Is God demolishing the church?

J. Lee Grady is the editor of Charisma magazine and has written an article entitled 'Preparing for a Charismatic Meltdown'. In the piece, which covers issues relating to personal failures at leadership level and the underlying idolatry associated with church buildings, he states: "The wrecking ball of heaven is swinging. It has come to demolish any work that has not been built on the integrity of His Word."

The word of God puts it this way: ‘And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying," Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven." And this expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.’ (Heb 12:26-27)

In the post-war years we have seen the traditional denominations dwindle and then haemorrhage in numbers as older believers have died off and as our nation (generally) has moved away from ‘church-going’ as a Sunday routine.

In the late 60s and 70s the Charismatic Movement (so-called) held out the promise of new life in the Spirit, and new forms of assembly and worship. However the early promises have been overtaken by the (oftentimes) hype, indiscipline, false prophecy and errant teaching; whilst the early ‘freedoms’ have coalesced into yet another set of systems and organisations.

Most recently the ‘Purpose-Driven’ and ‘Mega-church’ phenomena have also proved to be merely-superficial fillips to the overall and underlying decline in Western Christianity; the former based on 'techniques' and the latter redolent of the 'Babel' spirit of self-glorification.

However, the failure of ‘man’s efforts’ – now apparent at almost every level – opens up the way for God to be at work. It was the Lord of the Church who said: “I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:18).
Perhaps he is asking us to give up on our human schemes and trust Him to His word?

It is exciting to contemplate what God might do to bring glory to His Name, to build the church which Jesus came to establish and bring salvation and hope to the lost.