While I’ve travelled over these recent weeks, I have heard some remarkable things…
In Peru, the church is “living in a time of harvest” – the 1% ‘evangelical’ in 1989 has mushroomed to 15% today – which amounts to 4 million people and 20,000 churches.
In Zimbabwe, the inflation rate is so bad that some shop-keepers are known to raise their prices three times a day.
In Malaysia, the four major global religions are each represented by more than 10% of the country (Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism) – the only nation like this in the world … until someone tells me otherwise, that is!
In Syria, the President was so impressed with a locally-produced DVD on the Apostle Paul’s life that he personally paid for it to be screened for three consecutive nights in the local opera house.
In Colombia, a medical-doctor-turned-theologian observes that half of his class at medical school is now practising medicine in the USA.
In Israel, on that first Day of Pentecost, one sermon led to 3000 believers. Too often today it seems like 3000 sermons lead to one believer…
In India, they are expecting there to be more than 100 million believers by the year 2020.
In Russia, 30% of the Bible Schools that started in the 1990s, after the fall of communism, have been closed.
In Iraqi Kurdistan, there is a Korean couple (whom I met) who have worked with blind people and spent these recent years before retirement translating the New Testament into Kurdish braille.
In the Middle East somewhere (I can’t disclose the location – sorry), there are people distributing business cards with the entire Bible on them.
In New Zealand, people are celebrating being the only unbeaten team at World Cup 2010 (even though we were knocked out in the first round, a minor detail that must not be allowed to spoil a good story).
nice chatting
Paul
About Me
the art of unpacking
After a childhood in India, a theological training in the USA and a pastoral ministry in Southland (New Zealand), I spent twenty years in theological education in New Zealand — first at Laidlaw College and then at Carey Baptist College, where I served as principal. In 2009 I began working with Langham Partnership and since 2013 I have been the Programme Director (Langham Preaching). Through it all I've cherished the experience of the 'gracious hand of God upon me' and I've relished the opportunity to 'unpack', or exegete, all that I encounter in my walk through life with Jesus.
Recent Posts
Football helps me train preachers. See, when you speak to me about football—or, ‘footie’—I need to know where your feet are before I can understand what you mean. Are your feet in Ireland, or Brazil, or the USA, or NZ—or in crazy Australia? It must be the most fanatical sporting nation in the world. Within…
Having been born in 1959, I don’t remember much about the 1960s. But I have heard a lot. Hippies. Drugs. Rock ‘n Roll. Assassinations. Moon-walking. A quick trip across to ChatGPT informs me immediately that it was ‘a transformative decade across the world’—marked by the civil rights and feminist movements, Cold War tensions, consumerism and…
This is excellent and encouraging Paul. It is so good to be reminded of God's work in the world. So often we get preoccupied and discouraged with the struggles in this little island in the Pacific that we forget that there is much that is thriving elsewhere. Thanks for providing such good perspective on how God's working.
Thanks, Andrew – it is amazing what can be picked up when we listen carefully, isn't it?! Trust you are well
P