The Golden Calf Of Present Day Christendom....MOG(Men Of Gold).

There's a very subtle idolatry and evil least discerned in the present day church...an idolatry so sanctified by 'christian' language, so polished & baptized by culture, that many do not recognize it's shape. 

It is the golden calf of present-day Christendom, not a statue of precious metals, but ministers sculpted into idols by the hands of admiration, applause, honour and adulation.

In the days of Aaron, Israel said,

“Make us gods which shall go before us.” — Exodus 32:1

And today, although our lips deny it, our behaviour echoes it. We have made gods of men, and gold of ministers to go before us, and we follow these religious personalities more passionately than walking in the steps of Christ.

The golden calf has returned in ministers clad in priestly robes, suits & clerical collars with golden edge bibles and men in black following and standing by them, while they speak.

We call them men of God, but in truth many have become men of gold, moulded by the gospel of prosperity, polished with fame, crowned with influence, decorated with material splendour, enthroned by crowds who cheer them on, craving signs more than sanctification. 

Their images are everywhere:

On our streets and major junctions...evangelism replaced by organisational branding.

On the walls of our sanctuaries...Christ replaced by charisma.

On the raised platforms we call altars...truth replaced by motivation, entertainment & performance.

On the lips of congregants..."Abba Father" replaced by "Our Papa".

But hear the witness of Scripture:

“My glory will I not give to another.” — Isaiah 42:8

“Cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils.” — Isaiah 2:22

The subtlety of this religious hero-worship is that it hides itself under the vocabulary of honour.

Yet honour has quietly mutated into reverence, and reverence has evolved into dependence, and dependence has birthed the idolatry of religious hero/human worship.

Just like Corinth, we now say:

“I am of Paul… I am of Apollos… I am of Cephas…” — 1 Corinthians 1:12,

forgetting that Christ alone was crucified for us.

The church has traded the simplicity of Christ (2nd Corinthians 11:3) for the complexity of celebrity Christianity.

We admire the vessel until we forget the Treasure.

We study the servant until the Master is dim.

We quote the preacher more than the Scripture.

And what is the fruit?

A form of godliness void of it's power thereof.

An atmosphere thick with charisma but thin in consecration.

A generation beholding the images of men and being conformed to them; ambitious, impressive, influential with very little or no conformity to the purity of Christ.

Where man takes center stage, Christ is forced to the margins.

Where personalities dominate, the fear of man, which brings a snare, takes over as the reverence for God wanes.

Where the altar becomes a platform, the platform becomes a stage, and the stage becomes a shrine for human/hero worship.

But the Spirit of the Lord is calling:

“Return to Me.”

Return to the Son in whom alone the Father is well pleased, and in whom alone he has accepted thee.

Every golden calf must be ground to powder.

Every human idol must bow.

Every man of gold must decrease.

That Christ alone may be glorified in His church.

Return, O Church, from thine veiled, subtle idolatry, from altars made with human hands. 

Return to the shepherd and bishop of your soul and let him purge you; bring down the high & lofty looks of men, the images on the hills & high places, cut down the groves, overthrow the altars of Mammon and the sanctuaries of covetousness where greed is nourished & lust/ambition is ministered to.

Let every heart forsake it's idol of a religious hero and clasp again the Shepherd’s fold.

Return to the Lamb who alone is worthy.