Thank you for your insightful posts, Reveal. And thank you changedagain for finding and re-posting such important pieces of information.

Marilyn's funeral sounds like a study in distasteful TLWF practices. It's at extravagant events like these that the true beliefs of the leaders are on full display. Pomp and circumstance for royalty, special seats of honor with the rest standing on the outskirts "where they belong". Disgusting. Maybe they should have been told to stand by the swamp. But don't point out these obvious evidences of glorifying those with positions. You will be told that you are guilty of "position thinking".

The Church of the Living Gaslighters...

P.S. I forgot to ask: Was everything decorated in purple at Marilyn's funeral?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/2019 11:31PM by Reepicheep.

I also attended this event, Marilyn's funeral. I don't remember purple, only red. Several very huge red flags are what I remember though! I think everyone of the flagpoles outside were flying huge red flags that day. Thankfully huge enough that I finally could not walk past them. In fact I could not even walk to the graveside. I simply walked to my car along with my wife who was as sick as I was. It was my last time, save once, at Shiloh. I was not charged any money to attend since I did not need housing. Yes I had out of town relatives that stayed in my home and I am sure they paid Shiloh so they could sleep at my house. Honestly it's the one time in my life that I'm thankful that I got sick. Seeing those red flags should have happened many years sooner, at least I finally saw them and was no longer a member of "The Church of the Living GasLighters"

Wow, fool me twice, thanks for this. So, were these actually literal huge red flags? If so, completely apropos. Should have been flown in our faces since the very beginning!

Reeoicheep, I swear there actually were huge red flags! That said I don't think many people there saw them at the time. As they say hind sight is 20/20. Looking back those huge red flags were there the entire time, for over 68 years. So yes everyone of the flag poles at Shiloh must have had a huge red flag waving in the wind that day, I'm sure of it. I still don't remember purple though, I only saw red.

fool me twice Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Reepicheep, I swear there actually were huge red
> flags! That said I don't think many people there
> saw them at the time. As they say hind sight is
> 20/20. Looking back those huge red flags were
> there the entire time, for over 68 years. So yes
> everyone of the flag poles at Shiloh must have had
> a huge red flag waving in the wind that day, I'm
> sure of it. I still don't remember purple though,
> I only saw red.

Amazing

Quote
fool me twice
Reepicheep, I swear there actually were huge red flags! That said I don't think many people there saw them at the time. As they say hind sight is 20/20. Looking back those huge red flags were there the entire time, for over 68 years. So yes everyone of the flag poles at Shiloh must have had a huge red flag waving in the wind that day, I'm sure of it. I still don't remember purple though, I only saw red.

Holy cow!!! And the symbolism never occurred to them. And most people didn't even notice. Astounding. But we were trained not to think, not to notice, not to question. That may be a good example of cognitive dissonance, right there.

Makes me wonder what else I missed during my 21-year tenure in TLWF. I probably stepped over dead bodies on my way to the legendary 4th of July show at the Shiloh amphitheater.

This from 'Invisible'--a little over a couple years ago:

Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Posted by: Invisible
Date: May 05, 2017 03:04AM

filthy apron,
In your last post of May 3, 2017
You wrote "apparently TLW does not have the funds or the wherewithal to take care of their aging population!"

To Share - PART OF THE VISION FOR SHILOH

You wrote a concern for the aging population of TLW. I have been thinking about what you wrote these last couple of days. I thought I would share with you how in the early days when John Stevens began to lay out the vision for Shiloh and the members began contributing their finances to be able to buy the land where Shiloh was to be built - part of the vision that motivated and inspired the people to make Shiloh happen - was John said, he wanted a convalescent home to be built at Shiloh and for our members to work there. He spoke about the many sacrifices that so many had made and he wanted there to be a provision for our members for when they grew old or could no longer care for themselves . He spoke about how when they grew old, we should care for our aged members - so that they could live out their remaining years, with honor and dignity, by being be cared for by us, with our loving hands in honor of their years of sacrifice.

I think I was no longer active in the church - when I heard that an amphitheater was being built on the land at Shiloh.

I believe you are right in saying - since TLW has made no provision for their aged population - that we who post - are the one's responsible for our own family aged members who are members of TLW - a good many of us who post here - are the aged. Most likely our parents are nearing the end of their lives or are no longer alive and with us today.

And we among us posting - who have children - who are members of TLW - our concern for them - is when our children grow old enough themselves to need our help - we may no longer be alive- if they find they need our help. And we can only be as close to them as they will allow us to be.

To move close to your grown children:
If your grown children are still active members of the TLW church today - it is yet too difficult for them to be open to hear anything you might be concerned about for them. They really do not want your advice - or your input, if it is in any way outside of or different than what they are being led to believe and to think, as members of the church.

Because we love our children - those of us who are no longer members of the church - we have remained close and open in heart to our children while they were led for many years to live for the church and to relate to their church members as their 1st and real family - led to turn their hearts and minds away from us as their real parents because we were no longer members of TLW - so that they are unable yet to relate to us more personally as being their family.

I believe progress has been made in how they are relating to us today but that they still have a block in their thinking - which does not permit them to want to hear our opinions or input about life.

I think that this gap that yet exists - The rehashing that goes on and on and over and over - in the forum - is a result of realizing and reconciling many matters for ourselves with the hope that those in TLW will in some way benefit from what we write.

I also think that our grown children have the right as adults to live their own lives and to make choices for themselves whether they today are members of TLW or not. That we as parents should show respect for them as adults. What is tragic is that our adult parents and children who are members of TLW choose to only listen to, think, believe and live by - only what they hear coming from their pulpit.

Pondering again.

Apparently some people who are trying to keep some of the local churches alive in a slightly modified structure, have started to reach out in a loving way to those who have left the fellowship. But what could there possibly be to return to in the churches that were built upon a foundation of fraud (on every level) and on sexual abuse? Expressing tender love and faith in the context of what has been exposed in the last 7.5 months is really kind of inappropriate. Gestures of love need to be in the context of standing up and admitting that the prior identity of the churches produced absolute hell on every level for current and former congregants, even those who do not yet want to admit it.

There has been criticism of people who are angry over how they were taken advantage of or who regret giving their lives to TLW because we were supposed to be giving everything "as unto the Lord." The people that put us down because of that principle TERRIFY me. OF COURSE we did it as unto the Lord and thank God, that is probably God is helping us get free and giving us the strength to speak the truth.

But let me ask this -- if you walk blithely forward after all of the exposure of wrongdoing and happily say "Oh it's okay. I did it as unto the Lord." Then are you taking responsibility for giving it to people who now can only be described as Anti-Christs? Where does that put you in the sight of God? Forgive if you feel you can and it's the right thing to do, but to continue to allow a meek acceptance of the people who have defrauded, physically injured and emotionally tortured congregation after congregation after congregation is putting (IMO) every one of those people in serious jeopardy before God.

How does God feel about people who ignore the truth that HE is enabling us to be strong enough to express? Is God satisfied with a loving (and what I see as namby pamby) response in people who are trying to reach out with TLC but no acknowledgment that MOST of the people who left did so as a last resort, necessary to save their very lives.

Today I read again the letter I sent Gary Hargrave on 10/14/18 where I told him what people were crying out for and suggested he have a meeting with people that would be willing to talk to him about it. No response of course. And please, include in the context of me sending a letter to Gary that I had a several decade relationship with JRS, Gary and Marilyn that was close enough I lived with and helped raise their grandson for 6 years (a treasure to me and only mentioned for context). So the arrogant refusal to even TRY to understand what I was trying to get thru to them just gives me all the more reason to say to those who are choosing to say loyal: BEWARE of letting these f--kers off the hook. That is NOT up to you. That is judgment as seriously as condemning someone as guilty. God is not going to let any crumbs remain after he is done removing these false prophets from their castles of deceit.

Is The Church of the Living Word Christian or not?

I confess that I have a critical spirit of The Church of the Living Word over many details. My biggest beef is : Where in hell does leadership in TLW or LWF think they can get by with calling itself CHRISTIAN when it's not?

I took the liberty of copy and pasting thus plagiarizing googled definitions. For give me for I have sinned. Then I have the gall of bitter to dare question TLW about why in hell they are preaching something different if they claim to Christian.
Ooops! I sinned again- I swore – I might get shunned.

Enjoy chewing on these facts. Gary and his minions could post a reply on Gary's Website or Facebook page but we won't be sending in $5 per page or CD as a non-profit tax free donation to line the pockets.

Fact: Christianity has 4 major beliefs

• Belief in God the Father, Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit.
• The death, descent into hell, resurrection and ascension of Christ.
• The holiness of the Church and the communion of saints.
• Christ's second coming, the Day of Judgment and salvation of the faithful.

Basic, Christianity is the faith tradition that focuses on Jesus Christ. In this context, faith refers both to the believers' act of trust and to the content of their faith.

Questions:

Where in Christian doctrine does it say that Jesus needs help to “loose the Apostle”?
When was the last time The Walk served communion? (Did Jesus say for the deacons to drink all the left over communion wine?)
When was the last time the Walk Baptized anyone in water?
When was the last time The Walk had an altar call for people to accept Jesus as their savior?
Will Jesus rule and rein when the Kingdom comes according to what TLW teaches? (The Bible says that no man knows when Jesus the day nor the hour- BTW 1979 was 40 years ago.) If not JRS, Marilyn or Gary who in hell will?

-What are the ethical principles of Christianity?

The four cardinal virtues:
1. Prudence, Definition of prudence : the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason : shrewdness in the management of affairs. : skill and good judgment in the use of resources. : caution or circumspection as to danger or risk. . common sense, ( YIKES! That's a spiritual doozie!)
2. Justice: What does Justified mean in the Bible?
• In Christian theology, justification is God's act of removing the guilt and penalty of sin while at the same time making a sinner righteous through Christ's atoning sacrifice. ( So why the shame and blame for the little people not doing good enough?)
• Having, done for, or marked by a good or legitimate reason.
"the doctors were justified in treating her"

THEOLOGY
• declared or made righteous in the sight of God.

3. Restraint (or Temperance), noun abstinence from alcoholic drink.
synonyms:
teetotalism, abstinence, abstention, sobriety; M_M_M? REALLY? Did Stevens and Hargraves and APCO miss that memo?

4. Courage (or Fortitude). Noun
courage in pain or adversity.
"she endured her illness with great fortitude"
synonyms:
courage, bravery, strength of mind and character, moral strength, 
toughness of spirit, firmness of purpose, strong-mindedness, resilience, backbone, spine,
 mettle, spirit, nerve, pluck, fearlessness, valor, intrepidity, 
stout-heartedness, endurance; 
"The Devil in the blue dress made me do it. Let's have an internal investigation to see who we pin the blame on."


• The cardinal virtues are so called because they are regarded as the basic virtues required for a virtuous life.
• The three theological virtues, are Faith, Hope, and Love (or Charity).
What does it mean to live a virtuous life?

• Honesty. Service. Virtues are the essence of our character and when we keep the practice of virtues . Morally excellent people have a character made-up of virtues valued as good. They are honest, respectful, courageous, forgiving, and kind, for example.
Uh-oh!

Question: does this sound ‘virtuous? “Volunteer to paint my house but bring your own sunblock and don’t even think about using my toilet,”?

• How do Christians pray?
The most common prayer among Christians is the "Lord's Prayer", which according to the gospel accounts (e.g. Matthew 6:9-13) is how Jesus taught his disciples to pray. "The Lord's Prayer" is a model for prayers of adoration, confession and petition in Christianity.

Questions: When Jesus taught his followers to pray did he teach them to pray for ex -wives deaths? ( Seems like a hate crime to me rather than a Christian principle.)
“We demand it, God, right now.” Is that the way the Lord’s prayer taught us to pray?

The link below is a religious resource on Christian beliefs. Is there anything in all the recordings that lines up with this accepted version of what Christianity is supposed to be?

I don't think so! What say you?

[www.learnreligions.com]