Number 1

The Misuse of the Term 'Present Truth'

In this study and 9 others I will outline the top ten lies that lcm screamed about and called "present truth". There is a genuine concept called "present truth" in II Peter 1:12, but it is not supposed to contradict scripture. The reason lcm had to scream about things so much is because they were lies. This misuse of "present truth" and way II's acceptance of his practice became a conduit for the adversary to introduce the other top ten lies that ravaged us and our ministry and have left it in shambles.

As I have said before, there is a genuine concept called "present truth", but lcm warped it to become excathedra. Genuine leaders watch out for the adversary and warn of the current methods of his attack; the ever shifting winds of doctrine. But "present truth" is never supposed to replace or contradict scripture in the way lcm used it. In fact, in the very verse that the term is used it is plain to see that it was not involved with the introduction of something new. Instead of being something to protect the believers from attack, it became the avenue of attack itself.

II Peter 1:12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know {them}, and be established in the present truth.

Peter was putting them in remembrance. In other words he was reminding them of something old, not introducing something new. Furthermore, the context in II Peter 1:12 - 2:3 bears this out. This concept is used in terms of reminding people of the scriptures, which are surer than people's eyewitness accounts or any thing else. Look at what's in this context:

1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation [letting lose upon like dogs ripping apart their quarry].
1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake {as they were} moved by the Holy Ghost.

"Present Truth" was to bring into remembrance the scriptures, not introduce new doctrines. Why didn't lcm read the next verse before he began misusing the concept!

2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in [who shall introduce] damnable [ruinous] heresies [factious opinions], even denying [repudiating] the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction [ruin].

The word for "privily bring in" was used to describe the introduction of new thoughts. The teachings obviously were ruinous. Can anyone dispute that these new concepts did not cause the ruin of the way ministry? He repudiated the teachings of VPW so that he could introduce his own. In the next verse the word "pernicious" has a very poignant and vivid alternate meaning:

2:2 And many shall follow their pernicious [violent, rude or brutal] ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

Could anyone dispute that LCM's behavior was anything but brutal, rude and violent? No one did because he cussed them all into silence! I could have gone either way on that word definition, but when you take into account what follows on this subject you'll see that it and this next alternate meaning fit. The Word "covetous" in the next verse has an even more vivid alternate meaning. Look it up for yourself in Liddel and Scott! (As thick as the Oxford Unabridged English Dictionary, but for Greek)

2:3 And through covetousness [arrogance or overbearing temper] shall they with feigned [counterfeit] words make merchandise [profit off] of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

Who in their right mind would not say that lcm had an overbearing temper? Who in his right mind, knowing of LCM's sexual exploits would not call him arrogant? Then look at what way II did. They sucked everyone dry. They made merchandise of them, demanding and coercing everyone to give more and more and more.

lcm became what he called everyone else: a false prophet and a false teacher. There is a spirit that deals in false prophecy and if we look at the other scriptures, which describe encounters with it, we will see many chilling similarities with way II. It is called the spirit of python. Many of the aspects of a python spirit can be found in Acts 16 where Paul encountered a young woman who was possessed by one. We usually think of it functioning outside organized religion within the context of fortune telling. As such, today this spirit is functioning in a big way in 1-900-Yo-Stupid, psychic phone lines.

It effects control over people's lives by means of false prophecy. The more that people follow the satanic advice, the more spiritual decrease they suffer and the deeper they fall under its spell. As seen in other scriptures, this spirit functions as a lever to open people up for other more malicious spirits as happened with Saul and the witch of Endor. Her prophecy opened him up for waging a losing battle with the Philistines (orchestrated by a bunch of real mean devil spirits) and a spirit of suicide. The nature of this introductory function to the spirit realm requires that this spirit be very sly, subtle and versatile.

With fortune telling, it usually begins as a novelty or curiosity, but somewhere along in the process people get hooked, both for the thrills of dabbling in the spiritual realm and because the prophecies "come true". They trust more and more in what they're told and because of this, the spirit is able to effect greater and greater control. As is seen with many who get hooked by the 900 lines, they end up paying huge sums of money as the soothsayers suck them dry. The victims are threatened with prophecies of doom or experience other forms of spiritual coercion if they don't pay up. There are many other spirits that work in the background to bring that to pass. Either way, whether they do or don't comply, they end up devastated and in a far worse spiritual state. When Paul finally exposed this spirit in Acts 16, the other spirits working in the background with the python spirit incited great brutality against Paul. However, he knew what was going on and believed for deliverance.

The key question is, "Can this kind of spirit function within a Christian environment?" Acts 16 shows that the answer is yes. When the Apostle Paul came to Phillipi, this soothsayer adapted her methods, followed Paul for many days, and said things that apparently supported him. She told everyone that Paul and his entourage were "servants [doulos] of the most high God" and that they "show unto us [you (in the Greek text)] the way of salvation". This was true. What was wrong with that? The problem was that the spirit in her was still there maintaining the same kind of control over people. Only the context of her false prophecies had changed to where the content was Christian. Every other function of that spirit and its mean assistants remained.

In way II's case, the controls and false prophesies were instituted when the leadership asked us all to submit to their new, intrusive methods of oversight, prophesying that if we did, "The Word would move like it never has before". The dabbling in the spirit realm hook is represented by their preponderance with the fear of and functions of devil spirits and seed of the serpent. This spirit opened up the believers who stayed in way II to the influences of deceiving spirits and spirits of bondage, and other terrible things, and we who left experienced the mean, brutal side.

The "fingerprints" of this spirit are all over way II. The Biblical precedent for the spirit of python seen by the comparison of the classic case studies of Saul and Paul's encounters with it is chillingly accurate. A fallen, fearful, overbearing, angry leader determined to hold his position at all costs, false Christianized prophecies, dabbling in the spirit realm, intrusive controls, repudiation of those who went before, prophecies of doom if people try to pull away, making merchandise of us by pushing for greater donations, bad spiritual advice producing a failed campaign (wc full time ministers), spiritual decrease and exposure to mean, brutal spirit action.

It's all still happening now. The whole agonizing scenario still is grinding itself out at full tilt, unchecked within way II, over and over, except in this case there are no midnight miracles of deliverance, only further spirals down. That is a consequence of the fear and lack of effective checks and balances within way II, and because of this its probably only going to get worse. This is what is responsible for the obvious wake of destruction that they have left behind.

I'd also be willing to bet that just like with Saul in I Samuel 28:6, the top was not getting any genuine revelation any more and had turned to this source of false prophecy. We had been instructed in the Advanced Class that someone who genuinely gets revelation should rarely tell others that they were receiving revelation. Why, all of a sudden did lcm start spouting off about all the revelation he was receiving? Because he wasn't getting any! (Revelation, that is...)

Because the python spirit functions as a catalyst for encroachment by other devil spirits, I am extremely concerned about way II believers who have succumbed to their invasive controls. It’s costing them something every day they stay. But if they do not think they need help, can they be helped? Even before all this negative stuff started happening, active Way believers had developed thick skins against criticism from outsiders. At that time the criticism was usually unfounded, ridiculous or obviously misinformed, and that made it all the easier for us to ignore, but now when something really is wrong, that habit is counterproductive. Consequently, they cannot be helped unless they themselves see the contradictions.

Since the controls have slowly gotten deeper and deeper and in some locations not as bad as others, most haven't noticed the noose tightening around them yet. As long as python has control through its false prophecy, the effects of the brutality side ease in slowly, until its too late and then "just when you need it the most, it isn't there" and it "will put the whole [group] in the ground". Contradictions are the key. Once they are noticed, if the people honestly think them through they'll begin to see that the adversary has been trying to cram their round peg into his square hole. This stuff is so obvious to me that I almost cannot believe it. But every time I reread the sections of the Bible that portray the acts and intents of the python spirit, I see more parallels in way II!

If you're still not convinced, then look at the fruit. That's how Jesus said we could tell the genuine prophets from the false ones. Look at the attributes of true teaching versus false teaching. James 3:17 speaks of the attributes of true wisdom from above.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,{and} easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

way II does not match up:.

What we were receiving was NOT peaceable. It produced stress.

It was NOT gentle, but harsh and cruel.

It was NOT easy to be intreated, but had to be shoved down our throats at the top of his voice.

It was NOT full of mercy, but rather spewed out judgment.

There were FEW good fruits and what ones leaked through, were lauded like Washington politics. On the other hand there was a broad wake of destruction: families and marriages broken up, areas and fellowships decimated, lifetime commitments broken and pillars of the church quitting, long-held truths and sound practices forsaken and even lives lost. Bad fruit after bad fruit, but candy coated to look good...

What we received was NOT without partiality but rather elevated the clergy above the believers by promoting that they be served rather than serving, equating them with kings.

And it was and is not without hypocrisy because every one who has put up with it has become one! (Anyone who tolerates devil spirit action for a long period of time WILL become hypocritical in one way or another. It is unavoidable.) In fear of retribution, in bondage to do anything about it or under the influence of deception the daily contradictions were tolerated, and still are. But they have to know that something is very wrong, yet they stay!

So if way II teaching does not have any of the positive attributes listed in James 3:17, then it obviously CAN NOT "FIRST BE PURE"!