We have traded the pursuit of God for the pursuit of men. We have replaced the study of Scripture with the hunger for declarations, and we have allowed our respect for spiritual leaders to drift into dangerous territory.
“I mean, sometimes people touch me and they say, ‘Hey, I’m blessed,’” says Dr. Mensa Otabil. “And I’m looking at them and I say, ‘Are they correct?’ You touch me and you think you are blessed? I touch myself all the time. I know myself. Who am I? I am someone who depends on God to bless me.”
We must honor those who serve God, as that is biblical. But we must be vigilant so that honor does not cross the line into worship. When we elevate a man of God to the point where his words replace the Word of God, we have moved into idolatry. Today, many Christians are spiritually starving because they no longer study the Bible for themselves; they only wait for a “man of God” to make a declaration. This pattern where preaching looks more like the work of a fortune teller than the gospel of Christ is a dangerous shift that is spreading across the world.
— Dr. Mensa Otabil
Wisdom Nuggets:
1. Stop worshiping the messenger: You do not get blessed by touching a person. You get blessed by trusting the God who sustains that person. No human being is a substitute for the presence of the Almighty.
2. Honor is not worship: It is right to respect those who labor in the faith, but never elevate them to a position that belongs only to God. When you start believing that a man holds your destiny in his hands, you have lost your way.
3. Your dependence must be on God: If you find that you cannot make a decision or find peace without a “word” from a leader, you are no longer walking with God; you are walking with a human guide. God wants a direct relationship with you.
4. Bible study is non-negotiable: A diet of only “declarations” will leave you spiritually malnourished. If you are not reading the Word for yourself, you are vulnerable to every wind of doctrine and every personality cult that comes your way.
5. Beware of fortune-telling disguised as prophecy: True preaching is not about guessing your problems or giving you shallow emotional highs. It is about revealing the character of God and calling you to a life of holiness and obedience to His Word.
#SacredWord #MensaOtabil
