The Old Way vs. the New Way

[Boxjobox]

I have a lot of considerations after having parted ways with the “Recovery” almost 35 years ago. Im sure most posters here have formulated opinions on the veracity of the whole local church thing. It all had a profound impact on my Christian life- coming to, existing in, and leaving the LC, which means it had a major impact on all aspects of my life. I was a Christian before coming to my first meeting back in 1976, and my life in Christ continued after I left. Since leaving, I examined at some point just about everything I learned or observed or practiced in the LC.

In my estimation, the need for the recovery of the church exists so much in modern Christianity. I find truism in the “poor, poor Christianity” quip. The more I interact with Christians and various groups, I just see a large black hole in matters relating the Church. Some try to have a semblance of a scriptural gathering, but most just seem like pastor driven entertainment events, or are so stuck in a form that has long lost a zeal for the real reasons for assembling. Much of this view I have is due to the beginning experiences I had when I first came to the LC. At that time there was an excitement both inward and outward for the gathering together, a real love for the Lord, for the scripture, for each other-something I had never seen in any Christian gathering upto that point. There was a “church life” which somewhat felt like something you would read in the book of Acts. I had been raised as a Catholic, came to Christ at 20, and longed for everything that I read in the scripture. I am not saying the meetings and fellowship when I first came to the LC was perfect, and often was actually a little nutty, but, the form matched what I read in scripture- the idea of meeting as the church, elders who cared for the church, gospel meetings, speaking and praying by the saints, eating together, speaking the things of Christ etc. all had potential to be a glorious growing habitation for God and man.

In looking back at that time, I can clearly see the gradual, and then increasing control of WL, which ruined the preciousness of that thing we called “recovery of the Church”. Books not LSM left the bookstore and library at the meeting hall. Sharing brothers became dependent on lining up with the teachings of WL, people were viewed by their faithfulness to speak LSM. It became increasingly apparent that just being a believer, meeting as the church, loving the Lord, caring for others, etc., was not enough- you had to have a sold out allegiance to WL and LSM.

The old way was gone and the New Way reigned. Everything was lined up with the New Way. But really, looking back, the New Way was really a way to expand and lock in the business of LSM- IT WAS A BUSINESS MOVE. There was no sure revenue flow if saints met in the old way. In the old way, saints met together under the care of the local overseers. Sharing came from the scripture, consideration of the needs of the saints, of the gospel, of meeting were local- just like one would find in the scripture. (I’m not naive to not recognize some influence of WL, actually, large influence by WL in my early days of meeting, but the way could have been there to really be a local assembly)

When I consider those early days, it seems the way would have been there to influence all Christianity, all Christians meeting in my city. It would have had a major impact that I believe would have changed modern Christianity for all future generations. God would be glorified, Christ would be lifted up, saints would have grown, the body would have grown, all the Christians would be blessed and the city and the non-believers would have benefited. I can’t imagine what the church in my city would be today. Instead, the New Way was instituted which really only profited LSM- it’s really about LSM, the light in my local church went out when The New Way came in. God lost, Christ was used for $$$, the saints including the young ones were merchants and merchandise for LSM, the Christians in my city lost out, the city and all the people lost what should have been an increasing, shining lamp stand.

It pains me to think about it. That early experience in the LC was not, as I said, by any means perfect, but it contained scriptural elements that had so much potential to grow and shine as the saints went on- meeting as the Church without another name, the priesthood of all the saints, the gospel, prayer meetings, fellowship, vision and discussion of Christ and the Church, fellowship with other saints, localities, songs that came, burdens for people and the Lord’s work, elders who had a view of the church. All this- the old way, the scriptural way, was thrown out for a New Way- the way of LSM.

I looked the other day at their IRS 990T for 2018 and their asset book value of $100.7 million- I guess their business model works for them. But the loss of all the golden precious things that were once growing in the LC’s-God’s loss, the saints loss, the city’s loss, the loss that could have been gold and silver and precious stones to every Christian— LSM gaining the world, but the Church, the saints loosing their soul- ITS NOT WORTH $100 million.

I don’t imagine that the newer, or younger ones in the LC have any memory of the old way; any way of considering from whence they have fallen. It’s a shame really. My prayer is that those who are older, who were around before the New Way would weep for Jerusalem, forsake this LSM business and return to the old way, the scriptural way.