How do I know if I found the one true church?

[leastofthese]

1. Make sure this church is located in a city and has created a 501c3 organization that follows the naming scheme “The Church in (insert city name)”. Does it follow a different naming scheme? – NOT the one true church.
2. Make sure that this church is affiliated with the Living Stream Ministry, Witness Lee, and the blended brothers. Vague awareness of the LSM or an informal relationship to the LSM is unacceptable and that church would NOT be considered the one true church.
3. Propagating LSM literature within and outside the church is a must. Morning revival, Recovery version bibles, LSM hymnal, Witness Lee books MUST be sold on site. Only exception to the rule – Watchman Nee literature may also be sold.
4. Members will only read from LSM material. If a member ventures away from pre-approved reading, that person must be shamed and made to feel like they failed the Church and their God. Furthermore, if a member does not keep a library of at least 10 pre-approved books – they must be shamed accordingly. The more books you own the better. All e-books purchased must be accompanied by the corresponding paper or hardback purchase.
5. Each member will attend at least 3 meetings per week. Including 2 meetings on the Lord’s day.
6. Members will never use the word “Sunday”.
7. Members will never admit, under any circumstances, that their church is a denomination. Denominations are bad and cannot be part of the one true church.
8. Slandering other Christ followers and making self-righteous accusations must happen anytime two or more gather.
9. You will sense a spirit of confusion. Members must lead one another to ignore these feelings. When in doubt, quote the morning revival, Witness Lee, or at the very least say something “spiritual”.
10. Members learn the lingo – and repeat it often. The more cliché statements the better. When in doubt always default to “O Lord Jesus”
11. Members hold one another accountable for approving of any and all statements that follow the LSM doctrine. The use of “Amen” is the most appropriate response.
12. Members will overuse and accidentally misuse “Amen”. Disregard immediately, they were likely in their flesh.
13. All members must keep a superficial, surface level relationship with one another. This keeps things simple and neat. No mess.
14. Members must attend at least one “training” per year, preferably in Anaheim. Showing slight disapproval for those who do not attend is appropriate.
15. Members will learn and live the dress code.
16. It is highly preferred that you begin to speak using the same cadence and tonality as the other members. This is NOT a requirement, but is directly correlated to your standing before the Lord.


What else did I miss?

[OBW]

If I didn't have family members still in the group, including an elder in one city, I would double up laughing.

But I'm sure you missed some. Such as:

Always refer to the members as the "saints." if challenged by someone that it seems you are referring only to your own members and not other Christians, admit that it is a error of habit, then ignore them and continue on.

[Ohio]

All members must regularly pray in the approved 6.7.6.7 meter.

[Evangelical]

Originally Posted by leastofthese

1. Make sure this church is located in a city and has created a 501c3 organization that follows the naming scheme “The Church in (insert city name)”. Does it follow a different naming scheme? – NOT the one true church.
2. Make sure that this church is affiliated with the Living Stream Ministry, Witness Lee, and the blended brothers. Vague awareness of the LSM or an informal relationship to the LSM is unacceptable and that church would NOT be considered the one true church.
3. Propagating LSM literature within and outside the church is a must. Morning revival, Recovery version bibles, LSM hymnal, Witness Lee books MUST be sold on site. Only exception to the rule – Watchman Nee literature may also be sold.
4. Members will only read from LSM material. If a member ventures away from pre-approved reading, that person must be shamed and made to feel like they failed the Church and their God. Furthermore, if a member does not keep a library of at least 10 pre-approved books – they must be shamed accordingly. The more books you own the better. All e-books purchased must be accompanied by the corresponding paper or hardback purchase.
5. Each member will attend at least 3 meetings per week. Including 2 meetings on the Lord’s day.
6. Members will never use the word “Sunday”.
7. Members will never admit, under any circumstances, that their church is a denomination. Denominations are bad and cannot be part of the one true church.
8. Slandering other Christ followers and making self-righteous accusations must happen anytime two or more gather.
9. You will sense a spirit of confusion. Members must lead one another to ignore these feelings. When in doubt, quote the morning revival, Witness Lee, or at the very least say something “spiritual”.
10. Members learn the lingo – and repeat it often. The more cliché statements the better. When in doubt always default to “O Lord Jesus”
11. Members hold one another accountable for approving of any and all statements that follow the LSM doctrine. The use of “Amen” is the most appropriate response.
12. Members will overuse and accidentally misuse “Amen”. Disregard immediately, they were likely in their flesh.
13. All members must keep a superficial, surface level relationship with one another. This keeps things simple and neat. No mess.
14. Members must attend at least one “training” per year, preferably in Anaheim. Showing slight disapproval for those who do not attend is appropriate.
15. Members will learn and live the dress code.
16. It is highly preferred that you begin to speak using the same cadence and tonality as the other members. This is NOT a requirement, but is directly correlated to your standing before the Lord.


What else did I miss?

This list contains many nonfactual and misleading statements that indicates to me you aren't a member of the local churches.

“The Church in (insert city name)”. is not correct. it is "the church in <city name>", as a description, not a name. To give an example, the "family of Evan" is not a name, but what my family is. We do not call ourselves the "Family of Evan".


Point 4 is not correct. No one is shamed for not having more than 10 books, and we do not require a person to buy a hard cover book if they purchase the e-book. Many make no purchases at all, just use freely available material.

Point 5 also not correct. There is no requirement to attend a number of meetings each week. Two meetings on the Lord's Day is a 1 hour Lord's Table followed by 1 hour prophesying meeting and they are both considered as if they are one meeting - one follows the other. That is 2 hours total and many denominations have a 2 hour service on a Sunday.

Point 6. I use the word Sunday and am a member, so that disproves that one. You must have us confused with Seventh Day Adventists.

Point 8. There is no requirement to make accusations or slander. It rarely happens in my experience because we focus on the Morning Revivals which are predominantly about high peak revelation

Point 11 - Amen is the standard word used for agreement in Christianity, dating back centuries.

Point 12 - Deuteronomy 27 contains many Amens.

Point 13 - what you call superficiality is possibly we are trying to avoid gossip. Most denominations undertake gossip sessions after the service.
To have a private meeting with someone we'd normally go to a quiet place eg a spare room to talk in depth.

Point 14 - there is no requirement to attend trainings it is only encouraged. Some people are discouraged from attending the trainings if the elder feels they are not ready for it.

Point 15 - there is no dress code, even for breaking and distributing the bread and wine. In some denominations, a priest can get fired for distributing the bread and wine while not wearing their clerical dress.

[Freedom]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

This list contains many nonfactual and misleading statements that indicates to me you aren't a member of the local churches.

Do you not see the irony in the various claims the LCM makes? What they practice is what serves to prove that they are nothing special.

There are various teachings that are enticing to people who are part of the LCM. We could spend all day discussing those teachings, but at the end of the day none of those things are relevant to the vast majority of Christians. Nothing that the LC teaches or practices helps people to grow as Christians or bring other people to Jesus. It just teaches LC members how to be prideful about their supposed ‘standing’ as the church and gloat over the notion that they are ‘recovered’ when everyone else isn't.

Every wonder why a group which purports to be something so significant remains so stagnant, insignificant and unknown? It’s not because of ‘opposition’. It’s because what they practice does not compliment any of their claims. Outsiders do see that. Actions speak louder than words.

[Drake]

Least of these,

What a silly straw man list.

Drake

[Koinonia]

Least of these,

This is gold, thank you. You wrote everything that I wanted to express--but did not have the patience to--about the real distinctive of the "church in the locality."

[Evangelical]

Originally Posted by Freedom

Do you not see the irony in the various claims the LCM makes? What they practice is what serves to prove that they are nothing special.

Most of the things leastofthese posted are not "various claims the LCM makes".

For example, we never claim that it is a requirement to make accusation or slander. That itself is a slanderous and accusatory statement.

Originally Posted by Freedom

There are various teachings that are enticing to people who are part of the LCM. We could spend all day discussing those teachings, but at the end of the day none of those things are relevant to the vast majority of Christians.

You tell me, does the bible say that things will get better or worse in the end times? The majority of things will be worse, and the majority of Christians will be characterized by this:

2 Tim 3:5 " Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

So side with the majority of Christians if you like, but I think the bible shows it is the minority who actually follow Christ.

Originally Posted by Freedom

Nothing that the LC teaches or practices helps people to grow as Christians or bring other people to Jesus.

Given that spiritual growth is God's work, I cannot see how you can presume to make such a statement.

Originally Posted by Freedom

It just teaches LC members how to be prideful about their supposed ‘standing’ as the church and gloat over the notion that they are ‘recovered’ when everyone else isn't.

There's no need to be jealous.

Originally Posted by Freedom

Every wonder why a group which purports to be something so significant remains so stagnant, insignificant and unknown? It’s not because of ‘opposition’. It’s because what they practice does not compliment any of their claims. Outsiders do see that. Actions speak louder than words.

You are looking at the outward things.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

You are looking at the outward things.

That is so funny.

Hypocrisy defined is the outward behavior doesn't match the inward.

The irony of it all is that Lee and the Blendeds (remember X-Ray Graver) always claimed to see and to know the evil in others' hearts when their actual outward conduct was upright.

[Freedom]

Originally Posted by Evangelical

Most of the things leastofthese posted are not "various claims the LCM makes".

For example, we never claim that it is a requirement to make accusation or slander. That itself is a slanderous and accusatory statement.

I can think of numerous instances where I heard slander directed towards other Christians, and most of the people speaking such things had never been part of any other Christian group. So if they were to make some generalization about other Christians, how would they even know if were true or not?

The fact is they had no idea and were just repeating WL's slander. WL is on the record saying things such as "Christendom has become an organ of Satan." How is that not slanderous? How is calling Christianity 'degraded' not slanderous?

[OGOP]

leastofthese That list had me actually laughing out loud hahah.

I could identify with every single one of them, WELL DONE!