Patiently waiting for Truth

I can use 'translate' you know.

Who wants to see a brother get sick and possibly die just because non-witnesses are advocating social disobedience? Oh dear you people do make me laugh. Is this how you frighten your children ? non-witnesses are advocating social disobedience.. Give it a rest. You really are making the CCJW seem like a cult, and I've never used that expression before. But you make yourself look and sound so stupid. You lump all non JWs together and pretend they are at war with the CCJW and with the world. And as for Keeping observing in safeguarding the faithful. Um, sounds like Matthew 5 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

@Srecko Sostar It means as always that they are looking for a sign. The GB and Writing department are physical men not spiritual men. They need physical signs as they have no true Faith in God or Christ. They grab hold of anything to use it as a sign.

So, GB calling themselves the F&DS, not inspired of God, but placing themselves above all other Anointed ones. Supposedly guiding an organisation from scripture, but unable to, or not willing to, answer questions from a loyal servant of 50 years standing. That sounds like a worldly government to me. But of course they will grab your donations willingly. Don't you honestly think there is something seriously wrong there ? Don't you think that if it was God's true organisation God would sort it out ? Don't you think Christ would just give it a kick up the rump ? The question i would like to ask I cannot, for fear of being d/fed from here, and that's how wrong the GB of CCJW are, they even have overpowering influence here.

Here in UK it seems that more people are opening up their homes and people are meeting in groups of around twenty. Quite reminds me of the 'Tuesday group meetings / book study' we used to have. It's kinda funny that even though they all shun me they still want me to know what's going on. Messages arrive through my wife..... What is also funny is how some of you still love to group Ex- Witnesses together as if we are an army fighting against the CCJW. Some of us actually want the CCJW to continue. I'm personally looking forward to the outcome in a few years time, if God allows me to live that long. The CSA will be sorted out in probably 3 to 5 years. The True Anointed will be in place by the end of 5 years (in my opinion), but whether they will be in the CCJW or else where remains to be seen. The world conditions will of course be much worse by then and I think people will seriously begin to reason on whether God exists and if such a God will rescue mankind. At the moment life is too easy for many of us. We can sit on here and burble, in our warm homes whilst munching on chocolate biscuits. I don't think the Apostle Paul or others had it that easy. No, things need to get gritty. So I do hope the CCJW continues, although I may never be part of it again. But i haven't completely shut that door and maybe many other Ex JWs haven't shut that door either. God will use any individual He wants and whatever group of people He wants to. Maybe some of you should stop being so anti Ex JWs. If you feel Ex jWs are your enemies then didn't Jesus say to love your enemies.

@Tom Henry " Are we to tell God he has made a "poor" choice of those that decided to pick up the mantle from dead Christianity, that was only awakened by the reformers? " What makes you think God had anything to do with it ? If it had been God's choice then those men would not have 'run ahead' and chose to use their own understanding, thereby making so many mistakes. Quote " Were we supposed to STOP all bible knowledge in the 16th century even though we have a more powerful understanding of scripture today? " The GB and CCJW do NOT have a 'more powerful understanding of scripture today' They are fumbling in the dark with 8 million people lives hanging in the balance. Quote "Are we uplifting other peoples spirituality or is it simpler to sway them to condemnation?" JWs and Bible students are not being lifted spiritually. They are being weighed down with burdens from the GB down to the Elders. They are not being taught truth because the GB and the Writing department do not have truth. NO One in the CCJW is inspired of God's Holy spirit. They are the 'blind leading the blind'. The Anointed are not doing the job they were anointed to do. There is no spiritual guidance right now. You have your own understanding, but others have their own understanding. I am wise enough to know that i do not have spiritual guidance or understanding.

James, I know the Shepherding book is online, but it's not supposed to be, hence congregants shouldn't be looking for it there. And as you've said the US Armed Forces 'rule book' is available to all that are entitled to read it. With such a book deliberately NOT freely available to congregants it makes it clear to me that the GB do not want congregants to 'know the rules'. It makes it so easy for individual Elders to make up their own interpretation of each and every rule. If the GB really believe they are the F&DS and if they believe they have the GOD given right to rule it over the congregation, then i would have thought they would have made their rules available to all congregants to read. But no, the Elders can use the excuse 'Causing a Division in the Congregation' to have anyone removed from the congregation. But James, you own experience you mention above, about being basically shunned, gives proof of the lack of love in the CCJW. I'm sure many of us could relate similar instances which would show lack of love, mercy, justice , friendship etc in the CCJW. To me it just proves the hypocrisy within the whole organisation. To 'Go out and make disciples of people, to then push them away after they are baptised members of the Org. It seems to prove that it's just about adding numbers / quantity of people, or in fact quantity of money, to the Org. So, voting, um, can you write directly to the GB on this one ? Would they answer you ?

" More reason for updates and further directives if this is a problem for overseers, and validating why Bro Rook wants to see something more detailed written." BUT the 'updates and directives' would be in THAT secret little book for the Elders, so no good for the congregants. What the CCJW needs is an open book for the whole CCJW congregation. A rule book that everyone can read. On every subject. A rule book that congregants can quote to the Elders. Is that what Bro Rook wants ?

" Whoever we are, if our heart yearns for truth, Holy Spirit will lead us to it. " I wish this were true. I no longer believe it.

OTHERWISE ... we chase more conscience driven, honest hearted people away from the Truth, than we can recruit. Of course you do, you always have. Back to the CSA issue. It doesn't matter what is put in writing. I would have thought you have been involved with the CCJW long enough to know that. It is PERSONAL OPINION OF INDIVIDUAL ELDERS and Circuit Overseers that do the damage. But it is allowed to happen from the top down. It's all personal opinion, even the GB's rules and regulations. NONE OF IT COMES FROM GOD OR CHRIST.

@Kosonen And it all made sense because at that time all the anointed were considered to be part of the faithful slave. And, Do tell me who had the right to change that ? Your GB think they have the right to demote the Anointed and to EXALT themselves, and exalt the Elders, but you still serve them ? @TrueTomHarley Can you explain this please :- Many of those who carry on about anointing here have or will soon lose all sense of there being 144K and even the reason for anointing. It seems to be that they largely go back to the church model that ‘all good people go to heaven.’ Where do you get this idea from ? I do realise of course that as you serve your GB, and the GB care not for the Anointed, that you probably also care not for the Anointed. However the scriptures tell us to care for the Anointed ones, Christ's brothers.

The situation is not good earth wide.

Quote " He will need counsel and discipline and we [elders] need to be alert to the OVERALL spiritual welfare of the brother. " That somehow reminds me of the excuse "Causing a division in the congregation" It covers a multitude of sins or accusations there of.

Coronavirus: Jehovah’s Witnesses Cancel Historical Evangelism In UK With the apparent failure of the western powers to contain a further spread of the contagious coronavirus, a religious organisation, the Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW), has cancelled its historical mode of evangelism across the United Kingdom.For fear of the disease, the Christian religion organisation, for the first time in the history of its existence, announced the cancellation of its evangelism activities, including house-to-house, street and literature cart witnessing in the entire UK.The cancellation was coming for the first time in 139 years since the religion sect got to London in 1881 and the opening of its first branch there in 1900.A source based in London told Tribune Online that the JW has further announced the cancellation of their usual Sunday meeting gatherings in their entire place of worship, known as Kingdom Halls, in the whole of the United Kingdom. “Local congregation body of elders now awaits further directives from JW headquarters and branches in what will unfold in the coming weeks,” the source further revealed. Source : https://tribuneonlineng.com/coronavirus-jehovahs-witnesses-cancel-historical-evangelism-in-uk/

Trust in whom though ?

I have been having similar thoughts. Maybe God through Christ could use this virus to do His will. I must keep some of my thoughts to myself as i do not wish to be d/fed from this forum.

So how are you all ? I hope you are all fit and well. Have all of your meetings and assemblies around the earth been cancelled ? and if so is it a government cancellation or an Org cancellation ? And has all door to door ministry been cancelled ? I hear that our dear Boris (UK PM) might put be putting folks like me (people over 70 years old) on complete lock down for more than a month. That would give me time to do some reading. Being 70 and having had pneumonia in 2015 maybe I've more chance of catching this thing, i don't know. But I'm not in panic. My faith in God and the resurrection is enough to keep me happy. It would be nice to know how this is affecting JWs around the earth though. Keep well but more importantly keep faithful in God through Christ..

Tom you live in a dream world. Your GB doesn't tell JWs to trust in Jesus. Your GB tells JWs to trust in the GB. Don't you remember that being said by one member of the GB. To trust them. Your words " Trust in him would set those Jews apart from others. Truth would then set them free through acceptance and obedience." So the trust should be in God through Christ right ? Acceptance and obedience should then also be to God through Christ right ? But your Governing Body call themselves the F&DS and they want acceptance and obedience to them, to those 8 men. But at the same time they admit to NOT being inspired or guided by God's Holy Spirit. They admit that they make mistakes and get it wrong but they still expect 'acceptance and obedience'. They make up rules, they take over people consciences, they domineer. They exalt themselves above all the true Anointed ones. Truth would set a person free from lies, but your GB do not have truth. All they have is their own personal opinions. You and I have our own personal opinions, but you wouldn't obey me and I wouldn't obey you. So why should anyone obey those 8 men that have exalted themselves above others ? They are no better than politicians that exalt themselves.

I voted to leave the EU and we are half way there. But it's so lovely not to have to worry about the GB's opinions and the Elders opinions on things. It is now THREE weeks, and nobody knows the answer. Maybe your bosses, the GB, haven't decided on an answer yet .

Quote "Witnesses should be made aware of not locking themselves with worldly views." Then we get this "It doesn't minimize the responsibility of the GB to standout as responsible men in accordance with scripture." Where in scripture does it say that 8 men in America should exalt themselves above all of the Anointed Earthwide ? Luke 14 v 11 warns against such actions. In honesty the GB seem a bit ---- in this respect. I do wonder how American JWs would feel if the GB were all of another kind and based in another country. (I know I have to be careful with my words here ) BUT @Tom Henry Witnesses should be made aware of not locking themselves with GB views. Remember it's GOD'S view that matters not the GB of CCJW.

Nothing sets us free. We as humans are never and will never be free. Humans are in subjection and always will be. Quote " Before the truth sets you free, it tends to make you miserable. " Nothing can 'make you miserable'. People own their own feelings. A person can make themselves miserable. For instance, if one is completely shunned by the CCJW, one can decide how they will deal with it. A person could become self centred and feel sorry for their position. OR, a person could find other things to make life feel better. Remembering that God and Christ do not shun. God and Christ are always there. No one can take your prayers away from you. And a person should only be miserable if they are having negative thoughts and feelings. So, control your own thoughts and feelings. But remember that we all live within limitations. We have physical limitations and spiritual ones. I've concluded that i will never truly understand scripture, so be it. I don't intend crying about it. I've also concluded that I'm not really as spiritual as I should be, and once again I'll just live with that. But I'm not seeking to 'be free', because we were designed not to be free. Humans were designed to be guided by God. God has stopped guiding us it seems. My faith tells me that a time is coming when God will once again guide humans that want to be guided. I'm waiting on God to act. Maybe I'll die before God acts, who knows. Meanwhile I'll fill my life with other things. But there is no freedom for humans. We are in subjection to God through Christ, or, subjection to 'the devil through this world'. We are also in subjection to growing old and to death, unless God changes that. Unfortunately the CCJW continue with their lies which makes million of people in subjection to the GB and the CCJW. Do they call that being free ?

The CCJW does not have truth. Nor can they have because they are not inspired of God's Holy spirit. Truth is from Almighty God through Jesus Christ, not through 8 men claiming to be the F&DS but who have failed in every way to provide true guidance. The foundation of truth from God's word has been known for a long long time. So what have the GB of CCJW offered ? False prophecy, lies, heavy burdens and traditions of men. They are indeed a stumbling block of great magnitude and they will suffer for it. Luke 17 v 1&2.

@Kosonen 's thoughts seem to run in line with what I've said previously about a True Anointed 'rising up' within the next few years. But I think or hope they will be an International Anointed, not just American. It would give the Org more balance.

Seems like a lot of scaremongering to me Armageddon is a long way off yet. I've just heard rumours that gatherings of people will be stopped soon, including 'religious meetings' will be stopped here in the UK due to the Corona virus. Any news of such in USA ?

Quote @James Thomas Rook Jr. "You complain without offering a better solution, as to what to call those trying to keep over 8 million people directed, focused, organized, and productive with fine works." Um, more like keeping 8 million people as puppets, under strict control, fearful of being shunned or d/fed, fed false information and complete lies, just so the GB can be happy having complete control as dictators and keep the money coming in. Whilst at the same time the GB keep the Anointed down trodden but want praise given to the Elders, Elders that I would not trust with my pet cat and certainly not with my spiritual health. Actually your tittle for the GB seems quite fitting "Ugly Bags of Mostly Water." But if the people 'Serving' the Org were International as it should be, then it could be something like "International Servants" of CCJW. After all, aren't they supposed to SERVE not GOVERN ? Spiritual Gift of Serving and Ministering The spiritual gift of service, or ministering, covers a wide range of activities in its application. There are two Greek words for this gift. The first one, found in Romans 12:7, is Diakonia. The basic meaning of this word is “to wait tables,” but it is most often translated in the Bible as “ministry.” It refers to any act of service done in genuine love for the edification of the community. The word Antilepsis is translated “helping” and is found in 1 Corinthians 12:28. It has a similar meaning: to help or aid in love within the community.