JakeM2012

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Posts by JakeM2012

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  12

  For a Jehovah's Witness, which causes more problems: a decorated tree, or a decorated woman?

  by I_love_Jeff in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  let's say that a brother, joe, is walking to kingdom hall and he passes a store display featuring a christmas tree.

  "wretched pagans!

  " he mutters to himself.

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  JakeM2012

  Personally, I always loved how the "pretty trees" were decorated and how attractive they were. Some women can wear a potato sack and still be sexy. There is beauty that cannot be covered up. Why did God make such beauty if we were not able to enjoy it, or at least be around it in a KH?
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  8

  Musings

  by thedog1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  apropo of nothing, i just wanted to share some thoughts.

  i have started reading and posting here recently.

  i have previously mentioned that i am an active jw, an elder who conducts the wt study.

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  JakeM2012

  I'm sorry to hear the difficulties that your wife is experiencing. Tough decisions indeed. May you find peace for you and your family.
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  49

  The Governing Body Have Stabbed Many Old Bethelites In The Back By Not Taking Care Of Them In Their Old Age

  by frankiespeakin in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  these guys are real company men when they have mass lay off of older bethelites tossing them to the curb and making the congregation they are assigned to carry some of the load, so that the watchtower corporation can cut costs of providing for these nolonger young people who have devoted theirs lives to the corporation.. they are heartless bastards aren't they?

  i wonder what kind of undercurrent this is causing at headquartes?.

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  JakeM2012

  I spoke with an ex bethelite that went to Brooklyn in the 1960's at 18-19 years old and they let him out when he was 60 years old. He is struggling to make a living. He said, "I'm not trying to be rebellious, but I believe that a formal education is a good thing".

  He indicated that he is in accounting and is not a CPA. Every Potential customer that comes in asks, "where did you go to college"? I don't know what his response to that is but I'll bet he is not telling them that he has read the Awake magazine for years and that is equal to a college education!
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  70

  JW morale reaching new low

  by kneehighmiah in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  many friends i've spoken with are becoming discouraged.

  because of this it's becoming tempting to privately share my views with friends, but i know this is still too dangerous.

  most witnesses in my circle are intelligent free thinkers.

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  JakeM2012

  SOP said, "You can only take so much. People are tired. They hear about preachers like this Joel Osteen and others who may not speak much about the Bible, but their congregations are thriving and happy."

  I agree, I talked with my sister who is still active and aging and she mentioned that apathy is a major problem in the congregations. People going through the motions, elders not wanting to appoint ones who show them up in meeting attendance, field service, etc.

  I am reading Joel Osteens latest book "Breaking Out" (don't ask me why) and when he does talk about the scriptures it is with a different spin than the WTBTS. It is all in a very positive way, it's encouraging, and makes you think that God wants you to be successful beyond your expectations as opposed to find contentment in washing windows or shinning floors at night.

  Olsteen repeated mentioned in his book that perhaps your not expecting enough from the God of the Universe. How Jehovah, (and he used Jehovah) blessed the Israelites with abundance beyond their expectations, like when they wanted meat and he had quail come in for three days journey each way. How not to concentrate on the size of the problem, (like with David and Goliath).

  "God used a simple slingshot to thrust David to a new level of his destiny. My question for you is this: Are you overlooking something small, something ordinary, that God has given you? Are you sitting back thinking, "I don't have the talent, the education. I don't know the right people.? You have exactly what you need. It may seem small, but when you take these steps of faith God will do for you what he did for David? He'll breathe on your life and what was ordinary will become extraordinary".

  Anyway, short of giving an endorsement for the book, I found it refreshing for someone to use the same scriptures that WTBTS has used to beat us into submission with fear and guilt but to have a positive outlook on the examples in the scriptures as to why Jehovah wants you to personally be successful, and as he emphasizes, beyond your expectations.
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  18

  Missed another meeting

  by DS211 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  well ive missed my 5th meeting in a row..decided to watch football/soccer instead.

  wife has also missed 4 in a row...still havent discussed ttatt

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  JakeM2012

  There was a time if you missed five meetings in a row that your phone would ring off the wall of curious/encouraging brothers/sister and elders. My how times have changed.
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  15

  I am now inactive!

  by Laika in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the last report i gave in was for the month of may, meaning as of today, i have missed 6 months of reports, and am officially inactive!

  (though the last time i actually went out was march, gave fake reports for april and may).

  feels like a milestone.

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  JakeM2012

  Congratulations!
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  21

  No longer a former JW, I am now a Human Being

  by AllTimeJeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  lurkers, debaters, haters, lovers, the lost, the found, and the misplaced.

  it's been a while, and i wanted to pop in.

  the point isn't to agree.

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  JakeM2012

  Thanks All time Jeff. Wonderfully said, good advice and direction.
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  97

  First post

  by thedog1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is a very strange thing for me to do.

  i have been an active witness for over 25 years.

  i currently serve as an elder and i conduct the watchtower study.

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  JakeM2012

  Welcome Dog, I was a lurker for years but eventually reregistered and wrote my first post, yes it is a bit strange. Again Welcome, there are many previous elders, servants, pioneers, etc and the journey has a few bumps on the road.
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  47

  Introduction

  by Pyramid God in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i'm somewhat new here, even though i've posted a few times, so i decided it was time i properly introduced myself.

  i've been lurking for several months.... .

  i was born into the jw and served for 21 years.

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  JakeM2012

  Welcome, interesting journey.
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  25

  Something NEW is happening with Jehovah's Witnesses on the internet

  by Watchtower-Free in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  dramatic growth is being reported on facebook.

  groups of xjws.. .

  ex-jehovah's witness recovery group 3 admin.

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  JakeM2012

  I received this information about the annual report.

  2013 World Wide Report
  
  “On Wednesday, 30 October, 2013, the US Bethel family enjoyed the following report by Brother Baltasar Perla, member of the USA Branch Committee.
  2013 World Wide Report given at Morning Worship:
  Worldwide Report: Great!We are about 36,000 under 8 million!! WOW! And there are more Bible Students than there are of us!
  Peak Publishers: 7,965,954 = 2.4% increase over last yearBaptized: 277,344 = 3.2% increase over last yearHours: 1,844,182,235 (1 billion, 844 million) = 5.3% increase!Reg Pios: 997,123 = 8.2% increase!Average of Bible Studies: 9,254,963
  What contributed to this wonderful report? Metropolitan witnessing, public witnessing & branches around the world have invited publishers from other countries who speak the language to come & help them with seldom worked territory.
  At a book fair in Colombia, the brothers set up a display & many said it was the best one there. More than 500,000 people were in attendance. More than 23,000 pieces of literature in 18 languages were placed, & best of all more than 400 “Please follow up” forms were obtained which was an average of 20 per day. In Mexico a similar display was set up at a book fair there. 700,000 people are expected to attend.
  In Bulgaria, a deaf Olympics was held & more than 4,000 deaf individuals, including 2,700 deaf athletes, came from many different countries. 33 Witnesses from 9 different nationalities came to help with public witnessing. They had tables at several hotels, along with posters at 5 others displaying JW.org, then they had permission to set up a table at several of the athletic events. One deaf woman from India grabbed the sister’s tablet when she saw it was sign language in her Indian language, & she wouldn’t give it back until the video was finished. Then she said that she would be delighted to have someone call on her in India when she goes back home. In total 203 people from 55 countries left their contact information for follow up.
  As a result of the metro witnessing, a total of 90,896 magazines, 66,263 Books have been placed & 5,173 Bible Studies have been requested.
  In Romania, the branch launched a special field service campaign & invited Romanian-speaking witnesses from quite a few countries to come & preach in seldom worked territory in Romania. 2,000 witnesses from US, European countries, etc. responded & 41 % of their seldom-worked territory was worked during the two month campaign. 1,359 localities & over 1 million inhabitants were reached. They met many humble people who said things like, “God must have sent you”, & “We have been waiting for you to come.” They did get opposition from the priests. In one case, a priest snatched a magazine out of a householder’s hand but the householder snatched it back! So many are hungering for the truth! The publishers placed 89,966 magazines, & 6,127 books. They also placed 116,701 brochures & 31,379 Bible studies were started!
  Brother Perla concluded that the report reminds us of Proverbs 1:20, 21 where it says that “true wisdom cries aloud in the street, it keeps raising its voice in the public squares. At the corner of a busy street it calls out!”