by blondie 24 Replies latest jw friends
I found this statement the most compelling in this whole article, "Will we prove to be obedient to whatever future urgent direction we way receive from "the faithful steward"?"
What future "urgent" direction? As in.... The tribulation is here, come into the Kingdom Hall and drink the koolaid. It'll let you fall asleep until everything is over with and all wickedness is gone. Jim Jones comes to mind.....Scary!!!!
Excellent Blondie and good to see the formatting is back!
P7."Everyone that partakes of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness," wrote Paul, "for he is a babe." (Heb. 5:13) To attain maturity, we must become well acquainted with God's word, his message to us. Since this message is contained in his Word, the Bible, we should be good students of the Scriptures and the publications of "the faithful and discreet slave." (Matt. 24:45-47)
How arrogant and presumptuous of them to equate their fallible and ever changing publications to the scriptures themselves!
7. "Everyone that partakes of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness," wrote Paul, "for he is a babe." (Heb. 5:13) To attain maturity, we must become well acquainted with God's word, his message to us. Since this message is contained in his Word, the Bible, we should be good students of the Scriptures and the publications of "the faithful and discreet slave." (Matt. 24:45-47) Absorbing God's thinking in this way can help us to train our perceptive powers. Consider the example of a Christian named Orchid. * She says: "The reminder that has had the biggest effect on my life is the one about regular Bible reading. It took me about two years to finish the whole Bible, but it seemed that I was meeting my Creator for the first time. I learned about his ways, his likes and his dislikes, the degree of his power, and the depth of his wisdom. Reading the Bible daily has sustained me through some of the darkest moments of my life."
Couple of things. Firstly, since when is the Bible God's message to the R&F? The WTS have consistently taught that the Bible, the NT in particular, is only for the 144,000 anointed. How, then, can they expect the non-anointed (i.e. those not having the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth) upon them to get any satisfaction from reading the Bible? The Spirit of truth is made available to those who want to be led into truth. It is not dependent on sect, denomination, age, gender, class, geographical location, historical position or any other factor. Pray for the Spirit, he comes and teaches you. Don't read the Bible without him!
Secondly, once again the WTS puts their publications, which they admit are not inspired of the Spirit, with the Bible, which is inspired;
Since this message is contained in his Word, the Bible, we should be good students of the Scriptures and the publications of "the faithful and discreet slave."
Lastly, reading the Bible in two years isn't special. I personally know of many, many Christians who read the whole Bible each year. I'm also well along in this programme of daily reading via the Daily Audio Bible Podcast.
Perhaps it's harder for JWs to spend the time needed to read the whole Bible in a year due to all of the uninspired publications of the "faithful and discreet slave" that they've got to churn through. That's what happens when you put the words of "nobles and earthling man" on the same level of importance as the Bible.
8. Regularly reading a portion of God's Word allows its message to 'exert power' on us. (Read Hebrews 4:12.) Such reading can mold our inner person and make us more pleasing to Jehovah. Do you have a personal need to schedule more time to read the Bible and meditate on what it says?
Interesting. So, the WTS is teaching that reading black ink on white paper exerts power on us. Is that what the writer of Hebrews was trying to convey? Where is the mention of praying for the Spirit to guide, counsel and comfort via the reading of the Word?
The WTS are determined to keep the R&F in a dead and dormant state by their pattern and program of "spiritual" feeding. It's amazing how alive the Bible becomes once your remove the filter of "faithful and discreet slave" provisions and replace it with the Comforter.
I learned about his ways, his likes and his dislikes, the degree of his power, and the depth of his wisdom.
So let me get this straight. She read the whole Bible. She learned about God's ways, likes, dislikes, power and wisdom. Did she miss John 3:16 and 1 John 4:8?
I would have found a discussion on maturity interesting, were I still a dub..I recall the WT once saying that what they call spiritual maturity cannot be unlearned, just like physical maturity . Where does that leave us?
p] 4 It is once again "near" . How long is near? an awful long time, it seems. I am told by family that I should consider from Gods viewpoint to whom a "day is as a thousand years" , but hey! I am human and 130 years for an end - time message, spanning across three centuries, is an awful long time to me...
5] "Mature people" are not content to partake only of "milk" They take in "solid food." Therefore, they know both "the elementary things" and "the deep things" of the truth. (1 Cor. 2:10) Moreover, their perceptive powers are trained through use--through application of what they know--helping them to distinguish right from wrong. When they are faced with a decision, this training enables them to discern what Scriptural principles are involved and how to apply them."
Hmm...So I can once again consider "the length breadth, height and depth" of Gods word, can I ? without fear of censure for actually thinking, or being challenged "When has The Society used this scripture that way?"and I can make my decisions based on what The Scriptures say rather than what is in the "Bible Teach" paperback??
13] "God's counsel regarding morals, honesty, proper use of the tongue, personal reading and study of the Scriptures, attendance at Christian meetings, and participation in the preaching work is clear. (Josh. 1:8; Matt. 28: 19, 20; Eph. 4:25, 28, 29; 5:3-5; Heb. 10:24, 25) Are we obedient to Jehovah in these matters even under adversity? Our obedience is an indication that we have progressed toward maturity."
Is attending Kingdom Hall meetings a requirement of Scripture, or the "Kingdom Ministry" sheet? Obedience to Jehovah? or "The Society"
18 ] Will we prove to be obedient to whatever future urgent direction we may receive from "the faithful steward"? "
Suppose my maturity gained from Bible reading leads me to conclude that the "Slave" is out of harmony with God? Whom should I follow?
My points above show the dilemma I had some years ago. I stopped Bible study and serious consideration of it all. I knew it was leading me into blind alleys and questions that the WT did not answer . I was just getting frustrated , but I knew it was "The Truth" , right...of course it was ! So I stopped thinking and just got on with the next assignment, until of course a tipping point was reached.
The above article is at odds really with the dumbing down of the message in recent years. If they get too inquisitive, who knows where that might lead them?
http://e-jehovahs-witnesses.com/forum/index.php?s=7362de434bdaa3fca4b1b6bb1622172b&showtopic=3171
You can find scans of this week's article here.
also this link has pdf files of mags
http://cid-1b62ed4335c870d2.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/.Public/Study%20Article/07-July-09-Study.pdf
Thanks Blondie and all!
Welcome Half a Person!
To clarify para. 5, when they say: '"Mature people" are not content to partake only of "milk" They take in "solid food."'
They actually mean, '"Mature people" are not content to partake only of Spiritual Kool-Aid. They take in Spiritual Jell-O.'
Rather a boring lesson and insulting to anyone who might actually think. Kinda like Half said, if you don't blindly follow the GBs every command, you're a baby.
And what was with the phony names, two sisters named Orchid and Kyle? Why not call them Wilma and Betty, Lucy and Ethyl, or Butch I and Butch II?
And "James", the dude chased by all the women he worked with must be really hot... or really lying!
And to clear up the matter of the fleeing Christians after the Roman departure, they left Jerusalem dressed as sheep so that no historians would record a Christian departure. Then they all got in boats and headed to their new GB headquarters in Brooklyn!... No, sorry, first they went to Pantsburg, Pennsylvania, and when they got enough coal they moved to Brooklyn!
B the X
Just more of the same old stuff they've been saying non-stop since Joseph Rutherford first took the helm. Just more of the usual demands for unquestioned obedience by the Watchtower leaders based on the usual reminders of how urgent the times are. Yawn. I really pity the poor brainwashed sods who have to endure this broken record going round and round and round, year after year, month after month, week after endless week....
THE END IS NIGH! OBEY OR DIE!
