WordWolf

Revised September 2007 Dearest brother/sister in Christ, God bless you richly in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior, our Mentor, the one whose perfect trust in his heavenly Father made it possible for us to do likewise and walk with him. This is John Lynn, and I am writing this letter to anyone who is or ever was involved in The Way International, that is, those with "ex-Way vision." The Real Me, by the grace and mercy of God, is still standing, and still "living in the eye of the storm." The first thing I want to say is, "I love you." The second thing is that, as it has since I was dispatched by TWI in 1987, my heart goes out to everyone who ever sat through the “Power For Abundant Living” class. We certainly did hear much of the Word "as it has not been taught since the first century," and the truth is that there was nowhere else on earth we could have heard what we heard. We were in the right place at the right time. The main problem was that we had an "absent Christ," and therefore, practically speaking, we were like a body without a head. I was only one of the "poor substitutes" that people looked to when they should have been looking to the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank God that I was taught the inherent keys to the Word’s interpretation. They are still true, and they are what enabled me, along with my dear friend John Schoenheit (and many others), to see the wrong doctrine mixed in with the right doctrine we were taught, to correct it, and to move forward. If you are interested, we have a list of 26 biblical subjects about which we believe the Word says differently than we were taught in The Way, with links to our books and tapes that cover those topics. Wrong doctrine always leads to wrong practice. I am more aware than most of the grievous abuses laid upon many of God’s precious people when they were in The Way. Perhaps you are one who was so abused. The point is that now the choice is yours as to how you see your past involvement in The Way. In our lives, we are not the sum total of what has happened to us, but rather how we have responded to what has happened. As such, you can ask the dear Lord to help you arrive at a healthy perspective of whatever events have comprised your life. In his infinite resourcefulness, he can somehow turn it into something you can use to help someone else. In regard to your involvement in The Way, you could choose to be a victim, as many have, but may I suggest that is not the best perspective if you desire to live a fruitful life. Frederick Douglas, a former slave and then an abolitionist in the time of the Civil War, once said, "The limits of tyrants are prescribed by those whom they oppress." I like to look at my time in The Way in a more positive sense. I want to "eat the fish and spit out the bones." There are many things I could say here, but I’m trying to keep this letter as brief as possible. I know thousands of people who, in my opinion, have "thrown out the baby with the bathwater." They have spit out the whole fish because of some bones. I know many others who are "tired of the fight," that is, of "not fitting in" with traditional Christianity, primarily because they are branded as heretics for not believing that Jesus is God. In regard to that subject, I encourage you to read our book titled One God and One Lord: Reconsidering the Cornerstone of the Christian Faith. Since 1987 we have been helping people around the world, many who have never heard of The Way, move forward, most especially by getting Jesus Christ in the right place as Lord. Spirit & Truth Fellowship International (formerly Christian Educational Services) is a full service ministry with a wide range of activities and materials for everyone. We are seeing people's hearts healed and seeing them come together to reach out to others in the love of Christ. I encourage you to listen to or read for yourself what we have produced. If you like, we are most happy to send you a Spirit & Truth Fellowship statement of beliefs, and/or put you on our mailing list for our bi-monthly magazine, The Sower. Each issue has an order form listing all the materials we have. I also encourage you go to one of our three websites and see if you are blessed by what you find. They are: STFonline.org, TruthOrTradition.com, and BiblicalUnitarian.com. In closing, let me say that I honestly believe that Dr. Wierwille (TWI Founder) would be very proud of what we are doing. We have taken the keys to the Word’s interpretation that he taught us and used them to evaluate his own teachings, correcting those that did not agree with Scripture. We have never lost sight of the goal of moving the Word around the world. If that is still your goal, or if you think there is any way we could be of service to you, please do not hesitate to contact us. Once again let me say that I love you. I wish that I could adequately communicate to you how thrilling life is when the Lord Jesus Christ is a daily reality. Understanding who he is as "the Lord" and living accordingly exalts both him and our heavenly Father. The Lord Jesus is the glue that can knit our hearts together so that we can enjoy the "camaraderie of the committed" and stand together for him. Your brother in Christ, John A. Lynn =================================== =================================== =================================== [For those who have forgotten, JAL has claimed he was around 20 years in twi. After that, he wrote the previous letter. Some 20 years after that-about as long as he was in twi, he's been out, and part of his own organization- he has considered this letter the revision of the previous letter. Having had 20 years to review his previous letter, what insights has he gained since then? Has he gained a full perspective on what happened, on what motivated vpw, how he operated, why he did what he did?] Revised September 2007 Dearest brother/sister in Christ, God bless you richly in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior, our Mentor, the one whose perfect trust in his heavenly Father made it possible for us to do likewise and walk with him. This is John Lynn, and I am writing this letter to anyone who is or ever was involved in The Way International, that is, those with "ex-Way vision." The Real Me, by the grace and mercy of God, is still standing, and still "living in the eye of the storm." The first thing I want to say is, "I love you." [still leading off with some flattery, I see. Well, that's the same as the old letter. 20 years hasn't changed this- except to make the opening lengthier.] The second thing is that, as it has since I was dispatched by TWI in 1987, my heart goes out to everyone who ever sat through the “Power For Abundant Living” class. We certainly did hear much of the Word "as it has not been taught since the first century," and the truth is that there was nowhere else on earth we could have heard what we heard. We were in the right place at the right time. He's had 20 years to be exposed to Christians outside twi and outside his OWN organization, but his perspective, if anything, is no LESS narrow-minded than it ever was. Everybody ELSE among us are well aware that the claim vpw made of "the Word as it has not been taught since the first century" was full of hot air, and never approached what was demonstrated in twi. Further, there are plenty of Christians who learned things we did NOT, and demonstrate more love and heart than ex-twi'ers do. If JAL meant to say "only the doctrines that match what we heard" count-which is silly, but he seems to mean that- is he totally ignorant that BG Leonard's ministry is still teaching and still going strong? The genuine of which vpw was the counterfeit? Or is he aware of that and refusing to acknowledge it entirely?] The main problem was that we had an "absent Christ," and therefore, practically speaking, we were like a body without a head. I was only one of the "poor substitutes" that people looked to when they should have been looking to the Lord Jesus Christ. [ONE of the main problems was that vpw declared Christ was "absent", and set himself up as the Head of the Body in any practical sense. ANOTHER was that "special knowledge" and "secret knowledge" took the place of God's Love. Knowledge puffs up- and in twi, that's exactly what it does. JAL seems to have forgotten that, judging from this letter. Oh, and, JAL, can the false modesty, with the "poor substitute" thing. If you thought you were THAT "poor", you wouldn't be making the commercials for your group. Give us a little credit for seeing an attempt to snow us coming.] I thank God that I was taught the inherent keys to the Word’s interpretation. They are still true, and they are what enabled me, along with my dear friend John Schoenheit (and many others), to see the wrong doctrine mixed in with the right doctrine we were taught, to correct it, and to move forward. If you are interested, we have a list of 26 biblical subjects about which we believe the Word says differently than we were taught in The Way, with links to our books and tapes that cover those topics. [We cut to the commercial a LOT sooner, this time around. Personally, I find that an improvement. Let's not pretend this ISN'T a commercial. Oh, and the assumption that they found ALL the error and deleted it is not only arrogant- it is WRONG. Just in this letter ALONE we had errors that haven't been fixed in TWENTY YEARS. Just because JAL has DIFFERENT doctrine from twi in some places does NOT mean they removed ALL the critical errors, or that everything they removed was error. Moreover, DIFFERENT does not guarantee BETTER- "different" includes the "Momentus" program that some people found useful, some people found disastrous, and JAL QUIETLY promotes PRIVATELY but never speaks of PUBLICKLY. "Different" also includes the "spiders-in-the-noses" business that JAL ALSO hasn't repudiated. Also, JAL's clamped down on QUESTIONING and DISAGREEING with EITHER of those. (Probably more as well, but I know of these two doctrines that have proven to be quite harmful to a number of people.) 20 years ago, he lauded the ability "to think, question and disagree." In revising this letter, he's dropped that little detail- probably because those "thinking", "questioning" and "disagreeing" would be thinking about HIS doctrine, questioning HIS doctrine, and disagreeing with HIS doctrine. What a difference 20 years CAN make.] Wrong doctrine always leads to wrong practice. [And sometimes wrong practice arrives all by itself.] I am more aware than most of the grievous abuses laid upon many of God’s precious people when they were in The Way. [No he's not, unless everyone at the GSC is also "more aware than most".] Perhaps you are one who was so abused. The point is that now the choice is yours as to how you see your past involvement in The Way. In our lives, we are not the sum total of what has happened to us, but rather how we have responded to what has happened. As such, you can ask the dear Lord to help you arrive at a healthy perspective of whatever events have comprised your life. In his infinite resourcefulness, he can somehow turn it into something you can use to help someone else. [True. He's made it possible for us to work through what was needed, and find other Christians who can teach us lessons about love and substance that are long overdue for twi survivors. We also heal at the GSC. (Does JAL ever give the GSC credit where it's due for helping there?] In regard to your involvement in The Way, you could choose to be a victim, as many have, but may I suggest that is not the best perspective if you desire to live a fruitful life. Frederick Douglas, a former slave and then an abolitionist in the time of the Civil War, once said, "The limits of tyrants are prescribed by those whom they oppress." I like to look at my time in The Way in a more positive sense. I want to "eat the fish and spit out the bones." ["You could chose to be a victim." Cute little "false dilemma" there. You can just dismiss the harm done in twi- which, coincidentally, was also at the hands of many people who switched over to CES/STFI and retained MOST of the doctrines they learned from the self-serving felon vpw, and claimed they dismissed ALL the harmful doctrines. If you don't, you're "choosing to be a victim." Cute quote-if one wants to SILENCE people. So is "eat the fish and spit out the bones." But, see, this fish was almost all bones, and much of what little meat WAS there, was spit out WITH the bones, and then more bones from a DIFFERENT fish were added. (Some were from the Momentus fish, some were from the PP fish.) I wouldn't bring all that up in the analogy, but HE was the one who wanted to replace DISCUSSION with PITHY SAYINGS. Colossians 2:4 (KJV) "And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words." Beguile: "paralogizomai", to use words that don't touch logic "enticing words": "pithanologia", pithy sayings, slogans.] There are many things I could say here, but I’m trying to keep this letter as brief as possible. I know thousands of people who, in my opinion, have "thrown out the baby with the bathwater." They have spit out the whole fish because of some bones. I know many others who are "tired of the fight," that is, of "not fitting in" with traditional Christianity, primarily because they are branded as heretics for not believing that Jesus is God. In regard to that subject, I encourage you to read our book titled One God and One Lord: Reconsidering the Cornerstone of the Christian Faith. [Then again, lots of Christians survived twi, and aren't swelling the coffers of CES/STFI. What a shame that is! JAL wants to sell the CES/STFI bony fish to those who lost their taste for bony fish after twi. Although, in honesty, after the abuses of twi (which were delivered by JAL and others besides JUST vpw), I can understand why some people don't want to claim being Christians, or associate with them. They were told all Christians EXCEPT OURS sucked, and then they saw that OURS sucked as well. So, they concluded all Christians sucked. QED. Oh, and JAL's still saying the other Christians suck, without using those words. Scroll up-"nowhere else on earth", "as it has not been taught since the First Century".] Since 1987 we have been helping people around the world, many who have never heard of The Way, move forward, most especially by getting Jesus Christ in the right place as Lord. Spirit & Truth Fellowship International (formerly Christian Educational Services) is a full service ministry with a wide range of activities and materials for everyone. We are seeing people's hearts healed and seeing them come together to reach out to others in the love of Christ. I encourage you to listen to or read for yourself what we have produced. If you like, we are most happy to send you a Spirit & Truth Fellowship statement of beliefs, and/or put you on our mailing list for our bi-monthly magazine, The Sower. Each issue has an order form listing all the materials we have. I also encourage you go to one of our three websites and see if you are blessed by what you find. They are: STFonline.org, TruthOrTradition.com, and BiblicalUnitarian.com. [We saw a REPEAT of the commercial. He must be SERIOUS about advertising his "product"-a lot MORESO than the previous version of this letter. Shorter letter and TWO commercials.] In closing, let me say that I honestly believe that Dr. Wierwille (TWI Founder) would be very proud of what we are doing. We have taken the keys to the Word’s interpretation that he taught us and used them to evaluate his own teachings, correcting those that did not agree with Scripture. We have never lost sight of the goal of moving the Word around the world. If that is still your goal, or if you think there is any way we could be of service to you, please do not hesitate to contact us. [20 years later, he "honestly believes" that a man who lied about the voice of God, who took credit for the work of others and claimed God gave it directly to him, who carefully arranged a ministry for God's people to satisfy his lusts for filthy lucre, creature comforts, and raping innocent daughters of God "would be very proud" of what he's doing. This is JAL's claim, not mine. He believes that he would have the endorsement of a corrupt subverter of God's people, a human parasite who fed off God's people. Considering his practices have damaged numbers of people and exerted leverage and control over them in God's name (Momentus and Personal Prophecy), perhaps vpw WOULD admire the results! However, it still falls far short of vpw's "accomplishments" since he hasn't been raping the women. Oh, and again, they found ALL the error, and eliminated it, and didn't add errors of their own. JAL says so.] Once again let me say that I love you. I wish that I could adequately communicate to you how thrilling life is when the Lord Jesus Christ is a daily reality. Understanding who he is as "the Lord" and living accordingly exalts both him and our heavenly Father. The Lord Jesus is the glue that can knit our hearts together so that we can enjoy the "camaraderie of the committed" and stand together for him. Your brother in Christ, John A. Lynn

I'll repost them here,now because I'm in the mood. [Well, I would take this up with JAL publickly. However, he's decided that he will not engage in dialogues on anything. He will, however, make periodic proclamations which are not open to discussion on his website. Since we discuss matters openly here, I will do so. I'm starting with his first letter. Here's the contents:] ============== http://www.christianeducational.org/monthl.../misc/index.htm John Lynn's Letter to Way Believers March 30, 1988 A current Letter from John Lynn Dearest Way Believer: God bless your wonderful heart super-abundantly in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. I love you very much, and I love God and His Word also. I know that you too love God and want to do His will. Thus I am writing you this letter, which I pray will speak to your heart. Remember, you have within you "the spirit of truth," and I believe it will confirm to you that what I say, though perhaps not all pleasant, is true. And it is the truth that makes us free. This is not an easy letter to write, but what else can I do but speak the truth in love? I would guess that as a Way believer you probably recognize my name. During nearly 20 years of working for The Way, I was privileged to serve in just about every capacity except Trustee and Trunk Coordinator. I wrote three books that you may have read. Via these and thousands of live and tape teachings, it was my privilege to interact with tens of thousands of fabulous people like you. I basically "got in on the ground floor" in 1967 and was near "the top" all along. This afforded me many, many personal encounters with all the original and current Trustees and other top leadership. I was a loyal employee and worked hard to teach and serve God's people. I certainly made my share of mistakes, but I always tried to treat all believers kindly and believe in them. On April 1, 1987, I was fired by the Board of Trustees from my position as Limb Coordinator of The Way of Washington, D.C. Why? That's a good question, and one I asked Howard Allen that day. He refused to give me a reason. Despite The Way leadership' s attempt to cover up, it's no secret to most followers of The Way that there are major problems. Many have been aware of them long before April 1986 when Chris Geer first read "The Passing of a Patriarch" and publicly exposed some things. Yet even that did not begin to expose the root of the evil. In February of 1987, in conjunction with Ralph Dubofsky, Tom Reahard, Robert Belt and my wife Pat, I participated in writing a 37-page letter that we sent first to the Trustees. In it we confronted them with God's Word as to where they were in error, and called for a meeting of leadership to get out in the open and resolve them biblically. We gave the Trustees ten days to respond, which they did not. Then we went "to the church," sending out about 500 copies to as many leaders and believers whose addresses we had. Since then we have continued to send them out, along with other pertinent and enlightening literature and tapes. We mailed the letter to the Trustees February 26, and they did not respond until March 30, when Craig and Howard called me and asked me if I had heard Chris Geer's tape of March 25 to all The Way Corps, and if I still thought they were in error. Of course I did, because they had not specifically handled from the Word even one issue we brought up, and to this day they have still not done so. That was the whole conversation, and two days later Howard came and fired me, refusing to tell me why. I have a transcript of that conversation, which was taped. What was Chris Geer's tape about? Besides accusing all the USA Way Corps of being "at enmity with God," he condemned our letter and us. How many Bible verses did he read? None. How many specific issues did he handle from the Word? None. Where was our letter biblically wrong? He didn't say. He did say that he had told the Trustees they were "the most qualified men on the face of the earth to handle the responsibilities that God had called them to," and that "the only exception is that they haven't yet turned back to the one True God." Huh? You say you don't know what "The Passing of a Patriarch" is about, that you haven't read our letter, or heard Chris Geer's tape. Well then, how about John Schoenheit's paper showing from the Bible that adultery is sin (not a shock to most people)? Because of it, he was fired from the Research Department of The Way. Shortly thereafter, four clergy, Bo Reahard, Franklin Smith, Bob Mirabito and Dennis Hickman, were also fired for their "involvement" with the paper, and told they'd never run anything more than a Twig again. Haven't seen it? OK, surely your leadership informed you about the November 1986 meeting where Chris Geer told the Limb Coordinators that over half of us were there "under the direct influence of evil spirits." How many Bible verses did he read in 90 minutes of talking? None. How much open discussion was there as in Acts 15? None. This religious "caste system" has resulted in unhealthy competition, strife, ladder-climbing, currying favor, intimidation, and an abuse of people to the end that it has squelched the spiritual initiative of thousands. It is a big reason why today, for the most part, Way believers, who know much rightly divided Word, are bored with the Bible and living far below the walk of power available to every son of God. First, idolatrous allegiance to men has, in practice, cut believers off from THE SON OF GOD Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the Body. In our zeal to proclaim the truth that Jesus Christ is not God, we relegated him to a "seated" position of virtual inactivity. He wasn’t allowed in the "Athletes of the Spirit" production, even at the Gathering Together! Instead, it was "the minister" who was the mediator between God and men, and the believers served and worshipped him. It is only "holding the Head" (Col. 2:19) that will enable believers to live the Mystery, and in The Way, because of this doctrinal error, we’ve never really been able to do so. Second, money. I Timothy 6:10 makes it plain that wrong doctrine regarding money will have very detrimental effects on God’s people. The booklet "Christian’s Should Be Prosperous" absolutely contradicts the Church Epistles, and its destructive effects on people’s lives cannot be calculated. Dr. Wierwille was confronted about its error in the early 60s but refused to change it. Work it for yourself. By page 3 one already believes he will "take the consequences" if he "withholds the rightful portion from God," and that he certainly wouldn’t do less than his tithe if he desires God’s blessing. Ephesians 1:3? On the last page of the book it says, "Don’t pray for prosperity if you don’t tithe." Jesus Christ is more than a 90% Redeemer. You do not have to spend 10% to buy protection from a "God-father." Then we were taught that 15% gets you spiritual insight. And of course there’s Craig’s famous line that if you give less than 10%, "God won’t even spit in your direction." Actually, that's true—He won't. You do not give in order to get. You give because God has given to you. We are not under the law. Malachi is not to us. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 is. And the Bible plainly says that if you do choose to give of your abundance (not your need), the way to do it in this administration is to give to other believers who have needs. I have a 3 hour tape on this subject, and a number of us are collaborating to write a very comprehensive book on it. When God’s people believe and apply the truth of His Word in this area, they will prosper far beyond what we have yet seen. Third, sex. Now this is perhaps more sensational than the other points, but keep in mind that again the root of the problem is doctrinal error, not human weakness. More than one woman has personally told me that Dr. Wierwille taught her, verbally and by example, that sex outside of marriage is not only permissible, but profitable. Ralph Dubofsky told me that in September 1986, after a woman had come to him, he confronted Craig Martindale about having sex with her. Craig admitted it, and told Ralph that Dr. Wierwille had told him that unless he "loosened up in this category of life, he would never be a great leader or lover of God’s people." I know this sounds unbelievable, but it is true. Dr. Wierwille told people that without broadening their sexual activities beyond marriage, they’d never be able to handle the things of God." A friend of mine told me Dr. Wierwille told her he thought that "a woman gets eternal rewards for blessing a man of God like this." Craig told Ralph that there have been "thousands of times it has been done in the love of God and ministered God’s healing wholeness and deliverance to people." And I have a copy of a phone conversation on this past November 24 between Craig and a Corps grad in which he told her that there is not a straight answer from the Word on adultery, and that sex is in the category of need, like food on the table, and God supplies our needs. Where did he learn this? Not in the Baptist Church, I dare say. This esoteric doctrine has permeated the leadership structure of The Way to the end that believers all over the country know about it. This is the real reason why John Schoenheit and the others were fired. Chris Geer and the Trustees are trying to cover up for Dr. Wierwille and themselves. Here’s a good question: If it is spiritually beneficial, why isn’t it being taught publicly? If you want to, you can look up the definitions of "allegation," "accusation," "rumor," and then "fact." These statements are facts and what I have just told you about this issue is "the tip of the iceberg." I have another 3 hour tape titled "Overview of Events: 4/85-10/87" in which I do my best to chronicle the key events from the time Dr. Wierwille stopped to see Ralph in Boston en route to Scotland, up until this past fall. In it I go into more detail about the adultery issue. I believe it is important because this wrong doctrine strikes at the very heart of the Mystery, and it has ruined countless Way marriages and wreaked havoc on hundreds of other men and women. I believe you can see for yourself the rejection of God’s Word by top Way leaders. How? Take the information in this letter, which is admittedly only skeletal, and start asking questions of your Way leaders. Better yet, get the biblical truth regarding what I have brought up, and confront them with chapter and verse. How can you get it? Well first, you can study the Bible, especially regarding the three main subjects I mentioned. Also, believers all over the USA have tapes by Sue Pierce, Ralph Dubofsky, me and others on many of the subjects I listed. They also have our letter, John Schoenheit’s paper and other literature. Ask around, and if you can’t locate what you want, call me. Sue, Ralph, John, Mark Graeser, Mark Carli and I are all travelling also, so call if you’re interested in one of us coming to your area. What has happened in The Way is nothing new. Man has long been afflicted by similar religious error. Rest assured that there is life after The Way. Although many of us have been victims of wrong doctrines and practices to varying degrees, I view my involvement as a steppingstone to greater scriptural truth. I can no longer grow spiritually within The Way’s tightening confines. Of the approximately 100,000 PFAL grads in the USA since 1953, about 80,000 have already disassociated themselves from the structure. Perhaps many of them felt as I do. Local fellowships in many areas are finally "self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating," and they love it. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Body, and he is coordinating the efforts of those members who look to him. No longer do you need to sit around like a "bump on a Twig." You can get involved any way you want to. It is wonderful to be free from answering to men, especially those enforcing a self-constructed false standard of righteousness and "spirituality" based on works of the flesh. It is electrifying to go to the Word without fear of contradicting previous teaching. It is stimulating to be able to think, question and disagree. And it is refreshing not to have to apologize for living your life the way you want to. Here’s an analogy that has blessed lots of people: WE HAVE ESCAPED FROM EGYPT WITH ALL THE GOLD! That’s right--we’re free, and we have all the right doctrine we heard, and the keys to learning more. So let’s spend the gold! That sounds better than sitting on it and lamenting our time in Egypt. The Bible still encourages us to pray, read the Word, fellowship with believers on the Word, speak the truth in love and share of our material abundance. Many who have left The Way are afraid to become part of anything else. I tell them they’re already a part of the only thing they can join--the Body of Christ, and that is hardly "another bandwagon." As we look to our true Head, knowing all that he has done (and is doing) for us, he will "choreograph" the functioning of his Body. Our hearts will be knit together in genuine love, and each of us can maximize the limitless potential of holy spirit within us. You can still live your life’s dream, and help preserve the truth of God’s Word for your children and grandchildren. I love you with all my heart and will do whatever I can to help you. Please check out what we are doing to keep the Word alive and moving all over the world: www.STFonline.org and www.TruthOrTradition.com Your brother in Christ, John A. Lynn =================================== =================================== [Here's the same letter, with commentary from me.] ================================ [Although hindsight is 20/20, and I was willing to view this letter lightly, knowing how we ALL were so mistaken, there's 3 reasons I'm using more discrimination here. 1) JAL fundamentally holds the same opinions, 20 years later. 2) As was underscored recently, JAL had a LOT more insider knowledge than the rest of us, at the time of the writing of this letter. 3) JAL's made a point of closing off open discussion of this subject- first by the closing of the CES messageboards (which, in fairness, was not, as far as I know, entirely HIS decision), second, by posting about it briefly on the GSC- specifically, to say he won't be posting about this and discussing it, and third, by only speaking on this when he controls the medium- and tossing in INSULTS to those who might disagree with him. Respectfully disagreeing with a brother in Christ seems to not be an option-when JAL is in charge. So, I will give my impressions of this letter.] http://www.christianeducational.org/monthl.../misc/index.htm John Lynn's Letter to Way Believers March 30, 1988 A current Letter from John Lynn Dearest Way Believer: God bless your wonderful heart super-abundantly in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. I love you very much, and I love God and His Word also. I know that you too love God and want to do His will. Thus I am writing you this letter, which I pray will speak to your heart. Remember, you have within you "the spirit of truth," and I believe it will confirm to you that what I say, though perhaps not all pleasant, is true. And it is the truth that makes us free. This is not an easy letter to write, but what else can I do but speak the truth in love? [First, pump people up with lots of really inflated talk. If you want to get people to prejudge what you will say in a positive way, get them to feel good, and to WANT to agree with you. So, first, you compliment them and say lots of things about how much you love God. That way, when what you say later doesn't match, they will go with their FIRST impression, and hopefully ignore what came later. It worked for vpw, and it could work for any other Christian who cares more about titles, money and things than people.] I would guess that as a Way believer you probably recognize my name. During nearly 20 years of working for The Way, I was privileged to serve in just about every capacity except Trustee and Trunk Coordinator. I wrote three books that you may have read. Via these and thousands of live and tape teachings, it was my privilege to interact with tens of thousands of fabulous people like you. I basically "got in on the ground floor" in 1967 and was near "the top" all along. This afforded me many, many personal encounters with all the original and current Trustees and other top leadership. I was a loyal employee and worked hard to teach and serve God's people. I certainly made my share of mistakes, but I always tried to treat all believers kindly and believe in them. [JAL was an insider. He was around for the entire buildup of members, saw vpw push out St3v3 H33fn3r and J1m D**p, saw vpw centralize his authority by training people to do what he wanted in the way corps, saw vpw scream at people for little or no reason-as documented inadvertently by lcm in his book, "VP and Me", saw vpw set up a separate set of teachings that allowed those at the top to use others for sex and teach that it was to be kept secret, saw vpw set up a cadre of people to find young women to use for sex, to arrange for vpw to meet with them privately, and to monitor them after vpw used them for sex to make sure they wouldn't tell others-and destroy them if they DID look like they would tell others. JAL was either COMPLICIT in all these things knowing they were wrong, or he was around when all this happened, saw it then, and was unable to judge any of it as WRONG when it happened. Either way, his testimony is compromised by this. Notice the timing- he's ready to call bad things "bad"-but only when others are speaking up. Was it less "wrong" when someone didn't announce "this is wrong"?] On April 1, 1987, I was fired by the Board of Trustees from my position as Limb Coordinator of The Way of Washington, D.C. Why? That's a good question, and one I asked Howard Allen that day. He refused to give me a reason. Despite The Way leadership's attempt to cover up, it's no secret to most followers of The Way that there are major problems. Many have been aware of them long before April 1986 when Chris Geer first read "The Passing of a Patriarch" and publicly exposed some things. Yet even that did not begin to expose the root of the evil. [Actually, other than "there's problems", "the Passing of the Patriarch" exposed NOTHING except some odd opinions. vpw was bitter he wasn't being fawned over anymore- or cg made up that vpw was bitter he wasn't being fawned over anymore. The ACTUAL problems were never addressed- possibly because they were instigated by vpw himself, and cg was complicit in them. He's expecting us to accept this-and he's had over a year to evaluate this and so on. And this was his JOB at the time- he wasn't working fulltime and looking at this after work- he was a "full-time minister" of twi, and had lots of time to look all this over. Did he completely miss that it didn't actually "expose" anything, or was he fully aware it did NOT, and was he using the name to INTENTIONALLY DECEIVE? It's one or the other....] In February of 1987, in conjunction with Ralph Dubofsky, Tom Reahard, Robert Belt and my wife Pat, I participated in writing a 37-page letter that we sent first to the Trustees. In it we confronted them with God's Word as to where they were in error, and called for a meeting of leadership to get out in the open and resolve them biblically. We gave the Trustees ten days to respond, which they did not. Then we went "to the church," sending out about 500 copies to as many leaders and believers whose addresses we had. Since then we have continued to send them out, along with other pertinent and enlightening literature and tapes. We mailed the letter to the Trustees February 26, and they did not respond until March 30, when Craig and Howard called me and asked me if I had heard Chris Geer's tape of March 25 to all The Way Corps, and if I still thought they were in error. Of course I did, because they had not specifically handled from the Word even one issue we brought up, and to this day they have still not done so. That was the whole conversation, and two days later Howard came and fired me, refusing to tell me why. I have a transcript of that conversation, which was taped. What was Chris Geer's tape about? Besides accusing all the USA Way Corps of being "at enmity with God," he condemned our letter and us. How many Bible verses did he read? None. How many specific issues did he handle from the Word? None. Where was our letter biblically wrong? He didn't say. He did say that he had told the Trustees they were "the most qualified men on the face of the earth to handle the responsibilities that God had called them to," and that "the only exception is that they haven't yet turned back to the one True God." Huh? [As we now all know, (almost all of us, anyway), the Trustees were completely in error, and were complicit in, and active participants in, activities both condemned by the Bible and considered FELONIES by the laws in the United States of America. As we now all know (almost all of us, anyway), Geer was not only wrong, but he was EXTENSIVELY wrong, trying to "fix the problem" by salvaging the felonies, and reinstating the vpw-worship. Neither the errors and crimes of the Trustees, nor the errors, delusions and crimes of Geer guarantee that JAL was CORRECT- THEY were wrong, but that doesn't make him RIGHT. Some people, however, might make that mistake. I'm unclear whether JAL intended them to think that.] You say you don't know what "The Passing of a Patriarch" is about, that you haven't read our letter, or heard Chris Geer's tape. Well then, how about John Schoenheit's paper showing from the Bible that adultery is sin (not a shock to most people)? Because of it, he was fired from the Research Department of The Way. Shortly thereafter, four clergy, Bo Reahard, Franklin Smith, Bob Mirabito and Dennis Hickman, were also fired for their "involvement" with the paper, and told they'd never run anything more than a Twig again. [Well, NOW, we've all had a chance to read POP and Schoenheit's adultery paper as well. Schoenheit's paper is correct and specific from the Bible, Geer's paper was vague and error.] Haven't seen it? OK, surely your leadership informed you about the November 1986 meeting where Chris Geer told the Limb Coordinators that over half of us were there "under the direct influence of evil spirits." How many Bible verses did he read in 90 minutes of talking? None. How much open discussion was there as in Acts 15? None. [Geer was, as we can all see now (or almost all of us), completely in error, and made a good show while talking-and practicing- error.] This religious "caste system" has resulted in unhealthy competition, strife, ladder-climbing, currying favor, intimidation, and an abuse of people to the end that it has squelched the spiritual initiative of thousands. It is a big reason why today, for the most part, Way believers, who know much rightly divided Word, are bored with the Bible and living far below the walk of power available to every son of God. [A) This religious 'caste system' was just fine for JAL for about 20 years. None of these immoral, unBiblical practices caused him any problems during that time-problems vpw instituted in each instance. B) JAL is assuming that "for the most part" that twi Christians "know much rightly-divided Word", and C) People who "know much rightly-divided Word" are "bored with the Bible" and operating Godly principles largely because TWI's LEADERSHIP SYSTEM IS CRAPOLA.] First, idolatrous allegiance to men has, in practice, cut believers off from THE SON OF GOD Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the Body. In our zeal to proclaim the truth that Jesus Christ is not God, we relegated him to a "seated" position of virtual inactivity. He wasn’t allowed in the "Athletes of the Spirit" production, even at the Gathering Together! Instead, it was "the minister" who was the mediator between God and men, and the believers served and worshipped him. It is only "holding the Head" (Col. 2:19) that will enable believers to live the Mystery, and in The Way, because of this doctrinal error, we’ve never really been able to do so. [This is correct. Those were all errors, and unhealthy.] Second, money. I Timothy 6:10 makes it plain that wrong doctrine regarding money will have very detrimental effects on God’s people. The booklet "Christian’s Should Be Prosperous" absolutely contradicts the Church Epistles, and its destructive effects on people’s lives cannot be calculated. Dr. Wierwille was confronted about its error in the early 60s but refused to change it. JAL was well aware of the FINANCIAL MOTIVATION of vpw from the 1960s, but was fine being in leadership under him. The problem existed for his entire involvement in twi, but it's not a problem until more than 20 years later. Was JAL that slack-witted that this wasn't a problem, or was JAL aware this was error and he deliberately chose to ignore it for 20 years because it suited him to do so? Take your pick-it was one or the other.] Work it for yourself. By page 3 one already believes he will "take the consequences" if he "withholds the rightful portion from God," and that he certainly wouldn’t do less than his tithe if he desires God’s blessing. Ephesians 1:3? On the last page of the book it says, "Don’t pray for prosperity if you don’t tithe." Jesus Christ is more than a 90% Redeemer. You do not have to spend 10% to buy protection from a "God-father." Then we were taught that 15% gets you spiritual insight. And of course there’s Craig’s famous line that if you give less than 10%, "God won’t even spit in your direction." Actually, that's true—He won't. You do not give in order to get. You give because God has given to you. We are not under the law. Malachi is not to us. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 is. And the Bible plainly says that if you do choose to give of your abundance (not your need), the way to do it in this administration is to give to other believers who have needs. I have a 3 hour tape on this subject, and a number of us are collaborating to write a very comprehensive book on it. When God’s people believe and apply the truth of His Word in this area, they will prosper far beyond what we have yet seen. [Correct. Why did this take you 20 years? Was it that hard to accept, or were you happier with your mouth shut all that time?] Third, sex. Now this is perhaps more sensational than the other points, but keep in mind that again the root of the problem is doctrinal error, not human weakness. More than one woman has personally told me that Dr. Wierwille taught her, verbally and by example, that sex outside of marriage is not only permissible, but profitable. [You're leaving out, of course, any personal knowledge, or lack thereof, YOU had. Did you turn a blind eye to it for 20 years, or were you well aware and are tactfully skipping your own complicity in multiple felonies on behalf of vpw?] Ralph Dubofsky told me that in September 1986, after a woman had come to him, he confronted Craig Martindale about having sex with her. Craig admitted it, and told Ralph that Dr. Wierwille had told him that unless he "loosened up in this category of life, he would never be a great leader or lover of God’s people." I know this sounds unbelievable, but it is true. Dr. Wierwille told people that without broadening their sexual activities beyond marriage, they’d never be able to handle the things of God." A friend of mine told me Dr. Wierwille told her he thought that "a woman gets eternal rewards for blessing a man of God like this." Craig told Ralph that there have been "thousands of times it has been done in the love of God and ministered God’s healing wholeness and deliverance to people." And I have a copy of a phone conversation on this past November 24 between Craig and a Corps grad in which he told her that there is not a straight answer from the Word on adultery, and that sex is in the category of need, like food on the table, and God supplies our needs. Where did he learn this? Not in the Baptist Church, I dare say. This esoteric doctrine has permeated the leadership structure of The Way to the end that believers all over the country know about it. This is the real reason why John Schoenheit and the others were fired. Chris Geer and the Trustees are trying to cover up for Dr. Wierwille and themselves. Here’s a good question: If it is spiritually beneficial, why isn’t it being taught publicly? [Good question. Here's another- why did you remain silent about it for 20 years- because it happened around you and you failed to put the pieces together, or because you knew and were in the crowd keeping it silent until you chose to join those who spoke up?] If you want to, you can look up the definitions of "allegation," "accusation," "rumor," and then "fact." These statements are facts and what I have just told you about this issue is "the tip of the iceberg." I have another 3 hour tape titled "Overview of Events: 4/85-10/87" in which I do my best to chronicle the key events from the time Dr. Wierwille stopped to see Ralph in Boston en route to Scotland, up until this past fall. In it I go into more detail about the adultery issue. I believe it is important because this wrong doctrine strikes at the very heart of the Mystery, and it has ruined countless Way marriages and wreaked havoc on hundreds of other men and women. I believe you can see for yourself the rejection of God’s Word by top Way leaders. How? Take the information in this letter, which is admittedly only skeletal, and start asking questions of your Way leaders. Better yet, get the biblical truth regarding what I have brought up, and confront them with chapter and verse. How can you get it? Well first, you can study the Bible, especially regarding the three main subjects I mentioned. Also, believers all over the USA have tapes by Sue Pierce, Ralph Dubofsky, me and others on many of the subjects I listed. They also have our letter, John Schoenheit’s paper and other literature. Ask around, and if you can’t locate what you want, call me. Sue, Ralph, John, Mark Graeser, Mark Carli and I are all travelling also, so call if you’re interested in one of us coming to your area. [All of that is correct.] What has happened in The Way is nothing new. Man has long been afflicted by similar religious error. Rest assured that there is life after The Way. Although many of us have been victims of wrong doctrines and practices to varying degrees, I view my involvement as a steppingstone to greater scriptural truth. I can no longer grow spiritually within The Way’s tightening confines. Of the approximately 100,000 PFAL grads in the USA since 1953, about 80,000 have already disassociated themselves from the structure. Perhaps many of them felt as I do. [vpw was the one that "afflicted" this "religious error" on twi. This was a specific "man"-why return to generalities? "A steppingstone to greater spiritual truth." JAL is claiming he's reached a new plateau of "spiritual truth" post-twi. Oh, and this "approximately 100,000 PFAL grads" is an exagerration. Supposedly, about that many people had ever signed up for pfal. Not everyone who signed up for pfal attended Session 1. Not everyone who attended Session 1 attended Session 12. No figures were ever taken for actual # of pfal grads. It IS true that, at the time of this writing, 80,000 of those people were no longer associated from twi. That was across the entire history of twi. The assumption that there was ONE reason-and that ONE reason was EXACTLY what JAL was talking about here, is unfounded. Notice JAL shies away from actually making that CLAIM, but he IMPLIES it. "Perhaps many of them felt as I do." And perhaps NONE of them did.] Local fellowships in many areas are finally "self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating," and they love it. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Body, and he is coordinating the efforts of those members who look to him. No longer do you need to sit around like a "bump on a Twig." You can get involved any way you want to. It is wonderful to be free from answering to men, especially those enforcing a self-constructed false standard of righteousness and "spirituality" based on works of the flesh. It is electrifying to go to the Word without fear of contradicting previous teaching. It is stimulating to be able to think, question and disagree. And it is refreshing not to have to apologize for living your life the way you want to. [Well, they were a lot more "self-governing" than before, but the ex-twi community was never composed of small local groups that NEVER answered to higher-ups....and those higher-ups were all trained in twi, and were participants in that SAME stratification JAL railed against- after a mere 20 years of participation. It was stimulating to be able to think, question and disagree-within the limits allowed. I, for one, hit the glass ceiling on the new LIMITS of same. Does it strike no one slightly ironic that JAL currently clamps down on questioning and disagreeing, a mere 20 years after extolling their virtues?] Here’s an analogy that has blessed lots of people: WE HAVE ESCAPED FROM EGYPT WITH ALL THE GOLD! That’s right--we’re free, and we have all the right doctrine we heard, and the keys to learning more. So let’s spend the gold! That sounds better than sitting on it and lamenting our time in Egypt. [Analogies are nice, WHEN THEY ARE VALID. This one assumes that one can partake fully of twi doctrine, complete with biases and errors which served vpw nicely, and yet filter out ALL the harmful doctrine with relative ease. We left with the ASSUMPTION that what we had was "right doctrine", and ACCURATE keys to learning more. Oh, and being wary of all the evil things that affected us in ways small and large throughout our lives, is HARDLY to be compared with Israel's laments after leaving Egypt. Cute how he's already making careful approaches into WRONG ACTION.] The Bible still encourages us to pray, read the Word, fellowship with believers on the Word, speak the truth in love and share of our material abundance. Many who have left The Way are afraid to become part of anything else. I tell them they’re already a part of the only thing they can join--the Body of Christ, and that is hardly "another bandwagon." [One may feel free to leave twi- but one should leave twi to join CES/STFI, of course. Don't be afraid to become part of HIS group- but it won't be long before one should be afraid to become part of "anything else." And don't call CES/STFI "another bandwagon."] As we look to our true Head, knowing all that he has done (and is doing) for us, he will "choreograph" the functioning of his Body. Our hearts will be knit together in genuine love, and each of us can maximize the limitless potential of holy spirit within us. You can still live your life’s dream, and help preserve the truth of God’s Word for your children and grandchildren. I love you with all my heart and will do whatever I can to help you. Please check out what we are doing to keep the Word alive and moving all over the world: www.STFonline.org and www.TruthOrTradition.com [sure took long enough to add the commercial to this...] Your brother in Christ, John A. Lynn

"Benjamin is no one's friend. If Benjamin were an ice cream flavor, he would be Pralines and D!ck." "I live in Aurora, Illinois, which is a suburb of Chicago — excellent. I've had plenty of joe-jobs; nothing I'd call a career. Let me put it this way: I have an extensive collection of nametags and hairnets. OK, so I still live with my parents, which I admit is both bogus and sad. But at least I have an amazing cable access show! And I still know how to party!"

CHARLIE CHAPLIN.

"What a drag it is getting old."

Sometimes what's obvious to someone else isn't obvious to me, and sometimes what's obvious to me when I've had enough sleep isn't obvious at other times. So, when I posted that, I needed the question mark.

Will Smith Wild, Wild West Kenneth Branagh

That was the Beatles with their hit, "JERRY MAGUIRE." :) Next movie. "ICEBERG! ICEBERG DEAD AHEAD!"

If you want to discuss the JAL letters, they have at least one thread just for them, "John Lynn's letters." https://www.greasespotcafe.com/ipb/topic/24089-john-lynns-letters/

Someone was looking for JAL's letters. Here they are.

Helena Bonham Carter Sweeney Todd Alan Rickman

"PROUD MARY"?

That's it.

"Benjamin is no one's friend. If Benjamin were an ice cream flavor, he would be Pralines and D!ck."

"Back to the Future." "Frankly, Scarlett, I don't give a d@mn."

A lot of screen-time was eaten up by beautiful, sweeping views of the Enterprise- which is why Kirk had to shuttle over rather than using the spacedock's transporters. The core plot seems taken from The Changeling. It was done because- with the success of Star Wars- it was thought this was THE moment for sci fi blockbusters to make lots of money. It did OK in the theaters, but was NOT a blockbuster and didn't justify the special effects budget. ST 2 was promised to be brought in on a lot less money, which was why it was greenlit. With all the screentime on a tighter story, it was a much better movie and fans and non-fans agreed.

Correct!

Paul Schaefer Dan Ackroyd John Goodman

When this movie came out, it was long-awaited, and some fans had high expectations for it. A few might have complained that the plot for the movie seemed a bit familiar and resembled at least 1 episode with lots of changes and a much, much bigger budget. In fact, with this movie unable to achieve blockbuster status despite the timing and the budget, it would have killed the franchise if someone didn't promise he could bring in the NEXT movie for a LOT less. Not only did he succeed, that movie was popular and became a hit, saving the franchise. Name both movies.

"Robin Hood- Men in Tights."

"Mister Brightside" is the only song by The Killers that I know. If you post the entirety of the lyrics, describe the video, and explain the inspiration for the song, I still won't come any closer than I was yesterday.

Ok, 3 of those say "Julie Andrews" to me, I doubt that's a coincidence.

That's them. The kitchen utensil sale was the "Chef of the Future" episode.

This show took place in Bensonhurst, although one episode mentioned someone traveling to them "all the way from Bensonhurst". To be specific, most of the episodes centered around 328 Chauncey Street. We had occasional get-rich-quick schemes thought up by one of the characters. Among them were selling a mystery appetizer, and selling a kitchen all-in-one utensil. Among the ideas that were mentioned but not shown was glow-in-the-dark wallpaper, and buying an empty lot adjacent to a planned movie theater (but it was a drive-in, so...) One main character worked for the city as "an engineer of subterranean sanitation, and another for a privately-owned company as a driver. What was this show?

Then, is this "MISTER BRIGHTSIDE?"