DCLM Daily Manna 20 October 2021 — No Syncretism In Worship
DCLM Daily Manna 20 October 2021 Devotional by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — No Syncretism In Worship
TOPIC: No Syncretism In Worship (DCLM Daily Manna 20 October 2021)
📜 TEXT:2 KINGS 17:24-41📜
24 And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
25 And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the Lord: therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which slew some of them.
26 Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.
27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.
28 Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the Lord.
29 Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.
30 And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
31 And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
32 So they feared the Lord, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
33 They feared the Lord, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.
34 Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the Lord, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the Lord commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;
35 With whom the Lord had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:
36 But the Lord, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice.
37 And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.
38 And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.
39 But the Lord your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
40 Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.
41 So these nations feared the Lord, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children’s children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.
🔑📖KEY VERSE: “So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places…and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence” (2 KINGS 17:32, 33).
Message
One of the glaring effects of globalisation is the gradual fusion of different cultures, beliefs and lifestyles into one. These days, we are also beginning to see a mixture and fusion of different religions. For instance, “Chrislam,” a movement which is a blend of Christianity and Islam, is becoming a popular movement in Nigeria and the United States.
Also Read: Open Heaven 20 October 2021 – Rewards Of Obedience
The leaders of the Assyrian nation which conquered Israel came face to face with the harsh realities of the consequences of syncretism in worship – that is, mixing up idol worship with the worship of the true God. After the nation of Israel had been carried away from their land as a result of their sins, the Assyrians who conquered them brought other nations to occupy their lands. These new occupants of the land of Israel brought with them their various idols. Though they appeared to be worshipping God, they did not give up their idol worship. This provoked God and moved Him to visit them with judgment. God cannot be placed side by side with idols.
There are people who claim to have been converted to Christianity from their former religions but still bring some of the elements of their former beliefs into the faith and church. There are even some churches today that have imported some practices from heathen religions into their worship styles. One is not surprised then when these so-called believers keep complaining of satanic attacks, afflictions from their ancestral pasts as well as other strange experiences.
True believers must ensure a complete and total break from their past. If you are truly born again and have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, He alone must be the One you worship. There must not be a divided loyalty between Christ and other gods. You must be willing to make a clean break from all your former belief systems.
✍🏽THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: You cannot serve God and mammon!
📜THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 61-66📜
MEDITATION
SLAVISH VS. REVERENTIAL FEAR IN CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
1. Fear of God without moral transformation
a. “They feared the Lord”, v32. “They feared the Lord”, v33. “They feared not the Lord, v34. Any contradiction?
b. The fear they had for the Lord was just to avoid being killed by lions and not that they willingly surrendered their hearts to serve the Lord, vv25,26.
c. It is a fear of judgement that is really void of the fear of the Lord that gives all reverence, obedience and loyalty to God.
d. The fear is a ritualistic fear that showed in outward religious observances without inward experiences.
e. It is not a reverential fear for God that keeps from evil but a fear that is void of full surrender and submission to God without inward righteousness and new life, 2 Corinthians 5:17.
f. It is a fear that produces outward show of religion that is not detached from old sinful way of life, vv33,34.
g. It is a fear of God that lacks the power or the will to detach totally from “former manners”. See “former manners” repeated in vv34,40.
h. It is a superficial and hypocritical fear that is eager to know the way of God and after knowing it gave excuses for not walking in it, vv26,28, 33. “Yet ye seek me daily”, Isaiah 58:1,2.
2. Fear of God producing moral transformation
a. It is the fear that worships and serves only the Lord without any rivalry, Matthew 4:10.
b. It is the fear of God that casts out fear of any fear of repercussions from any idol, both human and spiritual, I John 4:18, Hebrews 13:6. “Ye shall not fear other gods”, v35.
c. It is the fear that fears falling into anything contrary to the will of God and is determined to pay any price for it, Hebrews 5:7.
d. It is the fear that propels people, like Noah, to move in line with the word and will of God without delay, Hebrews 11:7.
e. It is the fear that literally distance itself or run away from any objects of temptation like Joseph did, Genesis 39:9,12.
f. It is the only type of fear that can only be given after becoming a new creature in Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:7.
g. It is not a slavish fear but the fear of God that cannot be separated from the love of God, I John 4:18.
Question
What type of fear do you have for God? Slavish or reverential fear?
PRAYER POINTS
1. Ask God to give you deeper fear that runs from every appearance of sin like Joseph🙏
2.Ask for fear of God like Noah to always move in the direction of God’s will and command without delay 🙏
3. Ask for Jesus kind of fear that will fear offending or disappointing God in love🙏
4. Pray to God that the fear of God will rule the hearts of His children without ever taking God and His word for granted🙏
HYMN
O JESUS I HAVE PROMISED
1 O Jesus, I have promised
To serve thee to the end;
Be thou forever near me,
My Master and my friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If thou wilt be my guide.
2 O let me feel thee near me!
The world is ever near:
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear.
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.
3. O let me hear thee speaking
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will.
O speak to reassure me,
To hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen,
Thou guardian of my soul.
4. O Jesus, thou hast promised
To all who follow thee
That where thou art in glory
There shall thy servant be.
And, Jesus, I have promised
To serve thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow,
My Master and my friend.
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
