Following are snippets of the top stories posted over the past week on mycharisma.com. We encourage you to visit the links to read the stories in full. Greg Locke Releases Groundbreaking Plans for Church In a live Facebook stream, Pastor Greg Locke revealed the plans for a new building at Global Vision. After seeing his ministry explode in the past few years, meeting under a tent because of the influx of people coming to the church, he says it is now time to move into a new era.   “This today is a teaser,” Locke says. “For four years we have seen the glory of God in this church in ways ..read more

As the birth of Jesus had been announced by the light of the star of Bethlehem, so the death of Jesus was announced by the darkness of Calvary (Luke 23:44-45). It is not likely that an atmospheric phenomenon caused the unusual darkness because of the astonishment expressed by observers. Further, the cause of the darkness at noon is stated to be cessation of the shinning of the sun, a celestial event. The most logical celestial cause to look for would be a solar eclipse. The early Christian writer Africanus quotes two first-century historians, Thallus and Phlegon, who both stated that an eclip ..read more

“The most important awakening in church history has begun.” When my ministry partners and I settled on that phrase as the subtext for the public relations messaging surrounding our film, “Come Out in Jesus Name,” we received a lot of questioning and even a little derision on social media. But if you’ve watched what is happening at Global Vision Bible Church or any of the ministries led by my co-laborers in this awakening—Alexander Pagani, Isaiah Saldivar, Vlad Savchuk, Mike Signorelli, Daniel Adams, Leon Du Preez and Henry Shaffer among others (each of whom is featured in the film)—you know ..read more

Light always has a way of overcoming and obliterating darkness. This reality is apparently at work in Portland, Oregon, where a Chick-fil-A restaurant is reportedly set to replace a strip club. In a move sure to excite the brand’s fans, Portland is getting its first Chick-fil-A within city limits. And the new location is set to replace The Venue Gentleman’s Club, OregonLive reported. Get your FREE CHARISMA NEWSLETTERS today! Stay up-to-date with current issues, Holy Spirit news, Christian teachings, Charisma videos & more! Plans have been in motion for quite some ..read more

People keep acting as if we are living in “normal” times, but the truth is that these are not “normal” times at all. We are in the midst of a “perfect storm”, but most people in the general population don’t seem to realize this. While the mainstream media is endlessly focused on political drama, our world is being deeply troubled by war, economic problems, food shortages, nightmarish pestilences and terrifying natural disasters. But as bad as things are at this moment, I am entirely convinced that they are about to get a whole lot worse. I would like to start by talking ab ..read more

Is Psalm 94 providing a prophetic message for our world today? In one of his recent messages, Pastor Jack Hibbs uncovered the power behind Psalm 94 and what it means for our world today. Psalm 94 talks of the necessity for God to bring vengeance and deliverance from a broken world. Verses 4-6 read: They spew forth their arrogant words; all those who do iniquity boast. They break in pieces Your people, O LORD, and afflict Your inheritance. They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless. Further in the psalm, there is direct discussion of ruthless lawmaking. Verses 20-21 tel ..read more

Over the last 40 years the Lord has carried me through countless storms where it appeared by all outward circumstances that I was going under. Fear would try to overtake me, along with doubt, and apprehension, but I always knew He was there, and I could trust Him. Some days it’s that you’re just tired and worn out, but the Lord will be faithful to give us strength when we are weak. I’ve also witnessed how the Lord has delivered and empowered so many of the incredible men and women of God I’ve been honored to get to know over my years of ministry. Yet, it hasn’t always been easy. I mean, who ..read more

There is a wide range of opinions and emotions within the Christian community when it comes to blessing, prosperity and poverty. Interpretations of various verses in the Bible as well as analyzing the words of Jesus and how He lived His life has failed to bring about a consensus on how Christians should view money and wealth. On a recent episode of Boardroom Chat, televangelist Jesse Duplantis, alongside his wife Cathy, addressed the issue of poverty and the absence of prosperity in one’s life, calling it a “curse” and the result of disobedience. “Most people’s troubles come because people di ..read more

Pastor John Macarthur is facing backlash from the Christian community after his statements that PTSD is nothing more than grief. “If you understand, take PTSD, for example, what that really is, is grief. You are fighting a war you lost. Your buddies, you have a certain amount of survival guilt because you made it back, they didn’t. How do you deal with grief? Grief is a real thing. But grief is part of life, and if you can’t navigate grief, you can’t live life,” MacArthur said. These statements landed Macarthur in hot water with well-known Christian speaker and author, Beth Moore. While she g ..read more

Actress Candace Cameron Bure continues to bring hope, faith and love to Hollywood. From her roots in “Full House” to her creativity in executive producing films like “Unsung Hero,” Bure is on a mission to tell important stories while entertaining the masses. In a recent interview with CBN News, she shared her passion for positive, uplifting entertainment, and explained what it’s been like to see more people in Hollywood embrace—or at least show interest in—Jesus. “Wonder Years” star Danica McKellar is just one of the actors who came to faith after Bure personally shared Scripture w ..read more