There are three points where one, the other or both could be reading from this blog.
- They talk about what we (in the American church) do--and specifically much of Church Planting--as being a form of idolatry. (However, they don't use my term ecclesiolatry.)
- Reggie says, "We need Repentance Conferences."
- In looking into the future for the body of Christ, Reggie describes what he calls "network churches." He mentions two types. His second type is a high definition picture of what we have already "planted" and what we are already doing at Faith. (Jump in. The water's great.)
You have to watch this!
You have to DO this:
https://hearthecall.wistia.com/medias/ur72owf9lh
bill, while you may agree with what they say, the whole tone of this post is one of pride. rejoice when people see truth; do not gloat if you saw it first.
ReplyDeletewalt,
ReplyDeleteBecause I love, admire and respect you as much as I do, your comment sent me into a tailspin that lasted for two and a half days as I search my heart.
There is no doubt that I was riding a wave of intense emotion as I wrote that post--indeed, to live in the gift of prophecy is an extremely emotional experience. For all of that time, I asked myself repeatedly, "Was the emotion pride or connected to pride."
I didn't think it was at the time but, because you said so, I looked for pride with a fine tooth comb.
In the end, I concluded that what was present was not--and IS not--pride.
Your error is in your words, "do not gloat if you saw it first." You are wrong on two points, the second reveals the first. So,
Second: I have no notion that I "saw" anything "first." I saw nothing.
The insights at issue here both came to me--as my prophetic insights do--during moments of meditation and prayer so intense that my own consciousness was nearly consumed. Those initial moments of insight were followed by many others (still?) coming over a period of months.
I did not "see" these things. They were shown to me.
And, because my the finiteness of my humanity and the temptation we all have to walk in the flesh, not in the Spirit, it has taken me a long period of time to "see" all that there is for me--and for us--in them.
First, there was no "gloat"ing in what I wrote at all. Again, yes, there was intense emotion but pride and gloating are not close to what the emotion was.
ReplyDeleteAfter over two days of searching my heart to find the pride you found, in a moment of meditation and contemplation, it was as if I heard the Lord say to me, "It's like when Elijah told me that he was the only one who had not bowed his knee to Baal and I told him that there were 7,000 who had not bowed a knee."
I had to look up the passage and study it to fully understand it.
And, I do believe that it was the Spirit of the Lord Who sent me to that passage (1 Kings 19). I have often, in fact normally do, feel the sort of solitude that produced Elijah's lament. From time to time, I hear from friends about the mocking directing toward me and about the ways others in the CGGC belittle me behind my back. There are some, who have the integrity to reject me to my face.
And, there are very few who affirm me and encourage me.
Many who were friends have turned from me and oppose and threaten me or have little or nothing to do with me.
Imagine Elijah, hiding in that cave for fear of his life, hearing that there are others like him believing what he believes, living what he lives!
Then, imagine then that he could hear two of those 7,000 speak from the truth that beats in his heart and advising others also to live out that truth.
Would he have felt strong emotion? How likely do you suppose it is that he could have remained silent?
Would he have felt pride? Would he have gloated?
What nouns would you choose to describe the emotion Elijah would have felt?
Solace? Relief? Joy? Exaltation? Ecstasy? Hope? Collegiality? Companionship?
All of those fit the jumble of emotions I experienced as I was watching that video and reflecting on it.
A word of challenge to you--and to others, too: Imagine what APEST really means.
I have often asked people, if they think that I am a false prophet to obey what the Word teaches God's people to do to a false prophet. No one has ever treated me that way.
So, either people think I am a false prophet or they are disobeying the commands of Jesus in not repenting BECAUSE I make it as clear as I can make it that I believe that I am being prophetic.
You have responded to me as if you don't believe in APEST. I have been clear many times that I don't believe that I "see" anything. I believe that I am shown these things from the Lord.
If you think I am a false prophet, don't accuse me of gloating over what I see. Obey what you Lord tells you to do in response to a false prophet.
I love you, brother.
Gang,
ReplyDeleteMore thoughts, these disconnected to walt's reaction.
Since I have begun to function from the conviction that I possess the calling to be a prophet, I have chosen the words I write in settings like this one with increasingly great care. As time has moved forward, I have sought the response the emotional part of who I am when I choose my words.
The title of this thread includes my choice of the verb "parrot." When it occurred to me that I might use that word I was a bit stunned and looked inward to determine how the word felt. It felt right, appropriate and true--though I think I knew at the time that my brain didn't fully appreciate its significance.
Here's what I will say about the word now: It was extremely appropriate.
However, it doesn't imply that Reggie and Justin are parroting me. For cryin out loud! Reggie's one of my heroes! The first book of his that I read changed the nature of my walk with the Lord and the role I play in the church!
I'm certain that he remembers me vaguely from MLI, but, do I think he reads this blog and that he got his notion that "We need repentance conferences" and that the Western Church Planting movement is guilty of idolatry from the things I write?
No, the verb "parrot" is meant to point out how precisely the language of that video and the themes of my blogs perfectly match!
In fact, the reality that Reggie and Justin DON'T read my blogs and that the message is so exactly the same--to the point that peculiar and rarely used words appear from them and from me is astonishing to me.
When I think of the words idolatry and repentance appearing in that video, based on what I've been transmitting from the Lord humbles and terrifies me.
Forget everything I've been saying. Harken to the themes of that video and understand that your eternity and that of others you touch is at stake.
"We need Repentance Conferences." -- Reggie McNeal
We must repent.