Elders told: Watch for the signs!

by ozziepost 27 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  cyberguy

  Mention that an important feature of what Jehovah requires of us is to be patient.

  Yea, right! Never mind God's "channel" mislead you about the "generation," it's all your fault now for not being "patient." Notice where they put the blame!

  Refer to 1995 article with the words “the fact remains we are deep in the last days” Could the end be that far off? By mentally putting off the kingdom, we can focus on this system. It can cause us to become discouraged, sick.

  In place of the "generation" teaching we now have the "deep in the last days" teaching which, very curiously, happens to coincide with the "generation" since 1914. Fancy footwork isn't it! The fact is the person became "discouraged" and "sick" because of having misguided expectations in the first place. Surely they don't expect that someone would ever allow himself or herself to fall into the same trap again! This "deep in the last days" teaching also highlights the chief motivation behind the preaching work, FEAR of being killed at the great-T, and GUILT because a person's not doing enough.
• 

  voltaire

  Right on Ozziepost! They never allow for the posibility that someone might simply disagree with the society. Of course, it would do no good to list the following as possible reasons for discouragement

  Endeavor to use discernment as to what caused this:
  1) Elder cornholed publisher's kid for 10 years.
  2) GB jacked everyone around for so many years with one date after another.
  3) Publisher despondent because he wasted his life cleaning toilets instead of going to school
  4) Constantly asked to do more even though they were doing more than they could have been reasonably asked to do in the first place
  5) Publisher found out Rutherford was a drunk and Russell never had sex with his own wife
  6) Publisher now knows that if you cut out all of the misqoutes in the Creation book you're left with about 6 pages.
• 

  DakotaRed

  All the signs must have been present during my time of inactivity. Yet, during the five years I was inactive before DAing myself, the only "counsel" I received was more condemnation, without getting facts first. Then, none wanted to hear their inaccurate stories simply were not true.

  I was tried, convicted, and condemned long before any elder came out to see me.

  One was purely funny, though. He told me that they could do nothing to help me until my meeting attendance and service hours were back up. I laughed and said they were down because of the problem they gave me when I was condemned unfairly. I took the comments as a fix it yourself and we will take credit for it. Well, I wonder if they took credit and felt good when they got the DA letter?

  If God's Spirit is filling a Kingdom Hall, how is it that Satan can manuever the ones within that Kingdom Hall at the same time?
• 

  Yadirf

  As noted above, it's been reported that here in the USA over the past 5 years there has been an average of 41,807 JWs who have become inactive each year. During those 5 years though 26,507 such ones were reactivated, meaning that 15,300 on the average each year REMAIN inactive. It was noted that these 15,300 per year amounts to more than were baptized in the last 2 years combined. In other words, it's presently taking 2 years worth of new baptisms to make up for a single years worth of loss. Obviously then -- with people ceasing at a higher rate than they're coming in -- the WTS is losing ground here in the United States. What I tend to wonder about though is just how many of the ones who remain inactive do so ONLY as a result of having been stumbled over errors (misconceptions) within the Society's doctrinal structure. -- Daniel 11:35.

  (Also see ---> http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=20568&site=3)

  Yadirf

  Daniel 11:35 ... a KEY prophecy that must be fulfilled before the "time of the end" gets underway.
• 

  ozziepost

  What I tend to wonder about though is just how many of the ones who remain inactive do so ONLY as a result of having been stumbled over errors (misconceptions) within the Society's doctrinal structure. -- Daniel 11:35.

  Interesting point, Yadirf. Mrs Ozzie and I personally have seen literally dozens of our friends quit the organisation in the past few years. At our last count it was around 70 publishers. ALL of those examples could be put back on to the conduct (misconduct ?) of the elders who were following the rules and procedures of the WTS. That seems to have been the first step in their individual journeys out of the borg to freedom. It was then that all the things they had previously put to the back of their minds came into focus. Then they looked 'with eyes of discernment' and saw much more that concerned them about the organisation and its teachings.

  Primarisly then it was the organisation that was the cause of them leaving.

  Cheers,
  Ozzie

  "It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."
  Anonymous
• 

  JWinSF

  >>>
  Another group is the disfellowshiped ones. Call on those who are no longer practicing sin (Luke 15:4-7)
  >>>

  I love this. How are they supposed to know those "no longer practicing sin" unless they DO call on them? Don't call on those practicing sin, gimme a break.
• 

  LDH

  Well thanks Ozzie. Now I feel like I need to barf.

  Lisa
• 

  anewperson

  The way they KNOW the DF'd are no longer practicing sin is reports straight to the PO from human "angels" who have tapped into the DF'd ones' private lives. The seraphs have quietly sifted the congregations for decades. I know, you're a 4th generation JW who never heard of such a thing being done. Nor would you. Maybe you also never heard of elders being pedophiles.
• 

  Yadirf

  in their individual journeys out of the borg to freedom. It was then that all the things they had previously put to the back of their minds came into focus. Then they looked 'with eyes of discernment' and saw much more that concerned them about the organisation and its teachings.

  Although you WILL disagree (there's no doubt about that), what you've really described here in the case of these particular ones of which you speak -- ones, including yourself, who have chosen to permanently leave the Organization -- is quite comparable to the "freedom" which Eve thought she had gained as a result of deciding for herself what was "good and bad". (Genesis 3:22) No one who decides to escape God's oversight, in the name of "freedom", does anything except enslave themselves. True "freedom" is to be found, not by running from God but by running TO God. Have those you mentioned TRULY run from God? Yes they, and you, certainly have! How so? You, and them -- as the result of your own personal experience due to having been discipled -- have absolutely no excuse for not knowing full well that the form of worship which the WTS promotes is that which is based solely upon pursuing and pleasing the Creator, with all genuineness and dedication. There is absolutely not another religion that bears such an earmark, for which reason it can be said that God is “using” the WTS. By removing yourselves out from under the care of the WTS you have therefore rejected the oversight of God himself. Yes, you read me right. The flaws you have found, which conveniently serve as an excuse for your exit, are only flaws that were even foretold per my signature. Yes, it was even predicted that the Congregation of Christ would need to make adjustments in major ways. Thus, according to Daniel 11:35, even though there would be misconceived ideas that would necessarily need to be dealt with and culled out, just the same such misconceptions did NOT disqualify such ones from being God’s people and vessel to be used by him. True, the WTS, presently, doesn’t see THIS meaning/interpretation in Daniel 11:35. But that’s completely understandable, since if such were the case then THEY THEMSELVES would know that they had doctrinal problems to address -- not the least of which is the 1914 doctrine and ALL that hinges upon it.

  Before this is all over you who have abandoned the WTS will experience the same feelings as what Judas did, after he had betrayed the Savior -- you will reap what you've sowed.

  Yadirf

  Daniel 11:35 ... a KEY prophecy that must be fulfilled before the "time of the end" gets underway.
• 

  ozziepost

  G'day Yadirf,

  I would like to be clear about your point of view.

  Are you saying from these comments that the WTS is still (ever was?) Jehovah's instrument?
  

  who have chosen to permanently leave the Organization -- is quite comparable to the "freedom" which Eve thought she had gained as a result of deciding for herself what was "good and bad". (Genesis 3:22) No one who decides to escape God's oversight, in the name of "freedom", does anything except enslave themselves.

  You, and them -- as the result of your own personal experience due to having been discipled -- have absolutely no excuse for not knowing full well that the form of worship which the WTS promotes is that which is based solely upon pursuing and pleasing the Creator, with all genuineness and dedication. There is absolutely not another religion that bears such an earmark, for which reason it can be said that God is “using” the WTS. By removing yourselves out from under the care of the WTS you have therefore rejected the oversight of God himself.

  Could you also let us know how this is to be done:

  True "freedom" is to be found, not by running from God but by running TO God.

  Are you saying that the way to God is to be a part of the Watchtower organisation?

  Cheers,
  Ozzie

  "It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness."
  Anonymous