th231955 ()
Date: March 27, 2020 01:28AM

Yes, No Non-cents Nanna is extremely legit. About as honest as you can get.

Reepicheep Wrote:
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> TH, yes. I remember the Bless Ins of the late
> sixties and early seventies. JRS claimed that
> spiritual energy flowed from the palm of one
> person's hand and could be "drawn" by the back of
> another person's hand. He also said that spiritual
> energy flowed from left to right. He would have
> two or more people form a circle with right hand
> under their neighbor's and left hand over the hand
> of the person on their left. Whether that is
> occult teaching or a bunch of baloney that he
> dreamed up to amaze people, I have no idea. I
> remember a lot of bobbing and weaving and falling
> over. I now suspect that a lot of what happened
> was due to the power of suggestion.

Reepicheep you worded that so well. May I use your words to edit something?
Date: March 27, 2020 07:11AM

Sometimes people would pass out during bless-in. I heard an older than the youth group person explain to a boy who passed out, "next time bend your knees a bit. You probably shut off the circulation." That made sense to me since I was studying the circulatory system at the time. But, someone else came up with more "spiritual" meaning.

Something else along with this line and during Bless-in and "prophesy times that I remembered. I went to a camp in the summer of 1969 and stayed at a small church for a few extra weeks. The pastor's son a peer my age said to me, "Most of these people could not discern there way out of a paper bag. They are faking it- ( spiritual experience) and ___ has no problem with it." ( Something like that. I knew what he meant. I questioned my reality with God and the newfound practices.)

This has bugged me over 50 years now. This boy was in the thick of this movement and he knew it was phony in '69. I don't want to reveal his name under these circumstances. It would not be surprising that he reads the forum without jumping in for reason I would understand.

Reepicheep Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> changedagain Wrote:
> -------------------------------------------------------
> > I'm not sure about bobbing, weaving and falling
> > over...since I wasn't there to witness it...but
> I
> > did hear John conducted a few one-on-one
> > 'bless-ins' during the 70's at a Van Nuy's
> motel.
> > ;)
>
>
> From my understanding, way before the seventies.
> 8-\
>
> For all we know, this had something to do with his
> hasty departure from Foursquare and Assemblies of
> God. Just a wild guess.


Reepicheep and changedagain
Date: March 27, 2020 09:43AM
I remember hearing about Van Nys motels too at the time.

In Pentecostalism "Being slain in the spirit" is a prevalent practice. it is an emotional sign IMO that God has ministered to you. In the mid-60s JRS conducted meeting in Wash where many people came just to get "the Baptism of the Holy Spirit". ( ) was kind of the assumption when someone passed out in the bless -ins' I mentioned in an earlier comment.

( My dad 'drank from many fountains' and drug me with him is why I know this.)

I personally did not like anyone touching me- so I was never " Baptized in the spirit." One can learn a lot as well if you peak with one eye because you are leary. this is a parlor trick. JRS tried to "On-up" the trick IMO.

Many times I watched as an evangelist instructed the church helpers to "protect" the persons whom the 'spirit was moving on". they were holding the person's hands 'here and here". They were also to have a cloth to cover the legs for privacy ( Women were supposed to wear skirts.)

the evangelist would then "touch" the forehead BAM they 'were slain in the spirit. JRS did this for a brief time. People are amazed. but all it is is "pressure points' like someone would learn in martial arts. ( My son was a martial artist- he confirmed my theory after his grandpa, my dad, enthusiastically drug him to Pentecostal meetings as well.

I'm not sure if "Baptism in the Spirit is a Four Square thing or not- I'll have to research it. I kind of don't think that this was what got jrs kicked out of 4 Sq. ( I more like guess it was womanizing #1)

th231955 Wrote:
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> HA! I just talked to Simon Nisly a few days ago! I
> don't know if he's actually running the sawmill
> anymore, it sounds like they aren't making pallets
> anymore, just offering logging and tree service!
> Anyway, I almost bet I could get you one of those
> hats! Simon and I graduated together, he said he
> is still in the organization although Shiloh was
> all sold out from under them with no say so. He
> denied it being a cult, I let it go for now, but
> I'll be talking to him a lot!

th231955 ()
Date: March 27, 2020

I have no idea where you live. For all I know you live close to me. the dear people of Washington, Iowa are different from most of the people who came into the walk from CA. and other areas. A lot was filtered out that was presented to them. The Washington people have been a close-knit group since our grandparents' time.

They are sincere, loving, honest people that were never told the whole truth. they were only told what JRS wanted them to know. Being together to worship God and study the Bible together is what they know as a group.

I have had sleepless nights praying how to get them to see the truth about what went on the walk and the leadership that followed. My home town church was taken advantage of in the most conniving way. Some old-time members my peers now 'get-it" and are trying to figure out how to heal. But, dear ones like Simon and his wife were not ever a part of the fraud except as people who have used - out the goodness of their hearts. their motives were pure even if leadership's movies were not.

People like me are still to be avoided as 'liers for exposing the truth.' No matter what I will love those people forever even if they can't see that it was cult. the outright evil that went on behind the scene it a lot to absorb. it took me forever to figure it out- the Washinton folks deserve the to take all the time they need to absorb since they got left holding the bag- they it got taken away abruptly.

when the legal junk hits the local news I will weep for them.

th231955 Wrote: March 28, 2020
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wow the things I'm learning! I was definitely
> very Blessed that God shielded me from this crap!
> One thing is very true, and everyone that has
> found the truth has this assurance from God....He
> who the Son sets free is free indeed! I'm not
> talking about some evil-minded man/ or a specific
> doctrine manipulating unsuspecting people, I'm
> talking about the true living Son Of God! We
> grasp this truth and we see we need to forgive
> others so the Father in heaven can forgive us!
> Don't let the evil win in your lives, my friends!
> I feel like I've been so deceived about
> DadStevens and JRS it is baffling, but I read up
> on some Family History! I was blinded momentarily
> by the charisma and outright lies, realizing Dad
> Stevens wasn't all that cool either, really hurt
> me! Also, as I said before, At camp when I was 14
> I got "called" in to the ministry by JRS, so this
> fraud is a common false lying prothet/teacher! Now
> I have to almost rethink if it was real or not !
> But then, as I was thinking about it, I was led
> to a passage in Jeremiah, 1:5 and I don't claim
> to be a prophet, but the Holy Spirit quickened my
> Spirit and I witnessed it in my heart! God is very
> Faithful and He will save those who call on His
> name! Seek Him and disregard the ones who might
> try to keep you in bondage! That is all they have
> left on you! Be set free by the Power of the
> Living God!! AMEN

" At camp when I was 14 I got "called" into the ministry by JRS.."
Exciting wasn't It?

For the girls, we were called to be (cringe )'helpmeets'. What manipulation!

If examined by a shrink at the time my guess is that we were encouraged to have delusions of grandeur for being so chosen of God. In reality, we were groomed to be used and keep our mouths shut.

OOPS! That backfired. some of us "helpmeet" are tattletales. We knew too much. One thing "they" did not count on was that we 'helpmeet" had pure hearts for God vs abusive leadership.

I have a "calling" to tell the truth as best as I can from what I witnessed.- crazy as that may sound.

TheJewel Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> kBOY Wrote:
> -------------------------------------------------------
> > Interesting trends that will only continue
> with
> > Covid-19:
> >
> > "Only 6 percent of Americans possess a
> biblical
> > worldview, according to a new survey."
> >
> >
> [www.christianpost.com]
> >
> > * * *
> >
> > "Pastors worry most about reaching next
> > generation in local churches."
> >
> >
> [www.christianpost.com]


Well, it is true what the Bible says, " You can't pour new wine into old wineskins."

I'll guess the youth of today are eery bit as naive and impressionable to indoctrination as we youth of the '60s. Dear God, help us all.

th231955 Wrote: Date: April 05, 2020 12:02PM
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> When Enos Bender told me he was donating the farm
> to the cause, I was dismayed! But as I grew in the
> knowledge of God's Word, I realized that Enos had
> done a wondrous thing, and He gave as to giving
> unto the Lord! The higher-ups in TLW are gonna pay
> a steep price when they stand before God in
> judgment! All the labors of the people in the TLW
> organization were working , joyfully, giving, as
> unto the Lord, and their blood will be on the
> Hands of those who administered falsehood! That is
> the only thing that keeps me going sometimes when
> I see people trying to dominate others!

Th231955 ()

Exactly! Men like Enos gave unto the Lord. Men like Enos and John Bender or my own father were not following a man. They gave everything they had to the Lord. They will not be able to understand that TLWF was a cult. I've tried to explain this, without being offensive, but you nailed it. The Iowa people are just different from our different upbringings.
If I had not lived in other states in other bodies but always lived in Wash County I do not think that I would be able to accept that what I had believed in for so long was wrong.

kBOY Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> C H A N G E D
>
> "If they spent even a fraction of the effort .
> . . into using the information to rectify the deep
> problems in the organization, perhaps there would
> be hope for change."
>
> As we all know by now, there was never any
> motivation to rectify problems, only bury what
> they could and deny all the rest.  When push came
> to shove, going all the way back to JRS, job #1
> was always CYA, the sheeple be damned.


Yep! CYA

I wish I knew when, where and WHY JRS had to CYA. My theory has been that it goes back to Aimee Semple McPherson influence.

puddington Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just three days ago, a vocal ex-TLW member was
> called out in public on Facebook by a TLW person
> as being “bitter and self-righteous”. Can you
> believe it? They’re still calling us names and
> trying to silence us. It all looks so ridiculous
> now.


YIKES! Where is the love?

changedagain Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This post by Reepicheep back in February of 2018.
> Some things never change, like intimidating
> ex-members of a cult in an attempt to silence
> them. I suspect nearly every person posting in
> this forum who spent time in TLWF has had an
> experience of being pressured/intimidated by one
> or more of its leaders:
>
> Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John
> Robert Stevens
> Posted by: Reepicheep
> Date: February 10, 2018 04:22PM
>
> Well, hi folks. Today my husband received an
> unsigned letter with no return address in the
> mail, postmarked HONOLULU, HI
>
> Here is what they wrote. Please give me your
> thoughts, or let me know if this has ever happened
> to you.
>
> "Husband's Name,
>
> I keep track of posts on the Rick Ross Forum. Last
> month your wife began posting and published her
> name in the profile section. Her name is not there
> now. I made a copy of her profile when her name
> was visible. My job is to give it to Kevin when
> Gary returns from Brazil.
> I liked you _________. If you can get your wife to
> stop posting, I won't give the information on to
> Kevin. Your wife posts under the screen name
> Reepicheep."

The intimidation did NOT work, did it? This forum is still going. And people are being educated about psychological pathology and how to detach.