I can even recall hearing pastors from the pulpit talk about a person that had left the LW fellowship. The prayer/prophecy went like this "We deliver this person over to the destruction of their body, so that their spirit can be saved."

Speaking of being ‘saved’, I believe Jesus was of the mindset that, ‘I lost not one’, meaning, there is something askew between what he taught and what Christianity promotes. Our SALVATION is not exclusive, but something that leaves nothing up to chance, and no one out.


MATTER

It is not
a matter
of if

but only
a matter
of when

we finally
ARRIVE
HOME



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/12/2016 12:09AM by kBOY.

I think some of the disappointment being expressed by many stems from the fact that many of us came into TLW with the hope or belief that we have finally found “the real deal”, only to be ultimately disappointed when we discovered that it really was “the same ole, same ole” just with somewhat different packaging. That’s more or less how I look at it anyway.

I decided to Google “John Robert Stevens” a couple months ago after watching a movie called “Kidnaped for Christ” (I found it on Amazon Prime). What I saw in there was that there were perhaps hundreds of little groups who had made a specialty out of this religion based “discipline” and I started to wonder what ever became of The Walk, Shiloh, etc. (since I saw some similarities). This is how I found my way here. FWIW: some might be interested in watching this film, if you can get your hands on it.

The thing I find refreshing about this thread is that there seem to be a few here who are advocating getting back to the simplicity of it all and focusing on the love. If we don’t see that manifested, in any movement, then I think it is fair to question since I remember reading somewhere that “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love”.

What interests me here is that I finally get a lot of the “back story” (much of it is as I expected) and to see how people have dealt with it and how those who chose to jump out actually landed. I feel I came to grips with The Walk a long time ago, I don’t even regret having done it, I learned a lot. One of those things I learned is that God gave us brains to think with, eyes to observe with and questioning is fair game.

WRT, the “bad apples” (...wherever they be a hangin), I will paraphrase a line from Peter Drucker (the famous, and now departed, management and leadership consultant) who once said “The greatest leaders of the last century were Hitler, Stalin and Mao [how he managed to miss Churchill, Roosevelt and Truman is beyond me – but as Boon said in the movie Animal House, “forget it . . . he’s rollin” :-)]. Drucker followed with “and if this is “leadership” I want nothing to do with it”. My comment would be after looking at a lot of the high profile leaders of the current Christian movements, the hate speech, intolerance, etc.: “if this is Christianity, I want nothing to do with it”. Which leaves some of us with a question of what is real, what isn't.

My observation is that TLW doesn’t seem to have the market cornered on sour cool aid, there is a lot of it out there, and a lot of people seem to be swilling it down to the extent that it would appear that they cannot mix enough of it fast enough. All this said, there is no question that there are a lot out there who love the lord (however they visualize him) even in The Walk and they are trying to make some sort of spiritual life work. I am in no way trying to “drop the hammer” on those guys.

Jewel

pbxguy used the term “catharsis.”

Unknown to me so from my Merriam-Webster Dictionary --- “Elimination of a psychological problem by bringing it to consciousness and affording it expression.”

No wonder I like this forum so much.

TheJewel ---- I’m happy you’re still posting. I enjoy your posts.

FCSLC

I was indeed using the word catharsis in that particular application.

Cheers :)

My children are grown and I now have a deep desire to reach out and connect to those in my deep past but it has been very difficult and discouraging. I had a high school friend (Patty) who introduced me to the WALK. We both went to Coniah Chapel in Chula Vista (J.D. Conquist ?? was the pastor there). I knew that she and her husband had left the "church" as I had. So about three years ago, I finally found her (it took months of research) and I made contact. I shared my life with her - about how I was now a liberal Episcopalian and an adjunct Biology instructor at the University. I then discovered that she and her husband were really deep into the Calvary Chapel in ElksGove CA. After our initial phone conversation, she sent me Young Earth Creationist literature and all our email conversations revolved around her attempts to convert me to her fundamentalist Christian views. Of course that wasn't going to happen (I teach evolution). When she came to the conclusion that I was not going to "be converted", she changed her email and dropped me like a hot potato. I really wanted to connect - not be converted. I have since found a friend (Jan) from the WALK who I can now talk to about our crazy cultish past even though we never directly met at Coniah Chapel. It took me many years before I could walk in and trust anyone at a church. I try to explain my religious past to folks and they just don't get it. I am so grateful that my husband (we will have been married 40 years this June) was the one who rescued me from the WALK. I see so many of these churches here in Texas, using the same kind of psychological and emotional manipulation. That is why I didn't take my girls to ANY church until they were 10 and 12 years old. I am now a very liberated Episcopalian. I am looking for anybody in my past Debbie (Lounsbury) Borgen

Debra (Lousbury) Borgen

Yes, I will talk to you!! I was at Coniah Chapel in chula Vista, CA up until 1974. I am now a very liberal Episcopalian but I was an atheist for many years.

Debra (Lousbury) Borgen

Catharsis is great. Leveraging the experiences unique to my time in TWF is also why I come here.

I still don't know after all these years what it is exactly that I "believe". But there are some things that I "know".

I know that I respect and honor the faith of others. I know also that my respect for their faith in no way obligates me with regards to their faith - I learned this from my time in TWF.

I know, whenever I encounter someone who cannot respect my "faith", it's time to put distance between us. I don't have enough time left in my life for that particular dance.

Thejewel: yes, the latest mash-up of politics and religion is eerily familiar. I wonder who the LWF is preaching for/against this time around - though I can guess..

40yearsin2016 Wrote:

> Thejewel: yes, the latest mash-up of politics and
> religion is eerily familiar. I wonder who the LWF
> is preaching for/against this time around - though
> I can guess.

Gary never hid from the congregation his disappointment at Obama being our president. Not sure what his stance is in this upcoming election, but it's a near certainty that he will not support a Democratic candidate.
Make that an absolute certainty.

changedagain said, “Anyone reading this forum that is still in TLWF...feel free to forward to either confirm or deny what I was told recently from what I consider to be a credible source--that Marilyn is challenging Gary to relate to her in the spirit, and that in effect, she is still calling the shots. Anonymity is respected here, BTW...even though many privately have identified themselves to other members.”

I just heard the third example of someone looking for Marilyn’s input and blessing in their life after she had died. None were in leadership, just regular people. Obviously, there must be some sort of teaching along these lines. It reminded me of the Catholics praying to Mary or one of the saints for help. (BTW, St. Bernard has been quite helpful for some of the struggles my dogs have faced!) Except in dreamland, nothing happened when she was alive. I’m not sure what is expected now.

The Bible is very clear about not talking with the dead for whatever reason. I'm sure God knows more about the other side of the veil than we do. I know John taught that he had relationships with the departed. In hindsight, most of us have come to realize it wasn’t God he was talking to and have witnessed the resulting damaged lives. I know Jesus talked with Elijah and Moses, but He is God, were not. It’s the angel of light stuff that seems to cause the most problems. We are attracted because it is “good for food and pleasing to the eye and desirable for gaining wisdom”. We forget that God said “No!” and then suffer the consequences. It appears to be just another open door for demonic input. “Detestable” is the word God used – but, what does He know and who cares anyway when you have the "Lamp" to direct you?