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minister159

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Everything posted by minister159

  1. As colossal and awe inspiring the universe is, this statement about Jehovah is almost unfathomable and causes me to realize just how small we are in comparison; literally a spec of dust on a spec of rock in the universe. As David said, "What is mortal man that you keep him in mind, and a son of man that you take care of him?" --- Ps. 8:4. "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand And taken the measurements of the heavens with a span of his hand? Who has gathered in a measure the dust of the earth Or weighed the mountains in the balances And the hills in the scales?" --- Isaiah 40:12 "Solomon, the constructor of the temple at Jerusalem, stated that the “heavens, yes, the heaven of the heavens” cannot contain God. (1Ki 8:27) As the Creator of the heavens, Jehovah’s position is far above them all, and “his name alone is unreachably high. His dignity is above earth and heaven.” (Ps 148:13) Jehovah measures the physical heavens as easily as a man would measure an object by spreading his fingers so that the object lies between the tips of the thumb and the little finger." --- it-1 p. 1060
  2. "When they heard this, they were infuriated and wanted to do away with them.+ 34 But a Pharisee named Ga·maʹli·el+ rose in the Sanʹhe·drin; he was a Law teacher esteemed by all the people, and he gave the command to put the men outside for a little while. 35 Then he said to them: “Men of Israel, be careful as to what you intend to do about these men. 36 For instance, before these days Theuʹdas rose up, saying he himself was somebody, and a number of men, about 400, joined his party. But he was done away with, and all those who were following him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Gal·i·leʹan rose up in the days of the registration, and he drew followers after himself. That man also perished, and all those who were following him were scattered. 38 So under the present circumstances, I say to you, do not meddle with these men, but let them alone. For if this scheme or this work is from men, it will be overthrown; 39 but if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them.+ Otherwise, you may even be found fighters against God himself.”" --- Acts 5:33-39
  3. Exactly. Here's the scriptural basis for our view on this subject: Romans 6:10, "once for all time" Hebrews 9:28, "once for all time" 1Peter 3:18, "once for all time" What About Life on Other Planets? Some influential religious figures have insisted that God would not create any world without purpose and that all habitable worlds must therefore be inhabited. Is that what the Bible says? No. The Bible indicates that it is very unlikely that God at this point has created intelligent physical creatures on any planets other than our own. How so? If God did create such beings, he did so before he created Adam and Eve. Such beings either remained faithful to their Creator, or like Adam and Eve, they sinned and fell into imperfection. But if they became imperfect, they needed a redeemer. As one essayist put it: “One has this dreadful thought that on Friday [the day Jesus Christ was executed], every Friday, somewhere in the universe Jesus is being hanged high for someone’s sins.” But that is not Scriptural. The Bible tells us that Jesus “died with reference to sin once for all time.”—Romans 6:10. What if these beings had remained perfect? Well, when Adam and Eve sinned, they were, in effect, questioning God’s right to rule over a world of intelligent physical beings. If another planet existed at that time, a world full of intelligent physical beings who were living harmoniously and loyally under God’s rule, would they not have been called in as witnesses to testify that God’s rule does indeed work? This conclusion seems inescapable, since he has already used even imperfect humans as witnesses in his behalf on that very issue.—Isaiah 43:10. --- g90 4/8 pp.9-11
  4. So, he also doesn't believe that Jesus Christ is God? Well, at least he got that right!
  5. The practice of ostracism, excommunication, shunning or disfellowshipping is based on the scriptures and for that reason has been used in religious communities for centuries. It's not based on human law and it's nothing new, although its enforcement has fallen out of favor for the most part in today's religious climate. The authority for disfellowshipping a member of a religious community or congregation, and by extension an organization, comes from God, not man, and obligates its members to remove any and all unrepentant lawbreakers, bar none. It's similar to our mandate for preaching, "We must obey God as ruler rather than men." When a prospective member of our organization decides he wants to worship Jehovah along with us, he is made fully aware of the rules of membership and it is perfectly clear that he understands the consequences of breaking the rules, aka God's laws. Obey the law and practice righteousness and you'll have no problem, break the law and you'll pay the price. Simple. As they say in the vernacular, "Our club, our rules." The standards for true worship are too high for some, and if that's they case, they shouldn't join.
  6. My modus operandi is similar to John's, except I don't read all of it again later at a slower pace. An instructor at Bethel suggested that to get the full benefit from the study articles, it's good to read them as soon as they're released, then study them sometime the week of the meeting and then finally review them at the Watchtower study. That way you're taking in the spiritual food three times for better digestion and absorption.
  7. Our 4 kits were delivered today. Two boxes with two tests each. My wife also got the new Covid-19 and updated flu vaccination today. I'll be getting mine next week. I received a jury summons for Oct. 26th and I want to make sure I'm as protected as possible in the courthouse waiting room packed with potential carriers!
  8. Here's a book a brother who's a member on this website wrote, in an attempt to get to the bottom of this question. I haven't read it, but from what I know of his style of investigative journalism, I think he might have a plausible explanation.
  9. Great performance! I posted this same video back on June 5, 2018, over five years ago. Wow! It seems like it was just a couple years ago in my mind. Thanks.
  10. Most likely, it will be to put them on notice that their imminent destruction is coming from the God they've ignored and denied, namely, the Sovereign Lord Jehovah. Who better than his Witnesses to deliver that message as a fitting climax to the warning message we've been delivering all throughout the last days. "And I will certainly magnify myself and sanctify myself and make myself known before the eyes of many nations; and they will have to know that I am Jehovah." --- Ezekiel 38:23
  11. If you would like some further insight into our fight for freedom during the WWII era, this book is very good reading and referenced in the Awake! article citied below. Armed With the Constitution "In 1995, Merlin Owen Newton wrote Armed With the Constitution, a book that documents the role of Jehovah’s Witnesses in clarifying the application of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. At the time, Mrs. Newton was associate professor of history and political science at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama. Her thoroughly researched and well-documented book reviews two Alabama court cases that were carried all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. One of these Supreme Court cases involved Grace Marsh, whose first-person story appears in the accompanying article. The other case, Jones v. City of Opelika, dealt with the right to disseminate religious beliefs through distribution of literature. Rosco and Thelma Jones, a black married couple, were full-time ministers of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In preparing her book, Professor Newton used contemporary periodicals and legal journals, Witnesses’ memoirs and letters, interviews with and material published by the Witnesses themselves, and scholarly studies of Witness activities. The fascinating details and personal reflections provided by the defendants, attorneys, and judges in Armed With the Constitution have brought a piece of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ legal history to life." --- g98 4/22 p. 24
  12. I don't think so. Wikipedia shows he's still very much alive and currently acting on new episodes of Blue Bloods.
  13. "Although the fig tree may not blossom, And there may be no fruit on the vines; Although the olive crop may fail, And the fields* may produce no food; Although the flock may disappear from the pen, And there may be no cattle in the stalls; Yet, as for me, I will exult in Jehovah; I will be joyful in the God of my salvation." --- Habakkuk 3:17, 18

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