Does LSM Hold to Apostolic Succession?

[NeitherFirstnorLast]

Originally Posted by Igzy

Why do LCers extend so much authority to Lee? Why are they so afraid to question him. Other teachers have been consider by them to be MOTAs. But do they fear questioning, Luther, or Murray or Darby? Lee is just another and is now departed. So why do his words still hold such power over them?

The answer is really simple. They are afraid to question him because they've been trained to think that way. Like I said, this is a self-enforcing pernicious principle which, upon reflection, should be considered extremely unlikely to have been put in place by God.

I don't think the answer IS that simple, brother.

The LC trains it's adherents to believe that they are more than Christians, they are a kind of super-Christian (I heard some in my locality refer to themselves in such a way). "Overcomers", the ones in the Flow, God's Recovered Bride, etc. etc.... Whatever we were, we were special. And we didn't just show up on Sundays, no - we devoted our lives to this movement. Some even married spouses based on the elders council - were sent out to new cities or even countries based on what the ministry told them to do. Everything they had was given to LSM, because you absolutely believed it was God's will.

What if it wasn't?

That's a terrifying concept.

If you invested everything you had of yourself into a LIE, then you who thought you were rich and had everything were really poor and wretched and miserable and blind and naked. This isn't just someone's taste in a minister we're talking about, and it's not just like unplugging from one church to invest your time at another one down the street. We're talking about an entire life given over to something corrupt.

When you first start to question Lee (and we've both been through this), then you realize what he has built is really a house of cards. Pull one out, and others start to topple. Lee was wrong about this, but then this wrong idea sprang from that, and that for another, etc. etc. Before you know it, very little is left - and you are left facing the inevitable: You were deceived. That is a bitter pill to swallow.

This doesn't excuse willfully accepting the deceipt for sake of comfort. Far from it, we are all responsible for the choices we made. If we were swindled into believing a lie (and I was too, not throwing stones), then it's our fault. Were we better grounded in the Word, had we (I) not quenched the Spirit, we (I) would have more readily escaped... and less scathed.

I can only imagine what someone with 30 years or more invested must feel, knowing that questions maybe ought to be asked - but being terrified of the answers I'd uncover...