Jerusalem Dispatch: Israel This Week

April 25 – May 1, 2026

Today’s Seductive Spirit

There is a seductive spirit in today’s evangelical world. It is a rejuvenated ancient appeal that whispers, “Most people are asleep; wake up! Everyone is lying to you. Listen to this and I’ll show you what’s really going on.”

It is a lure that is properly called gnosticism — an ancient heresy that true spirituality belongs to those with hidden knowledge. Condemned by the apostle Paul, it has returned in 2026, dressed in podcasts, Substacks, and earnestly intoned “expositions” of the Bible.

It begins with something true — institutions often lie; the worlds of media, government and business include powerful people who collude. The hook is legitimate. But then comes the pivot: “exposure” of a nefarious hidden hand, drawing us into an inner circle of those who “really know what’s going on.”

The emotional reward is enormous. We feel spiritually sharper, specially chosen to understand what others miss.

Today’s seduction includes three arguments.