Had A Great Fall
Had A Great Fall
During the final week of April (07) I dreamed that I was looking at a tower, as high as any big-city skyscraper. It was build of stacked pallets of fresh-sawn timber. The higher the tower grew, the more unstable became the uppermost pallets. I said to the onlookers, "Those on top will fall!" The highest, unstable pallets of timber shifted and moved for a time, and then one plunged down to earth. As it hit the ground, everything and everyone was shaken by the impact.
"(The Mighty One)...has done mighty deeds with His arm; He had scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble." (Luke 1.51-52)
"You are ... of God's household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone." (Ephesians 2.19-20)
"For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all...we are without honour...poorly clothed...homeless...we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things." (1 Corinthians 4.9-13)
"But many who are first will be last; and the last first." (Matthew 19.30)
In the Western Church today a culture of death has arisen among some leaders. It exalts the exaltation of Christian leaders, and is utterly divorced from and devoid of the Holy Spirit of Christ. This culture treats Christians as little more than commodity-like, building blocks in the hands of ego-driven men and women. They care more for the construction of platforms upon which they can sing and dance, than for the building up of Christ's Body here on earth.
God says that all such will fall down!
And the Bible says (texts above)that the major, identifying mark of genuine apostles and prophets (leaders) is their willingness to be buried with Jesus in the Church's foundations, and with Him there to bear the burden and provide stability for those "living stones ... being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood." (1 Peter 2.5)
And when Paul the Apostle writes (1 Corinthians 12.28) that "God has appointed in the church, first apostles", he does not mean "first" as in hierarchy, "top of the heap", "big boss". He means that apostles are the first to be buried with Christ in His ministry, and who thus live deepest within and bear the greatest burden and weight in His Church's immense foundations.
God's foundation stones are created to carry the Church. The Church without such foundational strength will be toppled by the first, significant spiritual storm to hit it.
The Church which is expected to carry its "super stars" on its roof will collapse beneath an unholy burden. It will also be humiliated by the spectacle of their "great ones" being brought back down to earth by the Lord with a noisy and very public crash!
This culture is an offense to the Lord, who "although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2.6-8)
Note Well: Equally obnoxious to God is another "church" culture ... that of scorn for leadership and the dishonouring of Christian leaders. Foundation stones who crush living stones, and living stones who treat foundation stones carelessly or contemptuously...are equally detestable and reprehensible.
"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love, giving preference to one another in honour." (Romans 12.10)
"Let the elders who rule well be considered of double honour, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching." (1 Timothy 5.17)
