If you have an unusual baptismal/ dedication story, tell us.
Best story wins a non-prize.
Heres mine.
Well...When I was about all of 16 years old my father was a ministerial servant and he told us one evening that his name had
come up in connection with being made an elderman, he was very
happy, after all he was a man who loved power and authority.
A couple of weeks later he was down in the dumps, appeared some
sweet and faithfull brother had "murmurred",might even be
"stumbling" in the old never ending race of faith.
This stumbling one had a problem. Seemed he didnt think Daddy
had his "Household in proper order", thus didnt qualify for
Eldership. The specifics were that Daddy had a 15 year old son
(my superspiritual brother who was even at that time, he later told me, secretly engaging in acts of fornication) who was baptized
AND a pioneer.While little old me was 17 and not baptized.
Didnt LOOK right.
So daddy approached me and inquired as to WHY I wasnt eager to make a dedication.I raised the point about Jesus being 29 before HE got baptized and he was the son of GOD!I mean, if he didnt know what he was doin until 29 years of age, why the hell should I?
Daddy said that "Times were different"now, urgency, imminence and all. But I was still reluctant, actually I was in a state of sin, being a slave to the crime of Onan and preferred the idea of not
having to stand before God on A day in my own right. Id rather
slip on thru the Big A on Daddys standing.
Course I couldnt tell HIM I was onanizing three times a day.
A few days later he came back at me again, he had tried
"Reasoning" with me and now it was time for more fundamental
methods of persuasion, more direct methods.
He grabbed me by the throat slammed me into the wall and asked me
if I was ready to dedicate my life to Jehovah yet.
I wasnt.
He punched me in the ear. "Was I ready?"
I wasnt. He punched me in the other ear.
By this time I was ready.
He felt I had made a good decision and later regretted the
"necessity" of having to "convince" me of the urgency of preventing a brother from being stumbled.
That, folks is how I came to the decision to dedicate my life to Jehovahs service.More importantly,perhaps, that is how Daddy came to qualify for Elderhood.
Later, if you are interested, I will tell the tale of what happened the night before I recieved water immersion.
edward gentry
JoinedPosts by edward gentry
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Amazing baptismal story-tell us yours
by edward gentry inif you have an unusual baptismal/ dedication story, tell us.. best story wins a non-prize.. heres mine.. well...when i was about all of 16 years old my father was a ministerial servant and he told us one evening that his name had.
come up in connection with being made an elderman, he was very.
happy, after all he was a man who loved power and authority.. a couple of weeks later he was down in the dumps, appeared some.
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edward gentry
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feet of iron and clay
by edward gentry inneed a take from you intensive research boys (and girls).
on daniel 2 verse 43 wherin it says:.
"whereas thou sawest iron mixed with mirey clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men,but they shall not cleave one to another".
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edward gentry
need a take from you intensive research boys (and girls)
on Daniel 2 verse 43 wherin it says:
"whereas thou sawest iron mixed with mirey clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men,but they shall not cleave one to another"
Emphasis "THEY shall mingle with the seed of MEN".
Thus,"they" must be other than man.
incidentally Biblical racists believe this is "Beasts of the field",
preadamites racially mixing with the seed of Abraham but ignoring such erroneous hate beliefs it still possibly indicates
some kind of alien infiltration.
certainly the "clay" seems something other than...human.
explanations please? -
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edward gentry
paradise?
In the far distance theres a mountain, a stream of clear
water pours over a waterfall on its left flank.
The sun is shinin in a clear azure sky and there is a beautiful
green field and set in the middle, a table full of every good fruit and vegetables in wicker baskets.
Men, women and joyous children, all in (oddly as nations no longer exist) national dress, people of all nations, flock to the table all with smiles on their faces and ecstacy in their hearts.
In the foreground a lamb snuggles up to a lion...Still triggers your neurons dont it?
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Pass me the biggest sickbag ever!!!
by JEMIMAH ini was given the following by an elder in our congregation yesterday.. --------------------------------------------------------------.
wanted: elder for growing congregation.
a real challenge for the right man!
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edward gentry
beautiful theory.horrible practise.
The ad should include "must be able to apply inverted
rationalization so as to feel justified in practising
the opposite of that which ordinary human compassion requires".
Now that would be a real organization man. -
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JW & Suicide Cases part 2
by bj ini would like to thank all those who contributed in the first part or wrote to me in private.
but i feel, there's many, many, more cases left untold.
therefore, i bag everybody to try to remember.
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edward gentry
mewburn was a personal friend of mine, about 1976 we started falling away from the truth into drink and the like, he wasnt disassociated officially,just not attending meetings much, like myself.
Purkiss is a little harder to explain, I reckon he did himself when I was about 30, I was out by that time and i heard about it on the grapevine must have been about 1986, his status re org at that time I cant say. Both persons frequently spoke to me about personal inadequacy re not being worthy of Jehovahs love and mercy.I long suspected homosexual leanings in Lawrence.
Based upon these two experiences, (the only ones I know of) it seems possible that people leave the org, step into the world, become involved in condemned behaviour along the lines of "leave the org
and you will fall into decadence and despair"(a self fulfilling WT prophecy)and they cant cope and off themselves.
hope this is usefull.
edward -
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lucid dreams
by msil ini dream about you, even though i am awake.
i feel your love, theres just no mistake.... dwelling and dreaming bout all we discussed.
and how our souls embraced in the arms of our trust.
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edward gentry
hey ms man, when I saw that heading, "depression"
I just thought "Ill bet Ole msil is in there".
peace bro an keep it comin.
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JWs in China?
by crochunter indoes anyone have any info about jw in china?
i've never heard about this topic?
since everyone is supposed to be witnessed to, china is obviously important.. thanks.. croc.
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edward gentry
did a little experiment years ago.took the yearbook, got a map coloured in everywhere they were and werent represented.lot of blank spaces. then i realized that they were only in christian countries or places that had christianity forced on them by missionaries.
You cant sell Jesus to muslims any more than you can sell hinduism enmasse to Germans.the worldwide representation thing is a fallacy, always has been always will be until the pope reveals himself as beast 666 and sets up the one world religion. -
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How many do you know like this?
by crownboy ina bethelite brother gave a public talk at our hall a couple weeks ago.
one part of the talk focused on "putting kingdom interest first".
he gave examples of how some gave up material comfort so they could pursue the ministry.
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edward gentry
y folks sold their property in 1974 and spent the money on 4 months back in england trying to bring their relatives to the truth before the big A hit.
Does that count as a martyrdom story? -
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i still haven't found what I'm looking for?
by spacegirl ini have played my trumpet for god in the salvation army.
i have taken confession and holy communion with the catholics.
i danced down oxford street banging a tambourine with the hare krishnas.
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edward gentry
well i grant you my permission also child, so you are now imbued with all the authority you need to go forth and multiply.
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JW & Suicide Cases part 2
by bj ini would like to thank all those who contributed in the first part or wrote to me in private.
but i feel, there's many, many, more cases left untold.
therefore, i bag everybody to try to remember.
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edward gentry
hmmm. didnt read page one but do I gather you are interested in data about Witness suicides? I got two for ya from my own congregation.
Linton Mewburn in 1976, 19 years old,ex pioneer. Quit meetings, fell into drink,blew his brains out. Bayswater cong, Melbourne.Lawrence Purkiss, this was after I had left the org, about 30 at the time, former pioneer,unmarried. Blew his brains out in his car listening to Black Sabbath music.Ferntree gully cong, Melbourne.
2 out of 20 young men in the cong. not a bad rate huh?