Alexa

THE WORDS OF JESUS
At John 14:23,24....." In answer, Jesus said to him, if anyone loves me, he will observe my word, and my father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Verse 24....Whoever does not love me does not observe my words. The word you are hearing is not mine, but belongs to the Father who sent me."
The words of Jesus, his commands, include the command to preach the Kingdom Good News in all the earth. Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20. We observe that command by doing all within our power---expending our time, energy, and material resources---to promote the Kingdom-preaching work. We thereby show our love for the Messianic King, Jesus Christ.
(An important point from our Bible Study this week)
So there is a question we all must answer for ourselves...."Do I really love Christ Jesus, and demonstrate that my by actions.....or.....are my words claiming to love him merely just empty words with no real meaning?"
( by  Roger B. Elder )

Thanks be to God for his indescribable free gift.—2 Cor. 9:15.
When Jehovah sent his only-begotten Son to this earth, He gave what would become the greatest possible gift of love! (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9, 10) The apostle Paul called it God’s “indescribable free gift.” Paul knew that all the magnificent promises of God were guaranteed through the perfect sacrifice of Christ. (2 Cor. 1:20) Thus, that “indescribable free gift” would include all the goodness and loyal love that Jehovah would extend to us through Jesus. Indeed, that gift is so awe-inspiring that it cannot be fully described in human terms. How should receiving such an extraordinary gift affect us? And in what practical ways should this gift motivate us? Does it compel you to reconsider your actions and even change the way you have been living your life? Are you moved to be more generous and loving toward others and to forgive any who have wronged you? Remember, what Jehovah has given us through Christ is by far the greatest gift ever given.—1 Pet. 3:18. w16.01 2:1, 2, 4, 5
https://wol.jw.org/es/wol/dt/r4/lp-s/2017/9/29

The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who has been born from the spirit.—John 3:8.
Those who have been invited in such a manner may wonder: ‘Why have I been selected? Why me and not someone else?’ They may even question their own worthiness. But they do not question the fact that they have been invited. Their hearts are bursting with joy and appreciation. They feel much as did Peter when he said under inspiration: “Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for according to his great mercy he gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an incorruptible and undefiled and unfading inheritance. It is reserved in the heavens for you.” (1 Pet. 1:3, 4) When anointed ones read those words, they know without any doubt that their heavenly Father is speaking to them personally. w16.01 3:11, 12
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/dt/r1/lp-e/2017/9/30

via TheWorldNewsOrgWorld News

The War Prayer
by Mark Twain
1904
  It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched firecrackers hissing and sputtering; on every hand and far down the receding and fading spreads of roofs and balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers marched down the wide avenue gay and fine in their new uniforms, the proud fathers and mothers and sisters and sweethearts cheering them with voices choked with happy emotion as they swung by; nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot oratory which stirred the deepest deeps of their hearts and which they interrupted at briefest intervals with cyclones of applause, the tears running down their cheeks the while; in the churches the pastors preached devotion to flag and country and invoked the God of Battles, beseeching His aid in our good cause in outpouring of fervid eloquence which moved every listener.
It was indeed a glad and gracious time, and the half dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast a doubt upon its righteousness straightway got such a stern and angry warning that for their personal safety's sake they quickly shrank out of sight and offended no more in that way.
Sunday morning came – next day the battalions would leave for the front; the church was filled; the volunteers were there, their faces alight with material dreams-visions of a stern advance, the gathering momentum, the rushing charge, the flashing sabers, the flight of the foe, the tumult, the enveloping smoke, the fierce pursuit, the surrender! – then home from the war, bronzed heros, welcomed, adored, submerged in golden seas of glory! With the volunteers sat their dear ones, proud, happy, and envied by the neighbors and friends who had no sons and brothers to send forth to the field of honor, there to win for the flag or, failing, die the noblest of noble deaths. The service proceeded; a war chapter from the Old Testament was read; the first prayer was said; it was followed by an organ burst that shook the building, and with one impulse the house rose, with glowing eyes and beating hearts, and poured out that tremendous invocation – "God the all-terrible! Thou who ordainest, Thunder thy clarion and lightning thy sword!"
Then came the "long" prayer. None could remember the like of it for passionate pleading and moving and beautiful language. The burden of its supplication was that an ever – merciful and benignant Father of us all would watch over our noble young soldiers and aid, comfort, and encourage them in their patriotic work; bless them, shield them in His mighty hand, make them strong and confident, invincible in the bloody onset; help them to crush the foe, grant to them and to their flag and country imperishable honor and glory.
An aged stranger entered and moved with slow and noiseless step up the main aisle, his eyes fixed upon the minister, his long body clothed in a robe that reached to his feet, his head bare, his white hair descending in a frothy cataract to his shoulders, his seamy face unnaturally pale, pale even to ghastliness. With all eyes following him and wondering, he made his silent way; without pausing, he ascended to the preacher's side and stood there, waiting.
With shut lids the preacher, unconscious of his presence, continued his moving prayer, and at last finished it with the words, uttered in fervent appeal,"Bless our arms, grant us the victory, O Lord our God, Father and Protector of our land and flag!"
The stranger touched his arm, motioned him to step aside – which the startled minister did – and took his place. During some moments he surveyed the spellbound audience with solemn eyes in which burned an uncanny light; then in a deep voice he said
"I come from the Throne – bearing a message from Almighty God!" The words smote the house with a shock; if the stranger perceived it he gave no attention. "He has heard the prayer of His servant your shepherd and grant it if such shall be your desire after I, His messenger, shall have explained to you its import – that is to say, its full import. For it is like unto many of the prayers of men, in that it asks for more than he who utters it is aware of – except he pause and think.
"God's servant and yours has prayed his prayer. Has he paused and taken thought? Is it one prayer? No, it is two – one uttered, the other not. Both have reached the ear of His Who hearth all supplications, the spoken and the unspoken. Ponder this – keep it in mind. If you beseech a blessing upon yourself, beware! lest without intent you invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time. If you pray for the blessing of rain upon your crop which needs it, by that act you are possibly praying for a curse upon some neighbor's crop which may not need rain and can be injured by it.
"You have heard your servant's prayer – the uttered part of it. I am commissioned by God to put into words the other part of it – that part which the pastor, and also you in your hearts, fervently prayed silently. And ignorantly and unthinkingly? God grant that it was so! You heard these words: 'Grant us the victory, O Lord our God!' That is sufficient. The whole of the uttered prayer is compact into those pregnant words. Elaborations were not necessary. When you have prayed for victory you have prayed for many unmentioned results which follow victory – must follow it, cannot help but follow it. Upon the listening spirit of God the Father fell also the unspoken part of the prayer. He commandeth me to put it into words. Listen!
"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle – be Thou near them! With them, in spirit, we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it – for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.
(After a pause)
"Ye have prayed it; if ye still desire it, speak! The messenger of the Most High waits."
It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.

I too would have fired him. He was without authority to divulge such information to anybody as he had no right to the information in the first place. 

Interesting ....
Everywhere I have ever worked it was assumed that you did not discuss ANYTHING that went on with outsiders.
If it bothered your conscience, give two weeks notice, and quit, .... or suck it up and keep on keeping on.
Lawyers have the moral and legal obligation to keep client secrets forever, even if they quit being Lawyers.
If I understand the sentence structure here, MY MORAL obligation would be to have told the husband, not the congregational elders. 
Morally, copying a companies hard drive security cameras, except in self defense, is despicable and is the same as adultery.
He betrayed the "mouth that feeds him".
It is morally wrong to steal from one's employer, except in self defense against that employer.
 
 

Most employers would have fired him, especially in banking where confidentiality is a serious prerequisite.  As one commentor said, there is a right way to do the right thing.  Even if he had resigned in order to report what he saw, he would still be indebted to his organization to keep confidential anything he saw. It would be a difficult situation regardless.  If he told them to investigate her without giving them a lead or the source of his information, they would still be after him; then it might still get back to her that he said something,  so it would still be detrimental to him. She might even sue him.

INDUSTRIAL COURT FINDS THERE ARE LIMITS TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION IN THE WORKPLACE
Kejan Haynes   Sep 26, 2017 Updated Sep 27, 2017  (40) Trinidad and Tobago
Elder of congregation fired from his company for revealing to the congregation private data from a sister.
The Industrial Court considers that there are limits to freedom of religion in the workplace
Editor's note: due to the nature of this story we have changed the names of the parties involved. We're calling them John and Jane.
The Industrial Court confirmed the decision of an important commercial bank to dismiss an employee who accessed and disseminated personal information from another employee to members of his church.
It is a case that reflects exactly the lightness that exists in the right of a person to freedom of religion.
His Excellency Mr. Herbert soverall presided over the case and rendered his judgement on July 28 The documents were made public.
In August 2012 (according to a statement written by John to his union) while working the night shift, he and two other employees reviewed the bank's hard disk security in search of checking form.
Inside the units, John said he stumbled upon sexually explicit material from a colleague who participated in sexual acts with a man, who was not her husband.
In the statement, John said that he is " an old man in the organization of Jehovah's witnesses ". he said that in his religion such acts are prohibited and " would bring reproaches to the name of our holy Lord Jehovah and also would the free flow of the spirit Saint in the Christian congregation ".
John approached Jane on more than one occasion telling him what he knew. He begged her to clean up the elders in the church.
He wanted to "remind him of the vows he made about his baptism and help him restore his relationship with his GOD JEHOVAH".
In the third attempt, Jane had already had enough, and told her that "out of her business". she reported John to her supervisor, adding that she would even report it to the police if the information he had was made public.
However, it persisted. John told the elders of the congregation what he had seen on the hard drive that night in his "desire to protect the cleansing of Christian congregations".
This took three elders from the church to visit the woman's home to confront her on her day off. He wasn't home at the time.
In December 2012, the bank fired John for "misconduct".
He had disclosed confidential information to a third party, had accessed information about a staff member without authorization, and had copied the information into an external storage device.
In the letter of termination, the bank said that it had "violated or violated the staff's rights", which was in violation of the bank's policies. They had lost confidence in him, and they believed he had discredited the bank.
The General Union of banking insurance workers never sought to justify John's sense of justice in his defense. Instead, they argued that their disciplinary hearings were not properly conducted. The Court ruled that after having filed a written confession, the bank did not have many options, and any attempt to postpone the hearings, as he had tried, was "to waste time and delay the process".
In the written judgment, the court ruled that it was not appropriate to apply the principles of religion itself.
"There's a time and a place for everything under the sun", says the trial. "the place of work simply cannot be treated as a church where religion can be observed and practiced with minimum control".
The Court argued that without control, the workplace could become "devoid of peace, stability and tranquility". each religion would want to be paramount, but no one could be.
The trial also says, " because of his behaviour and his testimony, the worker was adamant that he was right to reveal the information to the older person of his church. His defence was based on his religious persuasions. Industrial Relations Systems, as any worker could present such a defence in response to an act of misconduct and hope to be exonerated ".
The Union has not appealed the decision.
https://www.tv6tnt.com/news/local/industrial-court-finds-there-are-limits-to-freedom-of-religion/article_5a485b94-a327-11e7-9c32-57b15184bc6a.html

The Chinese are very adept traders .... all the war materials the USA sent them to fight Japan with, they repaid with hamsters and canaries.
...which naturally make more hamsters and canaries.
The reason the Chinese are "inscrutable", is ...  if their faces crack, they go into uncontrollable laughter.

Margaret Keane’s Eyes Are Wide Open .. how her work has changed over the years.
“It’s changed, I’ve changed,” she says. She credits her decision to join the Jehovah’s Witnesses, which also gave her the courage to tell the truth about who was the painter in the Keane household.
Since then, “The old sad art colors are gone,” she says. “Now I paint bright colors. I paint paintings which are happy, where children are laughing and playing with animals. I paint paradise on earth,” as her reading of her Bible teaches her about. 
I was also told her interview on the red carpet for her award she wore a jw.org button! Wonderful gesture! ?
http://www.vulture.com/2014/12/margaret-keanes-eyes-are-wide-open.html

In What Ways Does Jehovah Love Us?
?????
The Bible does not reveal whether God created life onany of the other planets in the universe. However, astronomers today have not found proof that life exists on any of these planets and, in fact, know of no planet besides the earth that is at present capable of supporting the life of fleshly creatures.
?????
Consider the earth, which Jehovah, the Maker, “has given to the sons of men.” (Ps. 115:15, 16) Scientists have spent vast amounts of money on space explorations to find other earthlike planets. Although hundreds of planets have been identified, scientists are disappointed that not one of those planets has the intricate balance of conditions that makes human lifepossible, as the earth does. 
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The earth appears to be unique among all of God’s creation. Just imagine, out of the unknown number of planets that exist in the Milky Way and beyond, Jehovah created the earth to be not merely a habitable place but a comfortable, beautiful, and safe home for his human creation! (Isa. 45:18) This reflects how Jehovah must love us.—Read Job 38:4, 7; Psalm 8:3-5.
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Some believe that there is life somewhere out there like us. If there is life like us, Jehovah would have to have been their creator. Is this not true? But he has not mentioned to us anything about their existence.
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We would need to know if he has established his right to rule over them. Because if he has, then perhaps we don’t need to suffer anymore to prove the universal issue of his right to exercise his sovereign rulership over all creation.
????? 
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2015684?q=life+on+other+planets&p=par

How Do You View the Future?
Will our world . . .??????
• stay the same?
• get worse?
• get better?
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
“God . . . will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”—Revelation 21:3, 4, New World Translation.
WHAT THAT CAN MEAN FOR YOU
Meaningful and satisfying work.—Isaiah 65:21-23.
No more sickness or suffering of any kind.—Isaiah 25:8; 33:24.
A happy, unending life with family and friends.—Psalm 37:11, 29.
CAN WE REALLY BELIEVE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS?
Yes, for at least two reasons:
God has the ability to fulfill the promise. In the Bible, Jehovah God alone is called “the Almighty,” for he has unlimited power. (Revelation 15:3) So he is fully able to keep his promise to change our world for the better. As the Bible says, “with God all things are possible.”—Matthew 19:26. God has the desire to fulfill the promise. For example, Jehovah has a longing to restore life to people who have died.—Job 14:14, 15.
The Bible also shows that God’s Son, Jesus, healed the sick. Why did he do so? Because he wanted to. (Mark 1:40, 41) Jesus perfectly reflected his Father’s personality by his desire to help those in need.—John 14:9.
So we can be sure that both Jehovah and Jesus want to help us to enjoy a happy future!—Psalm 72:12-14; 145:16; 2 Peter 3:9. TO THINK ABOUT
How will God change our world for the better?
The Bible answers that question at MATTHEW 6:9, 10 and DANIEL 2:44.
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1102012770?q=how+do+you+view+the+future&p=par

Be Kind! ☔️?☂️?☔️
Pursuing Kindness in a Hostile World
“The desirable thing in earthling man is his loving-kindness.”—PROVERBS 19:22.
☔️?☂️?☔️
DO YOU consider yourself to be a kind person? If so, living in today’s world can be trying. True, kindness is identified in the Bible as part of “the fruitage of the spirit,” but why is it so difficult to express kindness even in so-called Christian lands? (Galatians 5:22) As we noted in the preceding article, the answer can in part be found in what the apostle John wrote—the whole world is in the control of an unkind spirit person, Satan the Devil. (1 John 5:19) Jesus Christ identified Satan as “the ruler of the world.” (John 14:30) Thus, this world tends to resemble its rebel ruler, whose attitude is characterized by vicious behavior.—Ephesians 2:2.
☔️?☂️?☔️
Stressful world conditions may also make it difficult for us to show kindness. For example, mankind in general feels stress because of threats and acts of terrorism, as well as the possible use of biological or nuclear weapons by various national groups. In addition, millions of people are impoverished, existing with minimal food, shelter, clothing, and medical care. Pursuing kindness becomes a challenge when the situation seems hopeless.—Ecclesiastes 7:7.
☔️?☂️?☔️
Kindness is such an all-embracing quality that it touches every aspect of our lives. We should therefore make it an integral part of our Christian personality. Showing kindness to others ought to become a habit.
☔️?☂️?☔️
May all of us be kind to others each day and thus individually apply the words of the apostle Paul: “As God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with the tender affections of compassion, kindness, lowliness of mind, mildness, and long-suffering.”—Colossians 3:12.
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2004284?q=be+kind&p=par

I wonder when Gregg Nachowitzman is photographed reading
some of the Society's publications, nobody cares?

@Rosalie Barry
The name of the book ? is The Truth! Jehovah opened so many hearts ♥️ with this wonderful book! I loved studying with others too in this book. Many, many found the Truth quickly!
 Thank you for your support!
Jehovah Bless!
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I also studied the truth book in 1969 and got babtised in 6 months. I was a 20 year old strong Catholic who had gone to Catholic school all through grade school & high school. I taught Catchism for several years. I had many questions for 8 years that no priest would even try to answer. I was about to give up when my husbands grandparents sent us the truth book along with a number of other ones. As soon as I read the truth book it was as if a light went on in my head. Every thing made perfect sense! All my questions were answered.

@biddy2331@gmail.com
Colin:
Thank you so much for your support! The progression of the Truth of God's Word was so easy to understand! Are we not grateful for the "light" that keeps getting brighter? 
Jehovah Bless!
???????

@Tonny Blom-Konings
Thank you for your support! This Book ? helped so many learn God's Truth! 
Jehovah Bless! 
???????

Yes, I studied it, right after I studied Lost and regaining Paradise, the orange one. When I read that I realized at once it was the truth about everything......
 

1968-Truth-That-Leads-to-Eternal-Life.pdf
1981 - The Truth That Leads To Eternal Life - revised - scanned.pdf

Thank you for your nice comment,  @biddy2331@gmail.com  Colin . Its always nice to hear about that from our new members !
My best wishes from Germany, Agape ???

Remember the WT with the red (orange?) cover
    IS
 SATAN
  REAL?
EVERYBODY thought we were promoting Satanism.
I *coff* could not GIVE them away.

Yes. We had it made!! This book went like hotcakes. It's the expression we heard a lot, and it was true. It was the pioneer's bread and butter somedays. Also, in those days, there was no request to put the "profit" back in the contribution box, because the buyers of the book were not contributing to the Kingdom work, they were actually contributing to our ability to continue pioneering.