Well today was the day of yet another special talk. You know the ones where everyone in the world is supposed to get the same one.
Anyway, I noticed very little special about this talk which was about keeping Jehovahs fearsome day close at hand or something like that.
It was the standard doom and gloom but arent we lucky we have a hope kind of talk and was nothing new except for one thing. There was no mention about the generation passing away. Nothing, nix, ziltch. They skipped over the scripture even! I found that quite amazing since for the longest time we have been told the generation born in 1914 wouldnt pass away before armagedon.
Watchtower was all about living in the light. Avoid apostates was a big part of it. Simular comments were made last week. I am wondering if there isn't going to be a tightening down coming soon contrary to those that are hoping for a move to a more mainstream stance.
Just my thoughts.
Take care
Nick
Posts by NikL
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13Anyone else go to special talk?
by NikL inwell today was the day of yet another special talk.
you know the ones where everyone in the world is supposed to get the same one.. anyway, i noticed very little special about this talk which was about keeping jehovahs fearsome day close at hand or something like that.. it was the standard doom and gloom but arent we lucky we have a hope kind of talk and was nothing new except for one thing.
there was no mention about the generation passing away.
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NikL
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22
Another JW urban Legend
by NikL inwell i got e mailed another jw urban legend...er experience.
maybe you have heard it before but if not.... .
i received this great experience, well worth sharing.. .
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NikL
Well I got e mailed another JW urban legend...er experience. Maybe you have heard it before but if not...
I received this great experience, well worth sharing.
My son had one of the best ever experiences today with Informal
Witnessing.Let me tell you in detail. My youngest son (16) has only recently
got serious with the truth. This past fall, it was as if he came to maturity
and realized the seriousness of the truth and privilege to tell it to others.
He has gotten serious about his personal study and now looks forward to our
weekly studies.He told me this past week he has prayed in earnest that
Jehovah use him to help someone.Apparently, Jehovah has answered his prayer.This afternoon, my son was
walking in the city park with his teenage friends from the Hall. There were
numerous persons in the park. My son says he saw a man in his 50's or 60's
with his small dog. He was not there in the park to Witness, but for some
reason he felt he must go Witness to this man with the small dog. Despite
being with a small group of teen friends he approached the man and started up
a conversation focused on the Paradise Earth with the hope of everlasting
life promised by Jehovah God. He witnessed to the man for some time on the
positive hope under God's Kingdom.The man responded with interest and my son
told him to wait so he could go to the car and get some tracts for him to
read when he goes home tonight.When my son came back with the tracts the man asked him, "Why had he picked
him to Witness to and Testify about Jesus?". "Why did you Witness to me
today, the man asked?"
My son said he did not know, only that he felt that he should.The man then
went on to say he had been deeply depressed by all the bad things that were
happening in his life. He said that he had come to the decision to kill
himself right then and there in the park. He said his gun was in the car and
he had decided to go sit in the car, shoot his dog and then shoot himself.He
was in awe that this young boy at this very time came over to him for no
reason and gave him a positive hope about the Paradise and a time when there
would be no more pain and suffering. After much discussion he assured my son
that he would not kill himself, but would go home and read the Bible tracts.
My son got his phone number and said he would call later that evening to
check on him.Shortly after my son arrived home and told us about the incident, I
telephoned the man myself and the man tearfully confirmed the story. He told
me he went back to the car and dismantled the gun and threw it into the
water, because he said he now knew he did not want to kill himself.Previously
that day when he left home, he had already thought that he would probably
kill himself, so when he left the apartment, not caring less, he left the
front door standing wide open. Upon arriving home, he had found that his
apartment had been robbed, even groceries had been removed from the
refrigerator.He called the police about the robbery.In the police investigation he admitted that he had left the door standing
open and even related how he had decided to kill himself in the park. The
police asked him why he did not call the suicide hotline. He told them he did
not have to call the hotline because he met an Angel in the park that stopped
him from killing himself. (my son the angel )During our phone call we
arranged to start a Bible study early next week. He said he had been reading
the Bible tracts my son had given him and was joyful for what he was learning
from his Bible as he looked up the Bible text. I encouraged him not to be
discouraged from further searching into the truth if others condemn him for
talking to Jehovah's Witnesses. He said if anyone spoke harshly of Jehovah's
Witnesses, he would stand up for them from now on and let them know that
Jehovah's Witnesses had saved his life.Somewhat emotional, the man asked me
to please say a prayer before we hung up the telephone. I said a short prayer
and the man said he will be looking forward to meeting me soon.Jehovah does work in wonderful ways, he answered my son's prayer today and
helped an honest hearted man see there is still hope for mankind. -
4
Experience about Bro. Nelson (Prince)
by NikL ini just got this story in an e mail.. i don't know if i should laugh or gag.. anyway, this sort of falls into urban legend territory.. read and see what i mean.... .
this past sunday (rainy and dreary) at our 3:30 p.m. meeting in bowie, a .
brother took the microphone and gave his name as "brother graham".
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NikL
I just got this story in an e mail.
I don't know if I should laugh or gag.
anyway, this sort of falls into urban legend territory.
Read and see what I mean...This past Sunday (rainy and dreary) at our 3:30 p.m. meeting in Bowie, a
group of 12-14 individuals walked into the Bowie South Kingdom Hall. I turned
briefly and saw lots of people with long hair and fashionable clothes, and
made a mental note to be sure to say "hello" after the meeting to these "new
ones" coming to the Hall for the first time.I noticed a little red-headed, freckled boy sitting in front of my daughter,
Emmanuelle, and I said to her "doesn't that little boy look like Prince
Harry, Princess Diana's son in England?" She sat up rigid in her seat and
started to scribble on her notepad feverishly. The words she wrote were,
"Don't say the word "Prince", because he is sitting right behind me."
Confused, I turned my head to the right and there he was, "Prince", "The
Artist Formerly Known As" or whatever he calls himself now.He was very interested in all of the Watchtower comments made by the little
ones in the Hall, as I could see him lean forward to catch a glimpse of their
faces as they would answer questions. One person sitting beside him raised
his hand to answer a question, perhaps for the first time, and it was obvious
that he was not used to giving comments at the meeting. After he gave his
shaky response, Prince leaned over to him and asked, "Hey, what's the matter,
Man, are you nervous or something?" Then one of our brothers raised his
hand to read a scripture, but read the wrong one (nervousness) and the
conductor made a joke about him having "good intentions" even though he was
reading the wrong one, and Prince laughed out loud.Later, the conductor called on another brother "in the back row" and the
brother took the microphone and gave his name as "Brother Graham". Yes, it
was "One In A Million" Larry Graham and his wife, who both gave lots of
excellent comments throughout the meeting. It was great to hear them
expressing their faith in Jehovah.A few minutes later, the conductor called on another brother in the back row,
who quietly took the microphone and announced his name as "Brother Nelson"
and he explained that it was bible truths that made him change his life, turn
around and try to serve Jehovah. I didn't know Prince's real name is Prince
Nelson.......After the meeting and song, a long, black,
s-t-r-e-t-t-t-t-t-t-t--c-h limousine awaited the entourage as they shook
hands with publishers. Larry Graham said to my husband Pete and me, "We
serve a wonderful God. Look what He is doing with Prince. Jehovah draws all
sorts of people to Him, and then it is up to those individuals to do the
rest."The party of about 14 slipped into the limousine with one of our brothers
(Bro. Craig Tracey) to go to the Warner Theater for Sunday's last show. It
wasn't until that moment that the friends realized the Craig used to play
guitar professionally in a band and his wife (Sis Jennifer Tracey) used to
sing professionally. They had been so modest in our congregation, one would
have never suspected that they had backstage passes to Prince's show the
night before, and had received a call from Larry Graham looking for a Kingdom
Hall in the area a week ago.It was a great evening where we were all discussing thorns in the flesh in
the Watchtower study. I couldn't help but think about Prince's thorn (the
death of his child, which led him to ask bible-based questions about death,
the resurrection, etc.) If Prince could, I'm sure he would spend any amount
necessary to bring back his child, but all the money in the world can't do
that. Jehovah is the only answer for us all. -
2
Is this a JW editorial?
by NikL ini got e mailed this editorial today.
it was supposed to be from the minneapolis star tribune newspaper.
i went to their website and sure enough it is there.
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NikL
I got e mailed this editorial today. It was supposed to be from the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper. I went to their website and sure enough it is there. Here is the link for you to check it out... http://www.startribune.com/stories/562/2207318.html
I am also posting the text. Is this a JW writing this or what?What to expect when religion threatens peace of social order
For centuries, political leaders have tolerated and sometimes even co-opted religious beliefs and believers in order to attain their political goals. But now that religion seriously threatens the peace and security of the social order, don't be surprised to see political leaders turn on religion, in all of its manifestations, with a vengeance.
The table is being neatly set for such an intervention by the daily horrific revelations in the media. The painful, faith-shaking conflict in the Middle East is, of course, the prime example, and it has galvanized believers on all sides, pitting Muslim against Jew and Christian against Muslim. But it is also playing out against a background of fundamental issues within Christendom that is startling in its immensity.
Pope John Paul broke his silence on the sex-abuse cases rocking the Catholic Church recently, saying, "Grave scandal is caused, with the result that a dark shadow of suspicion is cast over all the other fine priests who perform their ministry with honesty and integrity and often with heroic self-sacrifice." But the problem that the pope has never acknowledged is that a systemic practice of sexual abuse has emerged involving not only individual clerics but also the church hierarchy, including himself. By seeking to protect its priests and its reputation at all costs, the church has done untold harm to thousands in the United States and abroad, harm from which many may never recover.
In January, the Catholic Church in Ireland agreed to a $110 million payment to children abused by clergy over several decades. At least 20 Irish Catholic officials have been convicted of molesting children. Similar cover-ups have been reported in Austria, England, France and Poland, as well as other countries. While the Catholic Church may be the largest religious organization to face such revelations -- and is unusual in its propensity for preying on boys -- it is by no means alone. Related charges have been leveled against Anglicans, Buddhists, Hindus, Episcopal bishops, Methodists and Baptists. The list is long, the story is tawdry, and the pain is universal.
Spiritual leaders who defile their flocks set in motion a chain reaction of anguish and rage that frequently ends with the believers' faith being crushed. That echoes throughout the community and, most importantly, often leaves believers wondering whether God himself exists or even cares about their plight. Churches frequently use their spiritual authority to deny their sins, avoid repentance and/or punishment, and therefore never reach the stage known in the Bible as turning around. And because they do not turn around -- whether the sin is sexual or political -- they do grave injury to God's name.
So, for believers who wonder what the abuses and scandals and the numerous religious wars throughout history mean, I offer the following explanation meant to soothe and console those who seek righteousness, justice and peace on earth: The Almighty has never approved of 99 percent of what is done on earth in his name. Many who claim to represent him are frauds and charlatans who prey upon the weaknesses of those they should protect, and are disciples of a false god who is designated for destruction. The very structure of many religions and their false beliefs converts God into something like a wayward father or a crazy uncle, without brains or compassion. This is the ultimate blasphemy and will soon be revealed as such.
But before that time, it is crucial that God's good name be vindicated and that those who are defiling the earth while loudly proclaiming that they speak for him be silenced. These heinous crimes -- sexual abuse, warmongering, teaching the traditions of men as if they were the word of God -- are being made manifest today so as to guide the faithful to a new understanding of God's purpose on earth.
That purpose will be served, initially, by political rulers who will turn on religion, throw its precious gold, silver and jewels in the street, and strip of their power clerics of all faiths. Interestingly, the Bible describes these religious rulers as kings without a kingdom. The political rulers will act effectively in removing these religious kings. And because the heavens will not consume their invading armies with fire when they destroy holy cities and relics the world over, these leaders will be filled with false pride and will actually imagine that they have vanquished God himself. Nothing will be further from the truth.
Perhaps I am an old fool, given to imaginings that happen to run parallel to biblical prophecy. But I believe, more than ever, that God is calling all of those who wish to live on a cleansed earth, out from among those religious organizations that are the province of his greatest enemy: the invisible ruler of the air, in whose hands the whole world now lies spinning. Perhaps we would do well to keep awake, be vigilant in prayer, and heed his call.
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More JW urban legends
by NikL inwell here is a new batch of jw urban legends (oops, i mean experiences) i just got in the e mail.
thought i would share the joy and lighten your day ;-).
a sister took her granddaughter to the circuit assembly with her.. later that evening at home, the sister told her granddaughter to get .
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NikL
Well here is a new batch of JW urban legends (oops, I mean experiences) I just got in the e mail. Thought I would share the joy and lighten your day ;-)
A sister took her granddaughter to the Circuit Assembly with her.
Later that evening at home, the sister told her granddaughter to get
ready to have her bath. When the sister came back into the bathroom,
she noticed that her granddaughter had gotten in the bathtub with her
watch on. The sister said, "Oh, no honey, you have to take your watch
off too." Her granddaughter said, "No, I can't!". The sister asked why
and the little girl responded, "Because the brother said in his talk
today that we have to 'Keep on the watch'!"------------------------------------------------------------------------
A couple went out of town to attend a quickbuild. They stayed in a
local hotel along with other visiting friends.
When they were ready to leave, they went to the front desk to pay their
bill.
The hotel owner said, "Don't worry about it. You bill has already been
paid." How did this happen? The man explained, "Many people in the
town thought that you couldn't build your Kingdom Hall in just two days,
so I took their bets. All of your bills have been more than taken care
of."------------------------------------------------------------------------
A little brother was in the ministry and said that he had a return
visit.
An older brother accompanied him. When the man opened the door and saw
the little boy, he said, "I told you before that I'm not interested in
your magazines and yet you keep coming back."
The little brother said, "But I have different magazines this time,
Sir."
So the man said, "Alright, I'll take them but remember, I'm NOT
interested,"
and he closed the door. As the two brothers left the door, the little
one said, "Wait, I have to write this down." The older brother was
curious as to what he was writing, so he looked over his shoulder and
watched as the little brother wrote, "Placed two magazines with man who
PRETENDS not to be interested."------------------------------------------------------------------------
A brother who was blind was able to get around by means of a seeing eye
dog.
Eventually the brother passed away, and his dog was passed on to another
man who lived nearby. The man began to notice that, like clockwork, on
every Tuesday and Thursday evening, the dog would position himself next
to the front door. The man was puzzled, so one day he decided he would
follow where the dog would lead. The dog, of course, led his new master
right to the Kingdom Hall.
The man did not know where he was, but the people seemed very friendly,
so he decided to stay and listen.
After the meeting, the man accepted a Bible study and he is now our
brother.
The Bethel speaker ended this experience by saying, "Now, if a DOG can
find his way to the meetings... well, you get the idea." :)------------------------------------------------------------------------
A brother was getting ready to put his young daughter to bed and say
prayers with her. When he got to her bedroom door, he saw that she had
already begun to pray, so he stood at the door and listened. The
daughter mentioned a few things in her prayer, and then began to recite
the entire alphabet. Once she was finished, her father went in and
asked why she recited the alphabet.
"Well," the little girl said, "There are many things that I want to say,
but I don't know the words, so I gave Jehovah all of the letters of the
alphabet so he can figure out what I want to say."------------------------------------------------------------------------
A sister who lives in a country where the work is still under ban was on
her way home. While she was walking, she was discreetly witnessing to
people that she came across. She noticed a strange man following her,
so she began to walk faster and eventually lost him.
Later, when she was at the bus stop, she saw that the man had caught up
with her, and he proceeded to follow her onto the bus, and sit directly
behind her. He began to say obscenities to her as well as derogatory
things about the witnesses. A woman who was sitting next to the sister
and had heard all of the things the man said stood up and announced, "Is
there anyone MAN enough to throw this rude man off of the bus?" Two men
obliged her request and threw the man off of the bus, and the sister was
able to get home safely. -
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A new JW Urban Legend in the making?
by NikL ingot this e mail that seems to be making the rounds.
sounds made up to me but in case you are interested in this sort of thing read on.... interesting remarks at morning worship from tom & esther chin: .
monday, january 28, david splane, a member of the governing body conducte.
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NikL
Got this e mail that seems to be making the rounds. Sounds made up to me but in case you are interested in this sort of thing read on...
Interesting remarks at Morning Worship from Tom & Esther Chin:
Monday, January 28, David Splane, a member of the Governing Body conducte
morning worship. In his comments he referred to the last sentence in the
comments on the days text, showing how neither silver or gold could prote
ed
wrongdoers in the day of Jehovah's anger. How it is the same today and h
ow
so many of our brothers and sisters show their faith in Jehovah and
appreciate how money is not more important than life or principle.
He then told of how he had attended a graduation of a Ministerial Trainin
g
School in Turnersville, NJ a few months ago.
It seems to be the custom that, as part of the graduation exercise, stude
nts
will tell about the arrangements they had to make in their lives in order
to
be able to attend,the two month school. Some took leave of absences, oth
ers
actually lost jobs.
One brother related how, back in August of 2001, he received a job offer
from a very prestigious company (one he had been hoping and working towar
ds
for a long time). Almost the same day he received his letter inviting hi
m
to attend the Ministerial Training School. When he went before the compa
ny
for his interview, he told them he was very interested in the job. Howev
er,
he would have to have the first two months off to attend the school. The
y
told him that there was no way, unless he reported for work the next Mond
ay
morning, the job would go to someone else. =0D
Our brother could have reasoned that he had really waited a very, long ti
me
for this job. Perhaps he could go ahead and start the job, and after he
ha
more or less gotten his foot in the door and proven his worth, he would t
hen
be able to get the time off and attend a future school (after all they do
have Ministerial Training Schools on a regular basis). But he realized i
t
was a privilege from Jehovah, so there was no option here. He did not ha
ve
to think twice, he declined the job. =0D
Well, he knew he had made the proper decision, and he asked the audience
if
they knew where he would have been, today, if he had declined attending t
he
school, and had taken the job. =0D
You see, if he had gone to work for that company, he would have been work
ing on one of the top floors of the World Trade Center. -
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Which bible Translation is best?
by NikL inthis one is for those on this board that continue to read the bible.
i know there are many on here that dont.
i still do, though not very often, and i dont accept everything written as straight from the mouth of god.. one thing i discovered after leaving the witnesses was that the bible is actually an interesting document and not some terribly difficult tome that must be explained every step of the way.
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NikL
Hey whatnow,
I take my new English Bible to meetings when I go with my wife. Gets stares from the folks who only see the cross symbol on the front of it. It is actually the symbol of Oxford University but anyway, I also enjoy throwing them for a loop. Especially after being told how witnesses like to use different bibles. HA what a crock! -
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Which bible Translation is best?
by NikL inthis one is for those on this board that continue to read the bible.
i know there are many on here that dont.
i still do, though not very often, and i dont accept everything written as straight from the mouth of god.. one thing i discovered after leaving the witnesses was that the bible is actually an interesting document and not some terribly difficult tome that must be explained every step of the way.
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NikL
This one is for those on this board that continue to read the bible. I know there are many on here that don’t. I still do, though not very often, and I don’t accept everything written as straight from the mouth of god.
One thing I discovered after leaving the witnesses was that the bible is actually an interesting document and not some terribly difficult tome that must be explained every step of the way.
The dubs rave about how wonderful the New World Translation is and what a joy it is to read and study but I find that I don’t like it at all. It seems choppy and clumsy to me. (Never mind the liberties they have taken with certain scriptures).
Anyway, I like the Oxford New English Bible the best, especially the study edition with all the footnotes and the Apocrypha. It is easy to read and makes me wonder why the NWT is so difficult.
What is your favorite translation? -
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What I missed being a JW
by NikL ini got to thinking the other day about things that i missed out on being a jw growing up.
not going to collage comes to mind as does dating more extensively.. the thing i look back on with the most regret though, is my lack of deep friendships.
going to high school i had worldly friends of course, but i never let myself get too close to them.
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NikL
I got to thinking the other day about things that I missed out on being a JW growing up. Not going to collage comes to mind as does dating more extensively.
The thing I look back on with the most regret though, is my lack of deep friendships.
Going to high school I had worldly friends of course, but I never let myself get too close to them. These were wonderful people but after I graduated I left them all behind and lost touch with them.
Years later, after loosing all of my witness friends, I think about the old days and wonder how different things might have been if only I had not been so blinded my a self righteous religion.
Nick (having another scotch and feeling nostalgic):-) -
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What was your JW wedding song?
by NikL ini got to thinking the other day about how jws, at least when i got married in the hall could not use secular music for the ceremony.
we there fore were forced to use kingdon melodies.
anyone else have fond memories about your wedding song?.
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NikL
I got to thinking the other day about how JWs, at least when I got married in the Hall could not use secular music for the ceremony. We there fore were forced to use kingdon melodies. Anyone else have fond memories about your wedding song?
My wife and I chose, "We thank you Jehovah". It seemed to be the most popular and the closest to a wedding march we could get.