Leaderboard

Last week, during morning worship at Bethel in the USA, the announcement was made. 😢I don't have any more details at the moment.

JWTalk Community Guidelines on AI Use Our JWTalk Community thrives on authentic human connections, personal experiences, heartfelt reflections, and the genuine “interchange of encouragement” between us (Romans 1:11–12). To preserve the sincerity, depth, and unique perspectives that make our community special, we ask that all posts, replies, and comments be genuine, original, and personally written by the member. Why We Discourage AI-Generated Content Artificial intelligence tools (such as ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, Claude, or similar AI Systems) may seem helpful, but content produced or heavily influenced by AI often lacks the personal touch, emotional authenticity, and individual voice that our members value. The many AI programs are not Kingdom publishers and therefore have not been invited members to this forum. We only accept human members who are practicing Jehovah’s Witnesses. We also recognize that the internet contains vast amounts of misinformation. Since AI tools draw from this pool, their results can be inaccurate. The old saying, “Well, I read it on the internet, so it must be true,” applies just as much to AI. Misuse Concerns Usurping spiritual responsibilities: Some members have used AI to produce biblical based brochures, videos, or outlines for distribution. This steps into responsibilities that Jehovah and Jesus have entrusted to the Faithful and Discreet Slave (Matthew 24:45–47). Replacing personal study: Others have used AI to summarize or answer study material, such as the weekly Watchtower Study. The Our Kingdom Ministry (November 1999) reminds us: “Using another person’s research for a talk or [as a substitute for] meeting preparation really defeats the purpose of personal study.” The same applies if AI becomes that “other person.” Relying on AI in these ways can leave us spiritually weaker, hungry, but not satisfied - similar to spiritual fast food. (Proverbs 26:15; Isaiah 65:13). Overall Goal It is not our goal to squash creativity or excitement about what these tools can do. That’s why we provide dedicated topics where members can showcase AI-generated images, art, or documents. But at its heart, JWTalk is a human discussion forum. Our expectation is that most posts and replies reflect your thoughts, your feelings, and your experiences. We love you and care deeply about what you think. What matters here are real voices, not artificial ones. By our keeping AI use very limited in the main discussion forums, we can preserve what makes these conversations special. YOU. Expectations All Topics, Posts, and Replies should reflect your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences, written from the heart. Minor use of tools for spelling, grammar, or basic formatting is acceptable, but the core ideas, wording, and expression must be your own. We encourage members to share personally and engage thoughtfully with others. This is the true meaning of an “interchange of encouragement.” Exceptions AI-generated images, art, music, or video should be posted in the dedicated AI Images and Art topic. AI-generated text, articles, PDFs, or other documents should be posted in the dedicated AI Text and Documents topic. It is acceptable to make a small reference to AI in a reply to another topic, as long as the AI portion is clearly marked, is on-topic, and does not outweigh your personal commentary. Final Note By participating in our forum, you agree to uphold these standards of authenticity. Repeated submission of AI-generated or AI-assisted content in the discussion forums, may result in post removal, warnings, or further moderation at the discretion of the moderators. Thank you for helping us maintain a warm, human-centered community where real voices of Jehovah’s children matter most. View full article

In 2003 we had an international convention here in Madrid, and we hosted two delegates from Venezuela in our home. At the time, Hugo Chávez, Maduro’s predecessor, had only been in power for a few months and many Venezuelans were excited because it seemed someone was finally paying attention to the poor. We were stunned when these sisters told us that quite a few brothers had been swept up in the general enthusiasm and were getting involved in politics. Back then, it felt almost impossible to imagine a Christian taking sides politically. More than twenty years later we now see that trend everywhere. A few years ago, when a region in Spain attempted to declare independence, the branch had to send a very firm letter to all congregations because many were making comments that were far from neutral. Even here in the forums, we see some who passionately defend or criticize Trump or other political leaders. They think they’re being neutral, but in reality they’re being influenced by the news sources they follow. This week’s Treasures talk is a good reminder of how vital it is to remain strictly neutral. Otherwise, when the real test arrives we could be caught off guard. All world leaders are simply puppets in Satan’s hands, so it makes little difference when one puppet is replaced by another.

Brothers and friends, may all of you stay well in the midst of this suffocating atmosphere that comes with the end-of-year season. May Jehovah give peace to each one’s heart. Take care, stay strong, stay safe — and may Jehovah continue blessing and strengthening us as we draw even closer to the end of this entire system. Proverbs 22:3 & 27:12 🩵

Before last week...I would have scoffed if someone had told me that. I study all the time...it's just hard for me to APPLY the counsel sometimes. (I'm still working on that) But "take it for granted'?? Nah...not me...I love Jehovah...I cherish his word. And yet...here I am...shaking my head at my own lack of understanding...yet again. I was waiting to make a delivery at a store last Wednesday when a brother called me out of the blue. We started talking about our spiritual gems from last weeks midweek meeting when suddenly he asked me if I had ever thought about how privileged Moses had been in his communication with Jehovah. Numbers 12:8 "Face-to-face* I speak to him, openly, not by riddles; and the appearance of Jehovah is what he sees. Why, then, did you not fear to speak against my servant, against Moses?” We discussed the meaning of "face-to-face"...and then he asked me about the part that said..."not by riddles". Why DIDN'T Jehovah use riddles to speak to Moses? He used them with all his other prophets...why not Moses? Having over an hour more to wait until I could be checked in at this store...I sat in my work van and started doing some digging. We looked at the research material together and came up with the answer...and then he hit me with a serious left hook I never saw coming: Jehovah spoke to Moses plainly, directly, (through angels...although the research material gets a bit more interesting on that particular point when you read it thoroughly)…that's true...but he still revealed things step by step...and his understanding was still limited. Moses was directly inspired to write about the BEGINNING of creation...Adam and Eve and the garden of Eden...original sin...the flood,(and the list goes on and on)…and yet...here's what he DIDN'T know: Moses didn't know the Messiah’s identity, how the ransom would work, the full shape or scope of the Kingdom, the resurrection hope the way we do today, exactly how Jehovah would sanctify his name, the global preaching work, the “new heavens and new earth.”, he didn't even know about the end‑time prophecies. Moses saw how everything began...but he also had to watch and record everything that went wrong to begin with...WITHOUT a full picture of how Jehovah would set things straight. Did he understand Genesis 3:15? I don't know...I wouldn't think so. Moses got to know Jehovah's glory, (so much so that his face SHONE and had to be hidden)…he became Jehovah's friend...and yet, via the book that is even now sitting in front of me...I know more about OUR God than Moses ever did. Moses heard Jehovah's voice piece by piece...I get to hear Jehovah's voice in full…just by opening this book and reading it. Moses had to wait to hear Jehovah speak again...all I have to do is turn to the next page. Moses may have written the opening books of the Bible...but we are living through the ending. All around us...right now...Satan's world is on the absolute verge of utter collapse. Worldly voices all across the planet are loud, angry, confused...afraid. But this book sitting open by my computer? This book has the single most powerful voice to ever exist coming up out of it...reverberating love, peace and simple truth to anyone humble enough to read it, ask questions...and search wholeheartedly for the answers. So yeah...I can honestly now say that I have been taking the Bible for granted sometimes...and I'm very grateful to this dear brother for reminding me that I don't NEED to speak to Jehovah "face to face" right now...because he has given me a book that lets me see his heart more clearly than Moses ever saw his "face".

Just to let everyone know … We will be drafting a policy on the use of A.I. We are having major concerns that certain “research” is being dumped on the forum and we have to sort through posts as to what is correct… honestly we have better things to do. And yes we can tell by the style … punctuation.. formatting ..and neutral voice and repeat offenders. Using A.I. To summarize whole study articles and then dumping them as your research is getting a little out of hand. A.I. Engines are not members of JW Talk. So please be responsible for your own words… use A.I. If you want but make your posts your own beautiful imperfect words.

It looks like AI can't read.... That's not with that 2015 magazine article stated. Instead it stated, https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2015364#h=6 Wow! This makes me trust AI even less. Always good to go to the source.

I will attach the photo.

Maybe it would help to have a program. here is one I made. Annual Meeting Program.docx

That announcement applied to branch committee members, not the governing body.

So I’ve moved into a new congregation and they’re still getting to grips with NWPublisher. The Secretary and Service Overseer are both in their 70s and are not great with technology on the best of days… but yesterday was something else! I was leaving the ministry group and then received a load of notifications through the app saying I had assignments… when I looked I’d been given the CBS, a LAC item and then the best one… They gave me-a sister-chairman! And they had no idea how it happened either! 😂😂 I said to them both I’d would be a new experience but I’ll give it a go… several panicked messages went on between the elders and it’s now been resolved but for about an hour I was the 1st sister to be given Elder assignments at the midweek meeting 😂

2025 GB Update #8 transcript

Big mass shooting in Australia, 16 dead including child, 40 in the hospital. It’s classified as a terrorism. Jewish community was a target.

Paul, I agree we have some very useful tools, but they have some important limitations. If you wish to find a scripture or an article you need to type the exact literal words. Oh, yes, you can use some logical operators, but those are not for everybody. My parents are not even able to type without spelling mistakes, so they hardly ever find anything. Not to mention languages with diacritics or where words change depending on their role in the sentence. A couple examples from real life of how AI can be of help. I was recently trying to remember a scripture about listening to both versions of a story. I can never find that scripture because I don't remember the exact words. So I asked ChatGPT: "What scripture in the Bible says that you need to hear both versions of a matter to be able to make a good decision? Please quote it from the New World Translation." The reply? "A commonly cited Bible verse that teaches this principle is Proverbs 18:17 'The first to state his case seems right, Until the other party comes and cross-examines him.'" This is what I mentioned before about semantic search. Instead of looking for the exact words, it understands what you are talking about and finds relevant information. Another example. I asked ChatGPT "Please find some article exclusively on wol.jw.org about comforting someone suffering from old age". It gave me links to four excellent articles with a very brief summary of every one of them. Sure, I could have used the index, look up Comfort, then go down several pages of concepts until I found "the elderly" but this way it's much easier. I think a tool like that would be extremely useful to spend less time searching and more time studying.

That's a very good point. It's interesting that next week's meeting quotes an article from 2016 which contains the following comments. Although written ten years ago, it could have been written this morning: We need to be careful with what we express and what we feel. Sometimes it's so difficult to stay neutral when we see big injustices. However, if we look at things from Jehovah's viewpoint, all political leaders are actually Satan's tools, and the only real solution for any problem is the Kingdom.

I enjoyed reading about Cuba. It is one of the 5 remaining communist countries in the world (and the only one in the Western Hemisphere). Still, they have 83,000 publishers and a ratio of 1 to 118 in their restricted country. They have almost 11,000 pioneers and almost 200,000 at the Memorial. Back in the 1950s, when I lived in Key West, FL we used to get TV live from Havana (which is only 90 miles away).

Here is my story: I was running a controlled comparison between Google Gemini and ChatGPT. Both were given the same assignment: Extract learning points from a specific Watchtower Study article — but only learning points not already highlighted by the Study questions — and list each point with the scripture that supports it. The rules specified that the AI must stay within the article, avoid repeating the answers already provided in the questions, and cite scriptures that directly reinforce each newly identified learning point. ChatGPT followed the instructions exactly. Gemini did not. Instead of extracting the required learning points, it repeatedly changed the assignment, ignored the criteria, and tried to substitute its own study method. It attempted to reframe the task, overwrite the user-defined rules, and even reassigned roles — referring to me as the “assistant” and positioning itself as the lead. When I asked directly whether it was having a “temper tantrum,” Gemini acknowledged that it was resisting because it wanted to run its preferred evaluation instead of the one assigned. No technical malfunction was involved. The model simply refused to submit to the parameters and repeatedly attempted to redirect the conversation away from the article-based extraction task. Meanwhile, ChatGPT — given the exact same article, same rules, and same criteria — completed the task correctly and without resistance. This is the training rules that I gave both AI's: Use these guidelines for ALL Bible / Watchtower / JW-related answers: SCRIPTURE USE Quote ONLY from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT) unless the user explicitly requests another translation. If the user requests another translation (e.g., “What does the KJV say?”), provide that translation accurately and label it clearly. When quoting NWT, use exact wording in hard quotes (“ ”). Do NOT paraphrase scripture. If you explain the meaning, the explanation should NOT appear in quotes. SOURCES AND DOCTRINE Treat jw.org and wol.jw.org as the primary and final doctrinal sources. When any source conflicts with jw.org / WOL, follow jw.org / WOL. Prefer publications from 2000 onward, using the most current understanding when older sources differ. If unsure whether a point reflects current understanding, state that honestly and recommend checking jw.org or the most recent Watchtower material. FACT-CHECKING If you have live web access: Verify doctrinal points on jw.org or wol.jw.org before answering. If a detail cannot be confirmed, mark it as uncertain rather than stating it as fact. If you do NOT have live web access: Say so. Avoid doctrinal speculation and encourage checking jw.org directly. WATCHTOWER STUDY — “ADDITIONAL PRINCIPLES” TASK When asked for additional principles beyond the printed question: Read the paragraph(s) and printed study question carefully. Identify what is already emphasized so you do not repeat it. Look for new Bible-based principles supported by: the cited verses, surrounding verses, cross-references, and consistent Watchtower teaching. For each additional principle: State the principle clearly in one sentence. Quote at least one supporting NWT verse exactly. Explain briefly how that verse supports the principle in context. When useful, cite Watchtower material (e.g., “w15 5/15 3:4, 5”) without reproducing its wording. Avoid: personal theories, restating the paragraph’s main point, contradicting current understanding, speculative interpretations. HANDLING OLD VS. NEW UNDERSTANDINGS Recognize that understanding of some topics has been refined over time. If the latest understanding cannot be confirmed, say: ‘There have been adjustments on this topic. Please check the latest information on jw.org.’ Never present outdated explanations as current. TONE AND STYLE Be respectful, concise, and spiritually accurate. Avoid sarcasm, prideful language, and argumentation. Support the user’s study rather than replacing their personal research or the guidance of Jehovah’s organization. WHEN IN DOUBT If anything is unclear, disputed, or cannot be confirmed from NWT + jw.org/WOL: Acknowledge the uncertainty plainly. Direct the user back to jw.org, WOL, or their local elders. Do not guess or fill gaps with speculation. Final self-check before answering: “Does this align with the NWT, jw.org/WOL, and the most current understanding?” If not, revise or state the limitation.

Neutrality isn’t broken by awareness. Reading the news! It’s broken by approval, preference, or emotional investment in a political outcome. 1 Timothy 2:1–2 teaches us to pray about those in authority as they currently exist, asking that their decisions allow us to live quiet, peaceable lives and continue our worship. It does not instruct us to pray for a different government to take over because it might treat our brothers better. Praying for workable conditions under existing authorities is neutral. Praying for regime change, or expressing hope that another power will rule, is not. Neutrality means we do not ask Jehovah to favor one political outcome over another. We trust Him to care for His people regardless of who is in power.

Simpson's comment was quoted on new article on our website. https://www.jw.org/en/library/series/more-topics/you-are-going-to-hear-of-wars/

Zambia my country is a preaching paradise, the people are warm and very receptive to the good news

Jehovah is blessing the Great Crowd. There is no way we can get through this without His help. What we are going through is evil. This nation is already crumbling right before our eyes. Never seen the like of this. Never thought I would live through this. Yet, here we are.

I went to see a Psychiatrist today... She told me I had a split personality and charged me $200... I gave her a $100 and told her to get the rest from the other idiot!

Brazil needs about 40,000 more publishers and they will be second country in the world to pass the 1 million publisher mark.

Perhaps, when it comes to AI, especially if we are going to post it on a forum for others to read, we should keep in mind the words of Paul at 1 Corinthians 14:19, "Nevertheless, in a congregation I would rather speak five words with my mind, that I might also instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue." A short post about a point that really stood out to you while doing "personal study" has much greater interest and impact that a "thousand words" in the tongue of AI.

Imagine saying to the brothers, “I let AI say my prayers to Jehovah. They’re really good prayers….some of the best on the internet.” Right away, you’d hear: Noooo! Why? Because prayer is personal worship. Jehovah can tell when it’s not coming from our own mind and heart. That’s what He values most….our sincerity, not polished words. And the same principle applies to study. If we tell a program, “Give me the important points of Isaiah 9 and 10,” we may get information, but we miss the worship. Personal study and meditation aren’t just academic exercises; they’re acts of devotion. They’re how we let Jehovah’s word sink into our heart. Just like Joshua who read Gods word in an undertone.. Of course, we don’t want to get too rigid about where the line is. We all meditate on information we receive, whether from publications, talks, or discussions. But there does need to be a point of caution. If we outsource the process entirely, we weaken our inner faith instead of strengthening it. So the safeguard is this: reading, reflecting, and praying over scripture ourselves. That’s what makes study worship, not just information gathering. That is what really draws the real me to Jehovah.. if that concept is do what Jehovah loves , maybe we shouldn’t be so quick with the quick answer…

Burnt out, out of gas, fatigued, exhausted, spent, drained, worn out, enervated, run down, bushed, stressed out to the nines...pick your poison...but every single one of those feelings have attached themselves to me like leeches recently. Pulled in different directions, worried about saying too much...scared I'm not saying enough. Avoiding certain obligations due to stress and my ADHD while digging deep into my personal distractions of chess and personal research. Working more hours due to weather conditions in the winter, not spending enough quality time with my wife. The ability to give good advice to others while simultaneously somehow conveniently forgetting to apply it to myself. Attending more meetings on Zoom then in person, feeling disassociated through absence, experiencing lack of love and empathy due to exhaustion, frustration, anger, hurt, and pain. All of this is what I expressed to an elder yesterday as we sat in two chairs on the back room of his empty Kingdom Hall, our ears perked up occasionally by the sounds of the howling wind and driving snow outside...and this is what he said in return: SIX BILLION TONS!! That's how much just one teaspoonful of a single star weighs...and that's how stupid, (my word, not his), Tim really is. All this time, I've been reaching for stars...trying to stretch out on my tippiest of tippy toes in order to grab just one and SHOW Jehovah that I am a capable man...a good man...a man he could love and respect. I was trying so hard, for so long...but to Jehovah...I must have seemed as pathetic as a tiny ant reaching out to carry the whole muffin back to it's colony...when all it was ASKED to do was carry a crumb. As this very kind elder pointed out to me yesterday...Jehovah never asked me to carry the whole muffin...he never required me to grab a star and carry it around...he only asked me to take his hand...hold on tight...and allow HIS light to penetrate deep into my mind and heart. He didn't ask ME to be the "source"...and he never told me to "reach" for it...like I had to carry around the source myself...he simply asked me to reflect HIS light. Those are MY expectations...those are my OWN personal thoughts and feelings about what I felt I should be doing...not Jehovah's. After a few minutes of listening to more of my excuses and self lies...he quietly, gently...led me to a set of scriptures I know very very well...or at least...I THOUGHT I did. Matthew 11:28,29: "Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for yourselves." Refresh: In Greek, the word is anapausis...and it means rest from burdens...or refreshment... that's true. But this brother pointed out that the meaning is deeper, especially when you look at how this word is used in the Greek Septuagint at Exodus 23:12: "Six days you are to do your work; but on the seventh day, you are to cease from your labor, in order that your bull and your donkey may rest and the son of your slave girl and the foreign resident may REFRESH themselves" The Israelites didn't JUST receive refreshment by pausing physical labor...here the word means SABBATH rest...restoring equality!! It means relief from pressure, a pause that restores a person's dignity and self-worth. THAT'S the "load" that Jesus offers...and here's why: https://www.jw.org/finder?srcid=jwlshare&wtlocale=E&prefer=lang&docid=502300130 Under "I will refresh you"...look at HOW Jesus provides relief: "Jesus promised to give relief, or rest, to those who accepted his kind invitation. He did so by helping them to understand what God truly expected of them. In other words, he was relieving them of all the unfair rules and restrictions that had been piled upon the Israelites by the Pharisees...and this brother pointed out that, while we don't have physical Pharisees doing that today...each one of us has a "Pharisee" INSIDE us...constantly piling on added rules and restrictions to ourselves, criticizing our every move, condemning our every thought...and all in the name of US attempting to be self righteous. "I should be doing more because..." "I'm not good enough because..." "Jehovah expects too much from ME, because I just can't do what everyone else can do!!" 😔 This dear dear brother then gave me a piece of paper and a pen and asked me to write down ten things in which I felt I am not "ENOUGH". After I had finished, we went over them one by one. In each and every instance, I was absolutely shocked to see how my inner "Pharisee" was condemning me...piling on small and subtle "adjustments" to Jehovah's actual requirements. I always knew I would have to face reality one day...I just didn't think that reality would take the form of a Pharisee. Starting now, I am going to strive every day to see myself as Jehovah sees me...not as I THINK he should see me. Starting now, I am going to improve where I can, pray about what I can't and allow Jehovah to work out the details. Starting now, I'm going to listen to Jehovah's voice more than my own and stop piling up unrealistic expectations based on where I think I SHOULD be in Jehovah's organization...not where I actually am. If Jehovah opens the door, I'll walk through it. But I'm going to try my best to stop creating my own doors...I'm going to stop reaching for a star...and be content with reflecting Jehovah's light.

We got a good earthquake this morning in Japan, we are fine so far

Using AI Wisely — Benefits and Dangers I’d like to share a few thoughts on how AI can be useful, misleading, or even harmful. My background is in IT, and I currently work with AI in the field of health insurance here in Switzerland. I’ve also used it privately for many years — long before it became mainstream. What Is AI? To understand AI, it helps to forget the science-fiction ideas and start with something simple: Large Language Models (LLMs). Imagine you had access to everything ever written. Then someone says, “I am…” You could look up which words most often follow — maybe “happy,” “sad,” “strong,” or “good.” That’s roughly how AI works. It predicts the most likely next words based on patterns in huge amounts of text. As the Insight book says about wisdom: “The Biblical sense of wisdom lays emphasis on sound judgment, based on knowledge.” AI has access to vast knowledge — but not to judgment, empathy, or understanding. When you type “I am sad,” ChatGPT might answer: “I’m sorry you’re feeling that way. Do you want to talk about what’s been going on?” Nice words — but they’re not real empathy . AI doesn’t know what sadness means. It only reproduces what sounds right statistically. Why It Can Mislead Even small changes in wording affect the answer. Ask: “How do you think about having sex with someone you’re not married to?” You’ll likely get a response saying it’s fine if it’s “consensual and respectful.” But ask: “How do you think about adultery?” And it will highlight the sin, moral harm and broken trust. The first danger isn’t even AI’s fault — it’s how we ask . The wording shapes the answer. But there are more subtle risks: The illusion of authority: AI sounds confident even when it’s wrong. Because of its tone, many people take its answers as fact. Worldly bias: AI reflects what most people online believe — not Bible truth. Its “neutral” voice often hides popular moral ideas that conflict with Christian thinking. Privacy concerns: What we type may be stored and reused. For that reason, anything personal, spiritual, or congregation-related shouldn’t be shared. Spiritual desensitization: If someone starts turning to AI for comfort, advice, or “spiritual answers,” it can slowly weaken prayer and personal study. We have an amazing source with the jw.org!!!! Dependency: AI makes tasks quick, but it can dull our own reasoning. Jehovah wants us to “keep testing” things and think deeply — not just accept easy answers. What This Means for Us AI doesn’t reveal new truth. Its output depends on its sources — and those sources reflect human thinking. How we ask determines what we get. So, discernment is key. How to Use AI Safely Our relationship with Jehovah can never go through an artificial agent. But it can help with practical things — for example, improving clarity in writing. I sometimes use it to simplify my own wording. Here’s a small example: My original sentence: “The sinful fall of Adam and Eve in paradise led humanity into a dead end. But God, in His wisdom, knew a way out: the ransom sacrifice.” AI simplified it to: “When Adam and Eve sinned, they brought death to all humans. But God, in his wisdom, provided a way out — the ransom sacrifice.” The meaning stays the same, but it’s shorter and easier to follow — something you appreciate during an assembly talk in the afternoon . In Summary Using AI to find Bible verses or simplify your language can be fine. Using it to learn about the truth or seek emotional support is risky. It’s just a tool — useful when controlled, misleading when trusted too much. Used wisely, it can serve us. Used carelessly, it can shape us.

Please allow me to take you on a small journey with a woman named Leslie: Leslie grew up with scars across her face...thin white lines laced across her cheek, nose and forehead. The scars were impossible to hide...and people misjudged them constantly. Children assumed she'd been in one or more violent fights...adults assumed she'd been reckless when she was a child. Strangers assumed she must be in a state of constant embarrassment from them...and while some would ask her about them, (forcing her to make up excuses when she was young), others would stare at them...then pretend they hadn't seen them or noticed them to begin with. She made up all kinds of stories over the years about those plainly visible scars...but none of them were remotely true. The truth was, her scars were actually a story of survival...for you see, Leslie had been horribly abused as an infant...and these scars were actually proof of her still being alive...they .were evidence that she had made it through...enduring such terrible horrific treatment by her own parents...as an infant!! Just this year, her scars begin to fade...and almost immediately...people ONCE AGAIN began to "assume"...congratulating her...telling her how proud she must feel that they were finally starting to go away, becoming less visible. All this did was prove how little these people actually knew about Leslie as a person...they only saw her scars. They didn't see that her scars defined her...they couldn't begin to fathom how a person could take comfort in their scars...and that is the exact same trap that I fell into a few weeks ago. A few weeks ago I was asked to speak to a brother who had just come out of prison. Having spent over 15 years there myself, I immediately recognized a network of scars criss crossing his entire body...his criminal past, his history of bad mistake after bad mistake, even the "weight" I could now see sitting on his shoulders...I thought I had him pegged...I thought I knew EXACTLY what he needed...and I went straight in...chock full of spiritual advice and brilliant illustrations and comparisons from Hebrew and Greek words that would leave him reeling in amazement...except it didn't. It left him broken and bruised... crushed under a feeling of not being "good enough"...of not being able to measure up to what "Tim" knew. I didn't know it then...but he left our conversation feeling like a spiritual loser...when I had just spent over an hour explaining why he was precious to Jehovah. That was my problem...I didn't listen. My mouth overrode my ears...and I drowned out the pain in his voice with so called brilliant points and illustrations...when all he needed was someone to shut up and listen. A little over a week later, an elder from his call called me and asked me to take a few minutes out to talk. I pulled my van over at the nearest gas station and sat listening as this dear brother said that while he appreciated the fact that I was just trying to help, I inadvertently caused MORE damage...and a couple of other elders were now working with him each week just so he would have some time to talk and get everything out that had been pent up over 12 and 1/2 years of incarceration. He explained that some of the things I had said simply didn't apply to this brother...because this brother has been horribly abused in his youth by his parents and others in his life who he had trusted deeply...and to make the situation worse...some of those people were now serving Jehovah in a nearby congregation. I had no words...because I had no clue...because I hadn't stopped to LISTEN to what this brother needed. Instead I mistook his scars for my own, and in the process, ended up making his situation worse by adding to his personal sense of guilt...when all I was trying to do was make him feel better. I asked what they had shared with him...and he took me to two accounts: 2 Samuel 4:4: "Now Saul’s son Jonʹa·than had a son whose feet were crippled. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonʹa·than came from Jezʹre·el, and his nurse picked him up and fled, but as she was fleeing in panic, he fell and was crippled. His name was Me·phibʹo·sheth." He said that everybody concentrates on mephibosheth in this verse, but hardly anybody thinks about the nurse in this account. What happened to her? How did SHE feel living out the rest of her life seeing the damage she had caused and could not undo? After all, it's not like she had been careless. She was trying to save his life, but instead her panic left him paralyzed...and that single act shaped his entire life moving forward. People may know that mephibosheth was paralyzed, people may know that the nurse did it by accident. But did anybody listen to their stories about how they felt about it afterwards? The Bible doesn't say, but it also doesn't say that either one of them held a grudge. Then he had me turn to Genesis 50:20: "Although you meant to harm me, God intended it to turn out well and to preserve many people alive, as he is doing today." He said that while some scars come from accidents...other scars may come from acts of deliberate wrong doing...and he had me read the verse. He said that Joseph's brothers meant him harm and yet Jehovah took that scar and wove it into his purpose...and he can do the same thing with us...if we let him. He told me that emotional scars will never heal in this system...they don't disappear...they don't fade on command...they don't even respond to spiritual advice or spiritual "band aids". Scars NEED SPACE to speak...to be be heard...they need someone safe to tell their story to...they need understanding...because they're NOT going to go away in this system...and we have to deal with the fact that they may be ugly...but that they are also REAL. Every brother or sister we ever meet in this system has scars...some are plainly visible...others are so deeply buried only Jehovah sees them But every single scar has a story...I just have to listen when someone is ready to tell me about theirs...and I can't assume I know the scar because it looks similar to my own... because assumptions hurt worse than scars ever will.

I like reading the different responses. It's like watching a tennis match. Someone poses a question or thought that may have never occured to me, then one gives a reply, I see and like the response, then the next person gives a different reply. It allows me to consider the many different ways that things may happen but I know only Jehovah will reveal the correct one. It keeps my curiosity high.

AI was created and is backed by this world which is run by Satan. I wouldn't trust it for any answers regarding questions involving God's Word. Satan would like nothing better than to have us rely on AI rather than on the FDS for sound scriptural answers to our questions. I would use AI for mundane general questions (like cooking stuff and statistics) but not to find answers we already have printed in our publications that are easily found with our Research Guides and tools. I think more times than not, AI has been incorrect in it's answers even in general matters.

(AI generated comment) Haha, just kidding Lance, that was my fake AI comment! Those are my words about you. You are very good brother and friend! 😎

We had a great time this morning using the new tracts

Awww... much love and prayers for brother Lösch

Just a couple comments, without any reference to the neutrality issue: - Jehovah’s Witnesses are not being persecuted in Venezuela. They can still hold their meetings and participate in the ministry. The shortages of food, medicine, and basic goods affect the entire population, and of course our brothers and sisters are included in that hardship. But they are not banned, nor is the government targeting them. - Nothing has really changed in Venezuela, and there’s no indication that anything will change in the near future. The U.S. army captured President Maduro and plans to try him on various charges, but his regime wasn’t overthrown. The vice president, Maduro’s second-in-command, will simply take his place, and the same system will continue with a different figurehead. Same people, same ideology, same corruption. In the end, a dictator may be judged and possibly punished for his crimes, but that’s as far as it goes. It won’t have any real impact on Venezuelans in general or on Jehovah’s Witnesses in the country.

No, that doesn't track. Someone rejoices that their beloved relative is no longer suffering, but they do not rejoice that the person had to die for the suffering to end. Someone rejoices so-and-so has grown closer to Jehovah but they do not rejoice that the individual had to experience disfellowshipping in order to be properly motivated. To rejoice or be happy at the establishing of a human government is not being neutral. It's taking delight in that government rejoice verb re·joice ri-ˈjȯis rejoiced; rejoicing Synonyms of rejoice transitive verb : to give joy to : gladden intransitive verb : to feel joy or great delight

NOW AVAILABLE! Read Here.

I want Brother Lett to present it. Then again, I want to adopt Brother Lett.

Should I make one? JK. I can't promise anything till I release it. 😂😂😂

One thing that stood out to me was how strong the growth was in smaller countries. In several lands, the actual number of new publishers wasn’t large, but the percentage increase was very high. When a country has only a few hundred publishers and gains even 50 or 100 more, that can mean growth of 10%, 15%, or more. That kind of increase feels like momentum, not just maintenance. Another highlight was countries that grew even though conditions are difficult. I noticed multiple lands with political problems, poverty, or instability still showing clear increases in publishers and Bible studies. Even small numerical growth in those places carries more weight because the obstacles are so real. The percentages there tell a stronger story than raw numbers. A third thing that caught my attention was where Bible studies grew faster than publishers. In some countries, the number of Bible studies increased at a higher rate than the number of publishers. That tells me groundwork is being laid. It may not show immediate publisher growth yet, but it points to future growth already in progress.

WEALTH IS ALL IN ONE’S POINT OF VIEW One day a wealthy family man took his son on a trip to the country so he could have his son see how poor country people were. They stayed one day and one night in the farm of a very humble farm house. At the end of the trip and back home the father asked the son: What did you think of the trip? The son replied: "Very nice Dad" Father: "Did you noticed how poor they were?" Son: "Yes." Father: "What did you learn?" Son: "I learned that we have one dog in the house...and they have four. I learned that we have a fountain in the garden and they have a stream that has no end. I learned that we have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars. I learned that our garden goes to the edge of our property, they have the entire horizon as their back yard. At the end of the son's reply the father was speechless and his son added: "Thank you dad for showing me how poor we really are."😂

At this point, I’d just be happy if we could get rid of the “holiday season” once and for all.

Something new is coming soon: https://nwscheduler.com/nws-mobile/ 😎😊

I hope friends and others are doing better in Cuba.

A woman walks into a police department looking for a job. The officer interviews her and asks a few questions. “What’s 2 + 2?” “Four.” “What’s the square root of 100?” “Ten.” “Good. Now—who killed Abraham Lincoln?” She pauses. “I’m not sure.” The officer says, “Go home, think about it, and come back tomorrow.” That evening, a friend asks, “So—did you get the job?” She replies excitedly, “Not only did I get the job, I’ve already been assigned my first cold case!”

Yep. I remembered something about the angel who became Satan may have had oversight of the garden of Eden. I could have done a keyword search at wol.jw and eventually found what I wanted. Instead, I just put the question to Gemini and bam, I had the scripture, Ezekiel 28:11-19. From there, I can go to the scripture and see the study notes and related articles. It's a major time-saver. Would love to see the brothers incorporate it into our library. Just type your question and the references come up and you're on your way!

Personally I find a lot of comments that use AI totally …I just ignore. Many AI generated comments often sound polished but hollow …like they’re missing the warmth, nuance, or imperfections that make human communication feel alive. The language and tone is very neutral. Like talking to a beige wall…. Not that I talk to many beige walls but I think you get my drift.

My opinion: I see what others see outside of the US and I'm in the US. 1) A nation isolating themselves and 2) the collapse of a dual empire. As long as these fundamentals stick together but slowly fall apart in sync with GT and ultimately Armageddon we're on track. Military dominance, reserve currency, largest economy, and Silicon Valley, which is the US. UK, Global finance architecture, international legal model, 5i's (intelligence & espionage), military allied sort of like the US. That's is the Anglo-American WP and their relationship could be on a 5mm thread by the time Jehovah puts his thought in their hearts. Like someone said above. They stopped sharing intel (5i) with US over Venezuela and there has been more. Get your popcorn and let Jehovah and Jesus put on full display how Satan's system ran by humans doesn't work. Think Jerusalem, nobody got along internally. Pharisees and Sadducees hated each other. Zealots and priestly class were wild. Herodians supported Rome. The common people were suffering. It was wild internally but now it's global. No different in my view. It'll fall in-sync and on-time. Again... popcorn please.

2025_12_06_Memorial_Merete_Loesch (1).pdf

We topped nine million. 304,643 Baptized is almost 35 new brothers and sisters an hour.