Part I

First of all UK UBF completely misinterprets Acts 19:9. Acts 19:9 says that there were some people who refused to believe and publicly maligned “the way”. Paul Ridge claims that Satan worked in the same way in UK UBF. He presents one practical example. Stuart decided to move to another church. What Paul Ridge claims is that Stuart’s decision to move to another church is the same as the people’s decision in Acts 19:9 to refuse to believe and publicly malign “the way.” Isn’t this absolutely ridiculous? If Stuart was going to refuse to believe “the way” and publicly malign “the way”, why would he decide to move to another “church”? How in the world is decision to move to another church the same as refusing to believe “the way” and publicly maligning “the way”?

How did Paul Ridge come to know that Stuart’s decision was the work of Satan? Wouldn’t it have been the work of the Holy Spirit? Let’s suppose that Paul Ridge is right in saying that Stuart’s decision to move to another church is a work of Satan. Then the decision by any Christian to move to another church is a work of Satan. Now some pastors move from one church to another church during their career. Then shouldn’t it be also a work of Satan for them to move from one church to another? Some Christians move to another church because of their job relocation. Is it also a work of Satan? There are some cases where one decides to move to another church for some spiritual reason. Is it a work of Satan? Absolutely not. It is very likely that they are all the work of Holy Spirit.

Now then Paul Ridge might be calling the work of Holy Spirit the work of Satan. Remember that Jesus gave a very strong warning against such kind of spiritual sin. Matthew 12:31-32 says that anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. If one decides to move to another church, we cannot consider it the same as refusing to believe “the way” or publicly maligning “the way”. We should believe it as the work of the Holy Spirit.

We need to consider another aspect of Paul Ridge’s claim. If Stuart’s decision to move to another church is a work of Satan, is Paul Ridge saying that a local church is a Satan’s institution? If this is what Paul Ridge is trying to say, then Paul ridge is refusing to believe and publicly maligning “the way.” The Bible clearly testifies how much God loves each and every local church established by Jesus with his blood (Revelations chapters 2 and 3). It is up to Jesus to decide who can join his church and serve him. Anyone who speaks against local churches of Jesus is speaking against Jesus. Anyone who demonizes local churches of Jesus demonizes Jesus. There is only one entity in the whole universe who hates one’s decision to join a local church. It is Satan. Satan will do anything to hinder anyone from joining any local church. Paul Ridge and UK UBF are doing that. In fact this is what the whole UBF organization is doing: Demonize all local churches of Jesus to hinder anyone from joining them.

Chicago UBF claims that they are working hard to serve God make North America a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. But in reality UBF demonize all other local churches of Christ. No one in UBF seem to understand how God works in history. Just consider how God is going to make North America a kingdom of priest and a holy nation. If we read the Bible carefully, we see that God will do this through each and every local church in every corner of North America. It is not going to be through only one church, the Moody Church. (God will surely not use UBF since it is an enemy of God who demonizes God’s churches.) When each and every local church in North America is mobilized by God to this end, North America will become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. But if UBF demonizes all other local churches and call it a work of Satan when one decides to move to another church, UBF is an enemy of God who will make North America a kingdom of priests and a holy nation through all local churches of Jesus Christ.

Even if Stuart’s mission is to sit on the church pew and warm up the spot he is sitting on every Sunday,

Continues in Part II...

Part II

who are we to say that his mission is far less important than that of a missionary who are to be martyred in an Islamic country? If Stuart’s mission is to serve in parking team of the church every Sunday, who can say that his mission is far less important that that of a UBF member? If Stuart’s mission is to serve in Sunday school or a nursery in the church, can Paul Ridge say that his mission is far less important that UBF one to one Bible study? If Stuart’s mission is to pick up trash around the church every Sunday, can any UBF leader say that Stuart is refusing and publicly maligning “the way”? If it was Stuart’s desire to serve God in another church in whatever way he had in mind, it must have been honored as a work of the Holy Spirit that Paul Ridge should have encouraged him to do so. If Paul Ridge is a sincere Christian, he would have earnestly prayed for Stuart to serve God wholeheartedly in the local church instead of calling his decision a work of Satan.

UBF founded on Samuel Lee’s false theology demonizes local churches of Jesus Christ. UBF teaches its members to despise local churches. UBF brainwashes its members to make them believe that any mission in local churches are far less important than UBF mission. UBF brainwashes its member to make them believe that leaving UBF to serve another church is not a work of the Holy Spirit but a work of Satan. UBF does not intend to raise a genuine Christian who can serve God in any local church but it only try to raise a brainwashed and committed UBF member. To achieve this goal, UBF is willing to demonize any local church of Christ. UBF advertises that it serves God through deep bible study. Is Paul Ridge is the result of UBF deep bible study? Now consider what it would be like for Paul Ridge to leave UBF. It would be like refusing and publicly maligning “the way” for him. Could he move to another local church and serve God there without any traumatic experience? He will surely have very hard time doing so.

UBF uses often Matthew 6:33 to persuade its members to commit to UBF. It says “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” UBF brainwashes its member that this promise of God works in no others places but UBF. Samuel Lee used many ridiculous horror stories to convince UBF members that something terrible will happen if they don’t serve UBF. But when we look around us, we find so many testimonies on books and on radio and on internet about how God has blessed his people serving in all other local churches with their financial problems, marriage problems, family problems, school problems, etc.. God works through his local churches. Therefore no matter what kind of mission we have in our respective local churches, we just have to serve God faithfully by seeking his kingdom and his righteousness as he enables us. But UBF hates this idea. So UBF is an enemy of God. If we recall our experiences, it was when we did not serve God actively when UBF and other cult groups approached us and brainwashed us through love-bombing until we completely bought into demonizing other local churches of Jesus.

We recognise that the commitment of the ministry can be high and that it is not for all.

I see another problem in this statement. The problem is that UBF is deceptive and double-tounged. Do you remember the TV interview where the speaker for Toledo UBF claimed UBF is "a church like any other"? So what? Are they a church like any other or are they a high-demand group? Also, if the latter is the case, as they admit here, why do they invite everybody to their group, even and particularly unbelivers, and without mentioning this fact. If they are not for all, why do they invite all? And why do they never mention this fact in their invitation flyers?

Second, this statement "it is not for all" is a hidden message to the auditory saying those who "could not stand it" were not real Christians and only who can "stand the heat" in UBF are real Christians. This will incite their pride. They start to believe that if they would ever leave UBF they would be complete losers. It fosters the elitist mindset of UBFers that they are the only steadfest, hard-working and faithful people in the world.

A former member of the London UBF wrote something to me about that chapter last year:

"London UBF ... mostly consist of Koreans, and ... practices arranged marriages almost exclusively. There are about 6 male white British members, all of who have been married off (or about to be) to Korean women, who are shipped over."

Sounds like a mini-Bonn UBF over there. For his "exemplary" work in London, it looks like Moses Yoon was given an important position in the Korean UBF.