There is a wrong slant in Christian advertising and a wrong goal in the publicity. The pioneer Scottish missionary, Dan Crawford, well exclaimed, "Oh, blasting publicity! Oh, soul-winning cleverness! Oh, itching ears of men! Ye are the Church's Amalekites; the thorns in her side!"

 Legitimate propaganda
There are some forms of propaganda and promotion necessary to any movement, society, convention or campaign. Many evangelists and Bible teachers can testify that, because of the lack of preparation and promotion, often their meetings have been comparative failures. But, there's a vast difference between legitimate advertising and God-dishonoring publicity. 

What is the supreme end of all our evangelism and Bible teaching? What is the supreme goal of all Christian activity? Surely it is first and foremost the glory of God and the exaltation of His beloved Son, our glorious Redeemer. The supreme ministry of the Holy Spirit today is to glorify Christ (John 16:14). This will be done if every believer, possessed and guided by Him, will seek to keep himself in the background in order that Christ might be the center of attraction. His motto through life will be, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). 

Self
How easily we become obtrusive! How many of us, to our shame and horror, must confess that many times we have put ourselves in the forefront and shared the glory with Christ! A worker who had been much used of God during a certain revival season dreamed one night that he was in a cemetery. Nearby was an open grave; within a few feet of it lay a corrupting pestilential mass. Somehow he got to know that that mass was "self." Again and again, he tried to rise and roll the horrid thing over into the empty grave, but neither hand nor foot would move. Oh, how he hated the loathsome sight! Suddenly, he saw a shrouded figure standing on the other side of the open grave. He couldn't see the figure's face, but he was told that it was his Lord. Oh, how earnestly did he entreat Him to do for him what he couldn't do for himself! Instantly, his Lord walked toward the abhorrent "self" and pushed it forward until it disappeared into the open grave. Then, with great deliberation, He proceeded to cover it up; and having done so, turned to the dreamer and said, "Now, preach the Blood till you see my face in glory. 

There is a man who often stands between me and Thy glory;
His name is Self - Self-seeking Self stands 'twixt me and Thy glory. 

Self is the pivot around which the natural man revolves. 

This is copyrighted material from James Stewart's book Come O Breath!, available from Revival Literature, PO Box 6068, Asheville, NC 28816.