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Interesting distinction. I can imagine a tourist coming back from Rome with a souvenir T-shirt "I went to the Vatican and all I got is a lousy T shirt". I wouldn't view the T shirt as an idol. So, I'm trying to imagine a tourist in the year 600 C.E. coming back from a Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Lands with a small vessel decorated with an ornate cross and the Greek inscription "Lord's blessing from the holy places" merely as a reminder of their vacation. It's possible! This got me thinking about the televangelists that used to beg for money on TV. They offered "seed" gifts to make the transaction feel more real. Popular gifts were "anointed" prayer cloths, or handkerchiefs. The preacher would claim to have personally prayed over the cloth, maybe even wiping his forehead with it, and it would bring luck and fend off calamity. Another hot gift was a small bottle of Jordan River water, or olive oil, and the donor was told to dab some on their doorposts (seriously!!). Jim Bakker took a new approach , he offered Survival Food Buckets to his donors, to survive the coming apocalypse. Jim is still working the gullible. After doing 5 years in prison, his ministry was ordered to pay $156,000 in restitution after he falsely claimed "Silver Solution" cured COVID19. Oh, well. From the Byzantine era down to today, "there's nothing new under the sun".

Yes ever since Regional conventions have been held using assembly halls with smaller numbers our circuit has been divided out to different conventions. One year we were the only congregation from our circuit.

exactly, The reason for the question is that the Swedish "examining the scriptures" has translated the phrase “Before creation, Jehovah was alone” differently, as “En gång i tiden var Jehova helt ensam” (word by word: “once upon a time/during a period of time, Jehovah was completely alone”). It gives the impression that Jehovah existed within time before creation, which becomes strange and self-contradictory.

That has always been the case. Conventions never followed circuit boundaries.

Just a slight correction. I just counted again, and now I counted 66 congregations mentioned on the website[emoji28] And it is indeed very nice to see the Kingdom Halls in streetview. [emoji3059] Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-S911B met Tapatalk

One thing that really comes through in both the text and the comments is Jehovah’s humility. He does not ask humans to rise up to where He is. Instead, the Scriptures consistently show that He comes to us. When Jehovah speaks of His “tent,” it pictures closeness, not distance. A tent is where someone lives, welcomes, and stays near. That tells us something important about friendship with Jehovah. It is not only possible—it is something He actively wants. This same thought appears repeatedly throughout the Bible. From the Law, to the Prophets, to the Christian Greek Scriptures, Jehovah keeps expressing the same desire: His place is with His people. That theme is not accidental. It shows intention. When the Bible repeats an idea that many times, it tells us how strongly Jehovah feels about it. He values humans. He chooses to be near them. That makes our relationship with Him deeply personal, and it reminds us that we matter to Him. Leviticus 26:11–12; Ezekiel 37:27; Zechariah 2:10–11; John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Revelation 21:3

Cool, did you see any of the friends, online?? Google maps labels up the KHs - and you can see them on StreetView - identifiable with the universal blue JW.org sign https://maps.app.goo.gl/55Jz5zMUHZyNXn7V7 https://maps.app.goo.gl/iJ77mpv1uhcKpwzM8 And below you can see some friends having a chat together outside a KH - the KH door is ajar https://maps.app.goo.gl/csTxdYeoH58mHgjZ9

The Bible doesn’t frame the new world in terms of hypothetical risks. Instead, it is very clear about outcomes. Isaiah 11:9 states: “They will not cause any harm or any ruin in all my holy mountain.” That is a blanket statement. It does not qualify the source of harm or limit it to deliberate acts. Harm itself is excluded. Revelation 21:4 goes further by removing death entirely: “Death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.” If death is gone, then anything that would lead to fatality is also gone, regardless of how one might imagine it occurring. So while Scripture does not describe mechanisms or scenarios, it leaves no room for harmful or fatal outcomes. The emphasis is not on what might happen, but on what will not happen.

This is too complicated for me. I haven't downloaded Linux yet ... Thinking Mint or Zorin 18. But thank you for answers ❤️

Today I am grateful for electricity! 💡 Still cold, but only -10°C today, so I'm sitting in my writing room, enjoying the pleasant (and easy) warmth from an electric oven. Just switch the button to 3, and go! I also just enjoyed alcohol free beer. Lovely! I like this thread. It makes me more appreciative of these simple joys.

Helpers never served on the GB so their role wouldn't quite be the same as a consultant This sounds reasonable

Sorry, I meant JWL version. My bad. Thanks anyway 💜

Either person can be the "ball and chain" if they are ill-suited, don't carry their own weight, or prove to be a burden rather than a partner.

For exemple or another position corresponding to their old fonction

The Governing Body decided that starting January 1, 2026, brothers 80 years of age or older will no longer serve as members of a Branch Committee. However, these dear brothers will serve as consultants to the Branch Committee.

At our regional convention at Excel we are always around 10000 in attendance

Vietnam restricts our activities because of our political neutrality

There are some older comments back in this thread I was recently reminded of by notifications https://jwtalk.net/topic/44995-jw-library-on-linux-mint/. However, it's actually much simpler now than it was back then. Recently when I was toying around with upgrading my ROG Ally and dual booted Bazzite, I discovered Waydroid. https://docs.waydro.id/usage/install-on-desktops#ubuntu-debian-and-derivatives It seamlessly runs Android apps in a LineageOS container, meaning once you have it installed and running, all you need to do is download the official apk from https://www.jw.org/en/online-help/jw-library/android/manually-install-jw-library-android/ , double click it and you're pretty much good to go. I was able to install it through Bazzite's package manager with no command line, but I've found tutorials for it for other distributions that are only a couple of minutes long.

Aka the new helpers.

Vietnam is not reported as a separate country. However, the meetings and congregations are on jw.org. So last week, I was just checking and started counting. There are (on jw.org) 54 congregations in Vietnam. A beautiful nice group of friends they must be![emoji3590] Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-S911B met Tapatalk

Copy/paste of scriptures that I reference in regards to diet: (Genesis 3:17, 18) Cursed is the ground on your account. In pain you will eat its produce all the days of your life. 18 It will grow thorns and thistles for you, and you must eat the vegetation of the field. (Genesis 4:12) When you cultivate the ground, it will not give you back its produce* (Lit., “power.”). (Genesis 5:29) He named him Noah, saying: “This one will bring us comfort (“relief.”) from our labor and from the painful toil of our hands because of the ground that Jehovah has cursed.” (Genesis 9:3) Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for you. (Deuteronomy 12:20) “When Jehovah your God enlarges your territory, just as he has promised you, and you say, ‘I want to eat meat,’ because you desire (your soul desires) to eat meat, you may eat meat whenever you desire it (in all the desire of your soul). (Nehemiah 5:18) Every day one bull, six choice sheep, and birds were prepared for me, and once every ten days we had all sorts of wine in abundance. (Nehemiah 8:10) He said to them: “Go, eat the choice things (fatty things) and drink what is sweet, and send portions of food to those who have nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord, and do not feel sad, for the joy of Jehovah is your stronghold.” (Job 29:4, 6) When I was in my prime, When God’s friendship was felt in my tent, When my steps were awash in butter, And the rocks poured out streams of oil for me. (Job 36:16) He draws you away from the brink of distress To a broad space, free of restriction, With rich food on your table as consolation. (Psalm 36:8) They drink their fill of the rich bounty (the fatness) of your house, And you cause them to drink of the torrent of your delights. (Psalm 63:5) I am satisfied with the best and choicest portion (as with fat and fatness), So my mouth will praise you with joy on my lips. (Psalm 65:11) You crown the year with your goodness; Your tracks overflow with abundance (drip with fatness). (Proverbs 23:20, 21) Do not be among those who drink too much wine, Among those who gorge themselves on meat, 21 For a drunkard and a glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags. (Proverbs 25:16) If you find honey, eat only what you need, For if you take too much, you may vomit it up. (Proverbs 25:27) It is not good to eat too much honey, (Proverbs 28:7) An understanding son observes the law, But a companion of gluttons disgraces his father. (Isaiah 7:22) And because of the abundance of milk, he will eat butter, for everyone remaining in the land will eat butter and honey. (Isaiah 25:6) In this mountain Jehovah of armies will make for all the peoples A banquet of rich dishes, A banquet of fine wine, Of rich dishes filled with marrow, Of fine, filtered wine. (Isaiah 30:23) And he will give the rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the bread that the ground produces will be abundant and rich (fat and well-oiled). In that day your livestock will graze in spacious pastures. (Jeremiah 31:14) I will satisfy the priests with plenty (fatness), And my people will be satisfied with my goodness,” declares Jehovah. (Habakkuk 1:16) That is why he offers sacrifices to his dragnet And makes sacrifices to his fishing net; For by them his portion is rich (well-oiled), And his food is choice. (Luke 11:11, 12) Indeed, which father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he also asks for an egg, will hand him a scorpion? (1 Timothy 4:1-3) However, the inspired word clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements and teachings of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, whose conscience is seared as with a branding iron. 3 They forbid marriage and command people to abstain from foods that God created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by those who have faith and accurately know the truth. (Acts 10:15) And the voice spoke again to him, the second time: “Stop calling defiled the things God has cleansed.”

The removal of processed foods and infant food from the diet is always beneficial to your health and deserves praise. It's important to make sure that you are getting an overabundance of all essential amino and fatty acids however. Getting good Omega 3 ratios and B Vitamins can be particularly hard. If you want to see optimal results with your health, look for nutrition that comes in bioavailable and digestible formats that does not require conversion, with lower levels of anti nutrients and toxicity (avoid seeds), and if possible in a low-carb high-fat ketogenic macronutrient profile. I hope you enjoy fatty fruits like avocado. Carbs and fiber affect my digestion very badly, and I require ketosis for brain function, so I am a carnivore for health reasons and simplicity (genetic connective tissue disorder, neurodevelopmental disorders and mental illness, several former autoimmune and chronic illnesses).

Governing body members will remain members only until they are 80 years old, after which they will be consultants.

Book 1: Written Beforehand download.mp4

Book 1: Written Beforehand download.mp4