Originally Posted by aron
I am helped by Jesus' teaching: "Who wants to be great in heaven, be small on earth."
And
"Those who exalt themselves will be cast down; those who humble themselves will be lifted up."
And
"You know that those who are great in the Gentiles lord over them; but do not be like the Gentiles in this matter."
On earth the Great Ones lord it over the little ones. This is the way of the world. In the flock we should not elevate ourselves. I know there are "apostles, teachers, shepherds and evangelists", but even then we should prove all things. When some claim to be "super-apostles" (MOTA) like Lee they are most suspect.
And those who claim to be God incarnate have left the Christian faith behind and are in the throes of madness and delusion. That is my attitude and I think it is pretty common in the Christian flock.
markpaul,
There are a lot of Christians who have gone on before you; listen to them. They went before you for a reason: to show you what to do, and what not to do! Satan wants you to repeat the mistakes of others. God wants you to learn from others.
If anyone exalts himself or herself, before they stand at God's Judgment Seat, then they are most fooled.
2 Cor 5:10 "We all have to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ" to answer for the things we do, both good and bad. Those who presume to be great on this earth, and in this age: I do not trust them.
Jesus is great, even the greatest of all. But He passed through death and resurrection. I have not, and you have not. So we are foolish to judge ourselves as better or worse than anyone else. Just take the least place, and don't trust those who elevate themselves above the flock.
Also, we were warned that "false Christs" will come. What do you think they will look like? I bet, a lot like the person Hong Xiuquan that you referenced. People who come among the flock, declaring, "I am great"; and "I am something".
Missionaries working with native Chinese speakers published a series of introductory Christian tracts, one of which Hong came across, though he apparently did not read at first. After Hong failed to pass the imperial examination that would have made him one of the scholar-officials, he had a delirious dream or a vision in which he was greeted by a golden-haired, bearded man who presented him with a sword, and a younger man whom he addressed as "Elder Brother."
This actually sounds a lot like the woman who claimed to be God incarnate in the Eastern Lightning cult. She failed her entrance exams, then she had a vision that she was actually God: in life, nature, and in the Godhead.
Who needs entrance exams when you are God? Gee, why didn't I think of that one? I could have saved myself a lot of trouble!
|