Poster | Thread |
| Re: Art | | Brother don't know where you are getting your information but the profiles I read say Christianity is on the increase. Particularly among Moslems thousands are coming to Christ on a daily basis. Revivals are occurring in China and Iran where people coming to Christ by the thousands. Hardly sounds like a declining Christianity. |
| 2011/8/4 1:16 | | Christinyou Member
Joined: 2005/11/2 Posts: 3710 Ca.
| Re: | | Quote:
"""Brother don't know where you are getting your information but the profiles I read say Christianity is on the increase. Particularly among Moslems thousands are coming to Christ on a daily basis. Revivals are occurring in China and Iran where people coming to Christ by the thousands. Hardly sounds like a declining Christianity."""
Oh that this were true, where can I find this information?
In Christ: Phillip
_________________ Phillip
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| 2011/8/4 1:46 | Profile | ArtB Member
Joined: 2004/4/27 Posts: 431 New York
| Re: | | Martyr
"Brother don't know where you are getting your information but the profiles I read say Christianity is on the increase. Particularly among Moslems thousands are coming to Christ on a daily basis. Revivals are occurring in China and Iran where people coming to Christ by the thousands. Hardly sounds like a declining Christianity."
Well, I hope you are right. When I look up stats on number of Christians who are regular Church Goers, the number of Christians drop fast. Brazil has a Catholic Population of about 150,000,000 Catholics, and about 30,000,000 Protestant& Evangelicals. Yet, On any given Sunday more evangelicals/protestants go to church than do Catholics. Most Catholics are registered as Catholics at infant Baptism, but most of them actually become practicing animists as they become of age. Secular Humanism is also on the rise in South and Central America.
In Western Europe, there has been a sharp drop in Church attendance, which is very recognizable when looking at actual church attendance. _________________ Arthur Biele
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| 2011/8/4 2:20 | Profile | sarahsdream Member
Joined: 2011/6/16 Posts: 183
| Re: | | Unless we are omniscient, how could anyone make this statement? All we know from Scripture is that it is a narrow way and "few there be that find it".
Quote:
(BTW, Has anybody notice that the number of Christians in the world is rapidly declining, particularly if you measure by percentage of World Population.)
In Christ, Sarah |
| 2011/8/4 8:22 | Profile |
| Re: Phillip | | The info I read is drawn from several sources. Voice of thr Martyrs, Open Doors, Compass Direct, US Center for World Missions, etc. You can no doubt Google and find other sources which document the spread of the gospel. I know of one web site, can't recall its name, that records hundreds of hits a day of people coming to Christ. Will try to Google and give more info on this thread later.
Blaine |
| 2011/8/4 9:36 | |
| Re: Art | | Brother I do not follow the logic of the Brazil example. You say on a given Sunday more protestant evangelicals attend church than Catholics. Ok. That suggests a vibrant Christianity. But what are you defining as declining Christianity? Church attendence? I would suggest that is not a reliable model to extrapulate that Christianity is on the decline in the world.
You can look at western Europe, Great Britain, or America and argue a declining Chrianity based on church attendence. But Art what about the 10/40 window? This an area along the equator where the most unreached people groups live. This is also an area where the gospel is brniging many to saving faith and life in Jesus
Are you aware of what is happening in China? Because that nation is restricted statistics are hard to verify. But estimates suggest over 100.000 people responsd to the gospel a month. The Cbineese believers have a vision to take the gospel through centre Asia back to Jerusalem where it all started.
In Iran, the home of Sheite Islam, a viibrant house church movement is being birthed. Some have said this is the second China. Voice of the Martyrs estimates that over 600 or more proople A DAY are coming to Christ by internet and sat TV and phone.
Art I suggest that you look at other parts of the world. God is on the move. He is anything but declining. I have not spoken about Africa, Asia, or even South America where God imiving. The devil is ramping up persecution against Christians. The devil knows his time is short. He knows his kingdom is being invaded and souls are souls are being plundered for Christ. If anything Christianity, I mean true Spirit filled Christianity is on the increase.
Posted by Blaine Scogin |
| 2011/8/4 10:26 | | ArtB Member
Joined: 2004/4/27 Posts: 431 New York
| Re: | | by martyr on 2011/8/4 6:36:56
"The info I read is drawn from several sources. Voice of thr Martyrs, Open Doors, Compass Direct, US Center for World Missions, etc. You can no doubt Google and find other sources which document the spread of the gospel. I know of one web site, can't recall its name, that records hundreds of hits a day of people coming to Christ. Will try to Google and give more info on this thread later."
I'm very glad that many are being saved through their faith in Jesus Christ.
But keep in mind that that we are having a population explosion. Islam is also expanding rapidly because they tend to have very large Families. It is estimated that Muslims will be the majority in Western European in about 25 years. Meanwhile, Western Europeans are having about 1.2 children per married couple. Muslims will not need to conquer Western Europe, they will simply elect their people into political office.
from: http://geography.about.com/od/obtainpopulationdata/a/worldpopulation.htm
Year Population 1 200 million 1000 275 million 1500 450 million 1650 500 million 1750 700 million 1804 1 billion 1850 1.2 billion 1900 1.6 billion 1927 2 billion 1950 2.55 billion 1955 2.8 billion 1960 3 billion 1965 3.3 billion 1970 3.7 billion 1975 4 billion 1980 4.5 billion 1985 4.85 billion 1990 5.3 billion 1995 5.7 billion 1999 6 billion 2006 6.5 billion 2009 6.8 billion 2011 7 billion
This is food for thought.
And of course, we should keep supporting missions and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ as best we can. I witness on many forums the gospel where Christians would be in the minority or non existent, including those dominated by secular humanists and even a few gay groups. And I witness to people I meet in person and give out Bibles whenever I can. I assume many on this forum are witnessing to the unsaved too.
And Martyr, with the 10/40 Window (Did I get that window size properly? But you know what I meant). This window you reference are mostly not Christians, but a very huge population of non-Christians, dominated by Muslims, Hindus, animist, and other religions. This window is the target for conversion to Christianity by Christian Missionaries. _________________ Arthur Biele
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| 2011/8/4 22:15 | Profile | ArtB Member
Joined: 2004/4/27 Posts: 431 New York
| Re: | | by martyr on 2011/8/4 7:26:39
"Brother I do not follow the logic of the Brazil example. You say on a given Sunday more protestant evangelicals attend church than Catholics. Ok. That suggests a vibrant Christianity. But what are you defining as declining Christianity? Church attendence? I would suggest that is not a reliable model to extrapulate that Christianity is on the decline in the world."
No it does not represent a vibrant Christianity. of 300 million Brazilians, 23 Million attend evangelical Church most every Sunday, and about 21 Million attend Catholic Church regularly most every Sunday. That leaves 256 Million Brazilians who do not attend either Catholic Church or non-Catholic Christian Church weekly.
BTW, my own view on the Catholic Church, as a former Catholic, that they began departing from Sound Scripture when Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official Religion of the Roman Empire for the wrong reasons, and the banning of Paganism and taking over the Pagan temples led many pagans entering en mass to the new Catholicism, bringing along their pagan practices, including praying to male and female saints in lieu of god and goddesses, and the Veneration of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and denial that Mary gave birth to to Jesus brothers and sisters.
There were no Popes until Leo in 400 AD, a Bishop of Rome, declared himself Pope and established that all past Popes are those who served as Bishops of Rome, then declaring Peter as the first Pope, even though there is no record that Peter ever bore the the Title of Bishop of Rome.
BTW, Peter's original name is Simon, Jesus changed it to Petros when they first met. Petros is correctly translated as meaning: 'small rock'. When Peter correctly guessed that Jesus was Messiah, Jesus said to Peter, you are Petros (small rock), and then responding to Peter on acknowledging that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus replies, on this Petra (i.e. Large Slab, Jesus the Messiah) I will build my Church. Peter is Petros (small rock) because he correctly acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus is Petra, the large Slab, the Messiah who is the cornerstone on which the the Christian Church will be built.
In his letter in the NT, Peter refers to Jesus as the Chief Cornerstone
1 Peter 2:4-10
And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. or this is contained in Scripture:
"BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
"THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,"
8 and,
" A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE";
for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.
9 But you are CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION,A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. NASU
_________________ Arthur Biele
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| 2011/8/4 23:26 | Profile | sarahsdream Member
Joined: 2011/6/16 Posts: 183
| | 2011/8/5 2:00 | Profile | sarahsdream Member
Joined: 2011/6/16 Posts: 183
| Re: | | "Coming to Christ" is the beginning...
Men record salvations for different reasons, some to gain more support for their ministry and prove to others that they are worthy of their continued support.
God knows who truly comes to Christ...
It's a long road...
Lot's of "salvations", very little discipleship...
He that endures to the end, shall be saved..
In Christ, Sarah |
| 2011/8/5 2:00 | Profile |
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