I was dumbfounded when I read a WorldNetDaily (WND) exclusive that had this headline, “Christianity taking over planet?” The article was promoting the claims of Jim Rutz and his book named “Megashift”. Rutz said Christianity was growing so fast that the whole world could become Christian by 2032. He also claimed that many people were being raised from the dead all over the world and people were being converted by seeing signs and miracles from the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) anointed apostles, prophets and miracle workers.
I really was not born on a turnip truck so I put my hip boots on and looked into the Rutz claims and I found out that Rutz is just selling crackers piled high with more NAR baloney.
I guess it is all about selling books with WND because there certainly is no true story for them to be promoting here, and they ought to know it. Some will do most anything for a buck. Giving NAR heretics a platform to sell their damnable heresies seems to be of no concern to them.
Rutz claims that Christianity has been growing at 8 percent a year and that there would be more Christians than people in the world by 2032 if present trends continue. He does say he expects pockets of resistance but apparently he thinks the whole would is going to become Christianized in the next twenty years and that they will set up a new paradise on earth before the Lord physically returns.
The facts are that Rutz’s facts are just pulled out of his butt. They cannot be substantiated. All projections from the top encyclopedias indicate that Christianity has been about one third of the world population for quite a while and at the present Christianity growth rate it will remain about one third of the population between now and 2050. (Islam will grow to about 25 percent in that period.) The NAR people know that Christian numbers are not increasing in percentage in nations where they can be counted so they say that Christianity is growing in places where nobody can count them. Since the supposed conversions are often kept secret there simply is no way to validate any of their ridiculous claims ranging from raising people to life to these fabricated numbers .
These Dominion Theology people also conveniently have a very broad definition of what Christianity is. With these people anyone that in any way identifies with Christianity is a Christian even if it was just part of the culture that they were born into. With others if they believe in Jesus they are a Christian even if Jesus is just one of their many gods. The truth is that most that identify as Christians in America and Europe are not true Christians at all and neither are those pagans that attend these signs and wonders circuses and then return to their own pagan gods afterward.
Even here in America the NAR clowns get crowds to watch their circus performances because many people are desperate for a healing. Many of these would, and do, go to snake oil salesmen for healing (most often these crowds are the same sad-sacks that keep coming over and over again). Superstitious religious people will believe anything if it gives them an emotional tingle. Catholics and Hindus and others also claim to have supernatural signs. Even any good mentalist or witch doctor knows how to create the mass hypnotism and mass hysteria that prevails in these meetings.
The Gospel of salvation must be preached but too often it is missing in these traveling circuses. Salvation come by hearing the word of God and faith in the One that they heard about. People are not converted to Jesus though people that have not demonstrated that they have any real signs and wonders to give.
There is a pretty good analysis at “Let us Reason ministries” about the book “Megashift“ and the cracker claims of Rutz Dominion Theology.
Here is another very good link from Appraising ministries telling about the errors of the New Apostolic Reformation and the well known Dominion Theology heretics in the movement that also associate with Word Faith blab-it-and-grab-it healing and prosperity teachings.
I do not know why many Christians want to promote every false whim that comes out in a book. True Christians are really only a small percentage of the world and by measuring all the false teaching that is being accepted as Christian it tells me that true Christianity is actually becoming a smaller part of the world pie in percentages.
True Christianity simply is not going to take over the earth. That is not what we were told to do. Jesus is coming for His Church soon and then the evil in the world will be judged. The present world will be destroyed, it is not going to be made into some paradise by a presumptuous self anointed priesthood that twists God’s word to their own advantage to make themselves Church big shots. Only after the Church returns with Christ and rules and reigns with Him in His kingdom on earth is their any form of Christian Dominion Theology on the earth. That is what the Bible clearly teaches in spite of Rutz crackers and baloney.
I’ve been increasingly disappointed with WND for a number of reasons.
Excellent article, if I understand my Bible the opposite is happening
I haven’t had WND on my favorites for quite some time now. Thanks be to God, now I see why.
You know though…as I read this article something did occur to me. Maybe this Rutz guy is on to something here. Stay with me on this. The key to my thought process is something Don pointed out toward the end of his piece. “TRUE Christianity simply is not going to take over the earth.”
If, in the eyes of the heretic, the obstacle of what is THOUGHT, or even KNOWN, to be “true”, can in some way be overcome. (And by overcome I mean either ideologically removed or physically removed. Think of it this way. What are the options under Antichrist’s rule? Convert or Die) Then in the mind of the heretic, the pathway to “actual truth” can be pursued, unobstructed, in fact even attained.
I simply mean to say this. Maybe in some demonic way, this Rutz guy is correct.
Maybe by 2032 “christianity” will rule the earth. Not the Christianity of “Christ-likeness” but rather the “christianity” of depraved man. If I made be so bold Don, it kinda fits into your time line. It ties in perfectly with the “New Age Mysticism” article Howse just published concerning Beck.
Just food for thought.
Ken, your basically correct a Harlot gains enough power and influence to ride the Beast into power and I believe it will be led by the Church of Rome. If you look at all the latest inclusive heretical movements all roads lead to Rome. But, that is not the end of the story, the Beast through the ten kings turns on the Harlot and burns her with fire. Apparently the Beast is not going to be inclusive, he will be exclusive, claiming that he is above anything called God or that is worshiped as God.
It is most unfortunate that World Net Daily has Dominionist leanings. My wife and I wrote a response to Janet Porter’s rant concerning Christians (“cultural nazis”) that disagree with this worldview a few months ago, and have noticed a number of other writers advocating this erroneous doctrine as well.
Otherwise, it is one of the few news websites I can/could trust.
The NAR is definitely wanting their people to come to power in the political realm. Their so-called “Alaska Prophetess” Mary Glazier is the mentor of sarah Palin (article below).
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/orrel42.html
Yep, and Palin also confides in Rich Joyner. She is a NAR fruit loop.
I warn about this in the following article.
https://www.thepropheticyears.com/wordpress/rising-christian-imperialism-fueled-by-dominion-theology.html
Hi, I’m from South Africa. I recently read about demonic spirits haunting and taunting patients and medical staff alike in the a Free State hospital. The catholics conveniently (in my opion) drove out these spirits. Like to hear your thoughts on this
Hey José
I am not surprised that there are demonic spirits within state hospitals, but I was not there so I cannot say if that was really the case. What would you have the Catholics do, let them stick around?
The NAR needs to provide PROOF of all these miracles and especially resurrections before it makes claims like the ones referenced in your article. They can start by proving via documented evidence all those resurrections Todd Bentley claimed in the Flakeland err Lakeland ‘revival’. Don’t hold your breath on that one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4fCKD2s-OI
The book MegaShift does not adhere to any form of exegesis existing in Historical Biblical Christianity today. It certainly does not “Rightly Divide the Word of Truth” and its so called statistics are not factual. I work with a ministry that plants churches in approximately 90 countries and am connected with nearly 6,000 pastor mainly in third world countries.
They are reporting monthly about the starting of thousands of new churches but these are Fundamentally historical New Testament churches, not miracle motivated cult. I find “Sign Gifts” are to two groups of people in the New Testament. First, they were for First Century Jewish believers as promised in the Old Testament and Secondly, they are for an apostate false church just before the Rapture and the establishment of the Antichrist platform and the Antichrist. They will prepare everyone except the Elect for the Great Deception which has already begun. God has not changed His plan and purpose for the Church. Jesus said that He would build His church.
Dr. Ellis,
Thanks for giving your expert input on the signs and wonders movement and MegaShift.
Thank you Don and may God richly bless you as you help the Elect from being lead into false teaching. I do not know you personally but have come to appreciate you by your comments. In everything give Him pre-eminence.
Thank you, and thanks for the mission work that you are doing for the cause of Christ.
Hi Don
Dr Ellis’remark re the “Sign Gifts” being for this day of apostasy as well, immediately rang bells with me. How true and how much in keeping with 2Thess 2:11; 1Tim 4:1 and the same principle found in Isiaih 66:4 etc.
The 2Thessalonian passage ends with “That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
WHOO-EE Makes you catch your breath in awesome fear for these people.
Brian, Dr Ellis,
I do want to clarify my position on this. I don’t think the sign gifts will be the great deception if that is what anyone is implying here. I do agree that those claiming these gifts today before the Rapture are playing a role in the great apostasy. However, I do believe that these gifts will be given to the 144,000 Israelis that witnesses to the Jews and those left behind. Then they will complete the commission of Matt 10 which was never completely fulfilled by the twelve apostles.
Don,
No probably not. The claims made by these people are un-Biblical and therefore not the gifts of the Spirit but are counterfeit to the truth. However we do know Satan is the arch counterfeiter, and the delusional (those who believe not the truth) are even now showing themselves ripe for whatever will come upon the world.
In like manner to the spiritual delusion, I very much doubt if any of the natural calamities we see today will prepare the world for the bowl judgements either.
Hi Oz, I was thinking along the same lines, the grand deceiver using his supernatural powers for signs but I agree that that is different from what the NAR proclaims, twisted and wrong as it is. I am amazed at how Christians have become confused about the time of Gentiles and the time of Israel. I know there are lots of people out there feeling the quickening but to respond with things unBiblical is not good.
Hey Don…..First time I have read any of your stuff. You are right on my brother. I am a believer in Jesus Christ and what he did for us at the cross. I also speak in tongues and that all things come to us by way of the cross. Nothing more nothing less. We must put total faith into the cross.