Method versus Movement

"Method is man's way of hardening his heart to the movement of God. Methods are beautiful but harden the heart to the need for God"

Within the Church there are two paths a Christian can take. One is method, the other is movement. Method is made by man, it claims to be steeped in divine, but it is devoid of God's power. Method creates a pride in hearts of men, they love to learn the ways of men in theology, divinity, history, and more. Method is man's map to containing God on man's own terms. In contrast, movement is God moving in our lives, It says in Acts, "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams." (Acts 2:17). That verse alone disproves the methodology and ideology that claims the gifts and manifestations of Spirit ended with the Apostle. The problem is many Christians have been desensitized or distracted from the moving of God's Spirit via method. Like the drug Meth-Cocaine, method alters the spiritual part of person, making them think in a box. The sneaking nature of method is that it is beautiful. It like woman dressed to impress, or desired treasure calls to people with its pomp, performance, and pride. Method gives people both beauty and sense of control, they know what to expect. But with God the most exciting part is the unexpected.

The Movement requires man to move beyond method. There are beneficial rituals, like praying in morning, meeting in assembly of believers and more, but there is a way to keep this from becoming routine, boring, and repetitious; the answer is the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ said, "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 14:26). Those who let the Spirit of God move in meetings, prayer, and all facets of Life will experience God and become involved in exciting adventure of the spirit. But method will not let go so easily. Like a metastasizing disease, method tries to take hold of people, to keep them from desiring the True presence and experience of the Trinity. It wants believers to settle for dry didactic sermons, prayers by root without power, and rituals that seem to come from the ruins of ancient civilizations. In of themselves te rituals aren't necessarily nefarious, but their effect can dull disciples of Christ and lead them deeper into pride.

Methods make men mad with the "traditions of men." Jesus quoting the Prophet Isaiah spoke of this. He said, "in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions." (Mark 7:7-8). The Apostle Paul affirms the Lord and Prophet's words in a letter to the Corinthians said, "If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)--in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?
These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence." (Colossians 2:20-23).
Method is men trying to put the Messiah under the control of mere creation. Those who are uncomfortable with God being in control, and submitting (willfully in love) to the Lord seek method. They feel happy that they can except everything to always be the same on Sunday, from mass to sermon to the communion; the routine brings comfort, again not something that in of itself is evil, but when man becomes too comfortable he ceases to be challenged, and to change. How is repeating Byzantine, Medieval and even Nineteen Seventies church going to fulfill, "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12). There is nothing wrong in appreciating customs, art, and ideas of the past church fathers and scholars, but we must beware of loving it more than the move of God. The Lord is moving today, but how many are missing it because of method? Many would rather fill their minds with methods and find pride in that, than "boast in Lord Jesus," (2 Corinthians 10:17) and "be lead by His Spirit." (Romans 8:14, cross ref Galatians 5:16-18).

Jesus Christ said, "God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24). This can only happen at behest of Holy Spirit whom we must invite to manifest in our body and life. The problem is most palaces of theological thought and religion do not want the Holy Spirit to manifest, that after all would interrupt the mass. The feint fear of chaos is the Holy Spirit moves, but can God cause chaos? So we are suppose to trust fallible men, but not the Author and Finisher of our Faith?! That argument seems rather devoid of sense and reason to me. Many Seeker Friendly Churches decry, "if we let Holy Spirit move in sanctuary it might offend or scare people who don't understand Tongues or Prophecy." So let get this straight, you are afraid of God?! How is Tongues scary when plenty of people today hear languages from foreigners in their lands that they don't understand and as for prophecy, if someone gives a word that seems off scripturally and spiritually, have someone correct it! Are we so thinned skinned that we would quench the Holy Spirit because someone might not hear Him correctly and say something that is off the wall?! In schools when a student or teacher says something that causes confusion it gets corrected and everyone is fine, but oh in church we can't risk that! The true answer is people don't want to give up the control method gives them. They want to have sense of control over their spiritual lives at expense of spirit. What they are really saying is, "I seek God, I just don't want to find Him." Or to put it another way, I want to do an imitation of seeking and serving God, I don't want God to actually show up and disrupt my service. Uh? Wait what?! Paul calls this, "treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." (2 Timothy 3:4-5).

Thus the battle between method and movement is carrying on daily in life of church all over the world. In the end those moving in God's spirit and relating to Him directly will be told, "You clothed me when I was naked, etc when you did this to least of my brothers." (Matthew 5:34-40, condensed). Those doing method Jesus speaks of, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" (Matthew 7:22-23). Method types are wicked because they lead people astray from really knowing the Trinity like the Pharisees, whom Jesus said, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.," (Matthew 23:13) and "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are." (Matthew 23:15). In short method is knowing about God (concept) and movement is knowing (relating) God. Choose today to leave method, and instead be moved by God and let Him move into your life!