Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
Brother Drake, we are not playing verse wars here or games with scripture.
People got hurt! The children of God were stumbled by a ministry!
Should you not rather take sides with the stumbled "least of My brothers," than take sides with ministry officials who may have millstones around their necks?
Have not the lessons of the Bible and history taught you anything?
|
Brother Ohio,
These are reasonable and worthy questions. Of course, people got hurt. Many were stumbled. Some in this forum. History is a valuable teacher. I am in tune. I get it.
However, there are significant collateral issues that you don’t see that I do. Not because I’m smarter and you’re dumber. I don’t believe that at all. Rather, it is vantage point. Some examples are:
1) You (the collective you), may have a legitimate objection but then you go too far. You cast off all restraint in your critique. Your passion runs amok. You feed on it and work into a frenzy. Soon the legitimate concern and objection has turned into slander of brothers and sisters without regard for their well being some potentially in danger of losing freedom or their very lives. A haughty spirit, a mocking spirit, dominates the discussions in tone and tenor. You have gone too far.
2) In that environment you (the collective you again) attack every thought that disagrees or presents a different point of view. There is no middle ground with you. Either I agree it is “RAPE” else I am defending the sleazy. Any objections on most topics will predictably and invariably lead to PL. How dare I believe the truth of the minister of the age, how ridiculous that I follow God’s anointing... why, don’t I understand that PL did those things right there in the ministry office? “Toss out the bath water, toss out the baby, and now toss out the bath tub, the bottles, and the cradle!” You have gone too far.
3) Yet, there is more runway.... you do not stop with attacking dissent you now attack the dissenter. It goes something like this:
Drake is a dissenter, cast the die, he knows better so he must be purposely deceiving us. Drake willingly defends every evil we cite, every wrongdoing, every mistake. How dare he stumble little ones. We are crusaders for truth and Drake is trying to cover it up. Either that or he is delusional. We have our theories too, we have worked through them a thousand times, we know how things really are, so who does Evangelical think he is showing us alternative views with all those quotes from theologians and Christian ministers? He too, is up to no good. They are LSM plants or else they are violating LSM rules. If so, they are afraid of getting caught by LSM because they would be punished. That’s why they won’t tell us where they live. Again, you go too far but we know what we signed up for in coming to this forum so all is forgiven without solicitation.
4) Which brings us to the described evil of all evils in this forum. LSM. I have recently presented the New Testament scriptural basis for the work of ministry in another thread. I have also stated that the Living Stream Ministry in its function and execution fulfills that role for the local churches on the earth today. I understand you don’t see it that way. Yet, I have personally benefitted from it in that way and so have tens of thousands of brothers and sisters in the local churches. My church life experience is not dependent on the misdeeds of PL. I am not distraught over the failed motor home business. I am delighted that there are serving ones on the earth today who give their lives to put words of life into my hands, who are willing to get on a plane and spend a weekend, a week, a month, or a year, to fellowship our wonderful Christ, who carry on a ministry that will build up the Body of Christ and may contribute to bringing the Lord back in our lifetime. If this ministry does not inspire you that way then find one that does and let your hearts to be big enough to allow the brothers and sisters in the local churches to pursue the Spirit’s leading in their lives. Your criticisms, though perhaps sometimes valid, go too far. If there is a chance of stumbling little ones it rests on your shoulders for those little ones still in the Lords Recovery and those who may be seeking a path to return.
Finally, you might think.. what about the failings, the mistakes, the misdeeds, the bad judgments of Brother Lee, his sons, the coworkers, the elders, etc. ....shouldn’t we broadcast and shout them from the rooftops? You’ve done that for over a decade and if you have done that under the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit then you will receive a great reward according to your works. Yet, if your many words and works are not under the direct leading of the Holy Spirit, you will not receive a reward, rather the One Who judges righteously will settle matter in that day. It is a fact, not a threat, and when brought into our understanding the BEMA of Christ will keep us from going too far.
As for me, I do not deny that there were many mistakes, misdeeds, faults, sins, etc. that have happened in the Lords Recovery. However, all the failures and shortcomings, were a test to the vision the Lord gave me. I do not follow a man, I follow the anointing. Perhaps, by sharing my experience I may supply just one little one, former or current member, to rebound from a stumble or prevent a stumble. I don’t know, the Lord knows.
Drake