Srecko Sostar

Dear reader. You have often come across terms, God's holy spirit and God's love. You have also often prayed for the favor of God, among other things asking that God's holy spirit help you, guide you, to have a spirit. Some Bible passages say that God gives something to people. We find expressions that say how God gives: - his spirit without measure - John 3:34. - a certain measure of faith - Rom 12: 3 - a measure of grace - Eph. 4: 7 - measure of authority - 2 Cor. 10:13 - a double measure of blessing - Isaiah 61: 7 - double measure of inheritance - Deut 21:17 - double measure for bad deeds - Rev. 18: 6 Also how a man seeks or receives from another man: - double measure of spirit - 2 Cr. 2: 9 - double honor - 1 Tim. 5:17 There are also allegations relating to love. How love is given or received and under what circumstances: And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. ”- John 14:21 For God loved the world, - John 3:16 I love those who love me - Prov 8:17 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens - Psalm 36: 5 -7 I have loved you with everlasting love; - Jer 31: 3 From these statements we can see that love also works under certain circumstances. Sometimes it's eternal, going to heaven. Sometimes it is conditioned because he says: I will love you if you love me", "if you obey, listen me". Based on the paragraphs that speak of giving / receiving a spirit, I could conclude that God gives the holy spirit to those who seek it, and those whose hearts are pure receive that spirit from God. When GB claims that they make mistakes in word and deed because they are not perfect and because they are not "spirit-inspired," then that is just an excuse. When they claim that they are not "inspired by the spirit of God," that would mean that God does not give his spirit to anyone, not even to them. So, if they, as "God's elected," "anointed," cannot be "inspired," then they are actually sending the message that no one else can be "inspired." And then such a claim has the consequence, meaning, that God and his spirit are not able to be active. God works through his spirit, doesn't he? Well, he created the universe with his spirit ?! He wrote the Bible with his spirit ?! He uttered prophecies with his spirit ?! And today the spirit is unable to act on the few people sitting in Warwick? Does God lie when he says, "... for God gives the Spirit without limit. - John. 3:34 Is the problem in the spirit of God? Or is it a problem in humans? :))

I think how another fact is also clear to God. Noah and their family didn't produced better humankind after Flood. According to JW preaching, today's humankind is on top of list in badness. According to idea you explained, best solution would be, what god once expressed in his thinking - 7 So Jehovah said: “I am going to wipe men whom I have created off the surface of the ground,- to destroy all people and to release himself from this agony :)))

Yes, that is core thing in a individual faith vs collective faith. Collective faith power is visible from some WT magazine paragraph as in one who speaking about teachings that are unique to JW organization. WT Society said how Salvation is only possible inside Organization and inside respecting whole spectar of Teachings presented by GB. Here i see contradiction that exists when JW facing with difficult situations. You made good point how issue of Salvation is on other side of spectar, and not in respecting teachings that is questionable or periodicaly changed. But as it was already said, core faith (not core doctrine/doctrines) is Jesus. Faith in Jesus.

Are you ready to die for faith?

:)) sorry for poor quality of video. Language is Croatian with few Italian refren. Train To Genoa I haven't seen you for a long time And now I am on my way to you On the cold window glass I wrote Your name and Rijeka - Genoa I haven't seen you for a long time Are you still the one I know? This train is cozy But I'm restless I'm drinking my third coffee On the train to Genoa [Refrain] Do you still love me, tell me What does your heart say Are we still together If that's not love Tell me what is love Tell me truthfully I remember everything You can see the bay Ships' lights from your room But I, I don't want it to end This train is running late I hope you're waiting for me https://lyricstranslate.com/en/il-treno-genova-train-genoa.html

You made good points. I would like to reformulate idea in question you put in focus: Are you ready to die for beliefs ? Nothing about to die for core doctrines or less important doctrines. Because they can be changed. They can be truth, of course, but they can be useless fantasy, too.

I think how two things must be destroyed to dust before. 1) Priest,Clergy,Lawyer,Client - penitent privilege 2) Spiritual Warfare .....and then, maybe, we get the answers :)

After reading this verse (and not for the first time) you used, some sort of new light come on me :))) In it i see basic for concept how you not need one particular organized religion that will collect people who are acceptable to him. Verse said: but in every nation. Various people living in various nations. And as individuals they accepting or rejecting social normative of people around them (nation aka religion aka political ideology etc). That is not easy, as we all know. But verse say, who fears him and does what is right. This is very simplified explanation on theme: who is acceptable to god. But it is in level of what Jesus explained too: Love god, love neighbor. Nothing about complicated theology, interpretations, doctrines, instructions, clarifications ...... I like it how this two declarations, from Peter and Jesus, are in harmony :))..... it must be, looks like - "Simplified Edition" for beginners :)))

Yes, Anna. I found, how it is unreasonable, out of common sense, not to have normal conversation of two human, or at least, as minimum to say, Hallo. Sometimes it would depend on in what relations they were before, of course. When you mentioned, Christians 24/7, i suppose how that would include to "love the enemy" as Jesus said. If some JW member want to "love his enemy" in Jesus' context of teaching, i guess how dfd or dis member are not consider to be worst than "the enemy, men from nation" ?! :)) Or is he/she? If we go so far in conclusions about some bro/sis, perhaps it will be good to remind self how sort of "final judgement" for all of us will be in some future time, i guess, and not now. And process subject in that "judgement" will not be because we belonged or not belonged to particular religion, now, but because of some other issues. Below is quote from WT publication what JW believes it is Judgmental Day. (Judgment Day will be not only a time of instruction from God but also a time for those alive to apply what they learn and enjoy the blessings that result.) - https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/g201001/what-is-judgment-day/.

..... is this one more of points on a list of "clarifications" about "The Truth" :))

The greatest gift Versions: #1#2#3#4 I'd like to offer you a gift Something sweet Something rare Not an ordinary gift Not one of those that you lost Or never opened Or that you have left in the train Or never accepted But one of those that you open and cry That you are happy about and you don't pretend to be On this day of mid-September I will dedicate to you My greatest gift I'll like to give your smile away to the moon So that whoever looks at it at night, can think of you So it would remember to you that my love is important And that it doesn't matter what people say Because you have protected me with your jealousy And even though very tired you smile never disapperead I have to go but in my heart I know Your presence is always an arrival And never a departure My greatest gift My greatest gift I would like you to offer me a gift An untold dream Give it to me right now One of those that I don't know how to open In front of other people Because my greatest gift It's only ours forever. I'll like to give your smile away to the moon So whoever looks at it at night, can think of you So it would remember to you that my love is important And that it doesn't matter what people say Because you have protected me with your jealousy And even though very tired you smile never disapperead I have to go but in my heart I know Your presence is always an arrival And never... And if the end had to come now Let it be in a ravine Not in order to hate me But only because I want to fly And if this agony denies everything to you If it denies to you the life itself, breathe mine And I was being very careful not to fall in love before I met you And I was confusing my life with the others' I don't want to harm myself anymore now Love, love I'll like to give your smile away to the moon So whoever looks at it at night, can think of you So it would remember to you that my love is important And that it doesn't matter what people say And then Given love, taken love, never rendered love A love as great as the time that never surrendered A love that speaks to me with your eyes I have in front of me You are, you are. you are My greatest gift https://lyricstranslate.com

Oh God, How I Love You In the sky, the clouds that are going towards the sea, pass by. They seem like white handkerchiefs that salute our love. Oh God..., how I love you! It is not possible, to have in my arms so much happiness. To kiss your lips that smell of wind. We two, in love like nobody in the world... Oh God.., how I love you! It makes me cry. In all my life I have never felt a love so dear, a love so true. Who can stop the river that runs towards the sea, the swallows in the sky that are going towards the sun, who can change the love, my love for you? Oh God..., how I love you! A love so dear, a love so true. Who can stop the river that runs towards the sea, the swallows in the sky that are going towards the sun, who can change the love, my love for you? Oh God..., how I love you! Oh God..., how I love you! https://lyricstranslate.com

I am sorry, but this way of reasoning, contra-arguments and logic not working so well. Obviously God did not inspire those paragraphs With this argumentation, do you try to say how some other paragraphs are inspired by God?? Nevertheless, you shouldn't judge dead people by the morals of today. Perhaps you are right in this. But than you have to accept how today's people shouldn't be judge by morals of past generations. What moral standards and from what past period of time we should to take as our moral standards today? Should we take moral standards of ancient patriarchs who had been in possession of few wife's and plenty of slaves? Because that was quite morally for people in the past. You probably have an ancestor that believed something similar yourself. We all have ancestors.

It is interesting how from time to time, from post to post some unanimous individuals falling from some unknown Planet, and start giving down-vote symbol to other people comments. :))))) This is funny, but also very good. Because their reaction are proof how they read comments and found it serious to such level that they (comments) in fact pressed right bottom in people's minds and feelings.

Dear @Arauna , nothing in my comments are written because of hate. Just try to openly discussing about religious practice and reasons for such beliefs and practice.

:))) you are not a person who speaks things that are not true ...... only things you believe it is true, but you claiming funny thing with this. Please go to JW library, link below, and you will not find nothing about this elder's book, or pioneer's book ....they don't exist for public. https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/lv/r1/lp-e/0/56506

From time to time there is some TV program here, where some young Catholic are proud to say how they respect marriage as Bible talking about. I don't know is it good to talk about people of any religious belongings as more or less "moral" than in some other religious group. Compare this two practices: JW dfd members who are sexually immoral. In some other religion they kill them. Does second religious group show more zeal for "purity" inside their religion? Do they act as "god's servant who carry sword and punishing all who brake the law according to authority god gave them"? When whole World will be coming JW congregation, would/will sinners be dfd or killed? And, who will execute the judgment?

To whom more is given, more will be demanded' - this is fine proverb. What i see in this verse is not how "classes" come to existence. You open interesting question. Does some "rules" are obligated to specific "class" of people inside same group of people. Or, are they "same group" if they have "classes"? Is JW one "flock" with two separate groups? It can depends on Who is the Source and Creator of structure and how He/They imagined it have to look like...... and so on. To be inside topic, we should ask your question in this way: Does practice of shunning is only mandatory for one sort of people, "class" of JW (elders for example)? And how other JW's are not obligated to follow such strict rule in this subject?

I used Google translator for all text this time, perhaps that is the reason :)))))) Do you want my Croatian original? Examples, instructions and advises are published on many places in WT magazine study articles mainly, and some specifics are in "Flock" rule book. All we need is time and patient to find it and make a list of them (by chronology, by subject...)

You must have noticed that she's barefoot on stage. When the program manager returned, they gave a warm hug each other. Angelina was so genuinely surprised by the gift and gave her another tender hug. .... anyway, she is talent and sensible performer. Still, how to connect lyrics with such young person. I found further songs she singing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhmLra5lAlk&feature=emb_rel_pause

Thanks! If you go to listen and watch some other videos, you will also notice how she, Lara, going complètement with emotions through song while singing.

In the OT, there is a direct command, “Thou shalt not kill (murder)!” This command should contain God's view of human life, which emphasizes that life is holy, sacred before God, but also that people must have the same feeling about the lives of other people around them. By reading the Bible, which describes the events before and after the occurrence of this commandment, we can see that this commandment has no absolute power. Within the same set of legal provisions, there are other commandments that were binding on the Israelites, too. For example, commands like; "Don't steal, don't lie, don't commit fornication ...". These commandments should never have been ignored or mitigated by some extraordinary circumstances. The specificity of this commandment, "You shall not kill," is evident in the fact that it was not of valid, obligation for all men and for all circumstances. Powerful individuals in Israel sometimes making their own decisions to go on military campaigns against others (Israelis and non-Israelis) The law also justified killing for revenge. In some other places, God commands the death penalty against an individual. Also, the Bible describes that God instituted great actions that justified killing of other people. These were most often military actions aimed at killing soldiers of the enemy army, but also their families. The killings of these other tribes and people were justified on the basis of several facts: 1) they were not Israelis 2) they lived in territory that the Israel nation were to conquer for themselves, 3) they belonged to other religions. The execution of the death penalty for a crime still exists today in some societies and legal systems. Obviously, the death penalty decision is based on balance. The one who killed must be killed. But from some other biblical examples we have seen that murder is not the only crime punishable by death. The disobedient child was also sentenced to death. Different religious affiliations or different religious beliefs also led to the death penalty. Adultery was punished by death. From what we have described so far, we can see how the command, "shall not kill," had a stretched meaning. It is therefore necessary to look at religious practices that are not new but may draw some parallels in symbolism and meaning. As you may already guessed, it is about an act of symbolic "killing" that is carried out in such a way to exclude (disfellowship) another person from a particular social (religious) group in a specific way - by ignoring aka shunning. Shunning (this is about JW organization in particular) can be made because of two conclusions. The first conclusion is reached by an individual JW member who believes that another member of the congregation has wronged/sinned against the Bible and its principles to the extent that he / she personally presents a spiritual anomaly (in the form of a spiritual illness or threat) and decides to "label" particular person as inappropriate for him to have socializing contacts. He seeks to avoid contact and minimize any literal and spiritual communion. In second conclusion, the conviction of the inappropriateness of a member is made by the body of the elders. The judgment may be based on the morally inappropriate behavior of an individual member, or it may be that an individual no longer agrees with the ideological and organizational structure or with the theological solutions of the organization what made him/her as "hostile element". This is when a person is removed from congregational members aka "spiritually killed" in such a way to excommunicate (dfd) them (he,she) from the community and impose a ban on almost every contact with the dfd person. The ban has few variations and interpretations of how the shunning should be carried out. But the very core of such a demand not to contact the excluded person is evident from the widespread practice that JW members have consistently implemented - the excluded (dfd) is not even greeted with the simplest “Good afternoon” greeting (hallo) on the street. JW's want to be peaceful people who go to jail in some countries because not want even to carry weapon in mandatory military service. They don't want take self-defense courses even for protect themselves when attacked. But they are motivated to be active in using spiritual weapons and warfare against ex members who are in a disagreement with doctrinal issues. And "killing" them with shunning. What are your thoughts?