Should I Quit Reading LSM Publications?

[JorgeP]

Originally Posted by JorgeP

Fraternal greetings. Paul rightly made it clear to us that we put everything to the test and hold on to what is good (1 Thes. 5:23). Thanks to the biblical teaching of exercising the spirit, (without stop my humanity, but still using it) I have been able to advance on a personal level in the discernment of spiritual things and the things of the human life. Although I hardly read the recovery materials now, when I can I want to read all the notes of the recovery version to test them and retain the good. All ministries have strengths and weaknesses, and it is necessary to learn to filter and discern. Being active in the church life in this ministry, through my personal fellowship, I was able to discern many things that were wrong, thank to abundant personal reading of the literal written Word.

Now I am investigating the ministry of the brothers of Onebody life, directed by Henry Hon and it can be seen that the good that the brothers received as a legacy of the recovery ministry, they are knowing how to combine with their new ministerial endeavor, since they are brothers who lasted many years in the recovery movement. It may help if you continue researching the recovery material to take the comments as what they are "comments" and not take them for granted as truth simply because they are in the footnote in the recovery Bible. In fact, the recovery version is a excellent translation, and I continue reading it as well as others that I read before other versions.

Now that I have a more mature multi-ministerial vision, I continue to learn to see ministerial strengths and weaknesses and I take what I consider good and what I consider bad I reject. We cannot say that everything in this ministry is bad or that everything is good. This is why it is necessary to learn to be flexible when it comes to investigating secondary topics, and regarding the main topic, we must all be clear and be radical in maintaining our common faith, which is basically that we believe that Jesus is the only true God and only Him and no one else. The rest can be debated everything else, having empathy and brotherly love with points of view and perspectives different from ours.

Greetings brothers, blessings, when I quoted the verse I made a mistake placing 1 Thes. 5:23 and I was referring to 1 Thes. 5:21. I want to take advantage of the opportunity to encourage you to persevere in reading, research and in the exercise of discerning things, retaining the good and discarding the bad. Although this forum is primarily about discussing the recovery movement, I believe that the gospel is intended to unite and not divide the Body of Christ.

This is why secondary topics that are not directly the person and work of Jesus can be freely debated but should not divide us, since unity is only in the person and work of Jesus. When we seek communion with other believers, let us persevere in the only communion we have in common, which is in the person and work of Jesus. One of the things that I now realize is that all ministry, preaching, service and Christian work must have as its goal unifying believers and not dividing them, even the debate of secondary issues should not have as its objective to divide us but rather to seek the truth in terms of topics that are not so clear.

How beneficial it is to allow the Lord to shape our attitude and perspective to see that the gospel really unites believers and does not divide them. Let us be more prudent when debating so that the effect is positive in persevering in unity and not encourage more division than there is.

I’m curious if Lords Recovery used racial and prejudice excuses why people refuse to follow their beliefs? I haven’t heard that before, but it must be a new low of how they defend their cultish behavior and practices. It’s in the article below.

https://shepherdingwords.com/why-we-...d-witness-lee/

It’s all about $$$$$$$$!

I found it interesting looking and reading over the LSMs mission statement on their tax filling that their purpose of existence is:

-“1 Briefly describe the organization’s mission: TO PROMOTE THE ENLIGHTENMENT AND REVELATION REGARDING THE BIBLE AS INTERPRETED BY THE TEACHINGS OF WATCHMAN NEE AND WITNESS LEE, AND TO PREPARE, SELECT AND DISTRIBUTE INFORMATION OF ALL KINDS WHICH MAY BE USEFUL FOR THE GROWTH OF SPIRITIAL LIFE AMONG CHRISTIANS.”

So much for preaching the gospel. They rather promote blind men and sell books! Over 100 million worth of them.

https://projects.propublica.org/nonp...9300223/IRS990

PS.
I wanted to see how much money did all “Lord’s Recovery” organizations, churches, non profits benefited from covid money during the past 3-4 years. If someone has that info, please post the links.

[Ex-LC-Rosemead]

I think their tax info says it all, thank you for the link. I was not only amazed but shocked at that information. I downloaded it so that the information would not be lost in case your link is broken or lost due to time.

Hi everyone, thank you so much for sharing, and I sympathise with your disillusionment and the polarisation that religious denominations have caused to our understanding of and relationship with God. Surely, we are all imperfect creations by God to be saved by Him.

For this matter, I do not find this community actually helpful, because the users here are playing LC and non-LCs against each other, when we are all rightfully and solely followers of God (and should we say, through Christ we know, experience, and exhibit God). We should never forget that, no matter from where, who, or what we obtain the knowledge, wisdom, and revelation of God, we are all followers of God to be judged by Him alone, not by any of us.

We must recognise that our relationship with God is fundamentally personal, so that when we enter into fellowship among the humankind, we do not take charge at others for their false beliefs and pretensions but to reflect upon our fellowship and continually refine our faith amid this treacherous and sinful journey we call 'human life' while on the way to His kingdom. In this regard, personally, I am open to all sorts of ideas and claims to being the 'word' of God. I want to debate, reflect, compare, and continually assess my faith towards God.

To this end, I am open to learning about and expose myself to the various interpretations, revelations, and translations of the 'word' of God. I must confess I am recently exposed to the Lord's Recovery, LSM, the Life Study, and things related to Witness Lee. I care not about his history or background because all is irrelevant in front of God and as a student of God.

I have looked through most of the user's comments and am particularly struck by ThankfulForever777's comment about the false teachings of Witness Lee and his translated bible:

"These teachings include concepts like man becoming God, the idea of "dispensing and mingling," God's economy, the practice of excising our spirits and getting out of our minds, the subjective feelings of life and death, the so-called "ground of the church," overcomers and 1000 year punishment in the outer darkness, the belief that Christ became the life-giving Spirit to enter the human spirit, and practices like pray-reading and calling on the name of the Lord, to name just a few. Their loaded language and invented complex terminology is harmful too. Instead of bringing freedom from sin or making me more like Christ, these teachings instilled fear, guilt, confusion, spiritual pride, and a distorted understanding of God and His will."

Can any of you, please, tell me what is wrong with the teachings here? Are there different interpretations? Particularly, are these things ("the belief that Christ became the life-giving Spirit to enter the human spirit"; "practices like pray-reading and calling on the name of the Lord, to name just a few"). Are they not quoted and mentioned in the bible (and in which bible)? If they are indeed mentioned in the bible, then can you please explain how are the quotes misused by authors to misled individuals into believing in the concept of the Triune God? I am not convinced that anything ThankfulForever777 raises here is actually harmful. Are these inventions from Witness Lee himself? If it's invention, can one be judged wrong if one has a revelation? And who is to judge whether one's revelation is faithful to God other than God Himself?

Could a fellow believer of God please help clarify? I am new and want to learn about and reflect on the various ideas in the journey to His kingdom.

[Nell]

Originally Posted by UnregisteredPurity

Hi everyone, thank you so much for sharing, and I sympathise with your disillusionment and the polarisation that religious denominations have caused to our understanding of and relationship with God. Surely, we are all imperfect creations by God to be saved by Him.

For this matter, I do not find this community actually helpful, because the users here are playing LC and non-LCs against each other, when we are all rightfully and solely followers of God (and should we say, through Christ we know, experience, and exhibit God). We should never forget that, no matter from where, who, or what we obtain the knowledge, wisdom, and revelation of God, we are all followers of God to be judged by Him alone, not by any of us.

Yet here you are, passing judgment on us, regarding matters that you admittedly know little to nothing about.
...

Could a fellow believer of God please help clarify? I am new and want to learn about and reflect on the various ideas in the journey to His kingdom.

Perhaps this should have been your opening statement, instead of your last.

If you truly desire clarification, there is but one way to the Kingdom of God. That is, through God Himself. The teachings of men are just that...man made interpretations of the Bible. You might start out by reading the gospel of Matthew. Don't skip the genealogy. Look at the names of those lives who preceded Jesus. This is how the Kingdom of God came about.

Otherwise, it seems that you are yet another new guy who has already made up your mind, come onto this forum to lecture those of us who have had our hearts and souls ripped to pieces, lives and families destroyed, due to trying to follow the teachings and practices of Witness Lee's Local Church. Note that I included "practices" and "teachings" of Witness Lee and his Local Church.

My suggestion is this. Since you know enough to lecture us about Lee's teachings, make a committment to find out for yourself what the LC practices are like and join up with a Local Church yourself. Take your questions there. Ask them to explain their teachings vs. practices to you, with verses. Experience being shunned and ostracized yourself when you ask questions or ask for explanations of what they're teaching.

The Local Church cares more about Lee's teachings than those of us who tried to live the Christian life following Lee. Every new guy should keep this in mind.

Check out the topic on this forum "Writings of Former Members" to get a first hand account of the fruits of Witness Lee's "ministry." After all, ministers are known by their fruit...not by their teachings.

Start here.

Nell
Admin/Moderator

This is a first for me....recommending that someone join the Local Church.

[bearbear]

Originally Posted by UnregisteredPurity

Can any of you, please, tell me what is wrong with the teachings here? Are there different interpretations? Particularly, are these things ("the belief that Christ became the life-giving Spirit to enter the human spirit";

Here's a counter point to this doctrine from Jane Anderson: https://lemonstograpes.com/forums/to...-as-a-heretic/

Romans 8:11
"But if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you"

Romans 8:11 describes a Spirit that raised Christ from the dead and dwells in believers, giving life to their mortal bodies.
This verse implies that the Spirit existed before Christ’s resurrection is the same Spirit that raised Christ and now dwells in us.

"practices like pray-reading and calling on the name of the Lord, to name just a few").

"And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words."
Matthew 6:7

The practice of calling on the Lord repetitively as the way it is practiced in the LC is the opposite of how Jesus taught us to pray.

Calling on the Lord is more than saying the words repetitively, it issues forth from a heart which seeks God for salvation and results in repentance and turning away from wickedness to the Lord.

Isaiah 55:6-7
"Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

Psalm 145:18-19
"The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them."

2 Timothy 2:22
"So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."

In fact Jesus disowns people who call him Lord but do not repent of wickedness in Matthew 7:21-23. It's not that they were once saved and lost their salvation but that they never had it in the first place. Jesus says he never knew them so they never belonged to him and they were never his sheep and hence they do not inherit eternal life.

Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

John 10:27-28
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand."

So if Witness Lee got the conditions for salvation wrong you can imagine why this could be a big deal. He could be misleading thousands of people into false conversions. He could be giving people false assurance of salvation, who think they are saved but really aren't truly born again.

https://www.middletownbiblechurch.or...e/freegrKS.pdf

Matthew 15:14
Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”