[NeitherFirstnorLast]

Amen sister,

I got up this morning to prepare breakfast for everyone. One of our dear friends, an older sister from our old locality, was staying with us this weekend...

This morning, I opened up to her. I always thought of her as one I could count on to receive... you see, our old locality was different from many in America. Our old locality (Winnipeg) started after the turmoil in the late 80's, I believe.... I don't know, there isn't a lot of history sharing there...
Regardless, the saints who meet in Winnipeg all came in to the locality about the same time, from the same place, from the same families... They were former Mennonites from Belize; very large families, lots of kids...

I don't know which turmoil it was that tore the church in Winnipeg apart, but because the church in Winnipeg was composed of one very large extended family with lots of intermarriages, the separation that occured (I think 2/3rds left, 1/3rd stayed) was incomplete. No divorces came out of that separation, praise the Lord - fathers and mothers who stayed to meet with the local church counselled their daughters to follow their husbands, even if their husbands chose to leave. While the church was broken, the families largely remained intact... but it seemed that what was born out of this was a conspiracy of silence, in order to maintain the truce (that's my sense of it anyway, since no one on either side ever wished to talk)... and we met with both at large family gatherings, as we were welcomed in as family by those who met in the lc.

Oh Lord, in any case, I did open up today. The reason I opened up is, due to finances and also to fellowship, we need to consider a move - again - and this time to a place where no local church is... to meet with the Christians who we've been fellowshipping with in Three Hills. I'm struggling to choose the right and proper path for my family - seeking the Lord's leading...

I was surprised by this sister, because as I said, I thought she would be open to hear from me due to her own experiences with family who have left... but I was wrong. Very wrong. She told me she "doesn't want to receive this from me", that she sees Christ in me, but she doesn't want anything else. I talked to her about Anaheim, about the speaking about the light going out all across the midwest, about the liberal use of the word 'opposers', about the Fermentation of the Present Rebellion, about John Ingalls, about Bill Mallon, about John So... about genuine saints who love the Lord... about Watchman Nee's true vision of a local church vs what is practiced today, about deputy authority, about building walls, about rejecting members of the Body... actually, in review I said a lot more than I thought I did...

Her take was that I wouldn't be rejected so long as I was open to receive.

Receive what?

Receive what elders would say.

Could we go into the history of the local church?

Why would we go there, the Lord moved on and so should we.

Because the belief within the local church is that Lee's word on the matter is right, that his footnotes are all right, that he is above being questioned, that he is infallible, but he was sinful man.

No one said he was infallible, but what he wrote was divinely inspired. Paul was just a man who wrote letters to the churches, Paul had been a sinful man, but we receive Pau'ls word as the Word of God.

But Paul's word is inspired - God Himself placed it in the Bible. The canon of Scripture is finished. Have you read "The Fermentation of the Present Rebellion?"

I might have. I think I have.

Who was accused of rebelling? Who are we calling opposers? What is it we are saying these people oppose?

Christ. They oppose Christ.

No, they do not, they were not opposed to Christ or the Church, they were opposed to usurped authority.

If you talk to those people on-line they will poison you, that poison will get into you.

No, I didn't see these things after I spoke with them, I saw them before... I finally went on line because I needed to know if it was just me who saw these things.. but it wasn't! I could have written "the Truth in Love", it was exactly my experience. I can't share that, because the only thing we are allowed to share is the ministry word. I had a closer walk with the Lord before I came to the local church than now, when I submit to the authority of others over my own inner speaking.

I choose to receive Lee's word as the Word of God.

But that is my issue - this is what we do and Nee warned us very specifically against this kind of thinking - we're taught that Nee and Lee were one, but they most definitely are not.

What do you mean, give me an example? Ok....

...and I did, I proceeded to outline the very things I've outlined here, from the Orthodoxy of the Church, from the Normal Christian Church Life...

I am afraid for you. Very afraid. I don't want to receive this, sorry. I will receive Christ in you, but I don't want to receive this. All I know is I came out of division, and I'm not going back in. I'm afraid you're going back in.

But how do we differ from a divisive denomination? We are a division. How many times have we divided in the turmoils? We've built high walls, and don't let others in.

We don't have walls, other Christian are welcome to come worship with us.

But they would say the same thing to you. This is not the vision. We have divided on the basis of locality, travelling long distances to meet with those who speak the same thing - that's a division. That is a sect. Have you read the Normal Christian Church Life? Have you seen what it says about what it's supposed to be like... There isn't supposed to be a meeting of saints who speak the same thing. There isn't supposed to be an organized structure or a training center or...

There's not supposed to be a training center? I won't receive that.
...and she left the room.

Even a sister I dearly love, and she closed the matter. Again, like the others to whom I've opened up, she had no scripture to back her way of thinking, her only answer was to receive what the elders would say and reject everything else absolutely (boiling it down, anyway). Don't dig into the past, accept Lee's word as The Word, and move on for the Lord. Eat and enjoy; that's it that's all.

I guess I am too dangerous to talk to. I am infected with a preoccupation for the truth. I always thought the truth would set you free.

It's as you say, sister: All that glitters is not Gold.

Lord, build up Your Church. Lord, we all need You. Preserve us all.

Amen