Several mentioned their relationship with Dan Statton, and I just wanted to say how much I appreciated him and his family during their time in Des Moines in the 70’s. All of them added a touch of class to our local church and were so kind to others in their relating. Dan was especially good to the young people and a great example and encouragement to me personally. Although I know he got crossways with TLWF leadership later on (so did I for that matter), He will always be special to me, even though he is no longer around. I was blessed to wear many of his hand-me-down lawyer shirts as a teenager/twenty-something – which was still a step up for a construction worker.
Something I don’t think anyone has really mentioned is the impact that an adulterous and idolatrous relationship with Marilyn had on our personal marriages and relationships with God. For a wife to play second fiddle to another woman in a marriage was never God’s intention. Many marriages were destroyed by following Marilyn – starting with John’s. Neither was it God’s intention to have another human in between us and Himself pretending to be God and taking His place. It sabotaged both key relationships in life from becoming what they were meant to be and in the end only provided dust in the wind.
I remember being asked by a shepherd about a personal directive from Marilyn, and if I had discussed it with my wife yet. I was shocked that he would even have to ask – I was “given” to Marilyn – not my wife. I didn’t even really care what my wife thought – I was doing what Marilyn said – with or without her. In hindsight, that was so wrong on so many levels – and so unfair to my wife. She should have been first – not Marilyn. I wouldn’t even dream of that now – I can see my wife’s talons coming out over a woman that wanted to violate our marriage - and she's a very kind and caring person. That was such a perversion! Too bad I could not see it at the time. So much for the ministries marrying Marilyn. Run that by other Christian leaders and see what kind of response you get. When I mention to my wife about changing God’s name to Marilyn’s name in worship songs, she can’t even imagine in her wildest dreams how we could get so far off track. In hindsight, I was so given to her control and yet I honestly had no clue to what she was like as a person – it was all just a fantasy. I didn’t even know her, just that I was driven to obey whatever she said, as though it was God speaking.
Something I don’t think anyone has really mentioned is the impact that an adulterous and idolatrous relationship with Marilyn had on our personal marriages and relationships with God. For a wife to play second fiddle to another woman in a marriage was never God’s intention. Many marriages were destroyed by following Marilyn – starting with John’s. Neither was it God’s intention to have another human in between us and Himself pretending to be God and taking His place. It sabotaged both key relationships in life from becoming what they were meant to be and in the end only provided dust in the wind.
I remember being asked by a shepherd about a personal directive from Marilyn, and if I had discussed it with my wife yet. I was shocked that he would even have to ask – I was “given” to Marilyn – not my wife. I didn’t even really care what my wife thought – I was doing what Marilyn said – with or without her. In hindsight, that was so wrong on so many levels – and so unfair to my wife. She should have been first – not Marilyn. I wouldn’t even dream of that now – I can see my wife’s talons coming out over a woman that wanted to violate our marriage - and she's a very kind and caring person. That was such a perversion! Too bad I could not see it at the time. So much for the ministries marrying Marilyn. Run that by other Christian leaders and see what kind of response you get. When I mention to my wife about changing God’s name to Marilyn’s name in worship songs, she can’t even imagine in her wildest dreams how we could get so far off track. In hindsight, I was so given to her control and yet I honestly had no clue to what she was like as a person – it was all just a fantasy. I didn’t even know her, just that I was driven to obey whatever she said, as though it was God speaking.