Morning Rundown: How Institutionalism Quenches Holy Spirit’s Gifts
Here’s a quick summary of the top stories on cn.mycharisma.com:
How Institutionalism Quenches Holy Spirit’s Gifts
The Southern Baptist Convention recently expelled Saddleback Church in southern California because of a woman on their staff who carries title of “teaching pastor.” According to Baptist Press, Saddleback was declared to “not be in friendly cooperation with the necessary credentials under the Southern Baptist Convention.”
This is an example of how “institutionalism” quenches the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit. “Institutionalism” is defined as “an emphasis on organization at the expense of other factors.” In the church, institutionalism always comes at the expense of the life of the Holy Spirit being freely expressed through all members of the body of Christ. An institutionalized church becomes captive to its own rules, regulations and order.
In her book, “In the Spirit We’re Equal 2nd Edition,” Dr. Susan Hyatt documents how every genuine revival in church history has led to the elevation of women. This happens because in revival the church tends to give more emphasis to the dynamic work of the Holy Spirit than to organizational and institutional concerns.
A Pastor’s Miraculous Supernatural Encounter on Skid Row
After serving in the Marine’s and facing traumatic events, one veteran fell into a life of drugs and homelessness. It was in his last moment of greatest despair that he had a supernatural encounter with God that radically altered the course of the rest of his life.
That man is Troy Vaughn, pastor and CEO of the Los Angeles Mission, one of the nation’s largest service providers to the homeless. His story is one of great heart aches—but also many triumphs.
“My father was found dead in a porta potty in the city of Inglewood in a park, with a needle in his arm,” Vaughn says in the Charisma magazine interview.
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL—Is it possible that the Israeli government this year could pass legislation making it illegal for people to share the Gospel message in the very land where Jesus was born, raised, preached, died, buried and rose from the dead?
Unfortunately, yes.
As Palm Sunday and Easter approach—the two most sacred days on the calendar for those who follow Jesus as both God and Messiah—two members of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) introduced a bill last week that would ban any and all efforts to tell people about Jesus. {eoa}
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