The Local Church

Born in a Gold Mine

My life began in the local churches, in spiritual gold mine. I guess you could call me a “rich kid.” It is a privileged label that I wear humbly, because it really is not a sign of snobbishness, but a merciful reminder of my true origin and identity.

Growing up meeting in the church was the best thing that ever happened to me. It was like a little boy's playground. Every Sunday, I eagerly attended children's meetings taught by lovers of Jesus. I loved hearing about this lovely Person, Jesus. I fell in love with Jesus at the age of seven.

In junior high and high school, I daily faced, as a dedicated believer, the incessant pummeling of peer pressure and the constant bombardment of social deviance at school through every medium. Often, I was inwardly torn by a profound yearning for social acceptance, yet simultaneously I was restrained by my inner conscience, the truth of God's word, and the positive peer pressure from my dear fellow Christian brothers. By the Lord's mercy, He preserved me through the church and through Watchman Nee and Witness Lee's ministry, enabling me to stand for His testimony, through my continual witnessing and solid academic achievement.

After graduation from college, I fulfilled my dream of attending the Full-time Training in Anaheim, a two-year Bible Truth and Service Training, conducted personally by Witness Lee and a dozen other servants of the Lord. Aptly, a 24 hour/ 7 day a week training, each day sped off at a frenetic pace from 6am to 10:30pm. Topics covered in the training classes could be mistaken for sumptuous appetizers, main courses, and desserts. They included: the all-inclusive Christ, God's New Testament economy, the Spirit with our spirit, the triune God in His union with man, the experience of life, a life of service, and many more. One of the highlights consisted of daily preaching the gospel, and fighting against the enemy, Satan on the local college campuses. Our weapons? Backpacks loaded with gospel tracts and New Testaments, not to mention prayers.

My deepest experiences in life and character occurred in this training. It was a greenhouse, a healthy, vibrant, and nourishing environment full of the ministry of the Word, of the divine life, of the experiences of the cross and resurrection, of sanctified camaraderie, and of honorable service. During this pivotal time, I was utterly exposed and enlightened by the Lord especially in regard to the core of my intrinsic being in relation to my service to the Lord and His Body, the church. I saw the golden truths concerning the ministers of the new covenant (2 Corinthians 3:12-18). They are not people who merely possess outward gifts, but most significantly, they are constituted inwardly to be ministers of Christ through the process of transformation by the Spirit. This qualifies them to minister Christ to others. What they minister is simply their constitution. This constitution is attained through sufferingsof the outer man (2 Corinthians 4:16). This vision completely altered the course of my life.

After attending two elite universities in the nation for an advanced degree, the Lord offered me a golden, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pour out everything I have for Him. Through various sovereign trials, I was eventually prepared to move to a city across the country to assist in the fresh, new beginning of the local church in that city. By His unfathomable mercy, He softened my heart, and made me willing to pay the price to overcome my comfort zone and comfortable life, and serve Him without reservation. To this day, I harbor no regrets for my choice. I have chosen to pay the price for the precious and priceless gold in the gold mine of the local churches.

L.C. | Back to List

Home Beliefs Revealed History Testimonies Recognition Contact Us Links