the earth—but instead steward it for God’s glory.

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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

Why do some Christians who love God, tithe faithfully and pray still live in financial lack?

According to Kap Chatfield, it’s not because God wants them broke, it’s because they’re ignoring powerful spiritual laws that govern increase.

Look for Kap Chatfield’s new book, Prosperity is Not a Curse Word, for pre-sale soon on .

In his Kingdom Business Hour broadcast, Chatfield walks viewers through eight biblical laws that he says can unlock the “financial anointing” — a divine empowerment for wealth-building grounded in Scripture. These laws aren’t about hype or manipulation, he says, but about aligning with God’s economic system.

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“This is going to change everything,” Chatfield says. “You’re going to be shocked at how much Scripture talks about this.”

1. The Law of Recognition

Key Verse: Deuteronomy 8:18

“Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth.”

This law is about identifying the resources, talents and relationships God has already placed in your hands. “Follow the favor,” Chatfield said. “Sometimes I think we overcomplicate, ‘Where does God really want me to go?’ Look at what’s already in your hands.”

2. The Law of Vision

Key Verse: Proverbs 31

“She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.”

Chatfield emphasizes having a vision to multiply what God has given. “God blesses those who have vision and operate according to vision, not according to lack,” he says, also warning against the fear-based mindset of the servant who buried his talent: “The master said, ‘You wicked and lazy servant.’”

3. The Law of Planning

Key Verse: Luke 14:28

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost?”

“Planning honors God,” Chatfield says. “Faith actually looks like living on F, not on E,” he continues, using a gas tank analogy to explain that wise saving is not a lack of faith, but acting on it.

4. The Law of Diligence

Key Verse: Proverbs 10:4

“The hand of the diligent makes rich.”

Work was never a curse, Chatfield explains, but part of God’s original design. “Work honors God. Why? Because Jesus said, ‘My Father is always working,’” he says. “We are called to work hard as the people of God.”

5. The Law of Character

Key Verse: Proverbs 10:9

“He who walks with integrity walks securely.”

Chatfield didn’t hold back when discussing how bad moral choices ruin finances: “Bad character costs more than you want to pay, but good character rewards more than you can imagine.” He adds, “You will pay in the end for bad character.”

6. The Law of Appearance (Reputation)

Key Verse: Proverbs 22:1

“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches.”

While God looks at the heart, people look at the outside — and that matters in business, ministry and influence. “Your appearance will either work for you or against you,” Chatfield says. “Everything communicates something.”

7. The Law of Sowing and Reaping

Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 9:6

“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”

This principle isn’t about buying blessings, Chatfield warns, but about participating in God’s economic system. “A seed always produces a harvest of like kind,” he says. “You will reap according to what you sow.”

8. The Law of Expansion

Key Verse: Genesis 26:12

“Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year a hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him.”

Even during famine, Isaac sowed and reaped abundantly. “You are not subject to the system of this world if you choose to operate according to the system of the kingdom of God,” Chatfield says. “God’s promises are still available for you and me.”

Warnings and Misconceptions

Chatfield is clear that none of these laws are formulas for manipulating God or gaining instant wealth.

“You cannot buy a miracle. You cannot buy a healing. You cannot buy deliverance from the demonic. You cannot buy salvation,” he says. “Any minister who says, ‘Give me an offering today, $1,000 seed to make sure your loved one’s saved,’ — no, that is not biblical.”

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He also addressed critics of prosperity teaching: “I love prosperity. But the biggest problem that I have is I don’t love it as much as God loves it.” The real issue, he argues, isn’t prosperity itself, it’s the religious mindset that treats it as something dirty. “Why is there so much friction around this topic?” Chatfield asks, “because deep down, there are so many little areas of our lives where we truly do worship the spirit of mammon and we don’t even realize it.”

Still, he insists these biblical laws work, and the responsibility is on believers to walk them out in faith. “Take it or leave it,” Chatfield says. “But it’s what the Bible plainly teaches.”

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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

“So Pilate said to Him, ‘Are you not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?’ Jesus answered him, ‘You would have no authority over Me at all, if it had not been given to you from above’,” (John 19: 10,11).

Jesus understood that everything that happened in His life ultimately had a God purpose. Even when facing evil, Yeshua knew that there was still a divine reason at work. He trusted the Father in every situation. The Son was wholly submitted and committed to His Father.

There are many things that we do not understand. We often do not know why the Lord has allowed something to happen. It is easy to let doubt creep in and question God. Some even go as far as blaming God. Let’s instead, when we do not understand His ways, trust His faithfulness and stay committed to believing in His heart. Beloved, our God is good! But we must always keep in mind that the Lord’s thoughts are above our thoughts and His ways are above our ways (Isa. 55:9). By embracing this, we demonstrate our ultimate confidence and trust in our Father – even if we do not entirely see His purpose at the moment.

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The challenge for us is that we often can only comprehend something from the temporal realm. We are so rooted and preoccupied with our existence here on earth that we can miss His real intent. Because of this, we tend to only interpret things by what is occurring right now. Thus, we are often making decisions and drawing conclusions based on only what we see in the natural, when there is actually so much more going on. God has a bigger and an eternal plan.

Beloved, as we go through temporary earthly trials, earnestly seeking His purposes – we will ascend and overcome! When we continue to love God, staying faithful and obedient to Him – we will win. The outcome of going through our trials, when we completely surrender to God, is going to be to our benefit. We are going to be transformed, enriched, and filled with the eternal weight of God’s glory.

This is why the apostle Paul said that the temporary trials that you and I face are not worthy of being compared with the eternal glory that they work in us.

“For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17).

We need to have the conversation below with God in every situation that we are in. It will help us to effectively navigate through the “obstacle courses” of life and develop the traits that Father desires for us.

“Lord, how should I respond to this? Who do You want to be to me right now? What do You want me to discover about You in this? What are You trying to teach me? Father, although You allowed this to happen – I will not forsake my faith in You. Even when I do not understand Your ways, Father God, I am going to trust You. I ask You to tell me what Your purpose is in this. Then show me how to overcome this for Your glory. Help me to find significance in whatever I’m going through right now, knowing that You cause all things to work together for good (Rom. 8:28). God my Father, I acknowledge that You are sovereign, not only in heaven above, but on the earth below.”

“Therefore know today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other” (Deut. 4:39).

Let us trust Him and stop thinking that we know what is best. God has an eternal purpose in mind that is bigger than what we can ascertain and He’s using everything for His glory. Father has only good intentions for us, but we need His help to see them.

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“Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1: 2-4).

Let us pray:

“Father, I want to repent for having a temporal view of life and not an eternal one. For thinking that I have the right and the judgment to be able to discern everything on my own. Father, I ask You today to forgive me for making it all about me rather than about You. Help me to see You high and lifted up and to recognize who You are in Your sovereignty. I ask You to give me an eternal perspective. Teach me to understand, Lord, that You are working all things according to the counsel of Your own will. And that You are faithful to reign in and over my life. Father, thank You that You love me. Father, I want to thank You for the perfect purpose that You have for my life.”

“I am the LORD, and there is no one else; There is no God except Me. I will arm you, though you have not known Me, So that people may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no one else, The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating disaster; I am the LORD who does all these things,” (Isa. 45: 5-7).

Beloved, I speak strength and courage over you today. Our Father God loves us, and He is reigning over our lives.

Rabbi Schneider hosts the impactful television program, Discovering The Jewish Jesus, which is available in more than 100 million homes in the United States and nearly 200 nations worldwide. In 2021 he began broadcasting on radio and now airs across America. Rabbi Schneider imparts revelation of Jesus’ Jewish heritage and His fulfillment of Messianic prophecy. Questions of how the Old and New Testaments tie together, and how Yeshua completes the unfolding plan of The Almighty Yahweh, are answered with exceptional clarity. Visit

By now, most of us have learned that life doesn’t always go the way we plan. We deal with disappointments, rejection, setbacks—and sometimes it feels like joy is the last thing we’re capable of. But according to New York Times best-selling author Jonathan Cahn, joy isn’t something we wait for—it’s something we choose, even in the valleys.

In a recent sermon uploaded to YouTube, Cahn delivered a message that cut straight to the heart of what it means to have faith in difficult times. “How can we go through hard times and also… rejoice always? How can we rejoice? When you’re going through a tough time and you rejoice anyway… you become more and more like Messiah.”

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That idea might sound backwards at first. But Cahn made it clear: our ability to rejoice in the middle of the storm shows just how deeply rooted our faith really is.

“If you live fearing any hard time… you’ve got so little joy that you can’t deal with anything,” he said. “What this is saying is you have been given so many blessings and so much joy that you can deal with anything and you can overcome it.”

And the key, he pointed out, isn’t avoiding trials—it’s learning to see them the way God does. He quoted from Hosea, “I will give her the valley of trouble as the door of hope,” and shared how one of Israel’s earliest modern settlements was named after that verse. Cahn’s takeaway? “For every valley of trouble, it’s going to become a door of hope to you.”

That message is especially powerful for anyone who feels stuck or discouraged. According to Cahn, the Christian life isn’t just about holding on—it’s about moving forward. “That which is alive reproduces,” he said. “If you’re alive in God, you have to be reproducing. You have to be leading others to God.”

Still, that doesn’t mean we carry the weight alone. Cahn reminded listeners to do their part, but then let go.

“Do your part… but then you have to entrust it to the Lord. Your ministry, entrust it to the Lord. Your family, entrust to the Lord. That person, entrust them to God.”

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He shared how the early church stepped out into the unknown with nothing but faith, and they came back with powerful testimonies. “They just went because God told them without knowing what to do. And sometimes you can’t wait for all these things. You just step out. God will honor you as you step out.”

And even if some people reject the message? “Jump up and down, leap for joy because your reward is great in heaven,” Cahn said.

Here’s the challenge: don’t just keep the blessings to yourself.

“You’re blessed by God, bring it home. Your joy—you have joy—bless your family with it. Bless the people in your life. Bless your relatives. Bring it home.”

If you’re walking through a tough season right now, maybe the takeaway is this: your valley could be the start of something greater. And with God, even the deepest pit can become a doorway to joy.

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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

“Why does healing happen sometimes—and other times, it doesn’t?”

That age-old question opened a recent segment of The 700 Club, as Gordon Robertson responded to a heartfelt email from a viewer named Peg. Her question pierced into a reality many believers face: “Jesus has healed me many times,” she wrote. “And Jesus has healed even my little dog through prayer. When I pray for others, they are not healed… What’s going on?”

It’s a vulnerable and honest struggle—one that countless Christians face, especially when their faith feels unanswered.

Robertson didn’t shy away from the complexity of the question. He shared a deeply personal story: “My mother was paralyzed. She had a stroke… with my mother, she never got the function back in her right arm and her right leg. And we couldn’t figure it out because we earnestly prayed.”

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Despite fervent prayer and anointing with oil, nothing changed. That raw transparency is what made Robertson’s message resonate. Because we’ve all been there—begging God, waiting for the breakthrough, wondering if we’re missing something.

But then came a shift in the story—one that occurred in a small village in India, over 30 years ago. Robertson recalled that moment vividly. He was preparing to preach about the Holy Spirit when, unexpectedly, the Lord spoke: “I want to heal the sick today.”

His initial reaction was all too relatable: “No, You don’t. You got the wrong guy. I’m a lawyer… I’m not a faith healer.”

But God doesn’t call the qualified—He qualifies the called.

A young boy, crippled by polio, was brought forward. “He looked like what happens to a spider after you step on one. Everything was curled up. He could not extend his legs.” Faced with the impossible and void of confidence, Robertson confessed to praying a desperate prayer: “Lord, I’m doing all I know.”

Then came the voice of Jesus again—not in condemnation, but in encouragement: “When will you rely on Me?” And suddenly, Robertson saw something differently—something deeper: “Jesus never prayed for the sick. He just commanded it.”

That revelation changed everything.

Looking into the boy’s eyes, Gordon pointed and said, “Get up and walk.” The child’s legs straightened. He stood. He walked. “It was an amazing miracle.”

So what does this mean for us? For the ones in Bible studies, praying and pleading with no visible change?

Robertson offered this vital encouragement: “If you’re having trouble healing, stop looking at your prayer. Stop looking at your oil. Stop looking at your elders… Look to Jesus. Let Him be the author and the finisher of your faith.”

This isn’t about rituals, it’s about relationship.

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What does the Bible say?

The Scriptures confirm this truth over and over. In Hebrews 12:2, we are told to be “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” And in James 5:15, we’re reminded: “the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.” But even still, not every healing is immediate. Paul, despite his many miracles, still carried a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7). Healing isn’t always about our faith—it’s about His sovereignty.

If you’re praying for healing and haven’t seen the result, take heart. Delay does not mean the absence of God.

When you rely on Jesus—not the procedure or process—you have everything you need.

“God is my helper. The Lord is the sustainer of my life” (Ps. 54:4).

And sometimes, that truth is the greatest healing of all.

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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.

I have a friend who is a gifted worship leader, a loving husband and an affectionate father. He’s funny, smart, passionate about his faith and wholeheartedly committed to his church. People who know him say he’s a model Christian.

But underneath this joyful exterior he hides a lot of pain. He struggles with depression, and then he condemns himself because, as he says, “Christians are supposed be happy.” When emotional heaviness drags him to a low point, he knows how to put on his convincing church face. Nobody knows the dark thoughts that torment him.

My friend isn’t unique in this struggle. Countless Christians I know engage in a daily battle with the enemy of their souls. Satan is described in Scripture as “the father of lies” (John 8:44), and the “accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10). He wags his bony finger of condemnation and tries to deny us access to the Lord’s love and mercy.

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You’ll never find victory in the Christian life if you don’t confront and renounce Satan’s accusations. If the devil has been replaying his lies in your head, you must hit the eject button now. The spirit of condemnation will always hurl outrageous lies at you like these listed below:

“Jesus can’t use me because of my weakness.” The devil is always ready to remind you that you are stupid, ugly, prone to depression or addiction, unwanted, inferior or broken beyond repair. And yet the people God used in the Bible were far from perfect. Every Christian has flaws. God made us weak so we would find our strength in Him. If you were perfect, you wouldn’t need a Savior.

“I should give up because I constantly struggle with sin.” Some Christian men I know feel disqualified because they haven’t totally overcome their addiction to porn. They feel bad for being tempted, and then if they stumble, they feel defeated for weeks. This can lead to discouragement and despair—and then they lose all hope of overcoming the habit. The secret to victory is not sweating and straining to resist; you must meditate on the love of God and allow His grace to enable you to override sin’s power.

“God’s promises are for other people, not me.” Do you feel God’s goodness always bypasses you? You may have an orphan spirit. Many Christians don’t believe the heavenly Father loves and accepts them. They may have been rejected by their parents, or lacked parental affirmation. Life’s pain can block our ability to see God as the loving Father He actually is. If you have given your life to Christ, the Father has adopted you, He delights in you and He has given you full inheritance rights. His promises are yours to claim!

“God is always mad at me.” Many believers base their relationship with God on performance. The devil loves this legalistic mindset because it prevents us from experiencing God’s grace. The Father doesn’t love you for what you do; He loves you because you are His child. Psalm 103 says God is “compassionate and gracious” and “slow to anger” (v. 8); it also says He has removed our sins “as far as the east is from the west” (v. 12). You will enjoy true intimacy with Jesus when you allow this truth to soak your soul.

“My past mistakes have disqualified me.” I met a Christian man recently who loves God with all His heart, yet he sits in the back of his church every week feeling inferior because he committed adultery four decades ago. His wife forgave him, and he repented for his sin, but he assumes he wears a scarlet letter around his neck and that he has been banished to a spiritual wasteland. That’s a lie! If you have repented for your sin, God has forgiven and forgotten it! Nothing can separate you from God’s love—not abortion, divorce or any unspeakable mistake you regret.

“I have committed the unpardonable sin.” I’ve counseled troubled Christians who read Matthew 12:31-32 and decided that they had blasphemed the Holy Spirit and therefore could not be saved. This is a ridiculous notion, because a person who committed the unpardonable sin mentioned in that passage wouldn’t care if they had blasphemed. If you are worried that you did this, then you haven’t! Your heart is turned toward God and you want to please Him. That alone is evidence of His grace working in you.

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Romans 8:1 is one of the most liberating verses in the Bible. It declares: “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” This promise is for you! Jesus took your punishment and removed all guilt from your record. And His blood is more powerful than any lie Satan can throw at you.

You are now qualified—not because of any of your good works, but simply because of Jesus’ amazing gift of salvation. Your past is irrelevant. You don’t have to work to win God’s love. When the Father looks at you, He doesn’t see your past sins or present struggles; He sees a robe of righteousness. Renounce the devil’s lies and receive God’s indescribable, unfathomable, unconditional love.

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