Good points all. Question: What if Jesus was only referring to his generation? Then this is all moot.
Separation of Powers
JoinedPosts by Separation of Powers
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28
The best explanation of Matthew 24 and 'This Generation', that I've read so far
by Island Man inhttp://meletivivlon.com/2014/04/02/this-generation-a-new-premise/.
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Today i miss my friends and feel negative. How did you overcome?
by Jon Preston intoday nothing feels right.
i feel like a bystander to all things.
as if im nowhere and have no forward progression.
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Separation of Powers
Hello Jon
I have my bouts as well, at times. I keep reminding myself that I have chosen to take a different path and although I miss the association, I really don't miss any of the people. When I remove my desire for camaraderie from the equation, I admit that most of those with whom I once associated frequently were very shallow sorts. We spent most of our time chatting about almost nothing at all, particularly nothing important.
To address the vacancy, in terms of association, I began to take classes at the local college, online mainly. It gave me a goal and provided some interaction, meaningful interaction. Then, I found some charity that needed support, something I believed in and made it a point to make sure that I interacted with others who likewise found it meaningful.
Additionally, I reached out to family who were not consumed by the ORG, and I came to the most meaningful of realizations, namely, there are a lot of good people out there that would like to be your friend. True, genuine people who will have your back in a crisis, who will visit you in the hospital, who will hold your hand when you cry, or laugh out loud at your jokes. People, who like you, have made drastic turns in their lives and are looking for someone to help them fill their void.
One of the most crucial things you have to do is STOP THINKING LIKE A JW. No, I don't mean forget your morals or ethics; I mean don't look at others as if they are all destined for death or otherwise merit it. Believe it or not, it may well be part of your psyche. Open your eyes, grasp each day, say hello to a stranger and believe in a cause. Kindness is now my religion. It has made a difference.
With kind regard,
SOP
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I need help! Talk coming up and I need ideas fast!
by BU2B inomg i am so distressed.
i have a talk coming up on tuesday, it is the number 3 "abiram.
why opposing god appointed authority is tantamount to opposing god himself"!.
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Separation of Powers
I thought about the way that the talk might be given....
SAMPLE TALK: Abiram
Is it wise to simply follow a crowd just because it seems that they are right and someone else is wrong? Is it wise to give in to the peer pressure of a group?
There is an old saying, "show me who you associate with and I will tell you who you are."
This saying aptly can be made of Abiram. Now there are 3 different Abirams mentioned in the Bible, I guess it was once a common Hebrew name. But, the one we are referring to tonight is the one mentioned in the book of Number. He is mentioned in connection with his brother, Dathan and another, more notable fellow...Korah.
You may remember Korah as the principal "noteworthy" who challenged the authority of Moses and Aaron in the desert. Abiram was part of his inner circle. Although he was complicit in relation to this rebellion against Moses, it was apparently the "fame" of Korah that moved him to join in this endeavor. Let's read about this in Numbers chapter 16 (choose a couple of the verses that highlight Korah as the ringleader.)
We learn valuable lessons from this account. Notice how the men involved in this rebellion were men of "fame" or "noteworthy." They were respected men who used their notariety to promote their interests NOT God's. By rebelling, they were in direct conflict with God.
We must remember that Moses was the mediator between God and Israel. These "noteworthy" ones did not wish to see Moses fulfill those duties, rather, they wished to take the place of Moses. Afterall, didn't they say in verse 3 "are we not all consecrated?" (Or something like that...I am trying to remember the story from memory)
No, they wished the fame for themselves. Today, Jesus is God's chosen mediator. Never should we allow someone or something to try and overshadow his relevance in God's purpose or try to take the honor and prestige for themselves and thus, affect our relationship with the Most High, just a Korah Dathan and Abiram did.
The example of Korah Dathan and Abiram serves in another capacity as well. Notice Number 26:10-11. There were others that joined in the rebellion against the Mediator, Moses, 250 others in fact. They did so willingly. They may have been pressured by others in the group to conform to a line of reasoning that was shallow or unfounded, Who knows? But, they blindly followed. Yes, they should have asked questions. They should have wondered if there was some "other" reason why Korah Dathan and Abiram were asking people to follow them or at least "respect" their authority, although self-appointed. Who knows why? But, they apparently did not. No, in the eyes of God, they were just as guilty as the three, no four with the inclusion of the man On. They accepted that these "men" wanted to be treated as special. That they "deserved" consideration because they "believed" that they were in fact special and others conferred that "specialness" to them. No, the destruction of those 250 was a warning for the Israelites and serves as a warning for us. Never, never should we allow anyone to take the place of God's chosen Mediator. It is he alone that Jehovah has appointed. Let the example of Abiram be a warning for us. A warning to not simply follow others, but, as Christians, follow God's appointed ruler.
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Is it all about the money?
by Laika inoften on this forum there are posts about how the gb are obsessed with money and some people here often suggest this impacts every decision the gb makes i.e.
on my holiday thread it was suggested jws aren't allowed to celebrate holidays as it means spending money on presents that they want for themselves.. i however, do not think this is at all true.
the society rarely talks about money and as a percentage of income i think the vast majority of jws contribute a very small amount simply because the society rarely talk about it.. obviously money is important to the society in the sense that they couldn't run a major organisation without it, so they have to ask for it at times and factor it in to some of their decision making, but actually the gb live quite frugally and seem to worry much more about clinging to their authority and power than getting rich.. my controversial suggestion of the day is that saying the gb are obsessed with money must make us look silly to lurkers.. what does the jwn intellegentsia think then?.
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Separation of Powers
Someone other than the GB are worried about the money....But it seems to be all about the money.
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The Good News of The Kingdom - Gods Plan for Salvation through the Ransom (Help Needed)
by objectivetruth inwhen i first began studying in order to "make the truth my own", there were a set of scriptures that perplexed me and motivated me to dig deeper.. the scriptures are regarding the resurrection of the inhabitants of sodom & gomorrah.. see jesus words here - matthew 10:15 - "truly i say to you, it will be more endurable for the land of sodom and gomorrah on judgment day than for that city.
" (ezekiel 16:48 / matthew 11:23 / matthew 11:24 / luke 10:12 ).
any time that i brought these scriptures up to jw friends and family they would reply like this "jesus was speaking in hyperbole.. that is why he said it would be more endurable".. i would clarify and show them that it says "will be".
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Separation of Powers
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son....
If that is the case, if we are to believe that God, in fact, did that and that Jesus was indeed his Son. Then the rest of the scripture is all you need to know. "that whoever BELIEVES in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
No reason for a dissertation. It is plain and simple. Don't convolute it with positions and nuanced expositions. Accept it if you choose to.
SOP
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The Good News of The Kingdom - Gods Plan for Salvation through the Ransom (Help Needed)
by objectivetruth inwhen i first began studying in order to "make the truth my own", there were a set of scriptures that perplexed me and motivated me to dig deeper.. the scriptures are regarding the resurrection of the inhabitants of sodom & gomorrah.. see jesus words here - matthew 10:15 - "truly i say to you, it will be more endurable for the land of sodom and gomorrah on judgment day than for that city.
" (ezekiel 16:48 / matthew 11:23 / matthew 11:24 / luke 10:12 ).
any time that i brought these scriptures up to jw friends and family they would reply like this "jesus was speaking in hyperbole.. that is why he said it would be more endurable".. i would clarify and show them that it says "will be".
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The Good News of The Kingdom - Gods Plan for Salvation through the Ransom (Help Needed)
by objectivetruth inwhen i first began studying in order to "make the truth my own", there were a set of scriptures that perplexed me and motivated me to dig deeper.. the scriptures are regarding the resurrection of the inhabitants of sodom & gomorrah.. see jesus words here - matthew 10:15 - "truly i say to you, it will be more endurable for the land of sodom and gomorrah on judgment day than for that city.
" (ezekiel 16:48 / matthew 11:23 / matthew 11:24 / luke 10:12 ).
any time that i brought these scriptures up to jw friends and family they would reply like this "jesus was speaking in hyperbole.. that is why he said it would be more endurable".. i would clarify and show them that it says "will be".
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Separation of Powers
If it was really all that important, don't you think JESUS would have said it more clearly?
Could it be that the translators wanted to make it difficult to understand so that people in religious power could twist and contort the meaning of scripture?
There is absolutely no difference between the ability the ORG has to interpret scripture and say it is the truth and the Catholic Church doing the same....resurrection and judgment day, both are the prods by which a religious person moves, one moves them to see their loved ones, the other moves them to see their loved ones...guilt and manipulation will move people to believe A LOT of stuff!
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Not All Anointed Ones Alive Today Are Part Of 'This generation'
by OwnAccord inwhere do they come up with this stuff?.
this is a topic on 'the other site'.
i actually called our bethel ny branch and talked to a brother on the writing committee, at writing correspondence.
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Will firing the DOs be the first step to a new Watchtower?
by Juan Viejo2 inagainst my better judgement, i've decided to share the following as a response to guy pierce passing and the announcement of the elimination of district overseers later this year.. late in january (2014) i got an email from one of my contacts (a fader) who served at bethel for several years, but is no longer at wt hq.
he still has a lot of close contacts within the service department and in other departments at patterson and knows people in all of the ny offices.
i kept this email set aside on a flash drive and haven't shared it with anyone - figuring i'd publish an article about it later this year when i had more time to do it right.
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Separation of Powers
Appointed= Anointed
Very clever...very clever indeed. The early Church had absolutely NO issues with the laying on of hands to appoint someone to a position of oversight. It was a symbolic gesture indicating that the "Lord" was behind the decision. If you take the account where Judas Iscariot was replaced, it was a simple casting of lots. Yes, one of the most important decisions in the history of the Christian Church was made with a roll of the dice!
That being the case, there is nothing that leads me to believe that a decision as important as the appointment to the GB should be made any differently. If the "laying of the hands" meant divine appointment...then why not make the "anointing" by "appointing."
Biblical precedent? The words of Jesus to Peter, "whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven..." If Peter had the authority of the keys of the Kingdom and the current GB are actually MORE IMPORTANT than Peter according to the recent Faithful and Discreet Slave interpretation, then logically, THEY can anoint with Holy Spirit just as well as the Almighty.
I actually believe that this aspect of the email may well have some merit.
SOP
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What do you think are the future doctrine changes will be?
by thedepressedsoul inthe whole organization is going through huge and big changes.
it can be seen by names of departments, to how things function and teaches.
my questions to you is, what do you think the future changes will be, both in teaching and organizational matters?.
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Separation of Powers
Ok, I'm back. This is what I forsee. This is supposition just like when we use to go out in service and ramble about upcoming changes, nothing more.
144,000- No longer really matters as Sir82 so eloquently pointed out. It is a no-brainer. Get rid of the acutal number or else just minimize any importance to it and those that partake....they have no say anyways.
DO and CO- Well, call me the prognosticator of prognosticators cause I just read a letter that totally obliterates the DO arrangement!!! Now, with regard to the CO's? Well, the NEW school for Christian couples or whatever in the world it is called, requires that the couples who attend are capable of providing financially for themselves. This is an interesting requirement. It means that if you attend the school and are ready to be used "wherever there is a need" then why not in the Circuit work! Yes, these "financially independent" couples will be the next wave of CO's. And you know what, they will work for free! Nothing but the accolades to keep them going! Money saver indeed!
Publications- A new, easy to understand study book for new ones desiring to learn the "truth" may be published. This will ensure an influx of capital as it will take the place of every other study book. It will also be silver in color like the revised NWT and lovingly called the "silver dagger" or as it will jokingly be called, "the silver shank." The book will be pushed harder than the Truth book of the past, but a new referendum will accompany it, namely, the six month rule. In other words, as the ORG did with the Truth book, with much success I must add, the six month-your baptized-or-your out will be implemented. It will spur on the active with urgency and the hangers-on with a sense of impending doom. It WILL BE A SUCCESS mind you, just you wait.
GB expansion- The GB will grow in numbers. With the demise of the DO position, many long time DO's may be considered for GB and interestingly enough, there may be an increase in those who partake from this very group. This will enable them to not have a break in service while still promoting the cause.
SOP