COVID-19: Stop taking offence with God - Rev. Owiredu
Christians have been admonished not to threaten God or question His supremacy because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Head Pastor of the Sakumono branch of the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI), Rev. Bright Owiredu, has expressed worry that many Christians are losing their faith and giving up on God because of the impact of coronavirus.
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According to him, because the disease is killing thousands of people as well as affecting scores of people on a daily basis, many people, including Christians think that God has failed to save the world.
That, he believes, has led to many people who believe in God either taking offence or questioning why God has not stopped the virus in the world if indeed He has all the powers.
In live service via the internet today [Sunday, April 26, 2020], Rev. Owiredu in a sermon titled: "Living above the lines of offence", said "offence is one of the deadly traps that Satan is using against the body of Christ."
John the Baptist's example
Using the John the Baptist story in Mathew chapter eleven verses two to six downwards (Mathew 11:2-6), he said John the Baptist who was to prepare the way for Jesus preached about Jesus and through his teachings, he turned the heart of Jerusalem towards God.
He said John the Baptist in his teachings even described Jesus as someone capable of forgiving human sins.
That, Rev. Owiredu explained, when John the Baptist was arrested and put in prison, he thought that Jesus would come and save him because he knew that Jesus had the power to break the prison walls.
But when Jesus did not visit him, he said, John the Baptist out of anger and offence sent people to go and question Jesus, the man he himself had preached about whether he was the Messiah.
He said John acted under offence and that Jesus saw his heart through his question and therefore counselled that "Blessed is he who is not offended because of me."
Rev. Owiredu noted that when people take offence, it affects their relationship with God.
"When a man is operating under the influence of offence, that person can say anything or behave anyway without a thought to the word of God has said," he preached.
"...so in our world today, Satan is using offence against pastors, against members and against families."
Power of God
Rev. Owiredu is of the view that people need to understand the impact of offence on their lives, particularly in their relationship with God.
"Anytime there is an offence, it draws a person into sin or error that is why we must be conscious always not to allow the root of offense in our lives," he said.
Rev. Owiredu said when Peter and other apostles were arrested, they did not threaten God or questioned the supremacy of God but trusted God.
According to him, the power to save lives is a sole discretion of God and that nobody can force God to act in any situation.
"When a person is offended, his judgment becomes mad," he said, stressing "it affects your emotions, it affects your being that if you are not careful, you begin to behave unchristian."
Circumstances
"We should not allow circumstances to control our emotions," Rev. Owiredu said, adding "People in our age feel that God has disappointed them."
"We shouldn't allow this global pandemic to define how we live for God," he pointed out, urging Christians to guard their hearts in the kind of things they say about God because of coronavirus pandemic.
