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is jesus real to you?.
the reason i ask is because a few weeks ago i was talking with two young men about him and one of them turned to the other (his cousin) and said, "i know jesus is real.
Yes, absolutely. I've always believed him to be real. Being blessed as the audience of his presence provided the proof (read 'personal encounter'). Receiving the abiding indwelling residence of both the Father and the Son by means of the Holy Spirit supplies the fuel of absolute fulfillment. So, not only is he real, he is, in fact, reality itself.
PB
what are your favorite notable bible passages, why and how does it affect your life?
i have a few such as; "for if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing he is dececiving his own mind.
"also from presumptuous acts hold your servant back; do not let them dominate me.
"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." John 5:39
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i'll start........ saturday morning door knockers
I work in a local hospital. So the first thing that goes through the minds of the staff on my rotation when the JW patient responds to the question of religion is release forms for rejection of blood. Other than that, the vast majority of people know nothing about JW's, and really don't care to.
what would you have done back in the 1st century when jesus came on the earthly stage and started christianity.
would you have became his follower?
how about after he left the earth and christianity began to spread by means of the apostles, would you have been involved in the many congregations that were started throughout the area?
To be truthful, I've often wondered what my response would have been to the historical Christ. There's simply no way of knowing. We live in a different time with a vastly different culture. So lets fast forward to the present for a moment, because the present is what we have.
Questions for you, defd. What would YOU do if Jesus revealed himself to you NOW and SHOWED you that the JW's are not the embodiment of truth, and indeed have never possessed it? What would you do if he showed you that the truth is found in a person and not in religion....no religion? What would you do if he showed you that the body of Christ includes people of all walks of life, but that the body is mystical and not organized in the modern sense of the word except in the spirit? What if he allowed YOU to feel what he feels for the JW's? What if it wasn't approval, but tears of compassion for the whole multitude of JW's lost in darkness? What would you do? Would you still insist on supporting a religious sect that brings daily reproach upon the name of God? Would you cling like you do and rationalize away his direct communication with you? Or would you have what it takes to stand against darkness, feeling like such a simple character can't possibly make any kind of difference, but doing it anyway, simply out of the love and devotion you have for the Lord whom you know personally?
BTW, Jesus is alive today. We don't have to stay so buried in the Bible that we miss the Lord it reveals. His communication is ongoing...always has been. His relationships are individual, not collective, which means he saves individuals, not organizations or groups of people that make up organizations.
since i talked to my father after my disfellowshipping and he hung up on me, i haven't talked to my mom or dad.
last month when we were in ontario i talked to my uncle and aunts about how my parents are treating us (shunning) and we got a lot of support from them, and they can't understand why my mom and dad would treat us like that.
anyway, my 7 year old daughter overheard the conversations, even though i was trying to keep the situation away from her as i don't think a child really needs to know all the details of the situation.. on the drive home out of the blue my daughter says she wants to call my parents, so we ask why?
Kwin, as most parents know, children can be exceptionally intuitive. Especially around the age you're talking about. Unfortunately they get caught in the middle of a game of tug-of-war (which in reality is a battle). The sad thing is that everybody loses something. The good news is that your daughter will still grow to be a well-adjusted individual despite the WTS and their delusionally trained leaders and followers.
My children were in that same age range when I started having doubts. I felt that I had left them in a spiritual limbo because I really didn't know WHAT to teach them. They were in their mid teens when I finally made the break (formally). Through it all they watched my behavior and the behavior/reactions of those (including family) that had previously declared their 'christian' love. Although it was ME that rejected that religion, my children also paid the price. Early on it became evident by the JW 'christian' response that their behavior wasn't 'christian' in shape, fashion or form. It is claimed that the JW manner of chastisement (shunning) is in actuality 'tough love' designed to bring erring ones back into the fold. From my perspective, it had the direct opposite affect. My children are now in their mid 20's, and they tell me that the JW's they run into are a bunch of 'loons'. They want absolutely nothing to do with them. I do wish their opinion of the JW's included understanding and compassion. And that might come with time. But for right now, I'm just thankful that the WTS didn't have the power to dig their clutches into my children's fragile young minds and hearts. And with absolutely NO help from the WTS, they are just fine. Thank God.
Now, I am the 'nana'. And I'm happy to say that the relationships with my grandchildren are based solely in love, not on what a bunch of psuedo-christian control freaks demand. There's great wisdom in learning the art of give and take. The JW's should be hard pressed to learn of it.
Smother your daughter with love, acceptance and understanding. After all, those qualities may be forever lacking from the JW direction.
annointed sister.
as she walked past me in the courtroom i said, "hello, xxxxxx how have you been"?
now, i have been shunned quite a bit in the past 11 months since da'ng from the wtbts but this was absolutely priceless.
The Lord Jesus' compassion for these people is overwhelming. Isn't it great when he allows us to feel the same?? That's victory indeed, when bitterness and fear are conquered by something greater than us all.
i was an active witness, and i didn't feel as if god granted anything i asked for in prayers.
i didn't ask anything out of the ordinary.
since the witnesses say that they are god's followers and that he blesses them, i wonder in what way he blesses individuals when they pray?.
Yes, he brought me out of darkness (JW's) into his wonderful light. A few specifics that God has granted to me include seeing myself as he sees me (wasn't pretty), but it led to personal repentance at an unimaginable depth. That magnitude of repentance revealed my need for his son (Before that I 'spoke' of that need, like religionists do, but it was far removed from my heart. I didn't believe I was really all that bad). With that acknowledgment came the reception of/baptism in his holy spirit. This was a spiritual cleansing inside and out, that can only be described as an immersion/saturation/washing/cleansing in liquid love (a love not defined by anything I've ever experienced on this earth). In the spirit was the revelation of his reality, the event of being placed into the body of Christ and the never ending privilege of knowing him and his son.
Having said that I have to add that this experience does not produce pride, but a genuine humility in his presence. This happened 10 years ago and it still has the capacity to bring me to my knees in tears. His grace and mercy are genuine. He waits with outstretched arms for each of us.
who is your favorite bible character and, or, account and why?
I especially identify with the human-ness of David. The Scriptures reveal his weaknesses, fears, failures, desires and triumphs. Yet, with all of his character flaws, he's still described as a man after God's own heart. Just goes to show that it's not necessarily about our performance, but about a heart that is breakable, thereby allowing God access.
Another favorite character for me is the woman caught in the act of adultery. In all her sinful glory, she received what most people ultimately crave: A personal encounter with Jesus the Christ, where grace and forgiveness are offered in abundance.
what would it say?
My sign would say "ATTN: Jehovah's Witnesses: Before you knock on this door, be sure you've answered the "knocking" on your own (heart). We answered the "knock". Now this is a Christ honoring household. Knocking indicates to me that you want to know Him too".
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often i heard that with a brand new car, you can't drive at a constant speed for a long period of time, because it isn't good for a brand new motor.
they recommend driving at varaiable speeds and variable rpm for the first 1000 miles atleast.. just wondering if anyone here knows about this, and how many miles does it take for a new motor to be able to drive very long distances at constant highway speed without any problem.
FWIW, I just bought a new GM vehicle and in the owner's manual it says to avoid constant speeds for the first 500 miles. It also says to stay with speeds under 55 mph.
