Hi, was readin here, and thought I'd make a short comment. Just as anywhere one gets what they give. Always have and show love and your family, friends, and sisters and brothers in Christ will most likely return it.

Of course, it is sometimes easier said than done. But you get what you give.

Acomtha

At this point I have starting back attending meeting at a   new hall. I spoke with another friend who had left the same congregation I did ...and her reason for leaving was  the cold hatred she felt from the friends..Another friend in florida sent me an email saying he step down not due to doctrine but the lack of love.No need to attack the victims here. So it's not just me making things up. Some people will not be kind even if your kind to them. I cant be held accountable for other people's lack of christrain love.So even if  you  give love and kindness there is no guarantee it will be returnd.  What Im drawn to most is the kindnes of the Great and Father and the mercy of his Son.  If I would of found another place that worshiped the true God I would of went there.  I  served  for at least 13 years and one my favorite talks to give was the one about comfort that only Jah can give, in fact after awhile other congregations would often ask me  to return to give that same talk. I can honestly say I  have never had the reputation of being hateful and unkind to my brothers and sisters.  In fact I purposely choose talks that encourage them.

Marvel_1

I concluded the above  post you refernce  by saying" I know what the bible says about  ((forgiven)) those who have wronged us, so I prayerfully make it point to do just that."

The encouragement to do that comes not from you marken, but God's word that bible and my desire to serve Jah God and his Christ. I’m not just a complainer I am stating facts..... it's common to turn things around and say " well you the who has been slapped must forgive the one slapping you" That’s true, but the one offending his brother /sisters needs to apply Christian love and stop offending his brother/sister. This is not a result of anything I did to cause this hate filled treatment. You said “would this poster see me as different from the others in the congregations has attended? Well if you were harshly judgmental, if you directed cutting words, and displayed an unforgiving spirit, then yeah I would view you much like a class of Pharisees who would take a self-righteous disposition in amongst God’s people. I would view you based on the pattern of behavior you displayed( to me.) However if you displayed loving-kindness and if you did offend were at least willing to admit and sincerely apologize then we would or could be the best of friends. One thing you did say I found quite alarming" You said "as I post here I know that there are some in the worldwide congregation that I do not love. I know I would be happy if they left the Christian congregation and went out into the world where I JUDGE they belong."  I’m sorry to hear that but glad you’re working on changing this mindset. For me personally, I been hurt badly by some, but I don’t wish any of them, I repeat not a single one of them out of God's fold in to the world. I prayed that the relationship between me and certain ones get better but I(( never ))wish them out of the truth and into the world. That’s tantamount to saying one wishes God’s Destruction upon them. That’s cruel and my heart simply won’t let me go there.   There are times when brothers and sisters have been truly done wrong. No need to attack or tell them they need to work on their own short comings when they have been wronged and are innocent of any wrong doing. There are some who like myself are in good standing and without merit have been treated badly. I understand we have the desire of damage control cause that can’t be true amongst God’s people, so we accuse the victim for speaking out. Sad truth is these things happen in our midst. So I accept the situation is what it is. Knowing this I have decided to move forward and Forgive and serve Jehovah and his son. Again my desire to do so comes not from you marken, but from  my desire to serve Jah God and his son.

Often if people can be  that harshly judgemental, and can  wish there own brothers out the truth. Then some times what we feel in our heart can come  out in the words we speak and the way we treat people.  Let me stress again I have gone back  to the hall, i have forgiven and moved on. So I dont understand the purpose of your last post.  Why are you telling things that I figured most jw's  already   know? I get my counsel from the meetings and  Jah's word the bible ..(not you Marken)..so I saw no need for your last post. Im  sure someone out there can benifit from what you said....but as for me I see no purpose for your  last post. I really dont.Again let me say  I have forgiven, I have gone back. My love for Jah and  christ moved me  to do this.Shouldnt that be enough? Hopfeully your not one those people who feel they have to have last word(If so there  are plenty of anti-jws out there you can spend your time with((but not me I love Jah and his people)).  If your post was directed to me then Im not sure why  you feel the need to continue on with this. As far as I am concernd this situation is done....so why you feel the need to post on it further is a mystery to me.  Seriously, I have moved  on , Marken maybe you should too.

Marvel_1

Jan 4, 2012 -- 11:19AM, marken wrote:

One  of  the  beautiful  facts  of  the  GOOD  NEWS  of  God's  kingdom,  is  that  he  has  made  Jesus  the  JUDGE  of  the  living  and  the  dead. acts 10:42   My  judgement  or  any other  persons  is   worth  nothing.   However,  Jesus  did  say  we  can  stumble  others  by  our  words.  Through Paul,  he  gave  us  lists  of  attitudes  that  will  show  we  have God's  spirit.  Gal  5:22,23 and  a  list  of  how  we  can  identify  if  we  are  still being  directed  by  our  own  flesh.  5:19-21.  we   are  able  to  get  Jesus' mind on   every  attitude.   Our  meetings  at  the  Kingdom  Hall  are  arranged  by  our  loving, faithful, and  discreet  slave  to  aid  us in  getting  God's  direction.    We  should  take  all  information  we  receive  from  the  scriptures  and  apply  it  to  ourselves.  I,  for  one,  have  a  great  deal  to  learn  and  I  appreciate  my  brother's  applying  the  fruitage  of the  spirit  and  going  on  loving me with mildness  and  self-control  as  I  accept  their  aid  in  inculcating  these  attitudes  into  my  new  personality.

with  affection  from  Marken

Hi Marken!   Good loyal post - and loyal love is indeed important.  On stumbling - It is true that revealing faults can stumble some who do not have the love for the Scriptures as their foundation - as the faithful slave has noted often lately - having our faith well-rooted in the Scriptures.

Marvel is falling back on that love of the Scriptures and the fine Scriptural counsel we all receive in all congregations as arranged by the faithful slave.

In view of Marvel's reaction to your post, I would stress that while faultfinding is generally not good - seeking help when confronted with the effects of other's faults is good and obviously mentioning those faults has its place.

Thankfully, in Jesus' letters to the different congregations in Revelation, Jesus revealed faults in various congregations.  If we can keep the right attitude, then knowing such faults may also exist in various congregations today would not stumble - but, yes, revealing such faults may stumble some.

I think a key Scripture is this:

(Psalm 119:165) . . .Abundant peace belongs to those loving your law, And for them there is no stumbling block.

And while some congregations are less loving than others, just as some true Christian families are less loving than others, all of Jehovah's Witnesses have enough love to prevent them from going to war, as an extreme example - and that cannot be said of Christendom's religions.

In fact, I find that the fulfillment of Isaiah 2:1-4 to be very important to me personally - as I have visited very many congregations in my travels and have always seen that love present - usually, in fact, my wife and I are asked where we were staying and were offered a place to stay among the friends.  This degree of love marks us as Jesus' true followers.

Nevertheless, actually being in different congregations involves much longer and closer interaction and it soon becomes apparent that our beloved brothers and sisters have faults just as we also do - just not the same faults.

And I am so glad you stressed being forgiving - and it reminds me of this Scripture:

(Colossians 3:12-15) . . .Accordingly, as God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with the tender affections of compassion, kindness, lowliness of mind, mildness, and long-suffering. ¹³ Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely if anyone has a cause for complaint against another. Even as Jehovah freely forgave YOU, so do YOU also. ¹⁴ But, besides all these things, [clothe yourselves with] love, for it is a perfect bond of union. ¹⁵ Also, let the peace of the Christ control in YOUR hearts. . .,

With affection back,

Paul

aka Newtonian