February Broadcasting - Annual Meeting Part 2

[Jimi-L]

A truly encouraging and enlightening AM, including this 2nd part. Brother Lett's reminders on how to resist Satan, brother Herd's Speech about other sheeps during the Great Tribulation, and brother Morris' very important speech how to wait patiently for an end, especially his own experiences can be very valuable to those who've seen some specific speeches or texts too dogmatically. This may be one of the best AM ever.

Edited February 10, 2022 by Jimi-L

[JohnFromOz]

On 2/9/2022 at 2:10 AM, Susan Cook said:

Which signatures were annulled after the brother was executed? Wasn’t signing the document a compromise?

I think I missed the point here..

I think the document was a military induction slip, not a document that they could be released from prison. At least that’s what brother Lett said that August Dickman refused to sign, so I’m guessing the other two did originally sign it.

[Tortuga]

3 hours ago, Jimi-L said:

This may be one of the best AM ever.

It's definitely the best one I have heard all year...

[jayrtom]

 

On 2/8/2022 at 9:44 PM, Dove said:

That confused me too..weren’t they told that if they signed the document that they would be set free? So why where they still there in prison..

On 2/9/2022 at 2:06 AM, WilliamChew said:

Looks like the prison authorities didn't keep their promise to release them when they signed the letter. The prison authorities were probably contemptious of those who compromised.

21 hours ago, justenoire said:

Even though it was almost an aside, learning that two people who compromised were still in the camp a year later really made an impression on me. Compromising our faith does not bring genuine relief. Things won't get better if we give up so there's no point in giving up. On the other hand, Jehovah comforts and strengthens us to endure all things, and makes a way out. He always does this, we've all experienced it multiple times. What we have to do is endure.

 

I didn't watch the program yet, but judging by the qote below, it appears that the signing was not to get a release but to become a soldier. Eventually they would get their life facilitaded as soldier in contrast to being a prisioner

On 2/9/2022 at 1:39 AM, Sofia said:

*** jv chap. 29 pp. 660-661 “Objects of Hatred by All the Nations” ***
In an effort to break the spirit of the Witnesses, the camp commander at Sachsenhausen ordered August Dickmann, a young Witness, to be executed in the presence of all the prisoners, with Jehovah’s Witnesses out front where they would get the full impact. After that, the rest of the prisoners were dismissed, but Jehovah’s Witnesses had to remain. With great emphasis the commander asked them, ‘Who is now ready to sign the declaration?’—a declaration renouncing one’s faith and indicating willingness to become a soldier. Not one of the 400 or more Witnesses responded. Then two stepped forward! No, not to sign, but to ask that their signatures given about a year earlier be annulled.
https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=1101993040&srctype=wol&srcid=share&par=73

 

 

[Mykyl]

I loved this comment by Brother Herd. 

Quote

But as we understand it, some things Jehovah will not permit us to see, even though we read over it many, many times. We can’t see it until Jehovah puts the light on it.
And what I’m about to reveal to you today, Jehovah is behind it — not the Governing Body, not any human here on the earth, but Jehovah God. He helps us to see things. 

 

[jwhess]

1 hour ago, jayrtom said:

I didn't watch the program yet, but judging by the qote below, it appears that the signing was not to get a release but to become a soldier. Eventually they would get their life facilitaded as soldier in contrast to being a prisioner

This is the English translation that is displayed at the Holocaust Museum....

 

 

[Shannie]

21 hours ago, jwhess said:

This is the English translation that is displayed at the Holocaust Museum....

 

 

Wow!

[shali]

Going back to the sister who signed this declaration but later proved to be a loyal witness of Jehovah - I remember the first time I read that experience.  Up till then, all we heard of were brothers and sisters who refused to sign or those who signed because they were afriad of starving to death and they signed and starved to death anyways.  So to read an experience like this meant a great deal to me - you can have a moment of weakness and do something like this and still gain Jehovah's forgiveness and blessing later on.  Because I never heard of an experience like this before (where someone signed and made their way back to Jehovah) I used to think that anyone who signed even if they later regretted it and repented wouldn't be resurrected or was so irredeemable that they could never gain Jehovah's favor again.  This experience blew all of that out of the water for me and really shed a new light as to how merciful Jehovah is.  Peter denied Jesus 3 times and repented and wept bitterly over what he had done - so why couldn't someone locked in a concentration camp, being beaten, starved and worked to death, always under the threat of death, do the same in a moment of weakness (physcally, spiritually, and emotionally) and then be forgiven if they were truly repentent?  I could never figure that out because I had never seen an experience like that of this sister - so it made a huge impact on me.  I was and am so grateful they published it.

[Dages]

3 minutes ago, shali said:

you can have a moment of weakness and do something like this and still gain Jehovah's forgiveness and blessing later on.

That's still extremely dangerous. Just imagine signing because of "weakness" and getting shot down just after because the military did not care   

Let's be strong with Jehovah's help.

[Old]

Of interesting note: After hostilities had ceased and order was restored the equivilent of the German Branch ( I am not sure if the Branch was back in full operation) wrote headquaters and asked what to do with the the ones that had signed the Nazi paper to be released. The answer was do nothing. We will go on from here.

[Hope]

On 2/9/2022 at 4:10 PM, hatcheckgirl said:

Can I just say, the pronunciation of “Australasia” is somewhat different to how we say it down under.

 

We don’t say “Austal”-“Asia” as almost two separate words, as was said numerous times in the Jesus video package.

 

https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/pronunciation/english/australasia

 

 

I really, REALLY hope they cast Australasian friends in the videos.  It would be nice to hear accents other than American for these - I never think American sounds quite right, anyway

 

[hatcheckgirl]

Then Matthew 28:9 will finally be authentic: "G'day!"

[jwhess]

On 2/10/2022 at 9:37 AM, jayrtom said:

I didn't watch the program yet, but judging by the qote below, it appears that the signing was not to get a release but to become a soldier. Eventually they would get their life facilitaded as soldier in contrast to being a prisioner

There are several detailed publications about the German Nazi concentration camps and there efforts to deter Jehovah's servants. There is a lengthy (several pages) in the yearbook, including the account of Agust Dickmann.

*** yb74 p. 164 Part 2—Germany ***
THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS—A YAWNING ABYSS

 

The Nazis had been rounding up JWs since around 1933.  the war did not officially begin until 1939.. So the document they wanted us to sign was a denouncment of the Watchtower Society (IBSA) and and a denying of being one of Jehovah's Witnesses (Bible Students).  The part about joining the military was a clause in the 4th paragraph. 

 

It said that they swore to obey the laws of the state and "in the event of war" would defend the Fatherland with weapons.  So in the early years it was about denying association with the Bible Students and their organization.

 

In any case, the request to have on's name removed from such a document, enacted the 5th paragraph.  That clause said if you acted against the signed document, you would be taken back into custody for the violation. So they would be re-arrested (or since they had never been released, kept incarcerated).

 

Remember, the women could sign as well. and they did not go into the army.

 

 

[Hartley]

I remember reading in a yearbook how a brother, new in the trut,h reasoned that he could sign the paper to get a release and still keep serving Jehovah. The brothers were able to  explain the implications to him, whereupon he returned to have his signature annulled.

[Hartley]

A pioneer in a neighbouring congregation found advice from a circuit overseer during the pioneer meeting extremely discouraging, when told he was not being reasonable by getting his full time in the ministry. How good it was to have a talk explaining how pioneers were extending their service to maintaining unity in the congregation and that this was a reason why they might spend less in the ministry

[Eejay]

1 hour ago, Hartley said:

told he was not being reasonable by getting his full time in the ministry.....pioneers were extending their service to maintaining unity in the congregation and that this was a reason why they might spend less in the ministry

Some who pioneer have circumstances that do not require secular responsibility. It might call for considerable self-sacrifice to use their time for the field ministry rather than for leisure or personal interests, after perhaps many years of secular work. They may also spend considerably more time than average  in the "internal" ministry than many others who do have secular commitments.

 

General comments regarding  "spending too much time in field ministry" need to made judiciously so as not to discourage generous ones.

 

Proverbs 12:18: "Thoughtless speech is like the stabs of a sword, but the tongue of the wise is a healing."

Edited February 15, 2022 by Eejay

[weimaraner]

The tendency to judge one's spiritualityby the number of hours devoted to, or reported in the field ministry, may be one area in which we all need to avoid going beyond what is written. Jesus said: "stop judging by outward appearance..."

Edited February 16, 2022 by weimaraner
Modification

[Tony]

I’m the secretary in the congregation and ALWAYS when I get all the reports through text messages or WhatsApp all the brothers and sisters send the hours first. I think it’s just on their minds that the hours are the most important thing. 

[Dages]

5 hours ago, Tony said:

I’m the secretary in the congregation and ALWAYS when I get all the reports through text messages or WhatsApp all the brothers and sisters send the hours first. I think it’s just on their minds that the hours are the most important thing. 

Hey, that's true  

 

Hours 
literature

video

visit 

study  

[weimaraner]

On 2/17/2022 at 4:38 AM, Tony said:

I’m the secretary in the congregation and ALWAYS when I get all the reports through text messages or WhatsApp all the brothers and sisters send the hours first. I think it’s just on their minds that the hours are the most important thing. 

What should be most important should be the motive. I don't wanna sound dogmatic but I think bible studies are the most important aspect of our field service report. 

[Luigi62]

2 videos from the annual meeting are now available 

 

https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/?appLanguage=E#en/mediaitems/VODPgmEvtAnnMtg/pub-jwb-097_4_VIDEO

 

https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/?appLanguage=E#en/mediaitems/VODPgmEvtAnnMtg/pub-jwb-097_7_VIDEO

[New World Explorer]

12 minutes ago, Luigi62 said:

2 videos from the annual meeting are now available 

 

https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/?appLanguage=E#en/mediaitems/VODPgmEvtAnnMtg/pub-jwb-097_4_VIDEO

 

https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/?appLanguage=E#en/mediaitems/VODPgmEvtAnnMtg/pub-jwb-097_7_VIDEO

Wonderful, the latest annual meeting was so uplifting 

[Amygdala]

On 2/17/2022 at 4:38 AM, Tony said:

I’m the secretary in the congregation and ALWAYS when I get all the reports through text messages or WhatsApp all the brothers and sisters send the hours first. I think it’s just on their minds that the hours are the most important thing. 

Ok. I‘ll change up my report and not put hours first. 😅

[Tortuga]

37 minutes ago, Woanders said:

Ok. I‘ll change up my report and not put hours first. 😅

I won't. That's the way Ministry Assistant enters the data and reports it.😁

Edited February 23, 2022 by Tortuga

[Thesauron]

Ok. I‘ll change up my report and not put hours first. 

Why not order them according to your perceived importance?