notes from the WTS Annual Meeting held on October 1, 2002. You may be excused at any time to be sick!
The Real and Unreal Way to Worship God - Dan Sydlik
Matt. 15:1-20 Jesus said that they overstepped the commandment of God because of their traditions The state of a mans heart is what counts with God (I guess the WTS overlooked that part) Jesus statement was revolutionary. If he was right, it meant their whole religion, that of observing rules and regulations, was wrong. Pharisees were blind guides if religion constituted following external rules and regulations (you mean like counting time, counting magazines, handing in reports, three meetings/week, not questioning anything, what you can hang on a your bedroom wall if you live at Bethel, etc. etc.) . It is easier than loving the unloving or the unlovable, and helping them with their needs at the cost of ones own time and money (JWs prefer shunning, blaming victims, leaving magazines with people instead of giving food to the hungry) . . We must learn to love God with spirit and truth. One should give expressions from his heart when he comments in the Watchtower. If he reads and answers from the paragraph, the answer is from the copy and not from the heart (answer in your own words as long as it conforms 100% with what is already written down dont think for yourself) Meetings may help fix our mind on Jehovah. Thats what makes such meetings essential If religion is entirely external observances, it is evil in heart, and is no good. Meetings remind us of our duties and responsibilities to God.
(get out your vomit bags)
Maintaining Our Absolute Trust in the Faithful Slave - Gerrit Losch
Matt. 25:45-47. Jesus said the blind lead the blind into a pit. To trust someone fully, we have to know them well. Some do not trust enough. After a slanderous program in Europe, there wasnt much talk about it in the field. (anybody know what hes referring to?) However some of the brothers faith were greatly shaken. We must have complete trust. The first century faithful and discreet slave was represented by a Governing Body, and so too today. The apostles are alive now and in heaven. Should the news media or web sites make accusations, knowing the slave well helps us not to be affected by rumors. When rumors spread, do not add gas to the fire and continue spreading it. Be a fire wall .. Matthew 24 asks: Who really is the faithful and discreet slave? Well, who is it not? Could it be every true Christian? (here we go!!!!) No. In the first version of the New World Translation, this verse was worded, Who really is a faithful and discreet slave? This was corrected and revised. The Greek uses a definite article. Jesus would appoint the slave and still be alive at his return, therefore the slave could not be one person or individual. If the slave were just any faithful Christian, there is a problem. How could he be appointed over everything? How many were appointed over everything. Only one over all. Isaiah 43:10-12 speaks of Jehovahs Witnesses. The slave who would be around at the return, and was also put in charge in the first century, had a heavenly hope. The 1975 Yearbook, page 88 stated that in 1881 Russell wrote, Is it not that little flock of consecrated servants who are faithfully carrying out their consecration vows the body of Christ and is not the whole body individually and collectively, giving the meat in due season to the household of faith the great company of believers? Four years later his wife and others promoted the idea that Russell was the faithful and discreet servant. The February 15, 1927 Watchtower corrected it to Russells original understanding.
(now it really gets goofy) There are approximately 72,000 sisters in the heavenly class, if half of the 144,00. In what way can they disseminate spiritual food? Not by writing articles, but by preaching and teaching. 1 Peter 4:10, each one anointed male and faithful, letting their light shine by the oil of Gods spirit .. At Pentecost 33 CE the slave was appointed over some of the masters interests, not all. The domestics are individual members of the anointed, and not the great crowd. None of the great crowd was around when this was written, yet food was given to the domestics. The February 1, 1975, Watchtower spoke about the great crowd as a very precious belonging. Therefore they are a part of the belongings, including kingdom interests (sounds like rather circular reasoning to me) .
(youll like this part)
The identifying marks of the slave:
1. Dominant attitude of salve
2. Obeys commands, like preaching
3. Proves to be faithful under persecution/not spotted by the world
4. Provides spiritual food; quality and quantity. Sticks to Bible
5. Discreet (Greek e.g. Daniel 12:3, ones having insight will shine, in warding off attacks of apostates)
Do not the anointed meet these identifying marks? If Jesus trusts the slave absolutely, shouldnt we all the more so?
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At the Canadian branch it was mentioned:
Cases of child sex abuse now being made to smear Jehovahs name. Apostates continue TV programs claiming JWs cover up sex abuse. May 24 th letter to congregations, we abhor child abuse and report all such to the authorities. Case just completed in Toronto, judge will hand down ruling early next year. Isaiah 41:10 is our confidence.
Anybody get sick yet?