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I hope we see this....

JWB Oct 2026 transcript JWB-Oct-2026.pdf

Our brother Aaron McLamb was just 20 and volunteering at Brooklyn Bethel when he captured what became one of the most remembered photographs of September 11, 2001—Ladder 118 crossing the Brooklyn Bridge toward the burning towers. All six firefighters aboard lost their lives while helping others escape. This moving article shares how Aaron took the photograph and how his desire to help others led him to share it with the firefighters’ coworkers and families. Read the full article here.

We have some from the Cong currently filming on set. They are now filming Episode 11. It means the schedule is tracking well. What I didn't think through though, is they are now filming the final days of Jesus earthly ministry. I guess it makes sense. The book of John for example, the first half of the writings (up to chapter 11), gets us to Nisan 10. The final 10 chapters cover the last few days. I have heard a whisper that the computer (Ai) and the monster screen will play a big part of the upcoming filming. 📽️

I was gathering my things after the meeting last week when a brother, we'll call him Brother "Halvorsen", approached me. He moved slowly, the way he always does now, but his eyes were still bright and warm. After asking me if I had a moment to chat, he told me he wanted to show me something and pulled his phone out of his pocket and started squinting at the screen. Finally locating what he was after, he opened his photos and began scrolling through picture after picture of him and his wife from decades ago. Moving closer, I began to watch as his screen filled with black and white photos...pictures of him and his wife when they were young, vibrant, full of energy. In one photo they were standing beside a literature cart downtown, smiling like they had just discovered the truth. In another they were hiking a trail I recognized from our local area. In yet another they were sitting at a table with a group of young ones they used to study with. His wife had passed away years ago, but he spoke about her as if she had only stepped out of the room for a moment...as if she would come join him at any second, taking his arm and moving close against him. Minutes felt like seconds as he recounted story after story...telling me how MUCH he looked forward to seeing her again in the new system. But then, in the midst of his reminiscing, he said something that surprised me...although I don't really know why. He said he appreciated what Jehovah still allowed him to do NOW, even if it was nowhere near what he used to be able to do. He talked about how he tries to greet every single new person after the meeting, how he makes it a point to compliment the young brothers and sisters who give talks and other various parts, how he checks in on sisters who sit alone. He said all of this with not a single bit of pride in his voice...just a quiet gratitude that Jehovah still lets him contribute SOMETHING...that Jehovah still finds him useful. Suddenly I decided to ask him a question, a question that came out of nowhere...but a question that I suddenly found NEEDED an answer: I asked him HOW he keeps going? I didn’t mean it unkindly. But he is in the beginning stages of losing his eyesight. His hearing is fading. His joints hurt so badly that he sometimes winces when he stands. And yet he still moves through the hall with purpose, as if he has a mission. All of a sudden he got this mischievous little grin on his face and patted me on the shoulder. Then he told me that, since he knew I loved Jehovah and that I particularly love researching the deeper things of Jehovah, he was absolutely certain that I wouldn't take any offense at his next words. “Tim, go look up Genesis 48:17–19, and 1 Kings 1:1–40. Check them out, sit with them for a while and I PROMISE you that you'll find the answer to that question!" While I was in the midst of reeling from that answer along with hurriedly trying to type those two accounts into my phone's notebook application....this dear brother looked back down at his phone screen and his eyes locked onto a picture of him and his wife standing in service, both of them young and strong, vibrant and healthy...and suddenly he said very quietly, very heavily, “That used to be me.” I went home that night and opened both accounts. I read them once, then again, and then yet again. Genesis 48:17-19: "When Joseph saw that his father kept his right hand placed on Eʹphra·im’s head, it was displeasing to him, so he tried to take hold of his father’s hand to move it from Eʹphra·im’s head to Ma·nasʹseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to his father: “Not so, my father, because this is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father kept refusing and said: “I know it, my son, I know it. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will become greater than he will, and his offspring will become the full equivalent of nations I didn’t see it." (I'm not going to post the whole chapter of 1 Kings 1:1-40 here, but I can promise you that it is an incredible read!) I read the footnotes. I checked the Research Guide. I looked up every cross-reference. I read the Watchtower articles connected to both accounts...but I still didn’t see it. For days I kept going back to them, trying to understand what he was pointing me toward. (I mean I had POSSIBLE answers, but all of them felt too trite, too simplistic to be what he was getting at...so I kept digging.) I read about Jacob...old, blind, frail...leaning on his staff. I read about Joseph trying to correct him, assuming Jacob’s age had confused him. I read about Jacob crossing his hands intentionally, choosing the younger son over the older. I noticed the Hebrew word used for Jacob’s “insight,” the one that means to perceive deeply even when the eyes cannot see. And then I read about David...old, cold, unable to stay warm, lying in bed while the nation moved on without him. I read about Adonijah rising up, gathering support, acting like David was finished. I read about how Jehovah still used DAVID...not Nathan, not Zadok, not Bathsheba...to make one of the most sacred decisions in Israel’s history. But I still didn’t understand what tied these two accounts together. They were powerful, but I simply couldn't see the thread. Then one evening, while reading through several articles about how Jehovah views his servants...articles about loyalty, endurance, and the way Jehovah measures faithfulness...something finally clicked. I guess it wasn't a single sentence in one article that finally clicked. It was a theme that kept appearing in different ways, in different contexts, almost like Jehovah was whispering it directly into my ears through the pages. The thought crystallized so clearly that I had to stop reading and just sit with it for a moment. Jehovah has never chosen or kept someone because they were the most capable. He has always stayed close to those who are faithful. Suddenly both accounts opened up in a very unexpected way, and that is what caused me to write this post. Jacob wasn’t chosen because he was strong, sharp, or capable. He was chosen because he was FAITHFUL, and Jehovah gave him insight that Joseph's youth could not produce. Joseph saw an old man who couldn’t see. Jehovah saw a servant who possessed wisdom shaped by decades of faithful service that could see something clearly which youth could not. And David... David wasn't used because he was powerful, energetic, or capable. He was used because he was FAITHFUL, and Jehovah saved a sacred assignment for a moment when everyone else thought he was finished. The nation saw an old man who couldn’t stay warm. But Jehovah saw the only man he trusted to make a decision that would shape Israel’s future. And THEN I understood Brother "Halvorsen's" point. It may be true that he isn’t able to do what he used to do. He isn’t strong. He isn’t healthy. He isn’t capable in the way he once was. But he IS very very faithful. And Jehovah is STILL providing him with a deliberate purpose...a purpose that younger ones might overlook, but one that Jehovah specifically does not. And then something hit me so hard that it made me sit back in my chair and breathe for a moment, something I don't think even he realized...(and I know he didn't because after I was through with my study I called him up and told him...and he said he had never looked at it that way): This brother wasn't showing me pictures of who he used to be...he was actually showing me PROOF that Jehovah still sees who he is NOW.

There are elections going on here in Brazil, and it’s honestly so exhausting. The power struggles, the attacks, and the constant accusations back and forth create such a horrible atmosphere. It’s really draining. I truly look forward to the end of this terrible system and to the day when the Kingdom I’ve been waiting for finally comes.

Jenny, everything is pointing to the GT and the end of this system of things. Will it get better? Not until we get into the NW. The Great Tribulation is still ahead of us and closing in. Do not be overly consumed with the news. Stay focused on your ministry and the Kingdom. Do not lose your grip. Remember when Jesus walked on water in a storm? Peter saw him and asked him to command him to walk on water too. Jesus did but, Peter started to look at the storm and took his focus off Jesus. What happened? He began to sink. He cried out to Jesus for help and Jesus said...."oh you with little faith, why did you gave way to doubt"? He took his eyes off Jesus and started to look at the storm. Let's not focus on the storm around us but, on the Kingdom. Jehovah has all things in control.

The couple from Vienna (at time 16:30 in the broadcast) will be with me at the Pioneer Service School this November. 😊

According to our list posted on the front page of this website, how many "guests" (meaning non-member public) do you see? That is as of this moment. Who's Online 52 Members, 0 Anonymous, 1,919 Guests

I will let you brothers decide the final call. If the reason isn't sufficient enough, then it can be merge and it will be on everyone's discretion talking about it knowing the public can see all our discussion. I just found it not ideal to have the public whom we don't know seeing our discussion especially on these kinds of topic and I think I am also overprotective nowadays probably because of the upcoming annual meeting too. hahahaha. But regardless, I would respect the brothers' decision.

The September broadcast is back and will be available in the public areas of the site within the next several hours. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the discussion and also this topic is in a public section where outsiders who are not members of JWTalk can view the discussion, and where artificial intelligence systems may also be able to access, process, or reproduce information from it out of context, I cannot provide details about what has changed. I would also encourage everyone not to mention any details until this topic has been moved to a private section of JWTalk. If one of the brothers who manages the site could move this topic to a private section, that would be ideal before we discuss the changes in more detail. (Calling our rescuers @Qapla, @Dages, etc. ) This is simply out of an abundance of caution, particularly regarding outsiders who may look for information that could be taken out of context or used to create unnecessary controversy.

Liquid Glass and the unique iOS design for the iPhone Duo probably mean even more work for our JW Library® developers at WHQ. With a new JW Library update coming soon, We really appreciate all their hard work to keep our apps up to date, running smoothly, and secure.

Everything we love...everything we cherish...everything we simply CANNOT live without...all of that was HIS...before it was ever ours. Of course this isn't new information...we've understood this, instinctively, since the very first time we absolutely knew there WAS a God. But maybe...just maybe...you haven't REALLY thought about what that means in quite a while. Maybe Satan's world has gotten in the way, maybe your aches and pains have stacked up so high you feel buried under the weight...maybe you just feel like you want it all to end...like another single BREATH is simply too painful to endure. We KNOW we're not alone in these thoughts, these feelings. We're told to endure...to stay focused on Jehovah and the new system...on our brothers and sisters who are struggling right beside us. We KNOW that's the right thing to do, we KNOW it's the smart move to make...and yet, we just want to give up...to close out eyes, unclench our fists and just...LET GO! How much easier that would be...how much relief would flood through our bodies...to finally be at peace...to finally have a place to rest...a place where Jehovah can just come get us whenever he's ready. And yet...and yet we recognize that's not the reality...we UNDERSTAND that we have to keep fighting...we must KEEP squaring up our shoulders each morning and facing down a world that hates us....millions of unfaithful spirit creatures who are CRAVING to get at us....to reduce us to a quivering pile of tears...and our own imperfections which hover us like a cloud of blood hungry mosquitoes. *Sigh*...okay, here we go: Jeremiah 45:1-5: "This is the word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Barʹuch the son of Ne·riʹah when he wrote in a book these words dictated by Jeremiah in the fourth year of Je·hoiʹa·kim son of Jo·siʹah, the king of Judah: 2 “This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says concerning you, Barʹuch, 3 ‘You have said: “Woe to me, for Jehovah has added grief to my pain! I am weary from my groaning, and I have found no resting-place.”’ 4 “You should say to him, ‘This is what Jehovah says: “Look! What I have built up I am tearing down, and what I have planted I am uprooting—the entire land. 5 But you are seeking great things for yourself. Stop seeking such things.”’ “‘For I am about to bring a calamity on all flesh,’ declares Jehovah, ‘and wherever you may go, I will grant you your life as a spoil." Yes...we all KNOW this account...we've studied it many many times. Yes, we all KNOW Baruch was seeking greater things...the Watchtower even brings out that with his upbringing and status...it couldn't have been easy for him to listen to all of Jeremiah's denunciation messages. But after the brothers told us to start looking for what we could learn about JEHOVAH in the accounts as we read them, I went back and took another look at this account. Do you see it? Verse 3: FOUR TIMES Baruch speaks about HIS pain...HIS woe's...HIS groaning...HIS lack of a resting place. Can I really blame him?? His whole world was falling apart...everything that felt familiar was being threatened...his entire future was uncertain...up in the air. We don't KNOW what those greater things were that he was seeking, but we do know from his own words that he was looking for a RESTING PLACE. But now...what does Jehovah do? Does he tell Baruch that his pain doesn't matter...that he needs to "be stronger"? No...LOOK at what Jehovah SAYS: "You should say to him, ‘This is what Jehovah says: “Look! What I have built up I am tearing down, and what I have planted I am uprooting—the entire land." How amazing is that?? Jehovah readjusts his vision by reminding him that it was JEHOVAH who had planted all this...it was JEHOVAH who had built everything around Baruch that he loved, that he cherished...that he was going to be losing. Suddenly Baruch isn't alone anymore...now Jehovah is right there...standing next to this distraught man...REMINDING him that BEFORE Baruch ever loved any of it...Jehovah loved ALL of it. Now to all my dear brothers and sisters out there hurting...out there barely hanging on...please understand that before you lost that person in your life who chose Satan's world over Jehovah's...Jehovah loved them before you did. Before you lost that person in death...Jehovah's love was already wrapped around them...and it still is. That body that's literally wearing out underneath you...Jehovah DESIGNED you to love forever. The cruelty we see everywhere we look...Jehovah despised it long before we ever existed. That brother or sister you're currently watching struggle in YOUR hall? Jehovah saw the tears pouring out of their hearts long before you ever saw their red eyes. And to those of you who feel so worn out that you just want to give in and give up...please look at what Jehovah told Baruch in verse 5. No, not the part about him seeking greater things...I'm talking about the part we often overlook: "For I am about to bring a calamity on all flesh,’ declares Jehovah, ‘and wherever you may go, I will grant you your life as a spoil." Notice that? Baruch wanted a "resting place"...the man was worn out...exhausted...emotionally spent. Of course Jehovah knew that...he knew that better than Baruch himself. But did Jehovah give Baruch what he wanted? No...he gave the man exactly what he NEEDED! Not just his life...don't just concentrate on that part! Look at what he said directly before that: WHEREVER YOU MAY GO!! Friends...Jehovah couldn't offer Baruch what he WANTED...so he gave Baruch a kind of security the man didn't even know he should ask for...it's like he said, don't WORRY about where you physically end up...because there's no place on earth where my promise cannot reach you! And that's how I'm going to end this post...for everyone who's hurting...in whichever way that's manifesting itself in your life...just know that before you ever loved or lost any of it...Jehovah loved it first...and he is aching to give it back.

“Also, at 82, I do not "just run around" like 60 years ago. I put less than 3,000 miles a year on it now.” Quoted from James. 👋 You and I are about the same age. I’ll turn 83 in November. My husband has ordered a vehicle for me. It’s a Toyota Crown Signia(?) white with a black top. It’s a hybrid, so it should average out at 38 miles per gallon. It looks like my trips to the kingdom hall, (round-trip around 50 miles) might be almost free. And for the most part, that’s why I put mileage on my rig. We bought it on the Internet from a dealer three hours away, inland. And it was complicated. He’s changing it from low profile wheels to normal normal profile wheels. We have to clear things with the Tribe., (we pay no sales tax) and last, but not least WeatherTech mats for front and back. Never mind the financing. You’ll be able to put almost half of it down because of the sale of the Subaru. Now, my traveling partner, Paula, will probably be putting the most miles on it because she drives us to the convention and the assembly. Now we get to give her rig a break. You cannot imagine how stressful this has been for me. Well, not really. When this whole thing started, I started praying to Jehovah because I can get anxiety attacks, lose sleep, have a hard time following a decent train of thought. You get the picture. Pretty much will make a mess of me. And I noticed that my anxiety was pretty much not there. And I’m so grateful. This is in spite of the fact I have to have surgery on an esophageal hernia come Monday. Never mind I have a small part in the assembly on 18 October. That’s 20 days after my surgery. And two weeks of that 20 days will be liquid only diet. I shall be svelt. If I’m able to walk.😕 I think this is the last huge event in my life, I hope, until the Memorial next year