Going caroling tonight at a seniors residence and giving a talk on, "If Jesus hadn't come..." We have visited 3 different residences already and shared the story and meaning of Christmas.
Vanderhoven7
JoinedPosts by Vanderhoven7
-
39
why celebrate xmas?
by enoughisenough inmany on here are ex jw....they have left the jws because of coming to find out the many false indoctrinations.
one of the things learned as a jw is that there isn't anything true about xmas being the birth of jesus.
( matt chapter 2 tells a whole different narrative about the baby jesus than what is portrayed by the christian churches) they learn the ways that are celebrated are pagan practices jesus told the samaritan woman that god wanted to be worshipped in spirit and it truth.
-
-
-
89
Myth of 1914
by peacefulpete inthe wt engages in history revisionism when insisting the world changed overnight in 1914. in fact the european power struggles that came to a head were centuries old.
millions of lives had been lost in the wars of the 19th century, with the world a powder keg the years prior to the assassination of franz ferdinand in june 1914 which is often said, albeit rather arbitrarily, as the start of the war that escalated over the next 4 years into the great war.
take a look at these two pages and ask if the wt's interpretation of history seems accurate to you.
-
-
Vanderhoven7
Thank you Jeffro....very early thirties it is.
-
25
Jehovah's Witnesses and Apostates
by tfjw injehovah's witnesses basically define the term "apostate" as someone who was once a member of the "organization" (a jehovah's witness) but no longer follows the teachings, rules, regulations and practices.
the society gives their official definition in the following manner: "apostasy is abandoning or deserting the worship and service of god, actually a rebellion against jehovah god.
some apostates profess to know and serve god but reject teachings or requirements set out in his word.
-
-
Vanderhoven7
Thanks Earnest!
-
25
Jehovah's Witnesses and Apostates
by tfjw injehovah's witnesses basically define the term "apostate" as someone who was once a member of the "organization" (a jehovah's witness) but no longer follows the teachings, rules, regulations and practices.
the society gives their official definition in the following manner: "apostasy is abandoning or deserting the worship and service of god, actually a rebellion against jehovah god.
some apostates profess to know and serve god but reject teachings or requirements set out in his word.
-
-
Vanderhoven7
About 1925, try this PDF
"The present work is an English translation of the book published in Poland in 2015. The book is the unique and thorough study on history of the Watchtower's prophecy focused on the year 1925 and its "Millions Campaign". It shows how Joseph F. Rutherford raised great hopes in minds of his followers and how dogmatic were his statements in the "Millions" book. The book is a must reading for all seriously interested in the history, methods and doctrinal development of Jehovah's Witnesses."
-
349
Who really is the Faithful and Discreet Slave?
by Godlyman inif anyone were to come up to you claiming that they are the faithful and discreet slave, how would you go about proving them to be false, based upon scripture?.
estephan.
-
-
Vanderhoven7
God Leads a Pretty Sheltered Life
"At the end of time, imagine billions of people scattered on a great plain before God’s throne. Some of the groups near the front talk heatedly—not with cringing fear or shame, but with belligerence.
“How can God judge us? How can He know about suffering?” snaps an angry brunette. She pulls back a sleeve to reveal a tattooed number from a Nazi concentration camp. “We endured terror, beatings, torture, death!”
In another group, a black man lowers his collar to show an ugly rope burn and demands, “What about this? I was lynched for no crime, but just for being black! We suffered in slave ships, were taken from loved ones, and toiled till only death gave release.”
Across the plain, hundreds of groups rail against God for the evil and suffering He has permitted in His world. How lucky God is to live in heaven, where all is sweetness and light, where there is no weeping, fear, hunger, or hatred. What does God know about what man is forced to endure in this world? After all, God leads a pretty sheltered life.
Each group sends a leader to the center, chosen because he has suffered the most: A Jew from Germany, a black man from early America, an untouchable from India, an illegitimate from a conservative time, a victim from Hiroshima, and a Siberian slave. Their case is simple: Before God can be the Judge, He must endure what they have endured. God should be sentenced to live on earth—as a man!
But, since He is God, they set certain rules so His divine power cannot help Him.
- Let Him be born a Jew.
- Let the legitimacy of His birth be doubted, so that none would know His father.
- Let Him champion a cause so just, but so radical that it brings upon Him hate, condemnation, and fury of every major traditional and established religious authority.
- Let Him try to describe what no man has ever seen, heard, tasted, or smelled . . . let Him try to communicate God to men.
- Let Him be indicted on false charges, tried before a prejudiced jury, and convicted by a cowardly judge.
- Let Him see what it is to feel terribly alone, and be completely abandoned.
- Let Him be tortured and killed! Let Him die a humiliating, embarrassing death.
As each leader announces his portion of the sentence, loud murmurs of approval rise from the great throng. When the last has finished pronouncing sentence, there is a long silence. No one moves, for suddenly they know—God has already served His sentence."
Paul wrote, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:5–9).
-
349
Who really is the Faithful and Discreet Slave?
by Godlyman inif anyone were to come up to you claiming that they are the faithful and discreet slave, how would you go about proving them to be false, based upon scripture?.
estephan.
-
-
Vanderhoven7
Try Isaiah 53
Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression[a] and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.[b]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life[d] and be satisfied[e];
by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[g]
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,[h]
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors. -
39
why celebrate xmas?
by enoughisenough inmany on here are ex jw....they have left the jws because of coming to find out the many false indoctrinations.
one of the things learned as a jw is that there isn't anything true about xmas being the birth of jesus.
( matt chapter 2 tells a whole different narrative about the baby jesus than what is portrayed by the christian churches) they learn the ways that are celebrated are pagan practices jesus told the samaritan woman that god wanted to be worshipped in spirit and it truth.
-
-
Vanderhoven7
Christians can celebrate the birth of Christ as did the angels and the shepherds and later the Magi regardless of what day of the year Jesus was born. Every day belongs to the Lord whether pagans have attached their deities names to them or not. So we can reclaim every day for the Father and the Son and worship Christ, not only for his birth and his death but also for his life, his promises, his word, his grace his resurrection, his Ascension and his rule in our lives by His amazing Holy Spirit.
-
89
Myth of 1914
by peacefulpete inthe wt engages in history revisionism when insisting the world changed overnight in 1914. in fact the european power struggles that came to a head were centuries old.
millions of lives had been lost in the wars of the 19th century, with the world a powder keg the years prior to the assassination of franz ferdinand in june 1914 which is often said, albeit rather arbitrarily, as the start of the war that escalated over the next 4 years into the great war.
take a look at these two pages and ask if the wt's interpretation of history seems accurate to you.
-
-
Vanderhoven7
Tonus,
Prophecy, published in 1929. Pages 64,65 mentions 1874 as the date that Christ's invisible 'presence' began.
Thank you...again this points to the early 30s for the WTS switch of the parousia from 1874 to 1914.
I believe it was 1876 when Russell became convinced of the 1874 second coming. This means that the WTS taught the 1874 invisible presence for over 60 years, 38 in which Jesus was totally absent.
-
89
Myth of 1914
by peacefulpete inthe wt engages in history revisionism when insisting the world changed overnight in 1914. in fact the european power struggles that came to a head were centuries old.
millions of lives had been lost in the wars of the 19th century, with the world a powder keg the years prior to the assassination of franz ferdinand in june 1914 which is often said, albeit rather arbitrarily, as the start of the war that escalated over the next 4 years into the great war.
take a look at these two pages and ask if the wt's interpretation of history seems accurate to you.
-
-
Vanderhoven7
TD
Thank you for both quotations.... that settles that 1914 was taught as early as 1932.
I wonder when the last mention was made of the 1874 second coming.
The Society may have made the switch from 1874 to 1914 in 1927. That is when they changed the start of the first resurrection from 1878 to 1918.
"One of the many enlightening truths that God now gave his witnesses was about the members of God's spiritual nation who had died physically. This was in 1927. In that year the witnesses understood that the dead spiritual Israelites had been raised in 1918 to life in heaven with Christ Jesus. It was an invisible resurrection, of course." From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained p.192
BUT of course, since Paradise.....Regained was published in 1958, I'm not sure how trustworthy their historical hindsight is.
Probably safe to conclude the early 1930s saw 1914 becoming official teaching.
-
33
Merry Christmas
by jhine ini don't think that it's too early for my annual merry christmas thread .
merry christmas everyone.
jan .
-
-
Vanderhoven7
Joyeux noël à tous de la nation québécoise!