Yeah see brother kiss, this is what I mean when I say the flow went with TAS. The flow is not some outward show, like Lee obviously thought, but was something hidden, and humble, quiet and private. But most of all the flow is authentic ; that is it is found in those that are authentic. And TAS was authentic, or as authentic as men can be before the Lord.
Lee's flow was a showy flow. In the end, TAS's flow was of the Lord, but Lee's flow was of man.
I'm reading the thesis that can be found on this listserv, entitled, "1968 Thesis-Full Version.pdf," and it's plain that it was Lee's organizational skills that built the church there, and here in the states. That's why Lee had to take tighter and tighter control of the LC, and make extremely exagerated claims, such as : "I am the oracle ; I am the apostle ; I am the authority, of God on the earth." Lee was certain that the LC movement wouldn't make it without him. The Blended Brothers clearly feel the same way.
Where is the submission to the Lord building the church? Why does there have to be a submission to Lee, and his ministry?
Clearly because they lack the faith that the Lord can do it.
And yet, the Lord is doing it. In my heart, and the heart of many that have never heard of the LC, Lee, or Nee.
The idea that the Lord has lost the church, and WE must recover it, is foolishness. It belittles the Lord, and profanes his ability to build his church. It's really a small faith that thinks these things.
Harold
Quote:
Originally Posted by kisstheson
Dear brother awareness,
I share many of your feelings and concerns. For the sake of their own testimony, I beg the brothers at LSM to consider how bad that warning message looks on the bottom of the screen when viewing LSM's on-line publications. They are certainly well within their legal rights to post such a warning, but it really does look tacky. It definitely sends the wrong message. Dear LSM brothers - I beg you, please reconsider your ways. Also, to listen to most LSM conference and training audio messages, one must pay a monthly subscription fee. On top of that, one must pay for a license for most messages, and this license has to be renewed after a certain length of time. O, dear brothers!
Contrast LSM's approach with that taken by TAS and the web site http://austin-sparks.net. According to this site, "He [TAS] was insistent that his writings and tapes should not be copyrighted and as a result they are still freely available today and can be distributed in whatever way God leads." All the messages on this site can be downloaded for free. No licenses are involved. This includes both the audio messages and the written messages.
But wait . . . there's more! - Free TAS books can be ordered from Emmanuel Church in Tulsa, OK. They even pay the shipping! Click here for more information.
- Free TAS audio tapes can be ordered from "Sparks Tape Ministry" in Sugarland, TX. Again, they pay the shipping! Click here for more information.
- The dear ones who run the austin-sparks.net web site will send you a DVD with the entire contents of the web site free upon request. As always, they pay the shipping! Click here for more information.
And, most importantly and most precious of all:
"Based in Honor Oak, London, TAS (as he was affectionately known) was not lacking in opposition and rejection to himself and his ministry in the denominational circles of the day, he felt he should neither defend himself nor promote himself. Something which becomes clear when reading the writings of T. Austin-Sparks is that very little information is given about himself or his personal life; instead the focus is consistently upon Christ as his (and our) Life. Your attention is continually directed away from the messenger to the One Who is the Message: For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. (2 Cor 4:5)." Thank you, dear Lord Jesus, for the example and pattern set forth by this precious servant of yours. |