Responsibility Of Christians In Responding To Aberrant/Abusive Groups

[Jo S]

Originally Posted by Sons to Glory!

Good. And to get more specific, a gathering of those born-again ones, right?

In the context of Christianity Ekklesia refers to those called out of the world and to God. It doesn't have to be a physical gathering to qualify. Every born-again Christian is part of the Ekklesia.

[Sons to Glory!]

Originally Posted by Jo S

In the context of Christianity Ekklesia refers to those called out of the world and to God. It doesn't have to be a physical gathering to qualify. Every born-again Christian is part of the Ekklesia.

Granted (though we are called to assemble together of course). So if regenerated ones make up the church, and there are regenerated ones in the LC and RCC (albeit likely not 100% of people there are regenerated), how do you say they are NOT a church? Where do you draw the line?

[Jo S]

Originally Posted by Sons to Glory!

Granted (though we are called to assemble together of course). So if regenerated ones make up the church, and there are regenerated ones in the LC and RCC (albeit likely not 100% of people there are regenerated), how do you say they are NOT a church? Where do you draw the line?

The term "Church" has multiple definitions and applications. It can be a physical place of worship or can be referring to the body of Christ. The RCC and LC's are churches, meaning public places of worship, however you asked whether the RCC is a "real" Christian church. To me there is only one real church and it doesn't have walls, that's the body of all born-again Christians spread throughout the world who worship God in spirit and in truth.

[UntoHim]

Originally Posted by Jo S

In the majority of arguments on the forum I notice a lack of challenge toward the very foundation of the Local Church’s claim but rather there’s more focus on secondary matters. Why is that?

Well, the very foundation of the Local Church's claims are based upon secondary issues - Who is and who is not the one minister with the one ministry for the age, the ground of the church being based upon locality, various methodologies aimed at "enjoying the Lord" and "eating Jesus" by Calling of the Lord and Pray Reading, who is and who is not properly and sufficiently "blended" with the person (authority) and work (ministry) of Witness Lee.

I believe that to accept the possibility that the Lord’s Recovery was never a move of God and that they have always taught a different Jesus and a false gospel has personal implications many are not willing to confront. That’s especially true for those born into the movement and to those that lost decades to it.

Wow, you have already figured out what the members of this forum need to accept and what we need to confront! Darn, I wish I had met you about 20 years ago...you might have saved me a lot of pain, suffering and heartache!

It’s best to speak the truth no matter whether it’s accepted or not as it’s the truth that sets people free and not the outward approach.

Wow, and you are the only one around here who is speaking the truth, and are gloriously free of any of those ineffective and nonspiritual "outward approaches". Ya know, this sounds a lot like something Witness Lee said all the time - except that instead of "outward approach" he used other terms like "opinion" and "natural".

Yet it’s only in love that truth remains truth and so you won’t be able to set others free unless you first are free.

True this! Lord, cause us to see your truth, and then speak the truth in love. Set us all free! Amen.

Until you see the Lord’s Recovery movement for what it really is, only then can you move forward with an effective approach.

Didn't you just say we should speak the truth and forget about any outward approach. I think you better do some proof reading of your own posts before you fire away there captain. Or maybe that was a freudian slip?

To see that, however, you first need to address your own walk and that’s a place where many refuse to go. Being lukewarm toward the Recovery and its doctrines only gets you stuck in the past and so at this point you’re resorted to picking at specks all while the log remains in your own eye.

Jo, I'm not sure if it's from a speck or from log, but you, my friend, are seemingly blind to many things. One of the biggest is your delusion that you have a firm grasp on the disposition of the members of this forum in regards to the teachings, practices and history of the Local Church of Witness Lee. I think this may account for the reactions you are getting. I don't think you were in the Local Church long enough to know what the heck you're talking about. I know you probably mean well, but you really need to take a step back and reconsider your "approach". We are all in different places - different places in our relationship and walk with the Lord, and certainly in different places when it comes to our understandings, perceptions and realizations of what we are to do with the teachings, practices and history of the movement. This is not to mention the complexities involved for those of us with family members and close friends in the Local Church. You seem either oblivious or heartless. I hope it's the first, cause that one is a lot easier to fix.

Either the LC’s are as they claim or they are not. A movement cannot be a partial move of God, can it? If you claim that the LCs were a move of God at one point but were overtaken by so called liars, false prophets, and legalists then you’re questioning God’s ability to follow through and finish what He began. Because of that, not only is it not a false dichotomy, it’s the only dichotomy.

Every move of man is only a partial move of God, and every church, church group, denomination, ministry or para-church organization is a move of man and is hopefully a partial move of God. This is so elementary I'm shocked that you would say such a thing. Were you there in the Local Church earliest days with Watchman Nee in mainland China? Where you there with the brothers and sisters who fled to Taiwan to continue on with Nee's vision? Were you there at Elden Hall in the earliest days of the LC movement in America? Or are you omnipresent and omnipotent like Witness Lee claimed to be? Maybe you picked up more from your short time in the LC than I thought!

The rest of your post here is just more of the same, so I won't bother to burden the rest of the members with the exposing of your abject ignorance of the what is happening on this forum. Again, you are decidedly clueless, and as the moderator I am speaking the truth in love to you. Finally, you must realize that this forum is not for individuals to get up on their personal soap box and preach, at least not the kind of preaching you are doing. Discussion is fine. Disagreement is fine. Testimonies are fine. Questions are fine. Even challenges are ok if done in the right spirit and right approach.
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[Jo S]

Originally Posted by UntoHim

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Message received loud and clear, UntoHim. I will leave you to it then. God bless all of you.