Originally Posted by NeitherFirstnorLast
Lord Jesus.
Last week I drove eight hours north east and visited with the dear brother who first introduced me to LSM. The brother who had always made time for me, cared for me and my family, prayed for us and with us, and who has been as much family to me or more than many blood relatives. He has heard that I have been "struggling with the ministry", and knows that I have been hear - speaking to the ones who left. As you all know, this is taboo - absolutely forbidden - and of course, he had genuine concern.
This brother grew up in the Recovery.... to him, this is THE Church. There is nothing here that is not good for consumption, and there is nothing worth regarding outside of it... "too much leaven in Christianity", he'd always say. Lord Jesus.
He never mentioned anything about what I was doing online while I was there, but I know the saints I've been meeting with here have discussed it with him. They've come to believe that I've been corrupted... "You have to be careful where you draw your water from!" I've been warned.
I left this brother's house the next day, and on the return trip he decided to pry a little - so he texted me and asked why I had been so quiet... why I seemed somewhat distant. I prayed about answering that.
You see, for two and half years I've struggled with the ministry. So much of what I read of Nee I enjoy - but I see no similarity between Lee and Nee, honestly. In Nee I see humility - a genuine Christian man on a genuine walk with God... but not so with Lee. ...Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5... Only if we humble ourselves before the Lord, will He lift us up in joy and honor (James 4:10)
In any case, I came before the Lord in prayer - and felt lead that it was time. I read that night the story in 1 Kings 13, and saw what the Lord was saying. It was time. I was to eat and drink no more in this land, and go back another way. So be it, Lord.
I wrote to the brother a simple, brief letter of repentance. I had to go to work, and didn't have time to do more than confess there were a lot of things very wrong - and that I hadn't been faithful to follow the leading of the Spirit. I had become a hypocrite and I needed to repent of that. I promised to write him in detail on the Saturday, and I asked him not to respond yet to my brief letter....
He texted me back, and I will quote this dear brother because I found his texted response absolutely prophetic of the Lord's own speaking - although I think this brother would not see it so; he wrote:
"If we do not say that we have this power, we rebel against the word of our Father. Our Father cannot lie; whatever He says is true. Hence, we must take His Word and believe it.
Forget your feelings, your condition, and your situation. Do not say that a certain difficult situation cannot be put under your feet. The truth is that we are far above all and that the divine power has subjected all things, including every difficult situation, under our feet. Do not be distracted by your environment, and do not believe your situation. Forget everything and simply take the word, believe the word, and declare the word."
Amen.
I took the Word, I believed the Word, and I declared the Word. I spoke the Truth in Love.
On Saturday night I spent hours wrestling with God - and He touched me and I had no hope of success... but I hung on until He blessed me. I wrote my brother as the Spirit lead - and confessed all. I won't go into it here - believe me brothers and sisters when I tell you that I plead with him to see certain things - reminding him of things he himself says he believes that the actions and traditions of LSM so clearly demonstrate against. I told him that I do not reject the Church Life as it is written by Nee... but that we are not practicing the Church Life. We have become a division, a sect with even higher walls than any denomination ever built. Walls that not only keep other members of the Body out, but also walls that keep us in - and prevent us from moving forth as the Body to serve the Lord and fulfill His Father's Will. I spoke to him of the testimony of our own functioning - the lack of growth, the loss of the blessings, the turmoils and the mistreatment of the brothers and sisters who have left - how we have been told to utterly reject them; but they are still Saved Children of God for whom Christ Himself suffered on the Cross. Held in His hands, He promised that nothing would ever snatch them away... and yet we cast them aside and call them "evil tailed ones"... Where is the love of Christ in our hearts for them? We don't have it.... Where is the fruit of the Spirit? How can we say we are abiding in Him and He in us if the fruit isn't here?
Lord Jesus. I told him that I would not reject the Church Life - but I would seek it. I would live it. I would fellowship as we were meant to - receiving all believers in Christ and submitting myself to Him who made me; that His will might be done. Lord Jesus! I told him I had had a wonderful fellowship the day before when we (my family and I) went to go and see a horse. The people we met with there were genuine believers, and we shared our testimony with them - we ate with them and enjoyed with them... and that Lord's Day we went to enjoy Christ with them. We went to a church building on a farm in the country... Three Hills, Alberta. It's a small place, saints. There were maybe all of 40 or us there; 41 with the Lord. He was there too. You could FEEL Him.
The Saints who came were from all walks of life. There were spanish folks, asian folks, and caucasians. Who would have thought, outside of LSM? There was no Pastor, but many who came up to speak... and the message was perfect; it was about Grace... about the fallacy of Anemic Grace and the lie of a Grace for Liberty. It was about the true meaning of Christ's all sufficient atoning work - and the work to which we are now called. Not to sit and sing and learn but to stand, proclaim, and minister Christ to all! If we are all a nation of Priests, then do we imagine that Priests simply sit and here what other brothers have to say? No. They received the Word with all humility, and prayed fervently on their knees before God for His ministration - so that they might comfort others with the comfort with which they themselves were then comforted.
I found a miracle in that place to which the Lord lead me; because amongst the brothers and sisters there a man presented himself to me: His name was David, and he came from China more than thirty years ago. He met the Lord in the Little Flock.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the Sound! Here in the middle of nowhere I meet a man who has been sent out by the Lord as a missionary... a man who left the Little Flock more than thirty years ago (and was condemned for it), but who followed the Lord to preach His Word. He has travelled all over the World, and he is here only until June before he must leave again. This man is well read of Nee, of Darby, of Stephen Kaung, and others of whom I haven't heard. He didn't know much of anything about Lee, and nothing at all about LSM.. but that's not the point: the point is this Brother followed the Leading of the Spirit. He was sent out, and he went - in spite of the condemnation.
Brothers and sisters, no where in Revelation does Christ call His overcomers from one of the seven churches into another. He doesn't seek for them to abolish their buildings and to meet together in a single place. The Lord has placed each member of His Body where He will - for His purpose; and the overcomers are those who know His voice and who Obey His voice, and do as He leads - wherever that might be.
There is One Body, One Bride of Christ - but He hasn't revealed her yet. He will gather them on the day that He appears - and no sooner. Saints, if you want to see Him sooner, live Him sooner. Let Him live through you... and do not expect that it will be easy. The World hated Him, and the servant is not greater than the Master.
It has been five days now, and I have not heard a word from my brother. The silence is deafening. Lord Jesus, I have Your peace - but I want to ask for Your peace for my brother. Lord Jesus, give him ears to hear, Lord. Let him hear Your voice.
PS: I wanted to title this post "Leper, Outcast, Unclean". If you're familiar with it, this is the mantra recited by Stephen R. Donaldson's character Thomas Covenant in a fantasy series I enjoyed very much as a child. Sometimes saints, we are treated as Lepers for declaring the Word of the Lord... but do not be dismayed. Christ ministered to the lepers. When they asked it of Him, he healed them... and sent them to the priests to testify concerning Himself.
Preach the Word Saints, and listen for His voice. Jesus Christ is still my Lord, and always will be.
Amen
|