by Lin 38 Replies latest jw experiences
"Oh--I just saw your email address! I believe we know eachother a bit from WA-- Nice to see you around ;) Offer is always open <>< Have a good night :) <><Angie"
Well I'LL BE!!!!!
Hi Angie----never knew that was YOU-LOL! I was still typing my post cuz you hadn't posted when I hit "reply".....you know what I mean-haha!
I wonder how many MORE of us WA-ers are on here? <grin>
hugs
Annie
Lin......take a breath and chillout.
I don't think there is any absolute truth...so its worth not getting worked about it.
ISP
Wow Lin,
I know exactly what you are feeling. I was there a couple of years ago. You want to get it all straight and you want the answers all now.
Lynn, the first thing to do is just read the bible. I always tell people to just start with the book of John. Take the watchtower glasses off and just read it like a good book. Really get to know the character Jesus. As JW's we knew all "about" Jesus but we never really knew him personally. I cannot tell you what an impact it will have on you to just read it for what it is. Read it fresh.
You do not have to have all the answers to find peace and salvation. It is not all about knowledge. You cannot earn it. Infact the bible says so. Ephsians 2:8 says that it is by grace we are saved. A gift and not by works, so that no one can boast. Titus 3:5 says we are saved by his mercy not the rightous things we have done.
Jesus own words in John 5:39 has him saying that men study the scriptures to get eternal life, yet they never really knew him. So our job is to really get to know him and make him our best friend.
Believe me the rest will fall into place. We all have a very difficult time seperating religion from God. We tend to think of them as one in the same. You will not find a true religion that will save you. Only Jesus saves and that comes from knowing him and receiving the gift of life he has given us. You don;t have to do anything to receive a gift other than say thankyou.
Don't replace one religion with another. If you feel you need a neutral ground to go and worship, find a non-denominational church. I was very comfortable with that. An excellent place to start is with any Calvary Chapel. They are accorss the united states and as far as I can see and all the years i have attended, they are right on. There should be one in your area. That way you do not belong to any religion. All who attendd are merely Christians.
There is an excellent group in yahoo.........christian ex jehovah's witnesses
hhtp://groups.yahoo.com/group/christianexjehovahswitnesses
try the group. there is much support there.
agape love gold morning
Lin, if I was a Christian, I'd recommend that you stick to the Bible, apparently the King James is a good translation. Have fun!
PS. Welcome to the board!
Lin,
A BIG WELCOME to you!
My suggestion would be to sit back and take a breather.
I understand what you say about so many different "opinions".
I believe that you will be better able to figure out what YOU believe
is "the truth" only when you have allowed yourself to
take a step or two back from all the "static".
Have you heard of any great spiritual leaders that do this from time to time?
I have.
Take a breather and enjoy the quiet.
It's AMAZING whutcha can figure out once you've done this.
So many things fall right into place and spirituality becomes
enjoyable rather than stressful, a journey rather than a destination.
SPAZ
Hi lin and welcome to the board.
Some of the questions that you are asking I can't answer because I do not have a religion, never believed in religion, never believed in much for that matter. But I respect others for their beliefs. The only thing I could posibably suggest is what I do. I simply try to do the right thing, both morally and legally. I do what my heart feels is right. Seems to work for me.
Hi, Lin, and welcome!
William Barclay's Daily Study Bible Series is pretty good. Sort of pastoral with a sprinkling of technical. It must be good, because as soon as Ray Franz was dismissed from the GB, all the Bethelites hid their Barclays!!!
Craig
Welcome Lin ...
I've never been a JW, but I like this Board and most of the people here. Stick around a while, it grows on you.
I too believe in a personal God, but I'm not going to show my biases with specific beliefs....I just want to add, "keep it simple", be positive (believing) and as you stay on your quest, answers will come. I liked a previous poster's suggestion to read the Book of JOHN, as you would a good novel - slowly let the story distill upon your mind - it come to life and it will speak volumes.
Lin welcome. Where to start? Well if you have spiritual needs then I suggest praying for some answeres. But my feelings are simple, much like my mind.
Live by the Golden Rule. If God doesn't approve of that behavior then can there even be a God? That should be good enough. I've reached the point where I don't trust any organization.
