Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
Let me throw this out for you, Steel... Then it hit me. It was all cultural. Nothing spiritual about it. The Brits thought beards were spiritual, and the Chinese did not. Their teachings and practices followed their culture and not the scripture. Even Jesus, Peter, and Paul most probably had beards. Not so in a Chinese cultural church setting!
You must shave your beard off to please the brothers!
I met a LC brother about 10 years ago who had grown a beard. He told me that the Lord told him to grow it. How about that!
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Ohio... The more I've gone on with the Lord the less I find myself caring about (meaning placing value in) human culture... And this lack of care includes the being of persons who fall into/hold to human culture... In the sense of their personal natural rationalizing of it.
I don't really care (place value in) the why people do what they do... All I find myself considering these days (to a degree, as I am certainly not yet perfected) is how the Lord sees things and what He needs from me.
Did Witness Lee say/write what he said/wrote about beards out of a type of holding to his cultural background? . . . To be honest... On the one hand I must have some care about whether he did or didn't, as I researched the matter... But on the other hand, I am pursuing trying to not really care... And this goes for all matters and the people related to these matters... As time goes by I have less and less interest in what they are thinking regarding a matter... In the sense of my need before the Lord that is, not in terms of my caring for their condition and salvation.
And don't for a moment think that this is something I just woke up one morning and thought I'd do... It's been twenty years of hardship and suffering that the Lord has used to get me to this point. There are some days that I don't know whether I am coming or going... Some days that I tell the Lord I don't want to do this (have this type of calling) anymore.
But does He listen to my complaints? . . . Thankfully not.
Beard, no beard... Suit, no suit... Short hair, long hair... The Lord knows, and is still seated on the throne... Meaning... He is still in control... And that's all I need to know, and live according to... Everything else... According to scripture... Is simply passing away.