HEADBANGER NEWS: All Aboard the Crazy Train

The Unfolding And Unwrapping Experience! Special Collection #1
December 4, 2016

[www.thelivingword.org]

In a video message, the G-man claims to have been in this series of messages since MLamp's transition, listening to some of these up to 30 times. If one is to look back over the last year, that may explain the emphasis on the 1972 vision of the Kingdom.

It appears that TLW is getting ready to double-up and jump again, pinning their hopes on an outcome that is the result of an hallucination, not a revelation. Perhaps circling the mountain at least gives the impression of going somewhere without actually making any progress, something the fellowship has done for the last 35 years.

Need we be reminded of the definition of insanity?

Well, it didn't work as cassette messages. Maybe it'll work in CD format.

Repackage the old messages and sell them to congregants. Sounds just like Scientology. A quick and easy way to raise more cash for the cult.

Apparently The Unfolding wasn't a piece of cake and there was division among John's sons about who would be greatest in the Kingdom with Gary taking the prize. I suspect you won't find this mentioned in the re-mastered CD's about The Unfolding.

Invisible Wrote In Part on June 27, 2014:
-------------------------------------------------------

> However some time in 1981 - John having been
> diagnosed with cancer late in 1980, invited all of
> the ministries and members of all the churches who
> were related to the Church Of The Living Word to
> attend special services - John held at the San
> Diego Church - these services which were given the
> title ( The Unfolding ).
>
> At one of the services during the (Unfolding ) -
> John called Gary up on the platform to minister to
> him. And it was at this time that John laid hands
> on Gary and prophesied over Gary. It was at this
> time that John set Gary ( apart ) from among all
> the brothers, giving Gary (a charge.)
> ( definition Charge - to impose a duty,
> responsibility on ) John took one more step after
> this service in the ( Unfolding ) and had Gary
> speak to the church.
>
> However when John prophesied over Gary - John
> prophesied over Gary - the responsibility Gary
> was to have for the church - John at this time did
> not give Gary the responsibility John carried for
> the Church - as the spiritual overseer for the
> church. But John spoke of the responsibility
> that Gary was to have for the church - and he
> likened that responsibility to the responsibility
> that Joshua had, saying that Gary was to lead
> God's people on into the kingdom. This is the
> only time that John spoke of the responsibility
> that Gary was to have for the church to the
> church. ( And this that was spoken over Gary at
> the unfolding in San Diego in the hearing of all
> the many members ) is what held the church
> together - after John died in June of 1983.)
>
> After the " Unfolding " John began taking steps (
> himself ) to try to bring some other certain
> brothers ( ministries ) into the ministry with
> himself - to bring about a working relationship
> between these certain brothers and Gary and those
> brothers who were working for John in the ministry
> but John was unable to do this - because a major
> disagreement arose which created a division that
> has never been corrected - and John so was unable
> to delegate the responsibility he wanted to give
> to these other ministries.
>
> John intended to delegate responsibility to other
> ministries - so that Gary would have the help he
> needed to be able to carry the responsibility he
> was to have for the church. Gary was far too
> young to have the mantle of John's ( full
> responsibility ) for the Church by himself at
> that time..
>
> And the division that arose ( between brethren )
> was based on the premise of men thinking of the
> ministry as being a high archy of authority. . And
> because of the spiritual immaturity that existed
> in ( all ) the brethren - which Gary became
> entangled in and got caught up in - in mid 1982 -
> this resulted in Gary not having the help
> Gary needed - which John was trying to bring
> about - for the church, before John died.
>

> And the division that arose (between brethren)
> was based on the premise of men thinking of the
> ministry as being a hierarchy of authority.

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

In the Salt Lake City Church, it was two shepherds versus everybody else. The over-lording shepherds won. The church was sold and the shepherds moved out of Utah to go and oppress others who would tolerate it. The rest of us never went back to any church again. One lesson confirmed --- no dictators wanted or needed in the Heavenly Spiritual Kingdom.

"This collection of John Robert Stevens’ ministry of the living Word from July 1981 – December 1982 became an unfolding, crescendo of impartation — a creative tidal wave in the Kingdom of God on earth"

Been away for a while, reading this is a bit of a flash of PTSD. Just wanting to keep the record straight here...

"The Unfolding" wasn't a crescendo of impartation, it was the beginning of the end. It was a period of time where the "Word" that came was more and more confused and indeciferable. In hindsight John's words and actions had became erratic and dare I say a bit psychotic?

Later we came to understand that many of these recordings were made under the influence of alcohol and painkillers. John isolated himself within as small group of young, uneducated and inexperienced groupies in So. Cal.

In his paranoia he began in ernest to alienate the mature ministers who had helped build his empire. Within a short period of time, outside of LA, those ministries either left or were forced out/gone; huge congregations too: Seattle, Waukegan, Hew Hampshire, Detroit, Ohio, Waukegan, Grand Bend, Salt Lake, San Diego - and those are the ones I remember. By my guess somewhere between 5,000 and 15,000 congregrants dispersed in bitterness - an unfolding indeed...

40yearsin2016 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "This collection of John Robert Stevens’
> ministry of the living Word from July 1981 –
> December 1982 became an unfolding, crescendo of
> impartation — a creative tidal wave in the
> Kingdom of God on earth"
>
> Been away for a while, reading this is a bit of a
> flash of PTSD. Just wanting to keep the record
> straight here...
>
> "The Unfolding" wasn't a crescendo of impartation,
> it was the beginning of the end. It was a period
> of time where the "Word" that came was more and
> more confused and indeciferable. In hindsight
> John's words and actions had became erratic and
> dare I say a bit psychotic?
>
> Later we came to understand that many of these
> recordings were made under the influence of
> alcohol and painkillers. John isolated himself
> within as small group of young, uneducated and
> inexperienced groupies in So. Cal.
>
> In his paranoia he began in ernest to alienate the
> mature ministers who had helped build his empire.
> Within a short period of time, outside of LA,
> those ministries either left or were forced
> out/gone; huge congregations too: Seattle,
> Waukegan, Hew Hampshire, Detroit, Ohio, Waukegan,
> Grand Bend, Salt Lake, San Diego - and those are
> the ones I remember. By my guess somewhere
> between 5,000 and 15,000 congregants dispersed in
> bitterness - an unfolding indeed...

Nice synopsis. I think anyone still in TLWF should read this comment at least 30 times, and not bother with any of the Unfolding/Unwrapping/Unraveling messages.

puddington Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well, it didn't work as cassette messages. Maybe
> it'll work in CD format.
>
> Repackage the old messages and sell them to
> congregants. Sounds just like Scientology. A
> quick and easy way to raise more cash for the
> cult.


Yes, there are plenty similarities between Scientology and TLW. Expensive courses, repackaged old teachings, and both founders dabbled in the occult and didn't support psychiatric treatment for mental health conditions. I don't think I would pony up $600 to make sense of some confusing LW messages that would require me to listen to them 30 times. Now if I really wanted a real spiritual impartation I might use the $600 to fly to Maui and drive up Mt Haleahkela (sp?) at 4:00 am in the morning to see the sun rise. Now, I wouldn't be attending any services there because I WOULD BE ON VACATION.

Thanks 2016 for setting the record straight. I read about what happened to the Youngs and the Kleins and the SLC church but I didn't know how widespread it was. I wonder did the money from forcing pastors out and closing down of all those churches go back to JRS? I hope the truth comes out and that folks feel that this forum is a safe place to share what they experienced. I know the conditioning runs deep about not touching God's anointed but I think at some point (and it can take a long time) one discards that fear and begins to examine it all.

I don't see a problem with releasing the Unfolding and Unwrapping on CD. Lots of the cassettes are worn out, and I'm sure there are some who would want them. I'm trying to convince my wife to let me buy them, but since we have most of the This Weeks and all of the Unfolding and Unwrapping literature it's a hard sell. :)

I'm not try to convince anyone to buy or "buy into anything", but since Rick Disney's name got brought up. LOL!!! He put together a couple of music CD's recently without the singing and these are great. JMHO! I don't like any of the other music/worship CD's. He can keep the Christmas Truck (not interested), but to each his own. Not really condemning him, but we weren't really pro Christmas to begin with, which they say they still aren't but...

lily rose Wrote:

> I hope the truth comes
> out and that folks feel that this forum is a safe
> place to share what they experienced. I know the
> conditioning runs deep about not touching God's
> anointed but I think at some point (and it can
> take a long time) one discards that fear and
> begins to examine it all.

There's very few things I'm certain about in this life. But the certainty I have that these leaders are not God's anointed, and Marilyn is not directing 'believers' from the cloud of witnesses, is rock solid. If I'm amiss, then I wouldn't be surprised if Elvis is still alive, the moon landing was a hoax...and my hound has an altruistic nature.

I think the closing down of churches was an easy way to move funds into the central LW accounts. Especial places like SG, Fresno and Santa Barbara that had real estate. One thing is, the LW was pretty hush-hush about what was being done. But seriously, who's going to object? If you ask, you are labeled a "critcal spirit" and outcast. I know this first-hand.