Melinda Mills

Looks great. Thanks a million!

I agree it is mostly accurate; a very informative article which fills in many details we don't usually get about the work there. The outcome of the request for registration is not unexpected, knowing what happened in different eras and with Jesus himself. I like the way the writer expresses her understanding of everything throughout the article, e.g. this statement: "Apparently, a religious minority is a convenient target for slanders and distorted facts, as the Jews themselves know from their bitter experience.”

Paul had holy spirit, which is also supernatural help. Jesus said he would leave the holy spirit to help us. Paul was appointed directly by Jesus to be an apostle to the Gentile nations. (Acts 9:15-18) Jesus was with him all the time, and gave him whatever was necessary to accomplish his ministry. Ananias was given supernatural power by Jesus to heal Paul after he was blinded by the light from heaven when Jesus was talking to him. It was necessary at that time for that help to be given. The church was still in its infancy and powerful works due to supernatural help were still in evidence. (1 Corinthians 13:8-11), e.g. speaking in languages not learnt previously, nullifying effect of snake bite, etc., and healing and resurrection. Paul raised Eutychus from the dead (he was picked up dead) when he fell asleep while sitting in a window. (Acts 20:7-12). He never credited his success to his high worldly education; rather he relied on the strength he was given by God and Jesus. He said when he was weak he was powerful because that is when God's power was evident. Don't know anything about dog help.

Dogs were ceremonially unclean animals and not likely to have been pets in Jewish homes. They were wild carnivorous animals. Job a non-Jew had flocks of dogs, but none are mentioned among Jewish shepherds. Look it it in the Insight Book. Paul was from Jewish background, so his customs would have been Jewish, although later he came to embrace all nations of men. It would be unlikely that Paul would have been accompanied by something revolting to the Jews. He had enough problems already and a dog accompanying him would not have helped. Interesting, but not particularly beneficial to pursue this.

I don't think I wish to be responsible for transporting people, for several reasons, so that would suit me, but I would like to see other members in person from time to time.

Never saw anything about God-dishonouring sin re eating turkey, since I was living. Where you got that one from? That's a new way to tell lies, and add fuel to fire? Of course, I am not an American and turkey was not a staple here until in recently years, but for all the time associated and, reading nearly everything, I would have come across it some where.

Seems certain people will soon claim that JWs started the pandemic. Christians were blamed also for the fire of Rome. Seems it will soon get to things like that. We seem to be going back to the Dark Ages.

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Nice play. Not convincing though. God did tell him to go subduing in the midst of his enemies (competing kings for world domination). However, God is not the cause of the future conditions that were shown on earth, which have started to be fulfilled around World War I. When you read Revelation 12: 7-12 you will see that as a result of Jesus assuming Kingship he ousted Satan from the heavens (verse 7) and as a result Satan confines his attention to the earth and the resulting woes come about. It says at verse 12: "On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing that he has a short period of time". Go back to Genesis 3:15 and see that Jesus is the one assigned by God to fix the problem started by rebellion in the Garden of Eden. He is the Seed or Offspring that will crush the great Serpent, Satan in the head. His ride started by removing Satan and turning his attention to the earth. He promised when he went away to be with his disciples. The good news of the Kingdom is being preached since the late 19th Century; now being done in over 240 lands and islands of the sea. Don't forget all the court victories establishing the right to preach and assemble that were won by his people over these years. He has many Kingdom interests here on earth which he is overseeing. "All authority has been given me in heaven and in earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things". How is he going to have disciples and future subjects of his Kingdom, if God is going to ask him to kill them with a pandemic. Tell me. And how is he going to help people to avoid destruction and inherit the new heavens (heavenly government) and new earth (earthly society) if he is not going to save them now by being patient with them so they can hear the good news and repent. Tell me. 2 Peter 3:9-15: " 9 Jehovah is now slow concerning his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with you because he does not desire anyone to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance. 10 But Jehovah's day will come as a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar, but the elements being intensely hot will be dissolved, and earth and the works in it will be exposed. 11 Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, consider what sort of people you ought to be in holy acts of conduct and deeds of godly devotion, 12 as you await and keep close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah, through which the heavens will be destroyed in flames and the elements will melt in the intense hear. 13 But there are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise and in these righteousness is to dwell.... 14 Further, consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also write you according to the wisdom given him." How could this sound like a person who wants to kill people with a pandemic! Is God you friend? I rest my case.

You well know that Jehovah did not send the horsemen. That is like saying Jehovah started the World Wars and other recent disturbances. Forgot the scriptures that say that Satan knows his time is short? Read Revelation chapter 12. Jehovah is prophesying about the horsemen, only. At Armageddon he will send the angels led by Jesus Christ who will use all the forces stored up for the day of destruction. Job 38:22 speaks of the storehouses of snow and hail stored for the day of battle. Do some research.

"So listen to me, you men of understanding: It is unthinkable for the true God to act wickedly, for the Almighty to do wrong! For he will reward a man according to what he does and bring upon him the consequences of his ways." Job 34:10,11. "Every good gift and every perfect present is from above, coming down from the Father of celestial lights..." As shown in the scripture at Job 34 above, and the scripture mentioned in the post by Emma Rose, God is not to be associated with evil things, but he is associated with and the source of every good gift. God could foresee that man would eventually ruin his environment, through his persistence of mismanaging the earth and its environment; hence the prophecy by Jesus 2000 years ago that "pestilence" would be a sign of the last days of this system of things. Luke 21: 11 says: "There will be great earthquakes, and in one place after another food shortages and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and from heaven great signs." Jesus gave the prophecy at Revelation to the apostle John, while he was on the penal isle of Patmos. Verse 18 of chapter 11 says: "But the nations became wrathful, and your own wrath came, and the appointed time came for the dead to be judged and to reward your slaves the prophets and the holy ones and those fearing your name, the small and the great, and to bring to ruin those ruining the earth". It acknowledges that man has been ruining the earth, hence the consequences we are seeing today. So we can expect a roller coaster ride down the slippery slope until God intervenes in men's affairs and bring the Kingdom that we pray for in Matthew chapter 6 verse 9. Jesus said that is the solution.

All I can say it that we must love the people; keep honing your skills, as we are being taught at the meetings. Use the telephone and any other safe methods to reach more people. When I was in Trinidad an old Chinese sister who was a pioneer (she died a couple of years ago) would say: " God is not going to kill any sheep. So if you want the end to come keep preaching." Jesus also used to say: "The good news of the Kingdom has to be preached first." The owner of the symbolic vineyard is Jehovah God, and jointly his Son, Jesus. They are the ones that know when it will have been preached sufficiently. I will also again add what Jesus said in Acts 1:7, below: *** Bible Citations *** 6 So when they had assembled, they asked him: “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” 7 He said to them: “It does not belong to you to know the times or seasons that the Father has placed in his own jurisdiction. 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.” 9 After he had said these things, while they were looking on, he was lifted up and a cloud caught him up from their sight. Also what he said at Matthew 24:36-42 36 “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 38 For as they were in those days before the Flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, 39 and they took no note until the Flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken along and the other abandoned. 41 Two women will be grinding at the hand mill; one will be taken along and the other abandoned. 42 Keep on the watch, therefore, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 “But know one thing: If the householder had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have kept awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 On this account, you too prove yourselves ready, because the Son of man is coming at an hour that you do not think to be it. " As Rook would say: " It is crystal clear", we are not going to know when the end will come. Jesus warned us that he will come at an hour that "YOU" (meaning his disciples/true Christians) do not think to be it. And we know already why he is not going to say.

I agree with what is stated by Rozz above and will add some further research. Christians pay taxes for services rendered by governmental authorities. (Matthew 22:15-22) 15 Then the Pharisees went and conspired together in order to trap him in his speech. 16 So they sent their disciples to him, together with party followers of Herod, saying: “Teacher, we know you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and you do not seek anyone’s favor, for you do not look at the outward appearance of people. 17 Tell us, then, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay head tax to Caesar or not?” 18 But Jesus, knowing their wickedness, said: “Why do you put me to the test, hypocrites? 19 Show me the tax coin.” They brought him a de·narʹi·us. 20 He said to them: “Whose image and inscription is this?” 21 They said: “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them: “Pay back, therefore, Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.” 22 When they heard that, they were amazed, and they left him and went away. Cooperating with authorities re the census *** it-2 pp. 766-767 Registration *** At the Time of Jesus’ Birth. Two registrations are mentioned in the Christian Greek Scriptures as taking place after Judea came under subjection to Rome. Such were not merely to ascertain population figures but, rather, were mainly for purposes of taxation and conscription of men for military service. Concerning the first of these we read: “Now in those days [c. 2 B.C.E.] a decree went forth from Caesar Augustus for all the inhabited earth to be registered; (this first registration took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria;) and all people went traveling to be registered, each one to his own city.” (Lu 2:1-3) This edict of the emperor proved providential, for it compelled Joseph and Mary to journey from the city of Nazareth to Bethlehem in spite of the fact that Mary was then heavy with child; thus Jesus was born in the city of David in fulfillment of prophecy.—Lu 2:4-7; Mic 5:2. End Quote In accordance with Proverbs 21:1 God can use kings or those in authority to carry out his will as we see in Micah 5:2. It was foretold 500 years before the birth of Jesus that he would be born in Bethlehem, although Mary and Joseph were from Nazareth. That verse says: (Proverbs 21:1) “A king’s heart is like streams of water in Jehovah’s hand. He directs it wherever He pleases.” God can use rulers who don’t fear him to carry out his will wittingly or unwittingly. Note that Joseph and Mary obeyed and undertook to travel many miles even though she was heavy with child. This meant a trip that, on present roads, covers a distance of about 150 km (93 mi) through hilly country. So we have two pre-Christian servants of God who saw the need to cooperate with the census. They had to travel, pay taxes and comply with the census. Now this is Paul speaking to Christians (including Jews and proselytes who had become such) who by that time were no longer under the Law of Moses (the Law having being fulfilled by Christ’s death). Romans 3: 24 So the Law became our guardian leading to Christ, so that we might be declared righteous through faith. 25 But now that the faith has arrived, we are no longer under a guardian. 26 You are all, in fact, sons of God through your faith in Christ Jesus. (Romans 13:1-14) “Let every person be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God; the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God. 2 Therefore, whoever opposes the authority has taken a stand against the arrangement of God; those who have taken a stand against it will bring judgment against themselves. 3 For those rulers are an object of fear, not to the good deed, but to the bad. Do you want to be free of fear of the authority? Keep doing good, and you will have praise from it; 4 for it is God’s minister to you for your good. But if you are doing what is bad, be in fear, for it is not without purpose that it bears the sword. It is God’s minister, an avenger to express wrath against the one practicing what is bad. 5 There is therefore compelling reason for you to be in subjection, not only on account of that wrath but also on account of your conscience. 6 That is why you are also paying taxes; for they are God’s public servants constantly serving this very purpose. 7 Render to all their dues: to the one who calls for the tax, the tax; to the one who calls for the tribute, the tribute; to the one who calls for fear, such fear; to the one who calls for honor, such honor.” Add to that the census which is of a similar nature to calling for the tax, calling for fear, or compliance, honour, etc. We are in no position to look into their minds to see what they are using the taxes for or what they are going to achieve with the census. It is their right to call for it if they wish. And that is all I am going to say about that.

Why did you have to post it. Just read Romans chapter 13 and see that Christians are supposed to cooperate with the Government where they live. They are not uncooperative or ungovernable, they are spectacles to angels and men - in other words good examples.

That was very encouraging!