Experiences

Little Toe

I'm in my thirties, live in Scotland, and have been married since 1993.

I was born a 3rd Generation Jehovah's Witness, and became an elder, holding down nigh-on every position except Presiding Overseer, at one time or another. I used to give Circuit Assembly items and Public Talks (sermons) in various congregations, including other countries.

I left the JW's on January 6th 2002 after announcing my Disassociation from the platform, at the end of a Public Talk I was giving. The Society should probably count their blessings, as it had crossed my mind to deliver it during an Assembly item, but that wouldn't have fulfilled my benign objectives.

My rollercoaster of discovery started on 28th June 2001, when I received what I can only describe as a religious experience that lead me to believe that I was a Spirit Anointed Christian. Very quickly doubts started to surface, on the doctrinal front, and so I came to the conclusion that I would probably have to leave the JW's by about the turn of September of that year. Up till this point my studies had been contained to prayer and the bible. At this point, however, I turned to information on the Internet and stumbled across FreeMinds and JW.com.

I sent my first email to Randy Watters, just prior to the events of 9/11. This was probably a most inopportune time to join the online community of ex-JW's since pain upon pain emerged. If people had been hurting before, now that pain had become intensified with world events. It became a process of painful self-discovery, as I recognised clearly how deceived I had been.

Since I have left things have been even more turbulent, with severe shunning, and arguments with my wife. I have often asked myself, would I have prefered to remain ignorant? A rhetorical question, that requires no answer. Every day is a new day, however, and I count it a blessing to walk hand in hand with God.

As for the future, who can tell...

Email: godzilla321uk@yahoo.co.uk

Action

I'm lead to believe that my Disassociation has caused a little bit of a stir. I'm literally amazed, since it has hardly been a battle of the titans.

My latest understanding is that I may be pursued, perhaps legally, since I latterly held the position of Congregation Secretary. I wonder if it might be out of a fear of the BOE letters entering the public domain?

Since I returned the "safe" the same day that I Disassociated myself, I wonder why there should be such concern?

Since the local body of Elders have already passed on erroneous information to my wife, that caused a further strain to our relationship, I wonder if I have further flack to receive. It may be that they believe they can put pressure on me from that source, but I can truly say that it will fail, as my wife and I love each other unreservedly. Christ really has been the greatest gain, in my life, and this has given me amazing religious and mental freedom's.

Testimony

My conversion was pretty spectacular, and sudden, but no less than I needed. It was at 8:30am on Thursday 28th June, 2001.

I was on the way out to work and felt the urge to read my bible. On the side was my King James Version, and it was nearest, so I picked it up and opened it. I was moved to find a passage of scripture that had recently been quoted to me - a passage in Luke 11:9,10, but also one in Matthew 11:28-30.

My bible fell open at Matthew 6 and 7, and as I tried to turn to Luke the pages stuck together in a block. So I thought "Okay, line of least resistance, I'll look at the verses in Matthew first". Again, the pages weren't parting easily, so my eye fell on the page that was open.

It was the parallel account to the Luke one that I was searching for, starting with Matthew 7:7! The verses that sprang to attention (bearing in mind that I usually used the NWT bible, in modern English, so the KJV is not as familiar to me, neither in use of language, nor in what to expect to see on each page) are as follows (all in Matthew):

6:14 Forgive men, Father will forgive you.

7:1-3 Judge not, straws and rafters

7:7,8 Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find; everyone asketh receiveth, seeketh findeth

7:26 Hearer and not doer is foolish; built house on sand

8:2,3 Leper; thou canst make me clean; I will, be thou clean

7:16-20 Fruits - bad tree hewn down

7:21,22 Not all saying "Lord, Lord" will enter into the kingdom of the heavens

Then my eye came back to 7:7 - ask and it shall be given.

Needless to say I found myself in fervent prayer at that moment (in fact I was driven to my knees - not my usual attitude for prayer).

I was pitched into a real low, moved to repentance as if I was the worst ever sinner. I felt desperate, I craved forgiveness and asked for it from the bottom of my heart, crying out from the depths of my soul. I also asked for godly peace and I instantly grew peaceful, and as I asked for Holy Spirit to help I felt I received it. I felt cleansed in a way that I had never experienced before.

I have opened my heart to the leadings of the Holy Spirit, and He has taught me in a tremendous way. There were a few fights, early on, and occasionally I still have to guard myself when I see that I am resisting.

It's been a rollercoaster, but one that I wouldn't have missed for the world.

It took just two months for me to realise that I had to leave the JW's, even though I had known nothing else. Many times my bibles would literally fall open at texts that I needed.

I first looked at Grace, gifts of the Spirit, then the Trinity (tying up the person of the Holy Spirit, as I went) and the elect.

Currently I am looking into predestination. I'm holding off on Hellfire, for the minute, but will examine it at some point - but, what the heck, I have no intention of going there whatever I find!

Romans 8 and 1 Cor.11 were chapters that fell open in my bible, a couple of days after my conversion. The understanding leapt out of the pages at me. You may already appreciate how I previously interpreted those pages all my life. I have no doubt at all that I have been called by the Father to my Lord, sealed with the Holy Spirit, and am literally on fire for Christ.

More recently have been Rev.1 & 22 regarding Alpha and Omega; also Rev. 7, 14 regarding the temple sanctuary.

Experiences

A number of weeks ago I attended a day of lectures that were to be tied into the Theological College in Edinburgh.

For the previous two evenings I had been studying Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the Witness of the Holy Spirit.

You can only imagine my surprise when I found out that the afternoon's lecture was to be on the subject of..."Baptism of the Holy Spirit", with the witness of the Holy Spirit as a main point.

Recently I went forward to be baptised by a local church, since I felt that my baptism as a JW was not right before God.

As I pulled up to the Seminary I took my bible out, looking for a verse for inspiration, and the bible fell open at 1 Pet.2. I read verses 2-9 then prayed, before going in. I had to sit right at the front, on my own, so I took out my bible again and re-read the passage before praying and re-reading it once again. I had prayed that it would be nice to hear the verse, but that I didn't feel it was necessary. Other than that I was content and peaceful in what was to proceed.

When it came to the text my mouth dropped open and I offered an immediate prayer of thanks, because it was announced as 1 Pet.2. When it came to expounding it, the minister concentrated on verse 9.

When I spoke of this to the minister, afterwards, his mouth fell open as well. He had intended to read 1 Cor.2:5, but it just didn't sit right, so he had made the change to Peter at the last moment.

The follow-up to this was when I attended my first communion service, a few weeks later. 1 Pet.2:9 came up again, and this minister (a different one) knew nothing of me, nor the significance of the passage to me. A few dozen in the audience did, however, and had to restrain themselves from jumping up and shouting "YES!!! His text has come up again!".

This will no doubt be dismissed as an unquantifiable coincidence, by some, yet every sermon that I've been to has included a text that I have studied in the last couple of days (there are only usually a couple quoted in the churches that I have thus far attended).

If the lottery was this reliable I would be brought to court on charges of fraud due to huge circumstantial evidence.

If you are a believer - you know what I'm saying.

If you are not - Think about it.

Exit Talk Outline (delivered from KH podium during Public Talk)

Mercy, a Dominant Quality for True Christians

Song 77, not 62

Intro:  - HG Wells - Country of the Blind

Hos.6:6; Matt.9:13; 12:7 - I desire mercy and not sacrifice.

Steeped in God's quality of Love, balancing His Justice.

John 9  - Prime example of both sides

9:3     - Works of God revealed in him

9:5-7   - Jesus brings light to world

          Jesus is merciful in healing blind man on Sabbath

9:15-34 - Pharisee's are merciless in condemnation

          No respect for man, nor give him dignity

 v20      Parents in fear of their authority (1 Joh.4:18)

 v34      Cured man cast out of synagogue

9:35    - Jesus' love for cured man

9:38    - Cured man's worship of Jesus Proskuneo (ASV, ISV, KJV)

9:39-41 - Blind or sinful

Do you see?

Mercy not sacrifice.  A dominant quality of true Christians.

Add:  I had personal experience of God's mercy to a sinner.

      6 months ago, relationship with Father heightened

      Suddenly a realisation of the importance of Jesus

         A relationship with my  (Thomas)

      An unquenchable desire to read God's word

      Bible reading like a letter, leaping from page (Rom.8:15,16)

      Friend's, without a doubt, I became a Spirit anointed X.

Then: Not everything in the garden is smelling of roses

      Serious doctrinal differances, like Christ's position,

        Who are anointed to the calling to Christian life, etc.

      Dates, such as 1914, 1935, 1975, etc. - False Prophecy

        supported by serious mistranslations in the NWT

      Hypocrisy of affiliation to UN as a NGO for around a

        decade, until exposes in October (3 months ago)

        writing supportive and complimentary articles in g.

        whilst all the time condemning it in companion, Wt.

      I was no longer blind, would I sinful ignore what taught?

Thus: Whilst I love you all unconditionally, and my door

        remains constantly open to all of you

      I hereby step down as E in XXX Cong of JW's

               step down as Minister of JW's

               DA myself from the org JW's & affiliates

               IBSA, and WTBTS of GB, Penn., etc.

I love you all, individually, but collectively this is goodbye.

Letter of Disassociation

To: The ###### Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses

C/o ### #### (Presiding Overseer)

Scotland

From: ### ####

Scotland

6th January 2002

Dear friends,

These past six months, or so, have proved interesting times. They have provided to be times of highs and deep lows, for me. To start with the encouraging, the Holy Spirit anointed me in June of last year, thus I would lay the claim of being a Spirit anointed and filled Christian. This has had a profound effect on my life as the scriptures have opened up. God’s word now reads to me as a letter from my heavenly Father and portions of scripture, that I thought (and had been taught) didn’t apply to me, now have meaning.

My relationship with my dear Father has changed significantly. I thought I had a good relationship and yet now I know that it was but a shadow of the real thing (Rom.8:15,16).

Further, I had neither fully appreciated the need for, nor had, a relationship with my Lord and King Jesus Christ. I had thought it sufficient to acknowledge the role He had in the Father’s purposes, as well as the sin-atoning value of His sacrifice. Now I know that much, much more is involved. Jesus Christ isn’t just a created thing, a piece in a cosmic game of chess. Jesus is my Liege, my Head, my husbandly owner, my King, or as Thomas put it “My Lord and my God!”.

I have been humbled by the immensity of His sacrifice, and further, by the free gift that He bestows on fleshly beings. I have been brought to tears over the fact that He would call me “brother”, when I have spent a life so removed from Him. To serve His interests, wherever and however that might be, is my chief aim, that I might glorify Him (Joh.13:32; 17:5).

I always wondered how I might kiss the Son (Ps.2:12) and now I have my answer.

Neither can I hold to Arian doctrines, since my Lord has revealed Himself to be far more that I had ever imagined, or been taught.

Previous to this experience I had regularly prayed, and at times felt that I had my prayers answered. During this last period I have become a “man of prayer”, praying regularly throughout each and every day. I have come to realise that prayer really is a two-way street, and that God truly is a hearer of prayer.

I have become insatiable for the word of God, reading hours every night in a variety of translations, cross-comparing and examining the Greek text underlining difficult passages. Yet this was not for the purpose of self-aggrandisement, nor knowledge for its own sake, but I found myself literally driven to it by the action of the Holy Spirit. Previously it was with a serious study regimen, but now I have a focus that has brought forth truth (Joh.5:39,40; 14:6).

I probably need not elaborate on the fact that there was a certain comfort zone in trying to retain my old beliefs. That wasn’t to be, however, as the Spirit and the word of God overturned “the deeply entrenched things” in my life (Heb.4:12; 2Cor.10:4,5).

One of the next issues, that raised itself in my awareness, was with regard to the Greek text itself. I found that many of the texts that I found myself reading read one way in one translation, and differently in another, especially with reference to my Lord. I became uneasy in the Spirit, and this was exacerbated when I read the underlying Greek. I quickly came to realise that the translators of the New World Translation appeared to have taken liberties with the text, weaving in subtle doctrinal based renderings.

Just one example being the word translated “temple”, for which there are two words. The temple area

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(Hieron) included the temple sanctuary and it’s environs of the courtyards, and the very temple sanctuary itself (naos) which comprised of the Most Holy, Holy, and Porch.

Jesus cleared the money-changers out of the courtyards (hieron) which are correctly rendered as the temple, but more appropriately the temple area. That, too, was where He would preach, and His disciples after Him. Judas threw the silver monies into the sanctuary (naos).

This may appear academic, and yet the Watchtower seems outrightly deceptive in placing the Great Crowd of Rev.7:15 as working in the Outer Courtyard, when it can be clearly seen in the Kingdom Interlinear Translation (Watchtower Bible and Tract Society), of the Westcott and Hort Greek texts, that Temple Sanctuary (Naos) is used here. This is of serious import to a Spirit filled Christian (2Cor.6:16), and should be for all those Jehovah’s Witnesses that believe they will be of this Great Crowd class. It’s nothing short of miraculous how something can be presented as fact that is tenuous, at best.

This examination of God’s word in English and Greek was the beginning of a road of painful discovery, as I realised that the Watchtower Society appears to be very clever in its use of language and deception to bend concepts and references to support its current “light”. This is to say nothing of the changes back and forth, written off as increasing “light”, but proving more like a strobe. Did not Charles Taze Russell declare that “A new view of truth never can contradict a former truth.”? Is the Spirit leading a merry dance (1Joh.4:1)?

Ignatius, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, etc. as well as the church historian Eusebius shed a completely different light on the early Christian history that the Watchtower portrays. Selective quotations are often used to make these writers appear to support Watchtower doctrines, when often reading these letters in context can show that the author held a completely different view. This is scholastic dishonesty, to my way of thinking.

More recently has been the issue of the United Nations. How is it possible that the Watchtower magazine can continue to outrightly condemn it as the image of the Wild beast (Rev.13:14), yet its companion magazine “Awake!” has been printing positive comments and disseminating information about it. Could it be that they have had to submit copies of articles to the UN, to remain affiliated to it as a Non Government Organisation (NGO), which they had remained for around a decade, until exposed in October of 2001? The Guardian newspaper had a couple of articles exposing this hypocrisy. The library card idea was hilarious.

Finally, need I go into the debacle of a more personal situation that has developed in the local congregation? Not only has there been a history of a real lack of love in the way that a number of individuals have been dealt with, my own family members included, but it is generally acknowledged that there is precious little “hiding place from the wind” (Isa.32:1,2). This situation has been merely icing on the cake, that proves that there is less brotherly love but something more like camaraderie, less unity and more conformity, less Christian love and more fear (1Joh.4:16-19).

It is time that some learn to respect individuals, and their personal dignity, rather than applying a batch of man-made rules and erroneous interpretations (Matt.12:7;24:48-51, and similar from chapter 25). That would be truly Christ-like, but then there certainly appears to be a dearth of true Christian love and compassion.

These are but a few issues, and a few rhetorical questions. How many more anointed Christians must leave before you get the message (Rev.18:4), or is the intent to keep the statistics down? No doubt you will apply Rom.16:17,18 to me (erroneously, since I have done nothing of the sort), but I would suggest you look a little closer to home, first.

It is with little regret that I must announce that I can no longer conscientiously remain a member of the #### Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, nor any of it’s associated bodies (i.e. Jehovah’s Witnesses per se, International Bible Students Association, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Great Britain et al), and I disassociate myself from these.

I truly love the individual members but the organisation is, to my mind, corrupt and doctrinally flawed. I may well be shunned by lifelong friends, due to your rules, but in truth Christ is greater gain (Eph.1:3-7).

Yours truly,

### ####.

cc. Circuit Overseer (###### No.# Circuit), Watch tower Bible and Tract Society of Great Britain,

Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses (New York).

Exit Talk Transcript

H. G. Wells wrote a short story entitled "Country of the Blind."

CHK I had the privilege of reading that story.  It was a very interesting one.  It's the story of an adventurer who had been walking through the mountains one day along with a CHK shepherd, and they had fallen in the snow down into a valley from which there seemed no escape.  Now, this valley had been settled many generations before by various families which had become blind over a period of time so that every member of that community within that valley was indeed completely blind.  So you can imagine for someone who was sighted finding themselves in that predicament, there would be quite a difference between himself and those around about him.  It would be very difficult indeed.  You can imagine it was even more difficult when he fell in love with one of the young ladies in the valley.  And it was while in the valley that this man, who seemed to have this difference about him, the fact that he claims to see things, and they didn't even understand the concept by now, would want to marry one of their own.  But he had an answer for it.  The answer was, well, these things that he calls eyes on the front of his face, we'll put them out and he'll be blind like us and then everything will be sorted.  That's the merciful thing to do is put his eyes out.  It will only be a short pain and then he'll be fine.  Well, is that the merciful thing to do? I won't spoil the story for you in case you happen to read it at sometime because it really is an interesting short story, but the story obviously continues on and we find out in the story what he does do.  We'll leave that for now.  Now, when we think about that form of mercy, do you really think for the sighted person that that really was the merciful action, the merciful course of action for these people to do?I think we would have to agree we'd find great difficultly in seeing that.  When we think about the quality of mercy as demonstrated in the Bible, it's something that -- it isn't something intangible.  It's something that very much is demonstrated in various areas.  You think of the way that God's qualities are balanced.  Certainly mercy is something that God certainly possess.  It balances off in love what is justice CHK would sometimes require.  So mercy is a very important quality right from our Heavenly Father down to ourselves.  It is expected that we would demonstrate mercy.  In fact, that it would be a dominant quality if indeed we would claim to be Christians.  It is interesting that Hosea 6:6 highlighted that God desired mercy and not sacrifice.  In fact, Jesus himself quoted that passage on a couple of occasions, Matthew 9:13, Matthew 12:7.  "I desire mercy and not sacrifice.  "Notice how important it was to Jesus Christ.  Notice how important it was to our Father.  A dominant quality you would think if indeed we are to follow in his footsteps in being a Christian, having a Christian walk of life.  What I'd like to take up with you this morning is a passage from John, chapter 9, where we've got a prime example here of both sides of the coin.  An example of mercy being demonstrated, but also those who have been merciless.  Let's see if we can get some benefit out of this as we consider John, chapter 9.  Now, it's quite a lengthy portion, but I feel we'll be benefited by reading the whole chapter and then just reflecting on some of the various verses throughout John to see how we might be benefitted, see this quality of mercy, how it should be demonstrated and the importance of it.  There in John, chapter 9, in the first verse it states, "Now, as he was passing along he saw a man blind from birth.  And his disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned?This man or his parents so that he was born blind?'Jesus answered, 'Neither this man sinned nor his parents, but it was in order that the works of God might be made manifest in his case.  We must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day.  The night is coming when no man can work.  As long as I'm in the world, I am the world's light.  ' "After he said these things he spat on the ground and made a clay with a saliva and put this clay upon the man's eyes and said to him, 'Go wash in the pool of Siloam,' which is translated, send forth.  And he went off and washed and came back seeing.  Therefore, the neighbors and those who formerly used to see that he was a beggar began to say, 'This is the man who used to sit and beg, is it not?'Some would say,'This is he.  'Others would say, 'Not at all, but he is like him,' but the man would say, 'I am he.  ' "Consequently they began to say to him, 'How then were your eyes opened?'He answered, 'The man called Jesus made a clay and smeared it on my eyes and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.  'Therefore I went and I washed and gained sight.  'At this they said to him, 'Where is that man?'He said, 'I do not know.  '"They led the once blind man himself to the Pharisees.  Incidentally, it was the Sabbath on the day that Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.  This time, therefore, the Pharisees also took up asking him how he gained sight.  He said to them, 'It was the clay upon my eyes, and I washed and I have sight.  'Therefore, some of the Pharisees began to say, 'This is not a man from God because he doesn't observe the Sabbath.  'Others began to say, 'How can a man that is a sinner perform signs of that sort?'There was a division among them.  "Hence they said to the blind man again, 'What do you say about him seeing that he opened your eyes?'The man said, 'He is a prophet.  'However, the Jews did not believe concerning him that he had been blind and had gained sight, and so they called the parents of the man who gained sight and they asked them, 'Is this your son who you say was born blind?How then is it that he sees at present?' "In answer his parents said, 'We know that this is our son and that he was born blind, but how it is he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes, we do not know.  Ask him.  He's of age.  He'll speak for himself.  '"His parents said these things because they were in fear of the Jews, for the Jews had already come to an agreement that if anyone confessed him as Christ, he should get expelled from the synagogue.  That is why the parents said, 'He's of age.  Question him.  '"Therefore a second time they called the man that had been blind and said to him, 'Give glory to God.  We know that this man is a sinner.  'In turn he answered, 'Whether he is a sinner, I do not know.  One thing I do know that where I was blind, I see at present.  ' "Therefore they said to him, 'What did he do to you?How did he open your eyes?'He answered them, 'I told you already and yet you do not listen.  Why do you want to hear it again?You do not want to become his disciples also, do you?'"At this they reviled him and said, 'You are a disciple of that man, but we are disciples of Moses.  We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he is from.  'In answer the man said to them, 'This certainly is a marvel that you do not know where he is from and yet he opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does his will, he listens to that one.  From of old it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of one born blind.  If this man were not from God he could do nothing at all.  'In answer they said to him, 'You were all together born in sin and yet are you teaching us?'and they threw him out.  "Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and on finding him he said, 'Will you put faith in the Son of Man?'The man answered, 'Who is he, sir, that I may put faith in him?'Jesus said to him, 'You have seen him.  And besides, he that is speaking with you is that one.  'And he said, 'I do put faith in him, Lord,' and he did obeisance to him.  And Jesus said, 'For this judgment I came into this world that those not seeing might see, and those seeing might become blind.  ' "The Pharisees who were with him heard these things.  And they said to him, 'We are not blind also, are we?'Jesus said to them, 'If you were blind you would have no sin, but now you say we see, your sin will remain.  '"Now, if you reflect on some of the verses that were considered there, starting from verse three, for example, what was actually taking place there?For what purpose was this man born blind would it appear? Well, Jesus answered this whole situation really as it was now presenting itself was to make the works of God manifest in his case.  It wasn't due to specific sin that this man was blind, although obviously he was born a sinner as each and every one of us are, but certainly in this particular case God's works would be marveled at.  They would be made manifest in this particular case.  Interestingly Jesus then follows up in verses 5 through to 7 and highlights particularly verse 5 there in regards to him being the world's light.  In fact, Jesus Christ himself was able to bring light to the world.  He was able to, according to the later verse there, open up people's eyes, make them seeing, take away our blindness from them, specifically in a spiritual sense.  And certainly this whole occasion here was one where that would be exactly what would take place.  It wasn't just literal sight this man was receiving, but it was also in a spiritual way, being able to receive light, receive sight.  You see that Jesus was merciful in healing that blind man as we see it in those particular verses but also it was actually on the Sabbath.  We know the Jews felt it was inappropriate to heal people on the Sabbath.  And time and time again Jesus fought with them over exactly the same thing, didn't he.  There was a law.  There was an application of the law the way the Jews were applying the Sabbath Day law and the Sabbath Day observance there, and yet Jesus showed it was a superlative way, one of love, one of mercy.  Again, we could highlight mercy CHK is a dominant quality for true Christians today but they appreciate that fine quality.  It goes far beyond the sacrifice of following a law to the very letter, so this important step is highlighted.  You see how moving on to verse 15 there was quite a contrast now as we continue reading in the view of the Pharisees.  There in verse 15 all the way through to 34 we have this debate taking place; in fact, raging between the man who was once blind and the Pharisees.  In fact, they even bring his parents in and they start having a go at them.  They start debating with them and they're in fear for their very lives almost as it were.  They were certainly in fear of being thrown out of the synagogue and having the ostracism of the community at that time because of the way that they would have to answer.  They deferred it.  They said, "Well, he's of age.  Ask him.  Leave us alone.  We don't want any part of it.  Yes, he's our son.  Yes, he was born blind.  Yes, he can see, but we certainly don't want to have any more to do with it than that.  That's our witness.  Please, you ask him.  He'll answer.  He's of age to answer.  "So the poor young man who had been born blind literally was facing the Pharisees alone.  How did he do?Well, we would have to agree that he fared pretty well with regard to the debate that took place.  I think he handled himself very well indeed, don't you?In the way he counseled the Pharisees there he certainly seemed a lively soul.  It would have been nice to have met him and spoken with him for sure.  But the Pharisees hated what he was bringing to their attention.  The fact that he turned and said, "Well, how can this man be a sinner when God listens to him and allows him to do these kinds of things, they couldn't accept that.  They couldn't accept mercy on the Sabbath in the first place, and now they certainly couldn't accept that Jesus was indeed who he claimed to be.  It was very difficult for these ones to try and appreciate that.  In fact, many, in fact, didn't appreciate that fact.  So we see in verse 34 there, right at the very end of the verse, they threw him out, cast him out of the synagogue and would have nothing to do with him.  Let's us take up verse 35 again.  Just as at the start we saw Jesus had love for this particular man but it's demonstrated again.  In verse 35 we see that Jesus has heard that they've thrown him out.  He actually went to find this young man.  When he found him he asked him, "Are you putting faith in the Son of Man?"The result?Yes, indeed, he was.  We see there in verse 38.  Then he said, "I will put faith in him, Lord," and he did obeisance to him.  He didn't back it up with words.  He backed it up with action as well.  He actually did obeisance to him.  Some other translations, in fact, the American Standard Version, the International Standard Version and the King James, just to name a few, actually put it that he worshipped him.  He fell on the floor upon his face before him actually there, backing up the fact that he did, in fact, put faith in Jesus Christ at that time as being the Son of Man.  He appreciated that.  He had appreciation for this one that was before him.  Then we find in verses 35 through 41 we see that it's highlighted that he was blind or was he sinful?If he was blind, in verse 41 it was highlighted if you can't see something, can't see the sin, that the law may seem manifested enough, then we're not all together in the sin if we don't know what's wrong in the first place.  But if we say we can see, we say we're not blind, then our sin remains if we continue to act on a particular course of action.  It's quite a poignant thought there, isn't it?The Pharisees claimed they could see.  They claimed they could see what the law had to say about things.  They claimed they understood it.  In fact, they were teachers of the law, and yet we see that their sin remained because they wouldn't even move one little finger to actually budge the law, to actually help one, to act mercifully, to act in love, to act in a Christian way as Christ was now demonstrating.  They couldn't see that at all.  Do you see?Do you see the importance of this quality in our lives?Certainly it's mentioned that God's qualities are -- particularly his justice, for example, is something that is tempered and balanced with his love.  He is certainly able to demonstrate mercy.  He certainly is firm where necessary, but on the flip-side he's merciful where possible.  How do we act in that respect?Do we find ourselves naturally acting mercifully.  To a degree that's rarely the case.  But we need to act mercifully.  That should be a dominant quality of true Christians so we want to try and put that into practice.  Certainly I personally have had a personal experience of God's mercy, a sinful man as it were, a little over six months ago.  My relationship with my Heavenly Father was greatly heightened at that time.  I always felt that I had a relationship with my Heavenly Father, but at that time it was truly increased beyond measure.  I couldn't believe how much so.  I suddenly also had a realization of the importance of Jesus Christ in the role of things.  Perhaps you'll recall that we had a public talk six weeks ago where I brought out that same thought from John 17:3, the fact that it isn't just having knowledge or accurate knowledge of Jesus Christ and Jehovah God.  It's actually knowing them.  Having a relationship with them.  That's an important aspect of our Christianity.  Certainly that was something that I came to know that I felt previously there was something lacking.  Having that relationship there was truly important.  In fact, the way the Apostle Thomas put it was the way I felt right from the inside, "My Lord and my God.  "That was the way he responded, didn't he?So too I felt I could appreciate what he meant by that.  There were other things that came very clear to me as well.  God's word the Bible became something that I thirsted for, something that was unquenchable.  Do you know the feeling where literally you can't put it down?Where you feel quite literally it's a letter from our Heavenly Father to us so that we can actually benefit from it.  It feels like He's writing directly to us.  Roman's 8:15 and 16 was a verse that came very much to my attention.  "The spirit cries out with your spirit, Abba, Father.  "Do you see where I'm coming from?Do you see what I'm talking about with regards to now my relationship as I felt to my Heavenly Father, because without a doubt I felt that from that point forward I could clearly lay claim without any doubt of being a spirit-anointed Christian.  Now, some might find that a little bit incredible.  I know I certainly did.  And it certainly has put my mind into overdrive with regards to how I should act and how I should feel.  Certainly when we think about the role that Jesus had in our lives I certainly felt that up to that point I'd almost put a man-made yoke on my shoulders with the way that I acted.  Yet we think about the way Jesus highlighted in Matthew 28.  In those verses there he highlighted, "Come to me, those who are loaded down, and put on my yoke because it's kindly, it's light, it's bearable.  "It certainly is indeed a very light yoke indeed.  Not one without its own problems but one that is bearable and that we can appreciate it.  Certainly another scripture that came to my attention very clearly was John 14:6.  Perhaps you'd like to turn there very briefly with me.  John 14:6.  What did Jesus here say to Thomas?Jesus said to him in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  " Jesus Christ is quite literally the only way to arrive at the Father.  I felt that my whole life I'd been putting the cart before the horse.  I always tried to get straight to the Father and ignoring Jesus Christ in the process.  He certainly is the only way we can get to the Father.  He too is the truth and the life.  The life that he has to give us, everlasting life, is something we can get from no other source.  And as for the truth -- well, certainly the truth of the matter is Jesus Christ is the truth.  There is nobody else through whom we can go for that life, for that life, for that way to the Father.  That's something that was ably demonstrated to me, not just from that one scripture but many others as well.  Christ Jesus clearly is our mediator between ourselves, as sinful imperfect humans, and Jehovah God.  Now, there are a variety of other beliefs that we find that are in contrast to that which I've found increasingly hard to conscientiously preach and teach from the platform.  And as the case right now because whilst I can clearly say that I love each and every one of you unconditionally, and my door is always open to each and every one of you, and that's a fact, as soon as I step down off this platform I'm also going to step down as an elder of the Stoneway Congregation of Jehovah's witnesses, as a minister of Jehovah's Witnesses.  I'm also disassociating myself from the organization known as Jehovah's Witnesses, from the International Bible Students Association and the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of Great Britain, Pennsylvania, and anywhere else you'd like to say in the world.  I love you-all individually, but collectively this has to be good-bye.  I'm very sorry, but it's a fact.  Christ quite literally has been great to gain in this matter because I find that amongst many other things what God's word has to say to me now is far different from what I was brought up with, what I was taught from infancy, and has far, far deeper meaning.  Christ is the only way.  Not a man-made organization to be a mediator between us and the Father.  So that's all I have to say on that.  As for the children especially I'll say, I love you very much as well, as indeed everyone else.  CHK Christ Jesus would probably take you on his lap and lay his hands on you and pray for you.  Well, I can't do that, but I'll as soon give you God's blessing and hope that he will indeed take care of you and look after you because I love each and every one of you as a little brother and sister.  And each and every member of the congregation for that matter has been very fine for me in many ways and I appreciate you all.  That's all I have to say.