Publication Work in The Lord's Recovery aka The One Publication

[Freedom]

Originally Posted by Koinonia

The LC obsession with the sale of LSM books is truly bizarre and becoming more and more so.

The whole idea of promoting and selling printed books is a bit dated. There's only going to be so much demand for that. I know that the LSM offers a lot of books in the electronic format, but it seems that for whatever reason, they prefer selling printed books. It could be about the money, I don't know.

As for the churches that are trying to demonstrate how to have a good "book service", I would think that the only reason for them doing so would be to demonstrate that they are in line with what the blendeds are saying, and maybe get a little bit of credit for being the first to implement something.

[Koinonia]

Originally Posted by Freedom

The whole idea of promoting and selling printed books is a bit dated. There's only going to be so much demand for that. I know that the LSM offers a lot of books in the electronic format, but it seems that for whatever reason, they prefer selling printed books. It could be about the money, I don't know.

Declining booksales are the very reason that LSM recently started selling special libraries and sending brothers all over the U.S. and Canada to promote people's reading them. In the LC, book sales are used as an indication of both membership numbers and membership engagement. But in my opinion they are fighting a losing battle (for a variety of reasons).

I assume that income considerations must also be a factor, though I'm not entirely certain why.

[Koinonia]

The fact of the matter is that most people, even in the LC, simply do not enjoy reading Witness Lee. Even in the FTTA, this would be admitted to each other in hushed tones like a confession. After years of trying, I got fed up with forcing myself to read so much stuff that I just did not enjoy.

Freedom made an insightful observation in another thread when he pointed out that most LCers these days collect books more than read them. Once the publication of the CWWL is finished, I'm sure it will be a rite of passage for every young brother to acquire a complete set (as well as a set from the penultimate Minister-of-the-Age). The interesting thing is that this will become LSM's nearly only actual market.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Koinonia

The fact of the matter is that most people, even in the LC, simply do not enjoy reading Witness Lee. Even in the FTTA, this would be admitted to each other in hushed tones like a confession. After years of trying, I got fed up with forcing myself to read so much stuff that I just did not enjoy.

LSM has moved further and further away from God's Word. Initially the Conferences and Life Study Trainings were commentaries on scripture. Then we had Crystalization Studies based on the Life studies, and then we had the Blendeds re-speaking the Crystalizations.

Let's be honest, as much as LSM would like the truth to be different, the Lord is just not anointing their ministry any more. That's why it has no appeal. They can't just keep blaming all the readers and the hearers! The problem is with the source of their ministry, not with The Spirit of God or the children of God.

The leadership at LSM has never acknowledged nor repented of their past unrighteousness, especially how they have abused, mistreated, and slandered both former members and the Christian public.

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Ohio

The leadership at LSM has never acknowledged nor repented of their past unrighteousness, especially how they have abused, mistreated, and slandered both former members and the Christian public.

I hear what you're saying Ohio, but status is a standoff. Local elders generally feel the need to "be one with the brothers". As such any historical reports are regarded as "perceived wrongdoings".

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Terry

I hear what you're saying Ohio, but status is a standoff. Local elders generally feel the need to "be one with the brothers". As such any historical reports are regarded as "perceived wrongdoings".

That's why the local elders have little responsibility in the matter.

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Ohio

That's why the local elders have little responsibility in the matter.

I have come to accept LC elders becoming a product of loyalty than of qualities mentioned in Paul's epistles.

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Koinonia

The fact of the matter is that most people, even in the LC, simply do not enjoy reading Witness Lee. Even in the FTTA, this would be admitted to each other in hushed tones like a confession. After years of trying, I got fed up with forcing myself to read so much stuff that I just did not enjoy.

Freedom made an insightful observation in another thread when he pointed out that most LCers these days collect books more than read them. Once the publication of the CWWL is finished, I'm sure it will be a rite of passage for every young brother to acquire a complete set (as well as a set from the penultimate Minister-of-the-Age). The interesting thing is that this will become LSM's nearly only actual market.

There's a term "early Lee" and "later Lee". Publications whose first editions came out prior to 1973 I enjoyed much more than those post-1973.

One item I cannot get over is how LSM receiving local churches can say they are not ministry churches. As soon a locality no longer receives LSM publications, it is no longer received by fellow localities. Moses Lake in Washington state and countless more in the Great lakes area.
By the way the GLA turmoil from the previous decade I feel in part was revenue based. You may say Titus had a work within a work, but from afar it didn't seem he was trying to compete against LSM.
Once the quarantine edicts were issued and lawsuits began, it was localities that had real estate were targeted. Others were passed over.

[Freedom]

Originally Posted by Terry

One item I cannot get over is how LSM receiving local churches can say they are not ministry churches. As soon a locality no longer receives LSM publications, it is no longer received by fellow localities. Moses Lake in Washington state and countless more in the Great lakes area.
By the way the GLA turmoil from the previous decade I feel in part was revenue based. You may say Titus had a work within a work, but from afar it didn't seem he was trying to compete against LSM.
Once the quarantine edicts were issued and lawsuits began, it was localities that had real estate were targeted. Others were passed over.

In light of an apparent inability to sell books, it makes sense why the blendeds would feel threatened by publications not produced by LSM. Was that the entire issue? Probably not, but certainly a lot of the issues they have attempted to spiritualize are really just about money.

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Freedom

In light of an apparent inability to sell books, it makes sense why the blendeds would feel threatened by publications not produced by LSM. Was that the entire issue? Probably not, but certainly a lot of the issues they have attempted to spiritualize are really just about money.

A brother I know had an audio tape of the Spring 1986 Elders Conference/training. As much time Lee spent speaking on Linko, instances like that says there's a HUGE emphasis on money.

[Koinonia]

Encouraging responses from the saints in Florida after hearing the burden of getting into the ministry publications.

After the speaking, we allowed 20 to 30 minutes for testimonies of the saints' experience of reading the ministry publications. The saints were very appreciative of the visits and they all eagerly received and confirmed the burden. We focused our sharing on building up a daily 30-minute habit of reading the ministry, becoming a "scholarly" family by reading and accumulating books, and lending books. We recorded the testimonies of saints who gave us permission to share their testimony on the internet. We collected a minimum 10 testimonies per meeting. These will be used in our weekly newsletter.

The net effect of the church visits was not only a renewed appreciation of the ministry publications for personal and corporate enjoyment and distribution, but the visits were an encouragement and shepherding to the saints as well. The saints in Ft Meyers/Seabring were especially happy and receptive to the sharing, even promoting the ministry publications during their testimonies using the LSM flyers that we brought.

Both Samuel and I felt that there is a benefit to sharing the burden church by church. Moreover, there was great value in having Ted join us to gain a perspective of each church's local situation. This provides good foundation for his future revisits to the churches.

SUMMARY OF FLORIDA TRIP

• June 2 Fly into JAX
• June 3 Afternoon Jacksonville
• SE Responsible Brothers' Meeting

Afternoon meeting with about 100 responsible brothers from Florida, Atlanta, Tennesee, South Carolina, and one brother from Brazil. We reviewed Br. Lee's burden for the leading ones to get into the truth, participate in building up a local book service, and leading the saints into the truth. Rick Scatterday was present and gave an excellent, short concluding word.

Documents distributed to brothers: LSM Sept 30 letter, eleven ministry exceprts, Propagation of the Truth in the Lord's Recovery, LSM package and CWWL flyers, booklists for LSM packages, outline: Fellowship on Establishing a Book Service, outline: How to Lend Books, outline: Faithful and Diligent Spreading of the Truth, excerpt from CWWL 1997, vol 1, "We Become What we Read", Ray's sheet containing accounts of David Livingstone and Hudson Taylor borrowing books.

• June 3 Evening Jacksonville
• Evening mtg with about 25 saints from the church in Jacksonville
• June 4 Jacksonville Lord's Table with about 50 saints
• June 4 Tallahassee
• Dinner with four responsible brothers then church mtg~15 saints.
• June 5 Gainesville (with a few saints from Ocala)
• Dinner with two brothers, then church mtg~25 saints
• June 6 Orlando
• Dinner with~ six brothers, then church mtg~25 saints
• June 7 Tampa
• Dinner with~ six brothers, then church mtg~25 saints
• June 8 Ft Meyers (with Seabring)
• Dinner with six brrothers, then Spanish-English meeting -34 saints
• June 9 Miami-dinner with seven brothers
• June 10 Miami (with Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton)
• Spanish-English meeting ~200 saints.

For the ministry propagation brothers,
Michio