It was after midnight when I arrived at church, unlocked the doors, and locked myself in. I didn’t have peace, and I couldn’t sleep, so I went to the place I needed to be the most. I went to seek Jesus because I needed Him and His presence more than anything else. I needed to worship, surrender, and pour everything out before Him. My cheeks were flushed and wet with tears. For the next two hours, I lay on the carpet of the church sanctuary, endlessly crying under the weight of the season I was in. I prayed, worshipped, and cried until I had nothing left. Worship isn’t always packaged neatly and adorned with a pretty bow. It’s messy, raw, and sometimes ugly, but it’s necessary. In Luke 7, we see the story of a sinful woman who anoints Jesus with expensive perfume. The mere fact that she was there in the first place was scandalous enough. She didn’t have to do anything other than be present to make Simon the Pharisee squirm. When he saw her weeping and washing Jesus’ feet with her tears and her hair, he was shocked, and when she opened the alabaster jar full of perfume and anointed Jesus, he couldn’t hold back his judgment any longer. “If Jesus is who he says he is, he would know she is an immoral woman,” Simon pridefully thought. (see Luke 7:36-39) The truth is, Jesus did know her. He knew all about her past, her present, and her future. She came to willingly pour out everything before Him as an act of worship and love, and she was not worried about the other people in the room. It was as if she and Jesus were the only ones there, and it was powerful. Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.” “Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied. Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?” Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.” “That’s right,” Jesus said. (Luke 7:40-43) Jesus continued, “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:47-48) Jesus doesn’t need us to clean ourselves up and make ourselves more presentable before we come to Him. He doesn’t want us to be concerned with how we look to others when we come to Him, either. He wants us to come just as we are, no hesitations, no distractions, and lay it all out before Him. He knows everything about us—past, present, and future. He loves us no more and no less than He does at this moment right now.  Do you need peace in this season? When was the last time you brought everything before Him, withholding nothing? Jesus invites you to come to Him. As I lay on the carpet of the sanctuary with tissues strewn about me, I sighed and felt His peace begin to wash over me. I was desperate to pour it all out before the One who knew me fully and loved me more than anyone else possibly could. He took every burden away from me. I sat up, wiped away my tears, and was overwhelmed with gratitude for all He had done. Another sigh of relief escaped me, and now, I had peace. And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:50) ~ Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Not wanting to break the Sabbath and leave the bodies on the cross, Pilate commanded that their legs be broken to speed up their deaths. Our Lord had been on the cross for several hours when the soldiers came. Seeing that he was already dead, one of the soldiers took a spear and pierced his side, and then blood and water flowed.The gospel of John explains: “These things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken.’ And again another Scripture says, ‘They will look on him whom they have pierced’” (John 19:36-37).While none of us physically put the spear into the side of Christ, it was our sin that brought about the need for him to go to the cross. He faced such brutality for our sin. So, in that sense, we drove the nails in his hands and we pierced his side.You are guilty, and so am I. Each one of us will look on the one to whom we have pierced.But when we look to the one we pierced, and in what manner we look to him, makes an eternal difference. There are two different options.Looking On The One You Pierced For SalvationFirst, we must ask ourselves why the sinless Christ was being pierced at all. Isaiah 53:5 makes it clear: “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”It was our sin he was bearing on the cross. He was pierced for our iniquities. At the cross, Christ provides a worthy substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. Until our sin is rightly and justly dealt with, we cannot have peace with God.Zechariah 12 says that some will look to the one whom we pierced and mourn. Why would we mourn? Because in that passage, God has poured out a spirit of grace. As he does so, we recognize our sin and mourn. This is a mourning of repentance. It’s not a superficial, bad feeling for getting caught. Instead, it’s true grieving that we have offended a holy God. “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret” (2 Cor. 7:10).Salvation isn’t merely repeating a prayer; it’s having a broken heart over our sin and calling out to Christ for salvation. It’s looking to the one we pierced as we recognize our sin and believe that only his atoning work can truly provide forgiveness.Fountain of ForgivenessThe passage in Zechariah goes on to say: “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness” (13:1).God provides a fountain so that those who are broken, those who recognize they’re dirty, can be cleansed from sin and uncleanness.Many people feel inadequate or guilty. Some won’t go to church because it brings about more feelings of unworthiness. There is something deep within us, a conscience, that bears witness that we are sinners. However, that conscience can lead us to utter despair if we don’t find a cure for our sin. That’s why this promise of a fountain is so refreshing, because it provides the cleansing we long for when we recognize our sin.We celebrate Good Friday even though it’s a weighty, solemn day. Thinking of our Lord on the cross is almost too much to bear, but it’s the reason we have hope today.You can try to clean yourself, but you can’t do it. Jesus prayed, “If there is any other way, let this cup pass from me…” But there was no other way. Jesus had to die. He had to be pierced for our transgressions. The hymn “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood” comes from Zechariah 13:1. You are likely familiar with the lyrics:“There is a fountain filled with blood, Drawn from Immanuel’s veins; And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains.The dying thief rejoiced to see That fountain in his day; And there have I, as vile as he, Washed all my sins away.”Those who look to him in faith will find a fountain of forgiveness waiting for them. However, not everyone will look to the pierced one for forgiveness of sin...some will only look upon him when it is too late.Looking On The One You Pierced Who Comes In JudgmentSpeaking of Christ’s return, the Apostle John wrote: “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen” (Rev. 1:7).In this life, those who look on the one they pierced with godly sorrow will be redeemed and washed in the fountain. However, Revelation warns that one day every eye will look upon him—even those who rejected him will see the one they pierced—yet it will be too late for salvation.When the Son of Man returns, those who are not cleansed will face the righteous judgment of the God they have rejected. Because of this, all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. This is a warning of judgment for those who don’t look, in this life, to Christ.Everyone will bow their knee to him. Everyone will look to the one they have pierced. We can look to him now for salvation and forgiveness, or we can look to him after our death, where we will only receive judgment.Look now to the one you have pierced and be washed in the fountain he has provided for cleansing and forgiveness!

So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. - Zechariah 4:6

In most public forums these days, everyone is shouting. Everyone is certain. Everyone assumes the worst about those who disagree. stephanie phillips/Getty Images “Your audience probably won’t read anything I’ve written.” I hear that more often than you might expect from guests considering joining me on my podcast. It is usually said politely, almost in passing, but the assumption behind it is unmistakable. They expect hostility. They assume a conservative Christian platform means confrontation, not conversation. That assumption can be frustrating, but it is also revealing. It says less about me and more about the cultural climate we now inhabit. Turn on cable news, doom scroll on social media, or listen to commentary on political podcasts. The same pattern emerges. Everyone is shouting. Everyone is shouting. Everyone is certain. Everyone assumes the worst about those who disagree. Sadly, Christians are not immune. We are tempted either to retreat into silence, convinced the culture is too hostile to engage, or to enter the fray with the same anger, suspicion, and venom that shape the world around us. Neither response reflects our role as an ambassador for Christ. We cannot sit quietly while truth is redefined around us. For years, I have urged believers not to surrender the public square, but to engage it with conviction shaped by Christ. Our faith requires public courage. We cannot sit quietly while truth is redefined around us. But boldness is not the same as belligerence. One way I try to live that out is by inviting guests onto my show with whom I strongly disagree. Most of my guests share my convictions, but occasionally someone accepts the invitation from a very different perspective. Most popular media outlets reward outrage and suspicion. The few who do often say something revealing. They expect confrontation rather than conversation. That expectation reflects what our culture has taught them here in the USA. Most popular media outlets reward outrage and suspicion. It trains people to expect attack, not dialogue. Christians should resist that pattern. Even those outside the faith have recognized something we often forget. During the Leopold and Loeb trial in Chicago, lawyer Clarence Darrow argued that he could hate the sin without hating the sinner. Though he rejected Christianity, the idea reflects a deeply Christian truth, one Augustine also captured: “We are called to love people while opposing sin.” To love someone is not to affirm everything they believe or do. But that idea is often misunderstood: To love someone is not to affirm everything they believe or do. It is to tell the truth without denying their humanity. If we truly believe every person is made in the image of God, then we must learn to separate error from the person who holds it. The Bible does not call believers to choose between conviction and gentleness. It calls us to both. Paul reasoned with people in synagogues and marketplaces. Jesus corrected Pharisees, tax collectors, and even his own disciples. He did not affirm falsehood. He exposed it. But He did so through conversation. He asked questions. He listened. He answered. He had to reveal truth. Too often we assume those who disagree with us must be malicious or foolish. Years ago I complained to my pastor about how obvious certain truths seemed to me. He responded with a simple observation: “When you say, ‘Can’t they see?’ it means they can’t.” That changed how I think. My responsibility is to speak truth faithfully, with clarity and love. If someone cannot see what seems obvious to us, shouting will not restore their sight. Spiritual blindness is real. My responsibility is to speak truth faithfully, with clarity and love, and to trust God with what I cannot control. This is especially important for Christians with platforms. Engaging someone with a different view is not the same as endorsing them. When I invite progressive or atheist guests onto my show, some conservatives accuse me of platforming. Conversation is not endorsement. It can expose error. It can clarify it. And it can model how to disagree without contempt. The alternative is an echo chamber. If we only speak to those who already agree with us, we create spaces that harden assumptions rather than test them, and that is not faithfulness, but insulation. Christians are called to bear witness to the truth and trust the Holy Spirit, not to manufacture agreement through pressure or performance. Engagement requires courage. It also requires humility. Engagement requires courage. It also requires humility. Christians should speak clearly about what is true. We should refuse to compromise what God has revealed. But we must also remember that the person across from us is not an enemy to defeat but a human being made in God’s image. That means asking questions. Listening carefully. Disagreeing honestly without contempt. In an age defined by outrage, Christians have an opportunity to model something different. Not softer convictions. Not weaker truth. But steadier character. The world does not need louder Christians. It needs faithful ones. Peter Demos is the president and CEO of Demos’ Brands and Demos Family Kitchen. A Christian business leader from Tennessee, Demos uses his biblical perspective and insight gained from his own struggles to lead others to truth and authenticity in a broken world. Demos is the author of “On the Duty of Christian Civil Disobedience,” “Afraid to Trust” and new book “Bold Not Belligerent.” To learn more, visit peterdemos.org.

Help your children learn about the hope of eternal life with Jesus. The best Easter gifts ever given are what Jesus did at Easter time. shuang paul wang/Getty Images When people think about giving gifts for a holiday, most think of Christmas. But what about Easter? Christmas may be the time we exchange gifts and even consider God giving the gift of his Son, Jesus, but Easter is so much more than bunnies, egg hunts and small gifts of candy. In fact, the best gift ever given for each of us came as a result of those critical events surrounding the first Easter. Three of the best Easter gifts God gave us. To help children celebrate the true meaning of Easter this year, consider these three of the best Easter gifts God gave us and how you can share them with your children. 1. The Easter gift of humility Jesus modeled humility through His life and even in his death. The Thursday before Easter is when Jesus celebrated Passover with His disciples and instituted the Lord’s Supper. It’s when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (John 13) — the job only a servant would do. Later, in Gethsemane, he fervently prayed to the Father, “Not my will, but yours be done.” Jesus modeled humility through his life and even in his death, and it’s what we need to practice ourselves as we come before God. This is why the first, best Easter gift God gave us is the gift of humility. While humility usually doesn’t sound very appealing to children and, truthfully, most adults, without it, we’d be in big trouble. Philippians 2:3-8 describes how we should humble ourselves like Jesus, who lowered Himself as God to become a man, lived as a servant and willingly died on a cross. As you celebrate Easter, take time to read about these events starting in Matthew 26, Mark 14 and Luke 22 and discuss them with the children in your life. One way to do this is with resurrection eggs, where each plastic egg contains a symbol that represents a part of Jesus’ story, serving as a visual aid for the gospel message. Another way you can help children learn the Easter gift of humility is through service projects. This can be as simple as volunteering as a family or making cookies and delivering them to senior centers or older members of your church who live alone. Services like these help kids to consider others and not just think about themselves, while kids can find great joy in serving others, which will stick with them into adulthood. 2. The Easter gift of forgiveness Good Friday services are often a somber remembrance of Jesus’ death on the cross. But the great sacrifice of Jesus, although serious, also provides reason for great rejoicing. Which is why the second Easter gift from God in our list is the gift of forgiveness. Forgiveness sets you free from all guilt and shame and can even restore relationships. Do you want to carry the weight of your mistakes and sins with you every day of your life? Of course not! Forgiveness sets you free from all guilt and shame and can even restore relationships. Forgiveness is a precious gift, and one God offers freely to us. Nothing compares to the forgiveness made available to us through Jesus. We were all born separated from God, wanting to go our own way, but Jesus came to change that and did so for those willing to accept it, which is why we can rejoice at Easter. To explain this Easter gift of forgiveness to children, you can take two glass jars—one with bleach and the other with water and liquid food coloring added to make it look dark. Show children the dark jar and talk about how sin makes their lives unclean before God, while also hurting their relationships with him and the other important people in their lives.  Then, show the jar with bleach and explain that although Jesus lived a perfect life, he willingly died on a cross to take the punishment for our sin upon himself. Next, pour the bleach into the dark jar so it becomes clear, and explain to your children that when you believe in Jesus as the only way for your sin to be forgiven, cleansed, and made right with God. Lastly, close with the principle that since Jesus willingly suffered to offer forgiveness to us, we should also willingly forgive others. 3. The Easter gift of eternal life Finally, the Easter Sunday celebration of Jesus’ resurrection points to the gift of eternal life. Of all the great people who have lived, only Jesus rose from the dead, never to die again, and he now reigns in heaven as King. The moment you believe in Jesus, you become a child of God. The moment you believe in Jesus, you become a child of God, and he will help you live for him. Then, after death, you will live forever with God—free from sin, sickness, suffering, and death. You will live with Jesus knowing perfect love, joy, peace, and goodness. The hope of eternal life provides confidence knowing that, despite any suffering you may face, something far greater will come. Help your children learn about the hope of eternal life with Jesus by asking them to recall one of their happiest moments or when they felt most at peace. Then, explain how heaven is a place where they’ll feel more of that same kind of joy and excitement, but in its greatest form, and without end. Their happiest moment will be nothing compared to the happiness they’ll feel when they go home to Jesus in heaven—the greatest destination of all time. And the reason we can go there is all wrapped up in the best Easter gifts ever given because of what Jesus did at Easter time. Fred Pry is the Vice President of Administration at Child Evangelism Fellowship® (CEF®), the most impactful child evangelism ministry in the world, reaching over 27.4 million children with its face-to-face ministry in 2024. Fred joined CEF in 2003 as director of a local chapter in Pennsylvania before being appointed state director of Virginia. Later, he was invited to lead USA Ministries, and since 2024, he has been serving in the role of Vice President of Administration and providing further leadership to the organization as one of CEF’s executive staff.

(LifeSiteNew) — An 84-year-old Canadian Catholic woman who was offered euthanasia while at a hospital despite not being deathly sick has spoken out, saying there was “no way” she was going to “take measures to end” her life. The case concerns Miriam Lancaster, whose recent stay at Vancouver’s General Hospital was less than ideal. As reported by LifeSiteNews, Lancaster was asked by doctors if she wanted “MAiD” (Medical Assistance in Dying). In a recent interview with “EWTN News Nightly,” Lancaster noted how “the very first thing” a young doctor told her at the hospital was “I would like to offer you MAID.” In reply, she said “No, thank you,” adding, “I was certainly taken aback, and there were so many other things on my mind.” Lancaster said she was “feeling fine” one day but the next day she got out of bed not feeling well and was in “horrendous pain.” She mentioned that her husband was offered MAiD as well three years ago but refused. “As practicing Catholics, there is no way that we are going to take measures to end our life. That is in the hands of the Lord,” she said. “So he turned down MAID when he was in hospital, and a few years later, there I am in the same hospital, and I gave the same response.” Lancaster said that after being moved to another hospital, she was told she had a tiny crack in a bone in her spine and that surgery wasn’t possible. She later got well enough to go home, noting that she thought, “I’ve been given a second chance here. I am going to make the most of whatever time is left.” As a result of getting better and refusing Canada’s death regime scheme, she went on trips to Mexico and Cuba with her daughter. Stories like Lancaster’s have become commonplace in Canada since euthanasia was made legal in 2016 under the Liberal government of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Indeed, as reported by LifeSiteNews, a Canadian man was euthanized just because he had partial blindness. Some provinces, such as Alberta, are doing what they can to limit the availability of MAiD, which is federally mandated. As reported by LifeSiteNews, recently, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party (UCP) government was the first in a Canada to introduce a bill that would severely limit who can get euthanasia and ban it for minors. The UCP said that the bill is to “strengthen protections for vulnerable Albertans” as well as allow doctors and hospitals to refuse to offer assisted suicide. In February 2024, the federal government delayed the mental illness expansion until 2027 after pushback from pro-life, medical, and mental health groups, as well as most of Canada’s provinces. The Liberal government under Trudeau and current Prime Minister Mark Carney, however, has worked to expand euthanasia 13-fold since it was legalized in 2016. Canada now has the fastest-growing assisted-suicide program in the world. Meanwhile, Health Canada released a series of studies on advanced requests for assisted suicide. Euthanasia is now the sixth-highest cause of death in Canada after it was not listed in Statistics Canada’s top 10 leading causes of death from 2019 to 2022.

OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) — Canada’s Public Health Agency (PHAC) officially took over the nation’s vaccine injury compensation program and changed the name by removing the word “injury” after admitting the COVID shots have caused harm to no less than 10,000 people.  In a recent announcement, the PHAC said it now controls what used to be called the Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP), which as of April 1 is now known as the Vaccine Impact Assistance Program (VIAP). As VISP did before, VIAP will be responsible for providing monetary compensation to those who have suffered a “serious and permanent injury” from any vaccine administered after December 8, 2020, the date that COVID jabs started to be rolled out across Canada. The government claims that VIAP “aims to better support those who need it” and will work through a massive backlog of claims. Canadian Minister of Health Marjorie Michel admitted that under the old program, and even the new one, people who “who apply to this program are going through a difficult time.” So, starting April 1, the government took direct control over the program from Oxaro Inc., which to date has only paid out $18 million to jab-injured Canadians. As reported by LifeSiteNews, news that VISP would be replaced came to light in January. Over 11,000 “serious” cases have been reported, including 442 deaths outright, spontaneous abortions, and hundreds of heart attacks, strokes, organ damage, and facial paralysis. However, this data only goes until 2024. Canada’s government continues to purchase the COVID shots, although its own data shows that most Canadians are flat-out refusing a COVID booster injection. VISP was launched in December 2020 after the Canadian government gave vaccine makers a shield from liability regarding COVID-19 jab-related injuries. However, mismanagement within the program has led to many injured Canadians still waiting to receive compensation while government contractors grow richer. The Public Health Agency has already admitted that it had kept incomplete data regarding “adverse events” from the mRNA shots. The mRNA shots have also been linked to a multitude of negative and often severe side effects in children, and all have connections to cell lines derived from aborted babies. LifeSiteNews has published an extensive amount of research on the dangers of the experimental COVID mRNA jabs that include heart damage and blood clots. Despite the damage caused by the COVID shots in Canada and worldwide, former and current Canadian politicians have failed to take ownership of the fact that thousands were injured under their watch. For example, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared to laugh at the suggestion that a COVID shot had killed the mother of a media outlet’s cameraman who was asking him questions on the streets of Davos during the World Economic Forum gathering earlier this month. Trudeau had disparaged Canadians who chose not to get the COVID shots, saying those opposing his measures were a “small, fringe minority” who hold “unacceptable views” and do not “represent the views of Canadians who have been there for each other.”

(LifeSiteNews) — Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, celebrated Mass for Holy Thursday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre after being denied access by Israeli police on Palm Sunday. On the morning of April 2, Pizzaballa celebrated the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and washed the feet of 12 friars inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Just four days earlier, on Palm Sunday, Israeli police had stopped the cardinal and Father Francesco Ielpo, Custodian of the Holy Land, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, preventing them from celebrating Mass at the location on apparent security grounds linked to the ongoing war. After the incident, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and local Israeli authorities reached an agreement allowing the liturgical celebrations for Holy Week and Easter Sunday inside the church. This morning in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, His Beatitude Pierbattista Cardinal Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday and washed the feet of 12 friars. pic.twitter.com/zuaahmlEWm — Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) April 2, 2026 In Pizzaballa’s homily at the Mass, he noted that the challenges the faithful face as the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulchre remains closed to the public in the war-torn region but emphasized that the Word of God can give us peace even under these circumstances. “We are in the place where a stone once sealed death. And yet today we are here to celebrate life,” the cardinal said. “There is a tension we cannot ignore: outside, the doors of the Holy Sepulchre are closed. War has turned this place into a refuge, an ‘inside’ cut off from an ‘outside’ weighed down by fear and strain.” READ: Israeli police block Cdl. Pizzaballa from Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday “We are here as within a womb of peace, while the world around us is being torn apart, and we wish we could change all of this,” he added. “And yet, here and now, the Word of God places before us a gesture that overturns all our human ways of thinking.” Pizzaballa and Ielpo were stopped on Palm Sunday while proceeding privately, without a procession or public ceremony, and were compelled to turn back. As a consequence, for the first time in centuries, the heads of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land were unable to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. “This incident is a grave precedent,” the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land said in a joint press release, adding that the measure was “manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate” and constituted “an extreme departure from basic principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the Status Quo.” The Patriarchate further underscored that, since the beginning of the war, Church authorities had “complied fully with all imposed restrictions: public gatherings were canceled, attendance (at liturgies) was prohibited, and arrangements were made to broadcast the celebrations” worldwide to ensure participation by the faithful. Israeli police initially defended the clerics being blocked from entering the Holy Sepulchre, and Israeli Ambassador to Italy Jonathan Peled went further, insisting that Pizzaballa had been clearly informed in advance that access to places of worship was not permitted for security reasons and stressing that the Latin patriarch nevertheless chose not to comply with those instructions. Later, Israeli President Isaac Herzog reported that he had spoken directly with the patriarch to express regret over the incident, attributing the situation to ongoing war threats, including missile attacks allegedly targeting Israeli territory. After public reaction and diplomatic engagement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that measures were being put in place to allow access for religious authorities in the coming days. Netanyahu later confirmed that he had instructed relevant authorities to grant Pizzaballa “full and immediate access” to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The next day, March 30, the Latin Patriarchate and the Custody of the Holy Land issued a further joint statement confirming that “the matters concerning the Holy Week and Easter celebrations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre have been addressed and resolved in coordination with the relevant authorities.” Access for Church representatives was secured to allow the continuation of Holy Week and Easter liturgies at the Holy Sepulchre while “the existing restrictions on public gatherings remain in force for the time being.” READ: Israeli ambassador expresses regret over ‘unfortunate incident’ at Holy Sepulchre That same day, Israeli Ambassador to the Holy See Yaron Sideman expressed “regret” over the “unfortunate incident” of Pizzaballa being denied entry into the church during a meeting with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations.

A pastor in Detroit is being called a hero after successfully de-escalating a harrowing situation when a crazed man pulled a gun in the middle of a funeral and pointed it at the minister. The alarming situation even ended with 10 people coming to faith in Jesus. Darthanian Nichols, pastor of Breaking Chains Outreach Ministries, was officiating a funeral service in late March for a teenager who reportedly died by gun violence when a man entered the New McFall Brothers Funeral Home at around 11 a.m. and began shouting obscenities before pulling out a firearm. “If I’m being honest,” Nichols, a licensed social worker, wrote in a Facebook post, “I braced myself. I just knew I was going to be shot.” Reflecting back on the ordeal, the preacher said God gave him “peace in the middle of panic.” “While I was officiating a funeral service,” he wrote, “I asked the room to clear the floor just in case of an emergency, just trying to keep everyone safe. In that moment, a man began yelling obscenities, pulled out a gun, and pointed it toward me, threatening to hurt me if I didn’t stop speaking.” The room, he reflected, “went into chaos.” But he stayed calm — supernaturally calm. “I grabbed the microphone and calmly instructed everyone to leave in an orderly way,” he wrote. “I made sure my wife and kids were removed to safety. And even in that moment, as a trained clinician, I recognized this wasn’t just anger this was grief speaking loudly. So I began to pray!!!” Police confirmed Monday no shots were fired, according to WJBK-TV. After Nichols de-escalated the situation and police arrived on the scene, one man was taken into custody. Soon thereafter, four others were arrested for various weapons offenses. Detroit Police Department Capt. John Stewart credited the pastor for his calm handling of the situation, calling Nichols “a hero.” Nichols, though, is crediting God. “He gave me wisdom when I needed it, peace when I shouldn’t have had it, clarity when everything was chaotic, and courage when fear was present,” he wrote. “The Bible says: ‘And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ Today, that wasn’t for money or provision, [b]ut for strength, discernment, and grace under pressure.” And after everything was done, Nichols revealed he was able to lead 10 people to salvation. “And even after all of that, God still moved,” he wrote. “I was still able to minister to the family and the young people… and 10 people gave their lives to Christ. That’s the kind of God we serve.” Please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.

(LifeSiteNews) — Vaccine producers Pfizer and BioNTech abandoned a trial for their updated COVID-19 vaccine after the Big Pharma giants were unable to attract enough U.S. trial participants. The move comes as the public’s trust in vaccines has hit an all-time low while demand for COVID-19 vaccines has cratered.   Pfizer and BioNTech cited challenges in reaching their target of roughly ⁠25,000 to 30,000 participants in the 50-64 age group, according to Reuters.  Moderna is reportedly facing similar recruitment challenges testing its COVID-19 booster.  “This study is not ending as a result of any safety or benefit-risk concerns. We intend to stop the study due to slow enrollment and therefore the inability ​to generate relevant post-marketing data,” the two companies told the news service. “This is a very difficult population to recruit,” said one executive at a contract research organization involved in the trial who spoke to Reuters. “Even when ​patients are willing to participate in COVID ​studies, more than 80% fail at pre-screening ⁠because they don’t meet the health criteria. It’s been a real challenge to enroll enough patients, particularly given the scale of these trials,” the executive said. National interest in COVID-19 vaccines has plummeted Overall, only about 18% of Americans received COVID-19 booster shots during the 2025-2026 season, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). That represents a huge decline from early 2022 when 47.5% — nearly half of America’s adult population — submitted to COVID-19 boosters. “In the wake of COVID, we are left with an undeniable crisis in health,” radiologist and political commentator Dr. Scott Atlas explained in April 2025. “Trust in health guidance has plummeted more rapidly since 2019 than any other government institution, with almost two-thirds now rating the FDA and the CDC as ‘only fair or poor.’” “Half of America no longer has much confidence in science itself,” Atlas said. “Trust in our doctors and hospitals dropped from 71 percent in 2019 to 40 percent in 2024.” “Vaccines have become a divisive issue in American politics, but there is one thing all parties can agree on: The U.S. faces a crisis of public trust,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared not long after taking office. “Whether toward health agencies, pharmaceutical companies or vaccines themselves, public confidence is waning.” RFK Jr. said that the industry and the government health agencies that regulate them “needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science.”  “In the 1960s, the world sought guidance from America’s health regulators, who had a reputation for integrity, scientific impartiality and zealous defense of patient welfare,” the HHS Secretary said. “Public trust has since collapsed.” “We will earn it back,” he promised. 

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, April 02, 2026UFC fighter Joe Pyfer discusses how he almost took his own life before finding faith in God following a UFC fight, March 28, 2026. | Screenshot/YouTube/UFC and UFC on Paramount+Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Joe Pyfer is crediting God with preventing him from carrying out a suicide attempt and says a recent encounter with Jesus Christ transformed his life.  In a postgame interview following his victory in a UFC fight Saturday, Pyfer emotionally recalled how “I almost took my own life, like, a couple weeks ago, and I found God." "God restored me, baby. That’s the only reason I’m here,” he declared. When he was asked a question about his performance, Pyfer said he was giving “all glory to God for this win,” adding that were it not for God, “I’d be dead in a ditch somewhere.” In an earlier interview ahead of the fight, Pyfer said he's had “a complete resurgence” and “life change 360 as far as my faith and God and Jesus Christ.”Pyfer added, “I feel like I had an out-of-body experience with something that happened in my life where I was able to see who I was, and I was pretty disappointed. And I feel like God gave me a direction and gave me a chance to change my life, and it’s the craziest presence I’ve ever felt in my life.”“I feel like everything’s different,” he continued. “The main change is like actually having direction and understanding how to live.”Pyfer said he has a new mindset, one that is “part of being a believer, part of being a true Christian [and] following the commandments that we’re called to do.”He acknowledged that “I’m going to fall short” but added that “the point of prayer is for forgiveness and then also to repent and change your ways.” Pyfer also spoke about his girlfriend, Ashlyn, and how they have been in a relationship for over six years, noting that he is “envisioning marriage and a family [and] serving her as my wife, as my significant other and my partner.”Another goal he has is to refocus on God and put his trust in Him as he moves forward with his life. “Before, I thought that this was all or nothing, and I didn’t know who I was outside of fighting,” he said. “I think if you had taken this away from me, I would have self-destructed and not realizing what kind of fragile state I was really in.”Pyfer detailed how he had an addiction to “the sins of the world,” including “temptation” and “lust,” which he maintained were “destroying me from the inside out.” He also thanked God for putting his girlfriend in his life, whom he described as “the only person at an intimate level that has ever come into my life and loved me through anything and everything and still accepted me in the end.” “I’m in a rebuilding phase in my life. I’m a baby Christian, but I feel like a born-again believer, and I feel like it’s very important for me to talk about it. So I know it’s not everybody’s cup of tea. For the ones who don’t believe, give yourself a chance because … it’s true freedom.” Pyfer shared how “I feel like God called on me in a dream, where I was able to have this out of body experience and take Jesus’ hand and actually change.” He characterized his ongoing faith journey as “the hardest road I’ve ever taken” and “the hardest road to live.”“It’s true respect. It’s the true meaning of what it is to be a man,” he insisted. “It’s given me true freedom.”Outlining how his priorities have changed, Pyfer said “fighting was number one at the top,” but now his life has been reoriented so that “it’s probably third or fourth.” He named God as the most important priority in his life, followed by his girlfriend and his children, once he decides to have them. Pyfer also suggested that his faith has made him “more powerful” because he’s “not stressed about this week or anything to do with the fight.” “I truly, truly believe, bro, that whatever God has planned with me, I can’t be upset at the result. I feel like it frees me from trying to control ‘I got to win, I got to win, I got to win.’”After vowing to “go out there and compete,” he cited the possibility of a win as “what God wills” as a reward, while a loss would indicate “I have things to work on.”During a lengthy postgame interview over the weekend, Pyfer expressed confidence that “there’s eternity and peace and happiness and God chose me and saved my life.” He suggested that “it could have been anybody else to fight the greatest middleweight of all time, but God chose me.” Provided additional details about his transformation, he said, “I broke down and just bawled my eyes out and … I had a dream that night that I went to sleep and I woke up and everything was different.” Even after his life-changing dream, Pyfer said it took him an additional week to “pray for forgiveness and truly repent and change,” adding, “I feel like my soul’s been cleansed where I can’t even remember how I used to talk, how I used to act, how I used to think.” Reflecting on the fight, Pyfer explained that “every time I questioned something, I just prayed and I just asked God to give me the strength, asked God to be in my life, just asked God to give me this opportunity, and He did. I had no fear and I walked out there and I faced my fate, whatever God’s plan was, and God granted me victory.” 

By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Thursday, April 02, 2026Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan perform on "American Idol" in Hollywood, California, on March 30, 2026. | Courtesy of American IdolHOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Country star and “American Idol” judge Luke Bryan opened up about how his roots in the church not only shaped his faith but also helped define his career: from small-town choirs to one of television’s biggest stages.Bryan, one of country music’s most commercially successful artists of the past two decades, has scored more than two dozen No. 1 hits, including songs like “Country Girl (Shake It for Me),” “Play It Again” and “Drunk on You.” A five-time Entertainer of the Year winner, earning top honors from both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, the 49-year-old singer has sold millions of albums worldwide. Since joining “American Idol” as a judge in 2018, Bryan, a Leesburg, Georgia native, husband and father of two, has helped usher in a new generation of artists with his signature blend of Southern charm and industry expertise. Speaking to The Christian Post after the show’s “Songs of Faith” night on Monday, Bryan reflected on how growing up in a Southern Baptist community laid the foundation for both his music and his perspective on the industry.“I could take a baseball step out my door and hit my Baptist church,” Bryan said. “Waking up on Sunday mornings and hearing the Gospel … hearing a Southern Baptist preacher deliver the sermons really shaped a lot of things in my life.”That early exposure, he said, extended beyond listening to sermons. Even as his career began to take him into honky-tonks and country bars, Bryan said he never left those influences behind.“Singing in the choir, going to youth group on Wednesday nights, that really shaped me as a young person, a young man and a young singer,” Bryan said.“I’d go play honky tonks, and then I’d go play country bars, and I’d do Christian songs in these honky tonks,” he said. “Some people go, ‘Why do you do that?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know. Why not?’”For Bryan, growing up in the church was a “blessing,” one he said has consistently helped him navigate the pressures of the music business.“Growing up with so much history in the church has really been a blessing in my life, certainly getting through the music business,” he said.That perspective was on display during “American Idol’s” faith-themed episode Monday night, which featured contestants performing songs centered on faith, worship and personal testimony, along with moments of prayer and overt references to Jesus. Many of this year’s contestants are outspoken Christians, including Hannah Harper and Nashville church music director Jordan McCullough.Bryan said the night stands out not only for its explicitly faith-centered performances, but for how audiences respond.“It’s an amazing step when we’re able to put this show in front of so many viewers, and the viewers really, really respond, because they love this night,” he said.He pointed in part to fellow judge Carrie Underwood, whose openness about her faith has helped shape the tone of the episode for the last two years.“When you look at Carrie Underwood and how she has really vocalized her faith … I think she’s very inspiring in that,” Bryan said. “When you hear people praising Jesus in this light, it’s something that I feel like maybe the country’s gotten away from for many, many years. So it’s a great platform.”He added that the theme often brings out a different level of performance from contestants; some of the night’s explicitly gospel-centered songs included Brandon Lake’s “Graitutde” and “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” as well as Maverck City Music’s “Jireh” and the classic hymn “Nothing but the Blood.”“These kids … I really enjoy watching them sing with even more emotion,” Bryan said. “They’re singing with more emotion, more fire, more passion.”“It’s a special night, because [the Holy Spirit was moving],” he said. “You could feel it. I mean, I felt it in the room quite a bit.”

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Thursday, April 02, 2026The shuttered Green Mountain College campus in Poultney, Vt. | greenmountaincollegerfp.comAfter a failed attempt to settle an ongoing dispute with the Town of Poultney in Vermont over the tax bill for the 115-acre campus of the former Green Mountain College, WhistlePig Whiskey founder and businessman Raj Bhakta is offering to bequeath the property to new owners who will dedicate it to the “spiritual revival of our Christian faith.”“We wish to bequeath this unique — beautiful and intact — New England college campus to the right beneficiary. The right beneficiary has a vision aligned with the revival of the United States and Western Civilization,” a website seeking requests for proposals in a process that closed on Tuesday says. “They would also recognize this must first begin with the spiritual revival of our Christian faith. It will be upon coherence with this mission that candidates will be judged.” Green Mountain College was originally founded by Methodists in 1834, but it has functioned as a non-sectarian liberal arts college for most of its modern history before closing in 2019 due to financial issues.The property is currently zoned to be used as a college campus or mixed-use. It consists of academic buildings, renovated dormitories, administrative offices, athletic fields, and other facilities, including a gymnasium, pool, commercial kitchen and dining spaces. In addition to having a qualifying vision for the campus, prospective new owners of the property will need to demonstrate that they have sufficient resources to cover $1.5 million in annual costs to maintain the property, including about $500,000 in deferred maintenance costs.Just before he bought the former college campus for $4.8 million in 2020,  Bhakta was ousted from Whistlepig due to allegations of fraud, Vermont Public reported.He now runs a new business called Bhakta Spirits, but told The Christian Post’s Billy Hallowell that he hopes his possible gifting of the college would help spark a revival of Christian values.“When we look at what's happening in our country today, in the Western world, what we used to call Christendom, it really, I think, pretty clearly stems back from a collapse of our moral order, a collapse of the idea of the absolute nature of truth,” Bhakta, who is a professing Catholic, said.“It's not relative. I don't have a personal truth. You don't have a personal truth; it is true, or it's not. And truth comes from God. And, you know, the most apparent, bitter fruits of that is what we see in, like, wokeism, where everything is relative,” he said. “I can be a pink flamingo or a woman or an elephant, and whatever I decide I'm going to be, which is patently insane to anybody, almost in any other period of time.”Bhakta said more than 100 proposals have been submitted, but only a small and meaningful percentage are real.His spokesperson, Andrew Lohse, told VTDigger they had about 30 active applications as of mid-March from universities and religious organizations, including at least one from Vermont. Several applications also came from New England. Lohse further stated that Bhakta had not ruled out granting multiple groups parcels of the property to ensure the gift is financially viable.A shortlist of grantees will be announced on April 8, and interviews will take place from April 8-15. The selected application will be announced on April  20.“The tide, I think, is turning. I do believe that we're in the early stages of another great awakening in this country,” Bhakta said.“What will come will come, and maybe there are some dark days that we're going to have to endure, and perhaps our children, and maybe even our grandchildren, may have to endure. But so long as that flame, the light of truth and revival remains alive within our civilization and our culture, there is no setback that we cannot overcome,” he added.  “There is no defeat that is final so long as the flame remains alive, and hopefully this campus can be brought back to its original idea.”

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Thursday, April 02, 2026A rendering of the future Bringmann Center at Austin Christian University in Georgetown, Texas. The $50 million facility will serve as a central hub for campus life, student services, and major events. | Austin Christian UniversityRoger Bringmann, a longtime executive at technology giant Nvidia, has donated $50 million to the new Austin Christian University in Georgetown, Texas, which was launched to develop “Christ-centered entrepreneurs who will transform the marketplace and expand God's kingdom through business, innovation and servant leadership.”The announcement was made last Friday during a groundbreaking ceremony for the school’s new Bringmann Center, which will include a 750-seat auditorium and serve as a central hub for campus activities and student services, according to PR Newswire. When complete, the center will serve as a new home for the school's signature all-hands weekly "Fellow Friday" assemblies and other major campus and public events. While the university currently has fewer than 100 students enrolled, the school has a strategic goal to grow to 1,600 students, according to Servant."God put us on a path where the resources he blessed us with, we want to use for God's kingdom," Bringmann, who is also a current board member of the university, said of his family’s decision to fund the building. "I think it's important to have schools like Austin Christian University that allow us to create amazing future business leaders, entrepreneurs, and theologians who will help spread God's Kingdom."Roger Bringmann is vice president of software - compilers at NVIDIA. | YouTube/Gabe LyonsAustin Christian University was founded in 2023 by Connor Champion, who serves as its current president. Champion, who reportedly played a role in the development of NFL quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Jayden Daniels while serving on the coaching staff at Mississippi State and Arizona State, respectively, said he followed God’s call to apply his talent to school leadership."Austin Christian exists to prepare leaders not just for Sunday mornings, but for everyday influence. While the Church has done a great job developing people for Sunday, we are called to equip them for the rest of the week,” he said during the groundbreaking ceremony. “Austin Christian aims to be the place where faith meets cultural influence in everyday life, building Kingdom-minded leaders and businesses from local Main Street to global moonshots.”The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Bringmann Center was headlined by leadership expert and bestselling author John C. Maxwell, who endorsed the school’s mission."At Austin Christian University, we are not just building a campus; we are building a legacy of Kingdom leaders," he said. "By grounding students in biblical truth and equipping them with practical excellence, Austin Christian is preparing the next generation to influence industry, transform culture, and add value to everyone they lead."

 Photo by Judith Chambers / Unsplash The Assemblies of God Theological Seminary has reached more than 1,200 churches and trained about 6,000 pastors and lay leaders in the first year of a nationwide initiative aimed at supporting rural congregations in the United States, according to a recent report by AG News. The effort, known as the Rural Church Ministry Partnership, is funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. and focuses on equipping churches in towns of 10,000 or fewer residents with resources, training and connections tailored to their context. The initiative has engaged congregations across 31 states in its first year. According to AG News, the partnership brings together denominational leaders, educational institutions and ministry organizations to develop training opportunities, internships and a centralized resource hub designed to address challenges commonly faced by rural pastors and churches. Keith Jones, director for the Rural Grant Partnership, said the initiative seeks to strengthen the role of churches within their communities. “AGTS wants to see healthy, vibrant churches equipped to be resource centers within their communities, providing an anchor of real hope and assistance,” Jones said. Partners in the initiative include the Assemblies of God USA, Rural Compassion, Trinity Bible College & Graduate School and Rural Advancement, along with 13 regional Assemblies of God network partners that help connect local churches with available resources. The partnership aims to reach 6,040 churches by the end of 2029. The first year’s engagement represents roughly 20% of that target, according to the report. Christopher L. Coble, vice president for religion at Lilly Endowment, said the initiative addresses gaps in support for rural congregations. “Rural and small-town congregations play critical roles in supporting the vitality of their local communities,” Coble said. “Yet many resources available to support congregations do not adequately address the particular challenges faced by churches in rural settings. “Our hope is that these grants will provide much-needed resources and support to rural and small-town churches to help them address their challenges and enhance and extend the many ways they serve their communities.” The update on rural ministry efforts comes as the Assemblies of God USA reports broader growth trends in recent decades. According to its 2024 Annual Church Ministries Report, average church worship attendance increased 6.2% compared to 2023. The number of adherents in the United States has more than doubled since 1975, rising from 1.2 million to more than 3 million. The denomination has also become more diverse. Churches identified as primarily ethnic minority or immigrant congregations grew from 2,260 in 1989 to 5,081 in 2024 and now account for about 40% of all Assemblies of God congregations in the United States.