(aka the 2×2 Diaspora, Apostates)
The “revelation” and the “nevers”
They never got “the Revelation”
They don’t understand because they never got/received “the Revelation”
If they had received “the Revelation,” they would understand
Asking that kind of question shows they never had a true “Revelation”
They never had a good understanding (parable of seed that sprang up and withered in the sun)
They left what they know is God’s only true way and will never be happy
They were never really in
They never learned to submit
They left because they never really had it
They never really loved it or they would never have left it
They didn’t ever really love God/”the truth”
The “ares” or “weres” or “haves”
They are just bitter
They are filled with hate and are persecuting God’s people
They are unwilling
They are focused on the shortcomings of men
They are persecuting the church
They are weak in faith/offended
They were too headstrong
They were rebellious/troublemakers
They were not deeply rooted and when the wind came it blew them over (house built on sand)
They were too religious
They have a wrong spirit/didn’t have the right spirit
They have a hard heart/heart was hardened
They had to have their own way
The “losts”
They lost their vision that meetings are God’s only right way
They lost out/lost their wayThey lost their faith in God
They lost their love for God
They lost their first love
They lost heart
They lost their peace and the Spirit left them
The “needs” & “mistakes”
They need to doubt their doubts
They need to have more faith
They need to focus more on Jesus
They need to focus on the good, not the evil
They let education go to their head (too much head-u-cation)
They let themselves get discouraged
They found it too hard
Their faith was in men instead of God
They fell away/turned aside
They spoke evil of the Lord’s anointed
They started questioning
They were contentious
They fed on the wrong things and lost their vision
They listened to gossip
They believed false allegations
They started doubting (not specific as to what about…)
They failed to attend every meeting – a lukewarm service
They stopped reading and praying
They took their eyes off the Lord
They loved the world more than God/meetings
They became/were too entangled with the world
They married outside
Their children left and influenced them
FORGIVE:
They just need to forgive and move on
They need to forgive—all of us are guilty of sinning
They should forgive and forget the CSA and subsequent community level betrayal of the church
IF they will just forgive, God will take care of all the rest. Don’t worry about the children
The “gots”
They got their eyes off the goal
They got offended
They got puffed up
They got caught up with the world
They got mixed up with the internet lies and hate material/books
The “wants”
They left because they didn’t want to follow the rules
They just want to give into their fleshly desire
They just want to do their own thing – be their own boss
They just want to be able to cut their hair, wear makeup, slacks & jewelry
They quit the fight and have a false peace
They wanted to start their own church
They wanted to remarry after divorce
SIFTING/PRUNING:
God is getting rid of the dead wood
God is pruning away the dead branches that are not bearing fruit
God’s purging his kingdom
Storms blow away the dead branches
God is “sifting the wheat from the tares”
God is purifying/purging His church
“They went out from us…because they were not of us” (1 John 2:19)
It’s a sign of end times, the falling away (2 Thes 2:3)
SATAN:
They were deceived by Satan
They allowed Satan to put a wedge in their heart
They are slaves to Satan
The world/the media/Satan is attacking us
They are the devil in disguise – beware – steer clear of them.
CSA:
They got too close to the victims and became sick sheep
They got too involved with policy and the victims, and it just took them out
They got worked up and emotional about stuff that wasn’t their business
They got carried away with social media rumors/falsehoods
They wanted change too fast
They were not content to leave it in God’s hands to sort it out/take care of it
They were already on the way out if a little scandal caused them to leave
DEFENSES:
The allgations are all just a bunch of lies
This kind of thing happens in other churches also
This happens in every church/denomination
There are just a few bad apples
Not all the workers are responsible for the abuse
It’s always been called a cult
I’m just trying to do what the Bible tells me to do (i.e. what the workers say to do)
We still hold out hope you’ll come back
It didn’t happen to me or mine so I’m ok
I’ve never seen it or heard of it myself
We don’t have an official church, so how can there be widespread problems?
We have no hierarchy or official structure, so no systemic issues exist
This is a trial to test our faith
Workers are suffering persecution—some people won’t even let stay them in their homes
They need to stop taking matters into own hands and leave things in God’s hands
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(Excerpt from May 15, 2024 letter by Garry Protheroe to “Dear All” Australia)
The family of God in some areas has been going through a phase of where the Lord is getting rid of those that really don’t love Him. They make all sorts of excuses why they don’t want to obey His word and be at His table and be a part of His family anymore. Despite all the excuses given, the bottom line is, really there is only one reason why someone leaves the family of God, and that is becausethey no longer love the Lord their God with all their heart, mind, soul and spirit. That is the great and the first commandment, and the second is to love our neighbour as our self. So, when one of these loves goes out the window, the other does too, we see so often. It’s a sad picture.
For many decades in this country, we have faced no persecution, no tribulation, never known poverty and difficult times or war, so it has bred a shallowness in people and a feeling of “I don’t need God,” and sometime that creeps into our spiritual service too and gives the devil a marvellous opportunity to sow doubt and contempt and take away the fear of God, and consequently the love of God, and the wisdom of God too no longer is sought in making choices for right or wrong. Righteousness and sin become blurred into one, and souls become so blind as to no longer be able to distinguish them any longer. And as Isaiah said, they begin to call evil good and good evil.
Compiled by Cherie Kropp
Revised January 7, 2026
Permission granted to share.