Twinky

Wow, this guy's really upfront about his aims. If you send him a mere Aus$30, he'll give you a personal prophecy. Or for a mere Aus$25, you can see a picture of your personal angel, learn the angel's name, and get a message from that angel. His personal goal is this (lifted from his facebook page)

"John Lynn brings half a century of Bible teaching experience..." Well, yeah, he's been teaching something purporting to be Bible teaching, and for half a century - but that doesn't make it true, accurate, honest or (actually) even Biblical. Take a verse or two out of context and build a doctrine on it... everybody should try it. Why not? There's enough fools out there.

And another thing. I wear contact lenses. As any lens wearer can attest, these amazing things also have a life of their own. They appear to be able to jump off the finger that's trying to insert the lens into the eye. And they frequently turn up in very odd places. (Once I lost one - at WiB - and it turned up in another room - how did that happen???) Anyway, there are many times when I've dropped a lens and then I fumble around on the table, then on my clothes, then the chair, then the carpet. Fingertip searches (you can't see the pesky things!) in increasingly wide circles. After 10 or 15 mins of this, I come to my senses and pray: "Okay, Dad, here's your dorky daughter, and I dropped the lens again, so please show me where it is." And almost immediately afterwards I find it - invariably in some place I thought I'd looked. How does this work? Heck, I don't know. I just say, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me. You're amazing. Now let's go and enjoy the day together." And we do. I love these everyday miracles.

Okay, I'll bite, since I got a specific mention in the lead-in thread. On Sunday morning I was in my little church and we were singing a song in which there's a line about Jesus being the Healer. I occasionally suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome (aka RSI) and I must have done something earlier in the week that strained my wrist. My wrist had ached badly since about Thursday, worse at night, and wakes me with the severe discomfort. So I'm singing this song and suddenly pay attention to the words and think, "Why am I singing this - I need healing - right now," look at my arm and wrist as if I'd never seen either before, and think, "That's enough. I claim this healing. Now!" Right then, the song finished, the service moved on - and I later realised that since then, there's been no more pain in my wrist since that moment. No feeling of heat, things slipping into place, or any other sensation. Just - no sensation. No pain. All functioning as perfectly as should be.

Annio, it's brave of you to write what you have. TWI didn't start it, but they surely perfected the sexual abuse - and all the baggage that goes with it. Including the brave admission that it was turning you into an abuser, too. Do what you need to do, to get rid of that baggage. It's okay to be angry. Or sad. Or whatever it takes. We understand. I'm going to PM you.

Some good things have happened to me in my life. Some very bad things, too. And some very difficult things. I've had several jobs, lots of different types of training. I think everything in my life has been aimed at NOW, to make me who I am and what I am. I am more relaxed, more happy, or perhaps content, in my skin than I have ever been. I think that's about acceptance of what has been, what is now, and what may come in the future. From my PoV, I have gained much confidence that God is with me in all things, and will always be with me. (Non-Christians will have a different PoV and might talk about self-acceptance or some such, well, that's their PoV.) Everything is temporary, and I look forward with interest to the future (both immediate and ultra-long-term). Those things that were bad, or difficult, become retrospectively good things. (I suppose the "good things" change in value too, but I prefer to keep them in the "good" category.)

Some thoughtful posts from Socks (his best ever, I think). And then the usual spats from the usual suspects. Kinda like sitting by a peaceful riverbank contemplating life and the joys of nature, and turning round to find a street brawl going on behind you. Hardly surprising that people are put off coming here. There are other riversides to sit beside. Not without the occasional brawl, but these get settled quickly and don't keep festering, to distract continually.

Yep. Glad to see it back. Only just realised. Missed y'all.

Oh Kathy, we're contemporaries; you understand the LCM rants. In rez, it was even worse, not just Corps Night, but lunchtime "sharings" to several hundred captives, that would go on for a couple of hours too, and once in a while at breakfast (very small audience), about how he'd "run off" some more homos. I was on Bev Crew for the advanced class you mention. God, what a mad time the whole of being in rez was!

As to homosexuals: there are several "gay friendly" churches in this city, including the principal church of the city. In my volunteer work as a Street Pastor, I have visited (= called by) a well-known gay pub and struck up many conversations with young males. You would not believe the treatment that has been meted out to them by different churches: beatings, cold baths, exorcisms, endless Bible studies, and finally banning. Some of these men know a lot of Bible verses; they've tried hard not to be homosexual but - but they just fancy men. Some even say, "I know it's wrong." This sort of treatment of these men by their churches is shameful and so lacking in compassion that I'm badly embarrassed. My response now is: "I'm glad you've found someone to love." And I've told some, "Did you know God loves you? Really loves you?" For some, it's clear that this is one message they've never heard from their churches.

Oh Kathy, if you had heard LCM's rants on Corps Night...! It'd be a three-hour session, with the majority being a scream-fest from His Horribleness around the topic of homosexuals, their disgusting deviant practices, their deceptions and manipulations, their entering "caring professions" simply to pull the wool over our eyes that they might be nice people, but actually, they're vile, disgusting, schemers, etc, etc, etc. The first time, I thought, wow, there must be a problem, I'd never have thought that. Second time: there really is a problem. Third time: This is going a bit far. Fourth and subsequent CNs: He's kinda upset about this, but off the rails. And then the purges started, months of males allegedly caught in the act, or who'd confessed, or left of their own volition because they were that way oriented. Oh yes. He definitely went on (and on, and on) about homosexuals using "caring professions" as cover, not out of any true sense of care. And all this at a time when his wife had left him to go and live with Rosalie Rivenbark, in a sexual relationship. So you know these "teachings" were his rage, frustration, humiliation, whatever, at his wife's (and Rosalie's) behaviour. All this at a time, too, when he'd been bonking many other women than Donna - other men's wives, single women, he didn't care. I can't speak for what VPW may have taught. I do know, most certainly, what LCM taught. And did.

After sexual horrors now exposed in the RC church, in the Anglican church and likely other places, I can tell you that the Anglican church (at least) has a very obvious safeguarding policy, with a parish safeguarding officer and a very strong diocesian oversight. Copies of the safeguarding policy are available at various locations in churches (often posted on the notice board, sometimes additionally in a private place like the toilets, where a putative victim could review in private) with a list of people to whom any offensive behaviour could be reported. And there is careful vetting of the people on the safeguarding team, to make sure they themselves are not abusers. I don't know if CFFM has any kind of safeguarding policy. I'm d@mn certain TWI doesn't. Nothing "real" anyway - not beyond anything legally required, like a notice, but not an actual reporting chain.

Many of you will be aware of the history that got LCM ejected from TWI, and you may know the names of some of his victims who started lawsuits. I met with J@nu@ry B@rn3s. She told me how LCM had been with her. She told me the whole sordid details of what he did, where; how her marriage broke down and - oh, just so much. I had no idea (how could I have done?) - I was "gobsmacked" with what she said, still am really, filled with revulsion; and it's over ten years since we talked. What she did tell me, though, was that she attended CFFM fellowships and the leaders at CFFM knew some of what had happened (to whom, how, when) and that they spent a lot of time with victims, walking in the grounds, or in other places at CFFM, quietly talking over the abuse (including sexual) of the survivors. Walking, talking, soothing, praying, listening. CFFM certainly wasn't in denial at that time and didn't avoid the topic or tell people to move on. It's not necessary to shout about it from the rooftops at every meeting, so if it wasn't mentioned on one occasion that's no surprise.

It's special TWI language (as sought by the topic of this thread) meaning, "unzip your pants and screw every female in sight." From the English, "loosen up" your moral values. From the Greek, "luo," to act like an out-of-control dog.

A bit off topic from the starter thread, but as regards signs, miracles and wonders, I simply say: God works in small ways. Yesterday I was going out for a casual stroll around some public gardens. I put together a small bag with a few things I might want, nothing much, but I didn't want to take my full-on handbag ("purse," for Americans). My fingers touched on a roll of micropore, a sort of lightweight band-aid, and I put that in my little bag - I'd never bother usually. (Heck, why am I doing this?) In the park on a bench I found a man who'd done a longer walk, got wet feet, and got blisters. I offered the micropore and it fixed his feet enough to get back to his car a mile or so away. I'm glad I listened and was able to help that man. I do think that was a "God thing," to put the micropore in my bag.

Yet another update, I think; it opens now. But in any event, the video is still 1h4m long and I just don't have that time. It would be considerate when people post long videos, if they'd say how long they take and indicate specific times when something is interesting.

For those who might be interested, this video (which I can't access) is 1h4m long.

"Bless" in conjunction with practically any other words - "Would you be blessed to...?" "I was blessed when …" "God blessed me with …" (usually something material, especially money) and of course "Bless Patrol."

Doncha know, all the internet is full of devil spirits, and should not be engaged with under any circumstances (lest one encounter GSC or its predecessors, of course: the most devilish of all).

Y'all know about George Muller, who founded orphanages in Bristol - funded with nothing but prayer. According to the timeline, he too started out as a bit of a shyster and only went into "ministry" as an easy way to make money. However, he really "saw the light" and took the Bible seriously, and the charity that he founded is still going today, and works to help orphans globally. Here's his timeline, but if you go to the Home page you'll find out more about present-day work. https://www.mullers.org/timeline I do not know if VPW knew of this bigger history and decided to "imitate" it (we were only told that GM prayed, and resources poured in). However, "by their fruits you shall know them." Who built on solid ground, and who on the sand of ego?

Ah, thanks, Waysider. And there's me wondering why the water has graduate levels in foreign languages. The water is hard in this area. Kettles and suchlike fur up quickly. Generally it's fine, but once in a while it's like drinking rocks (probably some loosened limescale from the kettle, rather than the water itself). Nice tasty (or rather, tasteless) water, though. I always put soda in with my laundry detergent; softens the water, keeps the washing machine in a bit better condition. The water company in this area has a really good reputation, on many fronts.

Whaaaatttt? He acknowledges that Sunday night is a pain for everybody, especially families with kids - but then elevates that difficulty, spiritualising it and setting against "nominal Christians" who presumably are a bit more considerate towards kids' needs. What's he doing with his Sunday mornings, anyway? Teaching in the church that pays his salary, or just plain having a lie-in? (well, yeah, he is having a lie in, and out, and everywhere he goes. Can't stop lying.)

Hard water: Whatever does "Degrees Clark/German/French" mean?

I just checked my own water quality, according to the local Water Authority. This is a precis of what they say. It's all meaningless to me! It's nice tasting, but as everywhere in this area, there's a lot of limestone, and kettles and suchlike fur up quickly.

Wow, you folks have some pretty nasty problems! Though no doubt there are billions of people with no problems.