Friday, November 30, 2007

Eddie (former Washington UBF)

(Originally posted on the comments page of the Diamondback Online article on UBF.)

Eddie

posted 6/28/07 @ 2:26 PM EST

I had a run-in with UBF back in the summer of 2003, right after my Freshman year when I was taking summer classes at UMCP. A nice little Korean lady approached me outside the Bio-Psych building and invited me to Bible study at their building. Curious and with time on my hands, I accepted. Once or twice a week we went to the UBF building for 60-90 minute Bible study sessions (we studied the book of Matthew at my request), and I also had homework study assignments [assigned by the UBF person]. While I learned many interesting (and sometimes disturbing) things about the Bible during my time with the lady, she became increasingly intolerant of my questions and criticisms as time passed, and I started to see the underlying irrational and fanatical aspects of her personality that also formed some of the foundations of her religiosity. After a couple weeks, I realized that the studies were bringing me no closer to Christ or Christianity more broadly, and I politely ended our sessions, concluding that my Agnosticism had only been strengthened by the experience.

I never saw any other UBF people around during our sessions, but I started quietly paying more attention to their missionaries on campus. They do most of their "recruiting" in front of the Bio-Psych building and in the food court, and yes, many or most of them are Korean (not that that's a bad thing in any way). Since 2003, I have repeatedly run into my past "mentor" on campus and she used to email me with requests to resume our sessions up until 2005. I can't judge them all from my experiences with one UBF person, but I think students should be on guard anyway and ask a lot of questions of these people if they decide to experiment with the group.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Newbie at www.reformubf.org (former Chicago UBF)

(Originally posted on the discussion forum at reformubf.org ca. 2000 and later archived at http://www.voy.com/63135/2/19.html.)

Author: From Newbie at www.reformubf.org
Subject: Wounded by Samuel Lee

I am one of those many wounded by Samuel Lee during the over one decade I was in UBF. I know how much the devil hates humanity, and I believe Satan was using Samuel Lee and all my experiences in UBF to kill me and to turn me away from the Father. After years of counseling and prayer, my heart still breaks when I remember what I experienced and what I witnessed others experience. Samuel Lee did not know he was being used by Satan to hurt me. He was too disillusioned by his own self-perceived grandeur and self-deception that he was chosen by God to conquer the world. Have you ever read about totalitarian rulers around the world like Mao or Kim Il Sung or Hitler? I can't tell you how shocked I was when I first read about the Cultural Revolution in China and about how the North Koreans put on a nationwide "show" for their first Western visitors in the early 90s. I couldn't help thinking how similar the descriptions were to life in UBF. The forced confessions during the Cultural Revolution reminded me of the weekly sogams, where the worse your sins were the more spiritual you seemed. I remembered Samuel Lee forcing people to dress in certain ways, to eat certain foods, take on ridiculous names, go to certain schools, live in certain neighborhoods, marry specific people. I remembered how feelings and emotions were scorned as weaknesses and sinful (really a good tactic when you're trying to establish a cult--get the people to deny their feelings so that they can't recognize their own emotions, otherwise known as brainwashing). Being a person created by God with deep emotions, I can't tell you the damage that was done to me. To this day, I struggle to recognize what my actual emotional state is. It has taken years of counseling and prayer to allow myself to be emotional.

So what do I have to say about Samuel Lee and how he has hurt many, including myself? Intellectually and spiritually, I have to agree with Jimmy Rhee, who says that he pities and prays for Samuel Lee. In total honest emotional reaction, however, I have to confess that there are days when I ask the Lord to bash Samuel Lee's head against the rocks. I am not condoning this way of thinking. I am just being honest about how I really feel about Samuel Lee, who stole so much from me. Yet I know that it is the miracle of the cross that what was stolen will be given back to me and that everything will work out for the good of those who love God. However, I am weak and still sinful and sometimes still bitter. Okay, I am often still bitter. Still, there is the possibility that Samuel Lee will repent and I will have to spend eternity with him, although I personally wonder whether he hasn't rejected God entirely. By accepting God's call to follow Jesus, I know that the kingdom is now, and that I need God's mercy to melt my heart of stone towards Samuel Lee. I recognize that hating SL is sin and murderous. I still need much healing in this regard.

For those of you who are in UBF still, I urge you to follow Jesus, not Samuel Lee. Be totally honest with yourself. Are you doing what you are doing out of a desire to follow our Lord, or are you climbing the UBF corporate ladder? I truly believe that many in UBF genuinely love Jesus but are severely blinded spiritually because they have allowed someone else to dictate to them what and how they will believe. This breaks the Father's heart. He just wants us to love him as little children. Kids who have a healthy relationship with their parents are not afraid to crawl into their daddy's lap. This is what God wants, not all this back-breaking digging in the dirt in the back yard. Yes, we are called to the harvest, but we can do that from the lap of the Father. Apart from him we can do nothing.

Anyways, let me bring this to a close. I am a weak human being who has been severely wounded by Samuel Lee. However, I recognize that Samuel Lee may not have known that he was working for Satan as he was wounding me. Despite all the hurt, by the grace of my Father God, I say, let mercy triumph over justice. As huge as I perceive Samuel Lee's sin against me to be, how much greater has been my sin against God? And as he has forgiven my debts so freely, how can I not forgive this one man Samuel Lee? The power of the Holy Spirit and the power of the blood that Jesus shed free me from the fledgling power of Satan as experienced through those wounds inflicted on me by Samuel Lee and a score of others in UBF. I know that I don't have to wait until Jesus comes again or until I die and go to heaven to be healed and free. God is healing me now, day by day, because he loves me.

Nevertheless, I pray that Samuel Lee would stop his ministry of death and destruction because it's not helping anybody.

For those parents in UBF, I warn you to guard your children. Just because you are all supposedly servants of God, do not think that there are not those who will hurt your children emotionally, spiritually, physically and sexually when you're not watching. I have personally witnessed and experienced such abuse in UBF. Also, parents, remember that God gave you your children as a ministry. Your marriage and your children are ministry. Don't misinterpret scripture about hating your mother and brother and sister etc. That was another UBF tactic, and you know it! Think about the Father God and how he loves his children. Husbands, you are called to love your wives as Christ loves the church. That's a very high calling. I saw too much abuse during my years in UBF, even of husbands hitting their wives. That's illegal and God hates it too. Wives, remember that you are coheirs with Christ and that there is a difference between submission and subjugation.

May God heal the families in UBF, and those who were in UBF and are still broken as families because of their experiences in UBF.

And yet I know that God is in control. He knows what he is doing, and even Samuel Lee is subject to the sovereign will of God. So, Father, I ask in Jesus' Name that You would come
and heal me, heal us, bring freedom to your Church, not just to UBF, that we would live in, walk in, and minister in the Kingdom now by the power of the Holy Spirit, that Your will would reign here on earth in our lives. Amen.

Monday, November 19, 2007

u32222311aufo

(Originally posted at xanga.com/u32222311aufo in 2006.)

[First post]

okay i know that cari considered my "jumping church to church" behavior not completely proper or best choice. But i just think it's i don't know. Ive only visited Sandra's church twice. and then was a member of the ubf, but that was when i wasn't saved.

and i just want to explore all these other types of church. and experience how they organize their church. cari's opinion is that you gain something from committing to a single church [UBF, of course]. And i can agree. i just want to find the one.

[Second post]

and now my mind's just going off on how i'm really starting to worry about ubf. i been hearing not so bright things about them and developing my own concerns that just makes me begin to question how strong is their foundation in christ?....

i remember what jesus had mention(ed) that even if the faith is as small as a mustard seed....it doesn't matter..it'll do...

but what i am trying to say is....when it's all bright and rosy it's fine and okay....but, what do they do when when they are under attack by the devil [under pressure to recruit and train and abuse sheep]?

if i discuss this w/ cari will she be understanding of my concerns about this church? the body of God are in the churches. not just in UBF but in revolution, in baptist, in morgan's church at irvine....

do i even have a point of concern at all?....i'm young in my faith compared to them...would they see what i'm worried about if i talk....?

i saying i'm concerned about them; just i hesitated to really mention point by point what these concerns are.

---

it's just i really do not want it that UBF becomes a church where i have to tell others to be aware of. i don't want that to become them. i made a prayer about them last night...and am planning to write a list of those concerns i have. and why they seem like weaknesses that needs to be dealt with.

and i don't know what else.

i don't want them to be a church where i end up telling ppl to be careful from. and i'm not the only one have concerns...not just me now...not just my friends but also OTHERS. (I won't mention specifically...but really!)

something needs to be said....i just want them to be okay...i want them to be a good church.

[Third post]

Friday, December 22, 2006

i feel like i'm finding my place over here [in CCC, away from UBF]. like i finally can find a place i belong to finally. i lost my place in ubf a long time ago - it won't ever be like it used to. and like the saying goes...why...or can't...or should cry over spilled milk right!

this is the way it has to be now - like it or not. and i need to not grieve over the past anymore [another traumatic exit from UBF]. mostly when i beginning to find my place right now. i wholeheartedly enjoy my new friends in CCC. and i can't ever get enough time just to be with them.

i want to put down their names in here but...nah i'll keep that a secret. (despite i might've spilled their names in here in the past!)

but you get the point =p

Friday, November 16, 2007

"young shepherd" (Korean UBF, ca. August 2006)

(Excerpted from http://www.livejournal.com/users/rsqubf/90112.html)

UBF Obedience (posted by human12)
2006-08-21

[Translated from Korean]

I am the young shepherd who asked a question about obedience in post 1386. Thank you so much for your answer in post 1385. However, my shepherd is telling me that it is not true obedience if I only obey what makes sense to me. My shepherd tells me that it is true obedience if I can obey what does not make sense to me at the moment. So even though I ask my shepherd to give me a reason why I should obey such an instruction, he/she never gives me an answer. I am really frustrated with this situation. Should I just obey my shepherd without asking any question in this situation?

...

Hi. I am a young shepherd who has been greatly encouraged by reading the recent graceful and encouraging posts by many shepherds. I have a question regarding obedience. How do you shepherds practice obedience? Of course I try to obey based on the Bible. However it is very difficult for me to obey my shepherd, who even becomes angry at me, when my shepherd tells me to obey something that does not make any sense. I am not talking about the difficulties that I have to face if I have to obey my shepherd. I am saying that obeying my shepherd itself is very difficult for me. It really hurts me when my shepherd gives me a direction with explicit anger and bitterness. Then I guess I don't want to obey my shepherd to preserve my dignity as a human being? I understand that even shepherds are not perfect. But how can I obey a man? Why should I obey a mere man? When my shepherd asks me to obey with anger and bitterness something that doesn't make sense to me, I feel like I have been degraded to a dog which is asked to run after a stick thrown by its owner. I would appreciate any graceful and clear answer to my question. Thank you for reading.

chevlion (former Columbus UBF)

(Originally posted at http://community.livejournal.com/rsqubf.)

(See also http://exubf.blogspot.com/2007/07/jim-b.html and http://exubf.blogspot.com/2007/04/peter-chang.html.)

Comment by chevlion on 2005-10-23
Subject: Thoughts on returning to UBF.

Let me apologize in advance for the length of this reply. I've made it as brief as I can. You concluded your statement by saying that if Americans leave UBF, they can return to their families. It's not as easy as that. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and was in the OSU chapter from June 1982 to May 1992. I made three attempts to leave during that time, two of which were successful. My mom threw me out of the house in 1982 because I was 18 and I was impossible to live with, so I moved in with some UBF men. (I will post my full testimony later; I'm working on it as a response to a letter I read on the EscapeUBF website.) I first tried to leave in May 1985 because Peter Chang gave me a particularly harsh rebuke, but that departure was more of a childish acting out. Sadly, I felt so isolated from my parents that when I decided to come back, I called Peter and asked him to come get me, instead of my dad. In December 1985, one of the American shepherds was giving me some training which was actually brainwashing. I decided that I had had enough and stormed out of the center. I went to my parents' house and stayed with them until I moved into a rooming house in June 1986. Because of the way UBF had treated me, I decided I didn't love God or believe in him any more and convinced myself that he could never love me again. In November I heard a sermon about the prodigal son which reminded me that God still loved me and had never stopped loving me. In a congregation of 300 people, it felt as though the pastor were speaking only to me. I knew that I needed a relationship with God and needed to join a church. But because I didn't know anywhere else to go, I went back to UBF and joined their north campus fellowship. I moved in with a UBF family in June 1987 and spent the next four and a half years being oppressed by that fellowship's leader. (Details will be provided in my testimony.) In September 1991 I started a Master's degree program in ESL at Ohio State. In May 1992 I lost my teaching assistant position and therefore couldn't finish the Master's program. I wanted to transfer to Ohio University in Athens to finish my degree there. I mentioned this to Peter Chang after a Sunday worship a couple of weeks later and he said, "I don't think I am ready for you to do that." I turned around and left, that time for good.





Comment by chevlion on 2005-10-29
Subject: my experiences with testimonies

It wasn't just at large conferences where testimonies were so important. When I first joined the Columbus Ohio chapter in 1982, the Saturday "sogam" meetings were a mandatory event. Everyone was expected not just to attend, but also to be prepared to read a testimony each Saturday night. If someone came to the meeting without a testimony and Peter Chang found out, he subjected that person to a long and merciless rebuke in front of the whole group. The ostensible purpose for writing testimonies was to reveal how God had worked in your life, but they actually were a way for Peter and the other leaders to learn all the sordid details of your past life. They were dissatisfied with testimonies which said, "I learned that Jesus loves me." A good testimony said something like "I saw Jesus' love for me because he rescued me from being a drug-dealing axe murderer." In 1984 I shared my life testimony at the Lake Geneva Easter conference. To this day, I can't believe that I was able to stand in front of three or four hundred people and give a speech. I had always been extremely self-conscious, but I was able to overcome my fears that day. To prepare for the Lake Geneva testimony, I was told to write my autobiography. I wrote 12 or 13 pages, but it wasn't enough. Teddy urged me to write everything, so I did. My autobiography ended up being about 125 handwritten, single-spaced pages. Moses spent the 2 weeks or so before the conference helping me write the version I was going to read at the conference. They said he was helping me edit it, but he was actually making sure it toed the UBF party line. I was happy with it because Moses and Peter and Teddy were. I can't remember what my original title was, but Samuel C. Lee changed it not long before I was to go on stage. I still have no idea what his title means - "From Odds to Providence." Nothing else came of all the effort I poured into that 125-page autobiography or all the pain writing it dredged up again. I was paraded in front of everyone at the conference as a good sheep, as a reformed troubled adolescent. After the conference was over, my life returned to normal. Later, I will share more about how UBF made it their business to know all of my business, but never cared about the pain and sorrow telling them about my past put me through.





Thank God there is life after UBF! (posted by chevlion)
2005-10-23 21:12:00

I spent ten years in and out of the Ohio State UBF chapter in Columbus, Ohio -- from June 1982 to May 1992. After I left, one of the Korean missionaries left a note which said "Please come back to God" at my apartment. I had the presence of mind to know the truth that I hadn't left God at all, but I did wander for a while. The best parts of my life happened after I left UBF. I married a beautiful woman who was a believer. Through her prayer and support, I am growing in a new relationship with God at a church where we both are happy. We both are active in the church. I have a well-paying job where I am respected and my work is appreciated. I thank God that when I didn't know what to do or where to go next, he had his hand over me and guided me where he wanted me to be.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

freeinchrist

(Originally posted at http://community.livejournal.com/rsqubf)

Silent Sufferers (posted by freeinchrist)
2006-01-11 15:00:00

Hi everyone, I have not ever posted on one of these sites before, but I have read everything I could find about UBF on the internet. I've read postings from several current UBF supporters say that there is only a very small group of people who oppose UBF, and they are just very vocal. This is not true. Viewers, please understand that there are MANY people hurting, who oppose UBF, but who cannot make a big commotion for the sake of our loved ones who are still trapped in the system. That doesn't mean that we don't keep up on the organization or want its ministry stopped. One of the saddest things about UBF is, if someone is in the church and their family objects, they are encouraged to reject their family and remain loyal to UBF. So many people choose to suffer alone in UBF itself or to hold out for loved ones still in the church. Maybe someday I will have the freedom to post my own testimony on these websites.

Monday, November 12, 2007

A "shepherd" (Korean UBF, ca. August 2006)

(Excerpted from http://community.livejournal.com/rsqubf/88751.html)

Posted by human12
11th-Aug-2006

[Translated from Korean]

I believe that everyone would agree that romantic feeling is not sin. But whenever I read our shepherds’ responses to a question regarding this matter, I do not understand what they are talking about. Are they saying that we should just accept the current tradition of marriage by faith for the sake of UBF ministry even though romantic feeling is not sin? Or are they saying that we should change our unbiblical tradition of marriage by faith and make it more biblical?

Personally, the most serious problem about how we view romantic feeling in UBF is being judgmental toward sister members. I feel so sorry for those sisters who say that they become very uncomfortable when they meet brothers in their chapters. They don’t even try to look at them. Whenever I hear a testimony in which a sister repents her sin of romantic feeling toward a brother, I always think that there is something wrong about this whole thing.

Maybe we should take a different approach to this problem. Maybe we should help them with the love of God so that their romantic feeling does not lead to sin. If we continue in the present legalistic and controlling environment, they would just try to hide their romantic feeling in their hearts and they will become more spiritually sick because of that.

What do you think about it?

...

What I was trying to do in my previous post was to explain that under present circumstances and organizational structure in UBF, one’s romantic feeling could not but be condemned as sin and be controlled.

I think that it is not a healthy Christian faith to condemn oneself because of romantic feeling and to consider romantic feeling sin before God. As you mentioned, I think one cannot have a fellowship with others when one tries to avoid a fellow Christian because of uncomfortable feeling. The UBF marriage by faith is a pillar that supports its ministry. I think UBF controls one’s romantic feeling due to the UBF marriage by faith, which is considered abnormal.

I don’t think it is a proper way of having Christian faith to look at everything and to be controlled within the framework made by men. It is not Christian faith to glorify men-made framework by preserving it. It is not Christian faith to consider men-made framework the standard of Christian faith and to apply it to other people to judge them. But there are still so many people who think that it is Christian faith to hold stead fast to the men-made framework. They even think that they have a powerful faith when they can demonstrate conspicuously their loyalty to this framework. They even regard that kind of loyalty as dedication to God. They have lost ability and will to overcome this framework. They have settled themselves down with this men-made framework. This is at the heart of the problem.

...

The fundamental problem lies in UBF-style marriage by faith. A marriage by faith cannot be conducted just based on human terms, mission direction given in an organization and quick and sudden transaction in a rush --; One must realizes all these problems associated with UBF-style marriage by faith. So one needs to have courage to make a decision on his own to make sure that his marriage partner is really suitable for him to continue to love God and serve him together all his life. The reason I cannot speak up strongly is that the current UBF environment does not allow me to do so.

A marriage by faith cannot be decided by others. It is not a children’s play either. We are all grown up adults. We should not be troubled by other’s decision or order about our own marriage. We should also overcome all judgmental eyes and control about our romantic feeling even though doing so is very difficult in UBF environment.

In conclusion, the control of romantic feeling is a by-product of an effort to preserve the tradition of UBF-style marriage by faith. It is not going to be easy to do so as an individual. But we have no choice but to resort to our own individual faith, decision and will. Most of all, when a person express his opinion about the whole matter, to be honest with, that opinion is treated with silent contempt and the person is criticized. This is our reality—- That is why I could not speak directly abut the whole problem in my post but do it indirectly. Even the Bible says that a marriage by faith should be based on one’s own choice among fellow Christians. The Bible never says that a marriage by faith should be determined by other and we have to struggle to accept it. The Bible doesn’t even talk about anything against romantic feeling. I also want to mention that each person in UBF should change his idea about the matter. We should also guard ourselves against the yeast of being accustomed to being controlled and being forced to obey through the tradition of UBF-style marriage by faith.

Please, dear sheep, do not be influence by other’s opinion and idea. You should make the decision on your own by faith about the relationship that you are going to have. Whenever you see undergraduate girl sheep who feel uncomfortable with meeting other brothers, you should tell them that it does not have to be that way. In that way, we can change the current environment. When everyone lives no longer before men trying to please men and when everyone lives before God to please him, then the time will finally come for us to lead a much better Christian life.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

A "student shepherd" (Korean UBF, ca. August 2006)

(Excerpted from http://community.livejournal.com/rsqubf/87445.html)

Posted by human12
6th-Aug-2006

In post 1373, a student shepherd responds to the staff shepherd’s three arguments. The student says that man is not robot. God created man with feeling. So [UBF] trying to control feeling of love that arises in man naturally for the sake of business is wrong. Then the student asks some specific questions regarding the three arguments by the UBF staff shepherd. I will just give an brief translation of the student’s arguments.

[Translation follows.]

First, what do you mean by “obeying God’s sovereignty”? Marriage is basically decided by the two who are getting married. Does it make any sense that a third person, a shepherd, besides the two who are getting married should be involved in making this important decision? There could be some advice or counseling about making this important decision. But if a staff shepherd, a third party, is trying to decide who should marry who, then the shepherd has stepped over the boundary of his/her authority. There is no place in the Bible that says we should marry based on mission rather than on love.

Second, you said the “mission” is the most important in UBF. But who decides “mission” for my life? Does UBF decides what my life mission should be? You said that marriage should be based on mission. But how can you say that one’s life of mission and marriage life would work ok just because two persons have that same “mission”? Don’t you think that one’s life of mission and marriage life would work much better if the marriage is based on love?

Third, you said you would never allow any relationship based on personal feeling or love and a marriage based on love in your [UBF] chapter. Is this your personal opinion or is this the decision of the whole UBF leadership? [Answer: the latter] If this is the case, then you should make this UBF opinion about marriage very clear from the beginning of your recruitment and training. Why do you recruit students without any mention of these things and only let them know when they are deeply involved in UBF ministry? Don’t you think this is kind of cultic?

Fourth, you said UBF marriage by faith is not perfect but beautiful enough to be preserved. But please do not forget that there are many families in UBF who are going through so many unnecessary hardships because UBF practice of marriage by faith.

In conclusion, I feel so frustrated by your three arguments. I was expecting a more honest discussion regarding the matter of marriage, love and mission in UBF. Don’t think that we are corrupt because we place such a great importance on love in marriage. We love God’s mission as much as you value love in marriage.

Friday, November 2, 2007

LoveJesus

(Excerpted from http://community.livejournal.com/rsqubf/12740.html)

LoveJesus - Posted Jun 6, 2005, 10:43 pm

I have heard a lot of bad press about the UBF so I told a friend of mine, who is in the UBF that I was concerned. He told me that they produce good fruit, that they save souls.

I was told that the UBF is a radical ministry, and goes to great lengths to do the Godly thing, and that many Christian churches are spiritually dead. In contrast, the UBF would look odd. I agreed that many churches are simply giving lip service to God. I would do as the Bible says, and to test the spirit. I would see if they followed God or man.

So I called the Chicago UBF and I asked them what ministries they had to reach out the poor. They had none. I asked if they ran a soup kitchen. They did not. I asked, what if a homeless person comes to the UBF door. I was told they refer them elsewhere. I asked if they had a prison ministry. They did not. I asked them if they had a sick or shut/in or hospital ministry. They did not.

So I ask you, if you are reading this. Where have you placed your trust? Do you trust the UBF or God? For, the UBF does not think their members need to feed the hungry, help the sick, clothe the homeless or visit prisoners. This is the work of "other ministries" - you know, those "other" Christian ministries, meaning, not the UBF.

Turn to Matthew 25: 41"Then he [Jesus] will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Do you trust this Word, or the UBF? God bless you.




LoveJesus Posted Yesterday, 2:33 pm (June 7, 2005)

...

Every church should serve the greater community that does not belong to the church.

The Bible says, you will know them [true Christians] for their love. And not just love for each other, because, as the Bible says, even the pagan has love for his brother.

I have found the people in UBF to be very sincere. But there is something very wrong in the teaching. It hurts my heart that they are suffering needlessly.

...

I don't think it is wrong to FOCUS on Bible study, but when your ministry becomes SOLELY about having new members join, then that is a big problem. It is not wrong to FOCUS on college students, but when the ministry is EXCLUSIONARY of others, then it is wrong. The doors of the church should be open to EVERYONE.

...

I am not passing judgment on you - make no mistake. I think people in the UBF work incredibly hard to do what they think is right. What I think is that they work incredibly hard needlessly. God has opened my eyes to the spiritual starvation among the members of the UBF.

I have gone to UBF testimonies and see how the joy of Christ has been sapped from them. I've been in God for ... a very long time, and I grow in joy every day. Every day my spirit grows, every day God draws closer to me.

I have seen miracles happen, healing in bodies and families. How can a UBFer see the work of God in their families when they have abandoned them? How can they testify in joy to God's grace?

Brian, I want you to understand the difference between religion and God. In the UBF religion takes precedence before God. That is just my opinion. I love God with all of my heart, and it hurts me to know that sincere people are doing so much to earn what is free.

In Christ, you are free.

Do you feel free? Do you feel the freedom of Christ? Or, do you feel obligations, pressure, spiritual torment?

It is not out of judgment that I say these things to you. It is out of love. God bless you.




LoveJesus Posted Yesterday, 4:37 pm (June 7, 2005)

I don't want to put you on the defensive. Revelations says that the churches will be judged before the rest, and more harshly, because to much that has been given, much is expected.

Jesus didn't primarily preach to unbelievers. Rather, he mostly preached to sincere believers who had lost the GOOD news. The law was a gift that freed and they turned it into a curse to bind.

...

I don't see how you can come to that conclusion based on what I said. What I said was that it is okay to focus on college students. But, the doors of the church should be open to everyone. Are you saying that the church should be closed to people? Are you saying that the college student is more deserving of your ministry than the homeless man? My mentality is that of Christ.

...

Jesus included everyone. He included the Samaritan, and even upheld one as being even greater in brotherhood than the devout Jew. He included the prostitute, the destitute, the clean and the unclean, the rich and the poor. He didn't condone what they did. But he did allow them to come to him. He didn't close himself off to those who wanted salvation. Even the woman who pushed herself through the crowd, to sneak a touch of his garment, he said to her, your faith has made you well.

...

The UBF seems exclusionary to me because they prefer the college student to the dropout, the white to the black, the Korean to the Japanese. It seems exclusionary because a person in the UBF will not allow a person of another sex into their quarters.

...

You say you are free. What if, in your freedom, you decided to go on vacation and spent a month with your family. Are you free to make that decision? To come and go as you please?

What if, in your freedom, you decide to worship on Sunday at another church instead of the UBF worship. Do you feel free to do that?

What if, in your freedom, you decide to worship on Sunday a hilltop? To go away and be joined with God in an intimate and alone way. What if you did that for 10 Sundays in a row? Do you feel free to do that?

Realize I'm not asking if you would do it or have any inclination to do it. I'm asking that if you wanted to do it, could you, without having to explain yourself? Do you have the freedom that Christ has given you? Can you disengage with the church to engage with God?

Again, I do not attack you. My heart carries a heavy burden because I have been given much by God. People pray all of their lives to see what I have seen. So, with this gift comes much responsibility. One of those responsibilities is to make sure God's good and faithful sheep are not led astray by following man over God.



LoveJesus Posted Yesterday, 6:03 pm (June 7, 2005)

...

Honestly? I want to know how to help my friend [in UBF]. I believe he is sincere in his quest for God. But, in doing things men [UBF "shepherds"] say, he gets further and further away. He does not have the permanant joy of God, but the temporary joy of one who has been congratulated by men for their works. The problem with works is that you have to keep working to keep getting congratulated. In Christ, there is peace. This wonderful human being is full of worry. It hurts me to know that someone so bright and full of Christ's love can live in such misery and uncertainty. I hurt for him, because I know what he is missing out on, and it is something wonderful.

How can someone who spends so much time in activities "regarding" God actually DOUBT His existence? I contend that if he spent that same amount of time he spends in church [UBF] meetings actually COMMUNING with God, he would KNOW God intimately. His faith would be stronger. He would grow in peace.

You said, no, you don't feel free to commune with God over going to church. Then, my brother, you are not free, and you do not have the freedom Christ has given you. You know in your heart this is the truth I tell today.

You quoted that everything is permissible but not beneficial. I urge you to look at the MANY times Christ felt the need to LEAVE his ministry to commune with God by himself. For days and days and weeks on end. If you think this is not beneficial, then the behavior of your own savior offends you.

I ask you, aren't we supposed to imitate Christ? What would the UBF say if you imitated Christ? Would they say you've been possessed by the devil? Would they say you are evil or love the world? What would they say if you allowed a prostitute to touch you? What would they say if you ate dinner in the house of pagans? What would they say if you brought thirty barrels of wine to a wedding? What would they say? What would they say to Christ if he was in front of them doing these things today? Would they rebuke him and tell him to come down off that mountain and come to church?

You have chosen to commune with the church over communing with your God. It is why you don't have the peace you so desperately want. The UBF will tell you that you don't have the peace because you haven't worked enough, haven't given yourself enough to the UBF mission. I tell you that you don't have the peace you seek because you look for God in others. God speaks directly. The Bible says to BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD. When was the last time you were still?



LoveJesus Posted Yesterday, 7:06 pm (June 7, 2005)

Brother, I have never been a member of the UBF. Please do not be mistaken. I am not saying that UBF members don't follow God.

On the contrary. I have found them to be very sincere. This is why it hurts. Because I see their pain right through their skin. They are doing so much! They are so tired.

I see that they are stretching themselves thin to please God and wonder why they aren't happy. And I contend it is because they are pleasing people, who say they are speaking for God.

...

I never implied that you could or should [do whatever you want]. What I did imply was that if you imitated the actions of Christ, the UBF would not be happy, because it would go against the UBF program.

An example: Jesus preached at many different synagogues and on the street. What would happen if you decided that you would take your message to a Southern Baptist church that Sunday? And the next week, instead of attending UBF services, you went to an Apostolic Church? Would you be rebuked for not attending UBF services?

...

Make no mistake, Brian. I know you have hurts. I know that you are sincere. I know that you have worked hard to further God's agenda. But now, it is time for you to graduate. The UBF helped you learn how to dedicate yourself, to discipline yourself. Now, it is time to learn new things. Learn it from the Master. You don't need an intermediary. The UBF isn't code word for "God's people." God doesn't have a brand name, but the UBF will have you believe that He does. Jesus wasn't loyal to one church or temple. He was loyal to God. Imitate Jesus. It is our goal, as Christians.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

SleepingToDream

(Originally posted at http://forum.rickross.com)

SleepingToDream

Posted: 01-01-2007 12:17 PM Post subject: ubf

My friend has been a member for over four years. He has even moved into a home with a bunch of other guys that is called the "Brothers house" where you are not allowed to date when living there. He attends bible study almost everyday and the people he studies with are very persistent. They've tried to get my husband and sister to attend.

My friend is a very happy, outgoing and friendly person but as of late he has been acting quite strangely. He has always had a crush on my sister, ever since high school but he just recently called her and told her he can no longer hang out with her, reason being...he's going to get married! What?! He made it clear to her that this was a very private thing and that nobody else knows. Apparantly it's to some woman from another country that he met through the UBF at some conference. After doing much research this sounds like a faith based marriage, AKA, an arranged marriage that the church has arranged, and now as memory serves a couple of his friends from UBF have undergone the same thing in the past years. None of his friends or family knows. He still won't tell us he keeps dodging the questions and is acting paranoid. He even asked us if we put our phone on speakerphone! I know we only have a short time before he gets married, his bride will not be in the U.S. until the end
of January or February. He did mention to us that there is a girl but he refuses to reveal her name or any personal information and has told us to not ask any questions. To just respect it for what it is.

We are deeply concerned but fear it may be too late. I'm only posting to see if anyone has any similar stories and/or if anyone can offer some sort of advice.