Patiently waiting for Truth

The Jewish religious leaders had the Hebrew scriptures but did not have the help of God's holy spirit to understand the things they were reading. The men that became the 12 disciples would have known the Hebrew scriptures because they were Jews, but how much attention those men would have given to the reasoning on the scriptures is unknown. So it would seem that although those scriptures were 'available', they were not fully understood. It is also very interesting that, even though 11 of the 12 remained loyal to Jesus, Jesus did not open up the scriptures to them during his ministry. So it must have been a deliberate action by Jesus to keep some things 'hidden' from the disciples. John 16 : 12 Berean Literal Bible "Yet I have many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them now." It was only after Jesus was resurrected that He fully opened up the Hebrew scriptures to His disciples. And of course Judas was no longer one of them. Luke 24 13 But look! on that very day, two of them were traveling to a village named Em·maʹus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, (these 2 were not of the 11). Berean Study Bible 32, They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us as He spoke with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24 : 33 And they got up in that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and they found the Eleven and those assembled together with them (NWT) 36 While they were speaking of these things, he himself stood in their midst and said to them: “May you have peace.” (NWT) 44 He then said to them: “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was yet with you, that all the things written about me in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and Psalms must be fulfilled.” (NWT) 45 New International VersionThen he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. So at that point it would seem that all those disciples would have had their minds opened and could fully understand the Hebrew scriptures. Looking onward at Acts 1 : 8 "But you will receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you, and you will be witnesses of me in Jerusalem, in all Ju·deʹa and Sa·marʹi·a, and to the most distant part of the earth.” Acts 2 "Now while the day of the Festival of Pentecost was in progress, they were all together at the same place. 2 Suddenly there was a noise from heaven, just like that of a rushing, stiff breeze, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And tongues as if of fire became visible to them and were distributed, and one came to rest on each one of them, 4 and they all became filled with holy spirit and started to speak in different languages, just as the spirit enabled them to speak." An interesting point at Acts 2 : 32 & 33 32 God resurrected this Jesus, and of this we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore, because he was exalted to the right hand of God and received the promised holy spirit from the Father, he has poured out what you see and hear. (NWT) Berean Literal Bible33. Therefore having been exalted at the right hand of God, and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He has poured out this which you are both seeing and hearing. So is this saying that it is Jesus that 'pours out Holy Spirit' now, not God ? Now up to this point I've only mentioned the Hebrew scriptures, because that was all that they had. And also I've only covered the point that these were true Christian followers of Christ. We now move forward nearly 2,000 years. We now have the Greek scriptures, which were written by some of those true followers of Christ, and written under inspiration of holy spirit. But we neither have those true Christian followers, nor do we have an opening up of the true meaning of those Greek scriptures. As in the days of those Jewish religious leaders of the 1st century, who had the Hebrew scriptures but could not understand the full meaning and importance of them. We now have the full Hebrew and Greek scriptures available but do not understand the full meaning and importance of them. So as it was in 33 C. E. when Jesus opened up the Hebrew scriptures to His true followers, so it is necessary for Jesus to open up the full meaning of the scriptures now. But questions need answering. Were those Jewish religious leaders really trying to understand scripture or were they just misusing scripture for their own gain ? And again, is any religion today, trying to understand scripture or are all religions just misusing scripture for their own gain ? Jesus drew people out from that Jewish religion and traditions of men. But that Jewish religion had been God's chosen way up until that time. Is there any religion now that may have been God's chosen way, and is Jesus going to draw people out from it ? Jesus fully opened up the scriptures to only a few chosen ones. Is Jesus once again going to open up the full scriptures to a few chosen ones ? It obviously hasn't happened yet. All religions are groping around in the dark. In the first century Jesus seemed to leave it until the last 'minute' to open up those scriptures, so will Jesus once again leave it until the 'last minute' before giving full understanding to His true followers ? Hence I am, Patiently waiting for Truth. I think that is better than trying to rush ahead of God or Christ. Jesus has 'all authority' and HE will open up the scriptures at His chosen time.

Well the Bible Students and Watchtower writers (GB & JW Org inc') have, from thier very begining, been putting dates, times and seasons on the coming Judgement Day. So then, they must be in the dark. Even now there is this rumour of another date, 2034 is it ? So who started that one, and are they also in the dark ?

Wasn't this one of the things made 'illegal' in the Law given to Moses (yes I know that's badly worded)

That Eph' scripture does not mention 'the congregation'. It is only the Anointed that are part of the Body of Christ, that holy Temple. The rest of the congregation are but 'little dogs' that feed from the crumbs dropping from the table. The GB are in for trouble then. The GB are beating their 'fellow slaves' and telling those Anointed slaves not to meet together. The GB say it would be 'working against God's Holy Spirit for the Anointed to gather together for prayer or bible study. I think that many faithful servants of God through Christ now do not believe that 1914 has any true spiritual meaning. However, I keep coming back to the point where we are told in Scripture that ' on account of the elect / holy ones 'those days will be cut short' Matthew 24 :22 Berean Study BibleIf those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. So how short is short ? Will those days be reduced by a month, a year, how much ? Juggling numbers means nothing unless the true answers come from God, through Christ, by Holy Spirit.

I don't think 'evil' existed in the beginning so Satan didn't actually 'choose evil', he 'created it'. The same as disobedience didn't exist until Satan was disobedient to God. The problem all humans have is that we use words to explain things, and all of those words can mean different things to different people. It becomes more complicated when words need to be translated from one language to another. Will there not be a final testing at the end of a thousand years of Christ's reign ? Oh yes but JWs are also taught to SHUN anyone that leaves the ORG. Shunning their own children. Turning their teenage children out of the house. And they pretend tis is love.

Oh dear not that lie about 1914 again !!!!! @JW Insider Waht do you think ?

So you disagree with the scripture I quoted then ? And I disagree with your second sentance when the debate is or should be Bible based. The Apostles didn't even have the bible / full scriptures, although they had something much better as they were inspired by God's Holy Spirit. But I cannot quite figure out how you or other JWs can be 'no part of the world' when you and others rely so much upon the writings of 'worldly' people. The words in books, other than the Bible, are just people's opinions or a person's version of 'the facts'. If you are so easily swayed by the opinions of this 'world' then you cannot be 'no part of this world'. Why ? Because those worldly opinions have an affect on your life which causes you to think or act in harmony with them instead of in harmony wtih God's word and Jesus' direction.

I make no fuss about individuality. It is the GB that does not allow it. However I do make known the faults of your bosses the GB and their 'policemen' elders. The suit and tie thing IS actually part of this world. And it's part of the reasoning from Jesus about washing the inside of the dish as well as the outside. Remember how the Jewish religious leaders would look clean on the outside, and so it is with the JW Org, all about outward appearance even though the Org is immoral. All the JW CSA pedophiles would have dressed smart to please the Org.

Do you spend all your time sitting reading books ? Maybe you should take note of scripture instead. Ecclesaistes 12 : 11 through 14. The words of the wise are like oxgoads, and their collected sayings are like firmly embedded nails; they have been given from one shepherd. 12 As for anything besides these, my son, be warned: To the making of many books there is no end, and much devotion to them is wearisome to the flesh.13 The conclusion of the matter, everything having been heard, is: Fear the true God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole obligation of man. 14 For the true God will judge every deed, including every hidden thing, as to whether it is good or bad.

Yes I read that one online. Putting on the complete suit of armour. I don't think Jesus was mentioned once but of course the Organisaton was mentioned.

I've no idea what your message is here but I do not know anyone other that JWs that demand that i wear a suit and tie everywhere I go.

Reminds me of something an Elder once told me. He and his wife were hippies before becoming JWs, and he had long hair and his wife wore miniskirts. They were invited to a Memorial and that was how they were when they attended. He said, all the brothers were in suits and ties and all the sisters were in long dresses or long skirts, and he said they just felt terrible. But everyone there welcomed them just as they were.... So yes there is a balance to be met, and as you say diverse backgrounds mean diverse tastes

Oh I didn't know they mentioned wearing a suit and tie in the scriptures. The Elders really did kick off at me when i used to attend meetings in an open neck shirt and no jacket in the heat of the summer. The summer weather that God himself created for our enjoyment, but by rules of men, people are made to suffer.

The point of it all is the challenge / disagreement / confict / proving of, the point that Humans need God's direction and help to be able to live, share, enjoy, appreciate and cherish life on this beautiful planet Earth. The challenge came from Satan the Devil and God is now answering that challenge. The proof is already there that humans cannot do it alone, and God, through Christ, has proven that humans can remain obedient and loyal to God by being helped by God's Holy Spirit. One does not have to be living in a 'Christian pigeonhole' that has the JW stamp on it, to know that God has a plan of action to 'bring to ruin those ruining this Earth'. But one does have to try to serve God through Jesus Christ to be able to look toward the reward of life here in a 'new world' here on Earth. So the point of life right now is to do your best to prove God right, and to try to live a Christian life in as many ways as possible. But that does not mean obeying the rules of men, it means obeying the rules from God through Christ as best you can. Those rules are written in the Bible and can be understood by most people... The deeper things in God's word though, are for the True Anointed remnant, who will be made known before the Judgement arrives.

Wow ! GB inspired conversation going on here. Hate on people with hair or beards. Discriminate between black and white where hair or beards are concerned. Wow. This is really showing the thoughts of pretend Elders and other pretend servants of God. Grow up, get a life, and let ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE COME TO GOD THROUGH CHRIST. Once those people have found God through Chrsit, then THEIR OWN conscience will give them guidance as to how to wear their hair or beard or no beard. One way that the GB / Elders / JWs make a very big mistake is, to give orders to people on how to dress etc. A true Christian will know that service to God through Christ comes from 'inside' a person's heart and mind, not from obeying orders from domineering 'overlords'.

This is so funny Rambo.. Losing KHs They have just built Warwick and now they are going to build Ramapo. So they obviously don't think Armageddon is very close. Worship with spirit and truth ??? You are having a laugh. The GB only worship themselves and their multi-organisations which have $$$$ and real estate.. It's all for show. Rambo you write so well and sound so serious, but you tell lies just like your Leaders.

I have empathy / sympathy for those who were sexually abused as children, and for those still being abused.. And I believe it hasn't stopped happening in the JW Org. In my opinion the GB and their lawyers are just being more sly in how they handle it. It seems too that Elders are still using the Clergy Penitent Privilege to hide Pedophiles in the congregations. Perhaps many of those pedophiles are actually Elders themselves. So much has become known now that it is clear to see how immoral and dishonest the GB and their organisations are. Will it be a time of cleansing ? Or, will it be a time of destruction ? Who knows ? One thing is for sure, the W/t & JW Org is not being run by True Anointed ones right now.

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20210527/trial-scheduled-for-jehovahs-witnesses-elders-accused-of-failing-to-report-sexual-abuse Two Jehovah's Witnesses elders accused of failing to notify police that a congregant was sexually abusing a child are scheduled for a joint trial in July. Jehovah's Witnesses elder Michael Penkava, 72, of Crystal Lake, and Colin Scott, 87, of Cary, were charged in November with violating reporting provisions. Both men are accused of failing to notify police about a church member who later was convicted of sexually abusing a child. The abuse continued for more than a decade after the church elders became aware of the accusations, prosecutors have said. A judge on Wednesday denied a request to exclude testimony regarding potentially "confidential" meetings between church leaders and the now-convicted man. The charges against Scott and Penkava are rooted in another man's sexual assault conviction. Accusations against that man, 43-year-old church member Arturo Hernandez-Pedraza, surfaced during a confessional or spiritual guidance setting, according to Prossnitz and attorney Terry Ekl, who represents Scott. In 2019, a jury convicted Hernandez-Pedraza of all counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, predatory criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual abuse, sexual relations within families and domestic battery charges filed against him. He is serving a 45-year prison sentence at Pontiac Correctional Center. Penkava invoked his right as a religious leader to not testify at Hernandez-Pedraza's trial, but he still was required to answer questions about actions the congregation took after learning of the sexual abuse more than 10 years before it was reported. Because the accusations surfaced during a confessional, Penkava and Scott's attorneys now argue the disclosure should be considered privileged communication between faith leaders and congregants. Assistant McHenry County State's Attorney Ashur Youash, however, said that privilege doesn't extend to situations involving abused or neglected children and isn't grounds for failure to report. --------------------------------------------------------------------- They are still hiding behind the clergy privilege thing, so no lessons have been learnt. The GB and others in control, and the Elders are still more interested in the 'face of the Org' and in saving money, than they are in the congregation. Does God and Jesus really approve of this ? No of course not.

YES CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE JW ORG IS COMPLETELY COMPARABLE TO TERROISM. BUT TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU IT IS JUST COLLATERAL DAMAGE.

You are correct. My mistake, although you only used that to sidetrack from my comment about atrocities. And once again we have you, a pretend Christian, calling me names. JWs would receive nothing by holy spirit, hence they use the Clergy Privilege excuse in court cases. Then I fully hope that as many JWs, GB members et al, will be exposed as liars asap. Because that would be a true witness against false religious teachings and practices.

Would falsely predicting Armageddon on many occasions just to frighten people into the Orgs, and would stating that a person MUST BE a baptised JW to be saved, count toward atrocities ? Would deliberately misusing the Romans 13 scripture to give power and authority to the Leaders of the Orgs be classed as an atrocity ? And would the Leaders giving orders to Elders, and the Elders obeying such orders, to keep CSA and known pedophiles information secret inside the JW Org, qualify as atrocities ? Well I think it would, especially to those people seriously affected by such actions.

Reasonable people are not necessarily True Christians though, including the GB and their lawyers. However True Christians will know the words that Jesus spoke and that were recorded for use by the True Anointed ones. Even we, the 'little dogs', can gain some guidance from some basic scripture. Jesus said " For you expressed sympathy for those in prison and you accepted joyfully the plundering of your belongings, knowing that you yourselves have a better and an enduring possession." So whilst Arauna is worrying about man made 'theft laws', True Christians Earth wide are living by God's Laws through Jesus Christ.

I just found this on JW Org. What Does the Bible Say About Revenge? The Bible’s answer Even though a person may feel justified in taking revenge, doing so goes against the Bible’s counsel: “Do not say: ‘I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will get even with him.” (Proverbs 24:29, footnote) The Bible contains advice that has helped many overcome a desire for revenge. What is wrong with seeking revenge? If someone offended or harmed you, it is natural to feel angry and to want the other person to be punished for what he or she did. However, taking personal revenge is not in harmony with the Bible’s message. Why? When humans seek their own revenge, it displeases God. In the Bible, Jehovah God says: “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” (Romans 12:19) The Bible encourages those who have been wronged to seek peaceful ways to resolve matters when possible instead of pursuing revenge. (Romans 12:18) But what if such peaceful avenues are exhausted or unavailable? The Scriptures admonish us to trust in Jehovah to right all wrongs.—Psalm 42:10, 11.

It's not about being happy with it, it's about having a true Christian personality and being obedient to the words of God through Christ. And acting in harmony with the scriptures : Hebrews 10 : 32 though 34. However, keep remembering the former days in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle along with sufferings. 33 At times you were publicly exposed both to reproaches and to tribulations, and at times you shared with those who were having such an experience. 34 For you expressed sympathy for those in prison and you accepted joyfully the plundering of your belongings, knowing that you yourselves have a better and an enduring possession. So it seems that the GB should accept joyfully what is happening. But they have no true faith and therefore they will not be obedient to God.

But what you are deliberately avoiding is the fact that Jesus understood law and true justice BUT he said those words I quoted from Matthew.. Jesus did not say take them all to court and grab as much money as you can when you sue them.