Sunday, October 26, 2008

The Man of La Mancha?

When you look closely at Johnson's actions, he was a lot like Don Quixote or the Man of La Mancha. After reading much about knights and chivalry, Don Quixote loses his mind and transforms himself into a knight. Even though it is a delusion, he sets out to fight injustice. In a similar manner, Johnson read about the many great church leaders before him and wanted to be like them. He called them "star members". So he went about creating the story for himself by interpreting the Scriptures to include himself as a major player in types and antitypes. He even admitted to having a mental breakdown (brain fag). He fought diligently those that disagreed with his interpretations and in so doing majored in the minor issues.

Along the way, so much of the truth and beauty of God's Word was distorted and lost. Instead of looking at God's Word as applicable to our daily lives, much of his writings focus on the history of a time period that has no practical value to our lives. During meetings, the focus is often on getting "the right answer" from the book instead of actually reading God's Word and seeing how it applies to us.

LHMMers today look back on Johnson as a hero. Even when many of his errors became evident at his death, his followers want to continue the delusion. An older sister that had actually met Paul S.L. Johnson, once said that "he was a man of tall stature and when he entered the room you could tell that he could be trusted and believed." Bill Clinton was also tall leader with a commanding presence. Do you believe everything that he has said? What about Eliab? He was an impressive Old Testament character who was tall and handsome. When comparing him to his little brother David (the future king of Israel), the prophet Samuel chose him. The Lord said to Samuel, however: “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

The facts are that Johnson abused and deceived people. He predicted the future like tarot cards or Nostradamus. He was delusional. He tried to make events work out or when they didn't he made up excuses for them. Johnson lacked good judgment in Britain. The examples are plentiful and many come from his own writings. When reading his writings with the idea that Johnson was God's chosen "Epiphany Messenger", LHMM adherents are able to make excuses and completely miss the truth of who he was.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://pastorrussell.blogspot.com/2008/08/savage-wolves-will-come-in-among-you.html

tinwhistle said...

The judgment is laden with emotion and seems too harsh.

Bro. Johnson was eccentric -- very bright and forceful people often are -- but we shouldn't lose sight of the value of his close reasoning and intuition on a variety of subjects. No, he was not always correct, nor as gentle as we might wish today, but he belonged to a different era, when it was instinctive to look up to the educated professor.

It's difficult to separate one's emotions from the man, especially for Brethren who have invested much of their life's energies into studying and promoting the Epiphany writings, and may feel let down. And, at the other extreme, for anyone to declare that Bro. Johnson is above criticism is to repudiate the principles of analysis and reasoning which he inculcated, and from which many of us have derived benefit.

We need a middle position between outright rejection of the man and an inflexible sectarian attachment to him.

vins said...

pas.Johnson is the Ephipany messanger.pls dont allow ur mind to get confusion. No man can write these ephiphany volumes. Eg. God Volume. II pet.1:21. If Pas. Johnson is wrong King Solomon is also wrong. King Solomon is claiming that he was setup from everylasting from the beginning for ever the earth was. Proverbs 8:22-30. We have to see these with spritual eyes, not with fleshy eyes.(II Corn.4:4; Apost.26:18)
Pas. Johnson was the only one who properly followed the truths of Pas. Russell. So many who got the truth from Pas. Russell, (Matt.24:45-47) left away from the truth and misguided many.Zech.11:16,17
I don't want to hurt your heart. But this is the fact.
----God's servant
by His grace
V. Vincent LHMM (INDIA)
My E.mail ID vincent.v31@gmail.com

Unknown said...

Many of the wise did not understand the plan of God, but Pastor Johnson could understand the plan of God,
that is for what he can be said he had an higher stature than others, Many wise could not understand Jesus nor his true servants,1Cor. 1:23,24, truly Pastor Johnson after Pastor Russel(The Parousia Messenger- Matt.24:45-47) he was the power and wisdom of God which we can see in his volumes swelling out as of solomons wisdom. As Bro. Vincent comments - i agree, the wisdom is from above not his own.
In Masters Service
A servant of God
S. Joseph LHMM (India)
My mail id: brojoeindia@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

LHMMers today look back on Johnson as a hero. Even when many of his errors became evident at his death, his followers want to continue the delusion.

Even Adolph Hitler became aware of information that was correct or truthful.
This blog expresses belief in the trinity, a false teaching that Johnson just "passed on", why abandon a truth because of Johnson?

Anonymous said...

I believe that when Johnson "broke away" from the watch tower, he broke away from the instrument God was using, the watch tower. Just because some humans are not seeing eye to eye, does not mean God is stuck with this small band of worshippers and has to find another magazine.
The main focus scriptural focus was hellfie the soul and the trinity. The Biblical truth about those subjects was reintroduced by Russell with the help of many other men. How many religions or "christians" are willing to accept the truth about those
few subjects? Jesus told his followers to "go" and teach others what he had taught them. Jesus never taught the trinity, hellfire or that the soul is immortal. If someone leaves the LHMM logic would direct them to hold to the truth that has been learned and seek the source of truth by looking back at how Russell came to the understanding himself. Russell gathered the truth from writings of men who stood alone, but still made an effort to spread Bible truth. It seems that it was God's time to use Russell to spread life saving truth. Russell is gone but the truth is not. We need to keep a grip on the truth and those who will support the truth, it is vital for our worship to be acceptable toGod and not expect our worship to fit "my views".
Worship is not a buffet for us to just pick what we want to do.
To attack LHMM, as much of this blog does, does not seem to be the mark of a christian. I do not see Jesus ever directing his true followers to go to great lengths to beat other people for thier form of worship, he wanted them to focus on those meek ones who would be refreshed with the truth because the truth would "set them free" from false worship and would reconcile them to God. It seems to be the same thing LHMM is doing, just with " a good motive"

Anonymous said...

One purpose of this blog is meant to assist in protecting people from potential harm. In having experienced the group first hand we (the writers) understand some of the dangers of being in the group and also the blessings of no longer associating with them. We have experienced some of the freedom in Christ. Jesus showed on at least one occasion a proper anger motivated by love. We apologize if at times emotion overtakes more objective writing...but the fact is that we were affected in a negative way and it feels that we were lied to under the guise of truth...knowingly at times.

Study of deep theological topics is interesting but not at all what Jesus focused on...and it is not necessary for salvation. Allowing differing doctrinal beliefs to separate followers of Christ in such a way is difficult to justify as Christlike as well.

Anonymous said...

To protcet one from harm is to assume that what you have now embraced has not harmed anyone, and does not also need to be forwarned that your new feelings are now harmless

Anonymous said...

To protcet one from harm is to assume that what you have now embraced has not harmed anyone, and does not also need to be forwarned, that your new feelings are now harmless