Christianity exploding in China: Even the BBC has noticed!

God's Spirit continues to do amazing things in China (and the rest of Asia, and Africa)—though it's only rarely reported by this country's media.

But the Radio 4's going to have a documentary tonight at 8pm: "God in China, Christianity and Catholicism". There's an article about the Chinese churches here.

The thrust of the piece is to suggest tentatively that it's not poverty that is driving Chinese people into church buildings (or houses, since most Chinese Christians meet underground and illegally in a house), but economic growth. Could it be that as China sees more and more of the idol of wealth, more and more Chinese realise that it won't deliver… and are turning to the only God who will?

Some highlights:

• "There are already more Chinese at church on a Sunday than in the whole of Europe" (60 million is a conservative estimate).
• "The new converts can be found from peasants in the remote rural village to sophisticated young middle class in the booming cities"
• "I heard people talking again and again of a spiritual crisis in China … in the stampede to get rich, trust in institutions, between individuals, between the generations, is breaking down"
• The state fears the influence of zealous American evangelism … but in many respects [the house church movement] seems to be an indigenous Chinese movement - chrarismatic, energetic and young" (spot the subtle implicit criticism of whatever "zealous American evangelism" is)

All this matters for us as Christians in the UK. Firstly because the gospel is still doing its work in the 21st century, despite those who think Christianity is on the way out.

But second, because one of the underlying assumptions of aggressive atheists and secularists is that religion is for backward-looking, unthinking, poverty-stricken people: not for developed, sensible societies. Which is, of course, why the USA has proportionately far more wealth and far more Christians than the UK, and why it turns out that China, the fastest-growing economy in the world, is also the fastest-growing church in the world…

"I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb" (Revelation 7 v 9). Looks like a lot of members of that heavenly church service will be Chinese!

Praying at the start of a new school year

It’s that time of year again. Many children are about to start a new term, a new class, maybe even a new school. And Christian parents and friends up and down the land are praying hard.

Many are praying for good friendships to be formed. Others for academic or sporting success. A few are pleading for the end of bullying or a greater ability to cope with the many pressures of school life.

But over all these personal hopes and fears, it’s great to take a moment to pray through these verses.

The LORD … established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so that the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. [Psalm 78:5-7]

They are fantastic verses that remind us of God’s priorities. So why not take the opportunity right now to think about your own children or the children in your congregation:

• Thank God for his word and for the people who have been faithfully teaching the Bible to the young people you care about.
• Ask God to help the children remember what they have been taught so that they can be confident in his sovereignty, love, faithfulness and power.
• And pray that the children will be steadfast followers of Christ – obedient to his will (and, of course, conscious of his grace when they fail) throughout the coming academic year.

London Women's Convention 2011

Looting: a response

A great, biblical response to the looting from Mike Ovey of Oak Hill College.

But the liberal and the diehard both seem to see the looters as profoundly other, patronisingly in the one case, demonisingly in the other. The thought is that the looters are not like us.

http://oakhill.ac.uk/commentary/11_summer/looters_them_or_us.html

Bibles or brooms?

In the aftermath of the recent riots, Christians in the UK are starting to grapple with some big questions: How do we explain the violence that has blighted our cities? How do we respond to the needs of our communities? How can we encourage those who have been affected?

As ever, two schools of thought are gradually emerging: One focuses on the spiritual – the need for prayer and gospel proclamation in urban centres. The other on the practical – calling Christians to get involved in the clean-up operations and community-building exercises underway. But to be truly biblical we need to draw those strands together...

Today we need to have a Bible in one hand and a broom in the other as we intercede for our nation.

When our neighbours are hurting, it is right that we roll up our sleeves and offer assistance. In the wake of a violent attack, the Good Samaritan offered first-aid, shelter and financial support to a stranger on the street (Luke 10:25-37). John says that giving to those in need is a natural outworking of our love for a loving God (1John 3:16-18). We need to be proactive in supporting those who are suffering now.

But the gospel is far more profound and transformational than social action alone. The gospel makes sense of the recent carnage by exposing the sin in human hearts (Romans 3:9-18). It points, comfortingly, to a God who is sovereign and has a solution to the pain of this world (Romans 8:22-25). It teaches us reconciliation and true community as we live in light of the cross (1Peter 3:8-12). And it holds out the possibility of real change as people put off the old self and put on the new (Ephesians 4:22-24). Truths that need to ring out today.

So let us encourage one another to be people of Bibles and brooms. And if you have a story to tell about how your church is getting involved in the aftermath of the riots do share it (briefly) so we can all be praying for you today ...

Proverbs 1:10-19

My child, if sinners try to lead you into sin,
do not follow them.

They will say, "Come with us.
Let's ambush and kill someone;
let's attack some innocent people just for fun.
Let's swallow them alive, as death does;
let's swallow them whole, as the grave does.
We will take all kinds of valuable things
and fill our houses with stolen goods.
Come join us,
and we will share with you stolen goods."

My child, do not go along with them;
do not do what they do.
They are eager to do evil
and are quick to kill.
It is useless to spread out a net
right where the birds can see it.
But sinners will fall into their own traps;
they will only catch themselves!
All greedy people end up this way;
greed kills selfish people.

Have you prayed for your pastor today?

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel…Eph 6:19

Paul was no fool. He knew the task of preaching was an onerous one. He understood the dangers of leadership. He battled daily against the temptations that creep up on every pastor. And he saw, first hand, the devastation that flowed from ministers wandering away from the truth. So he asked his congregations to pray: to get on their knees and ask God to help him remain faithful and bold.

It’s all too easy to forget that our own leaders face similar tests and temptations today. In a world that swings between hostility to the gospel and apathy, it can be desperately appealing to amend the gospel message to make it more “palatable”. And sadly, many leaders succumb. Indeed, if the BBC have their stats correct, it seems 1 in 6 clergy in the Dutch Protestant Church are now either agnostic or atheist - 17% of ministers in Holland's largest protestant denomination have serious doubts about the existence of God and have given up holding out any clear gospel-hope to their congregations.

Such statistics should not be a surprise: the Bible reminds us that in these last days there will be false teachers (2Peter 2:1). But reports like this should remind us that we need to be praying for our pastors. So why not take a moment right now ... pray for your minister and the leaders of your denomination that they, like Paul, will be faithful to the gospel and bold for Christ.

Making a name for yourself

Sheikh Hamad, one of the ruling family of the oil rich state of Abu Dhabi has made a name for himself. Literally.

He paid an army of workers to toil for weeks in the sand of an offshore island to carve his name into the earth. The letters are a kilometer high and are visible from space. You can even see them on Google Earth. Genesis 11 v 4 springs to mind: Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower bwith its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

Shelley commented on the hubris of such acts in his famous poem Ozimandias. The Bible says that such acts are not just sad - but will lead to self destruction. Writing our names large, with a building, a company, or like Sheikh Hamad in the sand may make other people notice us. We seek immortality by bigging ourselves up. Paradoxically, this is the route to extinction. Because what matters in the end is whether our names are written, not in history or architecture, but in the Lamb's book of life. If it's not, we are in serious trouble.

And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:15