My sorrow

[editor]

Hello everyone!

I deleted humor for a good reason.  One of the problems I create for myself, is when I make solemn vows, and then attempt to hold myself to them, like Saul's rash oath about not eating until after his enemies were defeated.  I am sure you all know the story.

I should not have deleted the humor thread, on Principle.  The principle of feedom and light, which is at the core of this endeavor is absolutely necessary, as it is the converse of what we had in the Assembly.

Someday, old posts will have to be removed.  People can't read 500 posts to get to the current ones, and probably won't unless they are GA.com junkies!

I will not delete any other threads, but will only delete my own posts, or the posts that others ask me to delete, because they don't know how, etc.  I'll indicate such is the case.

Let no one worry that what they have to say is not, "edifying" enough.  That is at the core of the Satanic, yes, I said, Satanic darkness of the Assembly.  Please, by all means say what you mean, and mean what you say.  

Also, I might add that it helps if you use your real name.  We have had to delete several Brother George impersonators, and others.

FREEDOM!  Do not be entangled AGAIN!!!! with a yoke of bondage.

Brian, you are right about the humor thread.  But from my end, I did the right thing.  It won't be the right thing ever again.

Brent

[Bob Sturnfield]

I had recently revieved my 168 posting in the old humor section and I thought they were ALL funny.  A few took a few posts to get to the puch line, but that was while we were doing interactive posting.

I am so glad I do not have to worry about if I am "justify myself" anymore.  Yes, free at last  

As I posted previously:

According to: http://geftakysassembly.com/Sunday!.html

When the brothers saw this, they knew that I was for real and so at two in the afternoon, we took a break and then all met at my house, where we drafted letters, prayed and had a party in honor of the delete key, and its many functions.  A memorable moment at this time is when someone said, "When I press this button, seventy two pages are going to disappear."

The Lord turned our laughter into true joy!

As much as I miss the "jokes", I rejoice that the Lord used our 1080 posts in a special way to bring joy to his people at the "delete key party"

Isaiah 52:7b "Your God reigns!"
8  Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, With their voices they shall sing together; For they shall see eye to eye When the LORD brings back Zion.
9b  Break forth into joy, sing together

Although I am worried that in 5 more posts I will be branded as an "Out of Control Poster"  

[al Hartman]

Dear Brother Steve,

     Having just read your apology, i believe it is i who must ask forgiveness of you:
     Upon our last conversation, about a year and 1/2 ago,
i failed to realize the immensity of the difference between your assembly experience and mine.  You were there ten years longer than i, which means that i have had ten years longer than you have to get over a career that was ten years shorter than your own.  i was younger, my family was younger, and i never had to bear the yoke of an elder.  
     Did i seem glib in hearing your testimony and professing my victory over my personal history?  i am truly sorry-- please forgive me for being insensitive.  And please forgive me that in my ignorance i made your life more difficult throughout the years in the assembly and since.  
     i love you, dear Brother, and i love your family.  i always have, and by God's grace i always will.  No matter what you may think or feel about yourself, you remain one of the best men i have known.

In Christ Jesus,
al Hartman

[TGarisek]

i'm out of time, but i wanted to quickly add to what i wrote above that brent has overall been doing a fantastic job, and is doing his best to navigate an extremely volatile and complex situation, and i applaud him for it. he has been the point man in this situation and has taken lots of heat from all sides for it, and i admire him for that. hip hip...  

No intention of patrony but I want to add my hearty agreement. Some may have no idea of how much time it is taking. And that is just time. "All we have is time!"  Then there is the contest, direct and indirect and $$$, we may have forgotten this isn't free...I'm not soliciting, just applauding - loudly!

Now, I don't want to be redundant but I do want to be faithful and address Steve. As I said in another post to Al Hartman, I love you, brother. Memories of you are vivid in my mind's I and I can't recall any negatives. Again, not patrony, a loud applause and a prayer of thanksgiving for hearing from someone with a heart, mind, spirit and soul that is cleansed and concerned for the hearts, minds, spirits and souls of others.

Thanks

[Connie Wellik]

Dearest Steve,
All I remember about you is your kindness, your compassion and concern for the "are nots".  I felt very much like the woman taken in adultery (which in fact, I was) and you did not condemn or judge.  You and your lovely wife patiently guided me, encouraged me to pray for my husband, and after 2 years, rejoiced as Randy came to faith in Christ. You took special interest in him, and when we were sent to Ventura, you came up to encourage us.
True, the underlying false teachings were like a gnat buzzing around the genuine fruit of righteousness, but as a result of the truth of God's Word, shared honestly by so many of the brothers, coupled with the high accountability of studying, praying and attending meetings, this poor wretched woman was transformed into a grateful servant of God.  I am currently serving as Minister of Care at Bible Fellowship Church in Ventura and oversee a very large ministry of recovery, counseling, and service to the poor.  Prior to that I was the Children's Pastor for about 1400 kids for 10 years.  This is significant, because in the assembly I was not even allowed to teach children because I had been divorced!  Even what Satan meant for evil, God has turned to good.   We still have His promise of the oil of joy for the spirit of heaviness, plans to prosper and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future.  My love to your family.
Connie

[Mark C.]

Hi Connie!
   It was great to read your post!  You are a very kind and understanding person and I'm sure that this helps you in your service to His people.
   We've had this chat before, and you may not agree, but I think some of what you shared could be misconstrued as an endorsement of Assembly practices.
   I recently talked with a Sister who had a similar testimony as yours re. the help she received when first coming into fellowship.  She was down-n-out and the excessive control was a help to her.  The problem is many were not helped by this excessive control.  To view one's personal involvement as the only gauge to the Assembly condition is to be somewhat myopic.  What you considered "gnats" led some to suicide, abandonment of their faith, servere emotional problems, many wasted years, etc.
   I also shared with the sister an analogy of Nazi Germany where many benefited from the revived discipline of the political culture.  While certain individuals benefited, the Jews did not share in this.  We must forgive those who twisted scripture and hurt us spiritually and emotionally, but we are not helping them when we ignore the cries of those abused in "This Ministry" by labelling such abuse, "gnats".
   You know I love you and so I also know you understand the spirit in which I share my concern.  God bless,  Mark

[amycahill]

This is what i was told in HB when you left, Steve.  I heard that Lee had (gasp!) publicly disagreed with George and was therefore being excommunicated.  And that you were so ashamed of Lee and his behavior that you felt you HAD to leave.  Is that true?  There was actually a great deal of sympathy for you at "the Beach" because nobody felt you should have to leave because of Lee.  And we liked you and we would miss you too.   I basically heard that there was a standard that an elder had to have his children in control and since Lee had committed the assembly version of heresy, you were disqualified (in your own eyes) as a leader.  We thought it was all very sad.

What did other people say to you?

[amycahill]

Steve, I forgive you, and did long ago.  Your essays were of tremendous help to me, as were your's Dave.

Steve, I'm Catholic and have, of course, a Catholic view of things.  When you go to the priest to confess your sins, the priest gives you a penance, then absolves you.  Usually the penance is easily doable.  

Do you realize that you have done penance?

You took over the website.  You contributed valuable insights and articles.  You planted seeds that have sprung up into beautiful flowers.

You have done penance.  It's over.  Forgive yourself.

Jesus loves you.

God bless,
Amy

[amycahill]

I, also, would be interested in having phone numbers and emails of folks on the site.  Could someone put this together?  Hey, Eric maybe you?  

I wish the profiles had a place for a short bio and phone numbers...Some emails/half of the them are on the profiles.  Brent, perhaps, someone could put a file together with a short bio paragraph, years in the assembly '82 -'98 for example, job, location address, etc.  Can we broaden the profiles?  Is their a reunion being planned?  Perhaps, an "every five year" get together should be planned? ...Do something this summer?

I like your general idea, but I would NEVER just leave my phone number or address just lying around on the Internet.  There would have to be safety.  I probably wouldn't go along with anything short of the moderators keeping the list and keeping it from anybody else.

[pbrusati]

Steve-

Since the day I met you in 1981 I have always had great respect for your commitment to the Lord and admiration for your integrity.  We are all in the same battle, and our enemy is extremely viscious.  I love you brother, and pray that God uses everything we have suffered for His glory.

Sincerely,

Peter Brusati