Quote:
Originally Posted by Eph
... It is no longer easy for me to have God's presence. We need the healthy pattern in the scriptures.
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God is sovereign. We all go through what we go through for His kingdom. I am older now, and hopefully not quite so naive. So I offer my experience, in beginning to apprehend what is not healthy:
Beware of someone who teaches you that everyone else is wrong except them. Once you accept a ministry based on the judgment and condemnation of others, and this ministry begins to abuse you, then where can you go? If accepting a ministry means burning all your bridges with everyone and everything else, beware.
Beware of a ministry that elevates one person above everyone else, and that elevated person is not named Jesus Christ. Only Jesus Christ has passed through death and been given glory. Everyone else is waiting for the Bema, the Judgment Seat of Christ. Don't assume that someone among you is already fully transformed, and beyond error or reproof. Beware of a ministry that pretends everything they do is divine, and that there is no trace of fallen humanity or fallen human culture in their activities.
Beware of a ministry that requires absolute obedience and subjection, and calls any hesitations, considerations or questions as being independent, divisive, and rebellious.
Beware of a ministry that incessantly argues with others, and delights in pointing out the faults of everyone but them. They epitomize the parable of the splinter and the beam.
Beware of a ministry that either adds to God's word, like the Book of Mormon, or disparages God's word, like LSM does with the Psalms and the epistle of James (among others).
Beware of a ministry that is so subjective that it can tell you what is God's move and what is not. "Then God raised up Watchman Nee..." How do you know God didn't also raise up Joel Osteen, or Billy Graham? How is it that everything you do is God's move on the earth today, and everything else is the vain works of fallen men?
Beware of someone who merchandises the gospel, and makes buying books, CDs, DVDs, conference tickets, magazines, pamphlets, and posters equivalent to partaking of and accessing the divine reality. How much money did Jesus make for his teachings? And when Paul collected money it was for the poor saints, not for his ministry.
Beware of a ministry that puts pressure on you to accept them and their ideas. Who did Jesus pressure to be his disciple? No one. If you give in to such pressure, thinking that they will be pleased, later they will pressure you to renounce your family, attend the full-time training, relocate to Sweden, serve full-time, donate for the latest building project, etc. Proverbs 30:15 says, "The leech has two daughters. 'Give! Give!' they cry." You think if you give in to them, they will be satisfied? They will never be satisfied.
Beware of a ministry that gives you a skewed version of history. Beware of a ministry that says that we were all in darkness until Brother X or Sister Y came along and brought us to God's revival, restoration, recovery, etc. Beware of a ministry that says nobody could intrinsically understand the Bible until Brother X or Sister Y got revelations and now it is all so clear to us. Beware.