Happy Thanksgiving!

First of all, we would like to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and we hope those that are able can spend quality time with their families.  We would like to say that we are thankful for everyone that reads or follows our blog.  We average close to one hundred hits a day and we have no idea who reads or why, but we feel that what we share on this blog is important and we hope it speaks to others and helps them in some way.

This is the time of year when people think about all of the things that they have to be thankful for.  We would like to share some of the things that we are thankful for.  We can all be thankful for this life we have been given for truly it is a gift from God and every breath we take is not owed to us but it's a gift.  Looking at the necessities in life as a gift from God can put things into perspective a little bit because there are some people that do not know what bridge they are going to sleep under from night to night.  We are thankful that we have a roof over our heads, food on the table every day, clothing, and for the many things that can easily be taken for granted, such as:  electricity, transportation, furniture and appliances all in a house that we call home.  

We also have been given a good job that pays well and provides benefits.  We live close to work so that we don't have to waste a lot of time and money commuting.  We have two vehicles so that if one breaks down we can still get around.  My job is one of the better jobs in the industry in which I work.  Most people in my profession are required to travel a lot and are away from home for weeks at a time and if they don't do that, they are not paid very well.  I am thankful that I get to spend every night at home sleeping in a warm bed and I get weekends off.  Every week, my wages are deposited into my bank account and we are able to pay for all the things we need and some of the things we want.  We also are able to save money.  

I am also very thankful for my wife.  Some people live their entire lives without finding true love or without being with the one person they were meant to be with.  My life would not be complete and right now I'd be lost and doing my own thing if it were not for her.  Human compassion is a gift that many people overlook.  We all have a need to be loved by others.  God's love is great and nothing can match it, but we all need to be loved by others.  My wife understands me, cares for me and builds me up in so many ways.  Sometimes I don't love myself, but I can always depend on her love, every day.  It gets me through the hard times.  Of everything I have in this world, I am the most thankful for the love that we have for each other and the companionship we share.

We continue to blog because we have found that many of the gifts that God has given us, were withheld from us while we were in the ntcc.  We think it is important to share with everyone that follows this blog that without freedom, everything is in vain.  God does not want folks to be miserable and God has promised so many things to those that love him.  We used to listen to the preacher tell us about all the promises in His word that were ours.  We strove to obtain those promises but we were not allowed by the men and women we loved to obtain these promises.  To put it bluntly, we were used by the ntcc, and when the ntcc was finished with us we were discarded.  We jumped through all the hoops and kept our part of the bargain, but the promises were kept from us.  We were not allowed to share in the spoils that were accumulated in battle.  We stayed in Egypt the whole time we were a part of the ntcc.  We never murmured or complained and when they kept taking away the straw we continued to make more bricks than ever.  We built a financial empire for people that were using our willingness to work and build for their own interests.  

In spite of all this, we have had no choice but to use it all as a learning experience.  Much of what we went through is in the past now but we relive it in our minds and we have to continue on in life in spite of what we did.  It seems like we have warned people until we are blue in the face but much of it is to no avail.  That's the way it seems, but we still think it's worth it if one person finds freedom. Freedom always comes with a price.  Salvation is free, the price has been paid for us.  Unfortunately there are those that want to profit from this.  There always will be.  So what do we do?  We choose to keep our eyes on the prize that is before us realizing that the author and finisher of our faith is not someone in Graham that is collecting all our tithe and living high on the hog off of everyone else's work while being praised and worshiped by men.  God's promises are obtainable and when we put our faith in the one that really cares about our future, our freedoms can be enjoyed, and we can have the things in this life and in the life to come, according to God's promises.  The ntcc leadership does not have a monopoly on monetary blessings.  In reality they have obtained wealth through much deception and good people have given large portions of their livelihood under false pretenses to these false prophets.  I'd rather earn my living then to get rich through deception.

Where were we?  Oh yeah, Thanksgiving.  I'm thankful, (and I really mean this with all my heart), not to be a part of this system.  We have heard testimony after testimony of people that have left the ntcc and received the promises that were kept from them while in the ntcc.  I'm sure that many folks think that we should just "get on with our lives" and "let God take care of them" but this is all part of the healing process for us.  We want others to be able to "get on with their lives" also and as long as they are under the ntcc cloud of deception, they will never be able to get on with their lives.  So please forgive us if we continue in our "futile" efforts to warn people to avoid the mistakes we made.  There are times when I want to say, "We've done all that we can do", "They have made their choice", "They have heard our warnings and chosen to live a lie".  Then there are times like right now when we reflect on all the things we have to be thankful for and we realize that there are people trapped in a cult that are so brainwashed that they won't listen to reason, and you think maybe we can help someone in a small way and when that person has been used up by the ntcc and discarded after giving all they have to give, maybe they won't blame God and they can find their way back to Him as I did.  

Please take the time to watch the youtube video below this paragraph.  It is very moving and while it might seem like a stretch, it reminds me of what I went through in the ntcc.  I had the same kind of unconditional love toward those who I trusted with my eternal soul.  It didn't matter if they blasted me from the pulpit, I loved them.  As their love seemed to diminish I kept hoping that the love I had for them would be returned to me.  Even though I didn't understand their actions I kept trusting them and believing in them.  When they were done with me, not one of them loved me enough to try to help me.  They quickly forgot about me and lied to themselves and everyone we loved, even though they had pictures and memories of all the good times.  As I felt the gloom and hopelessness of their rejection, I could only blame myself.  What did I ever do?  Unfortunately for me, I thought that their love was God's love.  But I was so wrong.  Their love was conditional and God's was unconditional.  I've heard them say, "leave him alone", never thinking it would be me.  I watched as others reached the end of their usefulness and were thrown out with the garbage, thinking that it would never be me.  All of the good is quickly forgotten.  We are no longer part of the "family".  We are now enemies. 

How Could You?

 

You wanna know what I'm really thankful for?  I'm very thankful that this is not God's attitude.  I'm thankful that God doesn't forget about us, like people forget about their pets.  Some people keep their dogs chained in the backyard to a doghouse and they tell people "this is my dog".  If the dog is lucky it might get some scraps after dinner and enough water to survive another day.  I'm thankful that I'm no longer chained to an ntcc church.  I'm thankful that all my endeavors in life are not being used to pay for real estate acquisitions or amenities for the elite few in Graham Washington that bind heavy burdens on others but will not so much as lift one finger to help you. I'm thankful that I don't walk around looking down my nose at the poor and crippled as the dregs of society while feeling smug because I'm being praised by people that I have used and deceived.  I am thankful that my wife and I have escaped from a destructive cult and have been allowed to reunite and be together as was our desire 21 years ago.  I am thankful that God has seen fit to love us and care about us and extend His grace and mercy to us in spite of everything we have been through.  We are also thankful that there are many others that have taken up this cause and done their part to help others find freedom.  I have learned so much from the ntcc but unfortunately what I have learned from them is how NOT to treat others, how NOT to be fake, How NOT to follow a man instead of God. We are grateful and forever thankful that "Many waters can not quench love, neither can the floods drown it".  Song of Solomon 8:7

  

Part 2: Defend Against Enemies Foreign And Domestic:

 Some of Don's Medals 

Here are some comments from other blog threads that show why ntcc should be considered an enemy of our armed forces:

A Former ntcc Minister said...

Ya, Anonymous, I remember my Pastor telling me to get out of cleaning duties and get out of having to go to the field, get out of taking a course, get out of going on a trip, etc. Anything that interrupted their precious soul-snatching time he wanted me to get out of. My NCO was not even requiring me to clean anything once, just do my duty as an NCO and watch two subordinates clean after hours in the barracks. It was my turn. I was so loyal to my pastor that I kept going back and forth telling him what the NCO told me then he finally told me to tell him something like "I'm trying to get out of this." I told him that and I think his words were "go, Corporal." So I left, and as I recall, he was mad at me for leaving. What a great "Christian" testimony to my fellow Marines- a slacker, a skater, trying to shirk my responsibilities.

July 05, 2011 6:51 PM

A Former ntcc Minister said...

If a man asks you to go with him a mile, tell him "No, I am trying to get out of this so I can go soul-snatching for my incorporation."

This is of course not what Jesus said.

July 05, 2011 6:52 PM

Anonymous said...

"Ya, Anonymous, I remember my Pastor telling me to get out of cleaning duties and get out of having to go to the field, get out of taking a course, get out of going on a trip, etc."

The pastors in NTCC basically would try to get you to be negligent of your duties that you promised to uphold when you swore into the military. You were told to get out of going to the field, being on barracks duty, mess hall duties, and any other unit functions. Then you would stay up with him and others within the servicemen's home and be late for PT or formations. You would skip getting ready for an inspection or ironing your BDUs in order to stay out there. Your PFT takes a hit, your reputation among NCOs and Staff NCOs takes a hit, and you should have had been written up under an Article 15 or some UCMJ reprimand.

July 06, 2011 9:54 AM

Jeff said...

Yeah, the NTCC sucks. You'll be a whole lot better off sticking with the military and forsaking the NTCC. I'm not taking about forsaking God, just the NTCC because the NTCC is hardly a Godly organization. Military vs NTCC:

1. An organization that pays a retirement: Definitely the Military and certainly not the NTCC.

2. People who care about you and aren't interested in your money:
Definitely the Military and certainly not the NTCC.

3. An organization that provides health care:
Definitely the Military and certainly not the NTCC.

4. An organization that provides Dental:
Definitely the Military and certainly not the NTCC.

5. An organization that provides paid leave:
Definitely the Military and certainly not the NTCC.

6. An organization that provides great college opportunities:
Definitely the Military and certainly not the NTCC.

7. An organization that provides substantial tuition assistance:
Definitely the Military and certainly not the NTCC.

8. An organization that cares about your family with true family oriented programs:
Definitely the Military and certainly not the NTCC.

9. An organization with potential promotions for more than 5 people who aren't your family members:
Definitely the Military and certainly not the NTCC.

10. An organization that considers women of value for activities and positions other than cleaning, cooking, and having sex:
Definitely the Military and certainly not the NTCC. If you are a woman in the military you are considered to be someone with a brain who has the mental capacity to do things like vote and discuss elections. Try doing that with RWD ladies? I rest my case.

11. An organization where you can advance for reasons other than who you know:
Definitely the Military and certainly not the NTCC.

12. An organization where you can advance for reasons other than you being a brainless suck up.
Definitely the Military and certainly not the NTCC.

Does the NTCC offer anything? I used to think spiritual guidance but now I know that is not the case. I guess the NTCC doesn't offer anything.

Jeff

July 06, 2011 10:24 AM

Comments from: Here

It is important to note these comments were made by former ministers and members of ntcc who served in the U.S. Armed forces.

Ange says,

I personally remember ntcc's boy Friday, keith a. gandy, telling my late husband, Eric J. Barden, and me about something that happened to kag.  When he was in the military kag had a duty as a mail clerk.  This military obligation was cutting into the seven-days-a-week ntcc schedule.  So gandy went to his 'pastor' for advice.  According to gandy, 'pastor' [davis] told kag to "drop the ball" -- purposely mess up his  military responsibility so his superiors would  no longer rely on gandy to perform his mission. gandy complied and deliberately failed in his military obligation.  According to gandy, it 'worked'; he was no longer required to do this military function.

This is a second testimony of ntcc ministers telling people to fail their military obligations in order to benefit the cult.

There are also countless testimonies of the rigorous mandatory ntcc scheduled requirements of servicemen that have caused them to go for prolonged times without adequate sleep.  Some have testified of actually getting into car accidents due to falling asleep at the wheel because their ntcc 'pastor' kept them awake despite military duties.

For more on the topic of how ntcc abuses military members, see Don's Story.

The Ballards: True Friends

Throughout the course of this blog we have pointed out a lot of bad things that we went through while part of the ntcc.  We have been truthful about many of the people we have been around and also about ourselves.  In doing this there has been good that we've overlooked and that seems to get swallowed up in the negative aspects of what we all went through.  The purpose of this blog has been to educate and awaken people to the true nature of our experiences in the ntcc and to use this as a tool to help people wake up and see what is really going on.  As in any media outlet the negative aspects draw more attention than the positive.  Were there any positive things to report about the ntcc?  There actually were some very positive experiences and there were good people and memories that I will cherish all my life.  For myself and many others the good that we experienced was overtaken by the unquestionable wrong actions of a few that have corrupted the whole lot.  In this post I want to focus on some of the good times and two good people that allowed me to be a special part of their lives.

Hephzibah ntcc church
in Augusta, Georgia

Rodney and Lisa Ballard took over the Servicemen's Home and church in Augusta Georgia toward the end of my tenure with the ntcc.  I quickly became friends with them and we went through some of the wildest and greatest adventures that I ever would experience in the ntcc.  I'm not going to rehash the past or get into specifics about the good or the bad; but I want to say this:

Rodney and Lisa Ballard would do anything to help a person out; and they would never do anything to harm a soul.  

While they did not fit into the mold of an ntcc pastor and wife in a perfect way according to the ntcc leadership, they did more to help me at a time in my life when I really needed help, then they will ever know.

They broke one of the cardinal rules of the ntcc and that was that they became a friend to me.  

Much was said about over-familiarity; and members were very seldom allowed to become a friend or an equal with the Pastor of a church.  Much of this stemmed from a separation that was said to be necessary between a pastor of a church and the members of that church but the real purpose of this separation was so that the preacher would be revered and would be able to have much influence over a person's life.  This separation was necessary and conducive to manipulating a congregation into financial and spiritual submission according to ntcc standard operations. You supposedly can not correct a person if you are friends with them.

 Jesus called His disciples friends. 

I can say that the Ballards broke this rule and allowed me to be a part of their world; and we became good friends and had more fun and touched many lives in a good way.  We were living under a very strict set of guidelines that made life difficult and presented many financial challenges.  An ntcc preacher is placed at a great disadvantage in that so many of the rules that exist keep them from being human and doing things that normal people do and one of those things is sharing emotion and establishing friendships.  For the first time in my life in the ntcc we put a lot of the rules and policies aside and were real.

The Gospel was preached through love and the Ballards never exalted themselves to a lofty place of reverence and unobtainable perfection that many others presented.  They were far from perfect; and we all did things that were not honorable in the eyes of the Borg; but we survived the best we could under a system that makes many people slaves and limits them to life of under-achievement.

After becoming great friends with the Ballards I came down on orders for Ft. Eustis Va.  This would be my last assignment in the Army and my last stint with the ntcc.  My next pastor was a company man and I don't mean this in a negative way because he too, was under the same system of structure and routine that zapped me of all my desire to be a part of the ntcc any more.  All of the ntcc pastors I've had, deal with this pressure in different ways.  I had seen every side of the ntcc that you could see; and my mind, my heart and my desire to have normal relationships made me realize that I had to escape ntcc.  I stayed in contact with the Ballards which was another sin which you are not supposed to commit in the ntcc.

They confided in me and only me, to my knowledge, that they were going to leave the ntcc.  At first I was horrified at the thought; but the more I thought about it, the more

my inner most being desired freedom:

• mental freedom
• physical freedom
• normalcy
• and a chance to think for myself!

I have to thank the Ballards for this; because they helped me escape from something that controlled me beyond the limits that Jesus would ever impose upon someone.

• It took years for my mind to heal; and now I have experienced salvation through grace and mercy that has brought unspeakable happiness and joy to my life!
• I have a wife who I love and want to spend all the days of my life with.
• I have a great job and have peace in my heart.
• I wake up and pray to the God I love and enjoy reading His word.
• My situation is better than it ever has been and my relationship with God is at its best when I'm able to fulfill my service to Him out of the freedom of my own heart and desire as opposed to the robotic motions that were dictated to us by those who had no interest in our spiritual well being.

We did things in those days that I'm not proud of and things that nobody would ever understand; but through it all, the kindness and friendship of a former ntcc preacher and his wife has stood the test of time; and because of this I am forever grateful!