Insightful


kBOY Wrote:

> Still having contact with many of the
> ‘faithful’, the remnant seems to fall in three
> distinct categories: 1) the sycophants of the
> organizational hierarchy who will either
> ‘do-or-die’, no matter what the cost; 2) the
> sweet little-people who have populated the cheap
> seats for most of their lives and will probably
> ride things out until their end; and, 3) the
> fence-sitters who would love to leave but who are
> too afraid of what would become of their lives
> after making such a huge investment.

The posts today were really substantive...with fresh perspectives and understanding.

To answer your above question AD, JRS had a modest residence in the valley and 3 or 4 other homes he purchased that were used as communal housing for the congregants. None of them were mansions. After the divorce I suspect Martha may have gotten a home or two though don't know for sure. I don't think JRS had a home in Hawaii. The Hawaii home that G&M purchased in Hawaii I don't think was a mansion but it was reportedly very close to the ocean and probably worth a couple million now. Lampschamp may have kept the info he found last year regarding it's market value. There are 2 Hawaii churches, the one on Oahu I understand is ocean front property and the one on Maui has a lot of land. I don't know the values of either of the Hawaii church properties.

Thanks Lily Rose. I have no idea how I sort of figured that was about it, I just didn't have him pegged for a really greedy person.

I don't know how I feel about ministers getting rich, I don't feel like they should automatically be poor, but with them, they are making their living, and rightfully so off of the donations of those they minister to. I see it all over the place, I know Christians that follow some of these guys on TV that are rolling in the millions and it disgusts me. People that are barely scraping by and tithing money they can't afford. I am glad that JRS didn't live that high.

AD,

Some of the information I have read on the early new testament churches indicates that they didn't tithe because that was thought to be old covenant; rather, they voluntarily gave money to help the poor not to support the apostles or church elders. And since they met in houses, there were no church building expenses.

Lily Rose, I actually checked it out with two different Jewish rabbis, they both said that they don't event tithe today, because the tithe was to support the Levites and the temple, and since the temple is not in existence now, they don't tithe themselves, and they are about as old covenant as you can get. So there is no basis for a tithe at all, it's a ripoff. Of course, no pastor wants to hear that.

Personally, I put five bucks in the collection plate if the music and sermon are extra good.

Oh yea, by the way, the rabbis told me that they do charge a membership fee, but it is no-where near a tenth of the income of the families that belong to the tabernacle or whatever they call their fellowship. They said that many of their members give about a tenth to the poor as you were saying, there is a Jewish fund for poor people they give to, but it is strictly voluntary.

Call them up and talk to them, it's pretty interesting. Unlike the Christian pastors that I know, they can be found at their offices every day. I have never been able to find a pastor except at service times, I guess they are all out visiting the sick or whatever, all week, every week. Or maybe, they are off somewhere having visions about the future.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” New Living Translation

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

When you first get kicked out or leave TLWF it’s like you’re away from it, but still looking and sensing the monster from a distance. The risk is whether or not Creator God is backing the monster or backing you. It’s a fear factor that has to be destroyed in your spirit. I have no fear of the Mormons, Benny Hinn, Kansas City prophets, etc. I’ve had no heart-deep contact with any of them; the slate is clean.

With each post on this forum, lingering subconscious apprehensiveness seems to be getting wiped out. You read a post and walk away with a new level of freedom each time. Amazing!

They say, “Out of sight, out of mind.” It’s hard to put in words what I want, but it’s along the lines of: I never knew you, suit yourself, each to his/her own, whatever, different strokes for different folks, not entrusted, not influenced, not inserted, not beset, ----- ??

"With each post on this forum, lingering subconscious apprehensiveness seems to be getting wiped out. You read a post and walk away with a new level of freedom each time. Amazing!"

I am really happy this forum is here and that it is doing some good for everybody. I hope that people in the Walk read it and that it does them some good too. Where Christ is, there is freedom. Now I say that, not because "we" are Christ in the earth, I say that because Christ IS in the earth, and He is calling on all of us to walk right out of her (our own personal Babylon) whatever that may be. He is speaking freedom to His people.

With some of us, bitterness was our prison, with others, it has been fear or anxiety, or guilt, whatever the thing is that has kept us bound, Christ is offering us freedom. We can lay it all down, and take on His yoke, it is easy, and His burden is light.

Just going back to about page 217 I see so many people that I had not seen here before, and some that I have seen here before that are posting again that I had not seen in a while, some of the names =NotElisha, PbXguy, KBoy, 40yearsin, and the people I have seen before but not in a while, Corboy,JHorning, Lampsmamp,,, all of you, I am very happy to have you all posting here, this forum has taken new life and I am happy about that.

I believe we are doing something that is vital, as there needs to be a place for people to come if they start leaving the Walk, and even if they don't, they need to hear a new perspective, and also, the good that it is doing all of us to get our heads on right after being mixed up in that mess. I can't think of anything else to call it, but "that mess."

Back in the 70's, I helped prepare and paint the exterior of a small home John owned near Redlands--working for a member of the fellowship that had a painting business in the area. Gary was the pastor of the church at the time. After the work was completed, and the bill submitted (through Gary, as an intermediary, who had arranged for the work to be done), he announced at the end of the service that we had done the work as a "love offering" to John. At the time, I was in subsistence mode--and a little compensation could have really helped matters. Oh well.



lily rose Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The posts today were really substantive...with
> fresh perspectives and understanding.
>
> To answer your above question AD, JRS had a modest
> residence in the valley and 3 or 4 other homes he
> purchased that were used as communal housing for
> the congregants. None of them were mansions. After
> the divorce I suspect Martha may have gotten a
> home or two though don't know for sure. I don't
> think JRS had a home in Hawaii. The Hawaii home
> that G&M purchased in Hawaii I don't think was a
> mansion but it was reportedly very close to the
> ocean and probably worth a couple million now.
> Lampschamp may have kept the info he found last
> year regarding it's market value. There are 2
> Hawaii churches, the one on Oahu I understand is
> ocean front property and the one on Maui has a lot
> of land. I don't know the values of either of the
> Hawaii church properties.