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.
MLB Players Speak Out Against Group Dodgers Look to Honor
For all the talk Major League Baseball has done about welcoming fans of all backgrounds and faiths, the Los Angeles Dodgers superbly alienated millions of fans within their own city and across the country.
In their back and forth of inviting, then disinviting, then re-inviting the anti-Catholic group the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,” they have riled Christian and Catholic players within the league who are taking a stand against the bigotry and hatred the group represents.
Two of the Dodgers’ own players, pitchers Clayton Kershaw and Blake Treinen, have spoken out against the club inviting the ‘Sisters’ and presenting them with an award for community service.
Rick Joyner Hospitalized Following Series of Strokes
On Friday, May 26, MorningStar Ministries founder Rick Joyner suffered a series of strokes.
Acting President of MorningStar Ministries and Lead Pastor of MorningStar Church Chris Reed made the announcement on Pentecost Sunday:
“Our founder, Rick Joyner, had a stroke. It seemed that he had a succession of mini-strokes that, after the MRI was confirmed, he had a stroke on the right side of his brain. He’s in the hospital and Julia is of course with him and his family,” Reed told the MorningStar congregation.
Justin Bieber Shares Gospel Message Leading Demonized Woman to Salvation
Music megastar Justin Bieber is using his platform and his influence to share openly about the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
From leading tens of thousands of people in prayer at concerts to witnessing to the actor who plays Philip in “The Chosen”, the hit crowd-funded series about the life of Jesus, the young singer has become a bold evangelist according to multiple accounts.
And now, a Colombian flight attendant, whose painful past led her deep into a world of spiritual darkness, is sharing how a chance encounter on a flight with Justin Bieber planted a seed that ultimately led her to give her life to Christ.
God Promises to Send His Latter Rain
Last November I traveled to central Oregon to preach at Eastside Church, a Foursquare congregation led by a pastor named Brian Carmack. While I was there for a weekend of ministry, the Lord gave me Isaiah 44:3 as a promise to share with the church. It says: “For I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring, and My blessing on your descendants.”
I shared this prophetic word with the congregation during one of our meetings. I felt the Lord was promising to bring growth and an outpouring of His refreshing presence. But I had no idea He would use the weather to confirm the message.
On my second day in Prineville there was an unexpected snow storm, which brought snowpack to the mountains. This was more significant than I realized at the time, because the entire region of central Oregon was experiencing a severe drought. After the initial snowfall, unexpected rains also came.
Americans Do Not Like Megachurches or Celebrity Pastors
There appears to be a large divide between how people view Jesus compared to how they view His followers.
Jesus is viewed quite favorably by most people, not just by Christians but also members of other faiths. When it comes to Christians however, especially in examples such as megachurches and celebrity pastors, the opinions sour rapidly, even among the Christian community.
In a national survey conducted by the Barna Group, the third part of their “Spiritually Open” series, 2,005 U.S. teens and adults were asked from December 13-22, 2022, if they had positive views on a variety of aspects of Christianity.
Bill Wiese 
Michael L. Brown 
Abby Trivett 
