Tom Hughes, a California-based pastor and prophecy teacher, opened his recent episode of The Tom Hughes Report with a punchline that feels more like a punch to the gut in today’s cultural climate: “How do you know if a politician is lying? The answer—their lips are moving.”
But Hughes wasn’t just talking about politicians. He was warning about something much deeper and far more dangerous: the rise of deception on a global scale—technological, spiritual and political. “It is almost impossible to tell who is lying or what is a lie. And the deception is growing worse. In fact, it’s growing much worse,” Hughes said.
That’s not hyperbole. It’s biblical prophecy, he argues. Referencing Jesus’ words in Matthew 24, Hughes reminds viewers that the very first sign Jesus gave of the end times wasn’t war or famine—it was deception. “Take heed that no one deceives you,” Jesus warned.
The Tools of the Trade
“Deception today is marketed and mechanized,” Hughes said. “Machines spew out lies by the thousands 24 hours a day.” He wasn’t just talking about fake news. He emphasized that with AI, even middle schoolers can now generate lewd images of classmates—lies that look so real they destroy lives. “Such AI-generated images have already spread to middle school and even elementary school campuses,” he said.
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The rise of this kind of deception is what Hughes calls “the age of deception.” And it’s being fueled by tools that previous generations couldn’t even imagine.
“All at a time when the means to create and spread lies is rising to a level previous generations could not have imagined,” Hughes said.
The Death of Journalism
Hughes didn’t hold back when it came to the media either. “Journalism has been hijacked,” he said. “Many journalists were paid just to report on the narrative they were told. They compromised the truth and facts for money.”
He cited multiple examples—from the media’s role in downplaying concerns about COVID vaccines and lockdowns, to inflated claims about climate change and political manipulations during the 2024 election cycle.
“They told us repeatedly that President Joe Biden was of sound mind, sharp as a tack, too energetic for his young staff members to keep up with,” Hughes said. “Later, they turned on President Biden like hungry sharks smelling blood in the water.”
The result? American trust in media has crumbled. “Only 31% of Americans expressed a great deal or fair amount of confidence in the media to report the news fully, accurately and fairly,” Hughes said, citing a 2024 Gallup survey.
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The Echo Chamber Effect
Even social media isn’t safe. In fact, Hughes believes it might be the most dangerous vehicle for deception yet. “People will pick the news that fits and reinforces their already existing worldviews,” he said. “Social media surrounds you with a bubble of things you like and agree with.”
This polarization even extends into families. “If you have adult children who no longer contact you, it may be busyness or thoughtlessness. But it may also be that your adult child fell for the growing belief that most parents are toxic,” he said.
From Eden to the End Times
Hughes connects today’s deception back to the Garden of Eden. “‘Did God really say that?’” he quoted Satan’s words to Eve. “‘You will not surely die… you will be like God.’”
That same lie, Hughes believes, is being repackaged today through promises of immortality via AI, transhumanism and quantum computing. “You’ll be able to live forever, well, that’s a lie,” Hughes said. “But that was the lie of the devil in the Garden of Eden.”
He tied these developments to prophecy about the Antichrist, who he says will come “with lying wonders, fake miracles.” Hughes believes that people will be deceived into thinking that technology, not Jesus, is the key to salvation. “The deceit of the Antichrist and false prophet is going to come with lying wonders… They’re not going to be real miracles, but they’re going to appear that way.”
Anchored in Truth
Despite all the chaos, Hughes doesn’t leave his audience in despair. “God is still on the throne,” he declared. “He’s not surprised by the direction this world is headed. In fact, He told us about it ahead of time so that we would be prepared, not panicked.”
Quoting John 8:32, Hughes reminds viewers, “‘You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’”
And in his final plea, Hughes delivers a gospel invitation: “If you don’t know Him yet, don’t wait. Now is the time to put your trust in Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life, just as He said, the only answer to the deception of this world.”
As the program ended, Hughes gave a familiar exhortation rooted in Titus 2:13: “Encourage one another and live with urgency, because the trumpet could sound at any moment. Maranatha, the King is coming.”
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
