The apostle one step closer to being martyr for the truth. All of his writings and work has led to him being mocked, ridiculed and hated. I doubt anyone here hates the guy. In fact, I have feeling that most here feel sorry for the guy. He has so deluded himself with his grandiose writings that he no longer sees the beauty in the world or in grace. The apostle is a perfect example of what happens when one puts the law above everything else. It is more important to have rules than freedom.
I can say most sincerely that this work that I do, I do out of love that
all God’s children might be saved. I know that I am hated and despised
for what I do now; as a rebellious child hates his parents for
correcting them; yet I have faith that in the end all things will work
together for the good and the saving of the saints. And we shall all
rejoice together before the Father’s throne!
Yep, I see him as a tortured soul, and would like to see him released from the things which he has allowed to enslave him. It'd be just awesome if he could have an encounter with the real Jesus Christ instead of the armstrongpomorphic one!
ReplyDeleteBB
Note that this font of all wisdom places himself in the role of parent who must correct all of us rebels including such luminaries as Meredith and Pack. What do you suppose his reaction would be if someone quite reasonably suggestsed the HE needed to take some correction? Wouldn't he just hate that person?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't dignify Armstrongism by calling it the truth, unless I were to put quotes around it.
ReplyDeleteI think that a rebellious child and his parents is a calculatingly inaccurate analogy. Malm likes to paint himself as the authority figure above everyone else in the whole world. A more accurate analogy would be the way a woman dislikes a pimp who is trying to make her into his prostitute against her will.
I think he has been overcome by a zeal that does put rules over everything else. While most see legalism as oppressive, there are some who teach it that do not feel the need to push the volume up to eleven.
ReplyDeleteWho knows, if Malm just loosened up and approached things a little different, perhaps his health would be better. I don't think that is going to happen though.
I don't hate him, either.
ReplyDeleteI hope he is able to calm down, and finally have an awesome one-on-one relationship encounter with the real Muhammed and Allah, as millions of others on this planet have had, leading to a true sense of ultimate and everlasting spiritual peace.
He won't even have to eat ham sammiches, which would be an option if he were to convert to mainstream Christianity.
Allahu Akbar!
Norm
By definition, martyrs are dead.
ReplyDeleteI see we have a long way to go.
No way do I hate Malm. I don't even know him and to my recollection, never set eyes on him.
ReplyDeleteI see what he is doing to people in keeping them ignorant and superstitious. That I hate. I hate all ignorance and superstition because of what they do to people -- and did to me. The theocrats are systematically destroying the nation I love and condemning future generations to their ignorant blatherings masquering as patriotism and truth.
Malm is better at giving correction than receiving it. When I complained once about his taking something I'd written and reposting it without attribution, he simply deleted my comment.
ReplyDeleteEver notice how these guys often resort to language that makes them sound like they think they're writing new scripture? Read it again:
ReplyDelete"I can say most sincerely that this work that I do, I do out of love that all God’s children might be saved. I know that I am hated and despised for what I do now; as a rebellious child hates his parents for correcting them; yet I have faith that in the end all things will work together for the good and the saving of the saints. And we shall all rejoice together before the Father’s throne!
Who speaks like that? Yeah, yea, we know, it's the old, "the book of Acts is still being written" mentality.
Spare us. We're not participants in your delusions.
James Malm wrote:
ReplyDelete[I can say most sincerely that this work that I do, I do out of love that all God’s children might be saved....we shall all rejoice together before the Father’s throne!]
Yes, James Malm (JM) is most sincere in what he does, but who asked him to do it? Every man is right in his own eyes. JM is no exception.
JM lacks faith in God! Proof? He wrote: "...I do out of love that ALL God's children MIGHT be saved..." What does JM mean by "might?"
After all, God did send His Son, NOT to condemn this world, but to save it...and by Christ's sacrifice it's a done deal; isn't it? What more could any of us do, or JM do, to insure that we/all of us would be saved? Did God, by the power of His Spirit, do it or not? Of course, Satan and his angels will be later taken and destroyed, but they aren't God's children.
So many, like JM, want to "save the world!" Where is God in that?
It's like HWA, who did some work and he died. So, why do so many strive to do "his work," or strive to continue it? It's finished!
One could say the same thing for Joe Tkach Senior too, but he too died. It's finished! I do recall him saying, "But for the grace of God, there go I," and I think he had a point there...and he learned that from elsewhere.
I too have written things to JM, and it's true that he will not take correction from others, even if those others are eye-witnesses of Christ's existence correcting him by the things they wrote.
John
Another thought comes to mind regarding James Malm (JM):
ReplyDeleteJM is a "thumb's down" type of guy when it comes to law...when he strives to put that law on all of us. JM does not realize that God never put His law on this world. He gave it to ancient Israel: not the Egyptians, the Philistines, the Chinese, the rest of the world.
And those of spiritual Israel come under that law, a way of life, and by God's Spirit keep it the best they can, but they (unlike Christ) will never in this life perfectly keep that law. We don't need someone to put their "thumb's down" on us and beat us with God's law, if God's Spirit is really a part of one's life.
And for JM, if he reads this, why can't you perfectly keep God's law with zeal...and to more clearly make this point clear I will insert James Malm's initials, although I could just as easily have inserted my own?
"He (JM) that committeth sin is of the devil..." I John 3:8
"Do ye (JM) think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us (JM) lusteth to envy?" James 4:5 (no relation to JM)
"Now then it is no more I (JM) that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me (JM)." Romans 7:17
"I (JM) find then a law, that, when I (JM) would do good, evil is present with me (JM)." Romans 7:21
"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye (JM) cannot do the things that ye (JM) would." Galatians 5:17
JM does his own work.........and God does His own work! We don't need the spiritual beatings. JM, learn that you are in the "same boat" as the rest of us...and we're striving to do the best we can with what we have.
God says He shall save all Israel. By God's faith, not something of me, myself and I, but by something "of God" I believe He shall do that, but that's by His faith and not by my faith...and the above partially explains why you lack Godly faith to believe that God will do it.
One last verse for consideration:
"Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." I Thess 5:24
JM, we don't hate you. It's because of God's Spirit that we love you, but that's because of another fruit from Him that He gives out by measure/proportion (Romans 12:3, 6)...nothing of SELF!
I look forward to the done deal day when, as JM said, "...we shall all rejoice together before the Father's throne!"
John