DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONAL: SEPTEMBER 21 MIXING IDOLARY WITH CHURCH (4) SCRIPTURE: ACTS 12: 21-23; 14: 11-18

Today’s devotional delves into dare-devil area of idolatry in the church as it addresses uncomfortable practices of some servants of God at the course of their ministerial works. It is about how many General Overseers seems to have abrogated to themselves the respect, honour and worship due to God. In a plain language, these groups of God’s servants have allowed themselves to be worshipped, honoured and treated like deities amongst their members. God usually comes hard on anyone who tries to usurp His position. The passage of Acts 12: 21-23 tells of why King Herod, most likely Agrippa, was eaten up by worms because he announced himself as god over our Almighty God.

When a too great admiration is accorded a person other than God, it becomes idolatry by definition. Agreeing to receive too great admiration that is supposed to be given to God makes someone an idol too.

_One will not be crucified by saying that kneeling down behind a car of General Overseer as such is alighting from his or her vehicle is honour taken to an extreme, which could be interpreted as idolatry._ It brings such feeling when one goes on his or her kneels crawling into an office of a General Overseer, as sign of respect to greet or meet with him or her.

There is this general overseer that every member of the church must walk on the knee from the door of the office if he must be seen. An Angel of God saw this as usurping God’s position, therefore, rebuked John for doing that to Him (Rev. 22: 8). Christians, especially in Pentecostal churches, will walk into the church without the consciousness of God’s presence on the altar. But same people dare not do that while entering their General Overseer’s office. What an idolatry as well as hypocrisy? Some General Overseers like it when their members adore and worship them above God.

_This devotional is with the opinion that any regard, treatment, honour and reverence given to any person above that which is given to God is idolatry. Any servant of God demanding such recognition from those he or she is a Shepherd over is making self an idol, that God will be jealous of. Every General Overseer should be on the watch to see that members of his or her ministry, consciously or unconsciously, should not revere him or her above God. It kills! Apostle Paul and Barnabas refused the people in Lystra from worshipping them after Paul healed a lame man who was lame from the mother’s womb as seen in Acts 14: 8 – 15._

PRAYERS:

1. Pray, asking God to reveal to His churches, all forms of action tantamount to worshipping human beings in the churches and cause a change for the churches.

2. Pray and ask God to change the thinking of the church leaders seeing themselves as gods amongst their members in Jesus name.

bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch