Still Alive!

Thanks for your concern Mike! I'm still alive thanks to the Divine One.

My church has just formed a praise band/choir and I am in both. We've only been at it for over a month now and already have ten songs under the belt. That may not sound like many, but considering the Lord started this from the ground up -only the drummer and I had any previous musical experience- it is amazing we've gotten this far.

Practice sessions can be demanding and some people have come and gone. I was demoted once when my microphone was taken from me, but that was until yesterday when the sound system was upgraded allowing more microphone accessibility.

I am also facing many trials and difficulties. Please pray the Holy Spirit works in me.

According to Romans 8, God has predestined his children to be called, justified, and glorified. We will overcome because it is the Master who is for us, not against us, allowing His Mercy to be shown.

May God bless you reader!

God Bless You

A young JW couple from out of state was visiting. They had not been married for even a year, but already they had traveling stories to share. The following one stood out.

"We stopped at one of those 'All You Can Eat' places," the husband excitedly establishes the setting. "It was a Sunday morning and we decided to have breakfast before going to an afternoon meeting."

"As we were serving ourselves we noticed a large group of people had already arrived and were enjoying their meals," the wife added, "They were all well dressed and politely conversating."

"So we took our seats, gave thanks, and started eating. After a while we knew we would have to say hello to our brothers. Maybe they were just getting done with field service or coming back from their meeting. My wife and I go back to the buffet line and see some them have returned for additional helpings."

"We're all smiling at each other at this point," the sister admits, "then, an older gentleman from their group says to us, 'God bless you.'"

"Yep! Once we heard that we knew they weren't Witnesses."

"Uh-huh!" the sister laughs.

I chuckled at this and asked if they found out who they were.

"From a church I suppose," replied the husband, "but you know, even in Jesus' times, demons got all excited whenever christians spoke. It seems something riles them up and causes erratic activity. I have a feeling that in that restaurant demons quickly discovered who the true servants of Jehovah were."

What an odd way to react to someone wishing them God's blessings.

If They Thought About It

"So you see," the Watchtower superintendent mused to the one hundred and forty Kingdom Hall attendees, "if Jehovah God had come down to Earth Himself, He would have done exactly what Jesus did."

Must Have Studied Before

The two sisters only spend five minutes before returning to the car where the rest of us are waiting.

"How did it go?" I ask the younger sister, an elder's wife, who took the initiative in conversating with the lady at the door.

"She was very pleasant to talk to. I told her the Last Days would be just like in Noah's time. Then she mentions that must've been quite the sight seeing the animals go towards the Ark all by themselves."

"She sure was knowledgeable about that", the other sister chimed in.

"I agree", replied the younger one and smiled, "she must have studied with Jehovah's Witnesses before".

Or she may have read the Bible before.

"So what?"

At a special day assembly, during the interview segment, a middle-aged JW relates his experience when the circuit overseer visited his congregation.

"When the circuit overseer had inquired why I hadn't gone out to service since my work accident I could only tell him that I felt too depressed. The injuries I suffered had left both my hands immobile and I couldn't do much."

"So what?" he replied, "you still have both your legs and you have your mouth."

"A weekend later I was back going door to door."

The assembly hall erupted into applause and even as he was taking his seat that brother attempted to join in with his floppy hands.

I have to admit that is zeal, but I pain for that man. He's out there preaching a false gospel.

Galatians 1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.

8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

Baptism at a JW Convention

This excitement is characteristic at a Jehovah's Witness baptism for it legalizes one to be part of the Organization.



Q: On the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to Jehovah to do his will?

Q: Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in association with God's spirit-directed organization?

The Watchtower January 15, 1989 p.13 What Prevents You From Getting Baptized?

Only if the individual answers in the affirmative and also understands that his dedication and baptism identify him as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in association with God's spirit-directed organization can he acceptably undergo water immersion.

More Strangeness

Perhaps I should be the one to post a warning that the following is, well...it feels like it doesn't belong at a meeting with kids of all ages present.

During a ministry service meeting an Elder was talking about how young people need to make sure they find good associations to befriend. Then he goes on about how a few boys in the congregation have had sleepovers at home and would go on to watch porn and masturbate together.

I couldn't believe my ears. What I mostly feel upset about is how all the elementary kids were looking up to their parents probably wanting to know what was going on.

Is this the best way to handle things? Worse yet, is how the Elder emphasized in our congregation.

Witness Paradise

This video portrays what Jehovah's Witnesses regard as the "real life".



An eternity devoid of Jesus Christ is misery.

John 14:2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Titus 2:13 While we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ

Minimizing Jesus?

The Theocratic Ministry School is one portion of the JW meetings that remotely resembles a bible study. It is a summary of a few chapters of the Bible conducted by a brother, followed by couple of comments (to be kept under 30 seconds) from the audience.

One particular meeting Isaiah 53 was one of the chapters in consideration. The brother points out Jesus is the sacrificial lamb and moves on. When it is time for the audience participation, a full-time pioneer sister sums up the chapter by saying, "In Isaiah 53 we can see how just like Jesus we (JW's) are ridiculed by others and despised by the rest."

...

The Holy Spirit did not let me sit there and ignore it, but to raise my hand to be called on and let everyone know why Jesus Christ is the answer by pointing out the Master fulfilled the following,

• Despised and rejected
  
• A man of sorrows and familiar with suffering
  
• Took up our infirmities and sorrows
  
• Pierced for our transgressions
  
• Crushed for our iniquities
  
• Punishment brought us peace
  
• His wounds brought us healing
  
• The LORD laid on him the iniquity of us all
  
• Bore our sins
  
• Intercedes and justifies
  

God's holiness demands punishment for sin and Jesus took it upon himself to receive it. God's wrath was poured on Him and if we do not repent and receive God's forgiveness, we will not be spared from our own everlasting ruin.

Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

First Time Donating Blood

I gave a pint of blood for the first time! I filled out the paperwork, then got my blood pressure, temperature, and pulse checked. The technician pricked my finger, bringing drops of blood and minor discomfort, to determine the iron level. All healthy, thank God, and it's time to proceed.

I had no idea that the needle was going to be that big. It may as well have been a potato peeler. When it was injected into my vein, a stream of blood spurted out, barely missing the aide's eye.

Twenty minutes later I was eating Nutter Butters and drinking apple juice. I hope someone, someday benefits from it.

A Jehovah's Witness may be shocked to hear that. True, the Watchtower forbids blood donations and transfusions. Does the Bible? Scripture reveals God commanded the nation of Israel:

Leviticus 7:26 And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal. 27 If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut off from his people.

This is about eating animal blood. The verses directly before mention:

Leviticus 7:24 The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it. 25 Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which an offering by fire may be made to the LORD must be cut off from his people.

This is a ceremonial law given to Israel. JW's most likely eat fat and they don't consider this breaking God's law. If they eat a steak they are also eating some animal blood.

Deuteronomy 14:21 Do not eat anything you find already dead. You may give it to an alien living in any of your towns, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. But you are a people holy to the LORD your God.

God had no problem with non-jews eating an unbled animal!

Acts 15:20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.

Acts 15:29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.

Acts 15 deals with the 'disturbance' that was caused by certain pharisees who wanted the male gentiles to be circumcised according to their tradition. Acts 15:19 describes the outcome, "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God." The point was not to burden the converts beyond the following requirements: Abstaining from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.

Certain things are absolute like sexual immorality ("flee" from it, 1 Cor 6:13), but what about food sacrificed to idols, blood, and meat of strangled animals? God inspired Paul to write in 1 Corinthians 8 that eating food sacrificed to idols is nothing at all, because there is no real power in idols and, besides, "food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do."

1 Cor 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

"Oh no, that's a christian coffeehouse!"

It was a saturday morning and our cargroup decided to take a short break from field service (door to door preaching). I saw a local cafe and asked if they wanted to go there.

"Oh no, that's a christian coffeehouse!"

And just who are we? It's funny now, but they were dead serious. So we drove to a secularized version of it (that's a neat attitude!).

Self-centered?

A few comments from a brother at a recent JW meeting.

"Out of all the billions of people whom ever lived, shouldn't we feel privileged that Jehovah saw something in us to become members of the organization that carries his name?"

This is precisely the attitude that will not take place before God.

1 Cor 1:29 As a result, no one can brag in God's presence

Only the Saviour will receive the glory, not us sinners.

A Revelation

No, nothing like what was revealed to St. John on that island of Patmos.

A realization that rocked my world was that non-JW's (christians specifically) took the Bible seriously! It wasn't that I didn't have a grasp of this before. It's just that I thought churchgoers, including pastors and priests, had a...feathery approach to it, a light respect, but nothing substantial.

I became aware that this wasn't really so. In service (door to door preaching) one Sunday morning, my group drove past a church. There were a lot of people making their way inside, including a lot teenagers. They were all in their 'regular' clothes, but what caught my attention was they each had a copy of the Bible in their hands and nothing more!

Yes, and their walk and how they held their Bible spoke to me. Telling me they regarded the Scriptures as authoritative and sufficient.

What a difference to what I had known. Since kids we were taught to carry briefcases/bags with all these various books, magazines, tracts, and even the Bible. (The longer you were in The Truth the exponentially bigger your case got to be. Some elders may as well have been transporting tubas.)

I got to see similar scenes like this and felt even a bit of jealousy. This wasn't the straw that broke the camel's back, but it did carry some weight. There was a simple and elegant way they went to their services, no fancy dressing seeming necessary!

Was there something really not right with us?

Memorial 2007, Part 2: Vacuous Tradition

Vacuous. This Holy Night in our JW calendar.

Knowing Christ on a personal level allows me to recognize this event for what it is: stricken with error and deficient of substance.

Not that it doesn't bring Jesus on a more prominent platform, but that this Jesus is a created being, an angel who was sent to Earth, Michael the Archangel.

Let's see what the Bible says.

Hebrews 2:5-9

“It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified: ‘What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet.’ In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”

The brother who gave the talk summed up what this angel did by saying, "Hundreds around the world will benefit because of his sacrifice". Whether or not he mispoke is unknown at this time, but the whole purpose of the Memorial is lost somewhere. My guess is that the JW's have been led to believe they are just there to observe and not be involved.

Jesus told his disciples to "do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). This doing is actually taking the wine, giving thanks, and drinking it (vs. 17) and taking the bread, giving thanks, and eating it (vs 19 and Matt 26:26).

It is not that rubbish that I had been doing every single year without fail which was receiving the bread/wine, looking at it, and passing it to the next person. I'll go as far to say it's not even the physical eating and drinking that Jesus was looking for, but the certainty that you could and ought to be involved with Him in the Covenant. That is the reason He came for.

Please, my dear JW brothers and sisters. Jesus loves you more than you'll ever know. Do you remember that invitation that you passed out for this year's Memorial had an illustration of the Messiah? He didn't just get a black eye, a bruise here, and a cut there (previous Society depictions are even softer). He was brutally tortured, humiliated, experienced unfathomable agony on that cross, all the while thinking of you and me, so we could be forgiven for our transgressions and be with Him for eternity in Heaven.

And guess what? He not only died, but rose from the dead.

Matt 28:6 He is not here; he has risen

Jesus Christ is calling you from a empty organization into His royal family!

Hebrews 2:11 Jesus, who makes people holy, and all those who are made holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus isn't ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.

"I wish I could have met Jesus"

I remember a JW telling me her biggest dream in the New Order is to talk to the 'impaled' wrongdoer whom Jesus had promised would be in the Paradise.

The biggest reason for this desire is to "ask the forgiven criminal what Jesus looked like and what He sounded like."

I have good reason to believe most JW's have contemplated how they could have a chance to meet...or at the minimum, to just get a good look at the Lord and Saviour who died for them. Most Witnesses are happy to look forward to meeting the Great Ones from Antiquity such as Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Elijah.

"I wish I would have met Jesus", a Witness may conclude. After all, if all the Apostles and followers of Jesus in the first century are part of the 144,000 going to heaven, then this doesn't leave many eyewitnesses of the Lord to talk to in Paradise. The best they could do is talk to that forgiven sinner, although most don't even know they could chat with John the Baptist, using their definition of the Annointed.

The Society's illustrations portray Jesus as an older King with white hair and beard (though some publications show him as an enthroned young clean-shaven man!). In drawings He has flesh, but they explain he really doesn't have a fleshly body in Heaven. He will be invisible just like His Father (not even some white, trace lines).

Even if they believe Jesus is the Number Two Most Important Being in the Universe, they will someday see Christ in all His Glory, and for that matter, the Holy Father.

Jesus explains his Second Coming will be visible.

Matthew 24:26"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

Let us pray these souls are saved by the Almighty God and that they see a Resurrection of Life, not Condemnation!

Memorial 2007, Part 1: Downplaying Jesus' Sacrifice

"How are we going to treat the Father from now on?"

That was the biggest question at the Memorial I attended on April 2, 2007. Only by the Grace of God did I not go berserk. I had prepared myself not to interfere in the proceedings, out of respect to my family and friends there.

Right from the beginning the onslaught of absurdity and deception was unleashed. The Elder opened the night with a weird guilt trip. He summed up all of creation and the meaning of life into this simple illustration. If a father found his son had crossed the railroad tracks and there was no way to stop the impending train from destroying the young boy other than to derail it and thus killing all of passengers, what would the father do?

"Well, this is precisely what happened", the Elder continued, face still intact. "The Father, Jehovah, sacrificed his Son, Jesus Christ, so that all of you may live! How would we act towards that human father? How much more should we feel towards our Heavenly Father that went through that?".

I am not completely aware how people took his illustration, but I couldn't stomach it. First of all, how WOULD we feel if a Father did just that? I would feel grateful if he let me live, in a strange kind of way, but how would the man's wife and, if the case, other children react to this?

The analogy breaks down even faster. It wasn't just a few that were inside this train, it was the entire human civilization, past, present, and future! Even if the human Father allowed that to happen from inside the moving train, did the Son go there unknowingly?

Not only did God send his Son, but His Son volunteered to take on our deserved punishment and die for us! The ficitious little boy was evidently unsupervised by his Father in the first place and wandered off into a danger zone by mistake. How ungodly to make such comparisons to the Holy Father and Son.

John 10:17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."