Just as many churches will have to adjust to the growing phenomenon of house churches, so will cities, counties and zoning commissions. Case in point: a lawsuit filed recently by the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) against Miami-Dade County, Fla.

The suit is asking for an injunction against the county government, which in its zoning code requires that churches maintain a minimum land size of 2.5 acres. The county has moved against two modest-sized congregations.

ADF says the county cited the 13-year-old International Outreach Center and its 70 attenders with a code violation last August. It declared the church needed a certificate of use in order to use its building for church services, claiming it was unlawfully operating a business.

At this point I pause to scratch my head and ask, "Huh? At what point did people meeting to worship God morph into a business just because they meet in a building next to a dance studio?"

As heavy-handed as that appears, it doesn't hold a candle to the county's decree against WW Ministries, which according to the lawsuit consists of 10 people who meet in homes to pray, study the Bible and sing.

ADF says a zoning compliance officer told WW Ministries' leaders they couldn't even have two or three people come over to their house to pray. Shades of Big Brother, indeed.

One hopes that ADF will give Miami-Dade a sound thrashing in the courtroom, if only to discourage other local governments from trying to turn their zoning regulations into excuses to nitpick at churches.

Miami isn't the only place this happens. Less than two weeks after it sued Miami, ADF appealed a decision by a district court involving Indianapolis' zoning code preventing religious use of buildings in a commercial district. Having seen this sort of thing happen in other states as well, I think such habits often revolve around power plays – not to mention the thirst to see more land occupied by businesses because they pay taxes.

No matter how well intentioned their intentions to promote orderly development and harmony, zoning officials must weigh such goals in light of the First Amendment. Our Founding Fathers prohibited laws against the free exercise of religion. So do more recent federal statutes.

However, before I get too wrapped up in the indignities of Miami's action, let me point out there's an underlying nugget of truth here.

George Barna places house church adherents' numbers at more than 20 million nationwide. That means governments that try to dictate minimum sizes of buildings and declare where people can meet to worship God pose the equivalent of huddling around black-and-white televisions in a MySpace world.

Trying to categorize, define and regulate one of the fastest-growing movements afoot in Christianity not only reflects antiquated thinking, it's an exercise doomed to failure.

For every house meeting local authorities sniff out and try to stifle, two dozen more will continue meeting quietly. And three dozen more will spring up to replace the one the government pursues.

Not only do officials look foolish when they try to pursue such ill-advised measures, they need to remember what happened when China tried to persecute and oppress Christians out of existence. Instead of disappearing, their numbers multiplied like mushrooms in monsoon season.

Such leaders would be wise to consult Acts 5:33-40, where Gamaliel counseled the Sanhedrin against persecuting the apostles, telling them, "Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."

And fighting against God will put government officials down for the count.