Exposing 7 Lies Facing America
Our country has just walked through a major national tragedy.
The murder of Charlie Kirk was not only heard about—it was seen. Millions watched the footage, a demonic spectacle replayed on screens that seared itself into our collective memory.
Moments like this mark a generation. They don’t just change what we see—they change how we think. If we’re not careful, these moments embed lies into the background code of our soul’s operating system. They hum quietly, but they redirect our choices, limit our identity, and even reroute our destiny.
The work isn’t just to grieve. The work is to debug.
Here are seven lies that surface after tragedy—and the truths that expose them:
Our country has just walked through a major national tragedy.
The murder of Charlie Kirk was not only heard about—it was seen. Millions watched the footage, a demonic spectacle replayed on screens that seared itself into our collective memory.
Moments like this mark a generation. They don’t just change what we see—they change how we think. If we’re not careful, these moments embed lies into the background code of our soul’s operating system. They hum quietly, but they redirect our choices, limit our identity, and even reroute our destiny.
The work isn’t just to grieve. The work is to debug.
Here are seven lies that surface after tragedy—and the truths that expose them:
Lie 1: “If this could happen to Charlie Kirk, no one is safe.”
Fear masquerades as wisdom. But the early church understood something we often forget: safety was never the goal.
After every wave of persecution, they gathered—not to pray for protection, but for boldness. In the first century, safety wasn’t even an option. And it still isn’t today.
Truth: Our calling has never been contingent on guarantees of safety. What we need is supernatural boldness to fulfill our assignments despite the threats. Death doesn’t get the last word—Jesus does.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1)
Lie 2: “The enemy is winning.”
Every headline seems to agree. But history doesn’t. The cross looked like defeat—until it wasn’t. Martyrdom has never stopped the Church; it has only fueled revival.
Truth: The enemy has already lost. On the cross, Christ “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them” (Colossians 2:15). We know the end of the story—Jesus wins.
King Jesus is on the throne, and “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). Don’t believe the lie. We are not fighting for victory; we are fighting from victory.
Lie 3: “I need to fight fire with fire.”
Revenge feels like justice. But when we’re given to reaction, we can unwittingly partner with the very demons we think we’re defeating. Retaliation only multiplies the darkness.
Truth: We are not called to reaction, but to revelation. Obedience, Spirit-led boldness, and God’s Word are our weapons. We overcome evil not by mirroring it, but by manifesting the Kingdom.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)
Lie 4: “Suspicion will protect me.”
Suspicion is the fruit of isolation. It feels like safety, but it’s really counterfeit discernment. It turns flesh and blood into the enemy, while the real enemy hides in the shadows. Paranoia promises protection but delivers only chains.
Truth: Discernment doesn’t prematurely judge people—it equips us with prophetic ammunition to confront the mind-blinding spirits controlling them. Suspicion is about survival. Discernment is about victory.
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
Lie 5: “We are powerless.”
When the news cycle overwhelms, apathy whispers: You can’t change this.
Truth: The Church is not powerless. We carry resurrection power, Kingdom authority, and the Spirit of the Living God. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). We fight on our knees, we fight together, and we fight with the boldness of Christ.
Lie 6: “It’s safer to stay silent.”
Silence sounds prudent. But it’s actually agreement. Fear and intimidation always aim for the same target: your voice.
Truth: Your voice is your power. Everything that exists—the heavens, the earth, even the Scriptures themselves—was spoken into being. If the voice of the Lord is silenced, creation unravels. But love will never let you go silent. Love liberates you. It compels you to speak, to pray, to declare.
Salt and light only work when exposed. Boldness is what shakes nations. Refuse to be silenced.
“You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:13–16)
Lie 7: “This is the end of something.”
The enemy always whispers: This is the end. Give up. Lose hope. And tragically, many Christians echo him—clinging to “defeater beliefs” about the end times that sound more like despair than hope.
Truth: The Bible never ends with the end. It ends with restoration—the renewal of all things, Eden 2.0, Heaven on Earth. Yes, things come to an end. But this Kingdom? “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:7).
Every ending in God’s hands is a planting, not a burial. The seed goes into the ground so resurrection life can spring forth. This Kingdom has no expiration date.
The challenge:
Lies don’t leave on their own. They must be exposed, confronted, and replaced with truth.
Debugging the soul isn’t optional after tragedy—it’s survival.
And when we choose truth, the background noise changes.
The operating system updates.
And destiny stays intact.
The Church, Scandals, and Righteous Anger
Recently, I came across a video of Dana White, the CEO of UFC, addressing one of his fighters, Bryce Mitchell, who had made some ignorant and outright ridiculous comments about Adolf Hitler. Dana White didn’t mince words. He didn’t sugarcoat or excuse it. He simply said, “Yeah, this is my guy. And what he said was stupid.”
Contrast that with what we see in the church when ministers fall into scandal. Where are the pastors, the leaders, standing up and saying, This is one of ours, and what they did was wrong? Instead, we see defensiveness, silence, and sometimes even enabling. And in that vacuum of accountability, the internet—specifically, independent YouTube creators and podcasters—has stepped in.
If we haven’t met yet, my name is Darren Stott. I pastor a church called Eden in the greater Seattle area. I want to address something heavy today—not to create more harm, speculation, or stir up pessimism against the church, but to help people navigate ministry scandals honestly, deeply, and righteously. Because if we’re not careful, disillusionment can lead to disengagement, and disengagement from the body of Christ can be dangerous.
Recently, I came across a video of Dana White, the CEO of UFC, addressing one of his fighters, Bryce Mitchell, who had made some ignorant and outright ridiculous comments about Adolf Hitler. Dana White didn’t mince words. He didn’t sugarcoat or excuse it. He simply said, “Yeah, this is my guy. And what he said was stupid.”
Contrast that with what we see in the church when ministers fall into scandal. Where are the pastors, the leaders, standing up and saying, This is one of ours, and what they did was wrong?
Instead, we see defensiveness, silence, and sometimes even enabling. And in that vacuum of accountability, the internet—specifically, independent YouTube creators and podcasters—has stepped in.
The Rise of New Media and the Church's Response
We live in a new media era. The traditional gatekeepers of information—major news networks, denominational structures, and official church statements—no longer control the narrative. Instead, independent content creators, some of whom have never stepped foot inside a seminary, are exposing issues within the church with a level of depth and detail that institutional bodies have either ignored or suppressed.
And while some see this as a negative development—an untrained army of young YouTubers monetizing scandal—the truth is more complex. Many of these people have been deeply wounded by the church. Their anger is not baseless. It is a response to real pain, real betrayal, real hypocrisy. And for those of us within the church, the question isn’t, How do we shut them down? The question is, How do we respond righteously?
The IHOP Scandal and the Pain of Betrayal
The recent investigative report on IHOP (International House of Prayer) and its founder, Mike Bickle, has brought to light a staggering number of allegations—over 200 testimonies of abuse, grooming, and manipulation. If you have a heart, even a fraction of these allegations should break it. If you have any sense of righteousness, it should stir a deep, holy anger.
The church is meant to be a place of refuge, a sanctuary of safety. Yet, when institutions that claim to center on Christ instead become places of secrecy, coercion, and harm, the world takes note. And rightly so.
We saw this with the Catholic Church decades ago. Now, the microscope is on our own charismatic, apostolic, and revivalist circles. And while the enemy seeks to weaponize these exposures to discredit the faith entirely, we cannot allow that to deter us from seeking truth.
Because here’s the reality: Jesus himself got angry. He flipped tables in the temple because the sacred was being exploited. That was righteous anger. And what we see today—the exposure of deep-seated corruption—is something that should stir a similar reaction in us.
Processing the Truth Without Losing Faith
Many people right now are walking through a crisis of faith. Some are turning away from the church entirely. Others are throwing out anything supernatural, prophetic, or charismatic, as though spiritual gifts themselves are the problem rather than the individuals who abused them.
I get it. I’ve been there. I was hurt in the church, and I let my brokenness turn into bitterness. I swore I would never go back. But let me tell you what I learned: Forgiveness is not about feeling ready. It is an act of faith. It is choosing to release judgment, even when you don’t feel like it. And when you do, it breaks the power of bitterness over your life.
So if you’ve been hurt by the church, by a pastor, by a leader—say it out loud: I forgive you. Not because they deserve it, but because you deserve freedom. Say it in faith, and trust that the feelings will follow.
God is Revealing to Heal
There’s a lot of talk right now about “exposure.” But I don’t believe God is merely exposing to shame. I believe He is revealing to heal. The devil accuses to destroy. God reveals to restore. And while some leaders will fall and never return to ministry, others will repent, be refined, and be entrusted again—not because of their power, but because of their humility.
A new breed of leaders is rising. And you will know them not by their charisma, but by their character. Not by their authority, but by the way they steward it. They will be those who walk with a limp—because they have wrestled with God, and they have come out different.
The Lord showed me that these will be leaders who do not build platforms for their own names but create altars for His presence. They will not chase influence, but they will steward intimacy with God. These are not men and women who will be blinded by their own ambition, but those who have been broken in secret places and have learned what it means to be fully dependent on the Lord. They have walked through betrayal, failure, loss, and hardship—not as a badge of honor, but as a refining fire that has burned away pride and left behind only what is pure.
They will not manipulate, coerce, or deceive to gain a following. Instead, their authority will be evident in their integrity. You will know them not because they declare themselves as apostles and prophets, but because their lives bear the weight of true apostolic and prophetic responsibility. Their leadership will be marked by service, their power will be tempered by humility, and their influence will not come from the stage but from the depths of their prayer closets.
These are the ones who walk with a limp, not because they are weak, but because they have contended with God and have surrendered. They do not lean on their own strength but on the One who has carried them through the fire. They are leaders who have been crushed but not destroyed, who have been humbled but not silenced, and who have found their greatest joy in obedience rather than in recognition.
The Church is Not Finished
The enemy would love for us to believe that the church is beyond redemption. That it is not a safe place. That we cannot trust anyone. But let me tell you: The church is not done.
Yes, it is being refined. Yes, there is judgment in the house of God. But don’t let cynicism win. Don’t let bitterness steal what is holy. This is not the time to disengage. It is the time to lean in, to intercede, to be a priesthood that stands in the gap for the broken.
So guard your faith. Don’t throw out Jesus because of Judas. Don’t abandon the gospel because of grifters. Stay engaged. Process righteously. Fight for truth. And above all, walk in love—even when that love is fierce, unyielding, and unwilling to tolerate evil in the house of God.
Grace and peace be unto you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Harvard University’s new chief chaplain is … an atheist
Greg Epstein was recently unanimously elected by his fellow university “chaplains” to be the chief chaplain at Harvard University.
The only problem is, Greg Epstein doesn’t believe in the existence of God.
This all makes PERFECT sense right?!!
Let’s rewind.
Harvard University was founded in 1636, making it the oldest institution in higher learning in the United States. The school was started by John Harvard, a Congregational minister, who gave half his estate and books to the school. It was pastor John Harvard’s dream to educate clergymen unto the glory of God for the excellence and expansion of the Christian faith.
Now, the new lead pastor of the school does not believe in the expansion of the Christian faith nor the promotion of any religion whatsoever. Greg Epstein’s religion is non-religion. His practical savior is self, and he believes that the absence of a higher power points to the significance of humanity being its own practical and functional savior.
Ridiculous or wildly unreasonable is the definition of absurdity.
Enter the age of pseudo modernism, the erratic cultural response to logic.
This is like making an Amish dude the CEO of Google or a Desert-Dwelling Lizard the captain of the swim team.
Here are some questions for you:
Can a nation be saved in a day?
Your answer: ___________________________.
How long will it take for Jesus to save the institution of higher learning in America?
Your answer: ___________________________.
Do you believe it is redeemable?
Your answer: ___________________________.
Is there a remnant at Harvard University?
Please comment below.