Christian Nobility

Sitting in Church the other Sunday I sat under a preacher who taught us from the book of Nehemiah. He had some interesting points, but one of the things we read in the passage really hit home with me, and I quickly wrote down some notes in order to write this blog. First, let me give the passage below from Nehemiah chapter three:

1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel.

2 And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri.

3 But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

4 And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana.

5 And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord.

In this passage we find the people of Israel returning from captivity to work together to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. Now, Israel is not the church, nor vice versa. But we can spiritually apply this passage to the church today, and make some comparisons. The priests would be a type of modern day "Pastors," while the Israelite people rebuilding the wall would be a type of the "church congregation." And notice that they are all working together in harmony. That is all of them but those in verse 5, who, "put not their necks to the work of their Lord." At first I didn't know what this meant. I had to think about it. Then I figured it out. These "nobles" not only didn't do any work, but they also wouldn't even TURN THEIR HEADS to even look at the work. They just sat there on their rear ends, probably eating bon-bons, and drinking mint juleps! And they weren't interested in doing anything for God!

They were completely happy in their position of laziness and didn't care at all about the work of Lord. So much so, that they didn't even want to LOOK at the work of the Lord. They wanted others to do it all, while they themselves did nothing but enjoy the fruit of the labors of others.

Now, let's spiritually apply this literal, historical passage to the church today. Are there those in the church today who like the "nobility" of old who do the same? Do they, like most nobles, think they are more important than others, and for this reason, they don't need to get their hands dirty?

Sadly, there are such people in our churches today. They are usually that "upiddy, up" crowd in the church who's families for years have been in the church, and who think that because their daddy or granddaddy built the church, that they are more important to the church than anyone else (cause if it wasn't for their forefathers, there would be any church at all).

What's worse is when the Pastor caters to them, and esteems them higher than the "newer members," which elevates these "nobles" even more in their pride, which makes them look even more important to the church than anyone else.

But this is something that God is very much against. Revelation 2:6 tells us:

"But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate."

What were the deeds of the Nicolaitans? It was the practice of making two classes of Christians: those who were the most important and those who are looked upon as less important. The word Nicolaity is a compound word consisting of two words: Nico and Laity.

Nico or Nike was the God of "rights" of the people. He taught that certain people deserved some things while others didn't. And laity has to do with those people who are under others. It is from this term with get the word "laymen," or those who are not in a role of church leadership, and who are rather average church members.

This is nothing short of "class warfare" within the church house. For there are not two classes of Christians. There is only one. But in our age we see a great division among Church people. Especially with the teaching of "laymen" vs. "church workers." You know the teaching, in which certain people in the church are looked upon as "more important" than others, and those who don't do anything are only labelled as "laymen."

These then are the "nobility" in the church, who often feel that since they are so important, that they don't have to do anything, rather they should pass it on to others to do the work themselves. Pastors and deacons often fall into this category, as they demand worship from the congregation, but they themselves do nothing but count the offerings and enjoy the benefits of their position. They have converted themselves into the new "nobles."

I've seen it, and I'm sure you have too, that there always seems to be a "clique" in the church of those "rich" people or "popular" folks who run the church and hold much influence over the Pastor. Things always go their way, as they always win the vote to do things that they want done, (like what color the curtains and pews will be, like what types of festivals the church will celebrate, what kind of food people must bring for their fellowships, etc.)

This are the modern "nobility" who sway the actions of the Pastor and who though they themselves do nothing, they always want their names on the plaques on the walls because they give more to the church than anyone else.

But is this right? It's easy to spot such people, for they usually only brag upon themselves and/or on their church building, rather than on the Lord Jesus Christ. They put on a front that they are "noble" in character and lifestyle, but they are the ones who get the most angry when things don't go their way! And when they end up leaving a church during a church split, they are usually the ones who lead others away with them. Is this right?

As I read through Nehemiah, I couldn't help but chuckle. It appears the same type of people that were found in the congregation in Israel are found still today in our Churches. These are those who pass themselves off as "noble" people, who think they are too good to "turn their necks" to toil in the things of the Lord, especially when their desire is rather to "delegate" that job to others. Rather than work themselves, they enjoy the church pews, the church house, the fellowship, but they won't ever pass out a tract, visit other church members, witness to the lost, etc. They let others do it all, while they enjoy the benefits.

Like one old country preacher said of such people years ago, "I think the problem with a lot of church members is they caught a disease. It's called 'Buttroot!' Yeah, they don't do anything but sit on the church pew and because they've sat there so long, their BUTT done ROOTed to the pew. They don't do anything but sit there, and they think if it wasn't for them, the church wouldn't be there!"

There's your "Christian nobility." Just like those nobles of old in the time of Nehemiah, they sat there and did nothing while everyone else did the work. Maybe we should call it "Neckroot disease." For they, like the Israelite nobility, can't seem to even "turn their necks" to see the great need in the world today, especially for the lost world to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Truth About Accusers

I had a friend in Bible School who told me he had a theory in which he believed, and I quote, "When someone accuses someone of something, it's usually because they are guilty of that same thing themselves."

I've often thought of this, and over the years I've found this to be so very true. People who are quick to jump on your case and lamblast you over something often do so because they themselves are indeed guilty of the very same thing! Time and again I've seen this pattern, and time and again it has held true.

A good example in our day is the political attitude in America. The left often claim the problem with America is the right, who they make out to be the bad guys and the "fanatical" ones that they claim are full of "hate" and "intolerance." But when you take an objective look at the left, their writers, their heroes, and their leaders, you will find time and again that it is THEY who most often are guilty of spewing hatred, threatening violence, encouraging civil unrest, and even promoting revolution.

Yet, when you point this out, you are automatically labeled an intolerant "dissenter" or an inciter of "civil unrest." It's almost as if they can do no wrong, and the right is wrong just for existing. But who is the real hatemonger? It's the left!

As I look at the concept of the evil ones accusing the just of what they themselves are guilty of, I see the pattern repeating itself time and again. And I can't help but automatically think to myself, "If so and so is accused of something, he's probably innocent and those accusing him are indeed the guilty ones."

As I study more, I continually find that all throughout history it seems time and again those who were on the right were constantly labelled as the bad guys by the left, and often eradicated because they would not waiver on what they believed.

The case of Jesus Christ is a prime example. The Pharisees, who tried to appear innocent and righteous in the eyes of man, where the scourage of the earth using religion to steal from widows and milk people of their earnings. When Jesus appeared, the sinless Lamb of God, they had nothing good to say about Him. Instead, they accused him of everything under the sun. They even charged him with the outrageous sin of blasphemy, when they themselves were the blasphemers who rejected Jesus and eventually crucified Him.

As I see the pattern time and again, I think to myself, there must be a reason for all this. I'm no psychologist (nor do I want to be), but I believe there is something to all this. There must be an explanation of why those who do wrong want to blame others instead of take the blame themselves. (You know, kind of like Cain did with Abel).

I guess the reason is that people just don't want to be found out. I'm sure that Bible verses like, "Be sure your sin will find you out" (Num. 32:23), must scare them horribly. Deep down in their psyche, they must know what they are doing is not right. But rather than expose themselves and turn from their evil ways, they know it's just easier to place the blame on others, thinking the accusation against someone else would get the eyes of them and on the accused.

Maybe it makes them feel better to pass the blame to others so they don't feel bad themselves for what they have done or said. Or maybe they just enjoy making others feel bad, and it makes them feel empowered. Or maybe they secretly want others to be just as bad as they are, because that would make them think they aren't that bad because everyone is just like themselves.

Whatever the reason might be, history, the bible, and experience prove that time and again when someone accuses you of something, it's almost certain that the reason they are doing so is because THEY THEMSELVES are guilty of the very same thing!

Because of this, I've made it a point to do my best to never blame anyone for anything. That is, if a man or woman sins, I just try to leave that between them and God. I don't call them or write them a letter and tell them they are guilty of this and that. If they are, they know it already. They don't need me to remind them. They probably think of it over and over every day and it bothers them greatly.

They do not need someone riding them and reminding them of their wickedness, for this usually turns them off and makes them angry, hateful, and spiteful. What they do need is someone who can tell them how to get rid of that sin. That's what is so great preaching the Gospel! It's not so much about accusing someone personally of a certain sin. It's about spreading the wonderful Biblical truth that God died for all their sins. Let them fill in the blank of which sin they want to accuse themselves of.

As a preacher, I've learned that preaching against sin is important. And, I try to do that. But I also don't accuse others of their sins personally face to face. That's what a Pharisee would do. Instead, I try to preach against sin, and hopeful they themselves will come to the conclusion that what they are doing is sin and they'll be convicted. And hopefully, they will come to that conclusion from the SCRIPTURES, and not from man's personal accusation.

With that stated, I'll close by saying that I have been personally accused many times of things by other Christians. Or maybe I should say, "those who call themselves Christians." And I can say that when someone accuses you of being guilty of something, it really hurts. That is at first. But if you can pray, read the scriptures, and take a long look at yourself and see that what they accuse you of is not true, then it's great to know their accusations don't have a leg to stand on. And every day that goes by, it's great to know that they are the bad guys, for they have LIED about you. And eventually, it will come out that what they accused you of is probably what they themselves are guilty of themselves! And if you'll just give it time, they will expose themselves for what they really are!

As Jesus said to the Pharisees, "Let him that hath no sin cast the first stone!"

That means we shouldn't be throwing any stones, because we ourselves are all sinners. We should be looking at ourselves, instead of looking at others and trying to get into their business and trying to straighten them out. Instead, we should pray for them, and ask God to show them their sins. Further, we should pray that God would convict them of their sins, and that they would get right.

A Strange Experience with another "Christian"

Today my wife and I went to the Mall to take back some gifts we received for Christmas. While there, a strange thing happened and I'm still scratching my head about it.

As my wife was waiting in line at the return counter, I walked with my daughter around the store. Walking towards the mall entrance, I spied an old Bible School student who graduated with me in my class from Bible Institute walking towards me. Upon recognizing him I blurted out happily surprised, "Hey, I know you!" And then I put out my hand to shake his.

But instead of him stopping and speaking with me, he quickly walked on by. All he said was, "Hey Brother," and then as he looked down at my extended right hand, he replied, "I don't think so brother!"

After he passed me without looking back, I stood there stunned, and all that could come out of my mouth was, "Boy, that was weird!"

I then just looked around for a while and tried to figure out what that was all about. It wasn't like we were good friends or anything, but we did hang out some, and we graduated together and were both members of the same church at one time. Why then did he brush me off so rudely?

At first I was surprised, then unable to believe what just happened. It really bothered me. I thought, "What evil have I done?"

My next thought was that maybe the old church that my wife and I left that he was still a member of was saying bad things about me, and because of that he didn't want to have anything to do with me, nor even shake my hand. Could that be the case? Could they have labeled me some kind of "heretic" for not compromising like they did and because of this, he didn't want to shake hands with a heretic?

Then I though, to myself, "I could never do something like that to anyone I knew. Even if they were horrible people or heretics, I still would say Hi to them and even shake their hand." Why wouldn't he do the same?

I know my old church doesn't like me because I left feeling they have compromised on some of their doctrinal positions and because they use a different Spanish Bible than I do. But does that mean I'm not "worthy" in their eyes to even shake hands with? I mean, I might not agree with them, and they with me, but I can at least be cordial! Can't they? (Visit my website at www.rrb3.com/breaker/home_page.htm and click on "Why we left our old home church" on the left to find out more about why we left).

As I walked around, I eventually realized the problem wasn't with me at all, it was with him. He just didn't want to be friendly. And if, in fact, he desired no fellowship with me for my stand on the truth, then I thought of it as a great honor. For what a great thing that someone would hate me so much they wouldn't even want to greet me in a handshake!

My wife and I talked about it afterwards, and she said, "Hey, cheer up! You didn't do anything wrong, and you are the good guy, as you were trying to be nice! You've never said anything bad about that man or your old church, and if they don't want to be nice to you, that's their loss!"

She was right, as usual. But the worst part was not knowing why he wouldn't stop and shake my hand and talk with me.

I talked with another friend later about it, and he said it was probably because he was a "man worshipper" and not a real Bible Believer, and he probably was thinking, "I can't wait to go tell Bro. So and So that I didn't even shake his hand!"

It's sad, but there are a lot of such people in the Independent Baptist Circles that are political, and do everything to be seen of men or to brag about themselves and what they do.

Was that the reason? I guess I'll never know. All I know is that was an odd experience, and his attitude was very anti-Christian, especially since he called me "brother." Is this how Christians are supposed to treat other Christians?

LETTER FROM AN ANGRY PREACHER

It's sad when a person who claims to be a Christian attacks you personally. Even sadder when he doesn't even have his facts straight. But it's probably most sad when he does so for no other reason at all than to just be plum mean!

Today I received a letter in the mail from a preacher I once respected. In his letter, he not only was as vicious as he could be, but he also was very illogical in his response. This was curious, as the man claims to be of a very high I.Q. (He's a Doctor).

In the letter, the man responds to my final letter to him. (In other letters to me he calls me a lot of names. Why? Because someone lied about me and he choose to believe them instead of asking me about it and finding out if their accusations were true. Sadly, this is Standard Operating Prodecure in these last days of apostasy, and I've seen a lot of good men have their good names slandered by this practice. And, now I'm one of them.)

In my last letter to the man, I only wrote one line, a quote from the late great George Mueller towards those who lied about him and tried to slander his good name: "I am content to wait until the judgment seat of Christ for God to clear my character."

I thought that would be the end of the matter. Boy was I wrong!

What this man wrote in return was not only un-christian and hateful, but it also was completely illogical!

His response to my quote of George Mueller was: "No man can condemn your character - You Fool! You mean your reputation. Can't get anything straight, can you???"

I had to read that over and over to even try to understand it. I couldn't make heads or tails of it, so I went to the 1828 Webster's dictionary to see if there really is a difference between one's "reputation" and one's "character." What I found was they both mean the same thing! So he was angrily arguing a point that had nothing to do with anything, and making me out to be a FOOL for not knowing the difference! (Interestingly enough, that seems to be what he preaches against most in his own ministry!)

According to Websters, I found:

Definition of REPUTATION:

1. Good name; the credit, honor or CHARACTER which is derived from a favorable public opinion or esteem...

2. CHARACTER by report; in a good or bad sense; as a man has the reputation of being rich or poor, or of being a thief.

Definition of CHARACTER:

The peculiar qualitites, impressed by nature or habit on a person, which distinguish him from others; these constitute real character...or REPUTATION.

With these definitions, it makes it sound like your character and your reputation are one and the same.

With that in mind, what did this guy mean? I think he just wanted to call me a name and make me feel stupid, while trying to make himself look smart as he gets the final word.

That's fine. I'm okay with that. I'm not even going to respond. I have nothing to say except what I've already said. And I really do look forward to standing before God at the Judgment Seat of Christ and letting him judge.

I just wish men in the ministry would stop attacking in their own words and in the flesh, but would rather instruct meekly with the scriptures. That'd be much better, and wouldn't leave people like me wondering what they are trying to say!

Hey, at least he made me go stick my nose in the dictionary and I got to learn something from all this!

When Judging Leads to Phariseeism

Many have a big problem with JUDGING others. Some claim it’s always wrong and you should never judge anyone. (They usually say, “Judge not lest ye be judged!) Others tell us we should always judge others before we even know them. In other words we should “Pre-judge” them, or practice “prejudice.” (This often times leads to racism). And then others tell us we should only judge men according to their goodness, character, and/or works they’ve done.

But what saith the scriptures? Is it right to JUDGE? And should men judge others? The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth in the following manner in 1 Cor. 5:11-13… “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are WITHOUT? do not ye judge them that are WITHIN? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” Here is a direct Biblical command to Christians to JUDGE others, and not just those that are WITHOUT (outside the church) but also those which are WITHIN (other Christians).

The same Jesus who said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged,” in Matthew 7:1 is the same Jesus who in Luke 12:57, said, “Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?”

Clearly men are supposed to judge. Judging is not a sin. But to judge without discernment is. This is why the Lord Jesus Christ commands us John 7:24 to: “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”

It’s not wrong to judge. Nor is it wrong to judge others. But it is wrong to judge poorly, and to judge mistakenly. This is why it’s important to judge others according to THE WORD OF GOD, and not according to man’s own OPINION.

Modern Christians today do not heed God’s word. They judge others based on what they DO or DON’T DO, not based on who they ARE. They have become modern Pharisees, with a prideful attitude of, “I’m better than you because I do more than you do!”

But is God more interested in what a man DOES, or what a man truly IS? I must remind the reader that even the Pharisees tithed, gave alms, dressed right, spoke right, and appeared pious and spiritual in the eyes of men. But in the eyes of God, they were HYPOCRITES, and VIPERS, full of extortion, excess, uncleanness and iniquity (Mt. 23:25-28).

Thus, it’s not all about what a man DOES, but rather what a man IS. For if a man is truly born again, and loves the Lord, wouldn’t he DO what he’s supposed to for the Lord? And isn’t it possible for a person to DO something for God that’s not even saved, like the Phariees did? (See also those in Matthew 7:21-23).

With this in mind, I believe modern Fundamentalist Christians judge themselves and pride themselves in five different areas of DOING something. By DOING these things, they judge the spirituality of others as well, and make themselves something they are not, by exalting themselves with the attitude of, “I’m better than you are because I do these things and you don’t!”

Sadly, the things they DO are often done with the wrong motive and the wrong heart. Yet they expect, as did the Pharisees, that God reward them for their labour.

Let us look at the five things modern Fundamentalists and evangelicals judge themselves on: 1. SOUL WINNING Almost all modern Fundamentalists proclaim the most important thing a Christian can do is win a soul to Jesus Christ. Not only do they pressure those in their churches to do this, but they also criticize and make others feel bad for not doing so. Eventually, a “Nicolaity System” (something God hates) is set up which divides into two classes the Christian masses. Those who win souls, and those who don’t. If you are not one of those who don’t or maybe haven’t for a long time, then you are often ridiculed, debased, and preached against. For you are not as “spiritual” as they are.

But never do the modern Funda-pharisees stop to think why others don’t win souls. It might not be “rebellion” against God at all, but rather for other reasons. It could be they don’t know how, or they have a small circle of influence, or they are not out-going people. Others might be bashful, unmotivated, sick. Or someone might just have witnessed to everyone they know so many times, they don’t want to hear it anymore.

Does God count two separate classes of Christians? Are they: 1. Those who are better than others because they win souls and 2. Those who are terrible Christians because they don’t win any? Most certainly not!

Years ago, a famous preacher mounted the pulpit and asked one simple question before his sermon, “What’s more important: Winning Souls or Pleasing God?” A debate quickly ensued in the congregation with one group yelling, “Winning Souls!” While the other screamed, “Pleasing God!” The preacher allowed the debate to heat up, before finally raising his hand and calling for silence and then asking one final question before beginning his sermon, “If you are pleasing God, then wouldn’t you eventually win a soul!”

Just because people go “soul winning” doesn’t make them spiritual. Even the Pharisees went after souls to win them to their cause. But Jesus warned us of those ungodly religious people with the words, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” (Matt. 23:15) It’s not the mere FACT that a person goes out to win souls that makes him spiritual. For the “soul winner” could be preaching another Gospel, or even deceiving people with a false hope (sadly this happens often in Fundamentalism and evangelical circles). No, what makes a person spiritual is whether or not they are actively LIVING the GOSPEL, and practicing what they preach (something the Pharisees did not do).

Further, winning a person to Jesus is not a set time in the week you set aside for God, in which you go out for an hour or two and try to win a soul to Christ. Rather, it is you living for Jesus ALL WEEK LONG, and trying to find opportunities continually to plant a Gospel seed, and tell someone how to be saved!

The apostle Paul did not go soul winning once or twice a week, and then brag to his churches because he did so. Nay, instead, he traveled the world over and preached to every soul that came across his path!

Just because someone brags about being a soul winner, doesn’t mean anything. Nor does it make them any better than any other Christian or some kind of “spiritual giant.” If anything, it shows they are prideful, as they brag on doing something once or twice a week, that instead they should be doing EVERY DAY OF THEIR LIVES! STREET PREACHING Modern Fundamentalists are becoming more aggressive in their means to carry the Gospel to the lost and dying world. Using verses like Acts 20:20, (proclaiming a 20/20 vision), they judge themselves and others based upon whether or not they actively engage in preaching on the street. But is a man super-spiritual just because he stands on a street corner and screams at the lost and dying world?

Before going further, let me state I am not against Street preaching. I enjoy boldly proclaiming the Gospel and the word of God to anyone who will listen in any way I can. However, I am very much against any Christian who tries to proclaim himself a better Christian than I am because he preaches on the street and I don’t (although I do from time to time).

Just preaching on the street doesn’t make one Christian better than another. What might be one man’s calling is not always that of another. And, if a person’s love and devotion for Jesus Christ is judged by how much he street preaches, then where does that leave women, who are not allowed by modern fundamentalists to preach on the street? Are we to believe men are more spiritual than women? Nay, there is many a Christian mother who may never have won a soul in her life, and never shared the Gospel with others, but she has a huge reward in heaven for she had an earnest and fervent prayer life. Many a Christian woman has raised her children by reading them the Bible every morning and every night, stressing their need to please Jesus. This prayer and constant devotion to their children has led to many a son or daughter finding Jesus Christ as their Saviour at a later age.

Modern Street preaching isn’t always the same as that of old, nor is it’s content. Instead of preaching the Gospel and the words of God, many Street preachers have gone to “meddling” and often times make people MAD instead of giving them the GLAD Tidings of eternal life. This leads to some people being “turned off” by what they look at as “hate speech.” Many street preachers can further aggravate the situation by focusing negatively on the condemnation of man instead of joyfully proclaiming the love of God and salvation by faith in the blood atonement of Jesus Christ.

Oftentimes, street preachers lose contact with the very world they try to reach, proclaiming themselves “heroes of the faith” and “God’s S.W.A.T Team” instead of viewing themselves as the Biblical sinners they are that are just “servants” and “ministers” of Christ, sent to preach the Gospel to a lost and dying world. The simple fact is that street preaching should be about JESUS and not about the PREACHER.

Sadly, many are focusing on politics, and their “right to preach,” rather than on simply pointing sinners to Jesus Christ alone, and faith in His shed blood. Like the modern Pharisees of old, they preach to be seen of men, rather than to be discreetly rewarded by God in the last day. SELF-SACRIFICE Many a Christian Pharisee Fundamentalist prides himself on how much he’s given to God. Because he’s given more than others, he makes himself more important to God, the Church, and to the cause of Christ. Although he won’t state it publicly, his heart proclaims, “Look how important I am, and how they couldn’t make it without me and what I’ve done!”

But God doesn’t need anyone. He wants men to help him, but he wants them to do so out of love, not out of boasting.

Just because one Christian does more than another doesn’t mean he’s more spiritual than another, or that he’s worth more. Even the apostle Paul makes this clear in 2 Cor 10:12: “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”

It’s never wise to exalt one’s self or his deeds for Jesus, for in Mat 23:12, we read: “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”

The attitude of “I’m more important to the body of Christ, because I do more for Jesus,” is a atrocious viewpoint with horrendous results. Many a church has been destroyed in a church split, by people who feel “under appreciated” and desire to be praised for their service. As Jesus said of the Pharisees in his day, they “…love the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12:43) Christians should not judge among themselves and think themselves more highly than others. Instead, they should heed the words of the apostle Paul in Phil 2:3, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” SACRIFICIAL GIVING Many a Christian today has substituted “giving” for “going” when it comes to the dispersing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Rather than preach the Gospel wherever they go and in whatever they do, they would rather give money and let someone else do it for them. This oftentimes leads to them feeling good about themselves because they gave financially to the work of God.

It’s never wrong to help the preaching of the Gospel financially. But when someone does so just because they don’t want to do so themselves, then we have a problem. God wants all Christians to preach the Gospel to others daily.

But there are those Christians who give so much to the cause of Christ, they become legendary in their own right. Usually it’s doctors, lawyers, bankers, etc., who make large donations to the church. And usually, they don’t do it anonymously. They desire to have their name put on the fellowship hall, or on one of the pews, or in the hymnbooks to forever commemorate their financial gift. This leads to them being well-known as “givers” and often times elevates them to the status of “better Christian” in the eyes of poorer Christians.

But Jesus knows who the real sacrificial givers are, and usually they are not well-known, for they give out of love, and not to be seen of men. Maybe this is why Jesus said, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” (Matt. 6:1-4) Be careful of those who claim to be Christians, but give large amounts of money to the church. Especially, when they are rewarded for it of men. For Jesus spoke of a woman who gave much more than any of those: “And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.” (Matt. 6:1-4) STARVATION (i.e. Fasting) In modern Christianity a class system has been set up dividing Christians into two or more classes: 1. Those who are regular Christians, and 2. Those who are extraordinary Christians who do more for Jesus than others by doing outrageous and sacrificial things.

Fasting is one of those many sacrifices that modern Christians use to exalt themselves in the eyes of others. To FAST, especially in our day and age of fast food, and gospel blimps, in looked upon as the “last resort” in many Christian circles. And those who do it are viewed as “extremists” who are hazarding their lives for the cause of Christ. When someone fasts, other Christians, especially young ones, look at it as almost the ultimate sacrifice for Jesus, giving up one’s own sustenance in the name of Christ.

But fasting is not always for spiritual reasons. Sometimes it’s for health reasons. Other times it’s just to lose weight. Just because someone fasts, doesn’t necessarily make them more spiritual. Even the Pharisees fasted, but according to Jesus, they did not do so for Him, rather to be seen of men: “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” (Matt. 6:16-18) IN CONCLUSION Just because someone claims to be a soul winner, a street preacher, full of self-sacrifice and sacrificial giving for Jesus while they fast often, doesn’t mean they are super-spiritual. In fact, their lack of humility and constant BRAGGING ABOUT IT, often shows their motive is to be seen of men, and not to be secretly rewarded by God. They are modern-day Pharisees striving to get what they can out of their service for God, whether that be money, praise, recognition, or fame.

Usually those Christians who pride themselves upon what they DO and strive to make themselves LOOK BETTER than other Christians, do so because they are SELF-RIGHTEOUS, not because they truly love the Lord Jesus Christ. For if they did love Him, they would do all those things anyway, exalting Jesus rather than themselves.

Their system of judging others based upon what they themselves DO, shows they are nothing more than the Pharisees of old. They further pride themselves upon their works and constrain others to be more like THEM! But shouldn’t Christianity brag on JESUS, and stress one’s need to be more like HIM in all he says and does?

Phariseeism, leads to MEN WORSHIP, while being a true disciple of Jesus Christ leads to JESUS WORSHIP!

Do you judge yourself in light of others, or do you judge yourself in light of Jesus Christ and what he’s done for you at Calvary? Are you a PHARI-SEE or can you rather SEE the importance of exalting Jesus Christ instead of exalting man?

So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. (Rom 14:12-13)