Signs of Decline in LSMs Recovery - Tomes

[rayliotta]

Originally Posted by Friedel

So the "Office" started on a clean slate. The Local Church started over.

My impression is that they're probably OK w/going back and forth from extremely tiny, to just tiny, and then back to extremely tiny, et cetera, et cetera, for decades. Wasn't the remnant that returned to Israel in the Old Testament one-third of the people? Well, they're content to be a remnant which is not even one-third of one percent, and often not even one-tenth of one percent.

[awareness]

Originally Posted by rayliotta

My impression is that they're probably OK w/going back and forth from extremely tiny, to just tiny, and then back to extremely tiny, et cetera, et cetera, for decades. Wasn't the remnant that returned to Israel in the Old Testament one-third of the people? Well, they're content to be a remnant which is not even one-third of one percent, and often not even one-tenth of one percent.

What do you want? They're backward thinkers; reverse engineering God with the Bible. Trying to go back to 2000 yrs ago. And their prolly just hooking the unsuspecting ignorant.

[Freedom]

Originally Posted by rayliotta

My impression is that they're probably OK w/going back and forth from extremely tiny, to just tiny, and then back to extremely tiny, et cetera, et cetera, for decades. Wasn't the remnant that returned to Israel in the Old Testament one-third of the people? Well, they're content to be a remnant which is not even one-third of one percent, and often not even one-tenth of one percent.

That is very true. WL said himself:

I don’t care for the loss of any church. Even if the entire U.S.A. is closed to me I don’t care. I only care for ten to twenty faithful ones meeting together to practice the truth.

This is why I find the whole subject so ironic. On the one hand, the LC is all for "the increase", then when it doesn't happen, WL turns around and says things like the quote posted above.

[rayliotta]

Originally Posted by Freedom

That is very true. WL said himself:

This is why I find the whole subject so ironic. On the one hand, the LC is all for "the increase", then when it doesn't happen, WL turns around and says things like the quote posted above.

Well there you have it, folks. God's mouthpiece who recovers God's truth, and is satisfied even with only ten or twenty faithfully meeting together to practice this truth, which he has recovered. While some six billion others on this planet...what are they doing? What truth are they practicing?

Is this man some kind of god himself, that he would make such a declaration? Who is this man?

[awareness]

Originally Posted by rayliotta

Well there you have it, folks. God's mouthpiece who recovers God's truth, and is satisfied even with only ten or twenty faithfully meeting together to practice this truth, which he has recovered. While some six billion others on this planet...what are they doing? What truth are they practicing?

Is this man some kind of god himself, that he would make such a declaration? Who is this man?

An alien from China.

[Freedom]

Originally Posted by rayliotta

Well there you have it, folks. God's mouthpiece who recovers God's truth, and is satisfied even with only ten or twenty faithfully meeting together to practice this truth, which he has recovered. While some six billion others on this planet...what are they doing? What truth are they practicing?

Is this man some kind of god himself, that he would make such a declaration? Who is this man?

To me, this all explains why LC numbers are so small. I think that the BB's and LC elders honestly believe that they can gain loads of people, and that is why there putting forth the effort to do so. The reality of the situation, however, is that WL had a very different attitude to getting the increase he wanted. He spoke publicly about it, but then when it didn't work out, he would shell up and claim how he needed only a few people who were loyal to him.

So what if all the saints who were out doing BFA activities or working on campuses, knew what WL said: "I only care for ten to twenty faithful ones meeting together to practice the truth." Statements like that pretty much negate the value of any gospel work people in the LC are doing.

[awareness]

Originally Posted by Freedom

To me, this all explains why LC numbers are so small. I think that the BB's and LC elders honestly believe that they can gain loads of people, and that is why there putting forth the effort to do so. The reality of the situation, however, is that WL had a very different attitude to getting the increase he wanted. He spoke publicly about it, but then when it didn't work out, he would shell up and claim how he needed only a few people who were loyal to him.

So what if all the saints who were out doing BFA activities or working on campuses, knew what WL said: "I only care for ten to twenty faithful ones meeting together to practice the truth." Statements like that pretty much negate the value of any gospel work people in the LC are doing.

It's heartening that they are self defeating.

[rayliotta]

Originally Posted by Freedom

So what if all the saints who were out doing BFA activities or working on campuses, knew what WL said: "I only care for ten to twenty faithful ones meeting together to practice the truth." Statements like that pretty much negate the value of any gospel work people in the LC are doing.

But of course, some of the faithful loyalists are aware of these statements. Psychoanalyze that...

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by Freedom

To me, this all explains why LC numbers are so small. I think that the BB's and LC elders honestly believe that they can gain loads of people, and that is why there putting forth the effort to do so. The reality of the situation, however, is that WL had a very different attitude to getting the increase he wanted. He spoke publicly about it, but then when it didn't work out, he would shell up and claim how he needed only a few people who were loyal to him.

So what if all the saints who were out doing BFA activities or working on campuses, knew what WL said: "I only care for ten to twenty faithful ones meeting together to practice the truth." Statements like that pretty much negate the value of any gospel work people in the LC are doing.

What is really the purpose of gospel work?
To lead men and women to Christ?
Or is it to proselytize?
As to why LC numbers are so small. The nature of the recovery had changed over the last 25-30 years. The recovery has become ministry churches. If a brother or sister is not for the ministry, they will not fit into the local church.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by Freedom

To me, this all explains why LC numbers are so small. I think that the BB's and LC elders honestly believe that they can gain loads of people, and that is why there putting forth the effort to do so. The reality of the situation, however, is that WL had a very different attitude to getting the increase he wanted. He spoke publicly about it, but then when it didn't work out, he would shell up and claim how he needed only a few people who were loyal to him.

That statement that Lee made was extremely manipulative and totally dishonest.

I was there when he made it, at least one of the times. It was designed to tug at your heart to coerce us into a more absolute consecration to Lee's commands. Dont believe for one second that Lee was content with ten or twenty followers, neither did he want those who just "practice the truth." His overriding demand was for unfailing and unquestioning loyalty to his leadership. To his inner blended circle of loyalists, they would "leave all" to follow him, including their wife and kids. Then they could feel the "glory of true discipleship," just as the earliest disciples who left all to follow Jesus.

Think about the implications of that. Lee wanted to be their "jesus." That alone was the entrance requirement for being truly "blended."

Most of us at the time never understood what Lee was doing.

[YP0534]

Still at it, eh?

Grace to you all, but this morning I was reminded that the Lord still speaks in my speaking. I don't know why I was led here after that but I'm definitely not settling in to rejoin the rehashing. I just don't even have time. The Lord has led me many light years away from this place and, I guess, given me this word:

No human effort will yield improved sight.
He is the unique eyesalve.

[UntoHim]

Hi YP, nice to "see" you again.

Yeah, we're still at it, and we probably will be for as long as all those dear brothers and sisters in the Local Church are trapped within a system of error.
This is the main reason why this forum exists. Of course there are lot's of reasons why people participate in the forum and that's ok too.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by YP0534

Still at it, eh?

Grace to you all, but this morning I was reminded that the Lord still speaks in my speaking. I don't know why I was led here after that but I'm definitely not settling in to rejoin the rehashing. I just don't even have time. The Lord has led me many light years away from this place and, I guess, given me this word:

No human effort will yield improved sight.
He is the unique eyesalve.

So wonderful to hear from an old friend.

Thanks for the gems that point us back to Him.