Read to end and you will see what I am trying to do

by BonaFide 16 Replies latest jw friends

  • BonaFide
    BonaFide

    Serving Loyally with God’s Theocratic Organization
    R. Clark (New York Special Assembly-day final talk)

    Sorry if my notes are not that great, I recorded talk and tried to write down as best as possible.)

    Are you a loyal person? Most of us would say we are. We have friends and family, workmates and neighbors that would all say we are loyal.

    But what is loyalty? What is the most important kind of loyalty?

    Loyalty is actually kindness. The Hebrew word cha-sidh refers to kindness that lovingly attaches itself to someone until that purpose is realized. (Psalm 18:25)

    When parents have their first child, they are loyal to it. They feed it, nurture it, bathe it, make sure it is checked by a doctor. They teach the toddler to walk, to run, then they take the young one to school. They watch over their child until that child is now an adult, ready to serve Jehovah on its own. (Matt 4:4)

    When we have a Bible study, we are loyal to that person, we teach them God’s word, the Truth. (John 8:32) We continue in our loyalty until they are baptized.

    But just as a parent continues to love and help their child when it has grown up, and a Christian still assists a person who has been baptized, loyalty does not end.

    What about our loyalty to the organization? This is where we learned the truth. Many of you may know the book “Faith on the March” which was published by the Society in 1957. Brother Macmillan said: “You ask me why I am still an active part of that movement, why my zeal is keener and my conviction stronger than ever? I’ll tell you. It’s because I’ve lived to realize already much of the hope that so filled my young life. It’s because I’ve lived to see prophecies of the Bible which we held dear and sacred—yet which were mocked and scorned by unbelievers—already come true. It’s because I’ve lived to see this same movement hunted and persecuted by those who claimed to serve God until it lay beaten in death—only to survive and come to rebirth in a new way of life, reorganized for an even more powerful work, yet dedicated to the same standards of righteousness which have characterized its operation from the beginning. I have seen this movement hold fast to those standards, refusing to compromise them for the sake of expediency. I have seen ambitious men rise up within the organization and seek to pervert it, only to meet with complete defeat because the majority of those associated with this movement are unalterably dedicated to serve God, not man. I have found companionship, yes, real brotherhood, with people of all races and nations. These are the things I have desired from my youth.”

    Brother Macmillan was loyal to Jehovah’s organization until his death. He was a real person, he made mistakes, such as his famous one where he said he was giving his last public talk because they were all going to heaven the next day. And he saw mistakes and imperfections in others, but he was loyal.

    What about us? Are we that loyal?

    Remember that Jesus our King is loyal to us. Yes he is our king, but how many kings give their life to their subjects? Jesus did. The WT of May 1st 2006 says, “WHAT ruler could give his life for his subjects yet live again to rule as king? What king could live on earth, building trust and loyalty in his subjects, and then rule from heaven? The only person who could do this—and more—is Jesus Christ

    So since we have such a fine record of loyalty in Jehovah’s servants, what about us?

    How can we be loyal to the organization as Jehovah is to us? (Rev 15:4)

    1. Keep up to date with Bible reading and publications.
    Have you read the new books “Come be my Follower” and “Live with Jehovah’s Day in Mind?” They are excellent reading and keep us spiritually strong. What about your daily Bible reading? Many Bethelites read the Bible every morning for 15 minutes while they are fresh. Could we do the same?

    2. Be careful of negative talk
    Some are still trying to discredit the fact that we are living in the last days. 2nd Peter chapter 3 talks about these ridiculers. (2 Peter 3:3) Sometimes, that negative talk happens even within the congregation. This is not to say we cannot discuss the new light, we should enjoy lively discussions, but be wary of those who do not appreciate the loving spiritual provisions we receive regularly.
    True, we have received new information about a generation. But that should strengthen our faith, not weaken it! The year 1914, while no longer used as a marking point for a “generation”, is still the year Christ was enthroned as King. Are we loyal to Christ as our enthroned King?

    3. Do not be ‘distracted’ by the world and what it has to offer. (1 John 2:15-17)
    There are so many things to buy now, the stores are getting bigger and bigger, have you noticed this? And so are televisions, and so is the number of channels! One calbe company offers over 500 channels! And hand-held devices are getting updated and improved all the time. So don’t let all these distractions start to pull us away from our loyalty to God and his organization.

    4. Be judicious when it comes to the Internet.
    The Internet is a good tool that enables communication and information to be done quickly and effectively. However, it can also waste our time. Studies indicate that up to 17% of a workday is consumed by reading unnecessary emails. And that is speaking of a place of employment, what about at our homes? Is the Internet taking up all of our time? Time that we could use in the vital work of the ministry? (Matt 24:14, 28:19)
    Even more serious is that we need to be careful about our Internet research. Our Kingdom Ministry in August of 2007 encouraged us to be cautious. So-called “Scientific studies” are often no more than someone’s opinion. Many so-called historians discredit 1914 as a pivotal date because they give a different date for the fall of Jerusalem. Who are we going to believe? Those who constantly change opinions and ideas, or God’s organization, that has shown to be a pillar of the truth? The faithful and discreet does extensive research on every article, so we have good reason to trust them, just as Jesus trusts them. (Matt 24:45)
    That is not to say we cannot use the Internet. Some have used email witnessing to those in hard-to-reach places, and have even studied with them over the Internet! However, we have received reports that some use www.Jehovahs-Witness.com to find honest-hearted ones who have an interest in Jehovah’s Witnesses and the truth. True, on that website there are strict rules as to being respectful. And we do not make rules as to what websites a Christian can visit, we should use our own conscience. (Romans 2:15) However, wouldn’t it be even more upbuilding to direct a person to Watchtower.org rather than Jehovah’s-Witness.com? There we can find so much useful information and it is accessible in many languages. Trust Jehovah and his organization to lead righteous individuals to the truth.

    Yes, loyalty to Jehovah’s organization will bring us life. We want to be as loyal to God as he has been to us. Great changes are happening in the organization, Jehovah is getting things ready for the great Tribulation, which is just on the horizon. (Matt 24:21) Do not give up now, brothers!
    So may we be as active as we can, supporting the Truth, and Jehovah will bless us – with eternal life in his beautiful paradise.

    Attendance 1,483
    Baptized 18!

  • jehovahsheep
    jehovahsheep

    russell counted backwards from 1914 to 606/607 bce.instead of forward to 1914.the wts is trying to discredit the truth.they are the ones with changing opionions and ideas.

  • nomoreguilt
    nomoreguilt

    Bonafide......Thank you. You are the second person to relate that the speaker DID refer to Jehovah's -Witnesses.com. Why would they even speak such a thing from the platform???? Strange, or perhaps the speaker did this intentionally????Is her ONE of US?

    NMG

  • digderidoo
    digderidoo

    I do not know which part of the talk you have a problem with yourself if not all of it.

    But for me what it's home is loyalty to the organisation. Witnesses are told to be loyal even though mistakes are made by the organisation. I post a thread a couple of days ago i do not know if you saw it? Fred Franz and a lawyer representing the WT society in a Scottish court are quoted as saying that unity comes before truth, even when the organisation has been found to false prophesy.

    Here's the transcript Watchtower admits false prophesy in Court of Law!

    Paul

  • digderidoo
    digderidoo

    AAAhhh... i never noticed the JWD bit. That's down to me speed reading all the time. Thanks Bonafide!

    Paul

  • BabaYaga
    BabaYaga

    Wow.

    I'm just... wow.

    Thank you for transcribing this, BonaFide.

  • AK - Jeff
    AK - Jeff

    Make sure you read it all. BF intends to bait and switch here perhaps, getting Jw's to think?

    Jeff

  • AudeSapere
    AudeSapere

    As best I can figure, bonafide has compiled notes from a talk and interpolated comments designed to get JW readers to do a little thinking and reading.

    Jehovahs Witness dot com was *not* mentioned from the platform. That is one of the comments that bonafide added in.

    The fact that this is just a concept is not clearly explained to the JWD audience so some are taking this as an actual occurance.

    -Aude.

  • Awakened at Gilead
    Awakened at Gilead

    Bonafide wants to conduct an apostate campaign by sending out this info to everyone he knows....

    It's a good idea, but I wonder how far he will get, lol

    A@G

  • whitman
    whitman

    What does the exclamation point after the figure of those baptised mean? Does it mean '18 - hurrah that's great', or does it mean '18 wow - I didn't expect so many - I thought people were generally smarter than that'? Or does it mean '18 - that's interesting because 18 minus 4 = 14 which points to the non-event of 1914 and therefore - wow this is a particularly significant number in terms of biblical prophecy'?

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