Merissa Shares Her Story

Merissa is my (David's) wife. 💕 She didn't grow up going to meetings but she professed before we got married. She shares her prospective as an outsider coming into meetings, and how subtle the indoctrination was.
You can contact David/Merissa at: nontypicaltravelers@gmail.com
I, David grew up in a legalistic group started in 1897 that denies the deity of Christ and strives in vain towards a work based salvation. They claim no name, but are known as Meetings, The Truth, Friends & Workers, 2x2s, The Fellowship, The Way, etc. They claim to be a continuation of the 1st century church and the "ministers" or workers, are homeless and go in pairs. However, they stay in members homes known as the Friends. In '23 & '24 a lot of CSA and SA has been revealed in the leadership and members, so many of the Friends are leaving the group. You can find out more about them here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_by_...
I was born and raised in meetings and left in 2013.
Want to support this channel? www.buymeacoffee.com/davidalink

Пікірлер: 261

  • @michaelmonnat7765
    @michaelmonnat77652 ай бұрын

    My wife and I fell for it when we were in our thirties. It isn't just being young and naive but as she mentioned , the devil deceives using 97% truth. We left 4 months ago.

  • @MerissaAlink

    @MerissaAlink

    2 ай бұрын

    It's so true, the devil will use any method he can to be deceptive to us at any age. Praise God that you've been able to find your way out! (Although I'm sure the last few months haven't been easy for you.)

  • @thepragmatist

    @thepragmatist

    2 ай бұрын

    "The devil deceives using 97% truth." That's a great sentence.

  • @Heaveniswaitingforyou

    @Heaveniswaitingforyou

    Ай бұрын

    God bless you! So happy for you and how Gods grace brought you out 🤍 I left back in 2020 being born and raised in the 2x2s.

  • @bishopvilleredneck
    @bishopvilleredneck2 ай бұрын

    I was raised in the “TRUTH AND WAY: I never even questioned anything, I bought the whole thing, I am now OUT and I’m at peace since I asked my Savior Jesus, to guide me, he did and lead me out. Thank you Jesus. I’m 85 years old and was always pretty skeptical, but this one flew right over my head, I never even had any questions, it was driven into my head from the time I was born. Ask Jesus for guidance.

  • @MerissaAlink

    @MerissaAlink

    2 ай бұрын

    Praise God!

  • @robinwhite2184

    @robinwhite2184

    2 ай бұрын

    Jesus saved me from that cult group thankful everyday for freedom

  • @chrisgraves310

    @chrisgraves310

    2 ай бұрын

    Good for you!

  • @Wyolineman

    @Wyolineman

    2 ай бұрын

    Yes!!!

  • @southerngrits

    @southerngrits

    Ай бұрын

    What cult group is this ?

  • @user-dg8ks4jz7l
    @user-dg8ks4jz7l2 ай бұрын

    I was young and married into this. My husband never told me he was in this group until after we were married. It was confusing and scary. I was treated horribly because i would not join and asked questions that were not answered. I was shunned in my own house by my husband...it was discipline....and he neglected me and our children. I still have triggers that set me back. 😢 Thank you for sharing. Getting in the word and prayer is the only thing that alleviates and brings the joy back.

  • @MerissaAlink

    @MerissaAlink

    2 ай бұрын

    I'm so sorry that this happened to you; our stories seem so similar in so many ways! I'm so thankful, though, to hear that you are finding joy now!

  • @lynneddy8851
    @lynneddy88512 ай бұрын

    Dear Melissa, I went through honestly the very same thing but through a “Baptist” cult. Everything from the women not liking me because my husband married outside the church, children had to be quiet or get spanked, to a service going till 4:00 am (with my babies lying in my lap) because of the woman who had a ring in her husband’s nose and then the pastor screaming that this man has to control this woman because if he can not control this church he resigns… as the church stood and pointed their fingers at me screaming, “Look at what you’ve done!” All because I asked a question. We would love to tell our story of how God used this situation to finally cause a fracture in my husband’s wall, allowed us to help lead other’s to the truth of God’s love and freedom through Christ. Good’s wonderful protection and love is all throughout our story and we would love to use it to help others feel His love.

  • @dinahdeuel525
    @dinahdeuel5252 ай бұрын

    I was raised in this cult. I left in my 20’s. I know all about the excommunication! But praise God, I learned what is truth and know I’m saved! God is good. Thank you for telling your story. ❤

  • @donawyo
    @donawyo2 ай бұрын

    I’m sure you know how very blessed you are that your husband came to Christ too. I was saved after I got married. Before I was saved I just thought he was a Christian I could get along with. My husband grew up in a “Christian” church that isn’t following the Bible. We’ve been married 26 years and 23 years after I was saved, we are still unequally yoked. Breaks my heart. But I am so happy to hear when others don’t have to go thru that. 🎉🎉🎉

  • @LeightonGRose

    @LeightonGRose

    27 күн бұрын

    Praying that the Lord give you the grace and wisdom to lead your husband to truth. May strongholds of deception, religion, and control be exposed, broken, and shattered; may the scales be removed from his eyes; and may you both lead many into the real Truth! ...in Jesus' mighty Name!

  • @donawyo

    @donawyo

    27 күн бұрын

    @@LeightonGRose Yes! Thank you.

  • @marsharansom3254
    @marsharansom32542 ай бұрын

    Thank you for sharing! Your Christian upbringing is part of what saved you & your family. Imagine being in this for 68 years B&R and never hearing the true gospel. What an awakening! I've watched most of David's interviews & they've been very helpful. The last 20+ years I've been convinced the meetings were not the right way to have a relationship with God, but it took the Dean Bruer revelations to make me desperate enough to truly search for what God wants from us. Joy!! Yes!! He loves for us to live abundantly.

  • @MerissaAlink

    @MerissaAlink

    2 ай бұрын

    I'm so incredibly thankful that I had my upbringing to fall back on once I realized the truth. Even though we still had a lot of rebuilding to do, it gave our family a foundation to start from. My heart truly goes out to those who have to start from square 1.

  • @carolfielhaber9825
    @carolfielhaber98252 ай бұрын

    Thank you Merissa for sharing this. Thank you for being authentically you. You will never know how many people are touched and helped by your story! There will be many. God be with you Always!

  • @carolynwright3026
    @carolynwright30262 ай бұрын

    Merissa thank you for sharing your story! My heart goes out to you for all the efforts you were putting forth to please God. And you were met with so much criticism that led to panic attacks.. Church should be a happy safe place for children:) so proud of y’all’s decision ❤

  • @susanrichardson8035
    @susanrichardson80352 ай бұрын

    Yes! I felt strongly religious growing up. As a child something was always there, and it was the spirit of God. I became Baptist on my own. Simply stated I went from family that saw me as an oddity to marrying into a family that to this day does not accept me 40 years on. I am back in my church. Thankfully our children are in evangelical churches too. Stand strong.

  • @juliepasta1311
    @juliepasta13112 ай бұрын

    Dear Merissa - your voice is an important one! Your story shows us 2 things...1- how having access to other perspectives loosens the hold of narrow-minded thinking and lets the light in and 2- we are all prone to the influence of others and to pushing aside the little voices that tell us something's not quite right. Thank you for sharing your story! It broke my heart in many ways to hear your pain and what you've had to go through to get your peace back. But it just made me realize that you're telling my story, too, even though I was raised in it. We have to acknowledge the harm before we can heal. It's hard to do that... especially when loved ones are still in. You and David are providing a much-needed voice right now. Thank you.

  • @MerissaAlink

    @MerissaAlink

    2 ай бұрын

    I agree, it will always continue to be a part of us when people that we care about are still part of it. I'm so glad that God has given David (and I!) this outlet to share and encourage!

  • @BibleVerities
    @BibleVeritiesАй бұрын

    I always wondered how my Dad and step-mom got involved with this crafty cult, I know it must be kind of hard to share your story but many many people need to hear it. May you both continue to expose this works religion. God bless always, Richard :)

  • @godschildyes
    @godschildyesАй бұрын

    Ohu goodness! Your story resonated with me so much! I was born in a cult and experienced many of the sorts of things you did. I can not tell you how much your testimony has brought such comfort and conformation to me. God bless you and thank you so mucb for sharing your testimony. ❤

  • @irishflutegirl9022
    @irishflutegirl90222 ай бұрын

    😭💔❤thank you for sharing this. Everything you said resognated with my heart. I can 100% relate. I went for 20 years, left in fall 23.

  • @alphatango66
    @alphatango662 ай бұрын

    Never feeling “good enough”, yep, that pretty well sums up the 2x2/meeting culture. I grew up in it from the time I was 4 years old and finally quit for good when I was 43. I’ve been out 15 years now and as more time passes, I see all of the incongruities of “the way”. When it all hit the fan last year with all the workers being exposed for their sexual abuses, I was thinking is this what it takes for people to realize this is so wrong? I feel like I could write a book about it, but I’d rather just move on with my life than dwell in the dark spaces of the past of this cult. Thank you for sharing your story, it’s very important that people hear this. It’s such an emotionally abusive culture.

  • @saramitchell3897
    @saramitchell38972 ай бұрын

    I’m so sorry your experience took the song from your heart. I also love music and want to sing a joyful song of thankfulness and worship. Blessings to you and David. I am glad for all the podcasts and your story! Thanks for sharing so vulnerably.

  • @kellyd27
    @kellyd272 ай бұрын

    Merissa, thank you for being that "someone else out there" for me. Our stories are so similar, and I am so grateful that you shared. Funny that you brought up the hymns. To me, they sum up my whole experience in this group...the few hymns that I know the tune to sound familiar, but the words aren't the same...the theology is close, but not quite right. Thank you for sharing your story!

  • @MerissaAlink

    @MerissaAlink

    2 ай бұрын

  • @valeriealexander1521

    @valeriealexander1521

    2 ай бұрын

    Coming out of the religion, I had the same sense, that I would recognize this tune, but the words were all wrong! I got very indignant that “the truth” had to make up their own hymns to make sure they were set apart from all other religions. It disgusted me once I had that revelation. But also, listening to ‘worldly’ Christian music suddenly had me feel so much joy that was never there before. I’m very thankful for my walk with Christ today!

  • @JoanMayo-ie2id
    @JoanMayo-ie2id2 ай бұрын

    The Mormon church is definitely a cult I fell into as a single mother struggling with two troubled teens. I was vulnerable, and they love-bombed me. Being alone, troubled with out of control teens, and working two jobs to support us all, I craved their kindness and attentions. Stayed in their church for about 10 yrs. I realized they worshipped Joseph Smith more than Jesus Christ. I realized you MUST fit into their very narrow mold, using a certain language, doing certain rituals, and participating only in church functions. And that's why they threw me out formally. I had been an alcoholic all my adult life. When visiting my home, someone noticed an empty bottle in my house, and promptly reported it to our bishop The bishop invited me to a private meeting, and told me in a stern way I was out. Now years later, I am grateful to be back to private worship based on the Bible. God answers my prayers, so something is going right!

  • @PistolPeat

    @PistolPeat

    Ай бұрын

    As you know, using alcohol isn’t a reason to be put “out” of the LDS church. There is more to the story here. May God bless you on your new journey.

  • @ardenpeters4386

    @ardenpeters4386

    Ай бұрын

    do your own research. Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints dies NOT worship Joseph Smith. good grief. read the name of the church do your own research! with the church and independently.

  • @kevinfancher9591

    @kevinfancher9591

    25 күн бұрын

    ​​@@ardenpeters4386I believe her nearly 10 years with LDS, was her own research; as you suggest. Why would I overlook Joseph Smith's adulteries and Brigham Young's claims that God told him to swap wifes around amoungst his dudes? Please do your own research. Exodus 20:14. Proverbs 14:5. Matthew 4:10. Matthew 15:18&19. John 6:68. 1 Corinthians 7:23. Love you, and I reccomend we all keep studying and learning. Curious is better than Furious. (Micheal Jr.)

  • @mabelveitch1178
    @mabelveitch11782 ай бұрын

    we didnt go to counselling We just asked God "Please show us ! And He opened the scripture to us! yes so glad now!

  • @gregjennings2072
    @gregjennings20722 ай бұрын

    Absolutely important! Thank you, thank you….. Thank you for sharing your raw experience. NEVER DOUBT IN THE dark, WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED IN THE LIGHT! God has brought you through this wilderness, to touch thousands.

  • @jenelleeckel5799
    @jenelleeckel57992 ай бұрын

    You, my dear, are a joy!❤ Thank you so much for sharing your story! I’m glad you’ve gotten some help through counseling, and that God has worked with David to lead him out and you two can grow together. Without knowing you, I know you.. and I love you. David’s interviews have been very helpful to so many, too.

  • @daughterofthekingjesus9117
    @daughterofthekingjesus91172 ай бұрын

    Thank you for giving your testimony. These testimonies are from Jesus to encourage us (and others) as we journey through this life!

  • @klmolencamp1758

    @klmolencamp1758

    2 ай бұрын

    Thanks for sharing your story Born and raised left and started back with a outsider wife our story is very familiar I am sorry that you and my wife had to endure this cult Praise Jesus for saving you and your family from this..again thanks for sharing

  • @MerissaAlink

    @MerissaAlink

    2 ай бұрын

    I'm so thankful that we have an opportunity to share our stories

  • @kathypulse4509
    @kathypulse45092 ай бұрын

    Thanks so much for sharing your story. Feeling alone is not a good feeling, nice to be able to connect with someone. I have watched all of David’s interviews and have enjoyed them so much. Thanks again for sharing.

  • @RichardArvig
    @RichardArvig2 ай бұрын

    God bless you for sharing this. " I don't know why I had to leave, I just know I had to leave". The guidance and prompting of the Holy Spirit..

  • @MerissaAlink

    @MerissaAlink

    2 ай бұрын

    Absolutely!

  • @Kimmie930
    @Kimmie9302 ай бұрын

    I loved hearing your story and am so happy you shared it with us. I can relate to so much of what you’ve been through. I, too, was a kid who loved church, youth group, AWANA, even Campus Crusade in college. I married into the 2x2 and like you, didn’t realize what it was for a while. Fortunately, my husband and I chose to leave meetings when our kids were very young. We say it’s the best decision we made for our family. We go to church as a family with Sunday School. We have been out for 14 years, but we are still dealing with all the baggage. Your story is such an encouragement. Thank you!

  • @MerissaAlink

    @MerissaAlink

    2 ай бұрын

    It takes such a long time to undo what's been done, no matter how long we were "in" for. I'm so thankful that you were able to leave with your husband and children and start them over with a strong foundation!

  • @geanma81

    @geanma81

    Ай бұрын

    My grandchildren attended AWANA and enjoyed it. I left the 2x2’s before I had children. Minimal religious teachings for my children

  • @jhook479

    @jhook479

    23 күн бұрын

    I think for anyone raised in this, there will always be baggage. It will always be painful. But it gets so, so much easier to handle over time. There is a light and a way forward in spiritual freedom.

  • @valeriealexander1521
    @valeriealexander15212 ай бұрын

    I just want to meet you and wrap you in my arms to comfort you! I have trouble seeing the harm that this group inflicted sometimes because when I grew up in it, I must have been the frog in the boiling water in so many ways, but still there was something that was not meeting the needs I had and I have been at a great church now for 20 years that has met theses needs. Since see this contrast, I can relate to the lack of joy, and the constant striving to do what is required when I was part of “the truth”. Maybe someday we will meet and have a good discussion about all this; is sure love to!

  • @MerissaAlink

    @MerissaAlink

    2 ай бұрын

    I'd love that! We have plans for many more travels in the future so you never know :)

  • @LisaStephens-up2ui
    @LisaStephens-up2ui2 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much for sharing! We left in May of 2023 after almost 55 years of being in. We love now knowing the true gospel story and the true joy of living for God! God is amazing! ❤️

  • @davidalink

    @davidalink

    2 ай бұрын

    Wonderful!

  • @Charity-vm4bt

    @Charity-vm4bt

    2 ай бұрын

    ​​​​@@davidalinkThis is shocking! KZread "algorithm" brought this to my feed. Otherwise, I never heard of it until now. The religious terminology certainly sounds like what various Christian groups use, so outsiders could be subtly deceived. (Mormons are similar in their recruitment process. You probably already know that.) It is easy to see how a young woman could have been deceived.

  • @purplelove392

    @purplelove392

    Ай бұрын

    ​@@Charity-vm4bt sounds like God brought it to your feed.

  • @Charity-vm4bt

    @Charity-vm4bt

    Ай бұрын

    I need to shorten my other comment. They are not like the Quakers or Mormons that I know. Thanks. ​@purplelove392

  • @mabelveitch1178
    @mabelveitch11782 ай бұрын

    We can relate to your experience. i was raised in it ,so know what its like ! God himself will teach us individually !Please show us!!! Thank you !

  • @CMcKinnon1013
    @CMcKinnon10132 ай бұрын

    Marissa, first I want to say, ty for sharing.your story. 2nd, I too have been, gone thru PTSD, and I found the Lotd, and in finding God, and getting to know and build that relationship, He has made me whole again. So, as you go thru your counseling, learn to forgive them, and pray for them. For they know NOT what they do, but by doing this, you may save many souls. Blessed be to Our Trinity, may God prosper you and your family. 😊❤ Love from AZ-US

  • @user-or7jo9dj3w
    @user-or7jo9dj3w2 ай бұрын

    Awe Marissa! What an Amazing Testimony. Thank you for stepping out, for being brave and for lovingly standing for God's truth🫶 Philippines 1:6 "being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you,will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Well done, sweet child, of the True and Living God. ✝️♥️

  • @maryhender1783
    @maryhender17832 ай бұрын

    A powerful testimony, I so enjoyed it. your sincerity stands out. May our God be uplifted through your and David's ministry. Watching from the Land Down Under.

  • @deborahlaemmar3105
    @deborahlaemmar3105Ай бұрын

    Melissa, thank you for your honest and brilliant account of leaving what you married into. You are a brave and thoughtful young woman who told your story and I am sure that it will wake up anybody who listens to you. God is using you for His work in this. You are brilliant for sharing it just like it is!

  • @daveknight7957
    @daveknight79572 ай бұрын

    You can leave a cult in minutes but it might take a lifetime for the cult to leave you.

  • @Wyolineman

    @Wyolineman

    2 ай бұрын

    Wow. That is so true. From 8 yrs old to 35 years old for me. From birth to 35 for my spouse. It took YEARS to clear our hearts and heads.

  • @sharijohnson4024

    @sharijohnson4024

    Ай бұрын

    ...yes, too true... glad I am where I am now but it's been very difficult transition.

  • @CMcKinnon1013
    @CMcKinnon10132 ай бұрын

    Thank you Marissa, my heart broke, actually I did cry, bcuz when you mentioned, the red flags, the times that I went to, that made me think that I was going crazy, doubting what I felt, that was when I let it out. This was a powerful testimony, and I feel like, released. Whhhh, ok ty again

  • @lisasprite3322
    @lisasprite33222 ай бұрын

    Very nice ending 🩷 You brought me joy 🌷

  • @kathy-ro6es
    @kathy-ro6es2 ай бұрын

    So very happy for you and your family...."always ask questions" is the best advice!! God is using your family to share how to know the whole truth....praying you continue to heal.

  • @brucemyers3660
    @brucemyers36602 ай бұрын

    Thank you for sharing your story. I was 4th generation born and raised, and it took the events of last year to make me finally see clearly. You are right - there is so much joy that we were missing out on. I know that you think your story is so different from those of us that were born and raised, but really, there are so many commonalities between what you said in this "interview" and what we experienced. The difference, as you pointed out, is that we are "baby" Christians now, whereas you had a basis of knowledge. Anyway, thanks for sharing.

  • @MerissaAlink

    @MerissaAlink

    2 ай бұрын

    I'm so glad you've finally found the joy!

  • @bonniehewitt2921
    @bonniehewitt29212 ай бұрын

    Thank you, Merissa for all that you shared here from your heart. It was very encouraging for me, and I could relate with you in so many of your experiences you mentioned. Praise God that your eyes were opened, and David’s eyes were opened.❤️

  • @kimberlyrichardson7606
    @kimberlyrichardson76062 ай бұрын

    Thank you for sharing. I’m so glad you guys were able to get out and just keep on keeping on.

  • @sn0wgirl777
    @sn0wgirl7772 ай бұрын

    Such an interesting perspective. Thank you so much for sharing your story.

  • @codymurray4063
    @codymurray40632 ай бұрын

    I am so thankful that you shared your story and all the other stories that are shared on this channel. I love that you shared JOY there at the end. My wife and I are now starting to experience that joy also. Thanks so much

  • @jamesrougeau
    @jamesrougeau2 ай бұрын

    I just discovered your channel this morning. Very interesting amen Thanks for sharing, James

  • @gebcampbell3827
    @gebcampbell38272 ай бұрын

    Thank you Merissa for your story... Yes, where's the joy ?

  • @glee_again2594
    @glee_again25942 ай бұрын

    Thank you for your boldness in sharing your story. May God bless you and your marriage/family as you move forward in Him.

  • @mabelveitch1178
    @mabelveitch11782 ай бұрын

    Thank you for sharing !

  • @seekingtruth1060
    @seekingtruth10606 күн бұрын

    I can understand how you can be caught up in something and not fully realise until later that it was either a cult or a very unbiblical church. This happened to me coming out of the charismatic and Pentecostal movement. I always knew something was off but didn't know my bible enough at the time to really know what it was. Jesus was alway mentioned and worshiped but the true gospel message was always sidelined as the focus was on works, signs, wonders, speaking in tongues and finding your purpose! Praise God I am in the word every day and go to a good biblical church whete we hear the gospel every week and Jesus the King is front and centre. Thank you for having the humility to share your story Merissa. Praying for you and David and this ministry.

  • @songsofthespirit
    @songsofthespiritАй бұрын

    You have such a gentle and sensitive spirit. Thank you for sharing your story.

  • @faithworks217
    @faithworks217Ай бұрын

    I am glad that I took the time to watch this. What a blessing this lovely girl must be to David with her sweet, gentle spirit. I love her take on what children should get out of church. When I used to look after babies in the nursery at church, for me, it wasn't about keeping them out of their parents' hair, so that they could sit in church undisturbed. It was about giving children the experience of having positive associations with church through contact with loving, caring people who recognize their value.

  • @lynettemarchant2280
    @lynettemarchant22802 ай бұрын

    Merissa, i am so grateful for having listened to you testimony this morning. My walk is very different in that i continued all my life to go to an evangelical (reformed) church and when i married my husband, who was English speaking, we started going to like English speaking churches. However, what is happening in so many denominations today is a slow moving away from Christ centered teaching, Him being Lord of the church and our lives, to an easy believism that " we are okay and that God loves us and wants to bless us", that 90% truth, with no emphasis on, or call to salvation in Christ and accepting Him as our Lord as well as Saviour. So I take from your testimony to ask even the right questions in all instances, and to recognise these subtle diversions from the Truth we have in Christ Jesus. May you be blessed as you continue your walk with Him and may He guide you as you raise your family in His name. With so much gratitude, encouragement and prayer, Lynette Marchant, south Africa.

  • @ToddMyers-my5ti
    @ToddMyers-my5ti2 ай бұрын

    Thank You for sharing.

  • @ArizonaSteve
    @ArizonaSteve2 ай бұрын

    Praise God! 😊👍🏻🙏🏻 Thank you for sharing! Jesus is the Truth!

  • @faithworks217
    @faithworks217Ай бұрын

    God put it in David's heart to marry a woman who was raised outside of meetings, not to bring her into them, but to bring him out of bondage. God sure had a treasure in store for him. Not everybody who was raised in church cares about the things of God as much as Merissa does.

  • @davidsandraramey742
    @davidsandraramey7422 ай бұрын

    I'm feeling so bad for your experience with friends...I don't even know you but I love your honesty. I believe you. 😢

  • @Daniel-jr2tc
    @Daniel-jr2tc2 ай бұрын

    I left 5 years ago and I haven't spoken with my parents since. I have offered to meet them several times And they declined. I saw them in town twice and tried to talk to them. But they just ran away. I think the workers have forbidden them from speaking to me.

  • @MerissaAlink

    @MerissaAlink

    2 ай бұрын

    I'm so sorry that you are having to deal with that. I always will find it interesting that they'd rather run in the opposite direction rather than to "try and bring you back to the flock". Seems the opposite of preaching love for others.

  • @Daniel-jr2tc

    @Daniel-jr2tc

    2 ай бұрын

    @@MerissaAlink I know right. The Bible says the righteous are as bold as the lion. But when they see us, they run the other way.

  • @Charity-vm4bt

    @Charity-vm4bt

    2 ай бұрын

    ​@@Daniel-jr2tcSorry to read about this religion and that your parents were forced to refuse contact. Maybe it will heal and be reconciled some day.

  • @Daniel-jr2tc

    @Daniel-jr2tc

    2 ай бұрын

    @@Charity-vm4bt Thank you. I'm sure it will all work out the way God plans. I just have to focus on myself. To make sure I'm willing for whatever God has in store.

  • @geanma81

    @geanma81

    Ай бұрын

    So sad, continue to pray for them

  • @blanchemoore5489
    @blanchemoore5489Ай бұрын

    I certainly identify with your story, mine is very similar! THANK YOU for sharing!!!🙏👏😊

  • @Jeannine-jf4ie
    @Jeannine-jf4ieАй бұрын

    I love your attitude merissa. Tks for sharing.

  • @User_Happy35
    @User_Happy35Ай бұрын

    I did not know about "the meetings" or whatever name the group goes by. Thanks for educating Christians about them

  • @debbiecooper6817
    @debbiecooper68172 ай бұрын

    Thank you, for sharing your story. You are such a beautiful person full of God’s light.

  • @ireneh3411
    @ireneh34112 ай бұрын

    Thank you for sharing your story Merissa

  • @45squared
    @45squaredАй бұрын

    27:38 This is a new one to me. 1Cor12:10 ‘discernment of spirits’ being manifested in the flesh as a suffocating allergic reaction to false doctrines of demons. This woman is a spiritual barometer! Love it. 〰️〰️〰️ p.s. Congratulations David for leaving the cult to keep the joy you found in your wife. She definitely is a🏆keeper. Eph5 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; singing, and making melody (Gal5v22 JOY) in your heart to the Lord;

  • @Jeannine-jf4ie
    @Jeannine-jf4ieАй бұрын

    Its a relief that im not the only one that had similar experiences. Thank you

  • @gailfirenze4760
    @gailfirenze4760Ай бұрын

    You are an amazing young woman. Thank you for sharing your story. God bless you. 🙋🏼‍♀️🇦🇺

  • @amythompson6494
    @amythompson6494Ай бұрын

    Oh, sister, what a testimony! Praise God for showing your husband the Truth!

  • @sassiehealzyo
    @sassiehealzyo13 күн бұрын

    When you mentioned the funeral, that is the exact same experience I had at my own grandmother's funeral/memorial. Part of my family is in it (still are), and another part is not anymore. For those of us not in it, it was like we didn't even exist, it felt cold. They had a potluck after, in the same house, but yea, we were all basically ignored. It didn't even feel like a memorial, it felt like just a moment for the worker who spoke to preach the gospel and that was it. After going to another funeral recently, which was held in a christian church, it was the exact opposite. People were talking, hugging, shaking hands. Your religion didn't matter. Part of me wished my grandma had a better memorial, but at the same time, she was so deeply entrenched in that faith that she probably would have loved it. Thank you for sharing your story! I was born into it but never liked it, even as a child, it just felt wrong. I never liked how I would have questions and they could never be answered, or I would get told to ask the workers when they come around. When they did come around, they still never answered my questions. I ended up disliking every religion because that was the only one I knew. Recently, with all the information coming out about the 2x2 sect, it has made me really question my own spirituality, after seeing that other religions are not like that at all.

  • @jhook479
    @jhook47923 күн бұрын

    I grew up in this. It's good Christians like you who have really helped me/fed my soul after I left and during the process. Thank you for this. That must have been so difficult to share. I know how hard this stuff is to discuss. It's so, so painful and difficult to express in words. God bless you. God knows you are strong and has used your strength for good. Don't ever feel like this was wasted time or effort being around these people, for them to turn their backs on you. If exposure to your Christian values helped even one single person in this group, your effort was worth it

  • @megnelson5036
    @megnelson5036Ай бұрын

    You are amazing and have great courage. Blessings to you and your family.

  • @floydranck9786
    @floydranck97862 ай бұрын

    Thank you for sharing We all have been deiced in different ways

  • @Heaveniswaitingforyou
    @HeaveniswaitingforyouАй бұрын

    Wow Merissa, I had panic attacks to the highest degree especially right before I left meetings for good! I can relate so much to you in so many ways! I’m so glad you got out by the grace of God, along with your husband David. God bless you both! I left back in 2020 at the age of 30. My husband never professed but he came a lot with me. My first child was born around the time I left so I’m very thankful to raise my kids to know Jesus Christ for who he really is! GOD! ✝️🤍

  • @Heaveniswaitingforyou

    @Heaveniswaitingforyou

    Ай бұрын

    I have a KZread video of my life story “Vanessa’s Testimony Out Of Spiritual Bondage”

  • @Heaveniswaitingforyou

    @Heaveniswaitingforyou

    Ай бұрын

    kzread.info/dash/bejne/pJ2Vz6afZLmwlqw.htmlsi=pgH-JbZVQmf6c8TP

  • @andrewh7599
    @andrewh7599Ай бұрын

    I'm glad God you out!! It's for freedom that you've been set free!

  • @mskrislewis
    @mskrislewis2 ай бұрын

    We were never allowed to ask questions. If we ask questions they were overlooked or pushed aside or looked down upon

  • @MerissaAlink

    @MerissaAlink

    2 ай бұрын

    If you aren't allowed to ask questions or question anything, that should always be a major red flag. I hope that you've gotten your questions answered now!

  • @mskrislewis

    @mskrislewis

    2 ай бұрын

    @@MerissaAlink I have many questions but I wont ask the workers.

  • @eScential

    @eScential

    2 ай бұрын

    I near life-end and never experienced any questions allowed. Typically, get banned/excommunication for trying to understand. I'm not saying absolute, just no personal encounter life-long.

  • @denisecintas4954
    @denisecintas4954Ай бұрын

    Marissa your strong, you followed the Lord and your heart.❤

  • @williamkooy5426
    @williamkooy542629 күн бұрын

    I really really could relate. The world and the churches in this world are like that our Lord Jesus had the same experience. A born again Christian is different. He or she is like our Lorfd God. Love you and your husband very much.

  • @Oceangirl60
    @Oceangirl602 ай бұрын

    You are a beautiful person!

  • @stevebertsch3957
    @stevebertsch39572 ай бұрын

    ❤❤❤

  • @faithworks217
    @faithworks217Ай бұрын

    It isn't fair that the men in the Two by Twos are allowed to look normal (except in the 1960s when long hair for men was in fashion), but the woman look outdated and drab. This is oppression. The rules for dressing when I was a kid were that the only jewelry women were allowed to wear were wedding and engagement rings, a watch, and brooches. I was surprised when a young woman in our meeting showed off her watch, which had diamonds, but it was allowed because it was an engagement present. Basically, it was a bracelet with a useful function. Brooches were allowed because only old ladies wore them. They were unfashionable. But they were pretty. Even the old ladies were sliding by with a hint of rebellion against the strictness of the dress code. The older women often wore their hair in a 1930s/1940s style. They tied a string around their skull and rolled their hair into it. It was tidy, but not attractive. The young women were hussies who wore their long hair teased to the hilt and piled high on their head with elaborate curls and rolls. The workers rebuked them from the pulpit, saying that wearing their hair like that was rebellion. Tsk tsk. There was a lot of emphasis in the preaching about how we were supposed to dress, and about how other churches were false, and theirs was the only true church. Sometimes someone preached against tv, which is legit. I don't recall that they said much about Jesus. He was only an accessory to their cult, to Christianize it, rather than the focus of their faith. After I was saved and went to a Pentecostal church, I went to convention one more time with my mother, and one of the workers actually ranted that to believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, without being a part of their church, is a lie of the devil. That did it for me. I never again went to any of their meetings.

  • @anitacarleton1661
    @anitacarleton166114 күн бұрын

    I was involved due to marriage like you. I knew when my husband professed it was the end. I stayed but the judgment was so opposite what the Bible teaches. I actually developed tricotomania. Its been years but i still feel the draw of it. Crazy

  • @mattleitner5194
    @mattleitner5194Ай бұрын

    God used you to help your husband get out, and I’m sure the two of you are helping others. This is a form of ministry also, the cultists need missionaries too. I just left a cult about a year ago, and right now, my wife and children are still in it.

  • @bushcrafters3909
    @bushcrafters3909Ай бұрын

    Thank you for your story. It feels like it is hard to describe the actual pressure. As I watch several of these interviews, each one bring out the fact that the bible is read in small context and not deep detail in which it was designed to be understood. I am saddened by this opening of a religion and brought to light that people are lead astray and not directed to read the bible for themselves. I am also saddened by the status of our Christian Church as a whole that does not read the bible, or believe it is true. We are a people who do what is right in our own eyes. It is sad.

  • @Jeannine-jf4ie
    @Jeannine-jf4ieАй бұрын

    I went to meetings with a knowledge of the bible. I was at about 10 meetings on wed night. Like you i found that they looked serious and lacked joy. I was accustomed to long dresses. I didnt grow up in any church.

  • @tracilong681
    @tracilong68128 күн бұрын

    Thank you for sharing your story, Merissa. You mentioned the "workers" are homeless. Who are the workers and what exactly do they do?

  • @davidalink

    @davidalink

    27 күн бұрын

    They are the "ministers" in the group. There is more info in the description too!

  • @Oceangirl60
    @Oceangirl602 ай бұрын

    The Holy Spirit IS The Spirit of Truth!...He will lead us into ALL truth.

  • @thevoiceofonecryinginthewi6803
    @thevoiceofonecryinginthewi68032 ай бұрын

    Love the dog.

  • @Jeannine-jf4ie
    @Jeannine-jf4ieАй бұрын

    I felt the judgement, im very perceptive. I been a christian for 30 years. Im a mature christian. Yet, i never felt good enough. I wasnt allowed to make a donation to the workers because i wasnt a member.

  • @ingridblagrove9044
    @ingridblagrove90442 ай бұрын

    What is meeting? I'm confused! What church is this?

  • @davidalink

    @davidalink

    2 ай бұрын

    They take no name but are know as meetings, the friends and workers, the way, the fellowship, the truth, etc. from the outside they are know as the 2x2s. There is more info in the description too!

  • @Charity-vm4bt

    @Charity-vm4bt

    2 ай бұрын

    ​@@davidalinkThat is how they hide their identity! Those words are innocuous!

  • @candacewilliams6869
    @candacewilliams6869Ай бұрын

    So glad that God led you out and back into a Christian life. Sounds loke the Holy Spirit was talking to you the whole time but the other voices were loud and confusing. So wondeful that you led your husband out of the "Way" and into Jesus's arms. No telling where he"d be now otherwise! My hubby and i became Christians through premarital counseling. A good friend was caught up in the "way" soon after and as we prayed God led him out. That was our only experience with that group. But i was involved with two cults before becoming a Christian. God bless you and use you abundantly!!

  • @faithworks217
    @faithworks217Ай бұрын

    I was raised in meetings, but there wasn't any pressure on my mother or us kids from workers because my stepfather did not go to meetings. I doubt that they ever asked my mother for money; she'd have to get Dad's approval. Dad was raised as a Mennonite, but he did not go to church. He was totally on board with us girls wearing skirts below our knees and no makeup. We never had workers visit us, but we saw some of the lady workers in other people's homes, and called them Auntie. They were not pushy. My favourite one was Grace Websdale, a tiny, gray-haired woman. When I was 13 and felt guilty about smoking cigarettes and wearing lipstick when us three older kids in my family were sent off to pick berries during summer, I chose Grace to confess my sins to at convention in Silverdale, BC. She just listened and did not say anything, which I appreciated. I repeated the ritual the following year. When I was 15, I went into fostercare and was glad to finally be done with going to meetings.

  • @johng8560
    @johng8560Ай бұрын

    this lady has the heart of Jesus

  • @janicew6222
    @janicew6222Ай бұрын

    It is easy to be a Sunday afternoon quarterback, but life is seldom as easy to judge especially when quite young. I have been a Christian since age 14, but in my 20's I was drawn into New Age....I still can't believe it but the devil is good at twisting the truth. I am in my 70's now and can see clearly what I couldn't see then. The miracle is Jesus did make himself known and you are now helping others. Blessings.

  • @bluebronx2000
    @bluebronx200027 күн бұрын

    The heart palpitations happened to me when I was reading the Passion. It's not a translation, it's demonic, and the enemy was using it to attack my physical heart. False teaching is not just problematic; it's DANGEROUS. BUT JESUS IS THE SAVIOR OF HIS PEOPLE. And He will strike all His enemies on the cheek and He will heal every wound of His people!

  • @ahotchikn
    @ahotchiknАй бұрын

    ....MARANATHA LORD OUR SAVIOUR CHRIST YESHUA HALLELUYAH

  • @louisehenari4916
    @louisehenari49162 ай бұрын

    I praise God for bringing your husband out if that cult, and for rescuing you from going deeper into it. The Lord is using you to help open the eyes of other believers, who may not be very discerning. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I do have one question. What is a worker? I'm a born-again believer in Jesus Christ and I don't know anything about the Amish religion. So I'm hearing certain terms, and I don't know what they mean. Are you able to explain a little about that? God bless you and your family, as you point others to the Cross. Jesus saves. 🙏🏻 🕊️

  • @davidalink

    @davidalink

    2 ай бұрын

    This is not the Amish but a group called the 2x2s. There is more info in the description!

  • @louisehenari4916

    @louisehenari4916

    2 ай бұрын

    @@davidalink oh! Thank you so much David, for pointing that out to me. I'll check out that information. I should know better than to listen to important videos, on days that I'm not feeling well. It never fails, I always misunderstand what I'm listening to. Thank you for responding.

  • @MerissaAlink

    @MerissaAlink

    2 ай бұрын

    @@louisehenari4916 David is also working on another video with more info on the group and the history. He should have that up in a few weeks :)

  • @louisehenari4916

    @louisehenari4916

    2 ай бұрын

    @@MerissaAlink I look forward to watching it. 🙂❣️🕊️🙏🏻

  • @faithworks217
    @faithworks217Ай бұрын

    I am happy to say that all the adults I met in meetings as a child seemed pretty nice. But the meetings were boring. There wasn't much to hold children's attention, except that the workers would sometimes teach the kids a Christian children's song at the start of a Sunday evening meeting, or give us a verse to memorize. Then the following Sunday, they would ask the kids to sing the song or recite the verse. The adults were fond of this and the kids felt proud if they had the verse memorized. It was a privilege to be raised knowing at least this much of God's Word. If we professed (I did at age 12), then we could participate in the home meetings by sharing our testimony. In my home, us kids would open the Bible minutes before we had to leave for church and quickly find a verse that we could share as a testimony. It was always a formula. After reading the verse, we'd say, "And I long to . . ." and then say whatever virtue it was that was in the verse. Or not do, if it was a sin. The adults usually said, "And I long to . . . " as well, which is how we learned to say it. The adults thought it was so cute that some little boy in another meeting said, "And I long to not commit adultery." At his age, he did not know what adultery was. After Sunday morning meeting, dear old Mr. Fair would hand out peppermints to us kids. Dear old Mr. Fair had eleven kids and one of them was tall, handsome Arleigh, 19 years old, ten years older than me, and he called me his twin, as our birthday was on the same day. I remember looking up at him with a smile and thinking, "I am so glad to be HIS twin." He was a sweet guy. Years later, when I was working in a flower shop, Arleigh came in to buy flowers and was surprised to see me, as I was 15 the last time he saw me. He exclaimed, "Lanny! My twin!" It was so nice that he remembered.

  • @denisecintas4954
    @denisecintas4954Ай бұрын

    I have been shunned by my family. Forget them, life is much better to find your own way. I have had PTSD since I was 10 yrs old, from a sexual assault. I do not miss my family.😊

  • @rogerdubarry8505
    @rogerdubarry85052 ай бұрын

    Wonderful that you all understand that it is by grace not works. I don’t hear much about the righteousness of faith though. That is as foundational as grace. Do you guys believe in election?

  • @faithworks217
    @faithworks217Ай бұрын

    I was raised in meetings. My grandmother, who brought her family into this cult, was a genuine Christian. She looked after my brother and sister and me for a couple of years when we were little and took very good care of us, though she was in her fifties and had raised 16 of her own children. I don't recall her talking to us about God, but I remember her warning our young uncles, who were in their late teens and lived at home, about the wiles of the "adversary." I have a memory that I find quite amusing. I was four years old at the time. Grandma and us kids and the uncles were watching tv one evening. Not Grandma so much; her hands were always busy. She was crocheting or knitting. This was back in the 1950s, black and white tv. The show was about a girl who was in some desolate place where no plants grew, not in Hell, but a place of temptation. She was running around in her white slip and the devil was tempting her with philosophical questions. He was wearing a body suit and had horns and a tail. Grandma must have thought it would be educational for my two uncles to watch this show and learn about the sophistries of the adversary. I hardly looked at the screen. I was fascinated by the rapt attention of my uncles, their eyeballs nearly falling out of their sockets, as they watched that pretty girl running around in her slip. I think that they missed the points that Grandma wanted them to get.

  • @Diligent-dp7gi
    @Diligent-dp7gi2 ай бұрын

    # WHAT are "Meetings" ??? I'm a devout Christian and have Never heard of the "Meetings" that you are talking about/referring to ...?????

  • @davidalink

    @davidalink

    2 ай бұрын

    Meetings are a legalistic group started in 1897 that denies the deity of Christ and strives in vain towards a worked based salvation. They claim no name, but are known as Meetings, The Truth, Friends & Workers, 2x2s, The Fellowship, The Way, etc. They claim to be a continuation of the 1st century church and the "ministers" or workers, are homeless and go in pairs. However, they stay in members homes known as the Friends. In '23 & '24 a lot of CSA and SA has been revealed in the leadership and members, so many of the Friends are leaving the group. You can find out more about them here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_by_Twos

  • @thegeorges2384
    @thegeorges23842 ай бұрын

    I was raised & still attend a church who believe in The Trinity. But I was shocked to realise the actual word Trinity is not in the bible at all. & yes there are many passages that speak of Jesus also being God, but the scripture also tells us that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. So there are clearly two of them & when we get to heaven we will meet both God & Jesus as separate beings. I can’t wrap my head around the 3 in 1 concept & have concluded I may never get it. All I know is one day I will meet God & Jesus. “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever-faith, hope, and love-and the greatest of these is love.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

  • @crazymountain777

    @crazymountain777

    2 ай бұрын

    And don’t forget that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit just like He promised. The third member of the deity! Hallelujah!

  • @luanskipolanski215

    @luanskipolanski215

    2 ай бұрын

    You might want to check out Focus on the Kingdom, if it's not in the bible then maybe there's a reason for that. God bless.

  • @juliecramer8459

    @juliecramer8459

    2 ай бұрын

    When Jesus the Son was baptized, God the Father spoke, and the Holy Spirit came down like a dove, All 3 are mentioned

  • @eScential

    @eScential

    2 ай бұрын

    ​@juliecramer8459 mentioned, but I'm unable to conceptualize. God will let me know, not humans, if i need to understand. No allistic will tolerate any question to comprehend God.

  • @Wyolineman

    @Wyolineman

    2 ай бұрын

    The word "Godhead" is in the Bible.

  • @clifffrankie8044
    @clifffrankie8044Ай бұрын

    Young lady you're full of wisdom you need your own KZread channel

  • @faithworks217
    @faithworks217Ай бұрын

    The Cooneyites say that all the other churches are false, but the songs in their hymnal were written by Christians from other churches. They selected the ones with solemn tunes and words, nothing about the joy of the Lord. It was depressing. "Time is fleeting, flowers are falling, life will soon be past. Pause and ponder where thou goest; time is flying fast." Something like that. I haven't sung it since I was a kid. I remember feeling scared when I sung it, even after I "professed," at 12. There is no assurance of salvation in their doctrine. It is based on works and you don't find out if you were good enough until after you're dead, when you're standing before God in His Judgment Hall. It's too late by then to find out that you don't qualify for Heaven.

  • @Salty_Traveler
    @Salty_TravelerАй бұрын

    I'm trying to figure out what 'group' this is?

  • @MerissaAlink

    @MerissaAlink

    Ай бұрын

    There is more info about the group in the description box. They are known on the outside as the 2x2s.

  • @Salty_Traveler

    @Salty_Traveler

    Ай бұрын

    @@MerissaAlink - Thank you!