Romans 8:28 promises, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” NASV. All of us desire to be close to our God Jehovah and his son, Jesus Christ. We long for their comfort, guidance and encouragement in our lives. We are promised in Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” NKJV. Yet when difficult and harsh experiences come, we sometimes feel alone and afraid. In Hebrews 13:5 we read, “God Himself has said, “I will never, never let go your hand: I will never never forsake you.” Weymouth. You are not alone. Your heavenly Father and his Son are watching over you. You are not alone. There are others like you who have experienced hard trials and difficult experiences. Take some time to share with us. To tell your story. To encourage others. That is what this Testimony section is for.
Hi,I’ve been bible student 7yrs yes now.heaps slow getting bapitized.got 2 more habits,get rid of .b a proper serving.looking forward 2 it.missed last 2 wks meeting.been away.far 2 Shy go 2 strange meeting.I’m sure there real nice.my nerves r highly stung.I used 2 arrive wen song started & just b4 finished leave so no one could talk 2 me.I get so freaked out been around people.at conventions I wear ear ph`s.listen 2 kingdom songs.all the sound of people to much 4 me.
Hi Shelley and welcome. I know what you mean when you go somewhere new. Are you going to the kingdom hall or with the Bible Student? Habits are so hard to break even good ones. Wanting to worship is ingrained in us and it is worth it (worship comes from old English meaning worth it).
This site has a lot to read and use the bible to quietly , alone look up. On here also we can talk back and forth with different ones to get help with overcoming bad habits. You are to be commended for recognizing that one should be clean to approach Jehovah.
Shelley I find that prayer is powerful. To feel the HolySpirit work on you and thru you to overcome problems will bring you to your knees sometimes.
We are willing to help and talk it out here, it is a safe haven and place to talk.Take care Shelley.
I have only been a JW for a few years, my husband I got baptized on the same day. Our present congregation is having a hard time with me. I’m older and have just graduated from college with a BS in Psychology. This has not been widely accepted by many of the people in our hall. I have a very hard time dealing with the art of shunning. To me it is so emotionally abusive. I was also shocked when a sister in our congregation was disfellowed due to her husband turning her in. I just don’t believe that this is considered a Christian thing to do. I also have a hard time believing that just because I’m a woman I have not say about anything with in the congregation. The other sisters in the hall seems so fake, as though they know something isn’t right but are to afraid to share it.
We have been slowly fading out through the summer, however I receive phone calls daily from one sister. I just let it go to voice mail at this point. We are waiting to see when the elders will take it upon themselves to come to the door. I never realized how hard it is to leave this organization. My husband I did not make the decision to fade lightly. We spent many hours, day, weeks, and month praying about it to have the strength needed to remove ourselves.
Another big motive for me to leave is the sexual abuse that is going on within our kingdom Hall. I know for certain that two of the elders have been found guilty of a form of sexual abuse within our Hall. It seems to me that these things are somewhat swept under the carpet. I do feel a sense of freedom and I was glad to find that there are many others who left the organization that I can rely on.
Kelly thank you so much for sharing what I know is a very personal and hard experience. I am a Holistic psychology practitioner and my added modality is massage-triggerpoint, myofascial release and pain management.
I treated circuit overseers, DO and have gone to Patterson to treat. So it sort of depends on the area you live in. I too am older and they fought my sending my 3 children to college but I did it anyway and so did my mother 51years ago when the society never got in the personal life of the congregations.
The pedophilia issue was with elders and ministerial servants when I dealt with it. Also sexual disrespect for sisters if they were easy on the eyes so to speak. Teenagers were literally molested with the eyes in a former cong. when they went to the washroom. Sisters would talk about it in the bathroom but they were afraid as you said to speak up. I did and called some of them out on it. We had 4 confessed pedophiles in that one little KH and only a hand full of us knew who they were. Book study was in one home and the victim found this site. It was a joy to hear from her but it was a violent rape, yet the man never got DF’d and the book study remained in the home until they stopped all in home some 20 years later.
I wrote a 6 page letter directly to the society into the proper hands (directed by a Bethelite) and they fought back by sending the elders on a fact finding committee for apostasy. They never answered me directly and I to put it lightly, dealt with that committee. I however stayed for 10 years and dealt with verbal abuse every meeting almost from an elder or two and from CO on the platform.
My fading was done by not participating but reading “Crisis of conscience” and “In Search of Christian Freedom” by Raymond Franz, right in the kingdom hall concealed.
It took me ten years to finally realize: That which is crooked cannot be made straight! I walked out in 2009 after a meeting that was uneventful, looked to heaven and said “I am done Father”. I begged him to put in something smaller, not an organization as I could not survive in that environ. I was very specific and asked that they at least know about the kingdom hope and the resurrection on the earth for dying mankind and the 1,000 year reign.
I didn’t think there was such a people, but as I searched the internet I found we had been deceived, flat out lied to about the Bible Students exaggerated death and some other small groups that had at least as many truths as the witnesses.
They are in my opinion baby killers. The magazine article that pictured the deceased children that didn’t take blood haunted me sometimes when I looked at it. How could they do that. I think about the organ transplants that were denied and many died until the society needed to be able to save some of the higher ups lives, then it became okay. Now in some countries witnesses can take the blood as a conscience matter (here also, many don’t know it) or suffer the judgment of the governments.
Kelly you and your husband are welcome here to fellowship and to get spiritual nourishment as you steady yourself. We have all been thru it. It will take time but once I attended a BS convention I was okay and knew being specific had helped me. Also Abraham, Joshua and others was very specific.
Do you have other family in the witnesses? I hope not. But if you do we have found they level out and don’t really do what the society says.
You and your husband have no obligation to meet with the elders. If you just walk away and not go to any KH identifying yourself as a witness they are against the law if they pursue you. It is called Freedom of Religion.
We have found fading is the best way, abruptly works better, they think you are on vacation. Your friend that calls will tell them what your concerns are and she will have at least one more person on the line and will have two witnesses, so watch the conversations. They will read you out on that.
You are a relatively new witness so you no doubt answered the two questions where you agreed to abide by the organization rules. You were not baptized into Christ but an organization. So as long as you speak or identify yourself as a witness they can legally read you out from the platform as a message to others that might have family to lose. I was baptized in 1960 so I never agreed to join an org.
You are under no obligation to write them a letter saying you want to come off their roles. You owe them nothing legally. Their 7 million number includes, DF’D ones and those that just quit as they feel they can come back. But don’t play their game, make a new life and new friends they will humiliate and damage you emotionally in an apostate meeting and this scares weaker personalities. Me personally I thrived on address them, but most don’t.
I am so happy you have your husband in your corner this in itself is a BLESSING! Let’s dialogue and others will join in on the conversation as this is a worldwide audience and thousands are leaving yearly.
Welcome In Christ, Jacqueline
I pray To Jehovah in the name of Jesus and I love to listen to the kingdom songs am I wrong.
how did Jesus teach us to pray Our Father in heaven(let your Name be sanctified) (let your kingdom come)
Well, I’ve finally completed reading all 6 Volumes of the SITS and have been asociated with the BS for about a year now………:)
Hi all, I was just viewing websites of the Mormons, 7th day adventist and the Jw’s….it’s amazing how sincere all the testimonies are of people who have found “the truth”…this really assures me that people are so misled by false religion that Jehovah has to have a merciful plan of salvation at armageddon!
Right Ken. It would’t be fair to just destroy them since they are deceived by the god of this world and since gross darkness covers the people.
Isaiah 60:2-3 NASB “For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you. “Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.
Isaiah 25:6-8 NASB The LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine. And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken.
Amen Peter K!
I have to double AMEN THIS ONE! It makes sense.
well freinds another year has passed!jehovah has blessed and sustained me
and I could not say one bad thing about this wonderfull god! thankyou jehovah for everything both physical and spirtual!thank you lord jesus for all you do every single day! and that holy spirit thats better than any false teachers of the flesh!thanks for makeing my familey more alert and responsive to the things of jehovah thats a wonderfull thing! thank you for useing me to encourage and help those that I can. and As this season closes I just want to thank jehovah that we in the usa have taken a few positive steps! let us all stay sharp we all know daniels prophecy about the kings gathering to push! well its here people countdown is on! I dont want to see any perish but thank jehovah it finally looks like a definative marker has shewed itself! it was getting really tiresome waiting for something but I truely think we may yet live long enough to see the end off the mess! thank jehovah!
have a great food festival! may jehovah bless you!
You be blessed too Ari Matthew. I have been blessed and learned so much this year. I am going to enjoy myself this holiday period. Take Care and AND MAY JEHOVAH KEEP YOU.
its me again ari matthew davies year 2013,wow 2012 blew right by and jehovah has been my streanth, my provider and my wonderfull god.he laid it on my heart to post an answer to the marajuana qustion everyone is asking me,and that is if weed is legal in your state,should a christian smoke it. the answer is simple god blessed the Eating of all green plants as food or medicine.the bible also gives examples of incense as a pleaseing odour.. however concentrateing smoke and inhaleing it is never in any place in the bible given aproveal..so if you want to enjoy jehovahs provisions you can eat,drink or use any legal herb in the healthfull manner of food, drink,a christian should not take something that jehovah has blessed and use it in a way that rubs elbows with the word pharmakia(drugery) the practice of delibrately concentrateing the natural ocureing herbs into a potion to induce euphoria..enough said.. christians these are our last 3.5 years before the final trumpet. keep yourselfs holy,healthy and fit in body and mind.you will soon be called upon to serve your fellowmans through the transition from mans reighn into jesus reighn.I tell you truthfully that vast multitudes of people beleive a whole bunch of sighns, plaughs and wonders have to happen before jesus returns but dont get caught up in this,the bible says this .you will consider the place of the wicked,you will look for him yet he will not be found,for onley the rightous remain..the devil is hard at work these days.he does not need to get you to worship him!
he has crafted tv,computers,video games ,smartphones,facebook,twitter,etc none of them wicked in themself, but while you do these harmless activitys.you are not with jehovahs service,,yes the devil has made you a smorgasboard of harmless distractions
he dosent need your worship,he just need to keep you busy not worshiping jehovah.so freinds watch out for the cute cuddly rabid kitten you let in the door! it wont be cujo who kills you..freinds I pray you stand firm in jehovahs wisdom,and make jehovahs heart glad.. may jehovah richly bless you! oh for those that do not know watchmans ejehovah site has closed and an improved forum is now in operation..
this is the plain simple steps toward jesus!
repent, be baptized calling on the name of jesus! receive the gift of the holy ghost,spirit
then use that gift to help others to come to jesus! simple easy plan, one that does not depend on your studying endless books and magazines and going forth to preach what is written in them! then reporting how many hours,and books you donated to this method…
the bible say specifically
you must not plan out ahead what you are to say! because the holy ghost will speak through you!
how in the heck can this order from god be carried out if you have pr practiced a spiel on the plateform at the kingdom hall? their is no way! you are going out to preach a sermon pre made for you with a magazine pre disposed to talk of what
is in it!!!
freinds return to jesus plan! and help make you your fellowman and your nation walk toward jesus once again
I had friend who is of the anointed and it´s easy to believe that he is.He very humble and knows a lot about the scriptures.When he offers prayers at the meetings, he doesn´t fail to move everyone.He left his old congregetion to join ours because they were treating him differently and he wasn´t comfortable with all the attention and special treatment so he moved away. He is a very Special person.
That’s great 19….humility is such an important quality:)
19 – I am glad the annointed brother is in your congregation now and that he is such a spiritual inspiration to you. Brothers like that can often help us to find good answers in the Bible. Have you ever read the book of Proverbs? It is one of my favorite books and it provides some great guidance for young adults like youself.
Yesterday I told my wife I had the heavenly hope, her response was:……….you’ve lost your mind, you ain’t goin’ to no heaven! not even Abraham was good enough to go!”I told her Abraham died before Jesus did so, he couldn’t have the hope!
Ken – Have you ever met an anointed JW?
Yes Peter, I’ve known a few over the years…..why?
I am curious to know how they were treated by the organization, particularly if they were not in a position of authority I.e. circuit overseer. I am also curious to know whether they were spiritual and had a deep understanding of the Bible. Kurt has wanted to actually be able to meet and talk with an anointed JW brother for years.
Peter K., One of the so called “anointed” ones that I met when I was in my early teens wasn’t very spiritual, in fact, I once caught him smoking a cigar and he told me not to tell anyone! Another one that I met was just the opposite…..very spiritual, an elder and a very kind helpful person.I’ve also met some who claimed to become an anointed after years of considering themselves of the great crowd with the earthly hope…..then suddenly go back to be of the “earthly” class.
I’ve known a few, myself included:
Though I kept it to myself Peter. My wife tells me people knew. Why, I had a deeper understanding of the Bible than the average Witness and it showed in my life since I worked on applying it. Others I met were similarly inclined. Though our knowledge was incomplete since most of it was guided by Watchtower teachings we did seek to look deeper and if one came to a better understanding one learned pretty quick to keep it to oneself.
All callings after 1935 were treated as suspect, officially speaking. If one was in the in crowd there were no problems with acceptance as long as one kept any biblical opinions which didn’t square with the Society’s to oneself. If one was not in the in crowd one was often suspect and often treated accordingly. I’ve heard talk about some behind their backs which wasn’t good at all. I also reminded those who talked that one’s calling was between God and them.
My wife told this year me that much of my troubles came from folks in authority locally knowing I had the call and being envious that such as I was called. That happens.
Yes, Dupin is absolutely correct, I’ve seen the exact same things when I was a Jw. I remember whenever we had the memorial, a lot of us would purposely look around to see who would partake this year, when they did(the ones who never have before)we’d snicker and then talk about how crazy they were later on.
Well, Dupin and Ken, a few of my elders would ask me to please comment as I had began to learn to keep my understanding to myself. Two elders and some in the congregation for years thought I should partake. I just couldn’t because the shunning and talk of some would have affected my family. We had a sister Tolver that partook at home and let persons know if they found out. It was evident that sis Tolver was running for the upward call and that holy spirit was helping her understand the Bible. It was refreshing to hear her explanations and the brothers would not rebuke her because she could wield the bible like a real sword with no notes! My Mom would partake in the B room with some left over from the BS brothers. There would be quite a few in the B room after the memorial.
I have family here today. They just left for the Kingdom Hall. Ken and I were online with Chicago and I stayed on until it ended a 1:15. They heard and saw on my big TV the meeting going on but said nothing. (I project from computer to big screen tv). I have a convention next weekend and my daughter inlaw is staying for three weeks and wanted me to babysit. I told them I have a Grand Rapids conv. Then I will go from convention to Amish territory where I and an Amish wife escaped from our religions at the same time. They are shocked that I go places. I told them I have lots of friends, we will visit for 2 days and discuss Bible. Her husband went back to Amish but she is there but want to be a Christian. Her family and his have accepted her like she is she has all of the BS literature and we see each other at least once every six weeks. Then I will go to Indianapolis for 5 days. So it is difficult for family to expect me to be here at home. They thought I was lonely. So I am encouraging my daughter in law to visit her Mom while I travel (3hrs away) then meet me in Indy. Of course grandmother’s death is still looming which is shocking all of us in hospice. No food or drink for two weeks now. No kidney function to handle IV even. I went from Chgo. fourth sunday meeting last week directly to the hospital and let them know I was in area in Illinois. One elder relative came up shook my hand a Bethelite relative was there and 4 other JW relatives. I don’t hide now. Peace