Here is the thing you will find in all cults. There is the constant belief that those on the outside are ready to persecute YOU, because YOU are on the inside, and what makes you on the inside? Well, it's because you have are special, and you are special because you have a revelation of the leader that those on the outside are not capable of having. So then, you are special, (*you love to have your ears tickled, about how special you are) and you know that THEY are against YOU, because THEY (the ones on the outside, like your family members and former friends) can not have the revelation you have, because YOU are special.

CHAOS

I hesitate to call the whole thing a cult, I mean there was a lot of great people in the WALK, and for the most part, JRS had an incredible knowledge of the bible. Comparing the WALK to the churchianity as a whole, it was and probably still isn't all that bad. You see, people tend to make a gold calf out of their leaders, for one thing, if they can put the leader on a pedestal, if they can influence him or her, make them need that worship, they can in essence control them. That is what happened with JRS, he had a bunch of yes men (and women) around him, and they did influence him. Marilyn came along and said everything John wanted to hear, she wiggled and giggled and idolized him and made him feel good, made him feel young, and next thing you know, Martha is out, Marilyn is in, JRS is dead and she has all the property and money and ministry and, well, you know the story, Hargrave figured he would marry the grieving widow and then he would be the man. This is no different than what happens in the rest of Christendom, nothing special there.

I know this, the people that I met at Shiloh from other parts of the country would have been Moonies or Heavens Gate stiffs or Jim Jones followers, whoever came first would be whoever they followed. I don't know that JRS was such a cult leader, but the people in it were certainly lining up to worship whatever man they found.

The "Walk" has frequently been called a "cult" and Stevens a "cult leader."

See [www.people.com]

By the way, if it is true that the Hargraves have five houses, it would behoove the members of the Walk to take a look at that, and consider the same thing that the followers of Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland and others, such as, 'where did they get their money?' I am wondering just how much Marilyn inherited from John Robert Stevens. If it is true that the Hargraves make nearly a quarter a million a year apiece, then how much do you think John Robert Stevens made?

The difference between a CHURCH and a CULT: In a CHURCH, the leaders are servants to the people, they are there to pray for and minister to the people, in a CULT, the people are there to pray for and minister to the leaders. In other words, when the prayers and intercession is always for the leader, you are in a cult.

Regarding the cult question: let me repeat what others have said.... " if it walks like a duck, and it talks like a duck and it quacks like a duck.....it just might be a duck."

Regarding John Miller. He was recently removed from Walk leadership. We hear he has left the fellowship. From what we can tell, Marilyn has never liked John. She has a hard time competing with a man who has a true shepherd's heart. He had to go. He drew the focus off of Marilyn too much. And now, all LW members are told to not communicate with John Miller. He is being shunned, completely. Like I said...."It just might be a duck."

I think it's fairly clear now.

PF

Yea without a doubt it is a cult. I said that to stress that a lot of Christiondom are cults too, but for sure, this one is a cult big time. I hate that for John Miller, but then, it is the best thing that could happen to him. What Satan meant for evil, God can make it work out for the good.

I know that JRS loved John Miller, he had no problem with him. You know I remember the tapes, when John was getting sick, Marilyn would chirp in and JRS would correct her, but as he got sicker and sicker, she increased and JRS decreased.

For a long time I had an issue with Living Word people falling for that con of LWF just like I have had an issue with Christians sending all of their money to televangelists, but you know what, it finally came to me. Jesus said "My sheep hear my voice and a stranger, they will not follow." That says it all. These are not His sheep to begin with. They WANT to follow the scam.

I will pray for John Miller that he finds his niche in life. I hear that he got a divorce, I don't know if it was a typical Walk divorce, where one was sold hook line and sinker on the Walk and the other not.

I know that not long after I went to that meeting at the Valley church and came back to the South with the news of what had happened with the Walk, I got a phone call in the middle of the night from one of the elders of the Knoxville church, and was given a "word" to divorce my wife so that I could be available to Marilyn. I told this "elder" to kiss off.

I still wonder what sort of man JRS really was. I am trying to find the answers to that.

Thanks for answering my posts.

chaos

Chaos, that is an interesting phone call you got. Unfortunately, orders for couples to divorce happens often. I've heard from Walk leaders that the theory behind this is this: If a couple are looking like they might leave the fellowship together, it is best to split them up if there is a chance to retain one of them. It is better if one of them continues to stay in the group than for both of them to leave as a couple. It is all done as a move to correct the "unequal yoke". This theory is also applies to families where kids are separated from parents. Also, with couples, whichever spouse is the most loyal to the leadership (esp. Marilyn) that person is made "the authority" over the marriage and family. Loyalty to Marilyn trumps everything. In fact loyalty to G&M covers a multitude of sins.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2013 09:39PM by paleface.

Paleface, what years were you involved with the Walk? I should know, I have been reading the posts, but can't remember offhand. Anyway, at that time, there was a mad scramble to "hook up" with whoever was going to be taking over. When it became apparent that Marilyn was going to win because after all she marred John, the old guard was out the door pretty fast. You know, the thing that irritated me the most was the fact that the Walk was supposed to be so free of religiosity and position seeking and it was religious Babylon on steroids the whole time. There had been years free from divorces and now suddenly everybody was divorcing their wives. I mean, why stay with the wife of your youth when there was always some sweet fluff with a 'revelation of you' to be had. The ''elder'' that called me and told me to divorce my wife and make myself available to Marilyn got a divorce himself, along with the other elder at the Knoxville church. One girl committed suicide up there too, don't know how much what was going on had to do with that. It was really a crazy time.

I recall going up to Shiloh and watching them interceding for John to be the "first born from the dead, the first to enter resurrection life." I never will forget the look on their faces when they said "John, we know who you REALLLLYYYYY ARE."

Some really sick stuff.

"I will however shock you with this one if you didn't know. JRS had a son with a woman outside his marriage to another member in the church, and that kid went to school with us all. Is this news or not really?"

I would be very interested in what you have to say Strand. You sound like you might be a much younger person than myself. I had kids that went to a "kingdom school" in Knoxville Tennessee. I was also out in the Valley church right after JRS died. The local "shepherds" (the ones that put the tape in the cassette player) were sent out there to listen to Marilyn talk about how she was commissioned to be the queen of heaven or whatever, and stayed with a young couple that had a little boy. Can't remember their names, but I remember holding the little boy and watching the surfers, they were a very nice little family.

Anyway, Marilyn never did show us the video of her being commissioned as promised, and the video of the meetings was edited even though she said they would not be. I remember one dude I had talked to on the phone from the Apostolic company, can not remember his name but it will come to me later, anyway he said "I don't know this Jesus dude, but I do know John."

Anyway, I got to rambling, but I would be interested in your stories.

chaos