I received this in an email from a jw today. I know the person who sent it, I used to be in his congregation, and he suggested I put it on my site. I assume he was joking, it certainly isn't going on there, but I thought I'd share it with you guys. I doubt it's true, but it's quite entertaining in parts, though a little nauseus.
THE VALUE OF KEEPING A SIMPLE EYE
In a recent court case in the UK, a man received a 9 year prison sentence for embezzling over £1,000,000 from the company he worked for. 3 members of his family who also became involved in the fraud received sentences of between 3 and 5 years. The company had to merge with another company, resulting in job losses, so many innocent people also sufferred from this mans' crime. In court, the man said that at first he only borrowed a few thousand pounds to buy a new car, but as time went on and his theft remained undiscovered, instead of paying the money back he stole more and more, buying new cars and other consumer items for members of his family, going on expensive holidays and even buying a holiday home in Spain. Through his actions, the man had ruined not only his own life, but many others lives as well
As Christians, should we be surprised that such things happen in these last days? Hardly, as the Bible warns us to expect an increase in this type of behaviour as the present system draws to a close (compare 2 Tim:2-4). However, despite being well aware of the warnings, the following example shows us that even God's people sometimes allow themselves to get caught up in the materialism of this world, and suffer spiritually as a result.
John and Jenny, a Christian couple from the UK, decided to arrange their circumstances to make room for pioneering. They both took part-time jobs, John working as a carpenter and Jenny in a local supermarket. Keeping their eye simple, they rented a small flat from a local housing association and, in order to keep their household bills as low as possible, decided they could do without luxury items like a TV, Video and DVD player, though they had a cd player that was given to them as a wedding present.
For 3 years, they worked just enough at their secular jobs so as to make ends meet, and devoted themselves to proclaiming God's Kingdom as much as possible. John was soon appointed as a Ministerial Servant, and they both appeared on the platform at the Assembly several times. What a fine example they were setting for their brothers and sisters, and how happy they were serving Jehovah full- time!
Then Jenny had a serious accident when she slipped on ice while out in the ministry, sufferring a severe back injury. She was unable to walk properly, and thus unable to work. She had to give up pioneering, at least temporarily, and her sick pay was only a third of the wages she had been receiving, so John had to work more hours in order to make ends meet. Even so, he carried on pioneering.
Jenny's recovery was very slow,and she had to spend long hours alone at home, hardly able to get about at first, whils John worked at his job and then in the ministry. She started to complain of being lonely and bored, so to allevite this John managed to buy her a second - hand TV and Video, though this meant he had to work even more hours, and was finally forced to give up pioneering himself, having assured the Elders that he would pioneer again once Jenny had recovered. Now they had a TV, both began to enjoy watching it, and decided they would like a newer model, along with a DVD player and even a computer. They hadn't got the money to make such a purchase outright, so they decided to take out a loan, which they used to buy a new TV, DVD player, computer, microwave and washing machine, all the very latest models. By this time, Jenny had recovered and returned to work, but instead of going back to pioneering, as they had promised, both now worked full time inorder to make the loan repayments and money for other bills. Instead of pioneering, they were now spending less and less time in the ministry than they had before.
The supermarket where Jenny worked opened on a Sunday, and offerred employees willing to work that day extra money for doing so. Jenny decided to volunteer for Sunday work, and was given a shift every other Sunday, which meant she missed the meeting on those days. John was also missing some weekday meetings, saying he had to work late.
Of course, they sufferred spiritually because of this. They were hardly in the ministry at all now, and John stepped down as a Ministerial Servant. When the Elders expressed concern, they were assured that, once they had paid their debts, everything would be as it was before, and they would return to pioneering. However, their meeting attendance got less and less, and very soon they were not attending any meetings at all. The Elders tried to help, but both refused to meet with them.
Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. After a few months of not attending meetings, John and Jenny came to their senses, and realised what their desire for a few luxuries, which really have no lasting value, could have cost them. They managed to pay off a large portion of their loan, and although they kept the items they'd bought, they no longer allowed the desire for material things to dominate their thinking. Jenny gave up her Sunday shifts, and returned to part - time work and pioneering. John still had to work full - time, but devoted as much time as possible to field service, making room for auxilliary pioneering on occasions. He was re-appointed as a Ministerial Servant, and both him and Jenny were once again joyfully serving Jehovah as well as they were able, and experiencing the happy, peaceful relationship with Him that He guarantees all His faithful followers (Phillippians 4:6,7)
So how about you? Are you allowing the cares of this doomed system get the better of you, as John and Jenny once did? Has the desire for material things caused you to turn away from the only true source of contentment? Which master are you truly serving? (Matt 6:24) If you have turned away, even slightly, from Jehovah then, like John and Jenny, may you soon come to realise that whatever you may gain in this old system, it will pale in comparison to the benefite you can one day reap by once more cultivating a close relationship with the only true source of life and happiness, Jehovah. (Isa 43:11; Rev 21:3,4)