Twinky

Proverbs 19:24 A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

Friends, that's exactly right. Absolutely! Gotta pray for these guys, the BoD, your TWI leadership at all levels, etc. Wassmatter, didn't you ever read this verse? And who persecuted you more than the (TWI) household of God, and the leadership of TWI? <_<

LOL, Waysider!!!!

They detached themselves from reality a long time ago, by hiding in the cornfield and failing to have contact with people in their ordinary lives. They're suffering from delusions, group-think mentality. That place in Ohio is a sort of self-build lunatic asylum.

This is an easier to understand explanation of the love of God: Simple, huh? Explained once to the scribe, and he "got it" straight away. No need for fancy explanations, literals according to usage, foreign or cult words. And elsewhere, there is an explanation (Luke 10:29-37) that "neighbour" doesn't just mean those in the household, those of your tribe, cultural background, particular belief system...it means...EVERYONE. Bless those that persecute you...blessing is a part of agape.

The man donated thousands of dollars..."example of a successful believer"...Special treatment... Doesn't kowtow and moves on with life. Thereby becomes possessed... Gee. After all God had done for him. All those doors that had been opened for him. Who knows what was on offer at the special parties. Maybe that's why he left.

Who's this "most"? Cos it's new to people at the Cafe. If you have to stay home to take care of your family, do you not get some state aid to help you financially? Maybe because you spend your time making extraordinarily long posts, presenting yourself as an expert, refusing to answer reasonable requests, obfuscating. Stop whining and just get on with proper responses. How you spend the rest of your life is up to you. Obfuscation There's a burden of proof on any "expert" to show him/herself so, when they push their agenda as much as you're doing. What it's about, as you well know, is that all of us here have been scammed with this story once already. How does this proverb read in Aramaic, Hebrew or whatever else is your specialist subject?

And I didn't ask about your doctrine, I asked WHY YOU DIDN'T GET A JOB! At least put some effort into trying to get a job!! Or do you class yourself as self-employed? Self-employed cult leader?

Haven't the time or inclination to chase you around all over the internet, James. Nothing to stop you posting a BRIEF synopsis.

Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest to learn that the "Law of Believing" in a not too dissimilar format was taught n the first century...and in the century before that...and in the century before that...

James, I can see you say Nasi means President. I'm simply astonished that you give names and dates (as you say) from 30CE to 132CE numbered 1 to 15 then leap jauntily from that to yourself as 16th president in 1996. So this council lasts for a mere 100 years, for whatever reason does not continue, and then 1864 years later, 18.5 times the duration of the original council, it manages to reconvene itself and you magically appoint yourself as the next president? I note you picked up on that, but didn't asnwer this:

The bit about “Nasim” seems just a little over the top: (my emphasis) http://nazarenespace.ning.com/group/virtualchamberofhewnstone

Ah man, now we have it… http://nazarenespace...-avoid-4closure James, if these are your family circumstances, I am sorry that you are in difficulties. The way to escape financial difficulties could indeed be to set up your own cult and get people to support you. Many have found this extremely lucrative. Another method is to stop messing about glorifying yourself and your cronies, and get out there and do an honest day’s work. Feel some sweat on your brow as you put your back into some legitimate labor.

James, if you'd said this is a new start-up, you'd have got a better response. But you present it as though it's up and running, a serious magazine or what have you, something established. If you'd said, "I want to start this, do you have any articles you think would be of interest? And I will properly accredit them" - you'd probably have found a much more receptive bunch of people. If you've read much in these forums, you'll be aware that there are a lot of people here who maintain serious study of the Bible, who think deeply about what they read, who formulate a hypothesis or understanding of a word(s) or concept(s) and who offer that for genuine peer review by sharing it in these boards. Even those who may not wish to formulate a hypothesis can offer a comment or two that can genuinely give new insight. Please be honest.

I got into conversation with a Muslim woman I used to work with, about this sort of topic. She's what you might call a westernised Muslim: doesn't dress differently, does more or less what the general populace does, confident in herself as a woman, well educated, doesn't disappear off for prayer time several times a day... What I'm saying is, she wasn't someone that you might think of as fanatical or overtly religious. She told me that their faith requires of them that they give away one tenth of their income. >Who to? >>Whoever needs it. >To your mosque? >>No, only if you want to do that. >To help Muslims in other countries? >>If you want to, but you don't have to. >To other local Muslims? >>If you want to, but not if you don't want to. >Could you give it to the local dogs' home? >>If you want to. >Could you give it to a relative? >>If you want too. Her point was simply that you gave this amount of money, but to where you thought it would be of most use. It wasn't demanded or required to go directly into the coffers of the local mosque. Or even necessarily to support other Muslims. It was the giving away that helped them recognize that God is their sufficiency. And to give this money away honors God. And it was their individual choice - based, presumably on their individual recognition of need. I don't know if all Muslims subscribe to this point of view; maybe other mosques demand payment direct to themselves. Certainly, if you know you have to give away 1/10th of your money to people who have financial needs - you'll keep your eye open for those who ae the most deserving. Perhaps, as a requirement, it helps you see beyond yourself. I do know a lot of Christians who set aside a proportion of their income specifically to give away to those in need - charities or individuals. And that may be instead of giving to a local church; or they give only a part to the chuch and a part to those they know are in need.

Wow, just gotta be a bargain. From $10,000 down to $1,000 and now yours for only $20. And the rest.

Greasespot Cafe has helped so very many of us. It's an awesome self-help group. Brainfixed, you can shout us all a coffee. Maybe Pawtucket would welcome a financial contribution to the running costs of the board. Dunno how much ten years of therapy might cost you, but Paw's not out for a profit. Glad you're so much better and able to handle life!

Yikes, where have I heard that before? Sounds too much like "a worldwide, nondenominational Biblical research, teaching, and fellowship ministry to teach those who are hungering and thirsting for the truth how to understand the Bible." This also doesn't seem an honest thread. Post #1 asks for articles - but post #5 goes on to promote the poster's own work...again.

Hey OS I didn't say that TWI's lifestyle is Christian. But it is the lifestyle I'm doing my best to live. And, I guess, was - before a too-long diversion via Ohio.

Dunno what a Christian lifestyle has cost me. But the price paid to TWI was huge. Ever hear this one, or a variation on it? (Sometime said in church-y circles to uppity leaders/pastors....) "The congregation already has a savior - and it's not the pastor!"

What is this link, Donna? something with a .rm ending. What does it want, to open it? Is it worth opening? Precis, anyone?

From mstar's link: Included in the list of books banned in this district was the acclaimed novel about Japanese internment during WW II - Snow Falling on Cedars. This book was also challenged in the Richardson ISD Lake Highlands High School where it was used in the classroom. The report by the district stated that: "student's parent complained; however, student read book anyway even though an alternate book was on the list and allowed." So these bigots - ban a book about bigotry?

I think (and thought at the time) that the advanced class test was just a test to see how indoctrinated you were already. If you hadn't taken the bait so far, you were unlikely to do so with the Advanced Class. In fact, you might even see through it for the hocus-pocus that it was. But if you "passed" the test, you were obviously a good candidate to feed more junk food and to lay more burdens upon.

If we want something from God, it behooves us to play our part, too. We can't just be a-prayin' about things. A bit like someone saying, I want good health, I want to be healed of such and such an illness ...but never bothering to wash oneself or clean one's teeth or do any kind of "preventive" work. We might say we want good health...but then our actions negate that. And likewise, with other things, we can refuse to take appropriate action. We don't knock on the doors, don't write the letter, don't do our best in the job we've got... So we "claim" something with our mouths, but our actions (hearts) show otherwise. It reminded me of this: James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Were we, perhaps, tricked into saying to our own selves, "depart in peace, be warmed and filled" and not doing what was needful to our own bodies? Not doing what we needed, to get on in life? Not putting in the study, the hard work, the - whatever - to succeed in secular terms, but rather, expecting God to magically make what we wanted, come to pass? because we were so busy "studying the Word" (gag) which is more important? So, then, as we did all that Bible study, weren't we "earning" a response from God, rather than allowing his grace to bring it to pass? Shouldn't it be that, we get stuck into our normal daily life, or prepare for our activities, or whatever...always mindful of God's love and grace, always keeping him and what we perceive as his will, right in the forefront of our thinking and activities. That's just living "heartily as unto the Lord." And that gives God scope to bring us before those who can help us, to those who will open doors. For example, Joseph in prison in Egypt probably prayed a lot for release - but he also got on with the business of helping others, getting involved in their lives, developing his people-skills. He didn't sit in his cell all day hiding from the world - or on his knees praying (Genesis 39-41). Just think about that...do you reckon VPW got his eye removed...by a "believer" who believed God to "work in him" and move his fingers in the right place to carry out the surgery - or do you suppose the surgeon had practiced and practiced and practiced, and made sure he was as skillful as possible when he worked on patients? I do believe that prayer works. I do believe that God can go over and above anything that we pray for. And I do believe that some prayers require considerable "input" from us. Our lives should be prayers in action.

Sounds a bit "Prince Caspian" to me (Narnia series). If that's the future ... I'm joining somewhere else RIGHT NOW. What a horrid version of The Return. VPW is the captain, and Jesus (not mentioned) is no doubt pulling on the oars as a galley slave or some such, huh?