Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Date: May 02, 2017 03:01AM
Although I’ve hinted in posts that I’ve been involved in a local church, I’ve deliberately avoided mentioning it because I don’t believe a certain church – including mine - is the answer. It’s a difficult habit to break to begin looking to God instead of a belief system, especially with a background in TLWF. You first have to be free – however that may look. God is big enough to handle any of our spiritual journeys. I know it sounds like a cliché, but I believe our spirituality is a relationship, not a doctrine - both with God and others. Some reading this may be ready to re-establish those relationships in a much healthier way.
I also attend a weekly Socrates meeting with primarily atheists. Some of them are closer friends than those at my church. I happen to value who a person is above any belief system they may currently have. At the same time, I care for those that have been overlooked by the church – including those that are wandering after their time in TLWF. I’ve learned that spending time with the homeless – especially kids - whether in this country or another, opens your eyes and heart to God’s compassion. Doctrines tend to keep you from getting your hands dirty and becoming involved. At some point, I finally got tired of rationalizing why I didn’t have to do what Jesus said about caring for the least of these, and just hopped in and began to help. To my surprise, the lights came on. The directions were there all along – I just couldn’t see them until I was ready to act. Many others have experienced the same thing.
There are plenty of Christians that lack character and plenty of atheists that have character. I think all of our belief systems are in a state of flux if we are growing. I spent 30 very intense years in TLWF, coming away with wanting nothing to do with Jesus, like many others. I also know what it is like to discover that there is much more to a relationship with Him than I was ever taught in TLWF. There is a wonderful life beyond the doctrines of those who have never actually experienced what they are preaching. You don’t just prophesy it, you have to actually do it for it to work. My point in posting a couple of worship songs was not that people would worship the worship – as was so common in TLWF - but that perhaps they would remember their own hunger to know the Lord. The path that many of us detoured from is alive and well. I would not be much of a friend if I did not say so.
"Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."