by G. D. Watson
If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 16:24-25
If God has called you to be truly like Jesus in all your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility. He will put on you such demands of obedience that you will not be allowed to follow other Christians. In many ways, He seems to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.
Others who seem to be very religious and useful may push themselves, pull wires, and scheme to carry out their plans, but you cannot. If you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.
Others can brag about themselves, their work, their successes, their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing. If you begin to do so, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.
Others will be allowed to succeed in making great sums of money, or having a legacy left to them, or in having luxuries, but God may supply you only on a day-to-day basis, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, a helpless dependence on Him and His unseen treasury.
The Lord may let others be honored and put forward while keeping you hidden in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade.
God may let others be great, but keep you small. He will let others do a work for Him and get the credit, but He will make you work and toil without knowing how much you are doing. Then, to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work which you have done; this to teach you the message of the Cross, humility, and something of the value of being cloaked with His nature.
The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch on you, and with a jealous love rebuke you for careless words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.
So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has a right to do as He pleases with His own, and that He may not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you.
God will take you at your word. If you absolutely sell yourself to be His slave, He will wrap you up in a jealous love and let other people say and do many things that you cannot. Settle it forever; you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue or chaining your hand or closing your eyes in ways which others are not dealt with. However, know this great secret of the Kingdom: When you are so completely possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven, the high calling of God.
I read Erin’s account, didn’t listen to the audios. sigh Vision casting does seem to be an essential part of the hirling’s toolbox – even if they have not slid far enough down the wide path to embrace word-of-faith phraseology. Why do people who are redeemed fall for this? That’s the question that troubles me. I understand why wolves do this – they will be held to account.
That’s right Manfred, they will be held to account. The fact that they do what they are doing anyway, should tell us something…
I read Erin’s account, and like Manfred, didn’t listen to the audio. Erin’s account was sufficient.
My 2 cents: How shamefully, and utterly manipulative. 5G that is, not Erin’s account.
And that pledge card chart made my blood boil.
And the use of small groups, not to grow in grace by studying God’s word, but rather to engender solidarity to “God’s messenger” and his “vision” by doing the “5G Personal Study”… what is this, a maneuver straight out of the PDC playbook?
Erin, dear sister, you ended your account with “Stop practicing something as unbiblical as “vision casting” and get back to preaching the pure truth of Scripture. … Just preach the word.” To which this saint gives a hearty “AMEN”.
Amen Carolyn!
I have calmed down after my rants yesterday which i hope was righteous anger over what they are doing and thanks Mike for your patience. I should not have been so shocked really as its only the true Remnant Church becoming more apparant in this age as the gap between the true Church and the false Church widen.
Thank you Lord for showing me this via your chosen teachers of the true word.
Amen Andrew, yes, it does little good to rant about these things. On the other hand, we must tell the truth as led by the Lord in order to instruct the Church and rebuke those in darkness. Resting in the Lord is good place to be my brother.
Hello Mike. I also read the post and was hardly suprised that another “Pastor” seems headed toward the cliff of compromise. But I must add that one thing does suprise me- the apparent failure of many of us who are aware of these issues to discover and reject the root of these problems. Without question hundreds more are going to fall in the likeness of James M or worse. Are we simply going to follow around these people, renouncing their lies and deceptions after the fact? I’m not saying that isn’t beneficial, I believe it is, but is that as far as our duty goes as a believer in Christ?
Have we never even consider asking God and ourselves things like: “How did one man come to be THE leader among us in light of 1 Corinthians 14:22-25?” “Why are we so often found following anothers mans construction, guidance and thinking when God promises to do that Himself in John 16:13-15?” “When are we going to stop following the traditions of men in churches that thwart the obvious commands such as 1 Corinthians 14:26?”
When an individual is diagnosed with a terminal disease they know they are going to die. Excepting a miracle, the only things to consider are “how long” and “how much pain.” Death is inevitable. Likewise, we all have pondered how long we will have to endure those purposefully skirting God’s truth and promoting falsehood? They cause us much pain do they not? Even in death there very falsehoods are replaced by another who would gladly take their place.
We are not the only one’s thinking “how long” with mankind. Isn’t God Himself equally wary of mankind? Does He not suffer the pangs and pains of those who would alter His truth for their own manner and methodologies? Are we really making headway in our attempts to glorify our Lord when we construct the battle as “us against them.” I tell you truthfully, it is so much more.
I grieve as you all to witness daily those who would undermine God’s truth. To some degree, I also battle the storm on similar fronts. Beyond this though, is my calling to delve into a deep and much more sinister problem. Might you know what that is?
James M and every” titled” ” pastor” or “priest” who stands before any congregation and exercizes authority from that “position” did not learn that from what we all call Biblical New Testament Christianity. They learned that from following what many consider religious orthodox history. Although James M has said he does not take his cues from those in the past, herein he is proven a liar. But can I ask, “Who else has both followed and promoted such a poor example among the saints in overturning what Paul calls the commandments of God? (1 Corinthians 14:37) Is it not fair to level due criticism toward these people that indirectly continually promote James M and his “position over others” as they themselves also do?”
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Among – not quite sure what you’re trying to say. The Bible does clearly lay out qualifications for certain men as bishop/overseer (depending on translation) and deacons (1 Tim 3), and speaks of elders who rule well (1 Tim 5:17). Titus was instructed to appoint elders in each city (Titus 1:5-6), men able to teach sound doctrine and correct error (remainder of Titus 1). Each individual believer does have the responsibility to compare all teachings to Scripture, and thus should be able to discern and reject those men who do not meet God’s standards. But just because many men who are preachers fail to meet God’s standards, and just because many believers fail to discern these men, does not mean God’s standards are null and void.