Following are snippets of the top stories posted over the past week on charismamag.com. We encourage you to visit the links to read the stories in full.
“At 8 years old, I remember sitting on the floor as my mom shared her faith with me. That’s when I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior,” she recalls. “I was always taught that God is not mad at me. I had a wonderful upbringing!”
Sandra’s Battle With Anxiety and Perfectionism
Still, as Sandra grew older, her natural personality and personal experiences influenced her to live her faith in a way her parents would never have encouraged. “I developed a wrong view of God and the way He felt about me,” she explains. “I saw Him as someone standing over me, ready to beat me over the head every time I made a mistake.”
I was just praying and asking the Lord, “How can I encourage you all today?” I know there are so many challenges out there, but this is what the Lord said to me.
The Lord said, “There are some longstanding thorns in your flesh,” meaning that there are some things that have happened to you or in your family. What I see is that things will just flare up, like there will be a family fight or a feud. It just seems like relationships blow up.
“But the Lord would say, ‘Am I not the great mender? Mender of broken hearts? Do I not set the solitary in families for those who are lonely?’”
It’s been a few days since the FBI raided President Donald Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago, and the Biden administration has yet to explain to the American people why they did what’s never been done in American history—the government raiding the home of a former president. In my opinion, this is not just about politics, but spiritual warfare against Trump and the nation.
Those working in the highest institutions of our government are trying to get rid of Trump before the 2024 election, making it impossible for him to run. But it seems to be backfiring.
Many conservative leaders and Christians are becoming more vocal in their support for Trump following the raid, because of this travesty to justice. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre admitted, “the president and the White House learned about this FBI search from public reports.”
Two weeks ago, I shared several practical guidelines on how to leave a church gracefully. I wrote this because I hear so many stories about people storming out of churches because their feelings got hurt. But one astute reader didn’t appreciate my observations because I didn’t mention the fact that some churches manipulate, control or abuse people.
The person who contacted me has been trying to raise awareness about alleged abuses in some churches in Australia that have either covered up instances of abuse or engaged in manipulative or authoritarian behavior. I certainly don’t believe the majority of churches do this, but I’m aware that it’s more common than it should be. Spiritual abuse happens, and it’s never healthy to stay in a church where it’s occurring.
So how do you leave a church that is spiritually abusive? What if the pastor or other leaders are guilty of sexual misconduct, unethical or illegal financial activities or controlling behavior? The rules for leaving an unhealthy church are different from the rules for leaving a healthy one.
Just as the 1960s cartoon The Jetsons depicted a future full of video phones, robotics and Google-style office space, some modern-day prophets have prophesied about a future full of exposing corruption, fighting for individual freedom and shining a light on truth. One of those prophets is Cindy Jacobs, and her prophecy from 12 years ago has been proven right.
In 2010, Jacobs publicly prophesied, “I’m Cindy Jacobs with a word from the Lord for the United States of America. The Lord would say to you: ‘I am getting ready to begin to peel off layers of deception in this nation,’ says God. ‘I am getting ready to expose corruption that is at levels that people would say cannot be.’”
Twelve years later, the FBI’s raid of President Donald Trump’s home in Florida on Aug. 8, 2022, exposed the deception and corruption of the Biden administration to persecute a political opponent, as if the United States were a third-world country where authoritarian regimes persecute opposition leaders and their supporters to reinforce their power and control.
