God arranges, We make changes

Meddling with what God Does

I believe that the majority of us here agree on the Word of God being trustworthy and true. So I will let the Apostle Paul, say this for me. "I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought." 1 Corinthians 1:10

Why is the church ravaged by so much controversy and disagreement? Why so much distrust and ‘hatred’ over points of ‘law’? Why allow the minor points that separate us to keep us apart in the way they do? On one trip overseas, about two years ago, we were doing a little shopping with a local pastor. Another local pastor came out of the supermarket carrying a bag for an elderly lady. In the bag were two bottles of wine which the pastor placed carefully in the old lady’s car. After exchanging greetings with one another and going our separate ways, our pastor shocked us with this statement. “If that man had been seen carrying that bag by one or two pastors around here, he would have immediately been black-listed from their pulpit, and many others too.” Somewhat taken aback, we asked why. “Because he was carrying alcohol.” It didn’t matter, apparently, that he was helping an elderly lady, the “crime” was that he was carrying alcohol – not consuming it, but carrying it. Not for himself but for someone else.

There are many other more or less ‘criminal’ sins that the church has invented. Sure they use scripture to back it all up, but like politicians, they twist the meaning to suit their own agenda. In many churches, you will be escorted out for carrying the wrong Bible translation. You will be shunned for the life you led before you were saved. You will be thrown out for having alcohol in your house. The bigotry goes on and on. On the more flippant side, whole denominations have split over the way one side supports their missionaries in the field.

None of this is funny of course and the Lord must weep over our fickleness. The Pharisees are still alive and well inside the church. They spread their poison as ‘law’ and have enough influence to get good Christian folk thrown out over their little faults. No wonder Jesus told his followers to first get the plank out of their own eye before they try to get the speck out of their brothers eye. In my mind’s eye, I see Uzzah guiding the ark back to Jerusalem. There came a moment when he thought he needed to make it safer so he touched it – and he promptly died for his pains. God did not want him touching God’s own holy things. It is the same surely today. God does not want us touching His ideas and creations. Yet we are continually touching them – adjusting here, modifying there – always in the name of the correctness of our obedience to God’s perceived instruction. He may not kill us when we touch His Bride but He surely weeps over what we do.

Why do we always think we can improve on what God has started?