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  2.    TrueTomHarley reacted to a post in a topic: How the New European Data Law Will Affect Jehovah’s Witnesses - My Take
  3.    JOHN BUTLER reacted to a post in a topic: How the New European Data Law Will Affect Jehovah’s Witnesses - My Take
  4.    JOHN BUTLER reacted to a post in a topic: How the New European Data Law Will Affect Jehovah’s Witnesses - My Take
  5. tnkrbl12 started following T.B. (Twyla)
  6.    Melinda Mills reacted to a post in a topic: How the New European Data Law Will Affect Jehovah’s Witnesses - My Take
  7. Today
  8. BillyTheKid46 started following How the New European Data Law Will Affect Jehovah’s Witnesses - My Take and There is Nothing New Under the Sun
  9. BillyTheKid46
    For almost two years, I have read many outrages idealism coming from opposers. I find it disheartening to know how embedded they have become to do Satan’s bidding in a natural world. For almost two years, I have read some within the Watchtower brotherhood compare themselves to opposers without realizing or perhaps they do, when they question the Watchtower authority, they also question God’s role with secular authority. If they find the secular authority to be a crime against humanity, then they must believe the Watchtower GB to be a crime against humanity, since God’s domain runs parallel. This is truly sad when the outward definition to satisfy a troubled heart is this. “Providence.” What is the definition of this word, and how can it be applied to God’s authority over, man. It’s sincerely a shame many that are now confused and conflicted with the way the Watchtower is moving forward are not only questioning the Watchtower abilities but also questioning God sovereignty. Many have become dismissive under their human emotion to say, we all have our own personal opinion if we want to, it doesn’t stop us from supporting God’s mission on earth, and our opinion certainly doesn’t affect others. The word “PROVIDENCE” once again comes into question. Who has this personal authority to relegate others on earth to question God’s authority? A Pharisee, an Unchurch fellowship, and un-conformist, a None-Church fellow, an atheist? If you are seriously looking to blame one within these groups, look no further, all these groups are within you. Then they understanding since 1879 should become clear with many in the organization comprised of the Watchtower in accordance with scriptural understanding to continue a standard of PROVIDENCE LEADERS. In an earthly expression, these leaders come by different names. However, which leaders of Christianity are following Christ example? Only God and Jesus know who the 144, 000 saints (anointed) will be. There is no predisposition for an anointed to automatically know he/she was chosen. Their earthly experience along with God’s Holy Spirit will guide those that have given of themselves to deserve such a role. While the apostles along with whomever Jesus appointed were NOT without sin, they accepted the role of Jesus faithful followers, even unto death. Did it make the Apostles infallible? No! Did it make those following Jesus infallible? NO! then why do opposers demand the Watchtower GB to see seen as infallible. Does it have to do with their teachings in the spirit of scripture? Does it mean there have been no one fallible within the ranks of the anointed class? I can remember, Judas Iscariot, and Raymond Franz. Were the Apostles condemned by the Jewish people for the actions of Judas? Then why do opposers condemn the Watchtower GB? Did Judas receive at that moment of hanging himself the fate of the second death? How about Raymond Franz. For leading people astray. Has anyone on earth claimed to be “infallible?” YES! The early Papacy claimed such honor by being Christ-like or the reincarnation of Christ himself. This would indeed bring into question how the original sin was washed away to make such a claim since Christ himself did not wash away any of the Apostles original sin. Then we would have to look at POPES, John Paul ll, and Benedict the XVl. This is to show the mentality of those that have trained their hearts to hate, without a real logical explanation, other than just to have anger and animosity toward fellow Stewart's completing a task is found in scripture. How about those that claim to be anointed. If a person has personal grievances about the contribution of other anointed? How then can that person be of the anointed class? That person can’t, since the first rule of Jesus instruction was to through away the old self, and start the commission anew. Scripture has NO double standards to its understanding, nor does it have a clause where anyone can pick and choose which commandments to obey. Just like the apostles obeyed all of Christ new covenant and the laws of God, so to do the anointed need to approach life with such vigor and zeal. Without that understanding, it is by name only that people subject their personal actions to ridicule and not having any claim to the righteousness of God’s gift found in God’s Holy Spirit. Back in the day, the Watchtower analyzed there were about 3000 anointed left. Now the figures have gone up to about 33,000. Does this mean all of those that claim divine inspiration actually have it? NO! To an extent, personal emotion at times gives a person compulsion to feel a certain way. Therefore, what is Jesus truth? The text of John 8:12 was entered as an example. What does the proper context of Jesus saying, “I am the light of the world” really mean within John 8:12-30. I Am the Light of the World 12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father2 who sent me. Is this not the same argument being presented by opposers about the Watchtower GB? It has similarities to understand the actions and conduct of those believing in themselves as an anointed to see the conduct of a Pharisee with such a claim. A claim of denial, that was apparent with the Pharisees with Jesus. While the Watchtower GB is neither Jesus nor the Apostles, they continue a vital role commissioned by God and Christ to “continue” to the very last day. When an anointed moves to a different understanding of scripture than the first century Christian under the direction of Christ, that chosen path is exposed as was done with Raymond Franz. Was he really removed because of his man-made crisis? Was he removed because some suggest, it was due to not supporting 607BC and 1914AD? NO! He was removed because his spirituality became conflicted. Therefore, a conflicted person cannot possibly think, God’s Holy Spirit dwells within themselves. Can we compare the early stages of Christianity with today? NO! Jesus new covenant was coming to pass and written for our modern day understanding. While that understanding was being cultivated, the Apostles were learning the way of Christianity through Jesus. In modern time, Bible Study is meant to adhere to what is already known about Jesus and the Apostles on what the framework was obeying God’s written commandments. No need for anyone to relearn the steps of the Apostles since they have been written into law. Then the proper intent with the correct context of John 8 is by describing the difference between light and darkness. Raymond Franz started in “light” but eventually fell into “darkness.” How did ancient Israel see the heavenly manna and the springs of life? Who brought those things to ancient Israel? That was the purpose of Christ saying in John 8. A person being full of God’s Holy Spirit, would understand exactly that. They would not contrive excuses as to why other anointed should not be or have failed in their task until GOD himself exposes such a person for judgment. The first thing Raymond lost, can be seen in Proverbs 3:5. The second thing Raymond lost is found in 1 John 4:1. The third thing Raymond lost was the ability to pray fully and resort back to scriptural understanding, rather than following his heart and mind. Fourth thing Raymond lost is found in 1 Corinthians 14:33 which in general subjected his bible understanding to a confusing ideology. Much as it’s been done here time after time by opposers that don’t understand this cited text of Corinthians. Of course, there are many more, but Raymond’s heart once conflicted and confused, made it impossible for God to leave such a bad apple, inside a barrel of apples to rot the rest. 1 Corinthians 31:12, 1 Peter 5:8 It is also possible some former Bethel members will contradict certain facts, with experiences they personally had. However, there is still an amount of loyalty to this fallen brethren that exists today, and that loyalty is also misplaced within the confines of a conflicted and confused, person. 2 Corinthians 11:14, 2 Corinthians 10:5, James 1:5 How then can anyone ask a conflicted person anything to do with Bible understanding instead of trusting in God for any misplaced personal understanding? 2 Timothy 2:7 The resemblance of an infraction of God’s Law however trivial might seem, NOT in keeping with the spirit in which God gave Christ the privilege of his sacrifice. A true anointed person full of spirit would know just that. Thanksgiving 3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring. The Judgment at Christ’s coming 5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 min flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
  10. BillyTheKid46
    Simple, obey the laws of the land just like in Spain the UK. It will not satisfy those that lack the understanding about laws in reference to no longer keep certain information at a kingdom hall, that the Watchtower is compelled by those new laws to do, to start claiming barrel fire burning of documents, but it will safeguard the Watchtower and secular authority from making mistakes if it comes to adjudicating someone for a serious crime.
  11.    BillyTheKid46 reacted to a post in a topic: How the New European Data Law Will Affect Jehovah’s Witnesses - My Take
  12. Outta Here
    Quite so. And the most economic. Why use a bone that needs replacement when there is one that will grow back?
  13.    Outta Here reacted to a post in a topic: How many ribs did Adam have?
  14. Outta Here
    No. That was Dun Kwik
  15.    Outta Here reacted to a post in a topic: How the New European Data Law Will Affect Jehovah’s Witnesses - My Take
  16.    Srecko Sostar reacted to a post in a topic: How the New European Data Law Will Affect Jehovah’s Witnesses - My Take
  17. Srecko Sostar
    Well, this verse not confirm how God torments Human Souls after Death , but while they are still Alive. :))))
  18. TrueTomHarley
    One atheist was trying to illuminate me on the wonders of science. He pointed to quantum theory, that a tiny particle might disappear here and simultaneously reappear there. “On a large scale, it would be as though I appeared right in your living room out of nowhere,” he told me. I replied that JW scientists knew all about this and had been working on the problem for some time, with obvious applications in the field ministry.
  19. Srecko Sostar
    Drones = type and anti-type interpretation of Bible reports about Locusts 9 Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the [a]bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And [b]they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.
  20.    Srecko Sostar reacted to a post in a topic: How the New European Data Law Will Affect Jehovah’s Witnesses - My Take
  21. TrueTomHarley
    YOU HAVE BEEN SPYING!! HOW ELSE COULD YOU KNOW??? STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!
  22. Srecko Sostar started following How the New European Data Law Will Affect Jehovah’s Witnesses - My Take
  23. Srecko Sostar
    Considering that the spirit drives your organization, and in regard what you say, we can assume that Preaching service with Drones (aka Advanced model of Mobile Cart :)))) will be introduced, soon.
  24.    Srecko Sostar reacted to a post in a topic: The Implications of Two MAJOR Watchtower Confessions
  25. Melinda Mills started following How the New European Data Law Will Affect Jehovah’s Witnesses - My Take
  26. Melinda Mills
    It is easy to call on mornings, then go home eat our lunch, take a sleep, then do something else for ourselves like entertainment, watching TV, etc. We feel smug that we went out, but did we reach all sorts of persons as 1 Timothy 2:3,4 talked about? We met a few persons who were at home after the majority went to work, but we need to call at different times to meet the others. We have to inconvenience ourselves at times to reach the others. All sorts of people - morning persons, evening persons, midnight persons, beach vendors, fishermen, etc. See picture in last weekend's Watchtower. Thoroughness is the key; not just regularity. If those taking the lead do not see it so, the status quo will continue.
  27. Srecko Sostar
    Wikipedia source: Etymology[edit] Coined in 2003 by Charles Krauthammer as Bush Derangement Syndrome (BDS) in The Washington Post article "The Delusional Dean".[1] Noun[edit] Derangement Syndrome (plural Derangement Syndromes) (idiomatic, colloquial) The acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal and balanced people triggered by the mention of a specific topic :))) in otherwise normal and balanced people :)))))
  28. derek1956
    The greatest surgeon in creation did this, so He knew what He was doing The rib is the only bone that grows back
  29. tomy tomy joined the community
  30. TrueTomHarley
    I can out-nit-pick you any day of the week. Not if it is about something in which you actually have to know something, such as the subjects that you used to bring up during your reign of terror, but on something like this..... Those silhouetted presentations that we see? Rarely do I like any of them.Sometimes I ask myself what in the world are they thinking? That is not to say that they are wrong. But I so seldom see them work in the field that I just can’t get too enthusiastic. If I am the companion at the door, I do not act even close to what is portrayed at the demos. I stand back a few steps, stare alternately off into space, and seemingly am hardly paying attention. I do this because otherwise it is two against one—ganging up on the householder, many of them will think. There are many circumstances that will vary this, gender and age-difference, for example, but I do not crowd the householder if I am the 2nd person (or even the first). If one was going to charge JWs with being a cult, (not that anyone here ever would) the strange choreography of some of these presentations strike me as exactly what they might offer as Exhibit A. They come across to me as somewhat weird. “Mr. Companion, would you read such-and-such for me?” “Yes, of course, Mr. Taking-the-Lead” “Thank you for that, Mr. Companion.” If someone asks me to read without clearing it with me beforehand, I decline. If someone does try to clear it with me beforehand, I decline at that time (unless there is some overriding reason for it) I am just there to get the person out of a jam or to put in my two cents if it truly seems necessary. Even in training a new one, I would not be comfortable doing it as I see demonstrated. When I trained Alex for the first time in the ministry, I took several doors while he just watched. Walking up the next driveway, we saw there was a young man in the garage working on his motorcycle. Since Alex also rode, I floated that maybe he would like to take this door. I wasn’t even serious about it—it was just a light suggestion. But Alex began speaking to him! He covered a few verses that he remembered and overall did very well, but then he began to taper off and hesitate—it was his first door, after all. The kid said, “Don’t stop now! This is really interesting!” What was with THAT?! Nobody had given ME the time of day up to that point! Even with young children, I have not done it as on the videos but have said “If you want to take a door, I will introduce you. This is mostly for me, not they, since if a waist-high child does all the talking from the start, I fear the householder will look at me as though to say “Cat got your tongue, dummy?” Willy, also in Tom Irregardless and Me, soon said that he didn’t want to be introduced. (My own kids had said it too) So I said that he could introduce me, or take all the doors himself. That is how it had gone all morning, save for a few awkward situations that I handled. As long as he remained comfortable, it had remained his turn. Sometimes a householder would say something to me, and I would reply (within reason) “Sorry—it’s his turn.”
  31. TrueTomHarley
    You did not mention Pearlsandswine’s verse (Revelation 21:8) and I take it to mean that is the one you use. With regard to Jeremiah 29:11, I guess this is true what you point out, and normally I would be on your side on this, but here i just can’t get too worked up over it. It is used essentially as an ice-breaker here. Call it not the primary application but a secondary one. The NT writers do it all the time (I think—I’ll have to ponder that one further) Don’t call it an anti-type, or you will get JTR going. But you can say ‘this reminds me of that.’ What is someone going to say—that it doesn’t? You get almost all of the upside and none of the downside of an ‘anti-type.’ While you were in sackcloth, you may not have noticed that someone pointed to a Religion News article (it may have been Outta Here) that Jer 29:11 was the new feel-good verse of our age, replacing John 3:14, which is now seen as too overbearing and insufficiently secular. He pointed to its use in Good News from God and speculated that we were the cause of it—that people had skimmed out that verse from the brochure and thrown away most of the rest. As for Matthew 5:3, I am not one of those who say the NWT is great and all the other translations suck, but in this case I think it has hit a home run. The really literal ones say “beggars of the spirit.” I sometimes tell the finicky ones that if you beg for something, it means that you know you need it, so “conscious of a spiritual need” is not such a bad rendering after all. In fact, it is almost the only readable one, because “poor in spirit” is incomprehensible to most people. See if you can shoot these down: “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew YOU! Get away from me, YOU workers of lawlessness.” Matthew 7:21-23 (The reason I like this verse is because some people are surprised to think it would be in the Bible. Jesus has been presented to them as someone who smiles over just about anything—it is almost impossible to get him riled—but if this verse is so, even some of those who say they are his followers he wants no part of.) “Therefore, YOU men of heart, listen to me.Far be it from the [true] God to act wickedly,And the Almighty to act unjustly!” Job 34:10 (The reason I like this verse is because some people think that he does act wickedly. And some, seeing all the atrocities that go down today, come to think that there is not a true God, for otherwise he would have fixed those bad things.) Once I have read the selected verse and commented as to why I read it, I tell the person that is all I wanted to do. The next move is up to them and they don’t have to make one. If their interest has been piqued—they have observations, comments, questions, I can stick around for a few moments, but if not, off I go. A very good way to respond if they say that they are in no rush is to start for them a video, giving them the ‘permission’ to hand it right back the moment they think it is dull. One other advantage of this method—and it is a major one—is that you do not have to prepare. Just offer to read a verse on whatever, and tell why you read it. With any interest, go for a video. I well remember the days of intense preparation—mostly in order to interest the householder in something that his/her mind was a million miles away from (the first or second householder often played the lab rat while I was working the bugs out), and I find this is so much more stress-free. (In the book, I said that Tom Pearlsandswine was especially attracted by this advantage, because he has never prepared for anything in his life.) It works almost too well. Recently at the offer to read a verse, a college student invited me into his apartment. (It was a pig-sty, as is common for that age-group, as was once common with me, and might still be were it not for the ever-vigilant Sister Harley, who joins a dozen other full-time servants to toil half a day to remove a quarter pound of dirt from the Assembly Hall to remind me that my more relaxed standards of tidiness don’t stand a snowball’s chance in you-know-where of ever prevailing.) I went through the verse, (and he didn’t even call me out about wanting to make peace with Babylon) the Good News video, the table of contents from that brochure, which he scanned and asked if there was one about the afterlife. I pointed him to the one and he read it right there and then. Seeing he was doing so, I told him he could ask about whatever or just read it while I shut up, which was perhaps the best thing. I also told him that since he was in college, that meant he was smart, but most people are not so smart or in college and—well, that the brochure was written at a very simple grade level and he must not get stumbled at that. Think of it as an outline, I said, just sufficient to ‘glue’ the scriptures together, any one of which could be expanded upon at length. “We could make it the size of a phone book if we wanted, [an illustration that is rapidly becoming obsolete—in fact, it probably is already] ] but most people like things simple,” I told him. When something with the ipad was uncooperative due to my ignorance, I simply handed it to him and told him to make it behave (which he did without difficulty). I routinely do this, confident that they know the tech aspect of my tools better than me. This is so easy that I find myself making sure I do not take unfair advantage. With the self-possession that comes with age, one can easily manipulate someone smart but inexperienced, and it is very important not to do that, or give the appearance of doing that. (advertising routinely does this, it is built upon this, and I often think that if there was any sincerity of the anti-cultists at all—if they truly wanted to do anything other than shoot down meaningful religion—that they would call for a ban on it) I offer to set up some return visits right then and there, but I also give him the option that I know he will probably take—and this fellow did—of getting in touch with me after he thinks about it. He has the contact card, and info on how to get in touch with me if he wants,, he knows of the website and the online study sessions, which do not ask for any registration and I will never know if he does it or not. The ball is in his court always. Should I call back, (actually I did not really frame it that I would on this call and I sort of wish that I had) it will only be to let him call the shots—show him what we have to offer, but always leaving him in the driver’s seat. I usually mention the language feature of the jw.org website—that at present, it includes just shy of 1000 languages, and that is not to boast but simply to prove one’s seriousness about the assignment. People speak many of them, not just one, so if you are serious about reaching people with a message, of course you will have such a tool. There is no excuse not to. I like to mention that if you combine Apple and Google and Wikipedia, it still comes not remotely close to the number of languages of jw.org, which is by far the largest in the world. I almost reproved him for being a little too trusting of strangers. Without his asking, I told him my motivation for doing what we do, by showing him Matthew 24:14, with the brief explanation that the present reality of 200 sovereign nations always squabbling and shoving at one another was not God’s idea and that he would one day replace it via his kingdom and if one believes such a thing, one comes to realize that he ought not just sit on the information but also tell it to others. This is a pretty lengthy diatribe. Sorry. I get carried away. I am not one of those who think that all awareness of spiritual need has pretty well dried up. Instead, I think it is huge and pent up. One other college student said as I was leaving after about 10 minutes—15 at most—and I have never had anyone say this to me: “Oh, and thanks for the guidance.”
  32. James Thomas Rook Jr.
    .... better than, anticipating government confiscation ... losing it ALL, I suppose.
  33. Kiwaya started following Weekly Study Materials
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  37. James Thomas Rook Jr.
    Right the internet gives lots of different meanings to this WDS idea. So please explain what exactly you mean by it as it could be one of many things. WDS is similar to TDS, and DDS.
  38. James Thomas Rook Jr.
    The Vietnamese Branch Office Lawyer?
  39. James Thomas Rook Jr.
    ... especially if you are a laboratory mouse, and your "Surgeon Rodentia" has sufficient grant money. I looked up your statement, and it appears to be mostly true, depending on the skill of a surgeon in removing the bone, and leaving the sheath that surrounds it mostly intact. Apparently the cells in that envelope "remember" how to rebuild bone. Thanks ... I learned something new today. I know you are new here derek1956, and I hope you do not mind me challenging every statement made for detail. It's not personal, ... I challenge everybody and everything, and am generally a colossal pain in the butt. I am 72 years old, and feel entitled to be obnoxious. Mice I catch in the house, I Fedex to Disneyland, to meet Mickey, who only has three fingers on each hand.
  40. Outta Here
    Long done
  41. JOHN BUTLER
    So will this new law give the JW Org an excuse to destroy information / data that it already has on record ? That could prove very convenient for the Org couldn't it .
  42. derek1956
    The rib is the only bone that grows back
  43. LAWRENCE THOMAS

    Are their any videos for the 2019 convention?

    1. T.B. (Twyla)

      T.B. (Twyla)

      Lawrence Thomas,  Sorry- I don't have any. TB

  44. InsurLinda InsurLinda changed their profile photo
  45. Outta Here
    We have got a great way to minimise our Not-At-Homes. We've been doing it for years: Not Homes.mp4
  46. InsurLinda InsurLinda joined the community
  47. JW Insider
    I have avoided my old habit of fault-finding for quite a while, but this one just brought up the need for some good, old-fashioned nit-picking again. One thing I like to avoid is the use of a scripture that appears so removed from context that we look like proof text cherry-pickers. I know the average householder is not going to notice at all, but it still seems like a stretch to use Jeremiah 29 as an "all encompassing verse." Here's why: In context, Jeremiah is saying that his fellow Jewish countrymen just have to give in to Babylon (in effect, they must now compromise with Babylon and pray for Babylon and whatever city they end up in) and let themselves be taken willingly to Babylon as captives. He says that if you allow Babylon to take you, you can try to do the best you can while you are living there and, because the entire Babylonian Empire is only supposed to last for 70 years max, and at least 13 or 14 of those years are already used up. (The 14 years detail is not part of our doctrine, but is clear from the Hebrew of Jeremiah 10:25; 28:17, 29:10, etc.) So, Jeremiah says that you are going to be a long time in Babylon, so if you just give in, by building houses, planting fruit trees, and getting married and having children in Babylon, you might even personally have a chance to come back to this nation, when Babylon's time is up. So, in context, Jeremiah is saying that this is a situation where people are lying to you, but if you follow Jehovah's thinking, there is a good solution by compromising with Babylon. But Jehovah's thinking also includes the thought that if you decide to listen to prophets like Hananiah, or decide to defend Israel/Judah, or defend the Temple, or defend the Davidic kingdom, or even listen to certain misguided prophets already in Babylon. For these Jehovah's thinking is as follows: (Jeremiah 29:1“For this is what Jehovah says to the king sitting on the throne of David and to all the people dwelling in this city, your brothers who have not gone with you into exile, 17 ‘This is what Jehovah of armies says: “Here I am sending against them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and I will make them like rotten figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten.”’ 18 “‘And I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, and I will make them an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, and a curse, and an object of astonishment, something to whistle at, and a reproach among all the nations to which I disperse them, 19 because they have not listened to my words that I sent to them with my servants the prophets,’ declares Jehovah, ‘sending them again and again.’ “‘But you have not listened,’ declares Jehovah. 20 “Therefore, hear the word of Jehovah, all you exiled people, whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon. 21 This is what Jehovah of armies, the God of Israel, says. . . , ‘Here I am giving them into the hand of King Neb·u·chad·nezʹzar of Babylon, and he will strike them down before your eyes. 22 And what happens to them will become a curse spoken by all the exiles of Judah in Babylon: “May Jehovah make you like Zed·e·kiʹah and like Aʹhab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!” . . . “‘“I am the One who knows, and I am a witness,” declares Jehovah.’” . . . 28 For he [Jeremiah] even sent to us at Babylon, saying: “It will be a long time! Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their fruit,—”’”’” In other words this is not an all encompassing verse about how Jehovah is not ready to rake us over, or that he is thinking good thoughts toward us. It's about a specific set of circumstances when he is about to rake a lot of people over, and is thinking to make a curse out of those who won't listen to Jehovah. In this case, Jehovah wanted his people to stop defending Judea and Jerusalem and their Davidic kingdom. He would only protect them if they "compromised" with the enemy and prayed for that enemy, at least until its 70 years was up. I wouldn't be as nit-picky about your use of Matthew 5:3 because I'm sure we all have the right idea on this one. But there is something to note here: Very few people know this verse as one that says anything about being conscious of something, especially not conscious of a spiritual need. In Greek, the verse just says, happy are those who are poor in spirit (the same words that would mean depressed or broken hearted or those with a "broken spirit." Most translations correctly say something like "poor in spirit" which aligns with parallel expressions in context about those who are meek, merciful, or mournful. Our NWT translation is more likely an interpretation rather than a translation here. If it were in an obscure place like Jeremiah it might be different, but a lot of people know the "beatitudes" from the Sermon on the Mount, and this could give them the impression we have changed the Bible to fit our beliefs. There are plenty of good replacement scriptures, however, which I'm sure you already know.
  48. Indiana

    My Android Phone

    Indiana posted a gallery image in Star Trek's Images

    My Android Phone
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