Thursday 22 December 2016

A Million Popes!

In simple terms the Reformation was a time when God's word was given priority over the Pope.  It wasn't just Martin Luther, but he became the poster boy of the Reformation.  Like the others who championed this cause, it wasn't completed.  The elephant in the room being, that if we are returning to God's word then we must obey it.  If we obey it then it calls for all believers to rally under the risen Lord, not Men.   It was right to oppose the Roman systems but it seems it just fragmented into millions of sub systems. As I always say, we moved from one Pope to the present problem of having millions of them!

Have you ever had a disagreement with another believer from another church?  Its usually something petty.  There is the evidence that coming together for Theological discussion or even mutual encouragement is difficult when believers are closed to change.  It isn't long until a church gains some following then a whole set of distinctives are established.  These become the departure point for believers as we rally around our 'correct' practice or doctrine.   Behold! We have millions of believers separated by their own  membership criteria... sounds like the Roman church to me!

So what do we do?  Do we have a centralized Pope figure who will steady its global adherents into one (erroneous) doctrine or can any old idea become established thus producing a million Popes? Both flatly deny the purpose of God for 'ekklesia.'  So what is the intention for the gathering of God's people?  First we need to identify something that is not commonly agreed with.

The people of God can gather for a variety of reasons.  Today we tend to say that any old gathering of  believers is 'church.'  The wrong use of 'when two or three are gathered...'  is partly to blame.  It is contextually about church discipline yet many have this a s a mantra for 'everything is church!'  What is also misunderstood is Jesus instruction at the Last Supper.  Jesus told those sat around his to 'Do this' when meeting to remember Him.  It is a repeated message from me that 'this' was eating and drinking together.  What we have today as a cracker and sip token-gesture towards a full meal and lots of wine.  Many say the church has progressed and it is fine to sip and crunch a cracker - 'our hearts are right.'  But how can the heart be right when it doesn't want to obey Jesus?

One of the strongest evidences that church should be a family meal together is the disciples themselves.  Those sat around Jesus had no problem doing precisely what Jesus told them to do.  They set up gatherings that met to remember Jesus in homes with food and drink - eaten together.  To return to this way of meeting also asks questions about leadership and leaders.  Here is the problem. People don't want to change from being in charge to being just a brother.  The heart problem occurs when the command to meet simply around food and drink as equals is resisted by 'what will be lost' in the process.  Position, status and resource is at stake.  How precious do we hold that particular trinity of lust?  

Jesus simply wants us to do as he says.  In that, we would find a better and more functional relationship with Him as all the props, scaffold and theater fall away.  He only wants the best for us but we insist our ways must be God led.  Sadly the pages of the Prophets warn us that this was the folly of Israel, they felt God was leading them.  However it was the slippy slide towards idolatry what was really happening.  Paul tells us in 1 Cor 10 these things happened to warn us in our day!

Your leadership may not don the cloaks and hats and swing a fiery handbag through the hall.  But at its core the Roman Catholic Pope is just a man heading a movement that takes charge of the direction of subscribers.  When we go ahead ignoring the basic command to remember Jesus with a communal meal, like the Pope, we prefer to do it our way.  God's love for us is so immense that He wants us to be fully met spiritually while we walk our faith out.  This can only happen when we submit to His design, yield to his will and abandon to His ways.

Imagine what potential the Lord would have if we just did it His way?  Do we have a blueprint?  Is it in the book of Acts?

Gary Ward


Friday 16 December 2016

My New E-Book

I've been busy finishing The first in the Cogs of the Kingdom Series "Taken for a Bride."

Click here for the Amazon Download



This can be read on any device by downloading the free kindle app