What is happening to the Church?!

 

Depending upon your perspective, you may be asking this question with dread or sheer delight. The Church of Christ is truly changing in ways that we could never have predicted 2 years ago. I briefly mention just a few of the ways:

 

  1. We've seen some "whacky" things happening, like fainting, animal noises, and prophecies. One Godly man said, "When the wind blows, the old house creaks and the shutters slam." What he meant was, when the Spirit of God moves, some distracting things happen, but the Spirit is still moving. In other words, judge the fruit and ignore the distractions.
  2. After the number of born-again people in the US had been static for five years, it increased 5% in the first 3 months of 1997. I can't wait for the data to come in on the next 9 months of 1997.
  3. We have seen unprecedented unity among different denominations in many areas. Pastors bringing their congregations to "competing" churches because revival was happening there. I'm convinced that if we don't start demonstrably loving our brothers and sisters in Christ in other denominations, the revival will go no further. I'm not encouraging you to dilute the gospel message and fellowship with the cults, but I think we Christians have been much too cloistered when we should have known better.
  4. God is moving to break down cultic barriers. The Worldwide Church of God, which previously held definitely nonBiblical doctrine, has come back into the fold. That is simply astounding!
  5. Jim Baker, who previously was a source of great shame to the Body of Christ, has repented and is accepted by many as a powerful prophet of God. I know this is hard to accept, but if we refuse to check out the fruit of his ministry, we will have to toss out that traitor Simon Peter and the letters he wrote to the Church after his sifting.
  6. Although we tend to be possessive of the Body of Christ, she doesn't really belong to us. She is the Bride of Christ, and He can change her as He desires. Don't be upset that He is not following your conventions, or you may find yourself opposing your Beloved.
  7. Don't be a spectator. Christ is wooing His Beloved in these last days. Respond!