Hollow Faith is Powerless Religion
Rev. Dr Fred P Deegbe’s Hollow Faith is Powerless Religion is a call on all to keep their eyes fixed on God, who is the author and finisher of faith.
Not heeding that call by the author results in the frustrations and stresses of life that all know so well, and which is rendered so beautifully in Hollow Faith is Powerless Religion.
The setting is the country of Mawoanesowhe (a similitude of Israel, before Jesus Christ), where the presence of God is visible in the form of an Ark of the Covenant (First and Second Samuel).
With God living in the midst of His people, life is idyllic with commitment to God represented by His Ark; but then with time, commitment wanes; God’s presence becomes familiar, the devotions become rituals.
Context
Within that context, we meet Archbishop Eli, old, weary and affected by the signs of the times, general decline in spiritual fervour; Seidu Banga, the Member of Parliament for Mawoanesohwe; Vero Banson, the high society, streetwise and shrewd lady, with all the charms, idols and connections in society; Adutwum Michael, the advanced level student, inexperienced and following what pertains in his country; then Kwame, the “sharp-tongued young man with ambitious eyes and a fast growing following” who scoffs at church practices and customs.
These are the individuals, corrupted by the spiritual decadence of the time.
They are like some of us currently, rent seekers, materialistic, greedy and with no conscience (they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge, Jeremiah 4: 22b).
We also meet Old Man Kwesi, the village elder, who has been a witness to the past workings of God and testifies of them, and the Evangelist/preacher Moses, under conviction of the Holy Spirit, who weeps, pleads and prays with and for the people, to repent.
His efforts, however, yield no results until, faced with defeat from the army of the notorious warrior, the subsequent death of Archbishop Eli, and the capture of the Ark of the Covenant, the people realise their folly; that they had foolishly left the ancient pathways to follow their own shallow deeds for their own doom.
Faced with the destruction of war, the people reflect, repent and make the painful turnaround back to God; who mercifully receives them and restores.
Master
Rev. Dr Fred P Deegbe, once again, shows his master craftsmanship as a storyteller, picking from the vast expanse of scripture to make the lessons of the Bible practical. Indeed, he enlivens scripture and makes it relatable, so that Ghanaians today may read and learn.
We must learn not to be familiar with our spiritual foundations, like praying, fasting, and fellowship.
We must learn not to be too familiar even with the spaces in our Church.
Rev. Deegbe calls us to a place of continuous revival and awe of God.
The results of complacency with the things of God are clear, spiritual decadence and death, as described in the country of Mawoanesowhe.
Assurance
The assurance of Hollow Faith is Powerless Religion is that God is faithful, and does not utterly destroy when we falter.
He is ever ready with open arms to accept genuine penitents; and the beauty of the faith walk is that he does not expect us to transform in leaps and bounds, but to build faith gradually and consistently, “Not in one sermon.
But in every choice.
Every Act of kindness.
Every refusal to give up. Every time we choose faith over fear, service over selfishness and prayer over pride.
Hollow Faith is Powerless Religion is available in all Calvary Baptist Convention churches.
It is recommended as a good read for all.
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