LEF folks always boasted that JD was very smart as he was the one who designed all the LEF structures. Knowing that everybody else in LEF is a dull head, JD may have left the design of how his monument should look like as part of his will.
Here is a good read about monuments from the following website reproduced below:
http://greggtjohnson.com/1/post/2013/07/saul-turned-his-ministry-into-a-monument.html
How The Mighty Have Fallen
So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal." 1 Samuel 15:12
A monument is a structure built to memorialize greatness. It calls attention to the significant accomplishments of some person in a way that his or her importance is commemorated into posterity. Such a scenario may seem outrageous. But this is exactly what King Saul did for himself. In 1 Samuel 15:12, the prophet Samuel came early in the day looking for the king. To his astonishment, he was told that Saul had gone to Gilgal to “set up a monument for himself.”
It was an act of profound arrogance. In Saul’s mind, Israel was no longer a nation set apart to worship, honor and exalt God in the earth. Instead, Israel was a tribute to himself, to his abilities and great accomplishments. People would look at the monument and immediately think of Saul and what he did for Israel. It didn’t matter that Israel had been created by God as a testament to His own glory (Isaiah 46:13). For Saul, the nation of Israel and all that it had become was all about him and his greatness as a leader. Saul had turned his ministry into a monument.
James 4:6 warns us that “God resists the proud.” Simply stated, to be proud is to pick a fight with God. “My glory I will not give to another!” is the bold decree of God in Isaiah 42:8. When Saul raised that monument to himself, he was taking the glory that belonged to God. Pride picks a fight with God. It provokes God to defend His glory and put man in his place by humiliating him in failure and defeat. Proverbs 8:13 says the Lord hates “Pride and arrogance.” As well, Proverbs 16:18 says “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” This was a lesson Saul was about to learn. Nothing brings blessing from God like humility and nothing brings His judgment like pride.
Saul didn’t start out as a monument builder. When the call of God first came to Saul, he was a humble man. He was so contrite and filled with meekness that when chosen to become Israel’s king, he hid himself hoping to avoid the appointment (1 Samuel 10:22). At first, Saul was not ruled by ambition or blinded by pride. He understood his inadequacies and knew that in his own strength, he could never lead a nation.
However, after being crowned with authority and anointing, Saul started to change. The taste of success, the sense of power over thousands, the flattery attached to status and privilege all served to inflate his ego with a perverted sense of importance. Rather than seeing himself as a servant to the people, he believed the people existed to serve his great ambitions. Sadly, this humble farm boy who felt too inadequate to lead became so convinced of his own importance that he raised a monument to commemorate his “greatness” (1 Samuel 15:12).
In this we see a subtle danger that resides within gaining authority and anointing. It’s the tendency to think, “Because I am the leader, because I have the vision and the anointing, and because I am the one out in front, I am, therefore, the important one, the more significant one, the essential person in the organization, even more important than those who serve under me.” It is an unspoken, often subconscious feeling, but it often effects how we talk to and treat those around us. It is nothing more than pride. The dark, ugly, spiritual cancer we call pride. It spreads and metastasizes. It controls and corrupts and changes us into tyrants denying the humility of servant hood and turning our ministry into a monument to show off our own greatness.
But is Saul really that different from any of us? Don’t most of us start out in humility only to have our character corrupted by success and promotion? Don’t many of us fall to the subtle entitlements of pride?
Remember how easy it was to be humble when you were the new guy? Remember what it was like when you were just starting out in ministry? More than likely, you were willing to do anything. You could take orders, serve anyone, and do what you were told to do no matter how humiliating and demeaning it might seem to be.
But like Saul, after success sets in and “the new guy” gets promoted, after we gain authority and command over others, it becomes harder for us to take orders and do lowly tasks. Soon we start “realizing” how special and important we are. And now, those menial, insignificant things we used to do unto the Lord are somehow “beneath” us. Sweep the floor? Clean bathrooms? Carry someone’s bags? Those are for other people, less important than us. Now we have staff that does the sweeping and an entourage to carry our bags. As “Anointed Men of God” with powerful ministries, we think we need only to be concerned about those tasks that are “worthy” of our precious time and attention. And so begins the building of our monuments.
Here is a good read about monuments from the following website reproduced below:
http://greggtjohnson.com/1/post/2013/07/saul-turned-his-ministry-into-a-monument.html
How The Mighty Have Fallen
So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal." 1 Samuel 15:12
A monument is a structure built to memorialize greatness. It calls attention to the significant accomplishments of some person in a way that his or her importance is commemorated into posterity. Such a scenario may seem outrageous. But this is exactly what King Saul did for himself. In 1 Samuel 15:12, the prophet Samuel came early in the day looking for the king. To his astonishment, he was told that Saul had gone to Gilgal to “set up a monument for himself.”
It was an act of profound arrogance. In Saul’s mind, Israel was no longer a nation set apart to worship, honor and exalt God in the earth. Instead, Israel was a tribute to himself, to his abilities and great accomplishments. People would look at the monument and immediately think of Saul and what he did for Israel. It didn’t matter that Israel had been created by God as a testament to His own glory (Isaiah 46:13). For Saul, the nation of Israel and all that it had become was all about him and his greatness as a leader. Saul had turned his ministry into a monument.
James 4:6 warns us that “God resists the proud.” Simply stated, to be proud is to pick a fight with God. “My glory I will not give to another!” is the bold decree of God in Isaiah 42:8. When Saul raised that monument to himself, he was taking the glory that belonged to God. Pride picks a fight with God. It provokes God to defend His glory and put man in his place by humiliating him in failure and defeat. Proverbs 8:13 says the Lord hates “Pride and arrogance.” As well, Proverbs 16:18 says “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” This was a lesson Saul was about to learn. Nothing brings blessing from God like humility and nothing brings His judgment like pride.
Saul didn’t start out as a monument builder. When the call of God first came to Saul, he was a humble man. He was so contrite and filled with meekness that when chosen to become Israel’s king, he hid himself hoping to avoid the appointment (1 Samuel 10:22). At first, Saul was not ruled by ambition or blinded by pride. He understood his inadequacies and knew that in his own strength, he could never lead a nation.
However, after being crowned with authority and anointing, Saul started to change. The taste of success, the sense of power over thousands, the flattery attached to status and privilege all served to inflate his ego with a perverted sense of importance. Rather than seeing himself as a servant to the people, he believed the people existed to serve his great ambitions. Sadly, this humble farm boy who felt too inadequate to lead became so convinced of his own importance that he raised a monument to commemorate his “greatness” (1 Samuel 15:12).
In this we see a subtle danger that resides within gaining authority and anointing. It’s the tendency to think, “Because I am the leader, because I have the vision and the anointing, and because I am the one out in front, I am, therefore, the important one, the more significant one, the essential person in the organization, even more important than those who serve under me.” It is an unspoken, often subconscious feeling, but it often effects how we talk to and treat those around us. It is nothing more than pride. The dark, ugly, spiritual cancer we call pride. It spreads and metastasizes. It controls and corrupts and changes us into tyrants denying the humility of servant hood and turning our ministry into a monument to show off our own greatness.
But is Saul really that different from any of us? Don’t most of us start out in humility only to have our character corrupted by success and promotion? Don’t many of us fall to the subtle entitlements of pride?
Remember how easy it was to be humble when you were the new guy? Remember what it was like when you were just starting out in ministry? More than likely, you were willing to do anything. You could take orders, serve anyone, and do what you were told to do no matter how humiliating and demeaning it might seem to be.
But like Saul, after success sets in and “the new guy” gets promoted, after we gain authority and command over others, it becomes harder for us to take orders and do lowly tasks. Soon we start “realizing” how special and important we are. And now, those menial, insignificant things we used to do unto the Lord are somehow “beneath” us. Sweep the floor? Clean bathrooms? Carry someone’s bags? Those are for other people, less important than us. Now we have staff that does the sweeping and an entourage to carry our bags. As “Anointed Men of God” with powerful ministries, we think we need only to be concerned about those tasks that are “worthy” of our precious time and attention. And so begins the building of our monuments.
Since you mention 'eyesores', Whistleblowers, who designed the monstrosity, now apparent in Kilpauk cemetary, known as Joshua Daniel's monument? Who decided to have that lengthy, sycophantic blurb engraved upon it (surely at even more expense?).
ReplyDeleteMore importantly, who paid for it? Not his family, that's for sure, since Betty Daniel was complaining on Facebook earlier this year that the LEF (a.k.a. his fan club), had not honoured him by erecting a monument; the tone of her post indicated that she was expecting to see some kind of elaborate memorial (someone had to point out to her that in Indian cemetaries the ground has to settle for a year before anything can be erected. As an American she wouldn't have known that......).
Anyway, what do we make of this showy piece of stone-masonry? As far as I am aware, truly great, humble, and genuine Christian preachers, if indeed their graves sport any kind of monument at all, are not remembered with flattering, lengthy accounts engraved on grotesque-looking stone erections. Those who have benefited from their preaching are well aware that they themselves would wish all the glory to go to God, both in life and in death. Therefore a simple Bible verse is all that is required.
Readers of this blog can work out for themselves what the nature of Joshua Daniel's monstrosity monument really says about him, his family, and those of his followers who approve of it. To whom is the glory given?
LEF supporters, how many more evidences do you require of the spiritual fakery and the material abuse of you that is involved in the Daniel Clan Fan Club's ambitions and activities, before you stop financing it, and seek out a better way of serving the Saviour whom you claim to love?
'Pastor' (?) Betty Daniel has devoted one of her Telegu 'messages' (broadcast on an obscure and even dubious Indian 'Christian' TV channel) to fulsome admiration of the wonderfulness of her late father Joshua Daniel. The implication seems to be that she is the next in this dynastic line of alleged 'men ( or in her case, women) of great faith'. No person of integrity believes in the 'Daniel legend' any more, Betty. You would be advised to confine yourself to organising 'block parties' at Miami Village Church, and posting on Facebook 'moving' pictures of yourself cradling infants in earthquake-stricken locations, praying over 'the sick', and other activities regularly illustrated and designed to showcase your great compassion and spirituality.
DeleteAt least John Daniel has the cunning to confine his self-aggrandising activities to the brainwashed, and hence gullible, congregations of LEF. But then who knows what he might dream up if, like his sister, he too were to be banned from LEF platforms?
Meanwhile, back in Delhi, Lily Daniel and her 'new best friend', Sonia, continue to discuss what proportion of LEF's tithes and offerings it might to take to halt the enquiry into the relationship between the Daniel lifestyle in the USA and the tax -free income from India that has apparently financed it for so many decades.......not so much living by 'faith' as by persuasion/extortion, Betty.
Is it possible to get a close up pic of what is written on the stone please?
ReplyDeleteIt is a good thing atleast now to build the tomb of Bro. G. B. Solomon, if it has not been done sofar, who lived an exemplary and unselfish life, and dedicated his whole life to the service of the Lord and worked on behalf of LEF, Would the Board of trustees take a note of this and do this? Please make sure, ignoring the cost, that a few highlights of his life are mentioned on the stone. A life lived is worth more than a million sermons preached without putting into practice.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous October 25 7.17 am: although the point is that no faithful man of God would want to have an ostentatious monument built at great expense in his honour!
DeleteJJD, here is a suggestion which may fetch you some quick money. How about building a monument in BG for the Retreat folks and collect tickets.
ReplyDeleteIf you read this you will know where the 9b NH Road Organization is headed
ReplyDeletehttp://gerashen.com/2015/10/22/8-reasons-why-city-harvest-church-was-the-devil-to-me/
Anonymous October @ 10.49am
DeleteBearing in mind certain cultish similarities between this organisation and LEF, I wonder if you are suggesting that John Daniel may be channelling LEF donations into the re-invention of the image of one of his female family members into that of a pop idol, as did this false preacher?
Probably not Lily (enough said!). Betty might qualify, with her flamboyant piano crashing and yelling out of hymns - that might be able to be adapted, but has she either the face or the figure for the skimpy outfits and energetic, so-called dancing?
Birgit simply does not have the charisma, although she might be able to get into the outfits.....
Despite increasingly sharing her sister's physical dimensions as she ages, Lydia lacks Betty's flamboyant way of trying to draw attention to herself, which seems to be required in the world of pop idols. Not a candidate, therefore......
Who does that leave? Why, the 'Daniel Five' of course.......after all, they have been groomed for LEF adulation all their young lives, via LEF platforms and CDs privately recorded and peddled at every LEF gathering (who paid for this, by the way? The purchase or renting of such equipment doesn't come cheap......). They can't really sing, but this deficit is drowned out with loud backing tapes or amplified accompaniment, which is another historic performance characteristic of those in training for 'pop idolness'.
Prepare to be ousted by a younger generation, Mrs. Pastor's Wife from this disgraced Singaporean cultish 'church'!
Regarding that Tomb Shouldn't someone be pouring milk and ghee over it. It sort of looks like something that needs it.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous Nov 4 @ 8.32pm
DeleteI knew there was something a bit familiar about it.........
The Dead cannot speak.Why are you guys debating about the tombstone of a person who is dead and gone.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 5 November 7.51am
DeleteThis dead man refused to speak when he had the chance. He refused to explain, admit to, or repent of his dubious actions. However he has left a legacy of misery and mistreatment amongst those who still have to live with it.
There is no debate about his tombstone. All seem to agree that this expensive, attention-seeking structure, covered with words of unwarranted adulation, is entirely characteristic of the man whose life it seeks to represent.
OK dead cannot speak, but can dead build their tombstone, Someone built it, for what purpose, to steal more money.
DeleteThe DEAD cannot SPEAK is precisely what people with basic common sense would know. But the family this dead man left behind doesn't seem to understand this. This family is beating the dead man up to produce money for them - by playing his sermons on TV and in public gatherings, building these monstrous monuments and also selling his portrait pictures for poor gullible LEF people to buy. By the way, like we said earlier here - as the money dries up in LEF, we might see all the ardent devotees of this dead man hang a framed picture of this dead man around their necks to go around with a begging bowl to beg for money by pointing out that they are all devotees of this demi God in the framed picture. Such a phenomenon is quite common in India, isn't? You see some creative beggars having a picture of some Baba or Guru to appeal to people's emotions to throw few coins into their begging bowl.
ReplyDeleteLEF refuses to pay its staff evangelists a single rupee / dime / dollar. The rouge family calls them as volunteers and gets free forced slave labor. Not a single rupee will be given when they become sick. The teachers and nurses in the fabled LEF schools and nursing homes/ medical ministry may be paid Rs. 2000 ($65) per month. The entire money is collected and spent by the JD family, on a all expenses paid lifestyle. Here a grand monument was built (using LEF sacrificial money), for such pursuits money will be available, Will JJD and LD give the accounts for this, What is the expenditure, what is the commission, who is the builder, It is unfair and open robbery. Please foreigners ask about this in the great retreats overseas. You will have plenty of time and you are brave, Ask JJD and LD to clarify and then give their fabled talks
ReplyDelete