Evangelist Chris Mikkelsen says although he doesn’t believe we’re in the end times right now, it’s important to realize we’re getting closer and closer to seeing Jesus with each passing day. Along with that, the world is passing away, which is why it seems as though things are continuing to get worse and worse.

“We’re seeing that one little disease is causing worldwide chaos, and I have just one question for you today,” Mikkelsen says on the Salvation Today podcast on the Charisma Podcast Network. “Do you know where you’re going? You know, life is short. The reality is, 100% of us will pass away. But I can tell you that there is a plan that God has for you and for me and for everyone in this world. … No, I don’t believe that we are necessarily experiencing the end times right now, though I believe the end is coming.

“I believe the return of Jesus Christ is coming. It’s at hand. It’s becoming closer and closer all the time. But the Bible says this world is passing away. If you buy a nice car, and you’re from the state where I grew up, Minnesota, and you drive that car all winter, for a few winters, you will begin to see the decay and the rust that begins to set in on that car. You see decay and chaos in the world. This world is not getting better. It’s beginning to decay. And it’s decaying because it is fragile, just like you and me.”

To listen to the entire podcast titled Choose to Believe, click here.

Award-winning gospel music star and pastor Gary McSpadden died Wednesday, April 15, after a weeks-long battle with cancer. He was 77.

McSpadden died at the Cancer Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was transferred from Cox Hospital in Springfield, Missouri, during his struggle with pancreatic cancer.

McSpadden’s wife, Carol, posted the news of her husband’s death on their church’s Facebook page.

“As most of you know Gary and I have been in Tulsa at the Cancer Treatment Center of America,” she wrote. “Gary has been battling cancer along with other complications over the last several weeks. This has been a quick and difficult journey we have been on. We knew this week that God had a plan and his healing would be here on earth or in heaven. As of 8:40 AM Pastor passed peacefully surrounded by his family into the arms of God. 2 Timothy 4:7 says I have fought a good fight I have finished my course and I have kept the faith. Pastor Gary fought hard, finished the race and was an unbelievable man of faith. I would like to thank all the Faith and Wisdom church family and all the many friends who have prayed with us during this time.”

Over 250 comments on Carol’s post expressed people’s sorrow over the loss of McSpadden.

McSpadden was born Jan. 26, 1943, in Lubbock, Texas. His parents, Boyd and Helen McSpadden, were both songwriters and raised McSpadden to sing and worship God in Boyd’s church, Faith Temple. That’s where McSpadden’s passion for music, worship and songwriting began.

At 18 years old, McSpadden replaced Jake Hess’ place as lead singer in the gospel group The Imperials. Five months later, he joined the Oaks Ridge Quartet, which soon afterward changed their name to the Oak Ridge Boys. He recorded three albums with the band: He Whispers Sweet Peace to Me (1962), With Sounds of Nashville (1962) and Folk Minded Spirituals for Spiritual Minded Folk (1963).

In 1964, McSpadden rejoined The Imperials and sang with Jake Hess until 1967. During this time, the band served as backup singers for Elvis Presley.

McSpadden’s musical relationship with the Gaithers began in 1977 when he joined the Gaither Trio, which included Bill and Gloria Gaither. The group changed its name to the Gaither Vocal Band in 1981 and added Steve Green and Lee Young to their new band.

During his time with the Gaithers, McSpadden served as a co-pastor for his father’s church, Faith and Wisdom Church, in Branson, Missouri. He served at the church for three years, though in 1980 he began to focus again primarily on his music career.

In 1979, McSpadden began working on his solo career on the side, producing his album Higher Purpose. In 1988, he left the Gaither Vocal Band to pursue his solo work full time. Of his 30 total albums, 16 are solo works.

After hearing the news of his death, Bill and Gloria Gaither posted their condolences on Twitter, saying:

“Our good friend Gary McSpadden passed away this morning. This is a real loss for our whole family, for us and for the whole world. Gary was an incredible person.” – Bill & Gloria Gaither

— Gaither Music (@Gaithermusic) April 15, 2020

McSpadden’s music career also included working for Terri Gibbs, The Cathedrals, The Talleys and LuLu Roman. He also served as co-host of The PTL Club when it was under Jerry Falwell Sr.’s leadership.

In 2000, he was placed in the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame for his great musical efforts.

Is it always the will of God to heal? Should we accept sickness? How do faith and the Word of God work together?

Join Dr. Candice and healing missionary and teacher Audrey Mack as they discuss the real truth on healing today.

Courage is not the absence of fear, rather the ability to move through fear to do what is right and brave. These men in foxholes drew courage as they exercised faith, as they prayed, as they turned their fears over to their Father in heaven.

Fear plus faith equals courage. So, let’s dive deeper into courage and see where it fits in these crazy days of coronavirus tribulation.

In World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt reminded the nation, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” His first lady, Eleanor, defined courage as “staring down fear.” Many a combat veteran will tell you that “courage is holding on 10 seconds longer, then another and another.”

The root word for “courage” in Latin is cor, meaning “heart.” In essence, courage is motivated from the heart to do something brave and purposeful, despite the presence of potentially overwhelming fear. Finally, while we think of physical courage, such as charging an enemy machine gun nest, there are other dimensions of courage.

Collectively, there is physical, mental, spiritual, emotional and relational courage. Resilient leaders discuss these dimensions of courage in far greater detail, all of them requiring staring down fear through the power of faith. Certainly, the current coronavirus challenges us across every dimension of courage.

Let me explain where courage fits into the resilience equation. We all have a well of courage that is constantly being filled or depleted. An encouraging word from someone might add to it, while a sleepless night might reduce it. Observing a courageous act by another would be a positive, while rejection by a respected person could diminish your well of courage. Reading a Medal of Honor citation or stories of courage from the Bible serves to refill your well, as does watching an inspiring move or listening to heart-grabbing music.

A famous Army General, Dick Cavazos, once said “Careful you don’t dip too deeply into your well of courage.” Each of us must be wise to make physical, mental, spiritual, emotional and relational deposits into our well of courage so we will have resources to draw upon when fear raises its ugly head, when the waves start to come over the side of the boat.

A key element of weathering the storm (during the phase of the resilience life cycle) is to draw from your well of courage. Prayerfully, when all us have to dig deep (such as now), we don’t come up empty-handed. Here are some suggestions:

—Remember God‘s provision for you in the past. When he gave you strength and courage to stare down fear, when you were able to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, when you were able to have a tough discussion to resolve a relational challenge. Remember God’s provision in the past, just as the warrior David was able to face Goliath as he remembered how God had allowed him to defeat a lion and a bear in his earlier years.

—Draw courage from others in the Bible. Hebrews 11 reminds us of inspiring characters of courage and faith, such as Abraham, Sarah, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, David and many others—a veritable hall of fame of courageous heroes.

From Hebrews 11:37-39, “They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered around in sheepskins and goatskins, while destitute, afflicted, and tormented. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. These all have obtained a good report through faith, but they did not receive the promise.”

Yes, others before us have stared down fears equal to the challenges of coronavirus and our economic downturn. Hebrews 12:1-3 continues this parade of courage by highlighting Jesus,

“Therefore, since we are encompassed with such a great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and your hearts give up.”

Now that is faith and courage! That is resilience—God style!

—Draw courage from examples around you. You may draw courage from an elderly person who confronts the frailty of aging with dignity and grace. Or perhaps a noble figure such as “Let’s Roll” Todd Beamer, who gave his life on Flight 93 to spare many others from the terrorists on 9/11. Or, if you really get hard-pressed to find a good profile in courage, just go to Medal of Honor Citations, such as this one with Medal of Honor Recipient Gary Beikirch. Or go to Profiles in Resilience on the Resilience God Style website.

—Refill your well of courage with inspiration and encouragement. We are all different, but we are all have tap roots that feed on the particular things that nourish us, that light our fire, that bring a tear to our eye and ultimately help us “keep on keeping on.” For me, it is content such as the Lean on Me song and movie about a New Jersey high school that went from drug-infested to a high-performing team of underdogs, or the Rudy Rudiger story about a Notre Dame walk-on whose tenacity has inspired millions to this day, or the book and movie Unbroken about Olympic runner and World War II POW Louis Zamperini, who overcame bitterness to achieve freedom. You no doubt have your own examples. And of course, the many Christian songs that allow faith and courage to rise and fear to diminish. My current favorite is “Waymaker”: “promise keeper, miracle worker, light in the darkness/ my God, that is who You are!”

Now for the application phase. I encourage you to think about what refills your well of courage. Work hard to take in the right “living waters” so that your well is brimming with courage and expectation.

Apply some of the suggestions above. You may or may not be digging deep at this moment, but predictably during this national crisis, we all will need to draw from our well of courage. This is a key element for weathering the storms of life, both now and in the future.

As Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b).

Major General (Ret.) Robert F. “Bob” Dees served for 31 years in the U.S. Army in a wide variety of command and staff positions culminating in his last three assignments as assistant division commander for operations, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault); commander, Second Infantry Division, United States Forces Korea and as deputy commanding general, V (US/GE) Corps in Europe, concurrently serving as commander, Combined Task Force for Missile Defense. Bob frequently provides leadership and resilience talks at a variety of seminars and conferences as well as commentary on current military and resilience issues in such venues as FOX Huckabee, FOX Business, Council for National Policy, Focus on the Family and the Christian Broadcasting Network. Please visit his website, .

The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) has suffered heavy losses as at least 12, and up to 30, of the Pentecostal denomination’s bishops and leaders have died from COVID-19.

The Washington Post reports that bishops who have allegedly died of the coronavirus include First Assistant Presiding Bishop Phillip A. Brooks, senior pastor of New St. Paul Tabernacle Church of God in Christ in Detroit and Bishop Timothy Scott, who served the denomination in Mississippi for 50 years and was leader of the Northern Mississippi Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction.

Also among those who died are Bishop Robert E. Smith Sr., Bishop Robert L. Harris, Bishop Timothy T. Scott and Bishop Phillip A. Brook as well as Superintendents John D. Beverly, Paul E. Hester Sr., Kevelin B. Jones, Myron E. Lett and Leon R. McPherson Sr., reports the Los Angeles Sentinel.

On March 26, WREG reported that Bishop Scott may have unwittingly exposed 300 people to the coronavirus by attending a funeral. A week after the March 14 funeral, Scott and his wife both tested positive for COVID-19.

The Church of God in Christ, headquartered in Mason Temple in Memphis, is considered the largest black Christian denomination in the United States, with members amounting to an estimated 6.5 million.

Some of COGIC’s leadership meetings, which are typically held in February and March, are believed to be connected to some of the COVID-19 cases. After the Historic Louisiana First Jurisdiction in Shreveport, Louisiana, in March, several leaders who attended tested positive for the coronavirus. The denomination encouraged everyone who attended to be tested by their health care provider.

Another March conference at Miracle Temple Church of God in Christ in Kansas City, Kansas, reportedly led to dozens of infections and at least five deaths.

Church of God in Christ congregations are smaller than the average U.S. church, the Washington Post reports. They also are seemingly more susceptible to the fast-spreading virus, which appears to disproportionately affect African Americans. The CDC reported that 30% of those who have contracted COVID-19 are black, while African Americans make up 13.4% of the entire U.S. population.

Since March, COGIC has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by canceling all its international events and many of its 2020 conferences, including its April Call Meeting, Men Perfecting Men Conference, Women’s International Convention and Auxiliaries in Ministry Conference. They also implemented a “shut down” plan for their Memphis headquarters, leaving only a skeleton crew to operate the headquarters in agreement with Tennessee’s orders.

Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr. posted a video update on April 16, addressing the gravity of the crisis.

“In every communication with the church, I have stressed the country’s ‘social distancing’ and ‘stay-at-home’ mandates,” he says. “I would like to take this opportunity to, once again, unequivocally state that all Church of God in Christ local, district, state, national, international gatherings should absolutely cease. … Saints of God, let us continue to do all we can to contribute to the flattening of this curve.”

Previously, Charisma News reported that Bishop Blake called for an international day of prayer and fasting to combat the spread of COVID-19.

“It is our unhappy duty to report that we have now experienced losses of both leaders and laity within our denominational body due to coronavirus or other illnesses,” he wrote in his call to prayer. “Numerous saints are critically ill and in dire need of spiritual and medical interventions.

“Fervent prayer is our biblical response to any and all societal challenges. For this reason, your Presiding Bishop and General Board are calling all saints to observe a day of ‘GLOBAL FASTING AND INTERCESSORY PRAYER.’ This coming Friday, MARCH 27, 2020, we will intercede on behalf of all nations and people for Heaven’s help in mitigating this dreaded disease – and for healing the bodies, minds and spirits of a fallen and fearful humanity. Please observe fasting from midnight, Thursday, March 26th until 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 27th – and continue in fervent prayer throughout the day.

“Ultimately, we trust in the great physician, Jesus Christ.”

Your life is about to change. Are you ready? Since the beginning of March, most of the country has been living in isolation. The lives we built and settled in as a normal were abruptly affected by the rapid spread of COVID-19 over the last couple of months. Any comfort level we were living in was halted. But now, we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. And for those of us who have taken advantage of this golden opportunity to rest, we will be ready.

Figuratively, our legs will be fresh. Our lungs will be strong. Our rested minds will be ready for the fight that is to come. The fight is one of faith. It’s a fight not to just desperately hang on, but to confidently hold tight to the author and finisher of said faith. He is a God who restores. He is a God who rebuilds. He is a God who partners with His creation to bring heaven to earth.

Another shift is about to come. Another break in a newly established routine is headed our way. Soon, businesses will reopen. Money will be spent. Lives will begin to be rebuilt. I hope you haven’t gotten too comfortable in this time of quarantine. God has called us into a place of rest. But true rest is not “doing nothing.” True rest is sometimes just simply obeying the Lord’s call. In the obedience there is peace. There is comfort. There is a refreshing. Times of rest are important, and if stewarded well, they can be the fuel that is needed to reengage the fight.

The upcoming fight will not be to regain our former normal. I don’t believe it was God’s desire for us to come out of quarantine and simply go back to the way things were. Whatever your life was like before the pandemic, God desires for you to use this time of rest as a stepping stool to a greater glory. We’re not going backward. We’re moving ahead. The church, small business and our lives may never be the same.

So, what’s next? Have you been resting? Are you truly seeing this as the golden opportunity that it is to get refreshed and refocused? God has taken what the enemy meant to bring harm, and He’s using it for our good. If you’ve rested, you’ll be ready. If you’ve stayed focused, you’ll be prepared. The time is coming soon for God’s people, who have stewarded this season of preparation well, to rise up and showcase the image of their Creator through business and leadership opportunities. Are you ready? The light is about to turn green. The creatives, the entrepreneurs, the dreamers, the leaders, the people who have been hiding in the shadows: Your time is coming to step up and step out. Stay rested. Stay focused.

We’re about to rise again.

If you’re in a battle right now, it’s not to subtract from your life; it’s to add to it. Your battle is not supposed to be your weakest moment; your battle should be your finest hour. When you fight God’s way, you know you’re going to win because He always leads us in triumph in Christ Jesus. The purpose of a battle in the believer’s life is not to destroy you, but to give you gifts you never would’ve had otherwise.

When I battled infertility, I was given the gift of faith because now I can pray for people to be healed in Jesus’ name. When I battled depression, I was given the gift of joy that was not dependent on my circumstances. When I battled cancer and lived to tell the story, I was given the gift of bravery. I used to be a wimp. But now I am courageous! God has given me an uncommon courage that most women don’t have. So, if you’re in a battle today, sister, worship, fast, pray and see what gifts God will give to you.

Carol McLeod is a bestselling prolific author and popular speaker at women’s conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. Her YouVersion devotional, 21 Days to Beat Depression, has touched nearly 1 million people’s lives around the world. Carol also writes a weekly blog, “Joy For the Journey,” that has been named in the Top 50 Faith Blogs for Women. She served as the first women’s chaplain at Oral Roberts University. She is a wife, mother and grandmother, and mentor to many!

Connect with Carol McLeod at for her blogs, podcasts and outstanding biblical resources, including her new release, Significant: Becoming a Woman of Unique Purpose, True Identity and Irrepressible Hope.

Listen to Angela Donadio’s interview with Carol McLeod here on the Make Life Matter podcast.

Currently, we are in the midst of a global crisis. Theories, rumors and opinions are abounding as people struggle to gain an understanding of what is going on.

The most often asked questions are, “Where is God?” and “How could God let this happen?” Still others are declaring that the end of the world is just around the corner. How do we make sense of these events?

As a prophetic voice to the body of Christ, at the onset of these events, I began listening to the voice of God in a deeper way. I remembered Revelation 2:29: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

What is God saying now? In my times before the Lord, listening and waiting, here are some things I perceived God was doing in the midst of the current crisis:

1. A global reset of the church. While the world is experiencing levels of quarantine now described as “sheltering in,” the Lord has brought the church into a global shabbat. During this time, God is resetting the church. Rather than functioning from a kingdom perceptive, religious traditions and formalism have held the church captive. “Reset” means “to set again” or differently. As the term implies, reset becomes necessary whenever something is broken. Many aspects of the church are broken and do not reflect the heart or intent of God. Their brokenness necessitates the need for reset. This global reset will awaken the church to her kingdom identity and purpose.
2. Church leaders are being reset. In the Spirit, I saw pastors who had gone to their church buildings. Instead of working in their offices, they were lying on the altar, crying out to God. I could hear Romans 12:1, 2. These leaders were asking the Spirit of God to transform them. When I listened to their cries, I could hear prayers of repentance. They were filled with conviction over having let the Hollywood mentality and the spirit of commercialism invade their churches, which resulted in people exalting these worldly passions over God. These leaders were asking the Lord to renew their spiritual passion, which had died. Some pastors, who were living in a backslidden state but continuing to preach each Sunday, were repenting. Others had become weary and felt that it was time for them to retire. I heard the voice of the Lord declaring over them: “You are not finished yet. There is more work that remains to be done.”
3. Diabolical plans have formed and are being initiated. The Spirit of God impressed on me that the church must ask for revelation. There is an occult spirit covering the diabolical plots that are being planned, but the Spirit of God will cause light to shine in the darkness. There is an agenda of one-world government that is being planned in the darkness. It is a time to “see.” The nations have imagined a vain thing (Ps. 2:1; Acts 4:25), but the purposes of the Lord will stand.
4. The church is at war. The next two to five years will be a continuation of warfare against the church, but we will prevail. Each cycle of warfare will come to an end and be followed by an interval of rest. After rest, it will be time to war again. It is important for the church to gain understanding of spiritual warfare during this time. Learning how to war in faith, using the spiritual weaponry we have been given, is key for this season.
5. The church will return to prayer. A new global prayer movement will begin. I saw prayer rooms being filled. The church will return to prayer in unprecedented ways. Outside churches, men and women were lining up, waiting to attend prayer gatherings. Prayer rooms were filled. This global prayer movement will serve as the catalyst to the release of signs, wonders and miracles.
6. Global revival. As the church returns to prayer, a powerful harvest cycle will be unlocked. There will be stadium gatherings where men and women of God will form powerfully effective apostolic teams, ministering in the miracle, healing anointings. The focus during these gatherings will be on Jesus, and not an individual.
7. Coronation of the Lord. I saw the Lord processing through the current and subsequent crisis. I could hear powerful worship gatherings where Jesus was being crowned in the worship. He was taking notice of how the nations were either coming to Him or resisting Him. This current crisis will serve as a catalyst to people turning to the Lord. Nations will recognize their need for God and begin to seek the Lord. As things become increasingly difficult, many nations with restrictions on the church will recognize that Jesus is the true King and will lift the restrictions.
8. Apostolic centers will increase. As the Spirit of the Lord spoke, I could see the across the earth. There were fires in many places. I could hear the Spirit say: “Apostolic centers will form in many nations. These centers will become hubs of My glory.” I sensed a shift in the way many churches will gather. Rather than focusing on gathering large numbers of people into one place, there will be a focus on multiplication of apostolic centers for greater harvest effectiveness.

The church is coming into her finest hour. In the midst of the plans of the enemy to silence her, the church, fully shifting into her identity, will arise in faith.

Over the next 10 years, there will be a global invasion of the church into every sphere of society. The church will make great acceleration and advancement. There will be great warfare, but there will also be great victories, great glory, great manifestations of the Spirit of God and great harvest. Weapons will form, but they will not prosper. As Zion travails, she will bring forth her children.

This current crisis is but a catalyst to launching the church fully into her identity and revealing to humanity their need for God. We have been given Christ for the crisis. Through Him, we will prevail. {eoa}

Dr. Venner Alston is the author of Next Level Spiritual Warfare: Advanced Strategies to Defeat the Enemy. Her book can be purchased on Amazon or wherever fine books are sold. Her second book, Prayers, Decrees and Confessions to Defeat the Enemy, can be purchased directly from her website here. Order your copy today!

Author and speaker Christine Caine says it’s important to realize that God is loving, so when it seems like He’s not allowing you to fulfill a specific calling in your life, that’s not actually the case. He might just be fulfilling it in His timing, not yours.

“Some of you today are feeling like, ‘God, what is going on?'” Caine says. “‘You have given me promises, You have spoken to me of purpose, You have spoken to me of destiny, but I feel like You have taken me the long way around.’ There was a quicker way, there was an easier way, there was a way to get there, but you don’t even know what God has protected you from.

“God was protecting the Israelites from war and from battle because they were not ready for it yet. He took them the long way around, and the long way around with God is better than the shortcut without God. The long way around with God is going to take you to your purpose and to your destiny.”

To listen to the entire sermon for more encouragement, click here.

Pastor Michael Todd says God is going to bring good things out of the COVID-19 pandemic, even miracles. But we have to be willing to surrender everything to Him first—that’s one of the best ways to utilize this time in quarantine. Pray and ask God what He wants you to let go in order to step into all He has for you.

“Anytime there’s a promotion, everything has to change with it,” Todd says. ” … This is the season of miracles. Things that you thought couldn’t happen are about to start happening in the middle of a pandemic, in the middle of a dry season. God says, ‘I’m the God that brings water out of rocks. I’m the God that does things and makes ways when there is no way.’ …

“I thought I was going to be producing music, and when God told me to ‘shut the studio down and get your Bible,’ this was my rich young ruler moment. All of [you] are going to have a moment like this where God says, ‘You can go with what you think is going to make you successful, or you can be devoted.’ Take your vote away and follow Me.”

To watch the entire sermon titled “Bandwagon Believer // Who’s The Minister Here?,” click here.