Steve Lortz

I repeat: "Disintegrate" is a good word. I learned it reading science fiction. CES adherence to Wierwille's errors acted pretty much like a disintegrator ray. Since Wierwille used his voice, what Lynn, Graeser, Schoenheit, etc. still cleave to might well be styled a sonic disruptor!

I don't know any details about Lynn, except he admitted to having been part of the problem. Schoenheit had been oblivious to the whole thing, til someone came to him for counseling. When Lynn, Schoenheit and Greaser formed CES, they took a very legalistic attitude toward their own behavior in that regard. They weren't legalistic about their followers' behavior. It didn't present much of a problem for anybody until after Pat divorced John. When Lynn started courting again, he was all tied up in knots about what was permissible before marriage, and what was not. And I don't mean THE deed, I mean holding hands and kissing! Love, Steve

Thanks for the feedback, Old Skool! I think you just functioned for me as "a multitude of counselors"! This is gonna be fun, as well as work! Love, Steve

It seems like I've been on a rant about this lately, and now I think I know why. I started working on a master's degree in theological studies about a year ago, but I elected the non-thesis track. For the last couple of months, I have been turning over in my mind the possibility of converting to the thesis track and writing an interpretation of Acts chapter 2. Yesterday, I decided to take the plunge, and do it. In the process, I started reading a chapter on "The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit" from a book that's used to teach the masters of divinity students (those preparing to become recognized ministers in the denomination), and I was stunned when I read their definition of the Holy Spirit and some of that definition's implications. The author defined the Holy Spirit as "the everywhere presence of God" based on Psalm 139:7. According to their way of thinking, the Holy Spirit is already in everybody, always has been, always will be. So "the gift of the Holy Spirit" has to be something the Holy Spirit gives, not the Spirit itself. The biggest thing I'm going to have to do in my thesis is explain the difference, in terms my professors will understand, between the Giver and the gift. I think I can do it! But that would be an impossibility if I still had the same attitude as when I was involved with CES. I'll have to learn how my profs think, before I can teach them what I know. For all his desire to reach people, Lynn can't do it, because he isn't willing to learn how THEY think. He can't translate what truths he may have learned in PFAL into any language other than the words Wierwille used in PFAL. Therefore, in Lynn's mind, the failure to communicate is not because he doesn't understand how to talk to his hearers, but because his hearers are "ensnared and enslaved". I am so exercised by the trap in which Lynn finds himself, because I was in the same trap myself, and the Lord is showing me how to get out of it. It's going to be the biggest assignment I've had in my 63 years... Love, Steve

Nobody is more clever than God. God knows what He is doing, every person is going to receive a just reward. Love, Steve

(accidental double post)

"how many of our precious brethren are ensnared and enslaved by those fallacious and debilitating notions? Clearly, the vast majority." Is it ensnaring and debilitating to believe in a God who takes responsibility, instead of an irresponsible God? I've come to consider that the thing in humankind that makes them in the "image" of God is their ability to deliberately decide, "feedom/responsibility", if you will. God is free. God has expressed his freedom in creating. He accepts responsibility for what he has created. Lynn's "pillar of Truth" God is an ineffectual cross between the Stay Puffed Marshmallow Man and the Pillsbury Doughboy. He has no foreknowledge. He doesn't know what the devil is gonna pull off next. Punch him in the stomach all you please, the only thing he'll do is giggle. Since we can't "lose your salvation" there are no real consequences for sin. What does it mean to be "ensnared"? Perhaps, unable to consider an alternative explanation because you know that you know that YOU KNOW the one and only truth, revealed as it hasn't been known since the first century! "Clearly, the vast majority." No, John... it's not clear. I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is, was, and always will be, the Head of the Church. I believe Jesus has been training and equipping the vast majority of Christians to do exactly what he wants them to do. The doctrine of the Trinity as set forth in the Council of Chalcedon may not meet some modern standards of understanding the Bible, but the alternative explanation at the time was that Jesus had no human nature at all. The alternative to the doctrine of the Trinity was that Jesus had NEVER BEEN A REAL HUMAN BEING AT ALL. I think God and Jesus both know how to sort mail. They don't need Wierwille or John Lynn to do it for them. Lynn calls them "our precious brethren" when he means "our poor, ignorant doofus brethren" because he makes it plain that is how he regards them. "If you currently hold to such traditional beliefs, (if you are currently an ignorant doofus, ensnared and enslaved, especially if you are a bored billionaire,) please visit our website www.TLTF.org and give us (your money) the opportunity to present a more rational, logical, and intellectually and emotionally satisfying view of Scripture." Lynn's criteria for interpreting scripture is not how accurately it replicates the intended meaning (exegesis), but rather how "rational, logical, and intellectually and emotionally satisfying" it is (eisegesis). (off my soapbox for now) Love, Steve

Slightly I'm glad I left before the Administration of the Rivenbark. I'm afraid if I hadn't, it would have spoiled my appreciation of Brenda Johnson on The Closer! Love, Steve

With me, God showed it to me in Jeremiah 17:5. I had made some foolish promises during the Momentus training, and they had thrown ALL the "you gotta keep your promises" verses you can imagine at us, along with several more! God showed me that all I had to do was repent of making those foolish promises, and I was free of them! I am certain that one of the reasons John Lynn is stuck in his rut is because he has not accepted the Lord's release from his foolish promises. Love, Steve

Good one, excie, good one! Love, Steve

"It is hard for me to believe that even some of my former peers, who heard the same Bible teaching I did, have abandoned the doctrinal pillars of Truth for such self-contradictory and illogical lies." There is SSSOOOO MUCH to ponder in this quote: The principle person in view is John Lynn, "...hard for ME to believe..." "...the same Bible teaching I [heard]..." Lynn sets himself and his own experience as his standard for truth. He characterizes his own beliefs as "doctrinal pillars of Truth", with a capital "T", and anyone else's beliefs as "self-contradictory and illogical lies". In doing so, he demonstrates his own ignorance of logic and hypothesis-testing. Logic can be valid and yet not sound. If an argument properly follows the rules of a system of logic, then that argument is valid, however, if it is based on faulty propositions (assumptions), then it is not sound. A valid argument can yield false conclusions if the original propositions do not line up with objective reality. Wierwille's system of "administrations" is founded on the proposition that the Greek word oikonomia should be translated as "a period of time". If we examine the objective evidence of the Bible, we see that in the seven places where it occurs, oikonomia NEVER requires translation as "a period of time". There is a perfectly good Greek word that means "a period of time." That word is aion. If we study the uses of aion, we find that the Bible says something vastly different about periods of time than what Wierwille taught. Are the things that Lynn holds to be "pillars of Truth" self-contradictory? Yes they are! They may be logically valid, but they are definitely not sound! Are they also lies? Yes, indeed! Love, Steve

There is no magic formula. Whether or not reading the Bible will help depends on what part you are reading, and why. Find something in there that makes YOU feel better. What I would suggest is looking for things to be thankful for, right here, right now, even if that's nothing more than enjoying your next breath, and focus the majority of your attention on those things. Do every thing you can think of, and remember that the Lord is gonna get you up again, even if you die. I hope this helps. Continue to trust the Lord, no matter what happens. Love, Steve

"Giving allows you to see how God will give to you (2 Cor. 9:6–10). If TLTF had the financial resources, we could reach countless people all over the world with God’s Truth." If TLTF had "God's Truth" to reach people with, the Lord would see to it that Lynn had ALL the resources he needed to reach the people God wants Lynn to reach. Unfortunately, all Lynn has is "the Administration of the Sacred Secret," Wierwille's botched dispensationalism, the Administration of the License to Sin! I'm confronting the decision of whether or not to pursue the thesis rather than the non-thesis track to my masters in Theological Studies. If I DO decide to write a thesis, it's going to be a hell of a lot of work, researching to see what other people have already come up with, developing original thoughts on my topic, and articulating those thoughts in an acceptably scholarly manner. It seems to me that TWI's classes and programs were the lazy scholars' way. All we had to do was passively receive what Wierwille dished out, and parrot it back. Those who showed some talent in parroting PFAL back were highly regarded, and came to view themselves as masters without ever having done the hard work that is necessary for true mastery. Love, Steve

BINGO! Old Skool - I decided some time ago that I don't have the time to spend following every word that copiously flows from John Lynn. Thanks for posting the highlights. You seem to go straight for the crucial indicators that show he hasn't changed a bit! Love, Steve

...bored billionaires... BORED BILLIONAIRES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is this what Lynn perceives the gospel to be???????? ENTERTAINMENT??????????????????????????????? Love, Steve "So first dig into our work and see what it does for you. If it touches your heart, please pass it on..." Maybe that's where your problem is, John. Maybe your work doesn't do anything for anybody, except of course, for yourself. Love, Steve

Thank you, excie! My heart has gone out to you ever since I learned of the vile indignities Wierwille and his minions heaped on you. I love you too, the way I love my biological sisters. My folks raised me to look out for them. It was my brotherly responsibility, and on one occasion, I went into a bar with one of my sisters, prepared to use the brawling skills I learned in the Navy, if one of the guys who might have be there had tried anything with her. There's nothing to be ashamed of in taking meds. The first of our Principles of Support in NAMI is: We will see the individual first, and not the illness. Wierwille tarnished the memory of many truths. I hope it won't be a trigger if I say that you REALLY ARE God's best! Love, Steve

TWI was an incredible display of lack of understanding of EVERYTHING! PFAL was an incredible display of lack of understanding of the Word of God! Love, Steve

I have been diagnosed with the mild form of bipolar mood disorder which I keep in balance with the generic forms of Paxil and Zoloft. For several years I have facilitated a bi-weekly support group associated with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, in which I've had regular contact with people who are afflicted with a variety of genuine mental illnesses. I don't think either Lynn or Wierwille suffer(ed) from mental illness, that is, a chemical imbalance in the neuro-transmitters. The Bible says the heart is "deceitful above all things", and "where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" because your heart will believe whatever you habitually tell it. In his heart, John actually believes the idiotic things that come out of his mouth, because he has habitually told his heart those things. The antidote for a deceitful heart is making a habit of speaking truth to it. To do that, you have to line your habitual thoughts up with the intent God expresses in His Word. The necessary humility is designated as the fear of God. That's why Wierwille was so crafty in claiming that "be not highminded, but fear" is not addressed to the Church. Wierwille preferred to be arrogant, and he taught us to be arrogant also. Lynn does not recognize his own arrogance. He does not fear God. That"s why he's fallen prey to the deceitfulness of his own heart. Love, Steve

I hear you, TrustAndObey. The one time my wife and I felt like we needed pastoral support, we started attending services at a local rescue mission. That was the closest place for us where the Christian rubber met the road. I am attending a regular chapel as part of my work toward a masters in theology. Students run the chapel services under supervision of the instructors, so in some ways the services are still rudimentary, but classroom discussions are VERY free wheeling, and my Constructive Theology prof has incorporated some things I brought to his attention into the class material for next semester. It will be interesting to see where the Lord takes all this. I know my thesis is going to be something they've never seen before, but it will be written in the terms I've learned at the School of Theology, not in the terms of an heretical cult. Love, Steve

There was more in depth spiritual perception and awareness in Casper the Friendly Ghost, Wendy the Good Little Witch, Hot Stuff the Little Devil and Spooky the Tough Little Ghost than there was in the advanced class or the Corps training! Love, Steve

Thank God through Jesus Christ, excie. Without them, I'd have been a raving lunatic a long time ago! Love, Steve

We do! Love, Steve

In a more serious vein, one of the things the Lord taught me when I first got serious with Him, years before I ever heard of TWI, was that freedom and responsibility are the same thing. They are the head and the tail of a single coin. Wierwille taught us that we weren't mature enough to handle spiritual responsibility. In turning our responsibility over to him, we were also turning over our freedom. Leaders at all levels of the Way tree were subtly taught to infantilize our followers in subtle ways, even as we were being infantilized from above. The key to taking back our freedom was to take back our responsibility for ourselves. If, dear reader, you are still involved with TWI, think about that. Love, Steve

A couple of decades after leaving TWI, I was teaching humane letters to 7th graders at a small private school that had been founded by a bunch of home schoolers pooling their resources. The school followed the classical model of pedagogy. We had some class routines. When the instructor entered the room at the beginning of class, the students were each to be standing behind her or his chair, and were to greet the instructor by saying "Good morning ( or afternoon), Mrs. (or Mr.) So-and-so. The instructor would say "Good morning (or afternoon), students. Please be seated." The students would sit, and then the instructor would sit. I wasn't happy with the lack of enthusiasm the students often displayed, so when I came into the room, I had them exclaim "Good morning, Mr. Lortz, SIR!" I told them they had to convince me that they meant it. If they weren't enthusiastic enough to suit me, I'd turn around, walk out and walk back in, until they DID convince me that they meant it. I learned that in Navy boot camp. We turned it into a game and had a lot of fun with it. But I felt that there were times when I needed something similar at the end of the period, to get their blood stirring and transition from my spell-binding lecture style. I taught them Roll Away. I'd make 'em stand and sing it, complete with motions, and time it so that when it ended, I could wave my thumb toward the door, and say, "GET OUTTA HERE!" I didn't do it all the time. Just when I felt it would help perk them up. Usually in the afternoon, when they were digesting lunch. Sometimes, I'd make one of the students lead the song. We had fun, and the sixth-graders, who I didn't normally teach, invited me come to their class and teach Roll Away to them. On another note, a girl came into our school because the student high school culture, even at the evangelical protestant high school, was making her physically sick. We did a lot of things to teach our students to respect each other, and the new girl loosened up. One day, during break, she was spontaneously singing Little Bunny FooFoo and hopping around the room, having fun with everybody else. The next day when I saw her mom, her mom told me "You worked a miracle!" Love, Steve

One time, while I was still pretty "new in the Word" I got a call from an acquaintance whose young teen daughter was in the hospital. The docs had just done exploratory surgery in the daughter's abdomen. It was full of scar tissue and infection. The docs closed her back up and started pumping her full of antibiotics. They told the mom that they would have to go back in and remove all the daughter's female plumbing once the infection had gone down. The mom wanted me to come pray with her daughter. I asked the lady who was undershepherding me to come along. She was an advanced class grad, but she was neither Corps nor a$$hole. On the way to the hospital, she prayed for the girl to be coming to, and all the relatives to be leaving when we got there. That happened. We spent about 45 minutes or so in the hospital room with the mother and daughter, mostly just chatting and encouraging them. We all joined together for a brief prayer before leaving. The lady who was undershepherding me led the prayer, and everybody got a chance to participate. We didn't have "worship manifestations". It wasn't any big, showy thing, just a fairly prosaic prayer for the daughter's blessing and healing. And we left. Three days later, when the docs opened her up again, they couldn't find anything wrong. Even the scar tissue was gone. Both the mom and the daughter were grateful to God, but they didn't mistakenly think WE had been responsible for the healing, nor did we try to take the credit, which properly belonged to God. Neither of them ever took the class or even came to twig. That's my one personal experience with obviously miraculous healing while involved with TWI. I heard several stories from other people whose accounts I trusted, though none of those stories involved leaders above the twig level, all of them promoted faith in God, but none of them promoted Way-specific doctrine. None of them made any widespread news and none of them resulted in massive numbers of people converting to Christianity, much less the Way. I myself experienced a lot of synchronistic events, that is, seemingly meaningful coincidences, many of which were in response to my own prayers. I took the advanced class a couple of years later, but looking back, it seems that a lot of my earlier spontaneity had dried up, replaced by the "16 keys to walking in the spirit" by that time. The advanced class was a disappointment, and I saw no sign of spiritual power in it. After leaving the Way in 1987, and doing some cursory research into the things we had been taught in the advanced class, I found out that some of the things that had impressed Wierwille most in his "quest" for a knowledge of spiritual matters had been frauds. Either Wierwille had been suckered in himself by the hoaxes, or he was just perpetrating them again on us. I saw NO spiritual power in my Corps training. That was 100% trying to perfect the flesh by means of the flesh. I never saw any spiritual power at a root location. I had a lot of fun on L.E.A.D., while in the mountains, not while hitch-hiking back and forth. But then again, I had been solo-backpacking for about a decade. Does it count as a miracle that I didn't have to cut my own toes off due to frost-bite? Now THERE'S the Abundant Life for you! Love, Steve