So someone comes up to you and says, "I'm going to lie to your face, rip you off, live in lechery, pretend that I am worthy to lead you, act with an air of arrogance lording it over you, and all the while make you feel good about it."
Then do you say, "OK! please sir can I have another?"
The short-comings of human nature astound me. The fact that I am one of them is disheartening. But the fact that God loves us, is for us, bears with us and helps us in our weakness is cause for great joy.
Let us be grateful and pay attention to the warnings of the One who so cares for our souls.
II Cor 11:19-20
For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
John 5:43
I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
Judy was originally from the San Fernando Valley. She invited many people from Pierce College to the Bible study at Tom Maddux's house which was taught either by Tom himself or by George Geftakys. During my association with the assembly, I lived in various brothers' houses led by Mark Campbell, Tom Maddux or Al Hartman. I think the brothers' house led by Al Hartman was the one where I got to know Joe Sperling. We drove to Fullerton every Sunday (an hour's drive).
When I first associated with the assembly (in 1973, I think), George was very cautious, and expressed his ideas about the end times as mere speculations about alternative interpretations (mid-trib partial rapture). Over the years he gradually expressed greater certainty in his opinions. When I left, which I think might have been in 1983, he was beginning to be quite dogmatic about his end times interpretations. (In 1981, I had moved into my own apartment.)
Not too long before leaving the assembly, I vaguely remember seeing Judy at some meeting, but I don't remember where. She didn't look very happy. That may have contributed to my unease with continuing with the assembly. I remember praying that the Lord would give me a clear reason from His Word for leaving. One morning I read Proverbs 13:20. He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. (NASB) I asked myself, "Am I walking with wise men?" Then I remembered the verse II Cor. 10:12. For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. (KJV)
There was talk about starting an assembly in the Valley, and one of the top leaders in Fullerton was sent to the Valley to prepare for that. I remember him making a threat to abuse his authority as a leading brother because of someone's trivial negligence. I wondered whether that was supposed to be some kind of joke, but it didn't seem very funny to me. My opinion of George's discernment went way down seeing the kind of person he put in such a high leadership position. (Little did I know at the time that George himself was guilty of much worse offences.) That prodded me to action. I told Tom Maddux the verses the Lord had given me, and a couple of other reasons for leaving, such as the fact that I felt that inviting people to the assembly would not be good for them. I then left quickly to avoid risk of getting into some kind of trouble with the leading brother from Fullerton.
My place of employment was across the street from the farm area of Pierce College, and I used to hike over to Pierce for exercise during lunch break. It was after I had left the assembly that I ran into a brother once while hiking, I don't remember who, and I vaguely remember him telling me about some problem at the assembly. It may well have been about Judy's hardships, but I don't remember. I seem to remember the brother wanting my help, but I couldn't understand what it was that I could do. It may have been an act of desperation on the part of that brother to ask me. I remember thinking about whether I should go back into the assembly in order to try to help, but I didn't have the courage to go back into the assembly and thought it might be futile. The Lord has helped me, at times, when dealing with difficult people, so I should have had more faith. It could well be that my failure at this point was the reason that the Lord has put me through such hard times since then.
