[countmeworthy]

[QUOTE=Ohio;8028]

WN's Orthodoxy of the Church is still a great book, but let's not doubt for a minute that it elevated the Recovery above the status of the early, apostolic church.

The reason many of us thought (& I agree that it is) a great book, is because few church teachers/preachers examine the 7 lampstands/churches in Revelation.

However, if you google the 7 churches of Revelation, there is a LOT of info on them that did not come from Nee & Lee. Clarence Larkin also examins the churches in great detail exposing the Roman church but not in the same 'light' that Lee did.

As you pointed out Ohio, Lee, imho, ( more than Nee ) elevated the Recovery. THAT IN PART, is causing the LC to come crashing down like Humpty Dumpty who sat on the wall. He had a great fall and all the kings soldiers and all the kings men could not put Humpty Dumpty together again. There are other factors that is bringing down the LC.

They may be Ephesus, which was pretty good, but WE were Philadelphia. They had lost their first love, but the Lord had nothing but praise for us. We had "subsumed" every positive characteristic of God's economy throughout all of church history. We had reached the pinnacle. We were the bride of Christ. We would bring the Lord back. He had waited for 2,000 years and now He finally had us!

Yes. We fell for it hook, line and sinker. But you know what's even sadder to me ? Lee's teaching has caused many of the former LCrs to just accept the notion 'someday' Christ will return. Se la Vi. While I was HOOKED with HOPE in CHRIST, He was/is Returning, I don't think I ever saw it as He was coming for the 'Lord's Recovery' alone. If that had been the case, I would have stayed in the LC much, much longer than merely 4-5 yrs. But I saw the LC crumbling with Lee at the helm. Had it been Christ at the Helm with HIS Holy Spirit enlightening us every step of the way, things may have been different. Nevertheless, needless to say, I still BELIEVE more than ever that the soon return of Jesus Christ as KING of kings and LORD of lords is imminent. And while I look with great anticipation for His return, I am also living very practically as if it could be years from now.

Perhaps it was this continual diet of interpretive hyperbole which facilitated our rapid demise. We were the best. We had ditched those 'degraded" denominations. Now we just need some "solid" scriptural teachings to "prove it." How about "one church, one city?" How about being "recovered" as "god-men" by the one and only one "minister of the age," who is now our "Oracle," the current "acting God?" How about all church history proving that we were prophesied by Philadelphia. John "saw us" from the isle of Patmos. There we were -- a golden, shining lampstand.

Again, the focus became US 'the Lord's Recovery' INSTEAD of the entire church. Imagine what a difference we could have made if all we did was reach out to our brethren with love and the Anointing of Christ in us..the HOPE of Glory...without strings attached..and without the spirit of 'PRIDE' thaat we were the 'best'...without the adulation of Lee and his life studies and the RcV. And imagine ALL that we could have learned from our brothers & sisters outside the LC who God was/is using mightily too.
Aww..Utiopia right ? YES I KNOW...I'm quite the idealistic, eternal optimistic person. So stone me.

I recently heard someone outside the LC, who has never been in it say something like this: 'most of the church are like TV sets receiving the signal from the Television Stations. Few are Television Stations.' I thought of us because we WERE like TV stations for we had soo much of the Word of God in us. We spoke the Word to one another and we didn't go through any specialized training to bring people to Jesus. (At least that was my experience in the mid 70s). We are the type of people God could use mightily to teach others the Word of God, to encourage them in Christ...without strings attached. Please don't misunderstand or think I am 'elevating' US whatsoever. I'm not but I know by reading the posts, we are not lightweights. It doesn't mean we are heavyweights either. It doesn't mean we don't learn from our brothers & sisters outside the Recovery parameter.

I've made my rounds among the various churches: Baptists, Lutherns, Pentecostals, Charasmetics, Word of Faith, home groups and of course the RCC. I've talked to Mormons and JWs...and plenty of non believers. I've learned alot from them...but mainly learned to tune in to God the Holy Spirit, the Voice of God THROUGH the WORD of GOD living and operating in me as I mediate and pray it.

Some of these teachings were "somewhat" in the Bible weren't they? After hearing them repeatedly, and teaching them to others, we all got convinced that the whole message was in the scripture. Were we not built on the solid Rock? Didn't every point of WL pass thru the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? That's what I was told, and I believed it all. I liked being special to God, and if there's only a few thousand of us around, that makes me all the more special. Right?

We all hear you loud and clear Ohio. For me, this is why I don't throw away the Word of God I received in my short tenure. You too were and are still very special to your Creator ! You are blessed to be a king and priest unto the most High God says Revelation 1:6 and Revelation 5:10. You were chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy, pleasing to Him without blame in love Ephesians 1:4. You were and are blessed with all blessings in spiritual places too. But you know what we were not taught by Lee to my knowledge ? What Jesus Himself gave us the power to do?
the authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Are we not disciples as the original 12 were?

Much of the charasmatic, Word of Faith people are into signs & wonders & healings. While we did 'bind and loose' in the prayer meetings, we never studied Matthew 10:1 and scriptures like it. We didn't have the true balance of the Word of God. Perhaps no 'church' does but we can pray that we DO ALL to the GLORY of GOD: cast out demons, heal the sick, evangelize, teach the Word of God, build up the body of Christ, pray without ceasing pray. Laugh, Sing, make Melody in our hearts, fill the earth with the Glory of God through our Love for Him & He for us, with our praises and Joy of the Lord in the midst of our trials, tribulations and tests.

Beware of the leaven of the LSM.

"Amen".