Melinda Mills

Exactly! Ps 145:16. Thanks to Jah

Interesting question. *** w54 10/1 p. 580 The Hope of a New Earth *** Regarding the conditions that will prevail in that new earth God’s prophet goes on to say: “They shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity; for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith Jehovah.” (Isa. 65:21, 23, 25, AS) God’s Word contains many similar prophetic assurances. (2 Peter 1:20, 21) For you know this first, that no prophecy of Scripture springs from any private interpretation. 21 For prophecy was at no time brought by man’s will, but men spoke from God as they were moved by holy spirit. ======= Both humans and animals were made from dust and return to dust when they die. Man and animals die the same way. (See below) At creation bodies were made from the dust and at death they return to dust. Plants take their nutrients from dust/ soil. People as well as animals eat food which comes from plants which take their nutrients from the soil (dust). (Ecclesiastes 3:19, 20) for there is an outcome for humans and an outcome for animals; they all have the same outcome. As the one dies, so the other dies; and they all have but one spirit. So man has no superiority over animals, for everything is futile. 20 All are going to the same place. They all come from the dust, and they all are returning to the dust. If animals eat dust – nothing strange. (It is said children who eat dirt or play in it have stronger immune systems.) SERPENT’S FOOD (Genesis 3:14) . . .Upon your belly you will go and dust is what you will eat all the days of your life. (Isaiah 65:25) The wolf and the lamb will feed together, The lion will eat straw just like the bull, And the serpent’s food will be dust. They will do no harm nor cause any ruin in all my holy mountain,” says Jehovah. MAN’S FOOD At creation (Genesis 1:29) Then God said: “Here I have given to you every seed-bearing plant that is on the entire earth and every tree with seed-bearing fruit. Let them serve as food for you. After the flood (lots of fruit-bearing rees would have been damaged by flood waters) (Genesis 9:3, 4) Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for you. Just as I gave you the green vegetation, I give them all to you. 4 Only flesh with its life—its blood—you must not eat. What God gave them in the wilderness – not meat! Anything prepared, designed, concocted, cooked, baked, by Jehovah would have had to be perfect for sustenance and good health and tasty. (Moses and Aaron’s health was good up to their death.) (Numbers 11:7-9) 7 Incidentally, the manna was like coriander seed, and it looked like bdellium gum. 8 The people would spread out and pick it up and grind it in hand mills or pound it in a mortar. Then they would boil it in cooking pots or make it into round loaves, and it tasted like an oiled sweet cake. 9 When the dew descended on the camp by night, the manna would also descend on it. Note it was versatile and could be made into other dishes. When they called God’s provision despicable, meat was given as a last resort and it brought severe consequences. (Numbers 21:5) 5 And the people kept speaking against God and Moses, saying: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no food and no water, and we have come to hate this contemptible bread.” (Numbers 11:33) 33 But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it could be chewed, Jehovah’s anger blazed against the people, and Jehovah began striking the people with a very great slaughter. Discussion At first it was fruit (wide variety – Gen 1:29), then God said humans could eat meat without the blood after they left the Ark. (Gen 9:3,4). Where does meat and milk come from? What does a cow or a sheep, for example, eat? -- Grass and certain selected low-lying vegetation. People that pick certain plants for caged rabbits call it rabbit meat. Simple as that. It could be that Jehovah will reverse all meat eating for us, as well as for animals. If you have apples in the pantry and someone brought you a great variety of other succulent fruit, chances are you might even forget you had the apples and when you remember they might have spoiled already. That’s what happens when you have good quality and great variety in food groups. You might be cooking for guests and you forget a dish in the oven because you already had too many items on the table. I said that to paint the picture of good quality food and endless variety. Remember “a banquet of well oiled dishes”. ((Isaiah 25:6) 6 And Jehovah of armies will certainly make for all the peoples, in this mountain, a banquet of well-oiled dishes, a banquet of [wine kept on] the dregs, of well-oiled dishes filled with marrow, of [wine kept on] the dregs, filtered.) The descriptive words in this passage denote richness and exquisite quality in food and drinks (not necessarily that they would be eating marrow). Try to remember what Jehovah has told us a great deal about this already. We will understand better when we get there. Queen Esther alluded to that already. (If it is that we will no longer eat meat, that would be less work – no killing, butchering, blood disposal, cooking,etc) And the animals are not and will not be worried. (Matthew 6:26) 26 Observe intently the birds of heaven; they do not sow seed or reap or gather into storehouses, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more than they are? (Psalm 145:16) You open your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. They know Jehovah will satisfy their needs. And they will be satisfied with what Jehovah their Maker provides.

@ JamesRook I am not saying it is true - as I have not studied these things, but you make an interesting point too. Tell me what you think about the science behind this: (Genesis 30:37-42) 37 Jacob then took freshly cut staffs of the storax, almond, and plane trees, and he peeled white spots in them by exposing the white wood of the staffs. 38 Then he placed the staffs that he had peeled in front of the flock, in the gutters, in the drinking troughs, where the flocks would come to drink, that they might get into heat in front of them when they came to drink. 39 So the flocks would get into heat in front of the staffs, and the flocks would produce striped, speckled, and color-patched offspring. 40 Then Jacob separated the young rams and turned the flocks to face the striped ones and all the dark-brown ones among the flocks of Laʹban. Then he separated his own flocks and did not mix them with Laʹban’s flocks. 41 And whenever the robust animals would get into heat, Jacob would place the staffs in the gutters before the eyes of the flocks, that they might get into heat by the staffs. 42 But when the animals were weak, he would not place the staffs there. So the weak ones always came to be Laʹban’s, but the robust ones became Jacob’s. I believe this is what also influence some of the old women's sayings in connection with children born with strange features, e.g. "His mother must have looked at a .... when she was carrying him."

But Jehovah would have purposed that the nipples be there so it would go into the DNA of the human or whatever species. My husband had freckles on his nose and my son has them too. I had a burn near my right thumb from pulling off a pressure cooker cover when I was about 10 and you can still see it. My son was born with a mark there too. Says something about the copying of the parents characteristics and features. I don't quite understand the science, but Jehovah knows why he put the nipples in the first man; and personally think they are attractive in a man as well. Look at a body builder! I think Jehovah engineered it that way because the man and the woman are the same species and the hormones then make the difference. But if he did not put it in the man how could it go into the DNA to be copied to the children? This is my simplistic way of explaining it.

And when we guess that one about nipples, we will then get on to navels, and over and over again. Old women say what is in the old goat is also in the kiddie, and vice versa. But then again we are also told not to listen to tales that old women tell.

But who was made first and what does the Bible say?

Jehovah is saying, not guessing. He is the One who promised the Paradise and not we ourselves. So who are we to say or not say.

(Genesis 1:30) And to every wild animal of the earth and to every flying creature of the heavens and to everything moving on the earth in which there is life, I have given all green vegetation for food.” And it was so. (Isaiah 11:7)7 The cow and the bear will feed together, And their young will lie down together. The lion will eat straw like the bull.

(Matthew 9:37, 38) Then he said to his disciples: “Yes, the harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, beg the Master of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” Are we saying that the Master of the Harvest does not know when to end it? and we have to awaken him? (Matthew 24:44)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. We won't be able to work out when this day will come. See that Jesus said at Matthew 24:44. It will happen at a time we do not expect. Verse 36 says no man would know the day or hour (or year for that matter). We have to be ready. It is simple. Jehovah God will give his Son and the angels the command to reap the harvest at the time he decides. (We must not minimize his role in it.) (Revelation 14:14-16) 14 Then I saw, and look! a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Another angel emerged from the temple sanctuary, calling with a loud voice to the one seated on the cloud: “Put your sickle in and reap, because the hour has come to reap, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16 And the one seated on the cloud thrust his sickle into the earth, and the earth was reaped. So whether a GB member, Bethelite, elder or whoever said it is fulfilled, it is Jehovah's harvest and he will intervene when the work is done TO HIS SATISFACTION.

The injunction against moving or transferring from house to house was a loving command from Jesus. If you did your best in preparing for your guests you would wish them to show appreciation and enjoy what you gave (simple food is also enjoyable); not seeking out better opportunities (transferring) at the home of a more fortunate person so as to enjoy better or richer fare. The context was to do with hospitality which was a very important part of living in Jesus' day and prior to that. The following article gives some light on it. *** it-1 pp. 1151-1152 Hospitality *** The Guest. In ancient times the guest, while treated with the utmost courtesy and honor, was expected to observe certain amenities and requirements. For example, it was considered among the vilest of acts to partake of another man’s food and then betray him or bring harm to him. (Ps 41:9; Joh 13:18) The guest was not to presume upon his host or on the group gathered together by taking the seat of honor, or the place of prominence, but was to leave this for the host to determine. (Lu 14:7-11) Neither should he ‘wear out his welcome,’ by being at the home of his host too long or by going there too often. (Pr 25:17) It may be noted that Jesus always imparted spiritual blessings when enjoying the hospitality of his host. (Lu 5:27-39; 19:1-8) For a similar reason he told his disciples whom he sent out that when they reached a town, they should stay in the home where hospitality was extended them and not be “transferring from house to house.” They should not be thus seeking a place where the householder could provide them with more comfort, entertainment, or material things.—Lu 10:1-7; Mr 6:7-11. The apostle Paul, who did much traveling and who received hospitality from many of his Christian brothers, nevertheless, did not make himself a financial burden on any of them. Much of the time he worked at a secular occupation, and he set forth the law: “If anyone does not want to work, neither let him eat.” (2Th 3:7-12; 1Th 2:6) By reason of this, Paul had an answer to the charges of the so-called superfine apostles in Corinth, who accused Paul of taking advantage of the Christians in the congregation there. (2Co 11:5, 7-10) He could boast in the fact that he provided the good news to them absolutely without cost, not even taking the things he had the right to as an apostle and a minister of God.—1Co 9:11-18. Today we seek out who is deserving by making initial call, then many return visits. In those days people used to stay in the home for some time while making disciples, as it was the custom and showing hospitality was a great privilege in the eyes of most persons. (Matthew 10:11, 12) “Into whatever city or village you enter, search out who in it is deserving, and stay there until you leave. 12 When you enter the house, greet the household. But we still have to go house to house to make the first calls. The house-to-house work is an equal opportunity work and the best way of doing it. We can credit Jesus with knowing the best way to offer that opportunity. House to house preaching is the best way of doing that work thoroughly, as shown the scriptures. (Acts 10:41, 42) . . .. 42 Also, he ordered us to preach to the people and to give a thorough witness that this is the one decreed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. . . (Acts 5:42) 42 And every day in the temple and from house to house they continued without letup teaching and declaring the good news about the Christ, Jesus.

People make excuses all the time. If they can find a scapegoat they will. I know someone who was offered a scholarship by the government of the day to study for a professional career, as his talent and qualifications were evident. (He was subsequently offered the same scholarship on two more occasions and did not accept.) He did not pursue any studies - just stayed in the field he was in at the ordinary level of a government officer. Years later after seeing that he was not as successful as he might have been with a professional qualification he laid the blame on his mother who raised him as a Witness. He did not take into consideration that he was baptized for some years, was of legal age, and that the scholarships were offered to him several times and that his mother would not have footed the bill. One or two of the contributors here have recently said that many of us could have been better off with a little more education and more purposeful planning of our lives, though not leaving out spiritual things. However, even with this mistaken idea that you cannot be a spiritual person with a sound secular education, many of them have been able to provide for their families albeit with some difficulties. The person is still a Witness along with his family - so there is still some success. (Hebrews 6:10) Diligence and capability in all things can make life easier. We have the example of Joseph, Mordecai, Esther, Daniel and the three Hebrew officials, Nehemiah, and they were probably others not mentioned (John 21:25) who were diligent in all areas of their lives. They put spiritual things first but were also excellent in their secular work. If we have insight we will notice that God did not despise them for this. God used Joseph, Mordecai and Esther to save his people from annihilation; God use Nehemiah to restart true worship. Today we also note that several persons are working in branch offices who are well qualified secularly as well as spiritually. I know quite a few whose parents sent them to study despite the suggestions. I know of four of these who are now working in branch offices either full time or part time and others as resource persons. (Isaiah 60:16)

Fake mothers? Accepting and sharing FAKE NEWS gives some credence to the saying that we are a gullible lot, when the opposite is true for the majority. I think it is an ego thing. We need to work on modesty. Shame!

So you confirmed what the co-workers said.

“During the early morning hours of Saturday, April 1, 2017, three rivers overflowed near the city of Mocoa, the capital of the Colombian province Putumayo, causing devastating mudslides that killed hundreds. “Unfortunately, the Colombia branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses reports that two of Jehovah’s Witnesses died in the disaster and one other is missing. Seems to be ColOmbia - South America. Heading of article and picture caption contain wrong spelling. (Someone on the Facebook section had queried which country it was.)

Reminder for those of us who still use the word "plan" in relation to something Jehovah God will do. In light of understanding what his name means, it is hard to understand why people don't remember. *** w95 5/15 pp. 24-25 Part 2—Flashes of Light—Great and Small *** Increased Light on Terminology 15 “The congregator sought to find the delightful words and the writing of correct words of truth.” (Ecclesiastes 12:10) These words might well be applied to our present subject, for light has shone not only on such important matters as doctrine and conduct but also on Christian terminology and its accurate meaning. For example, among the Bible Students, one of the most beloved publications was volume one of Studies in the Scriptures, entitled The Divine Plan of the Ages. However, in time, it was realized that God’s Word speaks only of humans as making plans. (Proverbs 19:21) The Scriptures never speak of Jehovah as planning. He does not need to plan. Whatever he purposes is sure to succeed because of his infinite wisdom and power, even as we read at Ephesians 1:9, 10: “It is according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself for an administration at the full limit of the appointed times.” So it was gradually seen that the term “purpose” is the more appropriate one when referring to Jehovah.

That is why I often say we should retire the saying "religion is a snare and a racket". We should be ashamed of that kind of speech because it is not necessary. Actually, it is incorrect, because Jehovah's Witnesses say they are a legitimate religion, and should be respected as such. Therefore if religion is a snare and a racket, JWs would also be included in that. We have to take care with our words. And we should not highlight or resurrect ignorance. God has overlooked those times. Leave them in the past.

Good point! We can use it at meeting this week in the Bible reading under "other spiritual gems".

A great tribulation involving all mankind will occur before Armageddon. Conditions on earth will be severe and life threatening. See following scripture: *** Bible Citations *** Matt 24:21-22: "21 for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. 22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short." Armageddon will not come when we are expecting it. See following scripture. *** Bible Citations *** Matthew 24: 42-44: "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." (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3) "5 Now as for the times and the seasons, brothers, you need nothing to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that Jehovah’s day is coming exactly as a thief in the night. 3 Whenever it is that they are saying, “Peace and security!” then sudden destruction is to be instantly on them, just like birth pains on a pregnant woman, and they will by no means escape. . ." Just a reminder!!

Shows how beneficial rain is and how easy it will be for God to transform the earth into a paradise.

Love it! Exactly what they are doing. Jesus said "All authority has been given me in heaven and 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 o the holy spirit". Matthew 28:1819. Jehovah is the one who gave Jesus that authority. This authority has been passed on to us when Jesus said: "Go..." So they are really defying Jehovah God.

Saw that one too, but it is not really a transcript - more like a report or summary. It is helpful for now.

One should be prepared at some point. If I see it I will let you know.

Saw it on a Facebook post this morning. It is just one day's summary. Quite interesting. Case resumes next Wednesday. Check Facebook messenger.

Somebody sent out one this morning. Will check.

Giggling! Nice way of putting the conversation back on track. I wrote my letter as soon as I saw the instructions on the site. I posted it the following Monday 27th, I think. The letter was read to the congregation the Tuesday. One or two friends called to ask how to approach it. I told them which scriptures I used but stressed it was to come from the heart and was not to be a form letter bearing the same information. Am old enough (50 years baptized last December) to remember the effort when Cuban and Malawian brothers had a severe problem. I definitely remembered writing to the Malawian authorities but am not sure what we did for Cuba. Like the scripture Bible Speaks reminded us of: (2 Chronicles 20:17) . . .. Take your position, stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah in your behalf. O Judah and Jerusalem, do not be afraid or be terrified. Tomorrow go out against them, and Jehovah will be with you.’” See w03 6/1 pp. 21-22 Stand Still and See the Salvation of Jehovah! for commentary on the scripture.