CAN WE WORSHIP GOD FOR WHOM HE IS?
I’m privileged to visit different places of worship or gatherings of Christian fellowship; listened to teachings and messages as well as prayers. It’s fast becoming obvious and certain that the reason most Christians reference God is because of what they get from God. These benefits include: good health, prosperity, breakthrough, miracles, and good fortune. Almost every Christian has become conversant with passages of open doors, open windows, open heavens, supply of abundance, prosperity and good successes. Worshippers are urged to tithe, give fat and generous offerings, and sow seeds: first fruit, sacrificial, love, pastor’s appreciation, first lady wall robe and so on. The sad thing about all these is that many do not even understand the theology behind what they ask people to do and what they are asked to do. The most important thing is to make sure the store house is full and the financial empires are built. That explains why we find Churches in every shopping centers and the product of “Churchanity” making waves in the market.
Some are so much driven by the money passion that they do not know where and when to stop. For example: I attended a special thanksgiving service in a Church in Houston and the lady “Apostle” preacher demonstrated her sales skills and in her persuasion said, “ if you do not dip hand into your pocket and give, you have the DNA of Satan.” And I said to myself, is that so! This appears a new lesson in the sales field, just to squeeze money out of people’s pocket. Little wonder, she has the title of ‘an apostle.’ If you are a guest minister and you end your sermon without urging worshippers to give generously or raise additional fund for the Church, you probably have sealed your door. Every Christian is praying for riches and wealth and prosperity. We are in the era of materialistic theology. It’s all about what they can get from playing Church. Religion was never supposed to be a source of making riches and acquiring wealth but materialistic theology has introduced a new dimension to the Church; it has become a huge profit-making business competing with the businesses of fallen World Street. Every Dick and Harry is setting up a Church business and even when some barely passed their high school, are now gurus in the tactics of brain washing, hypnotizing, and manipulation; into the cheerful deceit and pretentious business of religion. Religion has become a soft avenue for manipulating the minds of God’s people, make fortune and amaze wealth as well as build financial empire.
As I see all these religion of buying and selling return to the Church, the question that bothers me most time is: Why do we reference God? The book of Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verse 13 says, “After all this, there is only one thing to say: have reference to God and obey His commands because this is all that we were created for. Another version says, “The conclusion of the whole matter is: Fear God and keep his commandment, for this is the whole duty of man.” It’s a terrible feeling to believe that we worship God for what we get from God. If we must give to God it’s because of what we expect to receive from Him. They tell you God gives to those who give to Him and hold your offering high and speak to God through your offering. Some “Apostle/prophet” preachers will adopt Old Testament doctrines that the coming of Christ had nullified, just to brainwash their hearers. If you dare raise a question against these greed and idolatry that has become norms, you’re tagged an unbeliever and can even be attacked by other means.
The questions not often answered are: what did we give God for creating us and for daily sustenance? What did we give God for offering His Son Jesus Christ to die for the sins of the entire world? The scripture says, while we did not know God, Christ died for us. Human beings are setting up and running Churches as chattel and appoint “sales men and women” to every sales outlet to sell their wares and Church businesses are booming. The motive is to make gains, power and ego for individuals and family; just season your motive with “god” and passion for cash. Are you then surprised that at every shopping center of our cities, you will find shops in the name of Church? Worshippers are becoming used to the ‘near truth’ of these do and die religious zealots whose passion is nothing but money and sharp ways to acquire it. Venture to ask, apart from passion for money would you go into Church business? It was for this reason that Satan asked God, “Would Job worship you if he got nothing out of it? He added, ‘you have always protected him and his family and everything he owns. You bless everything he does and you have given him enough wealth. But now suppose you take away everything he has-he will curse you to your face’ [Job 1:9-11].
Brethren, do you worship God for nothing? Can we worship God for who He is, even when our prayers is yet to be answered? Can we reference God when we feel less of His presence? It’s possible that we worship God for what He has already done? The Psalmist says, “Remember His marvelous works which He has done; His wonders and the judgment of His mouth” [Psalm 105:5]. Can we get back to the old spirit of worship, where we worship God first, because of who He is; second, for what He has already done and shall continue to do? We do not worship God for what we desire to get from God. We can not bribe God with gift or force Him to give us. He has already blessed us with heavenly blessings in high places. Worshipping God because of gains we get from God constitutes idolatry. God is being worshipped by heavenly bodies and by every other earthly creature as the Lord of life, King of kings and Lord of lords, etc. God can raise stone to worship Him if human don’t. It’s in the nature of God to give and that is settled in heaven.
Without our misguided giving, God will still give us. There is no trade by barter with God. Who gave us the entire good and perfect gift we have? Human beings can’t pay for the air we breathe, for the foundation of the earth we live in, for the cloud that brings rain, for the sun, moon and stars we enjoy, vegetations and depth that breeds our fishes, etc. How about the arrows that fly in the day and the pestilence that walks in the night or the enemies of our souls that all surround us? Little wonder the scripture says, “If it had not been the Lord who was on my side……when men rose against us…” [Psalm 124:1ff]. We can do nothing without God. He’s self sufficient God but loves his creation. All He asks is to appreciate His glory, grace and mercy. Giving is supposed to be cheerfully, willingly and generously but not out of compulsion.
God does not even see our gifts; what he sees is His Son, Jesus Christ that is the once and for all greatest sacrificial gift and the blood covenant with Him. No human being or human gift can satisfy God because we are all sinners and so are our gifts. Our righteousness before God is like filthy rags. It is a high time we stopped worshipping God as if God is an idol or human being. God says, “If I were hungry, I would not ask you for food, for the world and everything in it is mine” [Psalm 50:12]. Our gifts can never redeem us and we can never redeem ourselves. We cannot pay God the price for our lives because the payment for human soul is too great; what we could pay would never be enough……. [Psalm 49:7-8]. “For the Lord is the great God and the great King above all gods. For He is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of His hand” [Psalm 95:3, 7]. “For The Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the people are idols but this Lord made the heavens? Honor and Majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His presence” [Psalm 96:4-6].
Giving is good and wonderful and should be encouraged but the love and passion for money has driven many into manipulating people and ripping them in the name of God. Materialistic theology is nothing but idolatry. That’s why they go to any length to get what they want – straight or crook. They love you, become their friend when you are giving but the moment, something happen to you and you can no longer give, you’re forgotten and hardly being reached. This may be unpopular teaching but the truth. This could explain why some people love God but can’t stand the Church. The scripture still urges us to worship God in Spirit and truth. If we really do, our love and focus on money will shift base. It’s high time we stopped robbing God’s people by playing all tricks in the book because judgment shall start in the Church. Don’t forget God created our inward part and watches our motives.
Reach: Evangelist Ogbonnaya, Godswill at: weefreeministries@yahoo.com or P. O. Box 720035, Houston, Texas, 77272.