Skeptics: The Selfish Kind
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility, count others more significant than yourselves.
Philippians 2:3 (ESV)
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
James 2:3 (ESV)
For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 2:21 (ESV)
During His remarkable ministry, Jesus denounced selfish Jewish leaders, who chose bread above Bread, facts above faith, and their own profit above THE Prophet.
Religion became a means to their ends of power and financial enrichment. They followed their rules and forgot their God. Their show-and-tell acts glorified themselves, and certainly NOT the Almighty God.
'For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God' (John 12:43).
Therefore…
When Jesus exposed their hypocrisy, He was advancing His Own Death Warrant (which was part of His Own Great Commission).
But at the same time, the demystifying Light of the World exposed their schemes of self-aggrandizement… so you can be appropriately warned.
Consider:
Wealth is only a semblance of freedom: a mirage of water in the desert to people unaware that they’re dying.
Here's the reality:
Each new acquisition strengthens the ties… that bind men to Earth--instead of to Heaven.
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
God, speaking through Paul, says to 'Die daily' (1 Corinthians 15:31), which simply means dying to selfishness.
Here’s why:
When you deny yourself, you affirm Christ. One good example is John the Baptist, who said of his then-diminishing fame:
'He must increase, but I must decrease' (John 3:30).
When you decrease, you invite His Spirit to grow, to glow, and to show within you. Therein, you become Christ’s ambassadors:
'By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another' (John 13:35).
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
Selfish skeptics may put down your talent, because your light might expose their mirage. Leave them to God and keep walking forward.
Skeptics: The Selfish Kind (Part 9)
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players. Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings. This series is a rewrite of a prior 2014 series.