The Shortest History of Grace - EVER! ~ Part B
God has steadfastly refused to leave His creation unattended, or release His world to the pervasive darkness of evil.
God's grace is His divine floodlight out to the world and then in to the soul.
Four significant events have arrived to shine light into dark; present the entry of good into evil. (Read the first two events in yesterday's SoulSnack - HERE)
The final two historically significant events that fuelled grace across the earth are:
- Circa 1500 AD - 1000 years of ecclesiastical descent# followed Emperor Constantine's conversion until the Reformation arrived. The church's human self-interest, a hidden Bible and the selling of salvation had completely darkened any sight of grace from Christianity. Through the Reformation God's life giving foundation of grace is rediscovered; unearthed by an unstoppable correction across the Unholy Roman Empire. The Catholic Church was exposed in its own sins, its skirts were lifted. Grace again became available to all, salvation now free again. This third shaft of light was broadcast across the western world via the simultaneous invention of the printing press.
- 1906 - Not long after the Reformation, again further ecclesiastical descent reappeared##, as the light of the Reformation was regulated into the new laws of religion. These new laws were theologically more satisfying yet no more liberating than ancient Catholicism, so the fourth shaft of light visits Los Angeles with The Azusa St Revival (plus many other contemporaries movements of the Holy Spirit). This revival parented modern Pentecostalism, as again God recorrected/realigned His church to His intentions of relationships and not rituals. 400 years of ecclesiastical descent since the Reformation had again slipped into a more softly gloved intractability (at least it didn't attempt to sell salvation) through the multiplying of its own protestant traditions. These old wine skins now four centuries old were replaced with new wine skins by fire from the Holy Spirit of grace. By the 1980s Pentecostalism had become the fastest growing denomination in the world. It ascended while all others where descended. Pentecostalism was converting factories to churches, while protestantism was converting churches to craft shops.
But He gives more grace... (James 4:6a)
"God has not ceased in pouring out grace without finding fault - neither should we."
Today's Soul Snippet:
"Grace is amazing, not only does it exist but it persists." ~ Michael Cartwright
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READ MORE much of the modern Christian Church and Jesus' new wine in Michael Cartwright's ~ GREAT MERCY
# The Christian church became corrupted by pride, power and greed. These three sins first brought war to heaven, so no surprize this war too broke upon earth.
## The second season of church descent was caused by the pride of learning and marked by the division that such pride creates, hence the many modern protestant denominations. Christ is gathering His sheep, not multiplying holy huddles.