The Fire Itself Will Prove....

truthsetsonefree

I was so fed up recently with some things a friend of mine related to me, I whipped out my handheld and banged this out. Hope it makes sense.

truthsetsonefree

I was so fed up with some things a friend of mne was telling me recently I whipped out my handheld and banged this out. Hope it makes sense.

The New World Translation at 1Cor. 3:10-15 says the following:

10+ According to the undeserved kindness of God that was given to me, as a wise director of works I laid a foundation, but someone else is building on it. But let each one keep watching how he is building on it. 11+ For no man can lay any other foundation than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12+ Now if anyone builds on the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood materials, hay, stubble, 13+ each one’s work will become manifest, for the day will show it up, because it will be revealed by means of fire; and the fire itself will prove what sort of work each one’s is. 14+ If anyone’s work that he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward; 15+ if anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss.

What has 'the fire' proven as to the Governing Body's 'works?'

Recently I had a conversation with a longtime friend who is still an elder and knows some of the Governing Body on a personal level. For the most part he is still deceived by the lies of the Watchtower Society. And yet it was amazing to hear the similarity between what he had to say about the State of the Organization and what is discussed on this board. The overall impression he and even some members of the GB have is that, in spite of all their ranting, speechmaking, and the shining forth of the ever increasing light, this organization is coming apart at the seams. Now to them it has to with the end of the system, Satan's schemes and the Society loosening up some of the reins on things like college. It is sad, at least for the many who still are in the clutches of these proud men, that the truth is so different.

Here are a few of the many examples we discussed:

The Bethel "family" is being pared down from 4200 to approximately 2100. I guess Ray Franz has been proven correct when he said the Society could do what they do with far less personnel. I can't help but wonder, what happened to the "speeding up" of the work so much was made out of in the 80'S? And furthermore "what the hell were we paying all those people for anyway?"

Perhaps an answer can be found in the fact that several Bethelites have been asked to leave and some even DF'd for making money during working hours right under the Society's nose. And we aren't talking chump change. Some have made as much as 50Gs! In one year! Tax-free! With no rent or life expenses to pay! Where is the vow of poverty? Not for these guys.

And yet consider this gem from the 2001 Watchtower under the title Could This Be The Best Career For You?

""Present-day Bethel families might be likened to well-organized ‘households built up by wisdom’ and founded on love for Jehovah.—Proverbs 24:3.

What can be said about the familylike atmosphere at Bethel? A 25-year-old member of the Bethel family in Estonia states: "I enjoy the feeling of being among Jehovah’s friends all the time. This is still the most valuable thing for me at Bethel."—Psalm 15:1, 2."

Of course one can understand that a Bethelite, no matter how much comfort he may experience at Bethel, is actually quite penniless. Furthermore, we all know that when people leave Bethel, they receive no severance pay, outgoing stipend, unemployment or IRA rollover. Just three months grace period before they have to make pioneer hours. And the 'satisfaction' of knowing that they blew half of their best years 'serving God.' That and .75 will get you a cup of coffee at the local diner. Unless you end up flipping burgers at your local McDonald's. Then you may get a free cup of coffee. In my opinion, the 'fire' is proving the 'work' to be very inferior.

And speaking of life after Bethel: It was once a given that a recommendation from Watchtower would make it easier to get professional licenses or a good paying job, particularly in the construction trades. If that ever was true it is not anymore. New York City Department of Buildings to name just one entity has woken up to the fact that Bethel does not adequately train people for the working world. When Bethel plumbers have presented their Bethel 'qualifications' the City has looked at them and effectively said: 'What else do you have?' And Bethelites now end up partnering more and more with guess who? the WORLDLY folks to get certifications. The ones with the God dishonoring education! Countless Bethelites are failures in business. So much for "come to Bethel and we'll train you."

Many of them were surely suckered in by gems such as this one from the March 1995 KM:

"Manual labor is not looked upon with favor in this old system of things. Love of self motivates many people to desire work that requires little effort or that gives an outward appearance of prestige. Yet, knowing how to use various tools and devices is very practical and useful. (Prov. 22:29) Often, young men can learn manual skills from their parents or by helping experienced older men work on various projects around the Kingdom Hall or by assisting elderly ones with necessary maintenance of their homes.

16 Sometimes young ones ask: "Should I get extra secular training to qualify for Bethel service?" Secular training, in itself, does not qualify a person for Bethel service. Spiritual qualities are all-important and required of all who are invited. "

Another hollow promise for many naive young men and women. Yes, the 'fire' is proving the 'work' to be very inferior.

As if that were not enough, in order to accomplish this downsizing, people with ailments, and not necessarily serious ones, are being asked to leave in droves. (All that is except the GB who will never leave unless dragged off kicking and screaming with what little energy they have left to jail.) I guess the Watchtower is like the Borg, 'no need to keep the sick on as they would just be a liability.' They must need the money for all those lawsuits coming their way. Can you just imagine being Brother and Sister Loyal who after years of working in some unskilled field at BethelLand, and thinking you signed up with an organization with a future, find yourself now with nothing and the prospect of entering the working world at age forty something. Where are the Society's promises of not needing "worldly security" so long as one is in the spiritual Paradise? Is it any wonder that many Bethelites leave before this happens in order to "make it" in the outside world? In my opinion and possibly in theirs as well, the 'fire' is proving the 'work' to be very inferior.

Could it also be that the money is not coming in as it once was? Could it be that the Society's policy of discouraging 'higher education' is coming back to hurt them where it hurts most, in their collective pockets? Look at all the cherished things the fire is eating up: hard cover books and for God's sake Bibles to boot! Why The Gideons and the American Bible Society, outfits run by Satan according to dubs, can still afford to print deluxe hard cover bibles! Then there is the semimonthly Awake, gone. And now Brooklyn has decided NOT to build anymore in NYC. The engineering office in Brooklyn is rapidly closing down, with architects and engineers being given busy work up at the Farms and even in overseas branches. Construction crews are being dismantled and many trade workers are being sent home or asked to consider MTS and missionary work. Those two towers they wanted are being scrapped. (Why they would want to downsize the Bethel family while building two high rise residence buildings is beyond me. Could it be that they were planning to sell them after construction and with NYC's loss of the Olympic bid for 2012 they didn't feel a sufficient profit could be made on a sale?) And while they built this plant in Walkill the fact remains that it is a highly automated factory which cuts out a lot of labor cost. For years now the printery has been slowing down. In my opinion, the 'fire' is proving the 'work' to be extremely inferior.

And yet my friend tells me that the GB member in his Hall still really believes that all this is proof the end is near. 'After all, if the work is slowing down and this downsizing is occurring then Jehovah must be cleaning out his house first, then the world. After all there is Katrina and the tsunami in Indonesia and global warming and the price of oil and the high cost of living that dubs are ill prepared to pay, etc....

This must be proof the "ingathering" work is almost over and the end is near. The signs of the times just keep coming.'

Perhaps it is that the stupidity never ends.

And that the 'fire' is proving the 'work' to be VERY, VERY inferior.

truthsetsonefree

Perry

Excellent post Truthsetsonefree,

Yes JW's have a history of having it both ways. Growth is seen as Jehovah "speeding it up" and people leaving by the droves is spun as Jehovah cleaning house. It is sad that JW's have publically rejected Christ (each Memorial) for all these years and now suddenly see the wheels coming off their self constructed chariot to God.

John 15 Read This Chapter

15:5: "I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.

Their church is coming apart because Christ didn't build it... plain and simple.

anewme

Another thing to think about is that the message of the witnesses is very unpopular today more than ever.

Even witnesses themselves are tiring of waiting and leaving the org.

The religious world and the world in general would like to see the witnesses fall.

The whole world..............dislikes even the sound of Jehovah's name.

Legolas

Wow...thanks for that post!

truthsetsonefree

"I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.

Wow, I had never thought about that angle.

AK - Jeff

truthsetsonefree -

Thanx for that post.

Question: The building work that you refer to being discontinued in Brooklyn - is that the recent plan to build that was opposed by the Down Under Manhattan Bridge Organization group? Just curious.

Jeff

luna2

Great post, truthsetsonefree!

Perry...Yes, it's a Watchtower trademark to talk out of both sides of their mouth. I had a brief discussion about that with a pioneer sister who called on me recently. I told her that you can "prove" opposite ideas using most Watchtower articles because they use language that provides them a cover for any eventuality. They are ridiculous.

truthsetsonefree

Jeff, yes that is the work in DUMBO.

Balsam

Hey Truthsetonefree,

What you said about bethelites is so true. We had a bethelite who married, and he and his wife were both working up in NY until she got pregnant. They left and came to our congregation in NC. Well the brother had no skills to make a living and no education beyond high school. So he worked at various things, and had a tough time making ends meet as his family grew to 3 children. No insurance because he wanted to be in business for himself, and no money to by insurance. After all the end was coming very very soon. Well he was hit by a drunken driver while riding a bicycle out one evening and was terribly injured. No insurance. And he had to sue the guy which is all still up in the air I am sure. His wife and three kids in dire straights because of no back up money and she didn't work. The congregation had to help support them as he got back on his feet after he almost died from the injuries.

How can a man support a family without higher education it is impossible nearly. Yet we see the WTS continue to discourage higher education leaving families with the inability to support themselves except at the most low level. So sad. I have two sons who were raised JW all their lives, we never put a dime aside to help them go on to college. Now my youngest will have to depend on grants, and loans to ever go to college but we keep pushing for him to go. I worry for their future. My oldest son works for paper company and makes good money considering he has no real education. He was even home schooled was a purely stupid thing to do.

Very good post, I enjoyed reading it.

Balsam

The Fire Itself Will Prove....

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