Quote:
Originally Posted by Sons to Glory!
Lot's more I could add . . . anybody experiencing that sort of gathering now?
|
Personally StG, for myself wherever the Lord needs me that's where His glory will be. It could be alone with Him in worship, it could be amongst other believers, or it could be amongst unbelievers. It all depends on where the Lord is doing His work. It's not so much a consistent thing and I've learned to accept that knowing that I'm not always in the places He needs me to be.
As far as the LC glory days of the 60's and 70's; I can't speak from experience, but I can speak from a historical context.
Much like today, the 60's and 70's were a time of cultural revolution. Stands against established authority and systems of thought were widespread. It's wasn't something only confined to mainstream culture, it also spread throughout religion as well. This movement not only effected Christendom, but all other systems of spirituality. It's where you got cults like Jonestown or the Hare Krishna's and many others. All segments of society profited off of the spirit born out of 60's and 70's counter-culturalism.
Was this the result of the Holy Spirit of God? No, I doubt that strongly given that it was indiscriminate of belief. Can God have used this momentum for his purposes? Sure, but how do you discern what was of God and what wasn't from amongst it all? It's a hard thing to say as there were many non-Christians feeling ecstatic, open, and free during those times.
Those that were involved in the Local Churches of Watchman Nee, and today LSM/GLA, know that there's a false spirit of oneness (which isn't a unity in the truth but uniformity in lies). The same is with the spirit of liberty. There's the liberty which sets us free from the bondage of sin, and then there's a false liberty that sets us free from cultural norms and gives us the fleeting sense of peace and security. But this sense of freedom usually precedes sudden destruction (in one's personal life or society in general).
Scripture speaks about being free in Christ but Paul also speaks about being in chains for the sake of the gospel. Paul wasn't bound to an oppressive clergy yet he was still bound by duty to Christ. The belief that following Christ will consist of nothing but spiritual ecstasies upon ecstasies is not consistent with scripture. We're told to take up our cross and follow him. Yet the peace, hope, and joy that only God can provide us is a seed planted deep in our heart that is irreplaceable. It's what carried Paul through prison terms, attempted assassinations, and shipwrecks. If Christ couldn't escape his cross, neither can those that chose to follow him. We may get glimpses of the outward manifestation of God's glory in this age but this won't be made complete until Christ comes back and establishes his reign upon the earth.
But we can have joy in knowing that the sufferings we endure in this life don't compare to what God has planned in eternity for those that love Him
and we can take comfort in knowing God hasn't left us alone in our struggles (John 14:16).