I Am a Witness
by Leonard A. Chretien
"As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I knew I had the 'truth.'" I was
baptized as a Jehovah's Witness in 1960 at age 26 with my wife,
Marjorie.
We had studied together with the Witnesses and were converts. As
a member in good standing, I served as an appointed congregation
Elder since the mid-1970s. I was regular in the door-to-door
field service, conducted Home studies, and did all that the
Watchtower Society requires. Marjorie and I even raised our
child as a Witness and looked forward to surviving Armageddon
into endless life on paradise earth.
Surviving Armageddon
From the mid-1960s, the Society had pointed to 1975 as the time
for the conclusion of the present world system. The publications
of that time were very clear about this, and we were also taught
the same predictions in our meetings and book studies.
Because we were taught that only Witnesses in good standing would
survive Armageddon, we even sold a prosperous business in 1972
and our home in 1974 so that we could more fully serve Jehovah in
the short time remaining.
Understandably, many Witnesses were disappointed and
disillusioned when 1975 came and went.
I became suspicious when the Watchtower denied responsibility for
the predictions both preached and printed in the prior decade.
Instead, they laid the blame for the unfulfilled prophecy on what
they called "over-enthusiastic members"!
Looking Deeper
As I considered other times when the organization had supposedly
prophesied the end of the world, I decided to examine those
predictions for myself. The Watchtower, of course, doesn't
tolerate a critical analysis of its history or teaching, severely
censoring anyone who tries. Since my life as an Elder would not
allow the time I needed for research, I resigned as Presiding
Overseer of my congregation. It was a serious and far-reaching
decision.
So began an odyssey of research and scrutiny of past Watchtower
prophecies and teachings. My wife and I developed an extensive
library of old Watchtower literature and discovered some
incredible claims made by the Society.
The Society had taught that the world would end in 1914. When
1914 came and went, President C.T. Russell changed the date to
1915, then to 1918.
Later, second President J.F. Rutherford chose 1925 for the end of
the world and claimed that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and other
"ancient worthies" would be resurrected in 1925 to usher in the
new world!
By 1929 Rutherford, still convinced of that resurrection of
"ancient worthies," built a mansion for them in San Diego,
calling the house "Beth Sarim, House of the Princes." He finally
died in the house in 1942 shortly after proclaiming that the end
of the world was only months away.
The Watchtower now teaches that the world only entered its time
of the end in 1914, taking attention away from the failed
prophecy of that year. The current teaching is that the
generation that saw the events of 1914 will see the end of the
world.
All of this and more made Marjorie and me realize that the
Watchtower Society is a "false prophet" organization, perfectly
fitting the biblical definition of a false prophet in Deuteronomy
18:21-22:
"You say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not
been spoken by the Lord?' If what a prophet proclaims in the
name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a
message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken
presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him."
As a result, we turned in our formal letter of disassociation
from the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Of course, we were
totally shunned by our Witness friends whom we had known for
years.
Finding Peace
After sending our letter of disassociation, a peace of mind and a
freedom that I had never known in my 22 years as a Jehovah's
Witness came over me. Jesus Christ had personally come into my
life, and I knew for certain that my salvation did not rest on
worthless works, but had been given to me as a free gift, and
outpouring of grace.
We had been taught that we had to go through the Watchtower
organization to get to the Father, but we are witnesses to the
truth in Jesus Christ when He said "I am the way and the truth
and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me"
(John 14:6).
You do not need the so-called "144,000 mediator class" to help
you work out your salvation. For there is one God and one
mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, who gave
Himself as a ransom for all men" (I Timothy 2:5-6).
Jehovah loves you with a greater love than the Society has told
you about, and Marjorie and I are witnesses to the marvelous
salvation He freely offers in Christ. I invite you to accept the
Lord Jesus as your Savior and renounce the errors of the
Watchtower Society.
Stop trusting in your good works, and ask the Lord Jesus to save
you. "Whoever believes in the Son (Jesus Christ) has eternal
life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's
wrath remains on him" (John 3:36).
Yes, the living Lord extends this invitation to Jehovah's
Witnesses today: "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
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