jgnat

Joined

• started 370 topics
• posted 24,293 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by jgnat

• 
  20

  My High School Reunion

  by eyegirl in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i received and email a couple of weeks ago that there was going to be a sort of impromptu reunion the night after thanksgiving.

  last year i got the same notice, but was out of town so i couldn't attend.

  thought about it for awhile and decided i was going to make myself go this year.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  jgnat

  Hi, eye. Isn't it funny how we can feel the loneliest in a crowded room? I am glad you persevered and reconnected with old friends.
• 
  24

  COMMENTS YOU WILL NOT HEAR AT THE 12-1-02 WT STUDY

  by blondie in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  children do not have a choice when it comes to abuse.

  *** w74 3/15 172 what protection for god's people?

  " we can have every confidence in divine protection.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  jgnat

  Thanks, Blondie. Trying to do a critical review of the articles gives me an appreciation how much work you put in to this every week. First of all, it is a job and a half not to be dragged down in to the negative message. Then, it takes a sharp eye to see where the WTS gets slippery with the truth.

  P.S. How did I do on mine?

  Edited by - jgnat on 30 November 2002 8:57:23
• 
  10

  JGnat's Comments on December 1 Study

  by jgnat in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  wt october 15, 2002 study article for december 1, "oppose the devil".

  "oppose the devil and he will flee from you" james 4:7. it is necessary for apocalypse watchers to observe a steady decline of the world we live in.

  eagerly waiting for the death to this world, they see every disaster, massacre, war, and new weapon of destruction as one more nail in the coffin.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  jgnat

  WT October 15, 2002 Study Article for December 1, "Oppose the Devil"

  "Oppose the Devil and he will flee from you" James 4:7

  It is necessary for Apocalypse watchers to observe a steady decline of the world we live in. Eagerly waiting for the death to this world, they see every disaster, massacre, war, and new weapon of destruction as one more nail in the coffin. Is this what Jesus meant when he asked us to pray for Gods Kingdom to come? (Luke 11:1-4)

  One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, "When will the Kingdom of God come?" Jesus replied, "The Kingdom of God isnt ushered in with visible signs. You wont be able to say, "Here it is!" or "Its over there! For the Kingdom of God is among you." (Luke 17:21 NLT)

  I take this to mean eagerly desiring the Kingdom of God to come is not the same as eagerly awaiting the destruction of this earth. Rather, the Kingdom of God can be found by searching our own hearts and demonstrating by our lives that we are living the Kingdom of God now.

  1 The article starts with a quote from a famous existentialist. God has disappeared, but the Devil remains. Those words of the French author Andre Malraux could well be applied to the world in which we live. Could well is WT code for assumptions made without any backing. I notice the WTS is not too concerned that its faithful sheep will be inspired to further study. Existentialists can be pretty depressing, and not necessarily Christian. Is the world getting better or worse? It all depends on who you talk to:

  • Why the World Seems to Be Getting Better and Worse at the Same Time ,Franz Schurmann, 12-31-96
  • Is the World is Getting Worse?
  • Things Are Getting Better or Worse, Depending On What You Count, Donella Meadows, The Global Citizen, November 23, 2000

  Satan is concentrating his efforts on Gods dedicated servants, waging war with anointed Christians, "who observe the commandments of God and have the work of bearing witness to Jesus". How magnanimous to preserve for themselves the martyrs crown. Do they have any evidence that they are persecuted more than any other Christians? I sense a persecution complex setting in....These Witnesses...need to be vigilant.

  2 he can cause Christians to reason falsely. Really? And the scripture to back this up is?? Flip Wilson said, the Devil made me do it! Was he right? A statement like this can leave faithful witnesses doubting their own reasoning ability. Better rely on the pre-approved WT materials to do your thinking for you!

  3-9 What follows is a thinly veiled comparison of modern entertainment to the roman empires. The FDS discreetly inserts itself as protector of vulnerable sheeplike ones. We need all the protection God provides through his Word, his spirit, and his organization so that we "may be able to stand against the machinations of the Devil." Adding to the scriptures Jehovah and his holy spirit is not enough, eh? I thought his spirit was for the exclusive use of the anointed ones...Take a peek at these quotes:

  3 Satan can be compared to a birdcatcher who sets traps to catch unsuspecting victims...Without a doubt, the Devil uses many tricks and crafty acts in his efforts to ensnare Jehovahs servants.

  4 ...the masses got plenty of entertainment so that they would not rebel.

  So what does the WTS use to keep the sheeplike ones from rebelling, hmmmmm?...public holidays were as numerous as working days...keeping their stomachs full and their minds diverted. The writings of Tertullian are referenced. What an interesting guy. I wonder if the WTS would mind if its faithful sheep read more of his works.

  His most important work is the Apologeticum, in defense of the Christians. Running it close must be Adversus Praxean, in which the doctrine of the Trinity comes into clear focus for the first time, in response to a heretic who was twisting the biblical balance between the persons of the Godhead. In this work, he created most of the terminology with which this doctrine was to be referred (and is still), such as Trinitas, etc. Quoted from the "Noddy" Guide to Tertullian.

  5...most of the public festivals and games were held in honor of pagan gods. So is the WTS honoring the same holidays that the first century church did? Jesus worshipped on the Shabbat (Luke 4:16) and celebrated all the Jewish holidays such as Passover and Chanukah (Matthew 26:17; John 10:22.)

  Jehovah set up regular holidays to remind the people to worship Him and to help the people remember what He had done for them. (Exodus 12:1-3, Leviticus 23:1-44, Numbers 29:1-39, Psalm 81:1-5) Jewish holidays:

  • Passover,

  celebrating the rebirth of spring, commemorates the Exodus from Egypt;

• Shavuot
(Pentecost), the festival of first fruits, recalls receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai
• Sukkot
(Tabernacles), the fall harvest festival, is a reminder of wandering in the wilderness.
• Rosh Hashanah,
the Jewish new year
• Yom Kippur
, the Day of Atonement.
• Hanukkah,
the commemoration of the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple following the successful revolt of the Jews against the Syrian-Greek oppressors, and
• Purim,
the celebration of delivery from destruction as recorded in the book of Esther

Does the WTS consider all these holidays pagan as well? How many feasts and holidays do the Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate in honor of Jehovah?

5...debased their feelings and perverted their instincts.

6 Satans trick was to blunt peoples repugnance to immorality and violence until these things became commonplace and were sought after by the populace.

7 Clearly, the Roman circus was no place for Christians.

8 What of the famous roman Baths?....Wise ones abstained.

9 Gambling was a favorite pastime..

Satan's Snares Today

P. 10-13 now repeat the obvious, that the WTS considers modern entertainment to be as pagan and corrupt as those roman celebrations.

10...Many people have more leisure time than ever. State lotteries give even the poor a glimmer of hope. There is plenty of cheap entertainment to occupy peoples minds. Sports stadiums are full, people are gambling, crowds sometimes get violent and players often do

. Do the FDS plan on sucking all the testosterone out of Witness males? Degrading music fills peoples ears, and lewd shows occupy theater stages as well as movie and TV screens...mixed bathing saunas...Satan tries to entice Gods servants by means of worldly leisure activities.

11...vacation facilities and resorts have proved to be a trap...immorality or overdrinking.

12 ...in the case of Eve how Satan used cunning to corrupt her thinking...if they (other sheep) go as far as possible in trying to show that Jehovahs Witnesses are just like other people (HORRORS!)...they go too far and the reverse occurs....embolden dedicated Christians to live double lives and grieve Gods holy spirit (Ephesians 4:30). Some have fallen into this trap through the abuse of the Internet. They couldn't possibly be talking about jehovahs-witness.com, could they?
13 Another of Stans snares is disguised occultism....even childrens books and comics that highlight violence or uncanny practices. Anything that smacks of the occult needs to kept at a distance. They wouldnt be talking about Harry Potter, would they? Perhaps the Legal Department makes sure specific references are not made, to prevent a lawsuit. Making broad statements like these puts every faithful sheep in a mental minefield. They can do their best to follow their conscience, but if they open any magazine or book, rent any video, participate in any neighbourhood event, burn any incense, open any website, or watch any sports, they may be in danger of Satan or a local Judicial meeting. Since Satan is the god of this system of things, anything that is very popular could possibly hide one of his traps. OK, faithful and discreet and humble sheep, I dare you to go enjoy something relaxing. The WT magazine, I suppose, is to be the wholesome alternative. See Job and his scabs in the following article. Give your children nightmares.
Jesus Opposed the Devil

P. 14-17

15 ... an interesting thought with regard to this temptation is that the Devil did not seek to have Jesus commit a sexual sin. ...he is using sexual tempations as one of the main crafty acts in his effort to break the integrity of Jehovahs people. Now how DID they manage to do that? Even though the scriptures do not mention sex, the FDS manages to sneak it in AGAIN. I wonder how many sexual acts are LISTED on their sin database?
16...how closely can we imitate worldly fads in our dress and grooming without being counseled? Are we tempted in the area of questionable entertainment? Did Jesus counsel any of his disciples on their manner of dress? This is sounding more and more pharisitical.
17..he constantly tempts us with materialistic glitter, even a vision of a little personal kingdom. Do we respond as Jesus did, giving our exclusive devotion to Jehovah?...A Christian wrote to the branch office of Jehovahs Witnesses in France; "Satan is truly cunning. In spite of my best intentions, I find it very difficult to master my feelings and my desires. Nevertheless, with courage, patience, and above all, Jehovahs help, I have managed to pull through and hold fast to the truth."
Fully Equipped to Oppose the Devil

P. 18-19

Finally, some instructions on how to resist evil. (Ephesians 6:11-18) No wonder the boy in France had so much trouble. The best equipment; prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit is denied him (As far as I can tell, the anointed class have claimed exclusive right to the power of the Holy Spirit, and the other sheep only gain access through them). Just from my personal observation, Witnesses pray rarely and poorly. There seems to be a definite lack of confidence in approaching the throne of God.

Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere (Ephesians 6:18 NLT)

Let's see....18 paragraphs on the cleverness and power of the Devil, and 2 paragraphs on how to oppose him. Who is giving Satan all this power and all this air time? Perhaps the FDS would claim, The Devil Made Me Do It.

Note: Italics are quotes from WT materials.

I use Quotes for bible references.

I also include links to other useful sites.