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Bruceq

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  1. We have had during 2023: Several Life-Altering Trials and Hardships all at once: Trials and Blessings: Cancer: Early 2023: Looked bad with my wife having a less than 20% survival after 5 years. This particular type of aggressive deadly cancer does not usually respond at all to any chemotherapy. However, the first type of chemotherapy actually shrunk cancer but caused lung issue so had to stop and cancer regrew. Then a second try with a different chemotherapy drug has made the cancer stable now after 2 years which is far beyond expectations as no chemotherapy is supposed to work at all! Legal: Summer 2023 looked bad and at a particular important meeting needed a letter from a doctor but the appointment to see him was not until June 24th 2024 of next year. However, just one hour after the meeting the doctor’s office called and said there was an opening the very next day! Financial: Summer 2023 looked bad when Lisa lost her job and health insurance. However, Lisa was accepted immediately for disability although normally it takes an 8 month processing wait time! Also, as of October 2023 began a job that is very flexible and pays immediately with just what we need. We now can increase our SMPW assignments as well. Conclusion: Our faith has been greatly strengthened as we have seen and experienced Jehovah’s loving merciful care for us through these multiple extreme trials and hardships and tests of faith. Seeing Jehovah’s way of answering prayers in some cases almost immediately and in ways we did not even expect has helped us look to the future with confidence as our endurance is hardening our faith in Jehovah’s loving care and approval which gives us peace of mind and strength. Often after a trial is over, we look back and realize “oh Jehovah did that for us.” But it is better to realize it and perceive Jehovah’s support during the trial as it will help you get through it with joy knowing Jehovah approves and supports you. Thus, we can get through the trials by looking at the blessings from the trials. Therefore, one can see beauty in trials if one looks at the big picture. Don’t get so involved in the problems to see the blessings Jehovah gives along the way. Or as the saying goes “one cannot see the forest through the trees”. That is, “one cannot see the blessings through the trials”. We must enjoy the journey no matter what comes our way. “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet with various trials, knowing as you do that this tested quality of your faith produces endurance. But let endurance complete its work, so that you may be complete and sound in all respects, not lacking in anything…Happy is the man who keeps on enduring trial, because on becoming approved he will receive the crown of life, which Jehovah promised to those who continue loving Him”. James 1:2-4,12. “Because of this you are greatly rejoicing, though for a short time, if it must be, you have been distressed by various trials, in order that the tested quality of your faith, of much greater value than gold that perishes despite its being tested by fire, may be found a cause for praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you never saw him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, yet you exercise faith in him and are greatly rejoicing with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of your faith, your salvation”. 1 Peter 1:6-9. “How many things you have done, O Jehovah my God, Your wonderful works and your thoughts toward us. None can compare to you; If I were to try to tell and speak of them, They would be too numerous to recount! Ps. 40:5. Many friends in the Congregation have also provided support in many ways. Regularly take time to stop and think about how Jehovah is making you successful even while you are enduring a hardship. At the end of each day, ask yourself: ‘In what way did I see Jehovah’s blessing today? Although the trial is still running its course, how is Jehovah helping me to endure?’ See if you can identify at least one blessing from Jehovah that has made you successful. True, you might be praying for your trial to end. That is understandable and appropriate. (Phil. 4:6) But we should also be aware of the blessings we have right now. After all, Jehovah promises to strengthen us and to help us to endure. So never lose appreciation for the fact that Jehovah is supporting you. Then you will see how Jehovah is helping you to succeed, as he did Joseph, even during times of trial.—Gen. 41:51, 52. Job also went through these same types of life-altering hardships all at once as we are currently experiencing. Health, financial and legal as the comforters raised legal issues. Yet what did Jehovah do for Job? “Look! We consider happy those who have endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome Jehovah gave, that Jehovah is very tender in affection and merciful”. James 5:11. “For the eyes of Jehovah are roving about through all the earth to show his strength [support] in behalf of those whose heart is complete toward [completely devoted to] him”. 2 Chron. 16:9. “For the eyes of Jehovah are on the righteous, and his ears listen to their supplication.” 1 Pet. 3:12.
  2. To alleviate any misconceptions some may have here is a writeup from our eBay store [lisa.joeywit] regarding what we do: To All Collectors of Watchtower Publications and Research Related Watchtower Books : Welcome to our bookstore: "Watchtower Historical Bibles/Items and Research Publications" When searching Ebay and you type in "Watchtower" you get nearly 5,000 results, some of which have no connection at all with the Watchtower Society, but many do. Since the "Proclaimers" book came out in 1995 the desire to acquire Watchtower memorabilia and have a personal library or museum of Watchtower items has grown. The Watchtower Society itself now has an archive department known as "Writing Archives" which was established by the Writing Committee of the Governing Body to preserve our rich theocratic history. Many of the hundreds of items I offer on Ebay are reproductions from the original items which have been donated to the archive department. We offer here on ebay hundreds of historical Bibles both original and as facsimiles such as the Gutenberg Bible, Tyndale and about 250 others. We also offer many original Bible leafs that are also hundreds of years old. We offer many museum replicas and facsimiles of Biblical artifacts and many other things of interest to Jehovah's Witnesses and others interested in Biblical historical artifacts such as those related to the Divine Name "Jehovah" going back thousands of years. We also have many of the books quoted by the Watchtower Society and hundreds of photos and reproductions of hundreds of Watchtower memorabilia from the 19th to early 20th Centuries such as the Photo-Drama of Creation items. We have items such as the Dead Sea Scrolls now on display in the Bible History exhibit as mentioned at the 2013 Annual Meeting. Many people are interested in copying to the best of their ability the Bethel Library including the thousands of books referred to and quoted from in the many publications of the Watchtower Society for research. We have books dealing with the following topics: Hundreds of Bible Translations, Biblical Reference Books, Early Christianity, History, Science, Pagan Origins, Archaeology, Jehovah's Witnesses, Holocaust, Books related to prophecy about 1914, Books by or about Jehovah's Witnesses, Blood transfusion alternatives, religious terrorism and many other subjects. If you type "Watchtower research" in the search box here on Ebay, you will get a good listing of those books that the Watchtower has quoted from throughout the years. If you are one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I encourage you to donate theocratic historical items if you can and if you are not a Witness, then I encourage you to continue to search God's Word the Bible and related publications to guide and aid you in your search for Jehovah God your Creator. According to our Scriptural conscience and Biblical principle to receive free and give free no recent new publications from the Watchtower are ever sold here on ebay which you may get for free at a Kingdom Hall. Any profits are donated to the World wide work of Jehovah's Witnesses. "This means everlasting life their coming to know you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ" John 17:3 "And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come" Matt. 24:14. {New World Translation 2013 Edition} {We opened our website watchtowerarchive.com to reduce costs to customers that are higher on eBay and Etsy due to fees that they charge. We currently have 1,150 items on eBay with the above statement on each listing, 57 items on Etsy and about 150 on our website as we transfer more over. If you see an item on eBay that you want you can ask us to transfer the item to our website to save you money on shipping since all our items on the website are free shipping because of extra fees on eBay.}
  3. Funny you mention brother Jackson he has purchased items from us several times over the years. As have many others at Bethel as mentioned before. If I were doing something improper then why does he support us by buying our items? Again try to Pursue Peace and stop attacking your brothers.
  4. "each one of us has to decide to what degree we use our theocratic contacts to generate business" This statement made me think of Jehovah's people in the first century who also had businesses. Like Paul, Joseph, Jesus. I wonder who there primary customers were? People of their religion or others? Would people have counseled the Apostle Paul on his contacts when selling tents or Jesus when he sold his carpentry items?
  5. Ministry Ideaz also is mentioned as well as many others in this blog. I have no problem buying from any of these websites as long as it is not at the Kingdom Hall that it is being promoted. Of course No one should dictate to others what their conscience may say to them so I would never say do not do this or that. Also the Divine Name museum at Warwick has purchased both original and facsimile books from other businesses owned by the brothers and some have also donated what they can. If it was wrong for all these brothers and sisters to sell these items then why would brothers at Warwick buy them?
  6. I love knowing the end is imminent. I was born a Witness in 1963 my parents were Witnesses since they were teens in 1939 and my grandparents on both sides of my family were also in the truth. I love it when my wife had a baby and the doctor says the birth is imminent even though he does not know the exact day or hour. The doctor also has a due date based on math and many times the baby will come past the due date. But just because the time is past a due date or just because the doctor has been saying for some time the birth is imminent does not make me disappointed or discouraged or believe the baby is not actually going to be born although the experts tell me his birth is imminent. Find joy in the time you have left before the birth of what we are expecting. For when it comes then you will have exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.
  7. We had an older brother on stage trying to adjust his mike and it swung around all the way to the back of his head. Nobody could stop laughing including him. We also had a microphone handler that had a wireless mike that he had in his pocket when he went to the restroom. It was left on but i will not tell you any more details. But some of the elderly sisters were not amused.
  8. “The ten horns that you saw mean ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they do receive authority as kings for one hour with the wild beast. These have one thought, so they give their power and authority to the wild beast...And the ten horns that you saw and the wild beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her devastated and naked, and they will eat up her flesh and completely burn her with fire. For God put it into their hearts to carry out his thought, yes, to carry out their one thought by giving their kingdom to the wild beast..." Rev. 17:12 - 17. "When the time comes, the nations will evidently see the need to strengthen the United Nations. They will give it teeth, as it were, lending it whatever authority and power they possess " Revelation book. The war in Ukraine and the result of Russia being able to veto gives the "need" to develop the ability for ALL member states [10 horns] to have the authority to say "What justification do you have to veto this action"? Therefore the UN approves measure requiring states to justify veto on Tuesday.
  9. What if Putin was somehow removed from power? The entire world would say "finally peace and security". 🤔 Pariah: one that is despised or rejected : outcast
  10. Yes. Cause and effect. The book explains in detail and was answered earlier in this thread.

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About Bruceq

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    Brother
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    Bruce
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    South Carolina
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    yes
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    yes

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