DAWN Fridayfax 2001 #15

Pakistan

500 house churches planted in one year

"In 1991, God gave Lahore's Rev. William Johnson a vision for 50,000 new churches. Through cooperation with the Swiss strategy group 'Kingdom Ministries', Johnson believes increasingly strongly that it will be house churches, not traditional churches, which reach the predominantly Muslim nation's population. Since a conference 12 months ago, over 500 house churches have already been planted. Church planters' reports reveal that miraculous healings are the main 'door opener' for church plants."
Source: Dr. Marco Gmuer, marcogmuer@bluewin.ch

World

The world and us

If we were to reduce the entire world's population to a village of 100, retaining the proportions of the people groups, the village would consist of:

• 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 Americans (North and South), 8 Africans
• 52 women, 48 men
• 70 non-Whites, 30 Whites
• 70 non-Christians, 30 Christians
• 89 heterosexuals, 11 homosexuals
• 6 people would have 59% of the wealth, and all 6 would be from the USA
• 80 would have poor housing
• 70 would be illiterate
• 50 would be undernourished
• 1 would die, 2 would be born
• 1 would have a computer
• 1 (only 1) would have an academic title

How thankful are we?

If you woke up this morning healthier instead of more ill, you are luckier than the 1 million people who will die in the next week; If you have never experienced a war, the loneliness of imprisonment, the pain of torture or hunger, then you are luckier than the 500 million people experiencing those things at the moment; If you can go to church without fear of being threatened with imprisonment or death, then you are luckier than the 3 billion people who cannot; If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes, a roof over your head and a bed to sleep in, then you are richer than 75% of the world's population; If you have a bank account, money in your pocket or small change in a box, you belong to the 8% of the wealthy people in the world.
Source: Internet

USA

Crushed child's healing excites entire hospital

Representatives of the children's hospital in Mission Viejo, California, call an 18-month-old boy "miracle child", because he survived severe head injuries against all odds. Anton LaRosa was admitted to hospital on 26 February 2001 after a vehicle ran over his head, inflicting crush wounds and breaking his skull. Doctors gave him a 1% chance of survival, according to "The Orange County Register". His parents arranged prayer in their church, the Saddleback Community Church and a Catholic church, which, along with the entire hospital and many people around the world, prayed for 28 days. 12 doctors and nurses fought for Anton's life. Bader, one of the nurses, was able to use a new type of brain catheter which he had developed, which balances the blood pressure and oxygen content in the brain. Neurosurgeon William Louden called the family together to warn them that their child would probably die, but prayer and the new catheter performed miracles. After 12 hours, Anton opened his eyes and grasped a nurse's hand. At the end of March, when he was discharged from hospital, he was already able to day 'daddy' again. According to the report, the doctors now believe that Anton will recover completely.
Source: Orange County Register

USA

Pentecostals repent of exclusivity, denominationalism and personality cult

7,000 white and colored Pentecostal Christians recently met in a Baptist church in Atlanta, Georgia to repent for racism and denominational exclusivity which divided their movement for decades. A 50-hour prayer meeting, titled "Solemn Assembly 2001" was held in the New Birth Cathedral, a mega-church with 25,000 predominantly black members led by Bishop Eddie L. Long. It started by reminding the participants that the Pentecostal movement starting in Azusa Street was multiracial, but split into black and white groups for cultural reasons. The meeting was organized by 69-year-old Robert Fisher, a pastor from Cleveland. He decided to not focus on any famous speakers: speaker's times were decided by lots drawn from a hat. "We avoided personality cult, which was the cause for many divisions in the past," he says. According to the report, there were also signs of reconciliation between Baptists and Pentecostals.
Source: Charisma News, USA

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