FAME (LONG POST AHEAD)
Many of the famous ministers and Christians known to us are not well-known to the non-Christian world, with exceptions of those who become infamous for their flaws or others like Mother Teresa, famous for her work amongst the poor, and Billy Graham, famous for his Christian influence in USA. Most of the time when Christians do make the headlines of the world it is usually when something bad is publicized. We need to change that.
1. Fame does come from God and is given as a stewardship
Joshua, who used to be in the shadow of Moses, was told by God as he led the Israelites into the promised land that ‘this day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you’ (Joshua 3:7).
David was famous throughout Israel and all the surrounding countries and the Lord brought the fear of him throughout those countries (1 Chronicles 14:17). Solomon was famous in his lifetime through the grace of wisdom given to him (2 Chronicles 9:6). Jesus’ fame went throughout all Israel and surrounding nations during the time He lived in Israel (Matthew 4:24-25; Mark 1:28).
God uses fame like He uses money or abilities to bring about His influence upon the lives and affairs of men on the earth. We need to treat the gift of fame as a stewardship responsibility and walk wisely as David did before men (1 Samuel 18:5, 14).
2. Many people do not use the gift of fame wisely and waste it on the wrong things as people waste money and power when the blessings or position come to them from God.
The key to living this life is to live it in the manner which most glorifies Jesus; with this in place, when great prosperity or great power or great fame comes, we should learn to be faithful in it as a good steward. Solomon wasted his fame and fortune and did not use it to promote the worship of God.
The only good thing he did was to build the temple which was his father David’s vision anyway. He did not care about the people on the street but instead made them feel oppressed (1 Kings 12:4). He wasted time and money on foreign women and false gods (1 Kings 11:1-7). He did everything that the Lord told Moses to warn kings not to do: he multiplied wives when the Lord commanded not to do so; he multiplied horses and returned to Egypt when the Lord commanded not to do so; he multiplied gold for himself when the Lord commanded not to do so (Deuteronomy 17:16-20; 1 Kings 10:23-29). His heart was turned away from the Lord and there was no record of him keeping his own handwritten devotional Bible that God instructed kings to do (Deuteronomy 17:18-19).
No one – no matter how rich, powerful or famous – should be treated any differently by any Christian, church or minister. All are equal in the sight of God and it is a disgrace to God when people who are rich, powerful or famous are treated differently from other people (James 2:1-8). All who have been given great prosperity, power or fame should also note that in the sight of God you are no different from any other ordinary men or women. Do not seek to be treated differently but just learn to walk humbly in the sight of God and man. The greatest among us must learn to be the servant of all (Matthew 23:11).
Jesus observed that the Gentiles lorded over one another and the great ones among them exercised great authority over others and He said that it shall NOT be so among His disciples, who were quarrelling over who was to be at the right-hand side (Mark 10:42). Any preacher or church or organization which makes a bureaucratic structure like an earthly kingdom is NOT properly following the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. The true practice of Jesus’ teaching would lead to humility and servanthood for every disciple.
If we are to change the world and churchianity now, we need to stop copying secular Christianity and adopt in full the teachings and practice of Jesus. This does not mean that one is not properly organized but rather it means that one acknowledges that we are all nothing without Jesus. And if we be so gifted with fame, fortune or power, then we should treat such carefully in fear and trembling as we fulfil our position in this earthly life.
3. Fame, fortune and power can come and go as suddenly and as easily as a breath of this earthly life.
The most mundane circumstance in life can lead to sudden fame, fortune and power. David was just out bringing lunch to his brothers when the opportune time came to defeat Goliath (1 Samuel 17:17). Joseph’s ordinary day out in the field was the last day he had as a freeman (Genesis 37:14-18). His resistance to temptation led him downwards into prison instead of vindication (Genesis 39:19-20). A little concern for other prisoners and a simple interpretation of dreams brought him the opportunity, two years later, to stand before Pharaoh and then becoming a Chief Minister of Pharaoh (Genesis 40:6-23; 41:12-46).
David knew when not to take the wrong opportunities and when to take the right ones. He chose not to kill Saul but allowed God to be the one who made him king (1 Samuel 24:7; 26:11). Twice David had the opportunity to kill Saul, but he knew that it would have changed him forever if he had done so at the urging of his own men. Sometimes, we need to learn not to listen to surrounding advice but instead, listen to what is true and right in our heart that is in line with the word of God. Joab the famous and powerful commander of the army and Abiathar the famous and outstanding priest serving with Zadok throughout David’s reign made the fatal error of taking the one opportunity to go against David’s wish to make Adonijah king and they both doomed their lives forever (1 Kings 1:7).
One fatal error can wash all fame, fortune and power down the drain, but one good unseen deed can bring a lifetime of fame, prosperity and power from the Lord. The story of Esther and Mordecai is a story of small insignificant events affecting the fortunes and fame of an entire empire and the whole Israelite nation. One good deed by Mordecai brought him into favour with the king and later the position of Prime Minister (Esther 6:1-3; 8:4). In the book of Esther major events revolved around a single day (the day that Haman designed to destroy the Jews became the day of their deliverance), around a single event (the day that Haman prepared to execute Mordecai was the day Mordecai got promoted) and two dinners with the king (Queen Esther patiently took two prepared banquets before she confided in the king her wish). Never despise the day of small things (Zechariah 4:10) for they can become great global events and even eternal events enshrined into the history of mankind and of heavenly record (David and Goliath – 1 Samuel 17:48-58; woman who washed Jesus’ feet - Mark 14:9).
4. If our hearts are right, God can restore all that is lost. God is in the restoration business.
He gives back all that the swarming locust, the crawling locust, the consuming locust and the chewing locust has eaten (Joel 2:25). God restored to David his entire kingdom after the rebellion of Absalom seeded by his personal failure with Bathsheba.
The records of 1 Chronicles (recorded from the priestly view) on David’s life does not contain the rebellion of Absalom (a major news breaking event by today’s standards) because God completely restored David and established his kingdom. The key in restoration sometimes can rest in one event or one person strengthened by God. At Ziklag, when the men of David and David himself had lost all their possessions, wives and children, David experienced his loneliest time when he had to strengthen himself in the Lord and re-motivate his men to follow him to get back all that was stolen from them (1 Samuel 30:6). David himself was sorely distressed but he pulled himself up in the Lord. One little slave boy, who was left behind because he was sick (almost dying without bread and water for three days), was the key to the recovery of everything lost - small and great (1 Samuel 30:18)
Hezekiah became proud when the Lord was blessing him and made him rich, famous and powerful (2 Chronicles 32:24-26). When he was sick and dying, he repented, and the Lord gave him another fifteen years (2 Kings 20:1-11). The compiling of the book of Psalms was part of the later works of Hezekiah that has lasted throughout Bible history. If you knew you only had fifteen years to live, would you not have spent the rest of your life-giving praise and glory to God through psalms? The fifteen psalms of ascent (or degrees) were especially the compilation of Hezekiah to mark each extra year the Lord gave him to live (Psalm 120–134). Hezekiah repented and changed his heart to bring it in line with God. We are living in a time of restoration and God will be restoring those whose hearts are right in the sight of God (Acts 3:21).
Turbulent times will come when the fame, fortune and position of many will be shifted and changed. Some who are famous and rich will become unknown and poor. Others who have great influence and power will be reduced to nothing. While those who are nobodies in the world today will become well-known in the sight of God and men. This will not just happen in the secular world but also in Christendom. This is a decade to learn humility before the Lord and may we be true followers of God and true disciples of Jesus; and not just followers of the popular and famous in Christendom.
The Lord resists the proud and gives grace to the humble and exalts them (1 Peter 5:5-6). The little events are already taking place which will impact globally and all eternity.
