Deborah Antignano’s Testimony
I began studying with Jehovah’s
Witnesses at the age of approximately 18 years old
when I was living in New Port Richey, Florida. That
was back in around 1987. I, at that time, became very
inquisitive about God and my only traditional religions
heritage which was Catholic. It seemed there was a
concentrated period of my life where I could not avoid
coming into contact with Jehovah’s Witnesses.
I had a teenage boyfriend at that time whose family
were Jehovah’s Witnesses. I had at that time
developed a close relationship with his mother and
she was the first one to introduce me to Jehovah’s
Witnesses, pointing out the so-called flaws in the
doctrine of my own religion. That’s where it
began, the pointing out of how celebrating holidays
and birthdays are wrong and sinful. She always had
an answer to my biblical questions and I could not
refute it and it seemed to me at that time to make
sense. The journey with Jehovah’s Witnesses
continued even to the point of meeting Jehovah’s
Witnesses on whatever form of employment I took even
back at that time being a teenager myself.
Whatever I learned, I brought
home with me and questioned and even challenged my
parents about it, showing that their theology is false
and they could suffer the consequences as a result
thereof. I became very “bold” in trying
to declare Jehovah’s Witnesses theology to my
family. It caused a lot of waves in my family and
arguments when this was all newly taking place in
my household. This was especially hard during the
holidays or when birthdays came around. My parents
who, although attended church, never had any solid
biblical knowledge to help me at that time, nor could
they even refute what I was bringing to the table
regarding theology. So, my parents just came to the
conclusion that they’d rather have their daughter
seeking God than turning to drugs or a life-style
that would bring them grief of that nature. They therefore
let me continue on this journey though it saddened
them because I was being in a way separated from my
family, especially during holiday celebrations and
birthdays.
I had bible studies and attended
meetings with Jehovah’s Witnesses and continued
to grow in their false indoctrination. All along,
I must admit there was a “hallow” in my
heart every time Christmas or Easter or a birthday
celebration came and went. I was led to believe that
spiritual service to God was separating myself from
the world by not participating in such special occasions.
I believed that I was being “separate from the
world” and that by thus doing so, I was “not
of this world.
To move this journey along now,
I, at about the age of 21, moved up to New York to
pursue a career in music. At that time all my ties
to that past teenage relationship were over and I
remember praying asking Jehovah to please allow the
next person I meet to be my husband and if he studies
with Jehovah’s Witnesses, I’ll know he
is the man you want me to marry. Lo and behold, about
2 weeks later, I was introduced to my husband, Sal.
We were blind dates and yes, he, too, has been studying
with Jehovah’s Witnesses and he was convicted
that they were the truth.
At this time, from about 1990
to 1993,I was living up here in New York on my own.
I continued on with studying and attending meetings
with Jehovah’s Witnesses. I had bible studies
even with co-workers who were Jehovah’s Witnesses.
I was convicted that they were the “way”.
Whomever I came across I would try to promote that
you must be a Jehovah’s Witness or you will
not take part of the resurrection. I’d try to
point out all the flaws in others’ beliefs and
try to show them that if you’re not a Jehovah’s
Witness, you will not make it in the new world to
be created. I grew in boldness and belief and no one
could show or try to convince me otherwise. Either
you are in or you are out and that was it. The LORD,
of course, now I see had a plan in all of this even
though HE allowed this “cultic” journey
to continue.
My parents finally sold our house
in Florida and moved back up to New York in about
1993. Tragedy really struck my family between the
years 1995, 1996 and 1997. I lost my mom suddenly
in 1995; my grandmother passed away in 1996, and I
lost my dad due to his battle with tongue cancer in
1997. I was distraught. I was a mess. All the more
I turned to Jehovah’s Witnesses for comfort
and spiritual support. Truly, there was none with
them. I didn’t know what grace meant and what
God’s love was really all about. But, I will
never forget this moment I had in the funeral parlor
when my mom passed away. Being so gripped by grief,
I went out of the room to find a place to be alone.
The pain was unbearable just losing my mom like that
with no warning and now she’s gone. We were
so close.
So there I am, sitting there grief
stricken, and all of a sudden, this amazing sense
of peace and comfort came over me and I actually felt
this pain in my heart being taken away and replaced
with peace. I didn’t know what it was. So much
so, that I felt “guilty” that I felt that
way. My aunt came over to me because she was so concerned
and she wanted to give me, I believe, a relaxer or
tranquilizer, if I’m remembering correctly.
But, I declined. I said to her, the amazing thing
is, is that I’m okay right now. That night,
I had a peaceful sleep throughout the whole night.
Still I didn’t know that it was the Grace of
God to me yet while a sinner!
My journey continued with Jehovah’s
Witnesses studying with them and going to meetings.
Even when I was in Court Reporting school I became
close with a teacher there and we would have bible
studies after school. I leaned on her during that
time when I lost my mother and tried to get spiritual
comfort and guidance by our bible studies.
The time is now 2000 and me and
my husband are now officially married. Although both
me and my husband studied with Jehovah’s Witnesses
and had ties to them, they wouldn’t have allowed
us to get married in their Kingdom Hall because we
were not yet officially baptized by them yet. The
time is now January 2002 and I am pregnant with our
daughter. When I was about 4-5 months pregnant, I
asked my husband how are we going to raise Danielle?
We have to make a decision; do we get baptized as
Jehovah’s Witnesses and raise her as such?
That’s when the real spiritual
journey began. I told my husband at that time being
5 months pregnant that I am going to sit down with
just the bible, which was their bible, the only one
I had, and do some research. I decided to go online
and do some research about the origins of Jehovah’s
Witnesses and I researched into their doctrine and
how they translated their bible. And my eyes were
opened! The LORD started opening my eyes to HIS truth,
showing me the error in their translation of the bible,
especially John 1:1! I had to research all their false
doctrines and compared it with the Truth that the
LORD JESUS was showing me!! The LORD showed me that
their rendition of John 1:1 is wrong and the Greek
language shouldn’t be interpreted the way they
do by the insertion of an “a” before the
word “god”.
At this time, a friend of mine
in a band that I was the lead singer in knew my dilemma
to now find a church that me and my husband can go
to being that our eyes have been opened to the Truth.
I will never, ever forget mine and my husband’s
first experience in a Christian church, Gateway Cathedral.
There we were. I was about 7 months pregnant. It was
our first experience for a true worship service. I
will admit that it was overwhelming for us because
we never experienced that before, a big choir and
a band. Here was the moment when Pastor Tim asked
the congregation to stand and “Let’s give
Jehovah God praises by standing in HIS Presence,”
or words to that effect. Me and my husband looked
at each other and thought, “Are we in the right
place?” We were taught that no one knows that
God has a name and His name is Jehovah. This was the
first time we ever heard someone in another church
know that God’s name is Jehovah. Instantly,
I started crying and I knew I found HIM! I felt the
presence of the LORD in such a real way I will never
forget it.
After service, one of the greeters
for those new to the church came over to me. My husband
went to get the car and I was to meet him out front.
I will never forget the words the LORD filled my mouth
to say. I told her our background and she told me
about the church, that it’s a born again Christian
church. At the end of our conversation, after she
gave me the welcome package, she asked me, “Where
do you see yourself in the Kingdom of God?”
What came out of my mouth were words I never, ever
said nor knew to speak, especially being taught by
Jehovah’s Witnesses. I paused for a moment and
said, “I see myself as a warrior for the LORD.”
There I am, 7 months pregnant and what a statement
to make! I get in the car and told my husband what
I said and I was so embarrassed. I know now that the
LORD filled my mouth to say that!
It was prior to our daughter being
born that it was a blessed Sunday afternoon while
in service, I gave my heart to the LORD. Danielle
was born October 10, 2002. I believe it was approximately
August/September prior to her being born, or thereabouts.
However, all along the deep studies the LORD brought
me through all on my own with HIM, the seeds were
being sown and conviction of what the Holy Spirit
was showing me had already begun in my heart.
The LORD weeded out all the bad
doctrine that was sown in my heart and replaced it
with the truth of HIS Word. All the scripture twisting
and being indoctrinated falsely was all corrected
by the Truth of His Word and spending time alone with
the LORD. I will never forget how the LORD showed
me, which was a hard one to let go of, the doctrine
of blood as taught by Jehovah’s Witnesses. I
prayed and cried out that I am still struggling with
this and the next day, instantly again, the LORD answered
me through a radio broadcast on 570 AM with the Bible
Answer Man to obtain a book from a former Jehovah’s
Witness, David A. Reed, who is the author of the books,
Answering Jehovah’s Witnesses Subject by Subject
and Jehovah’s Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse.
The struggle with the blood issue was now over!
Doctrine by doctrine the Holy
Spirit guided me and showed me all the flaws in their
teachings. HE showed me that Jesus is God especially
because of HIS Resurrection! This was so powerful
for me especially and I quote in one of their Watchtowers,
Nov 15, 1991 “God disposed of Jesus’ body,
not allowing it to see corruption and thus preventing
its becoming a stumbling block to faith”. Another
quote, “We deny that He was raised in the flesh
and challenge any statement to that effect as being
unscriptural,” Studies in the Scriptures, Vol.
7, page 57. This false doctrine gripped me and kept
me in darkness. But when the LORD showed me that I
serve a living God who conquered the grave in a Resurrected
physical body, our first Easter was like no Easter
I could ever remember celebrating with my family growing
up before I came to Christ! I serve a living God who
is alive and seated at the right hand of the Father!
Our first Easter as a family was in the year 2003
after the birth of our daughter. I will never forget
it!
There were times present with
family while they were celebrating Christmas and Easter
and I was always guilty just to be there. I was so
held by the bondage of guilt all those years just
to be with them around any celebrations, especially
Easter based on what I was so falsely taught. However,
when my spiritual eyes were opened, I experienced
true freedom in Christ that I celebrate a Risen Savior!
Immediately I saw the hand of
the LORD in my life. I’ve sang for years, but
never for my King. The LORD gave me the gift to write
songs, instantly! I prayed if HE wanted me to write
song, that if HE would help me. I will never forget
this moment. I was telling my husband about writing
songs for the LORD about how Jesus showed me that
HE is “The Way, the Truth and the Life,”
as soon as I finished those words, instantly I wrote
my first song in the kitchen, words and melody all
at once! Within a month’s time I wrote pretty
much my first album, Matter of the Heart. All I want
to do now is sing HIS Word and preach HIS Word. I
liken it to Paul and his conversion once his eyes
were opened to truth. All that conviction I had for
what was false is now replaced with boldness and conviction
for the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the
power in HIS Word! He set this “captive”
free. On my album is a song entitled, “Captives
Be Free” and I pray the LORD uses it to set
others free from whatever they are held in bondage
by.
The LORD all along was fueling
me for what would be to become, as HE put in my mouth,
“a warrior for the LORD.” That’s
exactly how I feel, especially being in spiritual
darkness all those years not knowing what truth was.
All I want to do now is proclaim the Truth of the
Gospel through the songs HE gives me and the Word
that is implanted in my heart!
I am grateful for what the LORD
is doing in and through my family. The LORD saved
me and my husband and now my daughter is learning
and being raised in the truth! My brother and my sister
came to Christ. My mother–in-law gave her heart
to Jesus when she was watching a Billy Graham special.
My brother came to the LORD because he said the conviction
I had for the LORD touched him that it caused him
to search for truth and he wanted what, “I had”.
Many wonderful doors for ministry
have been opening up and I am so grateful to be used
of the LORD now. I’ve ministered in various
outreaches and church events and nursing homes and
the LORD has been opening doors to even preach HIS
Word now. I love the Word! I treasure it so deeply
in my heart as a prized jewel! I love the Truth! I
am so grateful for my Salvation and that I am saved
by Grace through faith in Christ Jesus. HE set this
“captive free” so I can now worship HIM
in Spirit and Truth! Amen.
