Posted on 10/24/2018 7:35:27 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Amen.
Church pew research? Punny.
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Author doesn’t understand that when the church is most persecuted its growth is greatest as this is when the Gospel shines the brightest!
“Christianity the fastest growing religion on the planet…”
That is to bad..and very, very sad.
why?...because Christianity IS NOT a ‘RELIGION”.....:(
The definition of religion as far as the world in concerned is:
a particular system of faith and worship.
plural noun: religions
“the world’s great religions”
OR
a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.
“consumerism is the new religion”
..do’s and dont’s...morals and ethics....a never ending list of when to kneel....and how to pray...and where to face....and ....and....and.....
BUT
Here is the GOOD NEWS.... Christianity is not a religion!
Then what is it?
Christianity is at it’s very foundation and in totality simply a REALTIONSHIP!!! PERIOD!
A relationship between the only Son of God and risen Savior JESUS CHRIST....who HAS risen from the dead!!... and now is alive!!
Jesus Christ rose from the dead! Jesus Christ now sits at the right hand of the Father! Right now....HE see’s you..he never can’t see you....he longs for you.
...And when we ask him for forgiveness of our sins...the sins that will/should put us into the lake of fire eternally....HE FORGIVES us of those sins.... Because he already paid the price and died for us on that tree.… he then enters within our earthen vessel made of clay … To bring to us the Kingdom of God!!!.... within us!!
THINK OF IT!!
... The Holy Spirit empowers this relationship. And we grow like the seed of a mustard tree... through the sanctification of the word of God… Every day… In accordance to how we yield to will of and plan for God in our life.
It saddens me to think of “Christianity” being a fast growing quote religion”…
But
It warms my heart and I praise my God and our Father in heaven.... every single time someone who is lost in there sins, alone, bereaved and powerless… who asks for forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ and enters into a RELATIONSHIP with the God of heaven the Alpha and the Omega
...and begins an eternal ‘New Life’....because they now belong to the Author of Life...
The Love of Christ to all,
Revelation David
In a constant sea of media negativity and propaganda, this is very heartening stuff. Thanks very much for posting!
Well, it doesn’t sound wrong to me to say that Christ gave us a system of faith and worship... albeit quite flexible in manner of expression.
I don’t quibble on this like I used to, though I don’t urge people to “join the Christian religion” as apart from “accept the everlasting salvational offer of Jesus Christ.” The first sounds like it might just be about rites, but the second makes it positive that it’s about a relationship, forged from God’s side.
Dear Friend in Christ,
you wrote:
“”Well, it doesn’t sound wrong to me to say that Christ gave us a system of faith and worship... albeit quite flexible in manner of expression.””
Respectfully and in His love....’it’ does NOT have to ‘sound wrong’ to you....in order to be completely wrong. Subtly… drastically… Eternally wrong period
Jesus Christ died to do away with completely ANY AND ALL “system of faith and worship”…
... For it is in Christ and in HIM alone we have been blessed with EVERY spiritual blessing. Our faith... our salvation ....our sanctification are very enterprise into the Kingdom of God is complete in Christ.
You and I can add NOTHING.... that will add ANYTHING to the work God completed fully and eternally in Christ Jesus!
And my friend....every single thing you do add…”systems of faith and worship”... Takes away from the very foundation of what Jesus died for....
Respectfully and in His Love always.
Revelation David
Great post.
I think the Pew study is very misleading and too many people accept that Islam is destined to be the #1 world religion.
Christianity is growing rapidly globally and Pew denies that anyone essentially converts as a matter of evangelism or free choice. They only seek to understand demographics. That would never explain how Christianity has come to have more than 2.3 billion adherents.
Nope, you’ve left out an important qualifier. Human-generated.
Put that in and we will agree... leave it out and yes. Jesus ordained how we should worship. I don’t just say it does not sound wrong. I say it ISN’T wrong. Thanks for the chance at clarification!
Nope, you’ve left out an important qualifier. Human-generated.
Put that in and we will agree... leave it out and yes. Jesus ordained how we should worship. I don’t just say it does not sound wrong. I say it ISN’T wrong. Thanks for the chance at clarification!
**For the record, I place Roman Catholicism under the heading “Christianity,” and we have not discussed this church’s growth or decline, except only in passing.**
So many of the “Christian” numbers may really be Catholic numbers.
Not accurate at all — they need to be counted separately.
And not meaning to be snarky about it, but how does it read to you when the bible says “with all your heart, mind, and strength”?
God has systems too! They’re just far bigger than anything we can come up with.
“So many of the “Christian” numbers may really be Catholic numbers. Not accurate at all — they need to be counted separately.”
So...Catholics aren’t Christian? OK...here we go again...
Why don’t you go back to your Jack Chick tracts? He knew everything about Catholicism, didn’t he? Beast of Rome and all that?
Or maybe you’re into handling snakes, too.
BTW I know Pope Francis is a jerk. We’ve survived worse.
Guys, guys. Salvation is affiliated with the Roman Catholic wing of Christendom. Jack Chick is a weird thing to accuse him of being.
And I’m de facto affiliated with the Protestant wing. But let me confess a dirty little secret: I’ve never Jack Chicked in my life.
And we might as well account the Orthodox separately too, so everybody’s happy about church counts. Children, children.
Wow! What an encouraging post! God is at work in His world!
Hate to be a damper, but what kind of “Christianity” are we talking about? Catholic? Orthodox? Mormon? Roll-your-own? Biblical? Christian Socialism? (this is a rhetorical question, no answer needed)
Satan is behind the constant onslaught of negative news headlines. He wants us to think that he is more powerful than he is, that he has the victory...
But alas, the war was already lost the moment Christ rose from the dead. Greater is He.
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