Hi Firends,
Let's use and old witness saying; "Turn a stumbling block into a stepping stone". I was a member of a few congregations in the So-California desert area for many years. When my dear brothers in my local congregation found that they could not stop me from asking relevant questions as to why there were so many inconsistancies between the view points of the former presidents of the Watchtower Society, and when they realized that I would not accept a pat answer, they did as they were programed to do, they just eliminated me.
Thanks be to Jehovah and to his Son Christ Jesus because my faith was never based on following men. I made it my goal to follow WT Society policy as long as the policy was backed Biblically and Scripturally. I was the assistant to one of the most powerful elders on the west coast. This man was one of the younger of the older originals elders who pioneered the work of starting new congregations years ago in my area and whose name was well known at Brooklyn Bethel. Even today this man is one who is called upon by the society when any building project is undertaken in the west. To be black balled by this guy and his friends is a real black balling extrodinaire.
As you know when you are black balled by the JW org., you are cut off from all friends and hopfully all JW family that you formally had, as my wife and I were. We also have had a very hard time making new friends because we still believe many of the Bible based precepts that the witness org., teaches. For instance we don not celebrate Christmas because we believe in living a truthful life so we do not engage in practices that have pagan origins and/or are made up of lies. This particular teaching regarding not celebrating Christmas for instance is taught by JWs, but happens to be a true precept biblically, so we still do not celebrate. Needless to say we are left out by both worldly people who enjoy celebrating the event and of course we are not allowed to associate with the friends we used to associate with in the org.
Is it easy? No, but we have learned to cope. My wife and I have decided not to compremise our faith. We have decided to follow Christ's teachings no matter where it may lead. My wife and I have decided to remain faithful to Jehovah and to his Christ no matter what those imperfect men say who have been blinded by their own desire to become prominant within the organization. Some are eloquint speakers, some are good a persuasding others to follow, and initally even their motives may have started out pure, but over time many become corrupted with the desire for power, and being passed over for appointment, and because the pressure to progress and be accepted is so great in organization. Finally what is born is an individual who becomes a talking head doing the bidding of those at the top without continually testing the saying to see wether it is true or not. I asked one circuit overseer who was out in service with me how did he study to check and verify the what he was teaching was completety accurate his reply was; " I don't worry about that if the society says it, its good enough for me." I then came to realize that many individuals in the society just go along for the ride and basically they quit studying on their own checking to see if what is being said is true or not.
So happy is the man, or woman, or child who has come to the same conclusion in their hearts that of the ancient Boreans had come too... Follow God;s Word, keep checking to see wether the things being said are really so. Many books have been written by so-called high ranking men of the society and many of those books were later removed from circulation because they contained grave errors regarding God's plan for mankind and salvation, and because some ambitiousness men wanted to believe that what came out of their own mouths was really true the kept selling an idea instead of continually relying on God's Word as the plan to be followed. You can call it new light of whatever you want but the fact remains that the truth is the truth and in the end, the truth is still the truth, no matter how good the story sounds at the time.
May Jehovah and Jesus Christ bless you the hearers of this message and may you and those who love you be happy knowing that God still loves you too!
God Bless!
Elihu
