Let's Trade Our Titles for True Humility - J. LEE GRADY CHARISMA NEWS

Today it seems we've developed a title fetish. (Edited by J. Lee Grady)

Let's Trade Our Titles for True Humility

8/10/2017 J. LEE GRADY  CHARISMA NEWS

Last week when I was preaching in the nation of Iceland, I befriended three young foreign students from Africa who were visiting our conference near Reykjavik. I noticed these guys were sitting in the back of the auditorium, so I invited them to sit with me up front. They later admitted to me that I was the first preacher they'd ever met who greeted people before a service.

"In my country, most preachers come into the auditorium after the worship, and they don't speak to anyone," one of the brothers told me.

When I told these brothers they could call me Lee, they were shocked. They expected me to demand a long-winded ecclesiastical title.

I'm often asked if I have a title, and my answer doesn't satisfy some people. I don't consider myself a pastor because I travel so much. All kinds of labels have been pinned on me: reverend, prophet, apostle, even bishop.

Once I was introduced to a church as "Dr. Grady," and I almost crawled under my seat. I only have a college degree. There are no letters after my name.

Today it seems we've developed a title fetish. For a while everyone in charismatic circles was becoming a bishop, and some were installed into this office with rings, robes and funny-looking hats. Then the same guys with the pointy hats started calling themselves apostles. Then the prophets got jealous and started calling themselves apostles too! I knew one lady who, not to be outdone, required people to call her "exalted prophetess."

Now the latest fad is requiring church folks to address certain people as apostles. As in, "When apostle Holy Moly arrives, please only address him as, 'apostle,' and then make sure he is seated in a private room while his two 'armor bearers,' wearing dark glasses, guard his door." I know of one popular preacher who sends his hosts a letter explaining that he must be called "apostle" anytime his name is used from the stage!

Some of these title-seekers have even invented an elaborate theology to go along with their ridiculous rule. They say you can't receive the true anointing from a man of God if you don't honor him with his right title.

Sounds so very oooh-oooh spiritual to the naive. But it's charismatic garbage.

Jesus didn't play this religious game, especially when he was around the grand poobahs of His day—the long-robed, nose-in-the-air scribes and Pharisees. After accusing them of loving the best seats in the synagogues, He pointed out that they loved to be called "Rabbi" by men (see Matt. 23:7).

Then He warned them: "But do not be called 'Rabbi,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brothers ... For he who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Matt. 23:8,12).

People have quibbled over these words for centuries, insisting that pride is what Jesus was rebuking, not titles. I would agree that Jesus was going to the root sin. But He was also asking these guys if they'd be willing to ditch their labels and act like normal people.

When I was in China several years ago, I met some amazing leaders who had planted thousands of congregations. They had also spent a lot of time in jail for their faith, and they'd been beaten with iron rods for preaching the gospel. They were the bravest apostles I've ever met.

But when I asked them if they used "apostle" as a title, one guy said: "We believe in those roles in the church. But we prefer to call each other 'brother' or 'sister.'"

That settled the issue for me.

If these Chinese giants of the faith—and true apostles—don't require to be addressed with titles, then Your Worshipful Grand Master Rev. Dr. Bishop Big Deal Jones who claims oversight of maybe four churches shouldn't wear his ministry role around his neck like a tacky neon name badge.

If people can't see the anointing on your life through your character, then don't cheapen the gospel by wearing a title you don't deserve.

I'm not saying people shouldn't use reverend, minister or even bishop to identify their roles in the church. One of my mentors is a bishop, and he is one of the most humble men I know. But can we please dispense with the insecurity and the childish "I'm more important than you" appellations and get back to the simplicity of the gospel? Let's get over ourselves!

Jesus is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Son of David, the Prince of Peace and the Apostle of our Confession. Yet when He came into this world, He laid aside His heavenly glory and took on the lowly name of Jesus. He wore no fancy robes. He demanded no titles. He had no "armor bearers." He even bore His own cross until He was too weak to drag it to Calvary.

If we want to serve Jesus honorably, we must forsake our need for fame and cast our crowns at His feet. 

J. Lee Grady was editor of Charisma for 11 years before he launched into full-time ministry in 2010. Today he directs The Mordecai Project, a Christian charitable organization that is taking the healing of Jesus to women and girls who suffer abuse and cultural oppression. Author of several books including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, he has just released his newest book, Set My Heart on Fire, from Charisma House. You can follow him on Twitter at @LeeGrady or go to his website, themordecaiproject.org.

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The Least Likely to Succeed by Joni Ames Identity Network

The Least Likely to Succeed by Joni Ames

Identity Network

June 28, 2017

 

 

 

 

Discerning Your Call of God

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The least likely to succeed = the most likely to succeed, in Jesus.

 

One of the things the Bible is clear about regarding God choosing those He can use is that you do not have to be professional, just available.

 

The condemning voices of the enemy are constantly trying to discourage God's people from being what God called them to be.

 

It seems that every time God wanted to use somebody in the Scriptures, it was the most unlikely of people He used to do the most exceptional things. Perhaps the reason is because He would then truly get the glory.

 

When God called Gideon, he argued that he was too poor to be used. He said that he was from the poorest clan in all of his region, and he was the poorest one in all of his clan.

 

Apparently God decided that was a not a good excuse, because He still used him. God knew what he had put inside of Gideon. He knew that, in his humility, Gideon was a lot more capable because he would truly have to be trusting in God to accomplish the task.

 

"Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord." (Zechariah 4:6)

 

Sometimes there are people that think way too much of themselves, and other times there are people that are far too humble.

 

True Humility

 

As one man said, "True humility is agreeing with God." God is the one who knows what He put on the inside of His people. It is like a baker that is making a cake. They know what ingredients they put inside. God knows what ingredients He has put inside of you.

 

Even if you do not believe in yourself, you can believe in God who made you, called you, and is sending you forth.

 

One of the most unlikely heroes of the Bible is the apostle Paul. He murdered Christians. When you think about that, it must have been scary for Christians to trust him when he started ministering. Most likely there were those that were concerned that he was just pretending so that he could get inside their group and kill them too.

 

Fear is a terrible and debilitating thing. It can cause you to be trapped in the paralysis of analysis and totally halt your faith and all that you are called to do.

 

One of the big causes of fear is listening to other people's opinions. It is interesting that one would hear from God, and then ask other people what they think about what He has to say. When you think about it, it is ridiculous to ask a human being to verify what God is saying rather than to ask God to verify what a human being is saying. God is, after all, God. People are mere human beings. Imagine what all could be accomplished if God's people would just believe Him in the first place.

 

When you think of it, it is interesting that the prophetess Debra was the very first female political leader ever known. Because America now has some females in the political arena, it thinks they are advanced, but it has been done long before this. Other nations have had females in leadership very far back in history. There have been many queens, for instance, in England.

 

So many women, even today, feel like a "lesser being" and are afraid to step out into what they are called to in the area of ministry. But the women who were willing to take a chance and who didn't look at those lies succeeded, so why not you? After all, God has mightily used women like Aimee Semple McPherson, Kathryn Kuhlman, Maria Edworth Etter, Joyce Meyer, Beth Moore, Paula White, Juanita Bynum, Marilyn Hickey, Mother Theresa, Mother Angelica, Lisa Bevere, Joni Lamb, Kay Arthur, Jan Crouch, Tammy Faye Bakker, just to name a few.

 

So many of the women mentioned above had serious situations in their lives that others would use to disqualify them. Even divorce. But if people would disqualify someone because of divorce, they would disqualify God because He divorced Israel.

 

Often times when one steps out into ministry, one of their children begins to go astray. That happened to Oral Roberts with his son Richard who was astray from God for quite a while. But God let Oral know that did not disqualify him, because a lot of God's full-grown kids are astray, and that doesn't disqualify God. Eventually Richard also returned to God and his calling too.

 

Disqualified by the World

 

Just the other day, there was a story on television about a young man that had started to get in trouble with the law in his early teens. He got involved in a program through the Police Department, which a judge made him participate in. That program caused him to go forward into law enforcement and eventually become the police chief in a major city in America when he grew up. No one would have thought that would happen when he was a young troublemaker.

 

Opera Winfrey is one of the wealthiest people in America. She certainly had one of the most lucrative television careers. When she tells of her early childhood years of being poor and from a dysfunctional family growing up, as well as how shy she was, you realize what a miracle she is. Not only is she a successful woman, but she is a successful black woman. Truly a pioneer in her day. In spite of what some people may think, her original concept of faith is what got her where she is today.

 

While "the world" would often disqualify people, God forgives, accepts, and uses those who have failed. There are some greatly famous televangelists like Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker, who "fell" in front of the whole world to some degree. Yet better days were yet ahead as God continues to use them.

 

There are awesome testimonies throughout the Body of Christ of the things God has saved people from. Alcohol, prostitution, drug trafficking and abuse, robbery, murder. The list goes on.

 

The word testimony means, "a formal statement, evidence of proof of something; a public recounting of a religious conversion or experience."

 

Rick Joyner says, "In the very areas where you have been wounded, once healed, you then have the authority to heal others."

 

The Bible puts it this way, "Satan is defeated by the Blood of the Lamb and word of your testimony." (Rev. 12:11)

 

Too often, people shrink in shame over what they have been through in their past. The enemy will try to constantly condemn you and threaten you that, if others find out about what you used to do or who you used to be, you should be rejected and forgotten.

 

Forgiveness Leads to Authority

 

While your past may not be something to be proud of, it is something to be proud that the Blood of Jesus saved you from.

 

In essence, while the enemy would like to try to use it as a sword over your head, when you have repented and gotten forgiveness, it becomes an area of authority for you. You are then able to use it to bring salvation and deliverance to others through the testimony that God gives to you because you have been through it and gotten saved. There is no one else that understands and has authority in that type of situation like you can because of your experience.

 

The key for you is to not allow the enemy to blackmail you with it. Be ready to speak it out in the realms of giving God the praise and glory for having saved and delivered you from it. That totally overturns and takes the authority out of the condemning voice of the enemy who would like to use that thing to shame and defeat you. Instead, it becomes your weapon to disarm, subdue, and defeat the enemy in your life as well as the lives of others.

 

Jesus accomplished victory at the cross for all mankind so that you may be able to walk in it also. The Word tells us, "Having disarmed the powers and authorities, He (Jesus) made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." (Colossians 2:15)

 

When you research everyone God used mightily in the Bible, most had something "wrong" with them, some sort of "disqualifying" marker. However, when they took it to the Lord and admitted to it, they were forgiven and mightily used.

 

Qualifying the Called

 

It appears that God delights in using those, which others would deny.

 

There's a saying, "God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called." It appears as if God, for some reason, is "loser friendly." Apparently, the greater our afflictions or even our failures are, the more miraculously God can use us.

 

Case in point regarding physical afflictions is Joni Erickson Tada. In 1967 at age 17, she had a diving accident, which left her as a quadriplegic in a wheelchair. However, she has had an incredibly successful ministry since then and still does. She is an amazing singer, artist, and speaker throughout the world.

 

The truth of the matter is, in God's economy, the "least likely to succeed" are actually the most likely to succeed. Why? Because in your weakness He is strong. And there is nothing that's impossible for Him. You are the right material to become someone's hero.

 

Recently in the news, a McDonald's drive through clerk was attentive and recognized the face of a most wanted killer as he ordered chicken and fries at her window. She remained calm and told him the fries were not ready, but to pull forward and she would get them to him as soon as they were up. As he did so, she called the police and he was soon apprehended. A McDonald's drive through clerk became America's hero that day.

 

God has chosen the most unlikely to be His heroes. Today it just might be you.

 

Love and blessings.

 

Joni Ames

joniames@aol.com

www.joniames.com

 

Go here to read more articles by Joni Ames.