DISCUSS COURT CASE HERE JW.org - Jehovah’s Witnesses Mobilize Global Response to Threat of Ban in Russia

[Beggar for the Spirit]

4 hours ago, Victoria said:

I know that leaving the country is not easy either. There is no paradise in any country.And I am no way judge those leaving homes. Maybe our circumstances will change and we will go too. But now I really don't want to leave my friends here alone.

Hi Victoria,

 

Sometimes a brother or sister or family determines that it is best for them to try and flee and move to some place they feel is safer. So a person or family could have many more reasons why they feel they should flee compared to reasons for staying. But even if there is only 1 reason to stay and that is out of love for their friends, then how beautiful that is in Jesus and Jehovah's eyes that this person/family made such a major sacrifice out of love to remain and help their friends! That is 1 of the highest forms of love we can show to our friends, and that is what you did! 

Quote

*** w03 3/15 p. 5 “Take Courage! I Have Conquered the World” ***
The commandment was new in that it went beyond loving “your fellow as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18) In what way? Jesus clarified the matter, saying: “This is my commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his soul in behalf of his friends.” (John 15:12, 13) They had to be willing to sacrifice their very lives for one another and for others.

I wanted to mention this to you for several reasons:

1} Even though life where you are can be sad and even frightening, please take courage in the fact the love that you are showing for your friends conquers evil.
"Do not let yourself be conquered by the evil, but keep conquering the evil with the good" (RO 12:21)

"Love never fails" (1CO 13:8) 

 

2} And whatever freedoms you may lose or things you may suffer because of your decision to remain to help your friends, these will not compare to the rewards you will receive from our Father Jehovah. 

". . .whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." (2CO 9:6)

Because you have sown "bountifully" with love to your friends and with love for Jehovah, you will "reap bountifully", not only will Jehovah reward you, but your friends will love you even more, now that is definitely reaping "bountifully"!  

[campanula]

10 hours ago, Victoria said:

 

Anyone may freely go and join them .....  

 

Didnot get the point.

I speak about my own circumstanses and my own friends.

Okay, I'll explain the  point as clear as I can.

 

I meant that it's easy to someone to encourage others to endure to the end while staying himself in a cosy and safe home on the sofa.
But that is exactly what many do.

 

This is my humble opinion in my circumstances.

[LindaViktoria]

Stay strong and trust in Jehovah dear sister Victoria. You brothers and sisters in Russia are such a wonderful example for the rest of us. It must be so scary for you, May Jehovah give you a calm heart and help you act wisely. 

 

2 King.6:16 Do not be afraid! For there are more who are with us than those who are with them.”

[LindaViktoria]

4 minutes ago, campanula said:

Okay, I'll explain the  point as clear as I can.

 

I meant that it's easy to someone to encourage others to endure to the end while staying himself in a cosy and safe home on the sofa.
But that is exactly what many do.

 

This is my humble opinion in my circumstances.

Dear dear sister. I think we all are very upset with what is happening to you in Russia. We want to encourage you to stay strong and assure you that we are thinking of you and praying for you both as individuals and at the meetings. We who are living in countries that dont have persecution cant know exactly how you must feel. It must be terrible, but we have to try to strenghten eachother.  Even if those who are not being persecuted dont deal with trials like you do, they also have stuff to deal with, resistance from familymembers, healthproblems and other things. 

Maybe something we say can come out wrong or be misunderstood, but I am convinced that the friends only mean well. You are going thru this now, but it wont be long until we all are being forbidden to practise our faith. And then we will be scared and you will strenghten us with your experiences and encouraging words. We are one body and if one part of the body is hurt, we all feel the pain. We love you and keep praying for you!

[New World Explorer]

27 minutes ago, campanula said:

I meant that it's easy to someone to encourage others to endure to the end while staying himself in a cosy and safe home on the sofa.
But that is exactly what many do.

I understand your frustration, but trust me, (speaking of myself) I hardly have time for "sofa" time.

Yesterday I have spent 9 hours Witnessing, today in morning as well ..feeling tired, but I have to prepare for the meeting and Cart Training session after the meeting for tomorrow, I leave in so called "good, affluent, lazy country" but I see so many hard working brothers .. You comment can "hurt" many faithful brothers and sisters ... speaking openly how I feel about it.

This thread should be encouraging. Let's not get into the "judgmental tone" PLEASE.

 

[ChocoBro]

18 hours ago, Adelin said:

I like this answer... at any time those who fought made history. 

 

 

Yet, the Bible has this to say

 

Quote

When they persecute you in one city, flee to another; for truly I say to you, you will by no means complete the circuit of the cities of Israel until the Son of man arrives.

Matthew 10:23

 

The spiritual and non-violent "fight" against persecution is a fine fight indeed, and yet it does zero to "make history", it only works to improve the personal relationship of the persecuted individual. However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with moving away from persecution at all. In fact, it can be the life-saving and faith-saving thing to do. Otherwise, Jesus would not have said this. Everybody has his own decision to make.

[Lance]

Phil 4:12-13

12 I know how to be low on provisions and how to have an abundance. In everything and in all circumstances I have learned the secret of both how to be full and how to hunger, both how to have an abundance and how to do without.  13 For all things I have the strength through the one who gives me power. 

 

The whole association of brothers and sisters.. will be tested... guaranteed. Satan will make sure of that.... no one gets a free pass.

 

There is not a lot we can do for our brothers and sisters in difficult circumstances... even though we we wish and agonize that we could transport them out miraculously.. 

Our brothers in the Congo are facing Ebola again.. many today are in hospitals facing some serious life threatening situation.. all of these trials have been originally been hatched by Satan ..

what can we do

we can pray.. and if we can, encourage .. if we can strengthen just as Paul did through his letters ... or emails or whatever Jehovah directs us to do....do it...

Why...because all of us get scared and need to see the big picture of Jehovah’s universal sovereignty... we are nothing with out it... none of us are alone,, but at times we need to be reassured as Paul and our dear brothers did..

 

Romans 8:37

On the contrary, in all these things we are coming off completely victorious through the one who loved us.  38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments nor things now here nor things to come nor powers  39 nor height nor depth nor any other creation will be able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus our lord.

Edited May 19, 2018 by Lance

[retroHelen]

I don't feel 'secure in my cosy sofa' when I see my poor brothers and sisters suffering at the hands of injustice.  I feel frustration at what else I can do. I speak to all who are fair-minded about what is going on and tell them what is happening. I wrote to Mr Putin. I and our congregation mention them in our prayers regularly and at the last meeting.

 

Then we think how people in our own country are getting more unreasonable, ignorant, Nationalistic or polarized;extreme and angry on moral issues and rights and then are wanting to seek to ban/persecute/silence anyone that has a different opinion to them and we think it could suddenly be us on the end of injustice before long.

 

Seeing how our dear brothers and sisters are living through injustice now is a lesson to the rest of us -  to get us thinking what we would do if it happened to us. Keeping us 'On the Watch' to simplify our lives - share out any excess we don't need -  and try not to get too attached to all our stuff and the place we are, just in case we have to give it all up to save ourselves and our faith. 

 

We pray for  those suffering while praying we don't get complacent and take for granted what we have at present - it may not be there for much longer!

 

[Friends just call me Ross]

I sent a letter of encouragement to Brother Christiansen and, with the elders permission, I handed out his 'temporary' address and instructions on what and how to write to him to others at our "Just Around the Corner" get together last Saturday.  

 

I wish I had more addresses to write letters of encouragement to.  Our persecuted  brothers and sisters can't all  be members of this supportive message board.  

 

Our prayers to Jehovah don't require any postage.  So, in the meantime, we pray that they can remain loyal under trial, and trust that they will do the same for us, when our feet are held to the fire.

[humble bumble bee]

jw-russia.org: Statement of the European Union on the situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia

Edited May 22, 2018 by humblebumblebee
corrected lik

[humble bumble bee]

jw-russia.org:

 

Details of the round-up on believers in the Orenburg region

 

In Orenburg, two citizens were sent for their faith in the SIZO, one for house arrest

 

Quote

A 25-year-old Vladislav Kolbanov sent to house arrest

Currently, 8 citizens are in prison in different regions of Russia, namely: Dennis Christensen in Orel, Anatoly Vilitkevich in Ufa, Roman Markin and Victor Trofimov in the Murmansk region, Valentin Osadchuk in Vladivostok, Alam Aliyev in Birobidzhan and Vladimir Kochnev and Alexander Suvorov in Orenburg.

All these brothers in my thoughts and prayers.

[jake3328]

On 5/19/2018 at 2:14 AM, campanula said:

Okay, I'll explain the  point as clear as I can.

 

I meant that it's easy to someone to encourage others to endure to the end while staying himself in a cosy and safe home on the sofa.
But that is exactly what many do.

 

This is my humble opinion in my circumstances.

 

A sister with two teenage sons in Poland during the Soviet days, feared for her sons, who were nearing military age.  So she sought to leave her country.  Her boys were being used in the congregation, they were strong.  She made it somehow to the US and her boys entered the school system went to college and left the truth.  The mother said she wished she never left Poland.  The Apostle Paul said at Philippians 2:12 "Keep working out your own salvation with fear and trembling."  How do we do this?  Our primary work is to preach the good news of the kingdom and endure to the end.  Every effort of that deviant and disgusting enemy of Jehovah, is to stop us from this work and to get us to give up (never may that happen).  His methods may be by direct means or they may be by indirect subtleties, the goal is the same. Stop preaching.  It is interesting that when the direct means has not worked the indirect means have scored for him and visa versa.  He will try everything.

 

I am sadden to tears reading about what my brothers in Russia are dealing with.  Also our dear brothers in Eritrea (two who had died) who have been locked up, some for 20 years, I pray that I may endure such a trial.  In lands with more freedom we are losing so many young people and some not so young.  Some of us are distracting and amusing ourselves to our spiritual peril.  And some of us are fighting, I mean struggling daily to endure. I am amazed at what some of our brothers and sisters are enduring, I pray for them and for our brothers in Russia, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, South Korea and there are so many more places (1Pet. 2:17), the whole association.

 

Satan is not going to make it easy for any of us.  What I know about Satan is that intellectually I am an ant and I am no match for his schemes, I catch myself in his traps too often and I will never with without the love and power of my God Jehovah, win against him.  None of us will escape out of this system untried to the limit, Satan will see to that.  Even now he is maneuvering men and governments in lands where we have more freedom, he is changing them, I am sure for the purpose of attacking us more directly.  We must in whatever situation we find ourselves, trust in Jehovah, his Christ and yes in the Faithful Slave (which I see he is working hard to erode that trust today).  I remember a Gilead lecture by brother Milton Henschel, he said, if you are arrested, keep preaching, preach to everyone you come in contact with, don't focus on yourself, pray and preach. Do not suffer shock as Moses warned the nation of Israel in his final speeches to them. I hope that I will do that when they come for me.  Remember, we must work out "own salvation with fear and trembling."  Our Regional Convention will aid us in this personal struggle. Please keep preaching and enduring for you are an example for me. 

 

[luisenriquereyes]

I just read this Newsweek article:

http://www.newsweek.com/jehovahs-witnesses-939860

I'm keeping my dear brothers in my prayers.

Sent from my G8441 using Tapatalk

[Victoria]

It is really difficult not to worry about the future. Scary things come into my mind as soon as I wake up. 

[Tbs77]

It is really difficult not to worry about the future. Scary things come into my mind as soon as I wake up. 

It's understandable. Please know that the whole association of brothers and sisters are praying for all of you.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[rocket]

5 hours ago, Victoria said:

It is really difficult not to worry about the future. Scary things come into my mind as soon as I wake up. 

We worry about you a lot too and when you are gone from the Forum a few days we worry even more that something bad has happened. Praying for you all.

[Victoria]

Thank you all! We are OK so far.

[rocket]

1 minute ago, Victoria said:

Thank you all! We are OK so far.

 

I am happy for that. I'm such a wimp that after seeing the Jonah video, If I were in your shoes, I'd be looking for a big fish to hide in. I am in awe of your courage. Keep the faith.

[Victoria]

2 minutes ago, rocket said:

 

I am happy for that. I'm such a wimp that after seeing the Jonah video, If I were in your shoes, I'd be looking for a big fish to hide in. I am in awe of your courage. Keep the faith.

I won't give up, Won't turn aside. I won't give up and I won't run and hide.

[Victoria]

9 minutes ago, rocket said:

 

 I am in awe of your courage.

I am fearful. I wish I didn't have to face it all. But I think I feel a real Christian for the 1st time.

[Tbs77]

1 Peter 1:6,7 Because of this you are greatly rejoicing, though for a short time, if it must be, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 in order that the tested quality of your faith, of much greater value than gold that perishes despite its being tested by fire, may be found a cause for praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Из-за этого вы очень радуетесь, хотя на короткое время, если это должно быть, вы были огорчены различными испытаниями 7, чтобы испытанное качество вашей веры, имело гораздо большую ценность, чем золото, которое погибает, несмотря на его тестирование огнем, можно найти повод для славы и славы и чести при откровении Иисуса Христа

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[Victoria]

9 minutes ago, Tbs77 said:

1 Peter 1:6,7 Because of this you are greatly rejoicing, though for a short time, if it must be, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 in order that the tested quality of your faith, of much greater value than gold that perishes despite its being tested by fire, may be found a cause for praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Из-за этого вы очень радуетесь, хотя на короткое время, если это должно быть, вы были огорчены различными испытаниями 7, чтобы испытанное качество вашей веры, имело гораздо большую ценность, чем золото, которое погибает, несмотря на его тестирование огнем, можно найти повод для славы и славы и чести при откровении Иисуса Христа

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Wow! Thanks for Russian!

If I am in prison, hope to get letters from JWTalk members in Russian.

[Miss Bea]

 

45 minutes ago, Victoria said:

I am fearful. I wish I didn't have to face it all. But I think I feel a real Christian for the 1st time.

My dearest sister. Have you any idea how very precious you are to us. And, Jehovah must be so very proud. It’s like Venezuela. Because of Antonio, we get insight into what our dear brothers and sisters.are going through. I know the organization does its best to keep us up to date, but it’s like the experiences we hear. Somehow, they make it more personal.

That is what you have done. As I read this, I almost felt my heart physically react. Oh how I long to just give you the biggest hug, ever. Just know how proud we are to call you our sister. And, for the tens of thousands of our family,  there in Russia, you have given us insight into what they are going through. 

It ups the intensity of my prayers for you there in Russia. 

One day, I suspect we will use you as an example of integrity to help us get us through the rough times that are bound to come in whatever land we live in. 

I want what you said to live in my heart. To become a part of who I am.

(Don’t worry sis, we know you are human like the rest of us. We will keep praying for all of you there, but we get to name your name to Jehovah! )

[humble bumble bee]

Update on brother Alexander Suvorov

jw-russia.org: Perm: a criminal case for faith, a believer sent to prison

 

[rocket]

8 hours ago, Victoria said:

I am fearful. I wish I didn't have to face it all. But I think I feel a real Christian for the 1st time.

Your comment reminded me of the June Newsweek article.

 

Quote

Unsurprisingly, some Jehovah’s Witnesses want to get out of Russia. Spokespeople estimate that hundreds have fled the country in recent months. Yet tens of thousands are determined to stay, and they see the Kremlin’s repression as a test of their convictions. “My years of serving Jehovah God under a ban taught me that this makes a believer even stronger,” says Pavel Sivulskiy, 86, who says he spent seven years in a Soviet gulag for his beliefs. “We pray more often and more ardently, and are together more frequently.” 

Quote

“We are hurt and insulted by the prohibition of our religious beliefs,” says Yelena, an elderly woman who owns the apartment. “But we’re not afraid. How can we be afraid when we have faith?”

 

Edited May 24, 2018 by rocket