I caught this post on E-watchman's board. It really tells what the brothers are up against. This person relating the experience has served in well over 15 congregations over a 40-year period, it seems. And oh, what problems!
Link: http://e-jehovahs-witnesses.com/phpB3/i ... =1688&st=0
Here is the experience:
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Hi Emma and Deborah, (in reply to topic "sandys 144,000" , posts 30 &31)
This post has become my personal story, so I direct it to all (so all may get to know me) and I will post it, in its own topic.
I know that there are a lot of rules within the OR (some have scriptural principles, some are a stretch), I see the trend of the OR becoming like pharisees ( and if this system were to go on for a few hundred years the OR would become just as bad, but not any ware near that much time left), the pharisess had even way more rules than the OR does (for example how big the scriptural case was to be, they had rules governing every minute aspect of life), the rules the OR has, were made out of an honest desire to be watchful over the sheep, take for example how a brother is treated with a beard, he is encouraged to shave it off, if he does not then he is not used, this rule came out of the 1950s and 1960s (beatnics/hippys) here in the US at that time period, men were viewed in a negative way when they had beards, establishment in general view bearded men as a rebal, so while allowed in other parts of the world it was discouraged here in the US, by the OR..
Then in the 1976 or so, the OR was trying to squash mustaches, I remember many brothers shaving them, I was 17/18 I did not shave mine, and was not used for a few a couple of years, by the 1980s mustaches were ok and lots of brothers grew them back, but still you never saw a co with one, till our last CO yes he had a mustache! In time the OR always comes around and is making forward progress. And we will see many more changes in the near future.
I have been in our current congregation only a few years, I think I may do a quick review of my trek in the OR, I do this to help all get to know me better.
Early 1960s Mom church hopped looking for the truth, by 1965 was studing in Denver CO off and on.
then in 1969 in SierraVista Az our family began studing in the truth book, and went to a few meetings, that congregation had 35 pubs.
1970 we moved to Tucson AZ (12 congregations now over 30) (140 pubs) , in 1971 the folks were baptized, in 1973 I was baptized (14 yrs old).
1973 summer we moved to Longmont Co (1 congregation, now 5 or 6 that came from that one) 130 pubs.
Later in Nov 1973 we moved to Boulder for temp work also a large congregation 150 pubs, they formed 2 congregations while we were there.
Fall 1974 we moved to Estes Park for the winter to run a motel, and attended the congregation there for 7 months it was 40 publishers.
May 1975 were back in Longmont they had formed a second congregation , the one we were in was now 90 pubs.
1980 I moved to Ventura Calf to marry a childhood sweet heart, who was enduring some health problems, she was from Tucson and out in Calf for a surgery which she did not survive, I was there for a few months then went back to Longmont.
1982 I moved to a small town with 40 pubs, near Lincoln Ne, by the spring of 1983 I had meet my wife, who was in Omaha Ne.
So now I moved to her congregation in Omaha with 140 pubs, we were married in 1983.
Sept 1983 we were hoping to serve were there were more needs, as our congregation was covering there territory once every 3 weeks, we owned our home and could not sell it, after talking with the CO we heard of a congregation in Omaha (was 14 congregations in town then, now over 24) we were there for 3 years
My wife's Mom had moved to a small rural area with a congregation of 22 pubs, so spring 1987 we moved out to the same area, we were there for six months, during which time we had several medical bills both for her and me, and could not earn enough to begin to pay them.
So fall of 1987 we move to SierraVista AZ, I reasoned that I could work year round there to pay off bills, and I knew it was a nice area, now the congregation there was 150, and they formed a second congregation that year, we were there 6 months and this move was a mistake, too far from both our familys, and not enopught work for all the fees and licensing that was required, to work construction in Az.
Late spring 1988 moved back to a small town in central Ne that had 35 publishers.
1994 my health had contiuned to go down hill ( I had bee bedridden most of 1986) we decided to move to southern NM for dry climate, the congregation there was 135 pubs, the summer heat even though dry was too hard on me and my wife so in 1998 we moved back to western part of Neb where we now are 30 pubs.
I been in the truth for 40 years now ( and a active pub. of 15 congregations) and seen a lot, I have seen time when the OR experienced cleaning at the top, I have seen congregations cleaned, I have seen congregations closed from lack of people, and some closed for severe problems, have seen some without much of a personality, have seen some that were very outgoing and warm full of love, when reading of the 7 congregations in Revelations it reminds me of what I have seen, yes every congregation has its strengths and weaknesses, some have more of one than the other.
I have been aware of many sins committed by brothers and sisters from every privilege of service from the publisher (most important as without them no other privileges are needed) pioneer, elder MS CO DO members of the GB, seen all these removed and DF-ed for about every sin you could think of, I have known many of these folks first hand, I know of 2 CO's who have run off with some one elses wife, known several eldes that have done this, have consoled and encouraged several who were abused sexually.
One cong that I had been a part of had over 30 DF-ed in a 3 year time period.
I know of many that needed to be DF-ed from the OR, I also know that some whom were DF-ed where it was not needed.
Jeremiah 10:23 comes to mind, we have often seen it applied to the world and christendom but it also applies to Jehovah's OR of every time period, Adam/Eve, Moses/Arron, the Nation of Israel, The apostles in the 1st century and the modern OR
Jeremiah 10:23-25 23 I well know, O Jehovah, that to earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step. 24 Correct me, O Jehovah, however with judgment; not in your anger, that you may not reduce me to nothing. 25 Pour out your rage upon the nations who have ignored you, and upon the families who have not called even upon your name. For they have eaten up Jacob. Yes, they have eaten him up, and they keep at exterminating him; and his abiding place they have desolated.
In verse 22 Jeremiah was referring to Juda so these words in 23-25 actually have first application to Jehovah's people of any time period, when we see the mistakes that Jehovah's people have made it is proof that man is no good on his own, but at least His People are trying thats why Jeremiah ask for God's rage to be poured out on the nations as they were not trying.
So today at least Jehovah's people are trying, even though some have made some very serious mistakes, with some even being wicked in appearance.
We all have can have the same flow of holy spirit, there are several ways we can get it.........
Prayer we just need to ask for it with a respectful and humble attitude.
Luke 11:13 how much more so will the Father in heaven give holy spirit to those asking him!"
Reading Gods Word 2 Peter 1: 20:21, 20 YOU know this first, that no prophecy of Scripture springs from any private interpretation. 21 For prophecy was at no time brought by mans will, but men spoke from God as they were borne along by holy spirit.
Meetings (With Fellow Belivers)
Acts 2:1 Now while the day of the [festival of] Pentecost was in progress they were all together at the same place, 2 and suddenly there occurred from heaven a noise just like that of a rushing stiff breeze, and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting. 3 And tongues as if of fire became visible to them and were distributed about, and one sat upon each one of them, 4 and they all became filled with holy spirit,
Service (sharing our faith with others) Matthew 28:19-20, 19 Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded YOU. And, look! I am with YOU all the days until the conclusion of the system of things."
Also Mark 13:11 But when they are leading YOU along to deliver YOU up, do not be anxious beforehand about what to speak; but whatever is given YOU in that hour, speak this, for YOU are not the ones speaking, but the holy spirit is.
Respond To Counsel Proverbs 1:23 Turn back at my reproof. Then to YOU I will cause my spirit to bubble forth; I will make my words known to YOU.
The more we do of the above the more we open the flow of Jehovah's spirit up to each one of us, the less we do, the less we get, thus at the time ones may have been given to any privilege of service, as a elder, a pioneer or even a CO or GB, at that time they would have been getting a lot of holy spirit in guiding there lives, but sad to say, any of us can get caught up in a routine, and begin neglecting any and or many of these areas that opened the flow of Jehovah's spirit up to us, and as we do we will be cutting off the flow of Jehovah's spirit to us, and either satan's spirit and or our own selfish spirit can begin influencing and guiding us again, to our ruin.
I have been encouraged by the OR and by many in it starting with the first ones that studied with us to build and maintain a personal relationship with Jehovah, and that is what will get us thru, I have also seen (sad to say) a few individual speakers within the OR claim in public that the OR was infallible, but most speakers I know, and have heard, have accurately spoke that the OR could not be perfect, how could it be as Jehovah is using imperfect men, many times I have heard the only place you brothers and sisters will find perfection is in the dictionary, Jehovah's earthly OR will not be perfect until the end of the thousand year reign!
Since I have had the privilege of being a part of many different congregations it has really helped me to see that it is Jehovah's OR, back in the 1980s I started encouraging my studies, when I heard they going on vacation or to another town, to visit the kingdom hall a few times before you go, then when on your vacation try to visit a couple of kingdom halls, we have meeting sun. tues. thur, be sure to visit at least 2 different congregations and compare them to our local hall, see if they are following the same program, also visit the church you are affiliated with see if they are following the same program as your home church, as if a church of any denomination is an instrument of Jehovah, wouldn't we expect them all to be learning the same thing? And if they are the Faithful Slave of which Jesus spoke, they should be feeding all the sheep the same food.
This has helped many to see that Jehovah is blessing his people(as they could readly see that there own religion was not unified in a feeding program where JW's are), one study was very impressed to find that even in other countries Jehovah's people are getting the same food!
Any way I hope that any who read this post can see why I have such a strong faith in the OR being Jehovah's people, and his way of feeding the world today.
Later Bruce
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agape,
MM