Restoring my Soul daily devotions Friday 9th June 2017 Great distress and sorrow

A Critical Analysis of the RFI Devotion Guide
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surprisedbyjoy
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Restoring my Soul daily devotions Friday 9th June 2017 Great distress and sorrow

Post by surprisedbyjoy »

I love Psalm 116 but I am not inclined to put the fearful inflections upon it as RFI writers seem to. Please check my thoughts good friends.
Restoring my Soul daily devotions Friday 9th June 2017 Great distress and sorrow

David testified that he would call upon the name of the Lord as long as he lived. However, this was not the initial response of the psalmist. In the midst of his suffering, David was in great distress and sorrow. He was depressed because his hope seemed like a lost cause. In this regard, David was in a similar state to Abraham before the Word of Yahweh came to him, saying, ‘Do not fear’. David could not see, nor believe, that his afflictions were an opportunity to join the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings. Instead, he declared that his afflictions were his, alone. Furthermore, he said, in fearful haste, ‘All men are liars’. David’s fear and torment was the evidence that he had turned from faith that works by love. Consequently, David was unable to trust, believe, or love his brethren. To him, they were all liars. When a person lets go of faith and trust, they are unable to have fellowship with God’s people.
If the psalmist was unable to recover from this state of disconnection, his belief that all men are liars would have become like a spirit of antichrist within him. His love would most certainly have grown cold. A person who is motivated by the spirit of antichrist, rather than by a spirit of faith, is in bondage to the fear of death and rejects the reality that Christ, the Word, is coming in the flesh of their brethren. Eventually, because of offence, they depart from the congregation and persecute those who are of the fellowship of faith. Thankfully, the psalmist did come to faith. What was the beginning point for his recovery? He turned again to the Lord and called upon His name. In the first instance, this meant crying out, ‘O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul! [Save my life!]’.
If any are inclined could we do a check on these bold statements and read Psalm 116 from beginning to end. Also perhaps try a few commentaries and some basic background of the Psalmists experiences and see if you would you come up with the same interpretation and commentary as the RFI writers?

I don’t actually see any threat of the Psalmist being in a state of disconnection to God or man. No, David has said up front things like “I Love the Lord”, “He hears my voice”, “I shall call upon Him as long as I live”, “gracious, righteous, compassionate” etc etc. Hardly sounds like someone who is disconnected. So a basic face value appraisal should not draw these conclusions.

In fact the RFI interpretation is all centred around a very clear and critical statement of fact by David, “in my alarm (or hastened fear) ....all men are liars”. I don’t see David reflecting negatively on his relationship with God or man. This is just a statement of fact that I believe is drawing him into right relationship with God and man. We are all inclined to alarm (or hastened fear) and we are all likewise inclined to the odd porky (liars), even those on the most esteemed positions of trust. In our humanity we all live with these realities and we have a Saviour who offered once and for all because of these realities.

However the RFI writers extrapolate the psalmists wonderful reflections on his humanity and his Lord to the following bold statements which themselves seem to be showing a little hidden fear of their own….everyone leaving the RFI congregation. Sounds a lot like control to me.
1. David was in great distress and sorrow. He was depressed because his hope seemed like a lost cause. (never did he express "lost cause")
2. David could not see, nor believe, that his afflictions were an opportunity to join the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings. (seriously? I hear David embracing the sufferings with statements like "precious in the sight f the Lord is the death of His godly ones")
3. Instead, he declared that his afflictions were his, alone. (I can't see this anywhere, I see him calling out to his Lord so therefore how is it interpreted that David is taking them as his own?)
4. Furthermore, he said, in fearful haste, ‘All men are liars’. (yes he did, but this is RFI writers focus and not the Psalmists)
5. David’s fear and torment was the evidence that he had turned from faith that works by love. (was it?, did he?)
6. Consequently, David was unable to trust, believe, or love his brethren. To him, they were all liars. (perhaps not, perhaps just David's weaker moment of alarm rather than the "absolute" that RFI writers and carers are inclined to)
7. When a person lets go of faith and trust, they are unable to have fellowship with God’s people.
8. If the psalmist was unable to recover from this state of disconnection, his belief that all men are liars would have become like a spirit of antichrist within him. (David was never in a state of disconnection so the RFI writer is taking too much license...and oh what license he takes)
9. His love would most certainly have grown cold.
10. A person who is motivated by the spirit of antichrist, rather than by a spirit of faith, is in bondage to the fear of death and rejects the reality that Christ, the Word, is coming in the flesh of their brethren.
11. Eventually, because of offence, they depart from the congregation and persecute those who are of the fellowship of faith. (oh dear oh dear oh dear!!)
Seriously! Is this what the psalmist was communicating? Seems like some fairly extreme and pointed implications. Is it just me, or are others feeling a little “groomed” by these writings?

Maybe it's just me. Maybe I ask too many questions. Maybe I just don't trust. OH WOE IS ME!!
Boundary Rider
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Re: Restoring my Soul daily devotions Friday 9th June 2017 Great distress and sorrow

Post by Boundary Rider »

Never too many questions, Surprised by Joy, especially where the deceit and lies of Vic Hall, his messengers, and RFI are concerned. :twisted: ;)

When I see this sort of twisting and distortion in the repetitive heresy churned out under the banner of "Restoring my Soul' ( a 5 day a week drip feed of poison) it occurs to me that instead of leaven in the bread of life they have substituted poison. Sadly those who read it, and are tested on it at Home Fellowship meetings, are slowly killing themselves with that same poison. :cry:

BR
Faith Hopegood
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Re: Restoring my Soul daily devotions Friday 9th June 2017 Great distress and sorrow

Post by Faith Hopegood »

it is a bit of an oxymoron isn't it - the title of Restoring My Soul and then the typical writings of RFI go about destroying your soul with soul destroying writings.
Thanomere84
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Re: Restoring my Soul daily devotions Friday 9th June 2017 Great distress and sorrow

Post by Thanomere84 »

That writing positively stinks of 'we are now targeting all those who have left and we will classify it as weakness, turning to "spirit of Antichrist" (whatever that verbal diarrhea means) and blame all of them for being "easily offended" and "no longer having faith or trust in their brethren".' Goodness... this is SO cultish it sounds positively like Mormonism or Scientology! Vic 'the Vicious Hall' Hall... I see that you've learned well - not from our precious Saviour Jesus Christ though. I think your mentors were more on the tones of, oh, let's say, Joseph Smith, shall we? Or perhaps L. Ron Hubbard.
surprisedbyjoy
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Re: Restoring my Soul daily devotions Friday 9th June 2017 Great distress and sorrow

Post by surprisedbyjoy »

Yeh Than a very distinct stench of character incineration of those pushed out, infused with a familiar pong of fear for those remaining.

I think the psalmist was on the money in Psalm 62:9
men of low degree are only vanity and men of high rank ARE A LIE, in the balances they go up; They are together lighter than breath
Nothing compares on the scales of life to the grace of God.

As I reflect further on the RFI writers interpretation of Psalm 116 I can't help but think they are majoring on the minor (Davids small point of alarm) due to some ulterior motive, i.e. That many still in RFI are very alarmed!!

My interpretation of David the psalmist's key point (in Psalm 116) I think is strongly related to this Streetcar forum which is all about supporting recovery for those who have been overrun by the fear of man, through the acts of genuinely FEARFUL MEN!! That is that many of us (hopefully all) no doubt originally entered the AMCA/RFI/xCF world from a love of the Lord. However we have been alarmed and hastened to fear over the gravity of our humanity including things such as loyalty and it's associated abuse. We've been alarmed that men we trusted have been proven untrustworthy, uncaring, uncharitable (bordering on fraudulent), brutal and liars. All this is undoubtedly part of our human frailty but not the suggested qualities of a leader. We've been alarmed that men of high rank might be careless towards those they are called to and paid to be careful towards (both pastorally and in the delivery of Gods word). We've been alarmed that we mere men of low rank might have been silly enough to follow and be subject to trusting and fearing such men.

I think the RFI writer is making a subtle little confession of the culture of the RFI mechanism and that the RFI congregants are probably a little "alarmed" at the moment over the last few years of multiple leadership collapses and congregant abuse. Surely all these collapses are saying something and not merely coincidence. I think many are edgy and "alarmed" about the bad culture of fear and the lack of care in that place but don't know how to call the spade the spade and leave. Something we all understand the difficulty of.

For me Psalm 116 and the quote above draw me into the reality of trusting God alone whilst also embracing both the frailty of our own humanity and His amazing grace to redeem us back to Him. As the quote above says our human frailty of low rank or high repute mean nothing in the balance of life when weighed against His Grace. I think we'd both agree we now feel fortunate (not everyone's case I understand) to be free from the clutches of cultish men and trusting God moving forwards.

Im relieved that I'm not listening to the ramblings of men of high repute (so say messengers) anymore, but I'm genuinely concerned for those still subject to it. I'm learning how to trust God again which includes trusting and praying that He will make a way to deliver all from the clutches of cultish men as He has us.

May the Lord bless and keep us all.
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