Newsmakers

"FOX & Friends" co-host Lawrence Jones has a deep-rooted faith, a passion for the Gospel, and a growing media career that has landed him on millions of TV sets each week. "I come from generations of pastors," Jones recently told CBN News. "My mom's a preacher, grandparents are, so, the Gospel at large — knowing who Christ is and accepting [Him] to my heart ... that's all I know."

The 31-year-old TV host said he grew up learning biblical truth, but it wasn't until he left home and moved to Washington, D.C., and then New York City that the things he was taught growing up about God and the Bible were fully put into practice.

"You start getting tested," Jones said. "For me, the faith walk became real when life became real, and when you're alone and you don't have that support system being with you every single day." Jones, who recently released the book, "American Man: Speaking the Truth about the War on Masculinity," said he's not the type of person who will pretend he's a "perfect Christian," refusing to project a lie or mistruth. With that in mind, he said he's striving to be more like Jesus each and every day.

"Part of the Gospel itself is understanding that Christ paid it all because I'm imperfect," Jones said. "And anytime that we try to project ourselves as these perfect beings, I think we take His glory away, because ... if we have it all together, then He wouldn't need to pay it all on the cross for our sins." Jones, who sees life through a biblical lens, is in a truly unique position with a prime spot on TV, delivering news and information to the masses. He called his work on "FOX & Friends" and Fox News more broadly an "exciting experience."

"I've had the opportunity to grow in different ways," Jones said. "Obviously, starting off as a contributor and then, from there, becoming Sean Hannity's correspondent, to doing my own show on Saturday to now this incredible opportunity." Despite all the attention and success, Jones said he hasn't found it tough to cling to his faith. "I don't find it a struggle to hold on to who God has called me to be and be that person," he said, noting he's "proud to be a believer."

A foreign policy and security analyst and ex-Israel Defense Forces paratrooper is warning about the dangerous powder keg brewing on Israel's northern border while also offering up some important warnings to world leaders who are pressuring Israel. 

Daniel Flesch said Israel's current battle against Hamas is the "longest war for Israel since its war of independence" in the late 1940s — a struggle sparked on Oct. 7 when Hamas terrorists attacked and killed over 1,200 innocent Israelis. With U.S. President Joe Biden and other world leaders beginning to put pressure on Israel to amend war operations, Flesch said it's essential these leaders understand to whom they're communicating.

"When you start putting pressure on Israel to take certain steps and how it conducts this operation, you have to consider the audience, and the audience is not just Israel," he said. "A lot of it from this [Biden] administration is obviously their constituents ... their voters." Flesch continued, "But also, Hamas is watching, other bad actors in the world are watching, and so Hamas has been rejecting ceasefire deals left and right."

He believes the terror group is likely assuming they have the Biden administration on their side "putting pressure on Israel" and not pressuring Hamas. Rhetoric from world leaders, he argued, is thus deeply important. Israel has repeatedly made it clear the nation is no longer interested in being surrounded by terrorists bent on its destruction, with Oct. 7 proving to be a day validating fears of violent incursion.

While some have questioned Israel's war strategy, Flesch said the Israeli government has three clear objectives — and the first of which is returning the hostages still being held by Hamas to Israel. "The second objective is to dismantle the Hamas political and military infrastructure in Gaza," he added, explaining the central objective is to render Hamas "unable to perpetrate an October 7th invasion and massacre again."

Flesch said the third objective is to restore overarching security to Israelis — something that was shattered during the October attack. Considering Israel is intended to be a place of "refuge and security for the Jewish people," he said the ramifications for what happens next are massive. Hear him explain.

The founder and CEO if an organization that provides Bible education during the public school day said recent MSNBC coverage of his efforts was so bizarre it felt like a "Saturday Night Live" skit. "The MSNBC piece frankly, to me, was hilarious," Joel Penton founder of LifeWise Academy, told CBN News. "It genuinely felt like an SNL skit."

Even a brief viewing of the 9-minute MSNBC segment — which reportedly left out positive data from LifeWise showing academic improvements among participants — provides context to exactly what Penton is describing. Titled, "Christian group uses public school-adjacent Bible study program to breach church-state wall," the video segment, led by host Alex Wagner, said LifeWise is "raising serious questions about the separation of church and state" despite Bible studies taking place during free periods and off campus.

"Penton's LifeWise Academy is currently influencing the minds of public school kids in progressive cities like Columbus," Wagner, who called Penton's work "distressing," said, adding that Penton wants to reach every public school in America. "Blue Islands ... those blue islands in red states and swing states ... they could be swayed by LifeWise." At other points in the report, warnings were included that the LifeWise chapter "promised ice cream or popcorn parties if kids got their friends to sign up" and that the organization somehow "found a legal way to offer Bible lessons."

"I just wonder if this is not running afoul of certain First Amendment stuff," Wagner added. Penton found the entire segment — a segment for which he and his team willingly sat down with NBC — quite odd. "That they would turn it into something that they find distressing ... it was funny," he said. Penton said he has done many interviews about LifeWise and that he spent a long time with the NBC team. He was surprised to see it all boiled down into a few minutes, with the material being framed in a way that "wasn't really balanced."

So far, LifeWise has exceeded its goal of reaching 25 schools by 2025 and is already in more than 300 schools in multiple states — and the organization is only poised to grow. Penton explained the parameters surrounding how it all works.

Wars. Rumors of wars. Famines. Pestilences. Earthquakes. These are just some of the "birth pains" Jesus said will precede the biblical end times. And with a solar eclipse, a random earthquake in the northeast, and continued consternation in the Middle East dominating headlines, it should come as no surprise end of days speculation is currently kicking back up in recent days and weeks. 

Prophecy expert Jeff Kinley, author of "God's Grand Finale" and the coming book, "The End of the World According to Jesus of Nazareth," weighed in on these dynamics, offering an explainer about what the Bible actually says — and why it matters. "Jesus and Matthew 24 list a ton of signs that will precursor [Christ's] Second Coming, and it basically mirrors the Book of Revelation — the first half of Revelation," Kinley said. "And in those signs you have ... things like wars, you have rumors of wars, you have famines ... earthquakes, and then Jesus said, 'All these things are merely the beginnings of birth pangs.'"

The author went on to say he believes Christ is talking about the Tribulation period, a time during the end of days some Christians believe will be characterized by God's judgment. As far as what's happening in the world today, Kinley believes its a "ramping up to Revelation." "It's like when you're watching a baseball game or a football game," he said. "You're watching the quarterback, you're watching the pitcher, you're watching where the ball is, essentially." 

Kinley continued, "Well, where the ball is prophetically is Israel, and, so, if you want to know really kind of put your finger on the pulse of what's going on prophetically, you need to look at Israel." Anyone looking at Israel right now can see the nation is locked in a great battle against Hamas, Hezbollah, and, more broadly, Iran. Kinley said focusing on this dispute — and region — is essential if Christians want to truly understand what's happening.

"All eyes should be on Israel, because the Bible says that God is going to bring ... the global narrative in the end times back to Israel, back to Jerusalem," he said. "And all the things that are taking place were prophesied — these foreshadows were prophesied many thousands of years ago." Kinley said the Bible predicts that nations will come against Israel in the last days, and pondered whether what's unfolding right now is the "preseason to the actual events that Christ and others" predicted would one day take form.

A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the nation is "fighting to stay alive" and to secure Israel's future. Tal Heinrich told CBN News Israel believes support from the international community is "great," but the country is not going to back down simply because other world leaders choose to abandon or minimize support. "When you're fighting a war, you want moral clarity, you want global support on your side," she said. "But we're not fighting for support. We're fighting to stay alive. We're fighting so we can have a better future in the region for us, and for the Palestinians, should they ... choose the path of peace." 

Heinrich continued, "So, with or without international support, including American support, we will do what has to be done, because ... we will not die, we will not commit public suicide; we will fight a war that must be fought for our survival." Her comments came after U.S. President Joe Biden reportedly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week that Israel must do more on the humanitarian front or risk the U.S. changing its policies on the matter. The president also pressed for an "immediate cease-fire."

As for any ceasefire, Heinrich was resolute there wouldn't be one that "keeps the hostages in Gaza and Hamas in power." "That is simply unacceptable," she said. "We took this decision as a nation that we will not live next to this terrorist enclave. We define very clear war objectives that Hamas must be gone ... and that Gaza can never pose a terror threat to us again." As for those around the world who might be putting pressure and responsibility on Israel rather than Hamas, she said such strategies serve Hamas' "war machine" and incentivizes them to continue using "Palestinians as human shields." 

Such a posture, Heinrich said, sends Hamas the message that their efforts are "working," particularly when they see international pressure being placed on Israel. Heinrich also spoke about some of the diabolical strategies she believes Hamas uses in war. "They want to maximize the civilian suffering and civilian casualties in Gaza, because they want Israel to take the fire for their vile actions and methods of war, using civilians and urban structures as shields for their war machine," she said. "And they want the international pressure to be used as leverage against Israel in a way that will let them stay in power, live another day, and carry out another October 7th massacre."

Heinrich warned people around the world are "falling for their trap." Listen to her discuss these issues, the Iranian threat, and more.

A Texas doctor who researches the effects of marijuana is sounding the alarm about culture's mainstreaming of the drug, warning its effects are anything but benign. Dr. Raymond Wiggins, an oral surgeon and author of the book "Weeding Out the Lies About Marijuana," told CBN Digital weed is a drug that can have profound psychological and physical effects on the body. 

"If you want to talk about psychosis, for those who start using marijuana at a young age and who use it on a regular basis, there's a two and a half times risk of psychosis," Wiggins said. "One study ... actually showed a six times risk for those who used it regularly." He said research also shows young people who use the drug before age 18 are also at increased risk of psychosis, though the dangers don't stop there. 

"If you're talking about depression and suicide, depression is greatly increased if you start smoking ... it as a teenager," Wiggins said. "And then if you look at the statistics for depression, up until the age of 30, those who smoked it as a teenager are 37% more likely to be depressed in their young adult years, and even later on in life."  

The doctor also mentioned suicide as yet another factor worthy of exploring, stating research shows young people who use the drug are "50% more likely to think about suicide" and are "three and a half to seven times more likely to attempt suicide." Bipolar disorder is yet another issue Wiggins raised, with the doctor highlighting a recent study he said found a causal relationship between bipolar disorder and marijuana.  

As for Wiggins own motivation for exploring marijuana use and addiction, the doctor pointed to experiences in his own family as well as patterns he's seen among his patients for igniting his passion to further explore the impact weed has on the masses. "I have three close relatives who were all heavy marijuana users and they're all dead today," he said. "I believe that they would be alive if it wasn't for marijuana."

Prophecy expert and author Jeff Kinley believes the Book of Revelation is unique and important as it's the "last book of the Bible" and the final word God gave to "His church." Kinley, whose latest book "God's Grand Finale: Wrath, Grace, and Glory in Earth’s Last Days" explores this topic, believes the end times themes in Revelation are "very critical" and can offer important insight on the Lord. 

"It does tell us about the end of time, the whole Tribulation period, heaven ... the second coming, the Antichrist, many different things," he said. "But, interestingly enough, most Christians don't realize that the Book of Revelation actually reveals who God is to us." Kinley also broke down what he said is the biggest error people make when discussing Revelation: embracing the belief the prophetic text was never meant to be understood.  

"The biggest misconception about Revelation is the fact that no one can understand it," he said. "If you think about it, the word 'revelation' means 'to reveal,' so it doesn't make sense that God would write a book, name it the Revelation of Jesus Christ, and then embed it into some undecipherable code that nobody can understand." Kinley continued, "I think it can be understood if you just read it in its plain sense." 

The author said some Christians back away from such a reading though due to the apocalyptic language and symbols, finding themselves confused by the First Century language and simply tuning out. Kinley pointed back to prophecies in the Old Testament to make an important parallel to how he believes Christians should view eschatological Scriptures in the New Testament. 

Are aliens real? Do UFOs really exist? These questions, once relegated to the confines of conspiratorial enterprises, are now legitimately being pondered among some scientists, academics — and even in the halls of Congress. It's an issue Dr. Hugh Ross, an astrophysicist and apologist, has long researched and explored. 

"I became a UFO expert, but not on purpose," he recently said. "I was an amateur astronomer before I became a professional astronomer." Ross eventually found himself handling UFO reports at universities, exploring claims people made about aliens and unidentified phenomena. And he came to some fascinating conclusions. 

"About 99% of what people would report to me as UFOs, I could explain as natural phenomena, a hoax, or secret government military activity," Ross said. "But there's a 1% residual that falls in a different category, and these would be UFO phenomena." 

As for the human reaction to these encounters, Ross also noted they are "never beneficial" and interactions are "always deleterious." "The best you're going to come away from with one of these encounters is recurring, terrifying nightmares," he said. "Worst case scenario, you get killed." 

Reports of alien encounters also mirror what some have experienced during claims of demonic activity, he said. From going into trances to engaging in automatic writing, Ross believes the parallels between demonic possession and purported interactions with extraterrestrials cannot be ignored. 

Listen to Ross explain the nature of these alien encounters and what he's observed.

A monument documenting miracles and answered prayers is set to be erected in England, with the massive structure serving as an international reminder of God's impact on people's lives. Richard Gamble, the creator of the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, recently told CBN's Faithwire about the inspiration for his massive monument and what he's hoping to achieve.  

"It is a giant infinity loop. It's made of a million bricks," he said. "It's about the size of a football pitch, and it sort of arcs up 167 feet into the skyline." But the unique feature of the structure is the meaning each piece of the monument holds. Plus, there's the loop's interactive nature: each brick will tell the story of an answered prayer. "Every single brick in this structure will represent a story of answered prayer," he said. "And people will be able to ... point their phone at any one of the bricks ... and the phone will light up and it'll tell them the story of hope that lies within." 

Gamble said the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer was sparked by a vision he had back in 2004. He was walking across his country with a cross in an effort to get people thinking deeper about Jesus and said a simply prayer to the Lord: "Hey God, what do you want me to do next?" And that's when he was given the idea for the monument. Gamble spent the next 10 years praying about the idea before embarking on another near-decade to make the "dream a reality." Next year, the cross will be under construction. 

"We've already started the building process," Gamble said. " We've got the, the planning permission, the zoning permission, we've built the road, and we are just going through the final pieces of the contracts now to get it all signed up." The Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer will be complete by 2026, with hopes of getting King Charles and other dignitaries to the site for its opening. For now, Gamble and his team are working on collecting real-life stories of answered prayer for each of the bricks. 

"We are just asking the public, 'If you've prayed and Jesus has answered, we just wanna hear your story,'" he said. "And so people are going online and we've got a website set up." Find out more about the massive structure.

If you would like to support the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer and share your answered prayer, please visit www.eternalwall.us.

As 2024 presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump continues to face various court battles, an appeals court granted him at least a temporary reprieve from a $454 million fine. With Trump up against a deadline earlier this week to pay the penalty, the appeals court lowered the sum to a $175 million bond, giving the former president 10 days to secure the monies.

This not only at least temporarily lowered the sum but also relieved Trump from New York Attorney General Letitia James's pledge to seize his assets should he be unwilling or unable to pay the larger penalty. If, in months to come, the appeals court does rule in the attorney general's favor and against Trump, he could still be forced to pay the $454 million bond.

Some critics have claimed the sum is unheard of, with a number of talking heads alleging the massive bond is a violation of the 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which reads, "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted." Bradley Jacob, a professor at Regent University School of Law, told CBN News the 8th Amendment is "primarily about criminal law in a criminal court," which is noteworthy considering Trump's case is civil. Jacob went on to explain some of the parameters and confines of the 8th Amendment text.

"You can't give cruel and unusual punishments," he said. "You can't tar and feather someone; you can't impale them on a stake — those kinds of things are not permitted under the Constitution." Jacob continued, "Bail can't be way out of proportion to the crime; if you're going to go on trial for jaywalking, they can't put $10,000 bail on that ... those kinds of issues."

Despite the criminal aspects of the 8th Amendment, Jacon said there have been some court cases indicating excessive fines could also apply to a fine or judgment in a civil case "if the amount of money that's in the judgment is just way out of proportion to the offense." This is why some might be claiming this is the case in Trump's current battle. Hear him explain.