“…[T]hey measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”

Let me ask you a question. If, peradventure, you were to run into a well known celebrity and you were able to spend a few minutes with this celebrity and you had this celebrity’s attention for a few moments, what would you tell others when you saw them? I’ll give you three (3) choices.
1. “Guess what. You aren’t going to believe this but I just met X.”
2. “Guess what. X just met me.”
3. You would not say anything at all as it was no big deal.

Do you think that this celebrity went home and told the family that they met you? It is possible they did but most likely not. Persons always remember me. Persons always remember me, they never forget their run in with me. Why is this? Because I am special? Because I leave them with a gift of some kind? Because God has magnified my person in their sight? The answers to the quetions above are all yes. Why am I special? I am a child of God…the Most High God. Do I leave them with a gift? I leave them with a Word from God, whether it be in the form of a tract, or a “Woe unto thee, unbeliever” or “God’s Blessing be upon thee”, as what I bind on earth or as what I loosen on earth is bound or loosened in heaven. Persons do not forget me because we confront them with God and their relationship or lack thereof to Him. Am I bragging or boasting? I am bragging and boasting about the boldness and concern that God has put in us. I am bragging and boasting about the power of the Cross and the Resurrection. I am boasting and bragging upon the reality God is in my life.

We note a number of things during celebrity awards season:
We note that the celebrity(ies) or the celebrated use this forum to spew venom at the President of the United States. The celebrated use this forum to call good, evil and they call evil, good. The Scriptures send a “Woe unto thee” to these persons that are pregnant with pride-filled-ness, that love themselves with all their strength, mind, and body. These celebrated person are not celebrated by God. If the nations of the earth are less than nothing to God, what are the celebrated persons of the earth to God?

I will be fair:
A few of the celebrated persons do, in fact, give thanks and glory to God for all that He has so kindly and so freely bestowed upon them. A few of the celebrated know and acknowledge that they are who they are because of God, they acknowledge that they are where they are because of God. This is good and it please God. However, just like the world was condemned by the righteousness of Noah, the celebrated persons are condemned by those that give God all glory, praise, and thanks. The celebrated persons do not see and hear their contemporaries giving praise to God for all things and consider it and then do likewise. No, it remains all about them. Reader, please understand that I am not speaking about every celebrity in the world. The are celebrities that use their celebrity to do good, regardless of the reason behind the good work, others are being helped and aided. There is a website called “Hollowverse” that shares celebrity’s religious and political views. It is surprising how many are atheist and how many are Buddists. The sinful persons flock to these beliefs because there is no judgement or accountability in these religions.

The celebrated person, who believes in themselves, are spoken of in Psalm 115 as well as our quoted verse above.
Their idols are silver and gold, the works of men’s hands. They have mouths , but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they throughtheir throat.
They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

The Celebrated Person and Idolatry:
I can remember seeing girls crying and allowing themselves to be hysterical when they came face to face with Elvis Presley. That was idolatry, which is a grievous sin. Idolatry is coupled with witchcraft in Scripture. That means idolatry is (s)atanic. That means to idolize a person, one is taking sides with (s)atan against God.
We must understand the difference between admiring a celebrity and the talents God has given them and worshipping, idolizing, and adoring them. I enjoy pro wrestling and MMA. I enjoy watching the antics and the athleticism. I enjoy the storylines and the hoopla of it all. However, I do not, in any way, idolize any of the wrestlers or enertainers, as I learn from them, IE. submission holds, joint locks, striking artistry, etc. I enjoyed, years ago, training in Brazillian Jiu Jitsu. I was very good and still have it as a skill if needed. BJJ was a large part of my life but it was second to my faith and responsibilities to God. I never at any time idolized any one in the MMA world. Instead I praise and thank God, with David, as God has taught “my fingers to fight and my hands to war.”

The Right Frame of Mind:
If the Christ-ian is in the right frame of mind….of a sound mind, fearing (reverently respecting) only God, they will see all persons, celebrated or not on an equal ground. However if in the right frame of mind, the Christ-ian would see themselves as “better than,” Yep I said it…better than others as they are in Christ. Isn’t new usually seen as better? Well then, we are New Creatures in Christ. In our own person we are not better than others, in fact, others may be better than us. But in Christ,…..my readers, we are greater than and better than. Everything about the Christ-ian cries out better. The new birth says better, being born from above means better, being new creatures in Christ says better than the old in Adam. If Christ-ians are not better what then is the difference? The Bible is clear when He says, “us” and “them”

Who we are in Christ:
We are chosen in Christ
We are chosen out of the world
We are chosen before the founding of the earth.
We are chosen soldiers in God’s army
We are part of the chosen nation
We are the citizens that make up the population of Heaven
We are the Church for whom Christ came seeking and saving.
We are the Church for whom Christ died
We are the Church for whom Christ rose again establishing hope and an eternal home  with Him.
We are the body of Christ
We are those whom the Spirit has given gifts, severally as He wills.
We are the Garden wherin the Holy Ghost grows His fruit.
We are partakers of the divine nature of God
We are the recipients of all spiritual blessings
We are the inheritors of God’s precious promises.
We are the salt of the earth and that is to say, the only reason the lost enjoy their lives  upon this earth is because of us. All the good things we enjoy are for the Christ-ian and  the lost benefit thereby. If not for the church’s presence, the world would be void and  with out form again.
We are the lights of the earth, it is because of us that the sun still rises and it was for us  that the Son rose again.

Christ-ian readers,
We are the people that should be celebrated. For it is because of Christ’s great love for us that the world and the universe and all things are upheld. However, if the world were to celebrate the Christ-ians upon this earth, we would turn and say, “Not unto us, but unto Thee belongs all Glory and praise O’God.” Yes…to God be the glory and none to the celebrated persons who compare themselves with themselves.

Godspeed.