To my friends on the board,
I had troubles trying to find my password to log in, and because of that I had to come up with a new Password. I use to be Truth and Justice, so now its the same with the hyphens between the words.
I had read of certain ones here, getting an INVITE to the memorial. I never thought i would get one because I was Left alone and not bothered for 38 years, but to my surprise I received one, and I can guess who, which I believe is an individual I use to know 38 years ago. Sometimes I would see him in the grocery store. Along with the invite, was a watchtower magazine. I briefly looked at it with disgust, and handed it to my mother who was with me. She wasn't happy about it either. Just to be honest about it, what they showed in the magazine was stuff not any different than another religious organization putting theirs out. It portrayed negative images of the world around us and portraying the alternative of paradise and all the rosy-ness of a much better time. I am not against a better time for mankind, because even scripture provides such evidence.
And of course, tonight is the memorial for all Jehovah's witnesses thru out the world to commemorate the death of Jesus life.
For those who attend the service, in especially the Jehovah's witnesses, they will be expected to hear a talk from a representative within the congregation. In short, he will speak about the life of Jesus, his ransom sacrifice, and the hope of those who will serve with him in heaven as rulers. Then he will speak about those who have the hope of inheriting paradise earth with peace and happiness. Those who are in attendance who feel that they are participants with Christ will partake of the emblems, (Bread and Wine) as it is passed to them. Those of earthly life in paradise will NOT partake of the Bread and Wine. This particular part is the MOST difficult for all witnesses involved. Let me explain.
During the Memorial, a scripture is read as the following: "For as often as you eat this loaf and drink this cup, you keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives." It is UNTHINKABLE to be invited to a feast, a wedding, or a dinner engagement, and you eat nothing, or you have no part in the happiness of a couple who have just married. It would be disrespectful and disheartening. Why attend the Memorial and not partake, how do we keep proclaiming the death of our lord if we do not participate? This will be the most disappointing and CONFUSING event for a young bible study or WORLDLY PERSON as they are considered when they just watch the emblems just pass right by them. I like to be there to see how they explain that to them.
'Well, you see, (Prospective bible study person), you have to have more knowledge in your study of the bible, then you go over 120 Questions for baptism, then you have to have had an established presence in the field service, answer a couple of times at the meetings, give talks at the meetings.' This is how it works? This is very sad.
I like to quote the following statement from the Ray Franz Book "CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE", and in it he states: Page 289- "When a witness or anyone asks, "How does one know whether he or she is of the "annointed" class with heavenly hopes?" the standard response is to refer to Paul's statement at Romans 8: 16,17: "The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God's children. If, then, we are children, we are also heirs, heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ, provided we suffer together that we may also be glorified together." The official teaching has been, and is, that only those of the 144,000 "annointed" can have such 'witness of the spirit,' and that this would tell them that they were of the select group of 144,000 who alone could hope for heavenly life. All others could only be classed as "prospective" children of God and their hopes must be earthly." End of quote.
Each person shall make their own decision in how they feel, it is not the organization's job to decide for you. I, along with my mother will not attend the memorial, but rather we will celebrate the memorial from the privacy of my home. I will read the passages in Matthew 26 chapter and in Luke 23:32-56. (I have the wine, and I make the bread.) The bread is typically made with 1 cup of wheat flour and approx 1/3 cup of water. You roll it out very flat and press a fork all over the top, put it in baking dish lightly oiled for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. That was the way it was made when I use to go to memorial.
I find it very offensive to God that with all the problems the organization has brought upon themselves such as: criminal activity involving abuse of children and the suppression of the matter which has resulted in numerous lawsuits around the world, the merging of kingdom halls and forcing brothers and sisters to travel longer distances to attend another hall, and then selling the halls and recovering the money for themselves, the rampant immoral conduct that has festered thru out the headquarters and organization, the United Nations scandal, the Malawi scandal, not alone the numerous cutbacks that the society has had to make for their very survival. And for the society to even suggests that holy spirit is behind them is appalling.
It also reminds me of the dramatic changes they made to the Baptism questions from the mid 1950's to what they are now. See if you can recognize the change.
Something that I also found quite interesting from Franz's book was that many brothers and sisters would celebrate the memorial in their home or maybe with a few friends reading the passages concerning Jesus death and the emblems following the same steps that Jesus outlined in the scriptures. It is a different feeling when the scriptures are followed and you have partaken. I have learned thru doing a lot of reading that many witnesses feel disheartened and incomplete because of their feelings about memorial. I am glad that Jesus will be my judge in the end, and not some man-made organization. I trust that Jehovah understands his TRUE PEOPLE and what they have had to endure with this messed up world right now and the abuse of a hateful body of men without any love or compassion. It reminds me of what scripture says in Ez 34th chapter where God will bring back his sheep to him, because of the false sheperds that have scattered his sheep. And I happen to be one of them sheep that was scattered 38 years ago.
Happy Trails to all and a safe journey,