poliscigrad Wrote:
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> A while back I decided to re-read the This Week
> pamphlet "Continuing in the Apostle's Teaching."
> I was surprised by how poorly JRS made the case
> for the Apostolic Ministry. The basic contrast
> between the hierarchy of the Catholic Church and
> the anarchy of Protestantism is fine, but the
> alternative of the Apostolic Ministry as the
> "right balance" between hierarchy and anarchy is
> ludicrous. To borrow Jeremy Bentham's words, it
> was nonsense on stilts.


The case for Divine Order is even weaker. The following from www.culthelp.info:

Stevens also places a strong emphasis on authority and subjection...using the rational of "Divine Right" used by kings in the Middle Ages to cement their authority over their subjects: "Those who are submissive will accept a word of authority over them, even when that word is wrong...If the Lord has revealed the authority over you, you can be submissive even when the authority deviates from the will of God. In other words, you can receive some wrong words of direction and still be a winner."

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?

If the “Divine Right of Kings” was the optimal form of government, then why is the Gettysburg Address cherished by hundreds of millions?

If they want to go back to the “Dark Ages” then why are they still living in the “Land of the Free” with all of its benefits??

-------------------
From the First Principles:

SUBMISSION: Is the accepting the control or authority of another, being obedient and compliant to those over you in the Lord. Ephesians 5:21 to 6:9 and Hebrews 13:17 teach the New Testament pattern for submission to divinely appointed authority in the home and in the church.
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I John 2:27 (which is also in the New Testament and counts every bit as much as the scripture quoted above) contradicts the above pattern. I believe most of the Johannine writings contradict the above pattern also. Matthew 23:9 also.

Part of being born again and a benefit of being a believer is that your own intelligence is enhanced by the “Anointing” so that YOU can run your own life more prudently.

(Talk about pulling the wool over victim’s eyes with manipulative emphasis)

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> "Those who are submissive will accept a word of authority
> over them, even when that word is wrong...">

Was John ever an example of this attitude? Did he ever subject himself to another ministry, when he was convinced that the ministry was in error?
It smacks of hypocrisy.

I think one of the purposes of isolation is control. If the members ever find out there is life outside of the group, or that there are rival groups who also feel they alone are God’s special chosen ones, the system begins to crumble. It’s long been my contention that the leaders, including John, were not submissive to other leaders in the Body of Christ the way they demanded their followers to submit to them. Can you imagine John asking permission to divorce his wife so he could marry his secretary? If anyone else were to do the same thing, it would be called sin. In TLWF, it’s called the Door Opener Apostle and The Lamp of Israel and becomes the pathway to the “kingdom”. The interesting thing with all these leaders is that they will not submit to each other – even though they all claim to be “God’s Anointed”. They alone are at the top of the hierarchy, and everyone else must submit to them – just the opposite of what Jesus taught. Personally, I think they deserve each other – perhaps they can catch a glimpse of the destruction they are causing and repent before it’s too late.

Actually, I don’t think a healthy leader that truly wants to serve others would never even consider that type of a dictatorship. Jesus was constantly saying, “If any man…” – it was optional and then he warned, “Don’t call any man leader, teacher, or father.” Paul described his apostleship this way: “For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.” That’s a far cry from a rock star that seeks to be worshipped in the place of God.

larry bobo Wrote:
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> I think one of the purposes of isolation is
> control. If the members ever find out there is
> life outside of the group, or that there are rival
> groups who also feel they alone are God’s
> special chosen ones, the system begins to crumble.
>




I think it's good that God's chosen groups stay isolated from one another rather than merge and form a multi-headed hydra.

lily rose Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> larry bobo Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I think one of the purposes of isolation is
> > control. If the members ever find out there is
> > life outside of the group, or that there are
> rival
> > groups who also feel they alone are God’s
> > special chosen ones, the system begins to
> crumble.
> >

>
> I think it's good that God's chosen groups stay
> isolated from one another rather than merge and
> form a multi-headed hydra.


You don't want to merge the religious insane asylums! Keep them separate and weak!!

changedagain Wrote:
>
> You don't want to merge the religious insane
> asylums! Keep them separate and weak!!



Yea well, presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz and Rick Perry are sometimes referred to as Manchurian Candidates on social media. Cruz and Perry have been linked to the National Apostolic Reformation (NAR) who believe many of the same militant teachings that JRS taught such as taking dominion, Kingdom Now, Joel's army etc.

The Manchurian Candidate is about a political family and their son who is brainwashed to become an assassin.

lily rose wrote: "Yea well, presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz and Rick Perry are sometimes referred to as Manchurian Candidates on social media. Cruz and Perry have been linked to the National Apostolic Reformation (NAR) who believe many of the same militant teachings that JRS taught such as taking dominion, Kingdom Now, Joel's army etc."

I recall hearing JRS say that the "leading edge" teachings of the Walk would at some point become mainstream. On that note, it seems he was right. It seems to me that more and more televangelists are embracing practices which were common in the Walk. It makes me wonder how something cultishly odd can become widespead and familiar, and then it becomes the measure by which all things "cultish" are measured.

This could be good news. Eventually everybody will be an “Apostle” or “Apostlette” and then we’ll be back to equality and a level playing field.