I have several 'favorite passages' in the Bible. One of them is the passage dealing with Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Elijah was a man with incredible faith. He was a man who knelt before a crowd and called down fire from heaven. Not content with that remarkable feat, he prayed again and rain fell from heaven to end a drought that had lasted for years.
Posts by Ben
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22What do you like best about the Bible?
by spectromize injust a question trying to find out what most of you like best about learning some things taught in the scriptures and our worship as jw's.
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6
Paradise
by Frenchy inokay, for those of you who've read milton's paradise lost, how close/far do you think he was from what actually happened?.
comments, please.
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Ben
... In Milton's work, Jesus is created AFTER the angels and the heavens. God assembles the angels and introduces him to the angelic hosts as 'his son', as the one for whom all things have been made. Milton reasons that it is in this sense that Jesus is the firstborn of all creation inasmuch as from the beginning of creation, God intended for all things to be his so he is the firstborn of all creation. It is this action which enrages Satan (jealous that this newcomer now has all authority) and provokes him to make his war plans against the heavenly hosts.
I'm not sure if Milton believed this or whether he was merely spinning the yarn, making stuff up as he went. In either case, I find that an interesting perspective on the Biblical account, epspecially from a man who was quite well versed in the Scriptures.
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32
The Holy Spirit
by Frenchy inokay, i'm interested in what everybody thinks on this.
i believe that for the most parts all religions start off with a good motive, i.e., to provide a forum that will help people to serve god.
(basically).
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Ben
...So when a group of people do presume to speak for the H.S., what sort of responsibility do you suppose that places upon them? What do you think would be ample signs that such a group is indeed speaking for God?
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27
baptism.....again
by claudia inhi, i dont know how to tell my family that i dont wish to be baptized yet, i want to be baptized to serve jehovah, but i am unsure about being baptized as one of jehovahs witness.
why cant i just be baptized like it says in the bible?
what can i tell my family?
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Ben
You're not the only one that feels that way, Claudia, even some of us who have been in this for a very long time do not like this growing paranoia.
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63
"Hey there all you lurkey ones..."
by Simon inhmmn, doesn't quite work does it?
ok...we'll stick with 'thirsty' then .
why not register and make a post or two...ask a question...make a statement...whatever !.
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Ben
Last count: 75 registered users. Where are you?!? Come on, guys and gals, join in.
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26
Anyone like Poetry?
by Frenchy inhey, anyone out there like poetry?
have you a poem that you wrote that you would like to share?
or just a favorite poem (by anyone) that you would like to post and talk about?
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Ben
To SevenOfNine:
Death's Chill BetweenChide not: let me breathe a little,
For I shall not mourn him long;
Though the life-cord was so brittle,
The love-cord was very strong.
I would wake a little space
Till I find a sleeping-place.You can go, - I shall not weep;
You can go unto your rest.
My heart-ache is all too deep,
And too sore my throbbing breast.
Can sobs be, or angry tears,
Where are neither hopes nor fears?Though with you I am alone
And must be so everywhere,
I will make no useless moan,
None shall say, "She could not bear":
While life lasts I shall be strong,
But I shall not struggle long.Listen, listen! - Everywhere
A low voice is calling me,
And a step is on the stair,
And one comes you do not see.
Listen, listen! - Evermore
A dim hand knocks at the door.Hear me! He is come again,
My own dearest is come back.
Bring him in from the cold rain
Bring wine, and let nothing lack.
Thou and I will rest together,
Love, until the sunny weather.I will shelter thee from harm,
Hide thee from all heaviness.
Come to me, and keep me warm
By my side in quietness.
I will lull thee to thy sleep
With sweet songs: - we will not weep.Who hath talked of weeping? - Yet
There is something at my heart
Gnawing, I would fain forget,
And an aching and a smart.
Ah! my mother, 'tis in vain,
For he is not come again....Christina Rosetti
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29
Precisely when in 1914 did the GT end???
by JCole ini have been asking this question since studying the babylon the great book back in the '60s.
maybe i'm thickskulled, but simply restating that it ended in october or tishri doesn't explain away my reasons for asking the question.
i'm only looking for answers about the date in 1914, and i'm not looking for the typical apostate replies that the year is wrong.. i question october/tishri being the end of the gentile times, and thus the start of jesus' reign, for the following reasons:.
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Ben
JCole: Let me preface my reply with this disclaimer: I'm not entirely convinced that Jesus was enthroned in 1914, consequently I'm not convinced that WWI was a direct result of that enthronement. BUT.... IF (Big, big IF) it did happen, Satan would certainly be aware of the impending war (a war supposedly waged to prevent the enthronement of Jesus as king of the Messianic Kingdom thereby effectively eliminating said Kingdom before its establishment) and there is nothing that I see that would prevent him from some preliminary preparations for that cosmic conflict. Such preparations could include setting into motion events that would plunge the world into global war. For what purpose? Perhaps as a diversion for his own covert operations in preparation for the battle, maybe just for meanness, I don't know. Whatever his reasons, I can't see anything that would prevent him from putting into motion the mechanism that finally resulted in WWI prior to the war that broke out in heaven. WWI need not be just a retaliatory action on the part of Satan at being ousted from heaven. It could have very well been a well-orchestrated and calculated move to help him win the war. He may have timed events here on earth so that his attack on the heavenly hosts would coincide precisely when the world was embroiled in global carnage for whatever advantage that would give him. That would mean that WWI would begin before the war in heaven broke out in order for it to build up momentum to be at the precise stage that would give him the greatest advantage when he made his move.
Just one possibility as I see it.
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22
What do you like best about the Bible?
by spectromize injust a question trying to find out what most of you like best about learning some things taught in the scriptures and our worship as jw's.
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Ben
You're welcome. It's always the wise thing to be on the safe side of something like this. My best to both of you.
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22
What do you like best about the Bible?
by spectromize injust a question trying to find out what most of you like best about learning some things taught in the scriptures and our worship as jw's.
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Ben
(This is Frenchy): Just a suggestion, Spectromize, from my experiences over the years with such things, keep a close eye on this person. I don't know how old you are and if you are serving as an elder or not, but please be informed that calling on Jehovah's name may not suffice for this person's problems. The problem could very well be organic, a possible chemical imbalance in the brain, or even a build up of certain drugs in her system that she has been taking. This is nothing to play with or take lightly.
Chemical imbalances can cause a person to hear voices (even voices telling them to take their own life!), induce paranoia, or even cause them to hallucinate and/or have nightmares and hear 'strange' sounds. I have had experiences with such cases.
This far more likely a medical problem than demonic attack. Talk to this person's family and alert them to the possible danger of suicide. Ask them to monitor very closely the medication this person is taking and to speak to this woman's doctor about what is happening. A high level of valium, for example, in a person's system can cause strange and frightening hallucinations and can even induce nightmares.
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29
Precisely when in 1914 did the GT end???
by JCole ini have been asking this question since studying the babylon the great book back in the '60s.
maybe i'm thickskulled, but simply restating that it ended in october or tishri doesn't explain away my reasons for asking the question.
i'm only looking for answers about the date in 1914, and i'm not looking for the typical apostate replies that the year is wrong.. i question october/tishri being the end of the gentile times, and thus the start of jesus' reign, for the following reasons:.
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Ben
JCole: "tell me whether this extremely brief summary accurately relates the Society's teachings on Revelation?"
I thought that's what I was doing with the quotation from the Revelation Book. Yes, your summary is substantially correct. It has been expressed several ways in different publications but basically the idea is that Satan, upon being cast upon the earth became enraged and stirred the nations up to world war. Now there have been some variations on this from publication to publication, but that's the gist of it. Now, what is your point?