[Ohio]

Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah

I have shared a number of testimonies on the Bereans website so I don’t want to bore anyone by repeating those. (I left the LC in 1997 after being in the LC for almost exactly 20 years.)

Instead, the Lord answered a prayer of mine today that I think might help many here. I know how confused I was when I left the LC. Were my experiences genuine or was I just deceived?

So the Lord asked me today, “how did you feel when you left the LC?” I felt terrible, like I had lost my one true love. “So why didn’t you fight?” I didn’t want to hurt anyone, I thought the church would be better off without me. “Now how do you feel when you learned of how the LC has been overrun with wolves? I felt sick. “You don’t want to gloat?” No, I feel sick, I should have done something. “That” He said, “is love. Your experience was genuine.”

Thank you for sharing this conversation with the Lord.

Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah

Thank you. I feel that the pride and arrogance led to the sectarianism. I didn't realize until recently how much this came from the LSM. Personally I have come to realize that the LC has embraced a ministry of condemnation instead of a ministry of reconciliation. It is like the word "ruthless". I have always enjoyed the fact that the Bible is not "ruthless".

If you look at that story it would have been easy to and Biblical to condemn Ruth. But Boaz looked at it differently. Everyone saw that Ruth was a Moabitess, Boaz saw that she was the widow of an Israelite. Everyone else was concerned about their own inheritance, Boaz was concerned about her inheritance.

To me that is the essence of the ministry of reconciliation.

Loved your little "Ruthless" comments about the Lord and His word.