Come Out From Among Them
The testimony of Nora Osborne.
I HAVE been a Christian of three years now. Twelve years prior to that I was a Jehovah's Witness.
My sister, who is a year older than me, became involved with the Witnesses first, and I just followed her.
We were very close, we were each other's best friend. During those years I was reasonably happy, although having the "fear of Jehovah" on your shoulders takes a lot of joy out of life. I never questioned the organisation with the elders, even though sometimes I had doubts.
One day I was reading a newspaper about the situation in Waco, Texas, and I wondered; "How could anyone believe such a lie, to follow a man like David Koresh, who claimed to be Christ?"
I asked myself; "What if I'm being lied to, also, what if Jehovah's Witnesses are a cult like people say, what shall I do, who can I ask?"
There, at the end of the article, was a telephone number, a "Helpline", praise God!
I didn't ring it straight away, because I was afraid. Sometime later I found the courage to ring. I spoke to Doug Harris of Reachout Trust in London.
Doug sent Janet (an ex-JW) to speak to me. She pointed out the lies and deception of the Watch Tower Society and gave me her testimony.
I must admit, after she left, I was afraid again, as I had never heard anyone talk so much about Jesus and I was afraid of what Jehovah would think of me.
I asked my sister about Jesus and she quickly got the elders on to me. Luckily I escaped with no punishment.
Later that weekend I returned everything Janet had given me to her friend in Alveston, Derby.
I sighed a sigh of relief. Never again, I thought.
Unfortunately (or should I say fortunately) the seed of Jesus had been planted in my heart and I rang Janet's friend and told her that I wanted to know more.
On July 11th 1993 I went to my first Christian meeting at the Assembly Rooms in Derby, where I asked Jesus to come into my life.
During my three year journey with Christ, I have made several attempts to go back to the Witnesses.
Not because I believed they were true, but because the cutting off from my sister and family has worn me down.
Their constant shunning, every day, has been too much to bear at times. Also the same treatment from my Witness friends.
It's hard to describe the mental torment this causes.
Janet said it was as if I was on a piece of elastic and she never knew, from one week to the next, if I was in or out. However, I know that the love I have for Jesus; the Eternal Light He has placed in my heart; and knowing He is with me in the darkness, is what brings me safely home again.
It's been hard and painful, but it's also brought me closer to God.
One night, through tears, I asked the Lord; "Why didn't you bring my sister out first, I would have followed her?"
Jesus said; "Because I wanted you to follow me."
God has given me new friends, He's given me so much joy and happiness. He has given my hope. He has given me my own personality.
He has given me a husband who is a tower of strength, whose love has overwhelmed me at times.
God gave His own Son, Jesus Christ, to die for me, and all he asks of me is that I believe and be baptised.