House Church Talk - Re: The Local Church (history)

[Johnny Shepherd]

For those that have known me on this list for the last several years ---
Either I am sooooo bad that God is not on my side, or God is so good
that no body can take Him off my side! Which do you think it is? :)
Here's the email sent out to some friends ----- Hi all - sorry for the 3
day delay in my email responses. On thursday night (OCT 17th) I turned
60, I also had a major heart attack and was flown via life flight
helicopter to the NM Heart Hospital in Albuquerque, NM from here in
Cortez, Colordo. Had surgery and about one hour ago  (Sunday
Night)returned home. I am so Glad to be ALIVE and HOME. What a miracle
our medicine is today!!! 10 years ago I would have been dead, Instead I
feel better than I've felt in 3-4 years. WHAT A GOD WE HAVE!!!! Johnny
KD5LWU
http://hamcams.servepics.com/


-----Original Message-----
From: House Church Talk -bounces at housechurch.org
[mailto:House Church Talk -bounces at housechurch.org] On Behalf Of tim dei comuni
Sent: Sunday, October 19, 2003 2:35 PM
To: House Church Talk; david at housechurch.org; Clairebnntt at aol.com
Subject: re: House Church Talk -  Re: The Local Church (history)


ear David, Claire, and all,

Sorry, I have missed your posts, and a few days has past.

Today I read the post on Itzhak Perlman's 3-string-violin, then noticed
your replies.

-------------------

Dear Claire,

        <<<<<<<<<<
        So, are you saying that out of fear or cowardice or a desire for
        self-preservation, witness Lee left China?
        >>>>>>>>>>>>>

In a sharper way to say it, yes.  In the name of preserving the
movement's bestowments, Lee tried to convince everyone else to leave
China, but they were not convinced.

When people in those groups mentioned this event, they usually did not
mention Lee's name at all.  They believed it is not godly to accuse each
other.

-----------------------

Dear David,

    <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
    Watchman Nee is sometimes viewed as a house church "purist," yet I
    understand that he either purchased a building or built one which
was
    later seized by the Communists. Do you have the details?

    Watchman Nee has a niece named Rebecca, I believe in NY. She sent me
a
    nice letter last year. :)
    <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

She must be old-aged.  So you are keeping in touch with these oldies?

In the 1920's to the 1930's, they as default bought buildings for
meeting purposes.  Even though, they from time to time meet in homes
when there was no "meeting hall".  They had sermons on Sundays, when Nee
was preaching, people flocked to hear him.

In 1938, Nee got a new understand from the New Testament.  In a training
camp, he asked the co-workers to re-consider the way they had been
churching.  Especially these 3 matters: 1/  resident minister; 2/
church building; 3/  and sunday service (weekly sermons)." He started to
view these 3 things as hindrances against church life, and against
evangelisation.  This is in the book: "rethinking of the work" or "the
normal christian church life".  He thought that the New Testament
churches were dominated by "each other" and "one another".

Then Nee started to work as a pharmaceutical factory CEO, and much
criticism was against him.  He was finally refused a ministry from his
resident church in Shanghai.

After WWII, in 1948, he gave trainings to the co-workers again.  He
mentioned those 3 hindrances again.  In those past 10 years, nothing had
been changed about those 3 things.  Nee thought that - NOT having dealt
with those things - had caused unsatifactions in their works.  So Nee
reminded them of changing these again.  In the book: "Church Affairs".

(No matter how much hype people had given Nee, he did not consider
himself a commander of those ministries in China.  What he told the
co-workers was one thing, but it was up to each individual to receive it
from God, and work out her/his own ministry.)

But those who left China continued to have buildings, while those
remained in China could not have buildings anyway.

-------

Another movement/groups in China during those hay-days, called "Jesus
families", had been meeting in homes majorly.  They were charismatic in
practice.

Some ministers in these two movements had worked together from time to
time; as the "little flocks" had once been only a loose connection.
These two groups together became the driving force of the later
evangelical explosions in China.

God bless

       Tim Wai
       Hong Kong


     
    
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