"The Angel of the Lord smote Him, because He gave not God the glory” Acts 12:23

I would like to touch on a topic today that may easily be overlooked by many dear saints, who are prone to brush it aside as a minor offense against the Lord. Giving credit and honor to people and places or taking it to ourselves, when it justly belongs to God, is a folly of which we all have been guilty. It is a serious offense against God as it is robbing Him of the glory due Him. The seriousness of this matter is demonstrated in the verse quoted above when Herod was smitten to dead because the populace gave glory to him rather than to God. It was not even Herod overtly claiming the glory for himself but the people who gave the glory to him instead of God; yet herod suffered a death-blow judgment from God.

In our earlier church history experience, we exalted and praised an apostle who were once used greatly by the Lord in giving us volumes of enlightening messages and helped established churches throughout the world. Yet we know the outcome was a tragic departure from the truth as he was exalted on a pedestal and many became his followers more than the true followers of the Lord. They treasured his messages more than even the Word of God. I also appreciated many who had loved me and prayed earnestly for me on a daily basis through the years before God. But who made these man or women of God? And is it not God Himself Who placed the burden upon these ones to pray for me? I exalted to heaven the camp meeting at which God gave me a clean heart, but who created the camp? How often we have the impression that we owe the person who preached the gospel to us as if we are to give our lives to him/her in place of the Lord, when the Bible says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Tit 3:5)? Yes, we may have misplaced the honor and glory to people rather than to God subconsciously and without clear intent on our part; nevertheless it grieves God deeply and we need to be covered with the precious blood of Jesus for this trespass and turn from our wayward ways.

We must beware of glorifying flesh and blood that we rob God of His glory. Let us not take the honor to ourselves, nor give more credit to personality, money, human strategies and methodologies than to our Heavenly Father Who cares for us in every details of our lives. It is in the nature of man to seek glory for himself. This is why there are so many narcisistic preachers who either overtly or secretly promotes themselves and their ministry rather than truly building the Church of God. May our Lord save us from such vain glory. The may be the reasons why the Lord called more of those who are less capable in themselves so that the glory from any spiritual achievements may not be claimed as a glory for themselves but solely of God. “For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world...and the things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1Cor 1:26-29).

Some may try to justify that it is alright and natural for man to receive some glory for their accomplishments and achievements. God deplores and punishes this weakness in human nature. God dethroned Nebuchadnezzar because he failed to give the glory to God. “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken: The kingdom is departed from thee" (Dan 4:30-31). We are exhorted in , “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord” (1Cor 1:31). Furthermore, Paul wrote, “God forbid, that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal 6:14).

Consider the Pharisee who glory in his own self-righteousness and morality and gave no glory to God. That man went down from the temple without the righteousness of Christ to redeem him from his sin. There is a fine line between giving a testimony in the meetings for the glory of God or for our own glory. For example, when one gives a testimony that the Lord arranged to have him land on a good job. Is he truly giving the glory to God or is he just announcing to all that he has qualified himself for this good job perhaps through his own education, his ingenuity, his background or trainings? For this reason, it is the practice of the spiritual Brethren in the 19^th century, who were greatly used by the Lord to open the Bible and to start a great revivial that included even Watchman Nee and the succeeding generations up to this day, not to share too much of themselves lest we risk robbing the Lord of his glory either intentionally or inadvertently. We are to preach Christ and seek His glory. “He that speaks of himself seeks his own glory: but he that seeks the glory of Him Who sent him, the same is true and no unrighteousness is in him” (Jn 7:18).

Not only are we to not rob God of his glory, we are to not glory at all before Him! As the verse we quoted above states emphatically: “... that no flesh should glory in His presence!”(1Cor 1:29). “Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1Cor 10:31). “God forbid that I should glory...”(Gal 6:14). “Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord” (Jer 9:23-24). I believe these verses speak volume for themselves and I need not to add any further commentary. May we truly all seek to give God ALL the glory.