Selfer's Prayer, etc.

[Aslan213]

This thread is devoted to the Selfer's Prayer and other religious or guilt-inducing practices of the Lodge (Assembly).

The Selfer's Prayer

Father I admit that I'm a selfer, and have been
struggling in my own resources to live the Christian life.
I confess that my life is a failure and a mess.
I now give up my life and affirm with You my
death with Christ.  I also affirm that I have risen with
Christ and am seated in Him in the heavenly places.
I give you complete control of myself and
everything I'm hanging onto to meet my needs.
Do with me whatever you choose.
I now thank you that Christ is my life.

[Aslan213]

Here is another Prayer

"PRAYER TO CHANGE MY WAY OF THINKING"

God of all grace, Who has called me to His glory
help me to pursue the excellencies that I
find in Christ and in those excellencies that I
may grow into the full knowledge of my Lord,
knowing full well  that in this little while of His
instruction and correction in my life, I will not faint
but have the temperance to know His control
in my life through self-denial and willingness
for His way.  In this manner, teach me Thy
patience through the practicality of tribulation
and trials of the flesh to endure His formation
into that image of godliness.  In this manner,
I will make sure my calling and my election as one
of His chosen ones, as an obedient and loving child
of the Father's family.  In this manner as well,
to grow in recognition of sympathy and empathy
to others, understanding that we are in a like-minded
school of brotherly kindness.  In this way,
I will learn the love of Christ that passes understanding,
the love of God which is continually the in-wrought
work of the Spirit that I will not be ashamed of my
hope.  Rather, this will become the seal that I am Thine,
the child of Thy love and the seal of Thy Spirit
and the love of the Spirit which is the confirmation
of the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[Kimberley Tobin]

This is my response to the Selfer's Prayer.  I know (like Brian Tucker) that it is a little long, but I thought it worth it:

"Father I admit that I'm a selfer,"

Last time I looked, we were called Christians in the Bible.  "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."  Galations 2:20-21  I am not a "selfer".  Christ lives in me and I am giving him control of my life to do with it what he chooses.  I am not going to frustrate the grace of God and try and fulfill someone else's viewpoint of what my christian life is supposed to look like.  My righteousness is not going to come about by my fulfilling someone else's requirements, it is going to come about because I place my faith in Christ and his finished work on the cross.  


"and have been struggling in my own resources to live the Christian life."

Your "struggling in your own resources" has to do with the fact that you believe that you must somehow perform for Christ.  If you have to DO something in order to be acceptable to God, then, yes, you will be struggling.  Because "our works are filthy rags".  "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the lettter." (Romans 7:6)  If we are trying to DO something for God, than we are walking in the flesh (that meaning that we are not trusting Christ to DO it, THAT would be walking in the spirit.)  All walking in the flesh will bring is death.  However, if we are trusting in Christ to DO whatever we are feeling led to do, this is walking in the spirit and it will produce LIFE.  "Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."  (JESUS, not another lodge member!)  Living, making decisions based on a belief that God WILL guide you and will not condemn you for making what you might think is a wrong decision, is SO LIBERATING.  THIS IS GRACE!!!!!!

"I confess that my life is a failure and a mess."

This is like what AA or NA will do to a believer.  You walk into the meeting and if you attend meetings for fifteen years, every time you go to a meeting you repeat the mantra, "Hello my name is....., I am an alcholic (drug addict, etc., you fill in your addiction.)"  What did I learn as a baby Christian?  "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."  I know how the lodge members would respond to this thinking, "You must appropriate your life in Christ.  That is why you are struggling, you are not identifying with Christ's death on the cross.  Until you do, you will not experience the Life of Christ."  Excuse me, but that is exactly what the Galatians were beginning to teach and it was heresy.  The Galatian Heresy taught that there is something I must do in order to gain acceptance with God (other than placing my faith in the atoning work on the cross).  Something extra.  But again, the lodge members are not looking at the whole counsel of God, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.  Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised (try to live by the law), Christ shall profit you nothing." (Gal 5:1-2)  If you are trying to do it yourself, you are trying to keep the law and Christ will profit you nothing (you will be struggling in your own resources to live the Christian life!)  Let go and let God, so to speak!  This again is a liberating understanding of the scriptures.  Because what will it lead to?  THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.  Which I can tell you right now, every lodge member is struggling with why they don't have the Fruit of the Spirit in their lives.  If they don't believe they are struggling, they are lying to themselves.  (refer to the verse about struggling in their own resources to live the Christian life.)  If they are having to say this prayer constantly, they are not experiencing the Fruit of the Spirit.  Because if they were experiencing the Fruit of the Spirit, they wouldn't have to say this prayer!

"I now give up my life and affirm with You my death with Christ."

This is supposed to be a once for all act in the believer's life upon confession of faith in Christ's death on the cross.  "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."  We do not have to continually affirm that we are giving up our life and affirming that we died with him.  It's like the new believer who continually questions his salvation.  He sees that he is a sinner and struggles because he thinks that if he confessed Christ as his savior, he should no longer sin and SURELY, if he has sinned, this is simply proof that his salvation could be lost!  This couldn't be farther from the truth and I think our lodge member friends wouldn't even argue with that.  I gave up my life when I came to Christ.  I affirm my death with Christ by placing my faith in him every moment of every day that by grace he will lead in my life, changing me day by day, moment by moment, and the fruit of this will be like above, the Fruit of the Spirit.

"I also affirm that I have risen with Christ and am seated in Him in the heavenly places."

This is not a bad thing to have in your mind.  But it seems our lodge friends are forgetting the surrounding text (read the whold chapter but for brevity sake let's look at, "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus.  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph 2:4-9)  Last time I read these verses, God is the one who is doing all the action.  The only thing I am required to do is to believe.  Again, what will the fruit be of simply putting my faith in God and not what I am or am not doing?  The Fruit of the Spirit.

"I give you complete control of myself and everything I'm hanging onto to meet my needs."

Didn't we all do that when we came to Christ?  I am not talking about the Christian who is backslidden.  I think all the lodge members would say they are committed Christians.  Just by definition, they are committed, they have given control to Christ.  And aren't we as Christians believing in God's word, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:19)  The reason the lodge members are having to hang onto things to meet their needs is the oppressive environment and complete control over their lives by others and not Christ.  They are not free in Christ.  They are under bondage (just like the addict who is so desperately trying to stop their addiction and yet can't seem to stop thinking about the next drink or smoke or whatever.)  When we are simply walking in newness of life, believing that Christ will lead my life, etc., I am not hanging onto anything to meet my needs.  Christ is meeting all my needs.  (Just try walking this way with regards to television.  I watched much more T.V. when I was in the Lodge than now that I am in fellowship at the local "worldly church".)

"Do with me whatever you choose.  I now thank you that Christ is my life."

This is the reality of all Christians who are walking with Christ.  They are yielding their lives for his direction and purpose and they are thankful that Christ has saved them and is willing to use EVEN THEM in his grand purpose for mankind.

I hope some of our lodge member friends will read this commentary (please, others weigh in with your thoughts as well, this is certainly not an exhaustive treatise on the pathetic prayer of a controlling church).  Search the scriptures yourselves and see whether what I have presented rings true.  Be honest with yourself.  Don't toe the party line.  Use your brain and the intellectual properties God has placed within each human being.  Don't allow circular arguements (see Brian Tucker's response to a "leading brothers response - by proxy" for an excellent example of this.)

Kimberley

[Aslan213]

In many ways, I think this prayer is more destructive than the Selfer's Prayer.  The Selfer's Prayer deals with my guilt and failure, "apart from Christ", while being in Christ.  In another words, it's a clear contradiction of the scriptures.  The Lord never intended us to live in guilt and fear of being guilty at any moment.

However, the prayer dealing with my thinking (written by: George Geftakys), overtly contradicts the scriptures.

help me to pursue the excellencies that I
find in Christ

We don't pursue what we already have in Christ.  This is part of the work's based system of the Lodge.  If we are saved then the fruits of the Spirit work through us.  He prepares us (if we yield), not we prepare ourselves.

in those excellencies that I
may grow into the full knowledge of my Lord

Again, this is works!  A child does not grow because he works hard at it.  It is a process of birth.

I will make sure my calling and my election as one
of His chosen ones

Here again is the pervasive teaching of the Lodge.  But, it is not all of WORKS!  It is all of grace!

In this manner as well,
to grow in recognition of sympathy and empathy
to others, understanding that we are in a like-minded
school of brotherly kindness.

Obviously this does not apply to George or those in leadership.  I certainly have never experienced it or seen it demonstrated!

I will learn the love of Christ that passes understanding

A circular statement?  If you can't understand it, how could you possibly apply it?  This is one of those statements that lead others into despair and depression.

There's more, but I will leave that for others or perhaps another time.

[Aslan213]

Praise the Lord! And all the surfers said, "Praise the Lord!"

I'm still a little upset there will be no sea in the kingdom.  Maybe in the new earth the Lord could arrange for a lake the size of the Pacific Ocean.    

Editor, is it legal for Greg to blow kisses to his wife on the bulletin board?  I don't think that post counts!  

[Aslan213]

I’m rather surprised only Kimberley and Freebird have responded to the posting of the Selfer’s Prayer.  Perhaps some are unfamiliar with this “prayer”.  In a nutshell, this prayer was to be memorized by everyone in the worker’s meetings.  Then, the leadership (and their wives) had to memorize it as well.  Consequently everyone in each assembly was to memorize it.

It was to be used in the following ways:  When someone sinned outwardly or in their thoughts, they were to pray it.  If someone higher up in the hierarchical ladder told you to pray it, then you were to follow through.  Incidentally, I would never have been allowed to entreat someone of higher rank than myself to pray this prayer.  It was always a top-down method of control.  In addition, anytime a head steward or worker said you were in sin, you needed to pray it.

It was a method of control targeted primarily at the sisters.    Many of these are in such bondage that they cannot question any ministry or direction given without being directed to say the Selfer’s Prayer.  When I was in the Valley Lodge, I then found it impossible to talk to many sisters.  Because many sisters started looking to the leadership as their fathers.  If their own fathers are in fellowship, they have even more now!

I’m glad I never submitted to this religious exercise.  I always saw it as a futile pharisaic exercise.

Eric

[Aslan213]

Hi Everyone,

Many of you are probably unfamiliar with the “Prayer To Change My Way of Thinking”.  This is something that came out with the Winter or Spring Seminar of 2002.  It is one of the latest prayers of abuse that is being used to control god’s people.  People are “strongly encouraged” to pray this everyday.  It’s a wonder if anyone, while trying to live this way, is actually walking in joy by the end of the day!

Unfortunately I cannot share much on what GG said about this since I was already thinking about leaving.    I didn’t bother to care about learning another form of bondage.  

The Lord bless you,

Eric

[Mark C.]

Greg,
  As your "Global Moderator" I must agree with Eric that showing affection to your wife on this BB can not be tolerated!
  As your punishment you are to pray the Surfer's prayer and go out in your new speedos( 3 pack version) and surf for at least 3 hours.
   Eric,
  Seriously, you are correct that whatever these prayers said what they meant is far more important.  There is nothing particulary wrong with aspiring to excellence, or seeking to be kind, etc. as these are good values, but what is GG's fruit in these areas?  Obviously his concept of excellence means loyalty to the Assembly system even if it means lying to preserve it.  We have seen ample testimony to the "kindness" in the Assembly as exemplified in GG's treatment of "Diane" and others.  We also see it extended in the wicked behavior of Tim Mc. in his firing of Kim. and yourself.  Like the Pharisees, all their religious phrases are cover for evil manipulation of those under their control.
                                         God Bless, Mark