The Return of Fresh Faced

Wanted to give an update on Fresh Faced. She and another Jehovah's Witness visited my house about two months ago. Can you believe she came back? How dope is that? Read more about our first encounter here.

I was in the closet sorting through an old box, throwing away tapes and papers. Can you believe I had an Animal Farm report from my 11th grade Honors English class? I'm sure I'm destined to be on Hoarders. I don't know if I've kept it because I'm a fan of dystopias or because I think someone, some day will want to read my brilliant 16 year old musings on the clear parallels between the story and the Bolshevik Revolution...

Anyway, the dogs start going crazy, as usual. Warren is home this time, so I ask him if someone's outside.

"I think it's some J-Dubs," he replies.

Once again, I'm thoroughly unprepared for company, both mentally and physically, but I jump up and throw some jeans on.

Warren is standing at the door, warmly welcoming our visitors. I peek around his tall frame and see her. It's Fresh Faced!

"Hi!," I beam.

Her smile is as wide as mine. It's almost as if we're old friends who haven't seen each other in a while. I see another woman approaching from my left side.

"This is my mother."

We greet each other and away we go...

We talk for about two hours. We cover everything from the reality of hell to the deity of Christ, from the 144,000 to Paradise Earth. While Warren and Mother discuss a passage in Revelation, I take advantage of a few moments to talk to Fresh Faced with little interruption from Mother. I tell her how I prayed she'd return. How I blogged about her. She smiles that shy smile, barely making eye contact. She agrees with me that the Lord led her back. LOL...We have our own ideas as to why. She's supposed to convince me that Jesus isn't divine, how he died on a stake and about "the kingdom." I'm supposed to tell her about the biblical Jesus, the one whose good news is of "first importance" according to Paul.

I tell her I understand the sacrifice she'd be making if she believed what Warren and I were telling her about Jesus and the blasphemous theology of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.

"I know you'd have to give up relationships. Your mother, your father, all your friends...I know they wouldn't talk to you anymore. You'd be treated as an outsider."

She doesn't correct me.

I thought about how difficult terrifying it would be to abandon all you've ever known. Jehovah's Witnesses do not closely associate with anyone who is not a part of the organization. Imagine growing up in it! Her mother was baptized in 1983. FF has literally been in and around this cult her entire life.

Near the end, Warren tells them to check out Council of Nicea and I suggest they look into the Athanasian Creed. Aside from believing Trinitarians believe God the Father, IS God the Son (wrong), they also believe God the Holy Spirit is a force.

We exchange numbers and tell them we'll call them when we move to our new home.

"I don't think I ever got your name. My name is Gloria."

Fresh Faced looked at me, smiling. "My name is Shannon."

Pray this is the beginning of a friendship. We both really believe what we say, only thing is the gospel we preach is the gospel of Jesus Christ--the power of God for salvation. I know she came back because she thinks she can change my mind. We both have ulterior motives. May the true and only wise God be glorified through any future encounters we may have...

Love.

Knock, Knock!!

The air mattress was uncomfortable but I wasn't about to get up.

Judah's bark startled me out of my lull. I frowned, eyes still closed. Butter's joined in about a split second later. They ran together into the hall to the front door. I shot up, glasses crooked, hair more dishelved than usual. *Knock Knock*

I sighed and struggled to gain balance to lift myself from the ground. I shooed the dogs and put my eye to the peep hole. Jehovah's Witnesses.

I wasn't dressed appropriately and my one armed glasses were barely staying on my face. I ran to my room, threw on some pants and grabbed another shirt to put on. Once outside, I poked my head out to let them know I was home. I remembered my last JW encounter. I didn't go into much detail about it but I really regretted not invited the green witness to come back to talk to me. I felt compelled to make the invitation this time.

A fresh faced, brown girl with neatly curled, relaxed hair beamed.

"I'm sorry, we heard the dogs and we did see the car but we didn't know if anyone was home."

"Oh, it's no problem."

"We're Bible students and we're hear to share God's word with you if you have a few moments."

Just as she completed the last part of her statement, an older woman walked up next to her. It was the JW who got upset with me last time.

"Sure," I said to Fresh Faced.

Directing my attention to the older woman, I said, "Do you remember me? You've been here before?"

Old JW tilted her graying head, held the screen door open and with a chuckle, replied, "I'm sure I have."

I smiled back politely.

"Yes...you got upset with me and left. You were with someone else, but it was definitely you."

"Upset?? I don't remember that but I'm sorry. I don't know why that would have happened."

"Well I already go to a church up the road...the one across from Mill Creek Elementary School. I wanted to know why I should stop believing what I believe and start believing what you believe."

"Well, it's not what I believe. It's God's Word. We don't force anything on anyone."

She pulled out two Awake magazines and showed them to me.

"Have you ever read any of our literature?"

"Yes ma'am. I have."

"Well, we wanted to talk to you about God's kingdom this morning. Have you evere heard of God's kingdom?"

"Yes ma'am. A man talked to me about it a while back."

"What did he tell you?"

"I don't remember exactly."

She pulled her New World Translation from under her arm and flipped to a passage in Daniel. She read the passage.

"See this is talking about God's kingdom. His government. You've heard of man's government? Well God has a government too. Man's government will fade away. God's government won't. Do you believe that?"

"Oh yes, I definitely believe that. The whole world will pass away. Just like 1 John 2:15 says, '...all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the foolish pride of life, and the world is passing away, and the lust of it....'

"God's word doesn't say that," she said as she flipped to another verse.

I glanced at Fresh Faced quickly. She was flipping to 1 John!!

I turned my attention back to Old JW.

"Yes ma'am. 1 John does say that. The world is passing away."

She ignored me and began reading another verse pertaining to the earth.

"See, this says that the earth will not pass away. The earth has always been here. Even when the flood came the earth remained."

"Yes ma'am but 1 John does say that."

I look at Fresh Faced who's made it to 1 John.

"I see you have your Bible opened to 1 John 2:15. Doesn't it say "the world is passing away?"

She nodded affrimatively.

"'But he who does the will of God abides forever,' right?"

She nodded again.

Old JW jumped in. "What do you mean by 'world?'

"I mean the world system that would try to tempt and conform you to its ways. You know like in Romans 12:1-2 when we are warned not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds...."

I looked at Fresh Faced. Her smile had faded into concern but she said, "Uh huh...yes..." letting me know that she was familiar with the Romans passage.

Old JW was ready to end the visit. "Can we come back and talk to you again?"

"Sure. When can you come? Can you come back in the mornings?"

"We can come back whenever you want."

"Sure! You should know though that there are some things I'm just never going to agree with you on."

"Like what things?"

"Well...first...Jesus is God."

"Yes, yes...Jesus is a god."

"No ma'am. Jesus is God. And God is triune. Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

"No, no...we don't believe that. Well...you seem like you already know everything about the Bible. We like to talk to people who want to learn."

Here we go again. She said the same thing to me the time before.

"That's exactly what you said to me last time. Only it was more rude. I know you've apologized, but this is what happened. You didn't want to talk to me after I tried to show you something in the Bible..."

I looked at Fresh Faced and began to speak. "She is not going to come back here but you are welcome here. You're new. I can tell..."

Fresh Faced interrupted. "No...I'm baptized!"

"You may be baptized but you're still newer than her. She was here last time. You can come back anytime and I'll show you from the Bible what I'm talking about. I'll tell you about the gospel of Jesus Christ."

I restated my address and gave her other information about my work hours.

Old JW, let the screen door close. I continued as the pump caught the door.

"You can come back here. I'm here in the mornings. We can talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ. This...what you're involved in is works righteousness..."

Fresh Faced held her gaze...her eyes had become glassy and heavy with doubt.

"I'm being serious. Come back. Read 1 Corinthians 15 and Galatians 1."

She nodded yes and walked away to her car with Old JW.

And it was finished.

I pray she actually DOES come back. If not, maybe a seed was planted. I hate to see anyone going through a crisis of faith but in this case it's necessary. She probably won't come back but she might remember those verses. Gotta get ready for work.

Eh...

They aren't the same thing...

I'm getting "the itch." It has happened with every blog I've ever started. My posts become rushed...incoherent.. I didn't think it would happen with this one so quickly although I'm sure my lack of internet connection (and computer) at home are the culprits. I've thought of several topics I'd like to discuss, but they come to me at the most random times--at church, after the pastor makes a point in the sermon, at night, when I'm staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep...again, on the way to work in my car when I see someone walking along the sidewalk.

Ehhh...something that's been weighing on me quite heavily is justification vs. sanctification. I've been burdened by my past responses to brothers and sisters in the faith that I deemed "lost" due to behaviors I observed that didn't fit my "Christian behavior list." Funny coming from an ocassional drinker, who wears pants, sits in corporate worship without a head covering, who is in constant crisis regarding the ministry of motherhood---all behaviors and/or viewpoints that would cause some in certain Christian circles to question my faith in Christ.

I can remember an encounter I had with a young woman this past fall. For some reason, I was unable to sleep a few days ago and my interaction with this woman came to my mind. Our discussion ended with her yelling "f&@# you" at least three times before storming away. At the time, I was sure that the gospel of Jesus Christ had offended her and that I'd done nothing wrong. As I stared at my wall, replaying the conversation in my mind, I became increasingly convinced it was not the gospel that had offended, but rather my approach. She professed Christ, but did confess to several behaviors that she acknowledged as sinful, but was willing to continue in them, due to Christ's death.

There was a point in our conversation that has echoed has (truthfully) come to my mind several times since that night. Trying to lead her into another area of scripture, I asked her, "How do you know you're a Christian, if you're still doing (x,y,z)?" She quickly shot back, "How do YOU know you're a Christian?!" I was admittedly taken aback, and honestly to this day, am not comfortable with my answer, which was wrought with my works, (out of love and obedience to Christ), but my works nonetheless. I had described my sanctification, not my justification. Now while it can be argued that one will be sanctified if one is justified (and I totally agree, faith without works is dead), I'm JUSTIFIED (i.e. a Christian), by faith in Christ alone.

So...there is a point here. Rather than questioning the young lady's justification, it would have more gracious to pray with her (which I am sure she would have been receptive to), show her the scriptures (which she seemed to have some respect for), and treat her lovingly like a sister in Christ. She revealed, immediately before cursing me out, that she'd been sexually assaulted about 2 months prior. I'm sure that the assualt impacted her emotionally and spiritually, as well as physically. I was too busy "contending for the faith." Had I slowed down, I might have won back a sister through reminding her about the love of Christ for his sheep. Instead, my combative approach (Thanks WretchedRadio) offended her. I deeply regret how our conversation ended, but our meeting was by chance (not really, but yeah) and I wouldn't even recognize her today if she walked right up to me.

This is not a call to end or avoid evangelism due to the fear of offending someone. I'm saying, share the gospel and contend for the faith often, but do it biblically. I'm also saying, whenever you start measuring someone who professes Christ by the amount of sin in their life, look at the amount of sin your own life and repent, THEN pray for that brother or sister and go to him or her with loving rebuke. Let Christ pull the weeds, lest you root up the wheat along with them.

Painful lesson, but one learned.