What is God doing?

If our only news source is Fox News, CNN or one of the other major American news networks, it seems like things are pretty bleak in the world. We hear about earthquakes, wars, death and destruction on every front and it can get pretty depressing. I think Christians fall prey to this mindset as well. It's easy to forget that God tells us that He wins in the end!!! Jesus is coming back! But before that happens, God tells us to

"Look at the nations and watch-- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5

One of my reasons for this blog is to share with you the GOOD NEWS that is happening around the world. But we won't find it, usually, unless we look for it in alternative news sources. It can be found in some excellent books, great websites and in speaking to people who live or have lived overseas.

I've listed below some of the neat things that God is doing in our world, right now. It helps to remind ourselves of these truths to combat all the negative news around us. Satan would like nothing better than for Christians to feel demoralized and give up the fight.

Some great news to think about and share with others comes from the book 2020 Vision by Bill and Amy Stearns

- An average of 160,000 a day hear the message of redemption in Christ for the

first time.

- Every hour, 3,000 more people decide to follow Jesus Christ which results in 72,000 new believers in Jesus every day, 91% of which are found in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

- 1,600 new churches opened every week around the world

- 80 percent of the world's people have access to at least some portion of the Bible in a language they can understand

- Daily, in Africa, there are 20,000 new believers; Africa was 3% Christian in 1900 and is now more than 50% Christian

- Uganda: One church in Kampala seats 10,500 and is filled to capacity for four services every Sunday. The church has planted more than 1,000 daughter churches across Uganda. Twenty-five years ago, Uganda’s population was 22% Muslim. Today that figure is around 6% Muslim. To find out how God is using one young lady in a remarkable way in Uganda go to amazima.org

- Explosive growth in Latin America...almost all unreached people groups have been reached with 50,000 new churches per year

- In 1950 in China - 1 million believers; 2009 in China - 80 million Christians with average of 10,000 - 23,000 new Christians daily

- Mongolia - In 1989 there were only four known Christians; today there are more than 10,000 indigenous believers.

- Afghanistan - Before Sept. 11, 2001, there were only 17 known Muslim-background followers of Christ. Today there are more than 10,000. To pray specifically for Afghanistan go to http://prayercentral.net/

- During the 1990s, the number of born-again believers in the world doubled!

- In 100 AD, the time of the earliest persecution of the Church, there were 360 non-Christians for every true believer...today that number has shrunk to just 7 non-Christians for every Christian as the Holy Spirit continues to move in our world