With two thirds of my sentence complete, I am almost ready for parole.
There was some unbelievable stuff said today - I think there must be some sort of hallucinogenic gas coming through the AC, because no one batted an eyelid over what was said from the platform.
As usual, I will highlight the main talks.
SATURDAY
"Deliver Us From The Wicked One And From Every Sort Of Lawlessness" - Matt 6:13, Titus 2:14
9:50 Fortified Against Satan by Considering the Daily Text
Brothers, Jehovah is preparing us for a spiritual warfare by means of the daily text.
Classic phrase: Satan causes a veil of darkness to cover the mind of "professed Christians".
10:00 Symposium:
Continue in the Ministry - Deliver Those...Staggering to the Slaughter
When I heard this title I thought WTH? Staggering to the Slaughter? Speaker says that those "staggering" are the ones who need our message of salvation.
DEMONSTRATION: A brother, about 30 years old, who is single and cares only for himself is putting in just 2 Saturday's a month in field service and only staying out for an hour. He gets a shepherding call - elder is concerned about his hours and meeting attendance. After some soul searching, brother agrees to change his schedule, his attitude and view the ministry with more joy. He decides to work with some of the pioneers.
"Pioneers look so happy" the brother says to the elder, "I wish I could be that happy"
Elder encourages brother to develop a "sense of urgency."
Concluding comments: If we don't warn those who are "staggering" we will be blood guilty and accountable to Jehovah. Our ministry saves lives!
Continue in the Ministry - Pay Attention To Your Art of Teaching
Use the Bible more with the householder.
Householders may give you unscriptual viewpoints - do not correct them straight away, but allow the study to "mold their thinking.'
Keep it simple, teach with simplicity (not too difficult with the University of Awake! courses)
11:10 Delivered from the trap of the Birdcatcher - *** APOSTATE ALERT!!! ***
Satan is the Great Birdcatcher, always looking for a way to catch JW's. How does he do this?
Satan uses four methods:
1) Fear of man
2) Materialism - Get Rich Quick Schemes - speaker failed to mention any examples.
3) Entertainment
4) Personal differences and divisions
Other traps - Satan is cunning, he tries to ban the work - case of Ohio v Stratton mentioned (where JW's had to get a permit to preach)
DEMONSTRATION: A brother decides to search on the Internet for progress reports on the JW Hurrican Katrina relief work. He uses a search engine (not specified which search engine) and finds an article.
Then he says, "What's this? Negative talk about the Governing Body? I don't need this, the society mentioned about apostates opposing us on the Internet. I think I'll go to the official website of the Watchower"
SIDE NOTE: The mention of searching for JW news articles on the Internet AND the mention of the brother finding NEGATIVE TALK ABOUT THE GOVERNING BODY is the FIRST example I have ever heard given of what a witness could find on the Internet about JW's and not just the usual "half-truths and apostate lies" mentioned.
It seems there is some desperation there - how many witnesses must have found out negative things concerning the Governing Body?
11:30 Searching Into the Deep Things of God
Many witnesses are content with the milk of God's word, preferring not to do deep Bible study and research.
Do you see a need for deep Bible study in your life?
12:20 Dedication and Baptism
Same old drivel - speaker announced that the youngest getting baptized was just 10 years old. My goodness, and they condemn Christendom's practice of infant baptism. What could a 10 year old really know about repentance, conversion and dedication?
INTERMISSION
SIDE NOTE: These attendants in the main foyer look ridiculous - they are walking up and down holding "Quiet Please" and "Keep Moving" signs.
2:15 Keep A Scriptual View of Health Care
This was a MANUSCRIUPT talk.
Reasonable concern for health care is practical and beneficial.
We should have a realistic attitude about our health care and accept our limitations - some health problems will only be solved when God's new system arrives.
Follow example of Paul, who supposedly had an eye affliction - three times he entreated the Lord to remove the afflcition, but the Lord said, "My power is being made perfect in weakness."
Timothy had stomache problems - Paul suggested a "little wine"
Our choice of therapies matters to Jehovah - some are pursuing questionable therapies (again, no examples mentioned)
Dangers of blood, blood derivatives and the occult in helping with our health problems.
Avoid obsession with health care - it can detract from spiritual things and slow you down in meeting attendance and the Christian ministry
Could lead to us being self-centered Phillipians 2:3, 4
Be determined not to forfeit Jehovah's (WT's) approval by making use of unscriptual healthcare.
Have you read some of the life stories in the WT where elderly ones prayed to Jehovah, forgot their health problems and zealous pursued the ministry?
2:55 Forsee the Calamity And Conceal Yourself
A whole 20 minutes on the dangers of pornography, alcoholism, materialism and flirting
3:45 Maintain a Three-fold cord in Marriage
Lot of marriages failing among Jehovah's people - divorce brought up almost any time there are big problems.
4:10 Young People, Remember Now, Your Grand Creator *** Higher Education Bashing Alert ***
This whole article was nothing to do with remembering your grand creator but on the evils of higher education.
Brothers, would we pay an individual thousands of dollars to tell us how we can improve our life? Yet, some of you are paying thousands of dollars going to university.
Speaker mentioned 2005 WT about the dangers of higher education: Can our studies take us away from Kingdom interests? What about the immoral campus scene?
Are we making our best efforts to put the ministry first?
Interview: Two youths in their 20s who forsook a college education and engaged in the regular pioneer work.
SIDE NOTE: This is sick - they don't even let the youth make a decision about what he/she wants to do with their life. The youth HAS NO CHOICE in the matter. Doctor, dentist, nurse, technician, professor - forget it, just leave high school, get a crappy job and pioneer.
The only time someone could pursue education is to advance Kingdom interests.
Quote of the day: "Wise young people do not allow Higher Education to govern their thinking!"
4:35 Are You Living With Jehovah's Day In Mind?
Final talk -
A sense of urgency should permeate every aspect of our lives. We are deep in the time of the end. Deliverance is at hand! (Waits for seals to clap)
How long have we been waiting on Jehovah for deliverance? Some of us have waited for a few years, others for decades. Are you willing to wait patiently on Jehovah for deliverance?
New book release which summarises the sayings and doings of the 12 minor prophets and how their prophecies find fulfillment in our day. I will be doing a separate post on this.