Idolatry should have no place in the Church
I’ve recently looked at the life of Nimrod in the Bible and saw a charismatic, innovative and energetic personality. He led his followers to rebel against God and enthroned himself as god to the Hamitic race. He is the one who mobilized the workforce needed for the construction of the Tower of Babel.
As I reflected on the state of the present-day church in Africa, I noticed the influence of the spirit of Nimrod on our churches and on the lives of pastors today:
"Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, ‘Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth’” (Genesis 11:1-4).
This was the beginning of the Babylonian kingdom. Nimrod established a counterfeit religion that promoted man instead of God. This religion advocated that man could do whatever he wishes to do, and the will of God should be subservient to the will of man. Nimrod lived, ruled and died thousands of years ago, but his spirit lives on and is still active among pastors and churches today.
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Sadly, many church leaders are not aware of the influence of the spirit of Nimrod on their lives and on the administration of their churches and have already fallen prey to its influence. It is a spirit that gradually perverts the ways of God and promotes the idolatry of pastors and church leaders. Church members begin worshipping them just like the Hamites worshiped Nimrod.
A close look at what is happening in our Churches today will expose this subtle spirit whose activities can be seen in the character of Nimrod.
Most churches in Africa are driven by the desire to build and make a name for themselves. A pastor in Nigeria was building 80,000 capacity auditorium, and when he heard that another pastor had dedicated 100,000 capacity, he hurriedly changed his auditorium architectural design and increased it to 120,000 capacity. It is surprising to know that the top five biggest church auditoriums in the world are owned by Nigerian churches. It might also shock you to know that almost 66 million Nigerians have not heard about Jesus.
l have nothing against churches dedicating these buildings to God, but the question is what is the motive behind such projects? Is it to glorify God or to elevate man? Is it what Christ commissioned His disciples to do? I have often heard these pastors boasting about breaking world records with such endeavors.
If it is all about competition, boasting, and ego boosts, then it is obvious that the spirit of Nimrod is at work. It is also important to note that most of these structures keep worshipers in one place and discourage the dissemination of the Gospel. The mandate of "go and make disciples of all nations" has effectively been turned into "go and build stadiums".
Religious liberalism which is practiced in churches today is a manipulation of the spirit of Nimrod. It is a concept that says that one can become a Christian and live without recourse to Christ's instructions and guidance. Many pastors worldwide have been influenced by this spirit to rebel against sound biblical doctrines and preach messages that do not condemn sin or produce godly sorrow. Nimrod's Spirit has given Gen Z the a notion that biblical Christianity is outdated and should be discarded for a more modern one that allows them to speak in tongues, sing loudly, and practice all manner of social vices.
High-powered commercial activity is one of the attributes of a Babylonian kingdom which the spirit of Nimrod has imported into the church of God. It is interesting to know that souls of men are a major merchandise in the Babylonian controlled market (Revelation 18:11-13). Many pastors today under Babylonian influence are ignorantly selling the souls of their followers to the devil through false teachings. Blessings of God and prophetic words are sold to worshipers at outrageous prices. The commercial activities in the Nigerian church have become so obvious that the government recently announced its intention to start collecting taxes from churches.
Our inability to recognize the operation of this spirit, expose it and battle it in prayers, is responsible for the thriving of false teachings and pseudo-Christianity. We need to pray regularly for Christian leaders worldwide to be watchful and to resist these manipulations. Spiritual warfare against this will go a long way in protecting our pastors and sanitizing our churches.
Pastors who are entangled with Nimrod’s spirit, as a matter of urgency should make use of this lifeline provided by God: "Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues’” (Revelation 18:4).
Worshipers who are following pastors that are captured by this spirit should run away from them. God's punishment is imminent, and I sincerely wish and pray that no Christian should partake in this kind of rank idolatry.
Oscar Amaechina is the president of Afri-Mission and Evangelism Network, Abuja, Nigeria. His calling is to take the gospel to where no one has neither preached nor heard about Jesus. He is the author of the book Mystery Of The Cross Revealed.
