minister159

October 16, 1962: Cuban Missile Crisis I was in the 6th grade and most of the friends in our congregation were thinking that this might lead to WWIII and/or Armageddon. The cold war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was about to reach the boiling point. At school we had practice drills in case an atomic bomb was dropped on Los Angeles about 20 miles away. My job in the drill was to quickly draw the heavy vinyl drapes so no light/radiation or breaking glass could get into the classroom, as if that could stop it! All I remember is that it was a terrifying time for everyone, including Witnesses, because of the tense situation and uncertainty of what was going to happen from one day to the next. Later in life, I watched a documentary on this crisis, and I realized just how close the U.S. came to the brink of war and how serious the ramifications would have been. Looking back, I realize we had good reason to be more than a little anxious, if not scared. Just to add a little context, the Organization/Governing Body/Faithful and Discreet Slave didn't have a clear understanding of what the great tribulation was until 1970, (See w70 1/15 pgs. 41-56). In 1962, all we really understood was Armageddon and we thought that it could come at any time and very quickly as a result of a crisis of this magnitude.

We do? I didn't know there was such a thing. Do they all look the same? Are they bought and worn by the graduating brothers only. Are they given to them as a gift for graduating?

It just occurred to me earlier today that this is an auspicious day for me. It's a milestone moment in my life. It's the 60th anniversary of my baptism. Time flies when you're having fun .... I guess. Amen! Come, lord Jesus! 😟

Leonardo Da Vinci is quoted as saying, "“There are three classes of people: those who see, those who see when they are shown, those who do not see.” Simon and Garfunkle are quoted as saying in the song, "The Boxer," "A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest." Jesus said, "And the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled in their case. It says: ‘You will indeed hear but by no means get the sense of it, and you will indeed look but by no means see.  For the heart of this people has grown unreceptive, and with their ears they have heard without response, and they have shut their eyes, so that they might never see with their eyes and hear with their ears and get the sense of it with their hearts and turn back and I heal them." --- Matthew 13:14, 15

We took a detour here and got off topic, didn't we?

Where? Link or reference?

It takes skillful discernment to know if a person is simply misinformed or slyly trying to mislead the unwary with counterfeit arguments and feigned interest or questions. My advice is beware. Our goal is not to win arguments, but to win hearts of sincere rightly disposed individuals.

Yes, otherwise you will just give them an opportunity to spout their vitriol at you and denigrate the organization, the Governing Body and perhaps you too! "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him. For the one who says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works." --- 2John 10, 11

Wow! That's very late in the year for an English regional convention here in the U.S., and it's also the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. I wonder how crowded San Diego will be at that time with needed accomadations for all the delgates.

Sad, but true. We're like sitting ducks and easy prey, and they know it. I hope at least one of the brothers or sisters was able to get the license plate number of the car, so they could report it to the police. Pitiful, just pitiful!

"Now it came to be the day when the sons of the [true] God entered to take their station before Jehovah, and even Satan proceeded to enter right among them." --- Job 1:6 "Afterward it came to be the day when the sons of the [true] God entered to take their station before Jehovah, and Satan also proceeded to enter right among them to take his station before Jehovah." --- Job 2:1 Two mentions of the sons of God taking their station before Jehovah when it came to be "the day," seems to indicate a specified day and perhaps an orderly routine for an appointed time to do so. Since we're talking about a short period of time between these two mentioned days in the testing of Job, it would indicate "the day" was part of a brief and specific measurement of time. Would that be one day in a week of seven days of 24 hours each, patterned after what was happening according to Jehovah's timetable here on earth?

Sounds like turtle food to me!

The last week, Dec. 28, 2026 - Jan. 3, 2027