Daily Deprogramming

Another Thanksgiving Day is fast approaching.  I never celebrated Thanksgiving until I became a Christian, as Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate any holidays. We did eat turkey and all the fixin’s at other times.  There is so much to be thankful for.  First of all,  we have a Wonderful Father in Heaven, A Savior who loves us , and we have the Glorious Hope of  being with Him for all eternity!  And wonder of wonders, we have Him as friend, High Priest, and our Strength and High Tower, right now even in this life!  We have the Holy Spirit, the Along Side One to comfort and guide us as we trod on our pilgrim way.

Ardith Keef always talks about “crossing The Line.”   No, we didn’t cross a line ,we were transferred by God  Himself from one kingdom, (the kingdom of darkness) to  another Kingdom, (the Kingdom of Light!)  Jesus did it all!  Jesus paid it all!  There is no line spoken of in the Bible, there is a Person.  How thankful we are for Him!  Oh how we thank Him for “the very hardest things.”   His help through those  things have made myself able to recognize Him in every dark and difficult hour. I have learned to trust Him through it all.

Those hard things , deaths of children, deaths of grandchildren, the breaking up of my sons family and the hurts inflicted upon all of us by false friends,  pain, sorrow, sexual abuse, spiritual abuse, have helped me to understand and have empathy for others sufferings , and to recognize the One to whom I have called out time after time ,and  who has never ,no never left me or forsaken me.  Oh! How I praise Him! Oh! How I love Him!

I am not thankful to my Lord as Ardith Keef demands, “because I must!”  I am thankful because I know Him and He knows me.  I am thankful because I almost lost my First Love , and He did not let that door shut. He promised to set before me  “an open door that no man could shut” , and He kept His word. Rev 3:7 

How thankful I am for the Light  that shines in the darkness, Jesus Christ .   As I grow older my joy is richer and deeper ,and my need for Him is always greater than the day before.  I am Thankful for my children who press on loving and serving Him.

I am thankful for all of my grandchildren. Saturday I spent some hours teaching my 16 year old grandson, Mike , how to drive a standard shift.  We had a blast!    We talked about Jesus and prayer, and life.  It was natural for us as we both love Jesus , and we both pray. He is making Honor Roll and told me he prays about his grades.

Mike was only around six years old  when he helped me lead an elderly woman to Christ, as he placed his arms around her and  we prayed with her to receive the Lord.  Then at seven, one wonderful night,  he told his dad the plan of salvation and led him to Christ as well.  He told his dad about the evildoer who hung on the cross next to Jesus and how he turned to Him for salvation.  His mother has  taught him the Truth since birth , and his dad also for the past eight years.  

Mike has had a few struggles since his world was uprooted , and his whole family was abused ,shunned, and broken up, by the leaders of the Anchor Missionary Fellowship Church, but the Truth was solidly founded into his heart for many years,  and I can still hear Jesus when we converse.  Thank You Lord,  You are so Faithful!  I have no fear for Mike’s spiritual life. He is founded upon the Solid Rock.  Thank You Jesus!

Our  12 year old grandaughter , Nicole volunteered all summer at a Bible Camp.  She is recovering from  the abuse inflicted upon our whole family by Bill and Ardith Keef, and the Anchor Missionary Fellowship Church.  Why the abuse?  Because after 20 years of faithful service, her whole  family was shunned and slandered because they asked questions and criticized the leaders behaviors!  Even in her fifth grade class a little friend told her, “Ardith Keef says your grandmother is evil, and is cursing people. “  

Nicole  has been seperated from her  little cousin for most of a year, and has never even seen the 3 month old, because of the lies and abuses  of the Anchor Church leaders.  Rest assured, this little girl , who has been so deeply hurt, loves Jesus and her heart is filled with love for the downtrodden, the hurting,  the helpless and the needy.  I have prayed for her to have this kind of heart since her birth.  God is Faithful! Thank You, Jesus!

I am thankful for the husband God gave to me when I was only 17 years of age, lost and alone, who has loved me literally through thick and thin.  It is a miracle he still loves me after two cults and 45 years. He stands firm  for  his family like a rock , and he is a wonderful example to his grandchildren, as to what a real man, husband, father, grandfather,  uncle , should be.  I thank God for my husband Don and his willingness to lay himself on the line for his family and for what is right.  I feel extremely fortunate to be his wife, and am honored and thankful that he still loves me, after all these years……  He is a man of incredible character and integrity. He is a man who stands a head taller than all the  others even though he is 5′11″ tall.  He is not a “yes man.”  He stands up for what is right , to his own detriment.  The Bible applaudes this kind of man. Psalm 15:4

I can testify to the fact that even though we choose the right path,  and receive Jesus as our Savior, we can become numb, deceived, and be overcome by the enemy’s tactics and wiles. We can become wise in our own eyes. That pride can be our downfall.  There are hidden obstacles to trip us up , and twisting of scripture to lead us astray.  There are false shepherds and pretenders who  become deceived and  feed themselves at our expense.   Jesus  is the Faithful and True One who promised never to forsake His Own.  He can be trusted with everything in our lives , and He will see us  through.  Thank You Lord Jesus!

Thank You ,Lord, for saving my soul,

Thank You, Lord ,for making me whole;

Thank You ,Lord, for giving to me

Thy great salvation, so rich and free.

Seth and Bessie Sykes