May 26, 2002 Sunday talk at Kingdom Hall
I went to the talk today. My first time in the last ten years. Very odd but very familiar feelings. I waited until most of the men had gone inside and then followed them in.
The talk had already started so I got to miss the terrible singing and the prayer.
I wasn’t too sure how long I would sit there until I began to hear what he was saying. Slaves? He was talking about how all the witnesses should be slaves like in the past.
<<Slavery was a terrible thing. Masters often abused their slaves and the only way out of this type of slavery was death. >>
You can bet my ears picked up. Just where was he going to go with this.
<<Well of course Jehovah was a kind master. Jehovah’s slaves were thrilled to belong to him. So much so that when their time was up they willingly stayed in their enslaved state to serve their master.>>
Are ya with me. He was really saying this stuff. Coulda knocked me off the chair.
<<He started to give warnings about materialism and that it was a trap. It was much better to stay a slave. >>
Ok I am giggling inside about now. Here he is saying that the slaves should not want to lead decent comfortable lives. Meanwhile the org. has somehow lost the humble beginnings and the KHs have turned into showplaces.
<<There are two kinds of slaves - the slaves of God and slaves who are not slaves of God. It was really important to know which kind of slave you were. Jesus sent out his slaves and gave them very specific instructions just like the GB gives out today. We have very specific instructions to follow. Don’t worry about taking care of your needs. God will provide for you. Also make sure that you view the people you meet at the doors as potential slaves for God>>
ah yes the beauty of mind control. Nope they don’t tell you what to do or say.
<<There is still a great need to do the harvesting work since the end is so near. Now we will look at Matt 13: and you probably won’t understand it so I will explain this for you>>
Yup he actually said that. I could not believe my ears. Talk about talking down to people. A baby could swallow the pablum they get fed there.
At this point he makes a redirect in the talk - sort of like he has 2 talks put into one and they are so loosely connected that there is no continuity.
<<Matt 13 talks about the parable of the wheat and the weeds. The disciples want to know what it means so Jesus takes them aside to explain it to them. The workers saw the weeds growing in the field and asked if they should take them out so the wheat could grow. They were told to leave them and in the harvest the weeds would be pulled out and bound up and then the wheat would be harvested.>>
Now it seems to me that if they could recognize the weeds from the wheat they must have looked different But no seems I am wrong.
<<In the book Natural History of the Bible the weeds mentioned was something called "bearded darnel" Seems this bearded darnel looks exactly like wheat before they mature. This makes it difficult for anyone to tell the difference between the two. [holds up picture of both to show they are so alike you can’t tell one from the other] It is no wonder then that the farmers would have to wait for the harvest to get the weeds out>>
hmmm something is wrong here. The Bible says they could tell they weeds were there. This guy says they couldn’t tell. His illustration is well way off the mark but I think I am the only one paying attention. The rest just sit there and soak it in mindlessly.
I was sure he was going to say the weeds were in the congregation - people to watch out for like Bill Bowen and other apostates. But he didn’t go there.
<<The weeds are Christendom and the wheat of course are all those anointed followers of Jehovah. The seed that is scattered is the truth and it is scattered to find more of the anointed.>>
Now does this make sense to you. If all the anointed have been gathered - cause after all it is the end - then why on earth would they be out looking for more of them.
<<How wonderful a blessing that we can share in this work of harvesting the anointed ones>>
Is this new light?
Then he went on to some statistics and how they are only 6.1 million people and there is still sp much work to do. And he pushed anyone who is not yet baptized to hurry up and take that step because
<<it is dangerous to refuse this responsibility>>
And I just about gagged when he closed.
<<You must rejoice. You have to be happy>>
Nothing like telling them be happy or else.
Phew I am so glad my daughters and I are out of there.
A not-so-silent lamb
Aspire to inspire before you expire