WE ARE NOT TOO KEEN ON GOD DOING THINGS HIS WAY

Arthur Schopenhauer said, “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident”.

I found this quote the other day and realised how true it is, especially where the church is concerned. Down through the ages, the Roman Catholic Church has just about opposed anything they do not agree with. Most notable was the Protestant Reformation

The Puritan fathers, who colonized the USA, were escaping a State church that did not want to cede any power to another expression of Christianity.

The Evangelical church opposed the beginnings of Pentecostalism at the turn of the 20th century.

The charismatic renewal was opposed by the historical denominations in so many cases, although many did embrace it eventually.

The charismatic renewal opposed the “Third Wave” of John Wimber and the “Toronto Blessing” of John Arnott.

And finally and the most disturbing of all, denominations in general do not want to have anything to do with other denominations, even if they are across the road.

There is a new wave of the Spirit happening today which of course is being opposed by nearly everyone, because it challenges the status quo. I am talking about Christians who are leaving the man made church in droves and meetings in homes without priest, pastor, programme, pulpit, preacher, or protocol.

These people are going back to the roots of Christianity, the sort you find in the New Testament and which provided a vitality that the church does not have today. Most of what I have read has denigrated the house church movement, citing a lack of doctrinal statements, lack of accountability structures, lack of organized programmes, and lack of leadership and so on.

Like all the other moves of God, it will become the status quo of the church and everyone will be wondering what all the fuss was about. My hope and prayer is that it doesn’t get comfortable and stagnate like every other denomination has, but continues to grow, challenge the world and most importantly, replaces that which is of man.