Wal-Mart Witnessing

I was at Wal-Mart today and a booth was set up with a sign that said "What the Bible [i]Really[/i] teaches." I knew that meant it was a cult, but i approached the booth to be sure. They gave me three booklets and didn't say much more. I noticed in the front of the booklets they said "Watchtower Bible and Tract Society."

I was with my mother, and went ahead into the store. While standing in line though, i felt a great urge to go out and witness the true Gospel with them. I did. I walked up and politely asked "What Church do you represent?" One of them said "We're Jehovah's Witnesses." I said excitedly "Me too!" (i got that from Paul Wahser) They said happily "Really? What fellowship do you attend." With a smile i said "Camp Wilson Foursquare Church." They didn't get it.

As funny as that is, it wasn't funny when i asked the what Gospel they are preaching. They (as i expected) told the "The gospel of the kingdom." I mentioned 1 Cor 15:1-4 which talks about Christ's death, burial, and resurrection as the true Gospel. And then i mentioned Gal 1:8,9 which says if we preach any other Gospel, then we are accursed.

After a few miutes my mom came out of the store and was politely standing there just waiting for me. One of the men kept telling me "You better go. She's going to be mad if you keep standing here." I knew he was only trying to get rid of me, so i just smiled and shrugged it off. After about ten minutes, the elder (i say elder because he was the one who did all the talking) offered to stop by my home tomorrow afternoon and continue our discussion.

Please pray for me tomorrow that i will have knowledge, an annointing from God, and be filled with His Spirit tomorrow while witnessing to this kind man. Please pray for him as well, that his eyes will be opened to the glorious truth of the Gospel.

amen brother Joe, I pray that God will give you wisdom and words to speak and that His Holy Spirit will bear witness to His Gospel and Christ.

Brother Joe,

I had a similar experience today with two JW's. Before I engaged them in conversation, I had already prayed. I'm not sure if this a doctrine that they all hold to but the talker said that this earth wouldn't be destroyed, because Jesus loves it (John 3:16). I quickly turned to Revelation 21:1 and showed her what it says. She called me a literalist or something like that. So I took the words world in 3:16 and world in Rev 21:1 and compared them. I knew they are different, but she didn't. God got her on this one doctrine. She quickly retreated when she no longer could defend this and other false teachings. I praise God that He gave me the opportunity and words to speak.

Lets keep tearing down enemy strongholds, bro Doug

Please pray for me tomorrow that i will have knowledge, an annointing from God, and be filled with His Spirit tomorrow while witnessing to this kind man.

Please pray for me tomorrow that i will have knowledge, an annointing from God, and be filled with His Spirit tomorrow while witnessing to this kind man. Please pray for him as well, that his eyes will be opened to the glorious truth of the Gospel.

Keep us updated! Praying for you. :-)

We're praying for you Joe!

"Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, 'Now I have put my words in your mouth.'" - Jeremiah 1:9

"I will make My words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes." - Jeremiah 5:14b

DO
I Pet 4:2

Thanks to all who prayed.

It was very hard to get a word in edge-wise. He's a 32 year veteran of door-to-door work, so he knows how to keep talking. The way he acted when i would bring up certain things though was very strange. He almost acted uncomfortable. He beat around the bush alot, and left some of my questions unanswered. Whenever i would ask something, he would start talking about something else and by the time he was finished i had forgotten what i had asked because i had more questions. He is one of the nicest people i have ever come across. It is very asd, because i see no amount of man's persuading helping him. Only a moving of God's Spirit on his life would change him.

Some of their beliefs are very disturbing, and they manipulate the Scriptures (as the Bible says "wrest them to their own destruction") in order to back them up. He couldn't adequately prove how Jesus can be a created being, and the Savior, when God says that there is no Savior beside Himself. I was stunned to learn that they don't believe God is all-knowing. They believe that He does know everything, but that He doesn't choose to know everything. I was also stunned when he told me that God does not live in our hearts. I should have said (like i wanted to so badly) "Then Who is this living in my heart?"

Please continue to pray for him, as that is his only hope.

Whenever i would ask something, he would start talking about something else and by the time he was finished i had forgotten what i had asked because i had more questions.

Brother Joe,

The Watchtower meticulously trains their members in topic manipulation. All their rebuttals are pre-programed. For every proof text you give them concerning the deity of Jesus Christ, they have three to shoot it down. For them, it's effortless. They are very well-equipped. When dealing with JW's (or any cult memeber in particular), it is important to first see yourself as they see you. To a Jehovah's Witness, [i]you[/i] are the one that is brainwashed, tricked by Satan into worshiping a three-headed pagan god called "The Trinity". Understanding this, there's nothing you can show them, nothing you can point out in the Holy Bible - because unless you read the New World Translation, you have a corrupted version - that is going to change their mind. You'll just end up playing scripture tennis, getting frustrated, and grieving the Spirit.

To avoid all this, I have learned to go directly for the jugular, before they even have a chance to pull out their bibles; I do this by immediately incapacitating their Watchtower Mothership. I bring to light the Watchtower's numerous false prophecies throughout the years, one-by-one, until it is clear that unless these issues are resolved, I cannot take what they say seriously. Of course, when you assert something like this, you must be prayed-up and loving, yet speaking with firm and uncompromising resolve. The Holy Spirit will help you here. Just remember to be patient, and season your words. When you do this, you turn the tables on them, and perplex their spirits. You steal their thunder and render their scripture-storms impotent. Now they are confused, because they must first deal with these bold facts before anything else can be discussed.

Now, to save face, they'll politely say, "I'll find out the answer and get back with you," and try to bolt. But don't let them off this easily! You've got them right where you want them, and now's the time to give them the true gospel of repentance and God's offered pardon. They can't argue with the law of God written on their hearts (Rom. 2:15), and the wicked Watchtower cannot eradicate it either. Doing this, you can plant powerful seeds in them, and at the same time strike a severe blow to the Watchtower's alleged infallibility. The Watchtower is their glue, their foundation. It's like Resurrection for us - you prove it wrong, and the entire structure collapses. As Jesus taught us, first you bind the strong man (their organization, built by Satan), and then you can plunder his spoils (their soul).

BTW, they even have a rebuttal for their false prophecies now (Prov. 4:18), but it's very lame, and you almost get the feeling they themselves don't even buy it! Since the Watchtower considers itself a prophetic organization, which outspokenly represents Jehovah's only true kingdom on earth, Deuteronomy 18:22 is the finishing blow. But again, be very careful here - you don't want to chase them away. You want to plant seeds of truth first! God's Word, when used in season and under the anointing, is like a volley of cannon fire. Therefore, be sure you aim it at the Watchtower walls, and not at the imprisoned soul peeking out from behind them.

God bless you in all your endeavors, Joe! Continue to contend in the wisdom and grace of God! God is with you.

Brother Paul

Hi Joe!

This summer I had a JW call me every Monday for a few weeks (I guess they're getting into telemarketing now...). He was an elderly man and I really felt compassion for him but our conversations went in circles. Very frustrating.

I did a bit of research and found this website http://www.towertotruth.net/

to be really helpful. These are ex-JW's that have come to Christ.

Blessings,

Bereangirl

This is an arguement I came across.

JW's love the book of Revelation, so go there. Open up to Rev. 1:8 "I am the Alpha and Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was,and is to come, the Almighty." They will admit that this is Jehovah.

Next go to Rev 21:5-7. Again they will say this is God.

Turn to Rev. 22 at the beginning of verse 13. This is Jehovah to them.

Then turn to the killer passage, Revelation 1:17-18. "when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said, "Do not be afraid. I Am the First and the Last." This is God to them....

Now read verse 18, "I Am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I Am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades" 1:18.

To them God never died, so how is this? This puts them on the spot when it comes to Christ's deity!

bro Doug

Brother Paul and Bereangirl, thank you for the encouragement.

>>EDIT Brother Doug, thanks to you too.

The Watchtower meticulously trains their members in topic manipulation. All their rebuttals are pre-programed. For every proof text you give them concerning the deity of Jesus Christ, they have three to shoot it down. For them, it's effortless.

I was very impressed by this man's Bible knowledge, but as you say it seemed he was pre-programmed to shoot down everything i said. He was no spring-chicken, that's for sure. I was not in control of the conversation, and in such cases i never do well. It was also hard because he is probably in his 40's, and i'm only 20. I didn't feel right interjecting and interrupting him beacuse of that. Also, the kindness he displayed kept me from saying what i wanted to. This is probably another Watchtower trick (not to say that he isn't naturally kind). I was very aware though that his religion exists only in his head, as he himself admitted that God doesn't live in his heart.

I bring to light the Watchtower's numerous false prophecies throughout the years, one-by-one, until it is clear that unless these issues are resolved, I cannot take what they say seriously.

I thought about doing this, but i wanted to hear what he had to say first, to show him that i respected him personally. I thought i could get him because he failed to preach the true Gospel, but was unable to.

Now, to save face, they'll politely say, "I'll find out the answer and get back with you," and try to bolt.

There were a few instances where he had to stop the conversation for one reason or another, and one of them was when i brought up the Bible accounts where Jesus was showed worship. He never gave me a clear answer but kept repeating that it had to do with the interpretation of the word "proskuneo" (or something like that). He never did give an adequate interpretation of this.

God is with you.

Knowing this was the only thing that kept me strong throughout the entire Bible study. More than once i wanted to close my Bible and tell him i was through, but knowing that "greater is He that is in me" kept me going.

Brother, it sounds like you did fine! :-)

It can be rough dealing with these guys. It's so easy to lose your cool. I remember the first time I invited two of them into my house to have a scripture war. I was newly saved (about a year old), baptized in the Holy Spirit, had John 3:16 and Galatians 2:20 memorized, and was ready to give Satan a broadside. Or so I thought.

Boy, was I wrong.

I was the one who got the broadside. I remember when they walked into my house, I felt the evil presence. The lying spirit, the usurper. Wolves, two-fold children of hell. They sat down at my kitchen table, opened up their briefcases, and before I knew it, I was going down one of their favorite rabbit trails. It seemed like they were showing me verses I'd never seen before. It was uncanny. And verses that I [i]had[/i] seen were now looking different, and making sense to what they were saying! It was an unsettling experience.

There is a power behind the Watchtower, Joe. It's the same power that entered Judas Iscariot and seduced Eve. I don't recommend that new Christians invite them into their homes. If the JW's sense a weakness, they'll twist you up like a pretzel and try to devour you. But once you get more foundationed in scripture and study up on the Watchtower's techniques, they'll mysteriously avoid you. It's almost as if Satan realizes you know too much, and can hurt [i]them[/i] instead.

And verses that I had seen were now looking different, and making sense to what they were saying! It was an unsettling experience.

I found myself in the same situation, and i've been studying the Bible for nearly 5 years. As you said brother, there is a lying power behind them, and unless we are wearing the armor of God, Satan can get an advantage of us. They do a fine job at trying to make you feel like you've wronged God. Like i mentioned earlier, the only thing that kept me going was knowing God was with me.

That was my experience too. Gee, I don't feel so dumb now. LOL. The first time this fellow called I felt like the conversation wasn't that bad. The second time he called though, he noodled me around some obscure Scriptures and we went around in circles. After I got off the phone I felt so stupid like I didn't know the Bible at all. It was a very strange experience.

On the website I mentioned, they say instead of wearing yourself out trying to convince them with Scripture take the axe to the root and ask them if the Watchtower claims to be a prophet. If they say yes, then itemize the false prophecies (they actually have the original Watchtower documents scanned online and you can print them)and then show them Deut 18:20-22.

They also have a list of all the doctrines they flip-flopped on over the years. Mention these and then ask, if they changed a doctrine then, how do you know that what they are teaching you today is correct? One fellow that I listened to said ask them questions to make them THINK.

Well, I haven't taken this for a test drive yet but I found listening to some of these ex-JW's share how it finally clicked and they left the Watchtower to be very helpful.

Bereangirl

Towertruth.net is very helpful. There's nothing like an ex-(any religion) to take the plunder and expose the truth for us who have no idea about their tactics.

I love the comments on here as well. Such good stuff. I'm excited to witness to a JW now :-) . BUT! not until God gives me the love first.

I can't help to think why we don't know the Word like them. Why were not all over the streets 2x2's. I know it's because they have to but....I mean, what is it??

I listened to Floyd Erwin's testimony on that website and it broke my heart. He had a very painful experience. He's now an old man. The Watchtower messed up his whole life.

That testimony may help develop a love for them.

These people are hurting big time.

i knwo many truly born again christians who won't even open the door when they come a knockin.

Friends and family just walk into my house. The only people who ever knock at my door are JW's or people selling Kirby vaccums. (which we ended up buying)

The key word is "knocking". I can't help but to think of Keith Greens lyrics in ASLEEP IN THE LIGHT.

"Cause He brings people to your door,
And you turn them away, as you smile and say,
God bless you, be at peace, and all Heaven just weeps,
Cause Jesus came to your door, you've left Him out on the streets."

JW's come to US!

Brothers and sisters I thank God for this thread and it has been an encouragement to me. Paul, I really appreciated your advice on dealing with this group and Bereangirl, I'm finding the site you gave very informative!

A little bit about my own experience with this group if I can:

My earliest encounters with the JW's after my conversion were, as I look back, not good at all. After setting out in evangelisim I eventually ran across them in my own neighborhood and got into two confrontations with one of their workers as he was out distributing their materials. Shamfeully, I spoke very harshly to this man and I regret it. I acted foolishly and misused my knowledge of the scripture and my tongue.

Since then, by God's grace, I think I've been learning restraint through a continuing process whereby I have had many more conversations with them which have been mostly pleasant and respectfull. I have even been able to have them over a couple of times to discuss the scriptures. Still, the passion flares up and I am always in need of grace for restraint. I covet all your prayers as the Lord leads that I will be always fully harnessed and bridled by Him and so that I will do nothing to dishonor His name.

Blessings and peace through our God and King Jesus Christ.