Re-educating the Crab Spider

Saturday was the Butterfly AGM. We set off in the morning, laden with a large box of marmalade muffins.   The Captain was on carpark duty and I was in the school kitchen.

Our first talk - after the tedious but necessary business of the Annual General Meeting  (ably and swiftly conducted by Nigel) - was by a professor who is an expert on moths and moth&butterfly wings.  I heard his name as Professor Moths, but was disappointed later to find out it was Moss.  I couldn't hear too well at all as my tinnitus was bad - screaming in my ear and making me feel quite dizzy at one point.

We broke for tea and cake, and I had intended to go and help serve but was detained on Membership Secretary business.  I turned up in time for the washing up and helped wash and dry millions of cups, plates and saucers until Michael Blencowe's talk began. We all rushed off to listen, leaving the rest of the pots for later. Captain Butterfly, helped us at the end of the day and we did get them all done.

Michael gave us a concise, interesting and funny review of the Butterfly year - including a small clip of his appearance on Springwatch.

We saw the beauty and the complexity of the world - the exquisite detail of the moth and butterfly wings alone speaks so clearly of the Grand Creator, Jehovah of armies.  

Two sad things.  Jehovah was neither mentioned nor thanked - so different from at the Kingdom Hall where we often discuss the beauty and the glory of the creation.     And also "the original serpent" is still in the garden.  We saw a crab spider munching on a severely endangered Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary.  Very upsetting.   If it must eat butterflies for the moment, perhaps we could train it to eat a more populous species?

Although of course only the incoming Kingdom of God is going to restore the loving harmony in nature that prevailed in Eden.  
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Butterfly Mark was there, though I only said a brief hello from the kitchen sink, where I was up to my elbows in soapy water and cups and saucers.

The Third Circuit Overseer Talk

This was his last talk, after the shortened Watchtower study on Sunday.  Once again it is reconstructed from the notes I took - indecipherable scrawl, indecipherable scrawl - so not perfect, but I hope accurate.  My arthritic hands were getting feebler by the moment.   And this week my shoulders are bad, very painful - whinge, whinge.

CIRCUIT OVERSEER TALK, Sunday 2nd November 2014

DO NOT LET YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES CONTROL YOUR LIFE

How do we feel when we are victims of injustice, and when we see all the injustice around us?

And every one of us is a victim of injustice.  We are born imperfect and dying - we all suffer because of what Satan and our first parents did.   We suffer from our own imperfections - we become sick and die - and we suffer because we are no longer living in Paradise, but in a world full of injustice and violence.

How should we deal with it?   We are going to see how, with Jehovah's guidance, we can turn this negative situation into a positive, so that it doesn't overwhelm us.

We then read Proverbs 24:10: "If you become discouraged in the day of distress, Your strength will be meagre..

It's so easy to be discouraged but whatever the situation, we can take control.  How?

We then studied the example of Joseph - his behaviour in the face of injustice upon injustice.

We started with Genesis 37:3,4:  "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons because he was the son of his old age, and he had a special robe made for him.  When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they began to hate him, and they could not speak peaceably to him."

Joseph was only 17.  It was not his fault he was his father's favourite, but it greatly enraged his brothers.

Did he wear this special robe often, too often?  Probably.  Would it have been more tactful not to?  Yes, but he was only a teenager.

We then looked at verses  5 to 11 (in Genesis 37):  " Later Joseph had a dream and told it to his brothers, and they found further reason to hate him. He said to them: “Please listen to this dream that I had. There we were binding sheaves in the middle of the field when my sheaf got up and stood erect and your sheaves encircled and bowed down to my sheaf.”  His brothers said to him: “Are you really going to make yourself king over us and dominate us?” So they found another reason to hate him, because of his dreams and what he said.  After that he had still another dream, and he related it to his brothers: “I have had another dream. This time the sun and the moon and 11 stars were bowing down to me.”  Then he related it to his father as well as his brothers, and his father rebuked him and said to him: “What is the meaning of this dream of yours? Am I as well as your mother and your brothers really going to come and bow down to the earth to you?”  And his brothers grew jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind."

This dream told Joseph that there would come a time when not only his brothers, but his parents too, would bow down to him.   Being seventeen, naive, exuberant, he rushed to tell them.  It goes down, as the Speaker says, "like a lead balloon" with his brothers.  But his father is more thoughtful about it.

We then looked at verse 18 in the same chapter:   "Now they caught sight of him from a distance, and before he reached them, they began plotting against him to put him to death."

That robe again!  Is that why they saw him from a distance?

We then read verses 19 and 20: " So they said to one another: “Look! Here comes that dreamer. Come, now, let us kill him and pitch him into one of the waterpits, and we will say that a vicious wild animal devoured him. Then let us see what will become of his dreams.”

This shows the hatred his brothers had for him.

The Speaker then read verses 26-28: "At this Judah said to his brothers: “What profit would there be if we killed our brother and covered over his blood?  Come, now, let us sell him to the Ish′ma·el·ites, and do not let our hand be upon him. After all, he is our brother, our flesh.” So they listened to their brother. And when the Mid′i·an·ite merchants were passing by, they lifted Joseph up out of the waterpit and sold him to the Ish′ma·el·ites for 20 pieces of silver. These men took Joseph into Egypt."

His brothers sold him for the price of a slave.   How must Joseph have felt?  He was only 17, none of this was his fault, he had done nothing wrong, apart from possibly being a bit tactless. He must have begged and pleaded with his brothers not to do this, but they sold him anyway.

He was then sold into Egypt, into the House of Potiphar.   Then, heaping injustice on injustice, when he was in his twenties, Joseph was imprisoned on false charges because he turned down the advances of Potiphar's wife.

Genesis 39:9:  "There is no one greater in this house than I am, and he has not withheld from me anything at all except you, because you are his wife. So how could I commit this great badness and actually sin against God?”

Psalm 105:17,18:  "He sent ahead of them a man Who was sold to be a slave, Joseph.  With fetters they bound his feet; His neck was put in irons"

He was confined in very cruel conditions, yet Joseph was innocent.

The Speaker then read Genesis 41:46:  "Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before Phar′aoh king of Egypt. Then Joseph went out from before Phar′aoh and traveled throughout all the land of Egypt."

He was sold into slavery at 17 - and released from prison at the age of 30.  So he spent 13 years in captivity - a lifetime at that age - and all because of jealousy.  He had strong reasons to be resentful about his stolen life.

So how did Joseph make something so positive out of it?

We can learn three lessons:

1.   Let go of resentment.

2.   Make the best of whatever situation we are in now.

3.  Wait on Jehovah.

That is what Joseph did.   He had an extraordinary life.  He went from slave to prisoner to Prime Minister - becoming the second most important man in the land!  He became the Food Administrator for the whole of Egypt

When he was in his late thirties, his father, Jacob, sent his sons to Egypt to obtain food, as Canaan was undergoing the severe famine prophesied in Pharaoh's dream.  The sons came in to the Food Administrator, and did obeisance to him.  So his dream came true.

They have no idea that he is their brother - there is an interpreter between them - they don't even know he can understand what they are saying.  But he knows who they are.

Genesis 42:21-25:  "And they said to one another: “We are surely being punished on account of our brother, because we saw his distress when he begged us to show compassion, but we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”  Then Reu′ben answered them: “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not sin against the child,’ but you would not listen? Now his blood is certainly being asked back.”  But they did not know that Joseph understood, for there was an interpreter between them.  So he turned away from them and began to weep. When he returned and spoke to them again, he took Sim′e·on from them and bound him before their eyes.  Joseph then gave the command to fill up their bags with grain and to return each man’s money to his own sack and to give them provisions for the journey. This was done for them."

Here Joseph is given a perfect opportunity to take revenge - yet he does the opposite.  He brings his brothers and their families to Egypt and places them in the Land of Goshen, the best of the land.    However, later, when their father dies, the brothers worry that Joseph might have been holding back for the sake of his father, and that he will now take his revenge.

Genesis 50:18-21:   "Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said: “Here we are as slaves to you!”  Joseph said to them: “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God?  Although you meant to harm me, God intended it to turn out well and to preserve many people alive, as he is doing today.  So now do not be afraid. I will keep supplying you and your little children with food.” Thus he comforted them and spoke reassuringly to them."

He did not hold one ounce of resentment - he had truly let it go. 

Here is the example for us. Whatever the wrong, can we let it go?   Don't be eaten up by the injustice, as resentment can do even more harm than the injustice itself.

We can control our reactions.  I notice that I have underlined the following Scripture in my notes:

Romans 12:17-19:  " Return evil for evil to no one. Take into consideration what is fine from the viewpoint of all men.  If possible, as far as it depends on you, be peaceable with all men.  Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but yield place to the wrath; for it is written: “‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay,’ says Jehovah.”"

The second lesson is that we can and should make the best of the situation we are in now.   Give attention to what we can do, and do it.   Genesis 39:4 says:  "Joseph kept finding favour in his eyes, and he became his personal attendant. So he appointed him over his house, and he put him in charge of all that was his."

That is what Joseph did, and Jehovah blessed him for it.  When he was in prison, did he give up?   Did he "put his feet up and play his xbox games"?    No.

Genesis 39:21-23 tells us:  " But Jehovah continued with Joseph and kept showing loyal love to him and granting him favour in the eyes of the chief officer of the prison. So the chief officer of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners in the prison, and everything that they were doing there, he was the one having it done.  The chief officer of the prison was looking after absolutely nothing that was in Joseph’s care, for Jehovah was with Joseph and Jehovah made whatever he did successful."

Joseph refused to be controlled by circumstances - he turned to Jehovah for help, and how wonderfully Jehovah helped him.

This is such a good lesson for us.  We can still serve Jah no matter what our circumstances.

Philippians 4:11-13 shows us how well Paul knew that:  "Not that I am saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be self-sufficient regardless of my circumstances. I know how to be low on provisions and how to have an abundance. In everything and in all circumstances I have learned the secret of both how to be full and how to hunger, both how to have an abundance and how to do without. For all things I have the strength through the one who gives me power."

But we can't do this in our own strength, we must always rely on Jehovah, our Creator.

So, to summarise, we can let go of resentment, make the best of our circumstances, and rely on Jehovah.

The Speaker closed with three Bible verses:

Genesis 45:5:  "But now do not be upset and do not reproach one another because you sold me here; because God has sent me ahead of you for the preservation of life."

Micah 7:7:   "But as for me, I will keep on the lookout for Jehovah. I will show a waiting attitude for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me."

Psalm 34:8:   "Taste and see that Jehovah is good; Happy is the man who takes refuge in him."

Yes.

Hello Julia! (and another Landmark)

Hello Julia, if you are reading this.  Lovely to talk to you this evening.

Its been a busy day for me - shopping - pile of ironing - making cakes for the Butterfly AGM tomorrow - marmalade muffins, 2 batches (they have turned out well, thank goodness) - and wading through my expenses as Audrey asked me if I would bring them with me tomorrow and she will write me a cheque. Its amazing how the postage costs add up.

Another landmark yesterday.   I went with Steve to Richard's Bible study.  It must be nearly two year since I last saw him as I couldn't get up the stairs in his flats.   He is coming on really well, but still isn't getting to the meetings.   The meeting was lovely - and Col chauffered me, which was a very nice surprise.  It was a wild and stormy night, with roadworks.

The Weather in the Streets

Pulborough Brooks

"I do want to come to England and see you, but when will it be warm there?"

That was a question Shantha, a friend in Saudi, asked me.  She is from Southern India, where it is always warm (to put it mildly). She found even the Saudi winter hard to take, so I was a bit at a loss to think of when would be a safe time of climate for her to come - beyond Do Not Come to the UK in Winter!!

Yesterday, for example, as the Team of Shirley and Sue rode out from the Kingdom Hall on the field service, it was a perfect Autumn day, and very mild.  The sky was a tender heartbreaking blue. The red berries and colours of Autumn glowed against it.  No clouds.   We did an hour (we both have bad backs) and I took Shirley home via a call she has (sadly the lady was out) went home, had lunch, and went straight out to shop - good time to find a Disabled space in the Waitrose carpark.  When I came out from my brief shop the skies were dark and it was cold and raining.  And it pelted it down for most of the rest of the afternoon.

Later in the day we had a rainbow.

The weather is an exciting and unpredictable thing in the UK.   And a summer's day here could be colder than any weather my friend has ever known.

Will she come one day though?  I hope so.

The Second Circuit Overseer Talk

(Once again, this is reconstructed from my notes, some of which I can't now read.  So I hope its all accurate if not complete).

HOW GODLY WISDOM BENEFITS US

C.O Talk 2nd November 1014

The Speaker started with an illustration about being with our mother in our childhood kitchen. She has cooked something for us and we refuse to taste it, on the grounds that we don't like it.  Reasonably she asks us how we can know if we like it or not if we refuse even to taste it.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

He was comparing this with the attitude many people today have towards the Bible. They reject it without even finding out what it contains.  Many people now would feel it is old-fashioned, simply out of date.  But have they actually read it?

We live in what is called an "enlightened age", so probably many people feel they have no need for guidance.  We have it sorted.   But... while we are so grateful for so many of the wonderful advances in science and medicine etc, there is a flipside.  Something is terribly wrong.  We only have to look at the news.

Why can we not get it right?   The Speaker then read Jeremiah 8:9:   "The wise have been put to shame. They have become terrified and will be caught. Look! They have rejected the word of Jehovah, And what wisdom do they have?"

They have rejected the word of Jehovah - so what wisdom they have?

The Speaker then read us Jesus' words at Matthew 11:18,19: "Likewise, John came neither eating nor drinking, but people say, ‘He has a demon.'  The Son of man did come eating and drinking, but people say, ‘Look! A man who is a glutton and is given to drinking wine, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ All the same, wisdom is proved righteous by its works.”"

The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

YOUNG ONES

The Speaker talked about what the world offers to our young ones, and what happens if you go along with it.    He read Proverbs 13:20: "The one walking with the wise will become wise, But the one who has dealings with the stupid will fare badly."

The world can make it seem that the moral standards set out in God's word are old-fashioned and restrictive - yet they are for our good, for our protection. They will keep us safe.

The Bible puts the world and all it offers into perspective and shows up its futility and emptiness.  What it offers its not real, not lasting.  It is like stage scenery.

We then looked at Psalm 119.9: " How can a young man keep his path clean? By keeping on guard according to your word."

And, with that verse in mind, he discussed the example of a young brother called Alexander.  He was brought up in the truth (Christianity being called "the way of the truth"), but when he became 19 he began to think much more seriously about it.  He began to read and study the Bible regularly, cutting down on other things to do so.   He started every day with Bible reading.   And he began to understand its value, to realise that Jehovah, our Creator really wants us to come to know Him

MARRIED COUPLES

The Speaker asked us how the world views marriage.  Doesn't it undermine marriage and the relationship between husband and wife at every turn?   Think of the pre-nup - the plan for the divorce set in place before the marriage!

How different Jehovah's view of marriage is.   We read Ephesians 5:28,33:  "In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself."   "Nevertheless, each one of you must love his wife as he does himself; on the other hand, the wife should have deep respect for her husband."

If both partners apply these principles, they will have a happy marriage.  There will still be problems of course - we are imperfect people, living in a very stressful world.  So, when problems occur, how should we handle them?   

The world will say: leave the marriage, flee from it.  But Jehovah's word tells us how to restore a peaceful relationship.  We looked at James 3:17,18: "But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, reasonable, ready to obey, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, not hypocritical. Moreover, the fruit of righteousness is sown in peaceful conditions for those who are making peace."

If we apply the above, we seek peace, we can restore the peaceful relationship.

The Speaker then read, in contrast, James 3:14-16: "But if you have bitter jealousy and contentiousness in your hearts, do not be bragging and lying against the truth.  This is not the wisdom that comes down from above; it is earthly, animalistic, demonic.  For wherever there are jealousy and contentiousness, there will also be disorder and every vile thing."

The Speaker then gave the example of  Marilyn, a sister whose marriage became very troubled; but as she came to realise that there were faults and failings on both sides, she applied the principles above, and so her husband began to apply them too, and the relationship was healed.

He reminded us that we live in very challenging times and we need to cling to Jehovah's advice more strongly all the time.

ECONOMIC PRESSURES

The world will advise us to get and keep a high standard of living - whatever the cost to family life.  The speaker here read a Scripture that I didn't get noted down.   Some leave their families behind to go and work in another country where they can earn a much higher wage and give their family a better life materially. Some may stay away for years - only able to see their family once a year - maybe not even that.

There are great dangers in doing this. How can you provide emotionally and spiritually for your family when you are not with them?

There are great moral dangers too - with husband and wife being separated for years.  (I have seen a lot of this first hand, having been an expat myself for many years, with my husband. But many husbands were there without their wives, and wives without their husbands. Some were not able to leave, as the employer held their passport. There are many many dangers - so I know what wise advice this is.)

Husband and wife need to be together.  And the children need to be with the parents.  

If we listen to Jehovah and obey him, he will provide what we need.  We then read Proverbs 28:6:  "Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than a rich man whose ways are corrupt."

HEALTH PROBLEMS

We all want and need perfect health.   But not at any cost.  We should take great care of this precious gift of life, but not at the cost of our service to Jehovah.

We then read Proverbs 14:15:   "The naive person believes every word, But the shrewd one ponders each step."

Some alternative healing methods involve the occult.   We must be careful and must let Jehovah's word guide all our health decisions.

Studying, being at our meetings, witnessing will help us in every way.   Jehovah understands if we can't do as much as we would like.  He only ever asks of us what we can do.    We talked about the Widow's mite. That tiny amount of money she put in the Treasury Chest was all she had, and was very precious to Jehovah.

COPING WITH THE STRESS OF LONELINESS

The Speaker read 2 Corinthians 4:18: " while we keep our eyes, not on the things seen, but on the things unseen. For the things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are everlasting."

Many are single within the truth, for various reasons, but never forget that we have 8 million siblings!    We belong to a warm, loving, worldwide family.

In conclusion, whatever challenges we face, if we always trust in the wisdom of Jehovah - the wisdom in his Inspired Word, the Bible - we will come through safely.

Our last Scripture was James 1:5, a lovely reassuring verse:    "So if any one of you is lacking in wisdom, let him keep asking God, for he gives generously to all and without reproaching, and it will be given him."

STUDY, PRAY AND ASK JEHOVAH FOR WISDOM

TASTE AND SEE THAT JEHOVAH IS GOOD FOR ALL ETERNITY

I drove to Arundel on Saturday morning - with much fear and trembling and a lot of prayers to Jehovah.  One of my young brothers came with me to navigate, as I didn't know the particular territory we were going to.    I prayed extra for him, my precious cargo - a young brother and father - that I would drive safely and well.

And I have to say it went so smoothly. The roundabouts emptied as we got there and we sailed round in stately fashion. Lloyd said what a lovely easy run we were having, and I admitted I had been praying a lot about it.   We got there first I think!    And I worked with the Circuit Overseer's wife, so I learnt a lot.  As I have from the whole visit.  Its applying it now, of course.

And we went to Jackie's for supper - chicken kiev, with veggies and ratatouille - followed by carrot cake.  A lovely funny evening as always, with great food (as always).

Should he have gone to Specsavers?

"I'm going to Flat No ... this morning to deliver the October magazines," I informed Captain Butterfly. "So, if the guy there is dazzled by my beauty and decides to kidnap me for his harem, you will know what to do!"

"Don't worry" said the Captain, "If that happens, I'll rush him to Specsavers, pronto."

I wonder what treatment Specsavers would recommend for a husband with two black eyes?

I went to the Field Service group yesterday afternoon, and Jane kindly came out with me.  And I drove her round the remains of her magazine route calls for October. We were both trying to get them done before November starts.  And hopefully we now have.  We had a lovely talk with a lady who has just had a new hip installed, and were able to commiserate with each other.  So I felt useful. Another gift from Jehovah, and another reason to rejoice in the truth.

She coped well with my driving, being a valiant sister.

I also supplied Captain Butterfly with his sandwich lunch, and made us veggie soup for supper - plus some studying and a whole load of washing - and talked to Bea. She is creating some intriguing pincushion art at the moment.   And the Arthritis nurse phoned - it looks like a shoulder xray may be looming up...

Circuit Overseer Talk: REJOICE WITH THE TRUTH

This is re-created from the notes I took during the Circuit Overseer's talk on Tuesday night.  I couldn't get it all down, or read back all my scrawled notes, so while this is not perfect, I hope it is accurate.

REJOICE WITH THE TRUTH

Circuit Overseer Talk, Tuesday 28th October 2014

What is truth?  The C.O. reminded us of Pontius Pilate's question, and pointed out that we live in a world that does not value or welcome truth. We are to be non-judgmental.   Yet don't people yearn for the truth?  Scientists, for example, are constantly searching for the answers.

Do we remember how we felt when we first learnt the truth?

Yes, I do vividly.  I felt as if I had had a jumbled up jigsaw in my head and suddenly all the pieces began to click together, faster and faster, and I saw the picture for the first time.  I don't want to forget that.

We then read 1 Corinthians 13:4 and 6:

" Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous. It does not brag, does not get puffed up."

" It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth."

In this Inspired definition of love, we can see how love and truth connect.   As we study Jehovah's word and get to know Him, and his perfect laws, it makes us so happy.  We rejoice.

The Circuit Overseer pointed out that the word for "rejoice" has connotations of  jumping for joy.  It is a very strong word.  Both heart and mind is involved.  We need to welcome all the truth, even when it involves letting some cherished beliefs go.

The C.O. then discussed the example of the Apostles in the first century, as they came to understand that circumcision was not a requirement for a Christian.   He read Acts 15:28,29:

" For the holy spirit and we ourselves have favored adding no further burden to you except these necessary things:  to keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you carefully keep yourselves from these things, you will prosper. Good health to you!”"

He pointed out how long circumcision had been practised.  It was a requirement of the Mosaic Law, but it predated that Law, as it was a command given to Abraham.  So the Jews had been practising circumcision for 1900 years!  It was a cherished custom.

The C.O reminded us of the celestial chariot that Ezekiel saw in vision - Jehovah's perfect and fast moving heavenly organisation. So, at that time, the celestial chariot was moving along in a new direction.  No indicators!   Off it went - and would they follow?

How did those first Jewish Christians react?

He then read Acts 15:30,31:  "So when these men were dismissed, they went down to Antioch, and they gathered the whole group together and handed them the letter. After reading it, they rejoiced over the encouragement. "

They rejoiced to see the truth, to see Jehovah's purpose clarified. And the result was to speed up the work being done.

Acts 16:4,5 tells us:  "As they traveled on through the cities, they would deliver to them for observance the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and the elders who were in Jerusalem. Then, indeed, the congregations continued to be made firm in the faith and to increase in number day by day."

The congregations continued to increase in number day by day. 

The truth itself never changes, but we are being helped to understand it more and more clearly.

The Speaker then reminded us of the early Bible students in the 19th Century.  Once they began to study the Bible they saw clearly that the doctrine of the inherent immortality of the soul is unBiblical.  Our brother Russell said: "Let Scripture interpret Scripture", and so they did.

So they taught that, as the Bible says, the soul can and does die, and that man is mortal.   There was an article in The Watchtower magazine of 1894 pointing that out.  Yet when I was a Catholic Convent schoolgirl in the 1950s we were still being taught that the soul is immortal.   As far as I know Christendom teaches it to this day.

And the very essence of heathen religions is the immortality of the soul.  Yet the Bible has taught us right from the start where that doctrine comes from.

The Speaker then read Genesis 3:1-5:

"Now the serpent was the most cautious of all the wild animals of the field that Jehovah God had made. So it said to the woman: “Did God really say that you must not eat from every tree of the garden?”  At this the woman said to the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden.  But God has said about the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden: ‘You must not eat from it, no, you must not touch it; otherwise you will die.’” At this the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die.  For God knows that in the very day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and bad.”"

It was Satan who told Eve there was something immortal about her.  "You certainly will not die".    Whereas Jehovah had told them, clearly and plainly, that if they ate of the forbidden fruit, they would die.  And so they did.  When they cut themselves off from their Creator, their Source of life, they found they could not even keep themselves alive, let alone run this beautiful and complex planet.

In 1896, the Bible Students examined every Scripture in the Bible that refers to hell - they were using the King James Bible at that time (and for many decades after). And so they discerned that hell is simply the ground, the grave, the common grave of mankind.

As this truth became clear, the brothers rejoiced.   Even some of those who were not in the congregation rejoiced.  Apparently one clergyman (?) (my notes are not easy to read) congratulated brother Russell, saying: "You have put the hose on hellfire."

Who wouldn't rejoice to hear this?  When I was a Catholic Convent schoolgirl way back when, I couldn't understand how anyone could be happy in heaven (as we were taught that is where we were going if we were good enough) knowing that people were being tormented forever somewhere else.   It put me off the whole idea of God and the Bible for many years - because, of course, I assumed that is what the Bible taught.    

So, yes, the truth makes us rejoice.    Anyway, back to the talk.

In 1912 they began to understand the truth about inheriting the earth - about Paradise being restored.

He read the lovely words at Revelation 21:4,5: 

"And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”  And the One seated on the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new.” Also he says: “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”"

But who was going to inherit the earth?

And who were "the great crowd" of  Revelation chapter 7?

A Convention in 1935 explained the great crowd/other sheep - which was another cause for rejoicing.  

As far back as 1886, the Bible Students were very clear that the author of the Bible is God - that it is the Inspired word of Jehovah.    The C.O. quoted (didn't get down source of quote) someone who wrote that there is a Scriptural reason behind everything that Jehovah's Witnesses do.

And I can remember noting that difference between them and others (I had been searching for a while) - that everything Jehovah's Witnesses taught was based on the Bible.

The Speaker then asked us to remember how we felt when we first learnt the truth, and asked if we still feel the same way.  We never want to take it for granted.

He talked some more about how the truth became refined. There was the release of the New World translation - to get away from the Creed bound translations.

It took time before there was a clear understanding of the principle of relative subjection.  Romans 13: 1,2 says: 

"Let every person be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God; the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God.  Therefore, whoever opposes the authority has taken a stand against the arrangement of God; those who have taken a stand against it will bring judgment against themselves."

The truth became clearer as we understood that we must be obedient to all earthly authorities for as long as Jehovah tolerates them, but that it must be a relative obedience, in that, when man's law conflicts with God's law, we must trust in Jehovah with all our heart, and put God's law first.

(I thought, at this point, of our Christian brothers and sisters in Germany during the Nazi era, who, as followers of Christ, would not and could not "Heil" Hitler as their saviour, let alone join his Nazi party, his army, or his Gestapo.  Clearly they understood enough of the truth then to stand firm, but I don't think it was completely clear at that time.)

In 1973, we came to realise that there should not be one elder in charge of each congregation, but a body of elders, as there was in the first century.

The Speaker then read John 17:17,19:

"Sanctify them by means of the truth; your word is truth."   "And I am sanctifying myself in their behalf, so that they also may be sanctified by means of truth."

The truth sets us apart, for a special purpose.

He then spoke about a very timely article in The Watchtower, in 1939, just as WW2 started, but I didn't manage to get the details down, or remember what the article was about!

The Speaker also read 2 Corinthians 7:1:

"Therefore, since we have these promises, beloved ones, let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

We came to understand that the use of tobacco is not appropriate for a Christian.  Which is a great protection.   And another reason for being joyful.

The question to ask ourselves:

In spite of all the problems and stresses am I still rejoicing in the truth?

Do I cherish it as a treasure beyond price?

And the Speaker concluded by reading John 8:31,32:

"Then Jesus went on to say to the Jews who had believed him: “If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples,  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”