Jeoff Jackson – How Is Spiritual Food Prepared? 2 principles; 1/.Dan12:4 Always make continuous, careful search. 2/. 1Cor4:6, ‘don’t go beyond the things that are written’. Where do the ideas come from(always asked). There is no hole in the ceiling of the GB conference room! Receive reports from branchs, Zone, and other travelling overseers. Also the GB are constantly reading the bible personally. Others assist in writing. All editorial work is ‘closely supervised’ by GB. All GB read 2 or 3 times all the material before it is dispensed. Key Point- When an individual GB member submits an article, it is not spiritual food until it undergoes at least 70 steps. [In a later talk by Bro. Splane, he admitted that some of his articles after submission needed ‘life support and some didn’t make it’].Thereby no one member of GB can influence matters on his own. What if question about current understanding of a truth? GB assign brothers to research, then GB reconsider, pray about it. "No yes men on the GB". Robust discussion. "If GB can’t all agree, matter put on hold. Some things are put on hold for years, until ALL are moved by HS!!" [Wonder what other things are in the ‘pending file’. One brother at HQ said to me afterwards that there are quite a few! Who knows how long this knew thought on Matt24 was in the pending file??] Need to show courage to change our understanding of long held, sometime cherished beliefs. EG brothers with Xmas, cross and birthdays. Keep in mind that the truth hasn’t changed, only our understanding of it! Gerrit Losch- Which Channel Is Jehovah Using? Mt 24:45-47 and Lu 12, uses the definite article ‘ho’ with reference to F&DS. Therefore is composite and does not apply to individual anointed ones nor to GC. Other references in bible refer to individuals being slaves and stewards, but not THE slave/steward. Old thought was that F&DS were anointed at any given time from 33CE to now. However through the middle ages, no distinct knowledge as to who they were. Also because at 33 there were no GC we believed the ‘domestics’ had to be individual anointed. Is the F&DS 1900 yrs old? No! [The lecture to Gilead and branch schools about this has now been deleted]. When you look at the context of Matt 24 all the events described are in the last days and the GT. The ‘coming’ referred to is the GT. Hence the F&DS only appeared and was appointed as such in the last days!
Choir of youths sang, Listen, Obey and Be Blessed. Video review was shown of the making of the new animation video. GB wants to protect young ones. Brother Morris said, "If our young ones are under attack from Satan’s world – then we are going to fight back"!! Announced that there will be more animation videos. In addition each month, there will be a 1 minute animation video released on the jw website. Each will have a lesson with it. We were shown one of them – Lesson 4 "Stealing is Bad". It deals with ‘Caleb’ being tempted to shoplift a lollypop.
Annual Meeting - Oct 6, 2012 Do all the anointed share in providing food? – No! Reference to ‘food’ refers to preparing and originating spiritual food. The GB only, oversees spir feeding. Can’t apply to anointed sisters living thousands of miles away. Besides, Bethel does not have a list of all anointed in world, only those in special fulltime service. Back in Jerusalem the GB wouldn’t have consulted with all the anointed living in various places throughout the Roman empire! Guy Pearce- When Will These Things Be? In view of Dan 12:4, expect changes in thinking! F&DS come into existence after 1914. Wheat and Weeds parable indicates be no slave class to dispense food (only be individual anointed ones who maintained their faith). The work of Russell & associates like that of the messenger in Mal3:1. But they not part of slave class. Old thought of messenger was 1914-18 based on JC cleaning temple 3 yrs after his anointing. However the bible lists 2 accounts of JC cleansing – one at the start and one at the end of his ministry. Hence the cleansing of God’s people is ongoing. Mt 24:30,42,44 all refer to JC’s future ‘coming’ in judgment at the GT. Therefore the next verses that refer to the appointment of the F&DS is at – 1919 not 33ce! Samuel Herd – Feeding…? Pattern established with ‘feeding’ by JC. Matt 14:14-21, "…YOU give them something to eat…" Same in later account in MT15:36. Pattern – JC to disciples to crowds. Lesson – Jesus always fed the Many thru the Few! Jesus always chose the few. He chose the 12 apostles, were imperfect. He was grooming them for a future office of oversight. Later used these men to serve as GB. Later used other men, Act 16:4,5. Blessed arrangement, till death of apostles who acted as a ‘restraint’. Then apostasy flourished. During that time, no consistent channel existed. Only changed after 1914 when the ‘growing season’ ended. Now the ‘harvest’ time needed an organized channel to do the feeding. However, the same pattern – JC would feed the many thru the few! Stephen Lett – Who Really Is the F&D Slave? Question suggests that there would be a legitimate desire to know as to many confusing options. At 33CE no one would have need to raise the question, the answer was beyond doubt. There was simply a singular Christian entity that was performing miraculous signs and distributing spir food. However, from 1914 onwards, there were many imitation Christians. Who then would prove to be the F&D Slave?- Now the question was valid even crucial! Those within priestly class would prove to dispense food. Not all anointed are F&DS. New thought as to: F&DS – Small group of anointed Christians, living at Head Quarters, during Christ’s presence,
who are directly involved in preparing and dispensing spiritual food. Note- Individual members are not F&DS. Only when they work as a body are they such! Greek word is composite singular. Domestics - All who are fed spiritually. Originally from 1919 it was only anointed, later it includes the Great Crowd, also individual members of the GB. Belongings – All his belongings both heavenly and earthly. The verse does not limit the belongings to the earth. After the appointment of the F&DS in 1919, there would be a period of time to establish who is the slave class. Then they would be give ALL his belongings. This happens during the GT when the anointed go to heaven to receive their heavenly reward. Why does the verse seem to limit this to only the F&DS. It doesn’t- JC was in this instance simply talking to the F&DS, hence the reference to them receiving ‘ALL Belongings’. However by referring to such, he was not limiting the ALL Belongings to just the GB members, it was simply a case of who he was addressing at the time. Lu 22:28-30 is a promise to all faithful anointed.
Annual Meeting - Oct 6, 2012
David Splane – What Does All This Mean? Matt24:45-7 has no first century application. Apostles were dispensing spiritual food, but not as a F&DS. Slave is not 1900 yrs old. Russell’s time- F&DS was being formed / taking shape. Illus- M.S approaching eldership, may do much of the work of an elder, but is not an elder until the appointment. Similar to Russell and associates, they were doing a feeding work, but the appointment as F&DS was later. This new understanding now truly dignifies the GC and unites them with the GB, as ALL need to be fed!! Remember – Jah & JC are the source of the food. Don’t get to hung up on individual members of GB. Favourite saying of Jeoff Jackson- "I love coffee, I have my favourite cup. But if the cup gets broken- I won’t stop drinking coffee"! If something happens to individual members of GB or they die – it won’t stop us drinking at J’s table. Anthony Morris Warwick – the new HQ building project is quickly moving ahead through potentially lengthy approval processes. GB believe God is opening up and blessing their plans. Next year AGM, will be tied in to other US venues and other English speaking countries!!!! Yeartext for 2013 Joshua 1:9 "Be courageous and strong, because Jehovah is with you" When the new GB member Mark Sanderson gave a most heartfelt concluding prayer, the auditorium was a buzz with appreciation for one of the most memorable AGM’s ever.
After the meeting –Ruttimans with Jon and Janet Sharp(MM branch), Brenton and Deanna Muller(Phuket) and Rod and Sue Green (Aust Circuit work).
Heaps of people to meet after. Here with Peter and Suzy Schultz, in the lobby of the Towers building. They have been in Brooklyn for many years. Peter works in writing.