Good to see you around Jeff!
Go easy on yourself dude, you couldn't see the wood from the trees. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and Wisdom is even better :)
So what's new in your life? Send us an update on your journey :)
Blessings,
Stephen
Posts by Chalam
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12Lies and Damn Lies
by AllTimeJeff inthe greatest mistake and the greatest harm i ever did to myself as a jehovah's witness is lying to myself.
about everyone else secondly.. i believe in very few constants in life.
i think we all are on journey's and it takes a lot to get to where we are going.
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34
Modesty VS Faith
by SweetBabyCheezits inmodesty asks us to recognize our limitations.
faith demands that we know the unknowable.. pick one..
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Chalam
John 20:29 (New International Version)
29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Jesus talks to me all day long. I have more than enough revelation to take me through to Glory.
From one blessed :)
Stephen
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172
Top 10 reasons why JWs don't have the truth - please contribute
by oldlightnewshite ini thought it would be an interesting exercise to ask everybody on here what their 'top 10 reasons why jws don't have the truth' actually were.
maybe we can see some correlating views/patterns/ideas that may help us de-programme the newbies that come on this site.
if eventually most people have an outstanding gripe/concern it'll help everybody understand the ex-jw mindset a little better.
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Chalam
Welcome oldlightnewshite!
IMHO there is ONE reason JWs don't have the truth, all the other reasons are peripheral.
John 14:6 (New International Version)
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
1 Timothy 2:5 (New International Version)
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus
Hebrews 1:5-10 (New International Version)
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
"You are my Son;
today I have become your Father"? Or again,
"I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son"? 6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,
"Let all God's angels worship him." 7 In speaking of the angels he says,
"He makes his angels winds,
his servants flames of fire." 8 But about the Son he says,
"Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,
and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy." 10 He also says,
"In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.John 1:1 (New International Version)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Blessings,
Stephen
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No true Christian would stop having faith in Jesus
by cyberjesus inenjoy my fellow jwns.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hjraagjudw&feature=channel.
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Chalam
cofty Thanks for posting that. I was a born-again for about 10 years after leaving the borg.
Now when I mention to others that I used to be a christian and now am an atheist this is exactly the response I get every time.
Here's the biblical response.
Hebrews 3:7-19 (New International Version)
Warning Against Unbelief
7 So, as the Holy Spirit says:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
during the time of testing in the desert,
9 where your fathers tested and tried me
and for forty years saw what I did.
10 That is why I was angry with that generation,
and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray,
and they have not known my ways.'
11 So I declared on oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.' "12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. 15 As has just been said:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion."16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed ? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
Or you might prefer the parable of the prodigal son?
Luke 15:11-32Blessings,
Stephen
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84
DF'd and struggling....LONG POST........my story.
by confuzzled777 inhow do i make a long story short?
i am fully aware that if anyone in my area were to read this that they will know who i am.
i was disfellowshipped on january 28th 2010 after an "interview" about an evening of bowling with friends and family back in november 2009. i was among 4 who were disfellowshipped and 6 who were publicly reproved.
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Chalam
Welcome confuzzled777!
I am reminded of this verse
Hosea 6:6 (New International Version)
6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.You are a burnt offering on their altar to their god and have received no mercy.
Also, this parable.
Matthew 18:21-35 (New International Version)
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
Those that demand judgement will receive the same.
It looks like the sky has fallen in right now but I am sure it is for good.
Romans 8:28 (New International Version)
More Than Conquerors
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.Blessings,
Stephen
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If still "in", how do you feel when praying in front of a group despite being in doubt of your beliefs?
by Crisis of Conscience init happened to me this weekend.
i'm curently "active" and had some long time friends from a different congregation over for dinner.. we went through the formality of praying before the meal.
normally or rather lately i've been passing it off to someone else.
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Chalam
Coc, my own position is slightly different having never been a JW.
However, I have had to consider my position around Witnesses, having my Christian faith as I do.
One occasion I was at my JW friend's house and I was invited to stay for a meal. A little later Holy Spirit said to me my friend was going to pray over the meal.
I decided I would consider what was said and if it was OK I would add my "amen". As it was, my friend's prayer was address to "Father" so I felt more comfortable all round, my prayer was to my own Heavenly Father so I had no issue with adding my agreement.
I was invited to "the memorial" once. I told my friend I wouldn't be passing on the bread and wine without taking Jesus' sacrifice. Also, I considered what lyrics I would add my agreement to by singing. I decided I would substitute the "jehovah" lyrics for "Jesus" and likewise with my prayers, pray to my own Lord and God, not the WT's.
Blessings,
Stephen
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To Christmas or Not to Christmas (inspired by Watersprout's DA thread)
by Mad Sweeney inmy wife and kid want to do christmas but i don't.
i am not against it but i have no reason to celebrate the holiday.
i'll get the kid some presents, and maybe my wife, but is that alone really "celebrating christmas?
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Chalam
I celebrate the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus every day :)
LWT Disclosure: I had a pre-cult identity. We celebrated Christmas for the first ten years of life. It was wonderful: Family, friends, music, food, drink, lights and an atmosphere of love/sharing/caring/generosity.Disclosure: I had a pre-cult identity. We celebrated Christmas for the first ten years of life. It was wonderful: Family, friends, music, food, drink, lights and an atmosphere of love/sharing/caring/generosity
Who can argue with that? Only the WT but then they hate Jesus.
Blessings,
Stephen
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101
Billy Graham says Christians Don't Actually Hear the Voice of God
by leavingwt inin direct contradiction to the testimony of some of our friends and family, billy graham weighs in.
billy graham says christians don't actually hear the voice of god.
.. the question should have put billy in a dilemma.
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Chalam
The only thing they have in common is perceived AUTHORITY. I did not comment on the quality of their ministries.
The WT is a totalitarian dictatorship, I think we agree on that? I personally do not see the Vatican in the same light and neither is their message.
Billy Graham is an evangelist and there lies his authority, preaching the gospel.
Blessings,
Stephen
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Billy Graham says Christians Don't Actually Hear the Voice of God
by leavingwt inin direct contradiction to the testimony of some of our friends and family, billy graham weighs in.
billy graham says christians don't actually hear the voice of god.
.. the question should have put billy in a dilemma.
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Chalam
cyberjesus CHALAM: Billy and the GB say that you are wrong.
Read my post again, I agreed with Billy Graham, to a point.
I do not agree with the WT at all :)
Believers can either (1) respect/accept some sort of authority (Vatican, WT, Billy Graham, etc) or (2) feel that's it's a personal thing, with each person knowing what it means to be a Christian and follow Jesus.
LWT, with respect, I think it is a little unfair to put Billy Graham in the same bag as the WT, in fact, even to put the Vatican in with them ;)
Blessings,
Stephen
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...Happy Birthday "Purple Sofa"..
by OUTLAW in.
purple sofa... .
...................... ...outlaw.
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Chalam
Happy returns :)
Blessings,
Stephen