The Change in Nature of the Lord's Recovery

[UntoHim]

Originally Posted by Ohio

What we are providing for here are explanations to our readers which accommodate the testimonies of many leaders who have left the Recovery and recorded their stories, e.g. Al Knoch, Godfred O., Don Rutledge, John Ingalls, Albert Zehr, Bill Mallon, John So, etc.

Well, I thought I might provide my own explanation. Is that ok with you, brother Ohio?

I'm very aware of the testimonies of all the brothers you have listed here. I actually heard some of the testimonies in their own living rooms, in person. But most of these testimonies were related to us over 30 years ago. (with the exception being Don Rutledge, who has commented on these matters in more recent years, right here on this forum) It is now 2020. I think we all have the great advantage of looking back in a more objective way, and with maybe a far different perspective. I can't be sure, but I believe the testimonies of some of these brothers would be very different today.

Anytime we are discussing "the nature of the Lord's Recovery", I think we are discussing something very subjective. First of all, this thing that many refer to as "the Lord's Recovery" is actually just the little Christian sect of The Local Church of Witness Lee. The whole notion that the Lord needs "a Recovery" is suspect at best, and is really just a man-made notion. It's not in the Bible. There is a vary good reason that many outsiders refer to the LC movement as "The Local Church of Witness Lee" - it is because the whole thing is, and always has been, a personality cult of sorts, based upon the person and work of Witness Lee. In my view, to speak of "the nature of the Lord's Recovery" apart from the nature, character and history of Witness Lee is an exercise in futility. Again, it may make us old guys feel a little better about ourselves, but it belies reality, and even the cold, hard facts of history.

I think if we take an objective look back at the history of the Local Church movement, at least since the move to Taiwan after the demise of Watchman Nee, the "nature" of the sect had changed and evolved many times. But there was always one main factor for the change - Witness Lee. His person, by which I mean his authority. His work, by which I mean his "ministry". We used to call these changes "flows". This flow, and that flow. With each flow there was a change in "the nature" of the movement. Sometimes it was a small change, sometimes it was a big change, but the change was always with the approval of, if not at the direction of, Witness Lee.

This is simply my perspective. This is simply my view. I do understand and fully appreciate that others here have a different perspective. Others have different views. And this is ok! In fact, I think it makes for a more interesting and lively discussions. Understand?
-

[Indiana]

Recovering a Pure Testimony of Jesus -1

Ron Kangas has been given a platform for speaking and representing leadership in the Local Churches under the ministry of Witness Lee. He shared in a conference meeting in 2019 about a prayer meeting in Anaheim where he stood up to share that he thought the Lord had something for the church to pray for, but that he didn’t know what it was. He asked for all to become calm and look to the Lord, as he had discerned that the prayers were missing the mark and the meeting needed help. A minute later a sister spoke out suggesting that they pray for the Boston area and that what had happened there “30 years ago” ought to be cleared up. This would indeed take them back to a calamitous time, infamous reporting, and the shroud of mystery still hanging over the mournful results.

That meeting got released, and the leadership taken by Ron to interrupt the meeting and re-route the saints to the heart of God is spiritually admirable. And, the saints’ cooperation to follow Ron's lead issued in life for the church, both in Anaheim and in the Boston area, which, I believe, issued in ongoing prayer and help and attention to the Boston area at that time and over the years since, till the time of this conference in Cambridge, Mass. with Ron speaking in 2019, saying also that he could see their growth compared to the previous year. And, this was pleasing for Ron to see! and for me to hear him share.

But I also would like to hear that the whole story was told, in order that a thorough and proper clearing of the past could take place to be fair and accurate regarding the saints in “former times” and also to properly inform those of today that churches can learn and know the truth. There are those who did not survive the wreckage of relationships in Boston, induced by the growing animosity between leaders in Anaheim and in the Boston area - It is a most sorrowful story and it needs to be told truthfully - “the times” are calling for it and so is God’s Throne of judgment.

The oil of exultant joy awaits those who dig down deep to the foundation of God’s Throne; that is, to righteousness and justice. This is what should prevail that Judgment could indeed begin in the House of God.

Brother Lee has a book out called Concerning the Lord’s Recovery. And, you find out fast in reading some of the pages what happens when God’s people get careless before Him. They lose their testimony and place they once occupied in honor, in purity, in recognition in respect. In a word - Witness Lee’s word-they can become “rotten.” And many did, in the Old Testament and in the New.

Preceding the New Way and LSM / Philip Lee corrupting activity in the late 80s, and just after lthe late 70s corrupting events with Philip Lee in major roles of devastation, W. Lee in 1983 thought he could say, “The Lord's recovery is really among us, and, although the scale is quite small, the standard of the character is higher than Christianity. In the Lord's recovery the high standard of the character must be kept and maintained. Some have checked with me asking, Do you mean that all the other Christians are rotten and that only the local church people are not rotten? I don't mean that. If any people have become rotten, they are no more in the reality of the Lord's recovery. Whatever and whoever is rotten is not in the recovery. The local churches are people who have been recovered out of their rottenness back to the pure church life. The local church is not a kind of organization or religious group. The local church is the pure church life as a pure testimony of Jesus. If we become rotten, we are no longer in the reality of the Lord's recovery.”

Witness Lee continues: “This is why in the New Testament the Apostle Paul would not tolerate any kind of immorality. In First Corinthians 5, Paul charged the church not to associate with that immoral person. The church as a pure testimony of Christ would not tolerate any impurity, any immorality. The church has to be pure. Once the church becomes rotten, it loses its nature and standing as the Lord's testimony.”


Those who stood against this corruption and divisive behavior at LSM were for the Lord’s testimony in reality. Those included John So in Germany, who, practically, disassociated with W. Lee and the toleration of sin at LSM. Those who partnered with the corrupted Office naturally became corrupted too. Kowtowing to Philip Lee was an abomination and incongruent with a pure testimony of Jesus - and was in line with the change in nature and standing as the Lord’s testimony.


Steve Isitt Sept 2020

Review of Concerning the Lord's Recovery
the most key pages are made available to read

https://www.google.com/books/edition...sec=frontcover

[Indiana]

Recovering a Pure Testimony of Jesus -2

The recent posts I put out are basically rendered of none effect at this point. I don’t think I should spend the time and energy to continue to where I was going.

But I would like to at least share this from Ron Kangas.

– Nov 2019 conf in greater Boston- This comes after he shared about the prayer for Boston and clearing up “what happened 30 years ago”.

“Now we know from our history that the Enemy has tried in all kinds of ways to shut the door…” - he is referring to the open door that “the Lord has given to “the recovered church,” meaning them.

“Publishing books full of lies, now you got social media, you can put anything out there and there are all kinds of actions, that triggers off all kinds of negativity…’shut all these doors and open the doors on the internet to hundreds of testimonies full of life and light. Full of testimony to know the Holy One who is absolutely for God....' ...Part of being an overcomer in Philadelphia....

So we are in the world, the Lord says, I' do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one'. He's trying to attack every level of leadership in the Lord's recovery. So the Enemy is trying to shut us down. Lord use the key ( key of David), shut him down, shut all of those doors, and open the door, even on the internet to hundreds of testimonies.

Good night dear saints!

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by UntoHim

Well, I thought I might provide my own explanation. Is that ok with you, brother Ohio?

Why sure. It's your gig. I just wanted to differentiate between the Recovery and Lee.

Originally Posted by UntoHim

Anytime we are discussing "the nature of the Lord's Recovery", I think we are discussing something very subjective. First of all, this thing that many refer to as "the Lord's Recovery" is actually just the little Christian sect of The Local Church of Witness Lee. The whole notion that the Lord needs "a Recovery" is suspect at best, and is really just a man-made notion. It's not in the Bible.

Agreed. Notice that I never refer to the movement as a whole as anything but the "recovery." Shame on you for calling it the "Lord's Recovery" and then walking it back.

There is a vary good reason that many outsiders refer to the LC movement as "The Local Church of Witness Lee" - it is because the whole thing is, and always has been, a personality cult of sorts, based upon the person and work of Witness Lee. In my view, to speak of "the nature of the Lord's Recovery" apart from the nature, character and history of Witness Lee is an exercise in futility. Again, it may make us old guys feel a little better about ourselves, but it belies reality, and even the cold, hard facts of history.

Since I have been exonerated from the bondage of the Recovery, I have many personal opinions. Imagine that! And my personal opinion is that it is helpful to our many readers to display how the Recovery has changed over time, independent of Lee himself. It answers nagging questions which I had, and which our readers may still have.

This is simply my perspective. This is simply my view. I do understand and fully appreciate that others here have a different perspective. Others have different views. And this is ok! In fact, I think it makes for a more interesting and lively discussions. Understand?

I appreciate your many views. They have helped me over the years. I have my views too. Usually our views coincide, occasionally they diverge. It creates lively discussion. Peace!

[UntoHim]

My dear brother Indiana, take heart. There is nothing that anyone can post here that would make your posts of none effect. My goodness, after all, you are posting this within your very own subforum "Writings and Concerns of Steve Isitt". Do you realize that you are the only active member of LocalChurchDiscussions who has his very own subforum? I set this subforum up because I think you have something very valuable for both current and former members of the Local Church. And nothing that any other member posts here can make your posts of none effect!

Please keep in mind that LocalChurchDiscussions does not mean LocalChurchAgreement. Just look at the recent back-and-forth between Ohio and I. The main message to take from all the recent postings here, I believe, is that we are all here for the truth. And we all desire that all concerned - both current and former Local Church members "come to the full knowledge of the truth". Without truth we don't have any light. Without light we will not have life. "In him was life, and the life was the light of men". In the Local Church we heard a lot about life. Life, life life! But the simple fact is that we cannot experience the life of God without God's truth, which is nothing more than, and nothing less than, God's light. The problem is that men love the darkness rather than the light. This is especially true of many religious men. And this is especially true of many Christian men who think that they have all the riches, all the truth and all the light. And this is especially true of us current and former Local Church brothers X 10. May God have mercy.
-

[Sons to Glory!]

My big take-away from this little discussion is how the current LC leadership does not appear to exhibit humbleness. As has been pointed out, and brought up many times on here over the years, Lee stated that there were mistakes and that there should be an examination before the Lord. But, to my knowledge, no one in the current LC leadership has done anything like this (have they?).

Jesus Christ is the best example of a Servant Leader, that is, being a Leader by Serving others for their best. He is humble and meek and not boastful. These are characteristics of love. It does not defend itself or tear others down. A true Servant Leader exhibiting Christ, will not try to doggedly defend past practices, and will not see admitting mistakes as something to avoid at all costs. As Paul found out, it is much better to revel in weakness and shortcoming - why? That Christ can be manifested. By admitting mistakes and showing weakness . . . then Christ can come through an individual.

But that is threatening to the self who has built itself up upon years of teachings and practices. Oh Lord have mercy!