Does Jehovah Intervene - JW Teaching

by thedepressedsoul 45 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  R. Jerome Harris

  There is no godly intervention today as some people believe and as many religious organizations think. Think: Does not bad things happen to good people? Do not many innocent people die? The proper viewpoint one should have is that we live in a "wicked" world whose days are numbered. We live in a world in which Christ said his kingdom is no part of. There will be no godly intervention in this world. There is an eventuality that awaits us all: Sickness, death and resurrection.

  Intervention from God will only come when the "figs are ripe" and the season is upon us. That season is far into the future. It is then when God will act in behalf of his people.

  All should be grateful that Christ died for ALL of mankind, because mankind would not have a resurrection from the dead. The world today - including so-called believers - aren't getting the message Christ taught his disciples: "No slave is greater than his master." If Jesus was persecuted, so will we. If he died, so will we. If he was resurrected, so will we. Many do not get the lesson of the tempatation of Christ in the wilderness: Neither God or angel intervened. (Again, no slave is greater than his master)

  There will be no intervention in the present time period. We MUST act on faith now and accept the fact that unforeseen things can and will happen to all of us.

  Think of the millions of starving and diseased people in Africa and India. What did they do to deserve to be in such conditions? Nothing! They simply live in a wicked world. God has not intervened in their behalf. This wicked world consumes and swallows people up in death. Nothing will stop what God has ordained must occur: ALL of mankind MUST die in order to be resurrected (born-again from the dead) in order to "see" His kingdom (not neccessarily enter into it).

  It is pointless to ask God to intervene in thwarting bad things from happening. Bad things will happen in this wicked world. Prayer for such things will go unanswered because it shows that one has not listened to the teachings of his son. (Luke 9:35)

  Rather, one should recognize that bad things are going to happen and they will get worse. One should be asking the Father for things such as His wisdom, understanding and knowledge rather for intervention.

  It is a mistake to think that God - in this day and age - intervenes for some and not for others. Those who think this way are selfish and have a narrow understanding of Christs teachings and what God has purposed for mankind and this earth.

  Additionally, they would be hard pressed to explain why many of those who want intervention in their lives live in houses and apartments, have jobs, clean running water, and food to eat, clothing, etc. While millions suffer around the world (in places such as Africa, India, Asia, etc) who are dying each day from hunger and disease.

  What a selfish lot many in the "The West" have become. Many have lost all sense of reality and do not see the world as Christ does: "He felt pity for the people in the world. Because people were being tossed about and had no one to Shepherd (guide and protect) them.

  Religion has made many selfish and narrow-minded. The WTBTS is no exception in creating this narrow-minded spirit.

  I care more about a starving child in Africa than I do for a Circuit Overseer. By comparison, a penniless CO in the United States (for example) lives in luxury compared to the millions of improverished in the world.

  I can tell you this: A starving child is not thinking about God, he/she is thinking about having something to eat and drink.

  Disciples of Christ would know that. Intervention, then, into that childs life would come from YOU, not God.

  As a disciple of Christ, you would not ask God to intervene, YOU would do something such as feeding and caring for that hungry child.

  Is this not what Christ taught? The responsibiliy is OURS, not God's to help others.

  If one seeks a miraculous intervention? Well, that won't happen either. Only a wicked generation seeks for such things. They want to take the easy way out. Rather than practicing what Christ taught, they STILL want God to do all of the work. Remember, God is resting from his works.

  It is up to us to do to others what God would have done had he not entered his work. Do good by them!

  Like Christ, our food is to do "God's will" and finish his work.

  There is no divine intervention in this time period.
• 

  KiddingMe

  This past WT study (October 15, 2015, Serve Jehovah without Distractions), which focuses on doing more for Jehovah in paragraph 17 states,

  
  

  17 Consider a Welsh couple, Mark and Claire, each of whom entered the pioneer service after completing school and continued pioneering after they got married. “We were able to simplify our lives further by giving up our three-bedroom house and our part-time work so that we could enter the international construction work,” explains Mark. For the past 20 years, they have traveled throughout Africa, helping to build Kingdom Halls. Once, their personal funds dropped to 15 dollars, but Jehovah took care of them. “It gives us deep satisfaction,” says Claire, “to spend every day serving Jehovah. We have made so many friends along the way, and we lack nothing. The little that we have given up cannot be compared to the happiness that comes from serving Jehovah full-time.” Many full-time servants have had similar experiences.#

  
  

  There's also a reference article that states,

  
  

  After a two-day journey by train, we reached our assignment in Tiruchchirappalli, a city in the southern state of Madras (now Tamil Nadu). There, we joined three Indian special pioneers who were witnessing to a population of 250,000 people. Living conditions were primitive. At one time, we had less than $4 (U.S.) left in our pockets. But when that money ran out, Jehovah did not forsake us. One person who was studying the Bible lent us money to rent a home suitable for holding meetings. Once when we were low on food, a neighbor kindly brought us some homemade curry. I loved it, but it was so spicy hot that it gave me hiccups!

  
  

  It's interesting that Jehovah used a non witness to provide for his servants.
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  steve2

  All should be grateful that Christ died for ALL of mankind, because mankind would not have a resurrection from the dead.

  Ancient blood letting and sacrifice is alive and well in Christianity in which it is normalized and elevated.

  Truth is, any form of blood letting for sacrifical purposes reeks of anitquated, patriarchal thinkingg and practises that human kind has long moved on from.

  Let's move on from quoting ancient writings that belong to an earlier, more barbaric age.
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  Tornintwo

  Great thread, this is one of the issues which disturbed and troubled me throughout 22 years in this religion. I heard various thoughts, some say He only intervenes if it is related to the preaching work/advancement of his purpose. But it still makes no sense whatsoever. We heard stupid stories, such as the penniless pioneers who lived on a sharp bend and every week a grocery truck would screech around the corner and spill free vegetables in their garden. And yet if that's their reasoning what about when children get abused in this organisation, resulting in great suffering to them and a terrible witness, arguably detrimental to the all important preaching work, and God does nothing to stop that? Or what about the bus crash in Spain when about 40 witness youths were killed, couldn't they have used their youth to advance the kingdom preaching work?

  I remember after 911 there was an article on just this subject, because witnesses were saying things like 'I missed the bus otherwise I would have been in the towers, Jehovah saved me' whilst other brothers died, the article said something like, we can't rely on or expect intervention today but if people feel they've felt it in their lives we shouldn't criticize them.' They talk outside both sides of their mouth though, happy to use some cheesy 'intervention' experience at the next assembly.

  Its messed up thinking which disturbs any rational, compassionate, thinking mind. Ask any regular dub and youll be told you're over analyzing, thinking too much.

  In my view, if there is a God then he is not in anyway intervening in man kinds affairs right now, he set things in motion, with free will in the mix etc etc. and we are reaping the results, with some less fortunate than others. He will only give strength, wisdom to cope etc and the gift via JC of a reward at the end of it all. To believe that he somehow will help some and not others, intervene in petty affairs of life of the western rich but ignore the plight of millions suffering elsewhere makes no sense whatsoever and can only besmirch his character.

  I think the best chance we have is to show love and compassion ourselves, use our free will to help others and maybe in those acts of love, mercy and kindness, that is where you see the essence of God and Christ. Or from a non religious point of view, that's where you see our humanity and love we are all capable of.
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  Pete Zahut

  There have always been mixed messages sent from both the platform and in the literature and also in the bible.

  When there is an increase in bible studies and baptisms, they say it proves Jehovah is speeding up the ingathering work because the end is so near. When there is a decrease or lull in the numbers, they say the end is near because the bible says in the last days, the love of the greater number will cool off.

  They demand obedience because they claim they are Jehovah’s spirit directed organization yet when time bears out that their guidance via their prophesies and doctrines are full of holes, they claim to be imperfect men and they discontinue printing books that are full of their erroneous teachings. Books that millions of JW’s spread across the globe and studied as if their lives depended on it.

  They admonished us to be specific when we pray and to pray incessantly and then they’ll claim that Jehovah only gives you strength to endure trials and doesn’t change outcomes. If that’s the case, why the need for specific details, why not just ask for strength and leave it at that?

  When an unemployed brother turns down a job offer because he’d have to work on meeting nights and another more suitable job eventually comes along, they say it’s because Jehovah made it happen even though odds are another job would have come along eventually anyway. It happens all the time to unemployed non-Witnesses and Jehovah supposedly isn’t even helping them. How do any of them survive or ever have anything good happen to them?

  The Bible say’s “Woe to the pregnant woman in the last days….pray that your flight will not be in the winter” This makes it sound as if one prays about a matter, even the arrival of a huge long awaited event such as Armageddon is negotiable. It makes it sound as if Jehovah might be willing to adjust the time of year that it takes place. The thing is, Jehovah should already know that Armageddon in winter would bring additional hardship to people without them having to pray about it.

  Anyway, the point is, anyone who thinks too much or expects to make sense of it all is in for much frustration and a huge let down and will eventually think him or herself right out of The Truth..
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  ttdtt

  
  DesirousOfChange6 hours ago

  I remember the young jw woman in Oregon that was kidnapped by a jw man and raped and killed. Where was Jehovah? All those people killed in that KH during that cyclone in the Philippines, where was Jehovah? Some guy gets a few bucks while going out in service for gas, Jehovah is great! Its called the god delusion and a lot of people have it.

  Everyone knows god only intervenes to have JW Books or Tracts fly out of the air and hit someone in the head so they can pick it up an learn the truth!
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  LisaRose

  “When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized that the Lord doesn’t work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me.”

  Emo Phillips
  
  
  
  
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  daniel-p

  Either Jehoover doesn't give a shit or his power is limited. All other theories involve some game between him and the Debil using us as pawns, like in Job's case.
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  eyeuse2badub

  The foolish one says in his heart "There is a jehober"......Proverbs

  just saying!

  eyeuse2badub
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  LostGeneration

  JWs and all other religions simply don't apply the logical rule - if your going to give God the credit, you also have to give him the blame.

  For JWs, all that were obedient to the blood policy and lived, Jah gets the credit. If they die, he should get the blame. Its that simple.