Posted on 10/07/2006 6:40:10 AM PDT by NYer
NEW YORK - A new 10-nation survey of Pentecostal and charismatic Christians, considered the fastest-growing stream of Christianity worldwide, shows they are deeply influencing the Roman Catholic and mainstream Protestant churches and are poised to make a big impact on global affairs. p>The poll released Thursday by the Washington-based Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life found that "spirit-filled" Christians, who speak in tongues and believe in healing through prayer, comprise at least 10 percent of the population in nine of the 10 surveyed countries.
The study also found that followers are more willing than previously thought to bring their traditional values into public debates, potentially shaping government policies in the years ahead.
The surveys were conducted over the spring and summer in Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, India, the Philippines, South Korea" /> Researchers polled both Pentecostals, who form their own denominations such as the Assemblies of God, and charismatics, who have adopted some Pentecostal beliefs but remain members of traditional Protestant and Catholic churches.
The survey estimated that Pentecostals and charismatics together comprise at least half the population of Brazil, Guatemala and Kenya, and 44 percent of the Philippines.
They make up about one-third of the population of South Africa and Chile and nearly one-quarter of Nigerians and U.S. residents. The figure for South Korea is smaller, at 11 percent. In India, the poll was limited to three states with large Christian populations, so a national estimate could not be made.
The study found Pentecostal beliefs have a strong hold in major churches in many countries.
In the traditionally Catholic nations of Brazil, Guatemala and the Philippines, charismatics are a larger share of the population than Pentecostals.
In six of the 10 countries, Pentecostals and charismatics together make up the majority of the overall Protestant population, according to the survey.
The Pentecostal movement, which began a century ago in Los Angeles, spread quickly overseas because of its adaptability to local cultures, whose indigenous beliefs often include healings and casting out of evil spirits, and because of the exuberance of its worship.
While Pentecostals and charismatics are known for speaking in tongues, the survey found respondents were more likely to say that they had personally witnessed or experienced other signs of the Holy Spirit, such as a healing through prayer or a direct revelation from God.
The majority of Pentecostals in every nation surveyed except South Korea and India believed religious groups should express their views on social and political issues. In seven of the 10 countries, 70 percent of charismatics agreed.
"These are folks for whom the world of spirit is remarkably alive ... but that in no way diminishes their commitment to social justice for the poor, for instance, or a role for government in meeting those needs," said Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum.
The polls were conducted by phone in the U.S., and in person overseas, with margins of error ranging from plus or minus 4 percentage points to 9 percentage points for some subgroups.
The polls in Brazil, South Africa and South Korea focused on urban areas.
It's a nice area. My husband was born up in Ogdensburg and we like the St. Lawrence area. I'll pray for your son's safety. Love, Mxxx
I don't know of any and I have grown up and spent most of my life in spirit filled churches. Most I know believe that if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you are saved. But, if you stop there and don't "earnestly seek" the gifts of the spirit, you miss out on a power in your walk that brings incredible dimension to your life.
I have spent my last 5 years in a Wesleyan church, filled with people who are saved and going to heaven, and I have been amazed at the numbers of folks who are too timid to pray out loud...even in a small group setting, those who have a "head" Christianity, those who don't get that you don't have to understand everything that happens, but that you have to trust that God is using it all to work in your lives....it is a very controlled and intellectualized version of living a life of freedom and power that I have come to know in a spirit filled church.
Your prayers are gratefully appreciated. Just FYI, My brother's son is also in Iraq, as is the daughter of a close friend (who is also my sister's husband's brother-in-law - Hope I said that right).
Prayers for all of our troops in the Middle East, as well as S. Korea and anywhere else in the world where they defend our freedoms.
Thankfully, one doesn't need to even approach being all knowing to sense when Holy Spirit is quenched. I do know that proud leaders doing their own human thing often do it and often are clueless about having done it even when it's pointed out to them by reliable & gifted discerners.
But usually, even the unsaved of some sensitivity in the spiritual realm can sense it. And sometimes, it's so obvious, even the clueless unsaved can sense it.
Thankfully, I haven't seen this often, but it's even happened that Holy Spirit has suddenly descended on the whole room and a myriad of voices have begun to sing in tongues, in English, in humming . . . a weaving of Heavenly melodies that's instantly thick with Holy Spirit's Presence etc. and the whole room feels lifted Heavenwards . . . and the dolt worship leader gets up after a few short minutes and stops it to get on with the scripted program. Talk about horrible quenching of The Spirit! Usually there's enough of an outcry that the thick headed one doesn't attempt that ever again if he wants to keep his job.
And there's no EGO involved with outward expressions of piety? Go ask a pharisee. Spare me, please.
I have no clue what that's referring to. That's a point I have made--that pride is often involved in quenching, stopping, preventing AND IN POLLUTING moves of Holy Spirit. I think that's one reason God prefers to put spiritual leaders through long lists of long dark nights of the soul; wilderness experiences; fiery furnaces until they are lastingly broken and humble. Otherwise, His power through them ramps up their pride too much and they pollute what God's trying to do terribly.
Please don't flame me too much, but never have I seen such shallow faith than in those who make sure everyone sees them raise their hands and speak in tongues, with no edification.
I have no need to flame you. Yes, raising one's hands and singing or praying in tongues to The Lord CAN be grandstanding but it's, hopefully, more often just the person having intimate dialogue with God but happening to be amidst dozens or hundreds of others doing the same thing in the same place at the same time. There is power in heart unity of worship as in unity of prayer.
Or please answer me a question, why do pentecostals tell you you're sick because you have unconfessed sin in your life? Excuse me!? When you accept Christ into your heart, all the sins past, present and future are forgiven, so why would someone say something like that? They do say that. I read it in one of their pamphlets. I thought it was rather sad for a church to do that to someone when it goes against scripture.
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.KJV
AMPLIFIED: James 5:16 Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
THE MESSAGE: 16-18Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.
THAT'S PLAIN SCRIPTURE, TO ME. And one aspect of such that most Christians in most groups tend to ignore wholesale. I think folks can jump to conclusions that may be wrong on that score. I don't think failure to follow that verse is sufficient explanation for all sickness just as the man's sin or his parents sins were not the explanation when the pharisees asked in that particular case. But I think generally, the Scripture is right on. God meant what He said. And many folks are sick needlessly because they fail to follow that Scripture. Pride gets in the way.
I've had my fill of organized religion. I will continue to read God's word, that is how you know God's will. If you read the Bible you can't quench the Spirit.
I can identify with you lots on that score. I've stayed away from church for a year or more at a time several periods in my life. And, I've probably been bruised, abused, mangled, chewed up and spit out more by some churches than I've been edified by them.
Nevertheless, God is faithful. And, there IS a merit and Biblically obedient place in at least praying, worshipping and fellowshipping with others even if it's just a few in a home group weekly or however often.
God's best to you and yours.
Very well said. It does rain on the just as well as the unjust. We need to understand our battle is spiritual and there are evil spirits working against us at all times. That's why it's so important to read God's word. That's where we'll be prepared. People need to realize that God speaks to us through His word, and we need to be vigilant.
You think that song is depressing? Do you know the words? Well, I'll say a prayer for you that God will open your eyes to the real meaning of the song, ok? Then you will find spiritual healing. It's not depressing, it's liberating.
= = = =
Dear Heart, I've known those words by heart for at least the last . . . oh . . . approximately 55 years. And, they have been precious, comforting words, indeed, to me countless times.
Nevertheless, in many dark hours when wallowing in self-pity, some of the phrasing of that precious son has functionally ended up aiding the self-pity instead of giving the needed kick in the pants.
Certainly Jesus is a Friend as no other can ever be. But focusing on being poor, mangled, put-upon and alone from other humans is not exactly an overcoming perspective for one wallowing in self-pity regardless of how understandable.
One exhortation seemed to be . . . how dare I presume to pretend to know it all so as to be discerning about quenching The Spirit.
Now, there's an assumption that Paul's words were hyperbole? Really? Paul left a personal annotation to that effect with who's name on it?
Not in my Bible. I believe Paul wrote what God said and what God meant.
And, it's congruent with my observations and experiences.
And, it's congruent with the rest of Scripture on that score.
And, plenty of Word-of-Faith folks avoid following that verse as well as most other groups.
Indeed.
When Paul wrote QUENCH NOT THE SPIRIT, HE WAS WRITING TO BELIEVERS.
Holy Spirit is gentle, winsome, wooing, inviting. Very rarely comes in with a command performance. And even then, the individuals are still in control for Scripture says the Spirit is subject to the prophet in some key senses. Folks can choose to be used or ignore Holy Spirit's promptings. Happens daily all over the world.
Sometimes I've ignored His promptings and almost had an accident. Other times I've obeyed and been much safer. One time He warned after a battle with a demonized satan worshipper . . . as I got in my VW beetle to go to work in San Diego--Holy Spirit spoke very clearly in my inner man that there would be 3 attempts on my life between home and work. There were. One a person ran a red light at a great speed. Another almost sideswiped me in a big vehicle on the driver's side and I forget the 3rd one. Had I not been driving very sensitive to Holy Spirit's leading, I'd have been dead.
Certainly God is not a vending machine nor a trained monkey on a chain--not even on a Word-of-Faith chain.
But He honors faith; He honors His Word. He delights to give good gifts to His children.
And, He is gearing up to show His Power and Majesty in THIS WORLD via His kids as well as sovereignly, directly--as never before in history.
Well said. Amen!
AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
He delights in our obedience and reliance on Him rather than the things of this world.
I agree.
I also, however, still believe that GREATER THINGS THAN THESE will be what the average unsaved person on the street would obviously consider GREATER THINGS. I don't think we've started to see the beginning much, yet. We will.
Stargate SG-1 and Star Trek etc. will have nothing but shame to show upside of what God will demonstrate through children, adults, teens . . . beginning believers, old saints . . . Whomsoever will. TO HIS GLORY.
The ENEMY WILL be put to shame.
Thanks tons.
Yes, ladyinred is a great encourager.
Your understanding and faithful friendship means a great deal this week and usually.
I do choose it as well as I know how!
Certainly try to stay confessed and repented up moment by moment with my relationships clear momenty by moment and certainly daily.
Thanks for your wonderful exhortations.
I agree with you wholesale.
When Holy Spirit's quietness and stillness descends and hovers over a room--especially a large room . . . but really any room . . . it's awesome and quite goosepimply!
Sometimes I think it's more awesome than some of His louder more dramatic demonstrations.
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