Posted on 05/07/2005 8:05:03 AM PDT by churchillbuff
What is the fastest-growing religion on Earth?
Most news reports suggest it is Islam.
But a new book makes a compelling case it is a new, or, perhaps, old form of biblically inspired evangelical Christianity that is sweeping through places like China, Africa, India and Southeast Asia.
In "Megashift," author Jim Rutz coins a new phrase to define this fast-growing segment of the population. He calls them "core apostolics" - or "the new saints who are at the heart of the mushrooming kingdom of God."
Rutz makes the point that Christianity is overlooked as the fastest-growing faith in the world because most surveys look at the traditional Protestant denominations and the Roman Catholic Church while ignoring Christian believers who have no part of either.
He says there are 707 million "switched-on disciples" who fit into this new category and that this "church" is exploding in growth.
"The growing core of Christianity crosses theological lines and includes 707 million born-again people who are increasing by 8 percent a year," he says.
So fast is this group growing that, under current trends, according to Rutz, the entire world will be composed of such believers by the year 2032.
"There will be pockets of resistance and unforeseen breakthroughs," writes Rutz. "Still, at the rate we're growing now, to be comically precise, there would be more Christians than people by the autumn of 2032, about 8.2 billion."
According to the author, until 1960, Western evangelicals outnumbered non-Western evangelicals - mostly Latinos, blacks and Asians - by two to one. As of 2000, non-Western evangelicals outnumbered Westerners by four to one. He says by 2010, the ratio will be seven to one.
"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.
"When I was a kid in Sunday school, I was really impressed that 3,000 people were saved on the Day of Pentecost," he writes. "I thought, 'Wow, that'll never happen again!"
But, Rutz says, it now happens around the globe every 25 minutes.
"By tomorrow, there will be 175,000 more Christians than there are today," he writes.
The essence of Rutz's book is about how Western Christians can tap into what he sees as a mighty work of God on Earth.
"Very few people realize the nature of life on Earth is going through a major change," he writes. "We are seeing a megashift in the basic direction of human history. Until our time, the ancient war between good and evil was hardly better than a stalemate. Now all has changed. The Creator whose epic story flows through the pages of Scripture has begun to dissolve the strongholds of evil. This new drama is being played out every hour around the globe, accompanied sometimes by mind-bending miracles."
At least you are consistent
IN YOUR ASSAULTIVENESS.
See it as you wish.
I was blessed in many worship services wherein such songs also blessed many Chinese because they knew what the words meant in that spiritual and particular song context.
I wouldn't pretend that they'd gotten your permission to be blessed ahead of time.
Very well said.
BTW, the computer saga continues. Can't download GOBACK from Norton, now.
and the other junk continues.
Sheesh.
LOL - yes, sexual innuendo from the pulpit would be something of a problem, if done in a non-teaching manner or to get a cheap laugh.
My family and I left a church two years ago for theological reasons. The church voted (and its elderly members insisted on) whole-heartedly embracing a liberal state convention. I just felt it was the wrong place to be with my family. It broke my heart (and still does) but we left.
AMEN!
You did the right thing. Have you found another church yet?
out of the great screeching, screaming chorus of naysayers.
Yes, I recognize it and listen to it, and I do what He says.
Do you question my motives? Then tell God about it.
I do, thanks.
Well, I find it interesting that I have read both of Rick Warren's books, among others, and I have also read those which point out their errors. After reading both sides, I come down with a strong opinion that Warren isn't correct. Yet, I haven't seen anyone here admit that they have read the opposite side to accurately form their opinion that Warren is correct.
You sure seem eager to push some people out. What exactly is their sin?
Wow, sounds like maybe you HAVE been going to church with me!
Would you believe that our (former) pastor rarely even gave an opportunity for people to receive Jesus? Rarely was there an altar opportunity. I suppose he was just being "Seeker Friendly"...
Not at all. We can communicate just fine.
Of course neither of those styles were available in first century Judea.
If God likes the hymns so much, why didn't he send Jesus in the 1500s. Just think...Matthew, Mark, Luther and John...
Well .. I would not go to a church where the sermons were canned. If my Pastor was not praying and getting his stuff from GOD - then I don't want to hear it.
I personally knew my Pastor didn't do that .. and sometimes he would get all prepared with a sermon and the Holy Ghost would begin moving - he could close his notes and just preach what the Holy Ghost gave him. Those were some of the most scripture filled - Holy Ghost working services if I have ever been in.
I think the term "rubbish" is in the eye of the beholder. There are thousands who think Rick Warren's books are rubbish.
Have you tried running all the maintenance programs.
Disc cleanup
delete cookies (but don't disable them)
empty trash can
Defragment
Restart
Sometimes that's what it takes .. and after doing all the cleanup stuff - restart your computer - just do each item as I've listed it.
The whole process should take you less than 30 minutes - and it can save you lots of headaches. I do it at LEAST once per week.
One of our young musicians wisecracked at practice, "You guys are really going to be surprised when you get to Heaven and find out that Jesus doesn't do Traditional music!" To which I replied, "Well, for SURE He isn't going to sing Hillsongs music!"
AMEN! AMEN!
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