Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily . Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh , shall he find faith on the earth?
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed , the son of perdition;
Where do you live?
See, I was about to quote Luke 18:8. I got chills when I saw you already did. Why did Jesus as that question? He knows the answer. It’s very provocative. He wants us to figure out what the answer is. But look at verse 7:
“And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?”
Do we pray that God deliver us from this corrupt world? Is this the sign of the falling away, that not even the elect cry for deliverance anymore? Do we? Or do we cry for Ted Cruz to be president, or a revolution, or Trey Gowdy to call for Hillary’s arrest.
Bible prophnesy, interestingly, speaks of both a falling away and revival in the end days. I think Christianity is on the rise, but I think the ranks of non-belivers is also increasing.
That is, I think people are getting off the fence and choosing sides. And a LOT of people who said they were Christian were probably not. There is a LOT of that in the Southeast. Coming here from unchurched Seattle (relatively speaking), Church is just what people do here, Christian or not.
My friend became the pastor of a church here where he said there were elderly members that had attended their entire life but did not know the difference between the old and new testaments. How is that even possible?
Did you do world wide survey to substantiate your witness of great falling away? Youve been to China and South Africa and Russia?
Actual Science agrees with the Bible. Socialists have high jacked the word Science to mean any scheme they can use to build a bigger more obnoxious government (Ex. so-called Climate Change “science”). The promotion of evolution as “science” so that we can have one big Communist world with government as the top authority even though evolution doesn't even pass the Scientific Method test.
The Internet spreads the Science that the Marxists in the public schools don't dare speak.
Christianity will last forever. Socialism with die before the Earth does.
Your parenthetical sniping detracts from a reading of the article, but not its message.
Perhaps a good quote might be that of Mark Twain who said that the news of his recent demise was greatly exaggerated.
When the church goes dead it doesn’t do so with a blood curdling scream. It falls to something like hypnotism.
I see that you and I agree on something...and you may continue to read down to the 11th verse. A deluding influence is going to be sent by God so that they believe a lie. Notice His control?
I chair the missions committee at my church and we have contact with people in the Church all around the world. The Church seems to be on a “moving” around the world in a westerly direction. It is currently dead in Europe and waning here, in the U.S. The center of Christianity is moving below the equator and west.
The Church in China has grown so much that it now rivals Communist Party membership. It’s size has alarmed the government and has led to increased controls and persecution.
Perhaps it will continue full circle through India and the Middle East before returning to the place from which it sprang before the coming of Christ? Only the Father knows how history will play out.
Jenkins is not talking about Christianity in Europe or North America, where it is eroding away into secularism and apostasy, but about Christianity in South America, Africa, and the Asian Rim, where it is burgeoning. His whole thesis is that the Center of Gravity of Christendom, demographically, historically, is moving South, South, South.
I hope FReepers will check this out. Jenkins doesn't claim to have a fortune-teller's view on the future, but the figures of huge Christian growth in South America and even China --- and, above all, Africa --- seem indisputable.
Everyone knows Islam is growing in Africa. Hardly anybody realizes that Christianity is growing faster.
Falling away from Christianity or falling away from particular religions?
I belong to a non-denominational church that went from meeting in someone's house 5 years ago to having problems having enough seating for 3 services at 2 separate locations. People want to hear the Word and have Jesus glorified instead of dealing with all the "by rote sacraments and rites" (which you alluded that you weren't thrilled with either. I don't see a falling away from Christianity, but I do see folks leaving various religions for a more personal rendering of the Word. If prophesies are correct (and none have failed yet...) there will be a one-world religion as the end times get here - having a slew of non-religious Christians may very well come in handy (although the one-worlders will likely try to exterminate us)...