May you all have peace!
Actuallu, dear WC, the WTBTS has it all wrong. Let's see (I am going to move your points around, if you don't mind... thank you!):
I know it says in the Bible about going from "house to house, and door to door proclaiming God's word," but do you have to?
First, it does not say that at all! There was/is no "door to door" preaching; such words do not even occur in any account. With regards to the phrase "house to house", the WTBTS has misconstrued Paul's words when he was talking TO THE CONGREGATION... about teaching THEM... from THEIR houses: he went from one's house... to another's. House... to house. That's it; that's all.
How it truly works, and quite contrary to the false WTBTS teaching... is that it is NOT random: neither my Lord nor his disciples just went up to any old door and knocked and started talking. HE chose who was "deserving" and SENT them to specific ones, just as he went to the homes of specific ones (i.e., Simon, Zacchaeus, Lazarus...). So, Philip was SENT to the Ethiopian eunuch; Peter was SENT to Cornelius; Paul was SENT to Ananias. Why is this? Because as my Lord said: "You did not choose me... I chose you!"
The WTBTS, however, has taken it upon themselves to deem who is "worthy" or not... by folks reaction to THEIR message. When in truth, however, they should be LISTENING to the voice of my Lord: for he either directs people to his servants, or his servant to certain people... based on the "seeking" one's "thirst"... and "asking." If they ASK... he will respond.
Doesn't it also say that you are to come, "drink life's water free?" - or something to that effect? Also, I recall the "those taking in knowlege of me will live forever."
With regard to your first question, yes, absolutely, it does! Even to this very day, the Spirit AND the Bride... KEEP saying "Come!" And the folly of the WTBTS is to "shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men (for they themselves are not going in!), by NOT allowing ANY who wish it to come and take such water. Read if you will what my Lord was recorded to have said at John 6:48-56, paying close attention to verses 51, 53 and 55. And yet, the WTBTS teaches... FALSELY... that those who do not follow this command have "life... in themselves." Truly, given my Lord's words, how can that be?
And what is this "life's water" that many misunderstand... and the WTBTS' misteaches and prohibits? It is.... holy spirit... that "water" of "life"... the "bath" that "cleanses" us... by means of Christ. It is the "blood" POURED OUT upon us... to cleanse us of our sins... so that we can stand "clean" before God. Does it rid us of the sins of the flesh? No, but rather... the sins of the TRUE man... the spirit! That is why John the Baptist said: "I baptize you with water, but there is one coming after me, the lace of whose sandals I am not fit to tie, and THAT one... will BAPTIZE you... with FIRE... and SPIRIT!" This is because fire cleanses even that which cannot be cleanses otherwise, and holy spirit, "water"... cleanses even the spirit... which H20 cannot do! Thus, one writer said: "That which is saving you... BAPTISM... NOT the putting away of the filth of the flesh... but the request to God... FOR A CLEAN CONSCIENCE!" Water... H20... can cleanse the flesh... but it cannot cleanse the conscience... or spirit.
With regard to your second question, it is NOT "taking in knowledge of" my Lord, but KNOWING him! Read if you will, John 8:32. Then read John 14:6. Then read John 8:36... and see if you can "get the sense" of it. There is quite a difference, dear WC, between taking in knowledge of someone... and knowing, personally, that one, yes? Thus, it is not the taking in of knowledge of the truth, but KNOWING the Truth... KNOWING him, for by knowing HIM... you will know the Father... and it is by means of that, that you can be set free!
Why do JW's HAVE TO go door to door? If Christ's life was a ransom sacrifice for us, than why must we "buy" our way into the New Kingdom (paradise, etc)??? This never made sense to me. In the WT's eyes, you could be the biggest sinner around, but if you got your field service hours in every month, everything was just overlooked, or somehow God forgave you. But if you were an older, kind, loving, good JW whom didn't get out in service at all, you were dirt, spiritually weak, no good, whatever.
Door to door won't get you "in", dear WC. Such entry is due to UNDESERVED kindness... it is a GIFT... granted by my Lord... my means of HOLY SPIRIT... "life's water"... which cleanses the INSIDE of the "cup"... so that one CAN enter... and one can only get "in" THROUGH One... the Door or "Narrow Gate"... my Lord, the Son and Christ, of God... JAHESHUA MISCHAJAH. That is what the entire "message" of the scriptures, Bible and other related writings is:
John 5:39, 40; 7:37, 38; Matthew 10:28
Sorry if my recollection of the scriptures is not exact. I haven't even been to a Kingdom Hall in a year. But what I am getting at is that I can't see how God would look down on you for not selling magazines. I mean, I honestly found that "informal" witnessing was much more productive. You know, just bringing up the Bible when the occasion arose. It was much more indusive of discussion that way. Anyway, if God asked Jesus to be a sacrifice for our sins, by do we have to pay for that sacrifice? Never made alot sense to me......
That's because once one begins to see through them... lies... never make sense.
May you have ears to hear the invitation to you, to "Come! Take 'life's water' free!" and thus, may the undeserved kindness and mercy of my God and Father, the Holy One of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whose name is JAH (Psalm 68:4)... of Armies... and the peace of His Son and Christ, my Lord, JAHESHUA (JAH Saves) MISCHAJAH (Anointed/Chosen of JAH)... be upon you... if you so wish it.
Your servant and a slave of Christ,
SJ