WASHINGTON, D.C. – Security experts are warning about potential threats going into next week's elections as concerns grow about cyber-attacks, misinformation, and even physical violence. While off-year elections aren't usually a target, this year is shaping up to be an exception. America's threat environment is considered now to be highly volatile, given recent events and divisive political issues. Experts warn these conditions have created an opening for bad actors, both foreign and domestic. "We will likely see online content that's intended to inspire and facilitate violent or destructive activities, that would benefit the efforts of these foreign, hostile powers to sow discord, undermine confidence in our democratic institutions, and even inspire violent activity," said homeland security expert, John Cohen, Executive Director of the Center for Internet Security's (CIS) Program for Countering Hybrid Threats. Cohen warns that states with races getting national attention are especially at risk. "The playbook used by our adversaries, particularly Russia, China, Iran, (and) foreign terrorist groups, will be to look at those issues that are most divisive, that are causing the most turbulence in American society, and they'll seek to exploit those by creating, and pushing out, content online that's intended to exacerbate the polarized, divisive nature of our public discourse," he explained. Cyber-attacks are a critical weapon used by adversaries, according to a recent CIS election threat analysis. "We see government organizations, including election organizations, being targeted for phishing campaigns, where emails that are intended to encourage the recipient to click on a link, which then introduces malware or technical capabilities that will either allow the hacker to access information that they then use in an information campaign to undermine credibility of the election, or even impact the operations of those systems," Cohen told CBN News. He points out the highly polarized nature of American society as a major root of the problem. "An increasing number of people in our society believe that violence is an acceptable way to express their ideological or political views, or their opposition to the views of others," Cohen said. Meanwhile, lawmakers arguing about how to stop this violence often add to the dangerous rhetoric. "I'm worried if we're just going to use the violence we all abhor to get into an argument about whether it's more left or more right, we kind of lose the point, that it's all to be condemned," said Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) during a recent Senate Judiciary Hearing on political violence. "We are faced with only two paths. Either we confront this political violence and end it, or it will end us," said Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri) during the same hearing. Experts urge voters to be skeptical about online reports these next few days, and rely instead on trusted, verified sources. Meanwhile, election officials on all levels, along with law enforcement, are advised to evaluate any cyber vulnerabilities and be prepared for potential disruptions, both on and offline.

For many children, their youth is marked by sports, school, and hanging out with friends. But for Rick Hansen, his formative years involved watching his father, a committed minister and former Satanist, perform hundreds of deliverances right in their living room as people were routinely set free from the chains of darkness.  In his memoir, "The Blue Lady: My Personal Encounter with Dark Angels, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare," Hansen shares the harrowing story of how his father, a Spirit-filled Christian, was lured into Satanism by Anton LaVey and for two years aggressively pursued the kingdom of darkness only to be dramatically set free by Christ in an eleventh-hour deliverance.  "Heaven Meets Earth" podcast hosts Abigail Robertson and Ryan Bethea sat down with Hansen as he recounted what it was like growing up in a home where exorcisms were a regular occurrence, where spiritual warfare was tangible, and where angels—towering, radiant, and armed with drawn swords—stood guard outside their home as battles raged within. Hansen shares that much of his introduction into the spirit realm began with his father, who grew up in a Christian home, but was always drawn to something otherly. He told the hosts that after his father married his mom, he started to take a deeper "trip into the darkness." "He was always looking for something more, something other than what he had and always very curious... darkly curious. I guess you could say the typical Ouija board, seances. Not that he was involved, but when he tried to use a Ouija board when he was young, he was fascinated by the sense that he got of a power outside himself, which is what he was always looking for. And that was the impetus that drove him," he explained.  Hansen said his father began to complete a religious study on the occult, Eastern mysticism, and "all kinds of stuff outside of Christianity." "Obviously, Satan is very strategic. He's very smart. He knows us better than we do as far as a human goes...[he] knows where we're weak, knows where we're like, have a leaning towards something. And [those spirits] just push that button again and again. So they knew my dad was very curious, and they brought things to him that kept on triggering the search," he shared.  Hansen said one of the things "they brought" was a television documentary on the Satanic Church. He said a voice instructed his father to turn on the TV. "He's like, 'Why? Why would I want to turn on the TV?' And he turned on the TV, and they were doing a documentary on the Satanic Church. And right at the point that he turned on the TV, Anton Levy was leading a (Satanic) 'church' service. He's like, 'Wow, that looks really familiar and dark, but very interesting.'" While watching the program, his father renounced his relationship with God and prayed a prayer inviting Satan in.  Hansen recalls his father telling him, "In that instant, the amount of hatred that flowed into his body was overwhelming. And he put words together that he'd never known, you know, would fit, and started to curse and everything. And he said at God and specifically at Jesus." "That was the moment that the demons entered him," he shared. "And from that point is when he just accelerated downward in a spiral and full-fledged for a couple of years worshiped Satan in a very deep and personal and private way." Hansen recounts that for nearly two years, his father's devotion to the demonic was kept private, but his mother quickly began to notice changes in his behavior.  "His countenance would change. His temper would flare. That loving guy that she knew and loved started to change, [and] become very dark," he recalled.  A Deeper Journey Into Darkness Hansen describes that once his father made that commitment to the demonic realm, he was sucked in quickly.  As a teacher, his father began to be recognized and encouraged by students who were "third and fourth generation witches."  "Those demons through the kids knew my dad's spirit and [they knew] the demons that were in him were there, and so they would, you know, work together that way," he explained. Hansen says his father was being driven by a force that he could not control.  "Satan would lure him with these talons, these tricks of power, to draw him in more so that he would give him more. And the more my dad experienced that dark side, the more he wanted to indulge and give [the devil] more." Hansen says although the enemy asked to have him and his mother, his father always drew the line.  "Satan wanted it all [but] that's where there was a threshold of protection," he said. Deliverance from Satanism  Hansen said his father was not satisfied with just dabbling in darkness, he wanted more.  "Satan was giving him more and more powers," Hansen shared, but his father was frustrated because he could only go so far. Hansen describes that his father was "blocked" because his mother, who he describes as a "vigilant prayer warrior," was praying for his father and was "in the way."  He recounts that one Sunday, Hansen's father was frustrated with his mom for going to lunch with a friend after church. But that Sunday afternoon became the catalyst for a divine encounter that would change the rest of his life.  "[He] saw the Bible on the bedstand that my mom always put there, grabbed it, threw it against the wall, and just started to cuss and put horrible words together," he described. "He was furious at the name of Jesus." As rage began to fill his father, an "overwhelming presence entered the room." "He knew at that point that that was the Lord, and he said, "'What do you want' and God essentially said, 'I want you back,'" Hansen shared with the "Heaven Meets Earth" podcast hosts.  "He said from that moment on, he picked up the Bible that he threw against the wall and read Psalms all the way through Proverbs." Hansen's father cried out to be delivered, and the Lord told him, "I am your exorcist. You call on me." Hansen says his father's deliverance came from the "Lord – not through his [own] power, but through the power of the cross and the power of the cross only." His father was quickly delivered from 12 demons, and he made a commitment to spend the rest of his life helping people who were in bondage to darkness.  "In his 80s, he's still doing exorcisms with people," Hansen explained.  "But his faith is just so deep and raw and real." "What I saw in my house in our living room day in and day out was God winning hearts of people," he added. Hansen warns that Christians need to be careful about the doors they open in their lives.  "I think it's important because the doorways that we let in the spirits are super important for the believers to watch because they usually don't flood in," he explained. "And it's not one open door that changes your life. It's usually a bunch of small open doors, small actions that allow that." "For example, (my dad's) experience with the Ouija board and with tarot cards and reading all these books, those things plant seeds and those seeds grow and those seeds grow into what you want them to because of what you fertilize it with." ***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

Dr. Jeremiah J. Johnston was once a skeptic of the famed Shroud of Turin, the burial cloth believed by many to bear a fascinating image created during Christ’s resurrection. Johnston, author of “Peace of God Bible: Discover and Experience God’s Shalom Throughout the Bible,” told CBN News he is fully confident about the New Testament’s authenticity. “The authenticity of the New Testament is without question,” he said. “The Bible is a historical book and … these are books about real people, real places, real events. Our scriptures are not fairy tales. They’re not legends. They’re not lore. And they are so well-evidenced.” Among the elements that convince Johnston of the Bible’s real and authentic take are the findings coming from archaeologists who routinely explore information and relics dating back centuries. “Archaeologists use six books to make sure that they’re digging in the right spot in Israel,” he said. “They always use these six books — Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, the Book of Acts, and then they use Josephus.” Johnston continued, “So if the archeologists who dig, and many of them are not Christians, use the New Testament because … it’s very similar with what we expect the First Century world to be like, you better believe I’m going to use the Bible too.” The Bible expert said there are dozens of evidence-based facts that point to the life, death, miracles, and resurrection of Jesus based on archaeological sources. “Christianity … is the only religion that you can test against history, and it passes the test at every turn,” Johnston said. “And this is where things like the physical bodily resurrection of Jesus [are] so well evidenced, and what’s amazing is, I believe, as we get closer to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, we are seeing a controlled revelation of discoveries tied to technology.” Johnston specifically addressed the Shroud of Turin, which gives him peace about the reliability of Scripture. “It’s the only artifact that we have outside of the Bible that gives evidence to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus all in one artifact,” he said. “And I’ve met many of the 102 scientists, and then the 102 scientific disciplines that have put their academic and reputation on the line to … prove — and that it’s the first time I’ve used that word — to prove that the shroud is not a hoax. It’s not man-made. There’s no pigment. There’s no dye. There’s no coloring.” The Bible expert went on to say that there’s no way to explain the image on the Shroud — something he said is the real “kicker.” “Why it’s there is because God demonstrated His love for you and me and that, when we were at our worst, God sent His best for us,” he said. “That’s the signature of the Shroud.” Ultimately, Johnston said the Shroud has brought much peace to his life — a remarkable reality considering he was once a critic of the relic. “I wrote a bestselling book called ‘Body of Proof’ on the resurrection, and I never mentioned the Shroud because I was a total skeptic on the Shroud,” he said. “That’s the funny part. I mean, I have a PhD from England … like, it was hammered into me that the shroud was a … forgery.” Johnston said he was operating on sound bites and “not substance” when he discounted the Shroud, but that this changed once he began digging deeper and speaking with experts. Eventually, his entire perspective changed. “I think it’s … the greatest evangelism discipleship tool I’ve ever seen in my ministry,” Johnston said. His transition on the topic has been fascinating, considering how diligently he previously questioned it. But he now has absolutely no doubts, noting the pollen spores on the Shroud come from Jerusalem. “I now believe the shroud is authentic,” Johnston said. “When you look at the blood and you see that it’s type AB blood, it’s human blood, it’s Semitic blood … and then the pollen spores.” Watch him discuss more about the Shroud and his new book “Peace of God Bible: Discover and Experience God’s Shalom Throughout the Bible.” As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.