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By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Tuesday, December 03, 2024Pastor Chris Rosebrough and Michael Brown discuss the sins of Martin Luther on “The Line of Fire” podcast. | Screengrab/American Gospel/YouTube

Michael Brown, host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program, who is also president, founder and professor of practical theology at FIRE School of Ministry, admitted to a “definite lack of judgment” but denied allegations he engaged in sexual misconduct with a former female staffer he said he treated like a “family member” 23 years ago.

“Both Nancy and I were shocked and horrified by the mix of accusations, allegations, false statements, and mischaracterizations. That’s why we wholeheartedly supported our board’s immediate decision to launch a thorough third-party investigation,” Brown said in a statement to The Christian Post that was also shared with The Roys Report,  which published the allegations Monday evening.

“Nancy and I did have a relationship with the woman in question and considered her to be like a family member, and she conducted herself as one who viewed our relationship the same way. But she was not a family member, and aspects of my interaction with her, although totally non-sexual in every way, reflected a definite lack of judgment on my part,” Brown added.

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The former female staffer who was only identified by her pseudonym, Erin, by TRR, said she quit working at the FIRE School of Ministry in 2002 when she was just 21 because she had grown uncomfortable with Brown’s frequent slapping of her buttocks, kisses on the lips, and hand-holding episodes.

“He was supposed to be a spiritual father,” Erin told TRR. “He was supposed to look after me.”

Erin said that when she was 18, she attended the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry in 1999 where Brown served as president until he was fired in 2000. Brown then started the FIRE School of Ministry in Pensacola, Florida, where the school operated until 2003 when it was relocated to North Carolina.

Erin explained that she followed Brown to his startup school, and he asked her to call him “Dad” and she obliged.

She recalled that because she had endured a difficult home life, she initially enjoyed the attention Brown paid her. She said they would write endearing notes to each other.

“I looked at it as a blessing because of the respect that we all have for him,” Erin’s sister told TRR.

According to Erin, in less than a year of her working at the new school, Brown — who was involved with providing guidance to the International House of Prayer Kansas City as they navigated founder Mike Bickle’s sexual misconduct scandal — started holding her hands.

“He lifted it up in the truck … and he’s like, ‘You all know that I think of (Erin) as my daughter,’ and said, ‘That’s why we’re holding hands because she’s like a daughter to me,’” Erin said.

The handholding eventually progressed to other contact including kissing. Erin said she was alone in Brown’s office one day when he asked her to kiss him on the lips. She said she didn’t want to kiss him, so she gave him a peck that day. Kisses on the lips, however, would become a part of their goodbyes when they spent time alone.

“It was no longer (Brown) was asking for a kiss,” she recalled. “It was (Brown) leaning down to get a kiss. … I knew I couldn’t stop it, or I felt I couldn’t stop it.”

Brown later began slapping Erin’s buttocks habitually, Erin said.

The publication cited multiple former employees of the ministry who say they witnessed what appeared to be inappropriate behavior between Brown and Erin, including Erin sitting in his lap.

Erin also told TRR that she found a letter while house-sitting for Brown and his wife Nancy, in which he confessed to having an inappropriate relationship with a married woman.

“The letter basically stated that they were having a talking relationship and how they would dream about having sexual relations with each other and what they wanted to do with each other, how she wanted to wrap her legs around him, how he played into it,” Erin said.

In his response to CP on Monday, however, Brown denied ever committing adultery but said he had previously confessed the emotional affair and believed the matter to be settled.

“I can categorically state that in my 53 years in the Lord and more than 50 years with Nancy, I have never committed adultery or been sexually intimate with another woman, nor do the charges allege that. Yet I must ask, in all humility and in the fear of the Lord, if an article on the Roys Report is the best way to address these allegations and accusations,” Brown said. “Does this glorify the Lord, edify the Body, bring healing and restoration, or advance the cause of truth?”

Despite Brown’s denial, two weeks ago the Line of Fire Board reportedly hired the law firm Mitchell, Stein, Carey, and Chapman to conduct a third-party investigation, the results of which they will make public once complete.

Erin said the experience she had with Brown has made it difficult for her to trust ministry leaders. Brown insists he was not aware that his behavior had impacted her as reported and is willing to work to make amends so healing can take place.

“The fact is that my actions towards her were certainly foolish and irresponsible — but neither sexual nor amorous in any way — and my highest priority, as well as Nancy’s, is to have the opportunity to meet together in a setting acceptable to her and bring healing, where I can take full responsibility for the things which apparently hurt her so deeply, things which I thought we addressed 23 years ago,” Brown said.

“Unfortunately, when Nancy and I learned through the Roys Report that there was an offense towards me in this woman’s heart, we were not allowed to follow the mandate of Jesus in Matthew 5:23-26, but only given the option of offering a response to an article that would be released online. What happened to biblical process?” he asked.

“That being said, if it’s true that for 23 years she has carried this pain and I am responsible for it, I am beyond mortified and would plead forgiveness and the opportunity to bring healing and restoration. Her wellbeing remains our priority.”

Contact: leonardo.blair@christianpost.com Follow Leonardo Blair on Twitter: @leoblair Follow Leonardo Blair on Facebook: LeoBlairChristianPost

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By Anne Young, Tuesday, December 03, 2024American Girl dolls on Sept. 23, 2021, at American Girl Place in New York City. | Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for American Girl

The result of the presidential election was in part a referendum on the left to stop pushing gender ideology on children. 

The idea that a child may have been born in the wrong body or could possibly change their biological sex has no place in schools and it should never have a place in media programming, books, or toys marketed to children. The majority of parents said, “no more!”

Two years ago, in early December 2022, I walked into an American Girl doll store on my daughter’s birthday and was shocked to see trans activism spelled out clearly in a book marketed to girls ages 9-12. A Smart Girl’s Guide to Body Image taught girls how to seek out “gender affirming care” including puberty blockers and the mutilation of their distinctly female anatomy. Infuriated by this,  I penned the CP Voices op-ed, “American Girl Wants to Trans Your Daughter,” which went viral within a few hours after the Daily Mail picked up the story.

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The parental outrage sparked national news outlets and podcasts to spread the word that American Girl can no longer be trusted, and rightly so. 

On the Megyn Kelly show, beauty pageant queen turned mom, Carrie Prejean Boller lamented, “We can’t even take our daughters to the American Girl Store without this gender ideology being shoved down our throats. The American people have to vote with our dollars.” 

Indeed, from National Review to the New York Post to Fox News, local TV news stations around the country, and many more news outlets put pressure on American Girl to pull the book from their shelves. 

On the other hand, USA Today and the Washington Post appeared to be in favor of keeping the book on the shelves, claiming that it included accurate information confirmed by experts at Boston Children’s Hospital. 

But are they really experts we can trust?

Boston Children’s Hospital houses the primary pediatric program of Harvard Medical School, which has performed 301 total sex change surgeries on children, earning more than $6 million for this “gender-affirming care,” as reported by Do No Harm’s recently published database Stop the Harm. According to the Washington Stand, Boston Children’s Hospital was given $3.3 million by the NIH to promote gender transitions for out-of-state minors. 

Parents have seen the writing on the wall. We are not going to allow these medical “experts” to indoctrinate our children through school programs, books, or toys.

It only takes a quick look into American Girl’s financial reports to see the fallout. 

American Girl is owned by the toy company Mattel. In the fourth quarter of 2022, American Girl took a 17% revenue loss due to the snowball effect of outrage because of their pushing transgender ideology. In 2023, American Girl lost so much revenue, almost 10% compared to 2022, that Mattel reported a subsidiary change to American Girl’s operational status. Their 2023 fourth-quarter report announced, “Beginning in the first quarter of 2024, Mattel’s American Girl business is being integrated into its North America commercial organization. As a result, American Girl will no longer be an operating segment.”

American Girl succumbed to pressure after losing so much revenue and removed the book from their shelves in February 2023, while keeping it available for those who asked for it at the store. 

Despite this move, it is clear that American Girl will not regain the trust of parents. I, for one, will never purchase from them again. 

In 2023, I began searching for an alternative but could not find anything comparable for many months. 

That all changed when I came across a brand startup company created to meet the new demand for wholesome, beautiful, timeless dolls. 

Emily Richett, the founder of Faith Friends Co, had been a longtime fan of American Girl, wishing for one when she grew up and finally getting to experience purchasing them for the first time for her own daughters. 

She says, “For me, the body image book [pushing transgenderism] was the last straw. I could not continue to sit back as one by one, our children’s shows, games, books, authors, and toy brands were deserting them, causing [them] harm, and filling them with lies.” 

“That set me on a path of completely starting a doll brand from scratch — one that would support our girls as they’re going through this pivotal time in their lives, growing from little girls into young women.” 

To create her company, she designed and produced three Faith Friends Dolls. Their names are Faith, Hope and Grace, with the goal of fostering these character qualities in the girls who own the dolls. 

She had no plans of expanding her product line until she received an unexpected message from a beloved, trailblazing, faith-based musician in July of this year. 

Singer-songwriter Anne Wilson’s management reached out to Richett, asking her if she would consider creating an Anne Wilson doll. She took on the challenge and turned around a gorgeous Anne Wilson doll in one month. 

Anne Wilson made history when her debut album, “My Jesus,” claimed the number one spot on Billboard Top Christian & Gospel Albums in 2022. For Anne Wilson fans, it’s a dream come true. For former American Girl Doll fans, it’s showtime. 

Now instead of purchasing a doll from a company aligned with gender ideology, girls can own a wholesome, beautiful 18-inch doll from a company whose mission is to encourage them to be who God created them to be. 

Even today, American Girl’s popular “Truly Me” doll comes with the “All About Us” journal that points girls to find their horoscope and discover their secret superhero identity along with the empty promises and false beliefs these discoveries might provide. 

By contrast, Richett says, “Faith Friends Co. has created journals to go with our dolls that take girls on a journey of faith, creativity, virtue, and discovering who they are from a biblical perspective, from who God says they are. It’s for girls ages 6-12.” 

In just a little over a month, President-elect Trump will make his way back to the White House. He’s likely to carry out major reforms, some of which will be targeted at protecting children from gender ideology. 

Even sooner, on Wednesday, December 4, the Supreme Court will be hearing oral arguments regarding the constitutionality of Tennessee’s prohibition on transgender medical procedures — puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries — on minors in U.S. v. Skrmetti.

All children deserve to grow up in an America that isn’t seeking to change them, castrate them, mutilate them, or cause them to doubt who God designed them to be. It seems that finally, parents are aware of the scope of the enmeshment of gender ideology in all cultures, including in doll companies. And they aren’t having it.

American Girl has not made their book available in their online store since 2023.

Anne Young is a mother of two daughters.

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By Ian M. Giatti, Christian Post Reporter Monday, December 02, 2024Pastors Rodney (C) and Adonica Howard-Browne (L) with Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister (R) at their home in Hernando County, Florida. | Facebook/ Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne

A Florida sheriff nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to head the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is drawing criticism for enforcing a pandemic-era prohibition on large church gatherings, saying Sunday that he was simply enforcing the law. 

Chad Chronister, the longtime sheriff of Hillsborough County, Florida, was announced as Trump’s pick for the key federal agency on Saturday. 

“As DEA Administrator, Chad will work with our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to secure the border, stop the flow of Fentanyl, and other illegal drugs, across the Southern Border, and SAVE lives,” Trump wrote. 

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Chronister, appointed by then-Gov. Rick Scott to lead the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in 2017, shared his excitement about the nomination, calling it “the honor of a lifetime.”

The nomination drew sharp backlash from some of Trump’s own supporters for actions Chronister took in March 2020, when his office arrested Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne, the leader of River at Tampa Bay Church, for hosting in-person church services in defiance of Florida’s COVID-19 restrictions. 

Chronister ordered the arrest of Howard-Browne, who had openly criticized the lockdown measures and continued to hold large gatherings despite the statewide safer-at-home order. Howard-Browne was charged with unlawful assembly and violating public health emergency rules, but the charges were later dropped. 

During a media briefing, the sheriff later said he had no choice but to arrest Howard-Browne because “practicing those beliefs has to be done safely.”

Following the arrest, the Hillsborough County Council voted to reverse its previous stay-at-home order and recognized churches as essential businesses. The council also voted against imposing a 10-person limit and 6-foot social distancing restriction on churches.

Despite the dismissal of the charges, the arrest has become a key point of contention for critics who argue that it represented an overreach of authority, particularly on religious freedoms.

“I’m going to call ’em like I see ’em. Trump’s nominee for head of DEA should be disqualified for ordering the arrest of a pastor who defied COVID lockdowns,” Trump ally and Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky tweeted.

The Libertarian Party of Mississippi also weighed in on the matter, tweeting, “Trump’s nominee for DEA arrested a pastor for having the audacity to … checks notes … hold church service.”

While social media lit up Monday with similar criticisms, others noted Chronister later reconciled with Pastor Howard-Browne, who previously warned that Chronister would have to “deal with Jesus” for his decision. 

The pastor finally held a meeting in April 2020 with Chronister to discuss River Church’s role in reopening Hillsborough County. 

Howard-Browne and Chronister appeared in an online video Sunday, with the pastor offering his support for Chronister’s nomination. 

As I promised earlier, Here I am with my friend Sheriff @ChadChronister I recorded this tonight before our evening service! Please share with everyone – Thank you and God Bless! pic.twitter.com/H9b3eQVRv6

— Rodney Howard-Browne (@rhowardbrowne) December 2, 2024

“Yes, I did get arrested during COVID. But we’ve always been friends, and we remain friends today,” Howard-Browne said before offering his full endorsement.

Chronister said that he is a “follow-the-law sheriff.” 

“I was following the law back then — lousy laws or good laws,” he said. “But you have to be the sheriff and do your job. … I’m proud that Florida was the first [state] to roll back all those COVID restrictions. It was certainly a happy day when I was able to call the state’s attorney and say, ‘Drop those charges.'” 

Chronister’s wife, Nikki DeBartolo, is the daughter of former San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr., who was convicted in a 1990s gambling fraud scandal after building one of the NFL’s most prestigious franchises.

In 1998, DeBartolo Jr. pleaded guilty to failing to report a felony when he paid $400,000 to former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards in exchange for a riverboat gambling license.

Chronister and DeBartolo met Trump at the White House when the president pardoned DeBartolo Jr. in Feb. 2020.

Trump’s nomination of Chronister comes after Trump has already nominated several notable cabinet and top agency roles, including Tesla and X chief Elon Musk, former independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and former TV host Mehmet Oz. Trump is slated to be sworn in for a second term in January. 

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Uses health scare to make appeal for financial donations

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Monday, December 02, 2024 Fresh Fire USA leader Todd Bentley was hospitalized on Saturday November 23, 2024. | Screenshot/Facebook/Jessa Bentley

Fresh Fire USA leader Todd Bentley claims he experienced a “miracle” after he recently recovered from what he described as a 10-hour coma that he said doctors told him was triggered by a spike in his blood pressure they suspect is “linked to uncontrollable stress.”

Bentley, who a team of leaders declared in 2020 was “not qualified” for leadership due to “credible” allegations of “ungodly and immoral behavior,” including predatory sexual activity, said in a health update shared on Facebook Live last Wednesday that he has been “resting” since suffering “seizure-like” symptoms which rendered him unconscious for 10 hours on Nov. 23.

“As you can see, I’m recovering, and I’ve got my strength, but I’m still resting. That’s kinda what the doctor prescribed: take a little extra time with your family. It’s Thanksgiving week. I’ve been resting for the past several days since Saturday when I had a medical emergency,” Bentley said in the Nov. 27 Facebook post.

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“I do know I had a miracle […] because when I woke up at 3:33 in the morning [on Sunday], I woke up in shock, absolute panic, because I had a tube, intubated in my throat, and all these other wires that I didn’t know,” the 48-year-old said.

Bentley said the last thing he remembers before the medical emergency was getting ready to watch wrestling on pay-per-view.

“The last thing I remember is opening a Coke at 5:30 in my man cave Saturday night and watched the pay-per-view. And I take a sip of my Coke, and I guess I fell into unconsciousness, and they really don’t know how much breathing I had,” Bentley recalled.

He said his wife, Jessa Bentley, noticed that he was unconscious, “almost like I was having a seizure. That’s how my wife described how she found me in the chair.”

In a personal note published Nov. 25 on Jessa Bentley’s Facebook page, Todd Bentley said he was enjoying a movie with his family when he “collapsed.”

“Just three days ago, while enjoying a movie with my family, I suddenly collapsed and became unresponsive. Initially, the medical team suspected a seizure or stroke, but after a series of tests, including a CT scan and X-rays, they ruled those out. I was admitted to the ICU for critical care due to my unresponsiveness,” Bentley wrote.

“At 3 AM, I experienced a miraculous awakening, and while I was traumatized and confused by the sudden shift from family time to being intubated in a hospital bed, I know that your prayers played a significant role in my recovery,” he continued in the update to his followers.

“The doctors conducted further tests and found that my overall health is good, but they have been focused on managing my dangerously high blood pressure, which they believe is linked to uncontrollable stress,” Bentley added before making an appeal for donations.

In 2020, Stephen Powell, an estranged protégé of Bentley, first highlighted sexual misconduct allegations against the Fresh Fire USA leader who claims to be a “faith healer.”

The Lion of Light Ministries leader said Bentley has a “perverse sexual addiction” that drove him to prey on interns in 2013 and beyond. He alleged that Bentley “has an appetite for a variety of sexual sins, including both homosexual and heterosexual activity” and accused him of indulging in an open marriage with his wife, Jessa Bentley.

Despite his earthly disqualification from ministry in 2020, Bentley said a year later that God had given him a fresh 25-year mandate “focused on the harvest and the nations.”

Contact: leonardo.blair@christianpost.com Follow Leonardo Blair on Twitter: @leoblair Follow Leonardo Blair on Facebook: LeoBlairChristianPost

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By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Sunday, December 01, 2024Jess Ronne

Jessica Ronne’s journey as a caregiver began on a day that could have shattered her world.

In 2004, during a routine ultrasound appointment for her second child, doctors informed her that her unborn son had experienced a stroke in utero. They offered no hope, suggesting she terminate the pregnancy and “try again.” But Ronne and her husband refused. 

“We put our baby in the Lord’s hands and just had faith that God’s will would be done,” she recalled.

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When Lucas was born on Aug. 12, 2004, “screaming with life,’” Ronne became what she termed “a forever caregiver.” Lucas’ profound disabilities would require lifelong care. But at the time, she was simply grateful for her miracle baby. 

“It wasn’t even something I really focused on,” she said.

A few years later, her world shifted again when her husband was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. For three years, they fought the cancer while raising four young children, including Lucas. By 2010, Jess, then 33, was a widow raising four children younger than 7.

Yet, it was in this crucible of grief and responsibility that Ronne discovered an unshakable resilience.

“My kids got me out of bed every day. I had to keep living for them,” she said. “Even as I buried my husband, I promised him that our children wouldn’t lose two parents — one to death and one to depressive grief.” Anchored by faith, she found the strength to take each step forward.

“I just leaned into the Lord, and he provided what I needed, which was just enough manna for the moment, and I was just able to continue to put one foot in front of the other and continue to live for my children,” she said.

Today, Ronne is a powerful advocate for parent caregivers, a demographic she said remains largely invisible to society. Years after her husband’s passing, Ronne met Ryan, a father of three who’d also lost his spouse to cancer. The two married in 2015, and they later welcomed a daughter, bringing their blended family to 10. 

As the founder and executive director of The Lucas Project, she works to provide recognition, resources and respite for families like hers.

“I do believe there are a lot of good people in the world who are willing to help if they know what the needs are. But … with these profound disabilities comes nonverbal, comes screaming, comes behavioral issues, comes incontinence, all things my 20-year-old son has. And so, the world just isn’t made for families like ours,” she said. 

“We isolate ourselves in our homes with these behaviors, with the aggression, with the incontinence. I often even speak with pastors at churches, and they’re like, ‘We don’t have these families in our community.’ And I’ll say, ‘Yes, you do, you just don’t see them.’ The church is not created for these families. Environments aren’t created for these families.”

Jess Ronne

Through The Lucas Project, the Michigan native has developed care packages, resource databases, and support groups. She also speaks nationally about the realities of caregiving and produces films like “Unseen: How We’re Failing Parent Caregivers,” a documentary that sheds light on the isolation and mental health struggles these families face. 

“We have a tsunami of children with special needs aging into adulthood,” she said. “If we don’t step in with resources, it will be detrimental to society.”

According to Ronne, the Church has a pivotal role in addressing these needs, but many congregations shy away due to fear of the unknown.

 “Each child is so different, and the Church doesn’t know its place,” she said. “But helping doesn’t have to mean direct care for the child. It can be mowing a family’s lawn, bringing over a meal, or picking up groceries. Small groups within a church could adopt a family, learning together how to meet their needs.”

She urged congregations to step out of their comfort zones: “This is exactly the kind of work Jesus did — stepping into messy, uncomfortable spaces,” she said. 

Ronne encouraged other caregivers to see their work as “holy,” though acknowledging it can be overwhelming. She recounted a moment of frustration, overwhelmed by her son’s needs while managing the production of the documentary. 

“I felt like Jesus said to me, ‘This is holy work. I would be right here with you doing this.’ It reframed everything. Caring for another individual is the holiest work we can do this side of eternity,” she said.

That perspective is central to her latest book,Caregiving with Grit and Grace.“It’s about viewing caregiving in light of eternity,” she says. “We might not see our reward this side of Heaven, but we’re living for that ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’”

In February, Luke moved into a group home, a decision Ronne once thought she’d never make. “When Lucas was little, I couldn’t imagine him living anywhere but with me,” she said. “But as he grew, his needs became more complex. It’s been a transition for all of us, but he’s thriving. He’s gained so many skills and is living his best life.”

The move has also brought newfound peace to Ronne and her family. “For years, weekends were overwhelming. Now they’re relaxing. My husband and I can take a nap if we want to,” she said. “My work had revolved around being Lucas’ caregiver for 20 years. It’s a period of transition, but also one of rest.”

As National Caregivers Month brings attention to the 16.3 million caregivers in the U.S., Ronne urged society to take stock of how they can support families with special needs children. 

“I think a lot of caregivers kind of have the smarter mentality, like, ‘Nobody can do it like me. I’ll be fine,’” she said.” We’re not fine. We’re exhausted. Let people bless you by stepping into your circumstances and providing a meal or providing some respite so that you can go take a nap, you can go for a walk, or just do something to rejuvenate yourself. Jesus wants that for us too. He wants us to be our best versions for the ones that we care for.”

In a world where caregivers are often unseen, Ronne said she wants to make sure their stories — and their struggles — are finally recognized. For caregivers themselves, she offered encouragement: “I hope that caregivers feel permission to feel anger, joy, pain,” she said. 

“It’s such a juxtaposition when you’re a caregiver, because there can be such joyful moments, but there are such painful moments too. It’s learning to live in that tension of the joy and the pain. The holiness of the acts that we do day by day by day is the glue that binds all of that together.”

Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com

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By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post Contributor Sunday, December 01, 2024A California pastor employed his martial arts training to fend off an axe-wielding burglar who broke into the First Family Church in Antioch, California, Thanksgiving morning on Nov. 28, 2024. | Screengrab/YouTube/NBC Bay Area

A California pastor employed his martial arts training to fend off an axe-wielding burglar who broke into a church on Thanksgiving morning. The pastor subdued the suspect until police arrived, ensuring the safety of the church’s property, as reported by local law enforcement.

The incident occurred at the First Family Church in Antioch, California, early Thursday when the church’s alarm system was triggered, prompting Pastor Nick Neves to head to the scene, News Nation reported.

Upon arrival, Neves found a man attempting to break into the church by smashing its windows with an axe. Rather than flee, the intruder opted to confront Neves, leading to a physical altercation in the church parking lot.

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Neves, whose background includes training in mixed martial arts such as jujitsu and kickboxing, managed to subdue the suspect until police officers could take the man into custody.

“I shouted at him to stop, and that police were on their way, and he ran and I grabbed a hold of him, and we ended up wrestling in the parking lot of the church,” Neves told NBC News.

The pastor added that his martial arts training helped him control the situation without causing significant harm to the intruder. “I was able to pin him to the ground, and he got up and tried to get away several times, but basically just trying to wear him out because I knew I could outlast him,” he recounted.

The Antioch Police Department confirmed the pastor’s account in a Facebook post. “When the burglar saw his wicked deeds had been discovered, he decided to fight with the pastor instead of repent. What he did not know was the pastor would win this battle of good and evil,” read the post, which also referred to scripture, “But the righteous are as bold as a lion.”

No injuries were reported from the incident.

According to WKRC, the suspect was actively using the axe to break windows of the church when Neves arrived. The police later arrested the individual on-site.

“It’s just ironic. If he had come a couple of days earlier, he would have been blessed and get some food and be cared for,” the pastor was quoted as saying. The church had recently completed a community project aimed at helping those in need. “But he decided instead to smash windows and desecrate property and do something that’s going to hurt the ministries,” Neves added.

The suspect’s motive for breaking into the church remains unclear. Authorities haven’t disclosed whether the individual was under the influence of any substances at the time of the incident.

The First Family Church was left with broken windows but otherwise remained intact.

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By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post Contributor Sunday, December 01, 2024An anti-government fighter fires into the air in a street in Aleppo on Nov. 30, 2024. Jihadists and their Turkish-backed allies breached Syria’s second city of Aleppo on Nov. 29, as they pressed a lightning offensive against forces of the Iranian- and Russian-backed government. | BAKR ALKASEM/AFP via Getty Images

Syrian Christians in Aleppo face “grave danger” after Islamist militias took over the city, local church leaders say. The militias, including jihadist groups, have seized control following the withdrawal of government forces and are removing all Christmas decorations, according to a report.

Maronite Archbishop of Aleppo, Joseph Tobji, described the situation as being in “limbo,” noting that armed groups took over after a surprise offensive, as per Agenzia Fides.

“Life here started up again. The situation was calm, but now everything is closed,” Archbishop Tobji was quoted as saying.

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Shops and bakeries have ceased operations, and citizens have not stocked supplies due to the lack of warning before the attacks. “Nobody warned us,” Tobji said, adding that despite the lack of current attacks on Christian targets, uncertainty looms over what might happen next.

The militias have reportedly documented their takeover of Aleppo through social media.

According to Fr. Hugo Alaniz of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, almost all of Aleppo is now under militia control, with religious leaders visiting parishes to provide support. Fr. Hugo told Fides that while their church remains open, many residents, including students and elderly, have moved to other parts of the city for safety.

The Iraqi Christian Foundation reported on social media that militants had begun removing Christmas decorations and had beheaded captured soldiers. The group also called for prayers for Christians and other minorities in Aleppo.

The Switzerland-based human rights group Christian Solidarity International said in a statement that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra, had seized control of Aleppo, mirroring the Islamic State’s capture of Mosul in 2014. This jihadist group’s takeover has instilled fear among Aleppo’s diverse religious communities, including Christians, Alawites, Shiites and non-observant Sunnis, due to HTS’ history of enforcing a strict Sunni supremacist ideology with violent persecution, it noted.

The United Nations’ Commission of Inquiry on Syria has documented the brutal governance of HTS, marked by executions, torture, sexual violence, and arbitrary detentions, alongside the desecration of religious sites. These actions are reminiscent of the harsh rule experienced during their previous control from 2012 to 2016.

“President Trump’s special representative for Syria, Ambassador James Jeffrey, acknowledged in 2021 that HTS had been functioning covertly as an ‘asset’ of Washington’s Middle East policy, despite its designation as a terrorist organization,” said John Eibner, CSI’s international president.

Shortly before election day, President-Elect Donald Trump pledged to protect persecuted Christians.

“The incoming president now has a golden opportunity to fulfill his pledge,” Eibner said. “Christians and others who value religious freedom and other fundamental human rights should insist that this pre-election pledge is honored.

The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that more than 300 people, including at least 20 civilians, have been killed since the offensive began Wednesday. The rebels, led by Islamist militant group HTS and allied factions, have taken control of Aleppo’s airport and dozens of towns nearby, reported the BBC.

HTS is a significant militant presence in Syria, and its leadership of the offensive has marked this as the most notable conflict in Syria’s ongoing civil war since a ceasefire was agreed in 2020.

According to the Syrian army, the attack on Aleppo involved multiple axes, covering over 100 kilometers (62 miles) of frontlines. The army reported numerous casualties among its soldiers and acknowledged that rebels now control significant portions of the city. Government forces have vowed a counterattack but provided no specific timeline.

The Russian air force conducted air strikes in Aleppo on Saturday, marking the first military intervention by Russia in the city since 2016, when it helped Syrian government forces recapture Aleppo, according to the BBC. The strikes aimed at rebel positions come as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has pledged to “defend [Syria’s] stability and territorial integrity,” according to a statement from his office.

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By Dan Delzell, Christian Post Contributor Sunday, December 01, 2024Getty Images/Mark Stevenson

As reported by The Economist earlier this year, “UFOs are Going Mainstream.” Believe it or not, 20 million people in the United States claim to have seen a UFO, and four million claim to have been abducted by aliens. So, what in the world is going on here? Are UFOs and “aliens” real?

Before attempting to answer this paranormal question, first consider an easier question: Are fallen angels (demons) and holy angels real? Yes indeed, as Scripture makes abundantly clear. And if UFOs and aliens are demonic manifestations, as many Christians believe, we would expect to find some clues in the Bible. 

Once when Jesus encountered two demon-possessed men, the demons shouted, “What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” (Matthew 8:29) Demons instantly become terrified once Jesus arrives on the scene.

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So, what about “alien abductions” today? How do these traumatic experiences compare to demonic encounters in the New Testament? And most importantly, do today’s harrowing “alien” episodes abruptly cease when the name of Jesus is introduced into the equation?

Gary Bates has researched this issue for over 25 years. As a best-selling author on the matter who also has an award-winning movie on “aliens” and UFOs, Gary said, “There are over 400 cases that I am aware of where these abductions have been halted by people calling on the name of Jesus Christ … the instant His name was called, it stopped.”

Christians of course are not surprised that the name of Jesus stops things like nightmares and other frightening phenomena, including “alien” ordeals. (See my 2011 CP op-ed, “How to Say ‘No’ to Nightmares.”) Since we are not alone in the universe, we do at times cross paths with angels and demons. 

As Gary stated, “The Bible has always talked about another dimension. And we’ve had visitors from that dimension, and they’re called angels. Good ones, bad ones … God’s angels always bring a message that is consistent with what we read in God’s Word. The bad guys…are there to deceive and deflect and to take people’s eyes away from the Creator.”

As supernatural beings originally created by God to serve as holy angels, demons are fallen angels who rebelled against God and went the way of Lucifer. Demons are highly intelligent and also skilled impersonators. These shapeshifters can appear at your bedside as your deceased relative, or show up during a seance. They can also impersonate the mother of our Lord through various apparitions of Mary. And when people take part in certain New Age practices, demons even pretend to be “Jesus” the “ascended master.” And yes, demons can take on an alien appearance, or even the shape of a UFO. 

Demons want humans to interact with them in order to draw people into the spiritual clutches of the occult. If you open a wrong door in the spiritual realm, demons will come through it to trick you, oppress you and lead you away from the one door that leads to everlasting life in Paradise. Jesus said, “I am the door; whoever enters through me will be saved” (John 10:9). 

Interestingly, many “alien” abductees are told they were chosen because they are special and are needed to spread the message of their “alien” abductors. An obsession with UFOs and “aliens” can even become a substitute religion. For example, the Heaven’s Gate cult was a UFO religion that produced mass suicides by its members in 1997.

While demons distract and disorient people in order to lead them further and further away from Christ, God’s holy angels are “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). Angels and demons are invisible to the human eye, unless of course they choose to visibly appear, such as when two holy angels appeared at Christ’s empty tomb. They asked Mary, “Woman, why are you crying?” (John 20:13)

Demons fear the risen Savior because the Messiah “triumphed over them by the cross,” (Colossians 2:15) and “was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:4). The fate of every demon is sealed, just like the fate of their master, Satan. 

The Apostle John wrote, “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10). And this is why “Satan is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short” (Revelation 12:12).

UFOs and “aliens” are merely one way the devil and his demons seek to distract people from accepting the good news of the Gospel (see John 3:16). Some people become so mesmerized by UFOs and “aliens” that they actually start pursuing mysterious phenomena. It is a seductive doorway into the occult.

Dr. Hugh Ross is an astrophysicist who points to “a connection between occult involvement and UFO encounters.” Christian UFO investigator David Wimbish agrees. He has “engaged in significant research into the UFO phenomenon, and has suggested that not only can the occult lead one to have a UFO encounter, but interest in UFOs can also actually draw one into the occult.” 

Dr. Ron Rhodes writes, “Many UFO investigators have followed a path that has taken them directly into the world of the occult. They believe they are rediscovering ancient spiritual truths and uncovering new realities about the universe … it has led many to experiment with astral projection, to believe in reincarnation, etc.” 

Jacques Vallee, a well-known (secular) French UFO researcher says, “The phenomena reported by (UFO) witnesses involve poltergeist effects, levitation, psychic control, healing, and out-of-body experiences. Vallee has personally investigated countless UFO sightings. His comments are based on years of firsthand experience.”

Negative consequences and dark side effects occur whenever demons interact with humans, even if the devious impersonators initially tell you they want to help you. This diabolical charade is one way they gain access into the lives of unsuspecting victims. Don’t forget that their master “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).

Thankfully, there is a way to effectively counter and overcome every type of demonic deception. Repent of your sins, receive Jesus as your Savior, (see John 1:12) and then walk closely with Him. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). 

UFOs, aliens, demons and the devil himself have no power over Jesus Christ. You see, if you are a follower of Christ, “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). 

Dan Delzell is the pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Papillion, Nebraska. 

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By Christian Today, Saturday, November 30, 2024Aerial view of the town and castle of Edinburgh with Dugald Stewart monument in Edinburgh, Scotland. | iStock/Delpixart

Nov. 30 is St Andrew’s Day. Who was St. Andrew and why is he patron saint of Scotland? 

Patron saints

In the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, a patron saint is a canonized historic holy person who is supposed to be a guiding and protective force for people of a particular profession or region. After the Reformation the idea of patron saints was dropped by Protestants. However, the idea of national patron saints remains in Britain and Ireland, but more for patriotic and historical rather than religious reasons. St. David is patron saint of Wales, St. Patrick of Ireland, St. George of England and St. Andrew of Scotland.

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The Apostle Andrew

St. Andrew is mentioned in all four Gospel accounts and in Acts. Andrew was first a disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:40), and when he recognized Jesus as the Messiah he was quick to find his brother Simon (later called Peter) to tell him (John 1:41).

Andrew and Peter were fishermen at the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 4:18, Mark 1:16), and were the sons of John (John 1:42), and originally came from Bethsaida (John 1:44)). It is not known for sure whether Andrew was the older brother or the younger brother, but generally people have traditionally thought of Andrew as the older brother.

At the time of the Gospels, Andrew and Peter were living in Capernaum where Andrew was living with his brother, Peter, and Peter’s wife and mother-in-law (Matthew 8:13, Mark 1:29). Possibly Andrew was married, too, but there is no direct mention of his wife. It seems that Jesus often stayed with them there. Andrew and Peter were among the disciples who became apostles (Matthew 10:2, Mark 1:18, Luke 6:14).

Andrew is specifically named in three stories. After Jesus foretold the destruction of the Temple (Mark 13:1-2), it was Andrew, Peter and John who asked Jesus about the signs of the End Times (Mark 13:3).

In the well known story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 it was Andrew who introduced Jesus to the boy with the five barley loaves and two fish (John 6:8). After Jesus entered Jerusalem (which is recalled on Palm Sunday), some Greeks were worshiping with the Jews at Jerusalem and they approached Philip and asked to see Jesus. Philip went and told Andrew who then told Jesus. (John 12:20-22). Andrew is at the Last Supper and at Pentecost (Acts 1:13) and then disappears from the narrative. In such cases the gap is filled in by Early Church history and tradition.

Black Sea missions

St Andrew is supposed to have been shipwrecked on Cyprus, maybe on the way to Byzantium (later Constantinople and now Istanbul) where he is reputed to have founded the bishopric which later became the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

According to the Early Church historians Origen (c185-c253) and Eusebius (c260–265), Andrew went to take the Gospel to Scythia, which was the area to the north of the Black Sea, which today includes the coastlines of Romania, the Ukraine, parts of Russia and Georgia. As a result, the Orthodox Churches in Romania, Russia, Ukraine and Georgia have St. Andrew as their Apostolic founder.

Death

The generally accepted tradition is that Andrew was martyred by crucifixion at Patras in Achaea (now in Greece) in AD 60. He thought that he was not worthy to be martyred on the same type of cross as Jesus had been, and so he was crucified on an x-shaped cross instead. Many of St Andrew’s relics are reputedly kept in St. Andrew’s Orthodox Cathedral in Patras, which is a place of pilgrimage.

Patron saint

Because Andrew is seen as the apostolic founder of their churches, St. Andrew is patron saint of Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Romania, Russia and Ukraine. He is supposed to be the patron saint of fishermen and fishmongers. How he came to be patron saint of Scotland is more curious.

Connection to Scotland

Some of St Andrew’s relics were reputedly brought to Scotland by St Regulus, a fourth century monk, who in AD 345 is supposed to have fled Patras for Scotland taking with him many of St. Andrew’s bones. The story goes that St. Regulus had a dream in which Patras was under threat of attack, and he had to take the relics as far away as possible to the Western ends of the Earth.

Sailing in the North Sea, St. Regulus and his party were shipwrecked off the coast of Fife, where he was welcomed by the local Pictish king. A church and monastery dedicated to St. Andrew arose at the site, and St. Andrew became an important saint for the Picts. The town was named after him, and now St. Andrews is famous for its ancient university and as the home of golf.

St Andrew’s flag

St. Andrew’s cross is based on the diagonal shape of the cross that St. Andrew was put to death on. In heraldry a saltire is a diagonal x-shaped cross. There are two forms of the saltire. In one form, there is a blue cross on a white background, and in another form there is a white cross on a blue background. The Russian Navy uses a St. Andrew’s flag which is a blue saltire on a white background, because St. Andrew is patron saint of Russia.

Scottish flag

The form of St. Andrew’s cross with a white cross on a blue background is said to date back to a great battle between the Picts in AD 832. An army of Picts under King Hungus, High King of Alba, were being pursued by a larger force of Angles and Saxons from Northumbria, under their King Athelstan. Fearing the outcome of the encounter, King Angus prayed for victory to St. Andrew, and he saw a cloud formation that looked like a white saltire against a blue sky. This looked like St. Andrew’s cross, and so he took this as a sign. The Scots won the battle, and where King Athelstan was killed is now the village of Athelstaneford in East Lothian.

Later when Kenneth MacAlpin united the Picts and Scots into the Kingdom of Scotland, St. Andrew became the patron saint. Later the white cross on the blue background was adopted as the national flag of Scotland, and is one of the oldest national flags in the world, although not always with the same shade of blue.

St Andrew’s cross in the Union Jack

In 1606, after the crowns of England and Scotland were united, the jack of St George’s cross used in England, and the jack of St Andrew’s cross used in Scotland were combined to create the Union Jack (the jack referring to a small flag flown on a ship). In 1801, after the union with Ireland, the jack with St. Patrick’s cross was added to create the current version of the Union Jack. Thus the flag of the U.K. has the St. Andrew’s cross in the background, and this also appears in the canton (top left hand quarter) of the flags of Australia and New Zealand.

Today St. Andrew’s flag is flown widely in Scotland, but is best known internationally from sporting events, where Scotland plays separately from the other nations of the U.K., notably in football, rugby and in the Commonwealth Games. It is also the basis of the flag of Nova Scotia (Latin for New Scotland) in Canada.

St Andrew’s Day

St Andrew’s Day is observed on Nov. 30 in the Anglican, Catholic and Orthodox churches, and since 2007 has been a bank holiday in Scotland. In Scotland and Scottish communities round the day is an excuse for patriotic celebrations.

Let us remember that St Andrew, unique of all the national patron saints of the U.K., is the only one who was an actual biblical figure.

The article was originally published at Christian Today 

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By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Saturday, November 30, 2024Anthony Hopkins as King Herod in “Mary” | Netflix

Just ahead of Christmas, Netflix’s epic “Mary” delves deeply into the Virgin Mary’s journey as a young woman chosen for an extraordinary destiny, yet grappling with faith, societal rejection and spiritual warfare.

In an interview with The Christian Post, director D.J. Caruso (“Disturbia,” “I Am Number Four”) said that, unlike traditional Nativity retellings, “Mary” focuses its lens on the mother of Jesus and strives to present the journey through her eyes. 

“Cinematically, Mary’s story has been underappreciated,” Caruso told CP. “She delivered the greatest gift the world has ever received, but we’ve rarely seen her experience fully explored. I also felt like there was a real need to humanize her journey, so you can feel what it felt like with her, and you can relate to her … our daughters can relate to her. Everyone can relate to what she was going through, because a lot of what Mary went through, the contemporary world is sort of throwing us those same curve balls here today.”

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Shot in Morrocco, “Mary” stars Israeli actress Noa Cohen as Mary, alongside Ido Tako as Joseph and Academy Award-winner Anthony Hopkins as King Herod. The film follows Mary’s miraculous conception and the intense challenges that ensue. Shunned by her community and forced into hiding, Mary embarks on a treacherous journey with Joseph to protect their newborn son from King Herod’s violent quest to eliminate any threat to his throne.

In creating the film, Caruso emphasized the importance of presenting Mary not just as a holy figure but as a relatable human being. 

“Obviously, amazing things happened to this young woman, from the visit of Angel Gabriel and to understanding how her birth came about. But at the same time, the human world, the nature of man, and all those things that are happening in this world are still forces that are against her,” he said. 

“She’s got to swim upstream. She has to fight all the fights. When she accepts this, the fiat, which I think is such an amazing moment for all of us, and says, ‘Let it be done.’ She turns her life over to the Lord and says, ‘You’re in my heart forever. I’m yours.’ And then her life doesn’t get much easier; there’s always going to be a struggle and a fight to do something amazing. And I think that’s a really strong message.”

The film depicts conversations between Lucifer and the Angel Gabriel, a creative choice Caruso said he made to highlight just how much opposition Mary faced, both physically and spiritually, while bringing the Son of God into the world.

“Spiritual warfare is something we all battle with every day,” he said. ‘I think it was important to illustrate that, particularly when you can see the spiritual warfare that’s happening to Mary. What’s going on is Lucifer is like … ‘Just take the easy way out.’ … But obviously, through the suffering and pain is how we get closer to God. But there’s always that temptation in there to just not do it, and to just say, ‘Why do I have to go through this?’ … I wanted to bring that in so you can see there always is a voice trying to get you to … do what isn’t right, even if it’s the easy way. So for me, it was really important to bring that element into the story.”

Caruso’s own faith heavily influenced his approach to the story. A practicing Catholic and father of five, the director told CP he drew from personal spiritual experiences to bring authenticity to the film. 

“Faith is in my DNA,” he noted. “When you’re a spiritual person or you’re a person of faith, it just informs you in so many different ways. Even in the movies that I’ve made and directed that aren’t necessarily on this theme, you can feel the spirituality. … That element of Christ in your heart is always present. It might not always be overt and out there in the open, but it’s in everything that I do, so it affects every decision I make.”

According to Caruso, the challenge of retelling the Nativity story in “Mary” lay in navigating the balance between staying faithful to Scripture and filling narrative gaps to create a compelling cinematic experience. 

“There’s not a lot of material on Mary in the Bible — just a few key texts in Matthew, Luke, and some other references,” Caruso explained. “As a filmmaker, you have to respect the biblical framework while also filling the voids in ways that honor the spirit of her journey.”

For example, he said, the film delves into the harrowing journey of Mary and Joseph to Egypt, imagining what dangers they might have encountered.

“If Herod was sending the Roman soldiers out to find the Messiah and to destroy this child, and destroy these children, what would it be like for any mother to have to protect your child?” he said. 

“Here we are with Mary. So how do we experience that? And we don’t know on the way to Egypt how many times they could have been encountered, because it’s not in the Bible. So filling all these things in that can make the movie emotional, can get you sitting at the edge of your seat, and still staying true to the framework of the biblical story was very vital and very important to me.”

Caruso said that Joseph, traditionally a silent figure in the Gospels, is intentionally given a more active voice in the film. “Joseph is a silent participant in the Gospel. He doesn’t have a word. So how do you give Joseph a voice, and how do you make him vital, and how do you make him important? And I feel like that is something where you can take liberty, as long as you’re being respectful to the text and everything. Because Joseph needed a voice, and as a filmmaker, I have to give him a voice.”

The director said that despite the creative liberties taken with the story, his filmmaking process was deeply informed by extensive research, involving consultation with theologians, pastors and biblical scholars, including the late Bishop David O’Connell — “a Mary expert” and a crucial advisor on the project.

Beyond canonical texts, Caruso also drew from historical and apocryphal sources, such as the Infancy Gospel of James, to gain additional insight into Mary’s life and times. 

“While not part of the canonized Bible, these texts provided fascinating context about Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anne, and other elements of her story,” Caruso said.

Historical accounts, such as those by Josephus, also helped shape the portrayal of King Herod and the sociopolitical backdrop of the film.

Hopkins, 86, brought “this slight bit of regret” to the character, Caruso said, adding: “In a way, he’s almost looking for the Messiah, maybe not to destroy the Messiah, but looking for the Messiah for another reason, but he doesn’t even know what it is. Sir Anthony brought that to the character, and it was really just wonderful to see his process.”

“Mary” is the latest in a slew of TV shows and films based on Bible stories to release in recent years. Most notably, “The Chosen,” a multi-season series about the life of Christ and His disciples, began as a crowdfunded indie short in 2017 and has since become a global phenomenon. In January, Amazon MGM Studios announced it had entered into an agreement with the Wonder Project and ordered a new Bible-based series, “House of David,” for Prime Video.

“Audiences are hungry for these stories, and Hollywood is realizing their power,” he said. “But it’s not just about telling them — it’s about telling them beautifully. If we’re making something for the Lord, why not make it the best it can be?”

Releasing “Mary” on Netflix marks a watershed moment for faith-based cinema, Caruso said. “The potential reach is staggering,” Caruso said. “With Netflix, ‘Mary’ will be available in 45 languages and across the globe. It’s amazing to me, it’s so powerful.”

Ahead of the Christmas season, Caruso said he hopes “Mary” is a film that inspires reflection and fosters a connection with one of history’s most remarkable figures.

“We all need to say, ‘Let it be me,’” he said. “It’s really hard to do that. When Mary did that … that was my revelation. That’s why I made the movie … it was such an important and vital moment; it pierced my heart. It was such a beautiful moment. In this world, it’s full of chaos; there’s a lot of beauty, but we all have to decide what we are going to do. Are we going to let man’s nature and all these things take us this way, or are we going to follow God’s grace? And if we can follow God’s grace, it might not always be easy, but that’s what we need to do. 

“I just want [viewers] to be inspired by the sacrifices and by the challenges that she had to overcome, and to see what amazing good could come out of making those sacrifices,” he added. “I want everyone to love and appreciate her more … to realize she brought so much light into this world.”

Mary premieres on Netflix on Dec. 6. The film also stars Stephanie Nur, Susan Brown, Ori Pfeffer, Eamon Farren, Hilla Vidor, Mili Avital, Gudmundur Thorvaldsson, Dudley O’Shaughnessy, Keren Tzur, Mehmet Kurtulus and Mila Harris.

“Mary” is rated TV-14 for language and violence. 

Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com

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