What is the point of control? What do they want?

[Trapped]

Buyer beware! - thanks for swinging by and letting us know. I'm rolling my eyes about it but I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Zezima - the reason they are not providing it for free is.....money, money, money, money. When the only source of your merchandise died 25 years ago, and you have a stagnant pool of adherents, and you label and condemn everyone else who might join, there are a shrinking number of ways for them to continue to profit off of it!

At a minimum they just got guaranteed that all localities will create an account. Instant, recurring money. Then many saints will have to create an account so they can print off copies of excerpts for their home meetings so they don't have to make new ones buy the ministry they are reading that week, etc... And many other saints will make an account because it's LSM and that's just what they do - whatever LSM says. One of the last redeeming actions of LSM (providing something for free, even if it is poison) just got monetized.

I tell the truth - I have noticed that when saints post ministry excerpts on Facebook, this is a little tongue in cheek, but it's like the citation is almost as long as the excerpt. Like name, publisher, address, year, title, location, website, etc..... I simply get the impression that they are scared to do otherwise. Pretty sad.

Is there any way for you to post/attach the email from LSM you referenced without it identifying you in any way? No pressure if not.

Trapped

[Zezima]

Originally Posted by Trapped

Buyer beware! - thanks for swinging by and letting us know. I'm rolling my eyes about it but I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Zezima - the reason they are not providing it for free is.....money, money, money, money. When the only source of your merchandise died 25 years ago, and you have a stagnant pool of adherents, and you label and condemn everyone else who might join, there are a shrinking number of ways for them to continue to profit off of it!

At a minimum they just got guaranteed that all localities will create an account. Instant, recurring money. Then many saints will have to create an account so they can print off copies of excerpts for their home meetings so they don't have to make new ones buy the ministry they are reading that week, etc... And many other saints will make an account because it's LSM and that's just what they do - whatever LSM says. One of the last redeeming actions of LSM (providing something for free, even if it is poison) just got monetized.

$8 a month or $80 a year, not a lot of revenue to be had. It’s an interesting move no doubt. It’s like when they added that giant 30 foot tv advertising ministry books at the conference center in anaheim.

[Trapped]

Originally Posted by Zezima

$8 a month or $80 a year, not a lot of revenue to be had. It’s an interesting move no doubt. It’s like when they added that giant 30 foot tv advertising ministry books at the conference center in anaheim.

I believe there are at least 1,500 localities around the world....I think? $96*1,500 = ~$150,000. If you assume at least 5 saints from each locality get it on top of that, on average, that's over $750,000 in addition. They'll probably get around $1 million per year from it, is my guess.

I'm presuming this isn't some massively profitable venture, but just whatever they can do to offset what are probably waning book sales. They've backed themselves into a corner with only one finite pool to draw from......

[Zezima]

Originally Posted by Trapped

I believe there are at least 1,500 localities around the world....I think? $96*1,500 = ~$150,000. If you assume at least 5 saints from each locality get it on top of that, on average, that's over $750,000 in addition. They'll probably get around $1 million per year from it, is my guess.

I'm presuming this isn't some massively profitable venture, but just whatever they can do to offset what are probably waning book sales. They've backed themselves into a corner with only one finite pool to draw from......

My wishful thinking is that they are trying to lockdown the outflow of their content.. seeking more control because people are waking up to their nonsense.. but most likely an odd money grab.

[Trapped]

Originally Posted by Zezima

My wishful thinking is that they are trying to lockdown the outflow of their content.. seeking more control because people are waking up to their nonsense.. but most likely an odd money grab.

No, I agree with you there too. The more their "ministry" is readily available to be quoted, the more they can get exposed. If they control who can access their ministry, they can better prevent anyone from speaking up. Sounds like a plus plus situation to me.....money and control. What a shock.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Trapped

No, I agree with you there too. The more their "ministry" is readily available to be quoted, the more they can get exposed. If they control who can access their ministry, they can better prevent anyone from speaking up. Sounds like a plus plus situation to me.....money and control. What a shock.

Sounds like the end of “Witness Wednesday.”

[Nell]

What do they want? Witness Lee was a worshipper of knowledge. He taught an expanded version of his knowledge of the Scriptures and he taught his followers the same. We were formerly his students too.

So I'm not much on dreams, but here's one I had on the way out the door a long time ago. I dreamed I was in the really big meeting hall in Irving. Sitting in a circle near the "back" of the hall were sisters. They were sewing denim jeans which were for sale. (I know...it's a dream, but hard to miss the parallel.) The verse came to me "You have made my Father's house a house of merchandise." Then I woke up.

At the time, there was a large presence of the Living Stream Ministry with books being printed downstairs in that hall. There was a significant presence of volunteers "serving the ministry". Members would travel from all over the area, mostly Texas and Oklahoma (to my knowledge), to "serve".
It's undeniable that the LSM is a house of merchandise.

So this "subscription" for money is a continuation of the worship of knowledge as taught by Lee. You can only consume so much printed merchandise. Now the move is toward controlling the digital merchandise.

Here's an interesting discourse by someone Lee used to quote--G. H. Pember in Earth's Earliest Ages, pp. 32-33.
Originally published in 1876

"And it is to be observed that God never, since the fall of Man, revealed anything to gratify a mere thirst for knowledge; but only such matters as may sufficiently illustrate His everlasting power and Godhead; our own fallen condition with its remedy of unfathomable love; and the promise of a speedy deliver deliverance from sin, a complete restoration to His favor, and a never-ending life of perfect obedience and perfect joy.

Knowledge in this life is a gift fraught with peril: for our great task here is to learn the lesson of absolute dependence upon God, and entire submission to His will. His dealings with us now are to the end that He may withdraw us from our own purpose, and hide pride from us (Job 33:17).

But knowledge, unless it be accompanied by a mighty outpouring of grace, causes undue elation. It was the vision of knowledge which filled the breast of our first parent with impious aspirations, and made her follow the tempter in hoping to be as God. ...

...Except by special grace, man seems incapable of bearing the slightest weight of power upon his shoulders without losing his balance.

So, Discombobulated, "How can we be The Gods Expression on earth by these kind of behavior?" Easy answer: "we can't".

Nell

[UntoHim]

Originally Posted by Ohio

Sounds like the end of “Witness Wednesday.”

In Their Dreams!
-

[Zezima]

Originally Posted by Trapped

No, I agree with you there too. The more their "ministry" is readily available to be quoted, the more they can get exposed. If they control who can access their ministry, they can better prevent anyone from speaking up. Sounds like a plus plus situation to me.....money and control. What a shock.

If you conduct a word search, “read the ministry” you will find quotes that talk about the need for saints to read the ministry. Now the ministry is locked up behind a paywall. I wonder if there will be a Martin Luther type moment with the recovery.

[LeftLR]

Originally Posted by Zezima

If you conduct a word search, “read the ministry” you will find quotes that talk about the need for saints to read the ministry. Now the ministry is locked up behind a paywall. I wonder if there will be a Martin Luther type moment with the recovery.

Paywall is one of many methods how LSM / LR making money from those who believe in WL. LSM / LR also making money from the "dead", selling grave-site to LR followers and claim that they will be with witness lee in heaven and "fellowship with WL together." Those who has been with LR in Anaheim know what is this mean.

This just another method how LR controls their followers, i personally knew few people who left LR after been in for over 20 years, from their sharing about LR, it is very scary how LR control their believers and brain-wash them to a point that many family has been broken. LR / LSM does not care about the Truth of Gospel.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Zezima

$8 a month or $80 a year, not a lot of revenue to be had. It’s an interesting move no doubt. It’s like when they added that giant 30 foot tv advertising ministry books at the conference center in anaheim.

30 foot TV at their $30 million LaPalma Campus? And to think of all the $$ I gave them over the years. This is not a “ministry” but just peddling the word of God for base gain. Took all my money and then quarantined me for complaining about it.

[Zezima]

Originally Posted by Ohio

30 foot TV at their $30 million LaPalma Campus?

Yeah, before a training message and in between, they have it turned on displaying ads for different books.