lily Rose, thanks for the information. I didn't know they were still into that so much, I was going by the websites. I know some people that are still in it, but they are very secretive about what goes on in the church. I don't press them. That is a big reason why I use an alias name posting here, because I do know someone in the church and they could answer for something I might say h
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

FCSLC wrote "TLWF hardliners never understood that God was working directly with the underlings, circumventing the hierarchical loop. The Sadducees, Pharisees, Priests and Authorities made the same mistake with Jesus." I believe that more often than not, Christians in the pews mature in spite of the elders, instead of because of the elders.
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I quit Living Word as soon as I saw Marilyn, as I said. I don’t know much about the Walk the sequel, only the original Walk, led by JRS. I am finding out though, that I don’t know much about the original Walk either, because there was so much difference between inner circle and the people in the area where I lived, it’s not even the same church, it was as different as Calvinists and Armenians.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I would say this to those that are still in Living Word fellowship, to those that are under the totalitarian thumb of the leaders of fake Christianity, to throw off the yoke of bondage and give their hearts back to the Lord. They were after the Lord but they got fooled, but you don’t have to stay fooled. Like the song says, “why lay there forever in your abandon,” you don’t have to live like
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

"The practice of replacing a mature pastor with a new a##-kissing young adult probably originated more with Marilyn than JRS. The practice certainly continues on to this very day. Most of the old guard are gone now. Forced into retirement." GREAT POINT Paleface. I was thinking that the words about the second generation and the third generation and all that happened about the time th
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The comparison of shepherds and sheep is a valid comparison, that is the comparison that Jesus used. However, it is not a perfect comparison, only the best one. Human (sheep) are not dumb animals, they are not going to walk right off of a cliff. Not if they are focused on the THE Shepherd, they will not walk off a cliff because He will not lead them off of a cliff. Jesus said “MY sheep hear M
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

ONE other thing. My observations, according to what I have heard from JRS himself in the tapes, and from what I have observed in Marilyn in person, and from what I have heard from reliable sources, I don't think John Robert Stevens was quite as totalitarian as the Hargraves, but I do think he must have leaned that way or he would A- have never married Marilyn, and B- would not have set up Ha
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

One thing I have been thinking about. I recall John Robert Stevens talking about a "movement without leaders." That didn't happen. Perhaps that is just a pipe dream. I don't know if JRS even meant what he said, if he really wanted such a movement or not. I do think that if I were in charge, if I had of been elected to do the job of Gary and Marilyn, I don't know that it w
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

If I ever get involved with a church that is not right there in my own town, I am going to make it a point to travel out there and see for myself what it is really like. Living Word was never as cultish as all that in my part of the country. I was in it for 7 years, but if I saw most of what I have heard about here, I would have been in about 7 minutes. That's how long it took me after I sa
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Jan, who arrainged your marriage? I would like to know if John Robert Stevens did that with any of the marriages. I would like to know more about John Robert Stevens, as to what sort of man he was.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Changedagain, on one of your old posts, you said: BTW, a very short list of ministries who I felt were treated dishonorably by G & M were Bob McClane, Dan Statton, John Miller and Mike Shermerhorn. In Bob's case, I found out about his death when Gary announced it during a church service. He labeled him a spiritual failure, and chastised those that knew Bob for not looking out after his
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I do not believe there was any video of John Robert Stevens commissioning Marilyn over anything. If there was a video, she would have shown it rather than just tell us that she was going to show it, and then not. I think what happened is JRS did commission Hargrave ove the California churches, he did that during the unfolding in SanDiago. I think some people were for Marilyn because after all, sh
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Oh, I meant to add, in my last post, that we all know what assets the Lamp of Israel had to convince the apostle to the kingdom that she would be the perfect one to boost him to higher and higher levels. An idol can be manipulated. People don't put someone on the pedestal just for the heck of it. Once they are up there, they can be useful to the ones that put them there. Next thing you
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Changedagain I didn't mean all of them were worthless, I knew a few of the APCO bunch that were good too. The ones that were worth anything were out of there pretty fast when the new regime took over, after John was out of the way . Gary Hargrave now, all he had to do was be the perpetual “that’s right,” man on all the tapes. I remember I couldn’t hardly hear the word for him saying “th
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The whole point of putting a man in such a position as being the ultimate authority is to make them feel good about it, and then manipulate them. You can’t really manipulate a golden calf, they just sit there and look like a very expensive farm animal. But you can manipulate a man. When that man gets all full of himself, he will give special favors to those that made such an idol out of him.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

That is one of the craziest things I ever heard. This guy actually believes that God gave his spirit to Marilyn. I think that shows that down right insanity of the members of Living Word Fellowship, and it also shows the qualifications of Living Word ministries. There is only one qualification, and that is the cultish idolatry and the delusional thinking that their leaders are deity. I could
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

When I was young, I believed that the Living Word Fellowship was the church going back to the way it was in the early church. I don't know why I had that idea, other than the concept of apostles and prophets being "restored." The big draw was JRS, I actually thought he was special. He had that sort of charisma. But I don't catch on to the appeal of Gary and Marilyn. Other than
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

At one time, we were fascinated with Living Word because of the “word” about resurrection life, but now that resurrection life turned out to be a dud, all they had was they sat in a circle instead of in a straight line, now all churches do that from time to time, then of course, Living Word Fellowship was a come as you are type church, but now every church has no dress code, they sang in the spir
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

quote: Apostle Dog--divorce your wife!! LOL. The first one passed on, so I am with a new wife now, and I might just take that word to heart, this time....ROFL... LOL...You know, I didn't pull the trips on people either, at least I hope I didn't. One time though there was a man and his wife that were really stiff necked in the church, I did once while bringing a word, which was a ra
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

What if it turned out that Living Word, at the higher levels, in the inner circle leadership that is, what if it was nothing but a Hollywood production, a sort of reality show in a way, I would not be surprised if the leaders of the church were nothing but playing a roll, I mean it could be easily done. There were great people in that church, probably still are. But to the leaders, it might w
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

When you think about it, we all chose to follow a leader because of personality. John Robert Stevens had that booming deep voice, very articulate, he spoke with such authority, knowing what scriptures to emphasize, what scripture to overlook. He knew just how to tickle our ears. We all felt special, we all felt like we were just about to have the breakthrough, just on the other side of the curre
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

One last thing, Changedagain, Marilyn said many times that she was going to show the video of John Stevens commissioning her to be head over Living Word, I don't remember if Hargrave was supposed to be in on that commissioning at that time or not. But she NEVER showed that video. I wonder if anyone of you ever saw such a video. I was there a week, in every single meeting and that video was
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

In answer to Changedagain: The parts that were left out that I regarded the most significant was where one of the elders there said that "I don't know this Jesus dude, I Know John" There was cheering for several minutes. Also when Marilyn started threatening to go down the isle and ask each person there if they are loyal to her. She also demanded that Bill Maybe pledged his loya
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

On the Living Word website, it says the Living Word is a group of non-denominational churches, it leads one to believe they are independent local churches. If that is the case, then they are not owned by the Living Word. I would bet a dollar that if there was an investigation, the Living Word is a for profit organization and much of the church is really owned by an individual.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

It could have been the South Gate church. Remember, I am speaking from second hand information. I am asking questions, not making statements. I do know that one of the LA churches was supposedly sold and the money from the sale going to Marilyn's trust fund or retirement fund. The only church I ever attended in LA was the Valley Church and that was just the sheperds meeting called when Mari
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Google Download File - Reflections From the Wall If that don't work, write in Reflections From the Wall, the walk of John Robert Stevens. There is lots of interesting history of the Walk. I don't know how much of it is varified, but for me, someone that was only in the Walk for about 7 years from the middle seventies to the early eighties, it is interesting stuff and it certainly
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Thanks Changedagain, I was given the opposite 'word" from a guy in Knoxville Tennessee named Larry Hayes, he called me in the middle of the night and told me he had a "word" for me to divorce my wife and go to California so I could "serve" Marilyn. I told him I would pray about it, hung up the phone. My wife and I had a big laugh and I rolled over and went back to s
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I have heard from many people that the money that came from the sell of the Valley Church went to Marilyn's retirement fund, I think that fund was called something else, but if that money went to Marilyn at all she can go to prison.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I have heard a lot about arranged marriages in the Walk. I have not witnessed that sort of thing when I was in there, and in the area that I was in, but I have heard about it and I am curious. Who arranged the marriages? Did John Robert Stevens himself arrange any marriages that you know of? I would like to know if anyone posting here was in such a marriage and if so, who was it that arranged it,
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

There are federal guidelines, laws actually governing where the money goes when a non-profit (*I started to say non-PROPHET, but I didn't want to be mean) but when a church is sold, the money can not be used to enrich any church leader or anybody else, the money has to be distributed to other non-profits, such as missionaries, or other churches. Somebody that knows how should turn Gary and
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families