Recently, a former co-worker accused the North American co-workers of drifting toward organization and hierarchy by allegedly giving serious consideration to centralizing ownership of the local churches’ meeting halls. This is a gross misrepresentation of what actually happened in a North American co-workers’ fellowship. Moreover, in spreading his false account, this brother violated three important […]
All articles tagged "healthy and unhealthy speaking"
Receiving All Believers but Not Different Teachings
Concerning the practice of the church, certain basic principles need to be understood and kept in balance. Fundamentally, the church as the unique Body of Christ is one universally and includes every believer irrespective of time and space. Practically, this one universal Body of Christ is manifested in time and space in various cities as […]
Quenching the Flaming Darts of the Enemy
If we want to be those who are practically part of God’s corporate warrior in Ephesians 6, we must learn how to quench the flaming darts of the enemy. Verse 16 speaks of “having taken up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming darts of the evil […]
Obsession and Subjectivity
Obsession In the 1930s Brother Watchman Nee gave a word concerning “Obsession and God’s Light” (The Collected Works of Watchman Nee [CWWN], Vol. 36: Central Messages, 257-271). His speaking should help us discern dissenting speakings directed at the Lord’s recovery in general and at the leadership in His recovery in particular. Brother Nee began by […]
Magnifying Christ in the Midst of Turmoil
The book of Philippians shows us the great need that believers have in times of turmoil. The church in Philippi was a very good church that participated with the apostle Paul in the furtherance of the gospel (Phil. 1:5-7; 4:14-19). However, it had two problems—Judaizers who sought to bring the believers back under the bondage […]
Should We Not Warn One Another?
The apostle Paul told Timothy, “For the time will come when they will not tolerate the healthy teaching; but according to their own lusts they will heap up to themselves teachers, having itching ears, and they will turn away their ear from the truth and will be turned aside to myths” (2 Tim. 4:3-4). In […]
Being Safeguarded by the Discernment in the Body
Those who bear responsibility in the ministry, the work, and the churches in the Lord’s recovery have a biblically mandated responsibility to protect the flock (Acts 20:28-31; 1 Pet. 5:2; Titus 1:9). In performing that duty they may advise the saints not to read writings in print or on the Internet that attack the local […]
Our Basic Choice
After leading the children of Israel to the threshold of the good land, Moses recounted at length their history, including both negative and positive events, as well as God’s revelation of Himself through His laws and statutes. At the end of his speaking, Moses said, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today: […]
Words That Spread Death and How to Stop Them
In the Bible the words of three parties—God, Satan, and man—are very significant. As the Word of God, the Bible speaks forth God’s person, intent, and work. By His word He framed the universe (Heb. 11:3). When God came in the person of the Lord Jesus, His words were spirit and life (John 6:63). The […]
Questions versus Questionings
Some have claimed that questions are not allowed in the local churches. On the one hand, this should not be true in any local church. On the other hand, all the saints must discern between proper and improper questions and between questions and questionings. A proper question takes as its goal receiving an answer that […]