I don't condemn you, Larry. You post often. "Obey the words of Jesus. He will change you from the inside. You can live a Kingdom life." Jesus called remarriage adultery. You were disobedient. You chose not to remain single. You remarried. I was wondering how you reconciled it. You gave your response. You say you are blessed. I won't bring it up again.

TLWF views on divorce and remarriage are pretty convenient for those wanting to remarry. TLWF views ignore the teachings of Jesus too.
An ex-pat I know, who attends church, first spouse died and the second spouse recently left. Irreconcilable differences. The pastor provided the following to the ex-pats concern about remarriage. It differs from John's and G&M's take on divorce and remarriage.


1.Marriage is a "one-flesh" relationship of divine establishment and extraordinary significance in the eyes of God (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:8),
2.Only God, not man, can end this one-flesh relationship (Matthew 19:6; Mark 10:9—this is why remarriage is called adultery by Jesus: he assumes that the first marriage is still binding, Matthew 5:32; Luke 16:18; Mark 10:11),
3.God ends the one-flesh relationship of marriage only through the death of one of the spouses (Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinthians 7:39),
4.The grace and power of God are promised and sufficient to enable a trusting, divorced Christian to be single all this earthly life if necessary (Matthew 19:10-12,26; 1 Corinthians 10:13),
5.Temporal frustrations and disadvantages are much to be preferred over the disobedience of remarriage, and will yield deep and lasting joy both in this life and the life to come (Matthew 5:29-30).

How convenient, Larry. You repented and God gave you a fresh start? Give me a break. I notice your example was of the woman caught in adultery that was brought to Jesus. I wonder what happened to the man she was caught in adultery with. Apparently in your Jesus world, men aren't held to the same standard--as along as they repent. How refreshing that "there is no way you could possibly claim that you have not lusted in your heart after another women." You got divorced and moved on with your new wife, for whom you are grateful. Well, I am here to tell you that ex-wives are the ones who raise the children. We don't have time to learn to open our hearts and trust again. We're too busy working full-time, taking care of wounded children and trying to survive. What exactly does God want to restore? I don't think God has anything to do with this. Please stop preaching.

NickelandDimed,

In reading your above post of May 17:

This is what I noticed in reading what was taking place when Jesus made a deeper truth known privately - to His own disciples, which He did not disclose to the Scribes and the Pharisees who could not bear to receive the truth.

How does one find peace in God - when one has divorced their spouse and married again - while their spouse is yet living?

When the Scribes and the Pharisees questioned Jesus - they were not asking Him the things they were asking Him because they desired to know the truth. They were plotting together to find fault with Him.

When they questioned Jesus - they cited that Moses gave them the law that they could divorce a spouse for adultery - but Jesus told them how God had made it from the beginning - and that the reason they were given thru the law the right to divorce their spouse was because they had ( hardened their hearts.) This that Jesus spoke to them upset them and undid them and they stopped trying to entrap Him to disqualify Him from then on.

The one thing I noticed is Jesus did not tell the Scribes and the Pharisees the deeper truth about ( if one divorced ) how one was only free to marry again when their spouse was no longer living. Jesus privately spoke this to His own disciples by first saying to His disciples - this was a very difficult thing to receive - that in order to receive this truth, that one had to receive it as a little child.

To receive truth as a little child to me - is to simply receive the truth - just as Jesus has spoken it - Just as it is . A little child - does not make a defense - or reason to look for some excuse or justification for what one has done - when one realizes where they find themselves - when they realize they were not free to marry again and are now married again while their spouse is yet living. When one receives this truth ( like a little child ) The Holy Spirit, the Comforter, comes and is present with one who receives the truth. The Holy Spirit convicts of both sin and of righteousness. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and Is also called the Comforter.

If a person divorces and remains unmarried - I think it is also very difficult for the divorced unmarried persons to receive the truth - that they divorced because they have hardened their hearts. A difficult truth is only able to be received when received as a little child.

It is not what we can complete in our selves - it is what He has accomplished for us and that He is able to complete in us what He began in us.

The wounds from broken marriages & families, a direct fruit of being immersed in LW culture for so many years, is still fresh. The conversations we have here reflect that. At least, for the most part, we're not pretending to be something we're not...unlike the phoniness of what we came out of.

Hello all I answered the questions on my last post but this wonderful yet archaic forum failed to place it so you could hear my brilliance. John died in 1983 so I'm not sure about that math and the question of missing information, but I was born in 1971 so I was 12 when he went to the other side!!! I was booted out when I was 20 so that makes me 45 not 36. I was around during both "reigns" but obviously remember more about the G&M days...my family was not excommunicated -just me. My point of the last post was to THIS group and I should have been more clear. IF you brought your children into the body then left I hope you have made amends. If they won't accept it because they've been indoctrinated to the point of oblivion you have the "blood" on your hands. KEEP trying! The older people (like my father who is still very active in the church) that are still IN have been pretty much told that they will be their families responsibility in their golden but maybe not ultimate contributing member years not the churches problem, in a nutshell. I hope that makes sence.
ANYWAY, I've known Larry BoBo my whole life and he's a brilliant guy. He also likes to "hear" himself talk! Maybe it's my age but divorces happen in and out of the Walk, they probably suck-my parents waited WAY to long to divorce they hated each other for decades!
Larry has to deal with the repercussions of
his decisions, as he has said in the past he was in positions of power and crapped on the little people cause that was kinda his job if he wanted to stay in his position. ALWAYS POSITION! from what I've read from the posters here many of US (me included) did shitty things to other people because that's what was expected/demanded! I grew up with the concept of total submission being the only way to live, obviously I gave that the middle finger as my ex-communication is proof of. NOBODY is totally clean here, we all bare responsibility for our own actions! If it was your choice to give your lives to a man (or woman) ultimately not God or Lamp or Mom sucks for you,I'm glad your healing. If you born/brought kids into the fray and you saw the awful things and did nothing that is also on you. BUT I know one thing for sure, God is bigger than all of us and I'm pretty sure forgiveness is attainable for everyone (even adulterers) if they ask with an open heart.
Just my two cents...and I've gotten interrupted typing this multiple times-sorry if it's fragmented.

Invisible – I wonder if David, who lived under the Law, was able to find a place of repentance in Psalm 51 after his sin with Bathsheba. He had committed murder and adultery. Legally he was continuing to commit adultery because he married Bathsheba. Out of his marriage to Bathsheba came Solomon, and later Jesus. Matthew 1:1 says,”A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham.” David did not advocate murder and adultery after his time of repentance. He personally experienced how destructive they were to his walk with God – not to mention the other people involved. In spite of his sins, David continued to pursue after God and I believe God cleansed him. In Ezekiel 34:23-24 God said, “I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.” I've often wondered what Uriah's family thought about that prophesy.

Perhaps we would be justified in tearing out the Psalms and Proverbs from our Bibles since David, and later Solomon, were such poor examples of righteousness. On the other hand, maybe mercy really does triumph over judgement in God’s eyes. However, I do think there is a difference between repenting of the sin of adultery and saying adultery is the pathway to more of God where repentance is unnecessary. I would question that it was really God who said to divorce your spouse and marry another so that you could go into full-time ministry to serve Him as we saw in TLWF with John, Gary, and Rick. The fruit of those decisions has also played out in the lives of many others as well. I've received many emails from kids who have grown up in TLWF whose lives have been trashed by the decisions their parents have made. I still think there can be repentance and healing for all involved in TLWF. Some become offended when people are restored – I happen to love it. Maybe its because I'm now more aware of my own sin and God's grace for me. There really is hope!

Larry BoBo!!!
JINX

I should also say, Larry can be a real pain in the ass but he also has a huge heart for people! AND he's really smart -LOL

sandjt – I do feel compassion for your particular situation, even though I don’t know the details. My ex-wife left the state to find healing with her family. My son was still living at home with me, and my daughters were already living on their own at the time of my divorce. It was still a tragedy for them. It had nothing and yet everything to do with them. I don’t know that any of us have fully recovered, and it was 18 years ago.

I happen to be involved with a non-profit group that provides housing, food, and education for single moms, so I’m certainly not advocating making the situation worse. Most of these women and children have suffered horrible abuse. Some cower like an animal that has been beaten when a man comes around. Others want to be sexual when you show them compassion – they’ve never learned healthy relating. Unfortunately, I get to see the damage a bad man can cause first hand on a regular basis. I would suggest that my Jesus has compassion for all people - male or female.

The restoration I’m looking for is first with God – where another took His place and wrecked havoc, giving a false image of Him. Secondly, it’s to see healthy marriages where families are not damaged. I’m sure that you are also aware that there are men who have suffered because of adultery. I have a close friend whose wife just had an affair with someone at church and it’s a mess. People make bad choices that have bad consequences – that doesn’t mean that God is to blame. He told them not to do it and now they are learning the hard way why He said so. I don’t think heaping more judgment on them helps the situation – they’ve already suffered enough. Perhaps it also seems like preaching to your child when you tell them not to play in the street. Maybe the truth is that you love them.

filthy apron – You’ve given too many clues – now I know who you are. I was questioning whether you really knew me or not when you used the word “brilliant”. I am a teacher after all – we talk and write lots. Sorry for the excess. A lot of water has gone under the bridge in the past 18 years. I certainly am in a much healthier place than I was when I left TLWF and you knew me - which I’m sure you are too. BTW, you look great on Facebook.

Thanks for sharing in such an honest way in this forum, FA. My name is Mike, BTW. I doubt we know each other, but here's my FB link anyway:

[www.facebook.com]


filthy apron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello all I answered the questions on my last post
> but this wonderful yet archaic forum failed to
> place it so you could hear my brilliance. John
> died in 1983 so I'm not sure about that math and
> the question of missing information, but I was
> born in 1971 so I was 12 when he went to the other
> side!!! I was booted out when I was 20 so that
> makes me 45 not 36. I was around during both
> "reigns" but obviously remember more about the G&M
> days...my family was not excommunicated -just me.
> My point of the last post was to THIS group and I
> should have been more clear. IF you brought your
> children into the body then left I hope you have
> made amends. If they won't accept it because
> they've been indoctrinated to the point of
> oblivion you have the "blood" on your hands. KEEP
> trying! The older people (like my father who is
> still very active in the church) that are still IN
> have been pretty much told that they will be their
> families responsibility in their golden but maybe
> not ultimate contributing member years not the
> churches problem, in a nutshell. I hope that makes
> sence.
> ANYWAY, I've known Larry BoBo my whole life and
> he's a brilliant guy. He also likes to "hear"
> himself talk! Maybe it's my age but divorces
> happen in and out of the Walk, they probably
> suck-my parents waited WAY to long to divorce they
> hated each other for decades!
> Larry has to deal with the repercussions of
> his decisions, as he has said in the past he was
> in positions of power and crapped on the little
> people cause that was kinda his job if he wanted
> to stay in his position. ALWAYS POSITION! from
> what I've read from the posters here many of US
> (me included) did shitty things to other people
> because that's what was expected/demanded! I grew
> up with the concept of total submission being the
> only way to live, obviously I gave that the middle
> finger as my ex-communication is proof of. NOBODY
> is totally clean here, we all bare responsibility
> for our own actions! If it was your choice to give
> your lives to a man (or woman) ultimately not God
> or Lamp or Mom sucks for you,I'm glad your
> healing. If you born/brought kids into the fray
> and you saw the awful things and did nothing that
> is also on you. BUT I know one thing for sure, God
> is bigger than all of us and I'm pretty sure
> forgiveness is attainable for everyone (even
> adulterers) if they ask with an open heart.
> Just my two cents...and I've gotten interrupted
> typing this multiple times-sorry if it's
> fragmented.