[ACuriousFellow]

We must not be afraid of the command to live righteously. Rather, we must fear the one who can destroy both body and soul. Our God will not stand idly by if we knowingly and willingly continue in our sins, and we must show love to one another not simply by providing a good example of how to live in our own living, but in keeping one another in check by training ourselves and one another in righteousness. We must teach one another what is good and righteous and what is evil and wicked. We must rebuke one another when we have blatantly and unashamedly sinned. We must correct our brothers and sisters to once again set them on the right path. We must instruct one another in righteousness so that we would not be ignorant of the Lord's command. The scriptures will aid us in all of these endeavors, and as a teacher of children in a school and as a child of God it grieves me so to see how such things have been neglected within that denomination known as "The Lord's Recovery" by some and "The Local Churches" by others. It grieves me to see good men use their good deeds as an excuse to ignore their bad deeds. Good men do not become bad men by doing bad things. They become bad men because they refuse to repent and hold themselves accountable for the bad they have done. Likewise, wicked men can live righteously once more if they repent and do what is right.

"The Lord's Recovery has preached the gospel to so many and gotten so many people baptized! Why would you speak so evilly against us?" It is because you are my people and I wish to help you regain a proper way. Do you notice how often you do not deny your evil? Rather, you deny me the right to point it out.

"We've cared for each other so much! Why would you point out someone's sins and condemn them like that?" Because they refuse to repent of it and continue to do it. Would you prefer I do it here and now or that the Lord should have to take care of it himself? Which do you think will be harder to bear? The words of your brothers and sisters in Christ, or the words of your God? Which will bring you down to the lowest state? A rebuke from your brother, or a rebuke from our Master?

I will say it again: stop using your good deeds to excuse your bad ones. Check yourselves before you are checked by the Lord. This is my exhortation to my brothers and sisters who meet with the churches in that denomination founded by Witness Lee, for this is what the Lord has commanded me to say. Look at your history, men of the Recovery. See what has happened within your assemblies, disciples of Lee. Bear witness to the pain and suffering that has transpired within your meeting halls, you members of the Church of Cities, and know that much of it is because of your zealousness for the "Ministry of the Age." You are zealous without knowledge, and those who are downtrodden plead with the Lord for salvation.

What a great shame it is when we must pray for deliverance from our own brothers and sisters. May the Lord have mercy on us all.

Ezekiel 3:4-9, 16-21
4 He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. 5 You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel— 6 not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. 7 But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate. 8 But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. 9 I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.”

16 At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself. 20 “Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 21 But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”