The Coming Tsunami in the Catholic Church

On 14 March, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio from Argentina was elected pontiff, named Pope Francis.

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9:39AM EDT 3/13/2013 J. LEE GRADY

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I believe God showed me He is sending a wave of His Spirit to bring reformation.

More than 10 years ago, I had the most vivid dream I’ve ever experienced. I told my wife about it the moment I woke up because it was so profound. The scenes are still etched in my memory.

I dreamed I was standing inside the Vatican. Keep in mind that I’ve never been a Catholic, and I’ve never visited Italy. But in my dream, I was in an ornate hall decorated with marble columns and a fancy paved floor. I walked over to a huge, arched window where I could see a panoramic view of Vatican City.

Suddenly a huge wave appeared on the horizon. A tsunami was coming. The wave got closer and closer, but I did not feel panic, even though I could hear people running and yelling as they prepared for the impact. I stood near a wall and braced myself.

When the wave hit, the palatial building began creaking and tilting. Antique tables, chairs, candelabra and statues began sliding to one side as the floor moved. Chandeliers were hanging at odd angles. Within minutes the floor was perpendicular to the ground and more furniture came crashing down. The movement continued until the floor became the ceiling. More religious icons, statues and paintings fell and broke into pieces.

In my dream, I did not feel anxious about this catastrophe. Nor did I ask the obvious questions: How could a tsunami reach that far inland since the Vatican is almost 20 miles from the Mediterranean coast? How could a tsunami turn a huge building upside down? And why was there no water anywhere? I knew in my dream that what I had witnessed was a spiritual event.

At that point I heard a commotion at the other end of the hall. When I got close enough, I discovered a group of Catholic nuns and priests who were praying in the Holy Spirit. They had their hands raised and they were worshiping God fervently, as if they had experienced another Pentecost.

The atmosphere was spiritually charged. Yet, as these people prayed, a man dressed in ornate religious garb began to shout angrily at them in Italian. He was obviously not happy with the way these Catholics were behaving. This upset me, and I began to rebuke him. I was speaking in my prayer language, so I didn’t know what I was saying. But I knew God was rebuking the leaders who were opposing His work.

At that point, I woke up. And I felt the Holy Spirit say to me: “I am going to turn the Catholic Church upside down.”

I don’t believe all dreams are from God. Sometimes our brains just think in Technicolor while we sleep. Other times a dream is simply a crazy subconscious reaction to the pepperoni pizza we ate before bedtime. But in this case, I have come to believe God was showing me something big that He plans to do in my lifetime.

Pope John Paul II was still in office when I had this dream. Pope Benedict has since come and gone, and this week, cardinals are electing a new leader—at a time when the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics have been reeling from reports of child abuse and sex scandals among clergy.

I believe a great shaking is coming to the Catholic system, and it will have both positive and negative impact. God is not pleased with man-made religious structures (in any denomination) that hinder people from knowing Him, and He is serious when He asks us to tear down the idols we have created to take His place. In the end, God always judges idolatry.

On the flip side, He also cares about the millions of people in the Catholic Church who call upon the name of Jesus and who desire His presence. For them, the coming wave of God’s power will unleash a new hunger for the Holy Spirit and God’s unadulterated Word. As corruption is exposed and structures are shaken, I expect to see Catholics around the world experience a 21st-century reformation movement. Traditionalists will fight it, of course, but dead religion is powerless when faced with genuine spiritual awakening. Young reformers from various nations will challenge the system and say, like Moses said to Pharaoh, “Let My people go” (Ex. 5:1).

I know there are many of my evangelical brothers who have written off Catholics as heretics, and they leave no room for redemption or reformation. They’d rather see the whole system crash and burn. Perhaps they forgot that we have our own idols, sex scandals and institutional corruption, and that we need a spiritual tsunami to turn us upside down as well. I’m bracing myself as I pray. Send the wave, Lord.

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of The Mordecai Project(themordecaiproject.org). His latest book, Fearless Daughters of the Bible, will be released in Spanish next month from Casa Creacion. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. 

Source: http://www.charismamag.com/blogs/fire-in-my-bones/17042-the-coming-tsunami-in-the-catholic-church

Say Goodbye to the 'Armor Bearer' Mentality

10:23AM EDT 10/17/2012 

By J. LEE GRADY

To train a new generation for ministry we must get rid of pride and pretension

My friend Charles wanted a mentor. He was eager to learn the ropes of ministry, so he asked an older pastor for training. The pastor agreed—but Charles soon realized the man wanted a valet, not an apprentice. Charles became the man’s “armor bearer.”

The man never took Charles on hospital visits, involved him in ministry assignments or prayed with him. Instead, Charles was expected to carry the pastor’s briefcase, fetch coffee and take suits to the cleaners—with no salary offered. In this case, “armor bearer” was a spiritualized term for “slave.”

This bizarre trend became popular in churches 20 years ago, but it still thrives. It appeals to insecure leaders who need an entourage to make them feel important. Some pastors have even assigned trainees to serve as bodyguards—complete with dark glasses and concealed weapons. These young men are instructed to keep people away from the pastor so he doesn’t have to talk to anyone after a church service (because, after all, the poor preacher might be “drained of his anointing” if he fraternizes with common folks).

Excuse me while I barf!

I’m not sure what is more nauseating: That some pastors think they are discipling young leaders by exploiting them, or that church members tolerate such pompous behavior from a so-called man of God. And we wonder why many young people have stopped going to church?

When I turned 50, I decided to spend most of my energy investing in the next generation. This became my passionate priority because I met so many gifted men and women in their 20s and 30s who craved mentors. Many of them, like Charles, were looking for authentic role models but could only find self-absorbed narcissists who were building their own kingdoms.

If you want to make a genuine impact on the next generation, please make sure you are not infected with the armor bearer virus. Take these steps to adjust your attitude:

1. Get over yourself. As soon as Jesus began his earthly ministry the devil tried to strike a deal with Him. Satan offered the celebrity spotlight by showing Jesus the world’s glory and saying, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me” (Matt. 4:9). But Jesus didn’t buy it. He chose the path of servanthood even though He knew it would lead to the cross.

Today’s insecure leaders don’t realize it’s the devil tempting them to become rock-star preachers. Fame is too alluring. Before they realize it, their heads have swelled and ministry becomes a means to prove their imagined greatness. A leader with an inflated ego will have zero interest in investing in others. You must tell yourself daily: “It’s not about me!”

2. Stay accessible. Earlier this year I led a retreat for young Ugandans who are training for ministry. We prayed together, shared meals and swam at a local pool in the afternoons. When we finished three days of teaching sessions I asked them what they enjoyed the most about the retreat. One guy summarized everyone’s sentiment: “We loved that you were with us.”

Young people today don’t just want our sermons. They want to sit down for coffee after the sermon. They want to ask questions. They can listen to a hundred preachers on You Tube, but when you invite them to dinner, offer to pray with them or take them on a mission trip, you mark them forever.

3. Keep it real. Older Christian leaders have picked up some bad habits that turn off young people. Some ministers preach with affected voices, wear weird hairstyles and insist on dressing like funeral parlor directors—even on their days off. Please talk in a normal voice when you preach so young people won’t dismiss you as a fake. Be transparent, admit your faults and let everyone know you’ve had struggles. Young people don’t want to follow someone who pretends to be perfect.

4. Pour on the encouragement. Many young people today struggle to stay disciplined. Some have addictions. And many of them have attitudes! But you will never reach them if all you do is point out their faults. You have to win their hearts before you address problems. If you saturate them with the love of a caring father or mother, their spiritual growth will amaze you.

5. Don’t cling to power. Jesus was the Son of God, yet He willingly handed His authority over to His disciples and told them to finish the job. Likewise, Paul invested his life in Timothy, Titus, Silvanus, Phoebe and others—and he expected them to go farther than He did. Every good leader is already thinking of his succession plan. If you have a tendency to control, dominate or manipulate people, you must wrestle with God until your pride is crushed.

Young leaders today don’t want to be your butler or your valet. And they won’t follow people who strut and swagger. They are looking for mentors who walk with the limp of humility.

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of The Mordecai Project. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. His recent books include 10 Lies Men Believe and Fearless Daughters of the Bible.

Source: http://www.charismamag.com/blogs/fire-in-my-bones/15662-say-goodbye-to-the-armor-bearer-mentality#readmore

Once Gay, Always Gay?

9:42AM EDT 10/10/2012 J. LEE GRADY

 

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A new law in California tells gay teens it’s impossible to change their sexual orientation. But what if they want to change?

I have a confession to make: I have prayed for many people who struggle with homosexual feelings, and I have asked the Holy Spirit to help them overcome those urges. According to the state of California, that makes me a criminal if the person I prayed for was under 18.

California has banned so-called “reparative therapy,” which is used to cure minors of their homosexual feelings. Upon signing the law in late September, Gov. Jerry Brown said such psychological counseling has led to depression and suicide among gay youth, and he added that any therapy aimed at changing a person’s sexual orientation falls into the category of “quackery.”

The law states that no mental health provider can provide minors with therapies to “change behaviors or gender expressions, or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same sex.”

Brown, the majority of California’s legislators and leaders of the gay community say it’s hateful to offer a gay person alternatives if they struggle with same-sex attraction. They believe if young people have gay feelings, they might as well embrace their homosexual identity and get busy acting it out. (Meanwhile, a formerly gay student and two therapists have filed suit against the law, claiming that it is a violation of free speech and freedom of religion.)

We all know homosexuality is a complicated issue, and it requires loads of compassion and sensitivity. I will readily admit the Christian community hasn’t always shown love to homosexuals. But as we develop genuine compassion there are three truths we must never compromise:

1. Homosexuality is not necessarily inborn. The prevailing view in the mainstream psychological community is that if a person feels gay attraction, those feelings permanently define him/her. Change isn’t possible, supposedly, because all homosexuals are “born that way.”

Yet any honest psychologist knows certain factors can trigger gay feelings. I have prayed for many guys, for example, who were haunted by unwanted gay desires because they were sexually abused as children or teens. I have also prayed for women who developed sexual feelings for women after being abused by men; for them, lesbianism provided protection from the men who hurt them.

Some boys develop same-sex feelings because they lack a father figure. A boy’s craving for his absent or distant dad’s affection can lead to sexualization of other men in his life. To ignore such environmental or developmental factors is a gross denial of the obvious. To tell a teenage boy that he must automatically embrace gay feelings—especially when his sexuality is still being developed—is a worse form of quackery than Brown has condemned.

2. The Holy Spirit can heal our broken sexuality. I have known many people who struggled with various levels of homosexual desire before they met Christ—and many who continue to resist those temptations as Christians. Some were in long-term gay relationships; some simply experimented with homosexuality; others got hooked on gay porn. But in every case they found freedom from those urges through honest confession, repentance and healing prayer.

If a young man came to me and admitted he was tempted to seduce women, I would not tell him: “You just have a strong sex drive. Go ahead and have sex with as many girls as you want! That’s just who you are!” That would be crazy. If this teen really wanted to change his behavior I would lead him in a prayer of repentance, deal with the root issues of his problem and encourage him to trust Jesus for the grace to exercise self-control. Why wouldn’t I do the same for a teenager who is attracted to the same sex?

3. Many homosexual strugglers want freedom. Supporters of the California law would probably say I’m being “hateful” if I prayed for a young person who wanted to overcome same-sex urges. But I could turn the argument around and accuse the psychological community of hate because they are not giving gay people any options. Wouldn’t it be more loving to ask a person what they want instead of imposing a lifestyle on them?

One of the most basic truths of Christianity is that Jesus gives us a new nature when we experience conversion.  This is the miracle the apostle Paul described in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (NASB). Why would we offer that freedom to those who struggle with other forms of sin or brokenness, but not to those who want to be free from homosexuality?

Let’s stop being naive. California’s tyrannical law is not based on science or solid psychological theory. It is mean-spirited intolerance, and it will become federal policy if defenders of religious freedom don’t challenge it.

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of The Mordecai Project. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. His recent books include 10 Lies Men Believe and Fearless Daughters of the Bible.

Source: http://www.charismamag.com/blogs/fire-in-my-bones/15645-once-gay-always-gay

Sun Myung Moon, Mormons and America’s Biggest Cult

11:31AM EDT 9/5/2012 J. LEE GRADY

 

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Sun Myung Moon blesses newlyweds during a mass wedding ceremony at Sun Moon University in Asan, south of Seoul Oct. 14, 2009 (Reuters/Lee Jae Won)

The world is littered with small cults, but a much larger one is growing in the United States.

Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church and self-proclaimed “savior of all humanity,” died this week at age 92. He didn’t save the world, nor did the couples he married in mass weddings produce a race of sinless children, as he predicted they would.

With all respect for his Korean heritage, I think Moon was just plain weird. Once a Presbyterian, he rejected orthodox Christianity by teaching that Jesus failed in His mission because He did not marry and have children. Moon’s zombie-like followers, who sold carnations to raise money, will never see a dime of the millions he made through his many international businesses.

Moon’s group joins a nefarious list of destructive cults that manipulated people into following bogus spirituality. Also included are (1) Jim Jones’ group, the Peoples Temple, which led to the tragic Kool-Aid deaths of 909 people in 1978;  (2) the Branch Davidians, the cult led by David Koresh that ended in a fiery standoff at their compound in Waco, Texas, in 1993; and (3) Heaven’s Gate, a strange astrological cult that convinced followers they could hitch a ride to eternal life on the Hale-Bopp comet. (Thirty-nine members of that group committed suicide in California in 1997.)

Most destructive cults don’t have a long shelf life, since the founders are prone to either suicide, crime or violence. But after Moon’s death this week I wondered: What are the most dangerous cults in the world today?

You might think Scientology is huge, since Hollywood actors such as Tom Cruise promote it. But experts say there are not more than 200,000 Scientologists in the world. Apparently its founder, L. Ron Hubbard—a science fiction writer—didn’t convince too many people to spend thousands of dollars on “spiritual audits” in order to unleash their god-like nature.

Christian apologists usually list Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses as the largest cults in the world. It’s true that many of their core doctrines contradict the Bible. It’s also disturbing that Mormonism’s founder, Joseph Smith, practiced immorality, advocated violence and used smoke, mirrors and bogus golden plates to compile his Mormon holy book.

Yet Mormonism today has been sanitized and mainstreamed, and many Mormons have distanced themselves from their radical beginnings while focusing on family values. I’m not defending their doctrines, which I consider creepy and (with apologies to Mitt Romney) demonic. I’m saying I don’t believe Mormonism is as big of a threat as we’ve made it out to be.

So what is the biggest cult in our country today? It’s the cult of secularism. It outnumbers Mormons, Scientologists, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Moonies combined. Its priests and evangelists are in our media, government and education system—and they have even infiltrated mainline churches. Their goal is to reshape culture in the image of their idols, which include:

1. The idol of atheism. The number of atheists is increasing in Western countries, and anti-God ideas have taken control of many of our universities. If you think Real Time’s Bill Maher sounds angry when he talks about religion, just read some of the anti-religious vitriol being published today by American professors. Atheists are in recruiting mode; they are actually starting “churches” for discussions and support.

2. The idol of free sex. People who don’t believe in the true God can conveniently ignore morality. As a result, America has become an orgy nation. We’ve built a massive altar to Baal as we pump porn into the airwaves for global consumption. A hedonistic cult has emerged, and its leaders demand that we celebrate all forms of perversion without asking whether this behavior is healthy or if it might invite God’s judgment.

3. The idol of state control. In the cult of secularism, we are expected to bow to the almighty federal government—which supposedly has the power to meet all of our material needs. And we, the helpless minions, are supposed to pay our taxes and fawn over our enlightened leaders as we build the great society—regardless of how deeply we go into debt in the process. (Note: If you question whether President Obama has a “cult following,” tune into the Democratic Convention this week and listen to the newscasters.)

4. The idol of anti-Christian intolerance. The threat of Islamic terrorism is real, but I’m not as concerned about al-Qaida as I am about leaders in our own country who don’t respect faith or decent Christian values (and this is true of both Democrats and Republicans). Anti-religious bigots have declared war on everything that made this country respectable, and they are looking for followers.

Please don’t bow to the idols of our culture. Don’t let the cult of secularism force you to drink their Kool-Aid. Let’s stand for Jesus faithfully no matter how much we are pressured to conform.

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of The Mordecai Project. He is the author of 10 Lies Men Believe and other books. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. 

Source: http://www.charismamag.com/blogs/fire-in-my-bones/15550-sun-myung-moon-mormons-and-america-s-biggest-cult#readmore