Jason

I've known Jason practically all of my life since we have been in the Wood River congregation since we were children. Growing up we never really did much together. He was into sports and I was into Star Wars so we never really clicked. He was a very brave kid - when I say "brave" perhaps it would be more appropriate to say "reckless". He was the kind of kid that always seemed to have a broken bone or crutches.

Thinking back I can only remember one time that he came over to my house when we were kids. (Of course there may have been other times, my memory is selective at times.) When we lived in Alton we didn't have a nice flat backyard, instead it was a steep hill. At the bottom of the hill was what we used to call "the pit". How can I describe it? Sort of like a sinkhole. So "the pit" was on one side and next to it there was a row of trees for the wooded area behind our house. I remember Jason came over one day and took my bike down the back hill - he had so much speed that he went crashing into the trees - he was lucky he didn't go over the edge into "the pit". Brave? Reckless? A little of both, no doubt.

Many years later there was a time in our life that Jason and his wife Teri really gave Rebekah and I a boost. It was during a time we were kind of down in spirit. One day we had just got done visiting an old friend that wasn't doing too well and we were sad and sort of moping around the house. Jason called us up out of the blue and asked if we wanted to come over to their house for a Watchtower study and also if we wanted to go with them to Sears as Jason had gotten a gift-certificate that he wanted to use to buy some tools. Now as I write this I know that this doesn't sound like a very fun way to spend an evening - but Rebekah and I really enjoyed ourselves and it made a bad day so much nicer. We appreciate that they took an interest in us.

It was around this time that Jason gave me some practical help. I had lost my job at Dial and was coming down on my last month of unemployment when Jason offered me a position at the company he worked for as a Lead Paint Remover technician. When winter rolled around and work was getting slow Jason got me a position working in the office. I'm still there today. It is such a great job and provides for my needs. I consider this job a blessing from Jehovah and I'm thankful to Jason that he helped me get it.

Rebekah and I have also gone on a couple of trips with Jason and Teri. They invited us to go canoeing with them a couple of times which was a really good time. On one trip Jason still proved to be just as brave/reckless as an adult as he was a child. There was this cliff that some people were base jumping off of so we climbed to the top. He didn't hesitate to run and jump off the cliff into the water. I on the other hand was paralysed with fear and questioned what in the world made me climb to the top of this cliff. I wanted to climb down but it was too dangerous - more so than jumping. .... and so I jumped and scared myself to death! Despite that it was a really fun time. Jason and his wife Teri are such enjoyable people to hang around with.

Another time I will never forget happened a little over a year ago. Rebekah and I decided that we would send "Thank-You" cards to every member of the congregation. It was to be just a little note to say, "Hey we appreciate you." This was toward the beginning when we were struggling to figure out how to draw closer to the congregation but didn't know how to do it. So we just mailed out those cards and our Heavenly Father blessed us because they opened the way for developing and renewing tender relationships with several in the Hall. I still remember Jason and how appreciative he was about his card. He never strikes me as a very emotional person, sometimes he seems rather hard, but he had tears in his eyes when he told us how he enjoyed receiving his card and how he said it was very "loving". In turn that made Rebekah and I feel very, very good.

I really miss good friends like Jason.

--

"And if you won’t apologize
If you can’t look me in the eye
I forgive you ..."
- Juliana Hatfield, Noblesse Oblige

Happy

“Happy are YOU when people reproach YOU and persecute YOU and lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against YOU for my sake. Rejoice and leap for joy, since YOUR reward is great in the heavens; for in that way they persecuted the prophets prior to YOU. - Matthew 5:11,12

Tonight was one of those nights were you realise just how much your Heavenly Father really, really cares for you. Rebekah and I are glowing and happy and just want to praise our God.

Believe me when I say that it took every bit of my strength to go the meeting tonight and then when I had no more strength left I had to pray for enough to get out the door. Because I'm timid by nature and who really wants to go have abuse raked on them? And it is because I am timid that I needed to do this to go and suffer just as Christ suffered - to be slandered and ridiculed - and stand up and take it.

I knew that tonight they were going disown me with a simple sentence, "Anthony Mathenia is no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses". That would've been bad enough but little did I know exactly how far it would go. The gloves came off and in an expanded local needs part (30 minutes long) they called me a liar. They said that my acts of affection to the members of the congregation were the insincere kisses of betrayal of Judas. They said I was a stranger leading sheep away to kill them. Their encore was calling me "Satan" and a "child of Satan". Suffice to say I've never been so abusively spoken of in my entire life.

So now I know why it was so important for me to go tonight. Because my Heavenly Father wanted to teach me some lessons about how He will take care of me even in the worst of situations. When I arrived at the meeting and I went and sat down I was feeling pretty awkward and down. I said a little prayer and then my Father answered me and confirmed His love for me. He then showered me with Holy spirit - it was so strong that it was instant joy and peace. I couldn't help but to smile and bask in His love. Rebekah got the Spirit too.

And so when the time came we just sat there aglow with the Spirit and let them say all their evil, twisted things against me. It didn't matter - they could rail and rail away cause we had such a beautiful inner calmness and strength. Their verbal attack meant nothing as the Large Shield of Faith kept deflecting their blows.

It is such pure, unadulterated joy tonight ... we came home and offered up praise to the Father for His goodness and underserved kindness. I'm so blessed to suffer as did Christ and yet at the same time I feel so unworthy to follow in his footsteps. I'm nowhere close to being in the same league.

What next? I really don't know ... but I'm looking forward to the future. I'm blessed to follow my Shepherd. Wherever Christ wants to lead me I'm willing - maybe this whole episode of my life was just a warm-up for the Big Leagues.

I do know that there isn't nowhere that I need to go because tonight I have arrived. Where am I? I'm outside the camp with Jesus.

"Hence Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Let us, then, go forth to him outside the camp, bearing the reproach he bore," - Hebrews 13:12,13

Resolution - An Open Letter

Dear Wood River Congregation,

It is with great sadness that I write you this letter. You may have noticed over the course of the last two months that I have been missing from some of the meetings and that I have not been able to share in commenting. Many of you have lovingly inquired if anything was the matter. Unfortunately we weren't able to be completely open with you as to what was going on. Now that the matter has been resolved I would like to take this opportunity to address your concerns.

The other day as I was going over the memorial Bible reading I thought quite a bit about Jesus’ last night with his friends. He had spent 3 ½ years with them attempting to teach them many important things. On that last night when time was ticking away what was interesting was what he chose to focus on, namely love, selflessness, enduring under tribulation, and prayer. It is with a similar outlook that I’m writing this letter as I’m to be killed in a spiritual sense is just a few days and would be remiss if I didn’t give you some parting words of love and encouragement.

Regrettably, I have been disfellowshipped from the Organization on the grounds of apostasy, and it will soon be formally announced to the congregation that I am "no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses". I completely reject this false charge and I appealed the decision of the Body of Elders. Unfortunately, my appeal was to no avail and therefore I am left with no other option at this time but to wait for Jehovah to straighten this out in His own due time.

I still feel in my heart that I am one Jehovah's Witnesses and I'm quite confident that our Heavenly Father still accepts me as such although from the standpoint of the Organization I am not. I have been reading the Psalms lately and they have been really encouraging in this regard. One in particular that warms my heart is Psalm 27:10 that reads, "In case my own father and my own mother did leave me, even Jehovah would take me up."

I know that what I am going through, though hard, is agreeable to my Heavenly Father, as the scriptures say, "For if someone, because of conscience toward God, bears up under grievous things and suffers unjustly, this is an agreeable thing. For what merit is there in it if, when you are sinning and being slapped you endure it? But if, when you are doing good and you suffer, you endure it, this is agreeable with God." - 1 Peter 2:19, 20

I wanted to write you this letter to let you, the Congregation of Wood River, know that I have thoroughly enjoyed this last year growing in love and faith with you. I spent the greater portion of my life in this congregation and yet painfully before last year I never took the time to really be a part of it. I cherish each conversation and the mutual affection that we have shared – this "interchange of encourage" has done much to build my faith and I hope it has built yours. (Romans 1:11,12) Despite all my difficulties lately I would not exchange one day of this past year for relief from my situation.

In particular, with quite a few of you, I've grown extremely close and my only worry throughout all this mess is how I may hurt you by being disfellowshipped, and slanderously labeled as an apostate. Please do not see this as a betrayal to you. My love for you was always sincere and I have meant every word that I spoke in your presence, from the stage, in comment, in prayer, and in our conversations. I know for the foreseeable future we will be apart – and that is painful – but I look forward to the day when we can reunited again; if not in this world, in the world to come – the new heavens and earth that we are awaiting according to a promise. (2 Peter 3:13)

I wanted nothing more than to continue in your midst longer - to continue to grow in widening out my tender affection for all of you. (2 Cor 6:13) I had hoped that I could be a support to you right down to the very end. Now that this is not possible, I only hope that in memory I could continue to help you in perhaps some small way.

I know that you have noticed a change in me, from what I was, to what I became to you. Quite a few of you have expressed positive thoughts toward this change. I could only direct all praise to Jehovah. Last year our Father was gracious enough to give me an anointing, though I didn't deserve it all. It is an undeserved kindness on His part to allow me a small measure of His Holy spirit that was able to transform me and turn my life around. My brothers and sisters I can attest to the power and the reality of the Holy spirit. If you are having difficulties in any area please pray for the spirit and believe that it can help you. Our Father will give it to you just as it written, "Therefore if you, although being wicked know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more so will the Father in heaven give Holy spirit to those asking him!" – Luke 11:13

Additionally I would encourage you to make it a habit to read your Bible daily. God's Word is such an absolute treasure and if you read it to come to know Him it will open your eyes and your heart. As the Psalm says, “Your word is a lamp to my foot, and a light to my roadway.” (Psalm 119:105) And speaking of the Psalms, we are just getting ready to go through them in our weekly Bible reading and it will be such an excellent time to really dig deep. The Psalms are full of such beauty, affection and understanding. What a treat it will be to listen to the friends offer up praise to Jehovah during the answer portion of the Bible Highlights in the weeks to come!

Please use every opportunity possible to speak of Jehovah's goodness to one another. The one thing I regret is how in our gatherings outside the meetings how little is said regarding our God. Additionally, it is painful that once the meeting ends, we are quick to begin talking about the mundane things of life. I've been guilty of this too but I think that if we would try to make an effort to speak of good things, then that small seed might blossom into something truly beautiful in the Wood River Hall. I know you appreciate what Jehovah and Christ Jesus have done for us – please don't hesitate to talk about it and “to offer to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips which make public declaration to his name.” (Hebrews 13:15) The world beats us down so much that we could all use a little lift.

Friends please take time to show interest in the older ones at our hall. They are so lonely. Some even think that they might be abandoned during the Great Tribulation just as they feel abandoned by the congregation now. I know you love them and don't feel this way. Please let them know how much you love them and value them. Include them in your activities and meals. I want to see hugs and kisses and cheerful faces. Remember that James characterizes true worship by our willingness to "look after orphans and widows in their tribulation" – James 1:27

Support the body of elders in what is good as they are shouldering a heaven burden. (1 Timothy 5:17) No doubt you have been pained to lose so many good men recently such as Brother Solle, Brother Donahue, and Brother Honnen. This loss continues to be felt in our hall. It would be a shame to suffer even more - so be supportive wherever possible.

And since the elders are so loaded down please look for ways to minimize their weight by helping one another. Continue to grow in love for the congregation. In the spirit of 1 Peter 3:8,9 "Finally, all of you be like-minded, showing fellow feeling, having brotherly affection, tenderly compassionate, humble in mind, not paying back injury for injury or reviling for reviling, but, to the contrary, bestowing a blessing, because you were called to this course, so that you might inherit a blessing."

Around you are your brothers and sisters who would die for you, just as you would die for them. Our Lord Jesus tells us, "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves." (John 13:35) Really how can we be true Christians if while we won't go to war and kill our brothers, we then kill them daily by our hateful speech and gossip? As Jesus said on the Sermon on the Mount continuing wrathful with a brother and speaking abusively of them is as good as murdering them. (Matthew 5:21,22)

We can't let petty differences drive us apart and cause us to fade away. Of what benefit is it if we spend 6,000 hours in the field service to bring one person to a knowledge of the truth when in the meantime twenty brothers and sisters have slipped out the backdoor due to discouragement or lack of attention? Our ministry would be in vain! Please remember that we are to "work what is good toward all, but especially those related to us in the faith." - Galatians 6:10

It should not be a secret to you how close we are to the end. The great tribulation comes closer by the day. The only thing that is going to get us through that challenging time is our reliance on Jehovah God. Severe trials await us in the future and only those knowing their God will be able to act effectively. (Daniel 11:32) Now is the time to grow in faith and love for our Father, Jehovah God. Sure we know about Him but do we really know Him?

When we experience day-to-day trials we need to use these opportunities to perfect our faith and build our endurance. As James says, "Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet with various trials, knowing as you do that this tested quality of your faith works out endurance. But let endurance have its work complete, that you may be complete and sound in all respects, not lacking in anything." (James 1:2-4) Endurance is such a vital quality as far as salvation goes because as Jesus says, "he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved." – Matthew 24:13

We are so close we just need to hang on. No matter what happens in the future do not allow it to pull you away from your God. Hang your complete faith and trust in Jehovah and Jesus alone. (John 14:1) "Do not put your trust in nobles, nor in the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs." (Psalm 146:3)

My love for you continues to burn strong. I will not cease offering up prayers on your behalf. I am here for you if ever you need me, but I completely understand if you will feel compelled to shun for the time being. I will not hold this against you. I'm confident that all wrongs hidden will be uncovered and these betrayals of justice will be straightened out soon. As Jesus says, "And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly." - Luke 18:7,8a; NIV

So therefore let us continue to look forward with hope, not looking back with sorrow. Can you imagine what joys await us in the future? Imagine the entire universe united in perfect love and speaking only words of truth. Heaven and earth joined in praising our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, Our King, Christ Jesus. (Psalm 96) No more pain. No more tears. No suffering. No abuse. "The former things have past away." (Revelation 21:3,4) Can you picture that perfect day?

True there is a lot of pain and hardship now; but did we expect anything less, so close to the end, in a world controlled by the wicked one? Hold on friends – we are going to make it through! I love how Paul puts it, "Consequently I reckon that the sufferings of the present season do not amount to anything in comparison with the glory that is going to be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18)

I will now end this in these important words of the Apostle John -- "Little children guard yourselves from idols." - 1 John 5:21

Yours through the love of the Christ to the end and beyond,


Anthony Mathenia

Our King And Savior