Quote:
Originally Posted by awareness
The three brothers were, myself, Hosepipe, and Gene. Gene was a Jewish brother that converted to Jesus. He was well read in the scriptures. He was a gentle humble brother. He was a Specials-Reading instructor for the state corrections system. He freely gave away his gift and time to help children of saints that were having reading difficulties. He had three problems for Mel ; 1) He didn't accept Lee as an apostle according to his understanding of scripture. 2) He was friends with me. 3) He was friends with Hosepipe.
Of the three only Gene stood up in a meeting to repent. But it wasn't accepted, because he stood up and said, "If I have offended anyone in word or deed please come to me after the meeting." The "if" was rejected.
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This is absolutely classic Witness Lee manipulation to bring others under forced subjection. First Mel Porter informs Gene that he has "offended the body," and then demands Gene to "repent to the body." Gene, who was only desiring to follow the Lord and act according to his conscience, has no clue how he has "offended the body." Simultaneously "the body" had not an inkling that they had ever been offended by brother Gene. During the recent quarantines, the Blendeds regularly spoke of ones who have "
offended the body." It is
only the leaders in Anaheim who truly can know the "
feeling of the body," and who it is who has "
offended the body."
So Gene, in the desire to submit to his leader and to be completely reconciled with each of the saints, acquiesces to Mel Porter's demands and publicly repents, "
If I have offended anyone in word or deed please come to me after the meeting." Gene is only attempting to act according to the Lord's word in Matthew, "if your brother offend you, go to him." But the problem is that none of the saints were ever offended by Gene, rather they all loved him. They all go along thinking that Gene's word is for someone else.
To the ministry zealots, however, this is totally unacceptable. How dare you say "if," and then, how dare you attempt to connect with the saints individually after the meeting! There is no "if," and there will be no contact with the saints! Don't you get it?!?
Why all the disconnect? Simple. Witness Lee, by this time, had successfully introduced into the Recovery new demands upon the saints, totally foreign to the Bible, in order to bring the whole under subjection to him. Obviously only Mel Porter and a few other local lackeys were on board with these new demands. The rest of the congregation was still stuck in their old "Biblical mindset" of placing Christ first, and only Christ! Imagine that! Mel Porter used brother Gene to "educate" the rest of the saints. He had probably just learned this technique on one of his many visits to Anaheim -- watching Witness Lee beat brothers into subjection so that they all may learn.
Classic Witness Lee control scheme! Mel Porter had learned this from "the master," and now was feeling pretty good about himself. The lust for power does that to a person.
Then Mel Porter tried out his new control technique on awareness ...