Meet Marjo from Finland
A little bit of her life and journey below.
Go here for more of her story :
http://askjacqueline.life/staying-strong-amidst-difficulties/
Ladies Talking
Hello and Welcome!
My name is Marjo and I am married and we have 3 children together.
I am from Finland and my native language is Finnish.
I was baptized in 2002 and I left from Jehovah Witnesses in 2008.
The reason why I left was that I didn't get support from the congregation when it was needed.
My mother was also a Witness, but she left first. I was very alone in those moments.
When the elder told me that my mother is no longer a Witness
I began to cry. That was the only moment when someone was there for me.
No one ever asked me after that how I was, or have I got over this.
Not even elders didn't come to see me and ask how I was doing after this.
That is when I began to fade away. Then I met my husband in the same job.
Then leaving from Witnesses was easy.
Then I just e-mailed to one elder that I don't want to be a Witness anymore.
There is little of my history from Witness times. I also couldn't stand that dress code.
Now I follow Yeshua only and read the Bible.
I love different cultures and languages. So it is nice to meet new people from all over the world.
Maybe we can learn something from each other 🙂
Marjo,
I also wanted to point out that I also noticed that many of the friends in the congregation I attended where all deprived themselves (in various ways). This affects when and how they practice compassion for one another. If they feel life is not giving to them what they need, they are less open to giving to the needs of others. On top of that, we are taught in the organization (directly and indirectly) that our value as individuals is intrinsically tied to our participation in the Kingdom Hall. Sadly, we are encouraged to think less of ourselves and our Brothers and Sisters when they for whatever reasons are not able to have regular association in the Kingdom Hall. Not like a religion but more Like being a member of a club, you have to pay your dues, otherwise you have your privileges suspended. One of those privileges is the compassion from the friends, and they may even feel spiritually justified for ignoring an inactive brother or sister in need because they are not regularly attending meetings. There was such a sad distorted over emphasis on meeting attendance in my congregation that when my brother stopped going because of the unconscionable way they where treating my father, the elder who was talking to my brother one day listened to my brothers explanation for his inactivity and told him he needed to repent of his sins.
My brother was crushed because he was not living a life of sin and was made to feel like a bad Christian because he found the abuse from the congregation towards my father too much to bear. I took from that conversation that Jehovah’s Witnesses overstate the importance of their Kingdom Halls and view it as a sin when you stop attending. As with sin you are without excuse and are not deserving of sympathy and as such, some may feel (spiritually) justified in cutting you off. I know this was a long reply, but I just wanted to share my thoughts about why the congregation may have failed to come to your aid. Jehovah says that he can’t forget his children, but our congregations tragically can. One last thought though and it is something that Elders should take seriously but don’t.
In ancient Israel, when you where a hired shepherd and you lost a sheep to a predator, you where required to demonstrate evidence that the loss was not the result of negligence on your part. In some cases, I think you needed to present the carcass (to the owner) as evidence that circumstances beyond your control caused that loss because the owner felt the loss financially. I would not want to be in these Elders shoes when they have to render an accounting to Jesus for his lost property. A great deal of the lost sheep, the sheep that are not helped physically, spiritually or emotionally are taken by the roaring lion Satan because they had no help from the shepherds.
The Elders who do not rescue, can’t be bothered, and use excuses not to get involved in helping the flock will be without excuse and highly accountable to the King Jesus Christ directly (Jer. 23:1-8). Jesus is not likely to flatter them for the neglect that resulted in preventable loss of spiritual life (Matthew 7:21). Thankfully Jehovah hears prayers and he rescues and loves and saves even if our congregation doesn’t see the need to Isaiah 49:15 Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
God inspired Jeremiah to condemn the wicked shepherds because they didn’t feed the healthy sheep, so we know the sick sheep had no chance of getting help from the shepherd they depended on. This is an important concept because Jehovah’s Witnesses central doctrine is that we have a governing body whose most important role is to see to the needs of the flock by “feeding” them Matthew 24:45. How the governing body interprets this role affects the social climate in the congregation as we by nature imitate the behavior of our role models. What we see we imitate; what we don’t see we don’t learn to imitate.
Now ask yourself this, when was the last time while you where regularly attending the meetings that your congregation held a food drive? Did your congregation collect funds for victims of abuse? Did your congregation collect clothing for the poor? Did your congregation hold a drive for a good cause that wasn’t related to the preaching work? My congregation(s) never did any of those things, and I was always confused why other churches (allegedly slated for divine destruction) did those things regularly and we who were God’s visible Organization on Earth did not. I never understood why Jesus said, “you will always have the poor with you” (John 12:8) and kept a fund which was dedicated to donating to the poor yet attention to the needs of the poor was not part of our ministry only preaching (John 12:6). So, my next question to you Marjo is how can we practice in the congregation with each other what we never learned to do ourselves? I learned in my psychology classes that kindness like aggression is a learned behavior. As sinful humans we have retained the ability to learn how to be kind, but we are no longer innately kind beings.
For many of us Marjo, everyday philanthropy on a practical level (i.e giving to others in need) was not taught in any Kingdom Hall I had attended. We would give spiritual food in abundance, but not physical food, money, shelter or clothing to those in need. If we did do so it was a personal decision at our own expense. My father was an avid giver, he worked with disabled children and was a compassionate and exceptional mental health counselor who helped many families and individuals in crisis. He also gave whatever he had monetarily to those who needed it even when he couldn’t afford to do it. I learned compassion from this man because it was an indistinguishable part of his faith and so it became mine.
Hello Rene!
I am sure that there are many similar experiences among ex-witnesses. There is no support from congregation when you face difficulties. I remember a case, when a married couple had difficulties in their marriage. His wife was after another man while they were married. This brother got lots of support from the congregation, I wonder how that makes a difference. My guess is that they have no abilities to deal with these difficulties.
When I became a witness, they told me that it is enough to follow Christ and so on. Obviously it was not so. They seem to have another list how to pick up your friends in the congregation. I just saw that list in ex-witness site, and I wasn’t surprised at all why I was left alone. Main reason is that I wasn’t very active witness, so I wasn’t good company. My question is that would Jesus Christ behave so? No! He would open His arms to person who is down and help them to get up again, Jesus would not abandon His follower when there is problems around. Governingbody is far from Jehovah’s chosen church.
I think Jehovah’s chosen church is people around the world whom believe in Christ and follow His ways.
Hi Marjo,
I wanted to take a moment to thank you so much for your writing contributions. I was able to read a little about your life and found your resiliency and bravery very encouraging as many other readers also likely concluded. There is nothing more frightening than to encounter a crisis unlike anything you have faced and to face it with a limited or absent support system. I also came to a similar heartbreaking conclusion when my father developed cancer and we were not even spared any sympathy from the friends in the congregation. In the end, when my father passed away from painful bone cancer, my brother and I could only hold a memorial for him at the hotel we were staying at when we came to collect his remains. I received no cards and no phone calls from anyone in the congregation and it had much to do with the fact that he was a partaking anointed and was persecuted for decades because of it John 10:32-36. This position that so many of the friends took was found lacking with some of the “Worldly” people in hospice and in the hospital that came to know a little about our situation. A few individuals mentioned that this behavior turned them off to Witnesses and the Organization. Sadly, another individual said that this is why they felt religions where inherently hypocritical, in that they say they love God and treat people worse than the “heathen” they say God is going to destroy 1 John 4:20-21 . If more people in the community knew how lacking in love many of the congregations actually are, the organization would be seen in an entirely different light I believe 1 Peter 2:12. Jesus said that there was no greater love than someone who gives their life for their friend (John 15:14) and this like all of Jesus other important messages should be given the highest priority in our Kingdom work. I hear so many stories similar to yours and mine and the Organization has become like the scriptures termed water less rain clouds Jude 1:12. This was a striking metaphor for people who relied on farming. Life and death where tied to successful farming and crops relied on rain. During rain seasons (which where specific and limited in the Middle East) farmers waited with desperate anticipation for signs of rain to grow their crops and sustain their lives (Jeremiah 5:24). When a full grouping of clouds passed over the farmers land, how much joy and relief he feels when he sees it Psalm 85:12. How his hopes are dashed to pieces when these clouds that have all of the appearances of harboring life sustaining water in its boughs betray all of the farmers desperate wishes when they pass by giving nothing to the parched Earth Proverbs 13:12. That is disappointment personified. Our grand example Jesus Christ understands this type of disappointment as his people did not fill him up or give him what he was entitled and needed as a human even though he gave so much to his people. We don’t think of Jesus as having needs that could only be meet by his people and community, but he was human, and he did have needs and his community denied him taking even his life and giving him nothing in return Luke 9:58, John 19:37. This is why our online ministry is so important (Phillipians 2:4) , because we know what it is like to need help and not receive it John 13:34. We understand need and hurt so well because we have experienced it, yet it has not made us shut others out and worry about ourselves only. Thank you Marjo for showing us that there is insight and a deeper bond with God that can be won after affliction, and not just bitterness. Thank you also for resolving to give help especially when you where not helped Romans 15:1-2, Proverbs 17:17.
That does make sense. God doesnt lead us to temptation, it is our flesh that is not perfect.
This Finnish version what I have say in English: Do not allow us to fall into temptation.
It is very important verse, when we face temptations we should pray this to get over of this temptation whatever it is.
Reading the article it looks like a translation issue that the Pope is trying to correct. The change according to the Pope, actually clarifies the Scripture since it is not God who leads us into temptation.
“Instead of saying “lead us not into temptation”, it will say “do not let us fall into temptation”.
This is a change from most English translations but according to the article this change would only be in the Italian versions.
Topic for conversation: Does God “lead us into temptation” and how does this harmonize with James 1:13 New International Version (NIV)
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
Have you heard this that Pope changed the Lord’s prayer.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/06/led-not-into-temptation-pope-approves-change-to-lords-prayer
Hello! We are now on vacation with my family. My cousin owns a cabin near at the lake so we are here with our caravan. This caravan is like a sauna. It is great to have little wind that will xool the air little bit. My children can play with their little cousins. Its nice. Have a good weekend and take care ☺️
Marjo how beautiful. Family life with cousins is special, I remember my times with aunts and cousins. That is one thing my mother and father did keep us with our families. Noone was a witness out of 17 siblings of my mother but my grandmother, and one Uncle plus my father were witnesses on his side. We visited our aunts and cousins all the time. We also played every day with any and all children in the neighborhood. My parents regarded the watchtower society as a printing plant only. Daddy was disfellowshipped because he stood against them on the blood issue and he never made my six brothers go to the kingdom hall only I went with my mother and him. The society as we called them then was not allowed to tell many of the Black congregations what to do under segregation. We regarded it as an intrusion on the rights of the men that were free from slavery.
So glad you are keeping your children with there natural family.
A convention of the Bible Students is always on the first holiday opening our summer and my grandchildren love to come down. I said on the first day of the convention in testimony meeting that I was only going to be at the convention for one day so I can spend time with my son and his family at my home. Some sisters came up to me afterward and said you have a spiritual family and you need to tell them you will be at the convention with your family.
I corrected them sternly and said no one will ever separate me from my family! These children are violating the Witnesses to be with their parents and it is a blessing from God! I said I will not be here tomorrow!
We have to realize if anyone tells you to not be with your family over them, I run now. Breaking up families leaves you open to their control.
So enjoy your cabin. I live 1 1/2 blocks from the beach and we walk down or use a golf cart. They will be here next week and I thank God for his kindness and Faithfulness in this regards. Love you!
Jacqueline,
Sure. I’ll send it soon with some thoughts.
Jacqueline,
There must be talks about where the great crowd is because the latest watchtower to come out on their site is about the identity of the great crowd.
Christopher could you please read the article and critique it here for us? Also conventions have begun and a relative stated they are telling young ones not to play with”worldly” children. She said she didn’t like this because if they leave they won’t have any friends. I told her the governing body are master’s at manipulation and are aware of that. They are not dummies, this is a well oiled mind control organization.
I have been reading at this Isaiah chapter 24 many times. It is talking about in the verse 3: The earth will be utterly laid waste and thoroughly plundered, for the LORD has spoken this word.
Could it be so that Jehovah will destroy His enemies by making the earth dry like a desert? He will keep His followers safe from the destruction. Could it be that so called global warming is the beginning of this chapter 24? We have seen how heat has been torturing people around the world last year, and I can say that it is getting worse.
In Noah’s day Jehovah destroyed mankind with the flood, so it could be possible that He will destroy this mankind by shutting down all water sources.
Verse 4:
The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and fades; the exalted of the earth waste away.
I’ve seen videos on youtube that in the California people have a silent war about water.
Because land is getting so dry, that it is impossible to find drinking water. That’s why politicians are so worried about “global warming caused by humans”. Actually it is caused by God Himself for people whom did not keep His commandments as He has spoken through Isaiah chapter 24. Politicians know this, but they don’t want to admit that.
Verse 5: The earth is defiled by its people; they have transgressed the laws; they have overstepped the decrees and broken the everlasting covenant.
So we can expect more heat waves in the near future.
Marjo hello, I just got around to answering your comment. I need to look at this scripture more closely and tell what I glean and may e some others will do so too. One thing I can say off the top of my head is that you are right, JEHOVAH has decided how the climate of this earth will be cleaned. It really isn’t up to them. But I will get back.
Isn’t it nice to not have the fear of man and go into scripture and look it up for yourself. I was told that as a female on fojw to let an elder answer all scripture questions. How I let myself accept that is beyond me. See you later.
I was reading a comment under small talk and read this comment by you Jacqueline,
“I would never do anything to undermine them personally but I will speak up with the Bible to defend (set straight I assume) a view that is not scriptural. This works with a witness as they will walk away. But I find a Bible Student actually will have a twist to a scripture that says it doesn’t really say what it says!”
We have wondered that even after we’ve shown, usually in greater detail than most want, that an understanding is false in relation to the Bible, how we or anyone can make the statement ” but I will speak up with the Bible to set straight a view that is not scriptural.” Who determines the last word on what is not scripture, or what scripture means. What was true for some of us for years as scriptural truth, is not true now for us, even though we used the Bible to establish it to our satisfaction, in the first, and now in the second place.
Love and being “up building” are not always possible using enlightenment to achieve it. Jesus out of love said:
(John 16:12) . . .“I have many things yet to say to YOU, but YOU are not able to bear them at present. . .
So we have visited this many times before, how much do you really have to know and understand to cross from death to life. Well, we know you have to have knowledge of Jesus and his Father Yahweh, enough to at least make you believe that Jesus is the Christ. We know that you must exercise this accurate knowledge/faith and get baptized. We put knowledge and faith together because faith based on inaccurate knowledge would constitute you as one of the blind, mentally speaking. From there who is to make the judgment that a brother or sister needs to know more?
(John 5:24) . . .Most truly I say to YOU, He that hears my word and believes him that sent me has everlasting life, and he does not come into judgment but has passed over from death to life.
The key must lay in this statement,
(1 Peter 3:15) 15 But sanctify the Christ as Lord in YOUR hearts, always ready to make a defense before everyone that demands of YOU a reason for the hope in YOU, but doing so together with a mild temper and deep respect.
If we are to cover distance to draw closer to God it is apparent that we must reason on both self evident truth and on the scriptures. Jesus and all who followed him did so. But remember they did not use our Bible.
We have an advantage in the writings that relate so much information to us in this time of the end about Jesus and his day. We can see plainly that these writings are inspired in almost all cases with the exception of those thoughts and ideas mankind has decided they should include, even when the author clearly states as Paul did on more than one occasion that it was his opinion. True the last gift, the “spirit of understanding”, was given so that we might peer into the deep things of God. Since you cannot render sacred service without your “power of reason” it stands to reason you must use it. Don’t you love terms like stand, as in stand erect, Up, as in make your mind “Up”? Well, we do. The more you see that frame of mind is everything, whether it’s the simple honest person of limited mental powers, or the simple honest person of increased mental powers having availed himself of the spirit of understanding, we must be using what God has given us with the soul purpose (yes we know) of understanding and taking God’s “HIGHER” thoughts to make our minds OVER (God higher than us ). It is frame of mind that we are to up build. But if our brother or sister is not capable of depth of thought what then? We with our depth should give that some thought in case we are ASKED. But if we are not asked, a judgment that we should set them straight might be just that, a judgment. As it says, if they have crossed from death to life, they will understand in God’s good time.
Yes to understand strengthens your “stand” so you are less likely to fall. We all want to give strength to our brothers and sisters. But there is that statement “down hearted”, which we would not want to be responsible for causing. In doing so we might cause them to lose heart and prove false to the power of their form of Godly devotion.
Having said all this we assume that putting out the effort to come onto one of the many sites on the INTERNET to discuss the Bible, everyone in their hearts wants to know. By this action showing up on the net, it is asking, right? Judging from the response and the Bible’s statement that “few find the narrow path” reality argues in opposition. With many generations of misguidance we also have to deal with the problem of many translations and teachers who did, and do so without the slightest idea of why things are happening. They go into extensive explanations of the details of the Bible and history, unable to draw any firm logical or rational conclusions. The overview of the Nature of What Is, God’s reality, is the only Way you can peer into the language of the Bible, the conceptual expression to “see”. If you focus on the words you will never make headway. The conceptual image of the Bible remains intact even if the words used by some translators could have been better chosen if they also had insight into the Language of the Bible and reality. Let us remind ourselves here that language and tongue are different. One is the conceptual image you want to share, language, the other is the sounds you use to convey those images.
So as Webster pointed out in the preface to his Bible,
Webster wrote; “Whenever words are understood in a sense different from that which they had when introduced, and different from that of the original language, they do not present to the reader the Word of God.”
Webster has a logical grasp of the nature of expression, even though he misunderstands that the sense conveyed is “Language”. The tongues are of little importance, we all can get the language if we peer into the words with an overview that allows us to look past poor choice of words.
What is important is remembering the questions, “How much awareness is necessary to cross from death to life?”, “How much knowledge is enough to maintain this stand?” and how one determines when one is being asked? Do they really want to “know” God. Having considered these questions we’ve arrived at the conclusion, Love hopes all things.
Hi Traveler, I didn’t cite an example of what I would harmonize with scripture if I was asked t do something that is against Jehovah’s will or what is written in the Bible. And I do think there is a yes and No answer to some things and can support why I would reject a course using the Bible. But I wasn’t making a point so I didn’t give an example.
On going to heaven, everyone will have the opportunity to read what you have said and thank you for commenting.
I might add from what I see in the Bible Jesus reign will be earthly from Jerusalem.
That is great! That inside Jehovah’s Witnesses there are people whom are not judging the way like the other members in the congregation. It could be that some of the elders have woken up and realized the truth that everyone who believe in Jesus and follow his path will be saved. I’m sure that Jehovah will wake more people from that society to see the real truth. For some people it will take more time. I have not lost my hope for them. Or it might go in that way that some congregations leave the Governing body and keep going as a single church.
The most important thing is that you have found the right path to Christ. Then we dont have to fear anything else, not even death. We can count on that our names will be in the book of life. Today I had the feeling that I
have to write a diary of world events. I have to buy a diary for that.
Marjo, I had a loving experience today. An elder within JW from my childhood called me to give some info about a brother we grew up with. The conversation lasted for an hour or more. He knows that I am not a part of the organization because a committee of 30 elders met and called Bethel when my brother died to see if some of them could prevent me from attending his funeral at the kingdom hall and the dinner afterward. If he wasn’t one of the thirty convened, news spreads quickly among such a small body. The GB advised them not to bother me and I could attend any services for my brother and eat with family without hindrance from elders.
It was so comforting to see he isn’t focused on a group of men like it was in our childhood. We considered the headquarters (governing body didn’t exist) book publishing agent but our brothers ran the congregations. I grew up under segregation and “Jim Crow” laws in a strictly Black congregation, White congregations and Black cong. were totally not permitted to congregate together. So that is the climate of my childhood in the Southern United States.
He understood that there are others beyond Jehovah witnesses that have God’s blessings and love. We mentioned some by name and referred to the scripture in Luke’
Luke 9:50:
“But Jesus said to him, “Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you.” We had one friend that passed last year and she had a small class meeting in her home and he mentioned she had gone back to the Churches. I told him as long as she still had faith in Christ and Jehovah because I knew her struggles and I just couldn’t visualize her being among Jehovah Witnesses after such horrible treatment. He said he felt the same way about many voices in Christians. I said yes a body of one with many parts. I told him doctrine and understanding of some scriptures may differ and I never argue that with religion. But I won’t associate if I am commanded I must worship a man or men.
He mentioned now at the doors they don’t either as witnesses, they listen to other religious views. So I was happy to speak with Christians within the witnesses that are still as our childhood, viewing the organization as a printing entity and not the “Way to God.”
John 14:6 “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’ so I told him I will draw a line in the sand on worshipping men rather than God or putting them in the position of “instead of Jesus”, (anti-Christ).
So I think he got a sense of why I wasn’t referencing the organization but only the Bible or Jesus. He never focused on my not being in the organization. He carried himself like a “Man of God” as well as a friend. So different from the threats and demands you normally experience from elders.
This scripture was playing in the background and my prayer for no confrontations was answered. My doctor says I am not to be in stressful situations anymore with elders of former religion as they are toxic. He said to hang up the phone, make the emails go to spam, and don’t open my door if one shows up on my doorstep. So he was a refreshing cold glass of water on a hot 100-degree day.
“Php 4:6,7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
It is good to take care of your health too, Jehovah knows when we need to rest. We don’t need to try to change this world, because we know who is the god of it. I did not watch Eurovision song contest, because I knew that Madonna was going to sing there. I am not into worldy music anymore because I know whom it is from. There is not much light in this world, because most of the people are into this entertainment that is from Satan. Most people are into their phones too. They are like cell phone zombies drooling around for their apps. It is not good to let your phone to control you, and this is what I will teach for my children.
It is strange, the music industry. It has Super Stars who lives are often linked to immorality and spiritism. Men of fame. I am not that into music as I traveled with celebrities for a living. Most were just making a living but there is a facet to the celebrity crowd that is different from regular people in my observation.
Our world is changing. I think in my children lifetime Christ will return. I would love to be here to observe and live through the prophetic fulfillments of the Bible but it is going to be rough before relief.
Now the the prayer to have his will done on earth like HEAVEN has more impact.
It is refreshing to hear a parent say they know children need to look up from their phones for a moment.
Yes I think that is where they are driving this country. They are forcing people to think at the same way, if you have a different opinion, then you are nothing. For example immigrants. If you are talking in negative way about immigrants then you are racist. If I would say that it is wrong to me to take immigrants in here, because there are too many poor people in this country whom they should take good care of at first. They would call you racist. It is wrong to give immigrants everything for free, when poor person is fighting for living, you are racist if you say like that. Here is 300 000 person in this country whom don’t have a job, and they live poor life. Today I heard on the news that here is 60 000 muslims in this country. That is a lot. It feels like Finnish person can not say nothing to defend their rights. You just have to sit and watch when other people are taking over your country.
Long long time ago…this country was divided in two, there were red and white wristband. I think we are going to that old time again, but this time there is no wristbands. They even changed sitting order in Parliament house, because rest of the politics did not want to sit next to the other politics whom are driving rights of Finnish people. My country is dividing….it is sad to see where it is going.
We are living in the last days, so people go against each other as it was said in the Bible.
Marjo I was at doctor’s yesterday and tired so I couldn’t answer.
I think we will see some stressful Rulership problems before the word climaxes with the return of Christ to rule here as King. I posted Jeremiad 4:23-27 in one comment because it shows an incident of just what Jehovah will do in his fierce anger when man breaks all moral laws. Here in America we can’t speak out against moral issues. I focus on helping because your life can be cut short if you try to change this crookedness.We have the huge abortion law over here raging.
Our political climate bears watching. I try to enjoy the earth and family and working to keep my stress levels down. I am not traveling anymore because that is one of my triggers for my heart, being in traffic. Also I don’t go around people that are going to try and make me come back to organized Religion. I am thriving spiritually being in a small group.
My son is here helping me do all my yard work as I still heal from my stroke. They found the cause. It is AFib so I have to watch it. Take care.
It is interesting how my Bible doesn’t use the word sodomites. Of course because I have a version what Lutherans use. It is difficult to find a Bible that is translated correctly in my language. And I have seen many verses where they have twisted Bible word to look like that Jesus is the God. I haven’t been able to find Bible in its original language Hebrew and Aramea. Obviously it is too dangerous for this church age to give that information out. I’ve had the feeling that when first church disappeared, Romans took control of the scriptures and made their own changes.
I found out that there is 6 countries where Bible has been banned. I’m sure some wise believers hide their Bible in a safe location. That is what I would do if such thing would come in my country. Maybe they could try to give them a Bible in pieces. Sending books of the Bible could work in that way, if they would attach one book like Letter of Romans inside a regular book. That could work.
World is going to more twisted way a year by year. Politics are more and more greedy to get more money away from people. That is whats happening here in Finland. They are making more and more taxes to suck money away which they have given. Living in my country is more and more difficult, when they raise the price of electricity, rent, water and so on. This is Satan’s greedy world.
So Marjo, is your country like Sweden? Is it a Socialist country.?
Also at one of the Voice of the myrtles meeting I asked how they got Bibles into one particularly bad tough country? They said if we told you we would have to kill you afterward.LOL. We write verses on balloons, blow them up and send them toward a zone and the wind carries it. By the time the authorities get to the villages they are well hidden or memorized. Sometimes you have to be creative, like give something free as a donation to a regime, lots of it but hidden underneath are Bibles. Play crazy and drool at the mouth, no one wants to search you to close. You are in fact skinny not as fat and hunched over, dirty and pathetic as you look. There are ways to get the message into the lands where only one religion is allowed for instance and it is not Christian. To be caught with a Bible as a Christian in some lands gets you shunned and sent away from your land. For instance, if the whole village is Buddhist and you become a Christian the elders will make you leave your village.Thus destroying your family. This seems to be a tactic of elders in positions of authority to use shunning to force you to come back to get your family back. So many stories from around the globe of Christians persecuted for Christ. Muslim countries sometimes hunt down a female if she turns Christian even following her to another country and around the globe in one instance. Satan has a seed also.
We had 11 persons on the Saturday night call tonight. Thursday we had 9 so that is encouraging.
Yes I have heard about that on youtube, that especially in New York they abort perfect babies and that is sick. Now I think I know how Satan is going to attack on us believers. Brazil’s highest court has voted that it a crime to discriminate gay and trans people.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/brazils-highest-court-makes-it-a-crime-to-attack-a-person-based-on-sexual-orientation-gender-identity/2019/05/23/cc28fcce-7cc8-11e9-b1f3-b233fe5811ef_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.48c71d5f4a67
Soon this phenomenon will be world wide, and in the end they might probably ban the Bible too.
Hi Marjo, You know I agree with the Brazilian court on it being a crime to attack people based on their sexual orientation. Because you can often tell who is gay because of outward mannerism. Such lawless attackers might possibly be adulterers or fornicators, abortionist, Murderers, etc. Notice fornicators, idolaters is mentioned first in order. The thought of the act and the open and flagrant in your face of homosexuals sometimes causes us to forget they are sinners and verse 11 below shows that these changed and became Christians, like liars, can change. In fact, sometimes the attackers hate themselves because they may be closet homosexuals. Decent people don’t attack and kill other people. That’s my take on sin.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 New King James Version (NKJV)
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [a]homosexuals, nor [b]sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were [c]sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Footnotes:
1 Corinthians 6:9 catamites, those submitting to homosexuals
1 Corinthians 6:9 male homosexuals
1 Corinthians 6:11 set apart
Also in some countries, the Bible is banned already, I help in this organization now. The Voice of the Martyrs https://www.persecution.com/ the purpose is to get Bibles or pieces into the hands of these Christians, they are being beheaded for Christ right now, today in Islamic countries.
The planned murder of your own children in such a horrible way has gone past being influenced by Adamic sin. It reminds me of this scripture and how God feels about it. They are wicked like Israel who had protection by God but still did a horrible thing like this.
English Standard Version Jeremiah 32:35
“They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.”
Anyway we can see a lot of signs in the world that return of Jesus Christ is near. Worship of Satan is not a secret anymore, it has become normal religion for people. Many celebrities have given their life for Satan to be famous and rich. Now these people whom have done that are preaching that if you want to be rich and famous worship Satan. There is no God among these people. We can even see it from tv-shows how twisted they have become. God mocking, increase of homo sexuality. This kind of entertain is not for followers of Jesus Christ. I don’t like to watch tv anymore because it is full of things that Bible say is a sin. I would rather watch youtube, because there you can choose what to listen. When you watch tv, there might be a scene of immoral stuff that pops out on your face.
I’m glad that my children are wise, they are careful on youtube aswell.
Marjo, over here in America the slaughter of babies in the womb and the killing of so many children by parents shows there is no natural affection, on of Jesus signs. Satan worship and belief in the Bible and God is at the point of whAT JESUS PREDICTED.
Also now we have weapons where we can man can mutually destroy each other, Israel is surrounded by its enemy nations, and every eye can see Jesus because of the internet and satellite. Also, we can see Jerusalem when the desolation takes place and those outside the city of Judah will be fleeing for safety. None of these prophecies was possible in times past.
So my resolve is to keep seeking with others that are recognizing the signs until Jesus come again.
Have you heard anything about the year 2034? I have been reading from the websites that Jehovah Witnesses are saying that Armageddon will be then. What did Bible say about setting dates for Armageddon? We do not know the day or a year, only Jehovah does. It is not the first time when they do omens like that.
Marjo no I haven’t heard this date from the witnesses. I did, however, sit through a Bible Student session at their General convention and saw the computation for 2038. I raised my hand because the speaker admitted one 50 year figure was panning out. He said but let’s get past that and see these further figures. I asked 2 or 3 prominent elders (after one asked me have you heard all the brothers are saying 2038 is the year): Didn’t Jesus say no man knows not him but the Father?
All three said but he didn’t say we wouldn’t ever know! So I learned to stop asking about why clearly stated words are being ignored or taken lightly because there is always an answer to circumvent the Bible saying what it means and means what it says.
Don’t they know Jesus is the word of God and all info that they have He already had and could have used it to figure it out? He is the creator of all things, excepting Jehovah, yet he said no one.
Fragrant disregard for the clear statements in the Bible.