This is a very telling section of Woodrow's book:
No one can really blame Martha for finally deciding to bail out of a relationship that, while maybe financially rewarding, was one humiliation after another. It is amusing to note that on the declaration that John Robert filed in response to Martha's (there was a battle over all the property – Stevens hired the same attorney that made a big name for himself in the Lee Marvin case), he totally denied his spiritual authority to the magistrates:
4. Petitioner [Martha] states that I am, in essence, the church. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have been and continue to be a vital ingredient to the development of the churches referred to herein, as I have spent tireless hours writing, researching, counseling, ministering, preaching and teaching what I sincerely and firmly believe is a distinct revelation of what the scriptures really mean [this "distinct revelation" is unfortunately diametrically opposed to the Scriptures; perhaps that is why it is so "distinct"]. We have taken these ingredients and tried to bring the Old Testament and the New Testament in harmony [after all, he was both the reincarnation of the Old Testament Prophet, Samuel, and the Seer, John – what better harmony could anyone ask for?]
I do not consider myself "The Apostle" [a blatant bold-faced lie] or a direct "Messenger of God" as Petitioner asserts, but I do believe that I have been blessed as the beneficiary of certain distinct revelations.
It is truly amazing that the Apostle of the Kingdom, who was given such authority over the worldly system, would bow his knee to the courts of "Satan" in order to win a worldly court case over worldly possessions. Perhaps those in the Walk would have second doubts if they knew how reluctant Stevens was to confess his divine office before men, unless, of course, they can rationalize the whole thing away by seeing a parallel with Christ's reluctance to announce Himself as the Messiah until He had died for the sins of the whole world and risen from the grave. (However, Christ never denied that He was the Messiah; and when asked by the authorities whether He was, He confessed it openly, leading to the accusation of blasphemy).
[drive.google.com]
No one can really blame Martha for finally deciding to bail out of a relationship that, while maybe financially rewarding, was one humiliation after another. It is amusing to note that on the declaration that John Robert filed in response to Martha's (there was a battle over all the property – Stevens hired the same attorney that made a big name for himself in the Lee Marvin case), he totally denied his spiritual authority to the magistrates:
4. Petitioner [Martha] states that I am, in essence, the church. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have been and continue to be a vital ingredient to the development of the churches referred to herein, as I have spent tireless hours writing, researching, counseling, ministering, preaching and teaching what I sincerely and firmly believe is a distinct revelation of what the scriptures really mean [this "distinct revelation" is unfortunately diametrically opposed to the Scriptures; perhaps that is why it is so "distinct"]. We have taken these ingredients and tried to bring the Old Testament and the New Testament in harmony [after all, he was both the reincarnation of the Old Testament Prophet, Samuel, and the Seer, John – what better harmony could anyone ask for?]
I do not consider myself "The Apostle" [a blatant bold-faced lie] or a direct "Messenger of God" as Petitioner asserts, but I do believe that I have been blessed as the beneficiary of certain distinct revelations.
It is truly amazing that the Apostle of the Kingdom, who was given such authority over the worldly system, would bow his knee to the courts of "Satan" in order to win a worldly court case over worldly possessions. Perhaps those in the Walk would have second doubts if they knew how reluctant Stevens was to confess his divine office before men, unless, of course, they can rationalize the whole thing away by seeing a parallel with Christ's reluctance to announce Himself as the Messiah until He had died for the sins of the whole world and risen from the grave. (However, Christ never denied that He was the Messiah; and when asked by the authorities whether He was, He confessed it openly, leading to the accusation of blasphemy).
[drive.google.com]