Against the LC Practice of Prophesying

[OBW]

Originally Posted by Freedom

When someone such as myself has spent their whole life in the LC, this is much easier said than done. The second problem is what to disregard and what, if anything, to hold onto. I think for anyone who experienced salvation in a LC environment, that experience is something that will always be viewed positively. I can think of some positive LC experiences thereafter as well. I might be inclined to attribute some of my positive experiences to some of what Lee taught, but to be honest I can't be so sure as to whether his teachings ever resulted in that or not. The problem for me is if I just disregard those positive experiences, where do I end up? It just makes things all the more confusing. No matter how disillusioned with the LC I am, what I've experienced in the LC (both the good and the bad) will be with me for as long as I'm alive.

No one would suggest that you disregard your salvation. When I mentioned in some post a potential problem with those get-them-excited-to-stand-and-say-Oh-Lord-Jesus, it does not mean that those persons are never saved. But when they walk out the door and go back to their old life and never really look back, is it reasonable to declare that they were actually saved? If just saying the words is enough, then the answer is "yes." But is just saying the words enough? That is the real questions.

As for positive experiences, I cannot comment on experiences of anyone. But to let experiences be the guidepost for what you think about the place you were sitting when you had the experience, or the quality of the teachings that were being dished out at the time, or in general by the place where you had the experience is to allow your emotions and feelings to define what is and what is not of God. Getting saved in the LCM does not make it a reasonable place to remain as a Christian. But it also does not taint your salvation. Salvation is between you and God. It cannot be taken away by a wealth of lousy teachings in your proximity.

That the whole of your LCM experience will be with you for your entire life, even if you walk away today, is a fact. It is the same with almost anything about our lives. But at the same time, everything that we have been through does not necessarily define us or rule us for all of our lives. I know that it is not necessarily a popular analogy, but it can be applied positively.

A recovered alcoholic (who will refer to him/herself as an alcoholic for the rest of their life) has a lot of experience. It includes everything that led to their problem, the darkest times in the emotional/spiritual/physical hell that comes with it, the typically lengthy struggle to come out of that, and then the period of recovery and sobriety (always one day at a time). Life will always include everything that is experienced in all phases of that. And even the darkest times will provide experiences that can be drawn upon years later for various positive reasons. For example as a reminder not to go there again, or as a basis for helping others who are in the midst of those struggles, or seem to be heading in that direction.

Many of the experiences are negative. Many are positive. All remain with us forever. And all are useful in our continued life. But that does not make the dark experiences positive. Only what we gained from them is positive. The night spent in jail is not positive. The wake-up call that it brought may be.

Our experiences in the LCM are similar, yet different from that. The environment and the core teachings are problems. Yet despite that, we can have positive experiences of Christ, positive experiences of fellowship with other believers, even transition from darkness to light through salvation. But the wealth of leaven around us was not the reason that we had the experiences. There are other reasons. The wealth of leaven around us is the reason that we should seek to find our teaching elsewhere. It does not necessarily negate positive experiences. But neither should the existence of positive experiences be the reason that we stick around in the leaven bin.

At some level is an example of confusing correlation for causation. Is the fact that you were in the LCM when you had the experience evidence that the LCM actually had anything to do with it other than being in the proximity, or being the collection of people with which you had the experience. The LCM is (or at least was) a group seeking experiences. It was the reason for the exuberance. (All this despite our own declarations that feelings are not facts.) So there are reasons to question whether some of the experiences are real and from God, or are the result of the environment that was seeking an experience. That was ready to declare those training banners until they got dizzy from the excitement. But even if you determine that all of your were truly from God, was the LCM responsible for them. Or were they simply there at the same time.

And my reason for asking is that if you have a positive experience while under the tutelage of a horribly unqualified (in Paul's terms, not some seminary's) person for his position, it does not mean that you should keep learning from the disqualified source.

Some are just sure that I am simply trying to discredit Lee at every turn. But at this point, I believe that Lee has discredited himself. And the only thing I seek to do is to cause anyone who will to stop for a minute or two and check whether they can declare with certainty that sticking around the LCM, or that any credit to the LCM, is worth the risks and consequences.