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Great morning worship will be up today. Here is the shortcut. https://www.jw.org/download/?pub=jwb&issue=201812&langwritten=e or https://download-a.akamaihd.net/files/media_periodical/f3/jwb_E_201812_02_r720P.mp4 (Provided by Manfred) I love this Morning Worship!

Anna, I don't think much more can be added here. For me this is a non-issue. The only reason why we are even discussing this is that some apostates adopted a pagan symbol three hundred years after Jesus' death and, some time later, they justified their worship of that idol by trying to convince us that it was the instrument of Jesus' execution. What shape was Noah's ark? Since the Bible calls it an ark, we understand it was a rectangular box, which is what an ark means in both English and Hebrew. Other religions paint the ark as a keeled ship-like structure. Is there any remote possibility that such depictions are accurate? Well, the word "ark" is not very specific, and since none of us were there and no pictures were taken, we can't assure it 100 percent. But since the Bible calls it an ark, what shape do we think it had? A simple rectangular box! Why make an easy subject complicate? The Bible describes the instrument of Jesus' execution with two different words that mean an upright stake. Then the apostle Paul compares that instrument to the simple upright stake the Jews used in ancient times. The LXX uses the same word to translate the stake where Haman was hanged. There's no record of anyone ever using any of those terms in pre-Christian times to refer to anything else than an upright stake. All evidence points to an upright stake. Why complicate it? Why juggle with the language and try to theorize an absolutely exceptional alternate translation that maybe existed or maybe not, but for which there is absolutely no proof? I don't see the point. Rolf Furuli makes a good point about this in his book on chronology. If someone says "today is a radiant day", what would you understand? Well, someone could reason that, since "radiant" comes from a Latin word that may refer to "lightning", what the author means is that today there's stormy weather with thunderbolts and lightnings. Is such interpretation absolutely impossible? No, it's not. Along all the centuries probably someone somewhere used the word "radiant" in that sense. Now, do you think that's what the author of the sentence had in mind? Apply Occam's razor: the simplest, or the least speculative, explanation, is most likely the correct one. Keep it simple. Yes, words change their meaning, and the word stauros did change its meaning to refer to a cross... between 200 and 400 years after it was used in the Bible. This is from the 1975 Yearbook: So the reason why we stopped using the cross was because the brothers realized it was a pagan symbol that shouldn't be mixed with true worship. Only some years later we understood that, besides that, Jesus did not die on a cross. So the main reason why Christians don't use the cross today is the same why we stopped using it: we don't venerate idols and much less pagan symbols.

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1950805 This 1950 watchtower is the oldest I can find that speaks about the cross and why Christians wouldn't use it. It is mostly about translation, but it also adds in the pagan origins of the cross. It is more explicit about it being a phallic symbol than we can be today.

Now Online : Geoffrey W. Jackson: Testing Jehovah Out (Mal. 3:10) https://download-a.akamaihd.net/files/media_periodical/f3/jwb_E_201812_02_r720P.mp4

Made it to 63 years today. December 10, 1955. We’re a large family, 3 sons, 3 daughters, all baptized. 14 grandchildren and 16, 17 great-grandchildren, Hard to keep up. 😊 It’s been very hard at times but Jehovah got us through. Serving Him together with Eternity in mind..

Aren't we privileged to have access to our dear brothers who work so hard to keep us within the Chariot? I watch so many of these short talks so frequently because they help me to shut out the world and keep my mind on spiritual things. I really appreciate that we are getting to know the GB and their helpers on a personal level. They have become real to us. Charlotte, go to jw.org , Programs and Events, then Morning Worship.There is a very long list of talks of about 10 minutes each.

Sr. Elizabeth, if they follow the pattern from last year (every 2 weeks), the release of part 2 would be 12/17/18 and part 3 would be 12/31/18. We don't know, of course. So keep on checking. Using the same pattern, part 1 of the Annual Meeting would be released on January 7, 2019.

and if the perp used cash? side note: Our hall has cameras directed at the Hall and one door camera but the video record of those cameras are all stored in the Hall. Should it not be a concern to get cloud service as a fire like the ones above destroys all video records. The video in the news reports of the perp starting a fire was only when he was unsuccessful in burning down the whole building.

I lived in Maine for 20 years and part of our dirt road was an animal walk. When the mose were walking by, I would just keep a far distance til they were done passing by, even if it made me late. Turtle walk was the same path. Some cars just ran over a turtle or two,. So sad. Yes, we invaded their habitat and I, for one, try to respect that.

So, about that 4th book, @Thomas Walker... just kidding This is really a very nice story. I like the idea about That's very clever.

Thank you so much Brother Chew. The transcript is greatly appreciated.

Yeah, I expected more people to have that reaction, actually. Which was the point of this one. I'm glad it came through. The idea started with the ideas that Israel escaped slavery in Egypt, and the Early Christians escaped genocide in Jerusalem... and then the difficult part started; because they had a different idea of what to expect. Hey, I'm all for an audio drama version. I listen to Audiobooks all the time; and the idea of mine being adapted makes me happy dance in my chair. Now if only I knew people with a recording studio, plenty of different voices; and are willing to work for free. 😅

for me, it was 5 years after. he came into the truth 10 years later... Thank you..wasn't thinking of that so much as just glad that we are still here.....

Me...on December 16th, 1972. We are six days away from 46 loooooooooooooooooong years. The years wouldn't have been so unbearably loooooooooooooooooong if my hubby were in The Truth with me. I was baptized three years after we were married.

why yes, yes we do

IMO - Personally I am not interested in going back and reading all the old publications but the reasoning is sound in my mind. There is nothing in the Bible to suggest a "Cross" in any form. Art work including a cross is totally absent from the catacombs used by Christians in the first two centuries. With the exception of Justin Martyr who's work is questionable due to corruptions, there is no record among the 1st-3rd century writers as to the shape of "starous." If it was a "cross" why not use the Greek "tau" as it was in common usage for a cross. Constantine did not see a "cross" he saw (or so he said) an X. Cross worship overcame the apostate Christian Church 4th-6th century by Christianizing pagan culture and religion. If we are going to stick to only what the Bible says then "starous" would be an upright stake/pole/tree. IMO - In the end what matters the most is not the shape of "starous" as much as distancing ourselves from cross worship. One good way to do that is to challenge the traditionally accepted form of "starous."

Oh deer a buck bed.

Just a coincedence, but interesting to our family, the surgeon that just discovered the brain eating amoeba at Swedish hospital, in Seattle, was my wifes brain surgeon.

7.4 just hit. Dutch had forcasted this one and he nailed it: right place, right time and right magnitude.

If you don't like spiders, look away!!! Australian Bird Eating Spider is about 2 meters away from us. I think the rain washed it out of the tree. We are in the shade of the tree on the other side doing carts. We are both keeping an eye on each other for the last few hours. [emoji27] https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/videos/the-wild-life-of-tim-faulkner/3-the-australian-bird-eating-spider-3399.aspx Older {waiting for wiser} [emoji1353]

My wife & I had our 17th on Dec 2/18

Can surely tell they ignore God’s Word: Deuteronomy 4:2 ”You must not add to the word that I am commanding you, neither must you take away from it, so as to keep the commandments of Jehovah your God that I am commanding you.” Messing with something they have no business messing with. 👿

Children( you notice it didn't take me long to formulate an answer! I guess I'm getting up there mysel

Linkletter (LOL, showing my age)

Bob's cat 🦁

I'm about 20 pages from finishing the 2nd book! Excited for the new read. Woo Hoo!

But you can work the impossible in your novels! Surely you can come up with something! Haha! 😂😂 Btw I’m loving ‘The undecided.’ You’ve brought out a perspective I’ve never thought of. Hey won’t it be great once we’re there to see how close your scenarios were! Or maybe you were way off! Lol! Good reading all the same, so thank you for your creativity 👍☺️

I think Moose are beautiful. Does anyone know what they smell like?

I just met

The Non-Christian Cross, by John Denham Parsons (quoted in Insight), says: “It is not a little misleading upon the part of our teachers to translate the word stauros as ‘cross’ when rendering the Greek documents of the Church into our native tongue, and to support that action by putting ‘cross’ in our lexicons as the meaning of stauros without carefully explaining that that was at any rate not the primary meaning of the word in the days of the Apostles, did not become its primary signification till long afterwards, and became so then, if at all, only because, despite the absence of corroborative evidence, it was for some reason or other assumed that the particular stauros upon which Jesus was executed had that particular shape.”

This is an orphaned cheetah cub that was brought to Ukutula Game reserve and Lion Park in South Africa. The Park specializes in orphaned lions. They were persuaded to accept the cheetah cub after seeing how miserable the young animal was. It grew up in the company of lions and as well as many paying volunteers from around the world. When these two photos were taken he had only been in care of the Lion Park for a few days. He did not fit in. His companions the baby lions were adorable, he was miserable. The Ukutula is run by a Witness couple. Besides being world famous, it is famous among JWs that visit SA. My wife and niece stayed there in a bungalow with a Witness couple that had been in our previous congregatin. Since Gertrude’s visit the park now features cheetahs along with lions. https://lodge.ukutula.co.za/ Pages of images here: https://www.google.com/search?q=ukutula+lion+park+images&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjChM2o6pPfAhWtJjQIHVPXD2UQ7Al6BAgFEB0&biw=1455&bih=689#imgrc=T13pJwXbWpn4OM: I couldn't find an image of our little orphan, Gertrude took the ones I posted.

The perils of feeding someone out your back door. They come back later with the relatives 🦆🦌

Cats sure like some affection

Lost kitty from Santa Rosa. Say don't we have a brother from there on here? Must be his kitty. 🐱

My wife and I celebrated our 46th anniversary on Sunday after the meeting then on Monday we went by ferry over to the Isle of Arran and drove round the north end of the island then back to Brodick via the string road where we saw a golden eagle..beautiful !

So, you're watching Superman adventures? Is this a form of fantasy to move fast like superman? You know that's unattainable for turtles ... sorry for breaking bad news to you... LOL

When he was a newly found orphan he really needed love.

Posing fail. What happens when a cute chick gets older?

What a big squirrel. 🐻

Kids don't know that they aren't supposed to be friends.

See Spot Runnnnn

The October count was 117. Here is the chart from JW.org https://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/south-korea/jehovahs-witnesses-in-prison/

"Old Danish Tree" photo by Guyon Morée Wish he had taken a pic' of the entire tree. Imagine...living long enough to watch a tree grow from a tiny seedling into one of these ancient giants... Old Beech Tree

This link should also work for part 2 and part 3 of the Gilead Graduation. I suspect that part 2 will be released next week so I plan to try this link next Monday morning.

Although it was hard to listen to in a sense, the part about the concentration camp was really good too. They pooled their food together and shared what little they had, which really had to be difficult to do. I loved the part where they used whatever cart they were pushing to allow the weak and elderly to rest. And they all stayed together right to the end. Lots of points for us to use now and in the future.

Though of course it's aimed for the Gilead graduates about to embark on new assignments, it's wonderfully adaptable to all of us. We all will face the heat of persecution, and need reminders that will keep us strong. We all need to look forward to our hope, and appreciate our blessings even if they appear to us slow in coming (gradually), so keep an eye on the big picture. We all must stay united, for then we are invincible with Jehovah's help. And we all must live by those four words - I love the Father.

145th gilead graduation part 1 JWB December 2018 JWB Dec 2018 - 145th gilead graduation - Part 1.pdf

Actually this was also brought out in the documentary "Patterns of Evidence - Exodus" - By Tim Mahoney, The archealogists - at least some of them - when faced with evidence of the Exodus were asked why don't they write about these findings ... they blatantly said: They would have to rewrite everything they've written. It's pride stopping the publishing of many aspects of evidence proving the bible to be true. There are also of course, those who either don't want to see or can't see the truth. That documentary and the book that goes along with it in Amazon goes hand in hand with your findings ... I am certain that Psalms 83:18 is going to be proven in a very tangible way even before the outbreak of the GT.

I just want to thank you brother Richard for this fantastic idea! I'm a single mum in the truth and I needed a lot of help and support to raise my 11 year old daughter in a way Jehovah is pleased.I was groping for ideas - lots of them, and I came across this topic. Soo delighted!! Thank you!

Reread all the daily verses about "Jesus' last week". That's what we will be doing this Tuesday Then, the next week is our Emergency Bag.