“It is not Happy people that are Thankful, but Thankful people who are happy”
So where ever there are people there is an opportunity to be kind. I decided to make a list of how I can be thankful and show it to others.
First, ALL THANKS goes to GOD and JESUS for Life and Love.
Thanks for leading me to the Bibles’ 66 books instead of the many endless writings of men. Death will take me before I finish these, but thanks.
I would never try to persuade others to leave their religion. I just want to be free to worship Jehovah, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit without persecution from family or friends because I choose to leave their long-held religion. They are happy and I love that and want to be happy in my worship also.
Here are some of my personal heartfelt thankfulness.
- I am thankful I had my son and granddaughter visiting with me during the holidays.
- I am thankful that I can be a part of life and not afraid of it.
- I will complain less and breathe more.
- I will Let Be, Let Go, Let God.
- I will make the choice to let go of negative thoughts and fill my mind with positively thoughts.
- I will realize humans are a walking breathing wonder created by God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
- I will give thanks for another day of giving, loving life, and hate no one.
- I will consider how fortunate I am and give myself the gift of being joyfully me.
- I will change myself and communicate with love, not apprehension.
- I will pray every day and often for myself and those I love and am not so fond of. My grandchildren will take priority in my life now that my kids are grown.
In answer to TedR
Jacqueline,
There was an interesting announcement last night at the Kingdom Hall. There is going to be a meeting of the Board of Directors for the corporation of the local Congregation. This is the first time in 50 years I have ever heard of local congregations being incorporated. Could this be another way for the Society to try to distance itself from the lawsuits being filed, trying to shift responsibility to the local congregations? Have you ever heard of this?
Yes, I have heard of this. Barbara Anderson has a list of most of their corporations and they hide money in these corporations.
So you can’t sue them all unless you can find them all. Spread your money all over the globe in corporations to avoid being sued and lose all your money.
So this is what it is about.
Russell started the practice of having different corporations in different brothers name. His wife could only access money in his name.
This practice has continued til now. Click on the Barbara Anderson website in the black tab and she has many of them listed.
I don’t know where I saw it but at one of the last lawsuits in California they found corporations that added up to 30 billion dollars for the net worth of the watchtower society.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporations_of_Jehovah%27s_Witnesses
Nubby tope,
It may interest you that most of those Neanderthals are not what we think they are. They are not prehumans. According to science our brows never stop growing. So those who lived closer to Adam lived longer and that’s why their brows look different. The evolutionist wants you to think that they are some form of a pre-human ancestor. They aren’t. Also, on YouTube there’s a video by a man who used to work on their bones and said the reason why they look they way they did was because they had rickets disease and arthritis. He even says some of them are Hoaxed. The evolutionists want us to believe that we are evolved. Also God did not bring us about through evolution. It’s as he created Adam and Eve. YouTube the video “100 reasons why evolution is so stupid by Kent Hovind” God did not bring us about through evolution. He created Adam and eve. YouTube the video “100 reasons why evolution is so stupid by Kent Hovind”. He’s funny and knows his science. Don’t fall into that trap of Theistic Evolution.
As for Mormons they are not from the miller movement. The Mormons believe that we preexisted before earth that god and one of his wives birthed spirit children that’s us. They believe that we come to the earth to be tested. They also believe Jesus visited the Americas after his resurrection. I’m very well verse in Mormonism. They have this book called the book of Abraham that’s contained with in their holy Scriptures that teaches that we were with God before we came to the earth. He got this off of a scroll that was found inside of a mummy that he said was the writing of Abraham. However right after he translated it Egyptian was able to be deciphered and Egyptologists say that the papyrus that he translated says nothing about anything about Abraham and that it was a funeral papyrus of pagan Egypt. But the Mormon still excepted today and you can find in their holy Scriptures.
Also, I’ve never met a Bible Student the only believe that we will make up the 144,000.
Hi Jacqueline,
Its been a while since I commented on here but I’ve been adjusting to life after JW. Not been easy but so much better now. How are you?
I have 2 questions to ask: In the Resurrection, will it be on Earth as we were told or Heaven? I spoke with some Mormons today and told them emphatically that I do not want anything to do with organised religion anymore. They mentioned that there is a third heaven and I know the Bible said Paradise id 3rd Heaven. The Mormons version of this is a bottom level for baddies, 2nd level for goodies who aren’t baptized Mormons and top level for baptized Mormons. Typical!! Each religion gets the best deal! Yeah, right! I was told that my dead parents and brother are on 2nd level as they were good people but not baptized (into LDS) Mormon interpretation to one side, would it be logical to assume my family are on 2nd level if this “third heaven” idea is literal?
Second question: Neanderthals were real; are they covered by Jesus’ Ransom and will they be resurrected?
I hope you’re well and I’m curious to know your thoughts.
Hi Nubby Tope, Henry was just asking about you the other day! I am doing okay now. All the post-stroke stuff is in full swing since I am at the 6 month anniversary.
Let’s break your question down with scripture, some other brothers say they are composing answers also.
Scripturally we do see other hybrids, so there should be fossil records and men calls it what they want but this is what God says.
Genesis 6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
2Sa 21:16 And Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels[fn] of bronze, and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David.
2Sa 21:18 After this there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants.
2Sa 21:20 And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants.
2Sa 21:22 These four were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
1Ch 20:4 And after this there arose war with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, who was one of the descendants of the giants, and the Philistines were subdued.
1Ch 20:6 And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants.
1Ch 20:8 These were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
Genesis 3:15 first indicated a redeemer.
And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[fn] and hers; he will crush[fn] your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Gen 3:21 shows blood had to be spilled to cover them not fig leaves or vegetables as Cain did.
“The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”
1Tim 2:6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.
I understand 1 Timothy to be talking about the incident in the Garden of Eden with Adam and his progeny.
The Nephilim are the progeny of the Fallen angels. The Bible says nothing about redeeming their children as I know of. Gen. 6:4
Part 2:
The Mormons and other religions from the Millerite movement all say they have the top spot in Heaven. But they would have to provide scriptures for such a belief that you have to be consecrated in their religion or baptized in it to be in a top tier of heaven.
I have come to believe that Jesus will rule from the earth on the throne of David and the Church will with him. I also think that the 144,000 and the Church are different.
Rev 5:10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”
Mat 19:28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
The Old Testament certainly prophesied that Jesus would rule on David’s throne. There is no question about that (Psalms 132:11, Psalm 89:3-4, 2Samuel 7:12-13, Isaiah 9:6-7, cf Luke 1:31-32).
I have given my two cents worth, so hopefully, other brothers will weigh in here.
So nice to hear from you again. And Yes, I should have taken a break from Russell’s teachings also but there was some benefit from meeting new marvelous people.
Perhaps that is the way God wanted me to do it and go back to the beginning of the religion.
Take care of yourself Nubby.
BTW: Nubby take a look at the https://www.blueletterbible.org/ It is like E-Sword.
Hello Jacqueline,
Thank you so much for your post as it was very timely for me. For some reason I have been thinking about things a lot more deeply lately, some good things and some bad as I reflect on my life. I think about the time that I spent as a Witness and where the Organization has been and where many fear it is going. One of the things that I am confident in is that we are all in God’s love and when we face difficulty it is not beyond his ability to deliver us. Those of us that have become displaced, disheartened and disillusioned are not forgotten by God. Satan will use the fear and anxiety that these situations cause in order to cause us to fear what the world fears, but this is not what we should fear as God’s children.
Many of us on this site never thought that we would ever be spiritually homeless, and when I first stopped associating with Jehovah’s Witnesses, I felt that feeling of fear and trepidation, but it was replaced with warm reassurance from God and Jesus Christ. The hairs on our heads are numbered and where we go, God is always aware. Our battles are never fought alone, and when the storms rage in our lives it is by Gods power that we are sustained and delivered. I put too much emphasis sometimes on my own power, I keep things stable, I have to figure a way out, I have to stay strong. When I really deconstruct this way of thinking, I am missing the bigger picture that it is a joint effort and that my power is not very much on its own. David when confronting Goliath had past experiences with Jehovah in that he had stood up against dangerous predators and God guided his blows and directed David’s strength in a way that David knew he did not accomplish single handedly.
We must have that kind of confidence that God has and will continue to fight for us, and we have to have humility in recognizing that we have not made it this far because of our own strength.
I recently in school learned a technique called mindfulness which really isn’t complicated at all. It is the process of focusing on one thing and being aware of it, and allowing ourselves to appreciate the moment we are in. We so rarely see life and each day as a miracle, life has become so ordinary we lose our ability to recognize it as extraordinary. A life filled with God’s abundant love is the only and most important lottery I have ever won, even now as I am typing I am thankful that I had parents who loved God and taught me the value and wonder of having a relationship with God. I have had the honor of meeting all of you on this site and learning from your wisdom and coming to truly love all of you. I have also had the privilege of being able to learn so much about how wonderfully we are made in College and to give glory to God in all things by sharing what I learn when I can.
We are entering truly dark and troubled times. We don’t yet know if this is just the turbulence of our generation, or if we have as many of us strongly suspect is the time of the end. Things are becoming unusually difficult and even people that I know that have always been stable are experiencing unprecedented instability both financial and spiritual.
The storms of this system will continue and are reaching a fever pitch, the way that we are used to living and thinking and behaving may change in our lives by necessity. Our old comforts and predictable stability in life may change and we must be willing to adjust to these changes without fearing that God is not answering our prayers in the wake of things changing in ways that we may not like. I would encourage everyone who has not had problems lately to prepare in favorable and unfavorable seasons for difficulty. Do not think of it as unique and do not be discouraged to the point of breakdown when you find yourself in difficulty.
At some point if we are not already there, Jesus will be granted the right to open the scrolls and Peace will be taken away from the Earth. Pray Pray and then Pray some more that we receive God’s Peace, the peace that Jesus promised us when we rely completely on the father, his promises, his faithfulness and abundant mercy and kindness and embrace our own limitations in this sinful state. As we continue to learn what it means to love (as some of us may not have been loved) and to practice a better kind of Christianity, let it be free of hypocrisy, absent of love of dishonest gain, fostering cooperation instead of competition, no one lording over another, and embracing a true desire to see God’s name brought to glory we will truly come to be lights to the world and to each other. Most importantly we become what we were all meant to be when we were formed in our mother’s, “a unique expression of the Character of Almighty God”.
Br. Ted,
Sadly I am no stranger to the gross liberties some with authority inside of the Jehovah\’s Witnesses can take with other members. My family and I have been stalked by other members, and have had personal information given to individuals without our permission solely for the purpose of harm. Phone numbers and addresses were freely handed out to one of our stalkers despite us asking to keep our information confidential. There are rarely if ever any repercussion for this behavior and no acknowledgment of the unnecessary harm that it causes. I have seen a lot of bad done in the name of protecting the reputation of God as if he needed any human to do that and to elevate sin in the process as some means to an end is even more egregious.
We will all be accountable for what we do in the end, and no amount of self deluding about that fact will shield us from judgment. I wish more individuals were motivated by spiritual maturity and did not cause harm to others over what amounts to ideological differences. There are some things that are immutable fact scripturally and there are somethings that have not been expressly stated in a way that all of us can easily reach a consensus on. We know that after the death of the last apostle that an apostasy would and did in fact come. What we don\’t know is which lie has been repeated so long it can\’t be distinguished from the truth. What is even more troubling is the fact that some people may be lashing out and harming others over a doctrinal issue that is not even sufficiently supported by scripture. I really do wish that people who did these things actually stopped to think about how this makes Christians look in general, and why some may find it so easy to abandon their faith in the time of the end. Attacking each other like this brings reproach on God and none of us should imagine he will congratulate us for doing so. I am glad though that this happened now and that you were able to prepare for it next time.
Hi Sr Rene and Jacqueline
While I don’t want to point fingers since we don’t know for sure who hacked the site, I know for a fact that the Society does hack sites and individuals accounts. A brother that I know had his phone hacked by certain elders in my congregation trying to “investigate ” him. This was verified by the FBI in Columbus. So while I cannot put a blame on anyone, quite frankly I don’t put it past them. It is part of their Theocratic warfare!
Ted and Rene, the witnesses in Russia had to have a foot dropped on their necks to make them stop the shunning practice. Russian ex Jehovah Witnesses reported directly to the authorities of the destruction of their families with shunning. Satan knows he can take attention away from God’s true Timepiece, The Real Nation of Israel. So because the Russia brothers were extra harsh on their shunning so much so that the government had to step in.
This plays into Satan’s hand of the witnesses being the Jews to keep focus off what is happening in the Middle East today.
The brave internet brothers turning the screws and others going into the Bible have helped the free world of ex witnesses survive a little better.
Even some elders that say nothing but just left let’s me know I did the right thing.
It would be nice if the tyranny of the Watchtower Society and its governing body was just a matter of forgiving them. But it isn’t, if each one don’t expose their tyranny they will get worse. They don’t present as a fellow Christian worshipers.
They come after people to destroy the child that has been raped, deal harshly with anyone helping, even to the point of trumping up charges to disfellowship.
They are more like the Sanhedrin in that they called for the death of Christ, hunted down and killed Christians. We are leaving their system too and following Christ and like the Sanhedrin they attempt to destroy us. So we expose them to get relief.
I will listen still to help, let them tell their story in detail, cry with them pray with them until they stand up straight and carry on in worship to Jehovah God only and His Son Christ.
We are blessed to have 3-5 parts to this site.
The Scriptural segments, the Testimony meeting, the Articles, and this powerful blog so friends can talk and,tell their journey and get a cool cup of water on the way with food.
They might need a lot of care and are welcome to stay. Some w I’ll start their own small group or house Church while others may act like horses and take off running.
One important segment is they can speak Audibly with me or Rene in private sessions.
Some of the men have a particularly hard time speaking of their abuse by men within the religion.
Above all tho, we want to glorify God by helping them as God is helping and supporting us.
PS: They mean not bring reproach on their organization as no one brings reproach on the Almighty God, He is above reproach.
I have never heard a person who saw a witness doing bad equate it with GOD having anything to do with it, NEVER. Most don’t think of witnesses as Christians because of making Christ just an angel ( powerful Micheal, one of the arch angels) and putting up a man or men in place of him to get to God.
They will say a witness supposed to be so holy but that is as far as they go.
Jacqueline,
I am sorry about the site being hacked. I wish that I could say that this was probably an isolated incident, but our world is changing and so are the people in it. People are being influenced today by thoughts and inclinations that rob them of their ability to think and behave rationally. It is times like these though that we need to be especially aware of these influences and maintain our own self control. I appreciated the fact that you did not label the society or Jehovah’s Witnesses as the culprit, as we are not sure who did it. Satan enjoys pitting brothers and sisters against one another and one of his most potent tools is insinuation and misinformation. When people stop by this site and see what others have to say, it can feel like the core of their being is being attacked. We all can remember a time when we were hurt to our heart when someone didn’t share our opinions about our faith or even attacked it. While we may have felt offended and hurt, most of us here did not opt to retaliate as the hacker evidently decided to do. This reminds me of the situation where Jesus was taken before the high priest and during his interrogation he answered a question by asking that his accusers question the people and seek out the truth of the matter. The response was that the temple guard slapped Jesus. John 18:23 (CEB) Jesus replied, “If I speak wrongly, testify about what was wrong. But if I speak correctly, why do you strike me?” The guard might have thought that he had grounds to slap Jesus because he was perceived as being disrespectful to the High Priest which was against Jewish Law (Acts 23:5) Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.'”What was in reality occurring between Jesus and the temple guard was an example of a righteous excuse to display unrighteous anger. As a Witness I had not realized how much of the culture of Jehovah’s Witnesses had shaped my thinking and my actions. I had to realize later that I had learned to be self righteous and had to be more careful about how upset I get about things and if the anger is justified or if I am being self righteous. It is a hard habit to kick, but it is necessary if you are ever to perceive things in any way close to the way our creator does.
Our online community has been a blessing to me and to many others. I hope that people continue to maintain proper decorum on the site and work out differences the way in which we have all agreed to do. A we lean more on the internet and social media, we have to keep in mind that this is all an untested experiment. We don’t have any type of historical reference to guide us in using this new technology. As a result, we are all learning together and taking the good with the bad.
The anonymity that the internet provides gives considerable cover for people who are saying and doing things that they would not say or do if the person(s) they were attacking were standing right in front of them. It reminds me of how Satan spoke through a snake so that his part in the plot was concealed. We all really need to be cautious of how we use our freedom of speech especially during these times. Thank you Jacqueline for all of your hard work and in helping others to reach for higher levels of Christian maturity. If we are indeed in the end times, then we will not be arguing about doctrine differences in Christianity we will be strictly divided by those who believe and those who do not. I hope that everyone will look at the bigger picture of what is truly important, the vindication of Jesus as the Messiah and the glorification of the one true God. While we are busy destroying each other to defend the reputations of men, who is defending the reputation of God and our Redeemer? I pray that God reaffirms the truth, and that he continues to give us his spirit of Grace so that we can live in truth and encourage one another to do the same.
Rene, I so agree. If fact we a are all of one body. I have heard it say they are going back to Christendom, when many leave the doctrines from our youth.
I admit there is a difference but not enough for us all not to be able to listen to each other.
When as a witness, I went from door to door No one ever cared that our religions name was different. We knocked on all doors. Now I realize other Christians have valuable information and they too have Holy Spirit.
I have come to realize you don’t have to be in Bethel or a pulpit minister to receive help, understanding and truth. You can be one person or a small group. Jesus made it possible to get to God thru him on a one on one basis.
That is what I sincerely hope visitors see on this site so they can get on their knees, thank him for freedom and not filter their new freedom through their long held teachings.
If what they conclude from personal study matches up to their former beliefs then we need to give glory to Jehovah that we had proper understanding.
The main thing is for each one to get strong then branch out on their own. We are just a little ever changing group. Many on the internet came across us over the last 9 years on the Fojw site. Now we see them with their small forums searching the scriptures.
We are here as a spring board to help them until they can stand on their own two feet.
As much as I might want to be diplomatic I must be truthful, it is a long hard road leaving an authoritarian religion where freedom was restricted.
We do welcome and encourage persons to share their pain and journey until they feel strong, then FLY LIKE AN EAGLE!
Jacqueline,
I feel the WT visits the sites so they can get ideas of what to write about. For example we believe and many JWs are starting to believe that the great crowd will be a heavenly class. Now they have an article about where they are coming out. Also, they they had a child abuse Watchtower article recently. They want to make it seem like they have answers to all of our arguments already. Or it could be Bethelites looking for answers. Many are still “Physically in mentally out.” (PIMO)
True. Now I know more about running a website as a result of this attack. I know to back it up daily.
No, we did see that the watchtower of the USA visited our site this month and another language watchtower Bible and tract society visited this week from a foreign country.
I am not blaming it on them, it might have just been a hacker.
I don’t know why the watchtower would visit our site because we deal with those that have chosen to come out on their own but not enticed.
We keep noticing a few things here and there and I fix it as people tell me. Free conference call reverted to BBB for instance, but my system corrected it while Henry was actually looking at it and on the phone with me.
I think we are good now, however. Thanks for asking.
Well, today was special! The site was being hacked and disappearing right before my eyes. Themes were changing and I couldn’t get in the backend at all!
After hours I finally got everything back up, floating links should be working now and the videos at the end of each page should be working. I lost a few but that’s okay.
I need some good sleep now.
Anyways I think I’m pretty much done here. Hope y’all find what you’re looking for.
Traveler,
The out resurrection is only mentioned one time in scripts and you’ve built and entire doctrine on it. It’s out of all of the body of Christians those who attain the mark of the prize of the high calling will be called out of the body of Christ. The entire bride is not the entire body but a piece. This is seen in The Rib being taken from Adam. She was a piece of him. Not all of him. I have an article on the exanatastis we studied a while back. These are non-Bible Students. Also it spurious because it’s not on the majority of the oldest Manuscripts. Not because we don’t understand your understanding of the out resurrection
Please look it up. The reason you are having any disagreement about 1st resurrection is its not first in the origional expression its “out” resurrection. That is the hope of “THE” resurrection. Jesus. Returned to existence from the grave. The only time its called first is when Jesus is discribe as the first resurrection, the first fruit of the out resurrection. It’s good to see you working with this concept. Your very nature and hope depend on working this one out. Doing so it is to find you self.
I agree it does flow better, but when I read it, I already know it makes no sense looking at it the other way. I ignore the order cause I realize its not talking about those in the 1st resurrection but those in the 2nd.
The rest of the dead….. They are not of the 1st resurrection. That is quite clear. It does not state otherwise. Take it out, leave it in. Nothing changes.
1st resurrection is during 1000 years, technically at the jump, then rest of dead not til after, as it says further down in verse, after satan is tossed into the Lake ?…
Jacqueline,
I don’t know how else to explain Rev 20:5. I think you have some new idea and nothing can over turn it. Trust me I know the excitement of something new. Then when something challenges it the brain shuts down and doesn’t want to accept if
Last time. How can those of the first resurrection reign DURING the 1,000 years of they do my come to life until the END of the 1,000 years?! BOTH ARE ARE CALLED THE FIRST RESURRECTION.
Which is it. Don’t take my word for it. Read it yourself. It says those of the first resurrection rain during the thousand years but also says those of the first resurrection don’t come to life until after the thousand years. Which is it?
Jacqueline
Lost of spurious passages by a non bible student scholar.
http://www.bibletoday.com/htstb/spurious_text.htm
Jacqueline,
Again. Rev 20:5 is spurious. This is common sense and not something I read in a book
How can those who come to life AFTER the 1,000 years be the “first resurrection” yet it says those who reign with him “DURING” the 1,000 years is the first resurrection?
That’s like chaperoning a party for two hours yet not showing up until after the party. Which is it?
Rev 20:5,6
“The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years should be finished. >>This is the first resurrection<>first resurrection<<: over these the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years”
Again. How can they reign during the 1,000 years yet not come to life until the end of the 1,000 years
Also it’s spurious because it appears in NONE ZERO of the oldest manuscripts.
Ive seen those scriptures listed as such. I have not read up on it yet, Im not familiar with that booklet either
It has listed scriptures in topics also but from a short look it seems now we can understand that some of these scriptures are not spurious like Rev. 20: 5 which is very clear now that it is not spurious. In fact the witness Bible has taken the brackets from around the verse and made it part of the text. Now that we see what the Bible really says about the thousand year reign that not “All” are in the category for resurrection at the time of the 1000 years reign. That is not paradise and there is another category of the dead resurrected after the thousand years and the little season of Satan’s release. Rev.20:5 was right
Wow,how things are becoming unveiled.
I think our blessings are coming in this regard because we stopped indoctrination and regurgitating old views. It was a hinderence to letting the Holy Spirit come in.
I will go over the other scriptures you posted tomorrow.
I have been having trouble sleeping so hitting the sack early. Doctor calls it post stroke fatigue. It is sort of a blessing because I don’t travel and can devote more time to a serious study of the Bible. No more studying books. Hooray. Give my love to Pharnisha and children.
Christopher thank you so much for your comment. Take care