Opposition Produces Growth

I want to start off by giving you a little bit of what has happened and is happening in the Muslim country of Sudan, which similar to Pakistan is over 90% Muslim:

The gospel spread through these many years of upheaval. Although the conflicts created terrible suffering, they made the Church more mature. The wars scattered Christian refugees throughout the country, so even through suffering the good news spread. Churches formed in places and among peoples that previously had no Christians! Praise God that this growth occurs across many denominations. Pray for them to find unity through Christ. The Islamic government bombed churches and other Christian buildings in the South, and specifically targeted Christian areas for attack. But many believers kept their faith, and even took the gospel to other ethnic groups during these hard times!

Why has real growth occurred in the midst of devastation and upheaval? Kind of crazy right. The church in Western Europe is disappearing even though there wasn’t persecution. There are still some countries where there is a religion recognized by the country, but the amount of Christians is still decreasing every year.

Look at Spain. The country still allows a percentage of the personal income tax of the people to go to the Catholic Church, but from 2013 to 2023 the amount of people who consider themselves Catholic has dropped from 73% to 53%. And even less, only about 27% meet with the church on a consistent basis.

What’s the problem?

Because believe it or not “Opposition Produces Growth.”