[Ohio]

... while at the time taking every opportunity to demean and find fault with everything that is not them. No one person or group of people who stopped fellowshipping with the Assemblies were said to have left God's Best, and no one who ever dared to speak contrary to them has been called inspired by Satan, rebellious or any such thing.

Originally Posted by SavedbyGrace

And, regarding people who are not in the Lord's Recovery, I defer to Br. Lee's word in LIFE-STUDY OF MARK MESSAGE TWENTY-NINE.

In 9:38 John said to the Lord Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name who does not follow us, and we forbade him, because he was not following us.” The remainder of this chapter is given over to the Lord’s teaching concerning tolerance for the sake of unity, a teaching given in response to John’s statement in verse 38. We need to see that if we forbid others in the way John did in verse 38, this indicates that we consider ourselves greater than others. Furthermore, when we forbid others, thinking ourselves to be greater, we also cause others to stumble. While we are causing others to stumble, we are also causing ourselves to stumble. The evil one may use the members of our body—the hand, the foot, or the eye—to express lust and cause us to stumble. We need to be very careful regarding this.

We should not consider ourselves great. Instead, we need to realize that we are nobody and nothing. If we have this realization, we shall pray. For us to pray indicates that we realize that we are nothing and that we can do nothing. We need another One—Christ Himself—to replace us.

If we do not consider ourselves to be someone great, someone greater than others, we shall not cause others to stumble. But if we think that we are great, we shall cause others to stumble. At the same time, we shall open the gate for the enemy to use the lust in our members to cause us to stumble.

The members of our body, especially the eyes, are lustful. If we cause others to stumble by considering ourselves greater than they are, we may have a wicked eye. Then the way will be open for the enemy to utilize the lust in our members to cause us to stumble.

SavedbyGrace, in response to Paul Cox's post, you did not address his complaint at all. You quoted a section by WL about "considering ourselves to be great." That may be somewhat related, but it misses the mark. WL's commentary misses the mark also.

Paul Cox mentioned how LC leaders condemn outsiders and former members. It is this derogatory speech and recorded condemnations which he referred to, not the inner attitude of the leaders. In Mark 8.39, Jesus never addressed the attitude of the disciple, probably John, the son of thunder, but his actions in forbidding others who were not with "following us." Jesus then commented on his reasons for forbidding -- that they will not speak evil of the Lord, and thus are really "for us."

WL apparently skipped this matter and brought in his own agenda. Your post does the same.

I prefer not to assume what people think about themselves. I have no way to know. That is between them and the Lord. Jesus alone is the Knower of hearts and the judge of all. I prefer only to discuss what LC leaders do and say, and what they do and say to those outside their circle of fellowship is truly atrocious.