The TORBEN CONTROVERSY - COMMENTS?

The TORBEN CONTROVERSY - COMMENTS?
by Andrew Strom

I hope by now you have seen the movie "The Last Reformation"
by my old friend Torben Sondergaard. (If not, there is a link at the
end of this article). Of course, the movie is very powerful and
inspiring - which is why we have promoted it.  It literally changes
people's lives.

But there are always those who have concerns - and it is often
the same things that come up over and over. So I am writing this
article to address some of these things.

Firstly, I am not a member of 'The Last Reformation' movement.
To me, this is not about a man or a movement. It is all about
JESUS and what He wants to do in the earth. We can take the
very best stuff that Torben puts out and combine it with the things
God has shown us - and see tremendous powerful things happen
in people's lives. That is because it is not about us and it is not
about Torben. It is all about JESUS and what He wants to do.

EXPERIENCED a DAY OF MIRACLES

If you have been on this email list for awhile, you will know that
we have been doing similar things to the movie for years. Praying
and baptizing people on the streets, etc. But I have to admit, when
I got back from the recent "Kickstart" with Torben in Australia,
something in me felt new and different. It was like a 'jump' had
taken place so that healings and other powerful things suddenly
felt more 'normal' and more attainable. And now we are teaching
others and they are seeing this "jump" take place in their own
lives. A jump into Book-of-Acts Christianity.

We just returned from a little town in Northland where some
brothers and I held a Training Weekend not too different from the
ones Torben holds. On Saturday we literally had an entire day
of healings, people getting filled with the Spirit and speaking in
'tongues', baptisms in the ocean - all interspersed with teaching
on the "Foundations" (Hebrews 6) - and so-on.

At one point we got all the "well" people to pray for all those with
injuries and sickness. Many were instantly healed. While this
was going on, I started praying for a woman who had had two
operations on her hips and walked in constant pain. As I
commanded healing in the name of JESUS she was instantly
healed and took off walking up and down the aisle to check that
the pain was gone. Totally healed in Jesus' name! I then asked
her if she had ever been filled with the Holy Spirit and spoken in
'tongues'. She never had. I laid on hands and prayed for her. She
was instantly filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in
a beautiful prayer-language. Honestly, I have never seen a person
look more radiant or filled-with-joy than this lady. And two hours
later she was helping to baptize a friend in the ocean. Real New
Testament stuff happening right before our eyes.

Did it used to be common for me to see powerful things happen
instantaneously like that? Nope. But now it is starting to become
truly "normal". And we also find that we are able to pass this on
to others. The gospel is being followed by healings and miracles,
just like it was in the Bible.

BAPTISM is AN ISSUE

Personally I have always been strong on baptism - both in water
and in the Spirit. The thing that I am strongest on is that baptism
should be done in FAITH. You need to BELIEVE that in baptism
God will do all the things He says He will do. Of course we insist
that people must repent first before they are baptized.

So when the Bible speaks of baptism as a "death and burial" of
the old life (Rom 6:3-4) we tell people to believe God for that. And
when it says that baptism is a "cutting off" (Col 2:11-12) and a
"washing away" (Acts 22:16) we tell people to believe God for
that. This makes baptism very powerful - just as it should be. Why
do we treat baptism as a mere "symbol" when if we do it in FAITH
it can be one of the most powerful spiritual experiences of a
person's entire life?

A lot of people ask questions about the way Torben baptizes.
You will notice in the movie that he says to the person, "I baptize
you into Jesus Christ" (or in the "name of Jesus Christ") but then
he does something additional while he is putting them under the
water. He says, "Die with Christ, rise with Christ." And he does
it every time. In fact, a lot of people get the impression that this
is Torben's baptismal formula. "Die with Christ, rise with Christ."

If you ask him, I'm sure Torben will say that this is just something
he adds to emphasize what baptism is all about. (Rom 6:3-4).
But the problem is that Torben's followers around the world are
copying him in a way that makes it seem like this is now the
proper "formula" for baptism. This could really cause problems.
In fact, it already is.

For many years I have personally baptized people "in the name
of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - in the name of Jesus
Christ."  Why do I do it this way? Because in Matt 28:19 it tells
us to baptize in the name of the "Father, Son and Holy Spirit"
but in the Book of Acts it tells us they baptized people in the
"name of Jesus Christ". So to fulfill all these Scriptures and also
to save confusion, I make sure that all of this is covered. To
speak the name of Jesus over someone being baptized is a very
wonderful thing.

So I have no problem with Torben baptizing people simply "into
the name of Jesus Christ."  Personally I prefer to do it a bit
differently, but I have no problem with that at all. And neither do
I have a problem with people joining the 'Last Reformation'
movement. If they want to do that it is entirely up to them.

As for me and others, however, we consider that we are already
part of the "Jesus" movement. We love to take great material like
the 'Last Reformation' movie and show it to people to make them
inspired about doing the works of Jesus in the earth. It is one of
the best tools I know of to show that a "Book of Acts" lifestyle
truly is possible today. A very powerful film. But we do not have
to be part of a "movement" to do that.

I strongly encourage you to gather your friends and relations to
watch this movie. There is really nothing else like it. Maybe you
can even have a prayer and healing session afterward! Or a
baptism session! I'm sure it will inspire your friends just as it
has inspired many others.

TO COMMENT click here - http://www.revivalschool.com/

TO WATCH the MOVIE - https://thelastreformationmovie.com/


God bless you all.

Andrew Strom.

"IT WAS INSTANT!" - Powerful Testimony Today

"IT WAS INSTANT!" - Powerful Testimony Today

A man just shared this on our website. Here is what happened
when he showed 'The Last Reformation' movie to his young son:

Robert Marquez wrote:

"My wife, 11 year old son and I just watched the movie. When it
was over my 11 year old said he wanted the baptism of the Holy
Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. We laid hands
on him and asked the Holy Spirit to fill him up. As soon as we
laid hands on him he began to sob. My wife and I prayed in
tongues over him and soon my 11 year old son was speaking in
tongues as well. After about ten minutes of us all praying and
speaking in tongues, my son said, "Wow, I wanted it but wasn´t
really expecting that".  Its time we get our "believers" fixed.
Praise the Lord!"

Praise the Lord indeed! The testimonies just keep rolling in.
If you still have not seen 'The Last Reformation' movie yet, here
is the link again-

https://thelastreformationmovie.com/


Special blessings to all,

Andrew Strom.

Your Appointment Still Awaits You

Your Appointment Still Awaits You
(En Español)

Appointed Time
In spite of escalating turmoil in our world, there still remains one last, great outpouring of mercy before the time of the end (Matt. 24:14; Acts 2:17). This supernatural season is not something for which we must beg God. No, its coming has been predetermined. It is the "appointed time" of the Lord.
An "appointed" or "fixed" time is an open display of the sovereignty and power of God, whether it is in calling a person or calling a nation. In it we discover with absolute certainty that nothing is impossible for God. It is a season when God fulfills the hopes and dreams of His people
As it is written,

"But You, O Lord, abide forever, and Your name to all generations. You will arise and have compassion on Zion; for it is time to be gracious to her, for the appointed time has come" (Ps. 102:12-13).
During an "appointed time" it is as though the Lord physically rises and moves in unfailing compassion on behalf of His people. It is the time when divine promises, dreams and spiritual hopes are fulfilled. Recall: Abraham and Sarah had waited in faith for a quarter-century for the promise of God. Finally, as they neared one hundred years of age, the Lord told Abraham, "At the appointed time I will return to you . . . and Sarah will have a son" (Gen. 18:14). One year later, "at the appointed time" (Gen. 21:2), Isaac was born to aged parents!
While there are, indeed, appointed times of judgment (Mark 13:33), this phrase most frequently represents a time, preset by God, when He invades mankind with "wonders, plans formed long ago, [that unfold] with perfect faithfulness" (Isa .25:1).
Demons may stand arrayed against the Lord; nations may align themselves to fight Him. It does not matter. "He who sits in the heavens laughs" (Ps. 2:4). For He makes all things His servants (Ps. 119:91), even His enemies' plans for evil are reversed and made to serve the purpose of God (Gen. 50:20; Rom. 8:28; Acts 2:22-24).
If God gave you a vision, a spiritual hope or dream for your future, there will be an appointed time when that which God spoke comes to pass. Thus the Lord assures us, "Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time. It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay" (Hab. 2:2-3, italics mine). Though your vision may tarry, wait for it. For it will certainly come to pass at the appointed time.
Appointed Servants of God
Consider the Lord's word to His disciples. He said,
"You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain" (John 15:16).
The disciples certainly felt that they had chosen Christ. Yet the deeper truth was that God chose them before the foundation of the world. Likewise, He chose us and predestined us to come to Christ (Eph. 1:3-5). We could not even come to Christ had not the Father drawn us (John 6:44). Yet He who chose us also appointed us to bear fruit. The same power that worked in us our surrender and faith continues to work in our hearts, appointing us to bear fruit. Do you believe God has chosen you? Then believe also that He has appointed you to bear fruit.
The Enemy's Work
One may argue, "But I know people who were good Christians who have fallen away." Yes, but in most cases you will find that prior to falling away they first fell into deep disappointment about a failed spiritual expectation. You see, disappointment is not just a depressed emotional state of mind; deep disappointment actually can sever our hearts from faith. It can "dis-appoint" us from our otherwise appointed destiny.
I have known many who were doing well, moving toward their destiny. The future God had for them seemed close enough to taste. Then they became disappointed in someone or something. By accepting a demonically manipulated disappointment into their spirits, and letting that event germinate and grow into a disappointment with God, a bitter cold winter overtook their souls and their destiny went dormant.
When one is dis-appointed, he is cut off from his appointment with destiny. Their appointed breakthrough remains in the heart of God, but the individual is isolated by unbelief. Hope deferred has made their heart sick. It is here, even in the throes of disappointment, that the righteous must learn to live by faith (see Hab. 2:1-4).
Listen well my friend: Satan will stop your destiny if you accept the power of disappointment into your life. Disappointment cuts us off from our vision, and without a vision people perish.
Therefore, let me ask you: Are you carrying disappointment in your heart? Renounce it. Forgive those who have let you down. Have you personally or morally failed? Repent deeply and return to your Redeemer. Right now, I ask the Holy Spirit to remove the paralyzing sting of disappointment from your heart! Holy Spirit, deliver your people this day from the effect of the disappointment. Let them know that their appointment with destiny is still set.

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Adapted from Francis Frangipane's book, This Day We Fight! available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

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When the Many Are One

How the Christian community—driven by grace, unified in love, and activated by prayer—can bring revival and change the world.

In When the Many Are One, Francis Frangipane demonstrates how Christians of every color, culture, and denomination can work together to transform our communities.
Our best efforts will not stop the flood of problems in our cities if we remain isolated from each other. In a season when external forces are causing disunity and division, Francis Frangipane calls us back to oneness with Christ, and through Him oneness with other Christians. With the character and power of Christ in our midst, the Church can again bring transformation to our communities, our nation, and our world.

Book - $9.85 (Retail $15.00)
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GO INDONESIA

GO INDONESIA

Tuhan mengamanatkan bagi setiap orang percaya untuk “PERGI DAN MENJADIKAN SEMUA BANGSA MURIDNYA”. Kita mengenal perintah ini sebagai Amanat Agung,

Mat 28:19  Karena itu pergilah, jadikanlah semua bangsa murid-Ku dan baptislah mereka dalam nama Bapa dan Anak dan Roh Kudus,

Mat 28:20  dan ajarlah mereka melakukan segala sesuatu yang telah Kuperintahkan kepadamu. Dan ketahuilah, Aku menyertai kamu senantiasa sampai kepada akhir zaman."

Namun sayangnya bagi kebanyakan orang Kristen hal ini hanya sebatas pengetahuan atau ayat hafalan saja. Ingatlah bahwa Tuhan tidak terkesan pada banyaknya pengetahuan kita akan Alkitab maupun banyaknya ayat yang kita hafal. Sebab IA menghendaki ketaatan kita. Ingat Iblis merupakan malaikat Tuhan sebelum jatuh dalam dosa dan ia mengetahui setiap firmanNya tetapi ia tetap memberontak. Begitu pula para ahli Taurat pada zaman Tuhan Yesus, mereka memiliki pengetahuan akan Tuhan tetapi tidak mengenal Tuhan Yesus saat IA datang dan ada dimuka bumi. Tuhan bukan saja ingin kita mempelajari kebenaran..... Mengetahui kebenaran ...... Tetapi terlebih lagi IA menghendaki ketaatan kita untuk hidup dalam kebenaran.

Perintah ini diberikan oleh Tuhan dan Raja atas hidup kita. Salah satu barometer kita sebagai anak dan murid Tuhan adalah ketaatan kita terhadap setiap perintahNya. Dan ini merupakan Amanat Agung...... Amanat terakhir sebelum Tuhan Yesus terangkat ke surga. Bila kita sungguh-sungguh beriman dan mengasihiNya, kita juga akan serius menanggapi panggilan ini.

Menuntaskan amanat ini bukan hanya tugas beberapa orang saja..... Bukan hanya tugas pendeta atau mereka yang memiliki jabatan penginjil TETAPI ini merupakan perintah Tuhan bagi setiap orang percaya. Kami mengajak setiap anak Tuhan untuk secara giat mencari wajahNya dan menemukan tujuan hidup kita selama hidup di dunia ini. Tujuan hidup itu akan selaras dengan amanat agungNya. Menjadi terang dan garam dunia, sebab Kristus (Terang Dunia) itu tinggal di dalam kita.

Terlibatlah dalam kelompok kecil pemuridan, dimana kau bisa belajar dan bertumbuh di dalam Tuhan, berakar kuat di dalam DIA dan menghasilkan buah kebenaran. Membawa pemulihan bagi orang-orang di sekitar kita..... Membawa dampak di lingkungan kita tinggal bahkan berkat bagi kota..... Bangsa..... Bahkan lebih jauh lagi bagi bangsa-bangsa. Tetapi langkah kecil itu harus diambil....... Jadilah murid Kristus yang belajar untuk mentaati setiap perintah Tuhan melalui kuat kuasa kasih karuniaNya yang datang daripada Roh Kudus. Roh Kudus akan membawa kita dalam pengenalan akan Kristus secara lebih dalam dan memberikan kemampuan untuk mentaati perintah-perintahNya.

1Yo 2:6  Barangsiapa mengatakan, bahwa ia ada di dalam Dia, ia wajib hidup sama seperti Kristus telah hidup.

Bila anda belum menemukan kelompok pemuridan atau di gereja Anda belum ada pemuridan, mari kami mengajak anda sekalian untuk belajar bersama-sama dengan kami untuk menanggapi panggilan Tuhan ini menuntaskan Amanat Agung. Mari semua teman-teman yang memiliki hati untuk bertumbuh bersama dalam Tuhan, mari kita rapatkan barisan dan mengerjakan panggilan kita di dalam tubuh Kristus.

Ini merupakan saatnya bagi setiap anak Tuhan tersadar dan bangkit sebagai murid Kristus...... Terutama sebagai bangsa Indonesia..... Ini merupakan saatnya bagi bangsa kita untuk bangkit dan terlibat aktif dalam melaksanakan amanat agung Tuhan kita, masih ada ratusan suku terabaikan di Indonesia. Mereka belum mengenal Kristus, ini saatnya kita bertindak merebut mereka dari kuasa kegelapan. Jangan biarkan seorang pun binasa, mari kita menjadi saksiNya dan memuridkan mereka. GO INDONESIA...... GO.....GO.....GO. Ayo bangkit murid-murid Kristus di bumi INDONESIA....... GO INDONESIA..... GO INDONESIA.

Mengapa kau tinggalkan kasihmu yang mula-mula?

Sebuah Surat Dari Bapa

Mengapa kau tinggalkan kasihmu yang mula-mula?

Mrk 12:28  Lalu seorang ahli Taurat, yang mendengar Yesus dan orang-orang Saduki bersoal jawab dan tahu, bahwa Yesus memberi jawab yang tepat kepada orang-orang itu, datang kepada-Nya dan bertanya: "Hukum manakah yang paling utama?"

Mrk 12:29  Jawab Yesus: "Hukum yang terutama ialah: Dengarlah, hai orang Israel, Tuhan Allah kita, Tuhan itu esa.

Mrk 12:30  Kasihilah Tuhan, Allahmu, dengan segenap hatimu dan dengan segenap jiwamu dan dengan segenap akal budimu dan dengan segenap kekuatanmu.

Mrk 12:31  Dan hukum yang kedua ialah: Kasihilah sesamamu manusia seperti dirimu sendiri. Tidak ada hukum lain yang lebih utama dari pada kedua hukum ini."

Dosa telah merusak hubungan kita dengan Bapa Surgawi. Itulah sebabnya mengapa dosa seharusnya dicabut dan disingkirkan jauh-jauh dari kehidupan kita. Dosa harus dibenci dan ditolak mampir dalam kehidupan kita. Tujuan dosa adalah mencuri satu hal yang paling vital bagi kita, yaitu persekutuan yang intim antara kita dan Tuhan. Tujuan dosa adalah untuk memisahkan kita dengan Tuhan, Juruselamat kita.

Di dalam Tuhan Yesus, kehidupan kita disempurnakan. Kita harus mengejar keakraban dengan Tuhan. Mengenal Dia dan berjalan bersamaNya harus menjadi tujuan kita yang terutama, prioritas pertama hidup kita, pusat fokus, perhatian dan kerjakeras kita.

Vance Havner berkata,”persyaratan utama untuk menjadi seorang misionaris bukan mengasihi jiwa-jiwa, sebagaimana sering kita dengar, melainkan mengasihi Kristus dengan cinta mula-mula.

Jadi apapun yang kita kerjakan entah itu berdoa, mempelajari Alkitab, bersaksi bagi Kristus, memuridkan, menyembah, berkhotbah, mengajar, melayani, memberi bahkan sebagai anak atau orangtua...... Semua harus mengalir dari hati yang mengasihi Tuhan. DIA adalah sumber kekuatan kita, Dialah motivasi kita, Dialah dasar kita yang teguh.

Why 2:2  Aku tahu segala pekerjaanmu: baik jerih payahmu maupun ketekunanmu. Aku tahu, bahwa engkau tidak dapat sabar terhadap orang-orang jahat, bahwa engkau telah mencobai mereka yang menyebut dirinya rasul, tetapi yang sebenarnya tidak demikian, bahwa engkau telah mendapati mereka pendusta.

Why 2:3  Dan engkau tetap sabar dan menderita oleh karena nama-Ku; dan engkau tidak mengenal lelah.

Why 2:4  Namun demikian Aku mencela engkau, karena engkau telah meninggalkan kasihmu yang semula.

Why 2:5  Sebab itu ingatlah betapa dalamnya engkau telah jatuh! Bertobatlah dan lakukanlah lagi apa yang semula engkau lakukan. Jika tidak demikian, Aku akan datang kepadamu dan Aku akan mengambil kaki dianmu dari tempatnya, jikalau engkau tidak bertobat.

Gereja Tuhan dapat meninggalkan persekutuan yang erat dengan Tuhan, selagi mereka bekerja keras untuk DIA, sambil menjaga kemurnian moral dan doktrin mereka.

Inilah yang harus kita lakukan apabila kasih kita kepada Yesus mulai dingin. Kita harus memperbarui hubungan kita dengan DIA! Kita harus menyediakan waktu yang berkualitas untuk bersekutu denganNYA, mencurahkan segenap isi hati kita padaNYA di dalam doa, dan menceritakan kepadaNYA segala pikiran dan beban yang memberatkan hati kita. Kita mengangkat suara kita kepadaNYA dalam pujian dan penyembahan, menyanyikan lagu-lagu pujian yang memiliki kesan mendalam bagi kita saat melewati tahun-tahun yang sulit, serta menyatakan kasih kita kepadaNya melalui ucapan syukur dan puji-pujian. Di saat itulah, kita memenuhi pikiran dan hati kita dengan firmanNYA, merenungkan kebenaranNYA, mempelajari kepribadianNya, menerima berkat dariNya, serta bertumbuh dalam pengetahuan dan kasih karunis. Inilah waktu yang paling baik bagi kita untuk mengingat kembali kasih kita yang mula-mula dan membangun kembali keakraban dengan Tuhan. Manakala Tuhan menggerakkan hati kita, maka kita akan membagikan iman kita pada mereka yang belum mengenal DIA.

Matthew Henry menyatakan, Kita harus berbalik kepada Allah dan melakukan kembali hal-hal yang dahulu mereka lakukan. Merek harus mengulangi segalanya dari awal, naik selangkah demi selangkah, sampai mereka tiba di tempat pertama kali mereka salah mengambil langkah; mereka harus berusaha keras untuk menghidupkan dan menyalakan kembali api semangat, kelembutan, serta keseriusan mereka. Selain itu, mereka harus sungguh-sungguh berdoa dan berjaga-jaga, sama seperti yang mereka lakukan ketika mereka untuk pertama kalinya hidup di jalan Tuhan.

Tuhan berjanji untuk mendekat kepada orang yang mendekat kepadaNYA (Yak 4:8). John Bunyan menyatakan, ketika kita mengambil langkah untuk kembali pada Tuhan, maka Tuhan pun akan melangkah semakin dekat kepada kita. Sekaranglah waktunya untuk menjadi pemburu Tuhan dengan segenap kekuatan kita. Perburuan ini menuntut kekudusan hidup kita. Oswald Chambers menyatakan,Kekudusan adalah karakteristik dari seorang yang rindu menyentuh hati Tuhan. Jika kita mendekat pada Tuhan maka dosa pun akan menjauh dari kita. MP Horban berkata,”Kesucian sejati berbicara mengenai bagaimana kita dapat belajar menikmati persahabatan dengan Tuhan.” SEgala sesuatu mengalir dari pengenalan akan Tuhan, mengenal DIA merupakan inti hidup kekal.

KIta akan bertemu Tuhan muka dengan muka, itulah seharusnya menjadi tujuan hidup kita. Tidak ada sukacita dan kepuasan yang lebih besar dan indah daripada merasakan kasih Tuhan secara langsung. Tidak lama lagi kita akan berjumpa denganNYA secara pribadi. Kita harus mengembangkan persekutuan yang akrab dengan DIA secara pribadi. Segala kebaikan kita harus lahir dari DIA.

Menjadi seperti DIA adalah inti dari kekudusan itu sendiri, untuk itu dibutuhkan tekad serta kemauan untuk bersekutu dan mengenal DIA.

Tatkala hati kita menyala-nyala, maka Yesus adalah segalanya bagi kita. KIta hanya dapat bertumbuh dan menghasilkan buah yang baik hanya jika kita tinggal di dalam pokok anggur yang benar, yaitu Kristus sendiri (Yoh 15:1-9).

Sekaranglah waktunya untuk menyalakan kembali api cinta yang mula-mula.

Five Ways Christianity Is Increasingly Viewed as Extremist

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Research Releases in Faith & Christianity • February 23, 2016

Society is undergoing a change of mind about the way religion and people of faith intersect with public life. That is, there are intensifying perceptions that faith is at the root of a vast number of societal ills.
Though it remains the nation’s most dominant religion, Christianity faces significant headwind in the court of public opinion. The decades-old trend that Christianity is irrelevant is increasingly giving way to the notion that Christianity is bad for society.
A new major study conducted by Barna Group, and explored in the new book Good Faith, co-authored by Barna president David Kinnaman, examines society’s current perceptions of faith and Christianity. In sum, faith and religion and Christianity are viewed by millions of adults to be extremist.
Here are five facts that explain the emerging reality:
1. Adults and especially non-believers are concerned about religious extremism.
In the wake of religiously motivated terrorism—like the recent incidents in San Bernardino and Paris—it is no wonder that a backlash against extremism is reaching a boiling point. Currently, a strong majority of adults believe “being religiously extreme is a threat to society.” Three-quarters of all Americans—and nine out of ten Americans with no faith affiliation—agree with this statement.
2. Nearly half of non-religious adults perceive Christianity to be extremist.
The perception that the Christian faith is extreme is now firmly entrenched among the nation’s non-Christians. A full forty-five percent of atheists, agnostics, and religiously unaffiliated in America agree with the statement “Christianity is extremist.” Almost as troubling is the fact that only 14 percent of atheists and agnostics strongly disagree that Christianity is extremist. The remaining four in ten (41%) disagree only somewhat. So even non-Christians who are reluctant to fully label Christianity as extremist, still harbor some hesitations and negative perceptions toward the religion.
3. The range of what constitutes extremism is broad, ranging from behaviors that are almost universally condemned to more narrowly defined extremism.
What actions and beliefs, exactly, come to mind when people think about religious extremism? The researchers examined more than 20 different activities and beliefs, asking a random, representative sample of U.S. adults to identify the degree to which each of those activities appeared extreme. The results essentially fall into four categories, as shown in the infographic below.

• Category 1 included those actions widely considered to be extreme by at least four in five adults in the U.S. This involved using religion to justify violence, refusing standard medical care for children, and refusing to serve a customer whose lifestyle conflicted with their beliefs. For the most part, these three elements were viewed to be extreme by a majority of all demographic segments as well.
• Category 2 were activities and beliefs marked as extremist by at least half, but less than 80% of the public. Eight different factors qualified for this level, ranging from demonstrating outside an organization they consider immoral and protesting government policies that conflict with religious views. Many of these factors related to the claims of faith in the public square—that is, how religious people might interact on social issues and government policies.
• Category 3 included factors that generated extremist concerns among at least one out of five adults, though they are not currently rated as extreme by more than 50% of adults. This group of concerns was populated by elements that are more distinctive to various religious traditions, such as speaking in tongues (characteristic of Pentecostal and charismatic believers), wearing special clothes or head coverings  (e.g., Muslim women), and adhering to special dietary restrictions (such as Mormons, Catholics, Jews, and Adventists). [Note: specific religious connections were not provided to respondents.]
• Category 4 was only occasionally indicated as extremist, generating concerns among at least one in 16 adults, but fewer than one-fifth of Americans. However, when calculated on the basis of the entire population, these perceptions represent significant numbers of adults who indicate anxiety about these kinds of religious expression. These factors include reading sacred literature (either the Bible or Koran) in public as well as donating money to or attending a religious institution. Again, these are low on the list of extremism, however, for many Americans even these conventional activities are viewed to be extreme.

5. Evangelicals stand out from the norm in terms of their attitudes on religious extremism—and they exhibit major differences from the skeptics.
Evangelical Christians stand out among national trends. In all but four cases, evangelicals are much less likely to perceive the elements assessed in the research to constitute extremism. Evangelicals are equally likely as the general population to say that religiously motivated violence and refusing medical attention to children are extremist—in other words, the vast majority of evangelicals agree with virtually everyone that these activities are certainly extreme. Also, evangelicals are equally likely as the general population to say that wearing special clothes or head garments and reading the Koran in public are extremist actions.
[Note: Barna’s definition of evangelicals is not based upon a person self-identifying as evangelical. See the methodology below for details. As Barna defines them, evangelicals represent 7% of the population or about one in every 14 adults.]
The research points out a massive gap between two “super segments” in American life today: evangelicals and skeptics (those who self-identify as atheist, agnostic and religiously unaffiliated).
On virtually all of the extremist factors assessed in the research, evangelicals and skeptics maintain widely divergent points of view. The chart below shows 10 of the largest differences. For example, only 1% of evangelicals believe it is religiously extreme for a person to teach his or her children that same-sex relationships are morally wrong. However, three-quarters of skeptics (75%) believe this is extremist. Attempting to convert others generates a perception gap of 10% to 83% between evanglicals and skeptics, an incredible 73 percentage points.

Learn more about the new book, Good Faith

What The Research Means
David Kinnaman, who is the president of Barna and directed the research study on religious extremism, comments that “These gaps show the challenges practicing Christians and especially evangelicals are facing. In a religiously plural and divisive society, various “tribes”—ranging from faithful to skeptic—are vying to decide how faith should work. The most contentious issues are the ways in which religious conviction gets expressed publicly, but the findings illustrate that a wide range of actions, even beliefs, are now viewed as extremist by large chunks of the population.”
“The research starkly demonstrates the ways in which evangelicals and many practicing Catholics are out of the cultural mainstream. In fact, skeptics and religiously unaffiliated are now much closer to the cultural ‘norm’ than are religious conservatives. In other words, the secular point of view, which says faith should be kept out of the public domain, is much closer to the mainstream in U.S. life.
“This fact explains why millions of devout Christians are experiencing such frustration and concern. They are feeling out of step with social norms and the cultural momentum. This is most significantly felt when it comes to social views, such as evangelicals’ convictions on same-sex relationships. However, the perception of ‘social extremism’ also applies to many other beliefs and practices, including personal evangelism and missions work.”
On March 1, Kinnaman releases a new book Good Faith that analyzes the new “social extremism” that characterizes the current faith landscape. Teaming up again with Gabe Lyons, the co-author of unChristian, the book explores cultural trends that are creating obstacles and opportunities for Christians. “UnChristian examined the negative perceptions of young non-Christians," says Kinnnaman. "And now, nearly a decade later, Good Faith continues that work by helping to explore how Christians can be biblically countercultural in a society that is increasingly unfriendly to faith.”
Those interested in more about the Good Faith project can attend one of the free nationwide events, featuring Kinnaman and Lyons.
Comment on this research and follow our work:
Twitter: @davidkinnaman | @roxyleestone | @barnagroup
Facebook: Barna Group

God Sees You

God Sees You

If you're reading this post by email or a reader, you'll definitely want to jump over to read it on my blog, because I have recently redesigned the site. I'm still working on a few things but have updated my archives page for easier browsing and my welcome page, and I even have a new tagline that I feel better communicates my goal in writing for you and to you. Come on over and have a look around!  

I had a revelation the other day that we've been in Charlottesville for seven-and-a-half years now. As many of you know, in 2008 we moved here from Texas to plant a church, and all of the sudden it's 2016, and we're still here, wow! Time has flown. My kids, practically babies at the time we moved, are seven-and-a-half years older. My marriage, young and unchallenged at the time we moved, is seven-and-a-half years more sharpened and tested. And of course, I am seven-and-a-half years older, and the wear and tear of church planting is starting to show. All this to say, our lives, in these seven-and-a-half years, have been forever changed, very much for the better. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

When I realized it's been seven-and-a-half years, that felt significant to me, primarily because we were at our church in Texas for exactly seven-and-a-half years as well. This year has felt like a time of transition for me, and recognizing that the time frame is what it is, I felt as if God somehow was releasing me. No, we don't have plans to move or have a baby; it's nothing like that. We'll keep on with what we've been doing in this community that we've grown to love so much. It's just that I have felt God releasing me into the next seven-and-a-half years and pointedly asking me, "How will you be faithful in the next seven-and-a-half years?"

In my Bible reading, I've been following the Israelites through their exodus from Egypt and their wandering in the desert. About the time that I felt God releasing me, I finished the book of Deuteronomy and stood with the younger generation on the precipice of the Promised Land. That moment described exactly how I've felt. I feel that God, like Moses did in front of his people, has asked me to look back and name His abundant faithfulness to me over these years. And then I feel that He's turned my attention forward, to a new time and a new sense of calling.

Again, nothing much is different on the outside. But a lot of work and listening and reflection is going on in my inside as I look back and I look forward. The theme of it all, I'm finding is that God has seen me all along.

You see, I've been a little afraid to let go of the past years. I feel a sense of excitement about the next seven-and-a-half years but also, if you want to know the truth, a little twinge of fear. What if the things I hope for these years--fruitfulness from all the labor--is not what God plans to do? What if my greatest fears come to fruition? The What If list is pretty long in my head.

But a part of me is afraid to let go because, in these past years, I've been clear about my calling: to help my husband plant our church. That calling is actually what I sense God releasing me from. My work is done. The church is planted. Of course I'm still very much involved in our church, but I know that God is giving me freedom to step back and figure out what I'm specifically gifted for and called to do. It's all very exciting, but at the same time uncomfortable and uncertain.

Uncomfortable, because I'm afraid I will be forgotten, that the work I did will be forgotten. Sometimes I selfishly and pridefully want to make sure that people know what I've done, how I've sacrificed, and how I've helped. (It is painful to write that out loud.) I know it, too, because I find myself getting angry or off-put when others obviously don't understand what church planting has meant for me.

I've talked about this with God, mainly because He keeps bringing it up. He's releasing me and yet I'm gripping tight a self-important identity and a need to be honored by others.

As I've followed the Israelites through the Old Testament, I can't deny that it was God who did the work. He fought for His people. He led His people. He was faithful to His people. I also can't deny that He is a God who sees. He heard their private cries. He listened when they were grieved. He took note of their faithfulness. He honored His faithful ones.

God has been so good to convict me concerning my grip on self-importance and desire for appreciation, and He's been even better to quietly remind me that He's seen it all. It doesn't matter a lick if other people have seen anything or acknowledge anything, because He's seen every little thing and He's been pleased by whatever faithfulness I've shown.

That same truth is helping me move forward through uncertainty, and enabling me to embrace the next seven-and-a-half years as a new opportunity. He will see it all, and it will please Him as I walk and work by faith.

I say this to all of us, because so many of you are laboring in obscurity. You are doing unseen and unglamorous work in the name of our God. Sometimes it feels as if what you're doing doesn't matter to anyone at all. But can I tell you what's true? God sees you, and He is pleased.