Posts by myelaine

31

A QUESTION NOBODY EVER ASKS....

by Terry in

what is the difference between working a math problem and, say...playing a piano piece?.

the math problem has a correct answer.

getting close to the correct answer is simply called being wrong.. music, on the other hand, can have a wide range of expression not easily judged to be "wrong".

myelaine

dear Terry...

suppose that Jesus gave the church the 100% correct theology and conferred on them the absolute teaching authority regarding that theology. Suppose that the church became known as the Catholic Church and they still had the authority and 100% correct theology. Suppose Luther came along and disagreed with the hierchy established in the Catholic Church while upholding that they were 100% correct in the theology. Suppose God says, "no one has "tampered" with My "Being" so, I'm ok with this development." But, suppose eventually others come along and start tampering with the 100% correct theology...they paint an entirely different picture of who God is...they even go so far as to make stuff up, listen to otherworldly entities, draw people out after themselves and or their ideas and completely disregard anything that the original teaching authority said. Why should God make allowances for sincerity if the 100% correct theology is still on the table?

Doesn't pride play a role in refusal to come under authority, to take direction?

I'm speaking specifically about nominally "christian" cults but maintaining that islam is the true religion of peace has become a pretty tough row to hoe lately as well.. I can see God's hand in making it almost impossible for man to sincerely believe these other "theologies" without making a conscience decision to turn from Him. I see that this many years into the history of the church He has made it easy to believe that the Catholic Church was given the teaching authority, 100% correct theology...God's Being hasn't changed in their hands where almost weekly He is moulded like clay in the hands of others.

God is placing all manner of hurdles before those who would tamper with His Being. It's to the point were other "theologies" don't come across as a more "enlightened" view of The God that the jewish and christian congregations worshipped but more like a reinvented God...a post-modern God more like we suppose ourselves to be...a better God than Jesus Himself could have imagined...it seems.

love michelle

19

Gorby's wife hospitalized, received surgery

by Gorbatchov in

this week my wife was hospitalized and received surgery.

we are happy she is allright now.

thank god!.

myelaine

It's wonderful that you and your wife were able to talk openly about the matter of taking a transfusion.

I hope Mrs. Gorby has a speedy recovery and continued good health.

love michelle

12

Historical Development of the Jesus/Michael Doctrine

by moggy lover in

i have a question about the historical development of the doctrine currently held by the watchtower, specifically about jesus being michael.

i am not interested in a polemic about whether jesus is or is not michael, but rather in how this teaching evolved in the historical development of the watchtower movement.

for instance we know that at least as far back as november 1879, page 4, [reprints page 48] the watchtower was teaching a doctrine contrary to what it currently teaches:.

myelaine

"The Clear Word Bible is a version designed to add prophetic interpretation in commentary form:

In contrast to these ungodly men is the Lord Jesus Christ, also called Michael, the archangel in charge of the entire angelic host. When He was challenged by Satan about His intentions to resurrect Moses, He didn't come against Satan with a blistering attack nor did he belittle him. He simply said, 'God rejects your claim to his body. (Clear Word Bible)

Actually, no one knows what the contest with Satan regarding the body of Moses was about, but..."

*******

in the resurrection moses (like many other jewish people) has to be converted to JesusChrist to have everlasting life and obtain the promise of the inheritance of God.

michael and satan arguing over the "body" of moses is about satan's hold on moses. (imo moses is tempted to desire the "riches" of this world foresaking the business of the king; luke 19:13-15, 27 )

moses' refusal, plays a part in his obtaining "the promised land" (luke 19:20-23, 26...) just like back in the day. then it was his own unbelief that disallowed his entrance into the promised land... selah.

daniel 12:2-3

love michelle

10

The broken COUNTDOWN CLOCK to Doomsday

by Terry in

the very satisfying nature of events which are behind us is that they exist as history.. there is nothing provisional or speculative about occurances that have already taken place.. we have written records in black and white as to how the word "generation" was manipulated over the years by the watchtower.. the gb was looking into the future each time they employed "generation" in order to leverage the readers of their publications into.

activity.. there is no better way to prove the dishonesty of watchtower leaders than to examine the entire history of the "generations" teaching!.

when 1925 turned the president of the watchtower society into a "jackass" all credibility should have ended for him.. he was the new leader with wrong predictions.

myelaine

"As those telltale geriatric faithful began dropping like flies..."

when you talk about peoples fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and friends like that it shows a real poverty of empathy Terry.

love michelle

4

The PROBLEM of MONO theism: the rise of puritanical fanatics!

by Terry in

the source of greatest conflict in our world today rests in two separate beliefs whose friction is unbearably incendiary.. it is a matter of priority.

which is most important?.

1. the here and now (life from cradle to grave).. or.

myelaine

dear Terry...

here are some notes on the destruction of the temple in 70 AD: The historian Josephus said that much of the exterior of the Temple was covered with gold that reflected the fiery rays of the sun. Moreover, he said that, from a distance, the Temple appeared like a mountain covered with snow. This was probably because those parts that were not covered with gold were made of white stone. luke 21:5

During Jesus' time, many of the Jews were so awe struck and impressed with the grandeur of the Temple that they replaced the worship of God with respect and reverence for the Temple complex itself. luke 21:1

The second temple treasury did benefit from a great influx of gold and silver from all lands contributed by worshippers. Cicero wrote of great influxes of gold to Jerusalem during his lifetime. Gifts other than gold or silver coins were sold and their value given to the treasury. Another large source of revenue was profit made from the sale of the meat offerings which were prepared by the Levites and sold every day to the offerers. By far the largest sum was probably derived from the half-shekel of temple tribute which was required of every male Israelite of age, including proselytes and slaves. The total sum of gold and silver contributed annually at the time of Jesus has been estimated to have been of the order of $500,000 per year. A large fraction of this wealth no doubt accumulated year after year over the lifetime of the second temple, (515 B. C. to 70 A. D.). There were numerous temple expenses but the evidence suggests that the bulk of the income was stored up year after year.

Thus, the Roman plunder could well have been worth tens of millions of dollars. The pillaging of the temple, its total destruction and the burning of Jerusalem with terrible suffering and loss of life occurred in 70 AD under the Roman General Titus (Josephus, Wars of the Jews ). Tradition has it that the intense flames of the temple fire melted the gold and silver of the temple so that it ran between the cracks of the rocks. Roman soldiers then totally dismantled the temple stone by stone to extract the gold, (see Matthew 24:1-2). No one seems to know with certainty if any of the vessels or sacred objects from Herod's temple were hidden in subterranean passageways during the long siege of Titus. Most everything of value was most likely carried off to Rome. ~THE TREASURES OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD by Lambert Dolphin~

love michelle

34

The Mark of The Wild Beast, How Does One Receive It? 666

by Este in

the first thing that needs to be determined is who or what is the wild beast ?......

estephan.

1and it stood still upon the sand of the sea.. and i saw a wild beast ascending out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, and upon its horns ten diadems, but upon its heads blasphemous names.2now the wild beast that i saw was like a leopard, but its feet were as those of a bear, and its mouth was as a lion's mouth.

myelaine

dear estephan...

Almighty God knows the end from the beginning and this scripture in revelation is a prophecy of the end times. I would suspect that the beast with the number of a man would be an entity that is held prisoner or captive.(rev 13:10) Unlike man though, he is not to be "set free" by the blood of the Lamb, as he is depicted as being thrown into the lake of fire...satan is said to be turned to ashes from within.(ezekiel 28:18) all "man" has to do to receive the number of the beast is to decline the blood of the Lamb.

gr. #616 and #666 respectively.

love michelle

39

MOSES AND THE COPPER SERPENT......mysterious!

by Terry in

jw
friends

isn't it odd; even mysterious that christians think jesus could be represented by a serpent?

numbers 21:8 and the lord said unto moses, make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

21:9 and moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

myelaine

dear Terry...

it seems the purpose of the bible was to separate God's truth from fiction. Do you think it serves this intent (ie: 2 Tim 3:16) to indulge in the "mysticism" and error that allegorical interpretation can produce?...beliefs can get way out there in a hurry and I've read that there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin once one has received knowledge of the truth (Hebrews 10:25)...don't look back to untruth to find truth...

Sure the "ingredients" tickle the ear...but now it's time to get real, so to speak: acts 17:30, acts 13:8-10

love michelle

39

MOSES AND THE COPPER SERPENT......mysterious!

by Terry in

jw
friends

isn't it odd; even mysterious that christians think jesus could be represented by a serpent?

numbers 21:8 and the lord said unto moses, make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

21:9 and moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

myelaine

dear Terry...

you said: "The ingredients of our bible stories are much richer in allegory than the literal view of real persons, places and actual events."...

what is your point? wringing hidden meaning out of the text is a more "colourful" means of interpretation compared to...?

love michelle

9

How Religion Can Ruin A Nation

by metatron in

jw
friends

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-muslim-brotherhood-is-ruining-egypt-2013-5.

i expected this when i heard their parliament declare israel their greatest enemy.. not disease.

not poverty.

myelaine

I'm not surprised by what has happened or how this happened but I was saddened by the pictures that were presented. So many children without family guidance, food or support.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/205569/1/Anyone-else-closing-watching-crisis-in-Egypt

dear moshe...

I tend to agree with the people who said that but all it takes is a tipping point and that doesn't have to be "no more free stuff"...

love michelle

25

Is the story of the Garden of Eden simply a Rabbinical puzzle of SQUARING the circle??

by Terry in

1.man's nature as homo sapien is to pursue knowledge for survival.

myelaine

dear Terry...

at some point in ancient history God spoke to people. He chose certain people out of all other people to reveal the "theologically" correct interpretaion of the world around them. Many ancient civilizations spoke about "a beginning" and "a flood"...God gave the correct meaning or interpretaion of these events to a people who incidentally haven't drifted off or been assimilated like other ancient people groups. It wasn't an accident that God revealed these things and His purpose to the very ones who would carefully preserve it. He planned on preserving them unique and for Himself!!

God also planned on preserving the church and the revelation that He gave them. I know that there are, in these times, many variations on a theme but, this also was foretold. I know you take great issue with the fact that "all we have is copies of copies of copies...there are no originals"...however, there were originals that these copies wee copied from. True we didn't see them in order to check every phrase or word against what we have now but, that is where people in our day have to get over themselves. the entire reason and purpose for the bible even as we have it, is to give more clarity to people regarding what God wants and does etc. A person has to trust what these people have said and tried to teach us...for our own good, as it is God's will for us.

Now, you don't have to trust anyone but yourself if that is what allows you to feel safe in this big world but for others that God is trying to reach out to in His love and grace with comforting words from the bible...words that will allow them to know that God IS on His throne...you are, in your unbelief, the one who appears to be the vigilante fighting toward eradicating all vestiges of "religious" thought...and I've seen that the way that you do this is not just question the validity of what is written but you twist it it suit your agenda.

one has to ignore the way that God has guided His people throughout history, one has to ignore the fact that things that are foretold in the bible are happening on the world scene, one even has to deny that there is anything "happening" toward the fulfilment of the end of the age in order to maintain that there is no there, there...that is a lot of looking away from evidence to conclude that the bible is merely some peoples opinion and that there wasn't direct inspiration from God in it's compilation, transmission and interpretation...

I wonder what makes you think it is more humble to say, "we don't know (because you don't know)"...than to say, "thank you, we have so much valuable information and thoughtful encouragement from those who have gone before us"...seriously, IS it intellectually honest to think that because you don't know, no one knows?

love michelle