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Regarding the Great Tribulation, in my opinion, it doesn’t make sense to think that we will gather inside the Kingdom Hall, as if the Kingdom Halls were, for example, some kind of “ark of Noah.” In my opinion, just as happened during the pandemic, we may very well be able to stay in our homes or, if we are forced to leave our homes, we may have to stay in some kind of shelter. The important thing is that we will need to have access to the information and guidance from the brothers who, during that time, will have the responsibility of caring for us. And even if that isn’t possible, it will be important to keep our faith and do what we already know to do: remain loyal, keep our faith strong, not panic, and remember that Jehovah, Jesus, and the angels are in control.

I have not found any publication that specifically states that Jehovah’s Witnesses will continue meeting in Kingdom Halls during the Great Tribulation. For example, the 2019 Watchtower says that we may meet “in private homes or even in secret,” and its illustration depicts a small group of Witnesses meeting in a forest during the Great Tribulation. Other publications have also portrayed brothers and sisters meeting or taking shelter in less conspicuous places in connection with the Great Tribulation: a congregation meeting secretly in a basement in 2014, brothers and sisters taking shelter in an attic in 2019, and brothers and sisters meeting with others in a basement in 2023. Of course, I understand that illustrations are not necessarily prophetic details, and I am not trying to draw a conclusion beyond what the publications actually say. I simply find the repeated references to private or concealed places interesting. Stay Faithful Through the “Great Tribulation” https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/mp/r1/lp-e/w19/2019/748 “Now You Are God’s People” https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/mp/r1/lp-e/ws14/2014/752 Build Strong Friendships Before the End Comes https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/mp/r1/lp-e/w19/2019/787 Are You Ready for the Great Tribulation? https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/mp/r1/lp-e/w23/2023/501 There is also a recent real-life example. On July 31, 2026, a Russian court ordered the confiscation of 123 properties owned by Jehovah’s Witnesses, including four Kingdom Halls. JW.org itself states that since the 2017 ban, the Russian government has continued to seize Kingdom Halls and other properties previously used by Jehovah’s Witnesses for religious meetings. https://www.jw.org/en/news/region/russia/Russian-Authorities-Seize-123-Properties-Owned-by-Jehovahs-Witnesses/ With this in mind, I wonder: is there a reason to believe that congregations will continue meeting in Kingdom Halls during the Great Tribulation? Or might we instead have to meet in private homes, basements, attics, forests, or other less conspicuous places? If anyone knows of a more recent publication that specifically addresses this point, I would genuinely appreciate the reference. I’m asking simply because I would like to understand the subject more clearly.

Just like Peter when he follow Jesus in a raging waters. Peter distracted by the storm thats why he drowened. We need a biggest faith in this times.

I've learned that whenever we face challenges, Satan will try to attack us. Your wife's situation distracted you from your purpose. She didn't mean to, but she helped keep you off balance. Pink Popcorn (Chris) always used to say to me, 'Sharon, wherever there is confusion, chaos and disruption (I may have the last one wrong), it smacks of Satan's interference.' I don't believe she was wrong. If I had a dollar for every time a fight broke out at home while I was trying to get to a meeting or log into one, I'd have some significant savings. I've been thin too, brother. Teeth basically hanging on to the end of a rope. While I'm going through menopause. I sometimes think Jehovah doesn't want to know what I'm thinking because eep... it ain't good! The other night, after a long workday, I was finally able to enjoy a spiritual meeting when my husband called. Our car has been acting up, but he was just upset about losing his wallet. He was swearing and having a full-on meltdown. I laugh about it now, and I hope you can too. I want you to specifically look for the ways Satan's trying his machinations on for size. He's gotten so desperate he's always got to start something. Now I know Satan has been removed from the heavens but I can imagine Jehovah chuckling. A hand running through his majestic beard, a hint of laughter beneath his tone as he watches Satan try to discourage us. "You must think him easy pickings. I wouldn't be so sure about that." Jehovah thinks back to all the times Tim has shown up, even when Satan's been riding his back like a rented mule. I know we don't use the phrasing 'Good Luck' much, but there's a 'Good Luck' out there that's said with a straight face and a 'Yeah, right, that ain't ever gonna happen.' I'd imagine Jehovah looking down at Satan and going. 'Yeah. Good Luck with that.' Then having a good laugh with all the other spirit creatures. "Oh yeah, and get that man some extra holy spirit. He needs a top-up." "But... he wasn't paying attention." "Sure he was. Why do you think he showed up at my house?"

I don't think that one was so old... But this one at Genoa in Italy is certainly OLD:

And is this not the cutest Kingdom Hall ever? It's at Hexham, near the Scottish border and not far from Newcastle in Northern England. About 35 publishers were in the congregation when I visited in 2016.

How time passes! These pics were taken in 2014 during my trip to the US for the Detroit International Convention. This little girl will now be about 13... ...her daddy was driving the bus from the Lovinia Suites to Ford Field. During my travels after the convention, at Gretna in North Carolina I walked into McDonalds and noticed these kids with their mums... ...obviously getting a treat after going out witnessing. They also would have now added over 12 years to their ages.

Would someone say they are apostate? After all, from their point of view they're not apostate at all. Though they might say that we would consider them to be apostate.

Why?

Everyone thought Daniel would make an excellent ministerial servant. He gave thoughtful comments, handled his responsibilities well, and was always neatly dressed. When something needed organizing, Daniel was usually nearby. Secretly, he hoped the elders noticed. One rainy evening, Daniel arrived early for the congregation meeting. He was assigned to sound and needed to check the microphones, music, and videos before everyone arrived. As he entered, he saw Brother Harris struggling in the lobby. At eighty-three, Brother Harris could no longer bend easily. His wet shoelace had come undone, and several muddy footprints trailed behind him. Daniel glanced toward the sound console. There was much to prepare, and time was passing. Then he looked again at Brother Harris, who was leaning against the wall, visibly embarrassed. “I seem to be coming apart tonight,” the older brother said with a weak smile. Daniel knelt on the wet floor and tied his shoe. While he was there, he noticed that Brother Harris’s trousers were soaked around the ankles. Daniel found a towel, dried the floor, and wiped the mud from the brother’s shoes. Then he slowly helped him to his seat. When Daniel finally reached the sound console, another brother was already helping check the microphones. Together, they finished preparing the music and videos just before the meeting began. No one knew why Daniel had been delayed. After the meeting, Sister Harris approached him near the door. Her eyes were moist. “My husband almost stayed home tonight and watched the meeting on Zoom,” she said. “Since his health declined, he feels that he has become a burden. But when you knelt beside him, you didn’t make him feel like a burden. You made him feel loved.” Daniel could think of nothing to say. Later, after nearly everyone had left, he noticed more muddy water near the entrance. He found a mop and began cleaning it. There was no audience now, no important responsibility to fulfill, and no one whose approval he could win. Brother Harris paused at the door and watched him. “You know, Daniel,” he said quietly, “people may never notice when the microphones work or when every video starts on time. But they will remember the brother who noticed them—and was willing to kneel.” After Brother Harris’s words, Daniel thought about the microphones, the music, and the videos he carefully tested before each meeting. Those things were necessary, and he was willing to do them. But now he understood what should motivate him. His love for Jehovah moved him to love his brothers and sisters—and that love made every task important, whether he was standing at the sound console or kneeling beside someone who needed him.

I thought I would share some of the occupations of pioneers I know. In my congregation, one is a general contractor, another is an ambulance dispatcher, and another is a nurse. One teaches classes over Zoom to help people become more productive in their employment. Some are caregivers for those with disabilities, and others are nursing assistants. My daughter, who is in another congregation, serves as a pioneer and has her own cleaning business. Wait, wait, wait—I almost forgot an important detail! And I’m not saying this just because she’s my daughter. Her business became so successful that her husband was able to leave his job and start working with her. Now they run the business and pioneer together. I also know a brother who works as a contractor contact for a lumber company. In other words, he manages products from the supplier’s side. Another brother works in the legal department of an insurance company. I have noticed something else about many of the brothers and sisters who are pioneering. A number of them became involved in metropolitan public witnessing, where it was available. Spending more time in the ministry through that arrangement—and making good use of opportunities while commuting—helped them take steps toward pioneering. Of course, they also stay busy in the ministry with their local congregations and in conducting Bible studies. Maybe this will get the ball rolling for some who are pioneering to share what they do for work and others to think of what the pioneers in their congregation does for work as they Those are all options for them to consider. I'm trying to find my old pioneer book where the branch actually gave a list of potential potential jobs and tasks to create an income to support pioneering.

Hubble Solves Merger Mystery From Milky Way’s Early Years Release date: 17 August 2026 11am ID: 2026-015 Astronomers find strong evidence for a massive merger 1.8 billion years earlier than the oldest previously known significant merger. The early universe was a chaotic place, crowded with young galaxies that smashed together and agglomerated into larger and larger galaxies over billions of years. Our own Milky Way experienced such collisions, but the details are difficult to tease out since they occurred so long ago. Researchers using the Hubble Space Telescope have now extended our knowledge of the Milky Way’s history 1.8 billion years farther back in time than ever before, finding strong evidence that it merged with another galaxy in the earliest phases of its evolution. Full article: https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/hubble-solves-merger-mystery-from-milky-ways-early-years/ Pic Description [Concept Drawing]: About 12 billion years ago, a dwarf galaxy known as LKH (left) collided with a young Milky Way (right) and merged with it. This artist’s concept portrays that collision. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope uncovered definitive evidence of this long-ago collision by studying ancient globular star clusters. Image Walk-through: An illustration of two galaxies in the midst of a collision against a dark, star-filled background. The collision takes up the middle third of the illustration. On the right, a larger galaxy is viewed at an angle from 11 o’clock to 4 o’clock, with a white-yellow core surrounded by mottled brown dust lanes and faint bluish spiral arms. To the left, a smaller, bright blue-white galaxy is stretched into a curved, hook-like shape as gravity distorts it. A broad, glowing bridge of pale blue gas and stars extends off the galaxy at the left, while wispy streams extend above and below the larger galaxy at the right. Credit: NASA, ESA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI)

Tim, you went to the meeting to reconnect with Jehovah—and he greeted you with gifts. The smiles, the waves, the hug, the kind words, the invitation to share a meal, and the warmth you felt were all gifts from him. I know you didn’t miss that—you acknowledged those things and told us about them. But it feels as though you were excusing them because they weren’t the reason you went. Perhaps each one was Jehovah’s way of drawing you closer and closer to him—his way of wrapping his arms around you and saying, “I missed you too.” And that is exactly what you went there to acknowledge: that Jehovah missed you too. He gave you a hug through your brothers and sisters, Tim. Please let yourself accept the hug. Luke 15:20 YB Dave

hi is there anyone near the toronto sick kids hospital??

Sometimes we dwell on the negative side of Jehovah's Day and think about how bad it will be for us during the GT, but its more encouraging to focus on Jehovah and discuss the positive aspects of what he will do in the future. That's why I prefer to talk about the Day of Jehovah instead of the GT.

This is imperative! w26 January pp. 22 "Rather than dwell on the challenge that you are facing, focus on your appreciation for all that Jehovah has provided - including the ransom arrangement".

Tuesday, August 18 Let everything you do be done with love.—1 Cor. 16:14. Our greatest example, Jesus Christ, was motivated by love—love for his Father and love for people. That love moved him to work hard and perform humble tasks for others. (Matt. 20:28; John 13:5, 14, 15) Brothers, if you are motivated by love, Jehovah will bless you and will help you to reach your spiritual goals, such as qualifying as a ministerial servant. (1 Pet. 5:5) In the world, people who promote themselves are often admired. Not so in Jehovah’s organization. A brother who is motivated by love, as Jesus was, does not crave power, authority over others, or status. If such an ambitious person were to be appointed in the congregation, he would likely refuse to do some of the humble tasks needed to care for Jehovah’s precious sheep. He might consider such tasks to be beneath him.—John 10:12. w24.11 15 ¶6-7

Caleb and Sofia are interesting names, wonder how they got selected. One of the most popular male names of all times in JAMES . One of my Dads is named James and several nephews. My brother James has two sons James, 2 marriages one adoption. Next son I'm calling George Foreman.

Yes, go ahead. You should definitely configure the settings so the game runs smoothly. Press "P" in the game, then go to "Options/Performance" and try out different settings. I'm glad you're giving it a try.😉 As I said, you'll find everything you need to play in the help videos.🤓

I've had people offer to pray to me - but not announce they are apostate

I did find out how to exit and to move around ... but the view keeps getting off. Sometimes I'm zoomed out, sometimes zoomed in and I don't know how to change that view. It seems to change when I move the mouse to change his direction I'll try it again later

Agreed! It's already out. Episode 1 was great! Episode 2 is trying to be like a "horror" flick. Completely unnecessary and can be skipped without missing out on any real character development. There's a little, but not enough to make a person lost later on methinks. Will be checking out the next two episodes soon.

I've heard that line plenty of times... (I'll pray for you). I usually just say something like, "That was quick! Your prayer has already been answered!"

Im new to this topic, didnt know it was here! 😲 Im rewatching Strange New Worlds again, new season coming out soon. I absolutely love Season 2 episode 9, my all time favorite. And im not one for musicals, this one is fabulous!

Press "P" for the Menu "Esc" too.