Quote:
Originally Posted by awareness
The truth is that they can't even love those in their own group. Just think of John Ingalls et. al. and the quarantines. They can't even love all those that love Jesus. They don't love like Jesus does. They are actually very hateful. They love like cults love ... which is based around a personality.
|
During the God Ordained way training here in the west coast, they had us read a book called "Fellowship Concerning the Urgent Need of the Vital Groups". Just quickly browsing through this book has caused me a little PTSD, I wonder what it will do for those of you who were more invested in the movement.
The main premise of this book is that the stagnant growth of the "Lord's Recovery" can be pinned on the "oldness" of the saints. WLee's solution was to establish a new way via the "Vital Groups". The book shamelessly encourages marginalizing "old" members who are attending the conventional Friday night small groups and Lord's day meetings while encouraging elite members of the "Vital groups" to form an "army" whose aim is to explode the LRC movement in the US with the emphasis of winning over caucasians. I think this is still being projected in the west coast since my wife still gets God Ordained Way training e-mails.
It seems like everything in the LRC system is framed in terms of how much someone can contribute to the movement-- hence young people who are steeped in LRC theology and FTTA grads are highly valued whereas older folks who've been around for a while are viewed as dead weight. Love is given to those who seem useful, but withheld from those who can't give back. If they treat their own members like this, no wonder those who question Witness Lee would be viewed as trash.
If you think about it, the value system set in place seems to describe more of an organization run by Satan than one run by Jesus. The bible teaches us to value people simply because they were made in God's image. In Luke 14:14 Jesus taught us to help those who can't pay us back. Jesus showed this in the way that he lived by investing in uneducated fisherman who had little to offer. Based on the miracles and fame that preceded him Jesus could have easily recruited the most learned and capable Jews in Jerusalem who spent all day studying and memorizing the Torah/Tanakh, but he chose not to (except for that one guy from Jerusalem who turned out to be not that great). You also get this picture in the OT with David/Saul. Saul had the most capable men while David got the rift raft, but look who won in the end because one had the Spirit of God while the other lost it.
You have to feel sorry for those stuck in the LRC based on fear of leaving. The older folks are getting little love
