A power minister was invited to minister in a programme. His host told him they expected his ministration to lead men into an encounter with God. He decided to embark on a three days dry fasting in preparation for the event.
On the day of that programme, he entered the programme venue with a special confidence because he believed that days spent in fasting and prayer must produce result. Unfortunately, nothing happened in the programme. No word of knowledge, healing or deliverance.
He was disappointed and he went back to God asking what happened. The Lord told him: “You put your confidence in your FASTING, not in ME. I am the LORD who does as HE pleases (Psalm 115:3).You cannot arm-twist Me with fasting. If I had moved, you would have thought your fasting did it.”. That response broke him.
There are idols known to all. Believers preach and pray against them but there are subtle idols in our consecration that we trust more than God. For instance, it is possible to stop trusting the person of God and start trusting the very act of fasting and prayer. It is subtle idolatry that goes undetected in the lives of believers most times.
Idolatry sets in when we trust an exercise or spiritual exercises more than we trust in God himself. There is so much idolatry going on among believers unchecked. We can idolize programmes, conventions, prayer mountains and spiritual exercises.
We often forget that God is the one who gives value to those things. Some have died fasting. They engaged in fasting thinking it will impress God and arm-twist him to move on their behalf. Unfortunately, they died while others damaged their health. This is not the will of God.
That's why I advocate for proper biblical understanding of these things not just church tradition. Engaging in spiritual exercises without proper understanding will lead to frustration when result is not forthcoming.
The worst form of idolatry in the church today are the idols of tokens. For instance, anointing oil, mantle, water, communion, etc.There are believers who sees these things as Christian "juju". Without any of these things, they can't do nothing. Faith in God through the name of Jesus means nothing to them any more.
Their faith now rest in objects instead of the finished work of Christ. Some move around with mantles and oils using it like a protective charm. A false theology encouraged this idolatry.
Actually, these things are in the bible but there are contexts and perspectives to them. For instance, the anointing oil&water are symbolic of the Holy Spirit. The items in themselves have no power. It is not the oil or water that heals, it is the power of the Spirit. Those items are just symbols of the real thing.
What they represented now resides in us fully, that is the Holy Spirit. Meaning that if those items are not available,the presence of the Holy Spirit in us is enough to get the job done. The name of Jesus is enough. I don't need to add anything to it.
I have not said using these things are bad or sinful but it must be from the right biblical perspective and by the leading of the Spirit or else we'll slip into idolatry of those things.
