Blessed Friday. When Jesus gave us the Great Commission, there might have been as many Christians in the entire world as there are people in your Church on a given Sunday. May you be encouraged today in knowing that you are a part of a mustard seed kingdom that will only grow until the warmth of the Son covers the Earth.

In today’s edition:

• When Christians were atheist.

• Believers in China have no choice but to meet in secret.

• Churches planted, leaders needed, and what we’re doing about it.

💡 When Christians were atheists.

As Christianity began to spread throughout the Roman Empire, it wasn’t always immediately understood. In fact, many considered the disciples of Jesus to be atheists. This wasn’t because they didn’t believe in God, but because Christianity didn’t fit into the religious categories of the Roman pantheon. 

As for their object of worship, the Romans had gods for every aspect of life, but Christians refused to worship them, opting instead for an invisible God who couldn’t be represented by idols.

As for rituals, early Christians believed Jesus was the final sacrifice, making temple rituals and the sacrifices of the Romans obsolete. 

As for their temples, the meeting place for early Christians was not a physical temple or building, but in Christ himself who dwells in every believer. Christians could worship God in their homes or wherever they could gather.

Overall, Christians’ refusal to participate in public worship was perceived as a refusal to honor the gods who protected the empire, leading to accusations of atheism, general suspicion, and was a key factor that contributed to the persecution of the early church.

Today, the Roman Empire is long gone. The temples for the visible gods are ruins, their rituals are forgotten, and the remains are sights for tourism. Yet, by all accounts, there are more Christians than ever before in the history of the world. The religion of the atheists, of the persecuted, proved the test of time.

But this isn’t a triumph of the Christian religion. Christianity’s distinctiveness lies not in its practices, but in its foundation. As new empires rise, and old religions fall, Christians remain committed to worshiping in spirit and truth a God who is Spirit and Truth. We remain focused on the message of the invisible God whose Son came in flesh and blood. That’s a truth worth living and dying for.

— Steven Morales

🇨🇳 Christians in China have no choice but to meet in secret.

The Details: About 75 years ago, the Chinese Communist Party came to power. Soon after, they began removing all foreign missionaries, placing harsh restrictions on all religious life. Today, the Chinese government is working on translating the Bible with the goal of changing the entire story of the Bible itself—eliminating the truths of the gospel foundation.

The Takeaways: The Kingdom of God is present in China. Despite difficulties for Christian missionaries to enter and live in China and restrictions to the true Scripture, there are likely more than 100 million Christians across China. Even though persecution is present, Chinese house churches continue to grow and multiply.

🔁 The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I don’t think anybody really likes change. It takes us a while to get a good grasp of where we are, so once we feel comfortable, we do everything we can to just… stay. And not just physically—it happens in our mind, too. Anything that rocks our beliefs faces a near immutable wall of defenses. We want our thoughts and minds to stay still as well.

But being alive means to change. All living beings are born, grow, and reproduce. And the Church, as a living being, as the Body of Christ, has been growing and spreading as Christ has commanded, and things have definitely changed. Just think about these facts:

• A hundred years ago, 18% of all Christians lived in the Global South. Today, it’s 67%.

• In 1900, less than 2% of all Christians lived in Africa. By 2050, that number will rise to 39%.

There is no doubt that a change is coming. If you’re a Christian, and English is your main or even your only language—you’re quickly turning into a minority. Countries like Brazil and the Philippines are in a race to see who will pass the US as a missionary sending force. And missionary fields like Latin America are more and more becoming missionary forces, which could be a key piece to the puzzle of reaching the Middle East and North Africa.

Because there’s another aspect that needs to change. You’ve probably heard it before—86% of all Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists do not personally know a Christian. That needs to change because they need Jesus just as much as you and I do.

— Jairo Namnún

_{PS. If you want to know more about how things have changed, and what the future might look like for the Church, be sure to check out our new Neighborhood & Nations on The State of Global Christianity. It’s coming out next week, so stay tuned!}

🌏 Churches planted, leaders needed.

In some areas of Southeast Asia, healthy churches are non-existent. By God’s grace, several new churches have recently been planted. 

But there’s still an urgent need: local church leaders.

Radical is supporting the training of 15 national leaders to plant new churches in the most unreached area of a Southeast Asian country. This project incorporates mentorship and pastoral training to raise up leaders for evangelism, discipleship, and church planting through formal and informal training opportunities.

How to Pray: Pray that the program participants would love the Lord and have a hunger to see the gospel declared in their country. Also, pray that the lost in this region would be reached by the efforts of these leaders and their churches. Lastly, pray for the faithfulness and boldness of Southeast Asian Christians as they experience persecution and hardship.

📌 Worth Your Attention

• It’s here! The full report of the State of the Great Commission by The Lausanne Movement is out, free to download.

• Your love for your neighbors will demonstrate whether you believe in Jesus. Scott Hubbard wants us to hear a wake-up call from the verse Jesus quoted the most.

• What does it mean to care for orphans and widows? Brian Croft identifies four practical ways followers of Christ can carry out this biblical mandate.

• Ever find yourself in a prayer rut? Chrys Jones helps us see how praying the Bible can be a simple way to revamp your prayer life.

THIS WEEK’S COLLABORATORS:

Selah Lipsey, Steven Morales, Jairo Namnún, Camille Suazo

MAKE YOUR LIFE COUNT!