NOT placing BOOKS? Spiritually weak!

Alligator Wisdom

A few months back we had the usual Elders/MS meeting with the Circuit Overseer during his visit. There was a point that the CO had emphasized and it brought me sick to my stomach . He had the audacity to say that those who aren't placing "Books" during the month are considered "spiritually weak". He even asked us why this was happening in the congregation. Some of the Elders said that it possibly was that the individual publisher wasn't prepared to make such a presentation. YIKES! Then the CO harped on the fact that if anyone didn't put the effort to make such placements, that these publishers were in need of spiritual help and that we (Elders/MS) should help such ones to do so. Talk about the PRESSURE! . (I guess that the numbers in book placements weren't high enough and it didn't look good in his circuit).

This complaint has contributed to the fact that the WT Society and their representatives are focusing on the numbers game. This has also contributed to my "submerge". Now when they look back, they will find my place in line vacant . [SEE YA', BUT I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE YA']

Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother "NOT Exerting Vigorously")

Sirona

Alligator, are you a MS?

I agree that it is sickening and it happens all too often. The books are rubbish anyway.

Sirona

Alligator Wisdom

Yes Sirona! I'm still an MS. However, I did turn in my letter requesting to step-down on October 30th this year and I'm still waiting for the elders to acknowledge this. [Some posters on this board had mentioned to me that it won't happen until the next CO visit ]. So far, I've been slipping away. In fact, tonight is a Book Study night, but instead I'm posting here at this moment instead of being "fed spiritually" .

Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother "NOT Exerting Vigorously")

NameWithheld

I find it very funny that MS and Elders are no longer 'allowed' to resign they are losing the best and brightest and know it.

The book thing does not surprise me, as stated it's all a #'s game, and your congo is obviously not meeting it's sales quota.

Sirona

Still MS? Why don't you use the opportunity to get the message across to some of the dubs while you are there?

Sirona

gold_morning

Hi Aligator

Most people of different religions, especially witnesses, have a difficult time seperating God from religion. Chatholics believe they must be baptised Chatholic to go to heaven. Baptists believe they must be baptist, mormans believe they must be mormans. We were no different. We felt we must be baptised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses to be saved. ; Look at where the bible says we must turn to be saved. It was such a big shocker to me after all the years I spent pioneering

.
Acts 4:12....."Salvation is found in NO ONE ELSE, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Here it shows our salvation comes from Jesus. It does not say salvation is found from ; religion to be saved (or found from jehovah's witnesses)... but found in NO ONE ELSE but Jesus.
1John 5:12.."He who HAS the Son, HAS life..."

Again, it does not point to a religion or code of ethics from a group of men to be saved, but merely the Son, Jesus.

Look what it says in Ephsians 2:4-8; ...."But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made US ALIVE with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.........IT IS BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED.....(verse 8)..."For it is by grace you have been saved, IT IS A GIFT FROM GOD..NOT BY WORKSso that no none can boast."

So we are made alive with Chirst because it is a GIFT from God. A present. See, we don't have to do anything for a present. IT is a gift. To make that clear he said that it is NOT our works that save us. All those countless hours in the door to door, and all those meetings we could not miss does not save us!! ALL THOSE BOOK PLACEMENTS CANNOTearn our salvation. It is a gift because of the great love of God. It is knowing Jesus personally. It is accepting that it was He who died for us so that we could be righteous before God to receive the gift he gave us....namely everlasting life. Remember that scripture we just read.... He who has the son has life.

Titus 3:5 backs this up. ; It says...."He saved us, NOT BECAUSE OF righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy."
There is no acts we can do religiously that can save us. Religion makes us "self-righteous" Only being saved thru Jesus makes us righteous before God. We can't give oursleves life..... a religion cannot give us this gift. It takes away from Jesus. When he died, Jesus said..."It is finished!! He bought us life forever. Who does the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society think they are? They think they can grant us life thru them and take it away thru disfellowshiping. They are taking the place of Chirst.

How about Romans 3:22..."This righteousness from God comes through fiath in Jesus Christ to ALL who believe."
Notice again that we become righteous from faith in Jesus and that it is open to ALL who believe in Him. Not a select few from a particular religion. But ALL!! It is there for Jew and Gentile. Not just Jew and Jehovah's witnesses.
Does knowledge get us life? Not according to the bible. Jesus himself says in John 5:39..."You diligently study the scriptures (like we did as witnesses) because you think by means of them you posses eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify about me.Yet you refuse to COME TO ME TO HAVE LIFE.".......So there goes all those books that are published to give us 'THEIR' KNOWLEDGE to gain everlasting life.

So it is not knowledge that saves us either. There is nothing wrong with knowledge, but that is not where our salvation lies. We must come to Jesus to have life. It is the love of God and knowing him that saves us. A few verses down in 41 Jesus says "I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts."
The key to salvation is knowing Jesus and having a good heart, just like Jesus did. As witnesses we knew "all about Jesus", but never knew him personally. You can know all about President Bush. You can know what school he went to, his ;grades, who he dated, what year he married, how many children he had, where he lived, when he quit drinking, about his political life and his presidency. But can you say you personally know him? Have you talked to him? Are you a friend of his? Do you talk on the phone? No. So you know all about him, but don't know him personally. That is how it is with God and being a witnesses.
<P>I remember fearing Jehovah. He was this God exacting exculsive devotion that I just could not measure up to. No matter how many works I did, no matter how many years I pioneered. I never knew if I would survive armegeddon. My salvation was not assured. Would I survive Armegeddon??..lurked on my mind. Now I know that he is a God of great love, mercy, kindness and patience.
So, I am sorry that this is so long. I have only touched the tip of the iceburg.
I think God is working in you aligator!!!! I really do.<IMG class=smilie src=" "></P>
<P>much agape love ; ; gold morning

snakecharmer

hey alligator, good luck on your breakaway

core

aLLIGATOT

HOPE YOUR VANISHING ACT GOES UNNOTICED!

At too many CO visit elders / MS meetings I sat silently listening to drivel which indicated that the person who was spiritually weak was the CO...but I never had the courage to tell them soo.

How Jehovah must be sad to see his people not placing Books - Why some of them even consider that showing love for the brothers is more important than keeping the factories busy! How very sad that we dont all rush out now and place some books...well I have....I have just cleared my library to the dustbin as the most appropriate place and I wish I had a CO at hand to tell him exactly what a hypocrite he is and that he is welcome to join my books in the bin together with his demeaning, unchristian and destructive comments..

Scully

Alligator Wisdom:

Yes Sirona! I'm still an MS. However, I did turn in my letter requesting to step-down on October 30th this year and I'm still waiting for the elders to acknowledge this. [Some posters on this board had mentioned to me that it won't happen until the next CO visit ]. So far, I've been slipping away. In fact, tonight is a Book Study night, but instead I'm posting here at this moment instead of being "fed spiritually" .

I hope you're "stepping-down" your commitments in the congregation, not just requesting to be relieved of "privileges". There's such a shortage of 'brothers' qualified for responsibilities that they will milk you for everything they can get out of you, and drag out the process of "stepping-down"/"stepping-aside" (whatever they're calling it this month indefinitely.

I know of cases where a MS or elder has simply written a letter to the PO stating that "a personal crisis" or "debilitating health problem" is preventing him from carrying out his responsibilities effectively, and that he is no longer able to serve in the capacity of MS/elder/pioneer as of the date of the letter. If they ask about it, the best answer is "I'm not at liberty to discuss the matter, it's confidential."

Love, Scully

kelpie

I was really bad then cause i very rarely placed a book.. let alone get my bible out of my bag!!!!!!

NOT placing BOOKS? Spiritually weak!

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