Bruceq

The military in many Governments use first person shooter games to "teach" warfare and killing. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/10/playing-war-how-the-military-uses-video-games/280486/ Regarding Jehovah's people Isa 2:4 says :" He will render judgment among the nations And set matters straight respecting many peoples.They will beat their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, Nor will they LEARN war anymore."

{the Selective Service System, the US agency which oversees the draft, states that an applicant's "reasons for not wanting to participate in a war must not be based on politics, expediency, or self-interest. In general, the man's lifestyle prior to making his claim must reflect his current claims."} So any brothers who play first person shooter video games {OR watch Pornography} beware. YOU are being watched by more than just Jehovah. Although HE should be enough. "You MUST be holy" 1 Pet 1:16. NO part of the World.

This article goes well with our Watchtower study today. What we do on the internet is not invisible to Jehovah OR to the World anymore. A good reason not to be hypocritical and live the truth. From CNN: S Korea to investigate whether conscientious objectors played violent video games By Jake Kwon and James Griffiths, CNN Updated 8:10 AM ET, Fri January 11, 2019 A South Korean soldier looks at ribbons with inscriptions calling for peace and reunification displayed on a military fence near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas in the border city of Paju on January 1, 2019. Seoul (CNN)Do you enjoy playing violent video games? Then you can't avoid military service. That appears to be the message South Korea is sending conscientious objectors. Prosecutors said they were investigating whether a number of men seeking exemption from military service played "online shooting games" in the past. "We need to verify their genuine faith. So we need to examine their personal life," an official with the prosecutors office on the southern island of Jeju told CNN. "We check whether they had been attending (religious) service. Checking their history with shooting games is another method." Around a dozen men are currently facing hearings to determine whether they can claim conscientious objector status in the wake of a landmark Supreme Court ruling in Novemberending South Korea's position as the world's leading jailer of those who refuse to join the armed forces. "Refusing to enter the military due to a religious faith which forbids bearing arms is considered a justified reason to refuse duty," the court said in its ruling. "Therefore it cannot be criminally punished." Oh Seung-hun (C), a Jehovah's Witness, speaks to the media after a court's verdict to overturn his conviction on refusing to do mandatory military service, at the supreme court in Seoul on November 1, 2018. That ruling came after a decades-long fight by conscientious objectors, many of them Jehovah's Witnesses, to push back against the country's stringent military service law, under which all men between the ages of 18 and 35 are required to perform at least 21 months of service in the South Korean armed forces. Since then, however, conservative politicians and prosecutors have attempted to get around the court's ruling, by, for example, requiring conscientious objectors to carry out more stringent -- and potentially more dangerous -- forms of non-military service. Following an earlier ruling by a constitutional court ordering the government to provide alternate ways to serve for objectors, the right-wing Liberty Korea Party put forward a bill to force objectors to perform 44 months -- double the usual length -- of service, including mine sweeping and other dangerous activities. "This is a form of retaliatory punishment against conscientious objectors that is anachronistic and in violation of human rights," South Korea's Hankyoreh newspaper said in an editorial at the time. South Korean army soldiers leave for the North to inspect the dismantled North Korean guard post in the central section of the inter-Korean border in Cheorwon, South Korea on December 12, 2018. Conscientious objection remains controversial beyond South Korea, and those attempting to secure the status in order to avoid military service are often subject to multiple interviews and attempts to purportedly prove they are not sincere. For example, the Selective Service System, the US agency which oversees the draft, states that an applicant's "reasons for not wanting to participate in a war must not be based on politics, expediency, or self-interest. In general, the man's lifestyle prior to making his claim must reflect his current claims." By focusing on violent video games, prosecutors now appear to be attempting to undermine objectors' claims to be pacifist or driven by a pacifist religious belief, a move which has been denounced by activists. Lim Tae-hoon, head of the Center for Military Human Rights Korea, told CNN the investigations of conscientious objectors showed prosecutors "still sees objectors as criminals." "They are imposing a moral line fit for saints and spiritual leaders on them," he said. "It is a violation of privacy. Playing shooting video games and the refusal to bear arms is unrelated. It's a subjective judgment. A game is merely a game." He added that the center planned to report prosecutors to the National Human Rights Commission. "It's their duty to defend human rights," Lim said. "They are not upholding the duty but acting against it." This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Jehovah.

"Kremlin watchers said the president’s comments could spell the end of a two-year-long persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia." From Religion News Service yesterday: Putin disavows crackdown on Jehovah’s Witnesses, giving hope to detained January 9, 2019 6 Min Read Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a Cabinet meeting in Moscow on Dec. 26, 2018. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Marc Bennetts Share This! MOSCOW (RNS) — Before he was arrested in April, Anatoly Vilitkevich often went door to door in his hometown, proselytizing and passing out literature inviting strangers to join his church. On April 10, masked police officers armed with automatic weapons arrested the 32-year-old handyman at the apartment he shares with his wife, Alyona, in Ufa, in central Russia. They advised him to bring warm clothes. “They said he wouldn’t be coming home again,” said Alyona Vilitkevich. His sole crime under Russian law was doing what Jehovah’s Witnesses are known for the world over. But lately Vilitkevich’s family has cause for hope. Last month, while meeting with human rights defenders, Russian President Vladimir Putin called assertions that Jehovah’s Witnesses had been classified as members of a terrorist, or even destructive, organization “complete nonsense.” “Jehovah’s Witnesses are Christians too. I don’t quite understand why they are persecuted,” Putin said. “So this should be looked into. This must be done.” While his critics claim it was impossible that Putin did not know the scope of the crackdown against the Jehovah’s Witnesses — not least because Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, raised the issue with him during a visit to Moscow in 2017 — Kremlin watchers said the president’s comments could spell the end of a two-year-long persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia. Members of Jehovah’s Witnesses wait in a courtroom in Moscow on April 20, 2017. Russia’s Supreme Court banned the Jehovah’s Witnesses from operating in the country, accepting a request from the justice ministry that the religious organization be considered an extremist group, ordering closure of the group’s Russia headquarters and its 395 local chapters, as well as the seizure of its property. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev) Shortly after Putin’s statement, Arkadya Akopyan, a 70-year-old man from Kabardino-Balkaria, a region in southern Russia, was sentenced to 120 hours of community service after being charged with commissioning people to distribute “extremist” Jehovah’s Witness literature. He had faced up to six years in prison. The Vilitkeviches have both been Jehovah’s Witnesses since the 1990s, when the breakup of the officially atheist Soviet Union saw an influx of new religious beliefs to Russia. But as Russia’s relations with the West collapsed after the Kremlin’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, Moscow began to target “foreign” religions. In July 2016, Putin approved legislation that outlawed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Baptists’ missionary work. There was a further escalation in April 2017, when a Russian Supreme Court ruling classified the Jehovah’s Witnesses as an “extremist organization.” The decision put the country’s 170,000 members of what is officially a pacifist Christian denomination on a par with the Islamic State militant group and neo-Nazi movements. Judges of Russia’s Supreme Court attend a hearing in Moscow on Jan. 23, 2014. Photo by Maxim Shemetov/Reuters In its ruling, the Supreme Court was responding to Justice Ministry attorneys who alleged that the Christian group posed a threat to “public order and public security,” although they did not specify how. Russian government officials also accused the Jehovah’s Witnesses of preaching the “exclusivity and supremacy” of their beliefs. Since then, the government has closed Jehovah’s Witness prayer halls, confiscated the group’s property and banned its translation of the Bible, which uses the word “Jehovah” in place of “God” or “Lord.” Analysts at the United Nations warned that the Supreme Court ruling signaled a “dark future” for religious freedom in Russia. Patriarch Kirill, the head of the powerful Russian Orthodox Church, has not commented on the crackdown, but senior officials in the church, a key Kremlin ally, have been enthusiastic in their support. The Witnesses, said Metropolitan Hilarion, an aide to the patriarch, “manipulate people’s senses and destroy minds and families.” Despite Putin’s comments, there are still 25 Jehovah’s Witnesses behind bars awaiting trial or being tried, while another 24 are under house arrest. Scores more have also been charged with participating in or organizing the group’s activities. Danish citizen Dennis Christensen was detained in Oryol, Russia, after a Jehovah’s Witness service was raided. Photo courtesy of Jehovah’s Witnesses One of the first to be arrested was Dennis Christensen, a 46-year-old Danish citizen, who was detained in May 2017, when masked officers stormed a Jehovah’s Witnesses Bible study group he was attending in Oryol. Agents from the FSB security service, formerly known as the KGB, accompanied the officers. Christensen, who has lived in Russia for more than 20 years and is married to a Russian, was charged with organizing Jehovah’s Witnesses prayer meetings. A verdict in his trial, which began in February, is expected this month. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison. Roman Markin, a 44-year-old Jehovah’s Witness, was detained about the same time as Anatoly Vilitkevich. Police broke down the door to Markin’s apartment in Murmansk, a city in Russia’s far north. “They forced him and his 16-year-old daughter to the floor at gunpoint,” said Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a spokesman for the European Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Markin spent 176 days behind bars before he was placed under house arrest. In May, in Birobidzhan, a small town close to Russia’s border with China, police raided 20 homes belonging to Jehovah’s Witnesses. The raids were carried out by about 150 police officers, who reportedly called their operation “Judgment Day.” Some analysts say the Jehovah’s Witnesses have been singled out because of their resolutely apolitical stance. Witnesses refuse to vote, serve in the military or participate in politics in any way. “The Jehovah’s Witnesses were targeted because they do not support the wave of patriotism sweeping the country during the confrontation with the West,” said Roman Lunkin, a religion analyst at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. Whether the arrests continue or not, there are few signs that the Jehovah’s Witnesses are prepared to abandon their religion. “We continue to worship, cautiously, at private apartments,” said Pavel, a Jehovah’s Witness in Moscow who asked that his last name not be disclosed. “There is concern, of course. But we keep our faith and continue to believe that God’s name is Jehovah. We do not deny our beliefs.” A house where Jehovah’s Witnesses prayed in Zheshart, in northwest Russia, was destroyed by arson in 2017. The Witnesses say a Molotov cocktail was found at the site. Photo courtesy of Jehovah’s Witnesses

Amendment of law may affect Jehovah's Witnesses DEFENSE LAWYER CRITICIZES SENTENCE OF ARKADY AKOPIAN IN LIGHT OF MITIGATION OF EXTREMISM ARTICLE by Oleg Krasnov, Liudmila Maratova Kavkazskii Uzel, 28 December 2018 The sentence of Jehovah's Witness* Arkady Akopian should be cancelled because of the decriminalization of the article concerning extremism, his attorney declared. Akopian became the first follower of Jehovah's Witnesses* to be convicted of arousing religious strife. As Kavkazskii Uzel reported, on 27 December a court found Arkady Akopian, an adherent of the teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses* from Prokhladnyi, guilty on the basis of part 1 of article 282 of the Criminal Code of the RF (arousing hatred and enmity) and sentenced him to 120 hours of compulsory labor. Akopian's defense insists on his complete innocence. On 27 December, the Russian president signed a law amending article 282 of the Criminal Code, and these amendments make the sentence of Akopian baseless even from the position of the prosecution, Anton Omelchenko, the attorney of the defendant, declared. He intends to appeal the sentence in the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria by 29 December. After the mitigation of part 1 of article 282, it is now impossible to convict adherents of the Jehovah's Witnesses* based upon it, agrees a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses,* Yaroslav Sivulsky. After the partial decriminalization of article 282, criminal cases based upon it may be opened only in the event of a repeated violation. The only remaining exceptions are crimes posing a serious threat to the foundations of the constitutional order or to the security of the state. The article was mitigated after a number of cases that were opened for reposting on social networks, Pravo reported today. The amendments will have retroactive force: after the law takes effect, sentences that were in effect on the basis of this article will be cancelled and cases that have been opened will be suspended, Interfax reported today. The case of Arkady Akopian is unique: only six followers of the teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses* have been tried on the basis of part 1 of article 282 of the CC, and only Akopian's case culminated in a conviction, noted Alexander Verkhovsky, the director of the Sova Center for News and Analysis. "The overwhelming majority of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses* were opened on the basis of article 282.2 (participation in an extremist organization). Akopian was accused of inciting religious hatred," he told a Kavkazskii Uzel correspondent. At the same time, Arkady Akopian became the first adherent of Jehovah's Witnesses* to be convicted after the total ban of this organization in Russia, Verkhovsky pointed out. This was confirmed also by Yaroslav Sivulsky. "There are now 90 Jehovah's Witnesses* in a SIZO. Not a single case begun after the total ban has reached trial. At the same time, many cases that were considered after regional bans led to sentences," Alexander Verkhovsky said. Sivulsky thinks that Akopian's sentence will not affect other cases of Jehovah's Witnesses.* He noted that the investigation has managed to persuade the court on only one point of an accusation: mass distribution of forbidden literature. "In April 2017, back before the liquidation of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses,* searches were conducted in Akopian's home. But law enforcement agents did not manage to find anything forbidden and they went silent for a year. And suddenly the case was revived and there appeared witnesses of a speech by Akopian that insulted Christians and Muslims. Among other things, people suddenly appeared who were inspired by Akopian and who began distributing forbidden publications. In all, five publications were distributed, which was regarded as 'mass distribution.' All this—from beginning to end—was fabricated; there was nothing to it," the representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses* declared. During punishment, Akopian's freedom of movement is limited This kind of punishment as corrective labor is considered in legal circles as lenient, noted Evgeny Chernousov, an attorney and retired colonel of the MVD. He explained that the convict is supposed to be given a time for conducting such public work like cleaning up an area. The convict's start of labor and its completion should be noted. In addition, while serving the punishment, the convict may not leave the region of his residence unless it is necessary for doing the public labor, Chernousov told a Kavkazskii Uzel correspondent. Since Akopian's sentence still has not taken effect, no restrictions have been imposed on him, attorney Anton Omelchenko noted. "Conviction on article 282 of the CC of the RF places a person on the list of extremists, which makes it impossible to use bank accounts for a long time and difficult to get insurance and use a vehicle. This does not affect the retired Akopian, but it is worth defending his good name," he added. Arkady Akopian himself refused to comment on the court's decision for a Kavkazskii Uzel correspondent. *The organization was ruled to be extremist and its activity is prohibited in Russia by court decision. (tr. by PDS, posted 31 December 2018) Related article: Revised law mitigates penalty for extremist publications December 28, 2018 One Jehovah's Witness' criminal case drags on for a year and a half December 21, 2018

Yes the point is not the exact number since they are only partakers and not necessarily anointed. BUT the fact remains that an increase has occurred that did not occur for decades. Why? Perhaps {And this is mere conjecture} but there are Scriptures that seems to indicate a gathering of anointed ones just prior to the beginning of the Great Tribulation where we are NOW. 9 "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altarp the souls*q of those slaughtered because of the word of God and because of the witness they had given.r10 They shouted with a loud voice, saying: “Until when, Sovereign Lord, holy and true,s are you refraining from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”t 11 And a white robe was given to each of them,u and they were told to rest a little while longer, until the number was filled of their fellow slaves and their brothers who were about to be killed as they had been.v12 And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and a great earthquake occurred; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair,* and the entire moon became as blood...Rev 6:9-12. Notice that just before the "Great Earthquake" which is the Great Tribulation since it mentions the exact events mentioned in Matt. 24 - that it says that the "NUMBER WAS FILLED". So as the Watchtower has stated in January 2016 that Jehovah can wait until late in the period to select anointed ones. This to me is encouraging since it shows we are very close to when the selection will end and they are sealed just BEFORE the Great Tribulation begins. Also in the report is encouraging to see the increases in Africa and South America. And how about the Democratic rep. of Congo WOW only 230,000 publishers but 1,220,000 memorial attendance - that is the biggest increase. Of course just before GT begins we should expect the amounts to level off or even decrease a bit worldwide as those "rightly disposed" are finally gathered and the end arrives. James 5 :7,8 :"7 Be patient then, brothers, until the presence of the Lord.f Look! The farmer keeps waiting for the precious fruit of the earth, exercising patience over it until the early rain and the late rain arrive.g 8 You too exercise patience;h make your hearts firm, because the presence of the Lord has drawn close."

Does Putin Know What’s Happening to Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia_.html From Polygraph.info Politicians lie all the time. The question is how Jehovah will use this.

Post 13: Russian president questions persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses VLADIMIR PUTIN: JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ARE ALSO CHRISTIANS, FOR WHICH THEY ARE PERSECUTED AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT WELL Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 17 December 2018

Expect the Unexpected.

Optimistically I think this is a great witness to Jehovah - after all it has now gone to the associated press and worldwide within 24 hours, so it dosen't matter what Putin does Jehovah has it in his ballpark and always did. Those rightly disposed will see things with a correct attitude to our message and the news about us. If people forgot about the plight of Jehovah's Witnesses well within 24 hours that has now changed. Praise Jah

Further fall-out from Putin's remarks about Jehovah's Witnesses KREMLIN WILL EXAMINE EACH SPECIFIC INSTANCE OF CRIMINAL PROSECUTION OF REPRESENTATIVES OF RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES Interfax-Religiia, 18 December 2018 Each specific instance of bringing representatives of religious communities to accountability for extremism and terrorism will be examined, but we are not talking about a conceptual change in legislation, the Russian president's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, declared. "Here it is necessary to examine each specific case. The topic was brought up and consequently specific incidents will be reviewed. Here it is impossible to resolve this issue conceptually because there exist diverse cases, diverse phenomena, which speak both 'for' and 'against," D. Peskov told journalists. This is the way he responded to a question whether it is planned to introduce changes into legislation in connection with the fact that representatives of religious organizations, including Jehovah's Witnesses (an organization banned in the RF—IF), are being brought to criminal accountability for terrorism and extremism. This topic was raised at a session of the presidential Council on Human Rights on 11 December. "We must treat representatives of all religions identically, this is the truth, but we also must still take into consideration the country and society in which we live. It is true this does not at all mean that we should categorize representatives of religious communities as somehow destructive, much less terrorist organizations," Vladimir Putin said during the closed-door portion of the session of the presidential Council on Human Rights, which was held on 11 December. This is the way he reacted to the words of a member of the Council on Human Rights, Ekaterina Shulman, to the effect that in the list of organizations regarding which there is information about their adherence to extremism and terrorism, the overwhelming majority belong to the Jehovah's Witnesses. "Of course, this is complete nonsense and it is necessary to deal attentively with this; here I agree with you," the head of state said in connection with this. We certainly can, and we even must at such a time be much more liberal toward representatives of various religious sects, but we must not forget that our society does not consist exclusively of religious sects." the president noted in his response. D. Peskov noted that "this topic will be considered further." (tr. by PDS, posted 18 December 2018)

After service today I'm going to read the book of Esther then watch the video "EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED" by brother Jackson. Even if nothing else comes from this what has happened since yesterday is a great witness for Jehovah and is completely "UNEXPECTED' to have Putin even say these things.

I was thinking the same thing yesterday. King Ahasuerus = Putin, Haman = Russian Orthodox Church. This should prove interesting to watch. Remember when we were banned on April, 20 2017 and many were making a comparison to the events in the book of Esther?

No the world.

What happened to all the letters we wrote to him...you're telling us he saw none of them and knew nothing about the plight of Jehovah's Witnesses. Apparently there is some other agenda at work here. May Jehovah's Will be done.