CURRENT COBU

The last week of July a brother who has been out for oh, I'd say 15 years is supposedly
going to talk to, or even perhaps "confront" Stewart. Anything comes to light about this
I'll let you know what I heard.
You know, there's not a whole lot to say currently as I don't really know anything.
The bulk of other stuff written on my site was written in 1998. That's when I had
some conversations with a few members on South Street also. But ever since the
article came out in Philadelphia magazine about how Cobu is a cult recruiting your
kids, well, they have shied away from the "Better Way Cafe" a few blocks south
of South Street, right down from Jim's Steaks.
I heard a few left recently (April 2000). Who, I don't even know that. And why
I don't know is a good question. Why can't one find out these things. They are so
secretive there. Every thing is LA Confidential "hush hush" (a la Danny DeVito)
A recent testimony by a brave sister on Mike Montoya's site may have helped those
that left recently to make up their minds.
One thing I heard recently was a dear brother was speaking with another old member
and he had been to a few meetings in recent years that Stewart had made the trek
from his warm condo in Florida to throw the kiddies a bone up here. This poor child
of God thinks that Stewart still has good intentions and things like that. That he should
still be considered a "pastor" of sorts. Well, brothers and sisters. With the recent
revelations of one sister, and more and more we hear each other's stories,
is it not becoming painfully obvious, that besides the emperor not wearing any clothes
he's fleecing the sheep too?!
I think one of the things this brother still under the spell of Stewart (remember, he, oops,
"missed grace" for twenty years - by his own admission - IMHO the whole bunch of
them are missing it again on the second time around. One sister pointed out the
mercy/love/forgiveness thing that got in that "gospel U" (hey, don't miss the subtlety
there: your salvation still depends on "U"!) really has to do with control. I have always
heard their spirit referred to as a "submit to me" spirit. They talk, you listen.
Anyway, I digress, one of the things this brother said was that if Stewart wasn't there
what would those in there do? I mean, he's their security, stability and guidance.
Let's step back here a moment, Chester. We should be happy there's 50 die hards
left there and that gracious Stewart, who hasn't set foot up north for years at a time,
and only phones in his directions to the likes of Kevin Browne or another willing
sergeant who will report on those out of line and make sure the goose stepping continues?
Yes, isn't Stewart so nice to still give the little kiddies "direction". 50 die hards.
What about the thousands of capsized ships Stewart has left in his wake? That's puts it
all in another perspective, now doesn't it? (Like you needed that after hearing that
Stewart is hibernating in Florida. Hey, that's unnatural - you're supposed to hibernate
up north) Well the whole thing, the further you step back and thank God for the grace
of getting you out of there - one wonders how you fell for it. Actually, I don't wonder
at all. I'm glad I went through it. Others may wonder. And you have to watch who
you tell. There's a stigma attached to someone who was in a cult. What do you think
of former Moonies? You think they're not playing with a full deck? You do, don't
you? What about Steven Hassan? He was a college student, bright fellow and loves
God. The next cult member could be absolutely anyone including you, and usually
is the best
and the brightest idealistic youths; the cream of the crop.
When I consider my past and what I went through I know pretty much why some
are still there. Hey, I left and went back many times until I found out the reason I
couldn't serve Jesus was (besides first of all it wasn't based on grace anyway until
1989 according to Stewart) because it wasn't Jesus. It was Moses. Wait a second,
he even looks like Moses!
Anyway, I digress again. Current Cobu? Haven't heard much. Let you know when I do.
(April 14th, 2000)
This is rather lengthy, but it is encouraging - so if you've got the time...
THE CENTRALITY OF JESUS CHRIST by T. Austin-Sparks
book III Union With Christ I. (b) (iv)
The Final Test of All Things
Lastly, Christ is the final test of all things. In Acts xvii. 31 we have these words:
" He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness
by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all
men, in that he hath raised him from the dead". The literal rendering is not, by a
man, but "in a man whom he hath ordained". That word 'ordained' means horizoned.
God has made His Son the horizon of everything. Everything has to come within the
horizon of this man and be judged according to Him. You see the point. Christ is
the criterion, Christ is the standard, Christ is the measure of that great judgment of
the world which God has fixed, the final test of all things.
That means that the judgment of the world will be according to how it measures up
to Christ, its standing in the light of Christ, as to its attitude toward or relationship with
Christ. God will not judge on any other ground. That is a very simple formula for
judgment. If God had to take us one by one and judge us on the numerous things
which belong to us by our inheritance, our birth, our upbringing, by the fortunes or
misfortunes of our lives, well, He would have His hands full, speaking after the manner
of men, and it would be something that would require a standard of righteousness so
infinitesimal, so exhaustive, as to be almost unthinkable. God is not going to judge us
upon the number of our sins, whether few or many, or upon our temperaments, or
upon anything like that at all that comes down to us in the blood-stream. His one simple
solution is, "What is your attitude to My Son?" How do you stand here in the horizon
of Christ, not just as a person, but in relationship with Him as a kind, what He means
in Himself? What is your attitude and measure where the Son is concerned? On that
all judgment will be based.
And notice, that is a very righteous judgment. It says " he will judge the world in
righteousness ". Thank God, that takes in the very thing that so many complain of
through their lives, the disadvantages of their inheritance, of heredity, of early training
and so on. My dear friends, take heart from this, that on none of those matters is God
going to judge at all; it would be unrighteous. He brings us all down to the one issue
of our relationship to His Son. Where do you stand with Him? What have you done
with Him? How are you progressing in your conformity to His image? That is the
basis of judgment, and the only one. Christ is the criterion, the final test of all things.