Changes!

The world change dramatically between 1912 and 1945. Prior to 1914, people talked in terms of empire: The British Empire, the Ottomon Empire, etc. By 1945, two world wars had decimated the empires and people spoke in terms of nation-states. Prior to 1914, there was an optimistic perception that the world would only get better and better - it was a time of "high hopes". World events - two wars and a depression - shattered this optimism. Values were questioned and people were confused. People struggled to find a "new normal".

Hope dashed by war. Confusion. Financial trials. Questioning of values. Sounds a lot like our era, doesn't it? The headiness of the end of the cold war came to an abrupt halt on Sept. 11, 2001 ... and we've been trying to find our own "new normal" ever since.

The study of missions and church history has encouraged me greatly in the face of facts like this. Because no matter what type of leader, no matter what governmental structure, no matter what conflict among nations -- God's kingdom has made progress. And that progress is exponential! Consider:

• In 1430, 1 out of every 100 people were committed Christians - or 99 unbelievers to every believer.
• It was 1790 before 2 out of every 100 were committed believers.
• By 1940 the number was 3 out of every 100. Each advance is more rapid - by 1960 4/100; 1970 5/100; 1980 6/100; 1983 7/100; 1986 8/100; 1989 9/100; 1993 10/100; and 1995 11/100.
• Today that number is closer to 14/100. That means that for every believer there are only 7 unbelievers -- while only a generation ago (1960) that ratio was 1:25. That's progress!

Consistently, the number of people committed to God has grown faster than the general population - since the day of Pentecost. Current expansion rates are 3 times the rate of population growth. The task is obviously much closer to our reach today than in 1430. And God has blessed us with tools unheard of at that time - television, radio, film, printed and spoken Scripture in multiple languages. But there is much work to do, and we cannot shrink back at this juncture. For example, if every congregation in the world adopted and made serious efforts to reach one of the unreached people groups, there would be 500 churches focused on each of the remaining unreached people groups. Imagine the speed with which the Gospel could penetrate the world!

God is always on His throne - working for His glory. Even in the atrocities of the Holocaust and the darkness of 1914-1945, He remained sovereign with a purpose beyond human eyes. He directed spiritual battles we can only imagine. He kept His purpose intact throughout those years. The nation-states that emerged laid foundation for tremendous advance in kingdom understanding. And the church continued to make progress against the gates of hell.