Quote:
Originally Posted by aron
A rephrasing of the quote: "It's possible to have a wonderful Christian life apart from the Lord's Recovery. However, those Christians who do touch our group either become totally trapped and paralyzed, or they eventually stagger off, dazed and wounded." Either way, it's venom.
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Considering what has been discussed here regarding "love-bombing" and Witness Lee's obsession with "enjoyment" and The Recovery's abhorrence of all things "of the mind" and "of death," I would suspect that leaving for many is like when drug addicts go through withdrawal. Those young, impressionable minds who were deceived and given all this "love" and "life" now have nowhere to go to because they entered a group that subtly encouraged cutting off all outside connections. Many of them entered a group that provided them respite from trauma, but because they refuse to accept the non-answers to important questions, they are seen as divisive. A lot of young hearts have struggled with this painful dichotomy of the positive experiences they had and the nasty truth hidden underneath all of the "calling" and "pray-reading" and "eating of life."
Where calling may have once been a way to connect with others and seek the Lord earnestly, it is now a pacifier to stifle any unique thoughts and prevent people from asking tough questions. Where pray-reading may have been a way to try and set one's mind on scriptures, it has become an empty practice of repeating isolated verses from the morning revivals and life-studies without truly understanding the context that is in the scriptures. Where "getting out of your mind" was a genuine attempt to rely on the wisdom of God rather than earthly wisdom of fallen man, it turned into a way to shut others down whenever they had genuine critiques or concerns regarding what was said and taught in the ministry. Where "life vs. death" was an honest desire to let go of legalism and live with grace, wisdom, and discernment, it now became a way to ignore anything that made one question the infallibility of the ministry and let go of the responsibility of correcting and rebuking those who need it. Where "oneness" was a God-given directive to dwell in the one Body of Christ based on our faith in the savior, it was now the shunning of those who do not adhere to the tenants of the "Ministry of the Age" which came only from Lee and The Lord's Recovery.
Because of these things, I became "allergic" to the scriptures for a time, feeling pain and aversion to verses which spoke of evil revilers and dividers who tried to destroy the church with false and dangerous doctrines. I hesitated to read verses which spoke of being of one mind in Christ. I shuddered when I read verses in which Christ said he is life and the bread of life that must be eaten. It pained me to read of verses which spoke of the dead letter of the Mosaic Law which could not bring life. I was confused when I read that all scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, correction, rebuke, and instruction in righteousness. I was angry when I read verses about setting our mind on the things which are above and walking by the spirit.
The subtle but efficacious ways in which all of these things were twisted within Lee's ideology and the teachings of The Lord's Recovery made me think of one particular passage:
12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. 13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. (2 Corinthians 11:12-15).
It is yet all the more infuriating because their misapplication of biblical truths can be pointed out with basic reading comprehension, yet this is simply brushed off as "in one's mind" and "being dead right."
How can one not be worse off after having to deal with such things for so long and then breaking off all of their connections? But praise the Lord that the leaders of The Lord's Recovery are often just full of hot air. There is a life beyond the "Local Churches" and a way outside of "The Lord's Recovery." One does not need to be bound by the chains which were placed on them by this group, and one can certainly come back to the scriptures and see for themselves what the Lord has to say to his people.