Idolatry Of Christian Leaders

Idolatry in the Church is practiced through images of Christian leaders implanted in the hearts and the minds of believers. Christian leaders are not gods. There is a demonic spirit attached to this fleshly worship of man. Idolatry of Christian Leaders is a book which captures your heart from start to finish. Written in a straight forward, honest, and confrontational style, the Holy Spirit compels Christian believers to evaluate their true motives for Christian service and their love relationship with God. Proper heart alignment with God through the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit is the book's central theme. Idolatry of Christian Leaders confronts idolatry of Christian leaders, denominations and other aspects of the Church which cause believers to walk in religion, traditions of men and deception. About the Author - Debra A. Seaton Debra A. Seaton is called by God as a prophet and apostolic teacher in the Body of Christ. She is member of Crusaders Church in Chicago, Illinois where Apostle John Eckhardt is her pastor. Debra is an active part of the Prophetic and Intercessory Prayer Ministry of her church. Debra is a former prayer leader of the Crusaders International Women's Ministry. She has also participated in the altar workers' ministry and the dance ministry of her church. Debra is a former director of the Logos-Rhema Foundation of Chicago. She worked as an administrator and intercessor coordinating prayer strategies for the City of Chicago and the United States of America. Debra is employed as a criminal defense attorney in private practice. Prior to private practice, she worked with the Cook County Public Defender's Office, Felony Trial Division. While employed at the Public Defender's Office she taught a weekly Bible Study in the public cafeteria. Debra's desire is to intimately know God through a pure, intense and passionate love relationship with Him. Her goal is to share what the Lord imparts to her through the Holy Spirit with the Body of Christ.

Were all idol-worshippers at heartputting loves, desires, and expectations ahead of God. But theres good news! Elyse shows us how we can identify our idols and battle besetting sins.

Too many discipleship books are written for clean, perfect people who know all the right Sunday school answers. The Imperfect Disciple is for the rest of us--people who screw up, people who are weary, people who are wondering if it's safe to say what they're really thinking. For the believer who is tired of quasi-spiritual lifehacks being passed off as true, down-and-dirty discipleship, here is a discipleship book that isn't afraid to be honest about the mess we call real life. With incisive wit, warm humor, and moving stories, Jared Wilson shows readers how the gospel works in them and in their lives when - they can't get their act together - they think God is giving them the silent treatment - they think church would be better without all the people - they're not happy with the person in the mirror - and much more Wilson frees readers from the self-doubt and even the misplaced self-confidence they may feel as they walk with Jesus down the often difficult road of life. The result is a faith that weathers storms, lifts burdens, and goes forth to make more imperfect disciples.

The spate of recent scandals of power abuse by leaders within the evangelical world suggests something is wrong in our churches. When a leader misuses power, they have misunderstood and misrepresented God and the gospel. This volume addresses the key underlying issue of what a biblical and healthy use of power in the church actually looks like. Authors from a variety of Christian backgrounds and traditions help frame a biblical and theological understanding and practice of power use, describe what it looks like when things go wrong (and how to recognize the signs), and suggest how the contemporary church can and must do better in this area. This book is a rigorously grounded biblical challenge to much contemporary practice. It is a call to reformation. Table of Contents Introduction: Why Another Book on Power and Why Now? Mark Stirling Imitating the Mindset of Christ Mark Stirling Confessions of a Potential Authoritarian: Knowing the Trinity as Antidote to Pastoral Authoritarianism Jared Michelson “You must not do as they do . . . ” Old Testament Israel’s Distinctive Patterns of Leadership Chris Wright Sin and Why We Need to Take It More Seriously Nick Mackison The Power of the Imago Dei and the Imago Dei in Power Mark Meynell Symbolic Capital and the Dynamics of Leadership: The Gospel and the Idolatry of Status Grant Macaskill Use, Not Abuse: An Augustinian Approach to Loving People Graham Shearer When a Church Becomes a Cult: Twenty-Five Years On Steve Wookey The Cost of Brokenness Blythe Sizemore Authoritative, Not Authoritarian Sam Allberry When Our First Love Is Loving to Be First Chris Green Mentors, Not Masters Marcus Honeysett Of God and God-Men Sushila Ailawadi Pastors Empowering Women to Flourish Tasha Chapman Signs and Symptoms of Unhealthy Leaders and Their Systems Mark Stirling Conclusion: That No Bruised Reed Is Ever Broken Mark Meynell

Why do white Protestants in America embrace a president who seems to violate their basic standards of morality? The answer, Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry argue, is "Christian nationalism," the belief that the United States is -- and should be -- a Christian nation. Knowing someone's stance on Christian nationalism, this book shows, tells us more about his or her political beliefs than race, religion, or political party. Drawing on national survey data and interviews with Americans across the political spectrum, Taking America Back for God illustrates the tremendous influence of Christian nationalism on debates about the most contentious issues dominating American public life.

ECPA Top Shelf Book Cover Award When the Israelites exclaimed, "Here are your gods!" at the sight of the golden calf, they were attempting to hold on to the God of their history while fashioning idols for their own purposes. In today's Western world, plenty of shiny false gods still hold power—idols of prosperity, nationalism, and self-interest. Christians desperately need to name and expose these idols. We must retrieve the biblical emphasis on idolatry and apply it anew in our journey of following Jesus. In "Here Are Your Gods," Old Testament scholar Christopher J. H. Wright combines a biblical study of idolatry with practical discipleship. He calls readers to consider connections between Old Testament patterns and today's culture, especially recurring temptations to trust in political power. Now as much as ever, we need a biblically informed understanding of the many ways humans make gods for themselves, the danger of idols, and how God calls us to join him in the battle against idolatry as part of his ongoing mission to be known and worshiped by all peoples.

Like so many new believers, I went to church filled with passion but lacking any real knowledge of the Word. I was faithful and naïve. I soon learned that S.H.I.T. happens everywhere, even in church. The important thing is not getting stained by it. S.H.I.T. stands for Seduction, Hypocrisy, Idolatry, and Talebearing, all of which I experienced and endured for 18 years, and it nearly killed me-literally. What I learned is how important it is to understand God's real teachings and what He intends for us. The enemy seizes every opportunity to seduce and deceive us away from the path of righteousness. Churchgoers--and church leaders--are not immune.I experienced a ton of S.H.I.T. in church. One pastor supposedly "healed" a woman by groping her breasts in front of the congregation. Another was a latent dominatrix and whipped members, particularly men, on stage for everyone to witness. I have seen deviant-entitled pastors' children, real witches speaking evil curses over parishioners and a lunatic hopping around the sanctuary acting like a holy chicken. I have been pushed into marriage with a struggling drug addict by a spiteful co-pastor. I have been humiliated, disrespected, financially exploited, and even sexually propositioned by trusted church leaders. I have been persecuted and shunned by people I thought were my sisters and brothers in Christ. I know that S.H.I.T. happens in the most unexpected place-the house of God. Don't allow sin of leaders to separate you from the love of God. This book is for others who have also sought God only to be served heaping piles of dung. Through my personal stories and reflections on nearly two decades of S.H.I.T. I offer an important message: You are not alone. Don't let the failings of others cause you to fail. Learn the true Word so you can separate the teachings of God from those of self-interested and fallible people who wrap themselves in the Bible while trying to get into your pocketbook (or your pants).We cannot stop S.H.I.T. from happening, but we can choose how we deal with it and make ourselves clean with knowledge, forgiveness, a little laughter, and our unfailing love for God.