Good day Lauren,
I really don’t know how to answer the “how are you doing?” question because it seems to change almost from minute to minute. Sometimes I feel hopeful that she will see the real truth, then others-------------.
Because of some of the other discussions we’ve had on biblical topics that turned VERY ugly, no, we don’t talk about the bible or even God for that matter. I’ve left her salvation in the hands of the Lord now, and well, I think that’s what He wanted all along. I thought I was supposed to do something, learn something, or what ever to show her that she is in a cult, she is not following God, but men. But I was wrong, I can learn all I want, but in my case, it’s up to God.

Agape,

Bruce

good day to you too Bruce,
you're so right about letting God handle her salvation. I struggle with wanting to just unload all the stuff I've learned on my boyfriend and just make him listen...but it can't be done that way can it.

I've heard someone say before ...let God be God. He is ultimately the one who saves and one day he will open her eyes to His saving grace. I guess you have really learned the meaning of "sitting still before God". That's something I'm really struggling with!

I recently discovered this verse, maybe it will give you comfort...
Exodus 14:14 "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Lauren

I am glad the two have you have found each other since you have so much in common. You can really be a source of encouragement to one another.
Consider 1 Peter 3:1 it is talking to the wife but the same principal of course applies to the husband. Words aren't always necessary. A phrase we often hear is "Actions speak louder than words". If you are finding that trying to talk to your spouse/significant other is not working and just causing arguments, this may be the best alternative. Don't forget to pray for the Holy Spirit to help you to know when to be quiet and when and what to speak.

Sophia

that's so true Sophia! Thanks for your words. I truly believe that verse! Bruce, I think you should commit it to memory!

I've learned so much even just digging in God's word to help my boyfriend. I'll be searching for something to help him and in the meantime I learn so much more in His word.

I know that through all of this hardship and turmoil, it is preparing me for things to come. I just listened to one of the MP3 testimonies on this site and he talked about the verse in Romans 8:28-29 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.
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
It's just comforting to know that God is using our life circumstances for his glory whatever those circumstances may be...growing up a JW, being married to one, friends with, etc. Nothing is an accident.

Lauren

You are so right, I for one became a Christian late in life, so even though I’m almost 50, I’m a very young Christian. Because of my age, I can see the twists and turns that I made that had Gods hands all over them leading me to this point in my life. Some times I do get down, mostly around the holidays and birthdays, and this last few months have been really hard, but rediscovering this place has helped me a lot.

Hi and welcome Allthingsnew,

I am new here too in the past few days. I was raised as a witness, but during my teen years I walked away from it, partied and did everything to rebel against all the JW rules and regulations and then I married a "worldly" guy at a young age. He thought I had put it all behind me and so did I, but deep down I felt horrible guilt and still believed the JWs had the "truth". Even though I was not leading a JW life, I was still completely indoctrinated with their teachings. About a year after we got married, my mother and my older sister had the witnesses call on me to start a study and I went back to it and eventually got baptized. As soon as I got back involved with the witnesses, my marriage started falling apart because I kept pressuring my husband to get involved too and even though I celebrated Christmas with him our first year of marriage, I stopped after that and so he stopped too and wasn't very happy. We divorced after 2 sons and 4 years.

A couple of things that had a huge impact on me when I was coming out of the witnesses 4 years ago, was finding out about the misquotes and lies in the JW brochure called Should you believe in the Trinity. When I found out how they had twisted the quotes of the early church fathers I was devastated. When I read the actual writings of the church fathers from books from the library, I realized these same men did believe in the deity of Christ. The Watchtower had totally deceived us. Another thing that horrified me was seeing the pictures of the pyramid erected at Charles Russell's grave site. This is kept hidden from witnesses and most do not know about this. Seeing things like this destroyed my whole false foundation I had believed in. Once I did not trust the organization anymore and saw that they were dishonest, then I was able to research with an open mind and without fear. You have to chop at the root and the root of the lie is a JWs belief that the organization is God's organization on earth. As long as a JW still believes this, it is really hard to get them to listen to anything. If you can show him examples of their deception and cover ups without doing it in a confrontation way, kind of like you just happened upon these discrepancies during some research and you want to ask him his opinion and these strange "discrepancies" without accusing, I think this has a huge impact.

I pray that Jesus will guide you and open your boyfriends eyes.

God bless,

NowImFree

NowImFree,
I don't know what to say, your story sounds so close to mine with a role reversal. I'm sorry your marriage suffered because of the WT. I did try and show my wife what the early church fathers really thought, I have a whole library of their writings, but she wouldn't look because "I had Help" finding the quotes. I also did research into what JW's believe about Nebuchadnezzar and the year he took Jerusalem. This was one point that did shake her, but then she ran off the KH and came back with that blank stare again.

Lauren,
Here is that research if you think it will help, let me know if you need me (or others here) to explain the importance of this information.

Nebuchadnezzar ruled 43 years from 624 to 582 per Insight 2 pp.480-481 (624-19=605, not the same as 607 per the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar mentioned in 2 Kings 25:8 but I could be wrong here)

Evil-Merodach Ruled 2 years starting in 581 per Insight 1 p.453 but no end date listed so I calculated it to be 579 (581-581=579)

Neriglissar ruled 4 years per WT 1-1-65 p.29 no dates given so I calculated 579 to 575 (579-4=575)

Labashi-Marduk ruled 9 months per WT 1-1-65 p.29 so this could have been 575 or 574 depending

There are 18 or 19 missing years here that I’m confused about.

Nabonidus ruled 17 years per Insight 2 p.457 from 556-539




Others believe this time line:

Nebuchadnezzar ruled 43 years from 604 to 562

Evil-Merodach Ruled 2 years starting in 561-560

Neriglissar ruled 4 years 559-556

Labashi-Marduk ruled 9 months 556

Nabonidus ruled 17 years from 555-539 (this is just one year different than stated in the Jehovah Witness Insight 2 p.457)


Calculating back from Nabonidus’ rule to Nebuchadnezzar’s rule this time line seems to be the more accurate unless the 18 or 19 missing years can be explained. Thus putting the date of the fall of Jerusalem more around the year 604-19=585

Thanks nowimfree! And welcome to you too!

thanks for you advice and your testimony is awesome...gives me hope for my boyfriend and the many others out there caught in this cult.

Nowimfree:


That's my boyfriend! Wow, very similar I think.

So where do I get that book about the church fathers? Is it in the library?

also what is it about the pyramid and the c. taze grave...what does that mean? I heard about it before but I guess I've overlooked that on the website...I don't really know what that's talking about...??

Lauren

Lauren,
You should be able to get the books on the early church fathers at the library but here is a link for an online look:

http://biblestudy.churches.net/CCEL/FATHERS2/INDEX.HTM, tomorrow after church I should be able to direct you to things to read in these, can't tonight because my wife would be curious as to why I'm digging though them again.

The pyramid thing has to do with what he believed and what the JW's now believe, he believed weird stuff about pyramids and now in the JW world that would be pagan and we couldn't have the founder doing things like that now can we? I mean he was doing this stuff when Jesus came back and found him and his followers being the faithful and discrete slave so they couldn't have been doing anything wrong even though very little of what they taught back then is being taught now.

wow the things I'm learning...kind of makes me dizzy!

and how confusing is all that about nebaccanezzer!!! thanks for the links, this is really helpful.

Thanks Bruce...I'm about to go to bed anyway...

Have a good night everyone!

lauren