CHRISTIANITY EXPLODING WORLDWIDE; 3RD WORLD SENDING MISSIONARIES [V ENCOURAGING DOC]

ANDREW STROM VIA MERI BURLINGAME EMAIL LIST ^ | 28 APR 2005 | WORLD NET DAILY

[Quix]

SOUNDS LIKE THE FINAL IN-GATHERING HAS BEGUN! YEA GOD!

[mike182d]

Hundreds of millions of these Christians are simply not associated with the institutional churches at all.

In what sense, then, are they legitimately "Christian?"

[Quix]

"There are now more missionaries sent from non-Western nations than Western nations," he writes.

This trend, says Rutz, has been missed by Westerners because the explosive growth is elsewhere.

Hundreds of millions of these Christians are simply not associated with the institutional churches at all. They meet in homes. They meet underground. They meet in caves. They meet, he says, in secret.

And what is driving this movement?

Miracles,
he says.

"Megashift" attempts to document myriad healings and other powerful answers to the sincere prayers of this new category of believer, including, believe it or not,

hundreds of dramatic cases
of
resurrections
NOT
near-death
experiences,
but
real
resurrections
of actual corpses.

Have expected and waited long for this news. I've known of some of the resurrections and glimers of this but hadn't realized it had reached this level of intensity and coverage, breadth, yet.

YEA GOD!

[wideawake]

In what sense, then, are they legitimately "Christian?"

It's impossible to say.

Therefore, this guy's n umbers are highly suspect.

I want to be an optimist, but what credibility does this guy really have?

[freebilly]

In what sense, then, are they legitimately "Christian?"

In the same sense that the original Church was not an institution but was a body of believers who met in homes, in small groups, in secret....

[Quix]

They read their Bibles or scraps of Bibles and

DO WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS.

--including assembling together in small groups to study, worship, pray, teach.

I'm shocked anyone would question that God would not honor His word with such earnest, often desperate folks taking God's Word at face value and applying it.

And, as the blind man said to the skeptics . . .

I don't know about all that--I just know that I was blind but now I see.

If God's Spirit is honoring these Christian Believer's walk WITH HIM with miracles--authentic Holy Spirit birthed miracles . . .

I wonder what God thinks of your throwing rocks at their Christianity.

Actually, that's not true. I don't wonder what God thinks about it.

[Quix]

Perhaps you would be wiser to check the book out before throwing rocks.

I realize it's not the custom around here to check facts first.

[Quix]

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo wonderful to read someone hereon who can recognize the enlivening work of God's Spirit.

Thanks.

[mike182d]

I wonder what God thinks of your throwing rocks at their Christianity.

Who's throwing rocks? You exemplified my point by saying they're Chrisitians because they read their Bibles and do what it says. The Gospels were not even written yet, but Paul was out preaching. Was he not a Christian because he didn't have Bible (which would later contain his very letters)?

The Gnostics believed in Jesus Christ, but they are not "Christians." Why?

[Quix]

I hope you haven't fallen for the

misperception

that

CHURCHIANITY = CHRISTIANITY

or

that

RELIGION = SPIRITUALITY

or

that

RELIGION = RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

[mike182d]

In the same sense that the original Church was not an institution but was a body of believers

Really? So when Paul speaks of the Three Pillars of the church (Peter, James, and John), he isn't referring to any persons in authority of a Christian institution?

[mike182d]

I hope you haven't fallen for the:

Bible = Christianity

Christianity predates the Bible.

[wideawake]

I realize it's not the custom around here to check facts first.

Mr. Rutz has a history of playing fast and loose with the facts.

In his book "Open Church" he claimed that historically the Christian celebration of the Eucharist was based on the feeding of the 5,000 and not on the Last Supper.

When someone is capable of telling whoppers like that, I become skeptical.

[wideawake]

More precisely, it predates the New Testament.

[Quix]

Glad to read it.

Sorry I misperceived your post.

Glad you support their Christianity, if that understanding is correct.

Gnostics did not believe Christ came in the flesh etc.

[mike182d]

More precisely, it predates the New Testament.

But of course. I am not familiar with Jews referring to the Hebrew Scriptures as "the Bible." The term is Christian and includes the New Testament, by definition.

[Quix]

No. I'm not into Bibliolatry.

The Living Word Christ Jesus is my focus.

I am enormously thankful for His written Word, however.

[Quix]

Would like to see his historical claims for that. Sounds far fetched to me.

You may know him better than I.

But I've seen enough overseas to believe the bulk of what he says. The Chinese church is very much as he describes it.

Including with the resurrections.

[mike182d]

Sorry I misperceived your post.

No apology necessary. No harm done.

Gnostics did not believe Christ came in the flesh etc.

As Christianity began to flourish, there were many heresies that sprang up and they were called out as such not by individual believers but by an institution that had the authority to deem them "heresies." If no such authority existed, there would be no reason to prefer the Gospel of Mark over the Gospel of Thomas.

The early Christians were very aware of an insitution and inclusion was necessary to be considered a legit, orthodox Christian.

[Bosco]

Really? So when Paul speaks of the Three Pillars of the church (Peter, James, and John), he isn't referring to any persons in authority of a Christian institution?

What passage are you referring to?