There appears to be an increasingly waning demonstration of the power of God as compared to the early church even up to the church of the early 20th century. If we are sincere enough, most of us will agree that what we see this days is an occasional “drizzling” of the demonstration of the power of God in all the churches. God is not to be blamed anyway. He is longingly waiting to give an avalanche of it to flood the world. Pitifully, whenever we see a handful of this demonstration of power we become mesmerized and in awe. As if God just woke us up from a deep sleep to put on a show. We forget that it is in the Father’s heart to make the supernatural demonstration of His power a common reality in the church that the world may see and tremble.

 

What could have been responsible for this? It is disturbing that there is so much more talking in the church than we have of demonstration. Did Paul not say that “the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power?” (1 Corinthians 4:20). Where are the Billy Grahams, the Henry Blackabys, the Charles Finneys, the George Whitfields, the Jonathan Edwards, and the rest? How can we remember the church of the days of these men in comparison with ours and not be forced to ask, like Gideon in Judges 6:13, WHERE BE ALL HIS MIRACLES WHICH OUR FATHERS TOLD US? Does Hebrews 13:8 not tell us that JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, AND TO DAY, AND FOR EVER?

 

Where then lies the problem?

 

Has the devil suddenly become more tactical and active against the church to tie the hands of Jesus in order to slow down these manifestations? Are the persecutions become fiercer? Or are doctrinal errors become overly plethoric to downplay the inherent power of the gospel? These were some of the reasons my friend and I could think about. For me really, it couldn’t be any of these!

 

If put in the right perspective, the problem of the church lies not directly in the devil and his works because, by a stroke of the Cross and the dripping blood, Christ had him defeated over 2000 years ago.

 

Secondly, the problem of the church equally lies not so much in the many religious persecutions it has faced since inception because its survival for over 2000 years is a proof of the ineffectiveness of such overt enmity. Still, the problem of the church does not really stand in the diverse winds of doctrinal inaccuracies that are raging violently within the church because if there is no original, there hardly can be counterfeit.

 

But where then can we look for the problem of the church? I believe it consists greatly in……

Those who teach the Eternal TRUTH that has not been tested in their personal lives.

Those whose hearts have not been tempered by Christ’s LOVE they bid others to taste.

Those who have lightly esteemed the Redeeming FAITH they enjoin others surrender to.

Those who abuse the Precious GRACE with which they seek to gain others.

Those who desecrate the High OFFICES for which mercy qualifies them.

Those who lay claim to the Noble TITLES to which they are never so divinely appointed.

Those who have replaced the Great COMMISSION for personal ambition.

 

Quite a possibility that you have personally identified some other reasons. Apart from the ones above, it is doubtful if with all these in church experiencing an outpouring of God’s power can be so common among us.

Is it a little wonder therefore that “judgment MUST begin at the house of God?” (1 Pt. 4:17). Shouldn’t we rather “judge ourselves,” so that “we should not be judged…and be condemned with the world?” (1 Corinthians 11:31&32). If we can set the stage right for God, we would witness unprecedented move of the Holy Spirit with undeniable proofs of His Living Presence in the church. This should be our greatest, personal earnest prayer. What path are you on?.

May God help His church.