Melinda Mills

@James Thomas Rook Jr. It comes down to conscience matter. Yet, the qualities it shows young ones and adults, makes its point just like any of the videos. Like pictures I make, I enjoy making them with scriptures, but the message is most important. Everything we do we must "think" before we do it or watch. Any child will be more involved with any picture like Bible story book or others, because it makes the point! I grew up with the Paradise Book! Yes I still remember the pictures but never worshipped the book or the picture. The parents and the teacher ?‍? is in charge. What is important and why are we reading or watching this? My children had the Great Teacher Book. I have pictures of my oldest singing from the book not being able to read on his ? potty! Ha! Now he's 45 and teaches his children about Jehovah all the time. Set the proper example and your children will follow, everything in its place. 
Bible Speaks ???

JWs in Russian Supreme Court
Best available so far.

There are ways to use this fact to better effect than the stack of letters themselves.

And your point JTR?

UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN OVER TREATMENT OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES IN RUSSIA
https://www.ushmm.org/information/press/press-releases/museum-statement-on-jehovahs-witnesses-in-russia

As much as I admire JTR, I feel I must call him on this one.
At times in the ministry I will come across a Marine family, as is obvious by flags, stickers, stars, and slogans. I ask them their story. Perhaps they may look at me suspiciously. "I'm serious," I tell them, "I'm not trying to pick a fight; I'm not in the mood. It's obvious if you've fought for your country that you have a story to tell. Let's hear it."
Everyone has a story to tell but nobody wants to hear it. We are in the people business. If anyone deserves a listening ear, it is someone who has sacrificed for what they believe in. Essentially, that is among the reasons we ask them to give us a listening ear. We are not just on the internet trying to steal someone else's disciples; we are out there sacrificing, and that in and of itself suggests someone ought to give us a listening ear. Same with them.
The circumstances have to be right. I can't do it, or at least must scale back, if the car group is waiting. But I will hear them out as much as I am able to. It is disarming, for even their friends will not do it. 
I say one word for every ten of theirs. Perhaps I will observe toward the end how - isn't it strange how if I were a Marine myself, I would feel the same way about my country as they. Yet if I were a Marine in any other country, I would feel the same way about that country. Isn't it strange for the world to be carved up that way? Sometimes they find nothing strange about that at all, but sometimes they do.
Our happiness comes from our worship and service to God. It has little to do with the rule of the king we live under. Ask him what his ground rules are for maintaining public order, and then follow them. That is the pattern our brothers set around the world and they do not all wear long faces because they are not in the USA.
I would even argue with: "the reason YOU live in peace..." Do we? It's not Syria here, to be sure, but neither is is Shagnri-La.
I am here, and I like it here. But if I was there, I would like it there, especially if I was born there.

"Perhaps I will observe toward the end how - isn't it strange how if I were a Marine myself, I would feel the same way about my country as they. Yet if I were a Marine in any other country, I would feel the same way about that country. Isn't it strange for the world to be carved up that way? Sometimes they find nothing strange about that at all, but sometimes they do."
Tom, in Australia on April 25th they celebrate the "glorification of war," it is called ANZAC Day, (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps - but, involves the 3 armed services, with marches of servicemen and ex-servicemen through cities and towns, services at war memorials and churches, etc............around that day some people get a little "uppity" with "us pacifists," I do not have a problem with that..........I usually tell them that I had served in the Royal Australian Navy for over 13 years, before I saw the error of my ways..........I find that most times we can then have a friendly chat about the words recorded for us at James 4:1-3, if they let me go to the scriptures.........it may go to the point of discussing where both they and I served in various war zones, sometimes medals are mentioned, my reply is usually........."I had 3, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Indonesian confrontation, (something like that-I think), I gave them to my kids to play with and I have not seen them since 1970" .............it is also good to ask them whether or not the war(s) that they fought in actually achieved anything - except a lot of death, destruction and misery -...........the answer in the main is "not much," but, occasionally you get the real patriot, who will "stand up on his soap box" and start "singing the National Anthem." so to speak.
We so look forward to the time when all this will be a thing of the past, and see the words outside the United Nations HQ in New York quoted from Isaiah 2:4 come to their literal fulfillment under God's Kingdom.

Fact is that humans have given their lives for all manner of causes, real and imagined, religious and secular, admired and condemned by others. 
It is an extraordinary feature of humans that, throughout history, some are prepared to place principle above immediate personal survival. This has been exploited by religious and political schemers throughout that same history.
Jehovah made man this way, and recognised it in tolerating Satan's cynical and false assertion that “Skin for skin. A man will give everything that he has for his life" (Job 2:4). In fact, and to the contrary, a man will give his life for everything that he holds dear.
In his attempt to prove otherwise, Satan has caused many lives to be sacrificed, not the least those described at Ps.116:15: "Costly [Lit. Precious] in the eyes of Jehovah Is the death of his loyal ones.".
It is true that the relative, though sadly often only temporary, peace many of us presently enjoy has been hard won by the sacrifice of brave men and women, who regardless of their ignorance of the real issue, have served to prove the Devil's lie. It is reassuring to contemplate that their lives have not been wasted. In the coming Messianic kingdom, even those countless "Unknown Soldiers" will be back to tell their stories, and to embrace at last "the illumination of the glorious good news about the Christ" 2Cor. 4:4. This is something far better than plaques and statues, memorial days and moments of mass silence. Or the embittered tears of fatherless, motherless, brotherless, sisterless families.
Then they will learn about the greatest and most efficacious sacrifice ever made, the Ransom Sacrifice of Jehovahs greatest warrior, His Son, Jesus Christ. And that event all who love Jehovah in the world today will be commemorating on Tuesday 11 April 2017 after sundown. And we can now do this shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in Russia, knowing that Jehovah has given them this brief respite. And we can pray that Jehovah will fortify them for the uncertainty of the coming days as they too prove the lie to Satan's claim that “Skin for skin. A man will give everything that he has for his life".

I knew a guy like this - then he was in a motorcycle accident and his whole life changed.  His attitude quickly changed too and he remembered the scriptures about compassion and love very quickly.

Yeah, no matter what they say, when those hooks are in their mouth they will do things they never imagined

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.
 

Too funny!  Yes, they should value the concept that people need to hear and see. What about on-going  training for those with the aptitude for it. Someone should be adequately and thoroughly trained so they could be a kind of consultant for other groups. 
I asked an elder in the field service about it yesterday and  he had little to offer.  I suggested that a serious complication could come up in the world where every KH might need to be a part of a link-up and then we wouldn't be able to participate, so it is urgent to have it fixed.
 

No. I do not. I am serious about this (for once) 
He is in danger of being made to look like an ass due to the machinations of the house church. I would spare him.
I do not share the common sentiment of maligning him. Nor is he my buddy. He is the leader of another form of government, that's all. 
Look, all human governments will drop the ball. Recognition of this fact explains why we are where we are. The other question unclear is upon which toe will it land.
Jesus is Jesus and he can read hearts and slam villains. I can't and I won't.
Even when I have carried on about apostates, it is not personal. They are fulfilling a role, and it is the role I don't like.

PS. Our Kingdom will come... but to a time, when NOBODY is thinking to that !! Jehovah informed us   Lets have patience ~~~~~~~~~~

Does he really need any help?

@TrueTomHarley Perhaps that's how The Russian Orthodox Church will also feel the "sting!" Babylon the Great will fall and because when the right time comes, Jehovah will put it in the thoughts to turn on her. We are living in prophetic days. Let God's Kingdom come! Yes, let it come! 
@Anna Ok I "like" that one! ???

BBC World Service report.

Your browser does not support the HTML5 audio tag.

Where were you when we needed you? I saw the COBE's letter:
"Alright, big man, lets settle this right here, right now! You think you're a tough guy? Running a country? Well, I run a congregation back here in the States!"
He wasn't even flagged for Abuse!

Let's hope they pass it on!

Too funny!  Yes, they should value the concept that people need to hear and see. What about on-going  training for those with the aptitude for it. Someone should be adequately and thoroughly trained so they could be a kind of consultant for other groups. 
I asked an elder in the field service about it yesterday and  he had little to offer.  I suggested that a serious complication could come up in the world where every KH might need to be a part of a link-up and then we wouldn't be able to participate, so it is urgent to have it fixed.
 

I must not be sharp here in reply, and I will not be. I have been told to play nice.
Instead, let us focus on how Putin will shake in his boots as he reads a letter on the business stationary of Bob's Cleaning Service. 
Okay, there are elements of comedy in everything, but one must not be distracted from the big picture. Paul said to Agrippa: 'I know you know about this, for it has not been done in a corner." Same here with the Russian situation.
It is clear that it is accomplished by God's organization. Not only does the organization brilliantly coordinate this campaign, prompting front page coverage from the NY Times, and Time Magazine on 'day of delivery,' but it is intensified because they have already succeeded in unifying a loyal people. All they had to do is ask individual JWs once to write - they did nothing else - and the response is more than anyone could ever have imagined. Clearly, organization is not a bad thing. It is a good thing.
Our Russian brothers will know that they triggered a worldwide flock to jw.org - "is this website really extremist, as I've been told?" people will ask. Who knows what will happen when millions discover that it is not?
It even thwarts opposers who were hoping to spin their pissy Austrailain story forever, but now it has been replaced in everyone's attention by a situation that makes Jehovah's Witnesses the good guys in the eyes of almost everyone.
Mitigating this somewhat is that the fact that newbies screw up everywhere. It is part of the learning process. Unfortunately, it is a constant of life and is not unique to our people. People learn, and learn well, by making mistakes.
As Mark Twain said: 'A cat that sits on a hot stove will never sit on a hot stove again. Nor will it sit on a cold one, for they all look hot.'

And their answer no doubt is: yes! 

Whenever the elders come around to pester me about running the sound system, I ask them: "Just how much to you value the concpt of the congregation being able to hear because some idiot did not flip the wrong switch? Are you sure you want me to do this?"

You are right in part about the critical thinking skills, but that is no fault of the organization I feel, I don't think the organization discourages critical thinking, on the contrary. You don't necessarily have to go to college to "get an education", you can educate yourself quite well by being inquisitive and by reading a lot, and that's up to each individual. I believe in these particular instances the gullibility comes from being too trusting of the brothers and wishing these things were true. It's like they are already living in paradise, but in the present world it's more like La La land. It's note worthy though that many people in the world lack critical thinking also. You only have to go and read the comments after some news article and the "logic" is amazing. It's like the whole of mankind is either infantile, or cynical to the extreme, there seems to be no happy medium and  common sense any more.

@Melinda Mills @John Lindsay Barltrop This came to my mind...will do a post with picture I make up.
What will servants of God be expected to do once they come under attack? 
Again, the reaction of God’s typical nation in the days of Jehoshaphat sets the pattern. Note that its citizens were commanded to do three things: (1) take their position, (2) stand still, and(3) see the salvation of Jehovah. How will God’s people today act in harmony with these words?—2 Chronicles 20:17.
What does it mean for Jehovah’s people to take their position?
Take their position: Without wavering, God’s people will continue to hold to their position of active support for God’s Kingdom. They will continue to maintain their position of Christian neutrality. They will be “steadfast, unmovable” in their loyal service to Jehovah and will continue publicly to praise Jehovah for his loving-kindness. (1 Corinthians 15:58; Psalm 118:28, 29) No present or future pressure can shake them from this divinely approved position.
In what respects will Jehovah’s servants stand still?
Stand still: Jehovah’s servants will not try to save themselves but will place their implicit trust in Jehovah. Only he is capable of rescuing his servants out of world chaos, and he has promised to do so. (Isaiah 43:10, 11; 54:15;Lamentations 3:26) Trusting in Jehovah will include trusting the modern visible channel that he has clearly been using for decades to serve his purposes. As never before, true Christians will then need to place their confidence in fellow worshipers authorized by Jehovah and his reigning King to take the lead. These faithful men will direct God’s people. Ignoring their direction could end in disaster.—Matthew 24:45-47; Hebrews 13:7, 17.
Why will God’s faithful servants see the salvation of Jehovah?
See the salvation of Jehovah: Salvation will be the reward for all those who hold to their position of Christian integrity and who trust in Jehovah for deliverance. Until the final hour—and to the extent they can—they will announce the arrival of the day of Jehovah’s judgment. All creation must know that Jehovah is the true God and that he has faithful servants on earth. Never again will there be the need for a prolonged controversy over the rightfulness of Jehovah’s sovereignty.—Ezekiel 33:33; 36:23.
 (a) How does the victory song in Exodus chapter 15 reflect the feelings of those who will survive Gog’s attack? (b) What is it appropriate for God’s people to do now?
With renewed energy, God’s people will enter into the new world, eager to sing a victory song, even as did the Israelites of old after their deliverance through the Red Sea. Forever grateful to Jehovah for his protection, individually and collectively, they will echo words of long ago: “Let me sing to Jehovah, for he has become highly exalted. . . . Jehovah is a manly person of war. Jehovah is his name. . . . Your right hand, O Jehovah, can shatter an enemy. And in the abundance of your superiority you can throw down those who rise up against you; you send out your burning anger, it eats them up like stubble. . . . You in your loving-kindness have led the people whom you have recovered; you in your strength will certainly conduct them to your holy abiding place. . . . You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, an established place that you have made ready for you to inhabit, O Jehovah, a sanctuary, O Jehovah, that your hands have established. Jehovah will rule as king to time indefinite, even forever.”—Exodus 15:1-19.
Now with the prospect of everlasting life brighter than ever before, what an opportune time for God’s servants to demonstrate their devotion to Jehovah and to renew their determination to serve him as their everlasting King!—1 Chronicles 29:11-13.
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2003404?q=stand+still+and+see&p=par
Thank you Jehovah! You truly keep us blessed and Unified to bear your Name!
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