That's you're.

When you think about it, we all chose to follow a leader because of personality. John Robert Stevens had that booming deep voice, very articulate, he spoke with such authority, knowing what scriptures to emphasize, what scripture to overlook. He knew just how to tickle our ears. We all felt special, we all felt like we were just about to have the breakthrough, just on the other side of the current dealings of the Lord. All we had to do was repent until we believed, if only we could intercede enough so the apostle could open the door to the next level, yada yada. The good old walk double talk. But it sounded good. Didn't mean a thing, but it sounded very good.

It is all personality. As I said, I was in no way qualified for anything, but somebody approached me when I was in LA, I don't know to this day who he was, I don't even remember seeing him at the meetings till I was sitting at one of the picnic tables or whatever they were outside of the Valley church, he sat down and told me I should pray about a commission with one of the LA churches or maybe Shiloh.

The Living Word Fellowship. It was and is a strange glich in my life, a window that was opened mysteriously and closed just as quickly. Whoever that dude was, whether he had any authority to pull that off, or for what reason he asked me, and how many others he asked, and why, I will never know. I think it was part of the power play, maybe just Marilyn's way of feeling out the crowd. I know that he went to another bench and talked with somebody else.

What I discovered when I was in Living Word, is they were everything they spoke against. Living Word is Babylon.

Apostle Dog. Thank you for your honesty. You have confirmed many suspicions and your summaries makes one's heart, "soar like an eagle."

Truth seekers have to put up with Babylon for the most part, but they will move up and on when something better comes along.

Some from Salt Lake City were at that meeting at the Valley Church. The special ones (pre-chosen personalities) got the authority, while a few others ate picnic lunch standing up in the parking lot.

What if it turned out that Living Word, at the higher levels, in the inner circle leadership that is, what if it was nothing but a Hollywood production, a sort of reality show in a way, I would not be surprised if the leaders of the church were nothing but playing a roll, I mean it could be easily done.

There were great people in that church, probably still are. But to the leaders, it might well have been just a game. That might be what the restricted tapes were all about, just plans being made on how to set up situations whereby this sheep could be removed, another sent off to Siberia, someone could be set up as an elder, cultivated and groomed, brought slowly into the inner circle, another leader becomes a nephlim and has to be ousted out. The “little people’’ of course know nothing about all of this, to them it is reality, they are certainly tithing with real money, they certainly are giving real free labor.

The whole time, huge amounts of money is being made by the leadership.

Perhaps that is what the guy with the sport coat walking round the Valley church was all about, perhaps he was just taking interviews for a script. Only the people that he is recruiting think it is for real. Perhaps he was looking for people that were so anxious to be in the inner circle, with all the power and authority, and MONEY that they would sign up for such a farce anxiously.

Whatever it is to be a leader in Living Word Fellowship, I am glad I went home and told the church that was meeting in my home that I was pulling out. Most of them did the same. We all went our separate ways. I stayed with the woman that I got the “word” to divorce. I grew more mature and I repented, and I am grateful that I left the Hollywood church behind.

In spite of the pressure, to the best of my knowledge I never put the mind trips on those 'under' me, that I endured. If anything, I almost always gave a person a no-guilt out when they didn't want to do something: 'You want to go to the desert this weekend with your son and search for lizards, rather than lead a couple worship services? Fine'
'You want to go see a movie with a friend tonight rather than attend what will certainly by another awesome service? Fine.'
I definitely did not have the nature to advance within the system.
But I do now...
Apostle Dog--divorce your wife!!

quote: Apostle Dog--divorce your wife!! LOL. The first one passed on, so I am with a new wife now, and I might just take that word to heart, this time....ROFL...

LOL...You know, I didn't pull the trips on people either, at least I hope I didn't. One time though there was a man and his wife that were really stiff necked in the church, I did once while bringing a word, which was a rare occasion, pull out a bottle of whisky from under the couch and take a swig. But that guy needed it, he by the way stole the whole tape library when we broke up, went around telling everybody he was John's right hand man I guess. I should have had a little fun bringing the word, whenever I did I usually got rebuked for "doing my own thing." The pastor before me made everybody support him, said he needed to be loosed from Babylon. Guess some have it and some don't. i worked for a living. I didn't know anybody made a living off the ministry till I started traveling around. Nobody in my neck of the woods did. Oh well.

jhorning Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Acts 5:38 "And so now I tell you: Stay away from
> these men, and leave them alone. If their plan
> comes from human authority, it will fail. 39 But
> if it is from God, you will not be able to stop
> them. You might even be fighting against God
> himself!”
>
> I believe i can say with certainty tlwf is from
> man. It's just taking awhile to fail completely.

An ex-LW person told me this recently. I find it true.

There are three kinds of people in a cult:

1. Those that mix up the poison with the Kool-Aide and serve it.

2. Those that obediently line up and drink the Kool-Aide

3. Those that see what's going down. So they run off and hide in the jungle.

At one time, we were fascinated with Living Word because of the “word” about resurrection life, but now that resurrection life turned out to be a dud, all they had was they sat in a circle instead of in a straight line, now all churches do that from time to time, then of course, Living Word Fellowship was a come as you are type church, but now every church has no dress code, they sang in the spirit, but lots of churches do that now, so what is the gimmick that makes Living Word fellowship merit people giving their time and money to the Hargraves? What is the thing that grabs people, that makes Living Word Fellowship any different than the next charismatic church down on the corner? Of course, I guess they are still getting drunk or stoned or both and running around on their wives, but really, what is special about that? You can do that and not go to church at all, and save your 10% or more. What is it about Living Word Fellowship today that has any magnetism for anyone other than the next church?

When I was young, I believed that the Living Word Fellowship was the church going back to the way it was in the early church. I don't know why I had that idea, other than the concept of apostles and prophets being "restored." The big draw was JRS, I actually thought he was special. He had that sort of charisma. But I don't catch on to the appeal of Gary and Marilyn. Other than the belief that JRS set her in, which I don't think there is any proof, there is no appeal at all in my oppinion.