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Indiana · 04-03-2015, 02:27 PM

To Local Church Leaders in the U. S. and around the globe,

I was in the “local churches” for 30 years, 1971-2001 and still manage to have a basic positive view of them. Last year I began to meet with a group quite similar to them, without the drama, yet with the same origin, that is, with a leader having come out of China under Watchman Nee’s early tutelage.

The teachings are the same in the essential truths of the Bible and they have a similar goal of life, gospel and the building up of the Body of Christ for a testimony of God. They meet as assemblies in the U. S. and around the world, rather than as the church in a city. They are careful in receiving believers according to Christ as their one and only center, and they have received me gladly and others I bring. A sister asked me this week after our prayer meeting how I came to their fellowship at Seattle Christian Assembly. I told her, “by a brother’s recommendation”, John Ingalls, from Southern California.

She soon found out I was associated with Witness Lee in the past, about whom she (and her husband) heard from two friends in India, how one brother was “burned” and the other became discouraged. I identified with what she then said about the attention given Witness Lee and his ministry (minister of the age), with, perhaps, as many say, more attention given to his publications than to the Bible (ministry of the age). This was of concern to her two friends. I then testified that I wasn’t like that and that many others in the Local Churches do take the Word first, of course; but also allow the help of a ministry to enhance their understanding and appreciation of what they read. I told her this is what I have done and why there is a deposit in me (that I draw from in our smaller meetings).

The concern of her two friends also was that “they call themselves the church. This and the lifting up of only one man and his ministry alarmed her very much. I told her that if she went to some meetings that she would understand more about their appreciation, but that this was indeed a problem and has led to division.

I shared with her what I spoke briefly on at the beginning of this writing, which Watchman Nee had once shared more fully on, “Whenever a special leader, or a specific doctrine, or some experience, or creed, or organization, becomes a center for drawing together the believers of different places, then because the center of such a church federation is other than Christ, it follows that its sphere will be other than local. And, whenever the divinely-appointed sphere of locality is displaced by a sphere of human invention, there the divine approval cannot rest. The believers within such a sphere may truly love the Lord, but they have another center apart from Him, and it is only natural that the second center becomes the controlling one. Christ is the common center of all the churches, but any company of believers that has a leader, a doctrine, an experience, a creed, or an organization as their center of fellowship, will find that that center becomes the center, and it is that center by which they determine who belongs to them and who does not. The center always determines the sphere, and the second center creates a sphere which divides those who attach themselves to it from those who do not. (Normal Christian Church Life)

“Anything that becomes a center to unite believers of different places will create a sphere which includes all believers who attach themselves to that center and excludes those who do not. This dividing line will destroy the God-appointed boundary of locality, and consequently destroy the very nature of the churches of God.”(p. 184, Nee)

In their church life at Seattle Christian Assembly, they don’t lift up anyone, but the Lord Jesus Christ. They are trained to be focused on Him in all things, in service, in the gospel, in the meetings. They are a praying church. They pray before meetings, going to different rooms, they pray in the meetings, they pray for speakers and serving ones, for new ones, for unbelieving members of families, for the physically weak, for the unemployed, and for a conference in July! And all aspects of it: “Please pray for Stephen Kaung’s health. He is currently experiencing pain in his sciatic nerve, which is hampering the mobility of his left leg. His eyes are also suffering age – related macular degeneration. May the Lord use His power to heal our brother so that he could get well quickly.” __He is scheduled to speak at the West Coast Conference (at 100 years old) along with three other speakers.

There is no book room (that I have seen yet) No plate is passed or place available to drop a money envelope (that I have seen yet) There are also no testimonies. There is a speaker with a translator for English, then we are dismissed to the cafeteria across the hall for lunch, after every Sunday morning meeting where fellowship could ensue from the meeting, or otherwise. There are opportunities for testimonies and sharing in several small group meetings throughout the week.

There is no scriptural reason for any division to exist between a Witness Lee led group of believers and one where Stephen Kaung’s presence has been felt. Believers who possess the same essential extracts of truth from God’s word should come together as adherents of the same cause. Stephen Kaung would welcome this joining together of members under the headship of Christ for the building up of the Body in Love that the world may know....He has approached them before but to no avail at that time. But today, especially with the world situation and war looming, and end-time prophecy possibly unfolding before us, we should give heed to our calling to make straight the way of the Lord and take care of the oneness in His Body, the church universal and local and go opposite of a crumbling scene around us to proceed on the earth by taking an upward path in our spirits to the Throne.

We owe this to the Lord, to the co-workers of the faith, to fellow believers, to relatives and friends and to people in every land - to be one …even as “I and the Father are one..." John 17

new version
www.twoturmoils.com/HidingHistoryofNeeLee.pdf

Steve Isitt
stephen.isitt@gmail.com
April 3, 2015

04-03-2015, 02:27 PM	#285
Indiana Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 713	Re: new version: Hiding History in the Nee and Lee Eras To Local Church Leaders in the U. S. and around the globe, I was in the “local churches” for 30 years, 1971-2001 and still manage to have a basic positive view of them. Last year I began to meet with a group quite similar to them, without the drama, yet with the same origin, that is, with a leader having come out of China under Watchman Nee’s early tutelage. The teachings are the same in the essential truths of the Bible and they have a similar goal of life, gospel and the building up of the Body of Christ for a testimony of God. They meet as assemblies in the U. S. and around the world, rather than as the church in a city. They are careful in receiving believers according to Christ as their one and only center, and they have received me gladly and others I bring. A sister asked me this week after our prayer meeting how I came to their fellowship at Seattle Christian Assembly. I told her, “by a brother’s recommendation”, John Ingalls, from Southern California. She soon found out I was associated with Witness Lee in the past, about whom she (and her husband) heard from two friends in India, how one brother was “burned” and the other became discouraged. I identified with what she then said about the attention given Witness Lee and his ministry (minister of the age), with, perhaps, as many say, more attention given to his publications than to the Bible (ministry of the age). This was of concern to her two friends. I then testified that I wasn’t like that and that many others in the Local Churches do take the Word first, of course; but also allow the help of a ministry to enhance their understanding and appreciation of what they read. I told her this is what I have done and why there is a deposit in me (that I draw from in our smaller meetings). The concern of her two friends also was that “they call themselves the church. This and the lifting up of only one man and his ministry alarmed her very much. I told her that if she went to some meetings that she would understand more about their appreciation, but that this was indeed a problem and has led to division. I shared with her what I spoke briefly on at the beginning of this writing, which Watchman Nee had once shared more fully on, “Whenever a special leader, or a specific doctrine, or some experience, or creed, or organization, becomes a center for drawing together the believers of different places, then because the center of such a church federation is other than Christ, it follows that its sphere will be other than local. And, whenever the divinely-appointed sphere of locality is displaced by a sphere of human invention, there the divine approval cannot rest. The believers within such a sphere may truly love the Lord, but they have another center apart from Him, and it is only natural that the second center becomes the controlling one. Christ is the common center of all the churches, but any company of believers that has a leader, a doctrine, an experience, a creed, or an organization as their center of fellowship, will find that that center becomes the center, and it is that center by which they determine who belongs to them and who does not. The center always determines the sphere, and the second center creates a sphere which divides those who attach themselves to it from those who do not. (Normal Christian Church Life) “Anything that becomes a center to unite believers of different places will create a sphere which includes all believers who attach themselves to that center and excludes those who do not. This dividing line will destroy the God-appointed boundary of locality, and consequently destroy the very nature of the churches of God.”(p. 184, Nee) In their church life at Seattle Christian Assembly, they don’t lift up anyone, but the Lord Jesus Christ. They are trained to be focused on Him in all things, in service, in the gospel, in the meetings. They are a praying church. They pray before meetings, going to different rooms, they pray in the meetings, they pray for speakers and serving ones, for new ones, for unbelieving members of families, for the physically weak, for the unemployed, and for a conference in July! And all aspects of it: “Please pray for Stephen Kaung’s health. He is currently experiencing pain in his sciatic nerve, which is hampering the mobility of his left leg. His eyes are also suffering age – related macular degeneration. May the Lord use His power to heal our brother so that he could get well quickly.” __He is scheduled to speak at the West Coast Conference (at 100 years old) along with three other speakers. There is no book room (that I have seen yet) No plate is passed or place available to drop a money envelope (that I have seen yet) There are also no testimonies. There is a speaker with a translator for English, then we are dismissed to the cafeteria across the hall for lunch, after every Sunday morning meeting where fellowship could ensue from the meeting, or otherwise. There are opportunities for testimonies and sharing in several small group meetings throughout the week. There is no scriptural reason for any division to exist between a Witness Lee led group of believers and one where Stephen Kaung’s presence has been felt. Believers who possess the same essential extracts of truth from God’s word should come together as adherents of the same cause. Stephen Kaung would welcome this joining together of members under the headship of Christ for the building up of the Body in Love that the world may know....He has approached them before but to no avail at that time. But today, especially with the world situation and war looming, and end-time prophecy possibly unfolding before us, we should give heed to our calling to make straight the way of the Lord and take care of the oneness in His Body, the church universal and local and go opposite of a crumbling scene around us to proceed on the earth by taking an upward path in our spirits to the Throne. We owe this to the Lord, to the co-workers of the faith, to fellow believers, to relatives and friends and to people in every land - to be one …even as “I and the Father are one..." John 17 new version www.twoturmoils.com/HidingHistoryofNeeLee.pdf Steve Isitt stephen.isitt@gmail.com April 3, 2015