AssemblyBoard

Dear Friends:

I would like to ask all of you to take 10 steps back from this whole thing, in your mind's eye.  Remove yourself from it, and pretend that a broken confused Christian, who is experiencing all of the events at the Assembly, but at another church, has come to you for counsel.  You can see that this person is sincere, but also confused and hurt.  As a strong, mature believer, who has advanced insight into the truth of God's word, you want this person to break free from any sort of bondage, and have joy and liberty in Christ.

This broken, confused brother has told you:

• The leader of his group is an adulterer and an immoral man
• All of the money is kept secret and is handled only by the immoral leader
• The leader's son is a wife beater and has his own, very dysfunctional life
• The leadership was all handpicked by the immoral, money loving leader
• Hundreds of former members of the group have identical stories about abuse and control
• 2 best-selling books and numerous articles by a Christian author called the group "Abusive"
• Every other Evangelical church in town counsels people to stay away from the group
• A national cult expert, and several leading Christian Cult awareness groups have called the group a cult, and former members have actually been de-programmed.
• There is a website about this dear confused brother's group, that has thousands of pages of testimonies that all point to the fact that something is seriously wrong

How would you counsel this person?

If this person turned out to be you, would you take your own counsel?

Take Six Weeks Off!

Brent

Dear Friends:

I would like to ask all of you to take 10 steps back from this whole thing, in your mind's eye.  Remove yourself from it, and pretend that a broken confused Christian, who is experiencing all of the events at the Assembly, but at another church, has come to you for counsel.  You can see that this person is sincere, but also confused and hurt.  As a strong, mature believer, who has advanced insight into the truth of God's word, you want this person to break free from any sort of bondage, and have joy and liberty in Christ.

This broken, confused brother has told you:

• The leader of his group is an adulterer and an immoral man
• All of the money is kept secret and is handled only by the immoral leader
• The leader's son is a wife beater and has his own, very dysfunctional life
• The leadership was all handpicked by the immoral, money loving leader
• Hundreds of former members of the group have identical stories about abuse and control
• 2 best-selling books and numerous articles by a Christian author called the group "Abusive"
• Every other Evangelical church in town counsels people to stay away from the group
• A national cult expert, and several leading Christian Cult awareness groups have called the group a cult, and former members have actually been de-programmed.
• There is a website about this dear confused brother's group, that has thousands of pages of testimonies that all point to the fact that something is seriously wrong

How would you counsel this person?

If this person turned out to be you, would you take your own counsel?

Take Six Weeks Off!

Brent

I am really dumbfounded about this.

How come only three people answered the challenge in the last post?

Do you people think this doesn't apply to you?  Am I way off base here?

Beam me up Scotty (Testa)

Brent
Dear Friends:

I would like to ask all of you to take 10 steps back from this whole thing, in your mind's eye.  Remove yourself from it, and pretend that a broken confused Christian, who is experiencing all of the events at the Assembly, but at another church, has come to you for counsel.  You can see that this person is sincere, but also confused and hurt.  As a strong, mature believer, who has advanced insight into the truth of God's word, you want this person to break free from any sort of bondage, and have joy and liberty in Christ.

This broken, confused brother has told you:

• The leader of his group is an adulterer and an immoral man
• All of the money is kept secret and is handled only by the immoral leader
• The leader's son is a wife beater and has his own, very dysfunctional life
• The leadership was all handpicked by the immoral, money loving leader
• Hundreds of former members of the group have identical stories about abuse and control
• 2 best-selling books and numerous articles by a Christian author called the group "Abusive"
• Every other Evangelical church in town counsels people to stay away from the group
• A national cult expert, and several leading Christian Cult awareness groups have called the group a cult, and former members have actually been de-programmed.
• There is a website about this dear confused brother's group, that has thousands of pages of testimonies that all point to the fact that something is seriously wrong

How would you counsel this person?

If this person turned out to be you, would you take your own counsel?

Take Six Weeks Off!

Brent

Perhaps the reason is that those who agree with you already know the answer and so feel it's not necessary to state the obvious.  And those who do not agree or can't or won't see it, will not respond for probably the same reason that they won't register on the website.  
Yet another possibility is that it gets lost in all the mountain of posts.  But this last one is not so strong since you posted it everywhere.  

Arthur
You are probably right.  I just hope that some of these "guests" will read it, and that some of these kids will think about it.

Then, when they get manipulated by a "leader," perhaps it will come back to them and they'll give themselves some advice.


Brent

     An interesting question:  Would i take my own advice?

     Those of us who have had time to at least begin to heal since leaving the GG assemblies may well remember how difficult it was to make that break, whether we did so voluntarily or it was forced upon us.  i for one can offer some solid advice to any saint who is in such a state as Brent suggests.  But i'm not sure that when i was still under the Geftakys influence i would have followed it.  It must be especially difficult for new believers, and any who came to Christ via the assemblies.

     The counsel i would offer is this:  Return to your first love.  Remember the joy that you experienced when you came to Christ?  The realization of who He was and is, and what He has done and can do and will do for anyone who believes in Him and accepts Him?
     Let me explain, for any who may have misunderstood:  When Brent says "Take six weeks off," he isn't suggesting that you forget about being a Christian for six weeks.  Rather, he is saying remove yourself from all external influences for that period.  Read your Bible, but not your notes.  Set aside other literature.  Replace ministry with fervent prayer (if you don't think you're strong enough or wise enough to pray fervently, start with, "Lord, teach me to pray.").  Prayer is speaking to God.  Never think that God won't listen to your prayers unless they are said a certain way.
     Remember this.  It wasn't the assembly that saved you.  It wasn't great teaching or godly men that saved you.  You were saved by the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved you so much He laid down his life for you.  All He accomplished on your behalf through his life, his death, his resurrection and ascension, and the sending of the Holy Spirit, took effect in your life the moment you accepted Him and called upon Him.
     So it is with your present situation.  Are you confused?  Despondent?  Conflicted?  Feel "dead" inside, or in terrible pain?  The same One to whom you turned to for salvation from your sins is the One to whom you can turn for deliverance from whatever troubles you now.  And, to no one else!  
     He is waiting.  Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.  Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.  He has said, You shall seek me, and you shall find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart

     Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

In His Love,
al Hartman

Brent,

I am sure Arthur is correct. When I read it it was so obvious I assumed it was a rhetorical question.

It is a powerful post, though and thought provoking. Maybe home page material?

S

PS - Is "What're you, nuts?" considered Godly counsel? And yeah, I took my own counsel. ;D

Dear Al

Actually, the six weeks off is in the context of the Assembly.  Re-read the article.  It really doesn't matter what a person does when taking the time off, as long as they are out from under the influence of that which produced such blindness in everyone!

Read books, pray, ride roller coasters, eat a macrobiotic diet, go hunting, get a fake tatoo...it doesn't matter, as long as you stop the voice that blinded so many good people!

Brent

To All Concerned:

     i stand corrected.  Brother Brent, my apology.
     And, yes, Brother McC., i understood the question to be rhetorical, and yet i feel very strongly about all i stated.  If a saint needs a vacation, by all means take one.  Distractions are like Tylenol for the troubled soul-- they help relieve the pain.  But if you're in need of ANSWERS, there is only one place to turn.

al