Quote:
Originally Posted by Steel
And even more importantly... I take everything before the Lord (or at least try my best to).
For me, and my wife... And I speak only for me and my wife... This ministry has been some of the most helpful we have ever received.
In this I have no doubt.
And I share it without hesitation.
But I also know... And know this because of the ministry and my own experience... I also know that the ministry is just ink on paper... And because you read it, and even hold to it in a natural way... This does not mean that the reality it reveals is received, abided in, and lived out by the person reading/holding to it.
It's one thing to be hearers... Quite another to be doers of what we've heard.
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Brother Steel, thanks for sharing your heartfelt testimony. I appreciate that. As one who also was led by the Lord to the LC as an answer to prayer, I surely understand what you have written.
Let me also speak as one who actively served in the LC's for 30 years until I was forced by LSM to decide whether I was "of Witness Lee" or if I was "of Titus Chu." Of course they didn't actually say that, rather proponents of both sides challenged me to "stand for the truth." But the truth is that I should not have to choose sides in the first place. What happened to the "ground of locality" for my churchlife?
I love the Lord, I love His word, and I love His people. This love was given to me the day I received my Savior. The LC's were special because each member was given the encouragement to speak for the Lord in the meetings. Slowly over time, however, that liberty became not an opportunity to speak for the Lord but for the teachings from LSM. Because of this division, the Lord led me out of the LC to find Him elsewhere.
Let me share two of the many verses the Lord used to help me depart. First was Acts 20.30 where Paul warned the brothers with tears that "
from yourselves men would rise up speaking perverted things to draw the disciples after themselves." This is what happened over time. Initially WL was
a respected minister, but over time he was exalted as the Minister of the Age, today's Paul, the acting God, etc. and LSM became dominant over all the LC's. "Local" was gone, only to be replaced by oppressive workers at a dominant headquarters. Since you are new, you will not learn this for some time.
Secondly, Jesus told the disciples to "
Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees." Initially, we in the LC's actively sought out the "pure word of God" for guidance. Christ was all and in all, and His word was our sole source of instruction. Slowly over time, however, all the "extras" came in from LSM. These are the "leaven" that the Lord warned us of. Soon we learned that the pure word was not sufficient, but we needed Lee's "interpreted word," the Life-Studies. Then WL boasted that we would become "god" in life and nature, yet the Bible was silent on this. His steady drumbeat of condemnation on all of Christianity sowed seeds of pride and arrogance into his followers. Today it's hard to find a message of his which does not criticize others. This is the same pride which produced Laodicea in Rev. 3.
I admonish you to be careful, and never forget your practice to "
take everything before the Lord." God bless you on your journey! "
And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with those who are sanctified." (Acts 20.32)