Where are the Champions of the Faith?

The phone rings at a Northern Arkansas residence. An old man picks up the phone and immediately hears, “Hello, this is Oral Roberts can I speak to Mike.”

Mike was the man’s son and he had given Roberts’ Ministry a large donation. Roberts was either calling to thank him or ask for more of the same. His dad replied saying, “No, he’s not here.” There was a pause on the line, Oral Roberts asked again, “This is Oral Roberts, can I please speak to Mike.” The old man gave the same answer, “He’s not here.”

Here was another pause and then came the question, “Do You know who this is?” I would like to speak to Mike. The man answered back, “Yes, I know who you are. You told me, but Mike is still not here.”

This story has stuck in my mind because it perfectly describes the problem we have today with people who head Christian organizations. They often think so highly of themselves that they feel the laws of nature should obey their command. After hearing his story, I could only wonder if Mr. Roberts had expected the old man to magically produce Mike out of thin air.

I’ve been active in end-time ministry for over 25 years, and I’ve seen all kinds of examples of gross arrogance and incompliance of so-called church leaders. It saddens me to say that there is only a hand full of elders that I respect. The question for today is what has happen to all the champions of the faith?

Cult of personality

The Christian church always has had a problem with leaders wanting to be the center of the cult following. Paul wrote the following the Church at Corinth :

“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” (Corinthians 1:10-17)

In recent years, the spectacular growth of communication technology has made personality cults a pandemic problem for our day. In the 90s, video cameras were rented by the hour to make recording that would be distributed via VHS tapes. Today, cameras are so cheap; they’re a component of many of our gadgets. You can now record a video, and have it instantly uploaded to your YouTube page.

The explosion of media has fostered a cult of personality in the Church. Pastors and leaders with any type of exceptional gifts have been cast into the limelight. Success is measured by how many hits you have or by your number of Facebook friends. To be a key player in the Christian world, you need to have a large television ministry.

It costs very little to have a web site or video portal, so anyone can be a star. I know of several preachers who have almost zero followers, and yet they act like they have millions of fans. You can tell this from how they assume their listens would be interested in the most trivial details of their lives.

Our Christian culture has a glut of pastors and leaders that have become idols. Just like with their counterparts in Hollywood , Christian celebrities fly around in private jets, and rely on a fan base to market themselves.

Anyone with a basic understand of the Bible should know that cults of personality are from the devil. God’s Word says that greatness comes from servitude.

“But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Mt. 23:11-12).

The problem with Ego driven ministries

It’s not necessarily bad to have a ministry that is driven by the leader’s desire to achieve greatness. Because motivation is vital for success, it’s important for people to have the right kind of pride in what they do.

Most people, however, lack the ability to keep their egos in check. Unless there is an independent body to keep a ministry leader grounded in truth, pride will cause even the best such leader to eventually stray from biblical principals. When a person becomes their own source of moral guidance, they can create a situation where they don’t see errors that are obvious to even the most casual observer.

Pat Robertson, the head of Christian Broadcast Network, for example, recently illustrated how ego can cloud good judgment. He said that he considers that it’s okay to divorce a spouse that develops a condition that makes them mentally incapacitated. He offered that someone with Altzheimers was dead upstairs, so it was okay to ship one’s wife or husband off to a retirement home, while you head to the singles bar.

Common sense would tell you that this is a stupid idea. The Bible clearly says that marriage is to last until physical death separates a married couple. I had some people ask me about Robertson’s statement. I bluntly said, “Pat Robertson needs to get checked himself to see if he has Alzheimer’s disease.” Robertson has made similar statements in the past, and what makes him a gaff factory is the culture that allows his views to stand as being equal to Bible Truth.

Far too often, Christian organizations operate under the assumption that the head guy is always right. There is no accountability. In the corporate world, you have a board of directors to keep the CEO in line. In Christian camps, negative public opinion is often the only check and balance on a run away ego.

What is true greatness?

Joel Osteen is regarded as the most successful preacher in America . His ministry reaches over seven million broadcast media viewers weekly in over 100 nations around the world. His Lakewood Church in Houston , Texas is the largest congregation in the United States , averaging more than 43,500 in attendance per week.

Osteen is a darling of the liberal media. He has been interviewed by nearly every major news outlet. In December 2006, he was named one of the year’s “Ten Most Fascinating People” by Barbara Walters

Robert Morrison was a mirror reflection of Osteen. He was a Scottish pastor who became the first Christian Protestant missionary to China . The Roman Catholic Church viewed him as threat to their turf and tried repeatedly to have him deplored. We labored for 25 years, and by the time of his death, he had only managed to baptized ten Chinese believers.

In the Kingdom of God , I am certain that Morrison is seen as the one who achieved greatness. Osteen has a large audience because he preaches a message that is designed to make people feel good about themselves. He admits that he does not want to talk about anything negative. Sin, hell, and God’s wrath are not part of his vocabulary.

Morrison was a success because he laid down a foundation for hundreds of missionaries that would come after him. During his years of toil, he translated the whole Bible into the Chinese language. What made Morrison truly great is what he thought was God’s will for his life. Morrison was asked shortly after his arrival in China if he expected to have any spiritual impact on the Chinese, he answered, “No sir, but I expect God will!”

Real Champions

Several years ago, I attended a prophecy conference in Dallas , Texas . During our banquet session, a major Christian organization stopped by to give a commencement address and to pick up a donation check from the head of our organization. When the guy entered the room, he had a huge entourage. Two of them were the pilots to his private jet, which he openly bragged to us for no real reason.

Until then, I didn’t know that Christian leaders had entourages. If they are going to speak somewhere, I thought all they need to bring with them is their Bible. Today, a big wig might travel with a person assistant, a publicity agent or his chauffeur. I was looking at an article about various Word of Faith leaders. In the story was the perfect photo example of the excess that has grown around people who preach prosperity. Here was the leader of a Missouri based ministries going from her $10 million corporate jet to her $107,000 Mercedes sedan. While she was making the transfer, an aid held a large white umbrella over her head to shield her from the weather.

How can these people be affective salesman for the Kingdom of God when it is so obvious that they prefer the riches of this life? They do point to heavenly wealth, but only as part of cynical marketing plan.

The true champions of the faith are ones that lack luxuries. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, lived a life of piety and humility. Wesley travelled by horseback, preaching as much as two or three times each day. He received at least £20,000 for his publications, which was a huge about of money for his day, but used little of it for himself.

Hudson Taylor is another example true Champions that is unfamiliar to this generation.

He was another missionary to China . Historian Ruth Tucker gave this summary of his life, “ No other missionary in the nineteen centuries since the Apostle Paul has had a wider vision and has carried out a more systematised plan of evangelising a broad geographical area than Hudson Taylor. When his China Inland Mission was attacked in the Boxer Rebellion with (58 missionaries, 21 children were killed), Taylor refused to accept payment for loss of property or life, to show the ‘meekness and gentleness of Christ’.

Conclusion

I firmly believe that the big time, ego-driven, preachers of today–that is, those who make it to Glory–will all be living on poverty row in heaven. If this generation of Church leaders knew where they currently stand in God’s ranking, they might have a more humble attitude about their work.

It is deeply regrettable that there are very few people of this generation that believers can truly look up to as men after God’s own Heart. Since we live in the Laodicean age of the Church, there seem to be little hope this side of the rapture of major spiritual awakening.

I am encouraged, however, by the knowledge that after the rapture, the champions of the faith will quickly come on the scene in great abundance. The suffering of the tribulation hour will be the catalyst for a huge revival. Millions will be saved and God’s Kingdom enlarged as perhaps at no other time in human history.

 

All the Money in the World

What is the value of money? I was once visiting my brother and playing around with my nephew, age 2, and my niece, age 3. As a joke, I offered them a choice between a $50 bill and a piece of candy. Despite my effort to explain the value of money and some urging from their father, the candy remained their only choice.

Their ignorance of the value of money did not last long. By the time they were 5 years old, their view of money had completely changed. When I visited them at that age, the question was, “Uncle Todd, can I have a dollar?”

One of the first lessons we learn in life is that money equals material fulfillment. We judge the worth of everything by its cash value. Some folks are able to price their needs by proclaiming, “If I only had a million dollars, I’d finally be happy.”

America is the most prosperous nation on earth, yet less than one-third of its citizens say they are not really happy. Money can buy us luxury goods and a better lifestyle, but it cannot purchase satisfaction.

It is basic to human nature to fall into the financial trap of comparing yourself to others. We will always have friends who have more money than we do. In a wealth pyramid, you can only have a few people on top. If everyone had a pile of money, there would be no rich people.

A poll was conducted to judge people’s happiness quotient. Individuals were given two choices: a $100,000 gift that all their contemporaries received, or a $50,000 gift for them alone. Inexplicably, an overwhelming majority opted for the lesser amount. Data shows that what matters on the happiness front is not just how much money you have, but whether you have more of it than those around you. Nobody wants to be in a race where everyone crosses the finish line at the same time. If it’s essential that we finish first every time, we’re going to live a life of frustration.

Dead Man’s Money

Death can be very good for a celebrity’s bottom line. When Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, his estate was on the verge of bankruptcy from more than $500 million in debt. Within a year of his death, Jackson’s finances had completely turned around. Revenue came pouring in from nostalgia, film, and record sales. Sony Music said more than 40 million Jackson albums have sold worldwide since he died–a stratospheric number for a music industry in decline.

The estate has earned more than $250 million. Executors used some of that to pay off $70 million in debt, including the $5-million mortgage on the Jackson family compound in Encino. Several other lucrative projects are in the works. There is a deal with Cirque de Soleil for shows inspired by Jackson’s music, in which the estate will share half the costs and profits when the performances begin in late 2011.

The greatest sign of improvement in Jackson’s estate is the understanding of how much money is owed to creditors. Several people have been paid for overdue bills after spending years trying to track the singer down. Others who haven’t yet been paid say they have been treated professionally by the estate; a night and day change from his old regime.

It is bit strange for us to be talking as if Michael Jackson has finally turned his finances around. No one is sending the singer income statements. I would argue that the real Michael Jackson is now penniless, and what status he may have in the afterlife is judged by a standard that has nothing to do with fiat wealth.

Easy Come, Easy Go

One of the big drawbacks of wealth is how easily it can come and go. The more I study the business world, the more convinced I am that luck is the driving force behind most fortunes.

One of the most common misconceptions about celebrities is the belief that anyone who finds success in a Hollywood production is automatically wealthy. Actors are well paid for their work, but only a few reach the point where they can demand millions of dollars to sign their name to a contract.

The actors in the 1960s Star Trek series were living proof of this reality. William Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk, had a good income for three years, but when the show was cancelled, he had to struggle to get by.

Nobody wanted to hire him because he was so strongly connected to his Star Trek role. With very little money coming in, he was reduced to living in a truck bed camper in the San Fernando Valley. Shatner refers to this part of his life as “that period,” a humbling point where he would do trade shows or small party appearances to earn a living.

By the end the 1970s, Shatner’s financial situation had turned around. Star Trek had become a phenomenon within popular culture, with cast members in high demand at  Trekkie conventions. The phenomenal success of Star Wars led Paramount Pictures to develop a motion picture. The movie was very successful and led to a franchise of five films.

In 1998, Shatner agreed to become the official spokesperson for Priceline.com in exchange for stock in the company. The deal made him an instant millions when it went public in the dot-com boom.

There are several claims that Shatner has become a billionaire from his Priceline.com stock. Unfortunately, there are several factors that people fail to take into account. Because he had restricted shares, he was barred from selling his shares until after the boom, and turned a bust. SEC filings show he sold most of his holdings when Priceline was about $6 per share. Since stocks have a target price for a limited time period, much of  Shatner’s warrants may have expired worthless.

He was once on the Charlie Rose show and gave a general outline of what happened with his stock options:

“It’s all by guess and by golly, anyway. And I guessed right. So I watched Priceline.com go roaring from pennies to $150, and I thinking, ‘I’m rich! I’m rich! In a year and a half I’ll be rich! In six months I’ll be rich!’ Then in three months, I’m less rich. In two months, I’m not rich. In one month, it was less money than it had started out. It had gone up and down in that dot-com bust. So it was money I never had that I lost.”

 

Continuing to Gamble After You’ve Already Won Big

Anyone who hopes to become wealthy in a business venture must realize the odds are stacked against them. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests only 44 percent of business will survive more than five years, and only 5 percent will become large enough to make their own wealth.

A lot of people who beat the odds don’t know when to quit. They achieve great success in one business and then go back to gambling and bet their fortune on a new venture. In most cases, their new bit fails to pan out.

John DeLorean is one such example. He was a professional engineer and executive in the U.S. automobile industry. In 1965, at age 40, he broke the record for being the youngest division head at GM when he took over at Pontiac. DeLorean is almost solely credited for the success of the “first muscle car.”

In 1969, DeLorean was promoted to head the prestigious Chevrolet division, General Motors’ flagship brand. His annual income was around $600,000. His growing fame led to a jet-setting lifestyle, which allowed him to hang out with business and entertainment celebrities. He was friends with James T. Aubrey, president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Sammy Davis Jr., and The Tonight Show host Johnny Carson.

By the time 1972 arrived, DeLorean had risen to the position of vice president of car and truck production for the entire General Motors line, and he seemed to have a lock on eventually becoming the CEO of the corporation. Instead, DeLorean quit in April 1973 to form his own company, the DeLorean Motor Company.

Starting your own automobile company is a very tall order. It takes vast amounts of money and years of development. DeLorean received seed money from the Northern Ireland Development Agency, allowing him to build the manufacturing plant for the first car in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland.

The factory started manufacturing cars in early 1981, but the company was in receivership by February 1982. The plant turned out around 3,000 cars per year, but it needed a production run of 6,000 units just to break even. The poor economy of the early 1980s only made profitability all the more unlikely.

In a desperate bid to save his company, DeLorean became involved with a drug smuggler, who had offered him a payment in exchange for using the company to launder drug money. The drug dealer was actually an FBI informant who part of a sting operation. DeLorean successfully defended himself against the drug charges by claiming entrapment, but his auto firm was history. Seeing only an endless river of red ink, the British government ordered its closure in November 1982.

DeLorean was involved in over forty legal battles since the collapse of DeLorean Motor Company. In 1999, he declared personal bankruptcy to escape a debt load of $85 million owed to 266 creditors.

Investing in the Kingdom of God

One of the key reasons I became involved in Bible prophecy is a realization that end-time events will eventually take priority over all other aspects of our lives. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, someday the Rapture may suddenly transport you into the glory of heaven. If you are a nonbeliever, you may live to see the near-total destruction of everything that man has built on earth.

The Bible warns us not to store our wealth here on earth. The reason is simple–money has no lasting value. It’s like having your savings in the currency of a third-world nation with a high inflation rate. In a few years, the money is made worthless by hyperinflation.

When we leave this world, the only thing we will take with us is whatever we have done to give honor to the Lord Jesus. I think many Christians will be shocked at what a limited amount of treasure they have stored up in their heavenly accounts.

The hardest part about doing something for the kingdom of God is getting started. I’ve learned from years of personal experience that over 90 percent of believers will never do anything productive for the Lord’s work. If we are truly Rapture ready, we have to be prepared to stand before the throne of God and say, “Master, this is what I’ve done….”

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).