Text For Monday, 07 May 2007

[barry]

She has fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen!—Rev. 14:8.

From God’s viewpoint, Babylon the Great has already fallen. In 1919, Jehovah’s anointed servants were set free from the bondage of Babylonish doctrines and practices. (Rev. 17:1, 15) That is not all. The final destruction of Babylon the Great is soon to come. (Rev. 18:21) With good reason, the Bible urges people everywhere: “Get out of her [Babylon the Great] . . . if you do not want to share with her in her sins.” (Rev. 18:4, 5) How do we get out of Babylon the Great? This involves more than just severing any ties with false religion. Babylonish influence is present in many popular celebrations and customs, in the world’s permissive attitude toward sex, in the promoting of entertainment involving spiritism, and much more. Therefore, it is vital that both in our actions and in the desires of our heart, we give evidence that we are truly separate from Babylon the Great in every way. w 10/1/05 16, 17

[Kenneth]

How can this be the case when the Watchtower still had pagan practice such as Christmas, birthday celebration and the like that were part of Babylonish teaching long after 1919? Also there is absolutely no evidence that Babylon fell in 1919 'From God's viewpoint' none whatsoever. In fact religion has gone from strength to strength.


Boom in Christianity reshapes Methodists

Over the last decade, the number of United Methodists outside the U.S. more than tripled. The denomination's largest district is now in the West African nation of Ivory Coast. At the next national church assembly, the 2008 General Conference in Texas, overseas delegates will have more say than ever in the church's future - as many as 30 percent could come from abroad.

"Trends suggest that Christianity is going to continue to grow as a global phenomenon

Nearly 8 million United Methodists are now in the U.S., with another 3.5 million church members overseas. The denomination is the third-largest in the nation behind Roman Catholics and Southern Baptists, and middle-class worshippers mostly fill the pews of its American churches.[/b]

Now how it is that Babylon fell in 1919 when religions are spring up all over the world. :icon_rolleyes:

[eyes&ears]

Well Kenneth,

As I like to say I only eat the good food and NOT the SPIRITIUAL GOOBLY GOOK.

To be honest, and this is just me and my statement that now works for me. I don't care about any dates and I will not get all wrapped up in them and lose focus. Their nonsense in certain areas almost made me leave Jehovah that is how angry I was in the past.

They can quote dates and say whatever, I will focus on what Jehovah says and do the best that I can within the framework of all that GOOBLY GOOK until Jehovah FIXES STUFF. IT AIN'T EASY, BUT THOSE ARE MY PLANS. I WILL KEEP MY EYES & EARS OPEN AND MY BIG MOUTH SHUT UNTIL JEHOVAH SAYS TO OPEN IT REGARDING CERTAIN INFO WE HAVE LEARNED.

I am so very very thankful of all the information I have learned in the past from the org. Very thankful to Jehovah. But when they get STUPID, I have learned to SPIT OUT THE BAD SEEDS AND KEEP ON STEPPING.

It took lots of falling down, but Jehovah allowed me to get back up and try again. So I will keep holding on to Jehovah not nonsense. With Jehovah's spirit and direction and all the help of everyone here, Watchman's commentaries and essays I am now able to keep GOING AND GOING AND GOING, and distinguish foolishness from what really is.


My point, I WILL STAY FOCUSED. Any SPIRITUAL STUFF THEY PRINT THAT GOES BEYOND OR DOES NOT LINE UP WITH JEHOVAH'S WORD IS GOOBLY GOOK AND I WILL DISCARD IT.

Our next two lessons in the WT... LOYAL TO CHRIST AND HIS FAITHFUL SLAVE and

HUMBLY SUBMITTING TO LOVING SHEPHERDS IS GONNA TAKE LOTS OF PRAYER FOR ME TO SIT IN THAT SEAT AND GO THROUGH THIS.

APRIL 1, Watchtower.

OK I will shutup now. No more rambling today :Love: :wave:

Sisterly love to everyone

E & E


Hold on tight to Jehovah everyone and don't lose focus. When we see goobly gook like this, MAKE SURE OF ALL THINGS. Jehovah is gonna hold us accountable for our decisions, choices and spirituality. OKEY DOKEY.

[Candace]

The Proclaimer's book belies that claim Kenneth:

*** jv chap. 14 p. 199 “They Are No Part of the World” ***

This holiday was celebrated yearly even by members of the Watch Tower Society’s headquarters staff at the Bethel Home in Brooklyn, New York. For many years they had been aware that December 25 was not the correct date, but they reasoned that the date had long been popularly associated with the birth of the Savior and that doing good for others was proper on any day. However, after further investigation of the subject, the members of the Society’s headquarters staff, as well as the staffs at the Society’s branch offices in England and in Switzerland, decided to stop sharing in Christmas festivities, so no Christmas celebration was held there after 1926.

R. H. Barber, a member of the headquarters staff who made a thorough investigation of the origin of Christmas customs and the fruitage that these were yielding, presented the results in a radio broadcast. That information was also published in The Golden Age of December 12, 1928. It was a thorough exposé of the God-dishonoring roots of Christmas. Since then, the pagan roots of Christmas customs have become general public knowledge, but few people make changes in their way of life as a result. On the other hand, Jehovah’s Witnesses were willing to make needed changes in order to be more acceptable as servants of Jehovah.

[Kenneth]

We need not here repeat the evidences that the 'seventh trumpet' began its sounding in A.D. 1840, and will continue until the end of the time of trouble.

Six Thousand years from the creation of Adam were complete in A.D. 1872, and hence that since A.D. 1872, we chronologically entered upon the seventh thousand or the Millenium

We would like to correct this misapprehension once for all, by stating that we do not expect Jesus to come this year, nor any other year, for we believe that all time prophecies (bearing upon Jesus' coming) ended at and before the fall of 1874, and that He came there, and the second advent is now in progress and will continue during the entire Millennial age. We believe that his presence will be revealed to the eyes of men's understandings gradually during this 'Day of the Lord,' (forty years - from 1874 to 1914,) as it now is to ours; except that we, discern it through the word of prophecy revealed by the Spirit, and they will recognize his presence by His judgment upon Nominal Zion, and the World.

The Kingdom of God is already begun, which is pointed out in prophecy as due to begin the exercise of power in A.D. 1878, and that the "battle of the great day of God Almighty" which will end in 1914 with the complete overthrow of the earth's present rulership, is already commenced.

The Millennium of peace and blessing would be introduced by forty years of trouble, beginning slightly in 1874 and increasing until social chaos should prevail in 1914…

The parallel, therefore, would establish definitely that the harvest would close forty years thereafter; to wit, in the spring of A.D. 1918. If this be true, and the evidence is very conclusive that it is true, then we have only a few months in which to labor before the great night settles down when no man can work.

The date 1925 is even more distinctly indicated by the Scriptures than 1914.

Our thought is, that 1925 is definitely settled by the Scriptures. As to Noah, the Christian now has much more upon which to base his faith than Noah had upon which to base his faith in a coming deluge.[/b]

[barry]

Hi E&E,

I try to do the same at the meetings. Just listen to what is spiritually upbuilding and think over this, and let the other things go in one ear and out at the other.
Just going to meetings, even when there is nothing upbuilding to be said, can be upbuilding by talking with our brothers and sisters.

[Jeshurun]

I could be wrong but I think that there is much more to Babylon the Great than just the outward manifestation of false religion and Babylonian practices. Revelation refers to her as a "mystery", which IMO means that her ultimate existence is in the shadows practicing Freemasonry to mislead the world down the path of destruction. It's going to be very interesting to see what happens when Babylon the Great is utterly destroyed by the kings she misleads and commits adultery with. What will be left? My guess is outright devil worship and the Luciferian doctrine.

The idea that BTG fell in 1919 is ludicrous beyond any semblance of sanity. My oh my has 1914 led to a plethora of wildly fabricated fairy tales!

[Berean]

1926[/b]
That's a good bit of detective work, Candace. It really shows that 1919 is a bogus year when it comes to getting rid of Babylonian influences. Do they really think that if Christ came to inspect his temple he would say 'Oh, yeah, sure, you can celebrate Christmas for another decade, I don't mind'?

[Dorcas]

Well Kenneth,

As I like to say I only eat the good food and NOT the SPIRITIUAL GOOBLY GOOK.

To be honest, and this is just me and my statement that now works for me. I don't care about any dates and I will not get all wrapped up in them and lose focus. Their nonsense in certain areas almost made me leave Jehovah that is how angry I was in the past.

They can quote dates and say whatever, I will focus on what Jehovah says and do the best that I can within the framework of all that GOOBLY GOOK until Jehovah FIXES STUFF. IT AIN'T EASY, BUT THOSE ARE MY PLANS. I WILL KEEP MY EYES & EARS OPEN AND MY BIG MOUTH SHUT UNTIL JEHOVAH SAYS TO OPEN IT REGARDING CERTAIN INFO WE HAVE LEARNED.

I am so very very thankful of all the information I have learned in the past from the org. Very thankful to Jehovah. But when they get STUPID, I have learned to SPIT OUT THE BAD SEEDS AND KEEP ON STEPPING.

It took lots of falling down, but Jehovah allowed me to get back up and try again. So I will keep holding on to Jehovah not nonsense. With Jehovah's spirit and direction and all the help of everyone here, Watchman's commentaries and essays I am now able to keep GOING AND GOING AND GOING, and distinguish foolishness from what really is.


My point, I WILL STAY FOCUSED. Any SPIRITUAL STUFF THEY PRINT THAT GOES BEYOND OR DOES NOT LINE UP WITH JEHOVAH'S WORD IS GOOBLY GOOK AND I WILL DISCARD IT.

Our next two lessons in the WT... LOYAL TO CHRIST AND HIS FAITHFUL SLAVE and

HUMBLY SUBMITTING TO LOVING SHEPHERDS IS GONNA TAKE LOTS OF PRAYER FOR ME TO SIT IN THAT SEAT AND GO THROUGH THIS.

APRIL 1, Watchtower.

OK I will shutup now. No more rambling today :Love: :wave:

Sisterly love to everyone

E & E


Hold on tight to Jehovah everyone and don't lose focus. When we see goobly gook like this, MAKE SURE OF ALL THINGS. Jehovah is gonna hold us accountable for our decisions, choices and spirituality. OKEY DOKEY.[/b]
Dear E&E,
Bravo!!! http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15/15_10_6.gif
To support and strengthen your focus, if one were to look through back WT issues, one would find the names of various groups of people who discovered (and tried to practice) a 'piece' of the Truth. The fullness of info we now have did not just appear out of nowhere when Br. Russell came along. We all must continue to search for the Truth from the scriptures DAILY to make sure of what we're told. That will keep us from becoming lazy and letting the WT or anyone else do our thinking for us.
Love to you, Dorcas http://e-jehovahs-witnesses.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/MSN%20Vlinder.gif