The Sin of Wrong Motives

     Certainly, there are many ministers and lay people in our movement with pure motives.  There are isolated pockets in which many humble, self-sacrificing, loving preachers and believers exist in our branch of Christianity, and I acknowledge that fact.  If you are in one of those isolated pockets, and your motives are pure, then I encourage you to press on in God and to maintain your integrity.  There were also isolated pockets of believers  operating in godly motives in the Pentecostal move and the Healing Revival, but as their numbers grew less and less, those few did not keep these two mighty moves of God from grinding to a halt.  In whatever direction the majority in a move of God goes, that will also be the direction in which the move itself will go.  If the majority goes down, the revival also will go down.  Isolated pockets of air will not keep a ship from sinking, and neither have a remnant with right motives kept the Word of Faith move afloat.

     Remember, the Glory left in Samuel's day when the majority of believers "abhorred the offerings of God."  According to Brother Hagin, the Glory left the Healing Revival ". . . when great numbers of people were disappointed and hurt by the excesses of some of its leaders.”  Likewise, the Glory left the Word of Faith move when we fell into wrong motives and the other sins and excesses that occurred during the days of Samuel, and during the Healing Revival.

     We have raised wrong motives to the level of an art form.  Not only do we have wrong motives, we have developed an entire theology that encourages, excuses, and nearly demands wrong motives.  I witnessed a glaring example of wrong motives not long ago.  

     I was at a meeting where they decided to take up an offering.  There is nothing wrong with taking up an offering.  However, the announced reason for the offering, ruined it for me.  The man taking up the offering told us all that we should focus on "giving AND receiving."  That part is OK.  What he said next is what ruined it.  "After all," the man added, "the only reason to give is to receive."  That stunk so bad, I just quietly refused to give in that offering.

     The man's statement could not have been more wrong.  If your ONLY reason for giving is to receive, then you are giving for a purely selfish motive.  You are not giving so that the Gospel can be preached, needs can be met, or others may be blessed.  Your giving is all about me, ME, ME!!  Faith won't work that way.

     Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit told us that faith worketh by love.  Gal. 5:6.  In other words, true faith brings the power and manifested presence of God only when it is motived by pure love.  And the Bible leaves us no doubt as to what love is:

     "Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking;" I Cor. 13:5 Amp. 

     To put it all together, the Bible is telling us that faith operates by seeking not your own benefit, but by seeking the benefit of others.

     Yet in our zeal to encourage believers to actually believe to receive from God in the area of finances, we have fallen into encouraging believers to have an attitude of selfishness, of "me, ME, ME!!" which God can not bless.

     Does God see our motives?  Ask Simon the Sorceror.  In Samaria where Phillip the Evangelist had a powerful revival, there was a person with a wrong motive--Simon the Sorceror.  He tried to buy the ability to impart the Holy Spirit.  Peter rebuked him saying,

      ". . . Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. . . for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. . . "  Acts 8:20, 21.

     God makes it clear the kind of motives He blesses with His Presence and Glory:

     "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity [love], I am nothing."  I Cor. 13:2.

     Love:  the God-kind of love that is selfless and desires to bless others.

     "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."  Isa. 57:15.

     Contrite:  quick to sincerly repent.

     Humble:  having a small opinion of one's self and one's own abilities.

     While it is true that we need to be taught how to receive the blessings God intends for us to have, it is also true that we need to get our minds off ourselves and be focused on blessing others.

     While it is true that we need preaching that exhorts us, and gives us a positive self-image, at best we are but dust in comparison to the Almighty, All-knowing, All-seeing, Everlasting God.  We equally need preaching and teaching that reminds us of our limitations.  We need to hear, as John the Baptist said of Christ:

     "He must increase, but I must decrease."  John 3:30.

     Christ himself said:

     "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."  John 15:4,5. 

     Turn on Christian TV, read the latest Christian book, listen to the hot new Faith CD, and what do you hear?  Do you hear exhortations to selflessness, humility, contrition, and abiding continually in Christ's word?

     Hardly.

     Does God see these selfish motives?  Is He aware of the thoughts of our hearts?  Allow me to give two examples.  In the first example, I will share one of my own shortcomings.  In the second one, I will tell what God revealed to me about another minister.

     In 1993, I knew that the Lord had finished my time in my hometown of Wichita, Kansas.  I prepared to move, not really knowing my destination.  While seeking God, I saw a TV report about the explosive growth occurring in Branson, Missouri.  For years, I had lived in Wichita where there always seemed to be such a negative attitude about everything.  Branson's positive attitude was to me like water to a man dying of thirst.  I felt pulled in my spirit to the SE Kansas/ SW Missouri area.  Money came in, circumstances lined up, and I moved to SE Kansas from where I could commute to Branson.  I had some commercial things lined up in Branson, and planned to work there for one season then pioneer a church there.  However, after a few weeks in SE Kansas, my opportunity in Branson dried up.  Even though I made many attempts, I could not find another opening in or near Branson, and my meeting schedule also dried up. 

     I went through a very painful time of set backs.  During this time I fasted and prayed and sought the Lord.  Eventually, He said to me the following:

     "Ninety percent of your motives are wrong.  Ten percent are right, but ninety percent are wrong.  You want to be like the country music entertainers.  Country music entertainers go to Branson and open theaters to showcase their musical talents.  You want to go to Branson and open a church to showcase your ministry talents.  And you hope that your success will be so great that people who have rejected your ministry will hear of your success and regret that they did not treat you better.  Ninety percent of your motives are wrong."

     Wow.

     I had not known that my heart was filled with wrong motives, until God told me.  It was as though He took my heart, opened it up and laid it out before me, and there was no denying the fact that those wrong motives were there.  When God shows you something, it is shown in such frankness, that you see it all in glaring clarity.

     His comment was a rebuke.  It pained me to the core of my soul.  I accepted it, knelt down, repented, and asked His forgiveness.  I was thankful that at least ten percent of my motives had been right.  But seeing how badly ninety percent of my motives had mislead me, I released Branson to God and told Him I wanted it only if it was truly His will for me.

     Eventually I began to slowly realize that Branson was not at all God's will for me.  I hadn't missed Him completely by moving out of Wichita to SE Kansas though.  A few miles away in a small Oklahoma town, I met a pastor who became my spiritual father.  Then I took a secular job in nearby Joplin, MO and ended up moving here.  Once here, God put me under a Rhema pastor who spoke many things into my heart and life.  Under the instruction of these two pastors, I developed into the pastor's office.  That was the true reason God brought me to SE Kansas and then to Joplin--to receive from these two men of God.  Their ministries have changed my life, and God used this move to expose and change my motives.

     I realize now that separated from Him, I can do nothing.  I've learned also that He will not bless me when my motives are wrong.  He will bless me only as I obey Him and as I go in the direction He desires me to go.  We all need to learn these same lessons.  Even national Word of Faith leaders need to learn this. 

     Allow me to give an example involving a national leader.  I will not give the person's name, and I will obscure the details enough that no one short of Sherlock Holmes will be able to identify the person.  My dealings with this minister began with a spiritual experience.

     In a vision, I was carried away in the Spirit to the sanctuary of a particular national Word of Faith minister's church.  Let's call him Brother Smith.

     I saw Brother Smith preaching in his sanctuary to a half-empty room of people.  This minister was having a great deal of financial trouble.  Not enough people were attending his meetings.  Not enough money was coming in, and he couldn't understand why.  The Holy Spirit said to me:

     "If it doesn't benefit [Brother Smith] he is simply not interested."

     In other words, this minister's motives were purely selfish.  Brother Smith's selfish motives kept God from blessing his ministry very much, and consequently, Smith's meetings and finances were far below what he needed them to be.  The experience ended.

     I was puzzled as to why God would show this to me.  I had no contacts or dealings with this person.  Years passed before I understood why God revealed this.

     You see, in dealing with the rare recordings that have been entrusted to me, I have occasion to be in contact with various individuals.  Some have national ministries, and some local ministreis.  Some are famous, and others are not well known at all.  Some of these dealings are positive, and some are disappointing.  My dealings with Brother Smith fit into the "disappointing" category.

     Several times over the years, I have sent him complimentary copies of materials to which I have access.  My motive has not been to ingratiate myself with him, to seek money from him, or to get him to do anything for me.  I know that he knew some of these people, and I have felt that he would be blessed to know that these previously unknown recordings are now available.  I think that these materials might bring back some happy recollections for him.

     At best, I've hoped that perhaps Brother Smith might agree to write an article for us, or that we might be able to visit with each other sometime.  I am not attempting to use Brother Smith in any way.  

     A couple of times I've called Smith's staff and they have confirmed that in each case the materials were received and brought to Smith's personal attention.  Smith even took several materials I sent him, and began copying them and selling them through his website.  But I have never received a thank you note, or any expression of gratitude from him.

     I happened to meet Brother Smith's son, and I expressed to his son my desire for an article from Brother Smith or perhaps a brief visit with him.  I have also put this invitation in writing, sent it to Smith's ministry, and talked with the person who handles Smith's personal correspondence.  She confirmed that she had my letter before her, and would bring it to Smith's personal attention.  But Smith never responded yea or nay.

     I have shared with a couple of ministers who know Brother Smith well, my desire and difficulty in reaching him.  I've told them of the rare materials I sent him, to which I recieved no response at all, much less a thank you.  They assured me Brother Smith is kind and generous with his time, and that I needed to try to keep reaching him.  So, God gave me that opportunity some time back.

     I was in a service in which the host personally introduced me to Brother Smith and told him what I am doing on this site.  Brother Smith told me, "Oh great!  I want to know more."  I told him, "Well, I've sent you a number of recordings and materials over the years.  I guess you never got them." 

     Brother Smith preached the service, and did a wonderful job.  I was very impressed. 

     I noticed also that there were several well-known national WOF ministers in the audience.  Brother Smith greeted each one by name, and during a time of personal ministry, went to each one and personally prayed for them one by one.  The Holy Spirit's comment began to ring in the back of my mind:  "If it doesn't benefit [Brother Smith] he simply is not interested."  Was Brother Smith giving this excessive personal attention to well-known ministers who could benefit him in return?

     He showed what I believed to be genuine warmth to these famous preachers, their spouses and children, and had earlier said to me in front of them all about what I was doing over this website, "I want to know more."  It remained to be seen however, how Brother Smith would react to me when I approached him once the service concluded.

     After the service, as Brother Smith walked past where I was sitting, I handed Brother Smith an information sheet I had made up for him, giving this website address, and so on.  No one was looking at us or listening to us.  It was just he and I and God.  I handed him the paper, saying, "This will tell you about what we are doing on the website."  He took it without looking at me or commenting, and continued walking out the back door.  Judging from his reaction of complete silence, he appeared to me to be "simply not interested."  Months have passed, with no response or comment from him.

     Was the vision correct?  Is the reason Brother Smith has never responded because "If there is no benefit in it for Brother Smith, he simply is not interested?"  Only God knows.  I have no other explanation.  But something a minister told me appears to confirm my misgivings and what the Lord said about Brother Smith.

     A minister who ministers regularly with well-known prophets and healing evangelists, and is frequently around Brother Smith advised me recently, "I feel in my spirit that you should contact Brother Smith."  So, I opened up to him.  I did not tell him the vision and what the Lord had said.  I just told him of the times in which I have tried to reach Brother Smith, sending recordings--which he began selling over his site, writing, even physically placing an information sheet in Brother Smith's hand.  This minister friend's response?  He said, "Well he probably didn't get back in contact with you because he didn't see any benefit in it for himself.  If you had a big ministry, I'm sure he would have contacted you."

     He said word-for-word what the Holy Ghost had told me.

     Now, the point is not whether someone responds or doesn't respond.  And it is not about trying to open a door for myself.  It is up to God to open or close doors.  I've told this story to lay the groundwork to present my concerns.    

     I am not offended at Brother Smith.  On the contrary, my heart goes out to him.  He is making the same mistake I made in pursuing Branson, only he is more wrong than I was.  Ninety percent of my motives were wrong.  It appears that as high as one hundred percent of Brother Smith's motives are wrong.

     The result?

     Wrong motives lead me and Brother Smith into financially painful times.

     Years ago, Brother Smith was doing fine financially when God gave me that vision of Smith's ministry not receiving enough attendance or money due to selfish motives.  But as it is with all true visions, the financial decline I saw in the vision began to come to pass in Smith's ministry.  In recent years, Brother Smith has acknowledged publicly that monthly giving from long-term partners has decreased drastically.  He has cancelled certain major events at his church at the last minute due to fallen attendance.  He has told people also that he does not know why these set-backs have occurred.

     I didn't know either why setbacks happened to me in my pursuit of Branson until God showed me.  Smith's problem and mine was that we both had wrong motives.

     I believe that the attitude of  "If it doesn't benefit me, I'm not interested" has become common in our branch of Christianity, particularly at the ministerial level.

     Another example I cite with sadness, is that of ministry associations.  I was a member of an international Charismatic ministry association for 14 years.  During those years, whenever I faced a decision that I needed input on, I would contact the national office or various Regional or District Directors.  In 14 years, I never had a phone call returned.  Not one.  And when I wrote letters on ministry letterhead, identifying myself as a fellow member of their organization, and asked for advice, the only response I got was to receive a form letter in return telling me how blessed I would be if I invited that person to come minister for me.  Why did I not receive a single personal response from fellow ministers that I was supposedly in a "covenant relationship" with?  I believe that like with Brother Smith, there was no response because they saw no benefit in it for themselves.  If I had a world-wide TV ministry, or several million in the bank, believe me, they would have returned my phone call in a New York minute.

      God's glory departs from us, when the accepted normal motive for ministry becomes, "If this doesn't put money in my pocket, broaden my influence, or increase my notariety, I'm simply not interested."

     The motives of congregation members frequently stink as bad as the motives of leadership.  Our motives for attending meetings or for choosing the local church to attend should be to draw closer to God through learning His word and applying it in ourlives, humbling ourselves and obeying Him, and serving the Lord by serving others.  Too often we flit from church to church and ministry to ministry, thinking only of being the first to hear the next great "revelation," receiving a word of personal prophecy, giving money to God only for the purpose of getting it multiplied back to us, or being offered some title, position, attention, or flattery.

     As you study the lives of Wigglesworth, Howard Carter, the Goodwins and other giants of the faith, you do not see them craving personal attention or the flattery and positions of men.  They sought the Glory that only God can give.  They humbled themselves and did whatever it took to submit to God.  Consequently, the Glory found a restingplace in their hearts, lives, and ministries.  So shall it also tabernacle over our lives and ministries again when our motives line up with the word and love of God.  

     In the next article in this series, we will examine the next sin we noted in the list above.  Namely, the sin of ignorance.  To access this article, please click on the title in the left column, or click:

"Article III. The Sin of Ignorance"