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| Ministry Naming Rights |
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42:8 I am the LORD, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to graven images. Isaiah 42:7-8 RSV
Corporations pay big bucks for the naming rights to stadiums. For their money they get a tremendous amount of exposure for their names on huge signs, television broadcasts, newspaper articles, and even word-of-mouth. Naming rights are very valuable and sell for millions of dollars per year.
So, have you ever wondered why people who say they are ministering for the Lord turn around and put their own name on those ministries? They give all that publicity and exposure to themselves instead of to the Lord. In the Bible, God said: "My glory I give to no other," and yet our TV sets and radios are full of preachers promoting their own name over God's.
Let's make up a preacher. I'll call her Betty Frump. She starts preaching on the radio and decides she needs a name for "her" ministry. So what does she call it? Well, it isn't very original, but she calls it "Betty Frump Ministries." She promotes herself and her name on what she claims is God's ministry. Is that right? Doesn't that violate God's principle of not sharing His glory with any person? And yet Christians accept, follow, support, and rally around ministries that are named after people.
So what else could Betty Frump have named God's ministry that she has the honor of leading? How about "All Glory To God Ministries" or "Jesus Lives Ministries" or "Making A Difference Ministries" or almost anything besides the self-promotion and personal exaltation of her own name.
Wouldn't it be something if a famous preacher decided he or she was getting too much of God's glory and took his or her name off of God's ministry that she or he leads? Isn't it is time to give ministry naming rights back to God? |
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| Yes I think it would be grand if those that do that would give the glory back to God, But as you know ministry "As many call it" is not about God, so what do we do? I say be led by the Spirit and the Word! |
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Trukki |
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June 13, 2008 at 12:17pm |
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| Thought provoking post. Thanks |
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| I don't know Steve, maybe they aren't creative. Maybe it is simpler that way? You really think it is stealing glory from God? |
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| Bro. Todd: As you know, the word says that "God resists the proud." Can you see a Simon Peter Ministries (SPM) or a Paul of Tarsus Ministries (PTM)? I can't. If exalting one's own name was innappropriate for Peter and Paul, why isn't exalting one's own name inappropriate for today's ministers? |
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| I like the "no name" idea, Doc! We are called to live and minister in Jesus' name and no other. |
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| Good advice, Evangelist Keith. |
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| I say it's the house of God, He is the head of the church not man |
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| Steve: If it is a motive thing then for sure it is a violation of God's glory. But I wonder if that has crossed other's minds. I know it hasn't crossed mine. Thanks Brother Blessings. |
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| Thanks for reading, Trukki. |
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I am the LORD, that is my name; my glory I give to no other
Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
God does not give his Glory but unto himself. Mankind as One AT ONE MEN t
Either he does give it to another...or He Only Gives it unto Himself. Who then Is man ?
Kw. |
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| Thanks MaKelly, DOC, & Bro. Todd. |
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