As anyone who has undertaken a major home remodeling project will attest–the “demo” phase is messy and ugly. (This, no matter how fun Chip Gaines makes “demo” look on TV.) It’s messy and chaotic, but absolutely necessary if something better, upgraded, and improved is going arise.
I’m not exceptionally “prophetic” but I do try to keep my spiritual ears attuned to what the Spirit is saying to me. And back in July, I told the folks on my email list that I believed we—God’s people individually, His Church, and His churches—had entered a season “accelerated transition.” (By the way, if you’re not on my email list, you can remedy that be registering on the home page.)
In the handful of months since, I’ve seen that observation validated in my own life in the cases of many churches and ministries I have connections to . . . and believe me, I have connections to a LOT of churches and ministries. There is a lot of “demo” going on right now. And it feels messy and ugly and chaotic and can feel like things will never look pretty and orderly ever again. But they will.
They will because God has a pen in His hand and isn’t finished writing our chapters. And Jesus, the Head of His Church is:
. . . at [God’s] right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Ephesians 1:20-23 TPT
The “demo” phase is part of a process of creative destruction. And I believe this season of a “accelerated transition” also is bringing with it big, long, disruptive season of creative destruction—for individuals, businesses, ministries, and churches.
These disruptions and revelations are NOT “the devil.” They are NOT the enemy persecuting the Church. They are God, refining, restructuring, and rebuilding HIS Church and HIS world.
Big churches and big ministries are being “demo-ed” right now. And here’s the thing. As I told a friend today, “I do know that the bigger and wealthier any enterprise gets, including churches and ministries, the more incentives the key stakeholders have to keep the party going . . . no matter what.”
And some of these churches and ministries are very, very big.
And to another friend this week I texted:
“Spiritually, pride and a sense “ownership entitlement” are the enemies here, not {person’s name}. I know, personally ministers who have lost everything . . . everything they poured themselves into for decades . . . because of those two things. God’s not having it any longer. But something wonderful is waiting on the other side. Something glorious.”
Yes, the “demo” phase has begun. But something much better is coming.
My encouragement is this. Be on the side of building what God envisions. Not on the side of what has been. Pride, arrogance, entitlement are getting ripped out to the studs. The Master Architect has something much healthier in His plans.