For the Glory of God Alone!

I really felt inspired to write this blog after seeing so much hype and self-promotion as of late in Christian circles on Facebook and the like.  Many of the posts and comments come across like, “Watch our church baptism video- its so awesome what we did.  We had shirts made, rented a blow up house for the kids, and hired a professional video team to produce this video!” Or, “Read our pastor’s books- he is the greatest author in the whole wide world and has secrets of the Kingdom no one has ever heard before!”  And, “I love my church more than life itself because there is no church like my church in the entire universe. My church and leadership is the “best of the best of the best.”

May God help us get over our self-promotion and man-centered praise and learn to “humbly” give God all the praise and the honor- for it is God and God alone that builds His church and makes us successful. Thus, please read this blog and check your heart to see if you’re boasting in God or man.

“I’m So Glad My God Has Blessed You!”

If after you have shared your excitement and pride in “your” church’s GROWTH, BUILDING, BAPTISMS, MIRACLES, FUND RAISERS, BOOKS PUBLISHED, CONFERENCES/OUTREACHES/CRUSADES HELD, WORSHIP BAND, ANOINTING in the HOUSE, MISSIONS WORK, TV SHOWS, and PASTOR’S SPEAKING ABILITY or the LIKE and I respond,

“I’m so happy MY God has blessed YOU- He is always good to His kids.”

And you are bothered or somewhat disappointed because you feel YOUR PEOPLE/PLAN/GIFTS/CHURCH need more “praise” it is because you desire MORE credit to go to YOUR building plan, YOUR worship talent, YOUR preacher’s gifting- than to GOD- who is also MY GOD. Plus, you have forgotten who it is that REALLY HAS ALL THE POWER to exalt and make great in the Kingdom of God- it is God, all by Himself.

It has always been and will always be about JESUS. Long after our church buildings are gone, all the best selling books are but dust, all the great preachers have no more pulpits, and the worship conferences are forgotten… JESUS and HE ALONE, will STILL be receiving ALL THE PRAISE, ALL THE GLORY, and ALL THE HONOR- FOREVER and EVER. ALL OF US TOGETHER will be on our faces proclaiming, “WORTHY IS THE LAMB of GOD THAT WAS SLAIN!”

You and I simply get the momentary honor of watching GOD bless people with HIS talent, HIS wealth, and pour out HIS blessings and favor on HIS BRIDE the CHURCH. And there are not “many brides,” there is just ONE BRIDE OF CHRIST- and therefore we are ALL LOVED and TREASURED the EXACT SAME WAY. There are no big “I’s” and little “you’s” in God’s Kingdom- we are all HIS SERVANTS.

From the pastor of 20 in an ole’ country church in the US to the house church leader of 20,000,000 in an underground network in China- ALL BELONG TO CHRIST for they ARE HIS FOR HIS GLORY ALONE. If He chooses one disciple to spend his entire life to win one soul- it brings him GLORY and if he desires another to win a one hundred million souls- it brings HIM THE SAME AMOUNT of GLORY.

God is not judging HIS CHURCH on “nickels and noses” but rather on OBEDIENCE and LOVE. The question for all of us on Judgment Day will be- “DID YOU DO WHAT GOD WANTED YOU TO DO WITH WHAT HE GAVE YOU?”

Therefore, LET US ALL HUMBLE ourselves under the mighty hand of God and be mindful both in public and in private in our “boasting” that IT IS GOD and GOD ALONE that BUILDS HIS church for HIS GLORY ALONE.

1 Corinthians 1:31, “Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”