Quote:
Originally Posted by Curt
Then, in 1985, I began to notice a difference in the church life. There were still shouting, happy, smiling saints at the meetings praying, singing hymns and spiritual songs, sharing messages and giving testimonies, serving on service groups, etc., but all the activity seemed now to lack any “weight” or “energy” behind it. I felt my walk with the Lord becoming weaker and my closeness to Him becoming more distant. I did not realize that other saints, both in San Diego and other localities, were having these same feelings. After fighting these feelings for about a year, in 1986, I left not only the local church, but abandoned my walk with the Lord altogether.
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Amazing observation,
Curt.
Of course, we were made to believe that any change was on our part, thus the guilt was heaped on our souls. This is exactly what John Ingalls and others were crying about --
"the nature of the Recovery had changed." Prior to this, most of our energies and activities were focused on Christ or at least the church where we were. After this, all attention was focused on WL, his ministry, his directions, his plans, his laboratory, all summed up under the banner of the "New Way."
Those who were closer to Anaheim, confronted more obnoxious "Office" abuse, and began to cry "wolf," but no one listened. At least no one that I knew here in "greater" Ohio. We were instructed by TC to "stay close to WL." Who cares if saints were discouraged and departing, the Lord will add new fruit, who were willing to walk the "new way." Elders had no time, nor were they allowed to hear any "cold winds" from discouraged saints.
We were repeatedly told that "all the blessing and all the riches" came via WL. In other words, WL took the place of Christ, our head. The ministry of the word was adulterated, with a cheap substitute replacing the real thing. The Bible had become a commodity to peddle in order to build up the empire of WL.
Many of us suffered just like you,
Curt. In my place, we had 4 divorces in one year, with more to come.