Posts by lriddle80

42

Why did you leave the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses?

by Vanderhoven7 in

i've never been a witness so i never left.

graeme hammond writes:.

for some years i’d had a growing irritation and disillusionment with the religion: i was getting tired of the pompousness, the arrogance and the control, i felt increasingly choked by their restrictions and i was drained by their demands on my time.

lriddle80

When I initially left at 19 it was that I married a "worldly person " and started doing drugs and we were able to run away for about a year. That was my dramatic escape.

I attempted to go back few times and it got thwarted (thank you Jesus!)

I started reading the Bible and I saw for myself what was really going on. I despised the control, the fear the elders created in me, the deception I discovered and once I knew I could be free of them and serve God, I went for it! Woo hoo for freedom to be accepted by God without the Jehovahs Witnesses!! Jesus is enough!

11

Jesus 2nd Coming

by punkofnice in

full disclosure, i am an atheist/slight agnostic and really don't believe in god/s.. however, i do find solace in a good evensong at the cathedral.

because one of my kids came with me, it has inspired him to become a christian and hence got baptised in a uk high church (anglican cum catholic hybrid).. so, i take him to visit different places eg, ely cathedral.

he likes me to accompany him to his new church.

lriddle80

What we think the 2nd coming will be like?

Every eye will see it.

The dead and the people still alive, will meet him in the air and we will always be with him (maybe only believers in Christ and sealed with the holy spirit)

Eventually there will be a feast. We'll all sing songs.

There's something about ruling with Christ, (but we'd have to speculate pretty hard to know what that means)

No more tears, no more suffering, no more death.

Those are what the Bible tells us, so I believe that, though I'm not sure what it's going to *actually * be since a lot of people had the wrong idea of the messiah even though they had the scriptures/prophecies.

Once when I got pregnant, I thought that it was going to be the craziest thing for my belly to swell and a person grow inside of me! But it actually felt very normal.

I think that's how the 2nd coming will be. Sounds crazy, but it will feel very normal and I think heaven will feel just like home and all of this will be like waking up and barely able to remember that dream.

I'm not sure if that's what you were asking?

37

114,000, Literal, or Symbolic?

by Wonderment in

a poster wrote to me privately, and brought to my attention the following comment below i made a while back in regards to the 144,00 number of revelation.

i had casually conjectured that this number was likely symbolic in line with the book of revelation being mostly symbolic in kind.

he brought up this juicy source:.

lriddle80

Well, in revelation it says John "heard" a number 144000 (Jews) and when he "looked' he saw a great crowd of all nations people tongues (all believers)

So, what I think is that in the beginning salvation came through Jews, but now it's open to all, through Jesus.

36

The question`s GOD beleiver / Creationists ignore or don`t / won`t / can`t answer ?

by smiddy3 in

the common thread of beleivers / creationists of a god creating life is design .. and if something / anything is designed it must have a designer ?.

however this reasoning is discarded when talking about the existence of god.. and if such a being as god somehow existed without a designer why not all forms of life itself as existing on earth ?.

coming into existence without a designer ?.

lriddle80

Well believe in God or not. It's a personal decision. One that no one can make for you. If it gives you peace...my peace came when I decided to believe. I used to feel the whole world was on my shoulders..until I believed. Now my soul feels like it's relaxing on the beach! I know it's not up to me anymore..that there is ultimately someone who is going to make all things right and all my weight is rested on his work. All I have to do is believe and love. Takes a lot of pressure off my life!!

36

Do you believe that this life is all there is

by Fisherman in

the bible records resurrections and there is orher evidence besides that gives hope.

what do you think, is there enough evidence to believe in another life?.

lriddle80

No. I don't believe that this life is all there is. Thankfully. I don't want to live in a world without hope!

7

Something Eerily Familiar about "The Village" Movie.

by Sea Breeze in

even after 17 years i still haven't forgot "the village".

maybe it was because i had just left the wt.

did anyone else feel like you especially identified with this movie as a witness/ex-witness?

lriddle80

Yes!

9

Do you pray for other people?

by Iamallcool in

jw
friends

i don’t want doubting thomas post on my thread til he is more mentally stable!

.

lriddle80

Yes!! Everyday!!

17

Prayer for every day

by May1981 in

i pray for every person in the world.

you can also join my prayer.

and may the creator hear our prayers.

lriddle80

If God's goal is to transform the believer to the likeness of his son, then the point of prayer may be to transform our character, not to do miracles per se. It's doing a miracle in us.

I broke my hand recently and in that brokenness, I was able to connect with a lot of people and offer comfort as I had been comforted. God could have fixed my hand instantly, but because I had to endure it, he used it for my good and the benefit of a lot of people.

39

What Does Prayer Actually Do?

by punkofnice in

if you think it works, what is your evidence outside of possible coincidence?.

lriddle80

I will pray something. Then I will go about my life and forget about it. One day that prayer will get answered in some way and I know because it's at that moment I remember that prayer! I have seen this play out in other's lives, too. Does the Spirit give us a sort of supernatural recall in that moment?

Something else is that being in a relationship with God is a partnership. He is partnering with us in prayer. We live out our lives interceeding for our loved ones or strangers or situations in prayer and we find peace. The more I pray the more I see God working. (He would have done the same things had I prayed or not because he is always at work), but when I pray I get to participate and see the results/blessings/gifts.

Prayer, to me, is going on an adventure!! It builds trust. It builds patience. It deepens faith. It has given me a refuge to run to whenever I have a need/concern/area that is beyond me. I am grateful for prayer and moreso for who is on the other side of those prayers!!

22

Are you less judgmental after you became ex JW?

by Iamallcool in

jw
friends

any takers?

.

lriddle80

At first, no! Probably more so, against JW because I felt justified in my anger and judgements. But then I heard a quote that said something like if you don't forgive them, you can become just like them, so I struggled until I was able to be less judgy. The story of the wheat and the weeds growing together helps me a lot with this! Acceptance of what you can not change and the courage to change the things you can helps me, too!