"When men who profess to be followers of Christ place themselves as governors over others, call upon these to adhere loyally and scrupulously to whatever directives they may give, even include the concept of loyalty to an organization in the questions asked persons at baptism, so that the baptism is done, not only in the "name" or "authority" of God and Christ, but in the "name" of the organization they head--when men do this they need to be faced with the question Paul posed [at 1 Corinthians 1:12-15]: Were you crucified for us? Have you paid the price of your own life blood and by it bought us so as to be entitled to such submission? If they cannot answer "Yes" to those questions--and they clearly cannot--then we cannot possibly accord them the virtually total submission they call for and still remain loyal to the one who did die for us. We cannot be the slave of two masters. [Matthew 6:24]" (italics in original)

--- Raymond Franz, In Search of Christian Freedom p.637

Former and soon-to-be-former...

If you were a Jehovah's Witness, or are one but aren't certain if what you're doing is really what Jehovah wants you to do, I recommend at least this link. I haven't read through the whole website but the four or five pages I've read thusfar indicate that they're sincere.

The Problem of the Thief

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. ” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” -- Luke 23:40-43

"What must we do to get saved?" "What does God require of us?" We've all asked those questions. The Witnesses have pamphlets and books on the matter... repent, get baptized, be obedient, produce fruits of the spirit, on and on and on. Christendom isn't all that different, although less legalistic.

And I agree to a point. Repentance is vital, turning your life around and dedicating it to God and Christ. Living a Christian life is the most important (and best) part of being a Christian.

But the Witnesses (and to some extent, the rest of Christendom) make it out to be very formulaic, very narrow, and while Jesus did indicate that the road was narrow and the gate cramped, look at what happened in the above verses. All the thief did, hanging on a cross, was recognize Jesus' kingship and kingdom. He asked to be remembered. And how did Jesus respond? See for yourself.

It's entirely likely that this thief was the first man to die a Christian. And all he did was acknowledge Jesus as king. He hadn't been with the apostles, he didn't know all the truths that Jesus revealed to them. He wasn't around for the resurrection, for Paul's ministry, for the fruits of the spirit. He wasn't baptized, didn't receive the holy spirit, didn't do anything we normally associate with being a Christian. He may have dedicated his life to Christ, but he had a bare few hours left, and those were spent in agony at that. It's not as if he went on to give great speeches, write letters to churches, or spread the Gospel.

But yet here we have his example, his utterance and Jesus' response. Christianity, salvation, is really that simple.

Some might argue that, hey, it was Jesus, he could do what he wanted, and this guy was a one-off exception. But that can't be true; Salvation can't be handed out on a case-by-case basis. The sacrifice of Jesus gives power to save, but Jesus himself couldn't tap someone on the head with a magic wand and guarantee them salvation. God's plan of salvation is God's plan of salvation, and there are no exceptions.

I'd never argue that Christianity isn't about baptism, and fruits of the spirit, and all the other stuff that Paul wrote about. But that's after you've been saved, not a condition of salvation. Paul wrote to Christians, to his brothers in Christ, and although he had to council them many times, they were still his brothers and sisters. They were still fellow believers. So while living the Christian life can be more complex, salvation is simple: Believe in Jesus as redeemer and king. Then live your life accordingly, as one who has been saved, not as one working towards salvation.

Optical Illusion

So I know you've all seen this optical illusion before. You see the old woman, you see the young woman. Which one you see, though, probably corresponds with the one you first saw, either because a) you saw it first, or b) you saw it second and had to work harder to see it than you did to see the first one you saw so that now you see the harder one first. Make sense? Of course it did.

Same way with song lyrics. Mishear something the first time and I'm singing it that way for the rest of my life. You can prove to me that it's something else and I'll know it's something else, but in my head, I'm stuck on the first understanding (I don't have a good example for this, although I'm sure you do, which is why you'd make an excellent blogger and it's really something you should try your hand at sometime).

One thing that the Jehovah's Witnesses are good at is toggling that first-impression switch the direction they want it to go in as far as Scripture is concerned. As they're taking you through parts of the Bible you've likely never read before, you'll be hitting verses and passages that are confusing, at best. Not to worry, they'll guide you through them, and you come out with what you figure is a solid understanding of them. And if you don't think otherwise (and as a JW you're conditioned not to), you'll camp out there all day, refusing to believe there's even the possibility of an old woman in the picture.

Two examples:

In John 10:16 Jesus says, " I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd" Witnesses are quick to teach that this is proof of the anointed and the non-anointed, the 144,000 that go to heaven and the great multitude that live forever on Earth. Therefore every single time a Witness reads this verse, that is immediately their understanding and translation of it. Most Witnesses refer to the non-anointed as the "other sheep".

Fair enough, perhaps, but it says something that this stunned me when I read it shortly after being disfellowshipped: What in that verse, or its context, prevents it from meaning that Jesus is referring to the Jews and the Gentiles? That idea was absolutely foreign to me but it makes perfect sense. Is that what Jesus was referring to? Not sure; If you Google part of that verse you'll find at least two other explanations. But what prevents that verse from meaning something other than what the Witnesses say it does? I haven't found anything yet. But to a Witnesses, that verse refers to the anointed and non-anointed, and that's the end of it, because that's what they were taught.

Expanding a bit in a second example, Romans 14 clearly states that there are and will be ideological differences between Christians. Some will observe holy days, some will not. Some will eat whatever they please, some will adhere to dietary restrictions. Witnesses reduce the significance of this chapter (in my opinion) by declaring Paul's words to refer to insignificant matters of taste and style, since Witnesses value unity over all. But look closer and bring in context: Paul is referring to holy days and dietary restrictions, two of the cornerstones of the Jewish faith. Moreover, although he has explicitly said that we are no longer under the old Law, we should not stumble those who are weak in their faith or otherwise feel compelled to observe the Law. But yet, as it says in verse 3, God has accepted both the strong and the weak.

The problem is that Romans 14 brings up some complicated thinking, and it's difficult to paint a picture of happy shining Witness unity when this sort of thing is allowed for. So they reduce it to meaninglessness. But Paul isn't talking about different colors of ties and heels vs. pumps. These are huge, faith-based issues, and God accepts everyone no matter where they are on their spiritual journey. If they've accepted Christ as their ransom, they're Christians. The rest of life is the path towards spiritual maturity. JW's would rather stick the person at the end of the path and get them to stay there. We know that's not possible.

So I guess in short, my admonition is to do your own thinking, look around for other ideas and see if they match what you know to be true, and let the only blinders you put on be ones that you and God have agreed to put on you, not you and some organization. Jesus never turned away those who had questions; Why should we not be allowed to ask them too?

What're you planting?

My wife and I play iPhone games. Lots of them, in fact. There's one (out of about a million of this type) where you plant and harvest crops, and that's part of an income stream that helps you level up and get more buildings and all that. The buildings give you money and XP too but the crops are the primary way of getting both.

Every so often she'll complain that I'm ahead of her in level and money. I always reply with the same question, "What've you got planted right now?" She'll get frustrated and annoyed with me but the plan fact of the matter is that I know that crops are the key to making progress in the game.

After I was disfellowshipped from the Jehovah's Witnesses and my appeal was denied, I really wasn't sure what to do. I wanted a closer relationship with God, I wanted that rift to heal and for me to find a positive spiritual direction, but I felt like I was drifting. Where did a former JW fit in the landscape of Christendom? I'd read the Bible in like three months, but that was more because I wanted something to tell the brothers when I applied for reinstatement. When my reinstatement petition was denied a few months after my appeal was, I was really lost.

But I began to feel closer and closer to God, working with His will in my life and really walking in harmony with Him. Oh wait, no I didn't, because I wasn't trying. I was feeling sorry for myself, asking lots of questions but not looking for answers, and generally speaking.. well, I didn't have any crops in the ground. And that didn't change for several years.

I don't know why I went through that desert, but I know it was at least partly my doing, and I credit a few people for being instrumental in getting me out. It didn't really start to gel for me, though, until I started looking around, started following web links, reading blogs, listening to messages, re-engaging in the entire spiritual process. I was nervous and skeptical at first; After all, I held (and still hold) beliefs that are contrary to what most Christians, who I would now call my fellow believers, hold. But does that change the good it has done for me? Has that prevented God from working in my life through other ministries? Has that caused me to close my heart to true understanding of God's grace, God's mercy, God's love? Of course not.

"Draw close to God, and He will draw close to you". Heard that a lot as a JW, but it applies outside the organization as well. Think of all the parables where the faithful harvest thirty, sixty, a hundredfold. But unless the seed is planted, unless the effort is made, there's no harvest. If we don't put ourselves out there, if we don't try to understand God, if we don't expose ourselves to His truth (which, perhaps unsurprisingly, differs from JW Truth in some sharply important regards) and really work to grasp what grace is all about, then we're not going to get what we need.

So where does one start? Read the Bible. Make it a point to read it every day. I was very, very aggressive about my schedule, and I was blessed for it. But now I'm not as aggressive (1 year target instead of 3 months) but I'm still blessed. And I'm seeing more than I saw the first time and the second time. My grandfather, I only recently discovered, read the Bible four times a year for years. I can't imagine he regretted spending any of that time in God's word. But if you're a former JW looking for a place to land and trying to figure out where you fit, I can't emphasize enough the importance of Bible reading. Even if you stick to the New World Translation, you'll make some pretty amazing discoveries (moreso if you can remove the filter the Society puts on some verses and chapters).

And although I've been hesitant to point anyone in any particular direction, I have to say that without Andy Stanley and North Point Ministries I wouldn't have had the turnaround that I did. Listen to virtually any message at http://www.northpoint.org/messages He's phenomenal and reveals the truth of God better than anyone I've heard. He takes God's word and makes it understandable and applicable and relevant, and I can't recommend him highly enough. And he rarely if ever mentions the Trinity, so that's good too. :)

But in any event, without that action, without that planting, we're not going to get anywhere. We're going to be adrift, lost, and always feeling slightly sorry for ourselves. And satan is perfectly happy to leave us there. So be it Andy Stanley or C.S. Lewis or just the Bible itself, reading and re-engaging is the absolutely critical first step in rebuilding your relationship with Jehovah. And always remember that your relationship with Him is just that: Your relationship with Him. Not with a group of people, not with 'anointed' Christians, not with an organization. With God. The Scriptures make that clear, if you give yourself the opportunity to discover that for yourself. And that's the first step to true Christian freedom.

Paul Would Be Disfellowshipped

If you've been disfellowshipped, you're probably in good company.

I say this because it's plain Paul would have been disfellowshipped from the modern congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. Maybe that's presumptuous of me, but listen to what Paul writes in Romans 7:15, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do" (TNIV)

Waitwhat? But he goes on. "18 I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing."

Whoa there, Paul. Sounds like you keep doing evil, even though you want to do good. Doesn't matter what you want, it's your actions that count, right? We know what it means to persist in sin. We've been read to out of 1 Corinthians (which you wrote, by the way, but let's skip past that for now) at our judicial hearing. You keep sinning, you're out, no matter how much you repent.

Sort of reminds me of my relationship with my wife. She understands when I mess up, sure. She'll even understand if I mess up a couple of times. But keep that up, and it starts getting serious. Let it happen often enough, and she's out of here. And she's certainly not the only woman that's ever said that to me.

But to be fair, she'd be gone for her own protection. Does God need to be protected from our sin? At any point would God say, "Okay, that's enough, I need to stop being hurt by you. Relationship severed, have fun with the darkness and the weeping and gnashing of teeth."? Of course not. We know that instinctively. Yet we're so certain that God abandons us when we have trouble changing course, when we've fallen into the same trap for the hundredth, the thousandth time. There has to be a limit. Right?

Let's stroll right past the parable of the prodigal son for a moment; We know how that could apply here. Let's say the son has squandered his living three times, each time asking forgiveness. Or four. Or seven. At what point does the father hang it up? Close the door? Stop setting up a banquet?

What does Jesus tell us to do? Matthew 18:21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive someone who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

So here's the question.. God, how many times will you forgive me when I sin against you? Up to seven times? And the answer is no, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. More grace than you can give. More forgiveness than you can understand. Certainly more mercy than seems fair. But that's the kind of God we serve. That's the kind of God that loves us, that first loved us, even when we were and ARE in rebellion against Him.

We may weep with God over our lost potential, for each time we stumble we lose opportunities to be of service to Him. But He always loves and always forgives, and we belong to Him if we ask to belong. And no judical committee can change that.

Grace Abounding

Lawkeeping, meet Galatians. Galatians, lawkeeping. I'll leave the two of you to get aquainted. But I'll warn you, lawkeeping, you won't like the relationship.

We as Christians know that we are not under the Mosaic Law, and thank God for that. There'd be blood everywhere, and our rurual neighbors would be wondering why we're burning carcasses in their backyards and sending our lepers to squat in their fields. No, it's grace from God through Jesus Christ that has brought reconciliation with God. Galatians 3:13 clearly states that "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law", meaning the punishment that was due for not following the (big-L) Law. The Law itself has passed away.

We know this further by continuing to read... and these are such huge, powerful verses that I'm compelled to quote them in their entirety.

"Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was put in charge of us until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. "(Galatians 3:23-25)

How very very clear is it, then, that the Law does us no good. But how many of us, even though we'd never dream of following the old Jewish Law, create a law unto ourselves? "God, if you do this for me, I'll do (or won't do) that". We've said that a hundred times, easily. We make deals, sweeten the pot for God. Even though we know that we work out our salvation through faith and not works, we're still pretty well convinced we can trade favors with God.

The problem that I've only recently realized with that is not only does it not coincide with what has been promised to us, which is infinite love in God and Jesus Christ, but it also puts limits on what we believe God will do for us out of that love. Luke 11:13: "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” " The Holy Spirit, the outpouring of God's love and power, given to us! But how do we recieve it/him (I'll leave the it/him debate for another time)? Head back over to Galatians 3:2 to see how it was done: "I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?" Given that the entire chapter (and most of the book) is an admonition against relying on justification via the Law, I'd hope the answer would be obvious.

When we made deals and set conditions, what we're really doing is setting limits on the love and power of God in our lives. God works for the good of all those who exercise faith in Him, and we don't need any tit-for-tat measures to gain that good. We don't earn His love. All we do is turn ourselves to Him and open our hearts and minds to His will, and His love for us compells us to follow and be obedient. Faith and obedience isn't a condition of grace, it's a result of grace. No law, no matter its origin or details, connects us to our Heavenly Father. Only Christ does that. God sets up no barriers to the believer, so why should we?