"Little children,keep yourselves from idols".1John 5:21
"Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god....."Psalm 16:4
"They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy".Jonah 2:8
We want to look at a very serious issue in the mordern Church today. It is a subject that sounds 'unchurchly' and yet is so much evident in the midst of those who profess a saving faith in Christ Jesus.The subject is "IDOLATORY".God is ever greived by it and yet we celebrate it so much without any recourse to the Master's heart.
In our study we want to see how manifest it is in the midst of God's people. Please ponder the subject carefully and see where you are. Then make ammend without delay!
HERE IS IDOLATORY!
-Heroe worship.When a man is instituted, celebrated and deified as the all-in-all, father of all, never to be corrected.
-Messianic complex.When a man is taken for Christ.This is actually an anti-christ spirit. In Gk.antichristos (antichrist) means 'in place of Christ or instead of Christ').
-In actual fact, many modern-day 'Men of God' are striving ardently to place themselves in the place of Christ.The Living God will have none of this anymore!
-Money worship and love of money.
-Exaltation of denominational doctrines, tradition and practices above the Word of God. Men now use God's Word as a means of supporting their selfish, sectarian ideas.
-Undue exaltation of Satan and his works, extreme demon-consciousness. This is another side of the extreme! While we are not to to be careless about the devil and his works, we are in danger if we are advertizing them.
-Spiritism, the use of clandestine formulae and occult. Gimmicks of men do not complement the righteous God.
-Setting worldly standards as the yardstick for success.
-Ascribing the works of the Holy Ghost to the prowess, expertise or talents of a supposed 'man of GOD'.
-When 'men of GOD'are actually men of GOG, who are evidently carving out empires for themselves.The unrighteous Gog and Magog will surely receive their due recompence before the Righteous God.(Rev.20:8,9).
-When it seems no more dangerous to use the name of CHRIST to pursue and acheive selfish, man-made agenda.
-Christless Christianity. Here everything is important except Christ and His will."In Jesus' name" only becomes a means of appending and presuming divine signature to selfish and carnal prayers.
-Political tussles among those who aim to gain more importance prominence than others.
-Fights for positions.
-Subjugation of the poor and the less privileged in the local Church
-Partiality.
-Inability of Church leaders to speak the whole truth that makes whole.
- Hopeless importation or copying of foreign, strange and unprofitable traditions to the detriment of men's souls.
-Lack of credible leadership succession: difficulty in raising genuine men of credibility in the face of leadership scarcity.
-Selfish religiosity, prayers and programmes.
-Division and disunity.
-Church leaders weakened, and spiritually paralyzed by reason of secret sins.
-Lack of genuine interest in evangelism and missions.
-When there is no more vision and encounter with God.
-When prayers meet brick-walls and are hindered.
-When men seek God as a means to an end and nothing more.
-When giving to God becomes a bribe or a bait given to appease the unwilling Almighty.
- When God is presented as the Offering Collector who must pay back by gratifying the giver's desire.
-When there seems to be no more danger in seeking money from abominable sinners and haters of God in order to do God's work. Many Pastors may finally end in hell because they make no difference.
-When preachings come from the pulpit to while away the time. At such a time the Preacher is only an anti-anointed professional who simply sees himself as a performer for a fee. He himself is a lost soul .
-When men's hearts are too dull to be moved by messages of eternal life, being past feelings.
-When a whole majority of congregations keep seeing and saying the same thing (just like Ahab and his prophets)when they are off the Bible way and no one seems to see differently. Do we still have faithful Michaiahs in our city? (1Kin.22:1-28).
-When Holy Ghost activities have been replaced by excessive emotionalism, propaganda and self-centered gimmicks.
-When men have lost confidence in the simplicity of God's Word and they keep looking for some other 'experience'
-When the Person of the Holy Spirit has been carelessly substituted with olive oil, handkerchiefs, so that vain-minded men might be drawn into their doom. Truly, the Lord in His sovereignty could choose to move in any unusual way; howbeit, men are too inadequte to predict a way for Him!
-Hopeless pursuit of false expectations by carnal believers.
-When the Church makes itself a specialist in one side of the truth while other truths are grossly neglected, misplaced or discountenanced.
-When a supposed 'Man of God' only builds arround himself sycophants or 'Yes men' who are forbidden to question his misdemeanour.
-Christless pentecost and charismatic recklessness.
-When assorted Church programmes and activities serve as a means of keeping Church members busy or captive.
-Competitions and envy among ministers of God.
-Increased sugar-coating of messages in order to keep the crowds.
-When the name of Christ is being misused by men as a means of livelihood.
-Whenever men can manage through their sermons without any recourse to God's clearly stated truth, without opening the Bible...an idol is most likeely in focus!
-When the preacher lays emphasis on everything, remembers everyhing, preaches everything and focuses on everything, except Heaven and Eternity.........
Then an idol is in the house, men's heart have failed them.
'BEWARE ERE THE KING REJECT THY WORK', the Spirit doth say.
Ponder on these and don't forget to share them with your neighbours!
Your fellow pilgrim & heir of the Kingdom,
Rev. OLUFUNSO J OMIDIRAN
Ibidan, Nigeria
www.livingsword.org
Ibidan, Nigeria
www.livingsword.org
No comments:
Post a Comment