Quote:
Originally Posted by UntoHim
What vision are you speaking of Drake?
I know you are busy and all....but I for one am EXTREMELY interested in this "vision" that you were blown away by "before I ever heard of Witness Lee". This is NOT a "gotctha question" (unless you turn it into one). Please do not deprive us of this most important vision. I would like to know something about this "vision" you speak of. Surely it is very related to "The Unique Move of God".
The ball is now in your court my brother. You've never disappointed in the past...don't start now.
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UntoHim, I was going to respond to your note this weekend with a comprehensive answer and I had been before the Lord since you asked it.
But i am sensing some sarcasm and perhaps a taste of badgering? Under those circumstances I am not inclined to share something that is deeply personal and a treasure to me in my spiritual life. Vision is not a doctrine, rather, it is a visitation, at least it was to me.
Still, I will share an abbreviated version of the vision that captured me and how it came about. It is personal and may hold no real interest to you or others.
Starting here.... I held leadership roles in a denomination and had a life changing experience there. Then in His care and shepherding and arrangements He enlightenment me concerning the Church as the local expression of His Body and the need for the unity of the believers in a city. Then later, He showed me the position of the church universal seated with Christ in the heavenlies. I do not mean I only read it and decided it was right, I saw it as real as if I had looked at the moon. I further understood that it was the only way to defeat God's enemy. I was captured by this visitation/vision of the universal Body and the Body local on earth.
Still had not heard the name Witness Lee.
Then I started to attend some meetings of the local church but just part time. Yet, here I began to experience life and care and shepherding in the Body and I started to see the Body life could be experienced in a real and living way in my daily life. I then understood the meaning, significance, and profoundness of grace upon grace. For the better part of a year I met with the local churches part time as I was very engaged in the denomination i was a leader in. With one foot in each world I was able to compare firsthand the difference.
Still had not heard the name Witness Lee.
Then I was going to be in a certain city for personal reasons and the elder mentioned I might like to attend a conference being held at that time in that city. He said, Brother Witness Lee would be speaking. I said "who is that?" He said, a coworker of Watchman Nee. I knew of Watchman Nee. So at that conference I saw the Spirit poured out on the Body and the function of "each one has" that facilitated the building up. It became apparent to me that God chooses the weak, the imperfect, and the simple to accomplish the building of the Body. Old and young, rich and poor, university teachers and students, electricians and plumbers, different races, many people from all walks of human life came together and did what normally only pastors and teachers did. I also had a few minutes of fellowship with Brother Lee face to face and found him to be gracious, caring, and normal.
That was the last piece of the mosaic of the vision of the Body of Christ. At that point I was "turned and burned" . You know the phrase well I am certain. That was over 40 years ago and the vision has kept me ever since.
In summary, It was a 4 fold vision of the Body the Lord revealed to me in a variety of ways over a few years. First, through a minister I came to understand the Body is local and the need for unity in the Body in a city. Though a leader in a denomiation i knew there was something more. Second, the Body is universal and here I received a personal and intimate visitation from the Lord and from that saw the Body universal. Third, I experienced the Body Christ and care and shepherding in my daily life. Fourth, i saw the pouring out of the Spirit and realized the primary purpose was to bring in the function for building the Body and to defaet God's enemy. Only near the end of this last part did I met Brother Lee.
A vision of the Body local, universal, personal, and functional. By the time I began to read and listen to Brother Lee's ministry i needed no convincing. It just affirmed the vision that Lord had already revealed to me.
Thanks for listening.
Drake