Max

[recoveringCK]

What as the situation with Max Rappaport leaving?

Was he really trying to take control of the LCs or an agent sent on a mission by WL with a message not well received, so he was subsequently dismissed? Something else?

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by recoveringCK

What as the situation with Max Rappaport leaving?

Was he really trying to take control of the LCs or an agent sent on a mission by WL with a message not well received, so he was subsequently dismissed? Something else?

Not at all. There has been much written on this matter, though perhaps hard to find.

Max had two "mistakes" working against him.

First, WL continually sent him out to "shake up" all the LC's, with the goal of stealing their young people for WL training centers. When things went badly south, Lee needed a scapegoat, and threw Max under the bus. Max has publicly repented for the damage he caused under Lee's direction.

Second, and worse, for him. Max confronted Philip Lee in a restaurant for sexually harassing a sister in the LSM offices. (That same behavior by PL would also precipitate the "storm" of quarantines of the late 80's.) Of course, no one else had the courage to do that, which is why both of Lee's sons were such abusive perverts. W. Lee retaliated, in order to save face and protect his name, by shaming Max's wife (old Chinese custom) publicly at the Memorial Day Conf. of 1977, while Max was in Chicago for a conference.

Max never repented for confronting PL, in order to protect the saints.

It was standard practice for Nee, Lee, and the Blendeds, over the past century, to claim a coup d'etat every time some men of God spoke their conscience (as whistleblowers) in order to protect the saints for righteousness sake.

[recoveringCK]

So, brother Max has a higher than typical level of courage and integrity to be commended, not disgrace It is surprising how so much of what is strongly stated as the truth is a misrepresentation and falsehood.

By WL training centers, are you referring to the campus locations for what has become the full time training?

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by recoveringCK

So, brother Max has a higher than typical level of courage and integrity to be commended, not disgrace It is surprising how so much of what is strongly stated as the truth is a misrepresentation and falsehood.

By WL training centers, are you referring to the campus locations for what has become the full time training?

As far as locations are concerned, many things have changed over the years. Back in 1977, all of the east coast young people ended up in Boston, MA.

Witness Lee thru Max was dismantling the city churches in the Midwest under the oversight of Titus Chu, and sent most all the young people to the universities. I ended up in Columbus, OH.

The LSM FTT movement began some 10 years later.

[awareness]

About a year ago or so I saw a video of Max speaking at a little church (well before he passed - I lose track of time). He was not the Max I had a few encounters with back in the 70s.

I didn't like Max the first time I met him. It stuck out that he was obviously sold on himself. He was THE-BIG-MAN. The way he carried himself, and talked about himself, there was no humility about him. He struck me as a bully type. He bragged about himself, and how wonderful he was before the LC ; and how he was such a lady's man. He sounded like a salesman. Like a pitch man. Good at conning people. That's just the way he struck me.

But :

He was just the type Lee liked, that Lee wanted, to further his power. He gave Max the lead power over the co-workers. And sent him out to set fire to the churches. But like most of Lee's efforts, it failed. Max literally burnt them down. He left chaos and havoc in his wake.

Then Lee blamed Max. For being the Max Lee wanted, in the first place.

So I was glad to see on the video that Max had changed. Maybe his LC experience changed him. It did me.

[countmeworthy]

Originally Posted by awareness

About a year ago or so I saw a video of Max speaking at a little church (well before he passed - I lose track of time). He was not the Max I had a few encounters with back in the 70s.

I didn't like Max the first time I met him. It stuck out that he was obviously sold on himself. He was THE-BIG-MAN. The way he carried himself, and talked about himself, there was no humility about him. He struck me as a bully type. He bragged about himself, and how wonderful he was before the LC ; and how he was such a lady's man. He sounded like a salesman. Like a pitch man. Good at conning people. That's just the way he struck me.

But :

He was just the type Lee liked, that Lee wanted, to further his power. He gave Max the lead power over the co-workers. And sent him out to set fire to the churches. But like most of Lee's efforts, it failed. Max literally burnt them down. He left chaos and havoc in his wake.

Then Lee blamed Max. For being the Max Lee wanted, in the first place.

So I was glad to see on the video that Max had changed. Maybe his LC experience changed him. It did me.

Interesting Harold.
I got saved in January 1975 in San Diego. We were a young people's church. LOL.. We are now well into our 60s! He had just been 'moved' to Anaheim and all the saints in San Diego were sad. Many got saved through him when they were in high school. Over 25 of them I believe.

I never met him but heard him once or twice. Right before the 1977 mayhem. I do know that those who remained in the LC turned their back on him. Many left the LC when he did as well.

Like Lee, he did nothing for me. If they did not draw me to Jesus, they did not make an impact on me. John Smith and Les Cites (even though he was a staunch and still is a Lee follower) helped me to follow the Lord, not them.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by awareness

I didn't like Max the first time I met him. It stuck out that he was obviously sold on himself. He was THE-BIG-MAN. The way he carried himself, and talked about himself, there was no humility about him. He struck me as a bully type. He bragged about himself, and how wonderful he was before the LC ; and how he was such a lady's man. He sounded like a salesman. Like a pitch man. Good at conning people. That's just the way he struck me.

Many others felt the same way.

Originally Posted by countmeworthy

Like Lee, he did nothing for me. If they did not draw me to Jesus, they did not make an impact on me.

At one of my first meetings Max spoke. The gospel message was about "Sposen's Disease." Quite unconventional. I doubt if he even prepared the message.

TC grabbed my friend and I and introduced us to Max. I have not met anyone with as much charisma as he had.

[awareness]

Originally Posted by countmeworthy

I do know that those who remained in the LC turned their back on him. Many left the LC when he did as well.

Like Lee, he did nothing for me.

And for me nothing to. But I saw the damage firsthand. One of the brother's that came in with me, that was always the most gung-ho, fell out, from Max's "On the Floor Fellowship" teaching, or preaching. I grew up with Southern Baptist preachers. Max was nothing new to me. And I mean the brother fell out hard. We were very close friends before the LC, and even I couldn't reach him. He cursed me out.

But Max was a gasoline fire, that burned hot for awhile, and then burnt out .. and burnt out with Lee's help. But it was all Lee's doing, from the get-go ; and the undoings also, were his.

At that point, all that I could trust to follow was the Lord. But that just got me into deeper trouble, with the selected by Lee elder, that, displayed zero signs of any spiritual growth outside of worship of and kowtowing to Lee.

Like I've stated in the past : Faith in God is no problem. It's faith in man that's impossible ... or something like that.

[finallyprettyokay]

What does Max's "On the Floor Fellowship" teaching refer to? I have not heard that expression or reference before. Thanks for helping me understand.

[awareness]

Originally Posted by finallyprettyokay

What does Max's "On the Floor Fellowship" teaching refer to? I have not heard that expression or reference before. Thanks for helping me understand.

On the floor fellowship meant to drop all the spiritual pretense and fellowship for real, or down on the floor kind of real.

When Max said that, coming from Lee, it was thought, some brothers got real and left.

[finallyprettyokay]

Thank you, Awareness.

[awareness]

Originally Posted by finallyprettyokay

Thank you, Awareness.

You're welcome finallyprettyokay. In a nutshell, Max told the church in Ft. Lauderdale, "You're being phony." And he was right. Some were being phony, putting on a show, that they were really spiritual.

My close friend, for example, went from being a very annoying burning brother to completely out. It's like Max figured him out, and he gave up the scam.

I'm pretty sure Lee sent Max out to do that, to expose the pretenders.

I remember, in fact, the lead elder saying that the church had been cleansed of those holding it back.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by awareness

You're welcome finallyprettyokay. In a nutshell, Max told the church in Ft. Lauderdale, "You're being phony." And he was right. Some were being phony, putting on a show, that they were really spiritual.

My close friend, for example, went from being a very annoying burning brother to completely out. It's like Max figured him out, and he gave up the scam.

I'm pretty sure Lee sent Max out to do that, to expose the pretenders.

I remember, in fact, the lead elder saying that the church had been cleansed of those holding it back.

I was in the LC's for 30 years, and saw lots of crazy things, but some of the stuff that happened in Miami surprises even me.

[awareness]

Originally Posted by Ohio

I was in the LC's for 30 years, and saw lots of crazy things, but some of the stuff that happened in Miami surprises even me.

Ft. Lauderdale was so cleansed it no longer exists.

[recoveringCK]

Originally Posted by awareness

I'm pretty sure Lee sent Max out to do that, to expose the pretenders.

Did WL also send Max out to plant the thought that "Let us be clear, we follow a man?"

[awareness]

Originally Posted by recoveringCK

Did WL also send Max out to plant the thought that "Let us be clear, we follow a man?"

Good question. But prolly not. Max was a salesman, and like a pitchman he was a good equivocator and spinmeister.

I think he did finally say it, but after he was frozen out/left. He was part and parcel in the Sal Binoit call to Lee ... that exposed Lee ... the MAN leader.

[Barnabas]

Originally Posted by recoveringCK

What as the situation with Max Rappaport leaving?

Was he really trying to take control of the LCs or an agent sent on a mission by WL with a message not well received, so he was subsequently dismissed? Something else?

Max was invited to our local church to speak. Like always I invited a number of my Christian friends. To my surprise a good number showed up on the Lord’s day meeting. I was happy until Max said something shocking. He was speaking about the recovery of the church in a strong way. Then he asked “do you think we are saying we are lt?” It was obvious that he was not saying that we thought we were it, but to my utter shock, he strongly answered, “YES” and went on boasting about us. I looked at my friends and their heads hung down. There was no way I could justify this to them. I did not and never have believed such a thing.
Afterwards I asked him about his statement and he said that those who are pure in heart would not be offended. By this I realized that our Brother believed what he said and he believed that WL was God’s unique Oracle.