Congregation Book Study:
Chapter 6, par. 9-15
In paragraph 12 we show that Jehovah doesn’t act precipitously in punishing the wicked, but waits until their sin has become manifest. In the case of the Amorites, it took 400 years for their error to "come to completion". (Gen. 15:16) We may wonder why Jehovah tolerates wrongdoing for what seems such a long period of time from a human perspective. It seems that when dealing with groups and peoples and institutions and organizations, many decades, even centuries, must transpire before the sin reaches its completion and is readily manifest to all.
Theocratic Ministry School
Bible Reading: Exodus 19-22
The Israelites enter into the covenant with God. They are to become a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Ex. 19:6) Alas, they break their side of the agreement, but on the bright side, this opened the way for the rest of us to have a share.
Moses takes the word of the people to Jehovah. Notice Jehovah’s response: "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you and so that they will always believe in you." (Ex. 19:9 NET Bible) Our version renders this, “that they may always put faith in you”. This is how Jehovah validates those in whom he has invested his spirit and through whom he speaks. Moses was Jehovah’s appointed channel of communication and there would have been no doubt of that fact after such a powerful visual manifestation. Today, Jesus is Jehovah’s channel of communication as is the written word of God found in the Bible. No man or group of men can lay claim to authority paralleling that invested in Moses, because no man or group of men have been visibly endorsed by God as Moses was. To state otherwise and demand that all accept this is to act presumptuously.
Jehovah doesn’t take kindly to presumptuousness, but as we have seen above, he is patient and long-suffering, because he does not wish any to be destroyed. (2 Peter 3:9)
Theocratic Ministry School Review
Service Meeting
5 min: Start a Bible Study on the First Saturday
15 min: “Exciting Design for New Tracts!”
I find it very hard to get excited by things like a redesigned printing format. I have been to company sales seminars where middle management tries to hype up the sales force with the latest campaign innovation from the marketing department. I am increasing feeling like a salesman rather than a preacher of the good news. I agree that the printed word is a powerful tool to spread the message, but don’t you find the hype to be off-putting? Maybe it’s just me, but I like to think that the true faith should be different from corporate religion, and indeed it is.
10 min: “New Video for Starting Bible Studies.”
This is an excellent video, professionally crafted. Whether or not people will stand at the door for five minutes to watch it is another thing. It reminds me somewhat of the era when we went to the door with a portable phonograph and played sermons by Judge Rutherford. However, people were far more patient back then and a portable phonograph was cutting-edge cool. Still, there is nothing wrong with the content of the video save that it points the householder to Jehovah’s Witnesses which means that instead of drawing them toward submission to Christ, they may be drawn into submission to men.
Isn’t it amazing how quickly the jw.org web site has gone from obscurity to the center of all our preaching activity? True, we came to the party a bit late, but we are making up for the time lost with our customary zeal.
It seems every major religion in Christendom has jumped on the "dot org" bandwagon. All you have to do is type in a religion’s name, append “.org” and you’ll get a web site like ours. Some examples:
uuc.org
baptist.org
catholic.org
mormon.org
christadelphia.org
rcg.org
Can there be any doubt but that we are part of organized religion? Still, there are good men at all levels of the corporation trying to preach the good news. Sincere individuals who still have a positive influence, and some of the articles release prove that, I believe. But I fear their voices are being slowly stifled.
Archived Comments
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Comment by Samaritan Woman on 2014-04-29 12:50:01
While doing the bible reading I came across this verse in Exodus 20:24,25
" An altar of earth you are to make for me, and you will sacrifice on it your burnt offerings, your communion sacrifices,* your flock, and your herd. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and I will bless you. If you make an altar of stones for me, you must not build it using stones cut with tools."
I found it intresting that the worship most acceptable to Jehovah was simplistic and from the heart. While temples and the like are impressive to see, what mattered to Jehovah was the heart of the person. This stuck out to me becuase of so much focus we put on being at the KH as a necessary part of salvation and the self-promotion of the Warick project and 13,000 KH needed according to the Organization and new donation arrangement. The scripture makes me more comfortable with deciding whether to worship on my own rather than be restricted to a building and having someone else decide whether my service is acceptable to God or not.
Comment by smolderingwick1 on 2014-04-29 13:44:22
"It reminds me somewhat of the era when we went to the door with a portable phonograph and played sermons by Judge Rutherford. However, people were far more patient back then and a portable phonograph was cutting-edge cool."
Hi Meleti,
And I do remember an elderly brother of the Rutherford era who used to sit us down in the 60's to fascinate us by playing his records on his original portable. Reminded me of the time when I was a paper boy carrying around a fold-out, handheld, pencil-driven player with a magnetic speaker advertising the newspaper I was delivering. I got all kinds of new customers that way. Novelty sells better than truth.
sw
Comment by search4truth on 2014-04-29 17:19:22
Anyone want to hear door to door records of Rutherford sermons ? Here there are. http://www.centralprint.net/jwtalks/SpecialTalks/Rutherford/Rutherford.html
Comment by Nightingale on 2014-04-29 17:54:34
Exciting Design for New Tracts! That title made me laugh almost hysterically when I saw it the first time, it's just such a pathetic attempt to get witnesses interested.
Comment by BeenMislead on 2014-05-01 09:03:18
The announcement was made last night:
Use of the contribution box labeled “Kingdom Hall Construction Worldwide” will be discontinued on May 1, 2014. and that further information will be provided at the following Service Meeting.
Those further instructions next week are to “compel” the congregation via resolution to make a monthly financial commitment. The amount to be detemined by passing out slips of paper taking a survey. Which will be reviewed yearly.
Isn’t this in direct violation to 2 Corinthians 9:7? Which says:
“Let each one do just as he has resolved in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Note this quote from a recent Watchtower:
“Jehovah’s Witnesses commonly meet in modest buildings called Kingdom Halls. How are expenses covered? They never pass collection plates, nor do they send out envelopes to solicit donations. Rather, any who appreciate the spiritual program can discreetly place a donation in a contribution box at the Kingdom Hall.” – (w13, 7/1, Pg. 4, Can You Trust Religion Regarding Money?)
No they don’t send out envelopes, they just pass out slips of paper compelling you to write down a dollar number that you will commit to pay monthly. Tell me what is the difference?
Please explain how this is not soliciting donations?Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-05-01 09:23:05
I can't because there is no difference. This is solicitation plain and simple. I may think I can donate $100 a month today, but I could lose my job next month and suddenly $100 becomes a burden, yet I will feel "under compulsion" to donate that amount because that is what I pledged, in writing no less.
There is a famous quote by Russell (if memory serves) explaining how Zion's Watchtower and Herald of Christ's Presence was to be funded. It went something to the effect that when the God of all the treasures of the earth says that it is enough, we will know to stop publishing. Can anyone dig that up from your archives?
Whatever the case, while God can move Christians to give what is necessary, it may be that we need more than the necessary and are looking to ways of gathering it that have been used by the competition for centuries.Reply by BeenMislead on 2014-05-01 09:43:16
Yes it was back in a 1879 Watchtower. It was actually referenced in a 1959 watchtower.
“BACK in August, 1879, this magazine said: “‘Zion’s Watch Tower’ has, we believe, JEHOVAH for its backer, and while this is the case it will never beg nor petition men for support. When He who says: ‘All the gold and silver of the mountains are mine,’ fails to provide necessary funds, we will understand it to be time to suspend the publication.” The Society did not suspend publication, and The Watchtower has never missed an issue. Why? Because during the nearly eighty years since The Watchtower stated this policy of reliance upon Jehovah God, the Society has not deviated from it.” – (w59, 5/1, Pg. 285, Sharing the Good News by Contributing Personally)Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2014-05-01 09:52:14
Thank you, BeenMislead.
And there it is. Hoisted by our own petard.
Comment by MakeSureOfAllThings on 2014-05-02 16:05:15
Reblogged this on Make Sure of All Things.
Comment by XKhanX on 2014-05-03 11:24:54
Their voices are stifled. We felt it as the tone & style of articles had changed from one of humility to arrogance.