May 24 2022 Truth in the Age of the Internet

PJ54

Well-known member
*** Text for Tuesday, May 24, 2022 ***
Jehovah will sustain him on his sickbed.—Ps. 41:3.
When we are not feeling well and especially if we are dealing with a chronic illness, we may find it hard to think positively. So turn to Jehovah for support. While he does not cure us miraculously now, he does comfort us and can give us the strength we need so as to endure. (Ps. 94:19) For example, he may move fellow Christians to come to our aid when we need help with chores. He may move our brothers to pray with us. Or he may bring back to our mind comforting thoughts found in his Word, such as the wonderful hope of perfect life without sickness and pain in the coming new world. (Rom. 15:4) However, we may feel limited in what we can do in the ministry. A sister named Laurel was confined to an iron lung for 37 years! She endured cancer, major surgeries, and chronic skin disorders. But it did not silence her. She witnessed to nurses and attendants who came to her home and helped at least 17 people come to an accurate knowledge of the Bible! w20.12 24 ¶9; 25 ¶12

Truth in the Age of the Internet​


Wednesday, July 8 2020
Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things. I will appoint you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master. —Matt. 25:21.
Even before Jehovah’s Son came to earth and set a perfect example of how to impart encouragement, faithful servants of Jehovah were conscious of the need to be encouraging. When threatened by the Assyrians, Hezekiah assembled the military chiefs and the people of Judah to encourage them. “And the people were strengthened by [his] words.” (2 Chron. 32:6-8) Although in need of consolation himself, Job gave his three “troublesome comforters” a lesson in giving encouragement. He told them that if he had been in their place, he ‘would have strengthened them with the words of his mouth, and the consolation of his lips would have brought them relief.’ (Job 16:1-5) Finally, Job received encouragement from Elihu and from Jehovah himself. —Job 33:24, 25; 36:1, 11; 42:7, 10. w18.04 16 ¶6; 17 ¶8-9

Jehovah’s Witnesses are certainly in need of encouragement. There is so much negativity. Worst of all, the source of much of the discouragement is from within the organization; from fellow believers and from the Watchtower itself. Sadly, elders are often responsible for discouraging others.
I remember back a few years ago, it must have been 1993 or thereabouts, there was a brief announcement made during the Service Meeting warning JW’s to stay off the Internet. At the time I didn’t even know what the Internet was, but it sure didn’t sound good. A short time later, though, I was whizzing along on the information superhighway, along with everyone else.

Now JW’s are all connected to the world wide web and the Watchtower utilizes it in a big way. No one goes anywhere without their device. The downside for the organization is that there is a free flow of information. Some of it is not very encouraging.

For example, when Jehovah’s Witnesses watch a member of the Governing Body sitting before authorities in Australia lying and obfuscating, it can be very discouraging. Or, how many tens of thousands of JW’s have seen the viral footage of a Governing Body member in a liquor store on Sunday morning with a cart loaded with expensive scotch? Again, not very encouraging unless, perhaps, you were invited to the party at Warwick.

No doubt Jehovah’s Witnesses are also discouraged because fewer and fewer people are receptive to the Watchtower’s message they carry. Quite likely a contributing factor in that is, again, the Internet. Over the years I have received quite a few emails from people who are studying with Jehovah’s Witnesses and are very wary of going forward because of what they have read online. I try to encourage them to stick with the program and learn as much as they can. I try to provide honest and truthful answers to their questions.

On the other hand, some long-time JW’s who have been stumbled and who have become totally disgusted with the Watchtower are greatly encouraged when they digest the information presented on The Watchman’s Post and on my YouTube channel. Some people, of course, are skeptical; but others allow God’s word to speak to them in a way that is not possible when the Scriptures are filtered through the Watchtower. I wish I were able to reach more, as I am fully convinced of the things presented here.

But whether people listen or refuse, as a facilitator, I hope to be judged as having been faithful over the few things entrusted to me.

 

SusanB

Well-known member
…On the other hand, some long-time JW’s who have been stumbled and who have become totally disgusted with the Watchtower are greatly encouraged when they digest the information presented on The Watchman’s Post and on my YouTube channel. Some people, of course, are skeptical; but others allow God’s word to speak to them in a way that is not possible when the Scriptures are filtered through the Watchtower. I wish I were able to reach more, as I am fully convinced of the things presented here.

But whether people listen or refuse, as a facilitator, I hope to be judged as having been faithful over the few things entrusted to me.
The above statement is very true in my case and I completely appreciate this forum as a source of discussion. I thank Jehovah, who I believe led me here. And, I thank Brother Robert King and all on the forum whose true intent is to comfort and buildup. As the Hawaiians say, “Mahalo!”
 

LifeLearning

Well-known member
In the video attached to the post above, Robert King discusses a question from a JW asking:

"...what scriptural evidence is there... ...that Jehovah chose the 'bible students' to do his work... "

I found myself asking a similar question as I was reading in Nehemiah last night. I got to about chapter 8, and said wait: Jehovah has not said anything here. I went back and read the first few chapters again, specifically looking for any reference to why Nehemiah went rebuilding the wall and the city. Jehovah did not command it (from what I can tell), and Nehemiah was not a prophet.

I think it logical that Jehovah had something to do with what Nehemiah did, and what the King agreed to allow him to do. But Nehemiah did this of his own accord with prayer to Jehovah, but not with answer or direction. Nehemiah trusted what Jehovah said through Moses generations prior:

"If you act unfaithfully, I will scatter you among the peoples. But if you return to me and observe my commandments and obey them, though your dispersed people should be at the end of the heavens, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place that I have chosen to have my name reside."

Nehemiah searched the law of Moses, and finding what the commandments were (clearly new to him) he made them known to the people, and had them make an oath to follow it. “So in view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing, and it is attested by the seal of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.” -9:38

I started to see a lot of correlation with the building done by the bible students. They started to rebuild. They made great progress. But they had to return to the king so they were not able to stay the whole time. Nehemiah also returned to his king, and (some time) later when he was able to go back to o Jerusalem he found the leadership mistreating the Levites and the singers such that they had left the city. Sound familiar?
 
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