God's Principle of Promotion
by Dr. John Tetsola

God is raising up believers who are willing to stay within their God-ordained positions and boundaries until He promotes them. Ignorance of this Godly principle causes one to step out of "spiritual bounds" in discontent, causing them to become disqualified and disconnected from God's principle of promotion.

For not from the east nor from the west nor from the south come promotion and lifting up. But God is the Judge! He puts down one and lifts up another.
Psalm 75:6-7 AMP

It is imperative that believers and those in leadership positions in the Body of Christ understand God's principle of promotion. Very often leadership looks in the wrong places and at the wrong people for promotion. We consider those who faithfully clean the restrooms of the church, or cut the church's lawn as the most suitable candidates for promotion. While it is proper for the ministry of helps in a local fellowship to handle these responsibilities, those in leadership must realize that these are not the prerequisites for God's promotion. Man may promote you because you have worked very hard in his ministry, but the question is -- has God promoted you?

The Bible explicitly tells us who the source of promotion is. It does not come from the north, east, south, or west, nor does it emanate from man or any relative. Promotion comes from God. He puts down one and raises up another. There are many leaders in positions today that have been illegally promoted because of their affiliation to the promoter. We see parents in ministry who, as a result of their own desires, place their children in ministry positions of authority, illegally promoting them to positions within a church or ministry. Then there is the group that is illegally promoted because they give large amounts of money to a church or ministry. This is the hour that God is dethroning illegally promoted men and women in leadership positions, whether big or small. There is nothing wrong with parents in ministry desiring their children to be part of the work that God has over them, but we must not push them into ministry. Our children, like other leaders, must go through the "factory of God" in order to be properly manufactured and marketed by Him.

The Bramble Bush-Fleshly Means of Promotion

Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.

And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself.

The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.

But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
Judges 9:2, 5, 8-9, 11, 13, 15

"…Should I leave …and go to be promoted over the trees?" This Scripture was born out of political turmoil and gives us a more in-depth understanding of God's principle of promotion. With the help of the Shechemites, Abimelech murdered his seventy half-brothers and only Jotham, the youngest, escaped his hand. Jotham quoted this beautiful parable of promotion which describes how all but one tree understood the position God had given them and were content to remain within their God-ordained boundaries. The olive tree, the fig tree, and the grapevine all accepted their position in nature-but not the bramble bush. The bramble bush was not content with its own function and desired to go beyond its God-ordained boundaries to be promoted over all the other trees -- and would even kill for it.

"…let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon." Just as Abimelech killed seventy of his half-brothers in an attempt to eliminate all competition of promotion to the throne, the bramble-bush-believer is willing to kill other trees/believers for position. But there is an order set up for promotion. It is a spiritual order and it comes from God. God's principles and order of promotion is different from man's order. In order for the Body of Christ to be fully processed to lead God's people, they must adopt the attitude portrayed by the olive tree, the fig tree, and the vine. These trees accepted their present and future status. A believer who is truly promoted by God will be satisfied and content with what God has called them to be. Illegally promoted leaders never become satisfied and content. They always want more power. But God, in this hour, is raising up men and women who will be content with their leadership positions. These leaders understand God's principles of promotion, they accept the place in ministry God has given to them, and will stay within their boundaries until God promotes them.

by Dr. John A. Tetsola