Forcefully Advancing

In his recent book "Megashift," author Jim Rutz shared his discovery that the number of born-again believers around the world is increasing at an astonishing rate of 8% per year. Rutz says that the global church is growing in countable networks. In 1970, there were 71 million of them. By 2000, there were 707 million.

Starting with the 20th century alone, according to Rutz:

• In 1900, there were 2 million evangelical or charismatic Christians in Africa. By 2000, there were 200 million.

• In Latin America during that period, the born-again population zoomed from 1 million to 170 million.

• And in China, just since 1950, Christianity has exploded from fewer than a million to almost 120 million.

Here's more: Up until 1960, Western evangelicals outnumbered non-Western evangelicals – mostly Latinos, blacks and Asians – by two to one. As of 2000, non-Westerners had shot ahead by four to one. By 2010, it will be seven to one. (From Patrick Johnstone, "The Church Is Bigger Than You Think.")

What's happening? God is. Here's what he has to say:

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of
heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. (Matthew 11:12)

Want to be among the forceful men that lay hold of heaven's kingdom as it marches onward powerfully? You start by knowing the King of heaven, God Almighty.

See that "How Well Do You Know God" button on the sidebar of this website? That's a good place to begin to get to know Him.

Let's lay hold of the kingdom of heaven together.

God bless you.


Graphic courtesy of:
Free Christian Images
http://www.fci.crossnet.se/