Quote:
Originally Posted by Drake
aron,
The irony of your last two notes confirms what I observed before. You want it both ways.
On the one hand, you refuse to condemn the in your face IDOLATRY in the Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church for by doing so, according to your own words, you would condemn yourself because you are not perfect.
On the other hand you brazenly condemn what you characterize as idolatry in the local churches because apparently you are perfect after all.
And the duck liver pate that tops the irony all off is your question "Whatever happened to, "Consider others more highly than youself"? "
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No. What I do here is point out the irony of a ministry that lives by condemnation, and separation, then wipes its mouth and says, "We did no wrong". By what you judge, you yourself are judged. Only God has the true weights.
Of course I'm imperfect. My only way out is to forgive, that God may forgive me. What I do to others will be done to me. I forgive the local churchers, and greet them in the street. The Mormons I do not. I actually DO draw a line, somewhere. I have to. But you draw a line around your toes, and say everyone outside it is in division, and harlotry. What kind of spirit is at work, here?
Proverbs 30:20 "This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, 'I've done nothing wrong.'
In God's eyes we're all adulterous. "There is not one pure; no not one." But if we confess and believe into the Lord Jesus, who is the pure, obedient Lamb of God, our sins are forgiven, and let go. God sees the blood of Jesus on the cross. Now, how to go on? By judgment, condemnation, incessant criticism? Or by bearing with one another, in spite of our many faults?
Paul wrote, "In which each was called, in this remain." Watchman Nee instead, after being called, headed for the exit, and built a new sheep pen where his own rules of convenience were king; rules which applied differently to different people, like "Acting God" and "Drunken Noah" versus the "small potatoes". Suddenly we were respecters of persons. And rules changed as the needs on the ground changed. It wasn't a level playing field at all - first it was autonomy and local-ness, then it was consolidation and the "Jerusalem principle". Rules were found and waved in the air, to fit the needs and conveniences of the day. Then the next day they were forgotten, or contravened by new "truths".
Paul wrote, "Does the eye condemn the ear for being different?" But in the local church of Lee we all had to be "absolutely identical", with "no differences whatsoever", quote-unquote, because that made Witness Lee feel more secure. His comfort zone was increased if we all wore identical matching blazers and ties. In my "locality" we couldn't even give a conference using the wrong Witness Lee books. We were told, "Re-speak the latest conference", and to make sure everything was as in Anaheim, we were sent guides and helpers. Then they dunned us for the plane tickets.
But of course in the local church we don't have rules, do we? We're organic. No organization. Our training is just in "life" and "truth".
Uh-huh. Sure it is. "Each one does what is right in his own eyes." I am offering you a different set of eyes. Not God's eyes, I admit. But neither was Lee or Nee perfect. All of us are part of the many eyes. If you reject all but yours you become blind. So please, join the larger Christian conversation.