BRAZIL ENCOURAGEMENT
Jesus man and gracEmail subscriber Larry Zinck reports from Rio de Janeiro that more than 500 brothers from all over Brazil were present on a recent weekend for an annual mens retreat, spending two uplifting days singing and praying together. Teaching was encouraging and also challenging. It was a time of renewing old friendships and making new ones. Larry comments: “Times like this make us stop and think how wonderful heaven will be!”
WORLD RELIGIONS 2050
The Pew Research Center has released a study report on the future of world religions, with population growth projections by the year 2050. Expect major changes from today’s demographics, spurred primarily by fertility rates, youth populations, and people switching faiths. In 2050, look for Christians to remain #1 in size, with Islam only slightly behind at #2 in size and #1 in growth (largely birth rates).
Muslims will make up 10% of the overall European population. India is projected to retain a Hindu majority but also to replace Indonesia as the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. Interestingly, people of neither Indonesia nor India are of Arab ethnicity. USA will see its Christian population decline from more than 75% in 2010 to 66% in 2050. The USA will have more Muslims than Jews. On the world scene, by 2050, some 40% of all Christians will live in sub-Saharan Africa.
All these data are only scientific best-guesses based on projections of present and anticipated realities and trends. However, such foretelling reminds us not to take anything for granted, to put our trust in God alone, and to invest our time, talent, and treasure in “things above,” and to wait, watch, and work for our Lord’s appearance to bring all things to perfection and complete redemption.
IMPERIAL DELEGATES
Among today’s gracEmail subscribers are several thousand Jesus-men and Jesus-women,who serve the Messiah here in the USA, but also many others who represent God’s kingdom outside the United States in countries and on continents around the world.
I am requesting all gracEmail subscribers who serve the Savior outside the USA to reply to this message, giving me five bits of information and implied permission to list them in future gracEmail(s): (1) your name; (2) city and state, or other political subdivision; (3) your area of ministry (evangelism, education, shepherding, benevolence; etc.); and (4) the specific part of the church universal (denomination, fellowship, movement, or tribe) with which you live as your spiritual home or use as a base of operations.
