Strong City

The 6th Amendment to the Constitution guarantees the right to present a defense and to call witnesses, but on the first day of Wayne Bent’s trial, Judge Gerald Baca struck several of our crucial witnesses from the witness list. All of the excluded were women who had relevant testimony which would have rebutted the assertions of State witnesses. Their testimony was not “cumulative” as Judge Baca alleged. Two of the women had participated in or witnessed the events leading up to the “pouring out of the plagues” ceremony, and one witness, Misty Sayer, had sought out and experienced the same healing ritual that both of the State’s minor witnesses had testified to, and over which my father was charged and ultimately convicted. Of Misty, Judge Baca stated, “I don’t find her testimony is material or relevant, and I’ll strike her testimony and not permit her to testify.”

But was Misty’s testimony irrelevant? Misty could have explained how the ceremony worked, and how it impacted upon her in a positive way. Wouldn’t it have been important for the jury to hear this exculpatory testimony? Judge Baca’s decision had a serious impact on my father’s ability to present a defense, thus violating his 6th Amendment rights. The only witnesses from our church who testified in my father’s defense were two men whose testimony was not directly relevant to the healing events in question.

In recent weeks we have been in communication with some researchers who have followed Wayne Bent’s criminal case from the beginning, and who have raised serious legal issues about how the trial was conducted. They have sought from us, and received, several written statements from those concerned about the outcome of this case, including important statements from two of the excluded witnesses, Tonda Dale and Misty Sayer. These statements are posted on the Strong City Mirror site, and more are forthcoming. This “mirror site” is independently operated and not affiliated with this website or The Lord Our Righteousness Church. These statements should be read by everyone who has an interest in justice and religious tolerance.

External Links:

• Statements in Support of the Appeal
• Jennifer Flemming’s Testimony
• Shirley Sayer’s Testimony
• Amber Pierce’s Testimony
• Carol Rose’s Testimony
• Misty Sayer’s Testimony
• Tonda Dale’s Testimony
• Hanifa Travesser’s Testimony

Dearest Companions,

I feel like this may be my final communication in this chapter of our experience. I have felt this a number of times before, and thought then that I would not write again. Jeremiah had this experience: 

I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. Whenever I speak, I cry out 
proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the LORD has brought me 
insult and reproach all day long. But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. Jeremiah 20:7-9, NIV.

I also have had to speak out, proclaiming the violence and robbery that this nation has flagrantly carried out. I have had to speak against American international terrorism. But I am a mockery, since people don’t really care. They love death, and they love bringing death to others. They have become lawless, and each one sits as a god upon the earth, rudely declaring their own superiority over anyone in their way. But I cried out, and God made me a scandalon, as was Jesus, and a derision daily, as Jeremiah described. Then I also said, “I won’t say any more to them in God’s name.” But when a new chapter would open, God would become a burning fire in me, and I could not help but speak again. (Read more…)

Today attorney John McCall filed the “reply brief” in the Wayne Bent case, now pending before the New Mexico Court of Appeals. This marks the end of the briefing process in this appeal. The Court will now undertake a detailed review of how the case was handled by the trial court and issue a ruling on the issues raised.

Mr. McCall’s reply brief may be downloaded here (300k .pdf).

Dearest companions at the “end of days,”

Our present events are very meaningful to us now. Events that we are presently in the midst of, are the great time of trouble described in the scriptures. This is the great tribulation. “Then shall be great tribulation (‘pressure, distress’), such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Matthew 24:21.

But what is this great tribulation, and what is so great that has never happened before? History is full of great tribulation, massacres, starvation, famine, tortures and other horrors. A body can only hurt so much. But the time of “pressure” and “distress” that Jesus was speaking of was not the suffering of physical pain, or even something the wicked can even recognize, since it goes deep into the soul. The wicked in heart are very shallow, and have no comprehension of anything like our own time of distress. The tribulation Jesus was referring to was the internal suffering that true believers feel when coming face to face with the powers of darkness. The famines and wars were only the beginning of sorrows, and these things we have already seen. When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane he said, “When I was daily with you in the temple, you stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” Luke 22:53. Another reference to the “power of darkness” is made by Paul: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12.

Jesus named the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders, stating it was their hour and the power of darkness. They were “the rulers of the darkness of this world” and the possessors of “spiritual wickedness in high places.” I have named the judges, the district attorney and even religious forces as the rulers of the darkness of this world. A spirit worked in them and moved them in order to deceive the public and destroy the people of faith by destroying me. After reading the State’s answer to my appeal, there is no doubt in my mind that we are dealing with “spiritual wickedness in high places.” We are naturally creatures of law and order, since we are God’s children. To be charged with crimes, and to feel satanic attacks internally against our faith, is a trial that we have never had before. We always thought that America would guarantee our faith, but our eyes have been opened to the nature of man everywhere. If he has not the Life of God in him, he is a despot. (Read more…)

Dear little family,

I write again from Los Lunas prison. Prison will never be home, but even here my Father visits with my heart. I was smiling today over the fact that in 2007 I felt my writing was over and I would retire. I would spend the rest of my life in quiet repose and introspection. Then the State attacked us, goaded by the media frenzy, and it was as if the Father were saying, “Not so fast; I want you to kill a dragon for Me.” So here I am, killing a dragon. But after all, the dragon did start it.

I quote from the Scriptures: “And the dragon was very angry with the woman” – that’s the church in the wilderness, “and went to make war with those that were left of her, who follow God’s instructions and have the testimony that Jesus had.” That’s Revelation 12:17. By that attack, the wrath of the Lamb was kindled. I quote: “For the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?” Revelation 6:17.

I have felt like a lonely soul on planet earth, until I read some of the writings of Henry David Thoreau that I found in the prison library. I was blessed that he could see the state of man and describe it very clearly, much as I have. His writings revived many thoughts in me, that I have had through the years as I have observed the machinations of mankind. As with Thoreau, I’ve always chafed at unjust controls that were arbitrary and against the Spirit that is in me. I have been a free spirit, which is to say, I allowed the Spirit within me to be free. I quote from Thoreau:

The state never intentionally confronts a man’s sense, intellectual or moral, but only his body, his senses. It is not armed with superior wit or honesty, but only with superior physical strength. I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. …If a plant cannot live according to it’s nature, it dies. And so, a man.

(Read more…)

Dear family in the faith of God,

I am continually blessed to have the Father open up our present issues to me. The way of God hurts sometimes, as we are bearing the cross to the end of time. Yesterday, I felt as if I were dying. All my strength left me, right after I finished writing out the following vision that God gave me concerning the beast and antichrist. Then this morning Father drew me to consider how Daniel felt when the antichrist was revealed to him:

“And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.” Dan. 8:27.

Daniel was shown, as I have been shown, the 2300-day prophecy and the power that would come against God’s people during the 2300 days that spans from April 19th 2004 till August 2010. The vision made him sick in the beginning, and the vision has made me sick now at the “end of days.” Daniel did not have antichrist to contend with, but when he saw him it took his strength away, even as mine was taken away.

The reason that confronting the spirit of antichrist is so debilitating is that communication can only function when those communicating are coming at what is real with the same rules and spirit. For humans to communicate, there is a sanity required in order to exchange and understand information. We need predictable forms, and to have the same foundation for our communication. But antichrist has for his very foundation pure hatred, jealousy, unreasonableness, prejudice and deception; and one cannot get his balance when he is dealing with a spirit that is thereby unbalanced and does not even attempt to be balanced. In generations past, the saints were persecuted only because of their faith. It buoyed them up to be persecuted for righteousness’ sake. But antichrist has developed a shrewd way of making God’s people out to be criminals because of their faith, as with Jesus. He creates them to appear not only as enemies of society, but degraded, immoral, and blasphemous. This draws down the spirit, and causes debilitation, and only the strong presence of God in the soul keeps a person from being taken down by this. (Read more…)

• KFDA Online Report
• Video on KFDA website

Then, only a week before our visit, one of the girls Bent reportedly assaulted, returned to Strong City following her 18th birthday.

Healed is the name she took after her experience with Bent. She says, “God put it upon my heart, and he showed me it was his will for me to be here.”

Healed and her older sister both testified in court that Bent did not touch them sexually.

They say instead, guided by the spirit of God’s son, healed them of turmoil inside.

Healed says, “He gave me true life. It’s like he gave me what God intended for life to be.”

Note: Jesus Christ was a self-proclaimed messiah.

Audio

Dearest companions in what is true,

Day by day my peace grows like a flower garden, as the Father opens to me His purposes and understanding. There have been many souls in history who have spent time in prison for their just cause. Gandhi spent almost 6½ years in prison; Watchman Nee spent 20 years there and then died there. With Gandhi, his end came because a man was offended that he was kind to Muslims, and shot him. Strong prejudices still exist in India. Those things are deep in man’s nature, and we have seen them in those who have attacked me.

I want to share with you something that is substantially true, and I do not jest about this. The natural man is insane, even by his own judgments. When I came to prison at Los Lunas, I was continually asked a certain question by the psychiatrists. It was asked to determine if I was sane or not. The question was: “Do you see things that other people don’t see”? Well, I truly see things that some other people don’t see, but what the psychiatrist meant was: “Do you see things that are not there?” If I had answered “Yes,” then I would have been considered insane, or at least not running on all eight.

I visited a hospital for the insane once, where I saw a man who thought he was God. He was creating a world, and reaching for spider webs that were not there. He was in a hospital for people who see things that are not there. But then something very surprising happened, proving that some of those in mental hospitals are saner than some people outside of them. The nurse who escorted me went over to the man and told him, “Stop acting crazy!” Immediately he stopped and returned to normal behavior. The nurse told me that she sometimes would take a group of the insane to the park for a picnic, but to go, they would have to act normal. She said that the whole group that would go to the park could not be distinguished from anyone else. She said, “Insanity is a choice.” But my accusers don’t know that. (Read more…)

[We recently received these uplifting words by email from someone who has only observed us through the NatGeo television documentary about our church. -Jeff]

I saw two specials on the Discovery Channel. I have been a student of religious studies for over 20 years, studying them all in depth. What amazes me is the truthfulness of Michael’s statements. “All this world has to offer us is debt, work, and DVDs.” I’ll add we are given an impossible Hollywood dream we live vicariously through miserable, confused actors and an angry news which constantly tries to get us to hate some segment of society without addressing the root of our social ills. It seems like you all are happy all of the time because you are willing to make the occasional large sacrifice, while the constant deception to take the forced small sacrifices yields us with no real reward. Your community has given a positive example of inner peace and faithfulness.

I do not know what you teach and cannot say my beliefs are identical, but I do see the Spirit of Truth operating in you. You know, the biggest thing God demands us to surrender to him are his children (Abraham & Isaac) and the drive associated with creating children. The communities which could put God ahead of even family or the relationship with the spouse were always the strongest. When God is first, everything else falls in perfect order. This was demonstrated by the Essenes, the Abelites, the early Mormons and a handful of others. (Read more…)

[We have received this and other encouraging email in recent days. Some people have eyes to see with. -Jeff]

Dear Michael,

What started as a passing curiosity one day while watching the documentary about your family has turned into a great interest for me. I have read almost all of the information in your archive and the more I read the more outraged I become for the unfair treatment and sentence you have received. The fact that you were charged with a crime that was so obviously of a spiritual nature is ludicrous.

I am a sixty year old woman. This means that like you I am Baby Boomer. Can you remember the communes that were so common in the sixties, where free love and nudity were the norm? Children seemed to thrive in some of these communities. Some were bad but some eventually produced successful members of society and some great doctors, and humanitarians. No one attacked them, it was just accepted. I saw your community as very moral, as well as spiritual. There was a great love and caring for one another.

As for child abuse, if these children were being abused why did they time after time choose you over their own parents when they could have easily left? What kind of parents would leave their children behind if they felt that their children were in danger? These parents seem to retrieve and abandon their children at their whim.

I saw other signs of the innocence of your group by little things around your compound. I noticed an older model car parked outside your trailer, not an expensive car that someone interested in gleaning money from his followers would drive, no stockpile of weapons such as those of the cults they compared you to. I saw a simple, lovely little mobile home with a teapot on the stove, no trappings of great wealth.

You are vegetarians like myself so I know that you care for the welfare of animals. I am so sorry that you were judged so harshly and I hope that you will be soon vindicated. I don’t consider myself a Christian of follower of any faith but I respect all beliefs. I don’t know if you are a Messiah or not but it is not for me to judge. All I know is that there is a light in your eyes and in the eyes of the people that love you that is very beautiful. You have a glow about your countenance and you seem like a very gentle man. I wish you much peace.

Sincerely, E.G.