Daily Deprogramming

“Love Divine!  O sing the wondrous story,

Far and near the glorious news proclaim; 

How for us God’s only Son was given,

Bringing Life to all who  trust His name.

Love divine, twas manifest in Jesus

As He walked and talked by Galilee;

He who knew no sin became my Savior,

On the Cross, He “paid it all” for me.

Love Divine, the balm for every heartache,

Love Divine, the refuge of my soul;

Take my life,  possess my inmost nature,

Over all my being have control.

Refrain:

His Love is wonderful to me…

His Love is wonderful to me…

For Jesus loved me so;

His Love is wonderful to me..

Paul White

I remember when I was disfellowshipped from the Jehovah’s Witnesses in  February of 1981.  I was 34 years old.  My  eight year old child had been killed in a car accident  eight years before, and the Lord had heard my desperate prayers. I had come to a place where I could see that the JW’s worshipped their organization and Jehovah was in second place or even lower than that in my opinion.  My mom had taught me that “you worship God alone,” and because I saw  their organization as their god, I had to leave.  Someone (an elders wife) heard me talk in this way and  the elders called me on the carpet.  I was probably one of the most fearful people who had ever sat before them.  But my wonderful Lord  of Love helped me as I had to face five or six men  in dark suits and stern faces alone with my Bible. 

I hadn’t received Christ as my Savior as yet,  and I knew very little about His love, but He filled my mouth with His Truth as I sat being judged by those men.  I began to expound upon His Word in front of all  the  JW elders whom I had feared and respected.  Most of them I had never even been able to make  eye-contact  with, because I felt so low and unlearned.   I knew that I would be excommunicated because there was no turning back.  I had set my mind upon His Truth and He gave me all I needed to stand firm.

When I left their parking lot that day, I had to leave everything behind. For JW’s their religion is their country and their family. They cannot vote or salute the flag.  Every friend  that I had now saw me as a dead person. Many family members, renounced and rejected myself,  and my husband and children, shunning us  and have never spoken to us again.    But I knew that God loved me.  The day this happened was Feb 14, 1981.  Thus began a whole new life for myself and my family almost as if  we had moved to the other side  of the earth. (I have never stopped loving those people, because of the Love which was extended to me by the Lord.)

For 6 months the Lord had been wooing me to Himself.  By May 27, 1981  I was ready to receive Him as Savior.  I still did not even know what being Born Again was, but one day in the shower I gave my heart to Jesus Christ.  I had almost no teaching and only had the JW Bible which leaves out the Diety (Godship)  of Christ.  But God Almighty spoke to me through His Word and I was changed forever.  I remember telling the Lord that if I knew He loved me, I could do anything!  Whatever He asked of me I would do, if only I could know for sure He loved me!

He has been faithful to me over these twenty-eight years.  I thank Him for the experiences that have been difficult and even agonizing at times.  The day I got home from my disfellowshipping , the Lord gave me a verse from Revelation 3.  It was Jesus words to the Church at Philadelphia:   I remember it this way, “I have set before you an open door, that no man can shut  because you have been true to my Word, and have not denied My Name .”  I rejoiced that day!  I felt close communication with Him and as if He was right beside me. 

And so when I was enabled to see the same character raising  it’s ugly head within  the Anchor Church  and taking hold , and that falsehoods, wolves in sheeps clothing had crept in,  false gods  (people and leaders) were being worshiped, (albeit unwittingly) , His  wonderful love helped me again.  My experience with the JW’s  was such a tremendous help in recognizing what was going on, and when I spoke out and was excommunicated for it, it wasn’t foreign at all, although much more painful than before because I believed these folks to be saved.  I loved them deeply and still do.

The JW’s at least met their own protocol, and  their elders sat down and talked with me, before they made their decision to excommunicate me.  The Anchor  Missionary Fellowship Church leaders have no rules ,and make the rules as they go along.  The rules for me and my family  after twenty years of faithful service and deep committment were this:  no going before the elders, no elders even speaking to our  questions  or even  trying to help with them.  Shunning and slander of those who tried to tell them the truth. There was no love, no mercy, no compassion.  We were however taken to a  human court of Law by them.  I consequently knew, there was no Jesus there in the Anchor leadership either. 

The Anchor church leadership  have  become as empty  and destitute of Jesus, Love, and  Truth, (even while calling themselves Believers and Christians) as were the JW’s.  Their church is  like an empty tomb, white-washed on the outside, empty and filthy on the inside, just as Jesus spoke of.   They talk of love and give deeply spiritual, human descriptions of what they think it to be, as Ardith Keef does today in her Daily Devotional, but they know nothing of Love experientially. 

The leaders of Anchor  have sown hatred, abuse, affliction,  division, cruelty,  divorce,  dishonor of parents and grandparents, and worse, and they are reaping that which was sown.  Their wisdom, knowledge and pride has deceived them.  The enemy has deceived them and has led them astray.  May the Lord of Love and all Mercy open their eyes before it is too late.  I was supportive of their actions, and just as deceived and guilty as they , but He was faithful to forgive me when I repented of my sin.  We continue to pray for God’s best  for them and for  their full restoration.

The pain of being shunned and abused, and losing loved ones  for the second time  was severe, and distressing , but there was Glory all the same because we  knew where our  Savior of Love was and  wasn’t. He has been ever Faithful and True to His Word , and True to myself and my family.  Oh! How I love Him! His Love is wonderful to me!

“And I saw Heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and He that sat upon him was called “Faithful and True,” and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.”  Revelation 19:11