Haughty Humility
Ms. Johnson presumes to teach believers about humility, not realizing that her example and precepts foster the opposite qualities – pride and presumption. What a good opportunity for all to see her virtue contrasted with God’s! “And He said to them, You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15 MKJV).
Gary Amirault took particular offense when we confronted him on his hypocritical condemnation of the Lord and lack of knowledge of His ways, concluded he was a false teacher, and posted him as such. He judged us to be proud and arrogant. Not having his own oil, he sent us several writings of others, the latest one by Nita LaFond Johnson on humility.
Judging by her article, the problem is that Nita Johnson herself knows very little about Godly humility. She only knows man’s version, which is anything but true humility. In essence, her preaching on the subject says, “See how humble I am! I’m telling you how great a relationship I have with God and how you can have it as well, provided you’re as saintly and humble as I am.”
Ironically, many of Ms. Johnson’s statements on humility demonstrate a proud spirit. Here are some of those statements:
Johnson: “Humility allows you to draw close to Jesus….”
Translation: “I’m close to Jesus because I’m humble.”
Johnson: “If you want to draw near to Christ you must learn to humble yourself and you must learn to humble yourself more in these days than you have ever done it before.”
Translation: “I have learned to humble myself.”
What she also doesn’t seem to understand is that humility is something always needful with God, no more now than ever, no less before than now. In declaring there is a more urgent need today than ever for humility, Nita isn’t acknowledging the constant need for humility before God. It also suggests she is particularly discerning of the present spiritual state of affairs because she thinks to be so humble. And how much greater is her feat of humility, considering the world has grown so proud!
Johnson: “The Church has no idea what an awesome privilege prayer is, there is no greater privilege in the whole earth than the privilege of prayer.”
The entire Church has no idea, she says, yet she presumes she has an idea. Isn’t she “the Church”? And just who IS “the Church”? Is she speaking of the true Church, the Body of Christ – that unrecognized, obscure entity on earth that by its very nature has humility and appreciation of communing with God, and which is consequently hated by the world? Or is she talking about the brazen harlot “in the streets, lying in wait at every corner” (Proverbs 7:12), whom the Lord will destroy with the Spirit of His mouth and the brightness of His coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8)?
From all Johnson’s writings I have perused, she speaks of the harlot church. If speaking of it here, it’s only because she is a member of it, not of the true Church. Of course, she’s right about the harlot having no idea about prayer or humility, which means she doesn’t have a clue about true prayer and humility – and she doesn’t.
Johnson: “The more humble you walk, the faster you are going to fill that cup with prayer because humility begets authority; if you want to hear the voice of God then humble yourself.”
Translation: “I walk a fast pace of humility, and of course, I have authority because of it. I fill my cup with prayer and hear God’s voice because I have humbled myself.”
I wonder what she would say about Moses who, without a “prayer closet” or any record of humbling himself prior to God’s confronting him at the burning bush, was given great authority.
I wonder what she would say about Saul of Tarsus, who heard God’s voice and was called to a high calling of power and authority. Where was his humility and prayer life while in the very process of slaughtering Christians, causing them to blaspheme against God (Acts 9)?
The point is, who should get the glory for humility, man or God? If man, that’s not true humility, is it? Nita would like all to think she deserves the glory. Be warned of these false concepts, which subtly lead away from the truth.
I wonder what Ms. Johnson would have to say about Jonah, who fled from his duty of warning Nineveh, was compelled to fulfill it, and then was angry with God for saving the entire city. Did Jonah have authority in Nineveh? Without doubt, he did, but it was God’s authority, not his own, and we certainly see no indication that he received that authority through humility.
You see, Nita LaFond Johnson’s problem is one of walking in self-righteousness, because she lacks humility. Her spirit and words tell us she is far from the Kingdom of God. She has failed to make it in because humbled harlots and drunkards elbow their way ahead of her.
Johnson: “Humility begets authority.”
Translation: “I have authority because I’m humble, and if you act like I do, you can have it, too.”
Did Saul have humility to receive authority? How humble was Saul when he was converted, breathing slaughter against Jesus Christ and His Body? If Saul was finally humbled, was it his work, or was it something God did with him, in spite of himself?
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace which was toward me has not been without fruit, but I labored more abundantly than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10 MKJV).
Describing a time with God in prayer wherein He was teaching her humility, Johnson writes, “The pride continued to grow until I became filled with hatred toward God because He was in my way. I would think of the Bible and all I would want to do was rip it up because it was His Word and He was in my way which grew and grew until I was in so much pain I was weeping and pleading to God to break that in me.”
Question: How is it that one can be filled with hatred for God, yet be in much repentant pain because of it and plead with the One she intensely hates to break it in her? Frankly, I don’t believe she had an encounter with the Lord at all. It’s confusion, which comes through deception, which comes from a heart that doesn’t love the truth.
2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 MKJV
(8) And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the breath of His mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming,
(9) whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
(10) and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, so that they might be saved.
(11) And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie,
(12) so that all those who do not believe the truth, but delight in unrighteousness, might be condemned.
Nita claims she heard these words from God: “Seek all of your life to walk in the humility of My son.”
It is the Son Who speaks to the believer. He is the Mediator, the Shepherd, the Way, the Door, the Word, and He is God. “My sheep hear My voice,” He says (John 10:27). He speaks, even as He spoke to Saul of Tarsus, to Peter, and to John. Where does one find any reference of God speaking to believers concerning His Resurrected Son? Nita worships and hears from “another Jesus.”
She vouches, “You know that your prayers can change situations, people’s hearts, even nations if you walk in a place of great enough humility.”
Translation: “I can change situations, people’s hearts, and nations because I walk in a place of great enough humility.”
Was it through much prayer and humility that Moses delivered Israel? Why couldn’t he pray and change the hearts of the sons of Korah, who suddenly perished with their wives, children, and all their possessions? Why, by his humility and prayers, couldn’t Moses save those thousands who were bitten by serpents and died, or those who fell to revelry and idolatry when he was deep in prayer on Mount Sinai?
Why couldn’t he change his own brother, the High Priest, who gave the people the golden calf? Why couldn’t he prevail with God concerning his sister, Miriam, whom God struck with leprosy and shut out of the camp for seven days?
Do we become God ourselves when in deep prayer and humility? This seems to be what Nita is implying, albeit unwittingly, I suppose.
James declares that the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much, pointing out that Elijah was a man of like passions as we, and he prevailed in prayer. So if Elijah was like us and we like Elijah, was it his virtue, or was it God’s appointment and sovereign work with Elijah? The humble would say it was God’s work of grace, but the proud would say it was Elijah’s accomplishment, attributing virtue to man. God declares man to be in a wretched state. Isn’t that why He provided a Savior (Himself) to meet the desperate need of all mankind?
“And He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor. Therefore His own arm brought salvation to Him; and His righteousness sustained Him” (Isaiah 59:16 MKJV).
Nita presumes that we can take upon ourselves the privilege and power of God by our own will and strength (though I expect she would say otherwise). What a burden on the conscience! “If I don’t pray hard enough or humble myself enough, I won’t save the world!” But even Nita doesn’t feel that burden. Here’s why:
Matthew 23:3-7 MKJV
(3) Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do. But do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.
(4) For they bind heavy and hard-to-carry burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders. But they will not move them with one of their fingers.
(5) But they do all their works in order to be seen of men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.
(6) And they love the first couch at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
(7) and greetings in the market-places, and to be called, “Rabbi! Rabbi!” by men.
It’s all about Nita LaFond Johnson.
She writes, “If you want authority to affect the world, you have to be broken and emptied of pride. You have to walk in humility, meekness and you can only do that if you are a person of prayer. Meekness comes through a prayer life; the knowledge of God comes through prayer life. Yes, you must read and study the Word but it comes through your prayer life. Couple a true prayer life with obeying the Word and God will carry you to the highest place to do work for Him. Without brokenness, contrition, prayer life, and humility, what can God do except go find Himself a man like Moses or Elijah?”
Translation: “I am broken and emptied of pride. I walk in humility and meekness because I am a person of prayer. God has carried me to the highest place to do work for Him because I have brokenness, contrition, prayer life, and humility. In my case, God needn’t go searching for a man like Moses or Elijah because here I am! Look at me, everyone! I’m holy! I have it all together, a humble and holy prayer warrior.”
Only God can make a man like Moses or Elijah, and He can choose to do that with anyone or anything, for that matter. Meanwhile, secretly, perhaps even admitting it to herself, Nita’s thinking, “I’m pretending to be exhorting the saints to live righteous lives, but the truth is that I’m taking every opportunity to proclaim my righteousness before all.”
“So what do you say humility is?” you may ask.
Godly humility of heart isn’t at all what the world perceives it to be. The flesh’s concept of humility is a perverse one, indeed. The world’s idea of humility, as with its imagination of all the virtues of God, is a serpentine one, born of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The information may be true, but the spirit and application are wrong and deceptive; they are self-righteous. Men have taken it upon themselves to be their own god, making God in their own image, the very opposite of His plan and ways.
Godly humility isn’t a set of feelings, an emotional disposition, a product man can concoct. It isn’t a set of downcast eyes, slouched shoulders, clasped praying or steepled hands, subdued voice, or meekness of disposition, as one was accustomed to seeing with “Mother Teresa” and “Pope John Paul II.”
So just what IS humility? It is the willingness to believe and obey God. It is to see things His way and to agree with Him. It is to recognize that any piety on our part isn’t our doing, but His. We have nothing of which to boast or preach in our own selves. Humility is the recognition that we are unprofitable servants, unworthy of any credit or thanks, no matter what the Lord may do with or by us. This is the true faith of Christ.
Certainly the Bible talks about our humbling ourselves:
“And Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, ‘So says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may serve Me”’” (Exodus 10:3 MKJV).
“If My people, who are called by My Name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 MKJV).
“Then I called a fast there at the river Ahava, so that we might humble ourselves before our God, in order to seek from Him a right way for us and for our little ones, and for all our goods” (Ezra 8:21 MKJV).
“Therefore whoever shall humble himself like this little child, this one is the greater in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:4 MKJV).
“And whoever shall exalt himself shall be abased, and he who shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12 MKJV).
“Likewise, younger ones, be subject to older ones, and all being subject to one another. Put on humility. For God resists proud ones, but He gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5 MKJV).
However, the Bible also speaks of God humbling us:
“And you shall remember all the way which the LORD your God led you these forty years in the wilderness in order to humble you, to prove you, to know what is in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not” (Deuteronomy 8:2 MKJV).
“Who fed you in the wilderness with manna which your fathers did not know, so that He might humble you and so that He might prove you, to do you good in your latter end” (Deuteronomy 8:16 MKJV).
We can’t make ourselves humble in our own power – we aren’t our own saviors – but we can, by His grace and gift of faith, submit to His will and chastening. He gives us to be humble, and we can trust Him to do what must be done in us to His satisfaction.
When humbled, we will realize that we love Him because He first loved us. There’s the common, unspoken notion in nominal Christendom that God loves us because we first loved Him. That’s backwards, man-centric, like Nita Johnson’s presentation of humility.
Humility is a life lived that knows it’s about God, not about us. Humility recognizes our great and undeserved privilege that we are made partakers of His glory through His love for us.
To cap her glorification of man while robbing God of His glory as the Author of all good, Johnson says, “Today His eyes are searching to and fro across the earth, He is looking for one thing; humility. To those who are humble He will give Himself, His authority and power. As He looks to and fro across the earth let His eyes find you bent low like Elijah, broken in the glory of God. If He finds you there, He will lift you up in due season.”
So Nita thus suggests she has humbled herself, thereby making herself known to God, “bent low like Elijah, broken in the glory of God.” How else could she presume to urge others to do likewise? But true humility originates with God, not man, even as He chose Moses from before his mother’s womb; even as He chose Jeremiah, Samuel, and all the saints and prophets to be what He intended and formed them to be long before they ever knew it.
Did Jacob have power and authority with God? The Bible answers:
“And He said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for like a prince you have power with God and with men, and have prevailed’” (Genesis 32:28 MKJV).
Did Jacob muster up some humility, thereby receiving authority with God? Let’s see what God has to say about it:
Romans 9:10-13 MKJV
(10) And not only this, but when Rebekah also had conceived by one, by our father Isaac
(11) (for the children had not yet been born, neither had done any good or evil; but that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him Who called),
(12) it was said to her, “The elder shall serve the younger.”
(13) As it is written, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”
Let’s conclude this matter of the origin of humility, according to the Scriptures:
“For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10 MKJV).
No, Nita LaFond Johnson, you preach “another gospel” and “another savior” – yourself, no less, not the Lord Jesus Christ. And you, Gary Amirault, are her partner in this iniquity, members of the same harlot, anti-Christ church.
“Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, ‘This people draws near to Me with their mouth, and honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. But in vain they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments [precepts] of men’” (Matthew 15:7-9 MKJV).
Victor Hafichuk