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Originally Posted by Unregistered
I have relatives who accepted Christ as Savior in the mid 70's. Their lives and personalities started to change positively. They then became involved in the local church, which they are still involved in, and they became distant from the family, somewhat argumentative and critical. One of the members seemed to be coming out of lifelong depression after first becoming a Christian - appearing happy, until they started with the local church. Now, after almost 40 yrs in that cult, depression and withdrawal seems to characterize the personality.
I have frequently prayed for the cult's deliverance from deception. I'm wondering if anyone knows whether the local church is increasing or decreasing in numbers. Also, does anyone know if perhaps individual churches are seeing their doctrinal errors and turning away from them to true Biblical Christianity? Are there particular states or cities where people are coming out and/or changing their fellowship's beliefs?
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I first contacted brothers in the Local Church over 40 years ago while working at an optical factory in downtown Cleveland on Prospect Avenue. I saw their love and joy in the Lord Jesus. Their testimony of salvation shook up that little eyeglass factory for God. I would have to testify that their love for Jesus Christ was no different than that of the first century believers. They placed Christ as first in their hearts. It was clearly evident for all to see.
Slowly, almost imperceptibly, Local Church leaders changed that environment. As the Apostle Paul so clearly warned us with tears in Acts 20.30, "
and from among you yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverted things, to draw away the disciples after themselves."
Things have changed since those early days. What the Apostle Paul warned us about has happened again. Happened in the Local Churches in the 20th century. Leaders in the Local Churches rose up and drew our love and attention away from the Lord Jesus to themselves, speaking perverted things, and, in a nutshell, that was the history of Witness Lee in the Local Churches.