John 12.24to28

@EsADmf, the Supreme court judge asked the Watchtower lawyer if everybody in the congregation knows what the elder book says about the judicial stuff. The Watchtower lawyer outright lied to the judge. It's not the courts that are sinning here. "Jehovah was listening."

@EsADmf Here is a little bit more on that Canadian court case that shows the Watchtower lawyers under oath lying about how disfellowshipping is done in the organization...(again, I do not necessarily hold the same beliefs and viewpoints as the publisher of the video; but it does show the hypocrisy going on in the organization as regards this doctrine.) Jesus will come and fix it. He will cleanse Jehovah's organization for Jehovah's Name Sake.

@EsADmf Is this what you are talking about? (And just a note that I do not agree with everything the publisher of this video does or believes in, but this particular clip shows the "different" forms of shunning in the organization and how what is publicly described by the organization doesn't match what actually happens...)

And yet they go beyond that authority every day in the congregations. That verse in 2 Thessalonians in context is about the lawless ones who sits as a god in the temple of God (apostates active in God's organization in positions of authority, the wolves Jesus talked about who infiltrate the congregations) and about those who follow them who will perish because they don't love truth. The verse in Titus in context is: "But have nothing to do with foolish arguments and genealogies and disputes and fights over the Law, for they are unprofitable and futile. As for a man who promotes a sect, reject him after a first and a second admonition, knowing that such a man has deviated from the way and is sinning and is self-condemned." It's not talking about a committee disfellowshipping people and then not talking to them. It's specific on how to deal with men teaching false doctrines at the congregation meetings for worship. "...man’s anger does not bring about God’s righteousness."

Of course He doesn't support apostates. But He does allow them to do their thing for now. He does allow the apostates to do their wickedness in the congregation even. (There is a difference between allowing something and approving of it.) There is a lovely illustration in one of our publications regarding disfellowshipping. In the painting, a shepherd has his sheep penned off, safe, in the background. In the foreground, the shepherd is isolating a sick sheep so it can heal and not infect the rest of the flock. The illustration is showing how to not spread gangrene. The thing is, sheep are social animals. They need others to survive. One sheep does not do well alone. So the penned off sheep can still see and hear the other sheep just over the pen wall. It's not really alone. It can "baaa!" and hear the other sheep say "baaaa! baaaa!" And the shepherd is still nearby to ward off any wolves that might come by. The reality in the congregations is that sometimes a wicked wolf posing as a shepherd takes a little lamb that is not sick and shoves it out into the woods. The wicked wolf does not put the lamb out because it is sick, he puts it out because he is sick. The wicked wolf shepherd is spiritually sick. And now because the current disfellowshipping doctrine is what it is, the faithful little lamb is on its own in the woods (or so it seems). Thankfully, Jesus does not leave any of his little ones alone, ever. (Just like Jehovah was with Joseph all those years after his brothers betrayed him and sold him to Egypt.) But it is not easy for these little ones. And because they are social creatures, they become easy prey to the wolves out in the world, and other social groups that are not clean. When the other sheep in the fold ignore the faithful or weak little sheep who are kicked out, it is cruel and not Jehovah's way. That's not what was meant by those verses on keeping the congregation clean. That's not how Jesus would do it, shunning faithful ones. Anybody with common sense can see it's not Christ's way to ignore people. If somebody wants to go off and do bad, then let them go somewhere else. They shouldn't do it in the congregation. The elders can tell the wrongdoers to stop and not give them speaking/teaching duties and not worship with them. But that's no reason to ignore people when you see them on the street or if they come to the Kingdom Hall and they're not doing anything wrong. That's just plain stupid to ignore them at the Kingdom Hall if they are not doing anything wrong. If they are making the effort to go to the hall and they're not doing anything wrong then people should acknowledge them. Jesus wouldn't ignore them if they were there. The elders do not have authority to label someone and make extra traditions that aren't in the Bible, saying only a committee can remove the label or that only the committee can know the details. They don't have authority from Jesus to do that and say everybody should ignore the person with not even any shred of evidence. The Pharisees are the ones who would ignore people like that. The Pharisee-types are the ones who make class distinctions, saying "this one is too poor for me to talk to" or "I only associate with the rich". Rich in prominence or poor in prominence, God is not partial. If He makes it rain and sun on both, so should we. Jesus was merciful. Jesus is the fine shepherd. He will make clear what "disfellowshipping" really is when he comes.

@Space Merchant, please, imagine a congregation with three elders who are just like @Moise Racette @EsADmf @Wally McNasty . And then imagine the circuit overseer is also just like @Moise Racette. And then imagine there are three other elders who are really tired and busy and just let the active MoiseRacettes do all the judicial stuff. That's what it's like where I live. That's what it's like in a lot of congregations. Jesus said there were congregations that were like "the synagogue of Satan". Not all the congregations are that way, but two out of seven are described that way in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. Now imagine some of those MoiseRacette type elders become Bethelites and Branch Overseers and are on the governing body. Sheesh. Jesus said there would be an apostasy. In the organization of God. The end of the last days would be the worst time in the congregation because the weeds are so prevalent. Soon the angels will come to truly "disfellowship" all the weeds. Praise Jehovah!

As far as your definition of actual apostasy goes, I hate apostasy. "Do I not hate those who hate you, O Jehovah, And loathe those who revolt against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; They have become real enemies to me." But what I have seen and experienced first-hand in Jehovah's organization is that there are many apostates holding positions of authority in the organization, and it is not just a few here and there. There are those who don't even believe in Jehovah in many positions of authority, from elders to circuit overseers to Bethelites. David spoke of such things, people who claim to serve God but belie their claim via their actions: "The foolish one says in his heart: “There is no Jehovah.” Their actions are corrupt, and their dealings are detestable; No one is doing good. But Jehovah looks down from heaven on the sons of men To see whether anyone has insight, whether anyone is seeking Jehovah. They have all turned aside; They are all alike corrupt. No one is doing good, Not even one. Do none of the wrongdoers understand? They devour my people as if they were eating bread. They do not call on Jehovah. But they will be filled with great terror, For Jehovah is with the generation of the righteous. You wrongdoers try to frustrate the plans of the lowly one, But Jehovah is his refuge. O that Israel’s salvation may come from Zion! When Jehovah gathers back his captive people, Let Jacob be joyful, let Israel rejoice." The Insight book on this says: "Those turning from the Source. The person who turns to transgression begins to discount God as a factor to be considered when making decisions and plans. (Job 34:27) Such a person allows his heart to blind him to the wrongness of his ways and he loses insight. (Ps 36:1-4) Even if claiming to worship God, he puts men’s precepts above God’s; he prefers them. (Isa 29:13, 14) He rationalizes and excuses his loose conduct as mere “sport” (Pr 10:23) and becomes perverted, brutish, stupid in his reasoning, to the extreme of assuming that the invisible God does not see or discern his wrongdoing, as though God’s powers of perception had failed. (Ps 94:4-10; Isa 29:15, 16; Jer 10:21) By his course and actions he says, in effect, “There is no Jehovah” (Ps 14:1-3) and leaves him ‘out of the picture.’ Not being guided by divine principles, he cannot judge matters correctly, see the issues clearly, evaluate the factors involved, and arrive at right decisions. —Pr 28:5." Again, it is stated in Psalm 10 regarding those who claim to know God but hypocritically pursue the righteous one for harm: "The wicked one arrogantly pursues the helpless one, But he will be caught in the schemes he devises. For the wicked one boasts about his selfish desires And blesses the greedy one; He disrespects Jehovah. In his haughtiness, the wicked man makes no investigation; All his thoughts are: “There is no God.” His ways keep prospering, But your judgments are beyond his understanding; He scoffs at all his adversaries. He says in his heart: “I will never be shaken; For generation after generation I will never see calamity.” His mouth is full of curses, lies, and threats; Under his tongue are trouble and injury. He waits in ambush near the settlements; From his hiding place he kills an innocent one. His eyes are watching for an unfortunate victim. He waits in his hiding place like a lion in its lair. He waits to seize the helpless one. He seizes the helpless one when he pulls his net shut. The victim is crushed and brought down; The unfortunate ones fall into his clutches. He says in his heart: “God has forgotten. He has turned away his face. He never notices." It has been my experience that some of the smoothest talking, best speakers in the organization are the worst offenders. Some of the highest rated speakers in my circuit are also the biggest hypocrites, backstabbing men who are attempting to climb a corporate-type ladder in the organization and are willing to squash others as soon as they'd squash a bug. I have watched them permit adultery and alcohol abuse and domestic assault and love for violence and spiritism among the flock, even though there was enough evidence for them to "disfellowship" those guilty of such sins, while at the same time they shunned, either "soft-shunned" (denying "privileges" or friendship) or outright abused the disfellowshipping process with false testimony and no evidence in order to get rid of anyone who told the truth about what was really going on. I have seen how, when presented with the evidence, those at Bethel in the service department and the legal department and even the governing body themselves turned a blind eye to these wicked goings-ons and put a figurative "sword" in the hands of the wolf-like elders to support their twisting of the Bible and hurting of the sheep and continue to reproach Jehovah's name. I have seen such hypocritical men label truth-tellers as "apostates" when in fact those hypocritical men are the actual apostates. That is why, @SpaceMerchant, when I hear some of what outside "apostates" say, I do take it with a grain of salt and weigh it against what the Bible says. Many first-century Jews labeled true Christians as "apostates" but they weren't apostates. The Pharisees labeled Jesus an apostate, but he wasn't. Some of what the organization teaches is an apostasy from what Jesus said and did. Some of what those labeled "apostates" by the organization say is actually truth. What a big mess! Thankfully Jesus is coming to clarify matters and kick out all those fakers in the organization. He is also going to rain on the parade of actual apostates outside the organization. We don't have to do that part. But we do need to worship with spirit and truth, and the Bible is where we find that truth, not with committees of men who warp what is written in order to climb their corporate-style ladder. I wish there were Real Elders here who would chase away the wicked wolves in the congregation. Someday there will be. Until then, Jesus has the angels of the congregations around to help give us what we need when we need it. "Are they not all spirits for holy service, sent out to minister for those who are going to inherit salvation?"

Dear @Space Merchant, the elders I know here don't act like the way you describe at all. It would be nice if they did act that way. But that's not how they act. They act like businessmen. They don't protect the sheep. They are the ones hurting the sheep, and then if you tell on them, they disfellowship you. And if you ask the next guy up, the CO, he won't help either. And if you write to Bethel, they won't help either. Even if you write to the governing body, they won't help you. They say "we're your brothers and we love you" but they don't really mean what you say. It's fake. What you are saying sounds nice in theory, but the reality in the organization is very, very different. I am sure there must be some congregations and individuals that are nice and do what you said the elders do, and I'm glad for that sister who turned around that you talked about, but I know personally of several cases where the elders misused their disfellowshipping authority and I'm just in one little place. It doesn't just happen here. I agree with you that the church should be clean, but it is clear to me that when the Bible says there would be many antichrists and wolves in the congregation, it has taken place. Jehovah's Witnesses as an organization are no exception. Jesus will fix it. I do not condone the behavior of those radical ones who would resort to unchristian behavior to try to force a change, either by lobbying or mobbing or protesting. But I do not think it is a sin for people to expose wrong behaviors in the organization. Jehovah said we are to be His witnesses, and witnesses speak out the truth. Jehovah Himself sent many prophets in the past to expose the wrong things going on in His organization on earth - Moses, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc. Jesus exposed the Pharisees and scribes. He said we should keep following him. As long as there is corruption in the organization, Jesus will keep pouring out Jehovah's holy spirit to raise up witnesses of such things, for the sake of Jehovah's holy name. I wish the elder arrangement was perfect, but Paul and John and Peter and Jude said it wouldn't be. I can see that if you were an elder locally, you would adhere to what is written in the Bible, and maybe none of these things that happened here perhaps would have happened, but not everyone is like you. I wish there were more elders like you. I am thankful that there are many integrity keepers on earth today. Jesus is looking for such ones. May Jehovah keep blessing you for your integrity, @SpaceMerchant.

If he's really at Mount Pleasant congregation near Charleston in South Carolina, then I hope he is enjoying the lovely weather there. Jehovah got Lot out of Sodom before it was destroyed. Perhaps our brother is having a similar experience to what Ray Franz went through. Regardless of what the reason is, I love him and I hope and pray he is well and taking refuge in Jehovah's loving arms.

I'm pretty sure Allen has more than just two "personalities" (Dmitar, Wally McNasty, Moise Racette, etc, etc...)

"Therefore, since we have this ministry through the mercy that was shown us, we do not give up. But we have renounced the shameful, underhanded things, not walking with cunning or adulterating the word of God; but by making the truth manifest, we recommend ourselves to every human conscience in the sight of God. If, in fact, the good news we declare is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, among whom the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ, who is the image of God, might not shine through. For we are preaching, not about ourselves, but about Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For God is the one who said: “Let the light shine out of darkness,” and he has shone on our hearts to illuminate them with the glorious knowledge of God by the face of Christ. However, we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the power beyond what is normal may be God’s and not from us. We are hard-pressed in every way, but not cramped beyond movement; we are perplexed, but not absolutely with no way out; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed." I have nothing more to say to you on this topic at present, Allen. Hope you have a good rest of your evening.

Paul said: "I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you and will not treat the flock with tenderness, and from among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves." Aren't the Ante-Nicene "fathers" from that time period, the "oppressive-wolf-twisted-things" time period? (We are still in that time period, unfortunately, until Jesus comes...) You can follow who you want. “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, judge for yourselves. But as for us, we cannot stop speaking about the things we have seen and heard.”

"Do you not know that we will judge angels?" (But that is not until a future time.) "Really, it is already a defeat for you when you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather let yourselves be wronged? Why do you not rather let yourselves be defrauded? Instead, you wrong and defraud, and your brothers at that!" It is a defeat to defraud those labeled "disfellowshipped" brothers or "worldly people" from your love. It is spiritual prostitution to look to a group of men for "spirit" rather than to look to God. Jehovah lets the rain benefit the wicked and the good, and the sun shine on the wicked and the good. It is evidence of His Love for them. (He hates wickedness, but He does not stop showing love just because someone else is wicked. He gave Adam and Eve nice garments even after they sinned, and still fed them every day.) How much more so we should show love by speaking to the disfellowshipped brothers who show up at the Kingdom Hall for Memorial, and for all people during the tribulation and every day! "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the holy spirit within you, which you have from God? Also, you do not belong to yourselves, for you were bought with a price. By all means, glorify God in your body." The congregation is a body that can glorify God, if we let it. "Let your love be without hypocrisy."

Jesus is stronger than the wicked one. "You originate with God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in union with you is greater than the one who is in union with the world." As Jesus said, the wicked one "has no hold on me." "So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went off to wage war with the remaining ones of her offspring, who observe the commandments of God and have the work of bearing witness concerning Jesus." Love will help us to keep bearing witness to Jehovah in the days ahead. "Love never fails."

When Daniel 8:23 takes place, we must remain neutral. The beastly UN does not have love. It is beastly. "It puts under compulsion all people—the small and the great, the rich and the poor, the free and the slaves—that these should be marked on their right hand or on their forehead, and that nobody can buy or sell except a person having the mark, the name of the wild beast or the number of its name. This is where it calls for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the number of the wild beast, for it is a man’s number, and its number is 666." We must continue to show love. It is a perfect bond of union. "Accordingly, as God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with the tender affections of compassion, kindness, humility, mildness, and patience. Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely even if anyone has a cause for complaint against another. Just as Jehovah freely forgave you, you must also do the same. But besides all these things, clothe yourselves with love, for it is a perfect bond of union." Brothers, if you cannot show love now to those in your Kingdom Halls who are "disfellowshipped", how are you going to be able to show love then under more difficult circumstances? Please, repent, and turn around, that you may have seasons of refreshing from Jehovah. No one can get through what is coming on their own. We all need Jehovah's holy spirit to get through the great tribulation. None of us has enough strength on our own to show this kind of love, the kind of love that will be required to get through the great tribulation. Jehovah will give you what you need in that hour, but you have to let go of the restraints, namely, the prejudices and labels and self-exaltation and class distinctions. Jesus' ransom is enough for us to show love to all people. The governing body is imitating the beastliness of the worldly governments with their restrictions on natural affection, but Jesus will correct them. "For love is as strong as death is, And exclusive devotion is as unyielding as the Grave. Its flames are a blazing fire, the flame of Jah. Surging waters cannot extinguish love, Nor can rivers wash it away." Praise Jehovah for His excelling love manifested through Christ Jesus our Lord!

Daniel chapter 8 is one of the visions where Daniel sees a ram (Medo-Persia) and a goat (Greece). In verse 8, the goat's great horn is broken, and four come up instead of it. "Out of one of them came another horn, a small one, and it grew very great toward the south and toward the east and toward the Decoration." Taken in harmony with other Bible prophecies, we see that the horn became the Roman empire, eventually followed by the US/UK, and then the UN. Daniel 8:9-12 "It grew so great that it reached all the way to the army of the heavens, and it caused some of the army and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled them down. It exalted itself even against the Prince of the army, and from him the constant feature was taken away, and the established place of his sanctuary was thrown down. And an army was given over, together with the constant feature, because of transgression; and it kept throwing truth to the earth, and it acted and had success." The UN will exalt itself against Jehovah's Witnesses, trampling them down. That will be in fulfillment of this prophecy in Daniel 8. Daniel 8:13-14 "And I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one speaking: “How long will the vision of the constant feature and of the transgression causing desolation continue, to make both the holy place and the army things to trample on?” So he said to me: “Until 2,300 evenings and mornings; and the holy place will certainly be restored to its right condition.”" The 2,300 evenings and mornings is the same as 1,150 full days. The UN will trample on the earthly part of God's organization in a way that causes desolation for 1,150 full days. "Then he said: “Here I am causing you to know what will happen in the final part of the denunciation, because it is for the appointed time of the end." Daniel 8:23-25 "“And in the final part of their kingdom, as the transgressors act to a completion, a fierce-looking king who understands ambiguous sayings will stand up. His power will become great, but not through his own power. He will bring ruin in an extraordinary way, and he will be successful and act effectively. He will bring mighty ones to ruin, also the people made up of the holy ones. And by his cunning he will use deception to succeed; and in his heart he will exalt himself; and during a time of security he will bring many to ruin. He will even stand up against the Prince of princes, but he will be broken without human hand." The UN chief will be this "fierce-looking king who understands ambiguous sayings...his power will become great, but not through his own power" because it is the US/UK who breathe the power into the UN organization. "He will bring ruin in an extraordinary way" and "bring mighty ones to ruin, also the people made up of the holy ones" when he attacks all religious institutions. That is how he stands up to the Prince of princes, when he attacks even the faithful ones, "but he will be broken without human hand" at Armageddon. Praise Jehovah, the Revealer of Secrets.

@EsADmf Aha! I knew you were really an apostate, Allen - you didn't fool me for a second. Lol. Mob action is wrong, Allen. As one of Jehovah's witnesses, I recommend you stick with the Bible and not get into reading that apostate literature. You seem to have a difficult time weighing out what is true from what is false. Jehovah's Word is Truth. Praise Jehovah.🥰

"The word of Jehovah again came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, saying: “Son of man, record this date, this very day. The king of Babylon has begun his attack against Jerusalem on this very day. And relate a proverb concerning the rebellious house, and say concerning them: “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: “Put the cooking pot on; put it on the fire and pour water into it. Put pieces of meat into it, every good piece, The thigh and the shoulder; fill it with the choicest bones. Take the choicest sheep of the flock, and stack the logs all around under the pot. Boil the pieces, and cook the bones inside it.”’ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed, the rusty cooking pot, whose rust has not been removed! Empty it piece by piece; do not cast lots for them. For its blood is within it; she poured it out on the bare rock. She did not pour it out on the earth, to cover it over with dust. To stir up rage for executing vengeance, I have put her blood on the shining, bare rock So that it may not be covered over.’ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: ‘Woe to the city of bloodshed! I will pile the wood high. Heap on the logs and kindle the fire, Boil the flesh thoroughly, pour out the broth, and let the bones be charred. Set the empty pot on the coals to make it hot So that its copper will become red hot. Its uncleanness will melt away within it, and its rust will be consumed. It is frustrating and exhausting, For the heavy rust will not come off. Throw it into the fire with its rust!’ “‘Your uncleanness was due to your obscene conduct. I tried to cleanse you, but you would not become clean from your uncleanness. You will not become clean until my rage against you subsides. I myself, Jehovah, have spoken. It will come to pass. I will act without holding back, without sorrow, without regret. They will judge you according to your ways and your dealings,’ declares the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.” As surely as Jehovah allowed the nations to attack His Name People in the past (for what reason? For their uncleanness) so Jehovah will allow it again soon. A faithful remnant will be left, and Jehovah will refine His people, His organization. You will have to know that He is Jehovah and that His People have gravely sinned with their worship of the governing body. Jehovah will forgive, because of His great mercy and undeserved kindness, but the false worship must be removed from His organization first. It is similar to the time John said: "The ax is already lying at the root of the trees. Every tree, then, that does not produce fine fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire...the one coming after me is stronger than I am, whose sandals I am not worthy to take off. That one will baptize you with holy spirit and with fire. His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clean up his threshing floor completely and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with fire that cannot be put out." Repent, please, brothers! The Kingdom of the Heavens is Drawing Near.

The One who taught us all things, the one "from whom we learned them" is God. Jehovah God. Our commission is NOT to be "Governing Body's Witnesses". It is to be Jehovah's witnesses. Praise Jehovah.

"Now in the way that Janʹnes and Jamʹbres opposed Moses, so these also go on opposing the truth. Such men are completely corrupted in mind, disapproved as regards the faith. Nevertheless, they will make no further progress, for their folly will be very plain to all, as it was with those two men." False prophets are always shown up to be false in time. The folly of the governing body and their false prophesying as regards the 1914-thing and other related prophecies will be as plain as day. "But the lawless one’s presence is by the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and wonders and every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth in order that they might be saved. That is why God lets a deceptive influence mislead them so that they may come to believe the lie, in order that they all may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness." Daniel chapters 7 and 8 and 12 allude to the UN and what happens during the 3 1/2 year appointed times of the nations. Revelation chapters 11-19 also allude to the UN. Most of the things those verses alluded to did not take place yet. But they will soon. (We already talked about those things in other threads.) Paul foretold that "wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse, misleading and being misled." We can see through the imposters by means of Jehovah's light, His Word the Bible. "You, however, continue in the things that you learned and were persuaded to believe, knowing from whom you learned them and that from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, so that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work." Those keeping neutrality will suffer as a Christian, (many who keep their integrity to Jehovah have already been rejected by the governing body and others who support false doctrines) but we do not need to be afraid, because we are not alone. Jehovah is with us, and Jesus, and the angels, and our faithful brothers earthwide. "But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but let him keep on glorifying God while bearing this name. For it is the appointed time for the judgment to start with the house of God. Now if it starts first with us, what will the outcome be for those who are not obedient to the good news of God? “And if the righteous man is being saved with difficulty, what will happen to the ungodly man and the sinner?” So, then, let those who are suffering in harmony with the will of God keep on entrusting themselves to a faithful Creator while they are doing good."

Yes, when the governing body choose to act as kings now, if they refuse to repent, then they are fulfilling the words of the apostle Paul: "For there are many—I used to mention them often but now I mention them also with weeping—who are walking as enemies of the torture stake of the Christ. Their end is destruction, and their god is their belly, and their glory is really their shame, and they have their minds on earthly things." Paul talked about such men..."For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps disguising himself as an angel of light. It is therefore nothing extraordinary if his ministers also keep disguising themselves as ministers of righteousness. But their end will be according to their works." We must keep our neutrality by not bowing down to kings of this world, even those who would set themselves up as kings in God's organization while on earth. When the governing body distort the gospel of Christ and teach a "gospel" contrary to what Jesus taught and tell the friends to disobey God's clear commands, we must not desert what Jesus said. We must pick up our torture stake and keep following Jesus. "We must obey God as ruler rather than men."

Too bad for the current governing body members. Hopefully they repent of adding to the prophecy in Revelation. (When they talk of "new scrolls" they are adding what is not in the "book", as well as their misinterpretations of many other verses in Revelation...) And as regards this business... You will have to know that the Kingdom did not take power in 1914 when the governing body is dethroned by the UN. When Jesus is given the Kingdom, he will throw Satan out of heaven, who will then rile up the UN to attack religious institutions, beginning with Jehovah's Witnesses at Bethel headquarters. The "1914" numerology-pyramid-prophecy-dating-scheme is a lie and it has been promoted by false prophets. You will have to know they are false prophets when they are removed by the UN shortly. What is translated as "times of the Gentiles" in Luke 21:24 is also translated as "times of the nations", and is the same as the 3 1/2 years of the great tribulation, the appointed times of the nations to trample God's organization. During that time very soon to begin, we must all keep our neutrality by continuing to look to God's Kingdom to solve all mankind's woes rather than looking to the UN. It will be difficult for many of God's people when the organization is attacked first, because the governing body has not warned the sheep. Keep faith! Jesus told you ahead of time what is to come so that in that hour you will remember and not be afraid. Jehovah is allowing the UN to be used as the instrument to discipline His Name People. God's organization on earth will be refined for the sake of Jehovah's Holy Name. "Certainly, then, will not God cause justice to be done for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, while he is patient toward them? I tell you, he will cause justice to be done to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man arrives, will he really find this faith on the earth?”

"And this is what love means, that we go on walking according to his commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should go on walking in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those not acknowledging Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Look out for yourselves, so that you do not lose the things we have worked to produce, but that you may obtain a full reward. Everyone who pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God. The one who does remain in this teaching is the one who has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him. For the one who says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works." When the governing body says that the ransom blood of the Christ is not enough to redeem the brothers unless the elder body approves, the governing body is pushing ahead and not remaining in the teaching of the Christ. They are against Christ. When the governing body says that only a committee of elders can decide whether someone is worthy of life and to be spoken to and acknowledged as a living human being, the governing body is pushing ahead and not remaining in the teaching of the Christ. They are deceiving. How does the Bible advise we deal with such deceivers? (You are the one who said it, @EsADmf...)

Correct, @EsADmf, the governing body should not try to to use their own interpretations on prophecy, like they do with the 1914 false teaching. As you yourself quoted: It is to their own destruction that they twist the scriptures. "However, there also came to be false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among you. These will quietly bring in destructive sects, and they will even disown the owner who bought them, bringing speedy destruction upon themselves. Furthermore, many will follow their brazen conduct, and because of them the way of the truth will be spoken of abusively. Also, they will greedily exploit you with counterfeit words. But their judgment, decided long ago, is not moving slowly, and their destruction is not sleeping." Since Jehovah made us aware ahead of time that there would be the "lawless ones" and false prophets foretold in the organization, those who make themselves gods sitting in the House of God, those of the apostasy foretold, those who are against Christ in their teachings, antichrist, we would be wise to maintain our neutrality by rejecting any of their false doctrines and doing as Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1: "For this very reason, put forth all earnest effort to supply to your faith virtue, to your virtue knowledge, to your knowledge self-control, to your self-control endurance, to your endurance godly devotion, to your godly devotion brotherly affection, to your brotherly affection love. For if these things exist in you and overflow, they will prevent you from being either inactive or unfruitful regarding the accurate knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." Jesus will shortly remove those lawless ones. Second Peter 3 verses 17 and 18 go on to say: "You, therefore, beloved ones, having this advance knowledge, be on your guard so that you may not be led astray with them by the error of the lawless people and fall from your own steadfastness. No, but go on growing in the undeserved kindness and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."