What This Forum Means To You. What It Should Be.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by JB482

I think there needs to be more positive truth from God's Word shared to edify the saint's here. More glory and praise given to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I have seen what some have posted and I don't think it was done in the Spirit of Christ. Criticism and exposing error and false teaching in the local church should be done. But we need to judge ourselves too. I've really enjoyed a lot of the testimonials that saint's have given here sharing their experiences they are priceless! And seeing ones here I knew in the past,stirring up good memories.

Take aron's posts about God's love, for example.

While in the LC system, aron was seriously put off by the demands to recruit "good material," and not "wasting time" on those who cannot benefit the Recovery. That error, generated by Lee himself in the FT trainings, provides a background for hundreds of his best posts. His recent post in the "God's Economy" thread is a great example. He is redefining for us all what "God's Economy" should look like, according to the scriptures, and not according to Lee.

Yes, there has been criticism exposing errors and false teaching in his posts, perhaps sarcastic rancor at times, (I'm worse though!) but what aron has shared has far exceeded the price of admission. At least for me. Others too, methinks.

For me this was the journey I had to take. I needed the sometimes bitter sarcasm which exposed the falsehoods, the fetters that bound up my thinking, and then something better, based on the plain reading of scripture, to free me. Don't just release me from prison, but smash my chains in plain view. Back in those days it was poster "Roger/Paul Cox" who seemed to me helped the most. Helped me and others. No excuses here, just some thoughts ...
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P.S. My posts have always been harshest on the abuses of the leaders, and not the LC members. It's no different from how these leaders treated other brothers though. Both Lee and Chu were literally brutal to other brothers, and not at all based on their misdeeds or errors. They did it because they could. Many have been hurt. They taught others the same rotten patterns. None were ever accountable for this.

[Cal]

Originally Posted by Ohio

My posts have always been harshest on the abuses of the leaders, and not the LC members.

Agree completely. It's "Lord's Recovery Movement" and its extra-local leaders including LSM I take issue with.

Let me make clear I have nothing against the common members nor the churches. Although either of those could be in error, saints are saints and churches are churches, and as such should be respected, as far as that goes. All saints have the right to gather as Christians with other Christians in churches and follow their consciences in their beliefs. No one has the right to go after them too harshly, unless you are citing a serious and specific error.

The "Lord's Recovery" is a different matter. It is a false spiritual entity formulated as an exclusive substitute for the Church. It has no standing before God as anything above churches or saints. And if you believe it does, well that's the heart of your error. .

If the guys at LSM want to start a ministry and movement, that's their business, but when they start building false entities like "the Recovery," swinging their weight around, bullying churches and saints and claiming to be something great and holy above all others, well, they'd better be ready for a broadside from the sheep dogs.

[Cal]

My focus and concern on this forum are pointing out the falsehood of "the Recovery" claims of special status before God. This includes pointing out the corollary false doctrines which bolster this idea. Things I target include:

• The false claims of a special status for "the Recovery."
  
  
• The false claims that only a church meeting "on the local ground" is a valid church.
  
  
• The false claims that Witness Lee is MOTA or Apostle.
  
  
• The false claims of "one ministry," deputy authority, "acting God" status for anyone or anything, or ANY claims by extra-local believers of special authority from God over other believers.
  
  
• Any condemnation of churches or believers as "spiritual fornicators," "Moabites" or other derogatory terms targeting those who don't go along with "the Recovery."
  
  
• Any teaching, practice or attitude that compromises the consciences of believers from deciding for themselves what they believe, what ministries they follow and who they meet with.
  
  
• Any teaching, practice or attitude which compromises or depersonalizes the individual believers's relationship with God, other people, or even his or her own self. These include inordinate focus on impersonal spiritual experiences such as "dispensing," elevating the group far above the individual, and discouraging friendships or family loyalties. It also includes teachings that confuse self-denial with self-loathing, or that compromise the believer's right to enjoy "all things" given by God, including wholesome recreation, hobbies, entertainment, socializing and other personal choices including dress.
  
  
• In general, any teaching, practice or attitude whose core motive is to control believers.

That's my focus. Other posters have other burdens. That's great. For example, Ohio focuses on the history of abuses and destructive events and actions in "the Recovery." As for me, I don't spend a lot of time hacking out esoteric doctrine unless it involves my main focus and concern.

Take away the false claims of special authority and status from the LR, and you are left with some nice Christians who dress badly. I can live with that.

[Kevin]

Igzy: Any condemnation of churches or believers as "spiritual fornicators," "Moabites" or other derogatory terms targeting those who don't go along with "the Recovery

Well, I should have talked back to that elder who called my church as spiritual fornicator. Shame on him.