Quote From Today's Watchman/Witness Wednesday

Trapped · 06-03-2020, 02:22 PM

I think the issue with it, or at least my issue with it, is the inherent face slap that always seems to come with so much of Nee and Lee's teachings.

Nee said, "There is no need to have a new environment or a certain set of conditions to express the life of Christ. We should not cherish false hopes or think that we can live a spiritual life only when our environment is perfect."

Nee said this as part of his response to a Q&A. The question he was answering was from a sister, who asked "I feel weak physically all the time. This frustrates my spiritual walk. What should I do? How can I know the resurrection power of Christ?"

His answer comes across more as a "you don't need to have such a foolish thought as to want a change of circumstances" with a sprinkle of "just take Christ as life" and a dash of "stop talking about your problems" thrown in.

The subsequent paragraph is a lot of "you must" and "you shouldn't" and "you need to". It's rigid where it needs to be loving. He ends a paragraph by saying, "It would be wonderful if God granted you the grace of a sanguine and healthy body. But if He does not give you a healthy body, and instead leaves you as you are, you should humble yourself before Him. This is the discipline of the Holy Spirit, and it is upon you so that you will learn to express the transcendent life of Christ."

The overriding impression this gives a person is that God is a harsh commander punishing or disciplining her for some unnamed transgression by weakening her. This is simply not true, and this kind of reckless speaking is where many church kids have gotten the idea that God is out to flatten them like a pancake for no reason.

She's not asking or expecting only a perfect environment. She's down and depressed and needs understanding and encouragement, not a slap that her discouragement about her situation is the problem.

06-03-2020, 02:22 PM	#11
Trapped Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 1,523	Re: Quote from today's Witness/Watchman Wednesday I think the issue with it, or at least my issue with it, is the inherent face slap that always seems to come with so much of Nee and Lee's teachings. Nee said, "There is no need to have a new environment or a certain set of conditions to express the life of Christ. We should not cherish false hopes or think that we can live a spiritual life only when our environment is perfect." Nee said this as part of his response to a Q&A. The question he was answering was from a sister, who asked "I feel weak physically all the time. This frustrates my spiritual walk. What should I do? How can I know the resurrection power of Christ?" His answer comes across more as a "you don't need to have such a foolish thought as to want a change of circumstances" with a sprinkle of "just take Christ as life" and a dash of "stop talking about your problems" thrown in. The subsequent paragraph is a lot of "you must" and "you shouldn't" and "you need to". It's rigid where it needs to be loving. He ends a paragraph by saying, "It would be wonderful if God granted you the grace of a sanguine and healthy body. But if He does not give you a healthy body, and instead leaves you as you are, you should humble yourself before Him. This is the discipline of the Holy Spirit, and it is upon you so that you will learn to express the transcendent life of Christ." The overriding impression this gives a person is that God is a harsh commander punishing or disciplining her for some unnamed transgression by weakening her. This is simply not true, and this kind of reckless speaking is where many church kids have gotten the idea that God is out to flatten them like a pancake for no reason. She's not asking or expecting only a perfect environment. She's down and depressed and needs understanding and encouragement, not a slap that her discouragement about her situation is the problem.