Deciderator

For me and her, in that situation, it was the right thing to do. Like I said, the nastiness went on longer than it should have and part of what took place was the very self-righteous I-better-warn-others attitude was held and while in the midst of the fighting we thought we were "helping" spectators avoid the evils of the other person, for the most part all the spectators saw was the petty bickering. If TWI is spreading AIDS or committing pedophilia or putting bags of dog doo on peoples' porches, lighting it and running away, the obligation is to call the cops and let them handle it. Our society has given them authority to do so and taxes us to pay for it. Focusing on darkness keeps you from the light.

Well. skyrider, then how about loving like Jesus Christ loved? In your rush to get to the part where you can dwell on darkness, you missed what my post was about. This is not the time to slice and dice and parse and reinterpret and show how quick-witted one is. All of us, in and out of TWI, have done good and bad and I am not so arrogant as to imagine I have sinned less than those used for a punching bag by those who need the ego boost. And if I heard the same from TWI about GSC, my response would be the same. For me, it has always been about having a better understanding of the Word. I'm not about attacking people, whether it is TWI, the Catholics the Mormons or anyone else. It seems to me instead of saying, "That bunch over there is wrong to say and do a,b,and c, and EVERYONE LOOK AT ME because I know they should say and do x,y,and z"; the better way is to just hold forth x,y,and z. What you or I have to say isn't true because someone else is wrong. All that other stuff just takes time and energy away from holding forth God's Word. I was married waaaaay back in the day and the divorce was a long painful experience that was drawn out longer than necessary. Rotten vicious things were done and said and it only got better for both of us when we separated and cut contact. It would have been wrong for us to have stalked each other for years or decades afterward and told each other's new paramours what a horrid person the other was. No, the thing to do was to go our separate ways and get on with our lives. About 17 or 18 years later I ran into her in a store and we had a very pleasant chat for about 10 minutes. The hate was gone, we both had new lives going and it was nice to see her happy about her husband and child she had with her and I think she was happy for me to be doing what I was doing. None of the past was mentioned because we both knew instinctively it was pointless to rehash old b.s. Absolutely pointless and profitless. We both understood that we were wrong for each other and that even being friends after this chance meeting was out of the question. The last time I had seen her was in a lawyer's office with an abundance of hate being spewed and to have this sort of cap to the affair meant a lot to both of us in ways I can't describe. And I haven't seen her since then and that's fine, too. Pond, I think it is evident what Word I was talking about. I was talking about what I could work from the Bible. And yes, I have learned much from non-PFAL sources. Please re-read my post and you will see a theme was that TWI was unimportant as an organization to me and that I am not concerned with the messenger as much as the message. At the time, what I learned in the twig and the classes I took helped me and others a lot. My own research has continued outside of PFAL and the other books and tapes I bought back then. And as I have worked various subjects I have learned new things outside of PFAL. That does not take away the value of that class or the other things I was taught. I try to keep my focus on THE WORD! THE WORD! AND NOTHING BUT THE WORD! and to the extent I can do so I have benefitted. I have never profitted by tearing anyone down or dwelling on error. Sorry you didn't get that from my post.

Squirrels is vile. Squirrels is vermin. Except when they're on waterskis

"IT'S THE WORD! THE WORD! AND NOTHING BUT GOD'S WONDERFUL MATCHLESS WORD!" That is more than a cliche or even a principle, there is also a lesson in it, especially for those who were loyal to a person or an organization. That is the greatest lesson I took from PFAL, followed closely by the research principles. Here's my story: About '85 I met a couple of WOWs and began going to a twig here in Northern Virginia. I wasn't interested in joining anything, I just needed and wanted answers and wasn't getting them elsewhere. The chap running the twig taught me well. Mostly it was material from the collaterals. He taught me what I needed to know and soon gave me a Strong's and I got to working the Word on my own. I was getting answers and understanding and at times that teaching would ring like a bell. It was 2 years before I took PFAL and by then I'd been taught it all and a bunch more. John Lynn came down and there were branch and limb things going on, but I wasn't that interested so when changes were made they didn't affect me much. I just wanted the Word, the Word and nothing but the Word. I didn't view certain people as celebrities the way some did. Belonging to the right club wasn't something I was pursuing, either. Later I realized that twig coordinator was protecting us from it all. All I wanted to know was the Bible. Time went by and the twig coordinator moved on and appointed me to takeover. The branch and limb weren't too happy about that, but too bad. I was the man for the job, period. They weren't too happy with the way I filled out the blue ABS forms because I didn't say who gave what (unless it was a check). I eventually told the people in the twig the branch and limb wanted the details and how I just thought it was none of their business. The guy who taught me also gave me a bunch of material taught by Chris Geer and a few others, but it was a while, just before he left, that he told me about the politics and upheaval going on. I just stayed out of it and did my best to bless the twig and keep them out of it all as well and keep the focus on puting forth the light of the Word. What was taking place wasn't blessing anyone nor was it making God's Word known. Sometime in there I got to understand that the Word must not just be rightly divided academically in terms of the Bible, but it must also be rightly divided in terms of when and where and how it is presented. Imagine Peter and John teaching perfectly on the Return to the guy they healed. What I was getting from the limb and branch was not helping me or my twig know God's Word. I did, however get blessed by Larry Panarello when he was there. Then in 1990 they wanted us to make banners for the Rock and I put on that bad boy what I wanted people to read. It read "THE WORD! THE WORD! NOTHING BUT GOD'S WONDERFUL MATCHLESS WORD!" That was my message to HQ. Nothing more needed to be said. It was put on display up there and soon after I went to the limb and branch and told them I was going to Gartmore for 6 weeks to get what they were no longer offering, and what I knew I needed to help me bless my twig. I didn't quit. I told them I would be happy to stay with them but noooooo, that just wouldn't do. I was hoping to stick around and maybe things would get better. So I went to Gartmore and learned a lot and had a great time and met some wonderful people. I got the light I needed. The twig had some people peel off to TWI and it was fine with me. In America we've got to be free to do as we want. I still fellowship with some who I met at Gartmore and others I have met since then. There were difficult times, but by concentrating on what was important - the Word, the Word and nothing but God's wonderful matchless Word, I was spared some of what others went through. That twig coordinator who taught me wasn't perfect, none of us are. But he taught me to work the Word and not work the collaterals or anything else unlss I looked on them as just what one person worked which may or may not be in error. There were some things that took me longer to understand and some things I did not agree with. But one of the things that has stuck with me that I'd like to share is something that twig coordinator used to say. I'd go by his house and maybe want to tell hm about some ridiculous thing from the religious realm. Maybe something wrong a particular denomination or a tv preacher had said. He'd stop me and say,"Wait a minute. Is this going to bless me?" Of course invariably the answer was no and he refused to listen to any more. Focusing on darkness doesn't bring light andpicking on the errors of others only satisfies the ego. As VP would say, That's right! I haven't read where the church in Ephesus went around criticizing and arguing with and dwelling on the error of the worshippers of Diana. None of their wisecracking survives and if they disrupted meetings to "rescue" people from that cult, I am unaware of it. No, the church grew and prospered and was blessed by focusing on the light. They held forth the Word and taught it the best they could and those seeking the light found it. I have always believed that if someone is really hungry that God will get someone to them to feed that hunger and they will leave darkness to come to the light. I found this board by accident and it is my opinion that those who spend so much time and energy cracking on The Way and various individuals and what was published and in PFAL are largely spinning their wheels and feeding their ego more than anything else. Tha time and effort could be better spent holding forth the light of the Word and blessing God's people that way. I believe the thing to do is concentrate on holding forth what is right and believing God to get you in front of those in the Way or any other outfit you think is in error. Be confident in the Truth and be confident that God will help people get to it. Here's one more thing I learned on the way to trust God to do - cover my eff-ups. I'm not relying on Him to do so - let me explain. One time that really sticks out in my mind, I had taught something that was wrong - really wrong. I can't recall just what it was (and I'm not saying it was my only mistake), but later that day or the next I realized I had really pulled a boner. I felt rotten and embarrassed. So I got on the phone to everyone right away to tell them to scratch out what I had said in the middle of a teaching and to explain what I should have said and all. Get this - not a one of them heard my mistake or wrote down the verse I had plopped in there wrongly or anything. I don't know what took place other than about a half dozen people didn't hear what I said. It wasn't because I'm a boring teacher. I'm pretty good. But there is a lesson here about God working to get His people the Truth. I've looked around here and seen a bunch of what's been put out and I just don't see how it is profitable. Why not just hold forth the Truth to the best of your abilities and trust God to get people to you who are hungry? After all, the ones who aren't hungry for the Truth of God's Word you hold aren't going to listen anyhoodles. I don't care if what I was taught was plagiarized from someone - hell, that chap probably stoled it from someone else for all I know. All I want is God's Word, and if I hear it from VP Wierwille or L. Craig Martindale or Benny Hinn, I don't care because I'm not into the celebrity worship nor am I a good person because of the religious club I belong to. And we make it worse when we hold them up like rock stars because that works against any inclination they may have to be a servant. I am reminded of something that Chris Geer said on one of those History of the Mystery tapes. He said the church is still hurting from Barnabas going astray and I believe people are stil hurting over events of the last 25 years. In the six weeks I was at Gartmore I never heard Geer, Townsend or any of the others make cracks about what was going on and in fellowship with the other 40 students it wasn't discussed either, at least not in my earshot. I recall being a little frustrated because there was a question or two I had. What happened when I asked or tried to broach the topic was the light of th Word was held forth, and not on that topic, either. I didn't need to know any of that stuff and I don't have a need to read these documents and other stuff posted here. Slinging tomatoes just makes it worse, no matter how much cause you have to do so. There is only one thing to do, and that is to get back to THE WORD! THE WORD! AND NOTHING BUT GOD'S WONDERFUL MATCHLESS WORD!

Ok, let's presume the premise and Paul was a fake. Where is the Christian doctrine then?