Errors in Assembly Doctrine and Practice

[editor]

Dear Heather

I am also one of the people who really appreciated your posts on this thread.  They will find their way onto the GA.com website in the near future.

Brent

[M2]

We have all been duped/taken in/deceived by none other than one disguising as an 'angel of light'.
2 Cor 11:13-15
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds.

I would like to cite 2 obvious examples of the degree of our deception:

1. 7th day creation

I do not recall hearing GG teach this, however others have. How many gave him the 'benefit of the doubt' on this?  How many actually talked to him about it?  How many actually took a stand against him on this? How many didn't even 'realize' that they were taught this(maybe I am one of them)?

2. Superhuman Christ

The teaching goes something like this: Christ never sweat, choked, got dust in his eyes, burped, etc.  He wasn't really human, but superhuman.

I personally heard Tim Geftakys speak of his leaning towards this kind of belief. I was present when my husband talked to TG about this after the meeting and TG did not change his mind at the time.
TG may have changed his opinion about this now, however it does indicate that he was heavily influenced by his father(GG) and was deceived. It brings into question as to whether or not he is 'qualified' to lead any flock until his 'head has been cleared' from his cloudy deceptive condition.  (Albeit, I have benefitted from TG's wise counsel on other matters.)
I have questioned a few who were present at the ECC 2002 meeting when TG spoke of his above mentioned inclination. Except for my husband, no one recalls that TG said the above. This also indicates the degree of our deception, that when something as blatantly obvious as that is talked about, it did not even trigger a 'warning' signal.

Lord bless,
Marcia Marinier

[al Hartman]

[quote from M2]:  TG may have changed his opinion about this now, however it does indicate that he was heavily influenced by his father(GG) and was deceived. It brings into question as to whether or not he is 'qualified' to lead any flock until his 'head has been cleared' from his cloudy deceptive condition.  (Albeit, I have benefitted from TG's wise counsel on other matters.)

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     The fact that the above two emphasized phrases can coexist simultaneously in one individual demonstrates the magnificence of God's mercy and grace toward us:  not that a leader can be a vessel of both sweet and bitter-- not at all!  Unqualified is Disqualified!  
     But the Lord will meet us wherever we are willing to receive Him:  In the areas in which we are deceived, we will remain deaf and blind until we will receive His word, but in the areas in which our hearts are open toward Him, he can speak to us through a rock or a jackass (and may, but don't look for it), and will always confirm His truth through the testimony of His word.
     Spiritually, God has done all for us that needed to be done, at Calvary and through the events that followed.  But on a practical level of "working out" our salvation in this life (ask the Lord to teach you the biblical meaning of this phrase, and to deliver you from its misuse in "assembly-speak"), the progress is not instantaneous, but incremental.

al Hartman

[BeckyW]

Marcia,
I hear what you are saying below.   lack of discernment is something I believe we all need to seriously face.  Phill and I were present to hear the 7th day creation teaching when we were guests at the 2002 worker's conf.  Phill asked four brothers (all workers) after the meeting in their cabin if he had heard Geo. correctly, "did he say what I think he said?', type of question.  They all agreed that's what he said, and the conversation stopped dead right there.  
It's way past time for us to have our 'senses exercised to discern good and evil'.
Thank you for what you've said here.
Becky

[BeckyW]

Assembly Reflections put an article up today on "George's Heavenly Vision".  It's worth reading carefully, esp. if you're still trying to figure out just what that "vision" was all about.
Brent wrote it in May 2001.  Think of that.

BW

[M2]

I just re-read Heather Fryling's original post on this thread.  It is an excellent article see: http://www.geftakysassembly.com/Articles/TeachingPractice/ErrorsInDoctrineAndPractice.htm

We talk of learning the "deeper things of Christ" in the assembly.  What exactly does that mean?  And how are those "deeper things" in keeping with Biblical truth.

Lord bless,
Marcia