rvrdiver

I can only but agree with every posting here regarding Wayfer and non-Wayfer parents. When I went to battle for child custody, a court-ordered psychologist was involved to help determine whom the "better" parent for my child would be. This psychologist took this information to the judge"...it would be a deteriment to this child to continue being raised in such a dominating and judgemental religios circle.....". Based on this information and other things about my affiliation w/TWI is #1, why I left TWI and #2 why I lost custody in court. The children raised in TWI are under such pressure from Wayfer parent to comply due to the parents that are dying to comply with *leadership* NOT the Word of God. Adios!

This is a topic that stumped me for a VERY long time.....TWI taught about tithing pretty much from the jest of Malachi and that we had basically better tithe "or else". A doctrine they had thrown in was that the 10% tithe caused a *standing believing believer in the household* to get blessed in the physical catagory whereas tithing above the 10% caused a *standing believing believer in the household* to get blessed back in the spiritual catagory. (So, this means that God is a respecter of givers???) Well, it doesn't say anywhere in the Church Epistles that anyone is SUPPOSE to tithe, but rather - God loves a cheerful giver and to work with your hands the thing which is good so that you have to give. ....so that you have to give. Now tell me folks out there in cyber-land.......what if a believer can't afford to give 10%? Are they now in debt because they're giving more than they can afford? TWI and the Word are two different things when it comes to tithe. Yes I tithe when I can afford to. Is my life better for it? Yes. Because I understand why I'm doing something so simple....not half-hazardly. God bless!

Funny thing there, whatever we wanted to do, i.e. vacation for the family, buy a car, start a new hobby, fight for child custody....leadership always fought us and told us that if we went against their word, God WOULDN'T bless us. One of the reasons my husband and I eloped.....of all things!

It is evident that TWI didn't know anything about the other 6 manifestations, let alone all the hype about the impartation manifestations. So many people *shouldn't* have to fake it or wing it our of fear or being unlearned......this is sad. Although I clearly admit to faking it, until I learned different. Take healing for instance. If we are properly taught, then what would stop us? Properly, meaning, to the point that we can heal and see it in action, see someone healed. I spent nearly 20 yrs. in TWI - faithfully mind you - and never learned a thing about healing someone or getting healed. Last December I spent the month working the healing manifestation and saw more deliverance and delivered more than I did in the 20 yrs. with TWI. It's very simple......if someone doesn't know anything about the subject, how can they teach it?

Wayfer Not, This whole mess is one of the first steps that led to my finally "leaving". Also a good 20 years of involvement and serious commitment to TWI, until someone that the judge appointed to evaluate my child, homelife, etc. reported to the judge that I was involved in a very controlling denomination that would have an adverse affect on my child in the end. Prayer and speaking in tongues I do a lot of, every time I think about I child I speak in tongues for her. And I am aware that I am not Jesus Christ, although I have Christ in me, I am not Abraham, but want the faithfulness of him. It is my heart's desire to walk as the examples of the Word - for instance the infamous "believer's hall of fame" in Hebrews. What got them through everything they went through?

Sprawled Out: That's funny! Thanks for this insight. I use to be know as the "queen of condemnation" trust me, I don't expect God to be at my beck and call or anything like that. He gave us these wonderful brains for a good reason. My point is...well, you can see it in my last post.

This is great, it really is....maybe I should be a little more specific in the exact situation, for which I don't blame God - I only want to understand. It's all about child custody and a monster of an ex-husband who is hell-bent on revenge for leaving him. My child is a teenager now and has spent the last half of her life caught in the middle of it all. The way it is now, I've lost all legal custody (whoever has the most expensive attorney in court WILL prevail) and my time with my child is determined by the whimes of my ex and nothing else. His ex-TWI buddies corral the situation with rumors and gossip which don't bother me, what bothers me is there is no consideration from any of these people for the child. Please don't suggest to get the law involved, they could give a rat's foot, they really could. To not be involved in my child's life is probably the most heart-breaking thing I've ever experienced - ever. As far as my child's voice - remember, there's a "monster" of an ex that has solidified his long-suits such as manipulation, cohortion, and lying and bullying....I'm really surprised he wasn't in a TWI leadership role!

This question has been perplexing my brain for awhile, actually, it's something I need to have figured out in order to become peaceful. Trusting God and taking action for what is right is a believer's responsibility, believing without works is dead. God is a "just" God, He allows it to rain on evil and on good. BUT, why would an evil person be allowed to dominate and control and win over lives that aren't rightfully his? I think about people in corporate jobs that work their butts off, say work heartily unto the Lord, when a promotion comes up that would benefit their life and the people around them, some evil, lying, back-stabbing jerk that doesn't even qualify ends up with the promotion. Things like this happen all the time, my question is why does it happen to those that believe and love God and His Word? Seeking.Asking. Knocking.

I remeber that STS teaching, it was in 1996, the year I took the Advance Class, what an emotional ride that was! LCM had so many people excited because from there it was time to go out and "confront"...anyone remember? What a joke! KJ

I have a few things to say about the TWI's youth leaving...more power to them! Unfortunatey, TWI won't have as many new students to run classes for if the youths are leaving. When my son was 18 years old, he was told he couldn't attend a college (that had awarded him a full-ride) that wasn't near a local fellowship, that's what put the icing on the cake for him. He decided to walk and was classified by the Limb Leader as "no better than a pile of dog &$*#" for leaving. My son should have slapped me upside the head for staying, but being blinded to the legalistic views and 'policy' of TWI, I stayed just until a couple of years ago. I've seen other fellowships out there that are geared toward the youth of our day, but for some reason those legalistic policies still get in the way of freedom for the youth. If parents don't teach their kids at an early age to think for themselves, nobody will. I've seen more young adults in the "world" able to make more logical decisions than those that were "raised in the Word". PLEASE don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that all kids raised in the Word can't think logically, I'm only talking about the few I've seen, that's all. So in the eyes of my son I'm now a hypocrit for staying so long, it's a mess but that's another story. I totally agree with the youth leaving and again, more power to them! KJ