Newsmakers

Manifesting Demons? Shocking Spiritual Sights

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 19:35:00 -0000

On this episode of Newsmakers, we go behind the headlines on some of the most pressing faith and culture issues shaping America right now. Pastor Mike Signorelli joins us after a powerful Easter service where something truly incredible unfolded — sparking deeper conversations about spiritual warfare and the unseen realm.

Then, author Jeremiah J. Johnston breaks down compelling historical evidence for Jesus, exploring discoveries that bring Scripture into sharper focus and challenge skeptics.

And in our final segment, John Eibner, head of Christian Solidarity International, joins the show. Plus: Don’t miss our documentary Investigating the Supernatural: Angels and Demons — an in-depth look at angels, demons, UFOs, and the reality of spiritual warfare. Watch now and go deeper into the stories shaping faith, truth, and culture.

He's Studied 1,000+ Near-Death Experiences. This Is Why He Believes They Prove the Bible

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 01:59:00 -0000

John Burke, a pastor and author who has studied and examined more than 1,000 accounts of near-death experiences, wasn't always a believer in the supernatural. Burke is the author of "Imagine the God of Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God’s Revelation, and the Love You’ve Always Wanted," but he was once an agnostic who was skeptical of faith. "I ended up studying engineering and working as an engineer," he told Jen Lilley and Billy Hallowell on the "Into the Supernatural Podcast." "So my mind has always worked like that. Like, skeptical — 'How do you know? Is there any evidence? Why does that make sense?'" Burke continued, "And nobody could really answer my question. So I just decided: 'Jesus is probably a good man who turned legend and God, you just can't know. There's no evidence.'" But when Burke's dad was dying of cancer decades ago, he started learning about near-death experiences (NDEs) — experiences where people clinically die and have no heartbeat or brain activity yet report consciousness. He first encountered the issue when his father was reading a book about it. "I saw this book on his bedside table, and I pick it up, and I just am curious," he said. "I start reading it and I couldn't put it down. And, at the end, I said, 'Oh my gosh, like this might be the evidence I've been looking for.'" The book helped open up his mind, leading him to read and study the Bible. Now, he's a Christian who investigates these claims. Watch the full interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0OcHQ_wQjw&t=456s

Aliens, Kathy Ireland and Franklin Graham's WARNING

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:45:00 -0000

On this episode of Newsmakers, Kathy Ireland, Franklin Graham, and astrophysicist Hugh Ross tackle some of the biggest questions facing our culture right now. From a powerful personal testimony of faith to a deep dive into the growing debate over aliens and UFOs, this episode explores what’s really happening -- through a biblical lens. Plus, Franklin Graham breaks down spiritual warfare, cultural chaos, and why he believes America is at a critical turning point. And don’t miss Investigating the Supernatural: Angels and Demons, a powerful documentary examining the unseen realm, from angels to demons to UFOs, grounded in Scripture and real-world evidence. Watch: cbn.com/supernatural

Alien Disclosure, UFO Claims Go Mainstream: What's Really Going On?

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 03:15:00 -0000

Let’s get you up to date on how aliens, UFOs, and “hybrid breeding” have suddenly become part of the mainstream conversation. We show you the viral clip of what former Congressman Matt Gaetz said about aliens, as well as how current Congressman Tim Burchett responded. CBN’s Raj Nair and Billy Hallowell have the story.

Franklin Graham's WARNING About the Devil's Lies

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 03:06:00 -0000

Franklin Graham joins Billy Hallowell to break down some of the devil's lies — and offers an important warning to Christians.

Watch CBN's new film "Investigating the Supernatural: Angels and Demons" today: cbn.com/supernatural

Stunned Finnish Politician Dragged Before Supreme Court Found GUILTY: 'I'm Shocked'

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:29:00 -0000

Päivi Räsänen, a member of Finland's parliament, has been found guilty of "hate speech" after being criminally convicted by the Supreme Court of Finland. While she was cleared on some charges, Räsänen was found guilty over a pamphlet she wrote in 2004. Hear her shocked reaction to the conclusion of the case — and what could come next. For over 20 years, CBN has beamed life-giving Farsi broadcasts into Iran despite internet shutdowns. Now, with war erupting across the country today and civilians facing mass displacement and suffering, CBN is ready to deliver prayer support, emergency food, humanitarian aid, and the hope of Jesus to families whose lives have been upended by conflict.

Perez Hilton's Shocking, 'Miraculous' Encounter With God

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 01:40:00 -0000

Gossip columnist Perez Hilton says he had an encounter with God during a recent medical scare. And he delivered the emotional story in a video for his fans. Billy Hallowell and Raj Nair break it all down.

And be sure to stream "Investigating the Supernatural: Angels and Demons," CBN's new documentary that draws on insights from credible experts, medical knowledge, historical context, and eyewitness testimony, to explore the roles of angels and demons, the reality of spiritual warfare, and how these forces intersect with everyday life.

Charlie Kirk's Faith: Fact vs. Fiction

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 02:50:00 -0000

On this episode of Newsmakers, three powerful stories unfold. First, Brad Brandon shares why he is returning to Nigeria despite credible terrorist threats and a reported bounty on his life, as violence from groups like Boko Haram intensifies. Then, Matthew Grech discusses his major legal victory after a three-year court battle in Malta over sharing his personal journey and beliefs — raising major questions about free speech in Europe. Finally, Lucas Miles addresses viral claims about Charlie Kirk’s faith, setting the record straight amid growing speculation. For over 20 years, CBN has beamed life-giving Farsi broadcasts into Iran despite internet shutdowns. Now, with war erupting across the country today and civilians facing mass displacement and suffering, CBN is ready to deliver prayer support, emergency food, humanitarian aid, and the hope of Jesus to families whose lives have been upended by conflict.

Saved by Angels? Radical Jesus Encounters & Proof of God

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 02:13:00 -0000

What happens when faith collides with real-world evidence, life-or-death moments, and radical encounters with God? On this episode of Newsmakers, Billy Hallowell goes behind the headlines with three powerful voices whose stories are sparking conversation—and challenging skepticism:

Author Camey Joy shares her stunning claim that angels literally saved her life and how that supernatural moment reshaped everything. Online evangelist Bryce Crawford reveals how a radical encounter with Jesus rescued him from destruction—and how that moment launched a viral ministry reaching millions. Filmmaker Michael Ray Lewis breaks down his new documentary Universe Designed, exploring scientific and philosophical evidence pointing to the existence of God. From miracles and supernatural encounters to faith grounded in reason, this episode tackles the questions people are asking right now. Plus, don’t miss the documentary Investigating the Supernatural: Angels and Demons, now streaming at CBN.com/supernatural.

The End Times and Spiritual Deception

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 01:58:00 -0000

Are we witnessing spiritual deception in real time? On this episode of "Newsmakers," Pastor Jack Hibbs breaks down end-times prophecy, doctrines of demons, and the truth about Israel in unprecedented times. Then, filmmaker Cindy Bond joins us to share how the Holy Spirit prompted her to create "I Can Only Imagine 2" — a powerful follow-up rooted in faith and perseverance. Plus, CBN’s Raj Nair and Billy Hallowell tackle America’s growing alien obsession and President Donald Trump’s pledge to release government UFO files. What’s hype — and what should Christians be discerning?

'Real Housewives' Star Turns to Jesus: 'God Has Transformed My Life'

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:59:00 -0000

When one thinks about Bravo's "The Real Housewives" franchise, many things likely come to mind. But "Jesus-loving" and "Christian" generally aren't two of the first descriptors to materialize. Yet Lydia McLaughlin, who formerly starred on "The Real Housewives of Orange County," fully embraces these titles, and openly shares her faith with the masses.

In fact, McLaughlin, who left the show in 2018, recently released a book, "JoyFull: 365 Daily Devotions for Women," aimed at helping women get closer to Jesus. The title of the book has much to do with McLaughlin's own life and demeanor. "My time in the spotlight — on 'Housewives,' I was known for being a happy housewife ... being someone [who has] a lot of joy," she told CBN's Faithwire. "I just believe in the joy that comes from the Lord."

McLaughlin pointed to the Apostle Paul's writings on the subject of joy, paraphrasing Paul's words in Philippians 4. "Paul wrote, 'I have learned to be content,'" she said. "Joy is something that we can learn to do even if it's not something that comes natural to us." McLaughlin acknowledged joy comes more naturally to some than it does others — and explained how life circumstances can complicate people's quest for peace. Yet even in the midst of the storm, she believes it's possible to cling to hope and experience joy.

"I've had the hardest year," McLaughlin said of her own journey. "My mom's been sick, and even in the midst of hardship and trial, no one can steal my joy because the joy comes from the Lord. And that is everlasting, and that is never changing." Watch McLaughlin discuss how she ended up on "Housewives," how she came to Christ, and why her faith matters to her so deeply.

Iran War Rages: Man Reveals Past Escape From Brutal Regime

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 02:32:00 -0000

On this episode of Newsmakers, we go behind three major headlines shaping faith and culture. First, Shah Ahmadi of Iran Alive Ministries shares his powerful story of fleeing Iran — and what’s really happening inside the Islamic Republic. As tensions rise in the Middle East, his firsthand perspective offers sobering insight and hope. Then, surgeon and author Dr. Raymond Wiggins breaks down the growing body of research surrounding marijuana use. Are today’s legalization narratives ignoring serious health risks? He unpacks the studies and challenges the myths. Finally, Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, joins us to respond to controversy surrounding her recent comments on the death penalty — tackling one of the most complex moral debates in America today. For over 20 years, CBN has beamed life-giving Farsi broadcasts into Iran despite internet shutdowns. Now, with war erupting across the country today and civilians facing mass displacement and suffering, CBN is ready to deliver prayer support, emergency food, humanitarian aid, and the hope of Jesus to families whose lives have been upended by conflict.

Man Claims He Died, Met Jesus and Returned: Randy Kay's Incredible NDE

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 03:12:00 -0000

Author Randy Kay says he’s seen heaven — and it’s an experience he still gets emotional recounting. It all happened years ago when Kay experienced a medical emergency. He recalled waking up in the middle of the night with a swollen calf after a business trip — something he initially ignored.

“I could barely walk, went for a bike ride of all things, which I should not have done because that exacerbated the problem,” he told Billy Hallowell and Jen Lilley on their “Into the Supernatural” podcast. “I went up the coast of San Diego ... on the bicycle and could barely breathe. My calf was about one and a half times its size.” At first, he thought he was experiencing asthma, but soon realized it was something else entirely. By the time he reached his doctor’s office, he collapsed and ended up in the emergency room. And things went from bad to worse from there. “The ER physician said that I was a walking dead man because I had let this go so long,” Kay said. “By the time I had made it into the emergency room, I had seven clots, one near my heart, six that were blocking the pulmonary artery, which is the main blood flow to the lungs.” Already struggling to survive, Kay ended up contracting Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which got into his bloodstream. Suddenly, he was clinically dead, but rather than being overtaken by darkness and nothingness, Kay experienced something he’ll never forget.

“Immediately, my body went still, and, initially, it felt like a tugging at my hospital gown,” he said. “And, later, I would come to realize that that was my spirit leaving my body, and then I became a third party to my body. So, I was looking down this still body I knew that was my body, but that wasn't me.” Kay said he was suddenly “in a different place.” He found himself moving up to a new location. Watch his experience — and see the full interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG3bqRLfpyw&t=58s

Angels, Demons, and Evil: Ephesians 6 and What's Really Driving Chaos

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 04:38:00 -0000

Are angels and demons real? Does evil impact the world around us? Billy Hallowell and Raj Nair preview the new CBN documentary "Investigating the Supernatural: Angels and Demons" and discuss the importance of understanding spiritual warfare.

'Very Surreal': Miracle Heals Man Who Couldn't Eat For His Entire Life

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 03:56:00 -0000

Christopher Gunderson spent the first 16 years of his life unable to eat and in desperate need of medical intervention for survival. But Gunderson, who was born with chronic pseudo-obstruction syndrome — an ailment in which the gastrointestinal tracts can't appropriately absorb food — experienced a miracle that changed everything.

Here's his story.

Lee Strobel Uncovers Evidence for the Supernatural

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 05:20:00 -0000

Author Lee Strobel joins the show to discuss his new documentary "The Case for Miracles" and the evidence behind real-life supernatural encounters. Barna Group CEO David Kinnaman breaks down the spiritual ripple effects of Charlie Kirk’s legacy and how Americans are responding in faith during a pivotal moment. Plus, Fox News’ Dana Perino shares a powerful Thanksgiving experience serving those in need with Mercy Ships.

Lies, the Battle Over Hell and the Fight Against Human Trafficking

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 21:44:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of Newsmakers, we go behind the headlines on three of the most talked-about and consequential issues shaping culture today. Actor Kirk Cameron joins us first to respond to the controversy surrounding his recent comments about hell, unpacking what he believes — and why the conversation matters now. Next, detransitioner Chloe Cole and then filmmaker Richie Johns stop by. That and more on this week’s Newsmakers — a show where we go beyond the headlines to bring you meaningful conversations with pastors, entertainers, policymakers, and cultural influencers.

Proof of God? Radical Jesus Encounters, Angels & More

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 18:42:00 -0000

Franklin Graham's Warning on the End Times

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 01:16:00 -0000

Newsmakers goes beyond the headlines to bring you the people shaping today’s biggest stories. Hosted by journalist Billy Hallowell, the show delivers in-depth conversations with leaders, experts, and influencers at the center of culture, faith, politics, and global events—cutting through noise to get clarity, context, and truth. Franklin Graham, Ashley Tankard, and Joel Penton join today's show.

Popular Podcaster Slams ‘Evangelical Christianity' as a 'Cancer’ in Shock Remarks

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 21:18:00 -0000

Jennifer Welch, co-host of the progressive podcast 'I’ve Had It', had some horrible things to say about about Evangelical Christians. CBN's Raj Nair and Billy Hallowell have the story.

Popular Podcaster Slams ‘Evangelical Christianity' as a 'Cancer’ in Shock Remarks

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 21:18:00 -0000

Jennifer Welch, co-host of the progressive podcast 'I’ve Had It', had some horrible things to say about about Evangelical Christians. CBN's Raj Nair and Billy Hallowell have the story.

Nigerian Slaughters Spark Persecution Horror

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 01:35:00 -0000

On this episode of Newsmakers: Brad Brandon, CEO of Across Nigeria, exposes the brutal persecution facing Christians in Nigeria—and why the global media keeps getting it wrong.

Then, former NYPD officer turned pastor Andrew Columbia shares chilling encounters with the demonic from his days on the streets of New York City and how faith changed everything.

Finally, Rep. Maria Salazar joins us to break down her push to reform America’s broken immigration system and why she says dignity—not politics—must lead the conversation.

Franklin Graham on Charlie Kirk's Murder, Preparing for the End Times

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 04:05:00 -0000

The Rev. Franklin Graham is calling America to prayer, imploring Christians and citizens more broadly to turn back to the Lord and appeal to Him to help heal the US. Amid rampant social dysfunction that has Graham concerned, he told CBN News in a recent interview that he's also been "thrilled" to see the younger generation "beginning to search for God." "They've been left cold by education, and ... many churches have quit even giving invitations and preaching the Gospel," Graham said. "And so there's a lot of young people out there that are searching, looking. I'm glad they are — and I hope they get into the Word of God, get into the Bible." He went on to say that he doesn't see Scripture predicting a great revival during the end times, despite some of the positive faith trajectories society is currently witnessing. "I see things are going to get bad and go from bad to worse as we get closer to the end times," Graham said. "I think we're seeing that. But at the same time, you have things like Charlie Kirk, who had a political platform, but as he got closer and closer to the end of his life, he was saying he is nothing without Jesus." He continued, "He was standing and stronger on his faith in Jesus Christ, and we saw, at his memorial, what, 100,000 people were there, and they estimated like 100 million were watching." Graham said Kirk likely reached more people in his death than he did during his life — a fact that many have stated as they've reflected on the massive reaction to Kirk's death. Churches immediately reported seeing pews full, with reports of many young people coming to faith. "People every day are downloading his videos," Graham said. "So God's at work. ... We miss people like Charlie Kirk, but at the same time, God is still on that throne." In the end, Graham encouraged people to be ready for Jesus' return.

He Lived an LGBTQ Lifestyle — Until Something Stopped Him in His Tracks

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 04:50:00 -0000

Arch Kennedy, an author and former meteorologist, once lived a gay lifestyle before an encounter with Jesus changed everything. Kennedy, author of "The Weather's Fine: My Method for Navigating Life's Challenges," told CBN News he "grew up in the church" but went on to struggle with addiction and same-sex attraction. "They instilled Christian values in us as children," Kennedy said of his parents. "I left that as I moved through my life, through my 20s and 30s, and where I got into heavy alcohol addiction through a good ... chunk of my life." A few years ago, though, something changed. Kennedy said his sister, who is six years older, had been prodding him to join a Bible study. He was reluctant due to commitment struggles, but eventually the Lord convinced him to join. "I had never studied God's word," Kennedy said. "A lot of my life, I barely even got to church, but I called myself a Christian." Despite living a gay lifestyle, this backdrop of faith and devotion left Kennedy without negative views on faith and with an openness. At times, he had attempted to combine the Christian and gay lifestyles — but it was always a struggle to make that work. "When I also realized my same sex attraction, I was trying to juggle the two for many years," he said. "And I tried to reconcile the two and to be able to have my faith and also my lifestyle, which is something I knew I couldn't change as far as my attraction to males." Kennedy continued, "So ... that was a big struggle for many years of my life, and ... as I look back now, that's probably a reason why I didn't much go to church or didn't really pursue my faith through those turbulent years." But when his sister invited him to that Bible study in Atlanta three years ago, something changed. The men's group was the first time Kennedy truly studied God's word. Much deeper than the typical Bible verses or devotionals he had previously read, the men's group dove deep into Scripture. "That is when the same-sex attraction and my faith really started to collide and where I started to realize that I had to make a change," Kennedy said, noting that, though he had abandoned earlier debauchery by that point in his life, he was still living in sin. "I was still living in relationships — physical, sexual relationships, and I realized that had to change, that I could not continue to follow Christ, and have Christ in my heart, and carry on a physical relationship." Kennedy added, "I couldn't change the feelings of same-sex attraction, but I could change how I acted on it, and I realized that celibacy is what God was calling me to do."

Erika Kirk's Big Legal Move in Trial of Charlie Kirk's Accused Killer

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:58:00 -0000

Erika Kirk, the wife of slain conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, is reportedly invoking a rare Utah law that could speed up the trial of Tyler Robinson, her husband’s accused killer. Billy Hallowell and Tré Goins-Phillips have the story.

ICE Protesters Spark Fury After Invading Minnesota Church

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 20:23:00 -0000

Anti-ICE protesters stormed a worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, because of a pastor’s alleged ties to ICE. Now the DOJ is threatening to “come down hard” on the agitators. CBN's Raj Nair and Billy Hallowell have the story.

The Miracles Science Can’t Explain

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 19:03:00 -0000

After decades in modern medicine, Dr. Marc Siegel has seen too much to dismiss the divine. In this powerful conversation, Siegel joins Billy Hallowell to unpack his new book The Miracles Among Us. This episode challenges skepticism, redefines miracles, and invites listeners to see healing—and God’s grace—in a whole new light.

Is This Undeniable Evidence for the Shroud of Turin?

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 03:56:00 -0000

On this week’s Newsmakers, we explore faith’s enduring power and the Shroud of Turin. Dr. Jeremiah J. Johnston reveals how he went from skeptic to believer on the Shroud of Turin and what new evidence points to its authenticity.

Todd Nettleton from Voice of the Martyrs breaks down the global persecution crisis and why prayer is vital as the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church approaches.

And activist and author Alveda King joins to share her take on revival and the growing spiritual hunger she sees across America.

Bible Sales Are Absolutely Surging

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:09:00 -0000

We have some extremely encouraging news to share with you. According to new research collected by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, Bible sales in the United Kingdom are booming. CBN's Raj Nair and Billy Hallowell break down the numbers.

Iran, Hezbollah and Venezuela: What's Really Going On After Shock Maduro Ouster

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 17:00:00 -0000

As the situation in Venezuela continues to capture international attention, one expert believes the Trump administration's decision to capture and detain former president Nicolás Maduro could yield positive results. "My first reaction was, 'What an incredible job of the American military to pull this off with no U.S. casualties,'" Col. (Ret.) Gregory Thompson, professor of criminal justice at Cedarville University, told CBN News of the Trump administration's bold move to detain Maduro.

Beyond that, Thompson said his mind also went to matters surrounding faith and the church. "But, more importantly to me as a Christian, I'm thinking of just the incredible joy because I have friends that work with pastors in Venezuela, and it's been difficult, as you probably know," he said. "When Hugo Chavez took over Venezuela, he kicked out all mission organizations, so that was significant, and the pastors there are being salt and light." While many Venezuelans and political observers are excited to see Maduro go, Thompson said there are still many questions about what comes next.

"My general sense is I'm excited for maybe a hopeful future for Venezuela — one that's free, particularly free for the free exercise and the spread of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ," he said. Thompson said the situation leading up to Maduro's ouster was perilous and difficult after Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chávez wreaked what critics call havoc on free speech, expression, and truth. "They pretty much wrecked the economy," he said. "Inflation is beyond rampant. They have a politically corrupt government, which I think we've heard in the news."

Thompson said socialism has been a disaster globally, with ineffective policies failing to create human flourishing. All of this leads to President Donald Trump's decision to send the U.S. Army's elite Delta Force to capture Maduro. While some speculate that oil was a driving force, Thompson believes it's a factor but not the "main driving force" behind the decision. "I think with President Trump's concerns when he came into office, this is like the perfect storm," he said. "Illegal immigration was highly coming from Venezuela ... they're leaving because they want to live in a free country. They want to pursue a place where they can live in freedom and democracy, and so they're coming to America, but illegally, of course, and in droves. So that's one issue."

The other issue, according to Thompson, centers on nations like Iran and terror groups like Hezbollah, with both having purported influence and presence in Venezuela. Mix in Russian and Chinese influence and one can easily see why this collectively becomes a problem for the U.S. Watch what else he had to say about this complex matter.

Tim Allen Delivers Bill Maher a Lesson on Sin, the Bible and the Apostle Paul

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 19:51:00 -0000

Comedians Tim Allen and Bill Maher recently sat down for a conversation on Maher’s Club Random. Allen had quite a bit to say about the Apostle Paul and the downside of empty philosophy. CBN's Billy Hallowell and Raj Nair break it all down.

Lee Strobel Uncovers Evidence for the Supernatural

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 19:21:00 -0000

'God Spoke': Miracles that Stunned Ray Comfort, Offered Powerful Biblical Evidence

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 03:44:00 -0000

Want more miracles? Stream "Investigating the Supernatural: Miracles," a new documentary from CBN about powerful medical miracles: www.cbn.com/supernatural

Evangelist Ray Comfort believes in miracles and has personally experienced God's hand at work, revealing the amazing ways the Lord has shown Himself. "I've seen things that happen that I would consider supernatural," he said. "Like when we were invited to base our ministry in the U.S. over a three-day period, 13 strange things happened that I had to say, 'This is God's hand directing me.'"

The Living Waters ministry leader said these occurrences might not have been considered miracles by most people but that they blew him away. "I said to a guy, 'I think we're gonna go and live in the US. I'm gonna sell my house,'" Comfort said. "He says, 'I'll buy it.' And he bought it on the spot. It's just amazing." He also recalled telling his father-in-law that he planned to go live in the US and that he responded with a message that truly stunned Comfort.

"He said, 'Three days ago, God spoke to my heart and said, you're gonna go and live in the US,'" he said. "My mom, who was Jewish, very lukewarm, not even lukewarm, beneath lukewarm, told me after she went berserk at me, three days earlier, God had spoken to her heart that we're going to move to the US." And that's not all. Around the same time, Comfort also experienced a balloon coming into his backyard that had an American flag on it. "It was just strange," he said. "This was way down and under in New Zealand. So I believe in the miraculous."

Comfort said he's not particularly concerned, though, when God doesn't do what we want on our timetable, noting the Lord isn't a "divine butler" who must respond to our whims. Ultimately, he said people must trust God, even when it doesn't make sense. While much of the focus in life is on grand miracles, Comfort reminded Christians that Christ's death, resurrection — and decision to save humanity is the greatest miracle of all. "[God] transformed me from someone who was drinking iniquity like water, loving darkness, hating the light, eyes full of adultery like every other red-blooded guy," Comfort said. "He transformed me and caused me to love righteousness to a point where it consumed me for the last 50-something years to do God's will." Watch to see Comfort discuss salvation and the miraculous.

Greg Laurie Reveals 'Miracle' After Charlie Kirk Assassination, Response to Erika Kirk

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 21:13:00 -0000

Pastor Greg Laurie is calling a recent evangelistic event held at Utah Valley University (UVU) — the site of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk's assassination — a "miracle." As CBN News previously reported, Laurie held a Nov. 16 Harvest Crusade at UVU that ignited thousands of professions of faith and inspired many in attendance in person and online. "I don't use this word very often, but I almost think of this now as the 'Utah miracle' because of a number of things that happened," Laurie told CBN News. "Number one, this is a place where a horrific tragedy took place. A young man in the prime of his life, making such a difference, especially with younger people. Charlie Kirk was assassinated. He was murdered, and so our hearts were all broken." Laurie said he had been speaking with preachers in Utah for some time before Kirk's death about hosting one of his popular Harvest Crusade evangelistic events. They had planned one for 2027, but Kirk's death accelerated the timeline, and Laurie's team rallied in just weeks to put the Nov. 16 event together. In addition to the quick timeline, he believes the response to the event was also miraculous. "It was amazing," Laurie said. "We ... filled the arena. We had another 10,000 people in different sites around Utah watching on screens, and when the invitation was given, it was an immediate response." He continued, "A thousand people filled that floor, most of them young, and then another 500 responded in the overflow venues." Meanwhile, Laurie said 200,000 people were watching online, with 1,000 people making a virtual profession of faith. Overall, 2,500 people came to Christ. "I sent a text to Erica Kirk, Charlie's widow, and I told her what happened, and I said, 'You know, Erika, the Bible says that there is joy in heaven and the presence of the angels over one sinner that comes to repentance. That means that every time someone believes in Jesus on Earth, there's a victory shout in heaven.' Well, Charlie's in heaven. ... It seems to me we're going to be rejoicing in heaven when we hear of people coming to Christ." He continued, "Would not Charlie know that 2,500 people just came to the Lord that was connected to the horrible tragedy of his death? And so we know more in heaven than we know on Earth, not less. So I just told her that God worked despite this tragedy." Laurie said there are other trends unfolding as well, including rising Bible sales and data showing young people are increasingly interested in the Christian faith. "Something's happening here," he said. "God is at work. There already was a hunger among young people, especially Gen Z, spiritually, but that has increased dramatically, and it's increased dramatically among young Gen Z men. So I think this is a moment for the church. We have to seize the moment."

Shock Netflix Data About Kids Content Raises Eyebrows

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 21:29:00 -0000

CBN's Tré Goins-Phillips and Billy Hallowell break down new data from Concerned Women for America showing 41% of children's content on Netflix includes LGBTQ themes, characters, or ideas.

How Ozzy Osbourne Heard the Gospel: A Celeb Evangelist Is Bringing Jesus to Hollywood

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 03:05:00 -0000

Dylan Novak is on a mission to help save celebrities' souls, intentionally bringing the Gospel to some of the biggest names in entertainment. Novak, founder of Celebrity Evangelist, routinely attends autograph signings and other events to present the salvation message to well-known performers. Most recently, he made headlines for his 2023 interaction with singer Ozzy Osbourne, who died July 22 after a battle with Parkinson's disease. The evangelist attended an event with Osbourne's family near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during which he presented the former Black Sabbath frontman with a personalized Bible. Many have reflected back on this interaction in the wake of Osbourne's death. "Ozzy was incredibly kind," Novak said, reflecting back on the experience. "So, I get up to him, shake his hand, told him it was an honor to meet him, and after just kind of a brief introduction, I said, 'The reason I came to meet you today is because I love and care about you and your soul.'" Novak, who comes to such events prepared after researching each celebrity's spiritual life, told Osbourne he had seen the singer say in a past interview that he identifies "more as a Christian than anything else" and wished he could read the Bible more frequently. So, Novak told Osbourne he had a New Living Translation Bible for him that would be easy to read, and the singer was more than receptive. "He immediately grabbed it and he went right to the Gospels, just kind of thumbing through it," Novak said. "And he looked up at me and he said, 'Well, I can understand this.'" He continued, "And ... [he] just had such a sweet smile. He loved the fact that it had his name on the cover." Novak also wrote a handwritten letter to Osbourne, something he routinely does with celebrities to respect their time and deliver the full Gospel message he wishes to give. "I want everybody to feel like 'I'm seen as an individual soul, and I'm loved, and cared about on an individual level,'" Novak said of his reason for writing these personal letters. When it came to Osbourne, he followed this same pattern and told the singer why he had penned the note. The two spoke a bit more, and then Novak said he went to an adjacent room, where he shared the Gospel with the rest of the Osbourne family. Jack, Osbourne's son, spent about half an hour speaking with Novak, and the two discussed his dad. "One of the things he said was, 'Thank you for not thinking dad's evil,'" Novak said, explaining that he took a photo with the family before the encounter ended. Two weeks later, though, Novak ran into Jack at another event — and that's where he learned the full impact his kind gesture had on the singer.

Erika Kirk Reacts to Anger at God Over Charlie's Death, Delivers Stunning Take to Megyn Kelly

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 01:15:00 -0000

Erika Kirk recently sat down with Megyn Kelly to discuss TPUSA, faith and more. Kelly asked Kirk if she's angry at God after the murder of her husband, Charlie Kirk. CBN's Billy Hallowell and Raj Nair break down what she had to say -- and why it matters.

Skillet Christmas Song Sparks 'Demonic' Debate

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 03:21:00 -0000

Popular rock band Skillet is setting the Internet on fire with the release of their first Christmas song, "O Come, O Come Emmanuel," with the rendition sparking plenty of praise and some furor. Lead singer John Cooper told CBN News why he disagrees with some claims the song sounds "demonic" or is somehow anti-Christian, noting it's been popular among fans. "The reception for the song has been absolutely overwhelming," he said. "People seem to really love it." Cooper also explained the heart behind the rock rendition. "You want to capture the mood of the original song if you can, of course," he said. "This is a very special song — a very, very ancient song, and I always found this song to have multiple layers of meaning because it's ... actually called an advent song." Cooper continued, "It's known as an Advent song that is singing for the first Advent of Jesus, the incarnation, the Savior, to come into the world, to take away the sin of the world." He noted, though, that many people sing "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" in desperation for Christ's Second Coming. Seeing so much pain and suffering in the world, they long for the Lord to come back. "The world is not going good," he said. "This is bad, and we are we're in a certain amount of suffering here and we are eagerly expecting the coming, the return of the King, if you will, the return of the Savior." Cooper said this is just one of the layers to the song and that Skillet wanted to capture the original intent as well as this somberness. Thus, the first half of the song is lighter and the second is a bit heavier. "The second half, we said, we got to go hard," he said. "We got to go Skillet on this thing." Known for their rock chops, the band infused some of that into the mix — and their fans have thus far loved the song. But rather than get loud without purpose, Cooper said there was a reason behind it. "You're expressing the hardship of the world we live in," he said. "The fact that our loved ones are going to die or that maybe this year you've had to live with ... a death in the family, watching your parent die, watching your kid die, whatever it may be. These absolute heartaches that we are eagerly waiting for all of the old to be made new." Mixing these themes with the power of God coming into the world, Cooper said it's important to show, through music, the deeper meaning of both the First and Second Comings of Christ.

"He defeats the devil," Cooper said. "He defeats the demons. He defeats the power of sin." The singer said they felt the song could, thus, capture these spiritual realities in a "very loud, triumphant, Earth-shaking way." Cooper said he was shocked by some of the reactions. Watch for more.

Man Claims He Died, Met Jesus and Returned: Randy Kay's Incredible NDE

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 03:16:00 -0000

Bold Teen Takes Stand For Christ, Wins BIG

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 04:19:00 -0000

On this week’s Newsmakers, we spotlight courage, compassion, and spiritual truth. Social media star Jimmy Darts reveals the faith that fuels his viral acts of generosity and his new book Undercover Kindness.

Then, Sophia Shumaker, a high school student, and First Liberty attorney Keisha Russell share Sophia’s inspiring free speech victory after standing firm in her faith. Finally, Billy Hallowell and Dan Andros unpack Acts 16, exploring the power of deliverance and the dangers of the occult.

Frank Turek Reacts to Candace Owens, Charlie Kirk Assassination

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 17:39:00 -0000

Apologist and author Frank Turek has kept a level-headed, faith-driven approach to grappling with the unthinkable. Turek, a close ally of the late conservative and Christian commentator Charlie Kirk, was on site at Utah Valley University when Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10, 2025. When asked how he made sense of all that transpired before his eyes, Turek was candid. "I made sense of it by knowing that what happened was evil," he said. "And the only way I know that that was evil was because I know what is good — and the only reason I know what was good is because there's a standard of good outside myself, and that's God's nature." Turek continued, "As soon as we see something evil, we know it's evil." While some might look at Kirk's death or other horrific events and doubt God, Turek pushed back on such a response, explaining why the Lord's goodness always abounds. "An evil event like this doesn't disprove God," he said. "It may prove there's a devil out there, but it doesn't disprove God, because you wouldn't even know what evil was unless there was a standard of good, and you wouldn't know what good was unless God existed. So it's actually an argument for God, not an argument against God." Turek, who considered Kirk close enough to be a son, didn't just cope with the tragedy of loss and murder; he was also the subject of now-debunked, bizarre conspiracy theories. Immedately after Kirk's death, the internet was set ablaze with the claim that a man on video — later to be revealed as Turek — was sending the shooter hand signals. As it turns out, Turek was simply supporting and watching Kirk and wasn't sending hand signals of any kind. The strange theory that became viral left Turek bewildered. "I was just adjusting [my] hat," he said, lamenting the bizarre response online. "It makes no sense at all." Since Kirk's death, prominent figures have asked questions and made statements that have stirred debate, made waves, and caused consternation. Among these individuals is commentator Candace Owens, who has been anything but quiet about Kirk's death.

"I know she was a good friend of Charlie years ago," he said. "Charlie would never speak ill of anybody, privately, unless he spoke to that person first and tried to correct them. So Charlie never said anything bad about Candace or anything, but I just find this idea that she's making all these suggestions without evidence very painful for people." Turek continued, "It's OK to suggest, 'Well, maybe this, maybe that,' but as soon as you start launching accusations, 'TPUSA betrayed ... Charlie. ... 'I had a dream that that Charlie told me this,' that's not evidence." He said those hurling accusations and claims without evidence are "causing dissension among the brothers," which is "something the Lord hates."

Woman Absolutely Unleashes After Seeing Biological Man in Gym Locker Room

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 20:57:00 -0000

A woman is making headlines for unleashing inside a gym after purportedly encountering a biological man in the locker room. She can be seen on video yelling about the encounter and claiming she was being kicked out for speaking up for women's safety. CBN's Billy Hallowell and Tré Goins-Phillips break down the story.

Ex-Katy Perry Backup Singer Trades It All For Jesus

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 03:40:00 -0000

Tasha Layton is known for her Gospel-themed music, but the Christian singer's journey to faith-based music took some truly unique twists and turns. Layton, 41, told CBN News that her journey from singing backup for Katy Perry to embarking on her own quest into Christian music taught her a major lesson: the importance of "trusting God with every step." "Before I entered music to do my own music, there were a lot of years that I wasn't sure how God was going to work it out," she said. "I didn't understand why I was taking this path, or going in this direction, or how He was going to work it all together for His good."

But Layton said she now knows the Lord was weaving together a beautiful story — something she didn't understand at the time. Now, she's encouraging others to trust the Lord and know, "He's got it, and He is essentially carving the way if you are surrendering to Him." Layton said she continues leaning into trusting God to navigate Christian music, an industry that offers some unique challenges. "It's easy to get burned out," she said. "It's easy to let someone else try to tell you who you are. ... So, it's that continual lesson of trust."

And that lesson in trust came after Layton spent years touring the world with Perry. Layton had the chance to embark on a secular music career after but felt called to do something else entirely. "I was offered a deal on ... the secular side, and I felt so firmly that it wasn't what I was called to do," she said. "And there were compromises in that world. ... I wanted to connect people to God with my music, with my actions, with my team, with my integrity — and I didn't feel like I could fully do that with freedom, going that route."

Layton said it was an "easy decision" to turn down that offer and pursue Christian music instead — something she had prayed and dreamed about as a teenager.

"The cool famous venues, the cool private plane thing — I'd already done all that," Layton said. "And there's a reason Paul says, 'You can gain the world and lose your soul.'" Full-time ministry was always Layton's goal, so, while it might have seemed tough to say, "No" to potential fame and fortune in the secular space, doing so ushered her into what she believes is God's will for her life. "I'm so fulfilled," she said. "I'm standing in the fulfillment of prayers."

Is This Undeniable Evidence for the Shroud of Turin?

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 20:31:00 -0000

Todd Nettleton from Voice of the Martyrs breaks down the global persecution crisis and why prayer is vital as the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church approaches.

And activist and author Alveda King joins to share her take on revival and the growing spiritual hunger she sees across America.

Joe Rogan Defends Jesus

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 01:35:00 -0000

Joe Rogan, the most influential podcaster on planet Earth, is doubling down on his fascination with Jesus of Nazareth. CBN's Raj Nair and Billy Hallowell have the story.

Hollywood Actress Finds Jesus: Her Powerful Story

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 22:18:00 -0000

On today's Newsmakers: an actress finds Jesus, Steve Deace, and real-life miracles.

Robert Morris Victim Speaks Out, Nigerian Persecution & More

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 20:39:00 -0000

On this week’s Newsmakers, Billy Hallowell sits down with three powerful guests tackling today’s most pressing issues.

• Cindy Clemishire, a victim of Robert Morris, shares her harrowing story and why she’s choosing to speak out.

• Brad Brandon, CEO of Across Nigeria, reveals the reality of Christian persecution and his mission to help the suffering church.

• Ryan Bangert, Senior Counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, warns about growing threats to free speech and faith in America.

Charlie Kirk Effect? Bibles Flying Off Shelves — Here's the Story

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 14:43:00 -0000

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, according to the Wall Street Journal, Bible sales in America skyrocketed up 36% from last September, which is about 2.4 million copies. CBN's Raj Nair and Billy Hallowell have the story.

Nigerian Persecution Horror Surges

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 02:58:00 -0000

Nigeria is currently the deadliest nation in the world to be a Christian. CBN News' Billy Hallowell speaks with Brad Brandon, CEO of Across Nigeria, about the brutal persecution believers face — and the supernatural hope rising in the midst of it. From martyrdom to miracles, discover how God is moving in a nation where biblical faith can cost a person everything.

Josh Hammer Breaks Silence on Candace Owens, Charlie Kirk and More

Sat, 18 Oct 2025 02:24:00 -0000

On this week’s Newsmakers, we’re covering powerful stories at the crossroads of faith, culture, and truth. First, commentator Josh Hammer joins us to reflect on the shocking murder of his close friend Charlie Kirk — and to unpack the wave of conspiracy theories, antisemitism, and grief that followed.

Then, filmmaker Erin Zimmerman of CBN Films takes us inside her new documentary Oracles of God: The Story of the New Testament, exploring how the Bible was formed and why its story still matters today.

Finally, photographer Chelsey Nelson and ADF attorney Bryan Neihart share their recent religious liberty victory — and what it means for free speech and faith in America.

He Died and Visited Heaven: A Surprising Near-Death Experience

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 02:57:00 -0000

On this week’s Newsmakers, Dr. Ben Carson joins to share his heartfelt warning to America and the encouragement he’s finding in a new move of God. Carson is featured in CBN’s The Revival Generation. Plus, author Randy Kay opens up about his near-death experience and unforgettable glimpse of heaven. And Zach Bauer, CEO of Passages, explains how his organization is equipping the next generation to stand boldly against antisemitism.

Revival After Charlie Kirk's Murder, for KING + COUNTRY & More

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 20:43:00 -0000

This week on Newsmakers, we’re going behind the headlines with powerful stories of faith, transformation, and revival. First, for KING + COUNTRY’s Luke Smallbone joins Billy Hallowell to talk about the band’s latest song “World on Fire” and the movement of revival sweeping the nation. Then, former meteorologist Arch Kennedy opens up about his incredible journey of transformation—from living a gay lifestyle to finding true identity and hope in Jesus. Finally, Dr. John Plake from the American Bible Society shares stunning new data revealing how young people are returning to faith in the wake of national tragedy. It’s an episode filled with redemption, renewal, and revival you won’t want to miss.

MAJOR Free Speech Battle Won: Christian Photographer Scores Victory

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 21:10:00 -0000

A Christian photographer recently scored a major victory for religious liberty when the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky ruled that Louisville officials had violated her First Amendment rights. Chelsey Nelson, the photographer in question, challenged a law she said would mandate that she violate her conscience on traditional marriage. While she didn't face any direct punishment or threat, she took preemptive action against the ordinance in an attempt to prevent future issues. "Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing Chelsey Nelson and her photography studio filed the lawsuit Chelsey Nelson Photography v. Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government in 2019 because Louisville’s law prohibited Nelson from expressing her views on marriage on her studio’s website and threatened to compel her to create photographs and blogs celebrating a message about marriage she does not believe," a press release explained. Nelson told CBN News she was a young mom trying to figure out business and raise her family when she found herself feeling compelled to speak up.

Jail Time For Criticizing Islam? The Shocking Case

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 20:33:00 -0000

A Catholic priest in Spain, Father Custodio Ballester, is facing real jail time after he was found guilty of making ‘Islamophobic’ comments. CBN's Raj Nair and Billy Hallowell have the story.

Robert Morris Victim Speaks Out, Reacts to Jail Sentence

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 03:58:00 -0000

Revelations that Gateway Church founder Robert Morris molested a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s sent shockwaves throughout Christian circles last summer. More than a year later, Morris pleaded guilty last week to the crime, admitting to five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child. As part of a plea agreement, he received a 10-year suspended sentence and will spend six months in jail, register as a sex offender, and pay $270,000 in restitution.

Netflix Sparks Furor Over Kids’ Shows

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 21:30:00 -0000

Netflix’s stock continues to spiral downwards as parents are waking up to the transgender and inappropriately sexual content the streaming content has been pushing on your kids. CBN's Raj Nair and Billy Hallowell have the story.

He Lived an LGBTQ Lifestyle — Until Something Stopped Him in His Tracks

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 19:57:00 -0000

Bill Maher Sounds Off on Christian Genocide in Nigeria, Calls Out Media

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 20:33:00 -0000

Bill Maher, on his show on HBO, said some absolutely spot on things about the ongoing Christian genocide in Nigeria. CBN's Raj Nair and Billy Hallowell have the story.

End Times Chaos? What's Next After Charlie Kirk

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 17:16:00 -0000

On this week’s Newsmakers, we tackle faith and culture in a time of upheaval. Anne Graham Lotz unpacks biblical prophecy and the hope of Christ’s return, reflecting on the passing of conservative leader Charlie Kirk. Pastor Mike Signorelli shares how more than 500 people surrendered their lives to Jesus in the days following Kirk’s death. And Lucas Miles, pastor and TPUSA Faith director, offers a heartfelt tribute to Charlie’s life and legacy. Join host Billy Hallowell for powerful conversations on the end times, revival, and the enduring impact of a life lived for the Gospel.

Charlie Kirk: A Martyr? Understanding the Spark of Revival, Hope

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 22:12:00 -0000

Is slain conservative and Christian commentator Charlie Kirk truly a martyr? After Kirk's September 10 assassination, he was labeled a martyr, which has sparked discussion about the term and how it applies.

Jason Jimenez, an apologist, author, and the leader of Stand Strong Ministries, joins CBN News to explain why he believes wholeheartedly that Kirk is a martyr, what the term means, and how it applies.

Lauren Daigle's Response to Charlie Kirk Assassination Sparks BIG Reaction

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 21:29:00 -0000

Christian music superstar Lauren Daigle just posted a passionate post about Charlie Kirk's assassination. CBN's Raj Nair and Billy Hallowell break down her emotional message.

Charlie Kirk's Assassination Sparks Dire Warning

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 17:15:00 -0000

On this week's Newsmakers we have a solemn yet powerful broadcast. Host Billy Hallowell welcomes three influential voices—The Chosen creator Dallas Jenkins, evangelist Ray Comfort, and Pastor Sam Rodriguez—for heartfelt reflections on the shocking assassination of conservative Christian commentator Charlie Kirk. From Jenkins’ urgent call to reject divisive rhetoric, to Comfort’s bold challenge to stand firm in faith, and Rodriguez’s prophetic warning to America, this episode captures a nation at a crossroads and a church called to courage.

Forrest Frank Doubles Down After Losing 30,000 Followers Over Charlie Kirk Post

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 03:16:00 -0000

Christian music superstar Forrest Frank lost 30,000 followers for posting about Charlie Kirk. So did that sudden drop in followers make him second guess his post? Not exactly. CBN's Raj Nair Billy Hallowell have the story.

Dallas Jenkins' WARNING About Dangerous Rhetoric After Charlie Kirk Murder

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 22:24:00 -0000

"The Chosen" creator Dallas Jenkins is among those mourning the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk — and he's offering a warning about the dangers of out-of-control and unfettered rhetoric. "It's obvious he was killed for his beliefs," Jenkins said of Kirk, lamenting this tragic reality. Jenkins commended Kirk for his attempts to dialogue with people who ideologically opposed him. "The Chosen" director said he, himself, is used to being around people who disagree with him — even on the set of his hit TV show. Because of that reality, Jenkins said he's often around discussions and debates. "I'm on set, surrounded by probably more than 50% of my cast and crew, people who disagree with me politically and even spiritually," Jenkins said. "Most people know by now that a good chunk of our cast and crew are not traditional believers or evangelicals. Some have become so by doing the show, but others haven't." But while many people are willing and able to have these debates, he said that negative changes in culture are leading to some truly tragic conclusions. "We are in a time where people demonize the opposition — the political or spiritual opposition, so much that their death is a logical conclusion," Jenkins said. "If you tell enough people that someone or a group of people are Nazis, are a threat to your literal freedom and democracy, and in fact, your very life, I mean, why wouldn't you think that they should die, or at least be stopped in some dramatic way?"

Listen to him explain.

'This Will Get Darker': WARNING in the Wake of Charlie Kirk's Murder

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 21:49:00 -0000

A popular pastor known for speaking out on contemporary issues believes Charlie Kirk's assassination must become a moment of reckoning for America.

Pastor Samuel Rodriguez told CBN News that America is "bleeding morally" and is at a dire crossroads. "We have crossed the Rubicon," he said. "We're no longer what we used to be. The age of civility is officially over, and we've entered into the proverbial dark, slippery slope where rhetorical violence becomes physical violence."

What Could Destroy America? Dr. Ben Carson's Warning

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 18:06:00 -0000

Dr. Ben Carson has had a fascinating career, working as a revered neurosurgeon before running for president in 2016 and subsequently serving as the former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during the first Trump administration. But it's Carson's Christian faith that has most defined his life, with the physician-turned-politician joining forces with the Christian Broadcasting Network for the new documentary "The Revival Generation," a film the explores the "powerful move of God ... stirring across college campuses" across America. Carson is one of the interview subjects in "The Revival Generation," which describes the story behind these powerful spiritual events unfolding on American campuses. At the heart of the movie is the story of Tonya Prewett, a mother who embarked on a movement of prayer and launched UniteUS, the revival movement at the heart of what many believe to be the beginnings of a genuine spiritual revival. Carson joins Prewett, Jennie Allen, Pastor JP Pokluda and many others in telling the powerful story. He told CBN News during the red carpet premiere of The Revival Generation" held at The Kennedy Center Wednesday night that he's excited about what's happening spiritually across the U.S. right now. "I've been thinking for a long time that we need a revival," Carson said. "We've had four of them in the history of our country, usually around pestilence or war." He continued, "We've got all kind of things going on. It's time for one, and I've been seeing some really encouraging signs as I travel around the country, particularly among young people." Carson said many of these youths have experimented with what the world has to offer and have come up short, realizing they're missing out on something profound. Both on a national level and a personal one, Carson believes it's time to stand up and reclaim biblical roots. "Maybe it's time to go back to our roots," he said. "Our founding document says that our rights come from our Creator. Why would we run away from that and try to be like everybody else?" Carson believes people are beginning to understand why they must turn back to the Lord. Despite struggles on the social and political levels that persist, he's confident the "good guys will win in the long run." When asked what he believes is causing so many Americans — and the culture at large — to shift more toward faith, Carson said "people are braver" and more emboldened these days. Watch him share the rest.

He Died and Visited Heaven: A Surprising Near-Death Experience

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 17:50:00 -0000

End Times Upon Us? Rapture Claim Sparks Debate

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 20:56:00 -0000

Will the rapture happen on September 23rd? This controversial take has become a viral concept. CBN's Raj Nair and Billy Hallowell break down the implications of this trending prophetic topic.

Coldplay Frontman's On-Stage Statement to Israeli Fans Sparks Backlash

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 02:07:00 -0000

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin faced intense backlash on social media after unwittingly inviting two Israeli fans on stage during a performance in London, where he told them they are "equal humans on earth" and said he wanted to "welcome people in the audience from Palestine." His comment came after some in the audience booed the Israeli fans.

Bible Battle in New York Results in MAJOR Win

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 19:16:00 -0000

This episode of Newsmakers covers three powerful stories of faith. First, we hear how New York high school senior Sabrina Steffens won the right to paint a Bible verse on her school parking spot, with insight from attorney Keisha Russell of First Liberty Institute.

Next, filmmakers John Schafer and Tom Bancroft discuss their new animated feature Light of the World, bringing the story of Jesus to theaters. Finally, evangelist Ray Comfort reflects on five decades of ministry, the power of the Gospel, and why he rejects the “sinner’s prayer.”

'Fixer Upper' Stars Chip and Joanna Gaines Are Once Again Facing Controversy

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 19:56:00 -0000

Chip and Joanna Gaines are once again under fire for a show their network produced called Roller Jam. CBN's Raj Nair and Billy Hallowell take you through the latest debate.

School Board Defends Prayer With Bold Move

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 00:23:00 -0000

A California school district is fighting a legal battle to defend opening prayer, arguing it's perfectly permissible to open meetings by invoking God. Joel Oster, an attorney for Advocates For Faith & Freedom, told CBN News Chino Valley Unified School District has taken decisive legal action to challenge what it believes to be an outdated injunction from the Ninth Circuit Court preventing the school board from opening with prayer.

Watch him explain.

Is Revival on the Horizon?

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 20:26:00 -0000

In this episode of Newsmakers, we go behind the headlines with three powerful conversations: Dean Cain shares why he chose to stand with ICE officers, opening up about law enforcement, immigration, and the importance of protecting American families. Judge Phil Ginn, President of Southern Evangelical Seminary, explains why he believes revival could be on the horizon for America’s college campuses—and what the church must do to prepare. Finally, a former psychic offers an urgent warning about the occult’s growing influence in culture and on social media, revealing the spiritual dangers facing today’s youth. Together, these interviews shed light on faith, culture, and the battles shaping our society.

Christian Teen Fights Back

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 17:35:00 -0000

A teenager who fought back after her public school wouldn’t allow her to place a Bible verse on her paid parking space has won her battle.

“Sabrina Steffans will proceed with her original design that was previously rejected by the school because of its religious references,” First Liberty Institute, a religious liberty law firm, said in a statement.

Here's the backstory.

Ex-Psychic Once Thought She Was Talking to the Dead. Now, She's Warning Parents About the Occult

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 01:51:00 -0000

Former psychic medium Jenn Nizza opens up about her decades in the occult — and why she’s now sounding the alarm. From TikTok tarot readings to occult symbolism at major award shows, Nizza explains how New Age practices are infiltrating pop culture and targeting the next generation.

She reveals why even seemingly “harmless” mediums are dangerous, how she’s faced backlash for speaking out, and why she refuses to stay silent. Her message is urgent: the spiritual battle is real, and eternity is at stake.

Rebecca St. James on What Christians Must 'Say to Hollywood' Right Now

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 02:29:00 -0000

Rebecca St. James, who has long dominated Christian music, believes there's a powerful "momentum in the arts" right now when it comes to transformational Christian content. "[There is a] kind of ground that's being regained, I would say, when it comes to faith ... leading in culture," St. James told CBN News, going on to reference the success of films like "Jesus Revolution," "I Can Only Imagine," and "Unsung Hero," a movie in theaters now that tells her family's story.

More specifically, "Unsung Hero" recounts the rags-to-riches story surrounding St. James and her family, the Smallbones, (brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone are members of KING & COUNTRY), showcasing the tough, overcomer events in their lives preceding the artists' meteoric rise to fame. "Unsung Hero" pays homage to the incredible ways God worked in the family's life after they came to America with nothing, worked hard cleaning homes and doing yard work, and eventually landed record deals. The film has thus far been widely well-received.

St. James believes faith-based movies like "Unsung Hero" are attracting big audiences for a reason. "People are hungry for these messages," the singer said. "And when we show up in the theater, we say to Hollywood, 'We need more of this. We need more family content. We need more clean content. We need more God-honoring content.'" St. James said she's proud of the impact "Unsung Hero" is having, and reiterated her belief Christians need to show up and support projects like it.

"Where there's a call to action with us is, we have to vote, go on these weekends to the theater, bring your family, celebrate your moms," she said. "It's this moment in time where we can kind of say to Hollywood with our vote, with our movie ticket, 'We want more of this.'" The performer believes this is just the beginning of faith surging in Hollywood. "I feel this sense of anticipation of what God's doing and about to do, because I think there's this wave that we're going to ride," she said. "And that's very exciting to me."

Actor Dean Cain Blasts Critics' Claims He's a 'Fake Christian,' Takes Bold Stand Amid Border Crisis

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 17:50:00 -0000

Actor and lawman Dean Cain is making headlines once again—this time for joining forces with ICE.

In this candid conversation with Billy Hallowell, Cain opens up about why he decided to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with immigration officers, the online hate and “fake Christian” attacks he’s faced, and his unwavering belief in law and order.

From Hollywood to the border, Cain shares his heart for protecting families, defending truth, and pushing back against fear.

Hollywood Actress Finds Jesus: Her Powerful Story

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 03:04:00 -0000

On today's Newsmakers: an actress finds Jesus, Steve Deace, and real-life miracles.

Should Christians Fear Artificial Intelligence?

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 17:21:00 -0000

Is artificial intelligence (AI) ethical? That's the question secular and Christian leaders alike are contending with as technology quickly evolves. Andre Echevarria, leader of U.S. digital strategies at Cru, a large Christian ministry formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, is among those contending with how to use AI. Rather than shun the burgeoning tech, he believes it's a tool that can be used to spread the Gospel. Echevarria offered up an intriguing response when asked if AI is moral.

"Rather than debating that part, I would say, 'Can we redeem it for the glory of God?'" he said. "And that's actually what we're doing here. We're using a lot of that technology to be able to actually help people discover a relationship with Jesus, go deeper in their relationship with Jesus, or maybe even share their current relationship with Jesus with their neighbors." He said the ethics of the matter really depends on a key factor: how people choose to use AI. Echevarria said Cru is using AI and other tools in virtual and online spaces to help bring people closer to God.

"So let's say that our friend here has certain characteristics, like maybe they like certain brands and certain types of posts," he explained. "So, we're able to use AI to find more people like her and then be able to put our offers and messages of hope in front of them. So we're using the AI built into some of our advertising platforms to be able to find more people that we can actually share the gospel with." Echevarria said they're also using the technology to help equip people and let them know, based on certain "aptitudes," about available resources to help them share their faith with neighbors. "And whether that resource is in a certain language or certain context ... we're able to actually provide that for you," he said. "So, we're using AI in a lot of different spaces like this to ... help us be able to contextualize a lot of this."

Echevarria is fully aware of the critiques and worries surrounding AI, but warned of what could happen if Christians decide to fully disengage or ignore it. "We just lose an opportunity," he said. "We should take every opportunity to share ... the eternal hope we have. And we just miss an opportunity." He tries to encourage people to see AI as an "advanced intern" — a useful tool that can help make tasks easier, not totally overtake people's processes. "In turn, you obviously wouldn't let [an intern] run your radio show daily, right?" he said. "You'd have them maybe do some research and maybe bring up some topics, ideas, and some things that you can then fine-tune for the effort and the outcome that you want for the show." Hear him explain.

Ozzy Osbourne's Shocking Response to a Bible, Terror in Nigeria & More

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 21:17:00 -0000

In this powerful episode of Newsmakers, we dive deep into three gripping stories where faith intersects with fame, freedom, and fear: Dylan Novak (The Celebrity Evangelist) shares his unforgettable Gospel conversation with Ozzy Osbourne—revealing a surprisingly tender moment with the rock icon and how a simple gift of a personalized Bible left a lasting impact on Ozzy and his family. Matthew Grech, a former LGBTQ activist turned Christian, details his ongoing legal battle in Malta, where sharing his testimony has landed him in court. His case may be the first of its kind in the world and could have major implications for freedom of religion and speech in Europe. Joel Veldkamp from Christian Solidarity International gives an update on the miraculous release of a Nigerian priest kidnapped by Boko Haram. Learn how this heroic priest, who left the safety of Alaska to serve persecuted Christians in Nigeria, survived 51 days in captivity.

ISIS Terrorists Brutally Murdered a Journalist. His Mother Chose Forgiveness

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 03:12:00 -0000

It's been 10 years since ISIS terrorists brutally murdered journalist James Foley, releasing a gruesome video of the killing that absolutely shocked the world. Diane Foley, the late reporter's mother, has spent much of the last decade devoting her life to helping other hostage families who have faced the same terror she experienced.

Foley's family first realized something was wrong when he didn't call them on Thanksgiving Day in 2012. "Jim always called on holidays," Diane told CBN News. "He always was in touch. He was very good about that, always reassuring us he was fine and asking how we were. So when we did not hear from him that Thanksgiving, [it] was kind of an ominous silence." The next day, Diane, who has a new book "American Mother" that details the full story, learned from two of her son's colleagues that he had been kidnapped near the border of Turkey while attempting to head home.

"He was en route to meet these colleagues on the border," she said. "It was a shock and it was very different because this kidnapping was only witnessed by his fixer, who couldn't figure out who the captors were." Even more disturbing was the fact Foley suddenly vanished for months, leaving Diane and her family with no information about Foley's whereabouts or even whether he was dead or alive.

Diane, intent on saving her son, reached out to the U.S. government in hopes of getting an answer. With little knowledge about the political scene and American hostage policy, she was reaching out in the dark in hopes she'd receive assistance. "When I reached out to our government and people told me Jim was their highest priority, I really believed it too long," she said. After nearly two years of pleading and working diligently for Foley's return, Diane faced every mother's worst nightmare — only her horror was elevated by the tragic fact that the video of Jim's beheading made international headlines.

She joins CBN News to reflect on what happened, how her faith sustained her, and why she's now helping other families avoid the same pitfalls.

Man Claims He Died, Met Jesus and Returned: Randy Kay's Incredible NDE

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 19:59:00 -0000

How Ozzy Osbourne Heard the Gospel: A Celeb Evangelist Is Bringing Jesus to Hollywood

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 19:38:00 -0000

Actor Punished For His Faith? Neal McDonough's Journey

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 16:54:00 -0000

Actor Neal McDonough is on a mission to tell stories of faith and inspiration. McDonough's latest film, "Guns & Moses," in theaters now, is about a rabbi who runs a small synagogue in California alongside his wife and five kids. The faith leader "becomes an unlikely gunslinger after his community is violently attacked," according to an official description.

The actor, who portrays Mayor Donovan Kirk in the film, said the movie is "about honoring God and loving your neighbors." It's a mission of kindness and understanding that relates to McDonough's own struggles of losing out on Hollywood jobs after standing by his own Christian faith. "I had this great career and then it kind of got taken away from me for a little bit because of my faith and my love of my wife," McDonough said. "I didn't wanna do kissing scenes because I didn't wanna put [my wife], Ruve, through that kind of stuff 'cause it's just odd."

McDonough previously shared his journey with CBN News. He made a media splash a few years ago for his longstanding policy of declining to kiss castmates, something that caught attention during his time on the TV show "Desperate Housewives." "I wouldn't kiss a woman on that show years ago," McDonough said. "And then I got blackballed." He continued, "I lost my house, and I lost everything — cars, you name it. I went bankrupt."

McDonough said he ended up with a "massive drinking problem," spending two years consuming alcohol to cope with not being able to land a job. Eventually, he overcame those struggles and has since been making powerful movies with redemptive storylines.

In his most recent interview with CBN News, McDonough offered advice for those who have faced similar struggles after standing up for their ideals. "For people who have gone through what I went through, you gotta keep having your faith," he said. "You gotta believe that if you have a God-given talent like I have, I know that if I have faith in Him, He's gonna get me through anything."

Ex-Teen Witch Who ‘Should Be Dead’ Went From Casting Spells to Worshipping Jesus

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 03:02:00 -0000

Ex-witch Sarah Anne Sumpolec once found herself enraptured by incantations, Tarot cards, and casting spells — until an encounter with Jesus transformed her perspective. Decades later, she’s now a devout Christian who shares her experience as a former real-life teenage witch to help people see God’s power to change lives and perspectives.

Her harrowing story of engaging the spirit world and nearly losing her life is nothing short of deeply compelling. In this interview, Sumpolec recalls being plagued by scary dreams, and a feeling like the spiritual experiences she had so fervently embraced were starting to turn negative. At first, she assumed she was doing something wrong that made the spirits angry and attempted to remedy it.

“I was aware of the shift, but I didn’t know why the shift had happened,” Sumpolec said. “And I assumed I was doing something wrong, and so I kind of doubled down with all of it, because it was the only place I had to go.” That plan left her even more destitute, as she felt prompted by these spirits to embrace the idea that the only way she could heal herself was to end her life. After nearly losing her life, she found Jesus.

From Cocaine and Chaos to Christ: Ben Fuller's Powerful Journey to Faith and Fame

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 20:10:00 -0000

Singer Ben Fuller is experiencing a meteoric rise in the music industry, but his life wasn't always so illustrious. The Vermont native was once a drug user who looked for pleasure in all the wrong places, leaving him totally unfulfilled. But, as he likes to recount, he went from seeing "Jesus as a swear to Jesus as a Savior," ultimately putting the Lord at the center of his life. Today, Fuller is a Christian who openly preaches and shares the Gospel through music and spoken word — and his life has been radically changed because of it. "I'm a whole lot more patient and I'm a whole lot more content," Fuller told CBN News of his life in the post-Christian context. "The Bible says troubles will come ... and it's hard following Jesus." But Fuller, who just released a new album, "Walk Through Fire," said his life has been illuminated by following the Lord. "Once I learned and heard about this Gospel of Jesus and how He hung on a cross, and died, and rose again for me to have life, and I just started believing in Him, and saying, 'Jesus, I love you, Jesus. I believe you. I trust you. Take my life. ... I, I want to be with you everywhere I go.' ... He's been blowing my mind," he said. Fuller's passion for God is powerful, especially considering that the 38-year-old spent 14 and a half years of his life relying on cocaine, alcohol, and sleeping around. All of these vices were attempts to "try to fill all the voids," but the singer said "nothing ever worked." After coming to a breaking point, Fuller came to a conclusion: "It was just like, 'Well, OK, I haven't tried Jesus yet, so maybe I should ask Him.'" And that decision — asking Christ to lead his life — changed absolutely everything. Today, Fuller is on a mission to openly share his past so he can help others navigate their way to spiritual freedom.

Dead Teen's Shocking Miracle Revival, Kirk Cameron's Powerful Mission

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 20:22:00 -0000

Actor Kirk Cameron previews his See You at the Library event and explains why he believes Christians can learn something from Donald Trump and Joe Rogan. Then, Pastor Jason Noble recounts the jaw-dropping true story behind the hit film Breakthrough—a teen dead for over an hour brought back to life. Finally, LA pastor Ara Torosian says ICE detained members of his church. Don’t miss this powerful mix of faith, miracles, and mission.

Deadly Chaos, Persecution in Syria Sparks Fears

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 17:45:00 -0000

A persecution watchdog is sounding the alarm as the situation in Syria appears to be deteriorating for minority groups like the Druze and Alawites.

Joel Veldkamp, head of international communications at Christian Solidarity International (CSI), told CBN News that Syrian government forces have gone after these groups, killing innocents in the process.

The most recent incursion unfolded last week and had deadly consequences. A pastor was also killed.

Idaho Murder Victim's Mom Forgives Killer: 'Hardest Thing I’ve Ever Had to Do'

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 16:41:00 -0000

Cara Kernodle faced every mother’s worst nightmare on Nov. 13, 2022, when her daughter, Xana, was one of four University of Idaho students murdered in an off-campus home.

Reaching a state of peace certainly wasn’t easy for Kernodle. She revealed how she was in a “bad place” after Xana’s murder, struggling with drugs and substances.

“And bad went to worse after it happened,” Kernodle said. “I wish I could say that that was my ‘aha moment,’ that that is when I ran towards Christ, but I ran towards drugs and alcohol instead and ended up getting to a place where I knew that I was either going to die living the way that I was or I could draw close to Jesus, and surrender, and change my life — and hopefully be able to show others Christ through this trauma that I’ve experienced.”

Despite facing time in jail after Xana’s death, Kernodle said she found Jesus and is now walking with the Lord, experiencing a radically changed life.

'Very Surreal': Miracle Heals Man Who Couldn't Eat For His Entire Life

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 09:19:00 -0000

Here's his story.

Detransitioner's Powerful Journey Out of Deception: 'I Feel a Lot Happier'

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 02:33:00 -0000

It's been two years since social media influencer Oli London officially detransitioned and embarked on a faith-filled journey toward true peace and joy. "Life has changed very dramatically," he recently told CBN News. "I wake up every day with a sense of purpose, a sense of duty ... I feel a lot happier every single day." London, who has openly spoken about his Christian faith, said it has been "exciting" exploring his newfound belief in God. Raised as an atheist, he said he wasn't "too familiar with Christianity."

But since detransitioning two years ago, he spent a lot of time in Christian spaces. "I've been going to a lot of Christian events, been going to churches, connecting with people in the Christian community and elsewhere," he said, noting he's now trying to live out Jesus' example. "And I've been tremendously happy since then." But it's not just faith that has been the centerpiece of London's changed life. He's now become an advocate speaking out to help others struggling with the issues that once dominated his own life.

"Since ... I detransitioned, I've also been trying to use my platform now to try and do good in the world," he said. "And try to spread faith as well to the Generation Z audience." Considering London's own back story, he expressed a passion for young people "being led astray" today. "They are not connecting with God," he said of youths. "God is being taken out of classrooms in some places, and ... I think it's something that the young generation is missing." London has been open over the past two years about the detransition process, reaffirming past expressions that it wasn't the easiest of journeys, especially after years of attempting to present as a female.

"I underwent a lot of surgeries over a period of 10 years," he said. "I was going through an identity crisis, so I did spend several hundred thousand on the surgeries, the looks ... the clothes, all the fillers, the makeup, everything like that." London continued, "And ... it is something I regret, but, at the end of the day, I think ... it is a lesson. You can't dwell on these regrets, you can't dwell on the past." Ultimately, he said he tries to focus now on the positive, despite wishing these weren't decisions he had made. As for his transition, which he said has made him 10 times happier than before, London said at the start there wasn't much information or resources.

Listen to him tell his story.

Olympic Champ Takes Bold Stand Defending Women's Sports

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 20:17:00 -0000

Olympic silver medalist MyKayla Skinner Harmer is speaking out in defense of women's sports, backing activist and former competitive swimmer Riley Gaines' opposition to biological men competing in women's sports. Harmer's position was made clear after she made headlines in recent weeks for claiming former teammate Simone Biles "belittled, dismissed and ostracized" her.

Ex-LGBTQ Activist Could Face Jail After Sharing Journey to Faith

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 20:20:00 -0000

An ex-LGBT activist in Malta who reportedly faces potential prison time after sharing his testimony of leaving behind a gay lifestyle to follow Christ continues to face his years-long court battle.

Matthew Grech told CBN News he is heading back to court July 16 to continue his quest to avoid a potential five-month jail sentence and fines after being accused of "advertising so-called conversion practices."

End Times Prophecy Expert Skewers CNN Over 'Apocalyptic Religious Myths' Blunder

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 20:13:00 -0000

A head-turning CNN analysis article warning that "prophecy, not politics, may also shape America’s clash with Iran" was published this week, seemingly taking aim at evangelicals who believe in various end times theological constructs. From the Rapture – the notion Christians will be taken up to heaven before or during the Tribulation period — to positions on Israel, the piece in question struck some critics as strange, incomplete, and even leading. Most notably, the article provided voices critical of these theological ideals, while offering no voices who endorse or believe in the ideals being derided. Author and prophecy expert Todd Hampson, who is one such voice, told CBN News the article, in his view, was "not journalism" and an attempt to diminish Christian ideals surrounding eschatology. "It really is a very caricatured view of biblical Christianity on many levels," Hampson said. "It's just not fair, not balanced, not accurate, and not journalism."

Revival and Awakening Breaking Out? Christian Leader Sees Something 'Remarkable'

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 21:15:00 -0000

Shawn Marcell, co-founder of LifeSurge, joined Billy Hallowell to discuss the faith-based movement sweeping across the nation—and how it's playing out not just in churches, but in the marketplace. LifeSurge aims to equip believers to steward their resources for God’s kingdom, helping people identify their “why” when it comes to wealth creation and influence. At the heart of the mission is a call to merge faith with practical action, especially in how Christians show up professionally, financially, and spiritually in their day-to-day lives.

Marcell describes a growing spiritual hunger he’s witnessing at LifeSurge’s large-scale events.

Kirk Cameron's Bold Proclamation About President Donald Trump, Joe Rogan

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 21:03:00 -0000

Actor Kirk Cameron believes many pastors and Christians today can learn a lesson or two from individuals like President Donald Trump and radio host Joe Rogan.

China Rewriting the Bible? Disturbing Persecution Claims

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 01:13:00 -0000

Christians in China are facing a myriad of complicated persecution problems. CBN’s Raj Nair and Billy Hallowell discuss some recent disturbing news.

Texas Flood Hero Who Died Trying to Save Kids: His Powerful Legacy

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 22:51:00 -0000

When the media reported the tragic news that Camp Mystic director Dick Eastland died trying to save kids amid catastrophic Guadalupe River flooding, Dr. Jim Denison was heartbroken but unsurprised. "Dick Eastland was a friend," he said. "He and [his wife] Tweety have been with me to Israel twice. I don't know a more gracious, humble, servant-hearted person."

Denison detailed the ways Eastland served others on their Israel expeditions, stating he was the first person to arrive at the bus to ensure everyone's luggage was loaded on and would often be waiting after to be certain people safely made it to their rooms. "That's just who he was," Denison said. "He was known to be kind of the grandfather of the camp. I mean, generations. ... They took over Camp Mystic in 1974, and he and Tweety just gave their lives to it."

Whoopi Goldberg’s Shock Comments, Gaza Horror, and Spiritual Warfare

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 23:43:00 -0000

On today’s Newsmakers, we go behind the headlines with bold voices tackling the stories that matter. Jeff King, CEO of International Christian Concern, responds to Whoopi Goldberg’s shocking comparison between life in America and life under Iran’s brutal dictatorship.

Johnnie Moore, executive chairman of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, exposes Hamas' latest evils and shares how his team is working to feed the hungry in Gaza despite mounting tensions.

Pastor Jonathan Pokluda, author of Your Story Has a Villain, joins us to talk miracles, revival, and how to fight back against spiritual warfare. Watch the full, uncut interviews here on the CBN News YouTube channel.

Ex-Porn Star Embraces Jesus, Embarks on Mission to Protect Kids

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 23:30:00 -0000

Ex-porn star Joshua Broome is on a mission to protect kids. He joins CBN News to praise the Supreme Court's recent age verification ruling (Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton), to explain why it matters, and to share insight on what he believes will happen next.

Prophecy Expert Hits Back at CNN Over Rapture, Iran, End Times Claims

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 23:55:00 -0000

A head-turning CNN analysis article warning that “prophecy, not politics, may also shape America’s clash with Iran” was published this week, seemingly taking aim at evangelicals who believe in various end times theological constructs.

From the Rapture – the notion Christians will be taken up to heaven before or during the Tribulation period — to positions on Israel, the piece in question struck some critics as strange, incomplete, and even leading.

Most notably, the article provided voices critical of these theological ideals, while offering no voices who endorse or believe in the ideals derided.

Author and prophecy expert Todd Hampson, who is one such voice, told CBN News the article was “not journalism” but instead an attempt to diminish Christian ideals surrounding eschatology.

He's Studied 1,000+ Near-Death Experiences. This Is Why He Believes They Prove the Bible

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 02:03:00 -0000

Is This the Site of Noah's Ark? Plus: 'The Chosen' Actor Finds Jesus

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 23:24:00 -0000

On this episode of Newsmakers:

- Andrew Jones from Noah’s Ark Scans shares the latest on where he believes the Ark could be located.

- Nick Shakoour, who plays Zebedee on The Chosen, tells the story of his powerful encounter with God and how it changed his life.

- David Pollack, former NFL star, talks about his faith, family, and his new children’s book "The Won't Quit Kid."

Be sure to check out the full interviews on the CBN News YouTube channel.

Hamas' Latest Horrors as Gaza Starves

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 01:14:00 -0000

One of the leaders of a humanitarian organization distributing food and resources in the war-torn Gaza Strip recently revealed some surprising details surrounding what he believes has hindered efforts.

Johnnie Moore, the executive chairman of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), believes one of the biggest barriers to getting aid to Gaza is the current assistance system and structure.

"I think the biggest barrier to getting aid to Gaza is a corrupt old system that has enabled the continuation of this war, that's enabled Hamas to steal the aid, to sell it to the Gazan people, to hoard the aid for their own fighters," he said. "And a type of like exhaustion with this process, and nobody tries anything different."

Whoopi Goldberg Sparks Furor on 'The View'

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 03:27:00 -0000

Outrage, frustration, and shock continue to surround “The View” host Whoopi Goldberg’s recent proclamation that life for Black Americans is similar to those living under Iran’s horrific dictatorship — a place where citizens have virtually no free speech or religious liberty freedoms. Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, a persecution watchdog, joined CBN News to fact-check Goldberg’s claims, explain the religious persecution inside Iran, and offer his perspective on why he believes the TV host’s contentions are wrong.

Preacher Reveals Why He Almost Quit — and the Stunning Way God Showed Up

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 23:20:00 -0000

A California pastor is getting candid about why he almost quit ministry, shedding light on struggles preachers routinely face. Shane Idleman of Westside Christian Fellowship in Leona Valley, California, is out with a new book, "I Almost Quit: My Journey of Leading Through the Landmines of Ministry," a text that details the factors that almost drove him away from the pulpit.

Idleman said he had gone through a "hard season" that presented difficult challenges — a time that started with COVID-19 chaos and lockdowns, his mom's death, health issues, and extended into other realms.

After nearly leaving it all behind, the preacher could have concealed what he faced and felt, but, instead, he decided to share.

Wars, Rumors of Wars, Chaos: Are the End Times Upon Us?

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 03:03:00 -0000

On this week’s episode of Newsmakers, we dive into powerful stories of faith, family, and eschatology.

Actor Dean Cain joins us to discuss his new film Little Angels, his take on the conflict in Israel, and the importance of standing for truth in today’s culture.

Next, Christian singer Tasha Layton shares a deeply personal miracle story from the red carpet of the KLOVE Fan Awards — a testimony of healing that transformed her family.

Finally, prophecy author Todd Hampson helps us unpack the growing interest in end times prophecy, breaking down how events in Israel and Iran are pointing many back to Scripture — and sparking questions about whether the end times are upon us.

For full interviews and more stories like these, visit the CBN News YouTube channel and stream our latest documentary, "Investigating the Supernatural: Miracles" at cbn.com/supernatural.

Is End Times Prophecy in the Middle East Unfolding Right Before Our Eyes?

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 01:27:00 -0000

Yael Eckstein, CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, is on the frontlines as the conflict between Israel and Iran intensifies. Her organization is providing much-needed aid to Israelis whose homes and belongings are being destroyed amid war.

Eckstein provides her perspective on why Israel is taking action, Iran's dangerous rhetoric about destroying the Jewish state — and more. She also speaks about biblical prophecy surrounding Israel's regathering as well as how current events might play into prophecies seen in the Old Testament.

"God has his hand on this land," she said. "Israel is different than any other land in the world. It's the only place that God himself gave a name to. It's the only place that the prophets spoke about — that the Jewish people returned to."

Eckstein continued, "And, historically, there's never been a people, a nation that was in exile for 2,000 years and then reunited with their home, reignited this biblical language that they spoke. ... And I know this is part of God's plan, and I do think this is biblical prophecy unfolding." Watch what Eckstein had to say.

End Times Prophecy? Joel Rosenberg Explains Gog, Magog and a 'Wicked, Demonic Regime'

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 01:27:00 -0000

Author and communications strategist Joel Rosenberg is praying for the "liberation of Iran," encouraging Christians to join him in asking God to change the tides inside the Islamic Republic.

"I don't want to just destroy or neutralize the Iranian threat," he said. "I want to see this wicked, demonic regime fall."

Rosenberg, a bestselling author and the founder of The Joshua Fund, a group that provides humanitarian aid, said the current conflict between Israel and Iran is unlike anything he's seen in the region during his more than 11 years living in the Jewish state.

"I have never seen a war as intense," he said. "This is the most consequential war that Israel has ever fought since the War of Independence, in which seven Arab countries were attacking."

'Wow': Iranians Reportedly Rejoice, Celebrate Amid Israel's Attack

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 00:14:00 -0000

As tensions continue to flare between Israel and Iran, reports of Iranians rejoicing amid the attack have been going viral. It might seem like a strange reaction — residents of a nation being attacked by a perceived enemy and yet expressing elation.

But Lana Silk, CEO of Transform Iran, said the situation inside Iran is so bleak and difficult that this response from citizens makes perfect sense. "The immediate reaction that we got from Iran was, for want of a better word, celebration," she told CBN News.

"I've seen videos going viral on social media with young people throwing parties literally as they watch the missiles coming down ... It's been surreal looking at that thinking, 'Wow, these are people under attack and yet they welcome it.'"

Chaos in the Middle East: What's the History Behind Israel-Iran Battle?

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 23:46:00 -0000

What's the history behind Israel's current battle against Iran — and why does it matter? Dr. Glen Duerr, chair of history and government and professor of international studies at Cedarville University, joins CBN News to explain what's different about the current crisis and to offer a historical backdrop.

"Clearly, something has changed in the minds of the leaders of Mossad, the rough equivalent of the CIA in Israel," Duerr said of Israel's decision to attack Iran Thursday. "And, as such, they have chosen to really act — and swiftly."

Is the Shroud of Turin Authentic?

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 23:33:00 -0000

Is the Shroud of Turin truly Jesus' burial cloth? It's a discussion and debate that has raged for years. And supporters of the world's most famous relic are planning to gather this summer for the 2025 International Conference & Symposium July 30 - August 3, 2025, where experts will gather to reveal the most recent research and evidence. Cindy Sheltmire, an organizer for this year's event, joins CBN News to share the details.

Christian Baker Refuses to Back Down Over Same-Sex Cake Battle

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 21:17:00 -0000

The attorney for a Christian baker who has been targeted by California officials over her refusal to make a cake for a same-sex couple is hoping to take the shocking case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Adèle Keim, senior counsel at Becket, told CBN News that baker Cathy Miller, owner of Tastries shop in Bakersfield, California, has been in a years-long battle after declining to make a cake for a same-sex couple. That couple reportedly became frustrated and filed a complaint. “They ignited a firestorm on social media,” Keim said. “They accused her of turning them away harshly, turning them away completely, which she hadn't been trying to do. She'd been trying to work with them and help them as much as she could in good conscience – and she has been in court ever since.” Keim said Miller is being persecuted by her own government, noting that the case has volleyed through the courts.

New Age Chaos and a Christian College's Major Victory Against the Government

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 04:17:00 -0000

On today's Newsmakers: a gender battle, the New Age, and a Christian college victory.

'The Chosen' Star Jonathan Roumie Reflects on Powerful Impact of Show, Radical Trust in God

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 17:32:00 -0000

"The Chosen" star Jonathan Roumie details his life, faith and mission.

Tarot Cards, New Age Chaos & More: Former Medium Reveals Biggest Dangers

Fri, 30 May 2025 19:08:00 -0000

An ex-psychic said a new survey showing a substantial portion of Americans consult with horoscopes, tarot cards and other means is "horrific" but unsurprising. "I thought it was horrific to be quite honest with you, but I can't say that I'm completely surprised," Jen Nizza, an ex-medium and Christian who is also host of the "Ex-Psychic Saved" podcast said. Listen for more.

Actor Gary Sinise's God-Given Mission

Wed, 28 May 2025 17:27:00 -0000

Gary Sinise’s journey from actor to advocate is fueled by a deep love and respect for America’s troops and a strong Christian faith. From music tours to the Gary Sinise Foundation, he has impacted thousands and has given back to military heroes. His faith plays a central role in that mission. Watch Sinise discuss his passion for service, his faith and more.

Lola Sheen, Daughter of Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen, Embraces Jesus

Sat, 24 May 2025 03:00:00 -0000

Lola Sheen, daughter of actors Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards, stunned the entertainment and media world when she recently published photos of her powerful baptism. Lola, 19, shared a candid Instagram post noting she hit "rock bottom" before finding Jesus and embracing Christianity.

Was the Biden Admin Targeting This Christian University With Historic Fine?

Thu, 22 May 2025 02:17:00 -0000

The U.S. Department of Education’s historic fine against Grand Canyon University (GCU), a Christian college in Phoenix, Arizona, has been dropped, according to the institution.

Brian Mueller, president of GCU, told CBN News Tuesday he believes the government was unfairly targeting his school and heralded the dismissal of the massive $37.7 million fine as a victory.

The Department of Education confirmed the decision to CBN News. A spokesperson pledged not to “persecute and prosecute colleges and universities based on their religious affiliation” and accused the previous administration of doing so.

'Ravaging the Church': The Battle Against Porn (and for Biblical Truth)

Mon, 19 May 2025 21:00:00 -0000

Author E.Z. Zwayne is on a mission to address a topic "no one really wants to talk about" — sexual struggles, pornography, and purity within the church.

"It is massively, massively prevalent," Zwayne told CBN News of such struggles. "And I don't mean prevalent in a positive sense. This issue of pornography that has been taking the world by storm [and] is wreaking havoc."

He continued, "It's destroying men, it's destroying families, it's destroying society, it's ravaging the church."

Is This the Location of Noah's Ark?

Sat, 17 May 2025 03:39:00 -0000

On today's Newsmakers, Noah's Ark, an actor's journey to faith, and one ex-NFL star's mission.

Trump's Syria Plans Shock — Here's Why Persecution Watchdog Supports His Latest Move

Thu, 15 May 2025 21:30:00 -0000

A persecution watchdog is praising President Donald Trump's pledge to ease Syrian sanctions while also offering a caveat — a warning about the importance of locking religious liberty protections in place.

Joel Veldkamp, head of international communications at Christian Solidarity International (CSI), told CBN News that Trump's pledge is welcomed by his organization. He also explained the sweeping impact the longstanding sanctions have had on the Syrian people.

'The Chosen' Actor Details Stunning Encounter With God

Mon, 12 May 2025 20:00:00 -0000

Nick Shakoour, who has inspired millions through his portrayal of Zebedee in "The Chosen," is openly sharing his incredible faith journey. Shakoour told CBN News his new book, "Transformer: Awakening From A Spiritual Coma - A Nick Shakoour Autobiography."

Today, he shares his powerful encounter with God.

Faith, Family & the Supernatural: Christian Couple Behind a New Star-Studded Thriller

Fri, 09 May 2025 21:44:00 -0000

What do you get when you mix supernatural suspense, real-life trauma, and a love story that spans decades? "Caretaker" — a thriller born from pain, healing, and deep faith. In this episode, Jason and Rhonda Halbert join Billy Hallowell to discuss the inspiration behind their chilling new novel and its immersive, cinematic audiobook.

Ex-Trans Patient Exposes Medical Lies, Deceit, Chaos

Wed, 07 May 2025 20:12:00 -0000

Prisha Mosley's detransition journey has been a harrowing ordeal — one she is openly sharing to help others facing similar struggles. "It's important to me to be able to share the truth," Mosley told CBN News. "There really was no one to let us know that it was a lie and a scam when I was going through this. So, I really feel like I'm helping people."

Hollywood Star Finds Jesus: Actress' Incredible Journey, Miracles, and More

Fri, 02 May 2025 04:00:00 -0000

On today's Newsmakers: an actress finds Jesus, Steve Deace, and real-life miracles.

Paula White-Cain Reveals Why She's Running the White House Faith Office, What Comes Next

Thu, 01 May 2025 19:07:00 -0000

Paula White-Cain and Jenny Korn are running The White House Faith Office. They join the show to share with Billy Hallowell their hopes and motivations for the office, how they started working with President Donald Trump — and more.

Does Modern Science Prove the Torah Right?

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 04:00:00 -0000

Author Mark Gerson is on a mission to prove that modern science might just validate part of the Bible.

He joins Billy Hallowell to discuss, "God Was Right: How Modern Social Science Proves the Torah Is True."

Deadly Persecution in Nigeria, Miracles — and Lee Strobel

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 00:52:00 -0000

On today's Newsmakers: horror in Nigeria, miracles, and Lee Strobel.

Pastor Breaks Down Miracles, Fighting Demons, Deliverance, and More

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 18:06:00 -0000

A New York City pastor is on a mission to help people see that "God still heals." Mike Signorelli of V1 Church in New York City joined Billy Hallowell to explain how facets of the secular medical community are now "open to the spiritual realm."

While some doctors and hospitals are looking for help in the wrong places, he said there is an opportunity for Christians to step into the fold and divert attention toward biblical truth. "What we have to do is believe that God is going to do what only He can do and let me awaken people to the reality that He still heals," Signorelli said. Hear him dive in.

‘It Just Ignited’: Pastor Says Revival Is Breaking Out in His California Church

Mon, 21 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0000

A California pastor said he’s personally witnessing revival unfold inside his church as people increasingly cling closer to the Lord — and it apparently all started after the preacher opened up about his struggles during a recent sermon.

Shane Idleman of Westside Christian Fellowship in Leona Valley, California, told CBN News he believes a genuine spiritual awakening rooted in “sound doctrine” can help pave the way for the spiritual bursts of power seen in certain places in America today. Listen to him explain.

Steve Deace on Spiritual Warfare, Political Chaos — and a Warning

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 02:25:00 -0000

Radio host Steve Deace said "there's no way" he could have scripted out the political events of the past year, noting he believes much of what has unfolded politically and culturally has been steeped in spiritual warfare and chaos.

"I'm convinced that what we saw this last year, a hundred percent, we watched spiritual warfare play out in the natural realm," Deace said, citing attempted assassinations on President Donald Trump, cultural chaos, and unexpected political developments. "I mean, we saw the unseen realm play out in the natural realm."

'God Spoke': Miracles that Stunned Ray Comfort, Offered Powerful Biblical Evidence

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 18:41:00 -0000

Want more miracles? Stream "Investigating the Supernatural: Miracles," a new documentary from CBN about powerful medical miracles: www.cbn.com/supernatural

Kirk Cameron, Near Death Experiences, and Miracles

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 18:44:00 -0000

Kirk Cameron, near death experiences, and miracles. Billy Hallowell explores this and more on this week's Newsmakers.

The Real Story Behind Kristan Hawkins' Viral Face-Offs With Pro-Choice Students

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 18:50:00 -0000

Pro-life activist Kristan Hawkins' journey to leading Students for Life of America started after she became involved in a crisis pregnancy center as a teenager — a moving experience that shaped her.

A Mission to Transform Hollywood Content? Great American Family CEO's Pro-America, Pro-Faith Message

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 17:29:00 -0000

Bill Abbott, president and CEO of Great American Media, is on a mission to support faith and family-friendly entertainment — and he has a message about what Hollywood's churning out.

"We have a very loyal audience and we happen to believe the majority of the country wants to see traditional family values and really experience content that's supportive of faith, family, and country," Abbott recently told CBN News at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention. "And you look at Hollywood and 98, 99% of what's produced is ... anti-American, people of faith are demeaned and mocked, families are never shown in the traditional sense."

Dream About Jesus Sparks Revival Mission: Jennie Allen's Powerful Story

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 21:20:00 -0000

Speaker and author Jennie Allen has had a front-row seat to revival — and her powerful role in helping spread the Gospel to new generations all started with a dream.

Allen said her decision to launch Gather — a global effort that rallies the church together for a 25-hour simulcast— was rooted in that dream, a fact she knows might "sound crazy to some people."

"I'm not saying I've not believed in dreams and visions from God," she said. "But I've never been one that's had dreams and visions from God, and, a few years ago, a friend prayed the night that I had this dream that I would hear from God on some pretty big things, pivotal things with my ministry and dream that Jesus was coming back in 10 years."

At the time, Allen was tired, weary, and considering quitting. But the dream absolutely changed all of that and sparked her current journey to persist in the faith. Allen cautioned that she isn't one to predict when she believes Christ is coming back, but noted that the dream made a deep impact on her.

"I have no idea when He's coming back — would never claim that, but I, I mean, I can't help that I vividly dreamed He was coming back," Allen said. "And what that did for me was just put an urgency in me and the thought of, 'What would we do if He were coming back and we knew it in now. ... If he were coming back in eight years, then what would we do and how would we live?'"

The dream itself was hyper-motivating for Allen considering its contents.

TV Exec Takes on Hollywood With Mission For 'Faith, Family, Country' Content

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0000

Bill Abbott, president and CEO of Great American Media, is on a mission to support faith and family-friendly entertainment — and he has a message about what Hollywood's churning out.

The Roots of Cultural Evil, Revival and a Mother's Battle

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 20:30:00 -0000

On today's Newsmakers, a mother's battle, revival, and the roots of cultural chaos.

'Very Surreal': He Couldn't Eat His Entire Life Until One Prayer Changed Everything

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 19:43:00 -0000

Here's his story.

Trump Praises Bold Mom Taking Stand Against Gender Ideology: Here's Her Story

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 20:30:00 -0000

A Florida mom who is fighting back against a Florida school district after her daughter experienced gender confusion is on a mission to help other parents maintain their rights. "This started for my family at the height of COVID in 2020," January Littlejohn told CBN News. "Our daughter fell prey to the lies of gender identity ideology and that she was born in the wrong body in May of 2020. And so this was shortly after three of her friends at our local middle school had also started suddenly identifying as some form of transgender."

Hear her explain.

Does God Still Perform Miracles Today? Resurrections, Radical Healings and More

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 18:00:00 -0000

Do miracles still happen today? "Investigating the Supernatural: Miracles" offers a compelling look at the evidence.

Miracles, Healings, Deliverance Break Out During Historic Revival: Asbury Revival Preacher Zach Meerkreebs Reveals Details

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 16:00:00 -0000

The pastor at the center of the Asbury Revival continues to have a front-row seat to some of the powerful moves of God that continue to reverberate two years after the spiritual outpouring first captivated the world.

Zach Meerkreebs, author of the new book "Lower: Igniting Spiritual Awakening Through Radical Humility," told CBN News about some of the transformational events he witnessed firsthand. He called articulating in the Asbury outpouring the "honor of a lifetime," noting he sometimes tears up because he misses the experience so much.

"We saw healings, we saw freedom, we saw deliverance," he said. "We saw people get out of wheelchairs. We had a basketball player who did not know Jesus at the beginning of the week, gave his life to Christ midweek, and by that night had prayed for someone and their tumors disappeared." He continued, "That's what happens when the presence of God moves into a place. You really don't have to exert yourself a whole lot besides just steward and curate meetings between God's Spirit and God's people." Meerkreebs also told his powerful back story of growing up Jewish and converting to Christianity.

"I grew up Jewish and I had not experienced the humility of God until I heard about the incarnation of Jesus," Meerkreebs said. "Like, the very fact of Jesus' incarnation, Him coming from the throne room into the world, just crazy humility." It is that radical humility that has made an impact on the preacher, as he admitted to early struggles with pride when he first came into the church. That was completely shattered, though, when, in February 2023, he said he got to be "part of a unique outpouring of God's Spirit at Asbury University."

As CBN News extensively covered, national and international headlines covered the stunning events at the Wilmore, Kentucky, campus, where, for 16 days and nights, students, the community and people from all over the world came together for nonstop prayer and worship. It all started at a regularly scheduled chapel service on February 8, 2023, with that service simply not ending for over two weeks. Meerkreebs, who was speaking at that event, has often spoken about the incredible moment he presided over. For the preacher, humility was the key ingredient that sparked the outpouring.

"I didn't want to write the book on specifically the outpouring at Asbury, but I could write about this thing that I think was so foundational and so intriguing about the outpouring — that was Jesus' humility and humble response to the humility of a couple students and a couple of people that would just wait and linger," he said. "And I think that's what we just experienced was what God will do when we go low in humility. He'll fill the space that we vacate." Reflecting back on those 16 days at Asbury, Meerkreebs called the spiritual experience "unbelievable."

Listen to him explain.

The Truth About Miracles: Wild Stories of Healing, Hope

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 19:26:00 -0000

On today's Newsmakers, host Billy Hallowell gives us a glimpse into the new CBN Film, "Investigating the Supernatural: Miracles." We'll also hear from a Leukemia survivor and a man who had a confirmed miracle.

Fallen Marine’s Family Doesn’t Mince Words About Biden vs. Trump

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 16:00:00 -0000

"It was shocking," she said of learning that alleged ISIS-K devotee Mohammad Sharifullah, who was in court Wednesday, had been arrested for his purported role in the deadly attack. "The words bittersweet are my favorite ones to put to this because it's always hard."

Shamblin continued, "Here's a man who ... we watched celebrate Nicole's death and 12 others that died with her, and it's very difficult."

Despite the pain Shamblin and her family continue to experience as they navigate Gee's loss, she also noted that it's "extremely reassuring" that the Trump administration "cares and...is focused on it and is going to get results."

The Bible Comes to Prime, a New Cultural Battle — and a Surprising Conversion

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 21:55:20 -0000

On today's Newsmakers: a new biblical epic, a surprising conversion, and Maine's trans battle.

Doctor's Scary Warning About Marijuana Legalization

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 17:00:00 -0000

A Texas doctor who has spent years researching the effects of marijuana is sounding the alarm about culture’s mainstreaming of the drug, warning its effects are anything but benign. Dr. Raymond Wiggins, an oral surgeon and author of “Weeding Out the Lies About Marijuana,” told CBN Digital marijuana is a drug that can have profound psychological and physical effects on the body.

Actor's Faith Transformed After Landing Powerful New Biblical Role

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 21:31:08 -0000

Michael Iskander landed the role of a lifetime when he was cast to play David in Prime's soon-to-release series "House of David." And while he was gearing up for the show's Feb. 27 premiere, Iskander reflected on the "life-changing" ability to join the cast in such a pivotal role. "I think David is one of the most interesting people because ... there's so much duality in him," he said. "He's the epitome of what it means to be human, to make mistakes, but to truly have a heart for God — and a heart that seeks after God's own heart." Iskander, who said he feels "blessed" to be able to tell this story, explained how his experience portraying David transformed how he sees Scripture and those presented within it.

"Now, I view it from a point of view as just human beings," he said. "And so I put the context of that time and of these people into the story ... it just puts a whole different perspective on the Bible, and I think it makes it that much more interesting to read and to discover." Iskander said it's exciting to be able to have such a fascinating lens into Scripture. He spoke about the importance of trusting God and allowing the Lord to guide His path, citing Proverbs 3:5-6. In the end, he knows "House of David" is entertainment for many, but believes the project is really all about the Lord. "You're making a TV show, and it's really fun, and your makeup and hair — it's all fun and cool, but the reason is to glorify Him, and to honor Him, and to put Him first," he said. "I think that's one way it's changed me; it's allowed me to put perspective to all of this, and to life, and to realize why we are living life."

Campus Revival, Overcoming the Odds, and the Battle Against Marijuana

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 17:00:00 -0000

On today's Newsmakers: campus revival, overcoming the odds, and the battle against marijuana.

'The Unbreakable Boy' Actors Patricia Heaton and Zachary Levi on God, Hollywood and Following Truth

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:23:21 -0000

Patricia Heaton and Zachary Levi join Billy Hallowell from the red carpet premiere of "The Unbreakable Boy" to discuss God, Hollywood, and Following truth.

Powerful God Story: Ex-Political Candidate Does the Unthinkable After Loss

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 23:00:00 -0000

A former congressional candidate and campaign manager has shown that compassion, empathy, and truth should be the gold standard — even in the oft-times cutthroat world of politics. Bunni Pounds, founder and president of Christians Engaged, told CBN News Christians must always remember Jesus' call — even when it comes to navigating politics. "The first commandment is to love Jesus with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves," she said. "We do not cease to be Christ followers if we get involved in politics and government."

While Pounds said some might scoff at or worry about entering into the political realm — a place she has personally worked for quite some time — she noted that a consistent prayer walk and relationship with Jesus can help Christians "see great impact" in such arenas. Pounds isn't just talking the talk, either. She has consistently walked this walk. When she ran for Texas' 5th Congressional District in 2018, she found herself in a precarious place. "I lost a race by 2,700 votes out of 43,000 votes," she said. "It was really close. But my opponent, during the Republican runoff, his consultants had floated all of his invoices. So, if you could imagine — his TV, his mail, his radio ads, his consulting fees, all had been not billed."

Pounds said she was out-raising him despite her loss to Rep. Lance Gooden. And her inability to win amid her well-managed campaign left her frustrated. "When I finished the campaign, I paid off all my bills — and I couldn't win," Pounds said. "So, the injustice of that was digging at my heart. Well, a year later, I heard the Lord say, 'You're not going to get through this if you don't do something drastic to impact your heart.'"

She knew she had to listen to God's promptings.

"I called [my former opponent], had lunch with him, and asked him if I could help pay off the rest of his 50,000 of the debt that he had from our runoff — and he graciously accepted," Pounds said. "And we did a huge party, and I fundraised towards that, and we all paid for it. All of our campaign staff, consultants — we all laid our offenses, bitterness and unforgiveness down at the feet of Jesus and walked out of there completely free." Now, Gooden and Pounds are friends and she said he became the first member of Congress to support her latest book, "Jesus and Politics: One Woman's Walk with God in a Mudslinging Profession." "I think is a testimony of God's grace," she said.

She Was Born With Just One Arm and Faced Insane Obstacles. Here's How She Overcame and Clung to Jesus

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 17:00:00 -0000

Katelyn Pavey is a real-life inspiration. Born with one arm, she persevered, overcame the odds — and, against all odds, played college softball. Pavey's incredible journey is told in "I Can," a film that shows God's grace throughout life's many trials.

For years, she rebuffed attempts to make a movie about her story, believing she didn't really have anything special to share. "I didn't want to be seen as sitting on a pedestal," she said. "And I also thought there was more people in our congregation that needed their story to be told — and it wasn't only me who denied it three times. It was also my dad."

But her pastor, Tyler Sansom — who is also the director of "I Can" — was successfully able to convince Pavey to take part. "Gowing up, I faced a lot of adversity," she said. "I faced a lot of challenges that I had to overcome and adapt to." Sometimes, parents even stopped their children from playing with her because she looked different. Over time, she had to learn to adjust to such moments.

"You continue to adapt to any adversity that you're thrown in life, and you overcome that, you become successful," Pavey said. "You don't go back to your old ways, you don't give up, you keep pushing on to be successful, to show people that you can. And that's just what I did my whole life, especially through the sport of softball."

She forged toward her goals, becoming an all-state player during her high school career and eventually signing college scholarship to play softball — a full-ride to Cincinnati Christian University.

Are the Hostage Releases a Bad Deal? Amid Hamas Horror, an Explanation of What's Really Going On

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 17:00:00 -0000

It’s been 500 days since Hamas dragged 251 men, women and children into the tunnels of Gaza. 73 remain. But as these Israeli hostages slowly come back home, folks are asking, "Is this a really bad deal?" CBN's Raj Nair and Billy Hallowell unpack the details.

Surviving Terror, Trump's Plans For Israel and Gaza, and the Battle Between Good and Evil

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 21:57:28 -0000

On today's newsmakers: surviving a terror attack, Trump's plans for Israel and Gaza, and the battle between good and evil.

Burned Alive and Tortured: Persecution Horror in India Rages

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 23:00:00 -0000

A watchdog is sounding the alarm about increasing anti-Christian persecution in India, the world's most populous nation. Joel Veldkamp, head of international communications at Christian Solidarity International, told CBN News that the intensifying situation comes as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to the U.S. this week to meet with President Donald Trump.

The encounter could offer an opportunity for Trump and the West to pressure Modi to stem the tide of persecution, according to Veldkamp. The watchdog said the most "extreme case" of persecution is unfolding in Manipur, a state in India's northeast. "This is a place where, about two years ago, the region exploded into anti-Christian violence," Veldkamp said. "There was a conflict over land rights about who had what right to own what land in the territory, and it turned into a religious conflict."

And that conflict forced 40,000 Christians to flee their homes over the course of a few weeks. With nearly two years passing since that chaos, the situation remains grim for the majority Christian Kuki-Zo community. "Most of them now live in refugee camps where the rates of deaths from cancer, and kidney failure, and other treatable illnesses have really skyrocketed, because they simply have no access to medicine or to basic supplies," he said. "And that violence against this specific group of Christians called the Kuki-Zo people continues until this day."

Just months ago, one of the most horrific examples of violence unfolded. "There was a mother of three, a Christian woman from this Indigenous group ... who was attacked by Hindu militants, raped, and burned alive," Veldkamp said. "And that set off another round of violence between the groups, scores of people were killed, more people were displaced, and the government really seems kind of completely absent from this situation."

Marc Fogel's Mom Says Biden Admin 'Didn't Push Hard' for Son's Release

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0000

The world is celebrating after Marc Fogel's years-long detention in the Russian prison system came to a close this week, with President Donald Trump securing his release. No one is more elated over the freeing of Fogel, 63, than his mother, 95-year-old Malphine Fogel, who has intensely advocated for her son's release. Marc Fogel, an American teacher who taught history in Moscow, was serving a 14-year sentence after being found in possession of prescribed medicinal marijuana — a harsh rebuke that stunned his family.

Malphine Fogel told CBN News Thursday that her faith in God sustained her throughout the horrific ordeal, especially as uncertainty abounded. "Sometimes, there's nowhere to go except on your knees," she said. "We just prayed on regular intervals. We just put our faith in God — we really did. And it worked." Fogel reflected on the "shock" she experienced when her son was initially arrested nearly four years ago. Despite Russia's troubling history, she said she still found the entire ordeal "outlandish" and surprising.

"It seemed that it would just blow over," she said. "I never expected that it would go as far as it did. I just thought they would check all the facts and know that he was not a drug dealer with six or seven grams of marijuana, but they didn't see it that way, I guess."

Fogel said the Biden administration, which presided over most of her son's detention, didn't push hard enough, in her view. "I can't say that I ever felt they were really trying very hard to get him out," she said. "And I could be wrong about that, but that was the feeling I got." One of the most remarkable parts of Fogel's story centers on the now-infamous Butler campaign rally, where President Donald Trump was shot in the ear. Fogel was at that event and met with Trump before gunshots rang out.

New Orleans Terror Victim's Mom Praises Trump, NFL For Incredible Move

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 20:51:06 -0000

More than a month after Cathy Tenedorio's son, Matthew, was killed during the New Year's Day terror attack in New Orleans, she's relying on her faith to get through rapid waves of emotion. On Sunday, Tenedorio and her husband, Louis, were invited to the 2025 Super Bowl along with first responders and other victims' family members to honor the lives of those lost.

She told CBN News that the scene was "very moving" to be part of. "They honored the 14 victims," Tenedorio said. "It was just beautiful."

She said the entire experience was deeply "comforting" and made her and her husband "feel special," as she recognized there are many other parents who face similar pain but who don't get a lot of attention or help publicly in navigating such dynamics. The families were joined by members of the New Orleans Fire Department, New Orleans EMS, and New Orleans Police, who held photos of the 14 victims during the coin toss. "I'm very, very honored and blessed," Tenedorio said. "I'm very humbled by it, and I just ... wish this could happen for everyone — that everyone's life was celebrated like my son's life has been."

She also shared how President Donald Trump, who was on-site at the Super Bowl, came down to meet with her and other victims' family members. She called the experience "very awesome." "It was a quick moment, but he was very nice," she said, noting how Trump shook her father's hand and thanked him for his past military service. "It was very, very, very awesome." Tenedorio said she sensed that it was very important for Trump to be there with the victims and that he could have stayed up in the suites but took the time to take photos and talk with the families and first responders. "I feel like it was very important to him," she said.

Trump’s Gaza Plan Gets Applause, Praise From Popular Pastor

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 22:01:06 -0000

Pastor Jentezen Franklin of Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia, said he was "moved" by President Donald Trump's comments and plans surrounding the Gaza Strip, calling Trump's plans "brilliant." Franklin was referring to Trump's Tuesday announcement while meeting with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, a proclamation that sent shockwaves throughout the globe and ignited discussion and debate.

Regardless of the debate and skepticism among some, Franklin believes Trump's shock announcement could lead to a more fruitful future. "I heard in our president, a healer of nations," Franklin said. "I heard a man who said, 'Don't these people deserve a better life? Don't their children — if we go back to that place, it's a zone of death. It's a zone of destruction.'" He continued, "I thought it was brilliant, personally. I thought if ... you shoot for the moon and if you hit the stars, hey, you've done something that nobody else has ever done."

Franklin also spoke about a Monday meeting he attended with fellow evangelical leaders and Netanyahu. Held before the prime minister's meeting with Trump, Franklin said the gathering was "weighty" and "was a tremendous honor to be a part [of]." "He was very warm," he said of Netanyahu. "He was so appreciative of the Christian community, the Christian friends that he felt like had Israel's back when they're facing so much opposition, especially in universities and in the streets of major cities where the protesters are ... screaming 'Death to Israel' and all of that."

Franklin, who coalesced with more than a dozen leaders for just over an hour, said Netanyahu expressed his "tremendous appreciation" to those in attendance for the Christian community's help after the Oct. 7 terror attacks. "He said, without the Christian church, he did not believe that Israel would be existing today," Franklin said. "And I thought that was a powerful statement." Watch him share more about the meeting.

Listen to him tell his story.

Detransitioner Embraces Jesus, Leaves Gender Chaos Behind

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 21:00:00 -0000

Listen to him tell his story.

Hamas Terror Sparks Patricia Heaton's Passionate Defense of Israel: 'Felt God Calling'

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 21:52:00 -0000

Actress Patricia Heaton is on a mission to stand up for the Israeli people, remaining steadfast in her opposition to Hamas, terror, and negative narratives permeating university students' hearts and minds. "The Everybody Lives Raymond" star told CBN News she decided to take action after going on social media in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack against Israel and "seeing horrendous videos of terrorists butchering Israeli civilians, children, babies, the elderly — families being burned alive, people being beheaded."

These horrific scenes left Heaton "shocked. She initially recalled assuming the "rest of the world would be outraged." Instead, she was rocked by the "silence" she observed as well as disturbing support for Hamas. Some of the patterns of conversation and behavior on college campuses, in particular, left her stunned. "I just thought, 'Something has to be done here,'" Heaton said, explaining how she partnered with a friend to launch the October 7 Coalition, a "network of Christians standing visibly and vocally against the rise of antisemitism" in America. Ultimately, the actress said she felt the Lord pressing her up to the plate to try and make an impact.

"I felt God calling me to do something," she said, noting her friend Elizabeth Dorros co-founded the organization alongside her. "We just were answering a call that came to our hearts." "The Middle" alum said the organization is standing up to a rising tide of misinformation and chaos. "There's been a lot of propaganda being seeded through universities, through institutions, by people whose salary is paid by Iran, by Hamas, by Hezbollah, by Qatar, to brainwash and propagandize people into thinking that Israel is an occupier of Gaza, even though they left there in 2005," Heaton said.

In addition to advocating for the truth, Heaton is gearing up for the "Deborah Rising" conference, which will be held in Israel May 17-24. Attendees will tour and will hear different Bible interpretations and perspectives and build friendships with one another. Ultimately, they will take a stand against antisemitism and support Israel.

Actor's Miracle Survival, Raging Persecution — and the Bible on Display

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 17:00:00 -0000

On today's Newsmakers: a miracle survivor story, raging persecution, and Bible artifacts on display.

'Eternity Is What Matters': Man Reflects on Life, Faith of DC Plane Crash Victims

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 22:04:31 -0000

Bob and Lori Schrock, farmers from Kiowa, Kansas, are two of the victims of the horrific American Airlines crash in Washington, D.C. Their friend, Michael Simpson, joins "Newsmakers" to tell their story -- and to share how faith was a driving force in their lives.

Lola Sheen, Daughter of Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen, Embraces Jesus

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 21:00:52 -0000

Ex-FACE Act Prisoner Praises God After Trump Pardon

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 01:22:38 -0000

"I was praising God." That's how pro-life activist Bevelyn Williams reacted when she learned she would be pardoned by President Donald Trump. Williams, who was sentenced to 41 months in prison for an alleged violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act), has gone viral in recent days after video footage showed her exiting prison and greeting her 2-year-old child and husband.

The clip, which was widely shared online and shows Williams giddily embracing her toddler, resonated with thousands — a response she called "emotionally overwhelming." "I knew Trump wasn't gonna let me sit in that prison," she said. "If he won, he was going to get me. I knew that."

Within hours of Trump's inauguration, the president began the process of pardoning Williams and 22 others who were convicted of FACE Act violations. For Williams, the ability to exit prison after serving just over three months was incredible. "I was praising God," she said. "I was in the middle of my cell block, screaming, praying in the Spirit, and praising God, because, once again, He delivered."

A July 2024 press release from the United States Attorney's Office Southern District of New York cited a 2020 incident during which the government alleged Williams' "interference, including by threats and force, with individuals seeking to obtain and provide lawful reproductive health services at a reproductive health center in Manhattan." U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said Williams' actions were physical and reiterated the claim that she prevented people from getting the services they wanted. But she tells a different story.

Pastor Guilty of Criminal Charge Amid Battle Over Helping the Homeless

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 20:42:36 -0000

An Ohio pastor has been found guilty of a criminal charge surrounding a fire code violation amid his ongoing battle to help the homeless. Pastor Chris Avell of Dad’s Place Church in Bryan, Ohio, has been locked in a year-long battle with authorities and city officials — a dispute that took a turn last week.

Amid Nagorno-Karabakh Horror, Hollywood Actor Reveals Powerful Story at the Center of His New Film

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 22:26:49 -0000

Stelio Savante joins Billy Hallowell to discuss "Between Borders," a film about a family on a mission for freedom. The description reads, "The incredible true story of an Armenian family forced to flee their home during the collapse of the Soviet Union, and embark on a journey to find a community to call their own." Listen to Savante share the details — as well as the powerful lessons he's learned in Hollywood.

Actress Challenges State's Alleged Decision to Ban Foster Parents Over Biblical Views: 'Violates Our Constitutional Rights'

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 20:00:00 -0000

Actress Jen Lilley is a passionate advocate for adoption and foster care who recently shared her powerful and multifaceted journey with CBN News. "The journey for me started as a child," Lilley said. "My parents were kind of what I call unofficial foster parents. My dad was a judge and my mom was a director of a women and children's charity."

Because of these roles, the family couldn't legally foster children, but that preclusion didn't "stop them from having compassion," she said. "Our home was kind of a rotating door at times for people that maybe just needed help transitioning and bridging in their life," she said. "So, the idea of a child living in my home who wasn't in my immediate family was not scary to me." The actress said her Christian faith motivated her to foster and adopt. "When love is your motive, you have to look at these kids," Lilley said. "You can't look away."

Lilley also spoke out against Vermont allegedly blocking Christian families from adopting over their biblical beliefs — a story that made headlines last year after two families filed a lawsuit. At the time, the actress warned that the decision by Vermont's Department for Children and Family Services to ax two families licenses was a constitutional violation.

"This action not only violates our Constitutional rights but also jeopardizes the well-being of children in dire need of safe, loving homes," she said. "The government is deciding that it's safer for a child to remain in a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation than to live in a home with Christian beliefs? Make it make sense." In a recent interview with CBN News, Lilley revealed a conversation she had with the Vermont governor’s office last year — a discussion she wanted to pursue to better understand the issues on the table. Lilley approached fairly and with an open mind to understand the state’s position. Listen to her explain.

'10,000 Killings of Christians': The Absolutely Unfathomable Situation Getting Worse Around the Globe

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 01:00:00 -0000

A persecution watchdog has released a new report that aims to fill a "gap" when it comes to fully reporting on the Christian persecution raging across the globe.

"We found was there needed to be a report that was based entirely on well verified, carefully reviewed sources," Isaac Six, senior director of advocacy for Global Christian Relief (GCF), told CBN News. "These are public sources that are included in a database we've commissioned called the Violent Incidents Database, and the report is built on that database."

One of the issues with some of the other reports in this realm, Six said, is that they are relatively qualitative in nature, relying on interviews and available numbers to essentially "make an estimate." While this is valid and helpful, he said GCF's new "Red List" works a bit differently.

Hear him explain the shocking data.

Is Rejecting God Fueling a Crisis in America?

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 21:00:00 -0000

Is part of America's massive mental health malaise actually rooted in a spiritual crisis? That's what Dr. George Barna, co-founder and director of research at the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, is arguing, noting that some people seeking medication and counseling are actually "treating the wrong problem."

"We're in a situation where the best estimates [are] that we have are that about one out of every four adults [with] some kind of diagnosable mental illness," Barna told CBN News. "There's a wide range. But when we look at it more deeply, we find that those numbers are higher the younger a person is." He continued, "So, as you dig into it to try to figure out things like anxiety, depression, fears, suicidal thoughts, OCD tendencies, addictions, when we look at all of those, what we find is that, often, what may be happening is that it's not that they have some kind of chemical imbalance or physical issue that's causing that what appears to be a mental illness; what's causing it may be their belief structure, their worldview."

Barna, who has frequently researched and spoken about the importance of developing a biblical worldview, said addressing this deficiency and fixing core beliefs would help to potentially alleviate some of the anxiety, stress, and depression that is raging. While some people need prescribed pills, counseling, or even hospitalization, he said there are some who are merely misdiagnosing the core problems.

"I think often what happens is, because counselors across the country — a majority of them don't really consider spirituality and faith as part of a person's mental health — what they do is they just go to what they know, which is, 'We can't figure it out, so let's prescribe pills,' or 'Let's just keep talking about it,' or 'Let's send you to a hospital' — whatever it may be," Barna said. "And a lot of times that's really not the best solution." Exploring data from his American Worldview Inventory report, the researcher explained some of the correlations he found between lack of faith, age, and increased mental struggles. The majority of people (56%) in Generation Z, which includes individuals in their teens and early 20s, struggle with mental health issues, with Barna noting just 1% of these people have a biblical worldview. Hear him explain.

Are 'Apocalyptic' Los Angeles Fires God's Judgement? Here's One Pastor's Take

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 19:00:00 -0000

As wildfires continue to rage, some have claimed the California inferno should be interpreted as God's judgment — while others have fervently pushed back on such a notion. Pastor Shane Idleman discusses the issue and shares his take on both arguments.

Persecution Horror, Meta's Wild Censorship Change and a Mother's Grief

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 19:38:06 -0000

On today's Newsmakers: Meta changes course, Christian persecution reports, and a mother's grief.

This Bible is Flying Off Shelves and Changing Lives

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 22:06:23 -0000

A popular retelling of the Bible in comic book form just hit a major milestone, selling more than 3 million copies in the U.S. "The Action Bible," which was first released in 2010, continues to dominate the Amazon bookselling charts, remaining in the top 100 among all books. Brock Eastman, senior director of The Action Bible brand at David C. Cook, said he believes the project’s success is rooted in its unique approach to bringing the Gospel to young and emerging generations.

“What strikes people that read ‘The Action Bible’ is just the beautiful, full action-packed [presentation] and our illustrations that really bring the story to life,” he said. “And we like to think about … bringing the Bible to life in a different way." Eastman continued, “For this generation, specifically, who is involved with graphic novels, this Bible appeals to them because they like that kind of, ‘Oh, I can see the images of the story moving,’ and there's a narrative, like a paraphrase narrative of the Bible story that's easy to understand and sounds like a conversation.”

This all creates what Eastman called an “inviting” experience that allows young people to fully immerse themselves in this Bible version, which includes 230 stories from Scripture and extends to 830 pages. Eastman said, “The Action Bible” does two important things: it seizes upon the interest of youths in graphic novels while also delivering hope to youths who desperately need it. Watch him explain the Bible's incredible impact.

Rock Star Breaks Silence on America's Political Chaos, Immorality

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:59:50 -0000

CBN's Billy Hallowell caught up with Skillet singer John Cooper to talk about a wide range of topics, including what he sees as the ills plaguing America and the solutions to them.

God Is Moving: 'Revival,' Prayer Amid Horror of California Wildfires

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 01:00:00 -0000

Matthew Barnett, pastor and CEO of the Dream Center in Los Angeles, California, is seeing incredible spiritual hunger in the wake of devastating California wildfires that have killed at least 24 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures. Barnett, whose organization is feeding and housing those impacted by the inferno, told CBN News he has seen a massive outpouring of resources and volunteer staff — people from all walks of life who are flooding to his campus to help the Christian nonprofit bring relief.

In the process, these people are hearing — and experiencing — the Christian Gospel. "They're not just open," Barnett said of the spiritual fervor unfolding. "They are telling you stuff that you're not even asking them. I mean, they are volunteering ... their lives ... and, just by listening and asking them questions, and then you say ... 'God is with you.'" Volunteers have been flooding to the Dream Center to help hand out food and resources — people from "every type of demographic you could imagine."

"As people are working 10 hours a day so joyfully ... I'm talking to them as they're serving ... we'll play worship music and ... they'll be like, 'I like the song. I never heard before. What is it?'" Barnett said. "And then we're just talking about God while we're working together with this whole new community." He said prayer has also been on full display, as he and volunteers ask individuals and families coming through the food line if they can pray for them. As it turns out, the spiritual needs are as plentiful as the physical.

"Everybody wants prayer," Barnett said. "It really is kind of a revival in action where people just want to know that God is there, but I'm really seeing it in a very unusual way through a lot of the volunteers rubbing shoulders all day long and asking questions ... like, 'Why do you do what you guys do?'" He said some people go through the food line to be prayed for and to experience the positive, spirit-driven Dream Center staff and volunteers.

Actor Speaks Out as Horrific Cali Fires Rage: 'Awful, Unfathomable, Unrecognizable'

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 17:00:00 -0000

Actor Stelio Savante said he was left "seething" after seeing how some California leaders reacted to deadly wildfires that have been ripping through the Los Angeles area. "[It has been] awful, unfathomable, unrecognizable," Savante said of the dire situation on the ground. "I have friends who've lost homes that they built with their children growing up in them that have burned to the ground. So many people have lost so much."

Fires aren't rare in California, but he said the scope of this inferno is unique. Savante, whose new film "Between Borders" hits theaters Jan. 26, expressed frustration over what he sees as ill-prepared leadership. "It's a destruction — I've never seen anything like it," he said. "But I'm also honestly disgusted at the lack of preparation. We prayed for water for so many years in California. It was wasted. We have not been prepared with our firefighter shortages. We haven't cleared our brush."

Savante said he was left infuriated after seeing some politicians' reactions to important questions. "Our politicians are not monarchs," he said. "They're not Kings or Queens. They are public servants. They seem to forget that very easily." As for the actor, he and his family are just miles from the blaze and were scrambling Thursday when a false alarm evacuation call came through. Fortunately, they were able to stay in their home, where they remain amid uncertainty. Despite the chaos, Savante praised the first responders.

'We Want Answers': New Orleans Terror Victim's Mom's Faith, Frustration Amid Horror

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 19:12:09 -0000

Cathy Tenedorio is living a mother's worst nightmare after her son, Matthew, was killed during the New Year's Day terror attack in New Orleans. "He just was a happy kid," Tenedorio told CBN News of her son, reflecting on his attributes as a child and adult. "He was very expressive. He was very particular [and] meticulous." She continued, "He was just a wonderful, wonderful person." Tenedorio and her family have been left grappling for answers after a terrorist drove a rented truck through a Bourbon Street crowd, killing 14, including her 25-year-old son.

Linda Fleck, Matthew's aunt and Tenedorio's sister, told CBN News the family still doesn't have clarity on how Matthew died, as they've reportedly received conflicting reports with no definitive clarity. "We know that the terrorist didn't hit him with the truck," Fleck said. "Because his two friends that were eyewitnesses there saw it. They were there with Matthew." Fleck, who was close with Matthew, said her sister and family deserve to know the truth. They brought a nurse with them to the morgue who said it appeared he was shot but that there might have been additional blunt force injuries. "We want answers," she said. "She, as a mother ... deserves answers. Any mother would want answers."

As for Tenedorio, she said she respects law enforcement and the process but is anxious to know what specifically happened to her son — something she believes will come out as video and other elements are reviewed. "The manner of his death is never going to change," she said. "It's a homicide. ... We just want to know what happened." Even amid the pain, uncertainty, and lack of clarity, Tenedorio, Fleck, and the family are clinging to their Christian faith, turning to prayer, peace, and forgiveness to navigate the turmoil. "My faith is strengthened," Tenedorio said. "My life is going to be forever changed. I'm going to be able to help more people than I already helped, because that's my whole goal in life is to help people. That's all I want to do."

The grieving mother has long been a source of comfort to others and is now receiving the same ministering and care from those who she has assisted in the past — something she deeply values. "It's so beautiful to touch each other's hearts," she said. "That's the most important thing — do what Jesus did. Serve." Ultimately, Tenedorio said her reaction is "always forgiveness," citing her Christian faith for giving her the strength to take that posture. "A man took my son's life, but I have to forgive him," she said. "He has to meet with God. He has to answer for that — not to me, to God. That's how I look at it." Watch her powerful response.

As 'Apocalyptic' Flames Ravage California, Pastor Reveals Powerful Reactions He's Seeing to Prayer

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 04:04:26 -0000

As "apocalyptic" sights and sounds continue to take form in California amid ongoing fires, Pastors Steve Wilburn and his son Brentten Wilburn of Core Church LA have been on the ground helping people who have lost everything. The father and son have also been stopping to pray with the victims — and the results have been powerful. Listen to them share the full impact of the fires — and what they're witnessing.

What’s Driving Mark Zuckerberg’s About-Face? Attorney Breaks Down Shocking Censorship Shift

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 20:00:00 -0000

Social media giant Meta shocked the tech industry Tuesday by announcing the company will be taking steps to "restore free expression" on its social media platforms, including Facebook.

"After Trump first got elected in 2016, the legacy media wrote nonstop about how misinformation was a threat to democracy," Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a video statement, claiming his company tried to address these concerns without becoming "the arbiters of truth."

He continued, "But the fact-checkers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they've created, especially in the U.S."

As CBN News reported, Meta has thus decided to phase out fact-checkers and opt to use "more comprehensive community notes," a system similar to what Elon Musk has implemented on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Jacob Huebert, president of Liberty Justice Center, a law firm that protects First Amendment rights, told CBN News he believes these sweeping changes follow a broad shift in politics and culture:

What Are You Getting Wrong About the Bible and Jesus' Life?

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 21:51:39 -0000

What are you getting wrong about Jesus and the Bible? Pastor Jesse Bradley breaks it all down on today's "Newsmakers" podcast.

'Demonic Upheaval': Pastor Reacts to ISIS-Inspired Terror Attack

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 01:54:00 -0000

With the New Orleans terror attack shocking the nation and world, theological questions about evil and related issues naturally emerge. Shane Idleman, lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Southern California, joined CBN News this week to discuss the problem of evil — and to offer guidance to Christians about how to discuss the tragic terror assault that left at least 14 dead and countless others injured.

Idleman believes there's a "lot of demonic upheaval" in contemporary culture, with now-deceased suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar reportedly finding inspiration from ISIS to conduct his attack, which included driving a vehicle through a crowd on Bourbon Street. "I think that does play a role — when you're not walking with the Lord, you're on the wrong side of the team and you can be definitely inspired to do these types of things," the preacher said.

Idleman also dealt with some of the bigger questions about mass casualty events like this, noting some would ask how and why God would "allow" it to happen. "If we go back to creation, back to redemption, back to sin entering the world ... once that entered in, the world is a very evil and wicked place," he said. "And that's why God calls us to be the light, to bring the message of salvation, to warn people of His judgment."

While many find themselves captured by fear after such events, Idleman said Christians must remember to root hope in Jesus. "Our faith does not waver based on news headlines," he said. "Our faith is to be solid and unyielding, and the deeper you build that relationship with God, the stronger your foundation is." Hear Idleman explain.

Satanists Take Aim at Christian Kids Programs, Leader Responds

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 17:00:00 -0000

The founder of a Christian organization that provides kids with religious instruction during the public school day is responding to Satanists' attempts to offer their own alternative programming to children. Joel Penton, founder and CEO of LifeWise Academy and author of the book, "During School Hours: WHY and HOW LifeWise Academy is Reinstalling Religious Education into the Public School Day," told CBN News he believes The Satanic Temple's "Hellion Academy of Independent Learning" (HAIL) being offered to children at an Ohio elementary school is a direct "response" to his LifeWise academy programming.

"The messages that we're getting from those who are launching the program are somewhat mixed," Penton said. "At times, they will say this is explicitly an attempt to scare the school board and communities into shutting down all religious programs like ours ... Other times, they'll say, 'Oh, but you shouldn't be scared of this because it is going to teach kindness, and values, and that type of thing.'" From Penton's perspective, it's "not super clear exactly what the program is about," though, like LifeWise, it enables children to leave the premises to take part in The Satanic Temple's alternative effort. Listen to him explain.

Evidence of Jesus, New Testament? Biblical Archaeology Revealed

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 11:08:22 -0000

An Israeli entrepreneur on a mission to highlight biblical artifacts has brought his "treasures from the Holy Land" to America. Oded Golan's "Discovering the World of Jesus: Ancient Treasures From the Holy Land" experience opened Dec. 3 at Atlanta's Pullman Yards, with hundreds of ancient artifacts surrounding the New Testament on display.

"We are bringing [a] once-in-a-lifetime experience to people to look at items that they will probably not have other opportunities to see," Golan recently told CBN News. "The 350 items that are presented here, most of them are from the time of Christ. They were all found in the Holy Land in Israel, and they are telling the stories that are mentioned in the New Testament, but in first hand." He added, "You're almost touching the history."

Golan said some of the items are related to Jesus' family or people living during his lifetime. These elements allow people to explore life during biblical times, seeing the behaviors and practices that unfolded during the New Testament era. Already, audiences are loving the experience, Golan said, noting that giving a lens into the past illuminates knowledge and understanding. "It doesn't change faith, it doesn't change belief, but it changed, somehow, how do you feel and how do you see the stories that are mentioned in the Bible — in the New Testament," he said. Golan's story is a fascinating one, as he started collecting antiquities when he was just a child. Here's his full story.

Did You Miss Something About Jesus' Birth? Unnoticed Nativity Facts

Sat, 21 Dec 2024 01:00:00 -0000

John Greco, author of "Rediscovering Christmas: A Twelve-Day Journey to the Manger" is on a mission to help people understand the powerful details in the biblical Christmas story.

In the book, Greco puts the nativity story in chronological order to help people understand the proper order of events — a quest that he said helps people "discover a bunch of really cool things" they might otherwise miss.

"As they're reading this familiar story, they're going to find new things and hopefully they'll see God's goodness all the way through," he said.

Ultimately, Greco said "Rediscovering Christmas" is a good book for believers and the curious alike.

"If you're new to the Bible, this is a great way to kind of connect those dots that you might ordinarily miss," he said. "But everything is drawn directly from Scripture. I'm not ... adding things. I'm just kind of filling in some some gaps where either Luke or Matthew are being spare with their language."

Welcome to "The Newsmakers Podcast," a show where we go behind the headlines each day to bring you interviews with pastors, entertainers, politicians, and other notable figures. Based on the "Newsmakers" show on the CBN News Channel, this daily podcast featuring CBN's Billy Hallowell provides full interviews with one newsworthy person every weekday.

Hollywood Actress on How Prophecies, Bible Have Transformed and Grown Her Faith

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 20:49:40 -0000

How can reading the Old and New Testaments help us see biblical truth — and prophecy fulfilled? Candace Cameron Bure joins "Newsmakers" to discuss Christmas, her new films, and how reading through the Bible has transformed everything.

Do Biblical Miracles, Healings — and Demonic Battles — Still Unfold Today?

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 21:00:00 -0000

Judith MacNutt, founder of Christian Healing Ministries, an organization dedicated to healing prayer, is on a mission to help people find hope — and spiritual recovery.

MacNutt, co-author of “Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Guide to Freedom from the Demonic Realm” alongside her late husband Francis MacNutt, grew up in a Christian home with a mother who believed wholeheartedly in healing.

“When I would listen to her, she would talk about the miracles of Jesus for healing and deliverance, and then I would go to our church, and they would pray for someone, like, in the hospital,” she said on the “Playing With Fire Podcast.” “But there didn’t seem to be that same level of faith and authority that I saw when I read the Scripture.”

Eventually, MacNutt went to college, studied psychology, and became a psychotherapist. This led her to work in psychiatric hospitals throughout the Boston area, where she started to notice something. Here is her story.

Why Comedian Rob Schneider Says He Loves Jesus, Has Come Back to His Faith

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 03:52:29 -0000

We're re-airing one of our favorite "Newsmakers" podcast episodes: Actor and Comedian Rob Schneider recently offered a powerful -- and public -- message of forgiveness. He explains why he's now embracing faith, God, and forgiveness. Plus: hear about some of his new projects on this episode of the "Newsmakers Podcast" with Billy Hallowell.

Miracle Healings, AI Fears, and Ronald Reagan's Legacy

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 23:00:00 -0000

On today’s Newsmakers: miracle healings, AI fears, and Ronald Reagan’s legacy.

Want more news from a Christian Perspective? Choose to support CBN: https://go.cbn.com/ugWBn

Actor Carlos PenaVega Praises God, Shares 'Supernatural Peace' He Experienced After Loss: 'God Has Just Been Covering us'

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 22:03:06 -0000

Actor Carlos PenaVega has been busily making music and movies, with his latest project — alongside wife Alexa PenaVega — hitting Great American Family on Dec. 14. The film, "Get Him Back for Christmas" offers a touching romantic story. But the movie also delivers deeper themes about doing good, caring for others, and being inspired by true kindness.

PenaVega discusses the film on today's "Newsmakers" while also digging deep into the importance of faith in his and Alexa's lives.

"God has just been covering us," he said of the couple, who made headlines earlier this year after the stillbirth of their fourth child. Despite their challenges, they have relied on the Lord to overcome.

PenaVega described finding a "supernatural peace" in church after the loss, as parishioners surrounded the couple and prayed over them.

"It was like God's saying ... 'You're not alone. I got you, and I have you here for a reason, and I'm gonna take you [through] this and make it into something amazing,'" he said.

Listen to his powerful story and watch "Get Him Back for Christmas" on Dec. 14.

Parental Rights Battle Intensifies as SCOTUS Declines to Hear Major Case

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 21:39:04 -0000

After the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case surrounding a public school district's policy of concealing student gender transitions from parents, a veteran attorney who worked at the U.S. Department of Education is explaining the massive implications. Earlier this week, the high court declined to hear Parents Protecting Our Children, UA v. Eau Claire Area School District, a case that would have put parental rights front and center. Sarah Parshall Perry, a senior legal fellow in the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation and a former senior counsel at the U.S. Department of Education, said the battle centered on policies implemented at the Eau Claire Area School District in Wisconsin.

"The Supreme Court decided that they were not going to take up what was a challenge to the constitutionality of a school policy keeping gender identity information of minor children ... confidential from their parents," Perry said. "Now, this is a shocking policy, but it is one of about 1,200 policies across the country." In fact, the legal expert said there are around 12 million American kids in public schools across America who fall under such guidelines. "If they identified as transgender or gender dysphoric, or ... using different names or pronouns, their parents could not find out that information on the child's say-so," Perry said. "All a child would have to do is say, 'Keep that information confidential for my parents,' and that's exactly what would happen."

Before the case reached the Supreme Court, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had said the parents in the case lacked standing, meaning they had not been harmed and, thus, couldn't take action. Ultimately, Perry said one doesn't need to be "injured" before they demonstrate an "imminent possibility of harm." "The harm's already occurred because the parental right has been breached by the school district," she said. Adding to the complexities of these cases are the important juxtapositions that must be made between what minors are permitted — and not permitted — to do in other contexts. For instance, many school districts require signed parental consent for a school nurse to administer Tylenol and other over-the-counter medications.

"We do not let these minor children sign contracts, registere for the draft, buy alcohol, buy cigarettes — a multitude of restrictions, and, yet, suddenly, within the context of gender identity, all the courts have taken a hands-off approach and have presumed that a child is aware of the lifelong consequences of a desire to ostensibly transition," Perry said. "What is particularly pernicious about these school confidentiality policies is that they result in what's known as social transitioning."

Should Christians Fear Artificial Intelligence?

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 21:26:39 -0000

What Did Ronald Reagan Believe?

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 20:42:20 -0000

President Ronald Reagan made an indelible impact on America — and his family. His son, Michael Reagan, recently told CBN News about his father's faith and legacy. Reagan said the thing people most get wrong about his father centers on assumptions about how he portrayed himself. "He is exactly who you think he is," he said, calling him "humble." "My father was the same with you as he was with me. The sense of humor — all of it."

He also said it was "great" seeing the new feature film "Reagan" capture his dad's true person, with stories about his father coming "alive" throughout the movie. Michael Reagan said his own children were able to watch the film and see their grandfather be encapsulated in a powerful way.

Regan also spoke about his father's Christian faith, calling him "very religious," and deeply concerned for others. Michael said prayer was something on which his dad greatly relied. "He was always in prayer for our family," Michael Reagan said. He also recalled a conversation with Reagan about the 1981 incident during which the former president and members of his team were shot. Reagan, who was injured during the incident, had reportedly stopped attending church afterward to keep people safe.

"He says ... 'March 30th, 1981. I remember looking out the window of my limousine and seeing people laying in their blood with bullets that were meant for me,'" Reagan recalled. "And he said, 'I haven't gone to church at all on a regular basis because [of] my fear of putting people in harm's way because people are after me. So ... I'm looking to no longer becoming president so I can visit my Lord and Savior every Sunday from now on after I got out of office.'" Reagan said his father, after getting out of office, "never missed church until Alzheimer's really kicked in." Even after that, a preacher would go to his home to speak with him.

Persecution Watchdog's Warning to Trump as Syria Descends Into Chaos

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 20:11:00 -0000

"This is going to fundamentally change the balance of power in the region." Joel Veldkamp, international communications officer for Christian Solidarity International, a persecution watchdog, is sounding the alarm about what will happen as the result of the toppling of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and the rise of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a designated terror group. "It won't be good for Israel," Veldkamp told CBN News. "It won't be good for the Christians. It won't be good for anyone except Turkey, really."

The watchdog's comments come after Syrian rebels entered Damascus Sunday and Assad reportedly fled the nation with his family, finding asylum in Russia. HTS is led by Abu Mohammed al-Golani, a man who had longtime ties to al-Qaida — connections he has, in recent years, reportedly renounced.

The future of Syria remains up in the air, as Veldkamp and others worry about how shifting power dynamics will harm Christians and members of other minority groups. And with President-Elect Donald Trump set to take office next month, there are also international elements to these developments that must be considered. Veldkamp offered advice and warnings to Trump ahead of his second term. "When [Trump] was president the last time, he actually cut off U.S. support for groups like HTS for a time, because I think he recognized what a bad idea," he said. "And I would say to him, 'Look, these guys are now in the driver's seat in Syria. They're about to be in the driver's seat in the whole region — and the U.S. still has some influence there. They have influence with Turkey; They have influence with Saudi Arabia. They probably have influence with HTS itself.'"

Veldkamp cautioned Trump not to take a backseat on the Syria issue and pushed back against arguments that it's not America's job or responsibility to be involved, especially considering what's at stake. "Trump has the chance now to keep Christianity from disappearing in Syria and probably the whole Middle East," he said, going on to deliver a specific message to the incoming commander-in-chief. "I would say, 'Think about it, reflect on it, reflect on your legacy, and have mercy on the people of Syria.'"

Veldkamp also explored some of the history and backstory leading up to the current chaos in Syria, noting Assad's family has ruled the nation for the past 50 years. He described them as "brutal dictators" and said "lots of people have suffered under their rule." The roots of the current crisis were set in 2011 when a peaceful uprising took hold and Assad pushed back. Over time, the fighting intensified and other forces got involved. "The U.S., and Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, and some other countries had a strong interest in trying to push Russia and Iran out of Syria," he said. "And so they started sponsoring armed groups in Syria that were fighting against the Syrian dictatorship."

A Mother’s Bravery, Horror in Iraq, and a Holocaust Survivor’s Story

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 20:00:00 -0000

On today’s "Newsmakers," we present audio from this week's TV episode: a mother’s bravery, horror in Iraq, and a Holocaust survivor’s story.

Who Was Dietrich Bonhoeffer? New Film Tackles the Plot to Assassinate Hitler and a Powerful Story of One Man's Conviction

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 21:03:28 -0000

"BONHOEFFER: PASTOR. SPY. ASSASSIN" is in theaters now. Producers Emmanuel and Camille Kampouris join the "Newsmakers" podcast to explain Dietrich Bonhoeffer's backstory and how the movie came to fruition. Here's a synopsis of the film:

"As the world teeters on the brink of annihilation, Dietrich Bonhoeffer is swept into the epicenter of a deadly plot to assassinate Hitler. With his faith and fate at stake, Bonhoeffer must choose between upholding his moral convictions or risking it all to save millions of Jews from genocide. Will his shift from preaching peace to plotting murder alter the course of history or cost him everything?"

She Escaped a Cult-Like Existence and Found Christ: 'God Heals'

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 03:46:17 -0000

Author and commentator Carrie Sheffield has long been a bold voice in the political news space. But she's now opening up in a much more personal way in her new memoir "Motorhome Prophecies," a candid journey exploring abuse, trauma — and spiritual healing. Sheffield says it's a book that comes at a time when culture is desperately reeling, citing alarming suicide statistics showing nearly 50,000 people took their own lives in 2022, alone.

"I wrote the memoir because I just felt ... we're at this time right now in America with record depression and suicide rates," she said. "We have the highest suicide rate since 1941, and we have the highest depression rate ever." Sheffield said she's no stranger to dealing with mental health struggles as a result of what she described as a tumultuous and chaotic upbringing. "I was born into a family where I've been struggling with these issues for decades now, and, to me, it seemed like God wanted me to be able to share the tools that I've been able to develop," she said, noting how her experience turning to God changed everything.

The book was an opportunity for Sheffield to deal with the difficult moments from her past she had tried to ignore or push to the side. As she worked on the project, she realized the common nature of her story — and saw how it could help others struggling to persist through their own challenging pasts. As a child, she said she, her parents, and her seven siblings faced fluctuating periods of stability and instability. "Sometimes, we were in a third-world existence, and then sometimes we were in a first-world existence," she said. "So it's hard to pinpoint any average day, because we did have houses. We were living in normal houses, like normal people, but then we would be back on the road in the motor home."

As can be imagined, 12 people living in a motor home was quite difficult. Other times, though, the housing situation was even less accommodating. Despite the inconsistency, she said there were some common and expected practices. Each morning, Sheffield said the family would pray — but not in the way one might think. "We would wake up and we would be told by my dad how evil we were, how wonderful he was, how he had a prophetic call to save America," she said, claiming her dad was later excommunicated from the Mormon church. Years later, Sheffield spent 12 years as an agnostic after experiencing such spiritual chaos. It's a time in her life she calls her "walk in darkness."

Christian Realtor Says He Faces 'Persecution' After Sharing Bible Verse

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 20:43:18 -0000

A Virginia real estate agent claims he's facing "professional ethics charges and could even lose his realtor status" over past statements about marriage. Wilson Fauber has been a broker and agent for over four decades, but he told CBN News he risks potential fines or even losing his real estate status after complaints over a social media post about same-sex marriage.

Fauber is also an ordained minister, making the case even more complex, according to his attorneys with The Founding Freedoms Law Center. His plight began last year when the realtor decided to run for the Staunton City Council in Virginia. "During my journey running for Staunton City Council, some of the opposition from a different party decided that they were going to scour my Facebook pages and see if they could find any dirt on me," Fauber told CBN News. "And they went back to 2015 and they found a Scripture that I posted from Leviticus ... where the Lord clearly states that homosexuality is an abomination to Him."

The eight-year-old post was then fodder for online furor and even messages "perceived as threats," forcing the then-candidate to go to the police for help. Fauber lost the election and, months later, purportedly received an email from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) explaining a complaint had been filed against him. The Virginia Association of Realtors, the local body of the NAR, is reportedly handling the complaint and Fauber's ethics case.

Michael Sylvester, an attorney with The Founding Freedoms Law Center who represents Fauber, said his client posted messages about the Bible and these issues "on behalf of his ministry." With the ethics hearing coming December 4, both Sylvester and Fauber said there are potentially sweeping ramifications ranging from fines of $5,000 to $15,000 to losing his license. A representative for the NAR had no comment when reached by CBN News and referred questions to the Virginia Association of Realtors, which is handling the case. The Virginia Association of Realtors has not yet responded to a separate request for comment.

She Saved Her Baby's Life After Taking an Abortion Pill and Changing Her Mind: One Woman's Incredible Story

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 10:55:29 -0000

A woman who attempted to have a chemical abortion and then changed her mind is speaking out, sharing her emotional story and the happy ending she experienced after abortion reversal treatment. Mackenna recently shared her journey with Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative law firm, appearing on camera while holding her baby girl — a child successfully born after Mackenna abandoned her plans to abort and sought help.

"My story — our story — actually starts in late December 2023, when I had found out that I was pregnant," she said, providing her jarring story while holding her young daughter. "And I just remember being flooded with an array of emotions, none of which, I'll be honest, were happy, or joyful, or excited." She has since joined CBN News to expand upon her story and share futher details.

After finding out she was pregnant, Mackenna ordered an abortion pill regimen online and had it shipped to her home. Despite internal hesitation, she took the first pill."Immediately, upon taking it, and in the days leading up, I knew that that was not the right decision for me," Mackenna said. "I continued to convince myself that it was, that it was the right decision for me, my family." But she quickly realized taking the pill "was a major mistake." She immediately did research and then reached out to the Abortion Pill Rescue Network for help getting access to abortion pill reversal and was provided with what she called "life-saving care."

"They put me in contact with a nurse practitioner Chelsea Mynyk, who prescribed me that progesterone," she said. "It's absolutely because of her and that abortion reversal medication that I got to look at her beautiful face today." Mackenna said she was sharing her powerful story to help other women in similar positions know that abortion reversal is an option that "clearly works," despite noting she lives in a place where abortion pill reversal isn't able to be legally provided. Hear her incredible story.

Ex-Porn Performer Finds Jesus, Delivers Powerful Message

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 17:26:46 -0000

A former adult film actress is sharing her powerful journey out of the porn industry and into faith. Bree Solstad said she was "self-centered," focused on her career, and looking to enjoy life before embracing Christ and joining the Catholic Church.

"I cared for my loved ones and every now and then I would speak to God — mainly if I needed something," she told CBN News. "It was that one-way kind of relationship."

Solstad's journey is particularly head-turning due to her performances in pornographic films. Before entering the adult film industry, she said she lacked direction and was drinking a lot, living a reckless lifestyle, and engaging in promiscuity. Her lifestyle presented a perfect storm of sorts — one ripe for her to jump into such a diabolical industry.

"I was working at dead-end jobs, and nothing really meant that much to me," Solstad said. "And I was at a place that was pretty much perfect for a woman who reached out and suggested that I would be really good at what she was doing, which was: pornography." She said the decision to enter into pornography was an easy one at the time, considering what was happening in her life. Solstad simply didn't have any internal — or external — voices holding her back.

"There also wasn't anyone within my life ... who told me, 'Don't do this,'" Solstad said. "There were friends who left because of it, but that just made me even more like righteous of 'How dare you judge me.'" Solstad dove in and began to make money and command attention, assuming she had reached success. Eventually, though, it all came crumbling down. "I did this for 10 years, and ... I've said previously that eventually you just feel trapped," she said. "In a sense that, you've been doing this for so long and what are you going to do now?"

But she found God, felt conviction, and changed her life. Hear Solstad share her incredible journey.

Iraqi Horror: Proposed Age of Consent Law Shocks the World

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 21:00:00 -0000

"This legalizes child rape." This startling warning from Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern (ICC), comes amid headlines warning that a shocking bill is making its way through Iraq's parliament. The proposal would lower the age of consent for young girls in the country from 18 to 9, with King blaming "fundamentalist Islam" for seeking the legislative initiative.

"This is common throughout the fundamentalist Islamic world," he said. "Basically, Muhammad had numerous wives. He married his favorite wife at 9 years old ... and they are voting with their faith and saying, 'If Muhammad did it' — and this is the way they view it; they look at Muhammad like we look at Jesus. So, if he did it, it's right, and just, and from God." King added, "The rest of the world, we look at this and we're like, ''Gosh, what's going on?'"

If the law passes, he warned that child rape will essentially be legalized in Iraq. King said the prospect is absolutely "horrific" but not "surprising." He also urged Americans to support female Iraqi lawmakers in parliament and activists who have been trying to stop the proposal in its tracks. "There are laws on the books right now where the age of consent is 18, but you've probably got 30% of the population that is following this practice already," he said, urging Christians and the West to speak up against the practice. "Apart from it's horrific and sinful, we just need to support basic human rights and the protection of children, and we need to stand up for these women."

King encouraged people to call representatives, the White House and to seek ways to get the United Nations to exert pressure. "Be polite, but be stern and vocal," he said. "In the end that will give the ladies that are pushing back support." The reality for girls as young as 9 is that they could be wed to a man between the ages of 40 and 80, something King called "barbaric." Hear him explain.

Chris Pratt's Powerful Film, a De-Transitioner's Journey, and Immigration

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 21:00:00 -0000

On today's Newsmakers: immigration, Chris Pratt's new film, and a de-transitioner's journey.

Country Star's End Times Warning Slams 'Confusion, Delusion...Wickedness'

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 19:31:25 -0000

Country star John Rich has been pointing people to the Book of Revelation, using his musical talents to highlight Scripture's most complex eschatological text. Rich released the eponymous "Revelation" earlier this year after spending time "watching the way the world's going, the way our country's going" and finding himself compelled to speak out. The singer recently spoke with CBN News about how chaotic events in America and around the globe have got him thinking deeper about theological matters.

"I think we've all been thinking about that, but I really didn't set out to write a specific song about it," Rich said. "It just kind of came out of nowhere. It was kind of downloaded to me." Rich said the words started popping into his head, and he quickly wrote them down, finishing the song in about an hour. "I tell people it's really not lyrics; it's really scripture that I just made rhyme," he said. "Like I took what it says, and I figured out how to build that into what would be a song, and then I didn't really know what to do with it."

Rich admitted he wasn't sure who would be interested in a song called "Revelation," but, as time progressed, he realized it's a tune that really hits on the uncertainty and chaos so many feel. "It became more and more apparent to me that the things that song was talking about — which is spiritual warfare — that there is a much bigger situation going on than Democrat, Republican, left, right," he said. "Much, much, much bigger, which we're told in scripture." Rich continued, "That's actually the truth of it — 'We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers.'"

'Jesus Is Coming Soon': Nick Hall's Campaign to Reach Millions With the Gospel

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 03:53:12 -0000

Evangelist Nick Hall is in the midst of yet another monumental, year-long evangelism campaign.

"Anthem of Grace" kicked off with a massive global broadcast on Good Friday, hitting tens of millions of people with the Gospel. Translated into 60 languages, millions are still consuming the content in nations across the world.

"It's been amazing to see what God is doing," Hall, founder of the Pulse Movement, told CBN News. "And I think we all know this, but ... there's a revival spreading. There's joy, there's hope."

The evangelist said the Anthem of Grace campaign centers on two things "Amazing Grace," the "most sung and most translated hymn ever." Beyond that, he said the campaign seeks to focus on the power of the Gospel to change hearts and minds.

"[It also focuses on the] story of every believer whose life has been changed by this and trying to tell the story of God's grace in our lives, and welcoming people into that anthem of grace," Hall said.

The faith leader said the mission of highlighting the change God has made in people's lives and helping others discover the same transformation in their own journeys is the pinnacle of the campaign. Listen to him explain.

The Ongoing War Between Russia and Ukraine: What Comes Next?

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 21:23:47 -0000

Eric Mock, vice president of the Slavic Gospel Association, sits down with Tré Goins-Phillips to discuss the latest in the war between Russia and Ukraine, explains how the presidential election could impact tensions there, and how Christians in both countries are responding to the continuing crisis.

Trump's Mass Deportation Plans? Sam Rodriguez Explains

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 10:37:13 -0000

Pastor Samuel Rodriguez believes Christians must see the ever-complex issues of immigration and the border through a "biblical lens." "With Matthew 25 and Leviticus 19, it should be a lens of compassion and the rule of law," he said, going on to also cite Romans 13. "Obey the government as it pertains to laws that are in there for the preservation of liberties, and rights, and the security of families and homes."

Rodriguez continued, "Come on, 15 to 20 million illegal entries. Never before in human history has any nation permitted over 10 million people, undocumented, without us knowing who they are, to come into any respective nation." The preacher, who also serves as president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, said there are dangerous individuals among those who have entered illegally and that children have gone missing in the mix of people coming through the border.

"We've lost 300,000 kids ... there are 300,000 unaccounted kids," Rodriguez said. "We have no idea where they're at." Not only are these kids missing, but Rodriguez said data says they might also be in grave danger. "Unfortunately, we know from the data, we know from past history ... this breaks my heart even saying this, many of them are probably being sex trafficked as we speak," he said.

Rodriguez said these factors should lead Christians to defend America's standing as a "sovereign nation," while also recognizing the importance of immigrants to the fabric of the country. The preacher did note that "deportations will take place" in the new Trump administration and said Christians might struggle with the concept of "mass deportations." But Rodriguez, who indicated he has inside information on coming plans, believes the government will mostly "come after the criminal element."

Is Prophecy Unfolding in Israel?

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 14:23:32 -0000

On today’s Newsmakers: prophecy in Israel, rejecting God, and a rock star speaks out.

For KING + COUNTRY Stars Plan Major Show to Bring Message of Jesus, 'Redemption of Humanity' to People Across America

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 17:29:11 -0000

For KING + COUNTRY, one of the most popular Christian and inspirational bands around, is gearing up for the Christmas season in a big way.

Just months after singers Joel and Luke Smallbone brought their family's story to the big screen in biopic "Unsung Hero," the duo are heading back to theaters with a new project: "A Drummer Boy Christmas Live."

The cinematic experience, which will run from Dec. 5-9, will make For KING + COUNTRY's popular Christmas show accessible to people across the nation.

And the brothers promise to deliver a "sonic journey that blends the sights and sounds of the season with the musical mastery, heartwarming storytelling, and dazzling production." Joel Smallbone told CBN News he's elated to bring the show to audiences.

"One of the things that we love is Christmas tours," he told CBN News. "And we've done one almost every year since the beginning of the band."

But with the Christmas season so short, he said they came up with another option: bringing the Christmas show to movie theaters so even more people can see it. The band performed a show at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, rallied 12,000 fans — and created "A Drummer Boy Christmas Live."

"It's really beautiful," Smallbone said. "This year, more than ever, I feel like we desperately just need to kind of keep the main thing the main thing, and these great hallmarks of humanity that are love, and joy, and peace, patience, kindness, goodness — let's put them back in the driver's seat this Christmas."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbdmcBDna8E

Ultimately, Smallbone said "A Drummer Boy Christmas Live" is all about honoring the true meaning of Christmas.

"This is singing about baby Jesus, and this is singing about the redemption of humanity, and this is singing about BC to AD," he said.

As for upcoming plans after the theatrical experience, Smallbone said For KING + COUNTRY is, for the first time since the beginning of the band, spending a year away from touring.

"We're ... going away to write and record ... and we're also going away to work on our next feature film that is going to production next fall," he said, explaining that the band will come back to perform after these upcoming projects.

Detransitioner Embraces Jesus, Leaves Gender Chaos Behind

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 18:34:53 -0000

Listen to him tell his story.

Bible Prophecy Playing Out in Israel: New 'Patterns of Evidence' Film Seeks to Unpack the Truth

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 16:05:00 -0000

A documentary filmmaker is on a mission to explore the authenticity of ancient Bible prophecies.

Tim Mahoney, whose new film "Patterns Of Evidence: The Israel Dilemma – Ancient Prophecies" hits theaters Nov. 13, 14, and 17, told CBN News the events unfolding in the Middle East today are intricately tied to what we see happening in the Old and New Testaments.

Mahoney said the roots of his new movie were set in 2007 when he was working on another project surrounding the Israelites' fleeing Egypt to head for the Promised Land.

As he navigated that story, he realized a great deal about God's promises to Abraham had been misunderstood or had gone unknown to some.

Hear Mahoney discuss the film.

Is Bible Prophecy Unfolding Right Now in Israel?

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 20:00:00 -0000

Author Joel Rosenberg believes some of the events unfolding around us hold biblical significance, particularly when it comes to Israel and the Middle East. Rosenberg, an expert on biblical prophecy who now lives in Israel, recently spoke with CBN News about Hamas, the war in Gaza, and how current events might play into what the Bible says about future happenings and the end of days.

"That is the number one question I'm getting asked ... 'Can you put this [current moment] in a prophetic context?'" Rosenberg said. "I would say, number one, we're definitely in a birth pang, right? Jesus speaks in Matthew 24 that there's going to be contractions and releases, moments of wars and rumors of wars, and kingdom against kingdom, nation against nation, as well as earthquakes and famines and other disasters." He continued, "Those are contractions, and just like when your wife gets close to delivering ... the contractions are longer and more painful, and the release moments are shorter."

Rosenberg said Israelis were living in a time of release on Oct. 6, 2023, as it was safe, prosperous, and secure — the safest it had been in modern history. "You'd have to go back to the days of Solomon and David when the kingdom was peaceful and secure," he said, noting Israel had just come off making four Arab-Israeli peace treaties and normalization treaties via the Abraham Accords. "We were just about to finalize another deal — the biggest peace and normalization deal in Israeli history — and that would be with the Saudi government."

But all of that peace was obliterated by Hamas' horrific terror attack on Oct. 7, 2023, an event he said was the "longest contraction" modern Israel has faced. "I would add that, just in context, I believe COVID was a biblical Matthew 24 contraction where ... a lot of people died. But the other part was ... not only was there this terrible health pandemic, plague, a biblical plague, but even the American government could say in an instant, 'You can't go to church. You can't leave your house. You can't go see your friends, but the strip clubs could stay open. The casinos could stay open. The bars could stay open — the liquor stores, but not churches. That was a contraction."

He believes Amos 9:9 is a recurring prophecy, but that the current war in Israel is a "shaking" that falls under its umbrella. "I don't believe Israel's under judgment ... in other words, God didn't send this enemy, but God ... allowed it," Rosenberg said. "Why? To shake us, to help us realize that most Israelis either haven't read, don't remember, or don't care about Psalm 23, in which David, our greatest king, told us the Lord is our shepherd." He said some Israelis forgot, due to security, the realities inherent in this Scripture.

Hear him break down the Gog and Magog prophecies, address Donald Trump's election, and more.

Actor Chris Pratt's Latest Faith-Based Mission Honors Military, Chaplains

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 20:33:07 -0000

A Hollywood director and producer is offering a lens into a truly unique profession, showing audiences what it's really like to be a military combat chaplain.

Richard Hull's new film, "Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey," which releases in theaters Nov. 8, gives audiences a chance to better understand these unsung heroes' experiences.

"I knew nothing about military chaplains," he told CBN News. "I didn't even know that that existed as a profession."

Hull, who ended up directing, writing, and producing the project, said he became personally invested as he started to explore the backstories.

"The more I got to know the subject matter, the more I fell in love with it, and I thought, 'This is a movie that, not only do I want to produce, but I also want to direct and be the storyteller behind it,'" he said.

Before long, Hull was diving into combat chaplain stories and learning more about their experience on the battlefield. The project quickly and easily came together, with actor Chris Pratt — an outspoken supporter of veterans — joining forces as an executive producer.

"He's a big military supporter," Hull said of Pratt. "He's a very faith-forward guy. He really has a true heartfelt interest in telling these stories, most of which have never been told."

Hull is hoping "Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey" helps open eyes to the experiences chaplains have "in the chaos of war." He shared that 419 chaplains have died throughout U.S. history, explaining that the roots of the chaplaincy date back to George Washington.

"On the one hand, chaplains go into combat wearing a uniform, but not carrying a weapon," he said. "It's a profession that ... you do it for some higher calling."

Chaplains do everything from saving lives on the battlefield to offering comfort to those who need it. Hull said they're "revered" within the military — for a reason. Chaplains' impact helped him realize just how much of a difference one person can make.

"They're just present and they're dealing with these moments of life and death with soldiers, young and old — and families," he said. "And it's really intense, and it's really powerful, and it's very existential, and a chaplain may come from a particular faith, and all faiths are represented in the chaplain cores of all the different military branches."

While chaplains have incredible experiences, Hull said there are also downsides and struggles, which are explored in the film. Some chaplains have even expressed facing "compassion fatigue" and other related issues.

"When you go to war, you're going to come back a very different person," he said. "And war can leave scars on your soul."

Ultimately, the movie offers what Hull said is a "true look at what these people, as humans, go through and the power that they have."

Find out more about "Fighting Spirit: A Combat Chaplain's Journey" and get tickets here.

He's Studied 1,000+ Near-Death Experiences and Says This Is Why He Believes They Prove the Bible

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 01:39:30 -0000

John Burke, a pastor and author who has studied and examined over 1,000 accounts of near-death experiences, believes these reports provide faith-building evidence of God and the Bible. Burke, author of the new book "Imagine the God of Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God’s Revelation, and the Love You’ve Always Wanted," told CBN News why he believes these experiences corroborate Scripture and detailed what a near-death experience entails.

"It's when someone clinically dies ... their heart stops, they have no brain waves," Burke said. "And yet either modern medicine or miracle brings them back ... minutes later, sometimes it's hours." He continued, "And when they come back, they talk about experiencing the life to come, and they talk about how it's more real than anything they've ever experienced in this world."

Burke said his latest book looks at scores of interviews with people from all over the world who've had these clinical near-death experiences. "They are seeing and experiencing the God of Scripture," he said. "And we're looking, not only at His love story told throughout history in the Bible, but also his heart and characteristics, the mystery, the majesty of God."

Burke, though, knows not everyone believes these heaven visitation stories, and explained exactly why he thinks there's so much skepticism. He said one factor is a failure to understand that "these are testimonies" that shed light on God's nature. Another is the complexities that come from trying to describe other-worldly experiences using human language.

Understanding Revelation and Prophecy: What the Bible's Final Book Tells Us

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 21:13:20 -0000

Filmmaker Tim Mahoney has long been on a mission to help viewers look at the Bible in new and innovative ways, exploring proof for the Exodus among other topics.

His latest two-part project, "Seven Churches of Revelation," is a project he believes to be "really important for Christians today."

"Many people are wondering — they're feeling uneasy about the future, and they're wondering, 'Are we living in the last days?'" he said. Listen to Mahoney explain.

Franklin Graham on America's Moral Decline, the 2024 Presidential Election and More

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 05:00:00 -0000

The Rev. Franklin Graham joins the show to break down his take on the 2024 presidential election, his advice to Christians who end up upset over the results — and what he believes is sowing moral chaos in America.

Amid Tech Addiction and Crisis, Pastor Breaks Down 'Most Neglected Spiritual Practice in the Modern World'

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 14:47:00 -0000

A Christian pastor believes the "most neglected spiritual practice in the modern world" is fasting and contends "it may be more needed than ever."

Darren Whitehead, senior pastor of Church of the City in Nashville, Tennessee, is out with a book "The Digital Fast: 40 Days to Detox Your Mind and Reclaim What Matters Most," in which he addresses the need to apply principles of fasting to our digital consumption.

Whitehead recently told CBN News about the importance of fasting, which GotQuestions.org says is intended "to take your eyes off the things of this world to focus completely on God." The pointed back to Jesus' own 40-day fast before his ministry began, and said his church starts each year by fasting.

"I am definitely a proponent of helping people participate in a food fast several times a year or with some regular rhythm," Whitehead said. "We, as a church, take the first 21 days of the year and encourage people to have a season of prayer and fasting."

As for his belief fasting might be more needed than ever, the preacher pointed to the current state of culture, explaining that people today are "able to appease our every appetite at a moment's notice at any time, and it hasn't always been like this."

And while fasting is often associated with food, Whitehead is also encouraging people to look more diligently at the technologies that have, in many ways, overtaken our lives, encouraging people in his book to consider embarking on a "digital fast." Listen for more.

Pastor Sounds Off on 'Demonic Influence,' Generational Curses and 'Casting Demons Out'

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 17:56:07 -0000

On today's "Newsmakers," we're discussing a debated issue in Christian circles: generational curses. Our guest today is Pastor Mike Signorelli, who’s here to talk about his powerful new book, "Inherit Your Freedom." In this episode, we get into what generational curses are, the battle over the concept, why so many churches avoid the subject, and how these spiritual battles could be shaping your life without you even knowing it.

Signorelli takes a unique approach, drawing parallels between the biological inheritance we all understand—like heart conditions or musical talent—and spiritual inheritances like addiction or broken relationships. He explains how science, specifically epigenetics, now backs up what the Bible has taught all along. The curses passed down from one generation to the next may hold the keys to unlocking your hidden purpose.

Ex-Atheist's Prayer Battle Leads to Monumental Religious Liberty Win

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 20:23:21 -0000

Joe Kennedy, the high school football coach who won a major Supreme Court victory in his battle to pray at the 50-yard line, will see his harrowing story come to the big screen this week. The film "Average Joe" hits theaters Oct. 11 and will cover Kennedy's personal story as well as his journey to taking a "stand for God publicly" and "taking a knee in prayer after each game," according to a synopsis. The movie follows the release of Kennedy's book last year titled "Average Joe: One Man's Faith and the Fight to Change a Nation."

Both projects touch on Kennedy's seven years in a volleying legal battle with the Bremerton School District in Washington state, which ultimately led to the 6-3 Supreme Court ruling in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District in June 2022 — a decision that upheld his right to pray after games, and found the government should not punish private religious acts like prayer. "I wanted everybody to see from the beginning where I came from," Kennedy told CBN News of these efforts. "Unwanted pregnancy, foster homes — all of that — the backstory, to see what led me to be the guy to stand up for what was right and what has happened since then."

Kennedy's life hasn't been easy, as he was in the foster care system and struggled with anger during his earlier years. Before prayer became his anchor, he was an atheist with little interest in anything eternal. "It was really my wife," he said of his journey into faith. "I was failing as a husband." Kennedy continued, "Everywhere I went, I seemed to just wreck people's lives." At the time, his wife, Denise, who was a Christian, started to rub off on him. With his life "disintegrating" in front of him, he had to make a decision: to continue on the same destructive path — or embrace faith.

"I finally went to church with her and, as things were rapidly falling apart, I had no other place to turn and I fell onto the altar and I kind of made a deal with God," Kennedy said. "I said, 'God, if you give me my wife, I'll give you my life.'" That commitment stuck and transformed his marriage. Beyond that, it led Kennedy to tackle the years-long legal battle that expanded religious rights for all Americans.

'I Love Jesus': Rock Star Breaks Silence on America's Political Chaos

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 18:43:17 -0000

CBN's Billy Hallowell caught up with Skillet singer John Cooper to talk about a wide range of topics, including what he sees as the ills plaguing America and the solutions to them.

A Baker’s Victory, a Father Challenges a Public School, and a Coach's Prayer Battle

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 18:29:03 -0000

On today’s "Newsmakers" we share audio from this week's TV episode: a baker’s victory, a father challenges a public school, and how a coach changed the country through prayer.

America's Warning: Why Rejecting God Could Be Fueling Crisis

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0000

Danny Gokey Won't Abandon Truth Amid Chaos: 'Sets People Free'

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 20:38:00 -0000

Singer Danny Gokey wants to be seen as a "truth and love teller," encouraging fellow believers to be as "wise as serpents and gentle as doves." It's a powerful and important quest in a divided and chaotic culture — one in which biblical truth is sometimes treated with disdain. Regardless, Gokey believes there's a responsibility to speak about what's right, true, and good. "We should never get away from speaking the truth," Gokey recently told CBN News. "Truth sets people free."

Ultimately, he said some people will try to skirt what's biblical, real, and true — but humanity can't escape the facts and realities surrounding God's will. "We can sit there and protest gravity," Gokey said. "We can make laws against gravity. You can cancel people over saying gravity is real, or that fire is hot. But, the thing is ... it is what it is, and we're not doing any favors playing around and mincing words to make people happy." He added, "We need to have the truth that sets people free. So, I do want to speak truth, but I want to do [it] in love, and I just don't want to hit people on the head with it."

Gokey is carrying these ideals over to his latest music. His new album, "Sound of Heaven," seeks to point people toward hope and Christ, with eclectic songs helping listeners dive deeper into the eternal. "I always pray before I go into an album, because God is the greatest songwriter of all time," Gokey said. "And, I'm like, 'Lord, give me some inspiration,' because I believe when we get to Heaven, we're going to see that the sounds of Heaven are so diverse."

The singer said this variety of sound is captured on the new album, which was released on July 26.

Hollywood Actor Encourages People to Stand For Their Beliefs: 'God Loves'

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 19:10:36 -0000

Actor Eric Close loves a good redemption story. That's why he signed on to star in "Average Joe," a film about Joe Kennedy, the high school football coach who won a major Supreme Court victory in his years-long battle to pray following games on the 50-yard line. "I love second-chance stories," Close told CBN News. The "Nashville" star, who portrays Kennedy, said the movie tells the former coach's story of persisting, never giving up, and "ultimately finding faith." Close said perseverance is a key fixture of Kennedy's story, as the coach faced a plethora of adversity in his life before finding Christianity.

"I admired his conviction — the willingness to fight for his convictions and for what he felt was right," Close said. "Regardless of the negative fallout that would come his way, the threats, the loss of work." Before his June 2022 Supreme Court victory, Kennedy spent seven years in a volleying legal battle with the Bremerton School District in Washington state, which ultimately led to the 6-3 Supreme Court ruling in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District in June 2022 — a decision that upheld his right to pray after games, and found the government should not punish private religious acts like prayer.

Close said portraying Kennedy in "Average Joe" drives home the reality that it's "important to do the right thing as often as you can." Before finding Jesus, Kennedy faced a difficult childhood and was filled with anger. At one point, he was an atheist who saw his relationships fall apart; but discovering Jesus changed everything. "One of the aspects ... that I loved about this film is that every person matters — everybody matters," he said. "God loves; His love is so far and wide and reaches to everybody." And that love — and faith — can inspire people to take a stand and do the right thing, even when it's difficult or seems insurmountable, Close said.

"Through faith, nothing is impossible; you can overcome these challenges," he said. "You never know when that moment might happen when we're called to step up and stand for something and make a difference." Ultimately, Close said he wants to see how Kennedy was brought through many events in his life before he was prepared for his prayer battle. "He had to get there through lots of different battles and fights in his life that gave him that strength and that fortitude," the actor said. "I think the catalyst that took him over the edge and really allowed him to step out there and risk it all for this — for something he firmly believed in — was his faith and trusting that no matter what, God had his back."

Are We in the End Times? Prophecies Involving Israel, Fears of 'Annihilation' and 'Darkness'

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 13:28:07 -0000

Max Lucado has covered a lot of ground over the years as a pastor, author, and Gospel communicator. Most recently, he released a book about the biblical end times titled, "What Happens Next? A Traveler's Guide Through the End of this Age." It's a subject Lucado felt compelled to tackle. He said the "condition of the world" and the things happening in Israel, Gaza, Russia, Ukraine, China, Taiwan, and other locations compelled him to action.

"[There is] this sense that the world feels super fragile right now ... like we're one press of a red button away from annihilation," he said. "There's just ... this angst in the world. So, those two things kind of came together, and I began to take seriously more teaching and study on this topic." While the topic of the end times can sometimes spark anxiety and worry, Lucado also addressed why these subjects should usher in peace. "It has been used to scare people or manipulate people," Lucado said. "It should not. Jesus, when he wanted to encourage His followers on the night before His crucifixion, He spoke about end times."

He continued, "[Jesus] said, 'Don't let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. [In] my Father's house are many mansions.' He went on to tell them that He would come and get them, and so He used the promise of His return as a way to lift them out of anxiety and sadness."

Lucado said Jesus' return is a "key fixture of Scripture" and that it's mentioned more than 300 times in the Bible and in nearly every book of the New Testament. "It's a dominating, primary theme of Scripture, that Christ will return," Lucado said. "And it should give us hope. In these days, it feels so dark; it feels so desperate. The promise of the return of Christ, in which the world that's upside down now will be turned right side up — for some people, it's the only hope they have."

The preacher said his desire is to follow the Apostle Paul's advice to help others fix their minds on "things above, not things of the Earth." It's the promise of Heaven, he said, that should become the focus. Listen to him discuss this, prophecies about Israel, and more.

A Pastor’s Legal Victory, a Christian School Canceled, and An Actor’s Prayer

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 22:00:00 -0000

On today’s "Newsmakers": a pastor’s victory, a Christian school canceled, and an actor’s prayer. This is part of our Friday series offering audio of our weekly TV show! Tune in Monday for new interviews here on the "Newsmakers" podcast.

‘I…Believe in the Power of Prayer’: Actress Roma Downey on God, Tragedy, and Trust

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 01:18:46 -0000

Actress and producer Roma Downey has built a long career in Hollywood, creating TV and film content that inspires and entertains.

The “Touched By An Angel” star has also carried her uplifting, family-friendly messages into literary works, including a new children’s book, “A Message in the Moon.”

Downey said her touching new book is deeply personal, with the concept predicated upon her childhood.

“This story for this book has sat in my heart for a really long time,” she recently told CBN Digital. “My mother died when I was just a little girl; I was only 10.”

As a result of such a monumental loss due to an unexpected heart attack, Downey said she became quite close to her father, whom she described as a “great dad.” The struggles that came along with her mother’s death, though, were profound.

“To say that we were heartbroken would be an understatement, because we didn’t even have the preparation of illness, which I know can be traumatic and painful for a child to see their parents suffer and go through a long illness,” she said. “But … there was no warning, and so it was as if somebody just turned the lights out in our lives.”

Downey continued, “If I was making a movie of my own life, my childhood would be in full technicolor, and then, when my mother died, it’s as if the movie then went into black and white.” Listen to her story.

Christian Baker Scores Major Victory After Legal Nightmare

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 15:18:13 -0000

Christian baker Jack Phillips has been locked in a long legal battle over his refusal to make cakes for a same-sex wedding and a gender transition. But after more than a decade of court battles, Phillips recently won a major victory at the Colorado Supreme Court.

Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, joins his attorney John Bursch, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, to tell CBN News about this battle, why he's stood by his Christian faith, and what he wants people to understand about his reasoning. Hear him explain.

Christian Parents Sue Public School Over Gender Battle, Parental Rights

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 04:28:00 -0000

A California dad is taking legal action after claiming his children's school district won't allow him to opt his kids out of lessons that violate their sincerely held religious beliefs. "Carlos and Jenny Encinas’ children attended an elementary school in Encinitas, California, where their 11-year-old’s teacher read a book and required activities that conflict with their sincerely held religious beliefs," reads a description from First Liberty, a religious freedom law firm. "After reading the book, the Encinas’ son was forced to watch a video version with a five-year-old as part of a 'mentoring' program."

Carlos Encinas told CBN News his battle with La Costa Heights Elementary School in the Encinitas Union School District began when his son came home and started sharing about his day. "He said, 'It was just really weird dad,'" Encinas said. "I said, 'Well, what do you mean weird?" That's when his son shared that he was "forced" to take part in a read-along surrounding the book "My Shadow is Pink" as part of a mentoring program. "Our ... elementary school, they pair the 5th graders with the kindergartners and they spend about an hour a week together doing different things," Encinas said. "Usually, it's out on the playground or reading books that the 5-year-old kindergartners choose, and it's a great program."

After Encinas started to look up "My Shadow is Pink," he said he was immediately concerned, especially considering the purported nature of the buddy program — one in which he said "they're helping to disseminate a very controversial, complex topic to a smaller younger brother [or] younger sister." "I quickly realized that this book was centered around gender ideology," he said. "And I was pretty upset about it, and he was already upset about it." The family reportedly reached out to the teacher and the school to discuss the matter. At first, Encinas claims he was told the activity didn't have to do with gender ideology. Here's what happened next.

'God Is Absolutely Real': Dog the Bounty Hunter on Demonic Evil, Seeing 'Miracles'

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 14:29:00 -0000

Duane Chapman, more commonly known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, is known for chasing down criminals. But he's also on a mission to help people connect with the Gospel. Chapman, author of the new book "Nine Lives and Counting: A Bounty Hunter’s Journey to Faith, Hope, and Redemption," told CBN News he was brought up in a Christian home by a praying mom. "I knew more than most people did, right from wrong, miracles of God — I knew all that," he said, noting, though, that he got a bit off track at one point. "I went to prison in the 70s."

Chapman and three accomplices reportedly broke into a man's home on a search for marijuana. One of his accomplices shot and killed the man during a struggle. Chapman was sentenced to five years and served 18 months. After his jail time experience, Chapman was released and righted his wrongs, becoming a bounty hunter and launching on his path to a career that inevitably landed him with the show "Dog the Bounty Hunter," which aired new episodes from 2003 to 2012. Chapman, who has certainly had a plethora of success, has also had his share of heartbreak.

His wife, Beth, who joined him on his TV adventure died in 2019 after a cancer battle. He's since remarried and he's been on a journey of strengthening his faith alongside new wife, Francie. "I know God is absolutely real," Chapman said. "I know that God told me years ago ... 'I'm going to show you miracles beyond [anything] that you could imagine, think, or want.'" He continued, "My faith has grown ever since Beth passed away about five years ago and I met Francie."

Chapman said he and his wife walk "hand-in-hand" in faith. The two also evangelize and speak to audiences together, sharing their Christian beliefs. As for Chapman's new book, Nine Lives and Counting: A Bounty Hunter’s Journey to Faith, Hope, and Redemption," he's hoping to see the text reach hearts and minds. Hear him discuss the book, his experiences seeing real-life demonic evil, and more.

A Warning to the West, Radical Forgiveness, and Battling Cancel Culture

Sat, 12 Oct 2024 10:54:46 -0000

On today’s "Newsmakers": a warning to the West, radical forgiveness, and battling cancel culture.

Country Star Granger Smith Leaves Music For Jesus: 'I'm Just So Excited'

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 02:27:34 -0000

Country singer Granger Smith stunned fans when he announced he would be retiring from music to pursue ministry, with the musician telling CBN Digital how he plans to serve the Lord. "I'm just so excited about it," he said. "I have so much joy just even thinking about it."

Smith said he's already begun speaking before audiences about his Christian faith. While he once traversed the nation and world sharing his music, he now plans to travel with a very different message. "I'm used to air travel, I'm used to hotels," he said. "But I have a different message to give, and it's a life-giving message. It's one beggar — me — telling another beggar where I found bread."

Smith said he wants to share his journey of faith, explaining how he was once hurting and in a "really bad place," but how he found hope in Jesus. "I don't know what the future looks like five years down the road, ten years down the road," Smith said. "But, right now, immediately, it's writing books, it's taking speaking engagements, Lord-willing, when the right ones come around, it's attending seminary, and it's going to church on Sunday mornings with my family, and sitting under teachings of my pastor."

Smith also discussed his recent memoir, "Like a River: Finding the Faith and Strength to Move Forward after Loss and Heartache," a book chronicling how he handled grief and sorrow and found faith. Smith's family made headlines in 2019 when the singer's 3-year-old son, River, died in a drowning accident. It's a topic at the heart of his book. Watch Smith discuss his plans, his son, and how he found faith.

Danny Gokey Won't Abandon Truth Amid Chaos: 'Sets People Free'

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 04:00:00 -0000

The singer said this variety of sound is captured on the new album, which was released on July 26.

ISIS Killed James Foley and Shocked the World With Its Evil. His Mother Chose Faith, Forgiveness

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 01:38:50 -0000

She joins CBN News to reflect on what happened, how her faith sustained her, and why she's now helping other families avoid the same pitfalls.

'Like Taken Out of a War Movie': Oct. 7 Paramedic Recounts Danger, Horror Amid Hamas' Diabolical Terror Attack

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 16:16:36 -0000

"I have never imagined it [would] be a year of war."

That's what Dr. Shafir Botner, a veteran helicopter paramedic and director of Magen David Adom’s Paramedic School, told CBN News while reflecting on the one-year anniversary of Hamas' horrific Oct. 7 terror attack.

Botner, who has seen many things over his more than two decades helping those in peril, said Israel has always had its struggles and battles, but the past 12 months of war and chaos have been especially intense.

"Unfortunately, we can't see the end," he said of the nation's ongoing war against terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah. "Of course, we are more optimistic these days from the day on October 7th, but we still cannot see the end."

Botner recalled hearing dozens of sirens last Oct. 7. At first, he assumed it was a false alarm, but once he started being alerted that injuries unfolded, he immediately jumped into action.

"I realized it's not a false alarm, and I realized that something big, and different — unusual is happening," he said. "So ... I put on my uniforms, went on my car towards the place they need me." Listen to Botner explain.

Corey DeAngelis Breaks Silence, Responds to Unearthed Videos

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 21:24:00 -0000

Dr. Corey A. DeAngelis has made a name for himself as an advocate for education freedom, but he's been the focus over the past week of media stories surrounding decade-old appearances in adult films. DeAngelis, who was reportedly fired by the American Federation for Children (AFC) after the videos came to light, sat down with CBN News to discuss these stories, claims from activists that his past makes him a hypocrite, and more.

Despite furor and negative messaging, DeAngelis said public support "has been overwhelming." "There are images and videos circulating of me from my college days about a decade ago that I'm not proud of," he said. "They're embarrassing." DeAngelis described being lured into pornographic work as a young adult and pondered how much more pervasive such content can be when introduced to younger kids.

"If I was able to be lured in to make bad decisions as a young adult in college, just imagine how much worse it could be for younger people," he said, explaining how the experience became fuel in his fight for educational freedom. "So I fought against this kind of material being included in the classroom. I've been consistent. I've changed my life. People change over time." DeAngelis was careful, though, to note that he owns his mistakes, despite reportedly long ago stopping such actions before being further sucked into the adult film industry.

"I was an adult," he said. "I did make those decisions. I'm not proud of those decisions, but I can see how it can be deceptive, and the entire industry can be deceptive, especially for young people." Considering DeAngelis' public-facing work and success advocating for school choice, these videos and images, intended for gay audiences, have led progressive advocates to mobilize against DeAngelis. "There has been a cancellation attempt from the left, in particular, and my political opponents trying to accuse me of hypocrisy," he said. "Their claims fall flat."

One of the most compelling ways the dilemma has changed DeAngelis has been in the area of faith. Describing himself as a lifelong agnostic, he said the situation has brought him and his wife, whom he described as a "believer," closer to church. "We're watching our local church on TV each Sunday," DeAngelis said. "And, the first time that we tuned in a couple of weeks ago, just the things that the pastor was saying — it just brought me to tears."

Ex-Teen Witch Who ‘Should Be Dead’ Went From Casting Spells to Worshipping Jesus

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Kirk Cameron Takes on Cultural Chaos and 'Dystopian Circus Show,' Says 'People Are Finally Waking Up'

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 06:00:00 -0000

Actor Kirk Cameron, who shot to fame in the 1980s while starring in the show "Growing Pains," has gone on to become a Christian hero to millions, creatively sharing his faith and views with the masses.

Most recently, he partnered with Brave Books, a company producing Christian and faith-based children's projects, and is now preparing to produce and star in a kids' show called "Adventures with Iggy and Mr. Kirk." It's a series that will help Cameron further spread Christian values to parents, kids, and families.

"We want to teach children biblical, moral lessons through their phones and the screen time," he told CBN News, likening the show to "a wildly updated version of 'Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.'"

"[We will have] high energy, hilarious dialogue, beautiful animated biblical, moral lesson stories about the sanctity of life, about the fruit of the spirit, about the First and Second Amendment, and guest stars at every turn," he continued.

Cameron said his team is currently crowdfunding the first season to ensure they maintain creative control. "Adventures with Iggy and Mr. Kirk" is a natural outgrowth of Cameron's See You at the Library initiative with Brave Books, an effort that saw him touring libraries across America to read to families.

That experience — one that came with some controversy after libraries reportedly rebuffed Cameron's appearances and drag queens protested — exposed some important realities for the actor.

"I'm getting messages from people — friends of mine who are all about the work of bringing transformation to culture, and they're saying it appears that people are finally waking up," he said. "And I resonate with that as I go to churches and schools and libraries."

Cameron continued, "People are waking up and realizing that the dystopian circus show is here, and the ringmasters like it. And if we just keep drinking the Kool-Aid, and eating the cotton candy, and stay entertained ... by all this crazy stuff, it's just going to get worse."

The performer said it's time for people to "leave the circus" and get back to what matters most: reaching hearts and minds with the truth. Hear him explain.

Ex-LGBTQ Ally Fights Back Over Claim She Was Fired After Becoming a Christian

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 04:00:00 -0000

A former staff member at a public college in New York City is fighting back after claiming she was fired after becoming a Christian. Teona Pagan was the fellowships and public service program coordinator at City University of New York's Research Foundation until she requested a religious accommodation that she claims was denied.

Pagan, who filed a lawsuit Aug. 28, told CBN News her job as the fellowships and public service program coordinator at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership made her responsible for helping "students to pursue their dreams through different fellowships." Pagan said problems began for her after she became a Christian and started to question one of the fellowships for which she was responsible. "I became more of a devout Christian," she said. "I always believed in God, but definitely began running after Him in April of 2022."

Pagan continued, "And, so, with that comes a lot of responsibility. ... [God] tells us to deny ourselves, pick up a cross, and follow after Him, and, so, that comes with a lot of conviction, and that comes with a lot of ensuring that I lived by what I was preaching."

She was living out her faith at church and in other areas of her life, but felt she wasn't "living up to it in the fullness" at work. She said an LGBTQ-inspired fellowship she oversaw left her feeling convicted, as she had come to believe homosexuality violates Scripture. "I didn't feel comfortable continuing to do that," Pagan said of running the fellowship. "But it wasn't just [like] I woke up one day and just decided to refuse to do my job. It was prayer, it was fasting, it was consulting with my spiritual leadership."

Ironically, Pagan said she was "an advocate" and "an ally" of the LGBTQ community before becoming a Christian. She said she was also a supporter of Black Lives Matter. "Once I got saved, everything changed for me," she said, later adding, "I was an advocate for all these different intersectional things that ... have the face of social change, but behind it is sin and nothing but going against the Word of God." So, Pagan decided to seek an accommodation for the one fellowship she oversaw that she felt violated her convictions, and believed there was more than enough staff to cover that task. Here's what happened next.

Terror, Execution, Imprisonment: Why North Korea Hates Christianity, the Bible

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 13:22:11 -0000

A persecution watchdog is sounding alarm about the grim and dire conditions for Christians inside North Korea. The hermit nation has long been one of the most diabolical Christian persecutors, but a new report from Christian Solidarity Worldwide titled "North Korea: We Cannot Look Away," underscores the true gravity of the deteriorating conditions inside the hermit nation. The document commemorates the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry report that previously explored the dangerous state of affairs inside North Korea.

"Ten years on from the publication of the COI’s report, CSW finds that the Kim regime has made no effort to uphold international human rights standards and has taken no steps to participate as an equal and active member of the international community," a statement from CSW reads. David Simpson, an East Asian advocate for CSW who uses a pseudonym for safety purposes, told CBN News reiterated the worsening state of affairs inside North Korea. He said the original UN report from 10 years ago was important in that it highlighted the human rights atrocities being perpetuated by North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and other officials. "The 2014 report showed that we don't only have to worry about the Kim regime's nuclear capacity," Simpson said. "The true cost of the Kim regime's totalitarian rule is the people of North Korea and how they are affected."

Under Kim, who came to power after his father, Kim Jong Il, died in 2011, North Korea's isolation has only intensified. While some previous cooperation existed between South and North Korea, even that modicum of collaboration has evaporated. "There was a factory right on the border with North and South Korea that was owned by South Koreans, and North Koreans were able to come and work there and gain a wage," Simpson said. "There was a communications tower where they had a direct cable to Seoul, but Kim Jong Un closed that factory, and he actually blew up that tower, and in a stunt to show how ruthlessly he intends to climb down on religious freedom, and all freedom of expressions, freedom of newspaper, and freedom of any form of expression."

Simpson gave the example of two high school students who were sentenced to hard labor for simply watching TV shows. It's not only entertainment, though. As CBN News has extensively reported, North Koreans aren't free to freely practice their faith.

Myths About Hell, a Contentious Election Cycle, and a Father’s Road to Forgiveness

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 18:39:58 -0000

Welcome to the Friday recap, where we provide the audio version of the "Newsmakers" TV show. Get full interviews Monday-Thursday and the audio version of the TV show each and every Friday. On today's episode: myths about hell, a contentious election cycle, and a father’s road to forgiveness.

'No Explanation...Other Than God': Remarkable Way 'The Chosen' Transforms Lives Globally

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 14:43:37 -0000

"The Chosen," the TV series that chronicles the lives of Jesus and His disciples, has become a global phenomenon, sparking spin-off projects, memorabilia, and more. Among the projects that stem from the popular show are a book series and interactive Bible study aimed at helping viewers better connect with Scripture.

Amanda Jenkins, wife of "The Chosen" show runner Dallas Jenkins, most recently authored "God's Goodness for the Chosen: An Interactive Bible Study Season 4," a project she says explores the main theme present in season four of the show: human suffering. "The show itself really has to do with a lot of suffering," Jenkins told CBN News. "We're starting to see that Jesus is allowing His followers to suffer. He's not removing suffering when He's being asked or in the way He's being asked."

She said it's been incredible to watch "The Chosen" serve as a tool that helps "reintroduce people to Jesus." The cast and crew continue to hear stories from people who say they had fallen away from faith but are coming back, and they credit the show for helping in that process.

Others proclaim "The Chosen" has inspired them to find Christ for the first time. "It's spanning demographics," Jenkins said. "It's old people and young people. It's special needs people. It's every culture. It's in every country of the world. ... There is no explanation for it other than God is just doing a thing, and we get to be kind of in a front-row seat to it." Jenkins said this is ultimately the end goal: to drive people "back to Scripture."

Pastor Breaks Down the 'Most Neglected Spiritual Practice in the Modern World' — and Why It Matters

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 21:00:00 -0000

Darren Whitehead, pastor of Church Of The City in Nashville, Tennessee, and author of "The Digital Fast: 40 Days to Detox Your Mind and Reclaim What Matters Most," joins "Newsmakers" to discuss why he believes "traditional fasting is probably the most neglected spiritual practice in the modern world." He also explores why he believes it's essential to engage in fasts from technology. Hear what he has to say.

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Shocking Secrets Revealed After Infant Miraculously Survives Holocaust

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 21:00:00 -0000

Joasia was a Jewish infant in German-occupied Poland in 1942 when she was smuggled out of a Warsaw ghetto in a backpack and her life was miraculously spared. The baby, who was born amid Adolf Hitler's murderous campaign, survived due to the kindness of strangers and truly prodigious happenings — events her daughter, Karen Kirsten, regularly shares with audiences. What's perhaps most shocking is that Joasia didn't learn anything about these events until she was 32 years old.

"She was born inside this area that was known as the Warsaw ghetto, where over 450,000 Jewish people were walled in during World War II," Kirsten told CBN News. "And she only found this out when she was 32. She got a letter from a stranger who told her she had been born in the Warsaw ghetto and that she was smuggled out in a backpack." And that's not all. Joasia also learned from this individual that the only parents she had ever known weren't actually her biological mother and father. According to the letter, her mom and dad were murdered when she was a baby and she was "rescued by a notorious SS officer."

It's a truly remarkable story Kirsten details in her book, "Irena's Gift: An Epic WWII Memoir of Sisters, Secrets, and Survival." These bits of information filled in the blanks for Joasia. But secrets often have a way of begetting secrets, and this was the case with Joasia, who concealed these details from Kirsten until she was 13 and the truth was finally unveiled. "I discovered that the grandparents I adored weren't actually my grandparents," she said. Over time, Kirsten came to embrace her mother's story and is now a Holocaust educator, sharing what happened to help prevent other horrors like it.

As for her mom's survival as a baby, Kirsten said, "It was miraculous." This proclamation is undeniable, especially as the details are explained. Hear her tell the story.

Ex-Katy Perry Backup Singer Trades It All For Jesus

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0000

Layton said it was an "easy decision" to turn down that offer and pursue Christian music instead — something she had prayed and dreamed about as a teenager.

Arrested Pastor Scores Major Victory

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0000

On today’s Newsmakers: a pastor’s victory, a Christian school canceled, and an actor’s prayer.

What Does It Mean to Truly Fear God — and Is It Healthy? John Bevere Explains

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 20:46:29 -0000

John Bevere joins the show to explain what it means to truly fear God. Listen to him on this powerful episode of Newsmakers!

After Pastor's Wife, Baby Horrifically Murdered, He Chooses Faith, Forgiveness

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0000

Davey Blackburn faced an absolute nightmare Nov. 10, 2015, when he arrived home from a morning workout to find his wife, Amanda, experiencing what he thought was a health crisis. But he soon found out she had been shot by an intruder who barged into their Indianapolis home. It's a harrowing story told in Blackburn's new book, "Nothing Is Wasted: A True Story of Hope, Forgiveness, and Finding Purpose in Pain."

"I walked in and my wife of seven years and my 15-month-old were in the house at the time," he said. "My wife was pregnant with her with our second ... and, when I walked in, I discovered my wife was lying on our living room floor, and she was surrounded by blood." At first, he thought she might have gotten dizzy and fallen, but once she was transported to the hospital, he learned Amanda, who was 13 weeks pregnant, had three bullet wounds.

Tragically, the prognosis wasn't good.

"They were going to try to see if they could operate, but it ... didn't look good," Blackburn said. "And what they had surmised was that there were three men ... they broke into the home three doors down from us, saw me leave for the gym that morning, and decided to break into our home, and Amanda ... got caught up in that." Blackburn and Amanda were pastors and church planters at the time.

The couple had left their dream job a few years earlier in South Carolina to follow God's call to plant a church in Indianapolis. The shocking murder unfolded just as the church was "taking some roots and getting some momentum," he said. The preacher called the entire ordeal — which quickly became a local and national news story — an "unimaginable, traumatic experience." Amanda was pronounced dead on Nov. 11, four years to the day that the couple packed up a moving van to leave for Indianapolis.

"My world had just been turned upside down," Blackburn said. "I was reeling over the grief and the loss of my best friend, my soulmate, my ministry partner. I was trying to figure out how to be a single dad to my son, Weston, who had been untouched and unharmed in his crib the entire time."

On top of losing Amanda and their unborn baby, Blackburn also had to contend with media scrutiny considering the story's wide reach — speculation that only added to the pain. Hear Blackburn share how he moved past the horror.

'Very Disturbing': Group Demands ABC News Correction After Trump-Harris Face-Off

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 04:00:00 -0000

A pro-life leader is sounding off after last week's presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Kelsey Pritchard, state director of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told CBN News she believes Harris distorted and misled about various issues surrounding the unborn.

Her organization is also challenging ABC News' David Muir and Linsey Davis, who moderated the debate. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America sent a letter last week to ABC News president Almin Karamehmedovic and to Muir and Davis asking for a correction and seeking a meeting between those parties and abortion survivors, Fox News reported.

The moment in question came during the debate when Davis proclaimed, "There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it's born." She was seemingly fact-checking Trump, who had just commented about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris' running mate. "Her vice presidential pick says abortion in the ninth month is absolutely fine," Trump said. "He also says execution after birth, it's execution, no longer abortion, because the baby is born, is okay. And that's not okay with me."

While Davis fact-checked this claim and dismissed it, Pritchard offered a correction in her interview with CBN News. "One of the moderators attempted to fact check and got it completely wrong or was misleading the public," she said. "I'm not sure if it was intentional or not, but they gave the impression that no state allows infanticide — that no state ... would allow for the harm of abortion survivors, and that is completely incorrect. There's actually 15 states that don't have born alive life protections on the books, including Tim Law's state of Minnesota." Hear her explain.

Pastor Terrorized, Arrested For 'Reading the Bible Aloud' Scores 'Complete Victory'

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 14:16:41 -0000

A Washington pastor has scored a major victory after being arrested at least twice for preaching the Gospel in public.

Pastor Matthew Meinecke's battle against Seattle officials recently came to a close, according to Nate Kellum, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute.

The lawyer told CBN News how the situation began in June 24, 2022, how it was resolved — and why it matters.

FOLLOW CBN'S NEWSMAKERS:

A Gold Star Mom Speaks Out, Pro-Life Protesters’ Plight, and Christian Persecution in Bangladesh

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 23:00:00 -0000

This week's full "Newsmakers" TV show features a Gold Star mom speaking out, pro-Life protesters’ plight, and an explanation of the horrific Christian persecution unfolding in Bangladesh.

'Real Housewives' Star Turns to Jesus: 'God Has Transformed My Life'

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 19:52:29 -0000

Blind Man Hears Message From God During Miraculous Escape From the World Trade Center

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 02:57:57 -0000

Author Michael Hingson's survival story has been inspiring people for years. Hingson, who is blind, escaped the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, with his trusty guide dog Roselle. He worked in Tower I on the 78th floor and was able to make it all the way down the stairs to the bottom floor and get away from the buildings before they collapsed.

When the terror attack unfolded and a plane hit Tower I, Hingson said the damage was above the 78th floor and that he and others had no idea what was happening. "As we were going down the stairs, there were lots of people around us and no one knew what happened because it happened on the other side of the building and above us," he said. "So, we had no clue."

But when his friend, David, saw smoke and fire above them and debris falling outside the window, they knew something was wrong. "I began smelling an odor and it took me a while to realize that what I was smelling were the fumes from burning jet fuel," he said. It took Hingson an hour to make his way downstairs, with Roselle sticking with him throughout the ordeal. Once outside, he had to move quickly as details became clearer and fears the buildings would come down began to emerge.

"I thought 'God, I can't believe you got us out of a building just to have it fall on us,'" he recalled thinking as he was fleeing away from the World Trade Center. "I heard in my head as clearly as you hear me now a voice that said, 'Don't worry about what you can't control. Focus on running with Roselle and the rest will take care of itself.'" Hingson continued, 'Was that God talking to me? Absolutely, it was. I have no doubt about that, but the issue is: I listened." Hear him explain.

Girls Basketball Team Punished For Gender Stand Fights Back: 'Boys Are Boys'

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 19:34:46 -0000

A Vermont Christian school is forging a continued legal battle after being kicked out of a state-sponsored athletic league that puts its students at a profound disadvantage. Mid Vermont Christian School, a K-12 institution in Quechee, Vermont, found itself in the headlines last year after its girls' basketball team declined to play against a team that included a biological male.

"The Mid Vermont Christian Girls Basketball team qualified for their state-sponsored sports league playoff tournament," Ryan Tucker, an attorney at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), told CBN News. "And when they were looking at the seedings, they knew that the team that they were paired up against had a biological male who was professing to be female." School officials reportedly reached out in advance to the Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA), the body overseeing athletics in the state, to express safety and religious concerns surrounding competing against a biological male.

"They believe that boys are boys and girls are girls," Tucker said. "And that's the message that they instill and inculcate at their institution." But the VPA reportedly didn't provide another option for Mid Vermont Christian School, leading officials to forfeit the Feb. 21, 2023, game. "And, as a result, the state punished them by kicking them, not just obviously out of that tournament, but out of the sports association entirely," Tucker said. "And so their girl sports season ended and they've been kicked out of that league."

According to ABC News, the VPA's executive council felt the school violated policies surrounding gender, race, and disability awareness and could, thus, no longer take part. Tucker said the school attempted to remedy the situation prior to the game, before the forfeiture, and even after they were kicked out. "They went back to the VPA ... several times, asking them to to reconsider and to think through what they've done before they went and filed a federal lawsuit," he said. Watch him explain.

Christian Coffee Shop Under Fire, Greg Laurie's Evangelism, and More

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 14:04:28 -0000

We're starting the week off with a look back at an episode of the TV show that recently aired. On today’s "Newsmakers": Olympic chaos, a coffee shop under fire, and Biden’s Supreme Court shake-up. That and more on today's episode!

Sword-Wielding Muslim Extremists Terrorize Christians, Mark Homes With Crosses in Bangladesh

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 19:27:19 -0000

A persecution watchdog is warning about recent developments in Bangladesh that are reportedly already putting Christians and other minority religious adherents in serious danger.

"About a month ago, after a few weeks of really bloody protests and bloody suppression of protests by the government, the government of Bangladesh was overthrown in essentially a military coup," Joel Veldkamp, head of international communications at Christian Solidarity International (CSI), told CBN News.

He continued, "And what followed was about a week of rioting in which Hindus, and Christians, and Buddhists all across Bangladesh were attacked by mobs organized by Islamist groups."

Pandemenomen broke out in the South Asian nation last month after a student-led protest movement pushed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina out of office; she fled to India as furor exploded, with 600 people dying amid the consternation.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus was sworn in to help lead an interim government and bring back order. So far, instability persists, according to Voice of America.

Considering the newfound chaos — and the fact Bangladesh is a majority-Muslim country — these developments have been seen as incredibly troubling.

Despite its overwhelmingly Islamic populace, Bangladesh has what Veldkamp called a "long history of secularism and tolerance," with its government also existing in secular form before its fall. The shifting and chaotic dynamics now have experts like Veldkamp worrying about what could come next.

"Now that government has been overthrown ... we're extremely concerned that the floodgates are kind of now open for much wider Islamist and jihadist violence against Christians, against Buddhists, against Hindus, against all the non-Muslims in the country," he said.

Tim Tebow, Kirk Cameron, and an Ex-Cop Fights the Demonic: Full Newsmakers Episode

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 21:29:30 -0000

On today's Newsmakers: Tim Tebow, Kirk Cameron, and an ex-cop fights the demonic.

Gold Star Mom Sets Record Straight About Trump Visit

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 17:38:20 -0000

Christy Shamblin, whose daughter-in-law Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee was one of the 13 American service members killed in an ISIS-K terror attack during the chaotic August 2021 U.S. pullout from Afghanistan, is speaking out amid ongoing media scrutiny over a recent commemoration at Arlington National Cemetery. Shamblin told CBN News she and other Gold Star families have faced an onslaught of disturbing death threats in recent days after media reports surrounding former President Donald Trump's attendance at the commemorative event honoring the lost.

In particular, she said the menacing messages and chaos kicked up into high gear after Vice President Kamala Harris took to social media to decry Trump's participation as a political move. Harris penned the message on Aug. 31, taking to X to accuse Trump of playing politics at the Arlington National Cemetery event. "Donald Trump’s team chose to film a video there, resulting in an altercation with cemetery staff," Harris wrote. "Let me be clear: the former president disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt." She continued, "This is nothing new from Donald Trump. This is a man who has called our fallen service members 'suckers' and 'losers' and disparaged Medal of Honor recipients. A man who, during a previous visit to the cemetery, reportedly said of fallen service members, 'I don’t get it. What was in it for them?'"

Harris went on in the message to proclaim that "veterans, military families, and service members" should be " treated with nothing less than our highest respect and gratitude," and said Trump should never again be president. "I will always honor the service and sacrifice of all of America’s fallen heroes, who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our beloved nation and our cherished freedoms," Harris added.

Ultimately, Shamblin felt the latest commemorative event at Arlington event was "beautiful and respectful" and said those organizing it worked with both the cemetery as well as Trump's team to try and have as few distractions and disruptions as possible. "After we were done with the wreath-laying ceremonies, we went to the grave sites, as we do every year on the anniversary," Shamblin said. "We spend the day there, and President Trump came with us, and laid flowers on each of the graves, and spoke to the families." She continued, "He didn't say, I don't think, more than a handful of words. It wasn't a political event. He didn't talk about himself, or his campaign ... he listened to our families tell stories about our loved ones."

Hollywood Actress Clings to Power of Prayer: 'God Is in Control'

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 10:07:35 -0000

Legendary voice actor Jodi Benson is a Christian with a deep passion for her faith that has helped shape her life. "It's really neat ... to see the tapestry that God has created and the puzzle pieces that have come together within my career," Benson told CBN News. "But, for me, it's a ministry. I really do feel that God places me exactly where He wants me. He opens the door exactly where He needs me, and it's never usually about the job." She continued, "It's usually about ... a 'God appointment,' a relationship with a cast member, or with a crew or creative team member. It's usually these behind-the-scenes moments that I get — that moment where I go, 'Oh, that's why I'm doing this project.'"

Benson is known for voicing Ariel in Disney’s "The Little Mermaid" and Barbie in the "Toy Story" franchise. Most recently, she reprised her role as Nia in season two of the animated hit series "The Wingfeather Saga." These powerful roles beg an important question: how does Benson choose projects? The actress said she relies on God and prayer to pick and choose which roles to take on. "Once I pray about it, and my husband and I are both praying — we both are discussing — we will get an automatic door open or close, and it's pretty clear cut there," she said. "There is not a lot of in-between, which I love."

Angel Studios' "The Wingfeather Saga," based on Andrew Peterson's book series by the same name, happened to be one of those open doors through which Benson was pleased to walk. "I really loved this character, and these stories, and being a part of it," she said. "Because there's so much adventure to it." Benson said her entire career — and particularly her landing of the Ariel role in "The Little Mermaid" — has been a "beautiful, wonderful surprise." "My focus was doing ... Broadway musicals — my passion," she said. "And ... this door opened up for me to be able to randomly audition for it, and ... here I am almost 38 years later, and I'm still recording my voice, and still Ariel is a huge part of my life and my family's lives, and we are just so grateful."

Ultimately, Benson focuses on her joy and happiness — and faith. She's been blessed to portray "The Little Mermaid," among many other roles, and she's grateful for her life. "[God] is ultimately in control," she said. "He's got everything in His hands. I can put everything onto Him, and trust Him, because I just trust Him — I just do." Hear her explain.

Diving Deeper: Pro-Life Activists Head to Prison as Claims of Targeting Swirl

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 22:00:00 -0000

On today's "Newsmakers," we dive deeper into claims pro-life activists are being targeted by the Biden administration. Eireann Van Natta with The Daily Caller joins the show to break down the numbers.

Shocking Data Revealed as Biden Admin Accused of Weaponizing DOJ

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 21:00:00 -0000

As tensions over abortion reach a fever pitch in the post-Roe era, concerns are mounting over allegations the Biden administration is weaponizing the Department of Justice against pro-life activists.

Since the Supreme Court returned the abortion debate to the states in 2022, Americans are increasingly hearing more about a federal law that protects clinics.

"The FACE Act stands for Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act," Eireann Van Natta, a reporter with The Daily Caller, recently told CBN News. "It was instituted in 1994 under the Clinton administration. And, if you go to the DOJ's website, its stated purpose is to protect access to reproductive health, which is a euphemism for abortion."

Listen for the full story.

Ex-Atheist Who Escaped Communism Becomes Christian YouTube Star

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 16:00:00 -0000

Ruslan KD is a podcaster, performer, influencer, refugee and, most importantly: a believer. His powerful cultural commentaries are seen around social media, offering powerful, biblical takes on the issues of the day. But it's his origin story some might not be familiar with — a journey filled with pain, doubt, and eventual surrender. "I'm ... ethnically Armenian," Ruslan recently told CBN News. "My father is full Armenian. My mother is adopted by an Armenian family in Azerbaijan — Baku. So, that's the city we come from is Baku, right in the Middle East off the Caspian Sea."

Ruslan noted this region is well-known for its tensions, with Armenians being mistreated, targeted, and even killed. The Armenian Genocide, which began in 1915, is one of the most horrific examples of the dire situations that have plagued the region. Ruslan said "by the grace of God" they were able to get out of Baku and stayed in Moscow before immigrating to the United States in 1991 when he was just 6 years old. The family had applied for refugee status in Israel, Australia, and America, thus Ruslan said his life could have gone many different ways.

In the end, though, the U.S. became his home. He recalled being mesmerized at seeing his first grocery store in America, a place that appeared like a dream compared to what he faced in his home country. "That's how different America was in contrast to what we had experienced in under Soviet Baku, lining up for food rations," Ruslan said. "I remember we would have a tub of water that we'd have to share amongst my family — my dad, and my mom, and my grandparents." This experience and the opportunities America has afforded Ruslan have made him "substantially more appreciative" of the U.S.

He shares how he went from abuse and chaos — and a place where he believed "there is no God" — to a place of faith and becoming a prominent Christian social media influencer. Ultimately, Ruslan hopes to inspire those who watch his videos and pay attention to his commentaries to examine their lives and cling closer to the Lord. "What I'm trying to do with everything we're talking about is to encourage, empower, and inspire people to live a life that blesses God," he said. Listen to his full story.

Actor David Henrie on Surviving Hollywood, Faith, and His New Role in 'Reagan'

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0000

Former Disney star David Henrie continues to produce and star in films. He joins CBN News to talk faith, Hollywood, and his new role starring in "Reagan." Listen to him on this episode of "Newsmakers."

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Tim Tebow Is on a Heroic Mission to Save Kids Trapped in Evil, Horror

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 15:27:57 -0000

Former NFL star Tim Tebow is on a mission to save kids trapped in the bowels of human trafficking. Hear him share his passion for helping the "least of these," what his faith calls him to — and more.

Here's more on Tebow's work with the Tim Tebow Foundation.

‘God Is Using Dreams’: Iranian Muslims Find Jesus in Truly Miraculous Ways

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 18:00:00 -0000

One of the leaders of an organization working to spread the Gospel to Iranians reports that claims of Middle Easterners encountering Jesus in dreams are "quite common," with the Lord using these interactions to draw individuals closer to Him. "God is using [dreams] to speak to Iranians all the time," Lana Silk, U.S. director of Transform Iran, recently told CBN News. "He uses every method He can. ... The Iranians are open to dreams; they are dreamers. They enjoy talking about their dreams, and they're aware of their dreams, and God uses that to speak to them."

While reports of Jesus appearing in dreams to Middle Easterners are prevalent, the same can't be said for Americans more generally, as such anecdotal reports in the West seem far less rampant. Silk explained why she believes there's such a radical difference between the U.S. and Middle East.

"I think we have become quite secular in the West, and we have wanted to rationalize and understand everything," she said. "And when you're in a place where it has to be within your frame of reference and something that you can explain away, then you end up taking away some of the exciting, creative ways in which God likes to speak." Silk continued, "So, there is a challenge to us here in the West to take off our need to be able to completely own the information and the process and fully grasp it, and just allow God to 'wow' us and do mysterious things."

As for Iran, specifically, Silk shared several powerful stories surrounding Jesus appearing in dreams. One Muslim woman who was forced into marriage at age 13 and faced extreme trauma told Transform Iran Jesus began appearing to her in her doorway and then in dreams. "[He would] hold out his hand to her and say, 'Come and trust me; come and follow me,'" Silk said. "And then she would go to sleep, and he would appear to her in her dreams, and he would speak to her ... it was a gentle call."

The woman, shocked and assuming she needed to cling closer to her Muslim faith to stop the apparitions, started saying her Islamic prayers more reverently. But when she went to say the name of Muhammad one day, something shocking happened: "The name 'Jesus' would come out of her mouth." She eventually gave her life to Christ and now serves as a pastor on the Transform Iran ministry team. Her story, of course, is just one of many. Hear Silk explain the dream dynamic and other stories like this one.

Ex-Cop Battles Demons, Supernatural After Seeing 'Worst Evil That You Can Imagine'

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 18:00:00 -0000

Ex-NYPD officer Chris DeFlorio once patrolled the streets observing the "worst evil that you can imagine." But after coming to faith, he and his wife came to understand the real roots of that diabolical horror. Now, he's on a mission to fight the demonic.

DeFlorio tells his story and discusses his new book, "Called Into Darkness: Two NYC First Responders Battle the Supernatural."

Kirk Cameron Takes on Cultural Chaos and 'Dystopian Circus Show,' Says 'People Are Finally Waking Up'

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 20:00:00 -0000

"We want to teach children biblical, moral lessons through their phones and the screen time," he told CBN News, likening the show to "a wildly updated version of 'Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.'"

That experience — one that came with some controversy after libraries reportedly rebuffed Cameron's appearances and drag queens protested — exposed some important realities for the actor.

The performer said it's time for people to "leave the circus" and get back to what matters most: reaching hearts and minds with the truth. Watch him explain.

Trump vs. Harris Chaos: What Would Jesus Do? Joshua Ryan Butler Weighs in on Today's Political Chaos

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 22:00:00 -0000

What would Jesus do amid a political environment that feels more fragmented and splintered than it's been in generations?

That's the central question pastor and author Joshua Ryan Butler dealt with in his latest book, "The Party Crasher: How Jesus Disrupts Politics as Usual and Redeems Our Partisan Divide."

Butler, who has been pastoring for two decades, said the past two election cycles have seen a "fracturing" and division that has obviously been felt by everyone.

"The political divide is wider than ever," he said, noting it has fractured "families, and friendships, and even churches." Listen to him reflect on today's political chaos.

'Bogus Joke': Ex-Prime Minister's Reaction to People Who Mock, Cancel Faith

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 15:52:22 -0000

"I believe God has been faithful to me over the course of my life." This proclamation from Scott Morrison, the former prime minister of Australia from 2018 to 2022, offers a lens into his deep Christian faith — an unwavering love for and devotion to the Almighty.

Morrison, who shares his faith in his latest book, "Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister's Testimony of God's Faithfulness," told CBN News the book isn't a political memoir but more about what he believes "God's done" in his life. Considering his faith led him to the "highest political office in Australia," Morrison offers some important lessons for those looking to follow the Lord more closely.

His leadership came at a deeply challenging time — one he said was filled with the COVID-19 pandemic, bushfires, droughts, floods, rising tensions with China, and more. "It was a bit of a perfect storm there over the almost four years I was prime minister," he said. "But ... God was faithful ... and that's what I try to tell the story ... and encourage people in their own faith."

Morrison also reacted to the debate that often unfolds in the U.S. over the role of faith in public life. While some people argue a politician's religious beliefs should be completely separate from their life when they're leading — that these sentiments should not be a part of any of a president's decision-making — he pushed back on such a claim.

"It's a bogus joke. It's ridiculous," he said. "It's a very convenient argument for those who don't want to see the influence of Jesus Christ in their society. You know, lock them in a room, cancel them, mock them, dismiss them, say they have no right to express their faith." Morrison continued, "Freedom of religion, and, importantly, the separation of church and state was established to protect faith, not to silence it." Hear him explain.

God’s Miraculous Answer to Pastor’s Simple Prayer Changed Absolutely Everything

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 02:15:26 -0000

A Virginia pastor believes a miraculous provision from God led his family to adopt, and he's now sharing his insight and inspiration with others. Dr. Bob Griffith, lead pastor of Christ Chapel in Woodbridge, Virginia, tells his family's incredible story in the book "Fostering Jesus: Answering the Call to Foster Care in the Home and Church."

Like many, at one point Griffith didn't know a great deal about foster care and learned quite a bit as he went into it. And after he and his family started, they were asked if they'd consider going further and adopting. "The county representatives called and they said. 'We need to know now, 'Would you like to be an adoptive parent to these children?'" he recalled. "And I will be honest with you; my answer was, 'No.'"

Griffith continued, "I used my brain that God gave me and I did an assessment of how big of a home we had, and how many seats in our car, and just very practical things. And I could not see how we could do this." With three children already in their home, the family would immediately swell to eight members, expanding well beyond their resources and means.

But, while Griffith couldn't see a path forward, God had a powerful plan. And a simple prayer on the pastor's part opened the floodgates for it to all come together. "I prayed and I told God, 'My answer is 'No,' unless you really want this to happen. If this is Your plan for my life, then of course I will do it,'" Griffith said, continuing his invocation: "But if that's the case, you're going to have to do something about it.'" And that's when an incredible miracle happened. Hear Griffith tell his story.

Kevin Sorbo's Real Life Story: 'Hercules' Actor Shares About Billy Graham, Embracing Jesus, and Defying Hollywood Stereotypes

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 22:24:07 -0000

Who is actor Kevin Sorbo? The "Hercules" and "God's Not Dead" star joins Billy Hallowell to reveal his path into Hollywood, why he stands up for faith and family-friendly content — and what it was like to meet Billy Graham as a child. Listen to this powerful episode of "Newsmakers."

'Duck Dynasty' Star Willie Robertson's Secret to 'Revival' Would Shatter Darkness

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 04:00:00 -0000

Willie Robertson and his family are known for sparking laughs, but the "Duck Dynasty" star, his parents, and siblings have also spent a great deal of time sharing their faith and inspiring the masses. Robertson, who is set to release a new book titled "Gospeler: Turning Darkness into Light One Conversation at a Time," is on a mission to encourage people to share their faith in Jesus.

"[I] felt like God had a message right now ... and that's always been on my heart," Robertson told CBN News. "And, obviously, that was impacted by my father [Phil Robertson] sharing his faith a lot." The Robertsons' story has been told in books and, most recently, through the powerful feature film "The Blind," a drama telling Phil Robertson's story from alcohol and chaos to Christ. Robertson said his father's conversion to Christianity decades ago forever changed the trajectory of his family and posited what would have happened had it never unfolded.

"Had that not happened — had mom and dad not found their faith — I would have grown up a completely different person," he said. "I don't even know that I would have faith." Robertson continued, "There would have been no company Duck Commander, there would have been no 'Duck Dynasty.'" But because one man shared his Christian beliefs with Phil Robertson, a chain reaction was started — one in which the entire Robertson family found Jesus and then, in turn, has spent more than a decade sharing God through entertainment, books, movies, and more.

"One couple in Arkansas ... found their faith, kept their family together, ended up 50 years later, in some way, spreading the Gospel message, whether through the prayer at the end of the show, the movie, the podcast," Robertson said, noting the legacy carries on to the next generation through his daughter, Sadie, and others who are working through additional channels to share their faith. "It's pretty amazing, if you think about it. It just lets me know ... you never know what God has in store."

Robertson said he can't imagine what life would look like had someone not stepped out in boldness to share faith with his father. It's something that's inspiring his journey now as he looks to invigorate Christians to do the same with those they encounter. Listen for the full explanation of why evangelism is so key.

FOX News' Lawrence Jones Delivers Powerful Gospel Message: 'Proud to Be a Believer'

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 04:00:00 -0000

"FOX & Friends" co-host Lawrence Jones has a deep-rooted faith, a passion for the Gospel, and a growing media career that has landed him on millions of TV sets each week. "I come from generations of pastors," Jones recently told CBN News. "My mom's a preacher, grandparents are, so, the Gospel at large — knowing who Christ is and accepting [Him] to my heart ... that's all I know."

The 31-year-old TV host said he grew up learning biblical truth, but it wasn't until he left home and moved to Washington, D.C., and then New York City that the things he was taught growing up about God and the Bible were fully put into practice.

"You start getting tested," Jones said. "For me, the faith walk became real when life became real, and when you're alone and you don't have that support system being with you every single day." Jones, who recently released the book, "American Man: Speaking the Truth about the War on Masculinity," said he's not the type of person who will pretend he's a "perfect Christian," refusing to project a lie or mistruth. With that in mind, he said he's striving to be more like Jesus each and every day.

"Part of the Gospel itself is understanding that Christ paid it all because I'm imperfect," Jones said. "And anytime that we try to project ourselves as these perfect beings, I think we take His glory away, because ... if we have it all together, then He wouldn't need to pay it all on the cross for our sins." Jones, who sees life through a biblical lens, is in a truly unique position with a prime spot on TV, delivering news and information to the masses. He called his work on "FOX & Friends" and Fox News more broadly an "exciting experience."

"I've had the opportunity to grow in different ways," Jones said. "Obviously, starting off as a contributor and then, from there, becoming Sean Hannity's correspondent, to doing my own show on Saturday to now this incredible opportunity." Despite all the attention and success, Jones said he hasn't found it tough to cling to his faith. "I don't find it a struggle to hold on to who God has called me to be and be that person," he said, noting he's "proud to be a believer."

Understanding Revelation and Prophecy: What the Bible's Final Book Tells Us

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 21:23:07 -0000

Filmmaker Tim Mahoney has long been on a mission to help viewers look at the Bible in new and innovative ways, exploring proof for the Exodus among other topics.

His latest two-part project, "Seven Churches of Revelation," is a project he believes to be "really important for Christians today."

"Many people are wondering — they're feeling uneasy about the future, and they're wondering, 'Are we living in the last days?'" he said. Listen to Mahoney explain.

Filmmakers Alex and Stephen Kendrick Explain Significance of New Film 'The Forge'

Sat, 10 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0000

Filmmakers Alex and Stephen Kendrick join "Newsmakers" to share the significance of their new film "The Forge."

Israel's First-Ever Christian Olympian Reacts to Terror Threat, Opening Ceremony

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 01:15:21 -0000

Ashlee Bond has been on a truly captivating journey. The U.S.-born show-jumping rider is the first Christian athlete to represent Israel at the Olympics. Bond participated in the Tokyo Games in 2021 and was in Paris this summer to once again compete in the Olympic games. "I am part Jewish, so ... I feel right at home," Bond told CBN News of her experience competing on team Israel. Her journey to contending on behalf of the Jewish state started when she was 33 years old, which she considers significant considering her Christian heritage.

"I was 33 when I got my citizenship — on my 33rd birthday," she said. "Jesus was crucified when he was 33. I have always considered myself an American-Israeli or Israeli-American, either way. My dad was born in Haifa ... I still have some family that lives in Israel." Bond said her Israeli heritage was always "very prominent" in her life, with the culture integrated into her daily life. Ultimately, she developed a "strong Israeli character," which helped lead her to seek Israeli citizenship in 2018. "I just felt this calling with my faith being a Christian, being that Jesus — that's where he was born, and where he died, and where he rose again," Bond said.

There were some significant considerations for Bond when competing in the 2024 Olympic Games, though, especially after Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack and the ongoing tensions in the Middle East — events that led to increased security concerns for Israeli Olympians. "It was definitely nerve-wracking, to say the least," she said. "I pride myself on being a pretty tough person — someone who isn't shaken too easily." But Bond said she and others received a threatening email before the 2024 Olympics that left her stunned.

"[It] singled me out personally, along with ... I believe 16 other Israeli athletes from a terrorist organization threatening our lives and saying ... 'If you fly over, you drive over, we run the airports, we run the streets, we will have blood run in the streets like Munich in '72,'" she said, referencing the 1972 terror attack that claimed the lives of 11 Israeli Olympians. "That was a little concerning." Bond said she coped with associated fears by leaning into Jesus, focusing on her calling and not any of the worries that the email sparked in her heart. The threats were especially concerning because the emails were delivered and addressed to each individual's personal email — and that's not all. "There were a couple Israeli athletes that got their obituaries sent to them," she said.

Bond also reacted to the controversial opening ceremony.

'Simply Shameful': Attorney Slams Biden's Supreme Court Plans as 'Political Weapon'

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 14:48:00 -0000

With the 2024 election cycle continuing to take many twists and turns, President Joe Biden's sweeping proposals to alter the U.S. Supreme Court are certain to reignite headlines as the campaign intensifies.

Jeremy Dys, senior counsel for First Liberty, a conservative legal firm, opposes Biden's recommendations and said he believes the Supreme Court has long been used to drive a wedge between voters.

"That the Supreme Court would be used by the left as a political tool or a political weapon, I think is just simply shameful," he said. "Our republican-democracy here requires judicial independence."

And Dys wasn't done there. He also lamented the Biden administration's improper use of court-packing threats and other related tactics "to try to get their way."

The attorney said the proposal for term limits would immediately impact Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, who are largely seen as more conservative justices. Terms would be limited to 18 years, and presidents would nominate judges to the court every two years.

"It all comes clear into view what the real target here is," Dys said. "They can't get their way at the Supreme Court, and, so, now, in their view, they have to punish."

He continued, "I think it's just simply shocking and should shock the conscience of every American. What this would do immediately would be to drive off the two conservatives on the bench that the left hates the most."

Dys believes this is the "very point" of the effort and said this "type of political vindictiveness should never be rewarded."

Looking back at historical precedent, the attorney said he believes the lifetime appointments for judges were set in motion to provide the "maximum amount of judicial independence" and to insulate the justices as much as possible from the political pressures of the day.

Others like Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, take a different view from Dys. In fact, Waldman said Biden's Supreme Court reform efforts are "in many ways...conservative ideas."

"Term limits rest on a foundational premise of accountability: nobody should hold too much public power for too long," Waldman wrote. "George Washington taught us that when he stepped down after two terms."

He also cited what he said is bi-partisan support for term limits, noting past polling. Read more about his position here.

Others like Amanda Hollis-Brusky, a politics professor at Pomona College in Claremont, California, agree with Waldman and echo the idea that the term limit proposal has bi-partisan appeal.

"As conservative scholar Steven Calabresi and his co-author wrote in 2006, moving to a system of 18-year terms 'would restore the norms in this country that prevailed on the Court between 1789 and 1970, when vacancies occurred about once every two years, and Justices served an average of 14.9 years on the Court,'" Hollis-Brusky recently wrote.

She continued, "Supreme Court justices are serving longer and longer, but this is a relatively recent trend. Justices who have left the bench since 1990 served an average of 26.3 years, based on 2021 research, almost double what Calabresi reports from the first two centuries of Supreme Court practice."

The justices themselves have been relatively quiet about the issue, though Justice Neil Gorsuch did warn Biden and others seeking to reform the court. He cited the need for an independent judiciary that protects people even when they're not in line with "popular" opinion.

"There for the moments when, when the spotlight’s on you, when the government’s coming after you, and don’t you want a ferociously independent judge and a jury of your peers to make those decisions?” Gorsuch told Fox News' Shannon Bream. "And so I just say, be careful."

Communists, LGBTQ Activists' Christian Coffee Shop Targeting Continues

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 18:07:34 -0000

The owner of an embattled Christian coffee shop in Colorado said his business and ministry are continuing to persist despite facing a barrage of protests from communists and LGBTQ protesters over the past year. Jamie Sanchez, founder of Recycle God's Love, once again joined CBN News to offer a powerful update about the Drip Cafe, a coffee shop he launched as part of his affiliated ministry Project Revive.

Sanchez said the coffee shop, despite facing an ongoing onslaught of chaotic demonstrations, has been training and helping its first homeless worker. It's a recognition of his ministry's effort to help the homeless through employment and connections to much-needed resources. "[Our goal is to hire] homeless individuals, to give them a real W2 job, and to also disciple them while they're working alongside us," Sanzhez said. "And the project encompasses everything from providing housing to financial advising with them, spiritual guidance."

The first hire — named Scott — has reportedly had a wonderful and fruitful experience. Once Sanchez sound out Scott was in need of some help, he realized it was the right time to finally launch the program. "God just put it on my heart," he said. "So, I hired him on and ... it's crazy, because I hired him, he comes in, we're making sure he's staying sober, giving him everything right up front like, 'Hey, like this is serious. We're treating this job like a real job. If you're late, if you don't show up, it's just like a real job. If you don't show up to a shift and you don't call, you're let go.'"

Fortunately, the process has gone very well, with Scott persisting. Even if someone is let go from the job, Sanchez said his ministry will still help him or her with discipleship, finding housing, and other relevant needs. Already, Scott, who excelled at the job, is leaving his shelter and moving into housing through a local partner ministry.

"It just shows ... how God really ... when you put the trust in Him, what He does," Sanchez said, noting that working alongside like-minded people has helped Scott thrive. "It really just proves that the chains that come with being homeless can be broken with the power of Jesus Christ."

Despite this success, Sanchez said the protests against his cafe still unfold one day a month, with the chaos unfolding on what should be the busiest day for business.

Greg Laurie on What Olympics, Effort to 'Mock God' Reveal About Culture

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 15:24:51 -0000

Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in California, believes the strange events surrounding the Olympics this year have presented "a microcosm of what's not right in the world today." "They start off the Olympic ceremonies with the open mockery of the Last Supper, the painting by Leonardo da Vinci," Laurie told CBN News. "And then they deny that's what it was."

He juxtaposed the massive debacle over what many have taken as a drag-queen-driven mockery of the Last Supper against a report that Brazilian surfer Joao Chianca was reportedly forced to remove an image of Jesus from his surfboard before the Olympics began. "So, we can openly mock Christ here," Laurie said. "But you can't have any representation of Jesus on your surfboard ... everything's upside down."

The preacher said the "whole thing is just ridiculous," but emblematic of a broader problem unfolding in the culture at large. "This is ... really a representation of culture saying, 'We don't want God ... we're gonna openly mock God now, we're gonna make new rules, we're gonna define what a man is, what a woman is, what marriage is, and I'm gonna change everything,'" Laurie said. "And you have chaos as a result and you see it in the world; you see it in America."

The Harvest Crusade founder expressed his belief that the farther society gets from God, the more problems will develop — something he believes we're watching happen in real-time. Despite the troubles before us, Laurie reminded Christians of the "two secret weapons" in their arsenal: prayer and evangelism. "We need to use those weapons more," he said, encouraging people to pray for those who don't know the Lord. "We are in a spiritual battle, and the best thing in this spiritual battle is to gain ground, not just hold ground."

Laurie shared his comments while also discussing the powerful "Jesus Revolution" baptism his church recently held at Pirates Cove in California, a historic beach where baptisms have routinely unfolded in recent decades. Laurie said 2,000 people were baptized in one day—a stunning number that shows, despite culture's moral demise, God is still moving.

Biggest Risk if Biden's Supreme Court Reform Becomes Reality

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 10:13:38 -0000

President Joe Biden's sweeping proposals to change the U.S. Supreme Court and presidential immunity are being met with a variety of opinions. Brad Jacob, a Regent University professor and legal expert, detailed Biden's plans for CBN News, explaining his view the president's proposals are rooted in what he believes to be political "discontent." "The primary thing that's going on here is discontent within the political left with recent decisions of the Supreme Court," he said. "And that's nothing new. I mean, throughout our nation's history, if people believe the Supreme Court has messed something up, people try to figure out ways to deal with this."

Constitutional amendments have been aimed at changing Supreme Court rulings in the past, but Jacob said Biden's current push concerns the court's structure. In recent years, some progressives have pushed for court-packing, which is "adding more justices so that the current president could put on a bunch of people who agree with his viewpoint and overrule the other side." But the current proposal from Biden deals, instead, with term limits. "Primarily, what's going on, there [are] folks who believe they're losing in the Supreme Court today [and they] want to change outcomes, which honestly, is not the correct way to approach this," Jacob said. "The Supreme Court is not supposed to be a partisan political animal. The justices are supposed to decide cases correctly under the law."

The problem with trying to change the court's structure, he said, is that the other side will simply try to do the same thing when given the opportunity.

"In reality, it's very hard to remove a justice from the court," Jacob said. "The idea of that was to let the judiciary be independent, to keep it free from partisan politics." Jacob went on to provide the strongest arguments for and against term limits. As for the former, he said some presidents don't appoint any justices while others get to appoint a number of them. The imbalance can sometimes be evident in the court's composition. "I think there's a worthwhile conversation about something like 18-year term limits for justices... you'd have to stagger it starting out, but then every two years, one justice would reach the end of his or her term and have to leave the court," he said. "And every president, unless someone resigns or dies early, every president would nominate exactly two Supreme Court justices in a four-year term."

Danny Gokey Won't Abandon Truth Amid Chaos: 'Sets People Free'

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 14:11:22 -0000

The singer said this variety of sound is captured on the new album, which was released on July 26.

Islamic Extremism Sparks Slaughter, Attacks, Murder of Christians in Pakistan

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 10:09:48 -0000

A persecution watchdog is warning about the dire state of persecution in Pakistan, calling it "one of the most difficult countries to be a Christian." David Curry, CEO of Global Christian Relief, told CBN News Pakistan's blasphemy laws — regulations restricting slights against religion — can lead to mob violence and evils perpetuated against Christians.

"They have very strong blasphemy laws, which I describe as vigilante laws that give any extremist the ability to make an accusation against a Christian that they have offended in some way Mohammed," Curry said. "And then rile up a mob to attack them, and [in] many cases kill them." He said some rely on these blasphemy laws to imprison and dole out the death sentence to Christians, often relying on fraudulent claims to make their case.

"In all these years I've been doing this, I don't remember a case that seemed at all legitimate," Curry said. "It's just very common that there are false charges brought." Despite the chaos, Curry hopes Pakistan eventually curbs the misuse of these laws and the targeting of the Christian religious minority within its borders.

"I still have a sliver of hope that it has the possibility, as a democracy, as a country that ... has some systems that still work, of being a real light in that region," Curry said, expressing a semblance of hope. "But, for now, what we have is a group that has been moving towards ... the rule of Islamic extremism."

Curry shared the story surrounding a group of people who were placed on death row for purportedly sending "texts claiming that Muhammad wasn't God." He said one of the most remarkable facets of the case was that these messages were purportedly sent in English while the accused were "illiterate." "They didn't even have a cell phone," Curry said. "So, everything about the accusation was clearly and patently false."

She Escaped a Cult-Like Existence and Found Christ: 'God Heals'

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 17:57:13 -0000

A Story Only God Could Write: One Church Transforms Lives of 77 Kids

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 10:01:42 -0000

Amid America's foster care and adoption crisis, a heartwarming new movie tells the powerful story of how one pastor and his wife inspired their church and town to help the "least of these" in the most profound and impactful of ways. "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot," which hit theaters July 4, came from the mind and heart of writer and producer Rebekah Weigel and her husband, Joshua, who directed the feature.

Rebekah Weigel told CBN News that the film's roots were set in 2013, when the couple adopted two children and she subsequently learned what happened in Possum Trot, Texas — how a church adopted 77 children in the deepest of need. "I came across this story and it just really impacted me deeply, because we were in the trenches with our own kids, and to just hear about a whole church stepping in and doing it together was just really inspiring."

As time when on, Weigel and Joshua felt compelled to tell that story through film — a process that took eight years before this month's theatrical release. She believes "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot" has the power to transform hearts and minds when it comes to foster care and adoption. "Twenty-two families from a little church stepped into the foster crisis, adopted 77 children," Weigel said. "They were the most difficult-to-place children in the Texas child welfare system."

The film focuses on a number of stories, but the central characters are Bishop W.C. Martin and his wife, Donna Martin (portrayed by actors Demetrius Grosse and Nika King), who spearheaded the adoptions and helped inspire their church along the way. Of course, that process was anything but easy, with the kids' trauma, difficulties — and the adoptive families' struggles — on full display in the film.

Weigel explained that the foster care issue is a "crisis across the country." There are so many kids in need that some youths are placed in hotels or hospital wards as they await foster care placement or adoption. "There's 400,000 kids in the foster system right now," she said. "There's 100,000 that are eligible to be adopted right now that need a permanent, stable, loving home." Weigel is hopeful the "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot" will help motivate the church to do more to meet these kids' needs.

"We have 400,000 churches in America and 100,000 kids just languishing in the system waiting to be adopted," she said. "So, if one church focused on one child, we could wipe out this entire crisis. And we would have more than enough homes, more than enough help and resources."

'God Had Big Plans': From Abuse and Chaos to Christ

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 20:24:01 -0000

In a world full of lies, David Hoffman is on a mission to deliver truth. Hoffman, author of the book "

Relationships Over Rules: 7 Principles to Lead Gracefully and Love Generously - Harnessing the Power of Relationships to Overcome Your Past and Embrace Your Future," is a successful business leader and family man today, but his journey didn't start out that way.

"The world tells us all these rules of what you can't do," he told CBN News. "I grew up Jewish, so I can't be a believer ... I was raised in a broken household without a lot of love, and so I can't be married with kids and show them unconditional love." But while many people might buy into lies like these, Hoffman said there's another path — one centered on the Lord. "With God in the center, I just want to encourage people that, with Him in the center — with the gifts He gives you — with the relationships He places in your life, you can reach your true potential," he said.

Hoffman said his own upbringing led to complex feelings and emotions in his life. Overall, he felt a lack of love and this missing puzzle piece left him with a great deal of pain. "My father left when I was 11," he said. "I grew up with like a lot of neglect and I felt like I was alone a lot." Hoffman continued, "I would ask God why He would let all these bad things happen to good people."

It's understandable why he felt so conflicted. Hoffman described a childhood filled with abuse. The challenges were profound. Over time, though, he came to understand God's nature and character, realizing the Lord isn't the author of any of the evil we might face in life. As time went on, rather than living in lament, he came to appreciate those sentiments. "I just want to encourage people ... that your past does not define your purpose," he said. "And your past doesn't dictate your potential. And, so, for me, not having ... many loved ones in my life, not feeling a lot of love, not having a lot of opportunity ... it made me crave those and appreciate those."

Terrifying Movie Imagining Anti-Christian Horror Seeks to 'Wake Up' America

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 23:00:00 -0000

The actors behind a powerful new movie that imagines a dystopian America where Bibles are banned, Christianity is vanquished, and believers are forced into underground churches are sharing the miracles that helped make the movie possible and the powerful messages they hope audiences take away. "Disciples in the Moonlight" stars Drew Varvel, Brett Varvel, and Josh Strychalski joined CBN News to explain the ins and outs of the movie.

"I would describe it primarily as an action suspense thriller," Brett said. "This [is a] movie that was based off of a question that Josh came to me with over 10 years ago, which was, 'What if the Bible was illegal?'" With that in mind, "Disciples in the Moonlight" focuses on seven characters who are trying to smuggle the Bible to underground churches across the U.S. at a time when the Scriptures are illegal and a new, "less-offensive" and watered-down version of the Bible is available.

Brett's real-life brother, Drew, who co-stars in "Disciples in the Moonlight," said the most exciting part of the project is that "there's nothing else like this." While the movie imagines a terrifying America — one in which the government cracks down on faith — Brett said this situation exists in other countries today. "We have freedom here in America, and what I've seen happen over my lifetime is a continual growth of apathy in the church of America," Brett said. "And, so, all of a sudden, this desire started building in my heart."

And that desire is to wake up the church and prepare people to stand if and when more intensive persecution does strike. "It really centers around the question of: 'How much do we treasure the Word of God?'" Brett said. "Is it absolute truth? Is it absolute authority in our lives? Josh has had a great quote in some of our interviews where he says, 'Am I a practicing atheist in my faith?'" He continued, "I really desire to see the church wake up here in America."

Strychalski said there were "challenges and setbacks" along the way to getting the movie made. But those issues led the team to lean into God. "All of the challenges and setbacks that we encountered in every phase of the project was really an opportunity for us to press into ... prayer," he said. "The release of this movie [can] only be explainable because God did it. And it wasn't something that we were able to muster up our strength to do on our own willpower."

Politicians' Historic Embrace of God Stuns Lawmaker: 'Holy Spirit Is Moving'

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 14:11:00 -0000

A Tennessee politician is on a passionate mission to urge fellow citizens to turn back to the Lord. State Rep. Monty Fritts (R) took the historic step of spearheading a resolution calling Tennesseans to coalesce for 30 days of prayer, fasting, and seeking God on behalf of the state. Fritts told CBN News it's a near-miracle that legislators in both the Tennessee House and Senate approved House Joint Resolution 803 (HJR 803) and that the governor then signed it — a difficult feat, particularly in an era when people routinely battle about views on the separation of church and state.

HJR 803 calls for "prayer and fasting in Tennessee" to unfold from July 1-July 31, citing everything from human trafficking to violence and drug abuse — evils plaguing the state, nation, and world. "We recognize that God, as Creator and King of all Glory, has both the authority to judge and to bless nations or states," the resolution reads, in part. "Be it further resolved that we, as public servants in the Tennessee General Assembly, seek God's Mercy upon our land and beseech Him to not withdraw His Hand of blessing from us."

The lawmaker was motivated by frustration with the state of affairs in Tennessee and in America more broadly, citing the "vitriol and the division in the nation." "I think God just opened my eyes," Fritts said, noting he fears "God may be removing his hand of blessing from Tennessee and maybe even applying his hand of judgment." Far from a mere proclamation, the effort, titled, "A Resolution to Seek God's Hand of Mercy Healing on Tennessee," sparked associated events and gatherings all over Tennessee. Already, Fritts and others have been to 60 counties where prayer and worship events have unfolded. He said they plan to go to all 95 counties before the month is over.

As for anyone who tries to challenge Fritts over the separation of church and state, he said he believes many simply misunderstand the issue and have been "taught...a lie" about the role of faith in society. "I think it's a lie from hell," he said. "The America we see today, the Tennessee we see today [is] a result of the church recoiling from her position to be a light into the world." The elected official said people started separating decades ago from this concept and that we have seen, as a result, "brokenness in our homes" and other issues, including the Fentanyl crisis, border chaos, and more. "I think when you reflect back on God's nature, Hebrews 13 says, 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore,'" he said. "I think that's true." Rather than allowing Tennessee to be further denigrated, he hopes to inspire revival in the hearts and minds of residents, reminding them to turn back to the Lord. Already, he's seeing transformed lives.

Dennis Quaid on Playing Reagan, Embracing Christianity — and How He Votes

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 16:44:51 -0000

When celebrated actor Dennis Quaid examines today's political landscape, he sees a situation reminiscent of the one America faced in the late 1970s and early 1980s. "The times are very much like they were back in the late 70s, before [Ronald] Reagan came to office in 1980," he told CBN News. "[With] Iran, we had the hostages, the Soviet Union ... to buy a house, interest rates were 20%." He continued, "There was this feeling of malaise in the country, like we were a declining nation, that ... we had a weak president."

Quaid portrays Reagan in the new feature film, "Reagan," which releases nationwide August 30, 2024. "I was offered this movie six years ago ... and I did not say, 'Yes' at first, because, tell you the truth, it kind of scared me to death," Quaid said. "Reagan is ... like Muhammad Ali, one of the most recognizable people in the world. ... He was my favorite president. I voted for him."

The complexity of playing such a known individual — someone with whom the public has both memory and reverence — is tough. But Quaid eventually capitulated and took the role. "This fear went down my spine, and usually that fear is a sign that I should ... get out of my comfort zone," he said. "I had two years to really prepare for the role." With the film coming out during the 2024 election cycle — one that could be historic in more ways than one – Quaid encouraged Americans to come together, even amid so much divisiveness.

"We've got to get to a place in this country where we could talk to each other across the aisle ... because we need each other," he said. "Republicans, Democrats, we need each other. We keep each other from going out too far this way or that, and we're all Americans." Quaid, a lifelong Independent, has voted "both ways" throughout his life based on what he believes America truly needs. This time around, the "Reagan" star said he'll vote for Trump.

"For me, this election [is] beyond personality and all that," he said. "The election is really about the Constitution and when I see the weaponization of the justice system."

Hollywood Actress' 'Real Connection With God,' On-Set Encounter With Holy Spirit

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 18:54:08 -0000

Actress Nika King, who plays a pastor's wife in "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot," is helping bring to light the movie's powerful, real-life story about adoption and foster care. But King's real-life connection to the issue and her role in portraying Donna Martin, wife of Bishop W.C. Martin, is a story only God could write. See, King's character, Martin, is a preacher's wife who inspired 22 families in her church to adopt 77 of the most difficult-to-place children.

As it turns out, King's own mother's story is strikingly similar to the events depicted in "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot." "It's my mom's story," King told CBN News of the movie. "She was fostered by a pastor and his wife. And I knew I had to be in this film some kind of way." The actress said her maternal grandma was murdered and that her mom never knew her.

"It's still a cold case," King said. "We don't know who did it."

Her mom ended up in foster care with her three brothers. All four were adopted by the pastor and his wife, a similar dynamic to what happened in Possum Trot. "It kind of unfolded just like this movie ... the ups and downs of being traumatized, being left alone, kind of to fend for yourself," King said.

Decades later, King said she was fascinated by the opportunity to appear in "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot." At first, King had a different role, but, as it came time to film, the cast shifted and she was thrown into the leading role — one she was overjoyed to play. "I was just so happy," King said. "I said, 'Yes' ... all the way through."

Rebecca St. James on What Christians Must 'Say to Hollywood' Right Now

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0000

Jonathan Turley Sounds Alarm on 'Most Dangerous' Anti-Free Speech Era

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 20:23:39 -0000

Free speech expert Jonathan Turley believes America is in the midst of its "most dangerous" anti-free speech era, calling President Joe Biden the "most anti-free speech president since John Adams." Turley, a George Washington University law professor and the author of "The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage," told CBN News the assaults on free expression today are uniquely troubling, citing a triangular dominance in media and other spheres.

"We've had these periods of anti-free speech movements before, but this is the most dangerous," he said. "And the reason is because we've never seen an alliance like this, where the government, corporations, academia, and the media joined together in this attack on free speech." Turley lamented newspaper columns framing the First Amendment as being "out of control," and highlighted what he said is a movement among some academics to "rewrite the First Amendment."

"What we're seeing is, perhaps, I think, arguably the most dangerous anti-free speech movement in our history," he reiterated. "We cannot assume that, even though we've gotten through all of the periods discussed in [my book "The Indispensable Right"], that we will get through this one."

When asked to weigh in on long-held perspectives from many conservatives and Christians that Hollywood, media, and universities hold a bias against their views, Turley offered a candid response. "I think it is most certainly true," he said. "I have a long chapter on higher education and it details how much we've lost. I would never have imagined when I started teaching three decades ago that higher education would be this intolerant."

Turley charged that "universities have largely purged conservatives, Republicans, libertarians," and that many faculties fail to employ many — if any — people who subscribe to these views. Watch to see what else he has to say on the matter.

Holocaust Survivor Decries Hamas' 'Cruelty' Against Isreal, Reveals How Hitler's Terror Upended Entire Life

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 04:00:00 -0000

Eighty years after diabolical German leader Adolf Hitler went on a reign of terror, killing millions of Jewish men, women, and children, the stories of pain, horror, loss, and tragedy continue to reverberate. Victims like Jochen "Jack" Wurfl continue educate today's generations about what unfolded, with his new book, "My Two Lives" releasing just weeks before Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel.

Wurfl opened up in an interview with CBN News about the traumatic events he experienced during World War II as his mother, who was Jewish, and father, a Catholic, both lost their lives during the Holocaust. Wurfl and his brother, Peter, were sent away in an effort to keep them safe. Another factor allowing the children to blend in and escape Hitler's wrath was their mixed background.

"My parents decided very wisely to have us baptized Catholic, and that helped us all along because every time someone asked us, or we had to complete some papers or something, instead of saying 'Jewish,' we could say, 'Catholic,'" he said. "So, that was a big help at that time." Wurfl started school in Berlin when he was just 6 years old, recalling how he and the other students had to go into the backyard of the school and learn how to march and sing Hitler's praises — something they wanted no part of but were forced to do.

"We had to learn how to march and how to say, 'Hail, Hitler!'" he said, "When we were a couple years older than that, we were actually beginning to be taught by the Hitler Youth ... to use certain weapons such as bazookas and grenades and that type of thing. We were just kids." Wurfl said he and his brother were young but knew they were hiding out under the guise of their Catholic identity. They also knew the costs were quite high.

Wurfl and his family soon faced the unthinkable, as his father was arrested and sent to a concentration camp. Eventually, his mother, too, faced the same fate; both died. The story is particularly pertinent as the Israel-Hamas war continues to rage and anti-Semitism grows. "It's very disturbing," he said of Hamas' violence and rising anti-Jewish sentiment. "It was very, very surprising how they went about it in such cruelty." Listen to his story.

Actor and Comedian Rob Schneider Reveals Why He's Embracing Faith, Finding Forgiveness, and Speaking Out

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 04:00:00 -0000

Actor and Comedian Rob Schneider recently offered a powerful -- and public -- message of forgiveness. He explains why he's now embracing faith, God, and forgiveness. Plus: hear about some of his new projects on this episode of the "Newsmakers Podcast" with Billy Hallowell.

Worst Countries For Christian Persecution: Inside the Shocking Rise in Extremism, Attacks

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 04:00:00 -0000

North Korea remains the worst nation in the world for Christian persecution, with the situation in Nigeria continuing to devolve, according to a new report on global religious discrimination. Overall, Open Doors’ World Watch List 2024 found 4,998 Christians were killed over their faith, a figure the organization said is likely much higher due to underreporting. Meanwhile, 365 million Christians face intense persecution and discrimination for their views.

One of the most alarming statistics in the latest report is the massive, seven-fold rise in church, Christian school, and hospital attacks, with that total increasing from 2,110 in the 2023 study to 14,766 in 2024. Assaults on Christians' homes also rose from 4,547 to 21,431, with the number of believers pushed out of their houses expanding from 124,310 to 278,716.

One of the most sobering lines from a press release surrounding the World Watch List 2024 reads, "More than 82% of Christians killed across the globe for faith reasons were in Nigeria."

The most recent rankings put Nigeria in the sixth spot for persecution and discrimination. But Nigeria isn't alone, as persecution in sub-Saharan Africa, more broadly, is an area of concern.

"Faith-related killings in sub-Saharan Africa far outstripped those of any other region on the annual list," the release read. "This has been a trend for several years." Watch Ryan Brown, CEO of Open Doors US, describe the report and the full scope of the problem.

‘I…Believe in the Power of Prayer’: Actress Roma Downey on God, Tragedy, and Trust

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 04:00:00 -0000

Actress and producer Roma Downey has built a long career in Hollywood, creating TV and film content that inspires and entertains.

The “Touched By An Angel” star has also carried her uplifting, family-friendly messages into literary works, including a new children’s book, “A Message in the Moon.”

Downey said her touching new book is deeply personal, with the concept predicated upon her childhood.

“This story for this book has sat in my heart for a really long time,” she recently told CBN Digital. “My mother died when I was just a little girl; I was only 10.”

Country Star Granger Smith Leaves Music For Jesus: 'I'm Just So Excited'

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 04:00:00 -0000

Tony Perkins Announces Major Effort to 'Protect' New GOP Platform

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 18:08:22 -0000

With the 2024 election heating up, attention is turning to official party positions and platforms. On Tuesday, a coalition of groups announced the launch of the Platform Integrity Project, an effort to ensure the Republican Party Platform maintains its conservative ideals.A press release from Family Research Council Action (FRC Action), a group that seeks to influence politicians on behalf of faith and family issues, notes the new effort aims to protect the “pro-life, pro-family, and pro-Israel” elements of the Republican Party platform.

FRC Action chairman Tony Perkins, an elected member of the Republican National Committee (RNC) Platform Committee, is at the helm of the Platform Integrity Project. He exclusively explained the scope of the effort in a statement shared with CBN News. “This coalition seeks to work with the RNC and the Trump campaign for an open process that will help ensure the preservation of the GOP’s solidly conservative platform that contains longstanding pro-life, pro-family, and pro-Israel planks,” the statement read. “This effort will, for the first time, score individual votes of platform delegates.”

The announcement comes amid concerns moderate Republicans could try to dilute the more conservative planks of the platform. Perkins said party platforms are incredibly important as they highlight a party’s priorities and principles, with past data suggesting lawmakers tend to stick closely to the ideals in their associated platforms. He added that FRC Action is teaming up with other groups like WallBuilders, Faith Wins, Family Policy Alliance, and Palmetto Family Council, among others, to launch the Platform Integrity Project and ensure clear and concise ideals are communicated about “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

“America is an unprecedented place of moral and cultural confusion and is in dire need of leadership and moral clarity,” Perkins said. “Voters need to see a contrast between the two parties on their policy priorities. Voters want and need a choice.” He continued, “The message to Platform Committee delegates is clear: preserve life and family values in the Republican Party platform so that social conservatives can continue to find a home in the GOP.”

The Platform Integrity Project comes amid fears the Republican Party and Trump campaign could end up watering down or removing some of the more conservative ideals in the GOP platform. Hear Perkins explain.

'Motorhome Prophecies': Once Trapped in a Cult, Rampant Abuse, Carrie Sheffield Reveals How 'God Heals'

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 17:50:21 -0000

Commentator and author Carrie Sheffield says she was once trapped in a cult and facing abuse -- that is, until she found healing. Sheffield joins the show to discuss her memoir, "Motorhome Prophecies: A Journey of Healing and Forgiveness."

Doctor Reveals 'Lies About Marijuana,' Reveals Shocking, Dangerous Stats

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0000

A Texas doctor who researches the effects of marijuana is sounding the alarm about culture's mainstreaming of the drug, warning its effects are anything but benign. Dr. Raymond Wiggins, an oral surgeon and author of the book "Weeding Out the Lies About Marijuana," told CBN Digital weed is a drug that can have profound psychological and physical effects on the body.

"If you want to talk about psychosis, for those who start using marijuana at a young age and who use it on a regular basis, there's a two and a half times risk of psychosis," Wiggins said. "One study ... actually showed a six times risk for those who used it regularly." He said research also shows young people who use the drug before age 18 are also at increased risk of psychosis, though the dangers don't stop there.

"If you're talking about depression and suicide, depression is greatly increased if you start smoking ... it as a teenager," Wiggins said. "And then if you look at the statistics for depression, up until the age of 30, those who smoked it as a teenager are 37% more likely to be depressed in their young adult years, and even later on in life."

The doctor also mentioned suicide as yet another factor worthy of exploring, stating research shows young people who use the drug are "50% more likely to think about suicide" and are "three and a half to seven times more likely to attempt suicide." Bipolar disorder is yet another issue Wiggins raised, with the doctor highlighting a recent study he said found a causal relationship between bipolar disorder and marijuana.

As for Wiggins own motivation for exploring marijuana use and addiction, the doctor pointed to experiences in his own family as well as patterns he's seen among his patients for igniting his passion to further explore the impact weed has on the masses. "I have three close relatives who were all heavy marijuana users and they're all dead today," he said. "I believe that they would be alive if it wasn't for marijuana."

Robert Morris Accuser Shares Her Story, Faith Journey

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 19:12:05 -0000

The fallout continues after Robert Morris resigned from Gateway Church over furor following allegations he molested a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s. Morris, 62, who resigned from Gateway last week, offered an initial statement on the allegations against him in which he again used the term “young lady.”

In that statement, he described what he said was “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” in a home he stayed in during his 20s. “It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong,” he said. The preacher went on to state that the behavior happened on “several occasions” over a number of years.

Morris said the situation was “brought to light” in 1987. He said he confessed, repented, sought counseling, and returned to ministry two years later with the support of the victim’s father. For the record, the accuser, Cindy Clemishire — now 54 — has denied the latter claim as well as the notion she was a "young lady" at the time, claiming the abuse started when she was just a child.

Clemishire joins CBN News to detail her allegations, to share her faith journey, and explain the reasons she's speaking out.

End Times, Abrahamic Covenant: How End of Days Views Impact Evangelicals on Israel

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 02:42:14 -0000

Evangelical support for Israel has remained unchanged amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, according to a recent survey. Researchers found the belief that "God’s covenant with the Jewish people remains intact today" serves as the greatest impact on support for the Jewish state.

"If a respondent professes this belief, the likelihood that this person strongly supports Israel increases almost threefold (180%)," reads a press release from researchers behind the study.

Dr. Motti Inbari, a professor of Jewish studies at UNC Pembroke, and Dr. Kirill Bumin, associate dean of Metropolitan College and director of Boston University Summer Term Programs, explained to CBN News what they found most stunning about the latest data.

"We've been doing this research for quite some time," Bumin said. "And one of the things that I find particularly interesting is the degree to which the attitudes that we see in the Christian community are crystallized or rigid."

He continued, "We have seen relatively little change in attitudes towards support for Israel, support for Palestinians, or support for neither from 2021 onward."

Bumin said this persists even after the Oct. 7 attack and the subsequent war broke out.

Another factor of interest was generational differences the researchers observed among young evangelicals, who have been found to be less supportive — particularly those under the age of 20 — of Israel. Listen to them break it all down.

Mike Huckabee Talks Trump, Politics, and the Dire State of American Culture

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 10:12:36 -0000

Mike Huckabee joins CBN's "Newsmakers" to discuss former president Donald Trump, the state of politics, and what's going on culturally in America.

NEWSMAKERS POD: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/newsmakers/id1724061454
DC DEBRIEF POD: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/d-c-debrief/id1691121630
CBN News YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CBNnewsonline
CBN News https://www2.cbn.com/news
Faithwire https://www.faithwire.com/

Iranian Muslims Find Jesus in Truly Miraculous Ways: ‘God Is Using Dreams’

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 10:37:01 -0000

'Jesus Is Coming Soon': Nick Hall's Campaign to Reach Millions With the Gospel

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 18:25:26 -0000

Evangelist Nick Hall is in the midst of yet another monumental, year-long evangelism campaign.

"It's been amazing to see what God is doing," Hall, founder of the Pulse Movement, told CBN News. "And I think we all know this, but ... there's a revival spreading. There's joy, there's hope."

Ex-Pastor at Gateway Church Responds to Robert Morris Scandal

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0000

A former pastor at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, is speaking out in the wake of the Robert Morris scandal to share what he believes are helpful steps to address and prevent abuse in Christian circles. Bob Hamp worked as executive pastor of pastoral care at Gateway Church from 2005-2014, developing the house of worship's Freedom Ministry.

Hamp told CBN News the allegations that Morris molested a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s were not known to him before hearing accuser Cindy Clemishire's harrowing account. Hamp said he joined the church well after these purported events took place and had no involvement; he now runs Think Differently Academy, helping people heal and find spiritual fulfillment in Christ. "I'm heartbroken," Hamp told CBN News.

Hamp helps people who have been sexually abused. He spoke compassionately about the tragedy of Clemishire being forced to deal with what unfolded as a child and then carry it throughout her life. He also said something else noteworthy surrounding the Morris saga: the specific allegations surrounding the pastor were not in line with what he had been told in the past. "The first thing: my heart just went out to her," he said. "And I think, secondly, I felt a sense of, 'This is not the story that I was told.' So ... a sense of betrayal, and anger about that, and sadness."

Hamp said church leadership at his level at Gateway and the public were seemingly both given the "same information" about Morris' past sin issue. "That information is that there was an inappropriate relationship with a young woman," Hamp said. "And, in that, I think there's a language there that leads to a certain conclusion." He spoke about the ways in which language can sometimes be used in these circumstances to "fog the actual truth."

"So, I, along with, I think, the general public, had heard the same story, which is, at some point in his life, there was a period of, or an experience of, immorality," Hamp said. "Or an inappropriate relationship with... 'a young woman.' I had no idea that it was a 12-year-old little girl." As CBN News previously reported, Morris, 62, who resigned from Gateway Tuesday, offered a recent statement on the allegations against him in which he again used the term "young lady."

As for Hamp, he is speaking out in an effort to try and help people navigate the complex feelings and emotions surrounding this case and church abuse more generally, especially as moral failings, sin issues, and overt instances of abuse continue to unfold within Christian environments. He recently published a post on X explaining, in detail, how he hopes people will react to the situation.

"The purpose of that post was to say, listen, we ought to deal with whatever happened at Gateway Church and ... the years prior. We ought to deal with that in spirit and in truth," he said. "But, if we don't have the bigger conversation, this will happen again, and this will happen again, and this will happen again." Hear the interview to hear Hamp's advice for churches.

Powerful Moves of Revival, Thirst for Bible Sweep College Campuses: 'Hungry For God'

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 18:32:28 -0000

Jennie Allen has had a front-row seat to much of the revival unfolding across America, particularly among young people. She's been speaking on college campuses and witnessing Gen Z's rising interest in faith and the Bible. "It is so real," Allen recently told CBN News from the red carpet of the KLOVE Fan Awards in Nashville, Tennessee. "There's no hype. They actually are hungry for God. It's been the most beautiful thing."

Allen has seen massive college-age audiences hang on her every word as she shares the Gospel, with the fervor so strong at some schools she's found herself impromptu baptizing young people in the backs of pick-up trucks — or even in local creeks. "They are responding to the Gospel," she said. "And they are showing up in droves. So, it's been super encouraging that this generation wants God." Allen said she first noticed Generation Z's hunger in 2018 when she spoke at Texas A&M about sin, and the young audience immediately responded in a truly "special" way.

"They were hungry," she said, noting the intense interest wasn't lost on her. "They were willing to be honest; they wanted God." Allen said the experience of ministering to young people has had a profound impact on her life as well. Today, she's focused on reaching youths with the Bible's message of grace and redemption. "I want to just keep my head down, and be faithful, and not be distracted by many things," she said. "So, for me, it's given me such clarity, such boldness. I want to serve God, and I want to serve them well, and I don't want to hold back."

Ex-Katy Perry Backup Singer Trades It All For Jesus

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 09:44:50 -0000

Layton said it was an "easy decision" to turn down that offer and pursue Christian music instead — something she had prayed and dreamed about as a teenager.

Cussing Homeless Man Stops Pastor Mid-Sermon, Then Something Powerful Happens

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 15:49:18 -0000

A pastor who went viral for stopping in the middle of his sermon to offer kindness to a homeless man is sharing the real-life story behind the touching video of his compassionate act. Pastor Ed Newton of Community Bible Church in San Antonio, Texas, told CBN News why he chose to engage the man — named Anthony — and why he believes the interaction offers an important lesson. For those unfamiliar, the story began when Anthony yelled expletives toward the pulpit during an April church service, leaving Newton and parishioners in a bit of shock.

Anthony wasn't angry, though; he had reportedly noticed the pastor's shoes and yelled out a curse — an inappropriate reaction inside a church — to express how "cool" he thought they were. The scenario put Newton in a strange position as a pastor on stage, mid-sermon, in front of a massive audience. The preacher paused to briefly address the incident and ask for Anthony's name, then "just moved on and then got into the bulk of the message." The moment has since gone viral.

"We were actually preaching through our core values, and the core value of that weekend was 'celebrate life change,'" Newton told CBN News. "We [had] ... just baptized like over 200 people, and so we celebrate." Newton continued, "We actually have like a pep rally when people get baptized." After Anthony interrupted, the pastor went back to talking about the story of the parable of the lost sheep found in Matthew 18 and Luke 15, and how the Pharisees were critical of Jesus. Little did Newton know, but Anthony was about to call out to him again from the audience.

"That's ... where Anthony yells out again and ... as I'm talking about the Pharisees, he goes, 'That's blank, blank," Newton said, indicating Anthony again cursed aloud. "All I knew to do in that moment was to go, 'Hey, listen, if we're one on one, I'm not correcting you,' but because we got little ears in the room, I had to somewhat kind of just say, 'Hey, you're welcome here. You're loved here [but let's not curse].'" It was a gentle and loving rebuke, but a moment that preceded something Newton likely couldn't have imagined. Anthony spoke aloud again and revealed that another man in the audience named Michael had brought him to church that day — and had saved his life.

See, Anthony was reportedly planning to commit suicide that morning before Michael met him and took him to church. Hear Newton explain what happened next.

Christian Video Game Company Aims to Transform Yet Another Entertainment Complex

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 20:54:32 -0000

A new faith and family-friendly video came company is looking to transform the entertainment landscape. Hollywood is already making Christian content, but now TruPlay is joining in to create faith-inspiring games — and more. CEO and founder Brent Dusing joins "Newsmakers."

Rep. Ben Baker Discusses Legacy of Murdered Christian Missionaries

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 20:00:00 -0000

"This ... has been the most difficult thing we've ever faced." That's how Missouri state Rep. Ben Baker described the tragic murder of his daughter and son-in-law, who were killed last month while selflessly serving as missionaries in Haiti. "They were special people, exceptional in so many ways — very mature beyond their years," Baker said of Natalie and Davy Lloyd. "And it played out in their life."

Despite dealing with the unimaginable pain of what unfolded, Baker said he and his family want to "tell the story of Davy and Natalie," explaining why he believes their "example is just so unique and powerful." "Their life was such a contrast to our current culture, where people are so caught up in self and worried about all the things that really don't matter," Baker said. "And Davey and Natalie were completely sold out to the calling of God ... and they were an example of selfless love toward people that, even, ultimately in this situation, did not return that love."

As chaos has increasingly raged this year in Haiti and gang rule has overtaken parts of the country, Davey, 23, and Natalie, 21, had declined to leave before their deaths, seeking to stay behind to help. "They wanted to make sure that the kids [in the orphanage] had somebody there," Baker said. "The kids would have had nowhere to go if they would have left, and that's the kind of mentality they had. And it was just a beautiful thing to see."

The grieving father shared that Davy, who was born in the states, served as a missionary to Haiti since his birth. According to Baker, "the people of Haiti were Davy's family" and "Haitian Creole was his first language." He always intended to become a missionary, and was living that out when they were killed. As for Natalie, Baker said his family has a deep history serving as missionaries, making her decision to minister in Haiti a natural progression.

While some might struggle to understand why people would so selflessly put themselves in harm's way, Baker said he has always taught his children to listen to the voice of the Lord. "I've always taught my children that the will of God is the absolute ... most important thing that you could pursue in your life, no matter where that takes you," he said. "Natalie chose missions and even in a dangerous place, but it was something that we still supported." Though Baker doesn't have all of the answers surrounding why the situation ended the way it did, he knows he can still fully trust God.

'Is God Real?': Lee Strobel Explores Proof of God and the Bible

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 11:36:27 -0000

Lee Strobel's journey from atheist journalist to Christian apologist has been told in literary and theatrical form through "The Case for Christ," with the prolific author and preacher continuing to share the Gospel throughout his multi-decade career. Now, Strobel is out with another compelling project titled "Is God Real?: Exploring the Ultimate Question of Life" — a book exploring the most pressing question for humanity. The idea for the book came from Strobel's publisher.

"[The publisher] discovered something interesting," he told CBN Digital. "They said, 'We found that 200 times a second, around the clock, someone on planet Earth is typing into a computer search engine, basically the question: 'Is God real?'' And they said, 'Why don't you do a book addressing that?'"

Strobel said he loved the idea and took them up on the offer, diving into research and evidence found in science, history, and philosophy that "points toward the truth of Christianity." "I love doing this project because I think it reflects a real curiosity in our culture, about who God is," Strobel said. "I think it's incumbent on Christians to ... always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope that we have, and to do it gently and respectfully."

Listen to Strobel explain the evidence he encountered as he explored God's existence.

Ex-Warlock Discusses Dangers of Occult

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 20:59:00 -0000

Today, Richard Lorenzo Jr. is a Christian pastor — but that wasn't always the case. The ex-warlock was at one time embroiled in the occult, engaging in evil and encouraging others to do the same. All that changed when he accepted Jesus in 2019.

"I definitely was possessed," he recently told CBN Digital. "I was hearing voices — I was literally hearing voices." Lorenzo said he began dabbling in selling drugs, but when a massive drug package went missing, he became obsessed with finding out who took it. That's when he turned to a voodoo priest for answers. Soon, he was so enthralled with evil that he forgot about the package. The subsequent journey led him into the bowels of the occult, diving so deep into the abyss he gave up everything to study such practices.

In the end, Lorenzo started down a dangerous road. "I know I was possessed. ... I used to believe that the things I was doing were right," he said. "I used to believe ... abortion is right. ... I would convince people about abortion, convince people to get drunk, to cheat on their wives." Lorenzo continued, "I was literally working for the devil." But all of that changed when he found Jesus.

Watch Lorenzo share the incredible journey to faith and the pastorate.

'A Real Fire in My Heart': Phil Wickham on Revival He Hopes Will Trample 'Wickedness'

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 20:53:25 -0000

Worship leader Phil Wickham is on a mission to "light people's hearts up for Jesus" and to witness a revival in the church that ignites a true and legitimate passion for the Lord. The singer, who recently spoke with CBN News at the KLOVE Fan Awards red carpet, explained what motivates him to continue sharing his faith through music.

"The Lord has put a real fire in my heart to absolutely love creating songs that light people's hearts up for Jesus, and, specifically, our new prayers that we can sing together as worship songs," Wickham said. "It's a calling, and sometimes it takes some sacrifice, being away from home, all that." The singer said making worship music people can sing to glorify God is an incredible "gift and responsibility" — one for which he's immeasurably grateful.

"I don't take one moment of that lightly," Wickham said. "My heart burns for those opportunities, and so I'm so thankful I can do it." The singer said he has no plans to stop anytime soon. "I'll be doing [it] as long as people want to sing them," Wickham added. He hopes to see the church ignite into massive revival, drawing people back to the Lord in a way that changes their hearts and minds to be more like Him.

"My prayer would [be for] amazing revival in the church that would light a fire in people's hearts to turn from wickedness, and turn from stuff that's just not of Jesus, and turn from the selfishness, and stop being judgmental, and start just showing the love of Jesus in a pure, and simple, and sweet way to the world," he said. "Just a new revival in the church, because the church here is huge — just sometimes it can get a little sleepy, and I'm speaking from my own experience." Hear the powerful conversation.

'The Parent Revolution': Education Expert on a Mission to Rescue Kids From the 'Radicals Ruining Our Schools'

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Dr. Corey A. DeAngelis is on a mission to empower parents and solidify school choice, taking on teacher's unions and ideological opponents in the process.

DeAngelis, who is out with a new book, "The Parent Revolution: Rescuing Your Kids from the Radicals Ruining Our Schools," told CBN News he got into education policy when he began exploring the issue as a researcher studying for his PhD at the University of Arkansas.

It was after exploring the impact of a school-choice program that his interest was piqued. DeAngelis said he started to see the non-academic outcomes surrounding these programs, noticing improvements in students' mental health, citizenry, and other relevant benchmarks.

"We found large effects on reducing crime as a result of getting to go to a school that works best for your kid," DeAngelis said. "Lo and behold, surprise, surprise, families get to choose a school that is aligned with their values, that isn't involved in drugs, and bullying, and violence, [and] their kids [were] less likely to be involved in crime later on in life."

In the end, he said school choice is a "win-win" solution, as public schools can also benefit from the competition that unfolds when choice is introduced.

Among the issues DeAngelis tackled is the ongoing debate over the use of vouchers for religious schools. Critics claim these vouchers take taxpayer dollars away from public schools and give them to religious institutions, claiming there's a separation of church and state violation.

But DeAngelis said this perspective is hypocritical. Listen to him explain.

Researcher Reveals the 'Bright Hope' Emerging in the Darkness of a Secularized and Lost Culture

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 23:00:00 -0000

After the release of survey data giving Christians a “good reason for hope” when it comes to the Gospel’s impact on young people, the researcher behind the data is offering helpful context.

Dr. John Plake, chief program officer at the American Bible Society, told CBN News that 21% of Generation Z adults said in the annual "State of the Bible" survey that "they've actually increased their use of the Bible within the last year."

This is notable considering the ongoing discussion about generational replacement and younger Americans being less faithful than previous generations.

While many of the indicators are negative, Plake said there are some bright spots when it comes to Gen Z, particularly on the Bible engagement front.

"They're leaning into the Bible," Plake said. "They're really trying to engage in their faith and they are kind of a bright hope for us as a young generation of American adults."

Listen to what he had to say.

Lauren Daigle's Message on Winning, Losing, and Pride

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 09:23:46 -0000

Grammy Award-winning singer Lauren Daigle has secured a slew of accolades and positive attention in both Christian and secular realms over the years. And when recently asked to share the biggest lesson she's learned throughout her illustrious career, the "Look Up Child" vocalist passionately spoke about the power of humility.

"Humility is a good thing," Daigle said during a red-carpet interview during Sunday night's KLOVE Fan Awards in Nashville, Tennesse. "And I know that there's a lot of things vying for our affection, vying for the feeling of importance that we all somehow long for in our own unique little way, right?" The singer, who is nominated for KLOVE Fan Awards for Female Artist of the Year and Artist of the Year, went on to explain what she told her nieces when they asked, "What are you gonna do if you win?"

"I said, 'OK, I'm gonna walk up on stage and I'll say this speech and, you know, whatever," Daigle said. "And they say, 'What are you gonna do if you lose?' And I said, 'I'm gonna cheer everyone else on.'" Daigle's point was that she would support whoever ended up winning, putting her pride aside. She encouraged others to take a similar posture. "There is so much pressure on so many different artists and so many people to sustain charts and do this, do that," she said of young artists. "And the truth of the matter is: humility is the thing that is so rewarding, and so fulfilling, and it just ... allows you to have longevity in this career, and life, and joy in it — and as a human."

Fellow singer Ellie Holcomb echoed Daigle's words about humility and pride. She quoted Al Andrews, director of Porter's Call, a ministry that serves musicians in Tennessee. Holcomb said she was intrigued by Andrews' response when asked for the one thing he knows is true after spending two decades counseling musicians. "[He said] ... 'The human heart was not built for notoriety,'" she recounted. "And it's that exact same thing, and so it's, get your worth, ground your worth in something deeper, wider, and stronger than any of the other things that God's giving you to do — grounded in His love for you."

Jonathan Roumie's Biggest Message Amid Meteoric 'The Chosen' Success

Fri, 31 May 2024 10:14:08 -0000

Actor Jonathan Roumie became a global sensation after "The Chosen," the TV drama about Jesus and his disciples currently filming its fifth season, became a massive success following its 2017 premiere. Roumie, who portrays Christ, is a fan favorite who has helped bring to the small screen some of the New Testament's most consequential moments.

He told CBN News during a red-carpet interview at the KLOVE Fan Awards in Nashville, Tennessee, Sunday that playing Jesus has made him "want to be more like [Christ]" each and every day. "The more time you spend with Him, the more unavoidable it is that He's going to have an effect on your heart, no matter who you are, where you've come from," Roumie said. "Even if you're already a believer like I was going into these projects, it just deepens, exponentially, your wish to kind of know Him on a much more spiritually fundamental level, emotionally fundamental level, physically fundamental level."

Like everything else, Roumie said the Jesus role has also brought some challenges, citing fame itself as one of those struggles, particularly when it comes to the way people process him. "The way people receive the role and how they receive you when they meet you, it kind of feels like the lines blurred," Roumie said. "It's part of what I explore in my documentary, 'Jonathan & Jesus,' kind of ... what that means and what it looks like in real-time."

Beyond that, the actor said there's also the challenge of "trying to live up to the expectations of God" as he portrays Christ on screen. Though Roumie said it can be "difficult at times," he "wouldn't have it any other way." As for the actor's biggest prayer for America right now, he encouraged people to turn to the Lord. "The only thing you need is Jesus," he said. "Jesus is the prince of peace. The only way to true inner peace is Jesus."

"The Chosen Season 4" was nominated in the Film Impact category at this year's KLOVE Fan Awards, which will air Friday, May 31, at 8 and 10 p.m. ET on TBN and TBN+.

Family Says Prayer Saved Them as Tornado Tore Home Apart

Thu, 30 May 2024 18:43:14 -0000

"This is a miracle." Dr. Joshua Fowler's assessment of his family's survival after a tornado ripped through their Valley View Texas, home Saturday, and his wife and kids escaped mere seconds before catastrophe is spot-on. Fowler, a revivalist and preacher through his Awake The World ministry, emotionally recounted to CBN News the shocking events that could have killed the family — but miraculously didn't.

"I was in the living room and I had one of my spiritual sons visiting from Orlando," Fowler said. "My wife was in bed. My kids were in bed sleeping." But, despite enduring frequent storms without any hesitation, Fowler suddenly felt "prompted [by] the Holy Spirit" to go and get his wife, Lisa. "I felt prompted to go tell my wife, 'Get out of bed,'" he said, noting he also went to get his 18-month-old and 3-year-old out of their bedrooms. "I went and grabbed them, and we ran up under the smallest place in our house, which is ... under the stairs, there's a restroom, a little, teeny restroom. We got in there."

That's when he called his 17-year-old son, Benjamin, and tried to get him to join them. But, within seconds, it became clear serious calamity was upon them. "As I was closing the door, it went, 'Wham,'" and this ... tornado's [trying] to suck up our whole house," Fowler said. "We could feel the heat under our feet, and air, and moisture, and like being sucked up, and the whole house was just shaking." Unbeknownst to Fowler and Lisa at the time, a wall had come down, forcing Benjamin and the man visiting the home that night to take refuge in the pantry. Meanwhile, Fowler, Lisa, and their two younger children huddled in the bathroom as the intense winds and chaos raged just outside the door.

With horror closing in, the family turned to intense prayer. "We just began to pray ... like blood-curdling, screaming, crying out from the top of our lungs — 'God, please, please help us, God!'" Fowler said, noting the family suddenly felt the Holy Spirit and became emboldened to keep invoking the Lord. "We just begin to command the storm. We said, 'We command you to leave this land right now in Jesus' name!" He continued, "It felt like eternity. I know it was only minutes, but, somehow, in the middle of commanding it to stop, it stopped." Lisa told CBN she believes God protected their family in those moments, crediting prayer for saving their lives.

"We kind of went from a moment of just, like, bleeding out, praying, 'God help us,' and then it shifted where we felt like, 'We need to take control of the atmosphere, and, you know, use the authority that God has given us to speak to the storm." Lisa said the invocations went from fearful in nature to fervent, with the family declaring to the storm, "You've got to leave." Fowler, who survived a plane crash as a child and knows a thing or two about diabolical and scary scenarios, said this tornado situation was truly the most harrowing he's faced.

"It was scary," he said. "I've never in my life felt such terror. The family was stunned to see extensive damage to the home once the storm stopped and they were able to leave the bathroom. They're thanking God for living through it all.

'Horrified': Ray Comfort Reacts to Viral Pope Francis Comments

Wed, 29 May 2024 23:00:00 -0000

Evangelist Ray Comfort was "horrified" by Pope Francis' recent proclamation that human beings are "fundamentally good," telling CBN News he believes the pontiff missed a significant opportunity to share the Gospel with a watching world. "[I was] horrified, because the pope's got a wonderful platform," Comfort said. "I mean, here's an opportunity to ... tell people how they can find everlasting life."

Comfort's comments came after a debate erupted earlier this month over Pope Francis' response to journalist Norah O'Donnell's question about what gives him hope. "Everything. You see tragedies, but you also see so many beautiful things," the pontiff said during the "60 Minutes" appearance. "You see heroic mothers, heroic men, men who have hopes and dreams, women who look to the future. That gives me a lot of hope. People want to live. People forge ahead." But it's what the pope said next that ignited a firestorm. "And people are fundamentally good," he added. "We are all fundamentally good. Yes, there are some rogues and sinners, but the heart itself is good."

Some fact-checkers on X attempted to clarify what they saw as a mistranslation of part of the pontiff's statement. Thus, a comment on the platform reads, "Pope Francis said 'somos un poco pícaros y pecadores,' meaning literally 'we are a little bit rogue and sinners,' speaking to some sinfulness within each of us. This is not the same as saying 'there are some rogues and sinners.'"

Regardless, this doesn't address the critiques that people like Comfort have over Pope Francis' statements on the heart and general human goodness. Pushing back on the quote, Comfort said it's "a basic fundamental to believe what Jesus said" – that "there is none good but God." Comfort said the main problem with the entire conversation about the human heart is the metric many people choose to gauge it. "We measure ourselves by man's standards rather than God's," he said. "When God says 'good,' He means moral perfection, and thought, word, and deed." Comfort continued, "And that's why the Bible says, 'There is none good,' and the problem is, if you tell people they're good, they don't see their need of a Savior."

He went on to cite the Ten Commandments to show the seriousness of sin and the inability of humans to live in and through perfection.

Ex-Atheist From China Abandons Non-Belief After Stunning Realization

Tue, 28 May 2024 09:48:20 -0000

A renowned doctor who came to America from China decades ago once rejected God’s existence. But after studying the complex design of the human eye and realizing there was no other explanation outside of the divine, Dr. Ming Wang’s mind — and heart — changed.

Wang, the subject of the new Angel Studios film “Sight,” joins CBN News to share how he went from atheism to Christianity, and why he’s hoping to help people see the truth both visually and spiritually.

Watch Wang, who was also the real-life inspiration for a beloved character in the "God's Not Dead" film series, discuss his incredible journey.

'God Lit a Match!': Satanist Accepts Jesus During History-Breaking Mass Baptism

Fri, 24 May 2024 22:00:00 -0000

A massive gathering of Christians across California this weekend reportedly broke a record when participants collectively held what could be the nation's largest-ever baptism. Baptize California, an event that unfolded Saturday and Sunday at various locations throughout the Golden State, saw a historic number of people immersed at individual churches and during a main-stage event at Huntington Beach.

The two-day extravaganza, showcasing countless examples of life change and spiritual renewal, featured speakers, worship music from leaders like Sean Feucht, and more. According to preliminary numbers, there were over 6,000 people baptized at the Huntington Beach location, alone, with an additional 6,000 people immersed in churches across the state. "You can smell another Great Awakening in the air like rain before it hits," Pastor Mark Francey, who founded the event, told CBN News. "God lit a match yesterday! If God can do this in the church in California, it can — and it will — happen in the rest of America!"

He's been planning Baptize California, a follow-up event that would rally the entire state in hopes of seeing God work in an incredible way — and, based on the initial projections, his efforts paid off. "My wife, Rachelle, and I could hardly sleep thinking about how God could be so kind to let us be a part of the largest baptism in the history of America," Francey said, expressing his elation over how the event took form. "We are proof that God really can use anybody."

The pastor said this year's event was massive, crediting God for bringing it all together. "It was a surreal and extraordinary day!" Francey told CBN News. "[It] felt like we were living in the pages of the books of Acts!" And the individual stories coming from Baptize California are truly incredible. Francey shared just one such story, telling CBN News how a Satanist accepted Jesus and "immediately got water baptized." "You could see the change immediately," he said.

The preacher said 1,000 people accepted Jesus at Huntington Beach, with thousands coming to watch the event unfold. "[The] crowd steadily swelled to — at one point — as much as 14,000," Francey said. "Hundreds of churches linked arms to accomplish what happened."

Hamas Hostage's Mom Won't Back Down: 'We Will Not Stop'

Fri, 24 May 2024 02:10:17 -0000

Rachel Goldberg is on a non-stop mission to bring her son home from captivity, spending the past seven months in a valiant, heart-wrenching, and inspiring quest to rescue him from the grips of terror. Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, was captured by Hamas Oct. 7, while attending the Nova music festival. And since that day, his mother has fiercely fought for his safe return, with her courageous advocacy landing her a place on Time's "100 Most Influential People of 2024" list.

Most recently, Goldberg has spoken out about Hamas' decision to release an April 24 video of her son — footage that shows him alive at the time of its recording. The video was the first visible sign since the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel that Hersh was still alive. "It was a very surreal experience," Goldberg-Polin told CBN News of the clip. "After 201 days, to suddenly hear Hersh's voice was just unbelievable, indescribable, and to see him moving."

However, she also described the difficulty in seeing the obvious health impact of Hersh's capture and captivity. Seeing her vibrant son before Oct. 7 juxtaposed against the video was tough. "It was very hard to see he's clearly in a very fragile medical and compromised medical state," she said. "It was the first time that we're seeing him with the stump of what used to be his left forearm and hand." Despite Hersh losing his arm, having signs of bruising, and being without proper medical treatment for months, Goldberg-Polin said she was elated to have "proof of life" and to be able to celebrate that fact.

"We were extremely grateful, even though it was hard," she said. When Goldberg-Polin was asked what has kept her so vocal and persistent in recent months, as she's commanded audiences with politicians, religious leaders, and others, she said it's really a "reflexive" response on the part of any parent in her position. "A lot of it is, I think, simply the natural response that a mother or a father has when their child is in danger," she said.

Goldberg-Polin also credited prayer as a centering act and something she does "throughout the day" in addition to reciting Psalms. "That is of great comfort to us," she said, expressing gratitude to the people all over the world who have reached out to pray. Our Christian friends and neighbors have been above and beyond exemplary in terms of their outpouring of love, support, and prayer for Hersh and the other hostages."

Amid all of the noise and debate surrounding Israel, Gaza, and the war that followed Hamas' terror, Goldberg-Polin encouraged people to remember the plight of those captured.

'American Sniper' Widow Taya Kyle Forgives, Clings to Jesus 11 Years Later

Thu, 23 May 2024 02:05:00 -0000

Taya Kyle lived a nightmare on February 2, 2013, when her husband, Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, and his friend, Chad Littlefield, were murdered at a Texas gun range by a former marine they were trying to help. The loving wife and mom of two has bravely shared her family's story and has worked diligently over the years to inspire others to process through and navigate their pain. Her latest project, "Prayers for Bears: Bailey the Grateful Bear" is a children's book that reflects her family's story.

"We're about 11 years out of Chris's murder — just over 11 years," Kyle told CBN News, explaining how she has had to focus on gratitude over the years to navigate such profound loss. "When he first was killed, I remember talking to a friend of mine, saying, 'I don't know how I'm going to afford our house.'" But her friend assured her she would always have a roof over her head and food to eat. That encouraging friend reminded Kyle there are people who love and care about the family.

In the end, this advice was proven true despite the difficulties the family faced. That reminder has helped Kyle and her children, Colton, 19, and McKenna, 18, refocus on thankfulness. "My kids and I pick that up and we pray that, even to this day of," Kyle said. "Just, 'Thank you, God, for the roof over our head and the food to eat it.'" She continued, "Those are blessings. And even if it doesn't negate that bad things are happening when you're grateful, I think that's an important point."

Remembering that the good and bad can coexist — that difficulties and times of gratitude can coalesce — is something Kyle now seeks to instill in readers and fans. She, of course, knows a great deal about finding hope amid struggles, as she and her children had to deal with the very public loss of her husband, a revered sniper known for his incredible skills. The process of journeying through loss was "messy," Kyle admitted.

"The great news is that I believe God prepares us for the things that are going to happen to us later," she said. "He just does it really lovingly and really gently, so we can't predict the bad thing that's coming." Kyle said she now sees how the Lord equipped her and her family well before Chris was killed. She recalled how she began clinging deeper to her faith while Chris was still in the military and deployed, relying on God to navigate fear, find joy, and cope with loss. Hear her tell the harrowing story.

Alex and Carlos PenaVega Feel Power of God Amid Pain, Loss of Daughter

Tue, 21 May 2024 20:00:00 -0000

Actors Carlos and Alexa PenaVega have long been Hollywood staples, with the couple appearing in movies, TV shows, and other entertainment endeavors. But in addition to entertaining the masses, the married couple routinely shares their Christian faith. In the process, their story has inspired millions of people to connect more deeply with God. The two co-star in the new Great American Pure Flix film "Mr. Manhattan," which starts streaming May 23. The movie offers a "heartwarming story about what it means to find joy after grief and give God control over every aspect of our lives."

The couple recently talked about the themes in "Mr. Manhattan" and the very real-life issues they've been contending with after the loss of their fourth child, Indy, who was stillborn. The PenaVegas revealed the heartbreaking news last month, expressing a deep reliance upon God amid such a tragic circumstance. Carlos and Alexa already have three children — Ocean, 7, Kingston, 4, and Rio, 2. In reflecting on "Mr. Manhattan, Alexa said "the Christian walk isn't pretty" and that some people sell a false premise that believers will have it easy when they accept Jesus. The reality, she said, is quite different.

"It's really ... hard, and you are going to be wrestling with God a lot throughout your journey," she said. "It is the most fulfilling walk you'll ever take, and it's also the most peaceful walk that you'll ever take." Alexa then reflected on her own experience with Indy to share how the family has been tested in this way. "We're walking through grief right now after losing our daughter," she said. "And that was the hardest thing we have ever had to experience — ever. But, what's awesome about our God is He [has] truly met us between this place of pain and peace, and He really spoke to us."

Alexa continued, "We've been saying ... the slogan for this season really feels like 'pain with purpose,' and it's interesting how God will make any painful experience that you have gone through ... He brings purpose to all the painful things in your life and He turns them into testimonies." Despite facing such a horrific situation with the loss of Indy, Alexa said she believes she and Carlos have been able to get to "know God on a level that we didn't even know we were capable of." Despite the pain, she said the season has been "very fruitful," spiritually speaking.

In addition to sharing these themes more generally, the couple also discussed the spiritual perspectives they believe audiences will take away from "Mr. Manhattan." Carlos said he believes too many people see God as "transactional instead of relational." "I think that's the biggest takeaway for sure," he said. "I feel like everybody deals with that in life. It's like, 'Well, God, I did this. Why did you do this to me?' [or] 'I did this, you know, but why this?' And that's not how God works." Hear him explain.

Is Explosion of Artificial Intelligence a Threat to the Bible, Morality?

Tue, 21 May 2024 02:28:19 -0000

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought with it lively conversations not only about new technological possibilities but also warnings and concerns over potential abuses and misuses. Dr. John Plake, chief program officer at American Bible Society, told CBN News his organization set out in its annual "State of the Bible" survey to "look at this unique angle on the Bible and technology."

The American Bible Society frequently asks specific questions about the intersections of faith and technology, but with the AI discussion rapidly expanding in recent months, researchers decided to ask people a series of positive and negative questions about the burgeoning tool. "We looked at things like, 'Can AI be relied on for moral reasoning?' or, 'Would you be against AI helping your pastor to prepare his sermon or perhaps preparing the sermon and your pastor just delivering it?' — things like that," Plake said. "We asked, 'Do you believe that AI goes against biblical teaching?'"

The "State of the Bible" report then broke down the results by generation and level of Scripture engagement, and the survey yielded some fascinating findings. "People who are more engaged with Scripture tend to be more skeptical of artificial intelligence," Plake said. "And I think part of that is that they're tuned into moral hazards that come about when we think about machines doing our thinking for us."

Scripture-engaged respondents were less optimistic about the future benefits of AI, less likely to believe it aids in moral reasoning, and less likely to see it as enriching spiritual practices or promoting "spiritual health." It's not just Christians who are cautious, though. The general public seems overwhelmingly unsure of what the future holds and appears to be more driven by fear than excitement over what's to come. The results found 68% of the public disagreed with the idea AI could "promote spiritual health" and 58% also disagreed when asked if it could "aid in moral reasoning."

Back on the faith front, the so-called Moveable Middle — people willing to give the Bible a chance but not necessarily engaged — had a bit of a different take. "The Movable Middle, however, are more likely to believe AI might enhance their spiritual practices and health, possibly indicating a desire to connect with God and Scripture with the right tool," a press release read. Listen to find out more about what's to come in the 2024 "State of the Bible."

Man Says He Visited Heaven, Met Jesus During Near-Death Experience

Fri, 17 May 2024 14:31:07 -0000

Randy Kay's "afterlife" experience still leaves him visibly emotional as he recounts details of visiting heaven, meeting Jesus, and returning to share his harrowing journey. Kay, author of the book, "Heaven Stormed: A Heavenly Encounter Reveals Your Assignment in the End Time Outpouring and Tribulation," told CBN News he was once a denier of near-death experience claims — until he faced his own purported heaven journey.

He recalled his own afterlife experience, which began with a sore calf. At first, he thought he had strained a muscle, but while working out and going on a bike ride, his calf began to swell. "I was able to make it back home and then went to the doctor to get an anti-inflammatory prescription, and lo and behold, when I pressed my heel into the floor as the doctor had suggested, I collapsed," Kay said. "And I was rushed to the emergency room."

It turns out, the pain and swelling were due to seven blood clots that had formed. He then contracted Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a drug-resistant bacteria. "The doctor said I was a walking dead man," Kay said. "And then the septic shock which entered into my body caused a traffic jam in my vessels, my vascular system." The chaos landed Kay in a dire situation — one that he believes sent him to heaven.

"Everything went dark initially and the next moment of recall, I was looking down on my body," he said. "I was being pulled by this light. I know that sounds cliche, almost, but it's absolutely true." Kay continued, "I was in a kind of very vague, ethereal space initially where I saw these figures in front of me, and they were warring against each other. There's no other way of putting it." After his return from his after-death experience, Kay discerned he was watching spiritual warfare play out. Regardless of what people choose to believe, Kay's physical body was dead at this point, making these memories and claims quite fascinating.

"My heart had stopped," he said, noting that hospital records indicate he was clinically dead for 30 minutes and 49 seconds. During that time, Kay believes he was experiencing heaven, noting he was aware that her was himself but suddenly was seeing and visualizing the world quite differently. "I was seeing things, hearing things beyond which I would be able to do otherwise in my body," he said.

A Dystopian America Where Bibles, Christianity Are Banned: New Movie Imagines True Terror

Thu, 16 May 2024 14:01:43 -0000

A feature film that imagines a dystopian America where Bibles are banned, Christianity is vanquished, and believers are forced into underground churches is set to release in theaters nationwide this summer. "Disciples in the Moonlight," starring Brett Varvel, will have a minimum five-day run in more than 1,000 movie theaters starting July 24.

The film's chilling yet captivating subject matter is certain to attract attention, particularly in a beleaguered culture in which religious liberty is a top concern for many. "Disciples in the Moonlight,' takes place in the not-too-distant future after the government has banned the Bible for its 'offensiveness' and replaced it with a government-approved version," a description of the film reads. "A small group of Christians are recruited to smuggle God’s Word to underground churches throughout the Midwest. With a ruthless federal agent in hot pursuit, the believers must choose between following the law or honoring and trusting God."

Varvel, who also directs the film, said the concept came to him 10 years ago, with he and his team working on the project over the past decade to help make it come to fruition. He calls the movie his "love letter to the church of Jesus Christ." "I believe this movie could be the start of a movement in our culture — to awaken people to treasure the Word of God and boldly proclaim the name of Jesus, no matter the cost," the actor said. "The time has now come to share this powerful story delivered by the most incredible cast and crew."

Varvel told CBN News "Disciples in the Moonlight" has long been a dream and passion project. His hope is that the focus remains on Jesus as people come to be entertained and inspired. “From the beginning, I wanted to lift high the Word of God as absolute authority, and something that we should hold highly as absolute truth." he said. "But, then also, the name of Jesus Christ, which is the only name under heaven given to mankind whereby we might be saved." Hear him explain.

10,000 Christians Flood Beach as 1,614 Get Baptized in Water: 'God Saved a Lot of People'

Thu, 16 May 2024 00:28:04 -0000

A pastor whose church just baptized 1,614 people on a Florida beach called the incredible mass immersion an "amazing" testament to people's newfound faith. Pastor Joby Martin, founder and lead pastor of The Church of Eleven22, told CBN News his church hosts a large baptism every year, with 1,100 people taking part in the 2023 event. But Martin said this year was bigger than ever, with 50-60 people helping conduct the baptisms.

"God saved a lot of people and those people were obedient to take the next step — to go public with their faith and declare Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior," he said. "And just as amazing as the 1,614 people that got baptized are the ... maybe 10,000 people from our church [who] showed up to celebrate it on the beach." Martin said the event was "like a big family reunion" and celebration for the church. He said it has been "a bit overwhelming" to see so much spiritual fruit and to take part in so much transformation.

"I had no idea when I got into ministry that I would get to be a part of anything like this," Martin said. "And, obviously, [I] can't take any credit whatsoever. We planted our church in 2012. Lots of people have come to Christ. The church has grown pretty exponentially." The preacher believes the stunning mass baptism is part of a bigger pattern of faith professions and baptisms that are being observed across America right now. "It just seems like God is doing a thing amongst his church," Martin said. "It was super neat for us to be able to celebrate what He's doing here with what He's doing all over the place."

He continued, "[We are] just overwhelmed with the goodness of God — that God decided to flex and God loves saving people. And it was a pretty surreal moment." While some people continue to debate whether America is at the start — or even in the middle — of a revival, Martin said one thing is for certain: "it was revival in those 1,614 individuals' hearts." He said time will tell if it's a national phenomenon, but he knows God has been "glorified in every individual" who professed faith through baptism.

Martin encouraged Christians to pray for church leaders and for each of the 1,614 people who showed up to get baptized. "I would always covet the prayers of people for me, and my family, and our elders, and our pastors, and our staff, because the enemy is not pleased," he said. "We have an enemy who's a thief. He wants to steal, kill, and destroy, and he is going to try to attack these people that have just come to Christ." Martin said the church will help these individuals take the next steps of obedience and get involved in Bible studies, disciple groups, and other efforts to help their spiritual formation.

Rebecca St. James on What Christians Must 'Say to Hollywood' Right Now

Tue, 14 May 2024 16:05:42 -0000

'God Is Absolutely Real': Dog the Bounty Hunter on Demonic Evil, Seeing 'Miracles'

Mon, 13 May 2024 09:54:48 -0000

Hamas' Nightmarish Terror Exposed in Play Forced to Open Under Police Protection

Fri, 10 May 2024 17:57:31 -0000

A journalist and filmmaker known for exploring tough issues through film, stage plays, books, and podcasts is on a mission to expose the true horrors of Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack. Phelim McAleer's new play "October 7" is set to open May 13 in New York City. It's a show motivated by his quest to tell the real story behind the deadly attacks, the related hostage crisis, and Israel's military response.

"We realized very quickly that journalists in the mainstream media — they want[ed] to talk about October 8th. They wanted to talk about October 9th," McAleer said. "Nobody wanted to talk about October 7th. There was a story that wasn't being told, and that's what we specialize in: telling untold stories." The conservative journalist and filmmaker said people fail to understand that there would be no Israeli response and no war in Gaza had Hamas not unleashed terror on Israel.

"We want to tell the truth," McAleer said. "We wanted to bring the truth to people." McAleer said he and his wife, Ann McElhinney, were so shocked by the Oct. 7 terror attack they went to Israel last November just weeks after it unfolded to personally collect stories from survivors and those impacted. McAleer said he and McElhinney knew they wanted to translate these stories — relying word-for-word on the personal accounts — into a stage play. He said there's no other venue he believes would have been appropriate to bring these stories to the forefront than the stage. McAleer said the play doesn't include editorializing and has "no added characters, no added drama" — just the raw and true words of those with whom they spoke.

"[We want to] remind people that there was a day called October 7th, and [without it] there would be no war in Gaza ... there'd be no need for a ceasefire," he said. "There was a ceasefire on October 6th." "October 7" opens May 13 at Actors Temple Theatre in New York City, with showings extending through June 16. So far, McAleer said the reception has been deeply emotional and positive.

Not everyone is elated over the show, though, as McAleer said he and his team are "getting a lot of blowback online," forcing the show to beef up security. In fact, audiences must enter through metal detectors similar to airport security. "I think we're the only play in New York that has opened under police protection," he said. "I think we may be the only play in decades that has opened in New York under police protection." He continued, "It's amazing that [this] kind of play needs police protection in New York in 2024." Listen to McAleer explain more here.

'Duck Dynasty' Star Willie Robertson's Secret to 'Revival' Would Shatter Darkness

Thu, 09 May 2024 16:24:27 -0000

Will Things Get Worse in the End Times? Matt Chandler Explains

Wed, 08 May 2024 04:00:00 -0000

Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas, sees "embers" of spiritual revival popping up all around the nation, even as chaotic cultural conundrums seem to be increasing. "There's been an earnest desire to see God do something significant for a long time," Chandler, author of the new book "The Overcomers: God's Vision for You to Thrive in an Age of Anxiety and Outrage," told CBN News, noting that last year's Asbury outpouring, mass baptisms, and other events show an elevated spiritual fervor breaking out in various areas of the country.

The preacher said he believes these events have helped inspire the faithful. "For those who are outside of a smaller group that have been really kind of contending for this and asking God to do this, it put it back in ... maybe the center of the imagination of what's possible," Chandler said. With culture always marching toward the end of days, some have wondered, biblically speaking, whether the consternation and events happening indicate we're now closer than ever.

Some might assume revival or spiritual outpourings won't happen as the end draws near, but Chandler believes both can unfold, simultaneously "I think they absolutely will happen at the same time — that it will get better and worse, simultaneously," Chandler said. "More than the Bible paints a picture of things getting worse, and worse, and worse, and worse, and worse until the Lord comes, it paints a picture of both happening."

He believes Jesus referenced this very thing in Matthew 13:24-30 when he talked about wheat and tares growing together until the "harvest comes." "The wheat and the tares ... they're growing up together ... until the harvest comes," Chandler said. He also pointed to other end times verses to make his point that some people might be misreading Scripture in assuming everything will simply be terrible in the end.

"The Bible says that people will be getting married and given in marriage, just like they were in the day of Noah," he said. "It's an ordinary time. There's horrible things; there's beautiful things. We're just going to be getting married. We're going to be doing the things that we normally do, and then the end will come." Listen to him explain.

Pastor Could Face Jail for Housing Homeless, Battles Government

Tue, 07 May 2024 04:00:00 -0000

The attorney for an Ohio pastor who reportedly faces criminal charges for housing the poor is accusing City of Bryan officials of "unlawful harassment" and waging "lawfare." Ryan Gardner, an attorney with First Liberty, a religious liberty law firm, told CBN News there's a hearing on May 13 seeking injunctive relief to stop the city's actions against Dad’s Place and its pastor, Chris Avell.

"On April 24th, the fire chief, the assistant fire chief, and a police officer burst through the church's doors [at] 5:30 a.m. for a surprise, unannounced fire inspection," Gardner said. "And, upon completing that inspection, they immediately cited the church for new violations, which had never been discussed before." According to the attorney, the city now requires the church to have fire sprinklers installed — something he finds strange considering officials' past visits to the church. Watch him explain.

"The church has now been inspected six or seven times, and in each of the previous fire inspection reports, never once did they mention sprinklers," Gardner said. "So, this is nothing more than an example of the city again moving the goalpost, and it's clear that no matter what the church does, no matter what changes it makes, the city is always going to find something new to do."

As CBN News recently reported, it appeared earlier this year that Avell and Dad's Church were coming to a resolution with city officials over the house of worship's decision to house the homeless, which officials said violated zoning laws. But that changed last month after the parties again reached an impasse. Attorneys for Avell filed a motion last month to show cause against Bryan, Ohio, on the basis officials purportedly failed to abide by an agreement requiring them to notify the court if they planned to take any such actions against the pastor.

Gardner said the city served Avell "with new criminal charges for keeping his church open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week." Gardner reiterated these details to CBN News, saying his team was trying to address the city's concerns but that "good faith only ran one way."

"While the church was doing what it said it would do, the city was feigning cooperation while, in fact, doing nothing more than building a new case against the church," he said.

What Is the 'Jezebel Spirit,' Why Is the Term Used, and How Did It Play Into the Latest Mark Driscoll Controversy? Dr. Michael Brown Responds

Mon, 06 May 2024 09:52:44 -0000

What is the "Jezebel spirit?" That's a question some might be asking in the wake of a recent drama that unfolded surrounding Pastor Mark Driscoll.

Radio host and author Dr. Michael Brown told CBN the Jezebel spirit is tied to a demoniacal figure in the Old Testament named Jezebel.

"Jezebel is arguably the most wicked woman in the Bible," Brown, host of Line of Fire Radio, said. "She was a Phoenician princess and an ardent worshiper of [the Canaan and Phoenicia god] Baal."

He continued, "She married King Ahab, and together they helped bring Israel down into deep idolatry. And of course, she had a great battle with the Prophet Elijah."

Listen to Brown explain the meaning and why it matters.

Vision From God Could Lead to History-Shattering Mass Baptism

Fri, 03 May 2024 18:18:48 -0000

The pastor behind a historic mass baptism last year is now setting his sights on what could once again break records and lead hundreds — if not thousands of people — to the Lord. Pastor Mark Francey of Oceans Church in California shocked the nation last year when he hosted Baptize SoCal, an event that attracted thousands of spectators and led to nearly 4,200 baptisms. At the time, it was reportedly the largest recorded baptism in U.S. history.

One year later, Francey is gearing up for an even larger effort: Baptize California, a state-wide initiative that could shatter other historical markers to become the "world's largest synchronized baptism." Francey told CBN News his baptism efforts started with a vision from God. His church was just three years old when he embarked on the ambitious Baptize SoCal event, and, at the time, he wasn't looking to launch into such an endeavor.

"I'm originally from California, but [had] spent the last 17 years in a different state, so moving here, starting a brand new church, treading ... water after COVID — the last thing on our mind was uniting ... this global baptism initiative," Francey said. But after he read a book that talked about one of the largest water baptisms in American history held at Pirate's Cove in California, he was surprised to learn the mass immersion took place in the 1990s.

Francey said he assumed it would have been much earlier. He was also intrigued by the fact it took place at the very same location where the late Chuck Smith baptized masses of young people 50 years ago during the Jesus movement. Pirate's Cove continues to have a profound impact on people’s lives today. All of these themes and ideas coalesced into a vision that changed everything for Francey. "I had almost like an open vision," he said, noting the vivid experience included worship and very specific details. "I saw boats from guys I knew in our church parked along Pirate's Cove."

Francey, who isn't prone to these sorts of images from God, said he told his church about it a few weeks later and people got excited. That's when he felt the Lord pushing him to organize and fund Baptize SoCal. At first, he was reluctant. "I tried to talk God out of it," Francey said. "I'm like, 'There's a lot of other guys here, fathers, mothers here that are doing great things. You know, I'm a nobody.'" The preacher said God wasn't interested in his insecurity. Francey knew he was called to embark on the baptism mission, and he decided to listen. Hear him explain.

Missionary Fights Back After Pastors Imprisoned, Charged in Nicaragua

Thu, 02 May 2024 17:23:07 -0000

An American missionary is fighting back after he, his family, and 11 Christian leaders are facing serious charges from Nicaraguan officials who accuse them of money laundering and organized crime. Britt Hancock, founder of Mountain Gateway Order, Inc., denied in an interview with CBN News and said he believes the legal battle is a direct response to the scores of Nicaraguans who attended his organization's powerful evangelistic events last year.

"In 2023, Mountain Gateway helped to organize a series of mass evangelism campaigns — eight of them throughout the year," he said. "We began in February and had the last one in November. But 1,000,000 people in total came to those eight meetings." Hancock said arrests began a month after the final meeting, with the national leader, coordinators of the events, and main pastors all being detained by mid-December.

ADF International attorney Kristina Hjelkrem told CBN News the imprisoned leaders are accused of aggravated money laundering. "The government has no proof whatsoever to that extent," she said. "Mountain Gateway has tried several times to prove their innocence and to provide evidence to this point to the court, but the government has either ceased or prohibited this evidence to reach the court file." And the potential prison sentences are sweeping, with Hjelkrem noting they range from 12 to 15 years and up to $80,000,000 per person — a fine she said is not common in the Nicaraguan judicial system.

As CBN News previously reported, Hancock, his son Jacob, and daughter-in-law Cassandra are all facing the aforementioned charges. Mountain Gateway has denied and rebuked the allegations and said in a recent news release it "diligently followed all legal requirements in the U.S. and Nicaragua that apply to non-profit and faith-based organizations." Hancock said he believes the size and scope of the evangelistic successes are what drew the government's ire, especially considering the work he has done in the country without incident since 2013. The revival events were so huge they dominated social media and media more generally.

"For the year, we became really the dominant social influence in Nicaragua, and they're not OK with that — if anything takes the sort of the emphasis off of them and their narrative," Hancock said of the government. "They have a history, a long history of responding very harshly against things like that, and so there's no doubt in my mind that that's the reason." While Hancock and his family came back to the U.S., the 11 people being detained in Nicaragua face what Hjelkrem said is a "dire situation."

Hear Hjelkrem and Hancock explain how they're fighting back against the allegations.

Evangelist Exposes 'Darker Turn' of Taylor Swift's Music, Sounds Alarm

Wed, 01 May 2024 18:14:16 -0000

An evangelist going viral for his response to pop star Taylor Swift's latest album is explaining why he spoke out and why he's hoping to encourage Christian parents to be discerning. "I'm not an anti-Taylor guy," Shane Pruitt told CBN News. "I'm [a] pro-Gospel guy." He continued, "Anything that I know is largely affecting parents, or Christians, or people in the church that seems to ... be anti-Gospel, I think we lovingly call it out."

Pruitt did just that in a April 22 tweet, gently raising concern over some of Swift's lyrics on her "The Tortured Poets Department" album. "LYRICS MATTER," Pruitt tweeted. "Disclaimer, I’m definitely not the minister or parent that has the 'no secular music' stance. Also, I fully realize unbelievers are going to act like unbelievers. HOWEVER, there is a difference between being secular, and being ANTI-CHRISTIAN."

He then pulled lyrics about people "in their Sunday best" who "try to save you 'cause they hate you," among other related sentiment. Pruitt also quoted Swift as belting out the following lines in another song: "What if I roll the stone away? They're gonna crucify me anyway. What if the way you hold me is actually what's holy?" Pruitt concluded his tweet by asking Christians whether it's appropriate to be "entertained by, sing with, and expose our kids to lyrics that aren’t just different than what you believe, but are actually mocking what you believe."

The evangelist and preacher told CBN News he believes Swift's music has changed over the years, with her songs becoming "more and more explicit" and taking a "darker turn" in the process. It's a concerning matter, Pruitt said, considering the music is consumed by many young and impressionable girls. "I think we just need to be very aware and very careful of what we're exposing our kids to and how we're even engaging with things and being entertained by things that are really anti what we say we believe," Pruitt said.

Of course, Pruitt said Swift isn't the only vice exposing some Christians' poor spiritual priorities. In fact, he said some people even struggle with sports teams and athletes, elevating these to a higher position than they should. Calling this out doesn't always go well, he said. "In recent years, I can say this — especially in the American Church — if I go, 'Hey, here's what the Bible says about sexuality, here's what the Bible says about marriage, here's what the Bible says about being pro-life, here's what the Bible says about God determining sex and gender,' you'll get some hardy 'Amens,'" Pruitt said. "People are emboldened by that."

Holocaust Survivor Hits Back at Anti-Israel Campus Chaos With Sobering Warning

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 19:43:08 -0000

Jochen “Jack” Wurfl knows the rampant evil antisemitism can breed as he lost nearly every family member during Adolf Hitler's reign of terror. Wurfl, who shared his harrowing story in the book "My Two Lives," told CBN News he never thought he'd see such disturbing antisemitism in America, where he settled after the Holocaust.

"It's frightening, because it could end up in the same sort of situation eventually," Wurfl said of spiraling antisemitism that many have compared to the situation before Hitler launched his murderous quest. "I just don't understand it. How people can feel like this again — that they don't know what happened during the Holocaust, back during Hitler's regime?" The survivor lamented the loss of millions of lives and expressed his severe sorrow and fear over where the situation currently stands after Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack and the war and antisemitism that followed.

"One would think that, once this happened, it could never happen again — that people have learned from this," Wurfl said. "But I'm beginning to wonder, because the younger people nowadays don't know anything about the Holocaust." Wurfl's comments come after a recent YouGov and Economist poll of 1,500 18-29-year-olds yielded some shocking findings. A whopping 20% believed the Holocaust never happened — and an additional 30% were unsure, underscoring fears of antisemitism among youths.

Another recent poll from Summit.org and RMG Research found that 33% of 18-24-year-old voters believe "Israel does not have a right to exist as a nation in the Middle East." "It's frightening," Wurfl said of the current dynamics among young people who continue to occupy college campuses with anti-Israel fervor. "And I can't understand that our education hasn't been better to let the kids know what happened [during the Holocaust]."

As CBN News has documented, Wurfl's own journey during the Holocaust was quite painful. "I lost my entire family," he said. "I lost my father, who had become a political prisoner ... and my mother was arrested by the Gestapo and the SS, and she was taken to Auschwitz, and she was killed there." Hear his warning for America here.

Hollywood Revival? Candace Cameron Bure on Jesus Invading Hollywood

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 09:52:30 -0000

Actress Candace Cameron Bure continues to bring hope, faith, and love to Hollywood. From her roots in "Full House" to her creativity in executive producing projects like the Unsung Hero movie — a film about the real-life journey of For King and Country (Joel Smallbone and Luke Smallbone) and Rebecca St. James — Bure is on a mission to tell important stories while entertaining the masses. In a recent interview with CBN News, she shared her passion for positive, uplifting entertainment, and explained what it's been like to watch more and more people in Hollywood embrace — or at least show interest — in Jesus.

"Wonder Years" star Danica McKellar is just one of the actors who came to faith after Bure personally shared Scripture with her. "It's pretty incredible from the people that I've walked hand-in-hand with and encouraged along the way," Bure said. "And just to have a small part of knowing that I planted a seed, or maybe spoke a word that encouraged them along to become a believer — or strengthen their faith in Christ."

In the end, she said this is deeply inspiring and one of the most profound of purposes. "It humbles me that God would use me," Bure said, expressing gratitude that God allows her to use her voice to help bring others to faith. "I give Him such great thanks for allowing me to use my voice and not be fearful of it — to not sit scared to tell my friends about Jesus." The "Fuller House" star said she often receives messages through social media that thank her for speaking out, noting she is "humbled" and encouraged to persist in speaking out about biblical truth.

Bure also discussed why, for much of her career, she stayed away from Christian films, explaining they had a bad reputation due to weak quality. But, in recent years, she said she's been blown away by how artistic and powerful these movies have become. "Within the last, I would say five years, the quality is incredible," she said. "It's like people of faith are coming out of the woodwork." Hear her discuss Christian movies and TV shows and why she's deeply proud of the powerful, family-forward story she's telling in "Unsung Hero."

Grace, Mercy, and What You Likely Didn't Know About Inmates and the Formerly Incarcerated

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 07:00:00 -0000

In a cancel culture, grace and mercy often fall to the wayside. But Heather Rice-Minus, president and CEO of Prison Fellowship, a ministry serving the incarcerated and their families, believes everyone is entitled to a second chance.

That's why her organization launched Second Chance Month in 2017, an effort to support men and women with a criminal record who are looking to restart their lives on a positive footing.

Each year, Prison Fellowship designates April as a time of reflection and action to take steps that help formerly incarcerated people overcome roadblocks to success. Listen t Rice-Minus explain the challenges these individuals face and why this issue deeply matters.

'Miraculous' Story of How God Brought Famous Family From Rags to Riches: Inside 'Unsung Hero'

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:00:59 -0000

Imagine leaving your country with no money and very few possessions only to reach a foreign land and realize the job prospects you were expecting had evaporated. That's the very situation the Smallbone family encountered when they left their native Australia and arrived in America. The large family had not much more than love, yet somehow survived — and thrived.

Today, audiences know the Smallbones for as famous singers. Joel and Luke Smallbone (for KING & COUNTRY) and Rebecca St. James have become faith-based household names. But what some might not know is the harrowing journey the family experienced — a story set to be told on the big screen in "Unsung Hero," a feature film releasing April 26 in theaters nationwide.

Joel Smallbone told CBN News during a recent interview at the National Religious Broadcaster's Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, that the idea for the film came from his brother and bandmate, Luke. "He had been sharing, as part of ... a child sponsorship pitch, our family story," he said. "And people come and say, 'Hey, you know, it's such a moving, miraculous story. You should write a book about it.'" While they opted not to write a book, the idea for a feature film was born.

"We spent two years on the screenplay," Smallbone, who portrays his father, David, in the movie, said. "I was actually probably more keen to play that than I was to be involved on the other side of the camera, the directing, the co-directing." Smallbone did step in to co-direct the movie, having the unique perspective of both playing his dad and helping craft the massive, real-life story into a movie-sized bite.

"We wanted it to be an honor project, but not a glory project," Smallbone said. "And there's a big difference. We're not trying to glorify them. We're trying to honor the hardship, and, from dad's perspective... the humbling, the pride, and everything in between." Ultimately, Smallbone said playing his father was "liberating" and gave him empathy for his dad — a compassion he'll have for the rest of his life.

"Unsung Hero," Smallbone said, provides more than a rags to riches story; instead, it shows how "hardship, and loss, and sacrifice" can help us understand our ascent in faith.

'These Are the End Times': Sean Feucht Prepares to Confront Anti-Israel Horror, Hate

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 19:51:09 -0000

Christian worship leader Sean Feucht is stepping into the chaotic anti-Israel protests plaguing prominent campuses like Columbia University and New York University to offer a Gospel-fuelled response. Feucht is hosting the United For Israel March on April 25 at 6:30 p.m. ET near Columbia's New York City campus, an event he hopes will have a deep and profound impact in defense of the Jewish people. "Every Christian and person of faith across America should be absolutely horrified at what we're seeing take place right now on these university campuses that have become hotbeds for antisemitism and hatred of the Jews — an annihilation of an entire nation," he told CBN News.

Feucht continued, "This is essentially a response to that and it's rallying the church, it's rallying Jewish leaders, it's rallying organizations that want to say ... 'This is America. These are our universities and campuses in our cities. We're not going to stand for this.'" The worship leader said he's excited to see God gathering people to attend the event, comparing it to some similar rallies he held across the U.S. in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. He recalled coming into places of anarchy and chaos during that time and ushering in "worship, and prayer, and unity, and baptisms of revival."

In the end, having a presence in those moments of anger and division "changed the entire environment," Feucht said. He wants to see the United For Israel March accomplish the very same goal of changing the atmosphere. "More than anything, I feel like this gives hope to America," he said. "There are people that are going to rise up with courage and boldness, that are going to say, 'Enough. We're going to stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters; we're gonna we're going to respond to the command in Genesis 12 that says, 'I'll bless those bless you. I'll curse those that curse you.'"

As for the United For Israel March, he said those who participate can expect prayer, joyful worship — and the "church rising up to stand up against evil, and darkness, and hate." The chaos of the moment — ignited by Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack against Israel and the war that has followed — offers a biblical reminder Feucht believes is important to heed. "It reminds us like we are living in the last days," he said. "These are the end times ... we're living in the midst of it."

Demonic, Exorcism Stories Deliver Terrifying Warning About Dangers of Dabbling in Occult

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 15:08:41 -0000

Exorcism. Possession. Diabolical evil. These themes, which are mainstays in many Hollywood productions, are also deeply rooted in Scripture, with the New Testament highlighting Jesus' ministry of expelling the demonic from afflicted individuals. These are themes at the heart of "The Exorcist Files," a podcast created and hosted by Ryan Bethea. The show is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to fund season two and has blown past its goal.

Bethea told CBN News he initially created the show with a "lighthearted desire to document ... metaphysical phenomenon." "I've always been fascinated with just the idea of ... what are those crazy coincidences, or miraculous answers to prayer, or even just healings," he said. "I don't want to mislead people to thinking that I've seen hundreds of people healed of crazy things, but ... there's a lot of cool things going on that can't be explained in our world."

After meeting some leaders at the Vatican, he said the idea for "The Exorcist Files" was born. He soon met Carlos Martins, a Catholic priest and exorcist who expels evil. Bethea and Martins teamed up, started parsing through Martins' case files, and put the show together. But unlike some Hollywood productions bent on simply scaring people, Bethea said "The Exorcist Files" is quite different. While the show includes dramatic reenactments and guides listeners through some spine-chilling stories, the host said the show has a deeper meaning and intent, especially for Martins.

"This is a very serious, and to [Martins'] credit, he actually was very reluctant to share this," Bethea said. "It was only out of a desire to say, 'Hey, I want to warn people to the dangers of dabbling in the occult.'" Bethea, a Christian, believes in the supernatural, but has a healthy skepticism about possession stories. "I just come out everything very skeptical," he said. "I'm playing the skeptic on the show, which is like, 'Hey, I'm just putting the evidence out there and you can decide whether all these people are making this up or not."

'I Heard God Speak': Columbine Survivor's 'God' Moment Amid Horror

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 09:44:47 -0000

Craig Scott is a survivor of the Columbine High School shooting, one of the worst school massacres in American history. His sister, Rachel Joy Scott, was killed during the tragic ordeal after two gunmen entered the school on April 20, 1999, and killed 12 students and a teacher before turning their weapons on themselves.

Scott told CBN News that his sister's "life and legacy" has "impacted millions of people." Rachel, who was 17 when she was killed, was a strong Christian who kept her thoughts documented through powerful journals that have since been shared by the Scott family. These writings have left behind inspirational and faith-inspired messages and have inspired books as well as a feature film titled, "I'm Not Ashamed."

But it was her death that also captured attention, as she was reportedly taunted by the killers for her Christian faith and yet stood firm in it until the end. Scott, too, has his own harrowing journey from April 20. He was in the school library where most of the carnage took place. His two friends were killed next to him and he fully expected he would be next. "I watched as the shooters went around the room, taunting students and treated it like it was a game," Scott said. "And they came over to where I was. I saw my friend, Isaiah, they called him racial slurs. They tried to pull him out from underneath the table. They killed him, then they killed my friend, Matt." He continued, "They left me underneath that table. I thought I was going to die."

What happened next, though, was quite shocking. Scott said he heard the Lord deliver a message in the midst of shock and chaos. "I heard God speak to me," he said. "And I am careful even with that phrase, 'God told me to do something.' ... But I felt very strongly [that He] told me to, 'Get out of there.'" At that point, Scott had no idea where the shooters were, but he stood up, looked around the room, and yelled for his peers to also stand up, repeating what that voice had said. "Let's get out of here," Scott said." Everyone ran out of the room and outside the school to safety. Tragically, 10 kids were killed inside the library.

Scott has spent the past two and a half decades sharing what unfolded in an effort to help others discover hope amid the chaos of their own lives. "From early on, I had this belief that God had a plan and a purpose for the worst tragedy in my life," Scott said. "And that belief ... has been one of the biggest, helpful things in my journey the last 25 years, this belief that God has a plan and a purpose for even the worst stuff."

Through sharing his and Rachel's stories, Scott said his family has been able to help prevent shootings and suicides. Watch Craig explain how he has navigated faith, hope, and forgiveness in the wake of tragedy.

Alisa Childers Counters Popular and 'Destructive' Fad Among Christians

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 19:52:51 -0000

"Deconstruction" has become one of the most frequently spouted faith terms of late, sparking an abundance of reactions from Christians and non-Christians alike. Author Alisa Childers, who addresses the subject in her latest book, "The Deconstruction of Christianity: What It Is, Why It’s Destructive, and How to Respond," recently told CBN News why she believes this pattern of people unpacking and deconstructing their faith has become so prevalent.

"I do think it's a fad, although a lot of people would say it's not a fad," she said. "It's actually this real experience that happens, but I think it can be proven to be a fad because you can trace it back through its philosophical roots in the postmodern philosophies that gained steam in the 60s." Childers said there are some legitimate issues at the core of deconstruction, noting spiritual abuse, legalism during people's childhoods, or even some individuals' quest to find ways to shed themselves of "bad ideas" while being able to hold on to the "good ones."

Despite some viable motivations that might lead a person into deconstruction, Childers said overarching problems related to it must be addressed. "The problem with what we see in the deconstruction movement is that, very often, what people decide are bad beliefs are actually historic Christian doctrines like original sin and the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross," she said. "And theological ... doctrines that really define Christianity."

Childers said social media has helped solidify deconstruction as a fad. She posited culture likely wouldn't have the rampant deconstruction movement in its current form without social media tools. "I think there's a little bit of a social contagion aspect to it as well, because that hashtag of 'deconstruction' — there's a lot of false information in there," she said. "There's a lot of claims that are made about Christian theology that are not true." Nonetheless, this inaccurate information can hold sway over hearts and minds, ushering people further out of historic Christianity and into an abyss.

One of the challenges when it comes to deconstruction, of course, is that the word carries different meanings for various people. Childers said it's essential to ask and understand what someone means when he or she uses the word. Childers said it is good to positively engage doubt, ask tough questions, and test the faith tradition given by parents against Scripture. Unfortunately, she said some people do something quite different; they experience a "shift of authority from an external source of authority for truth to the authority of the self." And it's that turn to the self Childers believes is having a diabolical impact on individuals and culture.

Is Biden Admin Trying to Shut Down Largest Christian University in America?

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 18:47:17 -0000

A battle between the largest Christian university in America and the Biden administration took a new turn this month after Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona reportedly vowed to shutter Grand Canyon University (GCU), a college located in Phoenix, Arizona.

Cardona reportedly made his comments during an April 10 House Appropriations Committee hearing, stating the administration is "cracking down not only to shut them down, but to send a message to not prey on students," according to Fox News.

GCU made headlines last fall when the Department of Education fined the school a historic $37.7 million over claims students were misled about the cost of a doctoral program. Despite GCU denying the claims, appealing that ruling — and defiantly pledging not to pay — Cardona doubled down.

He said the fine is the "largest...in history against a school that lied about costs and terminated a school from Title IV." Brian Mueller, president of Grand Canyon University, recently told CBN News he believes his school is being unfairly targeted by the Biden administration, calling the massive $37.7 million fine "incredibly disappointing." "This all started 14 years ago ... Grand Canyon was in a very difficult spot," he said, noting the school buildings were aged and the institution was millions of dollars in debt. "We switched from a nonprofit to a for-profit status and went to the public markets to get access to capital." Mueller continued, "We wanted to make private Christian higher education affordable to all socioeconomic classes of Americans. And the plan worked better than we thought."

Just 10 years later, he said GCU is in a "very good spot" and that the campus is "growing like crazy," with online education exploding in popularity. With the previous issues remedied, GCU wanted to go back to being a nonprofit university. "We thought, for the legacy of the institution, [we] would be best served by doing that," he said. "We went through the process and the IRS, who has the authority to do that work, did it, and said, 'The operation you've set up qualifies as a nonprofit, and we're giving you the legal authority to operate as a nonprofit.' And then the state of Arizona reinforced that."

But Mueller said GCU found out the Department of Education did not plan to recognize the newfound nonprofit status. After four years of reportedly attempting to work with the government, he said GCU got nowhere. That's when GCU filed a complaint and the situation intensified. Hear Mueller explain.

Israel Must Strike Back: Why Iran Could Face a Reckoning

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 14:13:25 -0000

Regent University professor Dr. A.J. Nolte said Iran's Sunday attack on Israel left him surprised, noting the attempted incursion was the "first time the Islamic Republic has attacked Israel directly from its territory." As CBN News previously reported, Iran fired more than 300 attack drones and missiles toward Israel, but the "vast majority" were intercepted, according to the Israeli military. Despite the positive outcome in terms of a lack of damage and destruction, the situation remains tense.

"I didn't think they would go to this level," Nolte told CBN News. "Certainly, Israel and Iran have been in a cold war in the past and Iran has used proxies against Israel in the past." But the decision to attack from Iranian soil, he said, is a new dynamic to boiling tensions in the region. And Nolte said it makes the first attack by a state actor on Israeli territory since Saddam Hussein fired missiles at the nation in 1991.

The Biden administration has said the U.S. will not participate in any response and has reportedly urged Israel not to retaliate. But Nolte said he believes Israel should respond and likely will. "Overwhelmingly, Israeli public opinion is going to support a response," he said. "So, why would Benjamin Netanyahu put his own governing coalition at risk in order to appease Joe Biden, who's doing this, let's be honest, for reelection reasons, when Joe Biden and his party are basically attacking Netanyahu, so that makes no sense."

Beyond that, Nolte said Israel's response is the "right thing to do strategically," though he said it doesn't have to happen immediately. In the end, he said the goal should be deterrence from Iran doing similar events in the future. "What you want to think about in terms of deterrence is: you want to think about what is going to have the maximum impact." he said. "What is the thing that you can do that has the maximum negative impact on Iran at the lowest ... cost to Israel."

Nolte said Israel has to weigh its current battles in the south in Gaza as well as incursions from the north, underscoring the importance of a strategic yet effective response.

"There's there's a number of options they could pursue," he continued. "They could strike at Iran's ability to make these drones or missiles." Nolte also mentioned cyber attacks or more covert operations for which Israel doesn't necessarily claim public responsibility. He said the options are plentiful, which might be why Israelis haven't immediately struck and seem to be weighing the odds.

"When Israel strikes, it will be ... I think, without warning," Nolte said. "It will be in a way that Iran is not prepared for and does not expect — and it will be decisive." He continued, "It might not happen as quickly as people think. It might not happen ... this week or even in the next month, but I believe it will it will happen."

War, Chaos, Legal Battles: Wild History of Federal Income Tax in America

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 14:10:18 -0000

Did you know the U.S. government once forbade a federal income tax — and that the government mostly brought in monies through excise taxes and other means? As millions of Americans prepare and await their tax returns, historian William Federer is taking some time to break down the strange and fascinating history behind the federal income tax.

Federer, author of "The Interesting History of Income Tax," told CBN News the Civil War was the first time there was a federal income tax in America. "Once the Civil War started with the Confederates firing at Fort Sumter, South Carolina secedes [and] guess what? There's no federal money coming in," he said. "Prior to the Civil War, 90% of the federal government was financed through tariff taxes, mostly collected at southern ports, and, so, when the South seceded, there [was] no more tariff income coming in, and the federal government was like, 'Where do we get our money?'"

It was at this point President Abraham Lincoln pushed through an emergency income tax and raised millions to finance the war — an act that came to a close once the war ended and the emergency was effectively over. "There was no emergency and so the income tax was repealed," Federer said. "So, yes, there was no federal income tax until the Civil War." It wasn't until 1892 that the income returned, this time during a time of peace. But Federer said it made its way through the Supreme Court and was declared unconstitutional in 1894.

But that was hardly the end of the story, as President Teddy Roosevelt pushed through the inheritance tax and then President William Howard Taft became an architect for the income tax. Taft supported the passage of the 16th Amendment in 1913, which established the federal income tax. Here's the full history of the income tax.

Actor Gary Sinise Reflects on Faith, Son's Death After Cancer Battle

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 09:46:04 -0000

"He was a man of great faith — great, great faith." That's how actor Gary Sinise describes his 33-year-old son, Mac, who died in January after a harrowing battle with Chordoma, a persistent and rare cancer that starts in the spine. The "Forrest Gump" star told CBN News his son "loved his Catholic faith" and deeply embraced it throughout his journey.

"It was just inspiring to see how it helped sustain him through this cancer battle," Sinise said of the harrowing health fight that started in 2018. For years, the family grappled with it all alongside Mac, trying available medications and anything believed able to potentially offer healing. As long as his son kept fighting, Sinise said he was there to support him.

And that process wasn't easy, as the loving dad recounted the "very disabling and crippling" nature of the disease. After the first tumor was removed in September of 2018, Mac was monitored and by May of 2019, the cancer had returned. "It had come back and it was starting to spread throughout his body," Sinise said. "He was back in the hospital again, and he started chemo and radiation at that point, but there is no cure for this particular cancer. There's no reliable drug that has been used to fight it that has been effective."

The unpredictable nature of the cancer meant doctors would often throw different medicines into the mix, hoping to thwart the malignancy — but to no avail. Mac faced spinal surgery, multitudes of hospital visits, and more. "These tumors were growing very fast," Sinise said. "Uncharacteristically fast for Chordoma." Listen to him share the family's journey.

FOX News' Lawrence Jones Delivers Powerful Gospel Message: 'Proud to Be a Believer'

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 18:23:08 -0000

Ex-IDF Paratrooper's Warning to Biden, World Leaders

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 17:02:07 -0000

A foreign policy and security analyst and ex-Israel Defense Forces paratrooper is warning about the dangerous powder keg brewing on Israel's northern border while also offering up some important warnings to world leaders who are pressuring Israel.

Daniel Flesch said Israel's current battle against Hamas is the "longest war for Israel since its war of independence" in the late 1940s — a struggle sparked on Oct. 7 when Hamas terrorists attacked and killed over 1,200 innocent Israelis. With U.S. President Joe Biden and other world leaders beginning to put pressure on Israel to amend war operations, Flesch said it's essential these leaders understand to whom they're communicating.

"When you start putting pressure on Israel to take certain steps and how it conducts this operation, you have to consider the audience, and the audience is not just Israel," he said. "A lot of it from this [Biden] administration is obviously their constituents ... their voters." Flesch continued, "But also, Hamas is watching, other bad actors in the world are watching, and so Hamas has been rejecting ceasefire deals left and right."

He believes the terror group is likely assuming they have the Biden administration on their side "putting pressure on Israel" and not pressuring Hamas. Rhetoric from world leaders, he argued, is thus deeply important. Israel has repeatedly made it clear the nation is no longer interested in being surrounded by terrorists bent on its destruction, with Oct. 7 proving to be a day validating fears of violent incursion.

While some have questioned Israel's war strategy, Flesch said the Israeli government has three clear objectives — and the first of which is returning the hostages still being held by Hamas to Israel. "The second objective is to dismantle the Hamas political and military infrastructure in Gaza," he added, explaining the central objective is to render Hamas "unable to perpetrate an October 7th invasion and massacre again."

Flesch said the third objective is to restore overarching security to Israelis — something that was shattered during the October attack. Considering Israel is intended to be a place of "refuge and security for the Jewish people," he said the ramifications for what happens next are massive. Hear him explain.

MSNBC's Bizarre Treatment of Bible Ministry: 'Like an SNL Skit'

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 09:38:02 -0000

The founder and CEO if an organization that provides Bible education during the public school day said recent MSNBC coverage of his efforts was so bizarre it felt like a "Saturday Night Live" skit. "The MSNBC piece frankly, to me, was hilarious," Joel Penton founder of LifeWise Academy, told CBN News. "It genuinely felt like an SNL skit."

Even a brief viewing of the 9-minute MSNBC segment — which reportedly left out positive data from LifeWise showing academic improvements among participants — provides context to exactly what Penton is describing. Titled, "Christian group uses public school-adjacent Bible study program to breach church-state wall," the video segment, led by host Alex Wagner, said LifeWise is "raising serious questions about the separation of church and state" despite Bible studies taking place during free periods and off campus.

"Penton's LifeWise Academy is currently influencing the minds of public school kids in progressive cities like Columbus," Wagner, who called Penton's work "distressing," said, adding that Penton wants to reach every public school in America. "Blue Islands ... those blue islands in red states and swing states ... they could be swayed by LifeWise." At other points in the report, warnings were included that the LifeWise chapter "promised ice cream or popcorn parties if kids got their friends to sign up" and that the organization somehow "found a legal way to offer Bible lessons."

"I just wonder if this is not running afoul of certain First Amendment stuff," Wagner added. Penton found the entire segment — a segment for which he and his team willingly sat down with NBC — quite odd. "That they would turn it into something that they find distressing ... it was funny," he said. Penton said he has done many interviews about LifeWise and that he spent a long time with the NBC team. He was surprised to see it all boiled down into a few minutes, with the material being framed in a way that "wasn't really balanced."

So far, LifeWise has exceeded its goal of reaching 25 schools by 2025 and is already in more than 300 schools in multiple states — and the organization is only poised to grow. Penton explained the parameters surrounding how it all works.

'Ramping Up to Revelation': Are the End Times Upon Us?

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 18:27:17 -0000

Wars. Rumors of wars. Famines. Pestilences. Earthquakes. These are just some of the "birth pains" Jesus said will precede the biblical end times. And with a solar eclipse, a random earthquake in the northeast, and continued consternation in the Middle East dominating headlines, it should come as no surprise end of days speculation is currently kicking back up in recent days and weeks.

Prophecy expert Jeff Kinley, author of "God's Grand Finale" and the coming book, "The End of the World According to Jesus of Nazareth," weighed in on these dynamics, offering an explainer about what the Bible actually says — and why it matters. "Jesus and Matthew 24 list a ton of signs that will precursor [Christ's] Second Coming, and it basically mirrors the Book of Revelation — the first half of Revelation," Kinley said. "And in those signs you have ... things like wars, you have rumors of wars, you have famines ... earthquakes, and then Jesus said, 'All these things are merely the beginnings of birth pangs.'"

The author went on to say he believes Christ is talking about the Tribulation period, a time during the end of days some Christians believe will be characterized by God's judgment. As far as what's happening in the world today, Kinley believes its a "ramping up to Revelation." "It's like when you're watching a baseball game or a football game," he said. "You're watching the quarterback, you're watching the pitcher, you're watching where the ball is, essentially."

Kinley continued, "Well, where the ball is prophetically is Israel, and, so, if you want to know really kind of put your finger on the pulse of what's going on prophetically, you need to look at Israel." Anyone looking at Israel right now can see the nation is locked in a great battle against Hamas, Hezbollah, and, more broadly, Iran. Kinley said focusing on this dispute — and region — is essential if Christians want to truly understand what's happening.

"All eyes should be on Israel, because the Bible says that God is going to bring ... the global narrative in the end times back to Israel, back to Jerusalem," he said. "And all the things that are taking place were prophesied — these foreshadows were prophesied many thousands of years ago." Kinley said the Bible predicts that nations will come against Israel in the last days, and pondered whether what's unfolding right now is the "preseason to the actual events that Christ and others" predicted would one day take form.

Israeli Spokesperson Delivers Warning in Response to Calls for Ceasefire

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 09:51:43 -0000

A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the nation is "fighting to stay alive" and to secure Israel's future. Tal Heinrich told CBN News Israel believes support from the international community is "great," but the country is not going to back down simply because other world leaders choose to abandon or minimize support. "When you're fighting a war, you want moral clarity, you want global support on your side," she said. "But we're not fighting for support. We're fighting to stay alive. We're fighting so we can have a better future in the region for us, and for the Palestinians, should they ... choose the path of peace."

Heinrich continued, "So, with or without international support, including American support, we will do what has to be done, because ... we will not die, we will not commit public suicide; we will fight a war that must be fought for our survival." Her comments came after U.S. President Joe Biden reportedly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week that Israel must do more on the humanitarian front or risk the U.S. changing its policies on the matter. The president also pressed for an "immediate cease-fire."

As for any ceasefire, Heinrich was resolute there wouldn't be one that "keeps the hostages in Gaza and Hamas in power." "That is simply unacceptable," she said. "We took this decision as a nation that we will not live next to this terrorist enclave. We define very clear war objectives that Hamas must be gone ... and that Gaza can never pose a terror threat to us again." As for those around the world who might be putting pressure and responsibility on Israel rather than Hamas, she said such strategies serve Hamas' "war machine" and incentivizes them to continue using "Palestinians as human shields."

Such a posture, Heinrich said, sends Hamas the message that their efforts are "working," particularly when they see international pressure being placed on Israel. Heinrich also spoke about some of the diabolical strategies she believes Hamas uses in war. "They want to maximize the civilian suffering and civilian casualties in Gaza, because they want Israel to take the fire for their vile actions and methods of war, using civilians and urban structures as shields for their war machine," she said. "And they want the international pressure to be used as leverage against Israel in a way that will let them stay in power, live another day, and carry out another October 7th massacre."

Heinrich warned people around the world are "falling for their trap." Listen to her discuss these issues, the Iranian threat, and more.

Doctor Reveals 'Lies About Marijuana,' Reveals Shocking, Dangerous Stats

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 08:00:00 -0000

End Times Author on Antichrist, Tribulation and Biggest Error Made Surrounding Book of Revelation

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Prophecy expert and author Jeff Kinley believes the Book of Revelation is unique and important as it's the "last book of the Bible" and the final word God gave to "His church." Kinley, whose latest book "God's Grand Finale: Wrath, Grace, and Glory in Earth’s Last Days" explores this topic, believes the end times themes in Revelation are "very critical" and can offer important insight on the Lord.

"It does tell us about the end of time, the whole Tribulation period, heaven ... the second coming, the Antichrist, many different things," he said. "But, interestingly enough, most Christians don't realize that the Book of Revelation actually reveals who God is to us." Kinley also broke down what he said is the biggest error people make when discussing Revelation: embracing the belief the prophetic text was never meant to be understood.

"The biggest misconception about Revelation is the fact that no one can understand it," he said. "If you think about it, the word 'revelation' means 'to reveal,' so it doesn't make sense that God would write a book, name it the Revelation of Jesus Christ, and then embed it into some undecipherable code that nobody can understand." Kinley continued, "I think it can be understood if you just read it in its plain sense."

The author said some Christians back away from such a reading though due to the apocalyptic language and symbols, finding themselves confused by the First Century language and simply tuning out. Kinley pointed back to prophecies in the Old Testament to make an important parallel to how he believes Christians should view eschatological Scriptures in the New Testament.

Are Aliens and UFOs...Demonic? Astrophysicist Reveals Why UFO Claims Aren't What They Seem

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 08:00:00 -0000

Are aliens real? Do UFOs really exist? These questions, once relegated to the confines of conspiratorial enterprises, are now legitimately being pondered among some scientists, academics — and even in the halls of Congress. It's an issue Dr. Hugh Ross, an astrophysicist and apologist, has long researched and explored.

"I became a UFO expert, but not on purpose," he recently said. "I was an amateur astronomer before I became a professional astronomer." Ross eventually found himself handling UFO reports at universities, exploring claims people made about aliens and unidentified phenomena. And he came to some fascinating conclusions.

"About 99% of what people would report to me as UFOs, I could explain as natural phenomena, a hoax, or secret government military activity," Ross said. "But there's a 1% residual that falls in a different category, and these would be UFO phenomena."

As for the human reaction to these encounters, Ross also noted they are "never beneficial" and interactions are "always deleterious." "The best you're going to come away from with one of these encounters is recurring, terrifying nightmares," he said. "Worst case scenario, you get killed."

Reports of alien encounters also mirror what some have experienced during claims of demonic activity, he said. From going into trances to engaging in automatic writing, Ross believes the parallels between demonic possession and purported interactions with extraterrestrials cannot be ignored.

Listen to Ross explain the nature of these alien encounters and what he's observed.

Vision From God Sends Man on Mission to Create Massive Monument to Miracles and 'Answered Prayers'

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 08:00:00 -0000

A monument documenting miracles and answered prayers is set to be erected in England, with the massive structure serving as an international reminder of God's impact on people's lives. Richard Gamble, the creator of the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, recently told CBN's Faithwire about the inspiration for his massive monument and what he's hoping to achieve.

"It is a giant infinity loop. It's made of a million bricks," he said. "It's about the size of a football pitch, and it sort of arcs up 167 feet into the skyline." But the unique feature of the structure is the meaning each piece of the monument holds. Plus, there's the loop's interactive nature: each brick will tell the story of an answered prayer. "Every single brick in this structure will represent a story of answered prayer," he said. "And people will be able to ... point their phone at any one of the bricks ... and the phone will light up and it'll tell them the story of hope that lies within."

Gamble said the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer was sparked by a vision he had back in 2004. He was walking across his country with a cross in an effort to get people thinking deeper about Jesus and said a simply prayer to the Lord: "Hey God, what do you want me to do next?" And that's when he was given the idea for the monument. Gamble spent the next 10 years praying about the idea before embarking on another near-decade to make the "dream a reality." Next year, the cross will be under construction.

"We've already started the building process," Gamble said. " We've got the, the planning permission, the zoning permission, we've built the road, and we are just going through the final pieces of the contracts now to get it all signed up." The Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer will be complete by 2026, with hopes of getting King Charles and other dignitaries to the site for its opening. For now, Gamble and his team are working on collecting real-life stories of answered prayer for each of the bricks.

"We are just asking the public, 'If you've prayed and Jesus has answered, we just wanna hear your story,'" he said. "And so people are going online and we've got a website set up." Find out more about the massive structure.

If you would like to support the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer and share your answered prayer, please visit www.eternalwall.us.

Does Trump's Massive $454 Million Penalty Violate His 8th Amendment Rights?

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 09:34:24 -0000

As 2024 presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump continues to face various court battles, an appeals court granted him at least a temporary reprieve from a $454 million fine. With Trump up against a deadline earlier this week to pay the penalty, the appeals court lowered the sum to a $175 million bond, giving the former president 10 days to secure the monies.

This not only at least temporarily lowered the sum but also relieved Trump from New York Attorney General Letitia James's pledge to seize his assets should he be unwilling or unable to pay the larger penalty. If, in months to come, the appeals court does rule in the attorney general's favor and against Trump, he could still be forced to pay the $454 million bond.

Some critics have claimed the sum is unheard of, with a number of talking heads alleging the massive bond is a violation of the 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which reads, "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted." Bradley Jacob, a professor at Regent University School of Law, told CBN News the 8th Amendment is "primarily about criminal law in a criminal court," which is noteworthy considering Trump's case is civil. Jacob went on to explain some of the parameters and confines of the 8th Amendment text.

"You can't give cruel and unusual punishments," he said. "You can't tar and feather someone; you can't impale them on a stake — those kinds of things are not permitted under the Constitution." Jacob continued, "Bail can't be way out of proportion to the crime; if you're going to go on trial for jaywalking, they can't put $10,000 bail on that ... those kinds of issues."

Despite the criminal aspects of the 8th Amendment, Jacon said there have been some court cases indicating excessive fines could also apply to a fine or judgment in a civil case "if the amount of money that's in the judgment is just way out of proportion to the offense." This is why some might be claiming this is the case in Trump's current battle. Hear him explain.

Matt Redman and Christian Stars Unite for 'How Great Thou Art' 75th Anniversary Remix

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 19:08:27 -0000

Beloved hymn "How Great Thou Art" has inspired Christians for decades. And as the song celebrates its 75th anniversary, worship leader Matt Redman is honoring its legacy with an updated version.

The singer-songwriter told CBN News about his unique collaboration with a slew of Christian artists, including: Chris Tomlin, Hillary Scott, Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, Naomi Raine, Blessing Offor, Jon Reddick, TAYA, Brian and Jenn Johnson, Matt Maher, Pat Barrett, Benjamin William Hastings, Ryan Ellis, and Mitch Wong — familiar, powerhouse voices who coalesced for the new rendition.

This wide array of voices gleeful to take part speaks to the song's prevalence in the church today. "You go around churches, different streams, and expressions of church — you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't find some kind of connection to this hymn," Redman said, noting the song spread like "wildfire" once it started being played at Billy Graham crusades.

The worship singer offered his perspective on why he believes "How Great Thou Art" has been such a timeless and popular song. "I think it might be because it has this beautiful story, starts with creation, gets the cross, but we get our chance to say what we think about those things," Redman said. "I think some of the best hymns, they're like a classroom and a chapel — they ... educate us, inspire us, bring something to mind, and then they give us a chance to respond to that, say what we think about that."

He said the song, unlike many old hymns, is still under copyright. The copyright holder — which is typically very protective of the song — approached Redman and asked him if there was a way to celebrate the song's 75th anniversary. Listen to Redman share the incredible history of "How Great Thou Art" and how the new version of the song came to be.

The Real Solution to Saving the Unborn: 'Hearts and Minds'

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 13:55:08 -0000

A pro-life activist working to help women realize abortion isn't their only option is on a mission to bring people a "system of care" and "true choices." Jeff Bradford, president of Human Coalition, recently told CBN News that his organization works on both the service and legislative sides. "Human Coalition is one of the largest pro-life, pro-woman organizations in the country," Bradford said. "We work with directly with women who believe that abortion is their only option."

He continued, "We also work on the legislative [side] ... where we're helping shape and protect good laws that also reduce the supply of abortion across the country." In the end, though, Bradford said there's only one tactic that will truly heal the abortion divide. "Ultimately, we have to change hearts and minds," he said. With the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision overturning of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that had legalized abortion across America, Bradford stressed recognizing that the issue is anything but settled.

With abortion rights being turned back to the states, some locations are restricting abortion while others seek to solidify access to the procedure. And while those legislative battles are essential to engage, Bradford said it's the changing of hearts that is most important. "These women that come in want to be seen, they want to be loved, they want to be cared for, and they want somebody to stand in the gap for them," he said. "Seventy-six percent of the women who think abortion is their only option initially, will tell us that they prefer to parent if their circumstances were different." Bradford continued, "Doesn't that just break your heart ... these women have been told that abortion is their only option and yet they want to parent if they could have somebody just standing in the gap."

The pro-life activist said he understands where many of these women are coming from and the intense struggles some face. "They're in a very difficult position," Bradford said. "They feel and believe that abortion is their only option. Many times, the father of the baby, or friends, or parents abandon the woman at her greatest time of need." He went on to share his own circumstances when he and his now wife, engaged to be married, didn't know where to turn when they faced an unexpected pregnancy.

Family of U.S. Marine Killed in Afghanistan Reveals Biden's Shock Response

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 20:22:18 -0000

"Our lives will never be the same." Christy Shamblin, whose daughter-in-law, Marine Sergeant Nicole Gee, was one of the 13 American service members killed in an ISIS-K terror attack during the chaotic August 2021 U.S. pullout from Afghanistan, is still processing such a monumental, earth-shattering loss. "She was our light, but she was also a light for so many other people," Shamblin told CBN News. "We've changed everything about how we live with her loss. We won't be the same people ever again."

Shamblin's raw pain is still evident. And yet the undaunted and brave Gold Star family member has spent the past two-and-a-half years sharing about Gee, critiquing the U.S. government's widely rebuked pullout, and demanding answers. The impact of Gee's death on Shamblin was immeasurably clear and present throughout the conversation, with her praise for the late soldier's character radiating through. "Nicole ... was a superstar," Shamblin said. "She was dynamic and amazing. She had a positive mental attitude and she expressed that to everybody she came in contact with."

She said Gee was incredibly proud of her service in the Marine Corps and at Abbey Gate, where the deadly bombing unfolded. "She knew she was saving lives and she was extremely proud," Shamblin said. "And there's nothing you want more for your kids than to have them be proud of what they're doing." Nearly three years later, Shamblin said processing the loss of Gee and all that unfolded in Afghanistan is "a work in progress." She and her family members were so proud of Gee's passion and bravery, thus the loss, in light of Gee's love for her work, sparked a "bittersweet feeling" in the wake of her killing — a mixture of pride and lament.

Shamblin was in attendance during President Joe Biden's State of the Union address earlier this month, which she called "disheartening," yet predictable. "I have pretty low expectations these days," Shamblin said, noting she "wasn't surprised" by Biden's SOTU speech. "He ... it doesn't flow together. It's not relevant what he's speaking about — to what is in the room, to what's happening in the country." She continued, "I feel like he's disconnected from what the people are concerned about. And it's hard to see that. ... I think that, largely, they've lost sight that ... the people that fight these wars are young men and women who sacrifice their lives and they don't get the respect. We don't even get attention from our administration much less respect." Hear her explain.

'Jesus Came for Everyone': 'The Chosen' Transforms Inmates' Lives in Prisons Across America

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 09:39:41 -0000

"The Chosen" is changing inmates' lives, bringing the Gospel message to a population desperately in need of hope and transformation. Heather Rice-Minus, president and CEO of Prison Fellowship, a ministry serving the incarcerated and their families, explained the impact the Bible-inspired TV series is having on prisoners. Rice-Minus said the Come and See Foundation, the group responsible for trying to get "The Chosen" in front of one billion people, has joined forces with her organization.

"The Come and See Foundation really wanted to expand their audience to reach everyone with the authentic Jesus from the palace to prison, if you will," she said. "And, so, we said, 'Well, we would love to help with that.'" Prison Fellowship has been working to set up screenings at facilities where the ministry has chaplains and programs. The organization has also made "The Chosen" available on Floodlight, a streaming platform Prison Fellowship created for outreach during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the recent announcement about delays in the streaming release of "The Chosen" season four, one of the bright lights has been the reality that the new season will still be viewable in prisons and select churches. "The chaplains are able to set up their own screenings if they want ... inside facilities," Rice-Minus said of the digital offering. "We also have several hundred prisons where Prison Fellowship runs in-person programming, and, so, in some of those facilities we've been able to set up special screenings and watch parties of 'The Chosen.'"

Rice-Minus shared some of the specific ways the series has impacted lives, citing the Carol S. Vance Unit, a Texas prison where inmates are going through what she called a "year-long transformation process" to dig into the issues that landed them in jail. The show has helped them connect the dots and dig deeper into faith.

New Horrors, Christian Persecution in Nigeria: Experts Sound Alarm

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 19:09:46 -0000

With persecution intensifying in Nigeria, many Christians are facing amplified social pressures. The latest example surrounds two government colleges. Sean Nelson, legal counsel for ADF International, warns of dangerous, anti-Christian bias on these campuses. "The situation in Nigeria, just generally, is a very, very difficult situation for Christians, in particular, especially in the northern part of the country," Nelson said. "Nigeria [is] the largest democracy in Africa ... It's roughly equally divided between Christians and Muslims, with the northern portion of the country being predominantly Muslim."

It's in that region where many Christians become "marginalized" and face discrimination. Nelson and ADF International are now sounding the alarm over two universities — one federal and one state — that have reportedly barred Christian students from "being able to use any facilities for worship [or] fellowship." "The reason you know it's discrimination is that ... the Muslim students are completely allowed to use all of these facilities," he said. "They're preventing Christians from using those spaces, from worshipping on campus, having fellowship; they have to go off campus to do that. It's just plain discrimination."

Nelson said such restrictions are a total violation of Nigeria's constitution, which protects freedom of religion and belief. But, as CBN News has extensively reported, Christians aren't only facing social pressure; some are facing violence and death, with officials failing to uphold such protections. "When you combine [the college issue] with some of the targeted killings that Christians are facing all across the north — there's been hundreds of kidnappings recently just the last couple weeks," Nelson said. "It's a really horrible situation for them."

Nelson said the government in Nigeria isn't prosecuting people who commit such horrific crimes, citing the case of Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu, a Christian and a Shehu Shagari College of Education student in Sokoto, Nigeria, who was brutally murdered May 12, 2022. The violent attack was purportedly filmed and shared on social media, but Nelson said no one was truly held accountable.

Church Sues Government For Allegedly ‘Blocking’ Pastor From Feeding Poor

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 12:58:28 -0000

An Arizona church is suing the City of San Luis, charging officials with allegedly blocking its charitable food distribution to individuals and families in need. Conservative legal firm First Liberty Institute and law firm Snell and Wilmer L.L.P. filed a complaint and preliminary injunction in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona on behalf of Gethsemani Baptist Church.

Jeremy Dys, senior counsel for First Liberty, told CBN News the church is close to the U.S.-Mexico border and has long served people in need. "Here's a church that has, for the last 25 or 30 years, been present in that community and caring for its people by handing them food when they need it," Dys said, noting people all over the region have benefited from Gethsemani Baptist Church's efforts.

The attorney said the house of worship just recently found itself in the crosshairs over truck deliveries that reportedly violate city codes in the church's zoning district. According to First Liberty, the City of San Luis has "issued [two] fines and threatens criminal charges for parking transport trucks in the church’s parking lot." It's a shocking development, Dys said, after a previously friendly relationship between the city and church.

"The church has done what it has always done and so there's really been no change on the end of the church," Dys said. "They've just been simply trying to care for people in their community." The attorney said the election of a new mayor seemed to coincide with Gethsemani Baptist Church's newfound struggles — a battle that has caused the church to pause its longstanding food outreach.

"What changed, it seems, is the mayor ... was elected to office and very promptly kicked the church out of the city's warehouses," Dys said. "They had been using their warehouses for storage of food until they could move it to their property to hand it out." He said the battle seems to be based on the church's use of a semi-truck to deliver the food for outreaches. Dys said ordinances preclude the church from having the truck on the church's property, despite the outreach unfolding there since 1999 purportedly without major incident.

Dys also charged that Gethsemani Baptist Church is being "singled out" and ticketed while at least one other establishment is allowed to receive food deliveries in a similar manner. According to a press release, "the church and its pastor cannot afford the city’s heavy fines and fear that more citations could result in the pastor going to jail."

Border Battle Rages as Preacher's 'Revival' Plan Catches Fire

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 18:13:46 -0000

Much of the political debate right now is centered on the growing chaos Americans are seeing on the southern border, with migrants illegally crossing the border at shocking rates. But with so much consternation focused on the social and political elements and failed legislative attempts at addressing the matter, Pentecostal preacher Tony Suarez is on a mission to turn the conversation back to the spiritual.

Suarez will host Revival on the Border in El Paso, Texas, from March 21-23, and McAllen, Texas, from March 27-29, offering nightly revival meetings that will conclude on Good Friday. "The ONLY answer to the issues plaguing our southern border is JESUS!" the preacher proclaims on his website. This important reminder is often lost in the emotional and cluttered conversation surrounding immigration, the 2024 election, and almost every other contentious issue under the sun.

"The last time we had immigration reform, Ronald Reagan was the president and I was in kindergarten," Suarez recently told CBN News. "But it's an issue that every election cycle is used for campaign fodder." He continued, "It doesn't matter if it's Republican or Democrat; they'll use this issue, and then once they're in office, they do absolutely nothing with the issue." Suarez said he has been working with Pastor Samuel Rodriguez at the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference for years, but every time reform has seemed close, proposals "fall apart."

So, the pastor is seeking a spiritual answer to help turn the tide. "What I'm contending for is that the answer to everything from border security to the human issue is Jesus Christ," Suarez said. "And if Washington won't act, then the kingdom must act, and, so, that's why we're going to the border." Revival on the Border will start with three days of a tent revival, with Suarez also organizing a "prayer army" that will gather together.

The individuals who are part of that movement will be prayed over and then sent out to do something pretty incredible: hold prayer rallies in various cities along the U.S.-Mexico border, spiritually covering the area with invocations aimed at protecting people and America more generally. "They're going to drive the 1,254 miles of the southern border, because part of what we felt the Lord called us to do was to pray over the entire Southern border," he said. "They're going to go and pray [at] the six key points of entry into the United States, and we're going to have prayer rallies in those specific cities." Suarez is hoping the event has a massive impact for the kingdom.

'Set Free From My Sin': Hollywood Actor's Mission to 'Proclaim Hope,' Share Faith

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 15:49:17 -0000

Actor Brett Varvel is on a mission to spread faith and hope through Hollywood. The "County Rescue" star recently joined CBN News to discuss his role as Andy, an EMT, in the new Great American Family series', a show that weaves together faith and drama to create a compelling show. "The thing that we explore in this show that's maybe different from other medical dramas is that we go into the interpersonal workings of this ensemble that we have on screen," Varvel said. "And we see real-life questions — What do you do when you're trying to discover your purpose in life? What do you do when things don't go your way? What do you do when tragedy strikes?"

He said "County Rescue" mixes together faith, family, romance and so much more, showing what happens in the lives of EMTs who "put themselves in harm's way every single day" to save others' lives. The biggest differentiator, of course, is faith, something Varvel called a "key component to the show" (which is also currently streaming on Great American Pure Flix). Varvel also shared his own passion for performing and creating content in the faith and family-friendly TV and movie space.

"When I was 18 years old I had entered a short film that I made into a statewide arts competition in Indiana, where I'm from," he said. "It was just a proclamation of what Jesus has done in my life. I've been set free from my sin. I've been born again." And Varvel's film won first place in the state, which totally blew his mind. The actor was especially inspired when he heard the movie led a man to Christ. "My film was playing and I heard about a janitor who peeked his head in and ended up giving his life to Jesus after watching my film," he said. "And it was like, in that moment, I saw this new direction in life that God wanted me to go in, which was to take the talents and abilities that He's given me and to proclaim hope to people."

Ever since, Varvel has used his talents to create movies and TV shows, mixing his love for entertainment with his quest to share Jesus. "County Rescue" is just a continuation of that very mission. "What I've always grounded myself in is, I want to be about the truth found in God's word, the biblical promises that we see that are going to lead us to hope in life, an eternal life in Jesus," Varvel said. "And that's why I love the show like 'County Rescue.'" Hear the actor tell his story and recount his faith journey.

Plan to 'Disrupt' Ivy League Colleges With Gospel Message: 'An Unreached People Group'

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 10:02:12 -0000

Matt Bennett, founder of Christian Union (CU), an organization with campus ministries at influential colleges across America, is on a mission to spread the Gospel to Ivy League students. Bennett's new CU Rise campaign is an eight-week effort from March 17 through May that aims to "disrupt" campus culture by introducing students to Jesus. The on-campus and online campaign will seek to evangelize students at Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, Yale, and Stanford. An in-person, pre-campaign kick-off event just concluded at Cornell University, with reports of people coming to the Lord.

"We want as many as possible to hear the Gospel message," Bennett told CBN News. "Even for those who don't [believe], it's valuable for them to know the true Christian message." And the Christian Union head made a sobering statement that underscores the dire state of spiritual affairs and intense lostness at many of these colleges. "What's shocking is that, in this audience, you have fewer practicing Christians than you do, say ... in Mainland China or a lot of other places that we consider unreached," he said. "This is an unreached people group. And, so, it's important for these folks in and among themselves that they have the chance to know the Lord."

Bennett added, "But it's also important for the sake of the nation."

Bennett emphasized the importance of the campaign's message — "Jesus Disrupts" — reaching this population, especially considering the widespread confusion and lack of Christian knowledge that persists on these campuses — and the fact these universities churn out so many leaders. "These folks need to know the Lord," Bennett said. "A huge number [of influential leaders] go to the top 1% of schools in the country."

According to a press release announcing the effort, the campaign aims to "introduce students to how radical and different Jesus is, and how He can change them and give them purpose and hope in their own lives." Through online outreach, Bennett hopes to push students to learn more about Christianity — and even the faith-based histories of their own universities. These nudges toward truth will have a significant impact on individuals' lives.

Author Mitch Albom Details Harrowing Experience Escaping Haiti in Dark of Night

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 14:25:30 -0000

Bestselling author Mitch Albom, known for blockbuster books like "Tuesdays with Morrie," "The Five People You Meet in Heaven,” and "The Stranger in the Lifeboat," was among those forced to flee from Haiti in the dead of night after the nation descended into sheer chaos. Albom was visiting Have Faith Haiti, an orphanage run by he and his wife, Janine, when Haiti's government collapsed and he was among the Americans trapped there with no way out. With violence flaring, Albom and a group of nine others were granted an emergency airlift Tuesday out of the beleaguered country.

The author, who is now safe and back in the U.S. after fleeing the nation Tuesday in the dead of night, recounted additional details during an interview Thursday with CBN News. Albom, who cares for 60 children and has 40 staff at the orphanage, is in touch with the orphans and staff all day via FaceTime and other technologies. He said the chaos unfolding in Haiti can be heard still during those calls.

"When we do our nightly devotions, you can hear all the gunfire in the background," he said. "It's such a juxtaposition. It doesn't make sense. You know they're singing these beautiful songs to God about being grateful for what they have ... but, out in the street, [there is] rapid fire machine gun kind of fire." Albom continued, "It's a shame that they have to live with this." While the author's fame and accolades are mostly tied to his books, his real passion is his work helping orphans in Haiti.

"[The orphanage] takes up the bulk of my existence," Albom said in a past interview. "I know most people know me as a writer, but my average week is consumed a lot more with operating the orphanage and I'm there every month, and it's the most important thing and most gratifying thing that I do." Albom said his life-changing work in Haiti began after the devastating 2010 earthquake, which killed 220,000-300,000 people and displaced 1.5 million others. At the time, the author accompanied a U.S. pastor to Haiti who needed to check on an orphanage he lost contact with during the tragedy. The author said he was immediately captivated by what he encountered in the earthquake-ravaged country.

"I was so taken with the kids, and their attitude, and their positivity, and their joy, despite the fact that they had nothing," Albom said. Recognizing the dire nature of the situation in Haiti after the earthquake, Albom started to go back and forth and bring people from Detroit who could help — plumbers, roofers, contractors, and others. They started working on the orphanage, installing toilets, showers and a kitchen, among other needs. But that was only the beginning, as Albom soon became more involved than he could have ever imagined. “I ended up taking over the operations … which I’ve now run for [nearly] 12 years,” he said. “I’m there every month.”

'The Chosen' Is Changing Inmates' Lives Inside American Prisons: The Incredible Journey to Bring the Show to 1 Billion People

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 17:45:42 -0000

The head of an organization tasked with bringing "The Chosen" to one billion people across the globe has unveiled plans to bring season four of the hit show to prisons and churches, a bold move aimed at sparking Gospel conversations and healing. Stan Jantz, chief executive officer of the Come and See Foundation, recently told CBN News his nonprofit's mission is to "support 'The Chosen,'" implementing a vision to bring "the authentic Jesus" to one billion people.

"We have three ... pillars, and one is to ensure that all seven seasons get made," Jantz said. "Number two is the translation piece — [to] translate every episode of every season into 600 languages, which is a huge task, never been done before that scale." He said the third effort is strategic partners with global ministries to take "The Chosen" to the "farthest places of the world." Jantz said he has been excited to see the amazing ways the show has impacted hearts and minds across the globe.

"We're excited about ... Bible engagement," he said, noting that many people are so intrigued by what they see in "The Chosen" that they open up their Bibles to read what's in Scripture. "YouVersion is finding a real uptick in their Bible engagement by showing 'The Chosen' on their apps." The show, Jantz said, has become a vehicle to point curious people to God's word.

Despite challenges delaying the streaming release of the latest season, Jantz said "The Chosen" season four will be making its way into prisons through Prison Fellowship and will also head to churches. "We're seeing that this is a tool that they're using to engage these inmates and then, as chaplains, take them through that discipleship journey," he said. "We're thrilled."

Churches can also find out how they can bring season four to their congregations free of charge. "One of our goals too is to keep this show free for all," Jantz said of any church or prison participating in this offer. "People can watch it and not have to pay for it."

'It Was Wild': Jennie Allen Reveals How Revival, Powerful Mass Baptism Transforms Lives

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 19:06:59 -0000

Author and speaker Jennie Allen has witnessed some of the most powerful revival moments over the past year. She helped hundreds of young people get spontaneously baptized at Auburn University in Alabama last year — something she recently spoke about with CBN News during a conversation about her new book "Untangle Your Emotions: Naming What You Feel and Knowing What to Do About It."

"It was [a] pretty incredible night and we didn't plan it," she said, noting that she had a "sense of the Spirit...moving" after speaking. "I get off the stage and [a pastor] walked up to me and said ... 'This girl just texted me and said, 'I want to be baptized tonight.'"

Allen said she asked where they could go nearby to find a place to offer that baptism. At first, they considered a pool, but they wanted to "think bigger." "He said, 'There's a lake down the street, but it's like a half a mile away, a mile away,'" she recalled. "I said, 'Do you think they would come?' And he said, 'Well, we can try."

Allen got on the stage again as worship was going and asked the crowd if anyone wanted to be baptized. As dozens of hands went up, Allen told everyone they would head down to the lake to do the baptisms. And that moment sparked a massive response. "Everybody came," she said. "They picked up people on their way. There were 6,000 people on there and I mean, it was just wrapping the entire lake and it's a pretty big lake. It was wild."

Baptisms went on until midnight, with the young people sharing their passion for the Lord. "It was amazing," Allen said. "And hearing the kids ... every single kid said something different, but one of the things they said consistently was ... 'I want to be clean. I want to be clean.'" She continued, "I just think that's their longing." Allen also discussed "Untangle Your Emotions" and the complexities and mistakes people often make when it comes to processing and understanding emotions.

'Bad News' About 'The Chosen' Season Four

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 15:36:28 -0000

Fans of hit TV show "The Chosen" were likely surprised to see creator Dallas Jenkins release a Facebook video this weekend with a shocking title: "I’ve got bad news about Season 4’s release." That candid proclamation gave a clue into some of what could be expected from Jenkins' more than 16-minute "family chat" as he dubbed it — an honest conversation about why The Chosen season four was released in theaters, the monumental cost of producing the series, why streaming is delayed, and more overarching plans for the future.

“Our previous path wasn’t proving to be sustainable," Jenkins said of the crowdfunding model that launched "The Chosen" into meteoric success. Without going into detail, the famed director also indicated there are current legal challenges holding up the latest season's streaming release. Efrem Graham, host of CBN's "Studio 5," has been covering "The Chosen" since its inception, and explained the ins and outs of the information delivered in Jenkins' video.

While Graham assumed "something was going on" involving the streaming release of season four, he "did not realize the seriousness of it or the legal issues [and] financial issues" at play. The TV host did credit Jenkins' honesty — something that's often rare when it comes to the teams behind TV shows and movies. "Dallas has been very good about being forthcoming whenever possible about any questions," Graham said. "And anytime I've interviewed him, he'd always said, 'Ask me anything,' so I appreciate that from him."

And that candidness was on full display in Jenkins' video, with the director acknowledging some fans' frustrations over not being able to stream the latest season. Considering "The Chosen" has traditionally been free to stream relatively quickly, Jenkins explained the financial reasons his team chose a theatrical run. Many fans had become accustomed to the crowdfunding model and the simple release that didn't involve ticket sales or other financial or logistical barriers. A theater release has conplicated that reality.

"This is the single biggest, successful crowdfunded project in media history," Graham said. "It started with a partnership between Dallas and Angel Studios; they helped them to raise funds, and then, as the series grew, roles shifted because they needed more support ... financially; they needed more support in terms of distribution." Today, Angel Studios, whom Jenkins described in the video as a former partner of "The Chosen," has gone on to crowdfund other films like "Sound of Freedom" and "Cabrini," adding a new model into the mix for faith and family-friendly projects.

Graham further explained some of the barriers Jenkins faces, including the need to use any incoming funds for the next season of the show; "The Chosen" has always had a seven-season run, leaving Jenkins and his team with the important task of ensuring monies are poured back into production after each new season. Listen for more.

Fired Professor Fights Back and Wins, Has a Message For Fellow Christians

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 09:51:15 -0000

A Texas college professor who said he was fired after university leaders reportedly found his teachings too "religious" has been reinstated to his position more than a year after being terminated. Dr. Johnson Varkey and his attorneys at First Liberty Institute recently announced Varkey has won his adjunct professorial job back at St. Philip’s College in San Antonio, Texas, after being fired in 2023 "for teaching standard principles about human biology and reproduction."

The announcement comes after a "favorable settlement" was reached with the Alamo Community College District; the school system voluntarily reinstated Varkey. "I was so excited," the professor told CBN News after the announcement. "And thank the Lord for that outcome." Varkey said he's grateful to First Liberty and to God for helping him get back his position. "I am excited to go back and teach," he said.

As CBN News previously reported, a biology professor for the past 20 years, Varkey consistently taught the same facts about the human reproductive system without any problems. But that changed last year when he received a notice of dismissal. "I was surprised and I was shocked, because, you know, never expected for such a letter from, or such an email from, the school because I've been teaching that for that school for the last 20 years and without any complaints," he said.

Varkey believes his lessons on human biology and sex being determined by chromosomes X and Y sparked complaints leading to his dismissal. But, after pushing back and filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that is still under review, he could return to the classroom as soon as this spring. The professor said he hopes his successful quest to fight for his job will inspire other Christians who might face similar issues and barriers. "I would say, don't quit, because there are people very supportive just like First Liberty," he said, urging people to be brave and take a stand. "Stand for the truth."

Hamas Terrorists’ Horrific Impact on Israeli Kids, Families: Man Shares Harrowing Story

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 14:45:27 -0000

The brother-in-law of a Hamas hostage is speaking out about his relative's plight, imploring the international community to keep fighting for the hostages' safe return. Moshe Lavi said his brother-in-law, Omri Miran, 46, was taken captive from Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7 by Hamas terrorists who invaded the country and slaughtered around 1,200 Israelis.

Omri is married to Lishay Miran and is father to daughters Roni, 2, and 9-month-old Alma. "He's an incredible father to my two nieces, Roni and Alma [and] amazing husband to my sister, Lishay," Lavi said, describing Miran as a man with a "gentle heart." "He's a family man." Months after the children's father was ripped from their lives, Lavi said the children not only scream and cry for their dad, but that the older child verbally recounts the "violence she witnessed on October 7th."

"How horrible it is that children at the age of 2 and 3 [are] hearing this?" he said. "She draws it in paintings. ... We take her to therapy, because we have to do that to ensure that she gets every support she [needs]." He continued, "[The kids] cry for him."

After losing touch with his sister and family in the middle of the night, Lavi, who lives in New York, later learned about the horrific situation his loved ones faced at the hands of Hamas. "My mom received a message that Lishay, my sister, survived, that the two babies survived, but that [Omri] was taken hostage," he said. "I'm grateful my parents were rescued and survived."

Hamas terrorists had barged into Omri's home, using a teenage boy from the kibbutz to lure them to open the door in a faux effort to save the 15-year-old boy's life. "Later on that day, Hamas murdered [the teen] and most of his family," Lavi said. "For hours, they were abused at their home, held at gunpoint, their house was ransacked, ravaged." That was just one of the many horrors to be inflicted on innocents that day, with some of the atrocities being live-streamed on Facebook.

God’s Miraculous Answer to Pastor’s Simple Prayer Changed Absolutely Everything

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 22:19:00 -0000

Terror Survivor Details Horrors of Israel Attack: ‘A Genocidal War Cry’

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 16:26:54 -0000

Adele Raemer loved living in her small Israeli kibbutz, calling it "95% heaven" there before the horror of Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack shattered that reality. Raemer told CBN News she started hearing rockets around 6:30 a.m. that morning. She said it didn't take long to realize the assault was "something different" from the normal incursions that unfold, especially considering its widespread and intense nature.

Soon, messages started coming in on Raemer's internal kibbutz messaging system letting residents know Israel had been invaded. She and others in the community locked their doors and windows and went into their safe rooms. Raemer and her son spent hours inside, fearing what was happening outside, until she exited due to physical pain and the need to use her restroom. That's when she noticed the terrorists had broken the slats on her window yet no one was inside; somehow, they had skipped her home.

Raemer is still struggling to process all that unfolded, noting the realities of what her community endured remind her of the horrors the Jewish people faced before and during World War II. "These are stories that I heard when I was a child about the Holocaust," Raemer said. "I'm living in my own country, in the land of Israel. We have an army. We're 2023. How is it that I'm hiding in my safe room from the Nazis of 2023 who are coming to kill me because I'm a Jew — just because I'm a Jew?" She continued, "They don't have any national aspirations. If they did, they could have had a country long ago, numerous times. They're just there to kill us. They want us gone. When they say, 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.' That's a genocidal war cry and I take them at their word."

Raemer said she's now a refugee in her own country, as she still can't live in her home or community. She's currently helping raise money to rebuild and make the community "bigger, and better, and stronger, and safer." Listen to her tell her harrowing story.

Miracle Baby Left to Die in Rat-Infested Garbage Dump Shares Incredible Story

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 17:48:10 -0000

Jackie Darby is a wife, mother, and author with a robust life and passion for the Lord. But she was once an abandoned baby left alone to die in a garbage dump in Seoul, South Korea. "Rats were eating on my ... little body," Darby, who has a new book titled "Whose Am I? The Truth About Your Worth and Identity in Christ," told CBN News. "But the Lord God sent a missionary nurse who found me, and rescued me, and took me to a local orphanage that was also run by missionaries."

That miracle rescue led her to be adopted by missionaries in America who already had five biological children of their own, but felt called by God to bring her into their home. "After they read an article about post-war babies in the local newspaper, that's how the Lord touched their hearts for adoption," she said. Over the years, Darby said it was often perplexing and difficult to recall how she was discarded.

"It was very overwhelming thinking that that's how my life began," she said. "And I often wondered why — why was I thrown in the garbage?" Darby recently teamed up with fellow author Aixa de López to pen "Whose Am I?," a book that grapples with the issue and "shares true life experiences about adoption, redemption, and finding our true identity in Christ, while providing opportunities to ask questions and engage in conversations that are often difficult for families to address."

De López told CBN News she and Darby first connected years ago at a local church. When de López was eventually called by God to foster care and adoption, she began relying on Darby to help her navigate the situation. "[Darby] and her daughter would come over, take [my] kids to McDonald's, and then do some crafts at her place," de López said. "And then my kids started to relax around her, and especially my younger little who's pictured in the book started to have these deeper conversations with Jackie." Here is Darby's incredible story.

Biblical Proof Found in Stunning Archaeological Finds: 'A Tsunami of Evidence'

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 10:37:28 -0000

A professor who's out with a book about fascinating archaeological finds that help bring the Bible to life said such discoveries keep corroborating what Christians know to be true about the Scriptures. Tom Meyer, known as "The Bible Memory Man" for his ability to memorize entire books of the Bible, is a professor at Shasta Bible College. And his latest book "Archaeology and the Bible: 50 Fascinating Finds That Bring the Bible to Life" offers key insights into biblical truth.

"We don't need archaeology to prove the Bible's true," Meyer recently told CBN News. "The Bible stands on its own. It's totally authoritative in all manners." But the author said he knows Christians face challenges when evangelizing and sharing their faith, particularly among those who don't believe the Scriptures hold any authority. "You know how it is if you're sharing your faith, or you're evangelizing," Meyer said. "If you tell someone, 'You need to believe the Bible because the Bible says it's true,' you're going to get some pushback."

That's why Meyer said it's helpful to have "different apologetics" that can be used to point to the Gospel, noting that archaeology keeps "revealing new information from the pages of the Bible." This study of the ancient past helps validate Scripture. "Bible archaeology has given us a tsunami of evidence that we already know — that all these people existed," he said. "I think 50 to 100 people [who are] mentioned in the Bible, that person's exact name — King David, Isaiah, the prophet, King Hezekiah, et cetera — we found their names and archaeological objects, which ... demonstrates the reliability and the accuracy of Scripture." Hear Meyer explain.

'Casting Spells': Man's Occult, Ouija Board Obsession Obliterated After Radical Encounter With God

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 15:59:23 -0000

"I was very involved in the occult, channeling spirits, casting spells, playing with Ouija board six to eight hours a day — all of those things." That's how military veteran and artist Timothy Gagnon described his early years, explaining how he descended into evil practices while he was a young man.

Gagnon, artist and author of the "Illuminated Messiah Bible," an artistic look at the Scriptures that depicts Jesus from Genesis to Revelation, told CBN News about how he fell into the occult — and later escaped. "I was raised in a kind of, for lack of a better word, Christmas and Easter Catholic family," he said. "We didn't really attend that much." Gagnon said he lived at the time as though God wasn't an important facet or priority in his life. When he hit the sixth grade, he recalled an oral report assignment he was given that opened the floodgates to spiritual chaos.

Unsure of what to do, he went to the school library and stumbled upon books on the occult. That introduction to the topic led him into spell casting, playing with Ouija boards, and channeling spirits, among other similar activities — things he did "all day long" and "all night long" with two of his friends who also descended into the same practices. Gagnon said these spells weren't empty practices — that something happened when he would engage with the occult. He said he and his friends interacted with three entities that claimed to be an angel, a demon, and a "lost spirit in purgatory." In the end, it was a true encounter with the demonic.

"When I would cast spells, when we would channel spirits, we would experience supernatural events and things that we couldn't explain," he said. "It's like a drug." One day, though, something happened that stopped him in his tracks. "I was casting spells in my room and channeling spirits and I felt a presence that was greater than anything I had encountered before," Gagnon said. "And I instinctively knew it was God approaching." He continued, "It was the spirit of God that was approaching me, and I was terrified." Hear him tell his story.

Israel Vows to Eliminate ‘Pure Evil,’ Genocidal Threat, Netanyahu Spox Tells CBN

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 19:05:49 -0000

A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is fighting for its existence in its battle against a "genocidal" Hamas and that the nation won't back down from thwarting "pure evil." Tal Heinrich also told CBN News last week during an interview at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, why she believes Israel is resolute — and on proper footing — in its ongoing quest to fight Hamas in Gaza.

"Israel has faced and is still facing an existential, genocidal threat," Heinrich said. "Hamas — they chant it, they say it, they act on it. What more proof do we need to believe them?" The spokesperson said Oct. 7 proves the terrorists are intent on carrying out their murderous ideals, and said Israel will simply no longer agree to live alongside such evil.

"We're no longer agreeing to life next to a terror enclave ruled by a terrorist organization that wants us all dead," Heinrich said. "And their sick ideology upon which they educate Palestinian children to dream to kill Jews, obliterate the Jewish state, to glorify martyrs. That's what Israel is dealing with, and we say, 'No more.'" Reports indicate there are about 130 hostages still being held by Hamas, with Heinrich demanding Israel's "stolen people" be brought back home. She also said Israel plans to ensure future security by taking steps now to thwart future incursions.

"What we're doing now is to guarantee that Gaza will never, ever pose a terror threat to us again, because the year is 2024," she said. "Terrorism is unacceptable. And they have to understand that every time they choose terrorism, it will be a dead end for them." Hear her full response.

'Religious Indoctrination': Church Challenges Hulu Over Rejected Ad

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 17:00:00 -0000

A Texas church is accusing streaming platform Hulu of rejecting an advertisement over the claim the spot violated policies surrounding "religious indoctrination." It's a designation Jeremy Dys, senior counsel for First Liberty, a religious liberty law firm, said is nowhere in Hulu's ad parameters. The purported rejection of Hulen Street Church's ad led Dys to issue a demand letter "urging the platform to change its policy toward religious advertising after," according to a statement. Dys spoke with CBN News to offer more context on the situation.

"Hulu ... has a bunch of ads that they allow people to put on the platform if you're an approved advertiser," Dys said. "Hulen Street Church ... decided to open up a new [Thursday] service time for people ... who aren't able to get to Sunday services, and they wanted to advertise that locally like they've done in a lot of other places, and so they became it an approved advertiser. They submitted their ad and it was rejected. They submitted it again, and it was rejected again."

According to Dys, the 22-second spot encouraged people to learn about the extra church service, offering the time and location. After asking for a response from Hulu as to why it was precluded from rotation, the church was reportedly given a surprising answer. "Hulu came back and said that advertisement violated their guidelines because it engaged in religious indoctrination, and so that's why they lost their ad," Dys said. "They couldn't post their ad because it engaged in religious indoctrination. Apparently, just telling people that you have a church service available to them at a certain time and day of the week is religious indoctrination to the people at Hulu."

First Liberty's letter comes as the U.S. Supreme Court heard argument this week surrounding laws in Texas and Florida that require Big Tech companies to publish user standards and implement them with fairness. The justices seemed skeptical of the Florida and Texas laws. "In its letter, First Liberty urges Hulu immediately allow Hulen Street Church’s ad and to adopt policies to conform with the Texas and Florida state laws currently under review by the Supreme Court, by making its religious advertising policy transparent and applying its policy fairly and equally," First Liberty said in a press release. Hear Dys explain.

Iranian Muslims Find Jesus in Truly Miraculous Ways: ‘God Is Using Dreams’ Iranian Muslims Find Jesus in Truly Miraculous Ways: ‘God Is Using Dreams’

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 03:11:10 -0000

Theologian Ignites Noah's Ark, Flood Debate With This Claim

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 10:40:22 -0000

A theologian who sparked an intense social media debate when he posited that the Noah's ark narrative was potentially speaking about a regional — and not a global — flood is now speaking out to offer further context on his theory. Gavin Ortlund, president of Truth Unites, told CBN News he made his argument in a recent social media video, detailing his belief the Genesis 6 narrative is "about a regional event that was in a huge area of the Earth, but not all over the globe."

"I just wanted to help people understand some of the arguments for that view — help people understand that there actually are differences within orthodox Christianity," Ortlund said. "Historically, a lot of people are not aware of that." The theologian said the issue of Noah's ark often poses problems for skeptics and those within the Christian community who are scientifically-minded. Ortlund said he's motivated to help people understand arguments for and against some of the more complex and debated issues.

As for Ortlund's own believes, he said he tends to lean toward believing the flood was "local or regional," noting, though, that he doesn't necessarily believe it was particularly small in scope despite potentially being confined, in his view, to one area or location. In the end, he said the debate boils down to how one interprets the story of Noah in Genesis. One of the factors, according to Ortlund, was the confined nature of humanity at that time.

"There really is a good case, actually, that, in its original meaning, the author and the original hearers wouldn't be thinking of ... all of the globe of planet Earth, so this is just a matter of interpreting Scripture," he said. "Humanity, at this point, appears to also have just been regional. This is before the dispersion of human beings that happens after the tower of Babel and Genesis 10 and 11, so all of human beings are in this one portion of the Earth at this point before they had dispersed throughout the world."

Ortlund said his initial video discussing the issue sparked a plethora of responses on YouTube and an overwhelmingly negative reaction on X, formerly known as Twitter. Despite the reaction, he said there have been some traditional Christians in the past who have made similar arguments. While admitting these notions constitute a collective minority view, he added his belief that some people today simply don't realize such claims have historically existed.

Ortlund also pushed back on the notion he's a theological liberal or somehow espousing beliefs not rooted in Scripture. Here's what he had to say.

Why Comedian Rob Schneider Says He Loves Jesus, Has Come Back to His Faith

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 05:39:23 -0000

Pastor's Alternative 'He Gets Us' Super Bowl Ad Goes Viral - He Tells CBN Why He Made It

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 10:23:43 -0000

A pastor in Northern Ireland is going viral for his video reaction to the He Gets Us Super Bowl commercial, with his powerful collection of Christian testimonies garnering nearly 2 million views. Jamie Bambrick, associate pastor of Hope Church Craigavon and a YouTube video creator, told CBN News he created an alternative commercial featuring an ex-porn star, former gang leader, an ex-drug addict and others after seeing the viral He Gets Us ad about feet-washing that has sparked debate.

"I felt like the original advert was a missed opportunity of sorts," Bambrick said of the NFL spot. "I felt like it may have been well-intentioned ... there's a degree of truth there that Jesus loves and serves everybody." But he said he doesn't believe the message presented in the original video is the best and most effective message that could have been conveyed. "I think it missed some of the key points that we would want to get across," Bambrick said. "Essentially, what it came across as doing was putting a sort of Jesus-shaped stamp of approval on the ideas, the values, and the actions of our generation and that are common today, which, in many cases are not things of which Jesus is approving."

And he wasn't done there. "The Gospel message does not just leave sinners in despair," he said. "The Gospel message is a great message, and it's the message of salvation from our sin." Bambrick found himself praying after seeing the initial ad and decided to respond on his YouTube channel. In the end, he said his alternative commercial took just an hour to put together. He was surprised to see it go viral so quickly.

The preacher shared his video to YouTube and X Tuesday, explaining he believed his version is the "Christian Super Bowl ad they should have made." He added that the ad "failed to convey anything of the Gospel to the hundreds of millions who saw it." Listen to Bambrick explain the campaign.

Israel and the End Times: Greg Laurie Explains Magog, Ezekiel Prophecies Amid Hamas Horror

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 19:59:03 -0000

War. Rumors of war. Chaos. Love of the self. Some might argue the signs of the end of days are all around us, with current events sparking plenty of questions about our proximity to the biblical end times. Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, is among those who have openly discussed eschatology and current events, carefully explaining what the Bible has to say about what's to come and how it pertains to what's unfolding before us.

During a recent interview with CBN News, Laurie — who's out with a new animated show for kids and families called — "The Adventures of Ben Born Again & YellowDog" — explored some of the eyebrow-raising happenings in the Middle East right now. "The Bible tells us in the end times that Israel would be isolated and ultimately she would be attacked from her neighbor to her north, identified as Magog," Laurie said, pointing to prophecies in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel. "Many scholars believe Magog is modern-day Russia; I would tend to agree with that."

Regardless of Magog's identity, though, Laurie said Magog is a "large force" that will attack Israel — but to no avail. Prophetic verses claim God will intervene on Israel's behalf. Such prophecies have long been discussed in Christian circles but have received newfound attention after Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack. "I would say the rise of anti-Semitism is a real sign of the times," he said. "And I have to admit .... even I have been shocked by the extreme anti-Semitism we've seen recently ... when Israel was attacked on Oct. 7 by this horrible terrorist organization, Hamas."

In addition to the terror attack that killed more than 1,200 Israelis, Laurie said the anti-Jewish sentiment and protests around the world have been deeply startling. "What has been as shocking, perhaps, is ... some protests around the world, largely among young people in favor of Hamas," Laurie said. "Who would have ever thought in the modern-day, in 2024, we would hear people chant phrases like, 'Gas the Jews.' ... The Holocaust was not that long ago." Listen for the full story.

"The Newsmakers Podcast" is a daily podcast based on "Newsmakers," a weekly TV show hosted by Billy Hallowell on The CBN News Channel and the CBN News YouTube Channel. You can watch "Newsmakers" on Thursday evenings to see three actors, pastors, authors, politicians, and other notable figures discussing issues of the day. On the podcast, we focus on one special interview each day. Be sure to subscribe today on your favorite podcast platforms.

Voice of God Saves Pastor, Family Moments Before Kansas City Parade Shooting

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 02:11:16 -0000

A Missouri pastor is crediting a miraculous prompting from God for saving him and his family from potential carnage during Monday's shooting at the Kansas City Chief's Super Bowl victory celebration. Timmy Hensel, pastor of River Church Family in Raytown, Missouri, and the Central Southeast Regional Pastor for the Foursquare Church, told CBN News he and his family were on the parade route before deciding to go to the rally at Union Station.

"We were sitting there and listening to the rally go on [and were] super excited to be celebrating, feeling just this community, camaraderie, and joy," he said. But then something surprising happened: Hensel felt God telling him it was time to leave — a message that came just moments before bullets rang out, killing one woman and injuring more than 20 children and adults.

"We just get this prompting that it's time to leave before ... our favorite players are about to speak," he said, getting emotional as he recalled the moment. Both he and his wife, Tisha, experienced the same feeling, with his wife questioning if the family should leave before the exciting parts of the festivities took form. "[We] just felt that sense to go and so we started walking back," Hensel said. "And, all of a sudden, in a little bit, we're getting texts, 'Are you OK?'"

Just moments after the couple and their two children left, the shooting unfolded in the exact spot where they were sitting. Hensel said he later looked at aerial shots and saw blood on the ground in that very location. The preacher said he's grateful for the "promptings of the Holy Spirit" and the ability to "recognize His voice and tone."

In addition to his gratitude, though, he is also feeling pain as he continues to process what unfolded during the Kansas City shooting on Feb. 14.

Martyred For His Faith: Real-Life Story of St. Valentine, a Miracle, and the Christian History of 'XOXO'

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 21:33:47 -0000

Historian William J. Federer joins CBN News to explain the real-life Christian history of Valentine's Day, explaining how February 14 came to be a day of romance and love.

Federer explained how Valentine, a religious leader, was executed in A.D. 270, and gave details on at least one of the miracles that reportedly unfolded before his death.

From tracing the Christian roots of "XOXO" to unveiling the roots of Valentine's Day as we now celebrate, Federer delivers a fascinating history lesson.

Incredible Movie That Led 633 Million Around the Globe to Embrace Christ Announces Major New Project

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 20:07:03 -0000

Josh Newell, executive director of the Jesus Film Project, recently announced an effort to further spread the Gospel through a powerful animated movie about Christ's life and ministry. The feature film is set to premiere in theaters in 2025. "It flows out of the heart of our mission, which is to reach everyone, everywhere, no matter what language they speak or where they live," Newell told CBN Digital. "And lifting up the story of Jesus is something we've been doing for close to 44 and a half years at this point ... it's really in our DNA."

The nonprofit leader said the choice to tell Jesus' story in animated form is important to reaching the next generation in "compelling and relevant ways." The original "Jesus" film, which was released in 1979, has, for decades, been brought to communities across the globe, delivering the Gospel in more than 2,100 languages. The movie is many times the pathway through which people discover the Lord and begin a spiritual journey with Him.

With so many millions impacted by the movie over the years, Newell said he believes the secret to its success is rooted in the film's reliance on God's Word. "It's not just a movie," Newell said. "That's really the bottom line; it's a movement. It's based off of the Word of God in the Gospel of Luke. So, the script is taken from that." He said the "Jesus" film's inclusion of so many languages also enables people to seamlessly hear the Gospel. With that in mind, the eternal meaning behind Christ's words resonates.

"To hear Jesus say, 'I love you' in their own language ... that's really powerful," Newell said. The "Jesus" film has been viewed by an estimated 10 billion people over the past four decades, with 633 million people indicating a decision to follow Jesus. Listen to him explain.

Alarming: Woman Arrested For Silently Praying Reveals Another Shocking Police Threat

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 20:04:11 -0000

A UK woman who has faced at least three run-ins with law enforcement — including two arrests — for silently praying outside abortion clinics said her now-viral legal battles have been "stressful" but that she's not backing down from defending her rights. Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a pro-life volunteer and co-director of March for Life UK, has made international headlines as her plight has dragged on over the past year.

"On one level, it has been quite stressful in as much as it almost makes you feel quite vulnerable that the people who should be protecting your freedoms are the ones who seem [to be] attempting to deprive you of them," she said.

But Vaughan-Spruce, who just last month was reportedly threatened by police with a fine for praying outside a clinic after previously being cleared of past arrests and charges, said she's also been heartened to see the support she's received.

"The amount of support I've received from people who have told me that they actually support abortion, but they still support my right and other people's right to be able to pray where they want to pray — people who say that they don't have any religious beliefs, but they still recognize that people's own private thoughts, whether they're directed towards their God or not, are their own business," she said. Vaughan-Spruce continued, "And that's really encouraging to see that people can recognize what's going on here."

She recounted her most recent interaction with police — one that came after she was acquitted again. Once more, she said she was simply silently praying and wasn't holding any posters or leaflets. In fact, she wasn't even engaging another human in any way. "The police came and told me that they were going to issue me with a fixed penalty notice if I didn't move outside the zone," Vaughan-Spruce said. "I told them that I didn't believe I needed to because all I was doing was silently praying, and so they gave me ... the ticket."

That ticket, too, was reportedly dropped, though she said the entire ordeal is "quite intimidating," with mixed messages dominating her interactions.

'Children Are Being Harmed': Is the Transgender Debate Hitting a Shocking Turning Point?

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 18:39:53 -0000

A journalist on a mission to expose what he believes is the deceptive underbelly of gender ideology has released a new podcast season aimed at exposing lies.

Brandon Showalter, a journalist with The Christian Post who recently released season three of his "Generation Indoctrination" podcast, believes America is experiencing a potential turning point when it comes to the transgender discussion.

"When you see children being hurt, that really gets people's attention," Showalter said. "And we live in an age when doctors will go to work tomorrow and cut the breasts off of 13-year-old girls. I'm not making that up. We're watching children become sterilized."

Showalter said opposition to some of what's happening on the gender front isn't limited to Christian circles, as concern appears to be spreading in nearly every sector. Hear him speak out.

Christian Baker Who Faced Death Threats Over Gay Wedding Cake Won't Back Down

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 16:57:33 -0000

The owner of a California bakery is heading back to court after scoring repeated religious liberty victories for declining to make a same-sex wedding cake. Cathy Miller, owner of Tastries Bakery in Bakersfield, California, is again facing officials' furor after the state appealed a ruling last year by the California Superior Court of Kern County that was in her favor.

Miller said her battle began in 2017 after she declined to make a cake for a gay couple and California subsequently opened an investigation into the matter. "About six and a half years ago, we had four people come in, and it was two men and two women," Miller said. "And I thought it was a bride and a groom and their best man and maid of honor. But the baker soon found out she was being asked to make a wedding cake for a same-sex union — something she was unwilling to create due to her Christian faith.

"I politely told them ... 'I'm sorry. I can't hurt my Lord and Savior. I can't participate in the union,'" Miller said, noting she offered to refer them to another bakery that would be happy to make their cake. "And so we thought everything was fine, and everything was not fine." It didn't take long for the denial story to make its way into the media and metastasize into a massive story. Miller said "social media went crazy" and harassment and "horrible emails" followed.

"I was shocked, and I know they were upset, but I did not think that it would go this far," Miller told CBN News in a 2022 interview. "I did not realize that, within two hours, we would be bombarded by hate mail, death threats, rape threats. The media was storming into our bakery." Plus, a legal battle unfolded, with Miller inevitably going to court to defend her religious liberties.

Miller has received both support and blowback, with the latter coming among those infuriated over her refusal to make the cake. She said she's been impacted, physically, emotionally, and financially. Amid the anger, the baker said there's been some confusion over her intentions and made it clear the issue isn't about declining to serve the LGBTQ community.

Ex-Warlock Discusses Dangers of Occult: 'I Definitely Was Possessed'

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 20:19:07 -0000

Hear Lorenzo share the incredible journey to faith and the pastorate.

Parents Could Reportedly Be Jailed For Refusing Kids' Transitions Under Scottish Bill

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 15:28:05 -0000

A free speech watchdog is warning about a new proposal in Scotland that could reportedly lead parents to be imprisoned for refusing to comply with gender transitions for their children. "You'd think that it was a joke or a piece of satire, but, unfortunately, it is the reality in my country of Scotland," Lois McLatchie, communications officer at ADF International, said of the suggested provision. "There are proposals that would ban so-called 'conversion therapy.'"

McLatchie said many people think of "terrible treatment" and worst-case scenarios when it comes to these methods of attempting to change people's sexual proclivities. But, while some claim the Scotland proposal deals exclusively with these more troubling abuses and methods, McLatchie said it runs much deeper. "Although it says that it's about conversion therapy, [this bill] actually goes much, much further and intervenes in what a parent can advise a child — a pastor can advise a congregant — or anything like that," she said.

McLatchie continued, "If a parent were to ... more than once tell their child, say their 11-year-old son, that he was not allowed to wear a dress to school, and lipstick, and high heels, and to dress as a girl when he's a boy ... you could potentially be guilty of committing conversion therapy, of being coercive, and therefore face a criminal trial and potential prison sentence of up to seven years."

She said the proposal is being discussed right now during a consultation period lasting until April 2 and that ADF International and other activists hope the Scottish people "raise their voices," weigh in, and help stop the passage and enactment of such measures. Listen for the full story on Scotland's proposal.

NFL Legend Reveals Biggest Lesson God Taught Him About Faith, Football, and Fame

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 20:10:01 -0000

Famed football coach Tony Dungy is known for his devotion to football as well as his character, compassion, and faith.

Dungy, a former NFL defensive back who went on to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts, has also been outspoken about his biblical views and what matters most in life.

In a recent interview with CBN News, Dungy revealed the biggest lesson he believes God has taught him throughout his decades-long career in football.

"Our mother's favorite verse in the Bible that she passed on to us was Matthew 16:26: 'What would it profit a man if you gain the whole world, but forfeit your soul?'" he said. "And, unfortunately, I saw a lot of that in 30 years in the National Football League."

Dungy continued, "I saw young men climb the ladder as high as you could climb, get everything that you could imagine from an earthly standpoint — acclaim, fame, money, notoriety, and look at them on the inside and say, 'Boy, there's something missing, and this is not good.'"

The NFL legend said he didn't want to experience the same lostness. Beyond that, Dungy wanted to prevent any players on his team from feeling such profound disconnectedness. That's why he delivered a powerful message to every rookie who came onto his roster.

"When I got our rookie class coming in every year, I would say the same thing: 'Enjoy the spoils of the National Football League. It's great. Yes, you can provide for your families, your parents, you can do a lot of things, but if that's all you're in it for, you're going to be in shock at the end of the day.'"

Dungy said he wanted the players to know they needed a source from which to get "real satisfaction" and said it's "got to be spiritual." Years later, he said former players still reach out to him to express appreciation for that guidance, explaining they didn't always know what he meant at the time but have come to better understand the true value he encouraged them to place in the Almighty.

'The Chosen' Star Jonathan Roumie is on 'Mission' From God: 'Just Following Where He's Leading Me'

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 15:03:03 -0000

Jonathan Roumie sat down with CBN's Tré Goins-Phillips to talk about season four of The Chosen — debuting in theaters Feb. 1 — and opened up about the weight of portraying the Son of God. He also gave a vulnerable reaction to learning his image is one of the first pictures people often associate with Jesus.

'Absolute Armageddon': What Happens if Hamas, Taliban, Hezbollah and ISIS Join Forces?

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 19:38:00 -0000

A Christian leader who was born and raised in Iran and who now ministers in the country is warning of what could happen if ties between terror groups like Hamas, Taliban, Hezbollah, and ISIS strengthen. The Rev. Lazarus Yeghnazar, founder and president of Transform Iran, an organization that spreads the Gospel in Iran, said such collaborations are already unfolding — something he sounded the alarm on in a recent video responding to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

"What happens if Hamas, Taliban, Hezbollah and ISIS join forces? What will it force the Western countries, and the democracies and Israel to do?" Yeghnazar asked. "A conflict, which is catastrophic, will engulf the whole region." He also warned the murderous chaos will eventually come for everyone, not only Israel. "This is ... a plague that is not only destined to obliterate Israel [but one] that will not stop until they subjugate all of us," Yeghnazar said.

The faith leader also made it clear Iran is responsible for creating much of the death and consternation we're seeing right now in the region, explaining the deep roots of the conflict. "Iran has, for the last 43 years, fermented bitterness," he told CBN Digital. "I think you're ... a hairline crack away from the whole region burning in an inferno." Yeghnazar recounted how his former nation was once filled with possibility before descending into a chaotic, militant state that brutally cracks down on its people.

"If you wanted to practice your Islam, you could go to a mosque," he said. "If you wanted to practice your Christianity, go to a church." But all that changed during the Iranian Revolution in the late 1970s when Ayatollah Khomeini came to power and brought what Yeghnazar called an "Islamic mandate" to Iran, subjugating those not in line with his ideology.

Flash forward a few decades and Iran is at the center of consternation, with the Islamic republic funding and equipping groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, with the latter group responsible for the Oct. 7 terror attack that killed 1,400 Israelis. Hear Yeghnazar explain the chaos and call Christians to prayer.

Parents Sue School District For Allegedly Transitioning Daughter in Secret

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 20:16:33 -0000

Michigan parents are suing a public school district over the claim district employees began socially transitioning their daughter without their consent, purportedly concealing details from the parents in the process. Dan and Jennifer Mead have sued the Rockford Public School District in Michigan, with the parents telling CBN News the case shows the troubling ways parental rights are sometimes undermined and upended.

"While we were working with the school closely to address [our daughter's] academic needs in regards to her Autism, it came to our attention that the school was actively deceiving and hiding from us the fact that they were transitioning our daughter from being a girl to a boy, using a boy's name and pronouns," Dan Mead said in a recent interview. The parents said they only became aware of the purportedly covert social transitioning after being given paperwork in which they said a school employee had "inadvertently forgotten to change one of those male names and pronouns."

Jennifer said she initially assumed it was a mistake and that the name and information pertained to someone else's child. Upon emailing the school to ask if it was an error, she said she found it odd no one reportedly responded. "We started to kind of dig a little bit more and say, 'Well, why would they not respond to an email over important information like this?" she said. "So, once we found out what was really happening, clearly I was just in shock [and] disbelief."

Dan said he and his wife started to piece together what was happening and were trying to make a plan for how to handle the situation. "We had a meeting with the school principal," Dan said. "He said to us, 'Look, you have to understand this is the school policy. We're mandated to do this. The desires of the children outweigh those of the parents, and there's not a whole lot we can do in that regard.'"

Kate Anderson, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom, the firm representing the Meads, said such policies have become "very pervasive" in some areas across the U.S., with districts choosing not to tell parents about changes in student pronouns. Watch the interview for more of the family's story.

FLASHBACK: Candace Cameron Bure Reacts to Fellow Hollywood Actors Finding Jesus

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 20:58:57 -0000

Actress Candace Cameron Bure, star of Great American Family's "My Christmas Hero," has had a long career in Hollywood. The popular performer joins the "Newsmakers Podcast" to break down her latest projects — and her reaction to so many Hollywood actors finding Jesus. Listen to this powerful episode of the show.

Communists, LGBTQ Activists Target Christian Coffee Shop: 'It's...Spiritual Warfare'

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 18:21:36 -0000

The owner of a Christian coffee shop in Colorado said his business and ministry have continued to be under a barrage of attacks from communist and LGBTQ protesters who have reportedly incessantly sought the establishment's closure.

Jamie Sanchez, the founder of Recycle God's Love, joined CBN News last summer to discuss the chaos surrounding the Drip Cafe, a coffee shop he launched to further his mission through affiliated ministry Project Revive of helping the homeless through employment and connections to resources.

"The Drip Cafe is basically an idea from our project where we're helping homeless people get out of homelessness, to break the chains that are holding them down with homelessness," he said in a recent follow-up interview. "One of those important areas is to have a real job, to build a resume, to get work experience, to get used to socializing in a normal setting."

In addition to working toward the goal of employing those without homes, Sanchez said the Drip Cafe has been able to come alongside community members in prayer and encouragement. But the effort hasn't been easy. Months later, he said protests against Drip Cafe persist. As previously reported, people began gathering last June outside the shop, shouting, and taking aim at the fruits of the ministry's labor.

A statement affirming biblical sexuality on the Recycle God's Love website was reportedly a catalyst for the protests that began in June and haven't ceased. Hear Sanchez explain.

Skillet Frontman Hits Back at 'Wimpy, Woke' Culture: 'Our World Is Crumbling'

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 17:00:00 -0000

John Cooper has been known for years as the frontman for Skillet, the popular rock band with a Christian lyrical bent. But, in recent years, Cooper has also become an outspoken commentator on the state of the nation — and the church. His new book "Wimpy, Weak, & Woke" examines "increasing conflicts in America" and explores what he says is truly at the core of cultural angst: "a war between gods – the living God and the god of Man."

"I wanted to write this book about utopianism ... for anybody whose eyes are open — and you don't even have to be all that smart to see our world is crumbling," Cooper told CBN News. "Western civilization is on the brink of just collapse." He continued, "I think every week people go, 'OK, it can't get weirder than this,' and then the next week, wrong, it just got weirder." Cooper said it's time for people to confront the fact that too many Christians have elevated winsomeness over truth, subjugating the latter to a point that has made some churches ineffective.

"They die the death of a thousand caveats, because we don't want to hurt people's feelings," Cooper said. "And, obviously, we should be gracious and loving towards people but we have to tell people the truth. And, so, we've become wimpy, we've also become weak." Cooper believes worldly philosophies and ideals have infiltrated the church to a level that some feel embarrassed by and about who God is, leading to weak theological stances and woke ideologies.

In the end, Cooper said it's all about going back to God's word to determine what's valid — and what's not, regardless of what one emotes or feels. This is particularly true, he said, when it comes to assumptions about oppression and the ways in which issues like transgender players in sports are handled. He's hoping his decision to write "Wimpy, Weak, & Woke" will have a deep and profound impact and motivate believers to action.

Ray Comfort's Encounter With Demon-Possessed Woman: 'In the Middle of a Horror Movie'

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 17:00:00 -0000

"The demons in her screamed like you wouldn't believe." That's how evangelist Ray Comfort described a shocking encounter he once had in Christchurch, New Zealand, with a young woman who he believes was fighting the demonic. "I'm right in the middle of a horror movie that I couldn't believe was happening," he said of the experience.

Comfort told CBN Digital the entire ordeal surrounded a young woman named Jane who was experiencing blackouts and other spiritual issues. The evangelist said she came to his office for help one day — and chaos broke out. "Her friend ran out crying and screaming out that Jane was manifesting," Comfort said. "She'd gone into a blackout state, and she was crawling on her hands and knees ... I went in and began talking with Jane and praying — exercising prayer — and telling her that she needed to get right with God."

The evangelist noticed "trinkets" Jane was wearing and described them as "demonic-looking." One looked like a little fairy, so comfort told her to ditch these items and to become a Christian. While the situation tempered that day, it was hardly the end of their encounters. "Two weeks later, I received a phone call from a friend [who] said, 'Jane is having blackouts again. Can we come and see you?" Comfort recalled. "And it turned out she hadn't become a Christian and she hadn't gotten rid of that trinket."

While he waited in his office, Jane's friend screamed to him that Jane had once again blacked out on the stairs. Comfort went to investigate and found her leaning against the wall in a "blackout state." "I went to take hold of her and put my hand on her arm, and she ran ahead of me," he said. "And I'm not exaggerating here: she threw herself over a 15 or 20 foot drop." But Comfort said he ran after her and grabbed on as he screamed for her friends to help stop her from fully going over the ledge. Once she was safe, they carried her back to his office as she descended back into her blackout state — but that didn't last for long.

"[She was] sitting down in my office, manifesting all these different weird demons," he said. "And, at one point, the dexterity was quite amazing. With one hand she reached into a blouse and pulled out a safety pin ... and tried to swallow it." Listen to comfort share the other horrific details — and how Jane found eventual freedom, among other stories.

Satanic Kids Club Flub? Christian Leader Claims Surprising Response to After School Satan Clubs

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 17:00:00 -0000

For parents and students looking to help children navigate the onslaught of secularism in education, after-school Bible clubs have in recent decades been a positive and effective tool. Yet newfound debates have unfolded in recent years as Satanists have begun to target these gathers by launching clubs of their own, a dynamic Moises Esteves, executive director of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), the Christian organization that runs Good News Club gatherings, knows all too well.

Esteves recently told CBN News his organization, which has been around since 1937, is very much at the heart of the After School Satan Club debate, as Satanists intentionally focus on schools where religious clubs are present. This is a strategy explicitly noted on The Satanic Temple's website, where it's written: "The After School Satan Club does not believe in introducing religion into public schools and will only open a club if other religious groups are operating on campus." Thus, the Good News Club tends to come into Satanists' crosshairs.

"They come and make a big splash with the media," Esteves said. "They invite all the media to come, and, basically, their strategy is to shut down our clubs, and so they bring the media and they present themselves as ... Satanic, which gets everybody riled up." With parents and administrators reacting, Esteves said the response from administrators and parents tends to immediately be one aimed at not letting Satanists to host their club. "And, of course, that's what they want," he said. "They want to be pushed out, because, once they're pushed out, they will actually use our [Supreme Court] victory that we had in ... 2001 to then turn around and file a lawsuit against the school to say, 'Hey, we have the right to be there.'"

Esteves continued, "And then ... if the school still wants to push them out, they got to shut down all the after-school clubs. That's their strategy." The CEF leader was referencing the Good News Club v. Milford Central School District Supreme Court case in 2001, a victory for his ministry. Despite Esteves' beliefs about Satanists' motivation and strategy, he said such efforts haven't been successful in shutting down his Christian clubs.

"It hasn't accomplished their goals to shut our clubs up," he said. "As a matter of fact, sometimes it does the opposite, because Christians that are not aware about the work we do in the public schools ... go, 'Hey, we like what you guys are doing. Can we help?' So, it helps us have more clubs."

He's Studied 1,000+ Near-Death Experiences and Says This Is Why He Believes They Prove the Bible

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 17:00:00 -0000

Proof God, Prayer Could Transform Public Schools: Atheists' Antics Could Inadvertently Fuel Gospel

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 12:52:00 -0000

A Christian leader on a mission to bring the Bible and truth to public school kids said atheist activists' recent attacks on his organization have helped spread the word about his efforts. Joel Penton, founder and CEO of LifeWise Academy, told CBN News his organization offers something truly compelling to American youths. "LifeWise Academy provides Bible education to public school students during school hours, which to most people sounds crazy, because of the whole separation of church and state and how the Bible has been removed from the public school day," Penton said. "But what very few people realize is that, in 1952, the Supreme Court actually ruled that public school students can be released from school during school hours to receive religious instruction."

Penton launched LifeWise Academy with just two schools in 2019, with the effort quickly exploring to more than 340 schools across 15 states. With LifeWise making such a massive splash, it didn't take long for the organization to come into the crosshairs of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), an atheist activist group based in Madison, Wisconsin. The group recently took action to dissuade schools from taking part. "They sent a letter out to every single superintendent in the state of Ohio, in part, because LifeWise is spreading so rapidly in Ohio, and ... next year we will be in a full quarter of the 600 school districts in the state," Penton said.

But Penton said the FFRF actually ended up making a "really great" case for why LifeWise and other programs like it are perfectly legal and permissible. He also responded to the atheists' letter with a fair amount of gratitude for the attention it garnered. "We were asked to make a public comment about them sending this letter, because we heard about it and, of course, we publicly thanked the Freedom From Religion Foundation for investing their time and money to spread the word about LifeWise," Penton said. "Because ... when People learn about it, they tend to get pretty excited, and the people that don't like it are a very, very small minority."

But far beyond platitudes and areas of debate, Penton said he believes there's evidence LifeWise Academy is very literally helping kids in all areas of their lives. He recently commissioned a study juxtaposing schools where LifeWise Academy has been implemented against locations where it has not been put into place. "When LifeWise is implemented, attendance increases significantly," Penton said. "Kids are that much more interested in going to school that there's in fact a net increase in class time if LifeWise is implemented." He continued, "Many more kids come to school so much more regularly that they actually get a net increase in class time."

Country Star Granger Smith Leaves Music For Jesus: 'I'm Just So Excited'

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 21:06:38 -0000

Worst Countries For Christian Persecution: Inside the Shocking Rise in Extremism, Attacks

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 19:15:19 -0000

One of the most sobering lines from a press release surrounding the World Watch List 2024 reads, "More than 82% of Christians killed across the globe for faith reasons were in Nigeria."

The most recent rankings put Nigeria in the sixth spot for persecution and discrimination. But Nigeria isn't alone, as persecution in sub-Saharan Africa, more broadly, is an area of concern.

As Deadly Global Christian Persecution Rages, New Effort Seeks to ‘Awaken the Church’

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 19:58:44 -0000

As global persecution rages, a watchdog is launching a first-of-its-kind, open-sourced database allowing people to track incidents of violent religious persecution across the globe. Global Christian Relief and the International Institute For Religious Freedom have teamed up to create the Violent Incidents Database (VID), which is being dubbed the "first and only events-based global religious freedom dataset."

David Curry, CEO of Global Christian Relief, told CBN News the database will help give a voice to persecuted Christians and others across the world, as it tracks killings, abductions, forced marriages, arrests, and other acts of persecution, allowing users to search by religion, country, and perpetrator. "I'm concerned about ... this enormous growth in religious persecution, be it the persecution of Christians, which is the largest minority group, as far as numbers, that faces severe persecution, or if it's antisemitism," Curry said, warning that there are diabolical "governments, and dictators, and extremists" who want to control peoples religious inclinations.

He pointed to the plight of not just Christians but also groups like Uyghurs whom the Chinese have rounded up and put in concentration camps. Plus, nations like Nigeria face escalating persecution crises, with Christians being slaughtered by Muslim extremists at a rapid rate. Persecution, Curry said, is a plight that must be called out and halted. "I'm a follower of Jesus, and I want to support the church, the persecuted believers, wherever they may be, to practice their faith, to worship Jesus, to read their Bible in peace, civilly, within whatever country and context they're in," he said.

The VID database tracks thousands of incidents of persecution starting with 2022 data, though Curry cautioned that the dataset isn't "exhaustive," as it's impossible to capture every incident, particularly in countries where communicating persecution comes with intensive barriers. Listen to him discuss violent persecution in China, Nigeria, and other nations.

Christian Politician on Trial For Her Biblical Views Delivers Bold Response as Prosecutor Takes Battle to Finnish Supreme Court: 'I'm Not Afraid'

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 10:20:55 -0000

Dr. Päivi Räsänen, the Finnish politician who was victorious in court this past November after facing a years-long legal battle for sharing her biblical views on sexuality, is back in the prosecution's crosshairs.

Räsänen's attorneys with ADF International released a statement Friday revealing the Finnish state prosecutor is appealing the case to Finland's Supreme Court, potentially forcing Räsänen to once again defend her religious freedom rights.

But the member of parliament and former interior secretary said she's not fearful of what's to come if the Supreme Court does decide to take up the case.

"After my full exoneration in two courts, I’m not afraid of a hearing before the Supreme Court," Räsänen said in a statement. "Even though I am fully aware that every trial carries risks, an acquittal from the Supreme Court would set an even stronger positive precedent for everyone’s right to free speech and religion."

Even if Räsänen loses at the Supreme Court, she said she is prepared to take the case outside of her country to affirm her rights, fighting back against the hate speech charges she has incessantly faced throughout her years-long struggle.

"If the Court decided to overturn the lower courts’ acquittals, I am ready to defend freedom of speech and religion as far as the European Court of Human rights, if necessary," she continued.

Christian Video Game Company Aims to Transform Yet Another Entertainment Complex

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 21:02:12 -0000

Holocaust Survivor Decries Hamas' 'Cruelty' Against Isreal, Reveals How Hitler's Terror Upended Entire Life

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 20:36:53 -0000

'Slow-Motion Jihad': Biden Admin Under Fire Amid Deadly Horror Targeting Christians in Nigeria

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 22:12:22 -0000

Persecution watchdog is delivering a pointed message to the Biden administration after the U.S. State Department again declined to list Nigeria on its Countries of Particular Concern list, with the expert warning that there's a "slow-motion genocide" unfolding against Christians inside the African nation. Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern (ICC), told CBN Digital there have been an estimated 100,000 deaths over the past two decades, with 3.5 million Christian farmers being unfairly driven from their lands.

The ongoing and intense persecution has left King and other leaders perplexed as to why the State Department continues to leave Nigeria off its Countries of Particular Concern list, a designation King said provides "a list of the countries with the worst records on religious freedom around the world." If given the chance to speak with the Biden administration, King said he'd deliver a candid assessment of the dire nature of the ever-deteriorating situation.

"This is a slow-motion genocide," he said. "It's a slow-motion Jihad." King added, "What does it take for the United States to use what they're best at — just use the administration, use the bully pulpit to speak up and to stand for those who are oppressed, to stand for the defenseless? That's all we have to do." The persecution watchdog said it's essential to call out what's unfolding in Nigeria and to put pressure on officials there to take action.

Many Christians in Nigeria live in total fear, not knowing when their towns and homes could be targeted next. "Day to day, you're wondering ... if you're village is next, and whether you're going to live through the night," King said. It's an especially perplexing situation considering Nigeria's demographics, with upwards of half of Nigerians calling themselves Christians. There's a large number of Christians in the south of Nigeria, with Muslims dominating the north.

Pastor Criminally Charged Amid Attempts to Help Homeless Refuses to Back Down

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 22:32:18 -0000

A Christian pastor is reportedly facing criminal charges for violating zoning laws and housing the homeless. Pastor Chris Avell of Dad's Place, a church in Bryan, Ohio, and First Liberty attorney Ryan Gardner join the "Newsmakers Podcast" to discuss the shocking case.

"[Avell's] facing 18 criminal charges for violating the city’s zoning laws," a First Liberty news release reads. "The city is going after him because earlier this year Pastor Chris opened the church 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. He’s seeking to serve homeless people."

The statement continued, "In November 2023, the city sent a letter ordering the church to stop allowing overnight guests or face criminal prosecution. This past Sunday—on New Year’s Eve—police showed up at the church. They handed the Pastor a packet of multiple charges and violations."

Listen to Avell and Gardner give the back story and explain why they believe the case is unfolding.

Actor and Comedian Rob Schneider Reveals Why He's Embracing Faith, Finding Forgiveness, and Speaking Out

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 22:34:00 -0000

‘I…Believe in the Power of Prayer’: Actress Roma Downey on God, Tragedy, and Trust

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 20:13:44 -0000

Actress and producer Roma Downey has built a long career in Hollywood, creating TV and film content that inspires and entertains.

The “Touched By An Angel” star has also carried her uplifting, family-friendly messages into literary works, including a new children’s book, “A Message in the Moon.”

Downey said her touching new book is deeply personal, with the concept predicated upon her childhood.

“This story for this book has sat in my heart for a really long time,” she recently told CBN Digital. “My mother died when I was just a little girl; I was only 10.”

Christian Professor Reportedly Fired For Defending Biblical Truth Speaks Out: ‘This Is a Gospel Issue’

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 18:02:05 -0000

A theology lecturer in the U.K. who was reportedly fired from his job at a Christian college over a tweet about biblical sexuality is suing to raise awareness and to stop similar instances from unfolding. Dr. Aaron Edwards was terminated from Cliff College in Derbyshire, England, in March after he sent a tweet defending traditional marriage, something he said was sparked by what he sees as a retreating church plagued by pastors and leaders unwilling to preach on homosexuality and other related issues.

"The tweet was, 'Homosexuality is invading the church. Evangelicals no longer see the severity of this because they're busy apologizing for their apparently barbaric homophobia, whether or not it's true. This is a gospel issue, by the way. For if sin is no longer sin, we no longer need a savior,'" Edwards recently told CBN Digital. "So, from my point of view, I was making a point about ... evangelical cowardice at not standing up to what's quite obviously happening [amid] secular incursion and invasion into the church." Reaction to the tweet was intense, leading to his eventual punishment and firing. Now, Edwards — a man who taught theology and said he found himself in the crosshairs for defending it — is on a mission to seek justice, suing over his firing.

"The primary reason is actually to raise awareness of the issue and ... for the sake of justice," he said. "It's just horrendous how many times this kind of thing happens, but my case is quite unique." Edwards said the fact this case is a "Christian against a Christian organization" elevates the situation. While Christians often find themselves out of step with the culture, it's not often that this sort of situation devolves between a faith-based institution and one of its staff.

"It's like when the world has gone into the church, and into a denomination, or into a Christian institution, that you're facing the world from your own people," Edwards said. As for the lawsuit, Edwards said it's essential he take action. "If don't do this ... some other Christian or 10 other Christians are going to be in a similar position," he said. "And other academics, especially, are probably watching this case going, 'What's going to happen here? Is this going to help me to speak out or is it going to make me shirk back and not say anything?'" He said his case could end up establishing precedent. Listen to his story.

Tune in daily for new interviews AND be sure to watch "Newsmakers" weekly on the CBN News Channel.

'There...Is Revival': Evangelist Nick Hall Has 'Never Seen Anything Like' Spiritual Reformation Sweeping America

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 17:34:36 -0000

Evangelist Nick Hall has spoken to thousands around the U.S., bringing the powerful world of the Gospel to young and old Americans, alike.

Hall, founder of Pulse, a global evangelistic organization, is embarking on a multi-year effort to bring biblical truth to every corner of North Dakota. He recently spoke with CBN Digital about some of the powerful moments of spiritual revival observed throughout 2024. From the Asbury outpouring to historic mass baptisms, many preachers have felt a spiritual stirring in America, with Hall explaining what he believes is happening.

"I think we're in the middle of ... a reformation of sorts," he said. "I think there's a shift happening. ... A lot of the things that we've put our hope in for a long time aren't working, and I think God is using that to draw many, many people to Himself."

With so many coming to Jesus, Hall said he believes we're seeing an "awakening moment" in which a plethora of young people happen to be on the "front lines."

"There really is revival," Hall said. "You hear this word thrown around all the time, but, man, I've never seen anything like it." He continued, "I think people are more open. I think people are more hungry for the Gospel than they've been in decades." Listen to the entire story.

Wife of Man Shot in the Head While Street Preaching Reveals 'Miracles' in His Recovery

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 17:34:59 -0000

The wife of an Arizona man who was shot in the head last month while street preaching in Glendale, Arizona, said she and her family have witnessed a "miracle" every day after doctors initially assumed her husband wouldn't survive the ordeal. Zulya Schmidt, wife of 26-year-old Hans Schmidt, told CBN Digital her husband continues to make stunning progress despite facing a litany of medical uncertainties.

"We're hopeful, and we're praying, and we're contending for a supernatural recovery," Zulya Schmidt said. "But there's just so much unknown still, so much uncertainty." She said there's hope though, noting, "Every day we've been able to witness a miracle." Schmidt called Hans' progress "just amazing" and said he's now able to understand a bit more of the situation he's in after being shot Nov. 15. She's unsure exactly how much he comprehends because he's unable to communicate, though he is increasingly aware of the circumstances.

As CBN Digital reported, Hans, a 26-year-old dad of two, a military combat veteran, and the outreach director at Victory Chapel First Phoenix in Arizona, was taken to the hospital Nov. 15 on suspicion of having been assaulted. But a CT scan revealed he had been shot. Schmidt was initially in serious condition, as his family prayed for a miracle, imploring others to do the same.

Zulya Schmidt shared details with CBN News of what unfolded the evening of the shooting, noting Hans was street preaching as he has frequently done over the past year. "He's been doing that for over a year, and, usually, he street preaches for 30 minutes before every evening service for our church," she said. "That day, he just ended street preaching early, and I thought that was odd." Watch her explain the shocking details of the case — and update on her husband's condition.

Actress Candace Cameron Bure Delivers Powerful Response to Hollywood Stars Increasingly Finding Christ: 'So Exciting!'

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 21:40:08 -0000

'The Holy Spirit Came to Me': Hollywood Star Danica McKellar Embraces Christianity, Finds 'Amazing Freedom'

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 20:50:45 -0000

Actress Danica McKellar has spent decades in the public eye after breaking into the Hollywood scene playing Winnie Cooper in the hit 1988 show "The Wonder Years." McKellar has since enjoyed a successful career as a performer and book author, taking her acting chops most recently to Great American Family. The actress, who stars in the new film "A Royal Date for Christmas," has also been on an authentic and public faith journey over the past year in a half after finding Jesus and embracing Christianity.

"I feel so blessed ... people have said, 'Oh, you are so bold,'" McKellar said of her willingness to discuss her beliefs. "It doesn't feel like bold. It doesn't feel like it requires courage or anything. ... When you experience something that is so beautiful and so wonderful and so life-changing, you want everyone to feel that." McKellar said the roots of faith were set in her heart after fellow actress Candace Cameron Bure invited her to a Passion play on April 10, 2022 — an experience that ended up being life-altering, as the Gospel message permeated her heart.

"It just hit me," she said. "Everything hit me. The Holy Spirit came to me. ... It was like a wave of love and understanding hit me." Up to that point, McKellar said she had always had a "sense of God in some ... shape or form," but her ideas about Christianity were very colored by negativity from the news and other sources. "I'd always thought of religion and Christianity as being restrictive and limiting somehow, but, instead, I feel the most amazing freedom," McKellar said of her faith. "And I was like, I have to share this. I have to tell people the good news."

Before finding faith, she assumed believers were judgemental, with these preconceived notions clouding her vision. McKellar continued, "I just didn't get to see ... this is the most miraculous, amazing, incredible gift in the whole wide world. I just want people to feel that they're not alone, that there's love for you at any time, and it's such a gift." Flash-forward a year and a half and she said her life has been profoundly impacted by her faith experience. Hear McKellar explain.