Are ‘Remnants’ made in Mbonye’s image?

Voltaire once voiced how “In the beginning, God created man in His own image, and man has been trying to repay the favour ever since.” The history of fallen humanity is that we have, since the sin of Adam, fashioned God after our image.
One could say sinful humankind not only seeks to shape God after its image but that it also moulds other people, especially followers, after the leader’s likeness.
Such seems to be the story of Mr Mbonye and his movement. I say this, not to slight him or his followers, but as an observation. If anything, Mbonye himself states the same, in his message Opening the Eyes of your heart Pt 2.
Accordingly, if Mbonye’s followers believe God sent him, he states, then they must necessarily believe that he is their reflection. ‘The image that you see’ he says, pointing to himself, ‘that is you.’ ‘If you acknowledge me, to be sent of God to you,’ he adds, ‘everything that you are seeing is you.’
He goes on to add how ‘It is important to capture your image… You need to know your image, I am telling you that your image is here. Study it, look at it, behold it, such that you are not confused (or) shaken.’
Judging from social media impressions and other conversations, he has succeeded. Many ‘remnants’ (as his followers call themselves) have him as their profile picture, with quite a number changing their social media names to include ‘Elvis’ or ‘Mbonye.’

Making of a cult
A cult, by essence, is a movement built around a venerated person. Here, the highest aspiration of the members is their formation into the image of the leader.
Boze Herrington in The Atlantic lists seven signs of cultic activity which include, among others, opposition to critical thinking, separation from the Church, and seeking inappropriate loyalty to leaders.
The leader is the god and goal of the movement.
Without any critical thinking, his followers receive whatever he says to them without question. And by labelling those who disagree with him as ‘Pharisees’, he ensures his followers do not listen to anyone else. Distancing himself from the traditional Church, he marks himself as separate from the universal Church and its 2000-year old heritage.
The ‘remnants’ see him as a special one, in his genre, exalted above all men, to whom all the nations owe their due.
Therefore, his followers find it natural to lick his boots ‘in awe’ of his ‘transcendence.’ In their thinking, he deserves their worship— they call it ‘honour’— as God’s mouthpiece, the same way Christians revere Christ.
Many ‘remnants’ indeed have prayers addressed to him, and if you may recall, a popular Ugandan musician professed to know no other god but Mbonye.
Like Nebuchadnezzar, he has erected his image, to which all his followers bow, with all gladness.
Inevitably, Mbonye is to the ‘remnants’ what Christ is to Christians. Not only is he their cult leader, but he is also the image into which they must conform. And make no mistake about it, the man means what he says, and knows what he is doing.

Bible’s warning against idolatry
Voltaire’s observation is spot on, for sin sends us sideways from the centre — Christ — to fashion gods after our image. In so doing, we convince ourselves that we are repaying God’s favour, that we are truly worshipping Him when we bow down to a man. But beyond all contradiction, human-centeredness is idolatry.
Idolatry is so subtle to see but ensnaring and suicidal. Biblically speaking, the people of God have always found idolatry so appealing that Scripture contains numerous warnings against it (Deut. 4:16, 23; 5:8; Ex 20:4). God, knowing Israel’s misguided desire to seek the visible manifestation of the invisible God in their midst, sent warnings against setting up tangible images as His representations.
The premise of the warning against idolatry is that Israel at Sinai saw no form of God (Deut. 4:9-21). Therefore, they must guard against making for themselves visible images of God.
The prohibition against making images of God is more pronounced when we know that Christ is the only living and visible Image of the invisible God (Col 1:15). According to this image, God made us, and into Him, we are continuously conformed (Rom. 8:29). It follows then that Christians are to bear no man’s image, name, or identity — but Christ alone. Anything contrary is idolatry.
The other thing about idolatry and human-centeredness, is that it reeks with pride. When a person makes themselves the centre of attraction, they inevitably and arrogantly elevate themselves above others.
As we recall, God drastically altered Nebuchadnezzar’s seven-year menu and his home address for taking himself more seriously than he should. ‘Brother Nebu’ even caused his subjects to bow to his image (Daniel 3, 4) thinking he was ‘exercising his rightful dominion.’ In reality, he was idolatrous and arrogant.
Now, humility is a rare commodity among the ‘remnants’. Arrogance litters almost every conversation with a ‘remnant’.
But ‘pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall’ (Prov 16:18). When pride is the marker of a movement, you can be sure Christ is not its leader.

Heed sound teaching or tickle itching ears?
Therefore, everyone who names Christ has two choices: to either seek sound doctrine or scratch itchy ears. Speaking of true prophecy, the Bible forewarned us about many who will reject the biblical doctrine.

Adapted from
byamukama.com