Newsmakers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Listen to him tell his story.