JT

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Posts by JT

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  13

  A Question for Anyone to Answer- thanks

  by JT in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  do you think we will ever see the day the wt does this?.

  forgive us our trespasses.

  joseph tkach.

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  JT

  contin

  i apologize for breaking it up my formatting is off--

  Yet we pray daily for it, realizing that the healing ministry of Christ can close even the deepest wounds. We make no attempt to cover up the doctrinal and scriptural errors of our past. It is not our intention to merely paper over the cracks.

  We are looking our history squarely in the face and confronting the faults and sins we find. They will always remain a part of our history, serving as a perpetual reminder of the dangers of legalism.

  But we cannot live in the past. We must rise above our past. We must move on. We say, with the apostle Paul: "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14).

  We have set our minds and hearts on Jesus Christ and trust explicitly in him. I have never been more thrilled about the state of our fellowship!

  We are pooling our energies and moving forward in preaching the gospel worldwide and equipping our local congregations to be healthy examples of the body of Christ. We are using the spiritual gifts we have been given and capitalizing on the intense dedication to Jesus Christ?now rightly channeled?which has long characterized our church.

  So we stand today at the foot of the cross?the ultimate symbol of all reconciliation. It is the common ground on which estranged and alienated parties can meet. As Christians, we all identify with the suffering that took place there, and we hope that identification will bring us together.

  We desire to meet there with anyone we may have injured. It is only by the blood of the Lamb and the power of the Spirit that we can put the hurts of the past behind us and move forward toward our common goal. I have expressed these sentiments in sermons and letters in recent months, but I wanted to restate them for our Plain Truth readers.

  So to all members, former members, co-workers and others?all who have been casualties of our past sins and mistakes of doctrine?I extend my sincerest heartfelt apologies. And I invite you to join us in proclaiming the true gospel of Jesus Christ around the world?as even now God is blessing us with renewed growth and vigor in his service.

  Joseph Tkach, President

  Published in the March/April 1996 Plain Truth
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  13

  A Question for Anyone to Answer- thanks

  by JT in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  do you think we will ever see the day the wt does this?.

  forgive us our trespasses.

  joseph tkach.

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  JT

  continue

  As we look back, we ask ourselves how we could have been so wrong. Our hearts go out to all whom our teachings have misled in the Scriptures. We don't minimize your spiritual disorientation and confusion. We earnestly desire your understanding and forgiveness. We recognize that the depth of alienation can make reconciliation difficult. On the human level, reconciliation is often a long and difficult process over time.
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  13

  A Question for Anyone to Answer- thanks

  by JT in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  do you think we will ever see the day the wt does this?.

  forgive us our trespasses.

  joseph tkach.

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  JT

  Do you think we will ever see the day the WT does this?
  
  
  
  
  
  Joseph Tkach
  
  AS REGULAR READERS of this magazine know, the Worldwide Church of God, sponsor of The Plain Truth, has changed its position on numerous long-held beliefs and practices during the past few years.
  
  At the heart of those changes has been an acceptance that salvation is by grace through faith. While this was preached in the past, it was always coupled with the message that God owes us a reward for our works that build holy, righteous character.
  
  For decades we regarded scrupulous adherence to the law as the basis of our righteousness. We attempted to relate to God through old covenant rules and regulations in our fervent desire to please him.
  
  In his mercy, God has shown us that old covenant obligations do not apply to Christians who are under the new covenant. He has led us into the riches of his grace and a renewed relationship with Jesus Christ. He has opened our hearts and minds to the joy of his salvation. The Scriptures speak to us with fresh meaning, and we rejoice daily in the personal relationship we have with our Lord and Savior.
  
  At the same time, we are acutely aware of the heavy legacy of our past.
  
  The Holy Spirit is working today in the body of Christ to heal historic wounds and restore good relations between offenders and offended. It is my painful responsibility to acknowledge that the Worldwide Church of God has been among the offenders.
  
  Our flawed doctrinal understanding clouded the plain gospel of Jesus Christ and led to a variety of wrong conclusions and unscriptural practices. We have much to repent of and apologize for.
  
  We were judgmental and self-righteous?condemning other Christians, calling them "so-called Christians" and labeling them "deceived" and "instruments of Satan."
  
  We imposed on our members a works-oriented approach to Christian living. We required adherence to burdensome regulations of the Old Testament code. We exercised a strongly legalistic approach to church government.
  
  Our former old covenant approach fostered attitudes of exclusivism and superiority rather than the new covenant teaching of brotherhood and unity.
  
  We overemphasized predictive prophecy and prophetic speculation, minimizing the true gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ.
  
  These teachings and practices are a source of supreme regret. We are painfully mindful of the heartache and suffering that has resulted from them.
  
  We've-been wrong. There was never an intent to mislead anyone. We were so focused on what we believed we were doing for God that we didn't recognize the spiritual path we were on. Intended or not, that path was not the biblical one.
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  13

  REVIEW OF SUNDAY WT ON BLOOD FRACTIONS! (BOY WAS IT CONFUISNG!)

  by tresbella in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  last week i gave a review from the june 15 study article on blood from sunday's meeting.

  this past sunday meeting we all received further enlightment on the blood fractions issue.

  since i received so much good points and different perspectives i wanted some more help on the matter.

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  JT

  The wt is always quoting somebody, but they never really tell you who they are- they referr to them as a Bible Scholar which creates in the mind a person who works at a college and does research on bible issues

  when in fact this guy is a pastor of a church - in fact he was like a CO in his religion, of course no jw knows this and most likely will not look it up

  for religion that dogs going to college they certainly rely heavily on men with WORLD KNOWLEDGE

  The name of Adam Clarke is synonymous with biblical scholarship and rightly so. His Commentary and Critical Notes on the entire Bible was completed in 1826 and it represented more than 30 years of intense research and writing. Other scholars have written commentaries on the whole Bible, but Clarke?s is a thesaurus of biblical, oriental, philosophical, and classical learning unequaled by any other. When it is recalled that all this work was done while Clarke was a busy, itinerant Wesleyan preacher who never had an hour?s secretarial help in his life, it, together with all his other publications, indicates a prodigious literary achievement.

  Clarke was a Wesleyan scholar and an ardent, convinced expositor of scriptural holiness. No appreciation of the holiness heritage can ignore Adam Clarke. Following the Wesley brothers and John Fletcher, Clarke?s is the next name in that illustrious line of holiness preachers and scholars from John Wesley to the present. It is altogether fitting that we should highlight Adam Clarke?s contribution to the theology of scriptural holiness. Before looking at his teaching in some detail, a brief sketch of his life and work is necessary.

  Adam Clarke was born in the county of Londonderry, North Ireland, in 1760 and was converted in 1779 through hearing a Methodist preacher.

  Three years later he left home to attend Wesley?s school in Kingswood, Bristol, England. Five weeks later he was appointed to his first preaching circuit and for the next 50 years he was a self-taught Wesleyan preacher who, among other academic accomplishments, made himself master of at least 10 languages, ancient and modern.

  He served on 24 Methodist circuits in England and Ireland, worked for years in the Channel Islands, was three times president of the English Methodist Conference and four times president of the Irish Methodist Conference. He devoted hundreds of working hours to the newly founded British and Foreign Bible Society and 10 years of painstaking editing and collating of state papers. This latter work was a colossal undertaking. It required the most exact examination, deciphering, and classification of British State Papers from 1131 to 1666. The research was carried on in different locations, including the Tower of London, London?s Westminster Archives, and Cambridge University Library. In 1808 the University of Aberdeen conferred on Adam Clarke the honorary degree of LL.D., the university?s highest academic honor.

  As well as his Commentary, Clarke?s publications ran to 22 volumes, including his Memorials of the Wesley Family, Reflections on the Being and Attributes of God, The Manners of the Ancient Israelites, 4 volumes of sermons, 3 volumes of miscellanea titled Detached Pieces, a volume on Christian Missions, A Concise View of the Succession of Sacred Literature, and A Bibliographical Dictionary. Clarke?s literary output was phenomenal when it is recalled that he was a full-time itinerant preacher.

  A glance at the record of the 24 Methodist circuits he served between 1782 and 1832 shows that his longest domicile in one place was four years, yet his moving from place to place approximately every two years does not seem to have interfered with his reading, writing, and publication.

  He was elected a member of six of the most learned societies of his day, including the Antiquarian Society, the Royal Asiatic Society, and the Royal Irish Academy. In spite of all the distinctions given to him, Clarke remained a loyal Wesleyan preacher and a devout, humble believer.
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  51

  Are Circuit Overseers Stuck in Their Jobs?

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  during a recent c.o.

  visit, the latest itinerant from the society seemed a bit subdued as he talked about the difficulties.

  of his employment.

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  JT

  when i was at bethel it was a commonly known that sisters who did not LIKE BETHEL would get pregnant to make their husbands leave after many times spending yes begging to leave this god forsaken place
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  51

  Are Circuit Overseers Stuck in Their Jobs?

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  during a recent c.o.

  visit, the latest itinerant from the society seemed a bit subdued as he talked about the difficulties.

  of his employment.

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  JT

  Anyway a while later the word went round that they had found the Circuit where they were sent, so bad and full of problems. That they wanted out, and it was also affecting their health. So the only way they could do it without losing face was for the wife to get pregnant. How true it was I can't say but I was told it by a close relative of the brothers wife
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  40

  Did You Think That You Would Be In Paradise By 2004?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i never did.

  i hoped it could be true but i never took any stock in dates....what about you?

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  JT

  in 1995 when the generation rug was pulled from under everyones feet, it told my wife i was leaving in 2000 regardless i would just have to de when it came-

  due to continuing to surf the net we left 2 yrs earlier 1998
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  92

  Would You Outlaw Jehovah's Witnesses If You Had The Power?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  as much as i believe that the witnesses are a "cult", i don't think i'd choose to legally ban them.

  what about you?

  ?

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  JT

  the closest the average JW gets to the Watchtower is the CO, and the CO tries to remain a moving target

  #######

  excellent point i have been saying that for years - the wt want to stay in the back ground

  the avg jw gets mad at the elders and maybe the co, but NEVER THE DO OR THE SOCIETY

  they are so high above the reach of the avg jw it ain't funny, just listen to a group of jw complain about how unloving the elders are or the co,but never will you hear them say how unloving it was for the gb to send young men to prison for alternative service and then years later nlam them for having TOO STRICT OF A CONSCIENCE- smile

  great post
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  45

  Amish Reality Show...

  by Country Girl in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for those that were raised in an authoritarian religion, this ought to be a very interesting show.

  i think the jw teenagers should get rumspringa too!

  'amish in the city': nobody drives buggies in l.a. .

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  JT

  Two of the Amish participants said they did not feel exploited and were happy to have gone through the experience.

  ---and your point is- for you could substite anyone from a high contro group and get pretty much the same thing- for example

  Two of the (JW) Amish participants said they did not feel exploited and were happy to have gone through the experience - OF BEING SENT TO PRISON WHEN THE WT SAID THAT ALTERNATIVE SERVICE WAS UNSCRIPTUAL
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  33

  A knock on my door- and I'm still shaking

  by cyber-sista in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just had a witness encounter and it shook me and i'm not sure why.

  a pioneer sister just came to my door.

  she has a very sweet personality--she started off with a hug.

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  JT

  look at them and think to myself, "That could be me still"......gives me the willies everytime

  ########3

  and this is really the botttom line, it is like looking at a mirror of yourself-

  it is scary- when i see the old tire broke down black jw here in wash dc on the street trying to sell wt to some white high powered $700 per hour lawyers i think of myself as a black man- i used to comfort myself by saying THEY ARE HAVING THEIR REWARD IN FULL NOW- beleiving that in the end i would get THE LAST LAUGH, but all those years the joke was on me

  so when i see them downtown dc i think my wife and i will be 65 in 24 more years and that would be us - unless we had found the truth about the TRUTH-