COMMENTS YOU WILL NOT HEAR AT THE 12-1-02 WT STUDY
"OPPOSE THE DEVIL"
(James 4:7)Introduction
Entertainment, immorality, and materialism are another trinity that the WTS trots out weekly. I personally accept that some forethought should be given to entertainment and to be balanced. I still believe that happiness does not result from the things we own. When it comes to immorality, well, that word should be expanded to include protecting child molesters. With fornication, at least both parties have made a choice. Children do not have a choice when it comes to abuse. Pedophilia is the worst type of rape and immorality. Unfortunately, this immorality is not even mentioned.
The first paragraph brings out a thought that was also brought out last week. "Satan is concentrating his efforts on Gods dedicated servants."
How can the WTS use this thought? Anything bad, any persecution, any "lies" told by apostates or the media proves that the WTS is the true religion because Satan is "concentrating" his attacks on them. Persecution from Satan = we are the true religion. The WTS fails to mention that in Russia, Georgia, Uzbekistan, and other countries that JWs are not the only religion being targeted with physical persecution and governmental sanctions. I like to point this out to the JWs that mention this "unique" persecution of JWs. Their response, "Oh, I didnt know that." Why? Because the only news they get is filtered through the WTS.
They also say, "These Witnesses (meaning the anointed) and their companions." This proves my point that only the 144,000 could possibly be the witnesses mentioned at Isaiah 43:10,11. Those were literal Israelites, so if the 144,000 are the spiritual Israelites, only they could be JWs. The best the rest could do is being called the "great company."
The introductory segment brings out another trinity, "We need all the protection God provides through his Word, his spirit, and his organization." If we have Gods Word and the Holy Spirit, what need is there for an organization to protect us from Satan?
TRAPS SATAN SET FOR THE EARLY CHRISTIANS
Think United States/Europe instead of Rome, "This prosperity brought much leisure time to the ruling class" "the masses got plenty of entertainment so that they would not rebel." "Public holidays were as numerous as working days (Europe). The leaders used public funds to give people bread and circuses, keeping their stomachs full and their minds diverted."
Tertullian is quoted often by the WTS. What of his reliability?
*** w83 9/15 12 'Quietly Bringing in Destructive Sects' ***
Tertullian became a Montanist (and a heretic in 207 C.E.).
Encyclopedia Britannica
Montanism (montenizem) , apocalyptic movement of the 2d cent. It arose in Phrygia (c.172) under the leadership of a certain Montanus and two female prophets, Prisca and Maximillia, whose entranced utterances were deemed oracles of the Holy Spirit. They had an immediate expectation of Judgment Day, and they encouraged ecstatic prophesying and strict asceticism. They believed that a Christian fallen from grace could never be redeemed, in opposition to the Catholic view that, since the sinner's contrition restored him to grace, the church must receive him again. Montanism antagonized the church because the sect claimed a superior authority arising from divine inspiration. Catholics were told that they should flee persecution, Montanists were told to seek it. When the Montanists began to set up a hierarchy of their own, the Catholic leaders, fearing to lose the cohesion essential to the survival of persecuted Christianity, denounced the movement. Tertullian |
"Most of the public festivals and games were held in honor of pagan gods."
Easter, Christmas, Halloween, New Years Day, Valentines Day, St. Patricks Day, Memorial Day, the Olympics (patterned after Greek games),
"At the theaters, even many of the classical plays were either grossly immoral or bloodily violent." Nothing likes David chopping off Goliaths head and holding it up or Lot having sex with his 2 daughters:
"Permitted to undress entirely" "ghastly butcheries"
I wish I had a scanner to put in the pictures in the old WTS publications of Salome dancing practically naked, and the full frontal nudity of Eve but not Adam.
What about a picture of the babies slaughtered by the Israelites as they conquered Canaan.
Did these and many other incidents in the Bible when read "blunt peoples repugnance to immorality and violence until these things became commonplace and were sought after by the populace"?
"Chariot races were doubtless very exciting but they were unacceptable for Christians because the crowds often got violent." I guess that doesnt mean NASCAR because they dont have fights, in the stands anyway. Also, "astrologers and prostitutes had their place of business under the stands." Does that meet off track betting and NASCAR groupies?
"What of the Roman baths?" "Huge establishments that included massage rooms, gymnasiums, gaming rooms, and places to eat and drink."
Does this sound like exercise clubs? I can remember a special needs talk given about the dangers of going to gyms or exercise clubs. It seems that a married sister went to one, met a non-witness, and ran off with him.
Another snare, "gambling." "The early Christians could avoid the betting at the chariot races by simply staying away." What do they do in Las Vegas, move out of town and dont work there?
"Minor gambling was also done illicitly in the back rooms of inns and taverns." I guess that means JWs cant go to inns or taverns.
Picture page 8,9
Jesus talking to Satan (a dark, scarred figure partially hidden by a hood)
What happened to "transforming himself into an angel of light"?
Picture page 10
Roman Coliseum with Christians being eaten by lionsOf course, the JWs look forward to the obliteration of 6 billion people including many young children at Armageddon.SATANS SNARES TODAY"Many people have more leisure time than ever.""State lotteries given even the poor a glimmer of hope.""There is plenty of cheap entertainment to occupy peoples minds.""Sports stadiums are full." Obviously the writer of this article has never tried to get tickets to any kind of sporting event. Plan on taking out a second mortgage!"Degrading people fills people ears." Musak is bad but I never thought of it as degrading."Lewd shows" on theater, movie, TV screens. Nothing like Lot have sex with his daughters, or the man who gave his concubine to be gang raped and then cut up her dead body and to spread all over the land."Nude bathing on some beaches." "Like the brother who said he just stumbled over a porn site on the Internet but quickly looked away!Yes, JWs have too much leisure time. The DO said that it is intolerable that brothers and sisters are going on cruises several times a year. They should be regular pioneering and giving that money to the WTS.Yes, "some vacation facilities have proved to be a trap" "lead modern-day Christians into immorality or overdrinking." No more trips to Cozumel, Cancun, Jamaica, Bahamas, Hawaii, etc. Bad associations. Yes, better to take those trips promoted by brothers and sisters with travel agencies so you can travel with brothers and sisters who do not do those things (are you kidding, we hardly got to our destination on one of those trips and a brother was barfing into a bag on the plane. He must have downed a bottle of vodka.)Yes, and dont say you are trying to help those "bad associations." "Today, one of the Devils snares is to lead Christians into thinking that if they go as far as possible in trying to show that Jehovahs Witnesses are just like other people, they will succeed in drawing some to Christian truth."During assemblies that must be what the brothers and sisters are doing that I see at the motel with the fully equipped bars in their rooms and the loud, boisterous laughing that goes on into the wee hours."Both young ones and adults, to live double lives," such as posting on JWD while still active? Maybe JWD is being monitored by the WTS. "Some have fallen into this trap through the abuse of the Internet." I did notice they said "abuse" not "use" of the Internet. After all the WTS has its own website."Another of Satans snares is disguised occultism." "Films, TV series, video games, and even childrens books and comics that highlight violence or uncanny practices." Hardly ever does the WTS spell out directly the names of these games in the publications. This is done using the COs and DOs at the assemblies. I have sat in the audience at an assembly and heard the CO or DO specifically demonize ET, Star Trek, Star Wars, Scream 1 and 2. But why do they leave out Beauty and the Beast, the Little Mermaid, Snow White, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Lion King, etc., all Disney offerings that feature witches and evil magic. Why the Magic Kingdom at Disneyland/Disney World even has a "Haunted House." How many JWs skip that part of the attraction?I have heard of medical treatments sought out by JWs that consist of the practitioner moving their hands over the "patient" and discerning their electrical aura without even touching them. Then they diagnose their ailments and suggest a treatment. Sounds like demonism to me.JESUS OPPOSED THE DEVILThe WTS makes this point, "An interesting thought with regard to this temptation (tempting Jesus to use his power to make food after fasting 40 days) is that the Devil did not seek to have Jesus commit a sexual sin." And how do they apply this "interesting thought"? "What temptations does the Devil use to lure Gods people today?"Food? No, "sexual temptations." Duh! "By imitating Jesus." How by resisting food or sexual sin? The brother is charge of this paragraph must have been sleeping when Holy Spirit was handed out.Jesus was tempted to test Gods ability to protect him by means of the angels. And what does the WTS compare this to?Testing Jehovah by seeing "how closely we can imitate worldly fads in our dress and grooming without being counseled." There it is folks, the most serious thing we can do, wear one too many pierced earrings, grow a beard, and have a slit in our dress one millimeter too long. Why couldnt we be testing by seeing how close we can avoid showing love to our fellow worshippers by saying we have to go out in the field ministry, that money has to go to the Society, the worldly family has to take of the older ones, those ones are spiritually weak and bad association.Offering Jesus the kingdoms of the earth equals "materialism, glitter, even a vision of a little personal kingdom."Well, who has a little personal kingdom? Who are called "princes"? Elders, COs, DOs, Bethel elders, GB. FULLY EQUIPPED TO OPPOSE THE DEVIL"Our love for the truth" the WTS says. Why not our love for God, Jesus, and our fellow worshippers?"Prepare us for Christian activity," which "regularly takes us into the preaching work" not the work of encouraging the discouraged and depressed in the congregation, not helping older ones at home, not helping the hungry and needy in the congregation."If we become expert at handling Gods Word," by highlighting the publications at the door not the Bible, by rarely looking up cited scriptures and using them in comments at the meetings, by the WTS using only snippets of scriptures to avoid readers understanding the real meaning in context, etc." "Carrying on prayer continually, we can be confident of Jehovahs protection when Satan attacks us." Once again this seems to promise personal protection from Satan. Yet, in many places the WTS says that only protection "as a group" is guaranteed not as individual. Otherwise why did so many die in the concentration camps in Germany, or were slaughtered in Malawi and Rwanda and held up as examples of integrity without expectation of personal protection?*** w74 3/15 172 What Protection for God's People? ***Truly, then, we need not fear the coming of the "great tribulation." We can have every confidence in divine protection. Even if some do die at the hands of the enemy, their death would serve for the vindication of Gods holy name. By means of his Son and the angelic forces, he will come to the defense of his people, rescuing them from annihilation. They being his "loyal ones," their death as a people would be too "precious," too costly, in his eyes. (Ps. 116:15) They will also be shielded from the execution of divine judgment. Neither Jesus Christ nor his angelic forces will make a mistake. None of Gods servants will be swept away along with the wicked.
The Bible book of Ezekiel does, in fact, foretell such an attack under the guidance of the symbolic "Gog," Satan the Devil. Should some of Gods people die at the time of this attack, however, they would not experience lasting loss. They would die, not with any feeling of having lost divine favor, but with full confidence that God will restore them to life in his new order because of their faithfulness to him.
Since the natural elements will be employed against the attackers, vital public services will be disrupted. This will bring physical hardships on everyone, including Gods servants. Because of disease or other physical limitations, the strain of the situation may be too much for some to bear and hence some of Gods people may die. At the same time we know that Jehovah God can strengthen his people and shield them despite their limitations. But, as to the extent to which he may see fit to do so, we must wait and see. However, Jehovah does not directly smite his faithful worshipers.One thing we definitely know: Jehovah God will never allow his loyal servants to be effaced from the earth. And not a single one of them will perish at the hands of Jesus Christ or his executional forces.
*** w75 6/15 377-8 Looking to the Future with Confidence ***Should we expect, moreover, that because Jehovah is on our side he will miraculously intervene to protect each one of us personally from death or injury during the "great tribulation"? Both Psalm 91:7-12 and Proverbs 3:25, 26 have been mistakenly cited by some as supporting this view. The psalm says: "A thousand will fall at your very side and ten thousand at your right hand; to you it will not come near." Lest we read into this text more than it states, we must ask ourselves if Moses is here talking about the coming "great tribulation" and is declaring a blanket protection for individual servants of God then. This would hardly be so when we remember that centuries later Paul showed that up to his time the devoted followers of Jehovah had undergone mockings, scourgings, prisons, tribulations and many other persecutions, even violent death. However, we can be assured that, as a group, Jehovah will protect them from being exterminated by their enemies during the "great tribulation," and He, himself, will not touch them during his executing of adverse judgments.Heb. 11:36-38.Does that not seem to be evidence that Jehovah God will not permit his loyal followers to be kidnapped or arrested during the "great tribulation"? We must not forget that Solomon wrote what he did, not with us of today in mind, but more pertinently for the benefit of those living under his kingdom. Nevertheless, we do have divine protection. How?We have evidence that God is protecting us now as a class. For instance, if such were not the case, we would have been wiped from the face of the earth long ago by Satan. Still, individually, some may die of old age and sickness during the "great tribulation" or, like our brothers in Malawi, from persecutions. The protection of us, as a group, will continue right on through the destruction of Babylon the Great and the war at HarMagedon into the New Order. *** w94 11/1 22 Courageous Faith of Our Rwandan Brothers ***
And while Jehovah does not promise his people miraculous protection from physical dangers, he does promise to safeguard their spirituality and relationship with him and, during Christs Millennial rule, to resurrect those who now perish. (Psalm 91:1-10)
This angelic protection will be highlighted again in the next article, "Jehovah Cares for You." (God does but does the WTS imitate his example?)
