Hi Guys

[countmeworthy]

Originally Posted by brad

Hi Everyone. Just wanted to give a quick intro and will probably add more at some point later. I'm currently a student who got involved with the lc at the annual bfa distro event. I would have considered myself to be an avid christian at the time, wanted fellowship, and thought that "the church life" would be good for my spirituality. I thought that I'd be "constituted" with all these great things, enter into so much "enjoyment" etc etc and believed the PR versions of everything that I was given.

I have my exit strategy basically planned out, but if anyone has advice or wants to warn me of what to expect that's fine.
brad

Reminds me of how I planned my exit strategy! My exit strategy was to move - to "migrate" - to another city with a group of LCrs to start the church life there. Behind the scenes, everyone moving was pretty disgruntled with Brother Lee. They liked the 'church life'..home meetings, fellowshipping..but not junk that was coming out of Anaheim.
Eventually, the church life fell apart because we didn't know how to 'meet' but the way we met in the LC...the lingo, the mannerisms, that stuff. We didn't know how to break away..and everyone had to figure it out for themselves with God's help and guidance.

Since you were a believer before meeting with up with the 'Lord's recovery', ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to Christians who you can encourage in Christ and who will be a blessing to you as well. Ask HIM to show YOU where HE wants you to be planted. It's ALL about HIM..GOD the FATHER, God the SON JESUS and the HOLY SPIRIT.

Next, I don't know if there is anyone you are 'close' to in the LC...someone you can confide in. If there is, be honest with this person and tell him/her you are not comfortable with the meeting life and that this is NOT where God wants you to meet. You don't have to make a big production out of it. IF you do confide in someone you trust and like and that person trusts & likes you, from your part, as the Lord guides you, you be sure you encourage and keep giving your friend/friends living water from the Rivers of LIFE.


IF there is no one you are comfortable with that you can confide in, then follow your spirit in how & when to leave. The SPIRIT will lead you out and bless you with inner peace. He will place a hedge of protection so you will not be 'bugged'.

I still have connections with a few LC friends who have been in it for 30 plus years. They know I don't meet with the LC and they don't bug me. I 'water' them..and bless them..and encourage them in the Lord. I don't bring up the LSM or share my thoughts about it. When they talk about their meetings and what was said and who shared what, I politely listen. Why?
Glad you asked. In the event they ever need a life line, perhaps God will use me to guide them out because they know me and trust me.

We are exhorted to love the brethren and to edify the Body of Christ. If they don't do this with us, that's on them. NOW...every person's experience in the LC/LSM is different. There are lots of divorced families and friendships broken. They could not do what I suggest or recommend.

I pray for everyone's healings and for the LORD to restore the Joy of their salvation. Keep us posted and tell us more Brad. How long have you been acquainted with the LSM? What drew you in and what are the red flags you saw that are drawing you out?

[brad]

Thanks for the advice and support, everyone. This board is and has been an invaluable resource for me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by countmeworthy
I pray for everyone's healings and for the LORD to restore the Joy of their salvation. Keep us posted and tell us more Brad. How long have you been acquainted with the LSM?

few years

Quote:
Originally Posted by countmeworthy
What drew you in

close knit fellowship
seeing how much enjoyment and experience was going on
some of the things i saw in the bible being practiced there that weren't other places. [prophesying in mtgs is all i can think of now].
less worldliness than in other places
going out and preaching the gospel/giving out rc v nt's
there are probably more, but i was pretty into knowing theology and applying it to my life and in retrospect i feel that that was replaced by stuff from WL.

Quote:
Originally Posted by countmeworthy
what are the red flags you saw that are drawing you out?

what mainly threw me off was the discrepancy between the l s m version of everything and what actually goes on.

there were "the brothers," whom i'd heard about early on but was not aware of the level of influence they excercised over the LC's until much later.... they train the elders & young adults, speak at conferences, prepare the outlines for others to speak from at the conferences, produce most/all the printed material, prepare the books that the elders encourage us to get into, run the conferences, etc.

there is also the subtle denial of the legitimacy of churches elsewhere ("there are only X number of churches in X country").

perhaps the biggest issue is the allegiance to w.l. and using him to justify things rather than the bible. it seems like this led to bro's being quarantined (not sure if that's the best word for it) for reasons that seemed more related to wl's ministry than the bible.

The history of the movement we're usually told leaves out a lot of stuff discussed here and elsewhere on the web that i think if any of us knew originally we wouldn't have gotten involved.


... the list goes on