Takes from a ACuriousFellow

[ACuriousFellow]

Just wanted to share a tidbit I put online regarding some of the ideologies that are intimately interwoven into the social fabric of the denomination known as "The Lord's Recovery."

thecuriousfellows.wordpress.com/2023/07/21/greg-and-joanna-casteel-part-2-the-special-fellowship/

(The following interpretations of quotes from a Recovery magazine are to demonstrate how many including myself have felt under the teachings and practices of Witness Lee and The Lord’s Recovery. Many in The Lord’s Recovery would claim that such people sadly misinterpreted the text, but the personal experiences within The Lord’s Recovery of many ex-members such as myself and the Casteels match such supposed misinterpretations. The quotes are taken from The Ministry of the Word, Vol. 16, No. 12, December 2012. The Overcomers. Message 11:The Overcomers in Sardis (2) Overcoming the Deadness of Sardis. Kindle Version. Pages 96, 98, 103, 105, and 107. Published by Living Stream Ministry)

“We saw in the last rebellion that even co-workers can be deadened. We should not think that anyone is immune. One among those with whom we serve could be in death. If we then maintain our relationship with him by natural affection, we will allow his death to pass to us. As a result, we will become deadened, and we will even become death. For example, that person may be in the realm of right and wrong. Everything we pass through related to death is from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He may be reasoning about things, complaining about how the brothers are treating him, criticizing the brothers for being wrong, and justifying himself for being right. If we receive that kind of reasoning out of our natural affection for that one, we ourselves will eventually be in the realm of right and wrong and in death.” (96)

You could be in death and even be death itself. If the brothers and sisters maintain their relationship with you by natural affection, they will be allowing your death to pass to them. As a result, they will become deadened because of you, and they will even become death because of you. For example, you may be in the realm of right and wrong. Any attempt to discern between good and evil brings death. You may be reasoning about things, complaining about how the brothers are mistreating you, criticizing the brothers for being wrong, and justifying yourself for being right. If the brothers and sisters you are with receive that kind of reasoning out of their natural affection for you, they will eventually be in the realm of right and wrong and in death because of you.

“Time and time again we have observed the negative results of personal relationships out of natural affection. We need to be on guard to be separated from the natural affection. Instead, we should have Christ as our affection for others.” (98)

Time and time again you have observed the negative results of personal relationships out of natural affection with people like you who are in the realm of right and wrong. It did not end well for them, and it will not end well for you. The others are on guard so that they can separate themselves from the natural affection toward you so that this will not happen to them. This is not what Christ’s love looks like.

“We should especially learn to submit to God’s deputy authority. In the past rebellion some were saying that there is no deputy authority. This is absurd… The deputy authorities in the church are the elders. Without elders there would be anarchy. We must obey God’s deputy authority, whoever or whatever they are.” (103)

You should especially learn to submit to God’s deputy authority. In the past rebellions where people spoke up against Witness Lee’s doctrines and the practices of The Lord’s Recovery, some were saying that Witness Lee and the elders are not God’s unquestionable authority on earth. This is absurd… The deputy authorities in the church are the elders. Without the elders there would be anarchy. You must obey God’s deputy authority, whoever or whatever they are. Even when they are wrong.

“Related to the matter of death, we need to realize that in the same way that there is a trash can in every home, there are negative elements in every church. The ‘trash can’ is the gossip, murmurings, and criticisms, regardless of whether they are true or not. Whether it is false trash or true trash, it is still trash.” (105)

There are negative elements in every church. Your criticisms, even if you are genuine, true, valid and scripturally sound, are still trash.

“When we are with a person, we need to consider whether we feel enlivened, encouraged, bright, and happy or whether we feel depressed, discouraged, and deadened. If the latter, it shows that we have been receiving trash. We must refuse death and accept life.” (107)

When a person is with you, you need to consider whether you make them feel enlivened, bright, and happy or whether you make them feel depressed, discouraged, and deadened. If the latter, it shows that you have been giving them trash. They must refuse the death you bring and accept life. Stop critiquing Lee’s doctrines and talking about how the brothers have wronged you because that makes them sad and uncomfortable. Only then will you be able to have proper fellowship with us.

(This final quote is taken from Witness Lee’s Life-Study of Genesis, Chapter 88, section 2)

Let me now tell you the secret to being solidly perfected to be a strong pillar for the Lord’s move. Certain brothers have been perfected because they have had no concepts of their own. Recently, one brother declared strongly that he only knows to follow the ministry of Brother Lee and to absorb everything of this ministry. There have been others among us who were quite opinionated. They often said, “Brother Lee says such-and-such. Is this right? Is the church right? Just a week ago, I learned about a mistake made by the church.” None of these opinionated ones has yet been perfected. But those who have been perfected to be pillars are not like this. Even when they see certain mistakes, they forget about them, having no time to waste discussing them. They only desire to soak in all the positive things.

According to God’s principle in His creation, in order for anything to grow there is the need for a negative side. Take the example of a chicken. We all appreciate chicken eggs, breasts, and legs, but we certainly do not care for chicken dung, feathers, and bones. Nevertheless, without dung, feathers, and bones, a chicken cannot grow. In order for a chicken to be a chicken, it must have these things. But it is not our portion to eat them. We should enjoy the eggs, the breasts, and the legs, and forget the dung, the feathers, and the bones. If we concentrate on the positive aspects of the chicken, we shall receive much nourisahment.

I admit that the church in Los Angeles has made certain mistakes, and I confess that I have made mistakes. The elders can testify of this. Everybody makes mistakes. No one can deny this. I have had to make mistakes in order to grow. These mistakes are my “dung.” If you eat this, you are foolish. I also admit that I have “feathers.” The church in Los Angeles also has had a certain amount of “feathers” and “bones.” However, without these “feathers,” “bones,” and “dung,” neither the church in Los Angeles nor my ministry would be able to exist. Do you intend to gather up the “feathers” and say, “Look! This is the church in Los Angeles. Look! This is what Brother Lee has done. See all these awful ‘feathers.’” If you do this, you will not damage the church in Los Angeles or my ministry, but you will surely damage yourself. To do this is not wise. These who have been perfected to be pillars, who surely are not less intelligent than you, are wise. Their eyes are much clearer than yours. But they refuse to devote their attention to the negative things. They would say, “Although Brother Lee has some ‘dung,’ he has a great many eggs. I don’t care for the ‘dung’ issuing out of his ministry—I want to eat all the ‘eggs,’ ‘breasts,’ and ‘legs.’ I have no time to hear about ‘feathers’ and ‘bones.’” Let us follow the example of such brothers to forget the negative things and to feast upon the “eggs,” “breasts,” and “legs.” This is my burden in this message.