George Barna, a leading expert in church and worldview trends, has weighed in on some of the biggest issues facing the Church, including the steady decrease in a biblical worldview and dwindling concern for spiritual formation, which results in “Christian invisibility” in our culture.
Bible Colleges and seminaries set young ministry leaders up for failure. “You get what you measure,” George Barna contended. “So, if you measure the wrong things, you’ll get the wrong outcomes … pastors measure how many people show up, how much money they raise, how many programs they offer, how many staff persons they hire, how much square footage they built out. Jesus didn’t die for any of that. “If we were to go back to the Bible, I think we’d recognise the local church, the institutional church, as we’ve created it, is man-made. It’s not in the Scriptures,” he said.
Barna says, “We need to go back and recognise that it starts with families; parents have the primary responsibility to raise their children to become spiritual champions. Local churches need to support parents in that endeavour. Our primary focus needs to be on children … and growing their biblical worldview. If we do that, we’ll be able to increase the 3 per cent of adults who are disciples in America today to a larger proportion.”
I would also suggest that the church return to the church as described in the Book of Acts. Francis Chan got it right when he walked away from his church of 5000 to establish house churches where everybody is trained to be disciples to preach the good news of the Gospel.
Barna warns the church is at a critical juncture, and the path to a thriving Christian community lies in returning to the core biblical principles, the empowerment of parents as spiritual leaders and the intentional discipling of the next generation. “All the other stuff is noise,” he said. “If we don’t do those things, we’re going to lose even more in this war … this is our moment, we’ve reached a time of Christian invisibility in our culture. What I’m seeing now is that we’re getting to this place where the typical American … will not have anyone in their circle of influence who has a biblical worldview. You’re not going to be influenced by God’s truth.
The church is the last bastion of truth in many communities, as most institutions have been captured by the ideological Left. A recent survey reveals many Americans apparently now recognise the bankruptcy of ideologies pedalled by the Left and are truly searching for truth — truth found in gospel-preaching churches. So long as the church stays committed to God’s revealed truth in His word, the church offers a counter-narrative to much of what the world has sold.
According to research from the Barna Group released earlier this month, weekly church attendance reached a peak in 2009 with a 48% attendance rate among American adults. Since then, it has dropped and remained in the upper 20% range. However, preliminary data from 2025 suggests a potential uptick in weekly church attendance to approximately 32 percent.” Additionally, and perhaps more notably, 65% of the surveyed American adults disagree with the claim that “Church is not relevant in today’s world” — with 41% saying they “definitely disagree” and 24% saying they “somewhat disagree.”
Breaking it down between practicing and non-practicing Christians, 88% of those who are practicing said they either “definitely” or “somewhat” disagreed that church is irrelevant, followed by 67% of non-practicing Christians who “definitely” or “somewhat” disagreed as well.
Beyond attendance, the report highlights the social fabric of churchgoing. As The Christian Post summarised, “A majority of those surveyed (57%) said they talked to clergy before, during or after services. … 53% of churchgoers interact with ‘other attendees’ when going to church. … Exactly one-half of churchgoers (50%) reported they usually talk with a church staff member while at church,” and “one-third (33%) of those surveyed reported usually talking to church volunteers when they go to church.”
As the report emphasised, “These simple interactions represent important entry points for deeper discipleship community and leaders can help congregants consider how to strengthen those moments and take their Sunday engagement a step further.” In a deeper analysis, Family Research Council’s David Closson, the director of the Center for Biblical Worldview, shared with The Washington Stand, “As someone who has been around church for as long as they can remember, and as someone who has worked at and for the church for years, I am encouraged by recent reports that suggest most Americans reject the claim that church is irrelevant.” “As a Christian,” he added, “nothing could be more relevant than the church.” In fact, “Matthew 16 teaches that the church is God’s idea, and Jesus promises that even the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Closson explained how a glance at what’s taken place over the last few years reveals the “variety of cultural developments that have likely demonstrated the importance of the church to many Americans who may have been disinclined to view the church favourably.”
Especially in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, Closson observed, “I think many of our friends and neighbours realised that when you shut the doors of the church, you release a host of social pathologies into the community. As such, perhaps “in large response to shutting down the church, many people realise just how important the church actually is.” Beyond this, Closson also pointed to how “the true church is the last institution that has consistently taken a stand against radical ideologies such as LGBT activism and critical race theory. And as long as a church stands on the Bible as authoritative, it is a countercultural influence that testifies to the created order and how God has set up the universe.”
“My hope,” Closson concluded, “is that this report points to a burgeoning revival that will draw more of our friends and neighbours into our churches where they will encounter the living gospel that alone can change their lives and save their souls.”
Sadly, most of the mainline denominational churches have compromised with the world on homosexuality, gay marriage and even transgenderism.
The idea that faith should be completely removed from government is not only historically inaccurate but fundamentally flawed. In this eye-opening video, Equip explores the deep roots of Christianity in America’s founding, from the national motto “In God We Trust” to prayers in the White House and the influence of biblical principles on its nation’s laws.
I was encouraged just by watching Trump and his cabinet with bowed heads, listening to a powerful prayer. All I can say is that there must have been a lot of prayerful people in America for God to have given them this reprieve.
EQUIP is your go-to streaming platform for mastering evangelism and apologetics with top experts—learn, grow, and share your faith with confidence: https://livingwaters.tv/pages/equip-s.
The word “church” became a catch-all term to describe the Body of Christ, obscuring the true meaning of Ekklesia. Did you know that there are multiple Greek roots describing it? Listen to this quote from the 1915 Gospel Advocate: The word “Church” is really not a translation of any word that was used by either Christ or His Apostles, but is the Anglican form of a different word which Roman Catholicism substituted in place of the word used by Christ and His Apostles… It is in our English scriptures by order of King James, who instructed his translators to use the word church for the word “Ecclesia” instead of their choice of either “Congregation” or “Assembly”. According to this article, King James covered the true meaning of Ekklesia with a benign word to mislead Believers. The Greek word Ekklesia is correctly defined as the called-out (ones), meaning a civil body of elected people. The Oxford Universal English Dictionary defines Ekklesia as a regularly convoked assembly. YHWY intended for us as the Ekklesia to function as called out decision makers, guided by the Holy Spirit. Decision makers define culture—a role the deceived Church relegated to godless bureaucrats long ago.
Recall the days within the early Church in the book of Acts, when the disciples and other Believers established their own form of government within the Roman Empire: A deep sense of holy awe swept over everyone, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. All the believers were in fellowship as one body, and they shared with one another whatever they had. Out of generosity, they even sold their assets to distribute the proceeds to those who were in need among them… They were continually filled with praises to God, enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were coming to life (Acts 2:43, 47 TPT). Notice that Believers started taking care of the poor without looking for the help of the government. People received healing without doctors. They operated in a powerful anointing with miracles and daily communion and began to win the hearts and minds of the people and grow in numbers daily. The Ekklesia’s generosity, miracles and anointing began to threaten the Roman establishment. This explains why Rome scattered the Ekklesia. Yeshua expects us to involve ourselves with leading, making decisions and influencing culture, just as the early Ekklesia did in the book of Acts.
Extracts from the book Glory of Eden by Benjamin Thomas
Sarah Holliday, reporter at The Washington Stand looks at possible reasons why in a country that has been increasingly turning away from God and His values.
The Wall Street Journal wrote that “Bible sales are up 22% in the U.S. through the end of October, compared with the same period last year.” According to the outlet, there are several potential factors for why this is the case. Jeff Crosby, president of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, believes “people are experiencing anxiety … related to artificial intelligence [and] election cycles.” All of which “feeds a desire for assurance that we’re going to be okay.” Maybe Crosby is right. People want to know they’re going to be okay, and so they’re turning to the Bible.
Others have speculated that the rise in Bible sales can be attributed to influencers on social media. Cely Vazquez, whom WSJ described as an artist and influencer, has used her platform to share that she “recently bought her first Bible.” Likewise, the outlet highlighted Amber Cimiotti, another social media figure who thinks podcasters and TikTokers play a major role in the growing number of people buying Bibles.
WSJ also noted how several publishing houses found the customers largely responsible for the surge in Bible sales were members of Gen Z, college students, and younger people alike. And it’s not just religious publishers seeing the Bibles fly off the shelves, but mainstream retailers too — including Amazon. Observers are puzzling over what’s causing it in light of recent surveys that have found that at least 28% of American adults claim to be religiously unaffiliated. That doesn’t exactly scream an increased demand for religious material.
Ultimately, it’s more than likely that all of these factors laid out by WSJ played a part in the increase of people buying Bibles. Rev. Blaine Crawford of Irvington Presbyterian Church told WSJ that he has seen a recent increase in Scripture study groups. He remarked that God’s word is a “grand epic story of the great questions of life. What do we do with grief or anger, what are we here for, where is the world going? The Bible provides a counterpart in a conversation about what we’re doing at this time.”
As people made in the image of God, we were never meant to be away from Him. The reigning theme in the book of Ecclesiastes is not that life has no meaning, but that apart from Christ, the source from which our purpose derives, there is no meaning. As The Post Millennial wrote, “Experts and industry insiders attribute the growth in Bible sales to societal anxieties and a search for hope.” But I don’t think the experts are the only ones who could have figured this out. Rather, Christians should understand this to be the case better than almost anyone. After all, Christians are to be the people who understand their sin and need of a Savior. We ought to be at the frontlines of an anxious culture offering them the hope of the gospel.
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins put it this way: “Obtaining a Bible is the first step; the second step is to read it and then understand it. As Philip helped the Ethiopian leader understand the Word, pray that those who are turning to the truth for hope will have others who can help them understand the Good News contained within the pages of the Bible.” Guest host Jody Hice also commented on the news that the Bible is in higher demand on Monday’s episode of “Washington Watch.” Simply put, he stated, it’s “tremendous news!”
Pastor Jay Johnson, FRC’s National Prayer Director, agreed. As he emphasized, “I certainly rejoice at that news, and [I’m] just grateful that … there’s a demand” for the word of God. “There [are]people all over looking for hope, and people are guiding them to God’s word.” But according to Johnson, “it’s not just to know the Bible [and] not just to read the Bible, but to know God. And I think that’s the beauty of God’s word.” He also referenced FRC’s Bible reading plan, Stand on the Word, noting that it’s “a great resource for people to engage in reading God’s word.”
Both agreed that it’s important to read and study the Bible, but beyond Scripture, Johnson urged that “it’s also very vital to find a church that is teaching and preaching the word of God.” It’s important “to get engaged with a local church where they can study with others.” Especially because, as Hice and Johnson agreed, it can be difficult to stay focused when reading the Bible. It can be hard to get started, particularly for people who are new to picking up God’s word like the 22% or so this year. “I just want to encourage people,” Johnson said, “to start out by praying and asking for divine guidance.”
On behalf of everyone here at FRC, we believe in the life-giving, soul-saving power of God’s word. It’s the reason we start every morning as an organization in prayer and Bible study. And so, whether you’re new to reading the Bible or have been reading it nearly your whole life, now is the time to open it up and study it, know it, and ask the Holy Spirit to write it on your heart. And as we read of the 22% increase of people who are cracking open the pages of Scripture, let us pray that God opens their eyes, ears, and hearts to the glorious truth of the gospel.
It’s no wonder this fallen world is full of broken people looking for hope, answers, and truth. And this hope, these answers, and the truth we all crave is found in the Bible. The riches are there, free of charge. All you have to do is read and, by God’s grace, believe.
The former prime minister, Paul Keating has never done an interview quite like this one with Troy Bramston, bestselling/award-winning author and biographer of Prime Ministers Paul Keating, RG Menzies, Bob Hawke, Gough Whitlam.
Paul Keating is seated on a chair in the middle of his office in Potts Point, Sydney. It is not just any chair. It is from the Palace of the Tuileries in Paris, in the period when Napoleon Bonaparte was the First Consul of France. His arms rest on carved wooden griffons with lion heads and he relaxes into a soft cushion of horsehair. Keating purchased the chair last year. (The French Government’s Mobilier National, attached to the Ministry of Culture, had an option to acquire the chair but didn’t exercise it). When I arrived at the office with photographer Nick Cubbin, the chair was already in place, isolated from everything else, set against a red-walled backdrop. It is a striking example of French neoclassicism, which draws on ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian design, and expresses a philosophy of human progress with a moral and an aesthetic order, and the quest for innate beauty.
When talking about the chair and why he purchased it, Keating made the following statement which reveals a great deal about what motivates him:
“The Directoire and to a greater extent the Consulat are the periods of consolidation of the French Revolution – the event that changed all civil life going forward. The lives we all lead today, our liberty and equality, come from that time, that moment. This has always anchored my interest in the period. Otherwise, you would have been subservient to some monarch ‘appointed by God’ and by a Church that serviced God by collaborating with the monarch.Had you been an ordinary person, your life would have been wickedly subordinate, the next thing to being a non-person.”
Newly researched documentation on the bloodthirsty Reign of Terror that swept through France in 1793-1794, personified by Robespierre and the Angel of Terror, Saint Just, clearly indicates the high price paid by France for a revolution that brought havoc and thousands of deaths to the French nation. Perhaps one of the best examples is the massacre, better called the genocide, of La Vendée. General François Westerman of the revolutionary army claimed with pride that, in his efforts to crush the rebellion of the Vendéens, carried out against the abuses and crimes of the Convention, he ordered, by the decree of August 2, 1793, the systematic destruction and burning of the entire countryside, including all crops and the mass assassination of all rebels in sight.
Can we call the massacre at La Vendée a genocide? The term was used in 1944 to describe the horrors of the holocaust and the drama experienced by the Jews under Nazism. If we relate the number of men women and children slaughtered by the revolutionary army under the banner of liberté, égalité, and fraternité with the total population of France’s western provinces, the number is even higher than what the Jews had to suffer under the inhuman policy of Hitler’s National Socialism. In both cases, there was a deliberate will of extermination.
The French Revolution reveals the titanic struggle between good and evil. Among the first targets of the fury of the revolutionaries, following the dictates of many of the so-called philosophes, were the contemplative religious communities. The blood of innocent people lost in the years 1792-1794 staggers the imagination. The campaign against the Church was as much diabolical as cruel.
The Church before the French Revolution is often represented as having failed to produce the goodness and holiness that is preached in the Gospel. It cannot be denied that there were serious failures among the Catholic bishops and high hierarchical leaders. However, it is also true that many devoted priests and nuns were totally dedicated to a life of prayer and works of charity, who gave up their lives for the faith they professed.
Keating believes that the French Revolution was the greatest event in human history as did Voltaire, Diderot and Baroon de Hobach.
“Every sensible man, every honorable man must hold the Christian religion in horror.” –Voltaire
“Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.” –Diderot
“Religion has ever filled the mind of man with darkness and kept him in ignorance of the real duties of true interests. It is only by dispelling these clouds and phantoms of religion, that we shall discover Truth, Reason, and Morality. Religion diverts us from the causes of evil, and from the remedies which nature prescribes; far from curing, it only aggravates, multiplies and perpetuates them.” –Baron de Holbach
What does Keating say about himself? “I’m definitely an aesthete,” Keating says. “That’s my whole thing. I’ve been an aesthete since I was a boy.” (aesthete: a person who has or affects a highly developed appreciation of beauty, especially in poetry and the visual arts). It shaped his conception of “big picture” style leadership and the attendant dreams of audacious statecraft. He often says leadership is founded on imagination and must be matched with courage. “You must have the imagination,” he insists. “Imagination is everything.” To envision a better future, you need a nourishment of the mind.
“Where does the spiritual uplift come from?” Keating asks. “Well,I thinkit comes from the inner life … you need the bubbling cauldron.Without the bubbling cauldron, you can never get the rise. Without the rise, you just do ordinary stuff. But then who wants to do ordinary stuff?”
What does he mean “without the bubbling cauldron you never get the rise”. What nonsense, perhaps he should have gone to university after all. “Not going to university, Keating argues, freed his mind. He sought intellectual nourishment by indulging personal interests“
Keating explained that the task of the reformer is to combine imagination with indignation. It demands political battle. “What others would call the warrior statesman,” Keating explains. “Most of these people in history, whether it’s Alexander the Great or whoever were in the business of blood and gore, you know? And in politics, I was in the blood and gore business, fundamentally. But with big ideas always running it.” Winning debates in parliament, putting the blowtorch to opponents in interviews, and slashing attacks on the campaign trail – it was about establishing political hegemony and policy authority. “Why do you throw Liberals around like rag dolls?” he asks. “Apart from the fun of it, the importance of it is for the betterment of the economy and society.”
Noting he is “fundamentally a romantic”, led him to an exploration of romanticism in culture. I always inhabited both camps, neoclassicism, and romanticism. Neoclassicism with and for its enlightenment ideals, its devotion to reason and perfectionism – much of which informed my calibrated approach to economic policy. [And] romanticism opened the yawning vistas of life replete with emotions that cram the human experience – which music goes out of its way to both join and to satisfy. I think I can claim, without refute, that you are much better with both. The culture of reason vying with the culture of feeling. Nevertheless, both share a common ideal: beauty. For as Stendhal said, ‘beauty is the promise of happiness’. I believe this to be true and have believed so always.”
Nowhere in the interview do they get into our origins, religion, meaning, and purpose of life.
The Bible is replete with examples of God’s people being called to influence nations and governments. One of the most striking examples is found in the book of Daniel.
Daniel, a prophet, served in the courts of Babylonian and Persian kings, providing wisdom and guidance that shaped the course of entire empires (Daniel 2:48). His role was not just spiritual but also political, showing that God can use His people to influence leadership at the highest levels.
Similarly, Joseph’s rise to power in Egypt under Pharaoh (Genesis 41) demonstrates how God can elevate His chosen individuals to positions of political authority to fulfill His divine purposes. These biblical stories underscore that involvement in politics is not inherently dangerous but can be a means through which God’s will is enacted on earth.
Prophecy and political leadership
Prophecy has always been pivotal in guiding God’s people, especially in times of crisis or transition. The Old Testament prophets were often called to speak truth to power, offering divine insight into the direction of nations. Amos 3:7 states, “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” This suggests that God uses prophecy to guide leaders and nations.
In the New Testament, the role of prophecy continues, with the Apostle Paul urging believers not to “treat prophecies with contempt” (1 Thessalonians 5:20).
Prophecy serves as a way for God to communicate His will, including matters of leadership and governance. Therefore, dismissing modern-day prophecies about political figures like former President Donald Trump could mean overlooking a vital aspect of God’s communication with His people.
The danger of political neutrality
The Newsweek article highlights concerns that endorsing political candidates from the pulpit could harm the church’s witness. However, political neutrality is not always the safer path. In fact, remaining silent on political issues can be just as dangerous, as it may allow unrighteousness to go unchecked. Proverbs 29:2 reminds us, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”
The Bible calls the Church to be the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-16). This mandate extends beyond personal morality and into the realm of social and political influence. If the Church fails to engage in politics, it risks allowing ungodly leaders and policies to prevail, leading to the moral and spiritual decline of the nation.
Prophecy and the modern church
The rise of prophetic voices in support of former President Donald Trump has sparked controversy, with some Evangelical leaders warning against equating God’s will with that of a political party.
Yet, history shows that God has often raised up leaders who are imperfect but chosen to fulfill His purposes. King David, for instance, was far from perfect, yet he was “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14).
The key is discernment — churches must prayerfully consider whether a leader aligns with biblical principles and values. Rejecting prophecy outright because it does not fit our preconceived notions of what a leader should be could mean missing out on God’s chosen vessel for a particular time and purpose.
Why churches must engage in politics
The Church has a responsibility to engage in politics, not for the sake of power but to ensure that God’s principles and justice prevail in the land. Prophecy is one of the ways God communicates His will for nations, and the Church must not ignore this vital aspect of divine guidance.
By carefully discerning the role of prophecy in political leadership, the church can fulfill its biblical mandate to be a guiding light in times of moral and spiritual darkness.
Rather than retreating from political involvement, the church should embrace its role as a prophetic voice, calling leaders to righteousness and ensuring that God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
This article is by Troy Anderson. His upcoming book, The Trump Code (Charisma House/FrontLine, September 17, 2024), delves into various prophecies and their potential connections to contemporary political events, providing a fascinating perspective on the 2024 Presidential Election.
Troy Anderson is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated investigative journalist, bestselling author of The Babylon Code, Trumpocalypse, The Military Guide to Armageddon, and Revelation 911, former executive editor of Charisma magazine and Charisma Media, and reporter at the Los Angeles Daily News and other newspapers. He’s the founder and president of the Inspire Literary Group and writes for Newsmax, Charisma, Townhall, and other media outlets. www.troyanderson.us and www.inspireliterary.com.
GOD IS MOVING ACROSS EUROPE – IN FRANCE, HUNGARY & ITALY
FRANCE: Praise, prayer, and the Word of God filled the streets of Paris recently as more than 25,000 people participated in the March for Jesus in France. The massive gathering of believers across Paris on May 25th reportedly broke record participation when attendees gathered together under the banner “Let’sbear witness publicly and in unity” about our faith in Jesus Christ.
A coalition of ministries organized the event which took place in Paris and four other cities including Lille, Nantes, Metz, and Strasbourg. The organizers said that the gathering “allowed Christians of all denominations to raise the name of Jesus above their theological differences.” “We opened ourselves to the entire evangelical Protestant spectrum thanks to the participation of several churches such as MLK, Hillsong, ICC, and also Baptist, charismatic, and more traditional Protestant churches. My role, as coordinator is to keep unity and unite around Jesus,” Gilbert Leonian, the pastor in charge of the Paris march said. He also said, “If we are here, it is not for a religion or to promote our church, but because there is someone who has touched us deeply – Jesus,”
HUNGARY & ITALY: Another wave of massive gatherings has taken place across Europe since the Paris March with more than a thousand people making decisions to follow Jesus Christ – this time in Hungary and Italy. International evangelist Jean-Luc Trachsel says “the power of the Lord” moved at two huge conferences in Hungary and Italy as people were saved, healed, and delivered. “Everywhere in Europe there are hungry and thirsty people,” he wrote on social media. Trachsel is the founder of Jean-Luc Trachsel Ministries which works to “bring unity among Christians and to proclaim the Gospel to this generation with mercy and compassion.” Recently Trachsel delivered a message in Paris, for the “March For Jesus”. Trachsel shared about a worship event called “This is the Day” in Miskolc, Hungary. That stadium can hold more than 15,000 people, and it was filled with souls hungry for God. Trachsel reports 1,300 people gave their lives to Christ.
Trachsel also shared a message on the power of the Holy Spirit at the Apostolic Conference 2024 hosted by the “Apostolic Church in Italy” in Rome. The three-day conference brought together a network of Italian churches with 11,000 members. A massive Protestant gathering like this is seen as unusual in the seat of Roman Catholicism. Trachsel recounts that “miracles and healings” took place at the conference including someone who was born deaf and left the conference able to hear and another person who had “blind twisted eyes” could see normally after receiving prayer.
REALITY CHECK: He added that the greatest “miracle” was the souls saved. Much of Europe has abandoned the Christian faith, embraced secularism, and returned to its pagan roots. The number of European Christians is expected to drop by about 100 million, falling from 553 million in 2010 to 454 million in 2050. Meanwhile, Europe’s Muslim population is expected to increase by 63% in the same time frame. Trachsel said he is seeing the decline firsthand in Switzerland where only 3 to 5% of the seven million people are born-again Christians. I feel the time is coming in Europe when real Christians will have to be underground,” he said
Trachsel is correct, the church in Europe will be underground as it is in China, Iran, and other Muslim countries. We need to take Jesus warning to heart:
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:9-13
China’s sabre-rattling has been escalating for months. “Tensions are peaking. Beijing’s belligerence is once again making Taipei jittery,” said a report from WION News. China’s military recently released a video showing what simulated attacks on Taiwan would look like. “A war here in Taiwan would have catastrophic economic consequences not just for this island, but for the whole world,” warned SkyNews London in a report from Taipei. The tiny island off the mainland coast is now facing almost daily Chinese military harassment. “Taiwan is beefing up its military and training with new U.S. weapons,” reported CBS News, as its military prepares for possible full-scale war. “To be clear, we do not seek conflict or confrontation, but we will not flinch in the face of bullying or coercion,” said a defiant U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin. While the war drums grow louder by day, Taiwan’s Christians are taking to their knees by night.”The united prayers and fasting prayers of the churches in Taiwan are much more than ever before. It’s an unprecedented prayer movement,” Brian Lu, pastor of Shekinah House of Bread of Life in Taipei, told CBN News.
All across this island, people are meeting every day, 24 hours a day, to pray for revival, unity, repentance, and protection over their land. “I believe something so simple is starting to have such a huge impact upon people in the church and also the people around the church,” said Gordon Huang, a prominent church leader. Huang pastors one of Taiwan’s most well-known congregations. His church sits atop the iconic landmark known as Taipei 101 in the heart of the capital city. He fears war with China is coming and wants Christians to be ready. “I think one thing for sure is that people are going to be so shaken and people will want to hear the Gospel. Are you ready or are you going to be on the run yourself?” Huang told CBN News. That theme of shaking gripped Don Young two years ago. “I had heard from the Lord: ‘Time is short, the hour is urgent, it’s time to pray’,” he recalls. In May of 2021, Pastor Young says the Lord spoke to him and gave him a word that there was going to be a shaking coming to this nation. He brought that message to the church leaders of the island and that gave birth to a prayer movement that has since swept across Taiwan.
The Revival Prayer Group or RPG movement began, made up of a handful of people in groups taking turns around the clock to pray for Taiwan. “Prayer is the only way that you can get through anything shaking,” said Young who now works with the Georgia-based College of Prayer International. “Jesus said everything by prayer. He did nothing apart from prayer. Before it was just kind of a moment with God, we all have them, but now it was shaping up to become a movement for God. There’s a huge difference between a moment and a movement.” “Because RPG has two or three people in a group, so if one day a war happens and there are no physical buildings that people can meet in, we can still pray in small groups so the church will not be affected,” said Pastor Lu. Peter Yang has pastored and planted churches in Taiwan since 1978 and says he’s never seen the kind of unity now on display. Churches across denominational lines have been joining the initiative.
“What’s happening today is so rare,” said Rev. Yang who leads the Taiwan Christian Alliance. “Every day, every week, I join pastors from other churches, other denominations, and we pray for our cities, for our nation for other countries. It’s amazing, it’s clearly God’s doing. Unity will be the legacy of this movement.”
More than 40,000 Revival Prayer Groups have sprouted up, with members of China’s underground church movement also taking part. Each group has about 5 members, so that brings the current total to roughly 200,000 participants. “We want to have 300,000 RPG groups where we also unite with churches in China, coming together, all the leaders and members, on both sides, so we can pray with the goal of impacting China as well,” said Yang. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year sent a chill across this island nation of 23 million people with many drawing comparisons between Putin’s obsession with taking over Ukraine and Xi Jinping’s determination to “annex” Taiwan.
Many fear war can erupt here with little notice and it’s prompting some to search for peace amid constant threats from Beijing. “Many people came and joined RPG because they heard testimonies of how God is answering prayer, so you have a lot of unbelieving people joining RPG and as they open their mouths and pray, they experience the Lord so they are coming to the Lord as well,” said Pastor Huang. CBN News spoke with church leaders who said a potential Taiwan-China war would be like David facing down Goliath, bringing untold devastation and loss of life. They believe prayer can make the difference between war and peace. “We ask churches around the world to pray for this most dangerous place in the world today so that God’s peace can come upon cross-strait relations,” said Pastor Lu. “Ethnic Chinese should not kill one another, but instead, we should together fulfill the end-time missions’ movement, to bring the Gospel back to Jerusalem.”
This is just another end-times sign and it is great to see that Taiwanese Christians recognize it and are responding to it.
God’s intent for the Church has always been that it be a place where lost people get found and the broken get put back together — a place filled with “weres” who are learning to build new lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
It’s time for surveys to tell us that churches are breaking new ground and being filled with those from broken families, broken relationships, and broken lives. But they should also tell us churches are doing all they can to break the downward cycle of family dysfunction and restore health to marriage and fatherhood. Only then can people step into the life God has for them, and only then can they be part of God’s heart for breaking new ground through the power of the Gospel.
“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes …” (Romans 1:16).
In Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica, he reminded them they had “turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God …” (I Thessalonians 1:9). When he took the Gospel to the city of Ephesus, many who engaged in sorcery and pagan worship left their ways to follow Jesus (Acts 19: 19, 23-27). The survey question, “How many of you came from families that practiced sorcery and idolatry?” Would have had embarrassing results. Yet Heaven was smiling as new ground was being broken.
But the city of Corinth tops them all: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor those habitually drunk, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the Kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (I Corinthians 6:9-11). That must have been quite a congregation! New ground was being broken.
“Churches must work to restore healthy marriages and fatherhood to combat a growing decline in Christianity, according to a survey released by a faith-based group.” The article went on to detail how the decline in resident fatherhood and the collapse of marriage are likely explanations for the increase in religious non-affiliation throughout the United States.
God’s roles for males and females need to be restored. Male leadership in the home and church is clearly laid out in God’s Word but it like most of God’s commandments has been jettisoned by an unbelieving world. Fortunately, God tells us in His Word that this would be the case and the only solution is for Jesus to return and restore righteousness by ruling and reigning the nations with a rod of iron, and this He will do for 1000 years with the resurrected Saints. Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom is a transition period prior to God establishing a new Heaven and new Earth where only the righteous dwell. Whilst Satan is bound for most of the thousand years. In the end, God allows him to be released and astoundingly he is still able to raise an army of rebellious people like the sand of the sea to come against Jesus and the Saints. The rebellion is promptly put down and this earth and heaven are destroyed. A second resurrection occurs of those unbelievers who were not raised at the first resurrection and all those who died during the Millennium. Jesus White Throne judgement follows. Only then does John see a new Heaven and a new Earth and a magnificent New Jerusalem descending from Heaven onto the new Earth.
LIVING ETERNAL NOW 