Here are a few:
(WT 10/15/07) “… those who do not know Jehovah or who leave his way ultimately feel “pain of heart” and “breakdown of spirit.” (Isaiah 65:13, 14)”
-(WT 6/15/08) “Here again, ask yourself these questions: ‘Why is that command wise? How will obedience in this matter benefit me?’ You may know some who ignored God’s counsel and then paid a heavy price for that error. Are they really happy now? Do they have a better life than the one they enjoyed in association with Jehovah’s organization? Have they really found some secret to happiness that the rest of God’s servants have missed?—ReadIsaiah65:14.
Consider the comments made some time ago by a Christian named Sharon: “Because of disregarding Jehovah’s law, I have contracted the deadly disease AIDS. I often look back at the many happy years I had in serving Jehovah.” She recognized that it was foolish to break Jehovah’s laws and that she should have treated them with the greatest respect. Jehovah’s laws are for our own protection. Sharon died just seven weeks after writing the above words. As her tragic experience shows, Satan has nothing good to offer those who become part of this wicked system. As “the father of the lie,” he makes many promises, but they fall flat, just as did the one he made to Eve. (John 8:44) Truly, it is always best to accept Jehovah’s authority.”
(WT 6/15/08) 9 “ Assurancethatworldproblemswillsoonbesolved. Despite scientific and technological know-how and the sincere efforts of certain leaders, serious problems of present-day life remain unsolved. Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, recently noted that “the list of challenges facing the world grows ever longer and the time to address them grows shorter.” He spoke of “dangers that transcend national boundaries like terrorism, environmental degradation and financial instability.” Schwab concluded: “Now, more than ever, the world is faced with realities that call for collective and decisive action.” As the 21st century moves forward, the overall outlook for mankind’s future remains bleak.
I found the 10/15/09 Watchtower article: Maintaining Friendships in a Loveless World to be particularly disgusting. Check out this subheading. The title says it all:
When Friendships Need to End
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When a Bible student begins to make changes in his lifestyle, he may face a real challenge regarding friendships. He may have companions whose company he enjoys but who do not live by the Bible’s moral code. In the past, he may regularly have spent time socializing with them. Now, though, he sees that their activities could have a bad influence on him, and he feels the need to limit his contact with such companions. (1 Cor. 15:33) Even so, he may feel that if he does not associate with them, he is being disloyal. 13
If you are a Bible student who faces this challenge, remember that a true friend will be happy that you are trying to improve your life. He or she may even want to join with you in learning about Jehovah. On the other hand, false friends will “go on speaking abusively of you” because you do not run with them to “the same low sink of debauchery.” (1 Pet. 4:3, 4) Really, it is these friends who are being disloyal to you, not the reverse. 14
When Bible students are abandoned by former friends who have no love for God, members of the congregation can fill the void. (Gal. 6:10) Do you personally know those attending your meetings who are studying the Bible? Are you on occasion able to provide them with some upbuilding association? 15
What, though, if a friend inside the congregation decides to turn his or her back on Jehovah, perhaps needing to be disfellowshipped? Such a circumstance can be very distressing. Describing her reaction when a close friend stopped serving Jehovah, one sister said: “I felt as if something inside of me died. I thought my friend was firmly grounded in the truth, but she was not. I wondered if she had been serving Jehovah just to please her family. I then began to reassess my own motives. Was I serving Jehovah for the right reasons?” How did this sister cope? “I threw my burden on Jehovah,” she says. “I am determined to show Jehovah that I love him for who he is, not just because he provides me with friends inside his organization.” 16
We cannot expect to remain a friend of God if we side with those who choose to be friends of the world. The disciple James wrote: “Do you not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.” (Jas. 4:4) We can prove our love for God by trusting that He will help us cope with the loss of a friend if we are loyal to Him. (ReadPsalm18:25.) The sister quoted earlier sums up the matter: “I learned that we cannot make someone love Jehovah or love us. Ultimately, it is a personal choice.” What, though, can we do to maintain upbuilding friendships with those who remain inside the congregation?
