[Indiana]

Originally Posted by Igzy

Great story, Ohio.

My point for bringing all this out was to apply some balance to those who go overboard in dismissing what we were a part of back then. Because in my experience that leads to cognitive dissonance, where you try to tell yourself something but your memory and experience tell you something else.

Regardless, whatever was blessed about it, it didn't belong to Witness Lee or anyone else. It belonged to God. It was his blessing. It's nothing to be ashamed of or to try to run away from or forget or explain away. I think we should treasure those blessings while at the same time understanding that what some tried to turn it into (the unique move, "Lord's Recovery," only true testimony, MOTA, yada, yada) was all the invention of man, and shows how people can take something of God and ruin it. Sadly, it wasn't the first time and it probably won't be the last.

At the same time, it is in the past. It's not what is happening now, except that the same Lord over all who made it happen then is rich to all that call on him now.

Ah, but the American brothers were in the process of a recovery that began with Watchman Nee in China when he was a student seeking the truth of the proper ground to come together as Christians. He and other young brothers could not find scriptural ground for the denominations and began to meet on the ground that they were one with every true believer in the city. They were compelled by their conscience that they could not meet in any other way. Witness Lee a few years later joined them, although he had a successful work going on in Northern China. He could see that blessing was with Nee and his ministry from reports he had heard and the monthly publication by Nee he read, called, The Christian. He was convicted by the truth he found in Nee’s ministry.

When Lee came to the U. S., he brought three decades of experience with him, two decades under Nee. He saw much in God’s word; had valuable church life experience; and developed his own ministry. These brothers, Nee and Lee, were outside of organized religion and God blessed them to meet as one on a ground of oneness in a city. God did not agree either with denominations that slice up the Body of Christ into different sections, and pastors shaking hands over the fence.

When Witness Lee met up with seekers of the Lord in the U. S., it was he who had the weighty background, and they asked him to meet with them. He naturally became their leader and his ministry began to be released. Regardless of who he learned from, he saw things spiritually in the Bible and could minister them with profound effect among the seeking ones who were his recipients in the early days of the church life in America.

There were no pews with a pastor but every saint could function and was encouraged to speak. Like Moses, Lee desired that “you all would prophesy (speak forth Christ).” What a recovery! What a tremendous help to all the churches as they grew and spread around the country, and what a contrast with what we still see today in the best of meeting places, with only a paid pastor doing the speaking. (It has been 12 years since I met in the Local Churches and I have been to many other gatherings of believers. None had access to the weightiness of ministry and decades of experience in their lineage to help usher them into a church life as the local churches did in the U. S. when Witness Lee arrived.)

I think Witness Lee had much to do with the harmony among the churches, through conferences, fellowship with leaders, publications, and by his own godly example, as Igzy alluded to. He instilled confidence for a saint’s moving ahead in the local churches, and also hope for the churches and their future, which served to stabilize the churches. His close relationship with Nee for about two decades was a big factor for the confidence and hope the saints had. In other words, the local churches in the U. S. had a history and lineage from China and Taiwan to immediately benefit them and receive blessing of the Spirit from, especially with Lee here with them. Indeed, when they moved to Los Angeles to be near him from around the country, revival came. It came from the lineage; the product of that lineage, Witness Lee; and their heart to meet on a ground of oneness with other believers.

Songs poured out of the saints as they were being built up in their localities year after year. They made the songs up themselves from their experience and enjoyment of Christ, and the word and ministry they were blessed to be under. The reason Ohio lost his desire for cigarettes is that he was transferred, solidly, into another realm with Christ as his life and God’s house as his home and dwelling place. It was a place of absolute separation from the world and habitation with God. “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.” (Ps. 36:8)

We were inspired by Old Testament exhortation from Nehemiah to “rise up and build.” God’s people received this call to rise up, to go up, and build, or rebuild, the temple. There was every indication that we were exactly what we were told we were and that we were in a recovery of the truth of God’s word, experience of Christ as our life, and in a church of God’s glory, meeting on a proper ground of oneness. For there, on the proper ground, “the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forevermore.” (Ps. 133)

And we had the leadership to open up the way for us. I think Witness Lee and the ground of oneness teaching and practice he brought to the U. S. were key to the amount of blessing of the Spirit received in the local churches. Of course, his teaching on the human spirit and enjoying Christ as our life for the building up of the church were crucial to our experience of the blessing of the Spirit in those days. Many songs came out and filled the supplement pages concerning these experiences, teachings, and practices.

But first, we needed to come out of the divisions to be on the right ground for meeting, and for blessing.

1. Down in Babylon, in captivity,
Oh, the Lord has stirred our spirit up!
Scattered everywhere, without unity,
Oh, the Lord has stirred our spirit up!
Stirred up! Stirred up!
Oh, the Lord has stirred our spirit up!

2. Up from Babylon, where the sects abound,
From division we must all rise up!
Brothers, Babylon’s not the proper ground;
From division we must all rise up!
Rise up! Rise up!
From division we must all rise up!

3. To Jerusalem, from captivity,
God is with us, let us all go up!
To the one unique ground of unity,
God is with us, let us all go up!
Go up! Go up!
God is with us, let us all go up!

4. Platters full of Christ, bowls with Spirit filled—
All the vessels of the Lord bring up!
Bring them to the church as the Lord has willed—
All the vessels of the Lord bring up!
Bring up! Bring up!
All the vessels of the Lord bring up!

5. In Jerusalem, chosen of the Lord,
Now the temple of the Lord build up!
Serve with all the saints, share in one accord,
Now the temple of the Lord build up!
Build up! Build up!
Now the temple of the Lord build up!

Down in Babylon http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/1252

Steve Isitt
Cagayan de Oro, the Philippines
2/7/2013 will return Feb 28 to Seattle