Posts by fjtoth

47

News Flash! Letter from Governing Body announcing meeting schedule changes

by mizzarco in

the watchtower meeting (this congregation meets on sat) that i just listened to via phone conference was cut 10 minutes short to have a letter read to all the congregation.

here are the highlights:.

- the governing body realizes that the pressures of this system of things are getting heavier on his people.. - just like the governing body of the 1st century, we do not want to add additional burden to you either.

fjtoth

Thanks, Frank, I didn't realize you translated Spanish. Miss your graphics.

Thanks, Blondie. Here's a graphic some might like:

Frank

30

New announcement from the 1st time zone in the world.

by karter in

just got back from the assembly the bookstudy will be part of the ministry school service metting as of 2009. the cost of fuel is 1 reason.

to many elders taking bookstudys time could be better spent on other things.

family heads can now spend more time with there familys.

fjtoth

.

A copy of the letter appears here:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/157251/1.ashx

47

News Flash! Letter from Governing Body announcing meeting schedule changes

by mizzarco in

the watchtower meeting (this congregation meets on sat) that i just listened to via phone conference was cut 10 minutes short to have a letter read to all the congregation.

here are the highlights:.

- the governing body realizes that the pressures of this system of things are getting heavier on his people.. - just like the governing body of the 1st century, we do not want to add additional burden to you either.

fjtoth

The following is not the English original, but a translation:

To be READ AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE WATCHTOWER STUDY OF THE WEEK OF APRIL 21 - 27, 2008:

Dear Brothers:

As indicated in the Bible at 1 Corinthians 7:31, "the scene of this world is changing." Each passing day confirms that these words are inspired and true. As the "great tribulation" approaches, Satan demonstrates increasing rage against us. -- Matthew 24:21; 1 Peter 5:8, 9; Revelation 12:17.

The Governing Body understands very well the increasing pressures that confront you, the Lord's beloved sheep. Just like the Governing Body of the first century, we do not want you to bear any more burdens than those that are necessary. (Acts 15:6, 28) Consequently, after engaging in a great amount of meditation and prayer, we have decided to adopt measures to alleviate those burdens by modifying the weekly program of meetings. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Beginning January 1, 2009, the Congregation Book Study will be combined with the Theocratic Ministry School and Service Meeting. No longer will it be known as the Congregation Book Study. Instead, it will be called the Congregation Bible Study. Following a song and prayer, the length of the study will be twenty-five minutes, and it will be conducted similar to the way it is now. It will be led by a rotation of qualified elders. Next there will come the Theocratic Ministry School, which will last thirty minutes. Then, after another song, the Service Meeting will begin, and it will last thirty-five minutes. The meeting will conclude with a song and prayer. Combined in this way, these meetings will total an hour and forty five minutes, including the prayers and songs.

Meetings for field service will be according to the current system, and will consist of small groups. Later we will be sending additional information about the Congregation Bible Studies and meetings for field service.

This change in our weekly program offers several benefíts. For example, making less trips for congregation meetings will save much time as well as fuel which in numerous countries is more and more expensive. But there is a benefit of even greater significance. It will offer more time for the important responsibility of Bible study on a personal and family level.

In effect, the changes in the weekly program will allow us to strengthen the spirituality of the family, devoting one night to Family Worship. Family heads must assume the responsibility that Jehovah has given to them of leading their households in a significant weekly study of the Bible. (Deuteronomy 6:6, 7) And single brothers and sisters who do not have family responsibilities should use this time for their personal study of the Bible. It is essential to be "buying out the opportune time" and to strengthen one another as we consider the events that are soon to occur. (Ephesians 5:15, 16) The day of Jehovah is indeed approaching rapidly. (Zephaniah 1:14; 2 Peter 3:12) So it is more urgent than ever that we make use of the time that remains to build up one another upon our "most holy faith." (Jude 20)

Let's make good use of these changes while we keep on following the lead of the Great Shepherd who guides us to grassy pastures where we find peace and refreshment. (Psalm 23:2, 3) We pray Jehovah will keep on protecting you and giving you spiritual strength in these difficult times. With Christian love,

Your brothers,

Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses

P.S. to the presiding overseer:

Once the letter has been read in all the congregations that share the same Kingdom Hall, please place this letter on the announcements board, where it should remain for two weeks and then filed.

22

Do good works by JWs count for anything?

by greendawn in

we all know that the wts like so many other cults is an exploitative organisation that works with a great depth of deception that's not easy for many to grasp.

but will the works done by jws for this religion count in their favour if they were done in good faith?

at least the ones that didn't directly harm anyone?

fjtoth

. Neither JWs nor people of any other denomination are going to be rewarded for their Christian works. In Matthew 7:22, 23, the people Jesus condemned were not those who say, "Lord, Lord, did we not go door-to-door in Jehovah's name, and in his name attend many meetings, and in his name refuse blood transfusions?" The condemned ones are prophesying, exorcising and miracle working in the name of Jesus, things that JWs don't claim to do.

What counts with Jesus is doing "the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21) But the 'doing' is not what we ordinarily define as 'doing.' Jesus' view of 'doing' is given in verse 24: "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock."

Acting on Jesus' words is not necessarily working for a church, visiting the sick, feeding the poor, distributing Bibles or in other ways spreading the gospel. It can include those actions, but not every Christian is capable of or in a position to do those things.

Jesus was concluding his Sermon on the Mount. "These words of mine" are the things he taught in that Sermon. Acting upon "these words" has to do with the heart and with the way we live. And as he indicated in the Sermon's final illustration, our Christian way of life will be put through severe testing. (Matthew 7:24-27) Whether we claim to be Christians as JWs or of any other denomination or of no denomination at all, we will be rewarded only if we pass such tests as trial, temptation, bereavement, sickness, poverty and death in a way that satisfies the divine Judge.

.

38

What do you do when you want to wack an old woman?????

by wings in

jw
friends

anybody want to give me a big stick?????.

.

fjtoth

Anybody have a joke? That always makes me feel better.

Here's one from the latest Saturday Evening Post:

I've sure gotten old. I've had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement, new knees. Fought prostate cancer and diabetes. I'm half blind, can't hear anything quieter than a jet engine, take 40 different medications that make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts. Have bouts with dementia. Have poor circulation; hardly feel my hands and feet anymore. Can't remember if I'm 85 or 92. Have lost all my friends. But, thank God, I still have my driver's license.

Here's another one:

Three guys die together in an accident and go to heaven. When they get there, St. Peter says, "We only have one rule here in heaven ... don't step on the ducks."

So they enter heaven, and sure enough, there are ducks all over the place. It is almost impossible not to step on a duck, and although they try their best to avoid them, the first guy accidentally
steps on one.

Along comes St. Peter with the ugliest woman he ever saw. St. Peter chains them together and says "Your punishment for stepping on a duck is to spend eternity chained to this ugly woman!"

The next day, the second guy steps accidentally on a duck, and along comes St. Peter, who doesn't miss a thing, and with him is another extremely ugly woman. He chains them together with
the same admonishment as for the first guy.

The third guy has observed all this and not wanting to be chained for all eternity to an ugly woman, is very, VERY careful where he steps. He manages to go months without stepping on any
ducks, but one day St. Peter comes up to him with the most gorgeous woman he has ever laid eyes on ... a very tall, tanned, curvaceous, sexy blonde. St. Peter chains them together without
saying a word. The guy remarks, "I wonder what I did to deserve being chained to you for all of eternity?"

She says, "I don't know about you, but I stepped on a duck."

27

If the Bible was written more clearly, would there be a need to preach?

by easyreader1970 in

jw
friends

part of the reason there are so many divisions and opinions and versions of the bible is because, quite honestly, alot of it just doesn't make any sense.

it's full of symbolism, metaphors, allegories, parables, and even some of the narratives conflict with themselves.

the book of revelation makes no sense at all.

fjtoth

Greater men and women than most of us have had good things to say about the Bible, and that's likely because they read it and in some cases made a study of it.

For example, Ulysses S Grant said, "To the influence of this book we are indebted for all the progress made in true civilization, and to this we must look as our guide for the future."

"This great book is the best gift God has given to man." -- Abraham Lincoln.

"The New Testament is the best book the world has ever known or will know." -- Charles Dickens.

"A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education." -- Theodore Roosevelt.

"Unless we form the habit of going to the Bible in bright moments as well as in trouble, we cannot fully respond to its consolations because we lack equilibrium between light and darkness." -- Helen Keller.

"If Christians would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today." -- Mahatma Gandhi.

It's easy to mock the Bible if we haven't read it and if we listen to others who have a compelling need to ridicule. But many persons have seen its value to the extent that they have been motivated to make the Bible the most widely translated and distributed book the world has ever seen.

And is it really that hard to understand? Even the meaning of Revelation, a book filled with mysterious symbolic language, becomes crystal clear after we discern that those symbols are based on similar language in earlier writings within Hebrew culture.

Jesus thought it was a good idea that some cannot understand God's message. He said, "I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants." (Matthew 11:25; Luke 10:21) Whether we like it or not, God is examining the hearts and even the kidneys of all persons to determine their character. Our acceptance or rejection of the Bible is doubtless a determining factor in whether or not we will receive the glory and immortality he has promised to those who love him.

39

Do you feel reading through the bible in the past has benefited you at all?

by Hope4Others in

putting the doctrine aside do you feel it has given you any advantages?

case in point my son posts on university sites and often the topic about the bible.

and god come up.

fjtoth

The Bible is the greatest book ever written!

I agree. There are lots of good things to read these days. We can join book clubs, read magazines and even wade through an extensive encyclopedia. Then there are newspapers and the internet. Reading is a source of joy, and that's true of reading the Bible. And why not? All of us enjoy the creation that surrounds us in nature, and the Bible speaks of how all of this was meant for our good right from the beginning. Much of human history is sad, but the Bible explains and illustrates why. It assures us of better days coming, perfectly beautiful days that will last forever. It stresses that the source of all good things, including the book itself, is God. Billions of people are convinced that God is for real, so a book from him ought to be the best book there is. That's easy to say, but we can't know for sure until we open it up and examine it for ourselves. If we do, and if we stay with it for awhile, we begin to sense that a relationship has begun to develop between ourselves and the God who gave us the book. There is nothing in life more exhilarating and heartwarming than that.

God's book contains all the elements that make literature great. On almost every page there are amazing characters, engrossing stories, and surprise endings. The themes of life and daily living run through the book, and even more importantly, so do the teachings about God and how to draw closer to him. We sometimes come across beautiful poetry, some of which was intended for lofty music to be performed by large orchestras. There are no better topics and there is no better book to motivate us to rise above ourselves and to experience God's care and concern for our eternal welfare. We ought to be vitally interested in reading that kind of book. If we once had that interest and then lost it, now might be a good time to rediscover the joy of reading the Bible and to get better acquainted with the God who gave it to us.

130

"Real one" threatens athiests with Jugement Day! Why do Christians do this?

by Witness 007 in

"real one" is a christian on this site and gets involved in many debates with athiests.

on my thread "jesus was just a man" he said:"non-beleivers will see jesus one day and you will not be happy.

" on my trinity thread:".....oh his {gods} existence is established.

fjtoth

Hi Mouthy and Barbie,

No, I'm not an artist though I wish I was. But with a computer you can do almost anything these days.

Frank

130

"Real one" threatens athiests with Jugement Day! Why do Christians do this?

by Witness 007 in

"real one" is a christian on this site and gets involved in many debates with athiests.

on my thread "jesus was just a man" he said:"non-beleivers will see jesus one day and you will not be happy.

" on my trinity thread:".....oh his {gods} existence is established.

fjtoth

130

"Real one" threatens athiests with Jugement Day! Why do Christians do this?

by Witness 007 in

"real one" is a christian on this site and gets involved in many debates with athiests.

on my thread "jesus was just a man" he said:"non-beleivers will see jesus one day and you will not be happy.

" on my trinity thread:".....oh his {gods} existence is established.

fjtoth

nomoreguilt,

Amen!

The following text comes to mind: "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!" (Matthew 18:7) No one will ever be attracted to the Christian message by anyone as conceited and arrogant as "real one" is showing himself to be again and again.

fjtoth