Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 07:10:35 -0000
When I met the Forever Family, it was through Barbara. She began to
work at my company and noticed I was reading a bible at lunch. She
offered to share bible study with me and invited me to her fellowship
near the Staten Island Ferry.
I was already saved but struggling to get my fiancé saved, before our
upcoming, planned already marriage.
Once evening after work, I accompanied her to their meager
fellowship, was given a folding chair, [one of the only ones they had]
as they all sat around on the floor exchanging ‘nuggies’ and waiting
to go out witnessing for the evening. I was impressed by their fervor
and dedication to Jesus. They did not invite or persuade me to move
in. They were just into witnessing and bible studies. Everything else
was insignificant.
They spoke of ‘center meetings’ on weekends and that they had
a ‘center leader’ named Dave Rizetto, who knew allot of the bible.
They invited me to a meeting and I went.
At the center meeting, several groups of people arrived, notably
young and all got together to pray in the spirit and fellowship,
mostly in the word. This too impressed me and was sincere. Then they
got together and had some group bible study, still very good and
wholesome. When the fellowships were like this, they were GOOD…each
fellowship was independently ‘owned and operated’…
People were getting saved. They did not push you/me to move in, just
emphasized allot that I should come over more for bible studies and
to go out witnessing. This was great. I wanted to learn how to
witness better. I used to just give out tracts and bibles and invite
people to come to church. I wanted to get a ‘copy of a sinners
prayer’ and try to lead some one to Jesus. I went over to the
fellowship more and more frequently.
Then one day, Barbara came to work with the bad news! Some one who
didn’t like the group of communers- set the fellowship on fire while
they were out witnessing! I was horrified and invited them to move
into my house. My house was actually too small, but they told me
that they found a big house and since they had no furniture etc, that
perhaps I would consider moving in with them… was supposed to be
getting married the following month, so I thought why not. I wanted to
get my boyfriend saved and perhaps, by moving there, he would get
saved.
I moved in with them. My boyfriend came around daily. He did get
saved but wanted me to leave the fellowship. By that time I learned
that it still wouldn’t be right to just marry him as a newly saved. I
was told he needed to learn more about Jesus so that it would be
better to put off the wedding. He became angry with me and
threatened to beat up the fellowship leader, John Bevilaqua. This
didn’t happen but came close. I agreed to move to the Wilmington
Delaware fellowship to distance myself from my boyfriend. I was told
that if it were meant to be that Jesus would bring us together at the
right time. I started to consider that perhaps it wasn’t meant to be,
so I focused on the Forever family and learning to please Jesus.
At about that time, Stewart had broken up with Shirley. Changes began
to take place. Each house still paid it’s own bills through full or
part-time jobs we each got and we gave a donation to the Center leader
who in turn gave it to Stewart.
We still handled our own money and gave in a donation for the house
bills, usually around $35- $50- per week
each. Each person paid for his or her own food. Sharing was discouraged as
some new people would join and not look for work. If you don’t work
you don’t eat, was the way it was. This bothered me, as I noticed that
if you were visiting a fellowship and had no money or food with you,
no one usually would even offer! When I asked about it, at a few
different fellowships, I was told that the physical food wasn’t the
big deal and that I should ‘get off my mother trip’. They made fun of
me frequently for worrying whether everyone ate or not.
This gradually changed, beginning in Wilmington. I would buy extra
food and I started making meals and offering to whom ever wanted it.
Others started to share too. Ernie Bencak was the leader and a truly
nice guy.
The food stinginess at early fellowships was the only fault I found
with the Forever Family! This changed though as when I began to
share, slowly others did too. After a while it became common to share
but I was still accused of being on a “Mother Trip”. I didn’t mind,
I just was a ‘literal Christian’ when I joined and felt the physical
was important too, as they were mostly into what they perceived to be
the spiritual, and ready to surrender all!
**********************************************************************
At this point in time, there were communes all over. The early FF’ers
were known to ‘rescue’ some from the COG’s and Moonies, and try to
rescue HareKrshna’s too, along with runaway kids and homeless. The
fellowships grew because many left their, then sinful lifestyles,
and moved right in. Some were hippies or on the fringe of being
hippies. Others just wanted to opt-out of their sinful worldly
lifestyle into a pure sin free environment. And it was just that, for
a time.
Gradually as it grew, more elements were added, a biggy was, the
kiddies were growing up…urges..relationships developing…remaining
sin free…remaining celibate…co-ed sleeping in rooms, was heading
towards a problem, which didn’t occur!
I have never heard of a pregnancy started in the FF/Cobu out of wedlock. That made them
better than the Cog’s or Moonies! Frequently moving around from one
fellowship to another meant unemployment issues. Stewart was a vac
repairman and sold rebuilts at flee markets. He taught some of the
center leaders to do the same. They in turn taught some of the guys
to do it too. Girls often worked office jobs, waitresses, house
cleaners, baby sitters, and so on so we all just chipped in and paid
the bills.
As the fellowships got bigger. The centers grew. Stewart originally
was dragging his entire family around in the beginning to do bible
studies every so many weeks or month.
Then we started to rent larger
places and have Big Meetings. the bigger we got the further he had to
drive.
So, it was no surprise that we started giving Stewart more and
more money and then small plane to get around in and then his wife
would stay home with the kids.
Then after Debbie Tobias left,
different girls used to help with writing out the file cards. Stewart
was using a mini tape recorder to save all the ideas he was getting.
And then came along Gayle- no father and young, 18-19. She babysat for
the Traills sometimes and now got promoted to secretary for Stewart.
The rest of that is history. That is also where some think Stewart SOLD OUT TO
THE DEVIL! AND began the larger scale exploitation of the willing!
“Do it for Jesus!” [the death of a fellowship!] The taking into
captivity! Many left….God help those who remained!!!!
**********************************************************************
To realize the truth of the CobuCult, it took me 5 years to stop
defending it! We were programmed and the good was there to justify
the bad! The good was allowed there to cover up the bad! The good
were there as a front for the workings of Satan through Stewart and
his few henchmen! Stewart needed to lure and entice a certain amount
of True Believers to pull off his scam!!! We, who loved Jesus, were
being used to make Cobu look noble and worthwhile! We breathed the
life into that monster…
If that wasn’t bad enough, we were abused continually by Stewart and
his assigned henchmen and ‘punished’ for loving Jesus and
subconsciously Stewart was embedding the blame on Jesus in our
minds, so he could finish destroying us even after we left the cult!!!
Stewart had help from heavy hitting ‘demons’ to accomplish so
dastardly a deed! I hate watching WW2 movies about Hitler. Hitler
had demons too!
So did the late Saddam Hussein, and many who place little or
no value on human life as long as they could extract gain for
themselves and power! They all possess a ’spirit of antichrist’.
***********************************************************************
He mixed the members according to the concept of ’sheep with the goats’ and started to bring all/us in small groups to the slaughterhouse. Then he mixed in pigs and
horses and fed us all slops! Then he had different’ lords over us’-
little loyal members who were ‘like lions’ to nip and bit and cull out the ‘unconverted ones’.
The ‘converts’ Stewart wanted were thosee mindless enough, who ate what he
offered them not knowing he is/was only poisoning the ones who were
bringing himdelf more gain, planning on replacing as they/we/us wore out or
left!…
He only pretend/s/ed to be a Christian brothers fellowship! Although many of us are physically free from being there- we still have little mental time bombs planted in side and/or around us that need to be deactivated! Those parting shots from Stewart / or those he delegated to deliver the messages of doom to anyone who leaves the cult.
Those parting shots to give us to self destruct! Those time bombs are demonic oppression that hits us each in similar /or different ways, some are; Spirits of:
depression, suicidal, anger, fatigue, confusion, mental disorders,
infirmities, bitterness, religious spirits, frustration, contempt,
hatred, pride, lying, stealing, homosexuality, promiscuity, Eve,
Jezebel, bitterness, envy, treachery, mocking, witchcraft
unforgiveness, jealousy, strife, self-mutilation,
self-gratification, even spirits of murder, if only in our hearts!
Stewart is still succeeding in robbing the joy of loving Jesus out of
our lives if any of these demonic forces have any victory in and
around our lives.
I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, if any of you are suffering and search your hearts for any of the feelings associated with any of the above mentioned, do not be
deceived!
Pray, get help both spiritual and mental health, to have some one pray with you!
Surrender it all to Jesus and remember again your creator as in the days of your
youth!
God is not mocked, but wants to heal and hold any and all of us that
have any bondage in any of those areas, he will deliver! All who call
upon the name of the Lord will be saved… ********************************************************************
My indignation remains over the ones who left and could not attain a
right relationship with Jesus due to the distortion of the truth
injected into their minds by the cobu/via Stewarts teaching and the
way he had his henchmen apply those teachings to the receivers.
The pain he has caused, and the ones he has turned away from God as
a result! I pray for those who haven’t found their way back to Jesus
yet and that Jesus carries them back into his sheepfold!God bless you all!Ave
I was there at that time, and fed on what was given. What I personally discovered was that if you are serving Christ, then you have to let him feed you- I still had a mind of my own and could use it very well thank you. I was very close to Stewart’s children and often stayed in his house without his knowledge. God himself let me know when it was time to go and I did without ever looking back. I am a much better person today for what I learned there, but it was no thanks to Stewart. I stayed 5 or 6 years and during that time made some lifelong friends with whom I am still in contact today.
I would love to hear from anybody who knew me in the COBU in the late 70’s in Cleveland.I still suffer terrifying religious thoughts,daily,and I think it all goes back to the COBU! My e mail is Galgonedaft@aol.com Feel free to contact me,even if you didn’t personally know me.I was a shy,almost silent girl,with long,blond hair,back then.My name was Alease Brink,I was from Euclid.Hope to hear from you.Thank you,Ave,for your wonderful articles on COBU and Traill!
Hi Alease~ I am glad that you are connecting with some of us former members.
Although I have forgotten many names over the years, being in the online fellowships has helped alot.
I feel I was one of the luckier ones in that I got out before being subjugated in the MTC, but it sometimes angers me to see how much so many have suffered because of their involvement with the Cobu and Stewart.
It grieves me that so many were left doubting their own faith and suffered emotionally and spiritually for decades.
It also gives me joy at time to see how some of the survivors have triumphed over their time in Cobu and have continued in ministry remaining faithful to Jesus despite Stewart’s predictions over any who left his control.]
I struggled, too, for years with doubt and guilt but have found in the 90’s that those are ’spirits of doubt’ which need to be resisted! [Resist the devil and he will flee]
Since the enemy speaks to us each in our own language, that is still to cause us to come down off the ‘wall of our salvation’ and surrender to the enemy!… AS in the case with Hezekiah and the Rabshekah ~ we have to not listen to the voice of t he enemy and trust the Lord all the more…
GBU~!
Ave
I would like to share a few of the things I experienced after leaving the COBU,things that resulted from being involved with it. 1.I experienced great confusion,because I really had found salvation thruogh the COBU.It was really hard to reconcile that,with the idea of it actually being a cult. 2.I found it hard to think that anything mattered,since the “world was about to end”For example,I was good at art,but after COBU,I would always look at things like they had no “eternal value”,so why bother.3.I have always missed,and never been able to recapture,the “family-like”sense of closeness to other Christians.People who have never been in a cult dont realize that there actually are GOOD things about it,too.Like the close bonds we had.4.I felt that I no longer “fit”anywhere.I couldn’t go back to the COBU,the people I knew who had left COBU were now not living as Christians,my old,non christian friends from before COBU didn’t understand.One of them said,”You must feel pretty stupid…when you think about running off with those “Jesus freaks!”5.Going to a regular,Baptist church,felt so strange.It was nothing like the COBU,and felt impersonal.I was used to COBU wanting to know about and be involved in every facet of my life.People all dressed up,singing hymns,sitting quietly then going home…seemed wierd to me.I missed the “intensity”,the “urgent mission”, the daily calls and contact we had in the COBU.I felt like a lost soul,very,very depressed and alone.6.This is the most serious one.I have ALWAYS struggled with being sure of my salvation after leaving COBU.This has been worse at times,and better at other times,but it is always there ,on some level.Ave has been giving me some really good advice on how to finally start overcoming these thoughts.I pray to the Holy Spirit every day,and ask Him to show me whether these thoughts are coming from Him.Then,I reject these thoughts of condemnation as tricks of Satan.I am 47 years old,and I’m trying to learn how to put my faith in Jesus’finished work,and not in something I could accomplish.Ave,I want you to know,that this is a real ministry that you are doing.These websites to help former,and current COBU members get free,are SO important!I have carried this pain around inside of me for 31 years.To hear from someone who actually understands it is wonderful. On one of my other posts,I talked about some painful things that happened in the COBU.I want to make it clear,I dont hold any unforgiveness towards any COBU brothers or sisters.I hurt other people in COBU,too.We were only doing what we truly believed Jesus wanted us to do.We didn’t know any better.To those of you currently in the COBU,I hope you will get out of it.It is a cult,and very destructive to your Christian walk.Stewart is a false prophet,a heretical teacher.He has wrecked and damaged many people’s lives.I dont know if he actually believes what he teaches,or not.He may be very mentally ill,but if he is “crazy”…he is “crazy like a fox!”I feel so bad for the former brothers and sisters who stayed inCOBU for decades.Many of them gave up their dreams for marriage,children of their own,careers,college…only to find out that they were in a cult,and had been “used” by Stewart,and abused. God Bless,Alease in Cleveland
I am going to join your “ex COBU 4 Jesus” group.That sounds wonderful!!!
Along time ago,I read a message that Jimmy Greiner wrote to ex COBU members.He was apologizing for hurt he felt he had caused people.Jimmy,if your out there,I completely forgive you.I thinkmost,if not all,of us realize that we were ALL decieved.You were only doing what you believed with all of your heart was “God’s will.”Dont be so hard on yourself,you suffered as much or more than the rest of us.Please try to forgive yourself.The same goes for others who may still be carrying the same sort of guilt.Jesus is all about forgiveness,remember that.
I remember,for some insane reason,going to a COBU meeting,maybe 6 months or more,after leaving the group.My Mom was still involved with it,and maybe I was hoping that somehow,it would now be different.What I noticed about the meeting,was that all the teaching was being done out of a workbook written by Stewart,not the Bible.One of the brothers ,named Bob,drove me home afterwards.He was calling me a “backslider” and saying something about a dog returning to it’s vomit.I told him that I was still a Christian,just not part of the COBU.He said that if I waasn’t moving forward,spiritually,then I was dead.I told him that I was progressing,spiritually,and growing.He demanded to know HOW I was growing,and I felt intimidated.I didn’t know how to answer,and I already knew that NO answer was going to be good enough for him,anyway.He was being mean,disrespectful and judgemental.When we got to my house,I got out,said”Go to Hell”,slammed the door,and walked away.I heard the brother say”that’s real nice..just as I thought..”I know as a Christian that I shouldn’t have said that to him.I was just so fed up and angry and sick of being judged.I never went back again.My Mom had the COBU carpet cleaners clean our rug,no doubt in hopes that they would talk to me.They called me a backslider,but that was about it.I was so happy when they left…
Bob,if youre out there,I know you ended up leaving to.Sorry I said that to you,we were all so messed up…
If I would have told Bob HOW I was progressing,I would have had to tell him that it mostly involved my coming to realize that COBU was a cult.But even then,I had a hard time believing it….
Just a memoryI’d like to share with you.I realize now,that the COBU used”love bombing”,to draw people in.Most cults use this technique.Like I said before,I was a highschool outcast.Even the “nerds” wouldn’t hang around with me.I had extreme social phobia,and the other kids thought I was wierd and unfriendly.So,when I met two “cool”students,and they showed such an intense interest in me,I was amazed.The girl was a pretty,very talented artist.The guy was good looking(he resembled singer Tom Jones)They were certainly not nerds,and I was pretty much the Queen of the Nerds.When you are 15,it is a big deal to have 17,18 year old people hang out with you.I went from eating lunch alone,to eating lunch with this handsome guy.I was pretty pleased to know that the other students were seeing that.When I told my new friends from the COBU,that I was unpopular,they told me that I should be glad,because that showed that I wasn’t a phony “sell out.”They told me that popular people were all fakes,who went along with the crowd-with no mind of their own.When I told them that I felt bad that I didn’t have a boyfriend,they said that showed that I was a deep person,who didn’t worry about getting a man.When I told them that I wished I would be asked to dances,they said dances were for artificial,phoy people,and really uncool,anyways. I was really eating this up,because my self esteem was so low to begin with.They told me I was “heavy”,meaning deep,or serious.I loved that.After feeling inferior for all those years,I was being told by some really”cool” people that I was actually “superior”,and had been the “right one” all along.I’m not saying that they were intentionally trying to decieve me,they probably meant it.Telling me what I was dying to hear,really drew me in.It all seemed too good to be true…….unfortunately,in the end,it was….
Hi, Was the Bob in question Bob Muller? I would realy like to know if he left, and if anyone knows how to get in touch with him. I was in Cobu 1974- 1978. I led him to Jesus and as far as I know, he still may be there. Does anyone know?
Love,
Chris Gauci
Hi Chris~
It wasnt the same Bob I referred to. I will ask around to see if anyone has been in contact with Bob Muller.
I do recall his name however.
Hopefully he is doing well.
I will let you know if I find out anything.
GBU~!
Ave
Hi Chris~!
I made some inquiries and was told that last known, Bob Muller was IN the Cobu. Sorry
On the other hand, however, you can call the Cobu at
1-800-223-2360 If you call, remember they are a bit paranoid and cautious about revealing anything about anyone. It is important to speak in a manner that they wont feel threatened with. If you simply tell them you are his friend and that you wish to get in contact with him, they may take your name and phone number and possibly allow him to call you back.
GBU~!
Ave
Dear Ave,I have really enjoyed the articles you did for “Spiritual Pathways.I read their articles and leave comments all the time.I left a comment about being “spiritually raped” by a cult.Dave Norris read it,and decided to contact you.If it saves even one person from joining COBU,or helps someone escape COBU,it will be so worth it!I was a liitle upset,when a guy on that site said that the reason I am still affected by COBU,is that I have been “nursing and rehearsing” the wounds,instead of letting Christ give me a “new song.”I told him that if he had not been involved with a cult of this sort,he does not know first hand what itis like.I told him not to underestimate the lasting damage it causes.I have been practicing the things you told me to do,battling the thoughts that come,the programmed thoughts.I want to get my confidence in Christ,and the joy and assurance of my salvation,back.I think that is what all of us ex-cobu Christians really want.Alease
Hi Alease~! I am glad that you are succeeding in your struggles spiritually. There is no discharge from the war, so we all need to press on. There is no turning back!
As for those still ignorant of the devil’s devices who underestimate the seductive and controlling influences they have when we are vulnerable, I pray they never experience it first first hand as many of us have had to and endured.
God doesnt allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to withstand and he upholds us with his glorious Right Hand[Jesus]…. so we are reminded to :
Count it all joys brethren when you meet[withstand] various trials because that produces steadfastness!!!
David once said that he learned obedience by the things , he had suffered…so do we!
Paul prayed to be healed from his afflictions, but discovered that HIS grace is sufficient for me…. and us!!
Job felt abandoned while losing all that he had, BUT remained faithful and was rewarded…He is an example of perseverance that we should follow , even when what is happening to us makes no sense humanly speaking..
I remember once a man wrote a popular book with a title like …”When God doesnt make sense!” that really should have been titled , “When we cant make sense out of what God is doing~”…Since His ways are not our ways nor His thoughts our thoughts, we need to remind ourselves that he as our best interest at heart in an eternal sense and now we only know things in part, but THEN we shall know and fully understand, when he is reveale to us and we are with HIM in eternity….All our tears will be wiped away~!
Those of us who are PRIVELEDGED to suffer with Christ, through what we endure on this earth, will shine like the stars in the firmament, as leaders of those to righteousness.IF we, who have suffered persecution and torments here on earth [as Joseph imprisoned wrongly so many years before being placed in charge of Egypt] in that we still love our Lord and praise Him for His grace and mercy in our lives, can then stand as examples to those such as the man who ignorantly told you those things
[...“nursing and rehearsing” the wounds,instead of letting Christ give me a “new song.”] CAN NOT begin to understand nor learn from your experiences…This man is to be pitied as he is one who will have to learn perhaps through his own imminent trials & troubles rather than by what the Holy Spirit has done through you as a result of what you[we] have survived so far~!
Sure it is easy to praise and worship God while your life goes on peacefully and perfect and you prosper…As Job told his wife,” Shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord and not receive evil?”….We each are given a measure of faith and have different jobs to do on this earth that are commesurate with the positions we shall have in heaven…so if our struggles on earth are harder than someone elses, that is because God has already seen and ordained that we will survive these things for HIS glory and honor~!..think about it.. embrace it… and know that HE is God and that we are precious to Him as it is also written, ‘Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints..”
Paul said we die daily [to sin] and we are to be dead to sin while alive in Christ. We choose daily whom we shall serve.We are not to judge by appearances, but with right judgement.
That is to say when you see someone going through horrendous trials, that you can not assume that person is merely being punished by God, as so many would conclude on an earthly or worldly level, but that God is ‘removing the dross’ from the silver, fashioning a vessel [us] fit for honor[eternal life] and we are being transformed daily by the renewal of our MINDS into the persons God intended for us to be…
Everything we do , is to the glory of God, even when we are beaten, bruised, neglected, rejected, tormented and despised by man.. Jesus was despised & rejected by man and aquainted with grief…so shall we be, as a servant is not greater than His master…
It may be a bit peculiar for some to embrace or deal with, since some suffer for seemingly endless amounts of time, where their lives are reduced to poverty and suffering, like the beggar crippled on the matt that lived off the charity of passersby…that when Jesus comes along, in HIS timing, will be raised up to take their pallet and walk ~ to the amazement of all those self righteous, pompous religious elitists who can & do grow their phylacteries long and are held in great esteem in the marketplaces…thinking they are rich and wise and so blessed~ [Sure they are blessed but miss the point of God's grace and mercy as they were not equipped to have to prove their faith]
We on the otherhand ‘prove to be His disciples’ and so with that we are like those who are estranged from evil, made into ‘prey’ for testing and sifting by the devil, as Job was sifted and persevered, so shall we! His comfortors were fellow religious persons who wrongly assumed he must have sinned because of all the calamites he was experiencing.They were ignorant that God chose to use him[Job] as an example of a faithful servant [Read Job 1] and God was proud of Job throughout his ordeal.Job is a great example to us.
Look also at others in the bible, Shadrach Meshach & Abedneggo ~ all thrown into the firey furnace..We have similar fires to pass through in our lives.. or Daniel in the Lion’s Den… we all have to face the devil at a time we feel trapped and alone… BUT God shut that lion’s mouth and He will shut satans mouth whe he seeks to devour us.
God bless you and have a wonderful week!
Ave
Hi Alease, BTW who is Dave Norris? I have never heard of him..
Ave
He is one of the guys who runs the Spiritual Pathways discernment site.I really do enjoy that site,but the guys who run it don’t seem to have much understanding when it comes to the far reaching effects of a cult like COBU.Today,another guy who runs the site,compared me to a “baby playing with dung!?!”I think he meant that I just needed to “grow up”,and stop talking about something that happened so long ago.I’m not sure…Does he seriously think that I would choose to suffer tormenting religious thoughts,since 1977?That I would “enjoy”always doubting my salvation?I am doing what you said to do:asking the Holy Spirit,everyday,to show me what is truly from Him and what is not.I am battling those thoughts now,instead of just accepting them as my own thoughts.Thank you so much for your answer,Ave,it means so much to me.Please pray for my husband to find a job,we have no income right now,and it’s scary.I saw some of your art,and I really like it.Especially,Jesus looking over Jerusalem.My daughter is an artist,too.Not professionally,but she could be.When I get some money,I am going to order some of your prints.Your writings have meant so much to me,I feel like I know you,even though we have never met.Love,Alease
When damage is done to the soul, many times it takes years and years of recovery. COBU did/does deep damage. “More Jesus, Less Religion” is an excellent read.
“Dee”
When damage is done to the soul, many times it takes years and years of recovery. COBU did/does deep damage. “More Jesus, Less Religion” is an excellent read.
Dee
Hi Ave,
Haven’t been online in almost a year. My now 6 y.o. son has been with me 24/7 since an incident my/ex suffered inwhich ACS seems determined to feel they need to protect him from her. I don’t know if she’s all that bad, but next court date for her to plead her seeing him again in any near normal way (if you can call life after divorce, which she mistakenly pursued starting back in 2002 and the gov’t granted her finally in 06, can be in anyway normal [NOT]
is here in Dec 08. I thank our LORD Jesus always for any and everything… even my time in COBU, roughly 76-78, somewhere in there. Praise God!
Seems I can’t avoid searching around a tiny bit about “cobu” any time I’ve been away from the .net world and then return for a short while, like tonight. HA!
It’s so good to find you here having shared what you went through in cobu. I miss it, when it was good… even though I was found in 76 via Christian Brothers Carpet Cleaning flyer distribution/witnessing routine just after I graduated H.S. and beginning my working life… (as a cabinet-maker apprentice, which after I met cobu I continued with for about a year, and after I met cobu I really felt a closeness our Lord having been a carpenter, you see???
I left (joined the USMC) before getting too, too deeply caught-up in the cultish activities FF/COBU degenerated into, but the fellowship I had while there was so, so refreshing to have experienced.
I grown for His return. You know how I feel about that being very soon. I keep a countdown on my MS Vista side-bar. Today it says 923.
Tomorrow is the birthday of USMC and with all the guys there I’ll be perplexing them alittle more with the phrase, “922 and a wake-up!”
His mercy is our only hope. To God be the Glory.
Yours,
Dan
923 days until what?
I am not an ex member. I am still trying to get all of the help I can for Justin Fair. Pat and Jerry Fair were and still are involved in COBU. I am Jonathan Fairs’ girlfriend. I have been trying for 2 years to help those who are in get out. Justin is now in Coral Springs, FL and we have not had contact with him for almost a year. I thank all of you who have read my previous messages and contacted me. I can be reached at :
psjanitz@verizon.net
862-596-1348
Thank you all and I will keep you in my prayers
Now I understand why heretics were burned at the stake.