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Originally Posted by googlelight
I've always been puzzled how this can be, that such brother can actually come to this point. But with all "spiritual giants" in Church History, it seems this has happened again and again, so this isn't unique for LR.
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My thesis of late has been that the Lord knows who are ten-talented and who are one-talented. Our job is simply to do our best. Whatever we "are" and "will be" is up to God - both the choosing, the willing and the working. Our job is merely to do our best, repent when we fail (often, it sometimes seems), and forgive others who also fail. Jesus prayed, "Forgive us our trespasses" - so we his disciples trespass, else why should we pray this? Of course we don't say, "Let us sin that grace may abound" but even in our efforts to obey we fail.
Contrast that to the so-called "spiritual giants" that you reference. To me such terminology presumes pride of place which can only come from God's hand. Given the fallen human condition, nobody should say, "I have laid hold", or pretend someone else has (Nee, Lee, Darby, Luther etc) so that they as the Chief Promoter thence assume the "mantle". Fancy that - the Top Sycophant becomes the New Top Dog. This is the "way of the gentiles". It is clearly spelled out by Jesus in the gospels. And it doesn't matter if it's a British gentile hierarchy, a Zulu gentile one, a Xhosa gentile one, or a Chinese gentile one. It's still the way of the gentiles.
To me this is Christianity 101. They should teach new converts this lesson the first few weeks. Otherwise they may fall into the trap that Nee, Lee, Darby and others seem to get snared by. Their very success became their failure, their great light became their darkness.
Quote:
Originally Posted by googlelight
As far as I know even J.N Darby became very exclusive in the end. But this is also a mystery to me considering his condition before releasing Synopsis of the Bible. How pure, humble and loving his attitude was at this time.
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Anyone who trusts in their experiences is in danger. Only at the Bema, when the Master of the Feast says, "Come, sit up higher", can you move without fear. Until then, no.
When we see this, it preserves us from being stumbled by our success. And it preserves us from being snared by self-styled "super apostles". We've had discussions on this forum about others, and the similarities with what we've seen in the LC system. Think of David Koresh, today's New Apostolic Reformation, Joseph Smith (the 'Mormon Prophet'), Haile Selassie and so many others. Anyone who thinks they're something, or have something, in this age, it should be a great big red flag to others of the faith.
The reason Jesus has the Name above every name is because God raised him from the dead and gave him glory and rule and power and authority and a kingdom which never shall end. Who else can claim such? No one. Look at all the others whom I listed. Their graves are with us to this day, cf Acts 2:29.