Jon

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

The scope and impact of the Vatican II Catholic reforms is astounding. English replaced Latin, laypeople could lead Mass, Bible studies became common, spiritual gifts were given freedom to move, and members were allowed to follow their conscience instead of the Pope. #GNS211

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

It's tragic that a Christian evangelist reintroduced the Klu Klux Klan in 1915. The ideology of "Christian Americanism" frustrates me - that God's vision for America is a nation ruled by one religion, and in extreme cases, one race. #churchandstateareabadcouple #GNS211

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

"Nineteenth-century Christians had often hoped that the kingdom could be established on earth by the passage of proper laws to reform society."

The Jews missed Jesus because they expected him to build a kingdom through politics. Why is this such a temptation for us? #GNS211

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

Existentialism: "Without God, Sartre argued, the human task is to become God - to create meaning and purpose in the world for themselves."

I hear this so often: there is no objective truth or purpose to living, so we have to come up with our own. #foolyourself #myowngod #GNS211

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

Niebuhr argued that human philosophy always errs in romanticism or naturalism: either over-glorifying or over-demeaning humanity. The Christian view of man holds these extremes in tension. Pascal wrote, "Man is a king with a broken scepter sitting on a crumbling throne." #GNS211

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

"Some scholars estimate that one-half the population of the continent was killed, starved, or sent into exile during the [Thirty Years War]."
Even though it was mostly political, the war flew under the banner of Christianity. Many point to this as the spark of secularism. #GNS211

[IHOPKC @ihopkc]

The largest religion in Malaysia is Islam, and 50% of the population has yet to hear the truth of Jesus Christ. We are praying for the truth of the Son of God to be carried into Malaysia by God’s ministers.

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

It amazes me that the majority of slaves in America came to Christ during the revivals of the 18th and 19th centuries. To me, the fact that so many men and women embraced the Gospel in spite of their "Christian" captors demonstrates the power of revival. #GNS211

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, the church had become irrelevant almost overnight. However, when the church finally did respond to the issues of its day, it became the answer the world needed. This can happen again in today's Information Age! #beyondculture #GNS211

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

The legacy of the Clapham Sect really inspires me. This small group of influential Christians sacrificed everything (including health, careers, and finances) to abolish slavery along with countless other social impacts.

Check it out: https://t.co/2h0dED3gdp

#radical #GNS211

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

"The jerks," "falling exercise" (today, "slain in the Spirit"), and barking like dogs were common during the Second Great Awakening. Pentecostalism has often been criticized as sensationalism for these phenomenon, but it seems like history supports its validity. #GNS211

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

"Christians of that period did not regard the framers of the [American] Constitution as being particularly religious people. But the mystique of the founders has grown with the years until some Christians have regarded many of the participants as evangelical Christians." #GNS211

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

It's sad that the Great Awakening, a time of mass salvations and huge revival in America, also caused a lot of division in the church. This seems to be the norm - any move of God always has its opponents. It's just too bad that unity isn't always a natural outflow of it. #GNS211

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

"[God] alone examines the motives of our hearts." 1 Thess 2:4
@nathandensley, Curtis, @RandiGallipeau - you guys were right.

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

@SelenaSwitzer So fair! I don't think Paul even really condemned it, which makes it even crazier that it ended up being abolished.

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

"The Wesleys could not sustain the [moral] demands of the Holy Club until John's heart was warmed, and the pietist emphasis on a warm, personal relationship with Jesus gave the Wesleys the power to be holy."

It's all about relationship and grace. I need more of this! #GNS211

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

"By its example, by its prayer, and especially through the missionaries it sent out, the Herrnhut community has had enormous world-wide influence."

Holy Spirit makes the difference. #prayer #revival #changetheworld #GNS211

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

"The [Herrnhut] community of about 300 people was deeply divided and bickering. The count and a number of concerned community members began to pray, and on May 12 the Holy Spirit descended on Herrnhut; the dissension ended as the community began to glow with new life."

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

The only Christians who survived the Japanese persecution of the 1600s were those who outwardly denied their faith but practiced it in secret. Naaman asked Elisha for permission to do the same thing (2 Kings 5:18), but this still seems like denial. How should we respond? #GNS211

[Jon @Kidfromchina]

The Jesuits were masters at entering foreign cultures and contextualizing the gospel: Nobili ate and dressed like a Brahmin, and Ricci presented the Gospel as a philosophy within the Confucian context. But where does contextualization become syncretism? #ritescontroversy #GNS211