~My life is not my own~

　

My new life was just beginning. I could sense God was up to something major. The closer you get to your blessing, the devil starts messing! Once you become aware of your purpose,that's when opposition emerges. I began to get opposition from family members. They wanted me to choose between Salvation in Christ, and the JW faith. It is normal to have family, friends, and associates reject you. I was not strong in my newly saved life. Therefore, Dealing with the rejection from family and friends was not easy for me. I had not told my family that I was embracing a new faith. My mother, my siblings, and close friends meant the world to me. Having two young daughters made it tough for me to walk away as well. I would no longer be able to attend any family dinners, family reunions, or just a simple visit to mom's house. One day my mother read me a quote from her bible stating that we would no longer be able to share visits or have mother/daughter conversations. The only time we would be allowed to talk was if we were discussing my return to the faith by what they call "Re-enstatement". I was very aware of the scripture that says, "A man's worst enemies will be right in his own home", if you love your father and mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of me, or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of me. He that find his life shall lose it, and he that loses his life for me shall find it." (Matt10:36-39) I understood that scripture very well. Why? Because Jehovah's Witnesses used that scripture for years to keep them separated from anyone that did not belong to the faith. If you were once a Jehovah Witness and chose another faith, they announced publicly to all members that you are Disfellowshiped or excommunicated from the organizaton. Unless you repented and came back as an active member, you were not to have any communication with family, or anyone in the organization. (An active member means you are attending meetings reguarly and preaching door to door for a certain number of hours every month).


Now remember, I had already given my life to Christ. At this time in my life, my thinking was that I could revert and continue to worship with the faith I left. I decided to talk to Jim who was my fiancee at the time, and tell him that I truly missed my family and wanted to go back to the Kingdom Hall. I asked him if he would attend with me, and become one of J'sW. To my surprise, he agreed! We went to a local congregation to introduce ourselves and were greeted with love. Any time you return to the faith or bring a new prospect they treat you like gold. Although Jim came from a strong Christian background, he decided to have a one-on-one study with an Elder of the congregation.(A one-on-one study was when a member of the faith would come to your home to teach you the Bible according to their translation, along with a book written by the organization.) Interestingly, because I was disfellowshiped, they would come into our home only to speak and teach the bible to Jim. They could not speak to me, which was a standard law of the organization.

I remember sitting in the bedroom listening to them study the bible with Jim and being very happy because I knew I was making my family very happy. Jim and I seemed to be happy and felt we were doing the right thing. Our relationship was peaceful and full of love. I was thinking, Wow this is great! I have my family, I am in a loving relationship, and I am back in the faith that I once walked away from. At this point, I did not realize my life was not my own. I was bought with a price(1Cor 6:19,20). God already pulled me out for my purpose. Remember, everything that God does He does with purpose in mind. I was still trying to be in control of my own life. It is dangerous to be in control of your own life. Beware, it can lead you down the wrong path wherein you cannot reach your destiny. The bible says at John 10:10, the devil's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus came that we may have life and life more abundantly." I've allowed my past to define me, hold me, and keep me from the purpose God predestined for me. Have you ever wondered how the devil has gained so much information about you and God's plan for your future? The bible says, " Satan walks about like a roaring lion seeking to devour someone"(1pet 5:8). It is vital to know the Word of God and stand up against the attacks of the enemy. Boy, did I learn the hard way. At this point, the scripture that I was familiar with would in turn manifest work in my life.(Matt 10:36-39) "He that loses his life for ME, shall find it". It was time for me to lose my life for Christ.

Pulled out for a Purpose

Everything that God does he does with purpose in mind.  God always has a reason as a backbone for what he accomplishes.  There comes a time when you have to be pulled out and pushed in to your purpose.
 

I was definitely pulled out of the Jehovah Witness faith for my purpose.  Leaving the faith was not the plan I had for my life. Although I was very unhappy, leaving was not something done by members. I did not celebrate any Holidays, Birthdays,  participate in School activities; Dances, Homecoming, Prom just to name a few.  Nor was I not able to accept blood transfusions if I became sick, these were all rules of the organization. Most people would say, "Why would someone want to be involved with such a faith that has you brainwashed to believe these are rules goverened by God?"  When you are involved in a cult, you do not know how to come out, especially if you have been a part of it for so long.  Thank God the length of time you have been in a particular place cannot dictate the amount of time it takes to come out of the place. When God wants you out of a thing, He can snatch you out in an instant!  That is exactly what happened to me.

One evening I recieved a phone call that was to soon change my life.  I was invited to church. I immediately said "Yes".  I was excited to do something different from what I had always done.  On that unforgettable day, It became one of the most important days of my life.  My experience was amazing!  I cannot  remember what the sermon was titled.  I do remember Pastor Clarence McClendon doing an Alter call,  I promptly began moving out of my seat toward the Alter. Tears rolling down my face as I began to pray the sinners prayer out loud, confessing that I am a sinner, and asking for forgiveness and repenting for my sins, I ask Jesus Christ to come into my heart as my Savior and Lord.(Rom 10:9)  I was told that Jesus christ was now my God and the Lord of my life from this day forward. I truly believed this!  My heart was so full.  I continued to weep.  Now remember, I had no clue what the true meaning of "Getting Saved" meant.  I just felt something that I've never felt before, I  was simply trusting that I was doing the right thing.

 Jehovah's Witnesses do not Believe that Scripture.(Rom10:9)  They believe you must live your life without sin NOW then, you will be Saved on Judgement day. Thank you Jesus for becoming alive in me, For all that You have done for me, by making me your daughter through the shed blood of Christ, taking all of the sins, guilt, shame, and the weight of all the burdens I had on my shoulders.
It was amazing that I would meet a man who came from a large family that Loved the Lord.  Although Jim came from a very spiritual family he had not given his life to Christ, but he did on that very same day. We Both were very happy and felt blessed to be together.  I remember us hugging one another as if we had just gotten married or something. 
On the way home from church, we talked about how great we felt on the inside. Unfortunately,  I did not have any plans on going back to church.  Yes, I surrendered my life to christ, but I still had apprehensions, fears, and uncertainties. I was ready to come out of my comfort zone of the organization, but not ready to walk away from my family, which I knew was soon to come.

 Upon returning home we called Jim's mother to tell her what happened!  She was elated. She began to tell us to find a good church home because we were at the beginning of what God was doing in our life.  We were babies in Christ and needed the Word of God taught to us in order for us to grow spiritually and understand our purpose.  She was very concerned because I was fresh out of my JW faith.  I believe she knew the devil would come either sooner or later  and try to get me to believe what I did was not real.  She began to Pray for us. I know her prayers changed the trajectory of  my life, and it was all in God's plan.

Getting set free from Bondage!

On May 7, 2010, at 6:44 PM, Ardys Boyd wrote:










Being a Jehovah's Witness was certainly a mind controlled religion. It was full of man made rules. I was in bondage to an organization that taught us the way you live on this earth now will determine if you will be saved in the end. In their terms, the end meant Armageddon, where the world would be destroyed and only good Jehovah's Witnesses would be saved. During this time of my life, I made many mistakes and was always sad because I did not want to be destroyed. I was always told that I was responsible for my children, which meant that if I sinned or made any mistakes, my children would be destroyed as well. I always thought, "What a cruel God?" I began to pray about this. I needed answers but had no one to turn to.


I met a wonderful man through a friend of mine and began to tell him I was a Jehovah's Witness and would not be able to date him. However, I really enjoyed talking to him and realizedd I was able to be myself around him and his family. Being a JW, we lived a life of pretense. You had to become what they wanted you to become, instead of who God created you to be. I decided to continue the relationship with him despite the consequences I would have to face from the organization.


Eventually, we fell in love. I began to get very close to his family. One day, I was asked questions about my religion by one of his cousins. They began to talk to me about the bible. I was hesitant to listen. As JW's we were not supposed to listen to any other religion nor enter any churches. However after a few conversations with the family, I became curious about what they were saying. The first Scripture was, John:1 which says, "In The beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God." JW do not believe in the Trinity at all! I debated that scripture tooth and nail. Well, all I can say is, the seed was sown that day. I began to think to myself and wonder whether there really was something to what she just read to me. That day, I began to pray for God to show me more. At this point, I had no intentions of not being a JW, because my entire family was Jehovah's Witnesses. If I chose to leave the Organization, I would be shunned by the whole entire family and the Organization. So this was a very tough decision for me. I was afraid for myself and my children! By this time, I'd fallen in love with Jim. I decided to try to convert him to the Jehovah's Witness faith, instead of his family converting me. Boy, I did not know the plan of action God had for me!