Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry
Amen CMW. I had heard of Daystar among PL's improprieties before any existence of internet forums such as this. In the 90's I felt as if I was the only one bothered by it. If you go to a responsible brother about it, you'll get told "it's just rumors" or one I find exasperating, "perceived wrongdoings". As far as Witness Lee goes I did not know him so he did not offend me personally. Still there is a spiritual dynamic that exists between Mark 11:25, Matthew 18:15-17, Exodus 20:16, 23:1, for starters in regard to the Recovery's history in relationship to every one of us.
Several things that have contributed directly to my abstinence from the local churches are:
1. How brothers and sisters who have left are treated verbally. i.e. no encouragement, no blessing.
2. We have had dirty laundry in regard to LC history, but no effort to repent for it. As if to say "I did not do it so I do not need to repent for it." That may be, but may times it is our silence we need to repent of. The "dirty laundry" in the recovery has been as an elephant in the living room. It's there, but most LC long-timers will rarely acknowledge it's existence.
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Hi Terry,
You make very valid observations.
With regards to the scriptures, most often than not, it is the 'leaders' who bring out the offenses of the sheeple. In most denominations, that I am aware of, the accountability is among the spiritual leaders.
The sheeple have no say.
For example, when a church leader sins and it is brought out in the open through the media if they are well known, it is the spiritual leaders from other branches that counsel that individual.
I am specifically thinking of a 'pastor' of a big church in Colorado who was accused of having hanky panky with a male masseuse a few years back.
He denied it vehemently. But the truth came out and he was released from his pastorship though not by his congregation to my knowledge. The pastors who were on the board of directors and others who were closely associated with him are the ones who stripped him of his 'duties'.
Fine. But again...the sheeple had no say in the matter to my knowledge whether they agreed with the decision or not.
In Lee's case, he was solely in control. No one could oust him. No one could even call him out! Somehow he managed to kick them out of the recovery OR as leaders, they resigned. The LC sheeple were told those men and women were 'poison'.
He did not publicly repent with a broken and a contrite heart (which God never despises) so neither does the LC have reason to repent.
I think as pride and arrogance infiltrated the 'glorious church life' we led, we forgot as individuals and as a church the power of repentance. Pride does that. It keeps us from repentance.
Sadder still is, this confirms how many LCrs were/are not studying the scriptures for themselves. We all got caught up in the Life Study messages, in the weekend conferences, in the trainings. Yes we read scriptures out loud together but few imho read them with prayer that the Holy Spirit would give us personal revelation & understanding. Lee had to explain everything to us because 'he was the oracle of God'.
We simply amened everything spoken to us.
Lee did not emphasize to us to search the scriptures, to study the scriptures for ourselves. He did it for us. Yet we are told in 2 Timothy 2:15 to study to show thyself approved unto God...rightly dividing the Word of God.
We could not do this without the LC approval. So we know the rest of the story.
As for the treatment of the brethren who have left and receive no encouragement, no blessing, I can tell you first hand, sometimes this is the way GOD wants it to be. He strips away the old garment as He prepares us for Newness of Life for He wants us to depend solely on HIM.
He wants us to get to KNOW HIM through His Word afresh. After all He promises to make ALL things new. And He DOES !! He wants us to seek Him in the Scriptures and to reveal Himself to us through the scriptures by His Spirit.
Once we come to the point of 'brokenness' and say..
.it's just You and me LORD. If no one loves me, if no one cares for me, I know YOU do. YOU will never leave me or forsake me. That is YOUR promise to me and YOU are the Keeper of Your Word. You do not lie. So thank You for Loving me and taking very good care of me. Thank You for the plans you have for me to prosper and succeed, to give me a Hope and a (bright) future. ...then we truly become liberated in Christ.
Honest. This has been my experience.
Jesus told us to in Matthew 28:19 to make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
But we were stifled. We had to do it Lee's way. Of course, all denominations have spiritual leaders who send out people to disciple people and pull them into the leaders' flock. That bugs me. I heard a pastor once say, "Get to know your neighbors so you can invite them to church...this church'. I have great neighbors and every chance I get, I point them to Jesus. I do not bombard them. I just splash them with Living Water now and then.
While I do like going to church services from time to time, I do not feel comfy becoming a member of that congregation.
Good thing we know how the real story ends. The Holy city New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven from God adorned as a bride for her Husband.
. Christ is Victorious and because we are IN Him, we too are Victorious by the Precious Blood of Jesus.
Blessings !
Carol G