by Warlock 54 Replies latest jw experiences
Welcome Warlock - you'll fit in just perfect here!
so you need to live your life in such a way, that if you should get old and die in this system, you will have made the appropriate plans for the future.
Have to agree with Daystar - that would be giving the R&F too much control over their own lives.
They don't tell you to prepare for your future because it would give them less control over your present. They need you to through everything you have at them so you feel that you have everything to lose by leaving, which is not the case; by leaving them you have gained everything. True you cannot get back the years you gave to them but think of how precious the time you do have is going to feel to you knowing that you have your freedom.
I missed most of the fine music that flowed thru the airwaves of the 1980's. Come to find out later, many of the friends had not only continued to listen, but they purchased the music.
I threw out a number of CDs when I was baptised.. Queen, Boom Crash Opera. Oh yeah, real nasty.
Good to meet you, keep it together!
I came into contact, because some may remember my story and put 2 and 2 together. Too bad some of us have to live in fear of being discovered here.Warlock
Welcome Warlock. Yep - used to feel the same way - are the WT spies watching the board? Will my local elders be tuned in to see if I am here? I was not df'd, nor did I da. After about a year on the boards, I went so far as to allow a picture of myself and Wifey to be posted on this forum. No elders ever noticed to my knowledge. Not to say they are not watching. Of this I have no real idea.
Now I just don't care. It takes time, but one finally reaches the point where the cat and mouse games and attendant fear just become less intense, we relax and get on with the healing. I think that point was reached for me about two years into my exit. That's when I started to feel truly freed from the Wt shackels.
Whatever you can tell us within your comfort zone is great. Feel no pressure. Leaving and healing is a process, not a moment. We are glad to see that you are here. Stick around.
Wifey and I also 'lost' many years. I was just 5 when Mom took up the religion. Wifey was born into it. We left in our very late 40's. Still life is what you make it from this moment on. The sooner we quit the regrets, the sooner we began to heal.
Again - Welcome. It's a nice lot. You will find all sorts of folks here. But all can empathize with you in some level.
Jeff
Hi Warlock.
What you are experiencing is Normal. It's Human. Take one day at a time. There are so many wonderful People out here to help you through.
-Dianne
Welcome Warlock. You're first posts were excellent. I remember those talks. I never followed the advice but a few of my friends did. I'm sorry you missed out on 20 years.
Welcome warlock -
Kudos to you on posting and getting support you need here.
We all have needed this board so badly at one time or another. It's been a life saver literally for all of us at one time or another.
So glad you are around, can't wait to hear more.
-freedomlover
What a way to start the day! Thank you for your kind thoughts. I guess I'll stick around for a while. A couple of thoughts on some of your comments.
Moo: The problem is that the sheep listen and obey men, when they should listen and observe men and obey the Bible, provided they are believers in the Bible. I say that because I know that some here do not believe the Bible anymore.
Another thing that has bothered me for a while is this: If Jah has set a day for "the Big-A", as I call it, then, more preaching, less preaching, or for that matter, no preaching, is NOT going to make that day come any sooner or later.
I'm not saying that a Christian does not have an obligation to share his faith, but salvation, according to the Bible, comes from God's undeserved kindness. In the Org. there is a constant emphasis on works, works and more works. Did you ever notice that when articles mentioned salvation due to God's undeserved kindness, that point was never, or rarely emphasized and it just went over everyones head?
Warlock
Did you ever notice that when articles mentioned salvation due to God's undeserved kindness, that point was never, or rarely emphasized and it just went over everyones head
Do you mean like this one, Warlock?
This is the Day of Salvation 12-15-98 Watchtower
"The
Especially Acceptable Time"12
For salvation, we must act in harmony with Paul’s words: "Working together with him [Jehovah], we also entreat you not to accept the undeserved kindness of God and miss its purpose. For he says: ‘In an acceptable time I heard you, and in a day of salvation I helped you.’ Look! Now is the especially acceptable time. Look! Now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:1, 2) Jehovah’s anointed ambassadors and his envoys, the "other sheep," do not accept their heavenly Father’s undeserved kindness and miss its purpose. (John 10:16) By their upright conduct and zealous ministry in this "acceptable time," they seek divine favor and are informing earth’s inhabitants that this is "the day of salvation."
13
Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8, which reads: "This is what Jehovah has said: ‘In a time of goodwill I have answered you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you; and I kept safeguarding you that I might give you as a covenant for the people, to rehabilitate the land, to bring about the repossessing of the desolated hereditary possessions.’" This prophecy was first fulfilled when the people of Israel were freed from captivity in Babylon and later returned to their desolate homeland.—Isaiah 49:3, 9.
14
In further fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, Jehovah gave his "servant" Jesus as "a light of the nations, that [God’s] salvation may come to be to the extremity of the earth." (Isaiah 49:6, 8; compare Isaiah 42:1-4, 6, 7; Matthew 12:18-21.) The "time of goodwill," or "acceptable time," evidently applied to Jesus while he was on earth. He prayed, and God "answered" him. That proved to be "a day of salvation" for Jesus because he maintained perfect integrity and thus "became responsible for everlasting salvation to all those obeying him."—Hebrews 5:7, 9; John 12:27, 28.
15
Paul applies Isaiah 49:8 to anointed Christians, entreating them ‘not to miss the purpose of God’s undeserved kindness’ by failing to seek his goodwill during the "acceptable time" and the "day of salvation" that he provides. Paul adds: "Look! Now is the especially acceptable time. Look! Now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2) Since Pentecost 33 C.E., spiritual Israelites have endeavored to prove worthy of God’s undeserved kindness so that the "acceptable time" would be "a day of salvation" for them.
‘Recommending
Ourselves as God’s Ministers’16
Some men associated with the Corinthian congregation were not proving worthy of God’s undeserved kindness. They slandered Paul in an effort to destroy his apostolic authority, although he avoided "giving any cause for stumbling." He certainly recommended himself as God’s minister "by the endurance of much, by tribulations, by cases of need, by difficulties, by beatings, by prisons, by disorders, by labors, by sleepless nights, by times without food." (2 Corinthians 6:3-5) Later, Paul reasoned that if his opponents were ministers, he was "more outstandingly one" because of suffering more imprisonments, beatings, dangers, and privations.—2 Corinthians 11:23-27.
17
Like Paul and his companions, we can recommend ourselves as God’s ministers. How? "By purity," or chasteness, and by acting in harmony with accurate Bible knowledge. We can recommend ourselves "by long-suffering," patiently enduring wrong or provocation, and "by kindness" as we do helpful things for others. Moreover, we can recommend ourselves as ministers of God by accepting guidance by his spirit, displaying "love free from hypocrisy," speaking truthfully, and relying on him for power to carry out the ministry. Interestingly, Paul also proved his ministerial status "through the weapons of righteousness on the right hand and on the left." In ancient warfare, the right hand usually wielded the sword while the left held the shield. In waging spiritual warfare against false teachers, Paul did not employ weapons of the sinful flesh—deviousness, trickery, deceit. (2 Corinthians 6:6, 7; 11:12-14; Proverbs 3:32) He used righteous "weapons," or means, for furthering true worship. So should we.
18
If we are God’s ministers, we will comport ourselves as did Paul and his coworkers. We will act like Christians whether honored or disrespected. Bad reports about us will not stop our preaching work, nor will we become haughty if reported on favorably. We will speak the truth and may gain recognition for godly works. When in deadly peril under enemy assault, we will trust in Jehovah. And we will accept discipline with gratitude.—2 Corinthians 6:8, 9.
19
Ending his discussion about the ministry of reconciliation, Paul spoke of himself and his associates "as sorrowing but ever rejoicing, as poor but making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things." (2 Corinthians 6:10) While those ministers had reason to sorrow over their afflictions, they had inner joy. They were materially poor, but they ‘made many rich’ spiritually. In fact, they ‘possessed all things’ because their faith brought them spiritual riches—even the prospect of becoming heavenly sons of God. And they had a rich and happy life as Christian ministers. (Acts 20:35) Like them, we can ‘make many rich’ by sharing in the ministry of reconciliation right now—in this day of salvation!
Trust
in Salvation by Jehovah20
When Paul wrote his second letter to the Corinthians in about 55 C.E., only some 15 years remained for the Jewish system of things. The apostle earnestly wanted Jews and Gentiles to become reconciled to God through Christ. That was a day of salvation, and there was no time to waste. Well, we have been in a corresponding conclusion of a system of things since 1914. The global work of Kingdom preaching now under way marks this as the day of salvation.
21
People of all nations need to hear about God’s provision for salvation through Jesus Christ. There is no time for delay. Paul wrote: "Look! Now is the day of salvation." Those words of 2 Corinthians 6:2 will be the 1999 yeartext of Jehovah’s Witnesses. How fitting, for we face something far worse than the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple! Just ahead is the end of this entire system of things, involving everyone on earth. Now—not tomorrow—is the time to act. If we believe that salvation belongs to Jehovah, if we love him, and if we value eternal life, we will not miss the purpose of God’s undeserved kindness. With a heartfelt desire to honor Jehovah, we will prove by word and deed that we really mean it when we exclaim: "Look! Now is the day of salvation."
Personally I found this statement to be particularly hypocritical - shouldn't 'undeserved kindness' mean that God gives it freely - how can we prove ourselves 'worthy' of it?
Some men associated with the Corinthian congregation were not proving worthy of God’s undeserved kindness
I remember burning my Electric Ladyland album because of the song Voodoo Chile. Sorry Jimi!
I threw out a solid Gold Cross a set of new dishes ( they had a church on them) Also my brother-in-law brought back the" goddess of India pure gold necklaces" on their necks ( rings of about six) they went in the garbage also...
Oh well !!!!! Fools rush in where angels fear to tread I know Elvis sang that but I sort of think Jesus could have
