Julie’s Articles
Go After Him!
I was a breastfeeding, cloth diaper, stay home mom when I began parenting in 1993. Like any new mom, I had to learn about babies, my own body, and how to navigate my way through the social group of other parents. As I entered this new territory, I prepared myself as best I could by reading books, watching videos, and joining parenting and play groups including La Leche League International the support group for breastfeeding moms.
https://youtu.be/JUbGHeZCxe4
Read moreLessons from the River
The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. (Genesis 1:2)
As the saying goes, “still waters run deep.” There is a depth to each of us. In the stillness of rest, we may feel a void in the darkness not quite able to articulate what it is we’re desiring to form, yet the Spirit of God hovers above us ready to draw up His creation from its water.
In our own earthly arrivals, we’re drawn from the water surrounding us in our mother’s womb into an adjustment to this world. And when we realize this world is not our home, we seek another and are welcomed back to the relationship with our Creator through faith in Christ, followed by baptism into water and immersion in His Spirit (John 3:5-7). Like babies in the womb surrounded by water, we become surrounded by the Spirit of God which once moved only above the surface of our lives but now nurtures and houses us until we're squeezed through another passage.
Read moreZeal For God's House
And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple … His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house will consume me.” - John 2:15-17
Zeal for God’s house has led many a well-meaning Christian to avoid and even expel persons from fellowship in the interest of keeping their congregation clean.
Under the impression that expulsion benefits the person they view as a wrongdoer, Jehovah’s Witnesses practice disfellowshipping and shun those who don’t align with their current teachings.
"We do well to remember that disfellowshipping is Jehovah’s arrangement and that it benefits the congregation and may benefit the wrongdoer. If an unrepentant wrongdoer were permitted to remain in the congregation, he could be a corrupting influence. (Galatians 5:9) In addition, he may not recognize the seriousness of his sin, and he may have little incentive to adjust his thinking and actions so that he can regain Jehovah’s favor." – Watchtower Feb 2022 p.6
After such a “loving arrangement” extended to them, it’s understandable why so many disfellowshipped former Jehovah’s Witnesses are hesitant to commit to any church. And yet, many do find a church to call home. And many also get fed up and leave.
Read moreNew Documentary: Jehovah's Witnesses: Enemies of the Gospel?
Please dear Christian, don’t let them faint. If you’ve ever prayed for one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, you’ve probably experienced how God’s concern becomes your concern. He raises up His servants for such a task. Please don’t ever assume the small fish and loaves you present them are of no value. They are food for the moment so ask God to bless the offering and multiply it. Know that God’s compassion will not let that one starve.
Last month I shared those words encouraging readers to pray for Jehovah’s Witnesses in a piece titled “Jesus Feels Compassion Toward Those Who Leave”
And in the midst of that same month, God did indeed raise up some servants to offer their fish and loaves. Won’t you please pray for the increase with us?
Read moreJesus Feels Compassion Toward Those Who Leave
"I lost a lot in the past being a JW, and continue to lose in the future by not being a JW! It makes me wish I was raised with no religion at all. That way I could begin from scratch. But I married "in the truth" and raised my family in it. They remain in the Watchtower, so by leaving, I lose EVERYTHING." -- Carol*
I'm so thankful for every Christian who endeavors to share the gospel with one of Jehovah's Witnesses. But I can't emphasize enough that it's much more than correct teaching that a Witness on the way out needs. Just as those in the first century were put at great risk in following a Messiah that their own religious leaders sought to kill, today, Jehovah's Witnesses who begin to follow Jesus are also in danger of losing it all. So they need support, friendship, and community.
Read moreIt's Okay to Clap
If you're on social media, you've probably heard your share of "God Bless America" sung by various artists over the July 4th weekend. Maybe you've seen this one featuring Pia Toscano at The American Rodeo in Arlington, TX performed on March 6, 2022. What does this have to do with Jehovah's Witnesses? Plenty to me.
At first glance, you might assume this is a patriotic post. One of those "we can vote and stand up for our country now that we're exJWs" types of posts and I wouldn't mind at all if that's what you get out of it. But that's actually not my point.
Read moreJehovah’s Witnesses and the Power of the Cross
One of the distinctive differences between Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christians is visible in their illustrations of Christ. Traditionally the Church has shown pictures of Jesus on a cross, but Watchtower publications show Jesus hanging on a single, upright pole which they call the torture stake.
To back up their claim that Jesus did not die on a cross, they’ve altered verses which mention “cross” and changed them to “torture stake” in their own version of the Bible called the New World Translation.
For example, notice how the New American Standard Bible compares with the New World Translation at 1 Corinthians 1:17
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. -1 Corinthians 1:17 NASB
For Christ sent me, not to baptize, but to declare the good news; and not with wisdom of speech, so that the torture stake of the Christ should not be made useless. -1 Corinthians 1:17-18 NWT
Jehovah’s Witnesses official website offers an explanation for the switch with this study note:
the torture stake of the Christ: Here the term “torture stake” (Greek, stau·rosʹ) is used to represent Jesus’ death on the stake. Jesus died in this way so that mankind would no longer be enslaved to sin but could have a good relationship with God.
Read moreExploring the Resurrection Hope
Several years ago I had the opportunity to speak with one of Jehovah’s Witnesses behind a literature cart. She invited me to their annual Memorial explaining it as a day set aside to commemorate Jesus’ death. I agreed with her on it’s importance and expressed my own appreciation for what Jesus’ death means to me. Then I asked her, “so at this service you have in which you celebrate His death, do you also celebrate His resurrection or do you have a separate service for that?”
Read moreAnd she actually said,
“OH, WE DON’T CELEBRATE HIS RESURRECTION.”

The Name God Chose
Nearly as long as humans have existed, they have worshiped many gods and goddesses. Yet, the Bible refers to one God who “is greater than all the other gods.” (2 Chronicles 2:5) Who is that? And what makes him greater than all the other gods that people worship? In this lesson, learn how this God introduces himself to you.
What is God’s name, and how can we be sure that he wants us to know it?
In the Bible, God introduces himself to us. He says: “I am Jehovah. That is my name.” (Read Isaiah 42:5, 8),“Jehovah” is the translation of a Hebrew name that evidently means “He Causes to Become.”
Jehovah wants us to know his name. (Exodus 3:15) How can we be sure of that? In the Bible he included his name over 7,000 times! The name Jehovah belongs to “the true God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.”—Deuteronomy 4:39. (From LESSON 4 from Enjoy Life Forever! An Interactive Bible Course on JW.org)
This introductory study published by the Watchtower goes on to inform the student that “God has many titles, but one name” and that “Jehovah wants us to know and use his name.”
The lesson is complete with a goal for the student to achieve: When talking about God, use his name, Jehovah.
Read more
Why Are You Here?
Have you ever started a new job uncertain of your duties? Standing around doing nothing, not because you’re lazy or unwilling to work, but because you’re just not sure what it is you’re supposed to be doing? It’s an awful feeling. If you’re lucky, the company gave you an employee handbook to study and a qualified trainer to answer your questions as you ease into the new position. If not, you end up learning by trial and error.
When Jesus “hired on” his first twelve, He remained present with them for three years and trained them in as apostles. He referred often to their “employee handbook” -- the scrolls with which they were familiar, and made it relevant and applicable for them. The apostle John said he had seen with his eyes and touched with his hands the word of life (1 John 1:1). Imagine being able to touch with your own hands the body of Christ. Wouldn’t it have been nice to physically walk hand in hand with the King Himself for three years when you first became a Christian?
Interestingly enough, those first trainees in the kingdom of God who could touch the body of Christ, pretty much stood around doing nothing during those first few training years. In fact, the King didn’t even expect much from them until He physically left the planet.
Instead, He promised a Helper would come and finish their training and then the real work would begin.
They were told to wait, not work.
Read moreNew Year Resolution: Buy a Shovel
Well, have you set those New Year Resolutions?
You want to lose weight -- so you bought the exercise bike.
You plan to read more -- so you got that Kindle for Christmas.
Every goal requires a little planning and usually a few purchases as well.
In January of 1996, my goal was to read the Bible and figure out God. By March I was in a study with Jehovah's Witnesses in their new publication "Knowledge that leads to everlasting life." The first Scripture referenced in the opening chapter was Proverbs 2:5 with a promise of finding a "special kind of knowledge" -- the very knowledge of God. I was hungry for some of that so I continued to dig into my Free Home Bible Study.
Proverbs 2:1-5 is still a great passage, but since leaving the Watchtower, I'm back on track digging for God rather than the "special knowledge" the Watchtower organization had to offer.
Read moreHow Many More Meetings Until You’re Righteous?
For when we were living according to the flesh, the sinful passions that were awakened by the Law were at work in our bodies to produce fruit for death. --Romans 7:5 NWT
What comes to your mind with those words “living according to the flesh?”
To explain, the New World Translation Study edition makes reference to James 1:14, 15:
14 But each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn sin, when it has been carried out, brings forth death.
They also include a study note from Romans 6:13 on not presenting any part of the human body to sin as weapons of unrighteousness.
This is all good information for any sincere person wanting a reminder to live a godly life.
Read moreBut how many reminders does it take before one can achieve a life devoid of sin?
Those Wicked Apostates!
Ding Dong the Witch is Dead!
Do you remember the FEAR you had as a child watching the Wicked Witch of the West swoop through the Land of Oz? As you grew to love the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, and Dorothy, you wanted nothing more than to get that Wicked Witch out of the way!!
Ding Dong the Witch is Dead!! What an anticipated celebration for the fans of Oz.
But what if the “Wicked Witch” was really "the good guy?"
What if the people of Oz were simply fed a fear campaign
to comply with a greater evil that sought to have control over them?
If that were so, that ruling entity would have to rid the land of any whistleblowers who might expose their facade.
In order to maintain control, the all powerful Governing Body must rid their organization of any people who dare to expose them pulling the levers behind the curtain.
Wise dictators know the enlistment of their people
to wholeheartedly support their decisions requires indoctrination.
That is why in the Watchtower, indoctrination is not just about working toward paradise but also learning who to hate and avoid on the journey there. After all, those who eventually leave the Watchtower may go on to expose the child abuse, false doctrines, and shunning practices within it. In preparation, the leadership has made every effort to create in the minds of their members, a hatred and fear of those who apostatize from it.
Read moreCompliance: How Far Will Some Go?
What Is Compliance?
In psychology, compliance refers to changing one's behavior due to the request or direction of another person.
Group behavior plays a big role in influencing compliance. We often refer to this as peer pressure. If it appears that the majority are agreeing to one thing, an individual is more likely to follow along. And cult indoctrination is notorious for using conformity methods as a means to keep its members controlled. Alongside this technique is placing a trusted authority over the group to create a fear of disobedience. The authority can then direct the actions of those who will do the actual bidding. If one authority can direct a few, the few can influence those under them.
Read moreMisplaced Fear = Misplaced Covenant
The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant. (Psalm 25:14)
Can a person fear God and not know His covenant?
The Apostle Paul made it clear in his letter to the Romans that his kinsmen, the Israelites, had a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge (Romans 10:2). Being zealous for God is not necessarily fearing Him for Paul concluded that they sought to establish their own righteousness rather than subject themselves to the righteousness of God (Romans 10:3).
Jesus Himself warned about those who would call Him “Lord, Lord” and even perform miracles in His name and yet be cast aside by Him declaring “I never knew you; Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:22-23)
So even in enthusiastic service for God, a person’s zeal could be mistaken as faith by others, but certainly not by God. Only God knows who truly fears Him and thus reserves the right to keep a secret hidden from them. So this got me to wondering how Saul, a murderous Pharisee, discovered "the secret of the Lord" (Psa 25:14) and came to know His covenant.
Read moreBillie Sue's Review
To those of you who have grown weary and frustrated in your outreach to Jehovah's Witnesses, I seek to encourage you. Please know your time in prayer and welcoming them into your home is not in vain.
A few years ago, it was on my heart to contact a few people in my home territory that affected me as a JW. I wrote to each one asking for their impression of me as the JW at their door. Billie Sue has given me permission to share what she wrote.
Over all, she perceived me as "hungry for truth." She also prayed a lot for me. I think she is an excellent example of the power Christians have on the other side of the door.
Imagine if every Christian who encountered a JW saw them as "hungry for truth" and prayed sincerely for them.
Maybe I wouldn't be here today praying for others to leave if she hadn't prayed for me? I hope this encourages our Christian readers who are currently witnessing to Jehovah's Witnesses. Thank you!
Read moreScribing as a Study Aid
I will meditate on Your precepts And regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. - Psalm 119:15-16 NASB
I love reading the Bible one-on-one with a friend. Iron sharpens iron as we discuss our reading together.
In February a friend and I began the book of Romans and I tried something new. In preparation for our phone meeting together each week, INSTEAD OF JUST READING the portion of Scripture, I SCRIBED IT first!
In a separate notebook I would copy word-for-word the section of Scripture we'd be discussing. I discovered the act of COPYING a few verses doesn't take that long, but the BENEFITS to me were surprising. My mind was forced to slow down and really meditate on each verse I wrote. At each word within the text I found myself asking questions about the audience and relevance to the topic. And if you've ever gone through a study guide or have been part of a small group discussion, you KNOW the key is asking good questions to direct your attention to the text being covered. Then on a separate page in the notebook, I kept a record of my thoughts and commentary on the passage I scribed.
Read moreHidden Healers
Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
In the support groups for those coming out of high control religions, some are there seeking comfort and others are in place to share the comfort they’ve already received. When you've come fresh from the battle with wounds needing immediate attention, it's a comfort just to be understood and accepted among those who've suffered a similar affliction. We have all been victims in one form or another in this life and can swap stories of pain, but if we've crossed over into victory, we've been given a unique opportunity to participate in someone else's healing.
If you are more victim than victor at this time, remember, it may take time to pass through the fires that refine you to be a healer. Rest in the comfort God is providing. And for those who have ministered a long time in the healing role God has granted you, I pray you find moments of rest and that you receive the support YOU NEED too.
Healing often comes in stages and can take many forms before it’s realized.
Read moreReasoning from the Scriptures with Jehovah's Witnesses: How Do They View Salvation?
What Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe About Salvation?
“Come to Jehovah’s organization for salvation”
They announced it boldly in the WATCHTOWER MAGAZINE, NOVEMBER 15, 1981, PAGE 21
For any religious institution to proclaim itself as the vessel for salvation is a startling announcement. So it’s important to first understand how members of the Watchtower Society interpret the meaning of that word “salvation.”
Here is what it says under the topic of SALVATION on page 356 of their publication Reasoning from the Scriptures:
Definition: Preservation or deliverance from danger or destruction. That deliverance may be from the hands of oppressors or persecutors. For all true Christians, Jehovah provides through his Son deliverance from the present wicked system of things as well as salvation from bondage to sin and death. For a great crowd of faithful servants of Jehovah living during “the last days,” salvation will include preservation through the great tribulation.
Salvation for the JW means SURVIVING ARMAGEDDON. And since that is believed to be a war in the near future, they do not consider themselves or their neighbors saved at present. Salvation, therefore, is something they are working toward themselves and also inviting others to obtain through their ministry campaign.
Read moreHow Will They Save Their Sole?
sole adjective
Definition of sole (Entry 1 of 4)
1 a: being the only one
she was her mother's sole support
b: having no sharer
2: functioning independently and without assistance or interference
let conscience be the sole judge
3: belonging exclusively or otherwise limited to one usually specified individual, unit, or group
4: not married —used chiefly of women
5 archaic : having no companion : SOLITARY
In case you're not familiar with the term "sole," Merriam-Webster dictionary describes it for us here. It is the root of the word "solitary" which most of us understand as alone, or as clearly stated here "having no companion."
Read moreCounting Sheep
Happy indeed are those who listen and who are “born again” to “enter into the kingdom of God” in union with the King. Happy are the “other sheep” who listen to the voice of this Shepherd-King and gain life. (All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial, page 199, paragraph 35)
To which happy group do you belong?
Are you of the "other sheep" or of those who've been “born again” to “enter into the kingdom of God?”
The majority of Jehovah's Witnesses will tell you they belong to the "other sheep" class of Christians. Since they believe only a limited number of 144,000 comprise those who've been born again and enter into the kingdom of God, they don't believe they are in that group. But don't feel sorry for them, remember, their literature told them they're HAPPY! And why are they so happy? Because the "other sheep" get to support the anointed class!
Anointed Christians share in the work of prophesying. They speak about “the magnificent things of God” and proclaim the “good news of the Kingdom.” (Ac 2:11, 17-21; Mt 24:14) The other sheep support them by participating in this work (Life and Ministry Meeting Workbook | October 2017 - TREASURES FROM GOD’S WORD | JOEL 1-3 “Your Sons and Your Daughters Will Prophesy”)
In order to understand how Jehovah's Witnesses separate themselves into the two classes of "anointed Christians" and "the other sheep," we'll first examine two key Bible verses the Watchtower consistently uses to train the thought process of their members.
Read moreThe Attraction of Unity
"Are you now separate from this world and its violent ways, as were Jesus and his disciples in the first century? If so, you have come to share in a wonderful worldwide unity experienced only by Jehovah’s Witnesses."--Watchtower 1983 Jul 15 p.20
UNITY! Oh, how I was ATTRACTED to that promise when I began to associate with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Through my Bible study with them, I accepted a code of ethics and the belief that Jesus Christ was key to bringing about a new world with his co-heirs numbering 144,000. This vital knowledge was linked to the recognition that Jehovah God had an organization on earth carrying out his plans to unify mankind under his kingdom. My agreement to participate in this organized effort to reach people from house-to-house with this message served as proof that I was now a true Christian.
Read moreTo disagree with anything coming down through that organization called into question whether or not I was a Christian. So, I learned as we all did, to keep my mouth shut and comply. All good JWs do. This creates UNITY.

Let Us Pray... Or Maybe Not?
If Someone Says—
‘Pray with me first, then give me your message’
You might reply: ‘I’m glad to know that you are a person who appreciates the importance of prayer. Jehovah’s Witnesses also pray regularly. But there is something that Jesus said about when and how to pray that may be new to you. Did you know that he told his disciples not to offer public prayers with a view to having others see that they were devout, praying persons? . . . (Matt. 6:5)’ Then perhaps add: ‘Notice what he went on to say should be of primary concern to us and what we should put first in our prayers. That is what I have come to share with you. (Matt. 6:9, 10)’ (Reasoning from the Scriptures, page 295)
The advice listed above is taken from the field ministry aid I was given when I began my life as one of Jehovah’s-door-knockin’-Witnesses back in 1996. I was instructed NOT to allow anyone outside of my religion to lead prayer. In fact, I wasn’t even allowed to pray audibly with the Jehovah’s Witness woman who conducted a Bible study with me until I was a baptized publisher approved by the leadership. The week after I’d been baptized at an assembly, we had lunch together and she announced “I guess I can let you pray for us now.” Let me? Being my first public prayer, I fumbled through a quick and uncomfortable blessing over our meal hoping I did it right.
Read moreChristmas or Solstice? Yes!
Here is a podcast that discusses the Christian basis of Christmas to help those struggling.
"Even though Christmas is not the real anniversary of our Lord's birth, but more properly the annunciation day or the date of his human begetting (Luke 1:28), nevertheless, since the celebration of our Lord's birth is not a matter of divine appointment or injunction, but merely a tribute of respect to
him, it is not necessary for us to quibble particularly about the date. We may as well join with the civilized world in celebrating the grand event on the day which the majority celebrate - "Christmas day."" Zion's Watch Tower 1904 Dec 1 p.364
Twenty three years later, apparently Jehovah had given them "new light."
"... The Golden Age of December 14, 1927, noted that Christmas is a pagan celebration, focuses on pleasures, and involves idol worship. The article made it clear that the celebration was not ordered by Christ and concluded with this pointed statement about Christmas: “The fact that the world, the flesh, and the Devil are in favor of its perpetuation and observance . . . is a final and conclusive argument against its celebration by those who are dedicated wholly to the service of Jehovah.” Not surprisingly, the Bethel family did not celebrate Christmas that December—or ever again!" God's Kingdom Rules! (2014) p.102
When I walked out of the Kingdom Hall in the fall of 2003, I had no interest in celebrating the holidays. A year later as I settled into my label of "apostate" given at my hearing on December 2, 2004, there was no rush into any holiday hoopla to celebrate my new freedom from the Watchtower. December 2005 also passed by as usual with no lights or holiday cards. Yet through it all, the season of winter never changed. The snow still fell and the days were short.
Leave the Prison of Fear and Move Forward
When I was in middle school art class, I made a painting of a starving man in a dismal, gray prison looking hopelessly at the rat eating his last morsel of food. Fresh air and sunlight beamed through the prison bars on a window far above the cells’ cold cement floor. The light fell upon the scene of the rat’s indulgence while the man sat helpless in the dark.
That was many years ago. I’m not even sure if I have that picture any more. But it came to mind while following a prompt to pray through the events unfolding in my reading of Exodus 14.
Moses had just led the sons of Israel out of captivity in Egypt where they had been slaves. They had witnessed plague after plague brought on by God to convince Pharaoh to release them. On the night they fled, it was God’s instruction to paint blood on their doorposts so the angel of death would pass over their houses and clear the way for the exodus. In His mercy and understanding of their conditioned response to armored authority, He even routed them away from the land of the Philistines and took them instead through the wilderness where they would not encounter opposing armies ahead of them.
Read moreI Pledge Allegiance to...
With the United States presidential election campaigns now underway, some Facebook posts suggest that those who vote for candidates who legislate actions contrary to biblical values will be held accountable to God for giving them such support. Really? Does any candidate ever align perfectly with God's will? Are not ALL MEN and nations imperfect? Isn't this the reason Jehovah's Witnesses abstain from voting and prefer the escapism of waiting for a cataclysmic end to all human governments and dream of a perfect paradise under the rule of their perceived infallible Governing Body?
Can association with a particular political party, religious organization, or even a health club, condemn an individual when they themselves are not involved in all the activities of the group to which they belong?
For example, a clerk who doesn’t drink alcohol or smoke tobacco might work at a store that sells both. Is the clerk guilty of drinking and smoking for handling and selling the product?
In 1982, the Watchtower declared that association with organizations they disapprove of would have a direct effect on even the most innocent and lowly associates of that entity,
"The Bible condemns things such as stealing, idolatry and the misuse of blood, so a Christian could hardly engage in work where he directly promoted such things. Would doing the work so closely link a person with a condemned practice that he would be a clear accomplice? Even a janitor or a receptionist at a blood bank or a plant making only weapons of war is directly linked with work contrary to Gods Word." (Watchtower 1982 Jul 15 Box on p.26 Employment Factors to Consider)
Read moreJoin Us for Testimony Tuesdays
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary - Psalm 107:2 NASB
There is a stage most questioning or former Jehovah's Witnesses go through in which we eat, drink, and sleep every book, blog, discussion group, and video of those who've passed through the exit struggle before us. Listening to the survival stories of others plays a vital role in maintaining a vision of hope that there really is life after the Watchtower.
Hebrews 12:2 informs us that it is Jesus who authored our faith stories. Therefore, every believer's testimony is the testimony Jesus wrote. Just as the Holy Spirit preserved the stories in the Bible for our hope and endurance (Romans 15:4), our own stories were written to encourage others. In fact, the Holy Spirit dwells in us for the purpose of testifying about Jesus (John 15:26)!
It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. -- 1 John 5:6 NASB
Covid Can't Stop This Conference!
The covid can't stop this conference!
The annual Witnesses Now for Jesus Conference in Bonne Terre, Missouri is on for July 24-26, 2020!

Are Jehovah's Witnesses Right? Man Has No Immortal Soul?
In 1996, I began my free home Bible study with Jehovah's Witnesses in their publication
"Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life."

Under the chapter heading of "What Happens To Our Dead Loved Ones?" in their Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life book, the Watchtower endeavors to answer the question "What is the Spirit in Humans?" In paragraph 4, they point out that Adam did not have a soul; he was a soul. They highlighted Genesis 2:7 from their New World Translation of the Bible as "Jehovah God proceeded to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man came to be a living soul." The paragraph ends by telling us that the Bible speaks of "the force of life" that is active in earthly living creatures. --Genesis 7:22. This is a key set up for their next paragraph that went on to explain what this "force of life" is. In their own words, "it is the vital spark of life that God put into the lifeless body of Adam. This force was then sustained by the breathing process." And thus, the Knowledge book explained to me that Adam became a living soul due to God's sustaining breath in his nostrils and calls this "the force of life." Then it went on to ask what the spirit is since Psalm 146:4 refers to it as "going out" or departing. They explain that "when the Bible writers used the word "spirit" in this way, they did not have in mind a disembodied soul that continues living after the body dies." -- Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life, page 81, paragraph 5.
Did you catch that? It's subtle but they just managed to persuade the reader to link soul, spirit, and life force all into one category. The spirit is not a "disembodied soul." Whoever said it was? Yet because the spirit can't be a disembodied soul as they say, it has to be something else. They call that "the force of life."
Read moreThe "Mighty God" of the New World Translation
Jehovah’s Witnesses have many publications produced by the Watchtower Society to inform them of their beliefs and also promote those beliefs to the public through the distribution of literature. One book that many JWs have bound into the back of their New World Translation (a biased Bible translation produced by and used among Jehovah’s Witnesses) is Reasoning from the Scriptures. This resource organizes topics and suggests presentations for the JW to use at your door. With each topic is a section titled “If Someone Says -” which the JW can use in the event that the householder tries to stumble them with a question.
Read moreUnder the topic of Jesus Christ, several pages are devoted to dismantling the Deity of Christ.
When Miracles Aren’t Enough
“If there is a god, why does he allow such suffering?”
In the midst of this Coronavirus and the fears and inconveniences that follow, I got a message from a former Jehovah’s Witness with whom I’ve had contact for close to two years now. He asked that question after a friendly hello to inquire how my family was coping. I told him our quarantine and sanitizing routine. He was surprised and wrote back “Why? I thought you trusted God.” I explained that I wear a seatbelt and it’s my custom not to jump from cliffs too. Did he think being a Christian meant we were impervious to disease and accidents? Then he wrote “it’s the end of humanity” and asked the infamous “if there is a god” question.
Perhaps you’re thinking what a great opportunity for me to share the gospel.
But you see, he’d already heard it.
He also has been the recipient of answered prayers for a miracle.
But, he’s looking for something else.
Read morePraise God for His Perfect Timing!
Jan 15, 2018
Hi, you may not remember me, but we 'spoke' online a few years ago about JWs and Jesus. I was hoping to have contact again and maybe have some support. I still struggle at times but mostly believe in Jesus. That's about all that's clear to me: I have to have faith in Jesus.
Thanks,
Cyndi*
And so, Cyndi was back in my life.
As she wrote, we had talked online a few years before that. What I remember from that email exchange was a lot of topical questions as is common when people first leave the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They want to know about the Trinity, the 144,000, and the end of the world. At that time, our discussions just served to frustrate and confuse her more. She was obviously looking for a new truth to replace the one she left. Naturally, she thought this new “truth” would be a convenient list of doctrines she could now obey and thereby recognize falsehoods. Though it would be easier to just hand someone a list of Do’s, Dont’s, and Doctrines, I've never been interested in directing people to more religion. Sadly, that’s what many former JWs have been trained to look for. When they don't find the perfect church, they give up. For this reason, I’ve never advised joining a church as the answer. It’s much more important to SUPPORT and DISCIPLE a person until the One who is greater than any human teacher has their trust. Yes, it takes many hours of prayer and patient teaching, but that is the privilege of co-laboring with Christ.
Read moreJesus Take The Wheel: Adventures in the Mobile Prayer Closet
Apparently it's not normal to pray for several hours a day. To organize lists of individuals, groups, and situations for a weekly prayer binder is just weird. But I remember when it began over a decade ago and have only God to blame. I was driving in my car when God spoke to my heart saying "you don't know how to pray." It perplexed me for a few days not knowing what more there was to prayer than I'd already been doing, but the words persisted so I took the bait and submitted by asking "okay then, teach me to pray." From that day forward, the Holy Spirit took me on a prayer journey. And I became one of those weird people known as an intercessor. I guess. I don't know, I just know I'm goofy and I pray a lot. The title of "Intercessor" somehow makes it sound more dignified.
As the hostess of this ministry's Prayer Meetup from 2009-2017, I can honestly say I've prayed for hundreds, quite likely thousands, of active and former Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, their family and friends, and those who minister to them.
During most of those years I also worked as a house cleaner which afforded me the silence to pray while scrubbing other people's toilets. Yes, intercession is sometimes that glamorous. In addition to the Prayer Meetup, I was also hosting the discussion groups for former Mormons and Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses and as the ministry emails and phone calls mounted up, I slowly let go of my day job.
Read moreEvil Looks Appealing Like A Big Frosted Gooey Delicious Cookie
January is an excellent time of year to use such a title. Perhaps cookies are beginning to look evil to you too? If you're like me, those enticing Christmas concoctions from December have got you considering a gym membership and a 40 day fast to start off the new decade. Sigh. As the saying goes "a moment on the lips, and a lifetime on the hips." Perhaps calling Grandma's double chocolate fudge cookies "evil" is a bit extreme but we all can relate to regretting an indulgence that led to making wiser choices in the future.
But Is THIS the Picture of Evil???
Read moreGetting Through to Jehovah's Witnesses in UNEXPECTED Ways

It's Christmas. You're seated at the table ready to enjoy that meal together as a family. But there's an empty place.
No, not because someone died but because you have a relative who is one of Jehovah's Witnesses. And they don't celebrate Christmas. Maybe they joined the religion recently and this new decision of theirs is confusing to you. Or maybe it's been this way for so long it's no longer worth bringing up. It could be an entire side of the family that has never joined hands with you at a holiday meal. Or maybe you're the one who broke away from the Watchtower and it's your first Christmas wishing there was a way to convince your family to also leave the organization and celebrate this day with you. In any case, you know there's a division in the family and it's most palpable this time of year.
Whether you're coming to this for the first time or it's been a frustration all of your life, are you looking for a change?
"The key to effective communication with Jehovah's Witnesses
is getting them out of their prepared presentations
by approaching Bible discussion in ways they won't expect." -- David A. Englund
No one is better prepared than Jehovah's Witnesses. Unlike most church services in which members passively sit listening to a pastor present a message, Jehovah's Witnesses are assigned active roles in their Kingdom Halls preparing presentations each week well aware that the person on the other side of the door just might raise a potential conversation stopper. If it's a predictable one, they've already practiced it at the Kingdom Hall or can look it up in their REASONING FROM THE SCRIPTURES publication from the Watchtower Society.
Read moreAre Jehovah's Witnesses A Cult?
YES or NO?
As a former member of the Watchtower Society, I was fully aware that people considered my religion to be a cult. Yet I maintained that I was in “the truth.” That’s not surprising to hear from current members as they are regularly instructed never to view any material that holds the Watchtower up to scrutiny. The only explanation of what a cult is that members will ever read comes from the official website of The Watchtower Society who has answered the question for them.
Read moreHappy Pumpkin Spice Season!
"Is it alright for a Christian to put up Halloween decorations and celebrate it? I was always told it was the devil's holiday."
As soon as pumpkin spice and flannel shirts replace the store aisles of back-to-school supplies, questions like this become the hot topic in discussion groups for former Jehovah's Witnesses. Christians of various denominations also have conflicting opinions on what to do with this season. Do we send our costumed kids into the neighborhood for candy or offer a Trunk-or-Treat day at church? Furthermore, should we even call it Halloween or just say we're having a Fall Festival?
Read moreMajor Lawsuit Against the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses
Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses Have Been Named Defendants in U.S. Court
The sins of some men are publicly known,
leading directly to judgment,
but those of other men become evident later.
(1 Timothy 5:24 NWT)
It's ironic that the verse quoted above is set within the context of a Bible passage used to guide the elders of Jehovah's Witnesses in defending the rights of child molesters within their congregations. Known as the "two witness rule," no one is to bring an accusation against a man unless there was at least one other witness present at the alleged assault. They base this rule on this verse from their New World Translation,
"Do not accept an accusation against an older man except on the evidence of two or three witnesses." (1 Timothy 5:19)
Laughter is Good Medicine!
You've probably HEARD it said before, but have you EXPERIENCED laughter as good medicine to what ails you?
As a former member of the Watchtower Society, I have. Proverbs 17:22 came to life for me 6 months after I was disfellowshipped. I began 2005 as a shunned and depressed ExJW, but midway through that same year I slapped on a happy face and went off to vacation at Clown Camp. I've since grown into that smile and am joyfully still clowning around.
My mother nurtured the clown in me as a child with her own love for practical jokes. Creativity was welcome in the non-JW home I grew up in and by middle school I was voted "most humorous" and also "most artistic." Those two attributes were overshadowed by a more serious nature, however, when I stepped into a newly created character called "JW Julie" in 1996 as a baptized Jehovah's Witnesses.
Even as a faithful JW, however, I could not completely snuff out my true identity and appreciation for a good joke. One night as I entered the Kingdom Hall, a sister asked if I'd be available after the meeting as she had something important to show me. When the meeting ended, she invited me to walk to her car. As she led the way in the parking lot, she was laughing while confessing that I was the only one who could appreciate what she had to share. She could hardly control her giggles as she took a small paper bag from her back seat.
Picture if you will, two well groomed women in skirts
standing in the parking lot of a Kingdom Hall
playing with what Linda had recently discovered
through her grandson.
Read moreTestimonies that Turn the World Upside Down!
2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” (Acts 17:2-7 ESV)
As our website's name suggests, we are Witnesses for Jesus. Like the apostle Paul, we proclaim that Jesus is the Christ. And because of it, some call us apostates and attack our ministry of reaching out to Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons. Those types of letters are to be expected, but I can't remember a time when we were accused of "turning the world upside down" due to our testimony. Until last month.
Read moreBlocks ExJWs face in Coming to Christ
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. (Matthew 23:13)
Have you ever shared the gospel with an active or former Jehovah's Witness? Have you noticed a BLOCK preventing them from hearing it? According to Jesus' own words here in Matthew 23, it was the RELIGIOUS LEADERS who were preventing some from entering the kingdom of heaven. What Jehovah's Witnesses have been fed by their leaders also serves as a block to their entrance. I absolutely LOVE Christians who invite Jehovah's Witnesses in and share the gospel with them, but I know how confusing it can be for Christians to talk to these people who regularly read their Bibles and already profess a belief in Jesus Christ and yet watch the gospel fall upon deaf ears as they continue with their Watchtower presentation. What prevents them from hearing the simple truth?
I invite you to listen in on a discussion amongst former Jehovah's Witnesses who were asked the question,
"What currently is or was the major block you had
in coming to Christ for salvation due to your JW background?"
Read moreA First Time Visit to the Memorial
It continues to amaze me that Jehovah's Witnesses make such a special effort to invite their neighbors to their annual observance of Christ's death called the Memorial. What impression does this make on a new visitor at the Kingdom Hall? Here is one man's comments from the evening of his first Memorial. He posted this in a Facebook discussion group for former Jehovah's Witnesses and the responses that follow give greater insight to this annual event which many of us now refer to as a "Black Mass." One contributor to the discussion also shared her recording of the Memorial event which she attended this year.
Read moreSean:
I went to my first WTBTS "Memorial" Service on Friday.
Apparently, this is their most important service of the year.
I found it to be quite depressing.It was only an hour long lecture about denying the full deity of Christ,
why they only observe Jesus's death and not his Resurrection (Both are very important),
why he was "for certain" crucified on a wooden pole and not a cross......and the main event,
reflect on who the 144,000 are who should partake of their annual communion,
and why you shouldn't.
They spend most of the time convincing you that you aren't,
but you can still live eternally on Earth
(sounds like the equivalent of "Purgatory." Bliss, but not the full glory of The Lord.)So, you see the unleavened bread and wine passed down the isles,
and no one takes it....NOT ONE!
So, a reflection of Christ's atonement while rejecting it?
And this is the highlight of their year? How sad!
The Bible Project: Or Help Rhonda Find Another Free Home Bible Study
Hi Julie,
I was raised in a Baptist Church until I was a teenager then went to Harvest (with Greg Laurie in California) through high school. As an adult I had a drug addiction and was in and out of rehabs but also went to Bible camps. I feel the Bible Camp made a foundation in my heart. I have been clean for 3 years and let me tell you a year and a half of that cleanses is because of the Jehovah Witnesses and me getting into my Bible. I've never understood my Bible before. It's like a window is opened up to me. I still continue to go to a non denomination church but am not committed to any one church. I haven't gone to the Kingdom Hall yet but am studying with Witnesses. I brought questions to pastors at churches which pushed me closer to more studies with the JWs.
Read moreI read the JW website a lot because I like the layout and the structure of it. I am a structure person somewhat. I need guidance.
Risking "How To Have a Good Day Every Day"
I'm a morning devotional kind of person. You know, those little books you see on people's coffee tables? I've gone through several over the years, but currently my tabletops host Our Daily Bread and Oswald Chambers "My Utmost for His Highest."
These books were once forbidden to me as one of Jehovah's Witnesses since the Watchtower dictates that their members only read their publications, one of which is a daily devotional called "Examining the Scriptures Daily." I followed their program of reading their daily text, but was getting increasingly angry and depressed within the walls of that religion. And so I took a risk and picked up a devotional from a local thrift store because it's title sounded more helpful than theirs. The booklet was called "How To Have a Good Day Every Day" by Norman Vincent Peale. The contents revealed 7 vital steps in re-focusing my mind each morning to look on the bright side. When you're constantly fed pictures and words of an impending doomsday, that's kind of appealing.
Read moreA Hidden Lesson in Christmas Cards
Christmas 2018 is past and we begin a new year once again. I didn't send any Christmas cards out this year, but as I look at the ones received, most of them are from former Jehovah's Witnesses. For some it's become an annual tradition, for others it was a first rite of passage this year. I also receive cards from friends and family I've known since before I entered the Watchtower in 1996. There were no Jehovah's Witnesses in my family as I was growing up, so we celebrated Christmas. My folks would receive Christmas cards and read them to us since some would be from relatives we'd only hear from once a year. Those would usually include a letter to catch us up on the events of their year along with what they knew about others in our family circle. They wrote about who got married, who had a baby, who died, who got a new job, an award, or moved. That type of thing. This was all just normal to me.
An Atheist, a Jew, and a Unitarian walk into a song....
Though Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Atheists aren't going to be celebrating the birth of Christ, the music at this time of year is unavoidable. You can hardly pick up a gallon of milk at the store without hearing a Christmas song or run into a bell ringer wishing you a "Merry Christmas." Christ is being proclaimed whether we agree with it or not. And even Jehovah's Witnesses are out this winter building their presentations on the fact that others are celebrating Jesus' birth. When I was in field service in the late 90's, we would present the publication "The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived" and talk about Jesus' birth with the householder hoping to stay in conversation long enough to introduce the idea that He was now a King. A lesson I have no argument with today, however I give no credit to 1914 as the date for His return. Though their intent is to draw people into the Watchtower organization, Christ is still being preached (in a distorted way). And it causes me to reflect upon others who have brought the message of Christ to many ears even when they themselves are not Christian.
November: Cult Awareness Month
To my knowledge, there is no registered "Cult Awareness Month" designated to commemorate notable events associated with spiritual abuse. However, if I were to create such a memorial it would have to be in November. And that's what we are proposing to do this month through social media. Some of us are already engaged in bringing awareness to the public through our Facebook pages and speaking engagements, but some have good reasons to keep a low profile and that is understandable. For those who can participate, we're inviting you to make November CULT AWARENESS MONTH with us by posting more than the usual information about Jehovah's Witnesses and/or the psychological studies on shunning and cults in general on your social media pages. There is no shortage of videos, news articles, personal blogs, and websites like this from which to choose.
Read moreWhy Does It Take So Long For Victims to Come Forward?
Wise King Solomon wrote there is
"A time to be silent and a time to speak."
It seems with the #MeToo movement, it is a time for women in particular to speak. Conversations abound on social media concerning rape and the general disrespect for women. The latest news to stir the pot concerns the sexual assault allegations that Christine Blasey Ford has brought forth on Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
I'm not normally one to jump into these debates on social media, but it's easy to see the most common counter argument for Ford's case against Kavanaugh is the time span between the alleged rape and her coming forward. As I was reading one Facebook thread, this comment was left by a man:
"To wait that long whether he's guilty or not is just too long it's done it's over move on nothing anyone can say or do will ever change whether it was right or wrong just move on."
A woman responded with,
"there is no statute of limitations on sexual assault here in Maryland... The law says you're wrong..."
And then it got ugly. He resorted to obscene name calling and wrote, "it takes you 40 years to realize you were raped ? You can't fix stupid ignorance ..."
That's when I considered responding to his ignorance in that thread, but chose to do so here instead.
Read moreHow Do Pastors Respond to Jehovah's Witnesses?
Being a Jehovah's Witness is an education that few will ever have. You really get to know the religious atmosphere of an area when you're forced to move past the small talk and bring up the topic of God with your neighbors. Even now as I drive past neighborhoods, I can recall certain people and conversations at particular houses. I can tell you who grew up Baptist, Catholic, or Lutheran. Who identifies themselves as Christian but believes in reincarnation or can't find the book of Genesis in a Bible. I remember the house where a Catholic woman told me they didn't need a Bible because they have the catechism. I remember how the other Witnesses in my car laughed harder than me when I told them about our conversation.
The truth is,
Jehovah's Witnesses make fun of Christians.
And talking with our Christian neighbors
on a regular basis only fortifies that position.
Even when a doubting JW takes that brave step to talk with "apostates" in on line discussion groups, they will often point out that ONLY Jehovah's Witnesses are fulfilling the Great Commission by their thorough witnessing work. They'll note that Jehovah's Witnesses are KNOWN worldwide for their evangelism in contrast to others who identify themselves as Christians but are not engaged in such a work. And it's all too true. As a new Witness approved for field service, I was both eager and intimidated by taking my first door, but
Read moreBaraboo to Bonne Terre
A joyful heart is good medicine,
But a broken spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22 NASB)
When I was one of Jehovah's Witnesses, my summer's were full of meetings at the Kingdom Hall, studying my Watchtower, door knocking, and of course, the District Convention. I had little time left for fun. But six months after my disfellowship announcement in 2004, I was at a week long Clown Camp in La Crosse, Wisconsin and have been filling up my weekends with parades and festivals ever since. I was released from my bondage and became a clown and caricature artist. Oh, I still attend "meetings" for spiritual instruction and worship, engage in Bible studies, share the good news of the kingdom, and attend summer conventions, but I've also learned to extract the F-U-N from what once was a dysFUNctional religious life. Based on these activities, some people might think I've not changed my ways all that much, but I beg to differ. Now when I begin a Bible study with someone, my purpose is not to get them to join an organization or "get religion," my prayer is that through the love and grace offered in the gospel they will discover who they are in God's kingdom because there is no greater joy than being released to become who God created us to be! When that happens, there's no holding back the fruit of His Spirit.
Read moreHave We Seen Their Faith or Their Flaw?
As we pray for our loved ones in the Watchtower, it is my prayer that we focus on their faith and not their flaw. Their faith may be sincere, yet misdirected and therefore flawed indeed. However, I praise God for noticing the offering of every active Jehovah's Witness who prays and witnesses from a place of faith in HIM for I believe what He sees is far deeper than what we see. God treasures faith.
She was in the wrong religion. The leaders she trusted took her offerings but did not shepherd her through her losses. She had little left to give and yet in her sincerity gave all because she had nowhere else to go. So day after day she spent her faith serving an outdated religion set for the fall. But some had already left it to follow the truth and watched her activities pondering the outcome as her insignificant offering was taken up by the shepherds fleecing their flock.
Stop right there. What is stirring in your heart? Do you run to tell her? Do you rail against her religion and it's leadership? Do you plead in prayer and ask Jesus to show Himself to her?
Read more"Hello. I Am An ExJW"
At this conference everyone is given a voice. Present, questioning, exiting and former Jehovah’s Witnesses as well as anyone who has been affected by the teachings and policies of Jehovah’s Witnesses organization. Whether you are a former witness for the Watchtower Society or a "witness now for Jesus," you are invited.
The second annual "Witnesses Now for Jesus: Midwest" conference is coming up fast the weekend of Friday, July 27 and Saturday, July 28. As with the 40th annual conference of its same kind in Pennsylvania (October 5-7, 2018), Friday morning will begin with introductions from all in attendance as the microphone gets passed at 9:30 am with "Let's Get Acquainted."
Teen Depression? Awake!
Can I make a confession here? I still like the Awake! magazine that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society publishes. As a former Jehovah's Witness, I no longer have a subscription so I'm not up to date on all of them, but when I do get my hands on one I usually enjoy the articles. They're rarely controversial and often upbeat and informative.
Recently I stopped to read the bulletin board at my local grocery store where someone had left 4 Awake! magazines. Likely the same sister I'd seen in the store that day. It was all the same issue, No. 1 2017 on Teen Depression. I took them all off the counter so no one else could have a chance to read them. Even though I don't consider the contents of those magazines very dangerous, they do serve as a lure to get readers interested in studying with Jehovah's Witnesses. Something I do find dangerous and deceiving. And so, I have 4 copies of the same Awake! magazine sitting at my desk.
Read moreExJWs to Meet in Missouri: July 27-28, 2018
Back in 1979, long before Facebook or any Internet groups, Ex Jehovah's Witnesses managed to gather and put together a conference in Pennsylvania. 40 years later it's still going! Even those who've never attended have benefited from the recorded talks on YouTube given by those who shared their struggle and joy coming out of the Watchtower.
In 2017, another conference was added in Missouri for those not able to make the trip out east. And this year the west coast Witnesses Now for Jesus conference was introduced in Sacramento, California. "Life After the Watchtower, Now What?" was the appropriate title given to that conference held in April on the west coast. Now with the California conference behind us, it's time to make plans for the Witnesses Now for Jesus Midwest conference in Missouri this July.
Read moreFully Present in the Spirit
I was in prayer this morning having a lot of thoughts about the difference between prayer and worship. In prayer, we often spend the time petitioning. And we are indeed called to do that. But petition takes us out of the present. It focuses on future desire, "God, please help so-and-so overcome..." But worship has no past or future but only brings you into the present. And a stream of thoughts was filling me on how to present this truth to you. As Jehovah's Witnesses we were very "thinking" oriented. And even now, as we engage in Bible study we are using our minds. But over and over we see Scriptures encouraging us to live in a place called Spirit.
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.... unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:3-6)
Look back at that passage. Do you notice what the Spirit allows us to do? To SEE the kingdom of God. We actually ENTER it when born of Spirit. And that which is born of the Spirit is…. ?
Read moreCommunion Prayers
Whenever Christians find out how Jehovah's Witnesses practice their version of communion at the annual Memorial, they're usually pretty shocked. "You mean no one eats the bread or drinks the wine?" That's right. It's only for the remnant of the 144,000. A very small number in relation to the 8 million Witnesses who claim an "earthly hope." Most Kingdom Halls have no one at all who is "allowed" to partake that night. And so, bread and wine get passed from person to person with a very conscious decision not to partake. They are rejecting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in favor of "Jehovah's arrangement" set forth by the Watchtower Society.
I attended my last Memorial in 2002 or 2003. I'm not sure. But I do know when I first partook of the bread and wine with full understanding that the sacrifice Jesus made was for me. September 9, 2007 was a very joyous day and I've never stopped appreciating this remembrance ritual whether gathered with other believers at church or at home alone.
But is it a mere ritual? To some, perhaps. But communion has become a form of prayer for me. And as I contemplate with sadness the upcoming Memorial of 2018 in which Jehovah's Witnesses will once again confirm their rejection of Jesus Christ, I'm reminded of the intimacy they will all miss out on and the lessons God taught me one sleepless night when I listened close to what His indwelling Spirit had to teach me.
Read moreWhat Do You Think? Is The Watchtower Blood Guilty for the Recent Murder Suicide Case in Michigan?
The June 22, 1985 Awake! magazine states this on page 27, "According to the Bible, when we deliberately put someone's life unnecessarily in danger, we could become bloodguilty (Compare 1 Chronicles 11:17-19)"
Blood Guilty. Jehovah's Witnesses are accustomed to hearing the phrase in their publications and public discourses at their Kingdom Hall meetings. And so it's understandable if members of the sect consider Lauren Stuart blood guilty after the Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office and police determined this 45 year old wife and mother to be the murderer of her husband and children before turning the gun on herself.
On the morning of Friday, February 16, 2018, police responded to a call to check on the safety of this Keego Harbor, Michigan family of four.
Neighbors John and Jackie Tristani said they awoke Friday morning to hear police outside the victims’ home.
“My son said police were repeatedly calling out ‘Lauren, come outside,’ " said John Tristani. “When she didn’t respond they (police) went inside. A few minutes later, they came back outside, shaking their heads.”
Read moreBetween the Holidays

Here we are between the holidays. As I write this, Christmas is behind us and Martin Luther King Day is before us. I celebrate my Savior on the one day and a childhood hero on the other.
My first brush with racial prejudice was at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. I was raised in a primarily white, suburban neighborhood in Illinois and therefore unacquainted with words of hate toward another race since there were none on my street to talk about. But when my mother took me shopping in town, I certainly was aware there were people who did not look like me. I was just never informed that I should mistrust them. But there at the museum, I stood in line with my older sister surrounded by girls of another color.
“Little white girl,” one slurred as she gave me a shove. My mind whirled wondering what I had done to this person to warrant her taunting behavior. Again she pushed me while condemning my color to the delight of her friends. Thankfully it didn’t escalate into violence beyond my hurt feelings, but it left me confused. This girl didn’t know me and yet she hated me. Why?
When we came back from Christmas break in 1973, my elementary school teacher took us into a lesson plan on Martin Luther King, Jr. Though the federal holiday that commemorates the civil rights leader would not be officially recognized for another 10 years, I was an eager student to hear the story that January.
I was SHOCKED to learn that my race had once enslaved Dr. King’s race. SHOCKED that only a few years before I was born, black people were expected to sit at the back of the bus and drink from separate water fountains. I became intensely interested in learning about the oppression of black people and realized what was behind that girl’s hatred of me, the “little white girl.”
Read moreChristmas Through An ExJW's Eyes
What is Christmas to you? Do you have fond memories of family gatherings sharing recipes and gifts under the tree? For those who grew up in the Watchtower Society, there are no memories. Why would a parent withhold Christmas from their children? And what happens when that parent discovers the "reason for the season" themselves? For 30 years Sharon read the New World Translation of the Bible published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, but did not know her Savior. To her and the rest of Jehovah's Witnesses the Bible taught that Jesus was not born in December and God was not pleased with us for celebrating His birth that month. When she left the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, however, her eyes opened to the joy of the birth of her Savior and her own value as a precious new born creation as well. Sharon invites us to see Christmas through her eyes...
Christmas Through My Eyes by Sharon Leasure
In June of 1980 as I studied the Bible with my Jehovah’s Witness aunt I began to learn the evils of Christmas and why it should be a holiday to avoid. Unlike all the other holidays this was the hardest of all to give up. I knew I wanted to live on a Paradise earth for all eternity and would do what I had to so I could achieve this goal. I was convinced that because Jesus was not born in December it would be dishonoring Him to recognize His birth on that day.However it never entered my mind to ask why we don’t celebrate it in October. I was taught to believe that the three wise men were men hated by Jehovah. Also Jesus was around two years old when they came, not an infant in a manger. So the whole nativity scene was wrong and to be a part of it would to be a part of a lie. Who is the father of the lie? Satan, so it would be Satan that we would be worshiping. Christmas is being celebrated on the same day as the Sun God thus being connected to pagan worship. I had so many reasons now to avoid this holiday and look down on those who celebrated it. I began pitying them for their lack of knowledge, if they only knew the truth. What a horrible holiday!
Read moreDid You Feel the Mountains Tremble on November 5, 2017?
Open your mouth for the mute,
For the rights of all the unfortunate.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy. (Proverbs 31:8-9)
Offering You A Free Home Bible Study!
If someone came to your door with Bible in hand, talking about Jesus, but shared a different gospel, would you recognize it? What if the pastor at your church introduced one? Would you know the difference?
Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Corinthians 15:1-4 NASB)
The Apostle Paul said clearly that the gospel which saves and is of first importance is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the gospel he received and therefore presented to others. It was through their acceptance of that very same gospel that the churches in Galatia were birthed. Yet within a few years, Paul wrote with intense concern that they were now paying attention to a DIFFERENT gospel. Had they completely abandoned Christ? No, for he clarifies his statement that it's "really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1:6-7 NASB)
According to Paul a distorted version is as good as saying it's a different gospel.
Read moreThe First Annual WNFJ Midwest Conference!

We came from Missouri, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, California, Colorado, and Maine! Eleven states represented at one small Midwestern conference. I'd say that's a pretty good start!
Charles and Donna Smith didn't know what to expect when they agreed to organize and host the first ever Witnesses Now for Jesus Conference in Farmington, Missouri this past July but when they committed to do it, people came from all over. And what a blessing that gathering proved to be!
Read moreExJW Conference in Missouri this July!

You are invited to attend the Witnesses Now for Jesus Midwest gathering! Listen to sound Biblical teachings by noted Christian Apologists and testimonies by former Jehovah's Witnesses to provide refuge for the oppressed and to edify and equip the Church.
Teachers include: Bob Gray, Ed Havaich, Steve Lagoon, Kay L. Kay Meyer, and Martin Winslow.
Testimonies of ex-Jehovah's Witnesses include: Martha Kuderer, Julie McAllen, and Robin Ridlon. There is no registration fee, but a freewill offering will be taken.
Blessings from Baltimore!
The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.
The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous;
The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. (Psalm 118:114-115)
Joyful shouting. I did a lot of that over my two week vacation to Maryland in April. I spent Resurrection Sunday with some dear friends who are also former Jehovah's Witnesses. We CELEBRATED the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, our freedom in Him, and just being the wacky, unique individuals He created us to be.
Earlier in the week we caroused several thrift stores and flea markets in search of the perfect hat for a friend. At one sale I had opportunity to speak with one of Jehovah's Witnesses behind a literature cart. She invited me to their annual Memorial explaining it as a day set aside to commemorate Jesus' death. I agreed with her on it's importance and expressed my own appreciation for what Jesus' death means to me. Then I asked her, "so at this service you have in which you celebrate His death, do you also celebrate His resurrection or do you have a separate service for that?"
And she actually said,
"OH, WE DON'T CELEBRATE HIS RESURRECTION."
How sad. Not only do they reject the body and blood of Christ at their Memorial service, but they also go forth in their ministry boldly proclaiming there is no reason to celebrate His resurrection. Just what part of this is Christian?
Read moreWorldwide Prayer for Jehovah's Witnesses
On April 11, 2017, Jehovah's Witnesses will celebrate their annual Memorial in Kingdom Halls worldwide.
Read more"We want to pray for Jehovah's Witnesses, that their eyes might be opened and come to the Lord Jesus this Memorial. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (James 5:16). As some may know, the majority of Jehovah's Witnesses refuse to partake of the bread and wine.
However, Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no eternal life in you." (John 6:53) Let's also pray for those who have left and are seeking for the Lord still! Pray that they will come to know and experience God's grace and love and mercy and come to Christ. Such a hard and long road, with all the WT teachings so ingrained.
Please spread the word about this event! We will begin our prayers on April 11th at 3 pm Mountain time and will continue until the Memorial is over."
The Power of a Praying Husband
Last month I shared an article called No One Is Born a Prayer Warrior. This month I have some encouraging news about one man's journey in learning to pray for his wife. This is one of the FASTEST turn-arounds I've ever had the privilege of watching because what I am about to share happened within less than 3 weeks.
No One Is Born A Prayer Warrior
I once heard a story about some tourists traveling through a little village. They had gone to the sites on the tour map indicating where famous people were born or landmark events happened. They were unfamiliar with this place so they asked one of the locals, "were any great men born in this village?" The local resident replied, "no, only babies."

Discovering a Twist in Translation
…"But what about John 1:1?"
This was the question Sara and her sister posed to the Jehovah's Witnesses sitting across the table from them. The JW's had attempted to convince them that Jesus was not God. According to the rendering of John 1:1 in the Watchtower's own version of the Bible called The New World Translation (NWT), Jesus is "a god" but not "the God." Then the JW's introduced the Strong’s Concordance to these two sisters and endeavored to prove that the article “a” was permissible in the verse.
That was over 13 years ago. One of these sisters followed the advice given by those JW's to be like a Beroean and "carefully examine the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11 NWT) avoiding the snare of Watchtower indoctrination, but the other one became a disciple of the Watchtower organization.
Read moreLeave the group, lose your beliefs?
Our ancestors understood that hunting, gathering, and building huts was easier within the tribe than doing it alone. When enemies approach, there’s also more security within a group than standing alone. And the survival of any group is dependent on some agreed upon structure. Therefore, groups often organize and unify under a belief system, deity, or common ideal. So religious ideals throughout history can be appreciated as a necessary force to unite a group of people for survival, but history's pages are also full of examples that when groups gather in the name of their god, horrendous things can happen. As I was discussing this with a gentleman in a class I'm taking on "the history of religious intolerance," he posed this question:
Read moreWhen the need for the group ends, does the need for the belief system also?
Don't Take GRACE Lightly!
Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Jude 3-4)
I recently received a letter from a person who considers it a sin if we don't keep the Sabbath on Saturday. We have exchanged letters through the years because she had questions about their neighbor who is one of Jehovah's Witnesses. She had told me they attend church on Saturday and asked what I understood about that.
Read moreDangerous Prayers
Yes God hears our prayers. Pretty dangerous huh?
Last month I shared an article titled Pray Without Ceasing which was basically an invitation for our Prayer Meetup coupled with a desire that God would build up that ministry. I have felt for some time that we need a whole lot more prayer in our outreach to Jehovah's Witnesses since the websites and Facebook groups are already FLOODED with enough discussion. I have posted encouragement to pray plenty of times on the message board of our Prayer Meetup group, but when no one is logging on to it, the message goes unread. So I began emailing encouragement to our members instead. This proved to be valuable. Just prior to our monthly prayer meeting, I shared a personal experience along with a reminder about the upcoming September prayer service. I hope my experience along with the comments I received encourage you also to pray some dangerous prayers.
Read morePray Without Ceasing
“I'm new to this site and from what I have seen so far I think this is fantastic! The power of prayer should never be under estimated. I am very excited to be able to talk with others who have been delivered. I pray that all our loved ones who are still involved with the Witnesses will see Christ in us through our example, I pray that we are equipped by the Holy Spirit to live as Christ lived.” -- Craig
Are you a Christian who has a loved one involved in a cult or false religion? Are any of your family members caught up in a pseudo-christian belief system, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons? We have a particular prayer focus for people struggling with issues in coming out of these groups and also provide a prayer covering for those who minister to them.
Read more
XJW Fest 2016: A Sense of Community
WHAT IS COMMUNITY?
Community
noun, often attributive com·mu·ni·ty \kə-ˈmyü-nə-tē\
: a group of people who live in the same area (such as a city, town, or neighborhood)
: a group of people who have the same interests, religion, race, etc.
: a group of nationsSource: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary
Within family, neighborhood, school, work, and organizations, we gain community. Likewise, with a divorce, relocation, or job change we suffer loss of a once familiar community. Imagine several losses at once. For many who have had to walk away from the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, their losses include their family and social group, and may also include a change in occupation and adjusting to a new location as well. This is a significant loss of community.
The human heart desires community, yet it's common for those hurt within one group to hesitate seeking another lest they get hurt again. To compound this, the Watchtower has inculcated fear into the hearts of it's members to hinder their quest for help from counselors, clergy, ex-members, or friendly neighbors just trying to get to know them. Healing can not begin without some community.
Read moreWhen the Church Wounds You
Visit any Facebook group for Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses or our Worldwide Meetup group, and you'll see stories of a lot of wounded people. Many of them don't even desire to step into a church and for those of us who do, there's a lot of hurdles to overcome. And sadly, some of us have been wounded in the church as well as the Kingdom Hall.
Recently I shared an experience with those groups and it obviously hit a nerve based on the many comments I received. I'm thankful that the Lord chose to address this particular topic as I walked my dog and asked Him to speak into my life. Here is what He led me to write....
Read moreThe Ministry of Music
May seemed to be a month full of discussion about worship music on our Meetup for ex-Jehovah's Witnesses. I called to mind my 1984 edition of Kingdom Melodies, the songbook Jehovah's Witnesses use at their meetings.
I mentioned the picture of bearded (gasp!) men singing with mouths wide open giving praise to Jehovah. Their arms outstretched and opened as well. I asked the group sarcastically "did anyone ever praise God that way while at the Kingdom Hall???"
Music and worship is an often overlooked topic. When we leave the Watchtower, it's not just the difference in doctrinal matters that we notice. It's startling to see the difference in worship music and styles upon taking that first brave step into a church. In fact, I didn't even know what worship was when I first began attending.
Read moreMaking Money the Watchtower Way!
There's thousands of pyramid schemes and I've been approached by a few friends involved in these "businesses" and warned them -- even pointing to articles and stories of ex-schemers on the Internet, yet that same ignorance exists in them that is in the cults. They simply don't want to hear it. They found something that makes them happy and consider my "evidence" as faulty and assume I just want to kill their joy. Sigh.
Springtime Harvest, A Time To Rejoice!
I love to share encouraging news like this. It's another example of how God is the one making seeds grow that others have watered. Living in the Midwest, I'm familiar with spring time planting and an autumn harvest. But that's life in the natural. In the kingdom of God, anything is possible, even a springtime harvest!
The Philosophy of Popcorn
As with all on line discussion groups for ex Jehovah's Witnesses, a variety of views about God and religion can stir up strong emotions. We encourage members in our Meetup to be honest about their doubts and to share what they've been led to explore in matters of faith without fear of being reprimanded. That means ALL views are welcome.
Read moreGod Does The Work For Us
Too many Christmas goodies and late evenings had me off schedule and extending my morning coffee 'til noon in my pajamas. With my husband taking extra days off from work and a few trips tossed in, I struggled to remember what day it was. Perhaps you can relate to the holiday vacation slump? So December was winding down with a prayer for renewed energy since I personally felt like a sloth. But on the last Tuesday of 2015, a morning phone call turned into an entire day of connections and encouragement. Just the energy I needed.
An Ex-JW's Most Memorable Christmas
"I would love to correspond with other ex Jehovah's Witnesses. I think it is great to have like minded people to come together and voice their opinions and to share with people who understand."
That was a statement included in Ruth's profile when she joined our worldwide support group in November of 2010. She had been one of Jehovah's Witnesses for 36 years leaving behind six brothers and sisters still in the organization. Though she has been out now for over 20 years, Ruth echoes the words of many who were raised under the Watchtower rules in saying,
Read moreTruth Takes a Licking and Keeps On Ticking
Sometimes when people come out of the Watchtower, their fear is that they will be expected by others to discredit ALL of it. But that's not honest nor honoring of their decision at the time they accepted a free home Bible study from one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
I can honestly say I have some very good memories of my time spent as one of Jehovah's Witnesses and know I am a better person for it. Even though from this side of things I can call it a toxic cult, in reference to their own conversion to the Watchtower, I understand why some former members cling to it in their confusion claiming "the truth saved my life."
Read more
Up Where We Belong
A sense of belonging. This is something our spirits long for with God and with one another. There's no greater joy than to watch a new life born of Spirit take hold of their right as a child of God who belongs to Christ! (John 1:12; Romans 8:9) A need for acceptance is met as they begin their walk with God. With this, a hunger grows to fellowship with others as well.

Will Suffering Ever End?
The hot topic on Meetups and Facebook discussions among former Jehovah's Witnesses the past month was undoubtedly the investigation by the Royal Commission of Australia into over 1,000 sexual abuse cases within the Watchtower Society. While this is good publicity to share among those eagerly anticipating the membership of this cult to drop, I can't help but think of the consciences of those who would "protect" the leadership who caused so much suffering to these victims. Don't Jehovah's Witnesses care about human suffering?
Honoring Those Who Shepherd
Last month I shared how the past affects the present in dealing with authority in the church. You can read that article here: https://www.4witness.org/church-issues-how-does-the-past-affect-the-present/ Being in daily on line conversations with people who've been abused by parental, spousal, and church authority, it's not surprising to hear their struggle to trust words in the Bible such as "honor your father and mother" or "obey those taking the lead." It's a challenge to share the love of Christ to hurting people without offending them with scripture when it's been used in the past to manipulate their trust. None the less, I always endeavor to share the truth that God intends better things for us and offers an abundant life. This is difficult to accept when you've been abused by people who were "supposed" to represent God in their shepherding role.
Church Issues: How Does the Past Affect the Present?
One of the recurring topics on our Meetup for discussion among former Jehovah's Witnesses is "Church."
After what we experienced in the Watchtower organization, many of us are hesitant to be involved with a church. Reasons vary. Some do not trust God or the Bible at all and therefore stay away. Others, like myself, have come to Christ for salvation, and have explored churches, yet find some practices unsettling.
Read moreAn Interview with My Mother
In February I traveled to meet with Melissa Bramer for a special two hour interview at my mother's apartment. Melissa and I both arrived in time for lunch with my mom and dad and sat around the kitchen table for several hours before the evening blogtalk radio show. Since Melissa's "Hurting to Healing" first aired on blogtak radio in November 2014, my mother's been a regular listener, even at the cost of missing her Tuesday night BINGO games! In the interview, my mother offered the unique perspective of what it was like for a parent to watch her adult child (me) join a high control religious group. As former Jehovah’s Witnesses, Melissa and I hope this will be used to inform the community about the dangers of this sect. We also hope it was encouraging for those directly affected by the Watchtower Society to hear that broken relationships can be restored.

Special Guest Arlene and Julie McAllen
In this program, Melissa spoke with Arlene and Julie McAllen. Arlene is the mother of Julie McAllen the host of the Ex-Jehovah's Witness Worldwide Meetup! Learn what it was like for her to lose her daughter to Jehovah's Witnesses.
Special Guest Arlene & Julie McAllen~Hurting to Healing w/Melissa
Read more
Making Connections
Connections; that’s my theme for 2015. January affords us all an opportunity to look over the previous year and see...
what was good, what was lacking, and in what ways we can improve.
This past year I kept thinking people were losing interest in our Meetup Support groups because of the plethora of choices out there for discussions on Facebook. Yet when I compared our numbers with last year, our membership actually was up in the Worldwide Internet support group for ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses. 155 new members joined compared with 120 in 2013. When I coupled that with the activity I’ve observed in Facebook groups also gaining momentum, I was only too happy to acknowledge that the Watchtower is losing it’s members. Something good!
Read moreHurting to Healing with Melissa

When I was kicked out of the Watchtower Society 10 years ago, I knew I never wanted to go back. I was too scared to walk into another church, yet I couldn’t go back to the religion I just left. I didn’t believe the things taught by born again Christians, yet I could no longer trust Jehovah’s Witnesses. I knew they had spoken false prophecies and there was a real lack of love in the organization and yet, it remained “the truth” inside of me for the next few years. I was neither here nor there, you could say I was in “limbo.”
Becoming an ex-Jehovah’s Witness in the Internet age was a definite advantage. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for those who left before we all had so much information at our fingertips. Still, learning about Rutherford’s Beth Sarim mansion or the failed prophecies of 1914, 1925 or 1975 wasn’t enough. As good as the facts were to validate my resolve to never return to that cult, they could not minister to my real need for encouragement. I was still lonely, misunderstood, in pain, and wondering if God heard any of my prayers. Recovery for me began when someone took the time to go one-on-one allowing me to express my pain, my mustard seed of faith, and just know that someone out there HEARD me and cared. I am forever grateful to Cletis Clayton whom God prepared for that season of recovery from 2006 to 2008.
Read moreWhat Do You Fear?
"The churches tend to believe, consciously or unconsciously, that fear-rather than love-conquers all." -- Watchtower, Dec. 1, 1980 p.32
Rather than trusting it’s members to serve Jehovah God out of love, a look at Watchtower publications and the effects of their teaching on its members reveals a preferred reliance on fear rather than love.
In the Watchtower organization, Jehovah is feared, Satan is feared, the elders are feared, holidays, worldly people, and especially former members are greatly feared and to be avoided at all costs.
Read more"While some contact with worldly people is unavoidable - at work, at school, and otherwise-we must be vigilant so as to keep from being sucked back into the death-dealing atmosphere of this world. Let the world go along in its way, reaping its bad fruitage in the form of broken homes, illegitimate births, sexually transmitted diseases, such as AIDS, and countless other emotional and physical woes." --Watchtower, Sep 15, 1987 pp.12-14
Praise Jehovah for another Witness NOW for Jesus!

He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute, And hath not despised their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come; And a people which shall be created shall praise Jehovah. For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; From heaven did Jehovah behold the earth; To hear the sighing of the prisoner; To loose those that are appointed to death; That men may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion, And his praise in Jerusalem; When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah. - Psalm 102:17-22 ASV
Read moreIt's the 36th Annual Witnesses Now for Jesus Conference
Friday, Sept. 26- Sunday, Sept. 28
New Ringgold, PA
"It's not just a convention, it's a family reunion"
It's time to meet your friends off the screen.
Do you want to meet other ex-Jehovah's Witnesses face-to-face?
Would it help to listen to the stories of those who left the Watchtower?
Do you have questions about "the faithful and discreet slave," "Armageddon," or who Jesus is?
If you are presently one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a former Witness, are in ministry to Jehovah’s Witnesses, have family members who are Witnesses or are just interested in them, please come and enjoy this conference. The Witnesses Now For Jesus annual convention is now in it's 36th year and the weekend event is filled with testimonies of former Jehovah's Witnesses as well
as talks prepared to meet the needs of those with questions about untangling from the clutches of the Watchtower.
I accepted another Jesus, a different gospel, and received a different spirit!

In June I visited a church in my area and shared the story of how I joined and left the Watchtower Society. Not everyone there knew my background, so I began by telling them about my excitement in learning the Bible for the first time without mentioning it was through a study with Jehovah’s Witnesses. My goal was to take them along on my journey of subtle deception. As a Bible student, I learned some valid truths but along the way I was also fed lies. After telling the audience about the happiness I experienced in the first few years of finding “the truth,” I let them into some of my personal thoughts as the weight of the Watchtower pressed down on me….
“Week after week, month after month, I kept reading the Bible, attending services, evangelizing… but I just wasn’t feeling God’s love……I’d ask…. why do I feel like I’m going backwards in my faith instead of forward??? I mean, I had accepted the truth… so why was this darkness always hovering over me? Why do I have this hatred building in me? I’m so angry... I’m so judgmental… I’m so sad…. I am in the truth, for I believe and stand on all the things they taught me about Jesus and the good news we’re called to share. James says faith without works is dead and I work! God knows I work! I’m busy in kingdom works! I must have faith then…. I should be happy… they said I’d be happy…. I know who the angel of light and his ministers are now…. it’s Satan and all the churches under his care…the Catholics, the Baptists, the Lutherans, the Evangelicals, those nuts at River’s Harvest… I’m in the truth, those people are being lied to… ha, they think Jesus is God… what a lie!!! I have the truth!!! I need to offer them a free home Bible study and teach them the truth…. I have the truth! Those people in their stupid demon-filled churches are being lied to… if only they would attend meetings with me where we are all taught the truth. We don’t get involved in politics, or celebrate all those pagan holidays, we remain pure…. when we gather for communion only we do it right because we have the truth!!! Those silly people at River’s Harvest will actually eat the bread and drink the wine today to affirm they are the body of Christ! LIE! LIE! LIE! They think they’re all going to heaven… ha! Only those in the new covenant go to heaven and most of us are not invited to that... I know I’m not … when I gather for communion with my congregation we pass the emblems and none of us partake. No one, not a one!! And we do this to the glory of God…. Because we know the truth!!! ….”
Read moreIs it wise to date one of Jehovah’s Witnesses?

One of the most Frequently Asked Questions we receive at our website concerns dating one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It’s not uncommon for someone outside of their religion to join our Meetup group in order to seek advice from ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses in this matter. Such was the case in April 2014. A woman joined stating that she had met and fell in love with a wonderful guy. 6 months into the relationship, he told her he was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Like most people, she didn't realize what a difficult strain that would put on their relationship, but here she was another 6 months later, at a “dead end” wondering why he was “scared to death” and wanting to leave her so he could be a more “devoted Jehovah’s Witness.”
Read moreEquipping Our Meetup Members
Part of my role as hostess on our Colorado Springs and Worldwide Internet Ex-Mormon Meetup is to remind members of the wealth of information available to them at our website www.4mormon.org

Taking into consideration that we actually have more activity from members interested in witnessing to Mormons than from ex-Mormons themselves, I try to find articles of interest to meet the needs of our most active members. In April, I posted a question from a letter titled “I’M FRUSTRATED! HOW CAN I GET THROUGH TO MORMONS?” which can be found on our website under the heading “FAQ about reaching loved ones.” I copied and pasted the whole letter into the post and invited our Meetup members to respond with this: Okay Meetup members, how would you respond? What could you share with the writer who is looking for a way to talk to their Mormon friend? What would you do?
One member responded with “I think this question is THE defining question when dealing with them. The problems outlined here are verbatim the same problems everyone with a heart for Mormons encounters. I'll be following this thread closely.......”
Read more
Third Generation Jehovah's Witness SAVED!

Early this year, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses stumbled upon the website for Witnesses Now For Jesus and contacted the moderator, Bob Gray. He had been raised in his parent’s religion as a third generation Witness. Over the years, he questioned the claims of the Watchtower but continued to read his Bible and pray for truth. When he asked Bob “where to go,” Bob replied that John 6:68 does not say “where” but asks to “whom.” This Witness man asked, “you mean go to Jesus?” Like most of us who come out of the Watchtower, it sounded too simple and Bob assured him that it is that simple.
There were a few calls in between and on January 6 this gentleman told Bob that he’d like to discuss the Deity of Christ but didn’t even know how to pray about it. Bob explained that the Spirit helps us when we do not know how to pray and intercedes for us (Romans 8:26). This searching Witness meditated on the Scripture and on January 8 called Bob to tell him that he’d been crying for two days and announced “I’ve come to Jesus!” Immediately he began to tell his friends and was surprised that they “just don’t get it.” He recognized his need to fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ and called one day to say “I need a church!” At this time, Bob and him are studying the Bible together over the phone and he’s been put in touch with some Christian ex-JWs in his own area.
Read moreWhat Will God Do Next Year?
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead,you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” (James 4:13-15)
What is the Lord's will for next year? Will that Mormon friend of yours finally understand what you've been sharing with him about Jesus? Will you see the answer to your prayers this year in a relative's exit from the Watchtower? Will this be the year your ideas for greater coverage in a ministry to the cults finds a place to flourish? Will God raise up more helpers to pray with you, support you and provide resources? What will God do?
Read moreBlessings from 2013
I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders. (Psalm 9:1)
With Thanksgiving behind us and the Christmas season upon us, it is a good time to reflect on the many blessings we've received in this year of our Lord, 2013. What would December be without an end of the year praise report?
Praise goes, of course, first and foremost to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who makes all things possible. I thank Him for raising up the founder of Witnesses for Jesus, Inc., Christy Darlington, and putting it in her heart to be compassionate toward Mormons and Jehovah's' Witnesses and providing resources to those called to help them. I am thankful to former Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons who have offered to share their stories for the public to read on the websites and for those who volunteer their time as part of the ministry team. And I am thankful for the people supporting us with prayers, encouragement, suggestions and donations. It's to you I dedicate this article. As you read the expressions of real people who have been set free from the chains of oppression in the cults, know that your support was part of that. For those of you who are weary waiting for answers to your prayers, let these expressions of faith encourage you to know that in God's time He will bring forth praise from those currently trapped.
Read morePut Me On A Trip: The 35th Annual Witnesses Now For Jesus Conference

In 1995, just prior to beginning a study with Jehovah’s Witnesses, I committed my life to God with these words, “God, put me on a trip.” I had no vision of travel; it was just my way of expressing a willingness to be directed wherever God chose. At the time, I thought He chose the Watchtower for me. What a long, strange trip it’s been. I’m still on it.
In October, I made my third trip to the Blue Mountain Christian Retreat Center for the annual Witnesses Now For Jesus conference in New Ringgold, PA. I had offered to speak about the class that my friend Becky and I had taught at our church, but the closer we got to the conference; I wondered what I really had to offer.
Read moreHow to Unlock the mind of a Jehovah's Witness and set them FREE

I Believed, Therefore I Spoke – 2 Cor 4:13
I love the focus of one member on the Meetup for ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses. She recently incited us to good works through a post she titled, “How to unlock the mind of a JW and set them FREE.” This is what she wrote:
“I had an idea about how any of us former JW's can help each other to help JW's out of the org.
Let's start making a list of questions relating to what's wrong with the organization. Questions that will help make them THINK about what they are involved with. Nothing to do with Doctrine, just the organization. There are 559 EX-JW's here. I hope we all can think of at least one question to ask.”