There are many helpful and relevant Bible study resources available including podcasts, books, etc. Here are some great places to start...
North Point Community Church - Andy Stanley
Fellowship Church - Ed Young
Menlo Park Church - John Ortberg
Woodland Hills Church - Greg Boyd
Willow Creek Classes and Willow Leadership Summit - Bill Hybels
Answers in Genesis - Excellent infomation on various Bible topics and their relation to science
Heartlight - Daily devotional verse and prayer
YouVersion.com - Awesome online Bible including iPhone version
Online Bible or Online-Bible.com - Powerful and inexpensive electronic Bible.
CrossWalk Bible Study - Well-organized access to tools
Friday, September 19, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Sifters
After the death of Pastor Johnson in 1950, Raymond G. Jolly led the movement, but there were quickly disagreements with other members. The people that started these disagreements are known as "sifters" because they were helping to separate the "wheat" (good Christ followers) from the "chaff" (bad Christ followers). [Matt. 3:12] Being labeled as a SIFTER by the LHMM means that you are basically disfellowshipped and that all good followers of Christ should avoid you. Another possible definition for a sifter would be anyone that disagrees with the movement and the teachings published in its journal. Being a sifter means you are on a path to destruction according to the LHMM.
Each splinter group that formed from the LHMM was led by someone that Johnson or the current executive trustee of the LHMM would label as a "sifter". Here are some:
I remember as a child seeing John Hoefle come into the same elevator as me and being extremely fearful since everyone said that he was such a dangerous and evil man. In reality, maybe he had a minor difference of opinion on doctrinal issues that was not to be tolerated within the group. The types of doctrinal issues that cause someone to be considered a sifter by the LHMM are often centered around a simple date in assumed chronology or the authority of the present leadership. If such relatively minor theological issues can drastically change the fellowship of an individual within the group, it does not bid well for those that have even greater theological differences.
So are the writers of this BLOG sifters?
We would say not so. We can not be classified as sifters because we are not trying to draw away followers to our interpretations of the Bible. We do not have a group or organization that we are heading up. We are not following the teachings of Russell or Johnson with modifications as were others that left and started their own organizations.
We are simply stating the truth and freeing people to make an informed choice of who to follow. We beleive the facts speak for themselves. There is no one best church. All churches are imperfect because they are filled with imperfect people. We do believe that some churches are better than others regarding the freedoms and opportunities that they afford. If a church points you to Christ and encourages a personal relationship with Jesus then they may be a candidate.
Each splinter group that formed from the LHMM was led by someone that Johnson or the current executive trustee of the LHMM would label as a "sifter". Here are some:
- W.S. Stevens of Atlanta left in 1935 and circulated a letter claiming Johnson was dictatorial.
- S.A. Cater of Vancouver, B.C., departed in 1948 (Johnson implied Cater had gone into second death-everlasting oblivion. [PT 1949 May 1, p.79.])
- Thomas T. Ryde in Los Angeles left soon afterwards
- Cyril Shuttleworth, the British representative, left in 1951
- John Krewson of Fort Myers, Florida formed the Laodicean Home Missionary Movement in Philadelphia through which he published "The Present Truth of the Apocalypsis" journal. Krewson was suspended by R.G. Jolly 1954 Sept. 13 and disfellowshipped 1955 Aug. 21. Disfellowshipping was extended to some of his adherents.
- John Hoefle of Mount Dora, Florida, had left the Watchtower Society to join Johnson in 1928, and was disfellowshipped in 1956. He formed his own group, the Epiphany Bible Students Association. After he died in 1980 his wife continued his work. Hoefle taught that the elect of the church continued longer than the LHMM taught.
- Most recently, there have been others labeled as sifters by the LHMM. One of their websites is the following: Preserving the Parousia and Epiphany Truth - http://theepiphanyselect.blogspot.com Another is The Epiphany Truth Forum
I remember as a child seeing John Hoefle come into the same elevator as me and being extremely fearful since everyone said that he was such a dangerous and evil man. In reality, maybe he had a minor difference of opinion on doctrinal issues that was not to be tolerated within the group. The types of doctrinal issues that cause someone to be considered a sifter by the LHMM are often centered around a simple date in assumed chronology or the authority of the present leadership. If such relatively minor theological issues can drastically change the fellowship of an individual within the group, it does not bid well for those that have even greater theological differences.
So are the writers of this BLOG sifters?
We would say not so. We can not be classified as sifters because we are not trying to draw away followers to our interpretations of the Bible. We do not have a group or organization that we are heading up. We are not following the teachings of Russell or Johnson with modifications as were others that left and started their own organizations.
We are simply stating the truth and freeing people to make an informed choice of who to follow. We beleive the facts speak for themselves. There is no one best church. All churches are imperfect because they are filled with imperfect people. We do believe that some churches are better than others regarding the freedoms and opportunities that they afford. If a church points you to Christ and encourages a personal relationship with Jesus then they may be a candidate.
The Real Issue
The real issue with the LHMM is not so much the doctrinal debate of the truth. In fact, Biblical doctrines are constantly debated today and so there is some ambiguity that is OK. There are some truths worth dying for, some worth defending, and others worth only discussing.
The main issue with the LHMM is following one individual as the final authoritiy and definitive answer to all Bible questions. Followers of the LHMM will state that they are reasoning from the scriptures and proving their faith. In some cases this is true, but many times the interpretations would never be a conclusion that could be drawn from scripture. In this case, the only answer is that the correct interpretation comes from following what Johnson (or the present leader of the LHMM) wrote. This is the danger. At this point, you must then establish the authority of that individual. How is this done? By studying their writings. So it is a completely circular argument.
Imagine that I said today: "I am the final authority for interpreting the Scriptures. I am the mouthpiece of the Lord. You can not interpret the Scriptures for yourself without going against the Lord's arrangements."
How would you know this is true?
"I can help you find some scriptures in the Bible to prove it....and you must believe those interpretations because I am the person that will provide you with the correct interpretation because God has given them to me."
This is exactly the argument on which the LHMM has founded so many of their Epiphany truths and beliefs. It is extremely dangerous as it puts the leader in a position of authority that is not Biblical and ripe for abuse. They are not accountable to anyone. If a present day pastor from some other church claimed this today, my advice (and that of many other Christians) would be to run away as fast as you can...now.
The unfortunate thing is that LHMM followers somehow have been blinded and cannot see this simple truth. Even if there are many beautiful and correct Biblical interpretations within the group, this one corrupt view cancels them out.
The main issue with the LHMM is following one individual as the final authoritiy and definitive answer to all Bible questions. Followers of the LHMM will state that they are reasoning from the scriptures and proving their faith. In some cases this is true, but many times the interpretations would never be a conclusion that could be drawn from scripture. In this case, the only answer is that the correct interpretation comes from following what Johnson (or the present leader of the LHMM) wrote. This is the danger. At this point, you must then establish the authority of that individual. How is this done? By studying their writings. So it is a completely circular argument.
Imagine that I said today: "I am the final authority for interpreting the Scriptures. I am the mouthpiece of the Lord. You can not interpret the Scriptures for yourself without going against the Lord's arrangements."
How would you know this is true?
"I can help you find some scriptures in the Bible to prove it....and you must believe those interpretations because I am the person that will provide you with the correct interpretation because God has given them to me."
This is exactly the argument on which the LHMM has founded so many of their Epiphany truths and beliefs. It is extremely dangerous as it puts the leader in a position of authority that is not Biblical and ripe for abuse. They are not accountable to anyone. If a present day pastor from some other church claimed this today, my advice (and that of many other Christians) would be to run away as fast as you can...now.
The unfortunate thing is that LHMM followers somehow have been blinded and cannot see this simple truth. Even if there are many beautiful and correct Biblical interpretations within the group, this one corrupt view cancels them out.
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