Posted by on February 07, 2011 at 16:48:59
In Reply to: Re: Vineyard posted by CB on February 03, 2011 at 16:59:53:
Leet's see if I can fill this anwewr out a bit more, or better.
Immediately after leaving TF, I started associating with Shilioh Youth Revival Centers. Its leader was John Higgins.
Lonnie Frisbee and John Higgins were the two very first hippies who started the Jesus ovwement in California, at least five years aheadd of the year Berg claimed for himself.
Shiloh seemed to thing communalism was the only way to fly for "100% Christians"--it wasn't a real doctrine, butt it was very srongly implied, and the level of selff-righteousness about it was high. As people got older the control got stricter, and Shiloh becam a doctrinally correct cult of personality following. Corrupt leadershipp got ousted and the movvement went under Calvary Chapel.
Lonnie Frisbee led John Wimber into the real gifts of the Spirit, and Wimber started Vineyars out of Fuller Theological Seminary--real healings abounded in a class attended by thousands.
I then joined a Foursquare Gospel Church (I know--irony about its founder's sexual excapades--Amee Semple McPherson--she repented. There I saw a very balanced use of the gifts--very Scriptural.
I moved to Oklahoma and got a job with a company my Dad was just leaving. I earned the job. It took me to Venezueal, where I was going to go next when I left TF. That jobe ended and I went to Houston, where I met Debra, and a guy whos mother had written a book about his escape from TF, The Snare of the Fowler. He went to a church that turned into a Vineyard over thirty years ago.
The one I go to, in short, has, IMO, become "rich a nd increased with goods, and in need of nothing", and doesn't know that it's "poor, wretched, blind and naked". They pretty much suck up to the new "seekers", who also happen to be mostly double-degreed (I only have a BS!) "neo-yuppies" who tend to just tack Jesus onto their important lifestyles, and look dodwdn poon people like me--hard to befriend and disciple!
I'm leaving for my meeting now. We'll see whos side the presence of God is on (both, I hope!).
I feel I have really been wronged; though. Seriously--if they feel comfortable doing it to me, they'll easily do it to others.