How the Lord's Recovery, The Ministry, and The Local Churches Have Blessed

[HERn]

I think all but few of us former members have some positive things to say.

Being in The Lord's Recovery helped me renew my devotion to my Lord Jesus Christ.

[micah6v8]

For me, the Lord's Recovery had a strong commitment to progress in the Christian life. (E.g. encouraging to read the bible within one year and spending time with God in the morning).

(I don't care much for the Morning Revival book's teachings, but I do have my own equivalent of setting time in the morning to read God's word and pray)

[HERn]

I learned that all the members of Christ's body should function.

[OBW]

The only thing I can say is that it was a means to get out of a rut in which the blinders were on to see what they wanted us to see.

But it would seem that while I moved from an Arminian/Pentecostal group to a Calvinist group, I simply exchanged one set of blinders for another.

Would I have moved out of that original rut anyway? Possibly. I had recently become disenchanted with the scarcity of verses that actually supported the primary existence of the separate group (Pentecostalism).]

I have since become disenchanted with the complete lack of verses that actually supported the primary existence of the next group.

So . . . . was I blessed? Only clearly so when I had left both.

I know. I'm not really following the script for the thread. But sometimes I wonder if just because it happened it was a blessing, or just what God managed to do with it.

The Bible says he uses all things for our benefit. Doesn't say the things are for out benefit, or that he orchestrates them so that he can use them. Not saying he never does. But I am not sure that I buy the idea that just because I was ever there it was what God would have chosen. Just what he used. That is all the Bible really says about it.

And I am not sure that I can point to much that is really a "blessing" about ever being in the LRC.

Except meeting my wife. But that is still not something that I feel blessed about concerning the LCM. Just concerning my wife.

[Cal]

To me my LCM experience is like the guy in the song "A Boy Named Sue," the Johnny Cash song about the guy who seeks revenge on his father because he named him Sue, only to find out the dad named him Sue to make him tough.

The LCM was a dysfunctional and abusive dad. But I wouldn't be who I am without it. I don know who I would be without it. Would I be a better or worse version of myself? I don't know and may never know. I certainly wouldn't have posted 2800+ entries on this board.

In a way, honestly, I'm kind of proud of having been in the LCM. Because I know it put me in a unique class of individuals. It's like I know things other people don't. Not Lee's teachings so much anymore. But simply the hard truths about the dynamics of dysfunctional religious groups.

It's strange. It's like being a Viet Nam vet. Only other Viet Nam vets understand.

[HERn]

I learned that we believers in Christ are all priests before God.

[aron]

Originally Posted by OBW

But sometimes I wonder if just because it happened it was a blessing, or just what God managed to do with it. .

I agree with this, and therefore would modify the following statements of HERn:

Originally Posted by HERn

I learned that all the members of Christ's body should function.

I learned that all the members should function, but it wasn't until I got out that I was able to practice this. In the Lord's recovery movement (LRM), "function" meant standing in line after a conference or training, then walk up to the microphone and speak, or better yet shout (''exercise your spirit!") for two minutes from the written text, verbatim if possible, until someone hits a note on a piano. Etc, etc - "Function" in the LRM was typically so circumscribed as to be a parody of the word.

Originally Posted by HERn

Being in The Lord's Recovery helped me renew my devotion to my Lord Jesus Christ.

Being in the LRM helped me renew my devotion to my Lord Jesus Christ - I so loved the lines, "We love you, Lord Jesus!", and "I love the Lord!" - but it wasn't until I got out that I got to focus on the Lord Jesus, and not "God's Economy", "the Up-to-date Speaking", "the Processed Triune God", "the Ministry of the Age", "the Central Lane of God's Current Move", "God's Oracle", "One Trumpet" or any of these other "flavors" that were added.

We all remember that subjective word, don't we -- "Flavor"? Like whatever was done, if the Big Kahuna up front said it didn't have the Right Flavor, Kaput! Over! Finito! See ya, bye!

The only thing you got to love was what was being dispensed by some person who fancied themselves to be God's sole vector on planet Earth today. Gag, cough, gag . . . again, this becomes an insult to the word love. And it has nothing to do with the gospel.

These things in the LRM, all arguably good, were 'hooks' to get you to buy in, then they were suppressed or taken away. It's like falling in love with an abuser, and then pining for that first dinner date with the flowers and wine. Before the beatings and name-calling started.

This ministry has very much blessed my life. A lot of what I was involved in earlier was confused and didn't add up. But the ministry that is referred to as the Lord's recovery is very much that - "the Lord's recovery", not any man's. The point is - after a while we look at the men speaking, and not the Lord himself. When we see something wrong with the men, we think the ministry itself is wrong - when actually it is an aberration, or maybe even an error. May the Lord continue to have mercy on us.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

This ministry has very much blessed my life. A lot of what I was involved in earlier was confused and didn't add up. But the ministry that is referred to as the Lord's recovery is very much that - "the Lord's recovery", not any man's. The point is - after a while we look at the men speaking, and not the Lord himself. When we see something wrong with the men, we think the ministry itself is wrong - when actually it is an aberration, or maybe even an error. May the Lord continue to have mercy on us.

That's how I feel about the entire body of Christ. Witness Lee would constantly condemn them as poor, poor Christianity, but he was looking at them the wrong way.

As you have said, The point is - after a while we look at the men speaking, and not the Lord himself. Don't try to eat bones and feathers, eat the Lord! Don't think there is some problem with the ministry itself, because these things are all aberrations.

Thanks for sharing!

[aron]

Originally Posted by Ohio

That's how I feel about the entire body of Christ. Witness Lee would constantly condemn them as poor, poor Christianity, but he was looking at them the wrong way.

Yes, exactly - "Oh the riches Christ my Saviour has for me". The problem is not that Christianity is poor, but that Lee convinced us to stop seeking. Jesus said, "Seek and you will find" but Lee said that there was nothing there. Guess what - Lee was wrong, Jesus was right.

There is a lot of dreck in Christianity. But if you have patience, and seek, you'll be rewarded greatly. Don't give up the search. Teaching, fellowship, great music, edification and encouragement, enlightenment, are all available in the flock. But if you despise it as vain, and ignore it, spending your free time pooh-poohing it, guess what you'll get? Nothing. You'll spend the rest of your life with brother EM eating leftovers. Enjoy.

[aron]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

after a while we look at the men speaking, and not the Lord himself. When we see something wrong with the men, we think the ministry itself is wrong -

Paul advised us to look at the one delivering the message. If they didn't live what they taught, reject them.