"Exalting People"

This morning my daughter and her husband along with my wife and I were sitting at the table eating breakfast. It was beautiful outside and we were spending the last bit of time together before they headed back to their home. They are such a delight for us and give our hearts great encouragement for their future because of their dedication and love for the Lord.

As we sat there speaking, my daughter was reading the biography of an individual whose name and books are sweeping our nation. As she read this biography out loud and the number of people that were attending the seminars they teach along with the many bible studies they offer, one thing kept coming forth. The individual kept talking about how special they were from their youth up. The parents of this individual praised them with accolades of being special with special gifts from the Lord. They were told that the Lord had great things in mind for them! It hit me, not one of the apostles that were handed picked by Jesus, that walked hand in hand with Him while He was on this earth and watched the many miracles performed, they never claimed to be "special." In fact, the apostles Paul said he was a "nobody" (II Cor. 12:11). Paul speaks about those who come with smooth and flattery speech, how they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. There are those who boast according to the flesh, to think they are special. That's not the way of the Lord! The Corinthians were being taken in to the point that they would bear with a person if they exalt themselves (II Cor. 11:20). People are so weak spiritually or lacking spiritual insight they have no clue what it truly from the Lord and spiritual. We seem to be a people that are taken in by eloquence and want to follow and learn from those "special." Here comes Jesus, the Son of the living God, on a mission of death for our sins, teaching and leaving us His word. We are all sinners! Our best is sinful. It seems many are more interested in the teachings of someone being exciting and eloquent while the truth is ignored. Jesus was right..."and few there will be who find it!"