The date is 300 A.D. and the Emperor Constantine has made Christianity the State endorsed religion. Instead of helping Christianity with this endorsement, Constantine set the stage for the corruption of the Church. Now instead of standing up to the ways of the World and the corruption in it, the Church's main goal was to fit in and be accepted. Compromise with the World was the death knell of the Book of Acts Church. The same Church that was accused of "turning the World upside down" was now a Government endorsed religion.
James 4:4 (NKJV) 4Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
1 John 2:15 (NKJV) 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. The Holy Bible,
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The Holy Bible, New King James Version
The leaders of the Church gave Constantine control over the Church. Once they did that they tainted the Church and began its slide into worldliness. Constantine didn't want the control. He wanted to leave the Church the way it was. However, the older leadership was threatened by the explosion of the Holy Spirit going on in the homes of believers and, fearing that they would lose complete control, asked Constantine to take over leadership of the Church.
Whenever we abdicate our ability to serve the Lord to the standards of the World be quench the Spirit and kill the move of God. One of the first things Constantine did after making Christianity a State Religion was to appoint his own leaders and to forbid home churches. All of these bubbling pots of the Holy Spirit's presence were forced to move into the empty temples left over from the now dead pagan religions. Instead of many being called and few being chosen the Church became of group of called and chosen by men whether the Lord called them or not. Organized religion was born and before anyone noticed the Church had become just like the Pharisee structure that it warred against.
The Holy Spirit was put into a box and only let out when it fit into the program and didn't interfere with man's plans or schedule. Once the inspiration of the Church the Holy Spirit had become the annoyance of the Church. Worshipping the Father in Spirit and Truth was no longer the plan. Making sure the Church got along with Government was the goal. The devil decided that he couldn't beat the Church in a direct confrontation. So, he decided that compromise and infiltration was the way to stop its work. Do you think its a coincidence that the Dark Ages were soon to follow? Anytime the Light of the Holy Spirit is put into a box darkness will follow. Without the freedom of the Holy Spirit in worship services to convict, to heal, to deliver and spread Its gifts the Church died. Without the Living Church, the condition of the World followed suit.
It would be another thousand years before the Reformation and the rebellion of Martin Luther against the organized religion that Constantine help birth, the Catholic Church. Now, I am not making a blanket condemnation of the Roman Catholic Church nor am I going to discuss the Reformation inspired by Luther and others. What I am saying is this - once the Church joined forces with the World "religion" crept in and the freedom of worship Yeshua/Jesus taught and died for ceased.
The example of the Book of Acts Church ceased and organized, traditional religion took over. The Father immediately set in motion actions that would reveal the true gold of the true Church by violently sifting it. And, as with any sifting process whereby dross is removed from the gold, all that will remain will be the Remnant that wishes to worship the Father in Spirit and Truth; who desires to see people saved, healed and delivered belonging to a "family" and not an organization.
John 4:23 (NKJV)23But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
In my spirit I believe that He still is seeking this kind of worship. Here on The Porch we want to worship the Father that way and teach others to do the same. There is a Remnant out there in these End Times who want to have "church' the way the Book of Acts Church did.
A Remnant who doesn't want to be a friend to the World.
A Remnant that wants to see signs and wonder follow the Word.
A Remnant who wants to fulfill the Great Commission so that Jesus can come back.
A Remnant who want to build a place for God to dwell on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and the cornerstone of Yeshua/Jesus not made with man's hands.
A dwelling place where the Holy Spirit has free reign to do as He likes to do the Father's business.
That's "why" Solomon's Porch.