“Alamo-Girl has never claimed that she has any special powers of her own,...”
Of course she has. She has today. She claims the power to discern the actual and exact words of God apart from the words of the Apostles, apparently in a manner heretofore unknown to The Church. To me, that power is “special”. Claiming that power publicly is something else entirely.
“...and more than anyone I know tries ever to abide in His Holy Spirit.”
Really, BB? Just how is that being accomplished? Does it have to do with a lot of arm waving and shouting “Maranatha Jesus” or is there something else to it? Does it have anything to do with snakes? As you all know or have been informed, we Orthodox worship, what was it? Oh, stumps or some such thing. Does it have to do with stumps?
“Just as the fishermen hide the hook with bait and covertly hook the fish, similarly, the crafty allies of the heresies cover their evil teachings and corrupt understanding with pietism and hook the more simple, bringing them to spiritual death.” The man who said this, our venerable and God-bearing Father +Isidore of Pelusium was no fool, nor did he suffer heresy or heretics lightly. In great measure you have him to thank that you are likely neither a Nestorian or a Monophysite. There are reasons to be wary of excessive public piety or the ready acceptance of spiritual praise!
What balderdash!
Alamo-Girl and other Protties have claimed nothing which Scripture has not declared is part of the
NORMAL CHRISTIAN LIFE, for EVERY Believer willing to walk obediently with God sufficiently close to manifest such things in their lives, by God’s Grace.
as Watchman Nee might put it!
####
Of course, the key quibble seems to be . . . that there’s
NO MAGICSTERICAL
MODERATING, ADMINSTERING, CONTROLLING, MANIPULATING, MANGLING, . . . such
DIRECT HOLY SPIRIT—BELIEVER phenomena.
Welllllllll whoop T Do! Seems to me God has a BIG PREFERENCE
TO RELATED TO
HIS KIDS
DIRECTLY
And the bureaucracy be hanged.
How anyone could read of Christ’s dealings with the RELIGIOUS RULERS of 2000 years ago and
even extrapolate anything different is mind boggling.
On the other hand . . . thanks for helping me seen the need to return the EO edifice’s ranking quite lower yet again.
When the Apostles argued who would be greatest in heaven(sic).. Jesus took a liyttle child and said UNLESS they become as one of "these" they would not see the Kingdom of the Heavens..
"Greatest in Heaven"?, indeed.. The sub-Apostles or ones following them were no doubt just as prone to arrogance.. You think?.. Heaven is NOT gained by the SMART but by the faithful.. AND SIMPLE... Even the orthodox, you know, like some Jewish Rabbis...
So... you will tell us what we are to believe and if we don't believe you, and or the men you follow,there is no place in your Christianity for the rest of us? Hoo boy, what does that lead to?
We ought to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).
Mark 9:38
And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.
pssst! It's "stock", "Stock of a tree". You know, like shares of Weyerhauser, or Georgia Pacific or somesuch.