THE GOOD CROWD

Article yH

Although Christians normally cannot go with the crowd, yet did you know when Christians find the church, then they can go with the crowd. The church is a good crowd, because it is the true Church of God. After finding that crowd you not only can go with the crowd, but you can significantly let go of you personal knowledge and understanding and can and must go with the crowd, because the crowd is led by God and can always be trusted to be right! This crowd is always so right that the leaders of this crowd upon being officially instated into office, can and must vow to preach and teach according to the conference interpretations of this crowd and to abide therein with unchanging fidelity unto the end! yH-1

Is it not sad that the God's servants in old times were not granted to enter a good crowd that they could always go along with? Thus many of God's servants in old times had to largely stand alone, and even be persecuted by the crowd. Even Apostle Paul had to firmly stand against the crowd when many were erroneously going with the crowd (Gal 2:11-14), and at one time found all Asia to have turned against him (2 Tim 15). Poor Christians in Diotrephes' Church, rather than being granted a crowd that they could always trust and follow, found themselves cast out of the church by an elder who didn't really care about the truth but simply wanted to have the preeminence (3 John 9-10). yH-2

Although Christians in times past could not always go with the crowd, yet in our day the Holdeman crowd, is such a good and trustworthy crowd, that it is likened to a ship that needs no life boats because every one can safely go with the church crowd! Such is why ministers in this crowd at times liken the church to a ship needing and having no lifeboats. Such is why ministers of this crowd in being ordained, can and must vow to teach and preach according to the interpretation of their crowd and hold thereto with unchanging fidelity unto the end. When one is willing to stick with the ship or crowd regardless of what he thinks, some in this crowd then say he has “light concerning the authority and security of the church”. yH-3

This Holdeman church for numerous years was a quite small group and consisted of only about 20 members. Quite obviously when the Holdeman Church only had twenty members, these few members did not advocate church authority, and that one must always believe in the church ship as is now being done. When did the Holdeman crowd thus become such a secure and trustworthy church ship, as needing no lifeboats because all can go with the large ship? Was it as more members were added and as it became a bigger and more experienced ship? In considering this question, one should not forget that in history as ships or crowds got bigger and older, they often slowly sank into error while only a remnant remained afloat. yH-4

In discussing religious things with those who believe that they can and must go with the ship and the crowd, it seems you are not speaking to a normal reasoning person, but seems like you are speaking to and dealing with a puppet. Scriptures, clear facts, and reasoning, all are quite meaningless to such puppet like individuals, as regardless of anything, or what they themselves might think, they will go with the ship. Although Job 6:25 reads "How forcible are right words....", yet right words are not very forcible to those who must go with the crowd since they largely refuse to think for themselves. yH-5

If a wife is really and truly indoctrinated by this good crowd, she will learn to follow and believe the crowd more than her own husband or herself, as the leaders of this crowd earnestly teach and largely convince all the people in this crowd that the crowd will always be right, saying that the gates of hell will never prevail against this special crowd. yH-6

Many times this crowd speaks of their crowd as being a very special people, and make almost everyone in their crowd feel very good, by portraying their crowd as being a very special crowd, and better than other so called crowds. Quite often they portray the individual who would dare to go against the thinking of their good crowd as being quite a fool. yH-7

As every one in this crowd learns to believe in and trust in this good crowd, this crowd obviously can have a great unity and wonderful fellowship. Yet at one time this good crowd had some disunity within the crowd, which disunity then was solved by advocating that working in and submitting to the light of the crowd (body), will bring about unity. Obviously such cooperation will create unity (yet possibly in error), as any crowd whose people are all willing to follow the light of the crowd (body, majority) will have unity. yH-8

Dear reader if you do not see a deception among those who advocate the ship and the crowd as above, you must already be mislead by the crowd! No, crowds today are no more infallible than in times past. Christians today are not guaranteed entrance into a crowd or ship that they can always trust and follow, but as in times past must be prepared and willing to stand apart from the crowd if necessary, and stand with a few people or even alone. One rather than being guaranteed that he can always follow the crowd, should be made aware that God might even require him to reprove the crowd. It is even likely that when a church starts greatly advocating her position and authority and starts advocating that her members need to always trust in her mutual direction rather than carefully and honestly research and think for themselves this church has already have sunk into much error and darkness and does not know it. yH-9

Although right words should always be forcible (Job 6:25), yet concerning many people and denominations right word are not forcible to them, simply because many people refuse to think for themselves, in wanting to hold to the crowd. The Holdeman crowd is not the only people guilty of willingly going with the crowd rather than researching or thinking for themselves. Jesus and not without reason said, "...Take heed that no man deceive you." (Mat 24:4). yH-10

Some erring crowds as they drift into great error, like beasts begin to devour the meek lambs of Christ, while they yet with great power of man and a shew of righteousness deceive themselves and others. In Revelations 13:4 those who were erroneously trusting in a dominant beast said, "...Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?" yH-11

Which do you love the most, the truth or the crowd? Jesus said, "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." "…strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Mat 7:14, Luke 14:26). Note how Jesus here said few would find it. Remember those who love the crowd more than the truth, will also be placed with the lost crowd in their eternal destiny. May such not be our fate. Farewell. yH-12

Note although it is very possible to wrongly emphasis the Church and fellowship, God yet has very much planned the operation and gatherings of Christian congregations. yH-13

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