Story by Wanda Alger<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An undeniably significant cleansing and correction is presently occurring in the Body of Christ, particularly in the\u00a0charismatic\u00a0world, but it is across several\u00a0denominations and ministries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And if indeed this is of God, as I believe it is, we must make peace with the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many people, myself included, have wrestled with questions and misgivings about this season of exposure in the Church, as podcasters and others take to social media to make claims (some providing more receipts and proof than others, to be sure) to shed further light. And this is where a parallel exists with our current timeline of correction: there are some \u201cUzzahs\u201d being struck down who may seem innocent due to their good intentions and noble causes. And yet, there have been violations of God\u2019s laws. Regardless of the \u201cgood\u201d being accomplished in many of the ministries being exposed, there are larger sin issues that must be addressed. Any fleshly attempts to \u201cprotect God\u2019s anointing\u201d can no longer be allowed. As shocked and saddened as we are by some of these leaders who are falling, our greater concern should be the collective standards we\u2019ve already violated. The individuals being affected are not the entire story; God wants us to learn a much larger lesson. As much as there needs to be greater accountability for those who lead in God\u2019s House, there must also be a corporate reckoning for what we\u2019ve allowed, the sins we\u2019ve tolerated. This isn\u2019t about defending someone\u2019s intentions, and it\u2019s not about finetuning the art of exposure. It\u2019s about a collective compromise that must be corrected. We are not only dealing with individual sins, but sins and errors across the entire Church that must be repented of and changed. None of us has control in this season of correction. We may not like or agree with how everything is transpiring, but we can rest in the fact that whatever is of man will ultimately fail \u2014 even backfire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But that which is of God will happen, regardless of our input. More importantly, we cannot afford to think we are \u201chelping\u201d Him when, in fact, we may be opposing Him. He is not doing this out of spite or anger; God disciplines those He loves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus, even as I pray for proper leadership, accountability and cleansing in the Church, I am considering my own complicity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And maybe it will be in our collective reflection and repentance that lasting transformation can come, and God can fulfill His purpose in purifying His people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n About the Author: Wanda Alger has been in ministry for over 35 years as a worship leader, teacher, author, deliverance counselor, and speaker.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Story by Wanda Alger An undeniably significant cleansing and correction is presently occurring in the Body of Christ, particularly in the\u00a0charismatic\u00a0world, but it is across several\u00a0denominations and ministries. And if indeed this is of God, as I believe it is, we must make peace with the process. Many people, myself included, have wrestled with questions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10455,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[119,110,117,179],"coauthors":[475],"class_list":{"0":"post-10453","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-faith","8":"tag-bible","9":"tag-christianity","10":"tag-church","11":"tag-usa"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cvnznews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cvnznews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cvnznews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cvnznews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cvnznews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10453"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cvnznews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10456,"href":"https:\/\/cvnznews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10453\/revisions\/10456"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cvnznews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cvnznews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cvnznews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cvnznews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10453"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cvnznews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcoauthors&post=10453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
The prophet in me wants to call for justice and accountability, regardless of who is involved. The pastor in me grieves the loss of credibility among church leaders and the toll it is taking on the collective Church. As one who is committed to following biblical protocols that are free of partiality, it\u2019s important to seek to have God\u2019s heart that is both merciful and just, and that we also don\u2019t get in His way.
Last year, while praying about these ongoing exposures, I sensed the Holy Spirit speak to me, \u201cget your hand off the cart,\u201d a reference to 2 Samuel 6:5-11<\/a>, and an admonition to stop trying to help God. That passage recounts how Uzzah put his hand on the ark of God\u2019s Presence to keep it from falling off the cart, and he was struck dead on the spot. Upon first reading, it seems like a cruel and heartless punishment leveled at someone with good intentions. And yet, God was sending a message, and it\u2019s a needed lesson in our current season.
Regardless of Uzzah\u2019s intentions, he disregarded God\u2019s previous instruction to \u201cnot touch the holy things\u201d (Numbers 4:15<\/a>). He may have thought he was doing something noble, but God had already determined the rules of engagement, and Uzzah broke them. But that wasn\u2019t the worst part. The greater sin in all of this was the fact that the ark was being carried on a cart. This entire procession was already in violation of Mosaic law before this incident even occurred!
God had already made it clear that the ark of His Presence could only be carried on the shoulders of Levites \u2014 those who had set themselves apart and sanctified their lives unto holiness (1 Chronicles 15:2<\/a>). There was a standard of righteousness that God required for those who carried His Presence, and it was established from the very beginning. But the people didn\u2019t listen.
This new cart they made didn\u2019t require the same sacrifice and personal preparation. Perhaps they thought it was a creative improvement on God\u2019s idea. Or maybe they preferred more control in parading around their own man-made platform. But regardless of their seeming cleverness, they had already violated God\u2019s commands before Uzzah even entered the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God\u2019s presence is still very real and very powerful. No longer contained in a crafted box, it is we, the people of God, who have been called as a holy priesthood to carry His Presence to a lost generation. And those who lead us must be set apart in holiness and righteousness.
But in our zeal to make things happen, we have compromised the requirements. We have inadvertently crafted our own carts of convenience. Platforms that celebrate persona and performance. Ministries and movements based on questionable doctrines and personal preferences instead of scriptural integrity. We have traded the hard work of sanctification for a quest to streamline, even monetize, a message. Perhaps our motives were noble at first, but God is stopping us in our tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is not to suggest that every leader is in the same category of wrongdoing, or that there shouldn\u2019t be proper accountability for those who expose these sins. It\u2019s recognizing the larger work that God is doing \u2013 the work that must be done. And perhaps it’s a caution in our desire to \u201chelp\u201d Him. The process is not without its problems, and every one of us will have to account for how we\u2019ve engaged in these conversations.
And it\u2019s here where Gamaliel\u2019s instructions in the Book of Acts are still relevant. He told those opposing the Gospel in Acts 5:38-39<\/a>: \u201cSo in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n