We look for signposts. We talk with friends. We read. We watch scan the media. But more often than not, we're inundated with more information than we can consciously process. World news. National news. Local news. Bad news. News organizations. Fake news. How to sort it all out?
Ultimately, we're all really looking for good news. Like the promise of God to the prophet Jeremiah, "I know the plans that I have for you...to prosper you and not harm you. To give you hope and a future."
As
Christians, we can learn a lot from the news, if we know where to look. And
how. There are currently 7.6 billion people living on planet Earth. 7.6 billion
lives. 7.6 billion real people…with real stories…the vast majority of which
will go untold. And largely unnoticed. Every day, we're bombarded by news and
opinion from around the world, but most of it is focused on the same handful of
countries and the same handful of entertainers and politicians… those in
positions of wealth and power...or those who want to be! Conflicting voices
with conflicting agendas vying for our attention and demanding our allegiance.
In the midst
of it all, as followers of Jesus, there is another statistic that should grip
our hearts. Of those 7.6 billion people, at least 5.3 billion are NOT currently
Christians. 69 %. And every day 151,600 of them die. If 69 percent are
unbelievers, then 104,604 people per day pass into eternity without knowing
Christ.
That's 4350
per hour.
73 per
minute.
Six every five
seconds.
But there is good news as well! The Jesus we follow is alive…and active in the world right
now. And He’s pouring out His Spirit today bringing good news…the Kingdom of
God is at hand…breaking into our world and our reality…touching hearts and
minds and transforming lives and entire regions.
The greatest
Kingdom harvest in human history is taking place now.
Global
estimates indicate that there are over 3000 new believers coming to Christ every
20 minutes. 9000 every hour. 216,000 every day.
One movement
alone has seen over 1.6 million new
churches planted in the last ten years. That’s three every ten minutes!
People are
hungry for the gospel and they’re hungry for the results of the Kingdom
breaking in! It’s happening all over the world… in small hidden pockets in
closed countries…in marketplace encounters…in homes and villages… one on one
and life on life.
It’s
happening because some people are profoundly convinced that the lost really are lost and
need to hear. It’s happening because they are passionate about Jesus and His
Kingdom…and they’re taking it to the streets! Right where they are. They are committed to reaching those around them with good news for a change...news that brings real hope and real change for a real future!
We want to
pray for them…and encourage them…and join them. Join us!
