The Watchtower Society At Our Doors

[Frank Lee]

God many many time gives us our prayers. Working outside one day I surprisedly heard myself praying "Lord send us some Jehovah's witnesses" .

They came the next day. I felt like a spider asking two flies to step in. They started their spiel and my wife and I began to witness the wonderful and supernatural things Jesus had done for us since we had been born again then baptized in the Holy Spirit. They jumped up in unison and couldn't get away fast enough. The blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony overcame their weak pre-prepared speeches.


Revelation 12:11 KJVS
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

My good friend Dr. Ron Moseley had some JW's come to his door and not really knowing how to deal with them he just began to pray in the spirit aloud. The language unknown to them frightened the so bad they actually ran away in fear.

Settle it in your heart that you are not to consider beforehand what to reply to these false prophets for God will give you the exact words he wants them to hear.

No programs from the Christian side right? For as many as are led by the Spirit these are the sons of God.
Romans 8:14 KJVS
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

 

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I do not recommend toying with the Watchtower Society's missionaries
coming to our doors. Many of them are honestly, and sincerely, hoping to
enter the kingdom of God; which is why Christians really ought to know
something about New Testament hope before engaging JWs in a
conversation about it.

● 1Pet 3:15 . . Always ready to make a defense before everyone that
demands of you a reason for the hope in you,

The New Testament Greek word for "hope" in Peter's command is elpis (el
pece') which means to anticipate (usually with pleasure) and to expect with
confidence. Note the elements of anticipation, and expectation, and
confidence.

Webster's definition of hope as a verb is very similar: 1) to desire with
expectation of obtainment, and 2) to expect with confidence and trust. Note
the elements of expectation, and confidence, and trust.

Webster's definition of hope as a noun is: 1) a desire accompanied by
expectation of, or belief in, fulfillment, and 2) expectation of fulfillment or
success. Note the elements of expectation, and belief.

In other words: elpis hope is a know-so hope rather than a cross your
fingers hope.

So, unless someone knows for proof-positive, beyond even the slightest
glimmer of sensible doubt, that they have a passport to the kingdom of God
locked in and irrevocable, then of course it is impossible for them to comply
with Peter's instructions seeing as they would not yet have the kind of hope
about which he wrote.

● Rom 12:12 . . Rejoice in the hope.

When people are praying for the best, while in the back of their mind
dreading the worst, they have absolutely no cause for rejoicing; no; but they
do have plenty of cause to fear the unknown.

BTW: Elpis hope is one of the three principal elements of Christianity. (1Cor 13:13)

It's also a calling. (Eph 4:4)

When people are lacking the kind of hope described by the Greek word elpis,
then I believe it is sensible to assume that they have not yet responded to
God's call; or worse, He has not called them; and quite possibly never will.

● Rom 9:15-16 . . He says to Moses: I will have mercy upon whomever I do
have mercy, and I will show compassion to whomever I do show
compassion. So, then, it depends not upon the one wishing nor upon the one
running, but upon God, who has mercy.
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THE FAITHFUL AND WISE STEWARD

● Matt 24:45-47 . .Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his
master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper
time? Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. Truly I
say to YOU, He will appoint him over all his belongings.

The core of the Watchtower Society-- the Governing Body --sincerely
believes itself the faithful and discreet slave spoken of in that passage, i.e.
believes that God chose the leaders of the Watchtower Society as His sole
distributor of truth to mankind; thus explaining why John Q and Jane Doe
Jehovah's Witnesses are taught that they need to submit unquestioningly to
the Governing Body in order to associate with God, and for protection from
doomsday, viz: the calamities depicted in the book of Revelation.

"The faithful and discreet slave” was appointed over Jesus’ domestics in
1919. That slave is the small, composite group of anointed brothers serving
at world headquarters during Christ’s presence who are directly involved in
preparing and dispensing spiritual food. When this group work together as
the Governing Body, they act as the faithful and discreet slave." (jw.org,
10th Nov 2012)

"That faithful slave is the channel through which Jesus is feeding his true
followers in this time of the end. It is vital that we recognize the faithful
slave. Our spiritual health and our relationship with God depend on this
channel." (Watchtower, 2013 Jul 15, p.20)

"We need to obey the faithful and discreet slave to have Jehovah’s
approval." (Watchtower, 2011 Jul 15, p.24, Simplified English Edition)

"[A mature christian] does not advocate or insist on personal opinions or
harbor private ideas when it comes to Bible understanding. Rather, he has
complete confidence in the truth as it is revealed by Jehovah God through
his Son, Jesus Christ, and "the faithful and discreet slave." (Watchtower,
2001 Aug 01, p.14)

However; paragraph 12, under the heading; "Who is leading God's People
today?" of the Feb 2017 Watchtower--Study Edition, says:

"The Governing Body is neither inspired nor infallible. Therefore, it can err in
doctrinal matters or in organizational direction. In fact, the Watch Tower
Publications Index includes the heading “Beliefs Clarified,” which lists
adjustments in our Scriptural understanding since 1870. Of course, Jesus did
not tell us that his faithful slave would produce perfect spiritual food."

Just imagine the degree of confusion and insecurity that would pervade the
minds of regular Christians had the authors of the New Testament scriptures
attached a caveat to their writings similar to the above.
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[Frank Lee]

By the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit I don't fear going toe to toe, face to face with any cult member for it is not my wisdom but God's that I answer with.

We must not puff any of these anti-Christs up and suppose God can't deal with them through any anointed Christian.

Devoting our time to worshipping God and studying the word will prepare us for any adversary.

 

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THE IN CROWD

● Rom 8:9 . .You are in harmony, not with the flesh, but with the spirit, if
God’s spirit truly dwells in you.

NOTE: The Watchtower Society does not acknowledge God's spirit as a
sentient being, rather:

"The holy spirit is the active force of God. It is not a person but is a powerful
force that God causes to emanate from himself to accomplish his holy will."
(Reasoning From The Scriptures, p. 381)

I highly recommend avoiding debate with JWs over the personage of God's
spirit because they will match you scripture for scripture and you're likely to
just end up going round and round in circles and never get to the bottom of
anything.

Anyway; Rom 8:9 informs the Watchtower Society's elite class of 144,000
anointed Witnesses that they are in harmony with God's spirit; seeing as
how it's alleged that the anointed class has God's sprit truly dwelling in
them.

At the same time; it informs the non-anointed class of Witnesses that they
are in harmony, not with God's spirit, but with the flesh; and that is not a
good thing seeing as they that are in harmony with the flesh are Jehovah's
adversaries; unwilling to either please Him or comply with His wishes. If
John Q and Jane Doe non-anointed Witness don't know this; then all I can
say is: they've got some catching up to do.

● Rom 8:8 . . So those who are in harmony with the flesh cannot please
God.

There's more.

● 1John 2:26-27 . .These things I write you about those who are trying to
mislead you. And as for you, the anointing that you received from him
remains in you, and you do not need anyone to be teaching you; but, as the
anointing from him is teaching you about all things, and is true and is no lie,
and just as it has taught you, remain in union with him.

In a nutshell: the anointed class is allegedly able to remain in union with
Christ on their own by means of the one-on-one spiritual guidance that the
anointing provides them. Seeing as how the non-anointed class doesn't have
access to either the anointing or the anointing's one-on-one spiritual
guidance; they therefore are incapable of remaining in union with Christ on
their own.

That, coupled with their resistance to God as per Rom 8:8, leaves John Q
and Jane Doe non-anointed Witness in a defenseless spiritual condition; vz:
they are susceptible to deception by means of clever sophistry, semantic
double speak, and humanistic reasoning.

There's more yet:

Non anointed Witnesses sincerely believe they don't need the anointing
because they obtain their spiritual instruction from anointed leaders.
However, according to 1Cor 2:12-14, non anointed Witnesses will neither
listen to, nor accept, instruction from an anointed teacher because a physical
man does not receive the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness
to him; and he cannot get to know them, because they are examined
spiritually.

FYI: "physical man" (a.k.a. natural man) is the Bible's terminology for non
anointed people. Here's the way that non anointed people are described with
language from a classical version of the Bible.

"We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God,
that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we
speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the
Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the
Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they
are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are
spiritually discerned."

Therefore; if non anointed Witness are receiving and accepting spiritual
instruction from their leaders, it's only because their leaders are just as non
anointed as they are, i.e. it is an actual, real-life case of the blind leading the
blind.
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MEDIATION

● 1Tim 2:5 . . For there is one God, and one mediator between God and
men, a man, Christ Jesus.

On page 1129 of the Watchtower publication Aid To Bible Understanding a
mediator is defined as one who interposes between two parties at variance
to reconcile them: an intercessor.

Here's a question that someone wrote in to the "Questions From Readers"
section of the April 01, 1976 issue of Watchtower magazine, asking:

Is Jesus the mediator only for anointed Christians? (a.k.a. the 144,000)

The answer given in the magazine is YES.

The magazine's answer is corroborated on page 1130 of Aid To Bible
Understanding where it says that the 144,000 are the only ones who have
the mediator; a.k.a. Jesus Christ. (1John 2:1)

Intercession for non anointed Witnesses is accomplished on the coattails of
the 144,000; viz: Jesus Christ is an indirect, second party mediator for the
rank and file via their affiliation with the Watchtower Society.

It's sort of like buying insurance from Allstate. The company doesn't sell
direct; its business is conducted through brokers. In essence, that's what the
Society presumes itself: Jesus Christ's mediation brokerage.

So then; when a Jehovah's Witness either defects or is disfellowshipped, it
breaks the pipeline to the mediator that he enjoyed within the Society's fold;
and he right quick loses all contact with God; and finds himself in grave
danger of the calamities depicted in the book of Revelation.

Bottom line: According to Watchtower Society theology; it is impossible for
non-anointed people to be on peaceful terms with God apart from affiliation
with the Society's anointed class, a.k.a. the faithful and wise steward.

In other words: Christ's mediation as per 1Tim 2:5 is accomplished via a
chain of communication that begins with Christ's association with the faithful
and wise steward; and from thence to the rest of humanity. Removing the
faithful and wise steward from the chain cuts humanity off from Christ; thus
leaving them with no way to reconcile with God.
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CHRIST IN HEAVEN

Q: 1Cor 15:50 clearly testifies that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
kingdom of God. Wouldn't that fact alone preclude the possibility of Christ's
crucified dead body returning to life?

A: First, and foremost; it was essential that Christ's crucified dead body be
returned to life or otherwise his prediction as per John 2:19-22, and the
Scriptures as per Ps 16:10, Luke 24:44-46, and Acts 2:24-32 would be
easily proven false.

The chemistry of Jesus' original body had to be the same when it revived.
However, as 1Cor 15:50 says: his body's original material was unsuitable for
life in a celestial environment. So then, in order for Jesus to be up there as a
physical being, the chemistry of his body had to be reformulated.

God is very creative so I seriously doubt that flesh and blood are the only
materials that He has to work with. I also seriously doubt that spirit material
is the default material when flesh and blood are not an option; I mean, after
all, if God was able to design the human body in its original form to inhabit
the Earth, I see no reason why He would not be able to redesign it to inhabit
a celestial abode.

Q: When would Christ's body have undergone this redesign/reformulation?

A: Some day all of Christ's believing followers will be physically resurrected
and taken up to meet the Lord in the air (1Thes 4:13-17). On the way up,
their natural bodies will undergo a sudden and miraculous transformation
(1Cor 15:51-53). They'll become superhuman; viz: deathless and ageless.

I think it's pretty safe to assume that Christ's crucified body underwent a
similar transformation while on the way up to heaven as per Acts 1:9 so that
today his body is no longer a normal human body; but instead, a
superhuman body to which all his believing followers' bodies will one day
conform. (Phil 4:20-21)

NOTE: Although the chemistry of Christ's body has been reformulated; it's
still capable of dining upon ordinary foods and beverages. (Mark 14:25 and
Luke 22:16-18)

Q: If Jesus Christ's corpse really did return to life; then how did he get it into
a room without opening the door? (John 20:19)

A: Christ walked on water, restored withered limbs, cured people born blind,
healed serious diseases like leprosy, restored dead bodies to life, controlled
the weather, multiplied fish and bread, turned water into wine, and
levitated. Plus; he once said that rocks could be made to speak. (Luke
19:40)

What's one more miracle, more or less? Walking through walls?
Disappearing and reappearing? How hard could any of that really be for a
man with the powers of God at his disposal?

It's curious how people can say they believe in miracles, yet cannot believe
that God has sufficient control over the laws of nature to make a physical
human body pass through solid objects. What defines miracles anyway?
Aren't they acts of God that defy reason? Mark Twain once remarked that
faith is believin' what you know ain't so. I would add that faith is believing
what's revealed rather than only what makes sense.

Q: Well; if Jehovah has enough control over the laws of nature to pass a
physical human body through closed doors, then couldn't He pass the arch
angel Michael through the door as a spirit and then materialize him on the
other side as a human in order to communicate with his friends?

A: That would be acceptable if only there were some record of it in the New
Testament. But it is an irrefutable fact that the New Testament not even one
time, on any occasion, nor under any circumstances, nor in any situation,
either attests, alleges, alludes, or states that an angel named Michael
appeared to Christ's friends cloaked in a human avatar. That doctrine
doesn't come from the New Testament. It's a humanistic fantasy.
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SPIRITUAL BODY vs SPIRIT BODY

● 1Cor 15:44 . . It is sown a physical body, it is raised up a spiritual body. If
there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual one.

Watch as I misquote that passage because the difference, though subtle. Is
significant.

"It is sown a physical body, it is raised up a spirit body. If there is a physical
body, there is also a spirit one."

No; it doesn't say spirit body but nevertheless that's what some people have
decided it ought to say.

The Greek word translated "spiritual" is ambiguous. It doesn't necessarily
refer to the characteristics of a body with the consistency of thin air. Below
is a list of spiritual things that bear absolutely no resemblance whatsoever to
the bodily chemistry of an angel or a demon.

Spiritual gifts (Rom 1:11)
Spiritual law (Rom 7:14)
Spiritual things (Rom 15:27)
Spiritual people (1Cor 2:15)
Spiritual nourishment (1Cor 10:3)
Spiritual water (1Cor 10:4)
Spiritual rock (1Cor 10:4)
Spiritual counselors (Gal 6:1)
Spiritual blessings (Eph 1:3)
Spiritual music (Eph 5:19)
Spiritual understanding (Col 1:9)
Spiritual housing (1Pet 2:5)
Spiritual sacrifices (1Pet 2:5)

I'm inclined to believe that the spiritual body spoken of at 1Cor 15:44 is in
no way composed of a gaseous substance. Of what material it is composed I
don't know; but I do know at least four things about it.

1• The spiritual body is patterned after Christ's glorified body.

● Phil 3:20-21 . .Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a savior
from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to
bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that
they will be like his glorious body.

2• The spiritual body is capable of dining upon ordinary foods.

● Luke 22:15-16 . . I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you
before I suffer. For I tell you: I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in
the kingdom of God.

3• The spiritual body is capable of imbibing ordinary beverages.

● Matt 26:29 . . I tell you: I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now
on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom.

4• The spiritual body is capable of being seen by the naked eye.

● Acts 1:11 . . Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This
Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the
same way as you have watched him go into heaven.

● Rev 1:7 . . Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see
him, even those who pierced him
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CONNECTING WITH GOD THRU A HIGH PRIEST

● Ps 110:4 . . Jehovah has sworn (and he will feel no regret): You are a
priest to time indefinite according to the manner of Melchizedek

Melchizedek's only personal appearance in the Bible occurs at Gen 14:18-20.
The letter to Hebrews in the New Testament utilizes him as a "type" of
Christ's celestial priesthood.

The author of the letter to Hebrews was reluctant to discuss Melchizedek's
office, and how Christ's current high priest position relates to it, because the
recipients of the letter were so spiritually immature, and so disinterested in
Bible study, that he feared his comments would result in a ping. In other
words: a discussion of Melchizedek and how he relates to Jesus Christ isn't
everybody's cup of tea so I won't bother going into detail.

However; at least one of the salient features of Mel's priesthood should be
readily obvious to everybody regardless of their spiritual acumen: Mel was a
human being; just as all of God's high priests have always been human
beings-- no exceptions. In point of fact, the letter to Hebrews clearly states
that high priests are taken from among men (Heb 5:1). So that becomes the
#1 qualification for a Melchizedekian priest right out of the box and instantly
disqualifies spirit beings.

Mel's jurisdiction was on the earth. But that was before Israel's covenanted
law established Aaron's priesthood. So when that happened; Mel's post was
temporarily suspended; and in point of fact, if Christ were on earth, he
would not be an active priest because this is Aaron's district.

However, though Mel's post was moved to heaven's temple, there were no
changes made to the nature of the person who holds the office. In other
words; a priest according to the manner of Melchizedek is a human being no
matter where he is. And since Ps 110:4 made Jesus Christ a priest to time
indefinite, then he will remain a human being to time indefinite; and in order
to be a human being, the Society says he has to have a human body
because in their theology; human existence is entirely physical.

● 1Tim 2:5 . . For there is one God, and one mediator between God and
men, a man, Christ Jesus.

The Greek for both "men" and "man" in that verse is the same. It's derived
from anthropos (anth'-ro-pos) --a common word for human beings in the
New Testament; which is why that passage doesn't say there is one
mediator between God and men, an angel, Christ Michael. No it doesn't say
an angel, Christ Michael; no, it says a man, Christ Jesus; who everyone
knows to be a human being rather than an angel by the same name.

A search of the entire New Testament for the angel Michael turns up but two
references: Jude 1:9 and Rev 12:7. That angel is nowhere in the gospels,
nowhere in Acts, and nowhere in the epistles other than Jude. If that angel
is so all-fired important; then why is it so marginalized? Even the Society
itself is a bit perplexed as to why the name of an angel so highly revered in
their theology is nigh unto absent in the New Testament.

The Society claims that the names Jesus and Michael are interchangeable;
but that's the most ridiculous case of apples and oranges on record; not to
mention a very serious case of identity fraud. Even if an angel had once
existed as a human being named Jesus; it no longer does. Now it exists as
an angel being named Michael. The two names aren't interchangeable
because the one name denotes a human being and the other name denotes
a spirit being. Go ahead; search the New Testament and see how much luck
you have finding somebody's name hyphenated like this: Jesus-Michael
Christ. You won't because the Society's theology is an utter fantasy.

Oh what a wicked web we weave,
When first we practice to deceive.
-- Sir Walter Scott--

That poem rings so true. Once Charles T. Russell and/or Joseph F.
Rutherford declared that Michael the angel, and Jesus Christ the human, are
the same person; they were faced with the Herculean task of forcing the
Bible to agree; and that was quite a challenge; which was accomplished by
means of clever amalgams of fiction, sophistry, half-truths, semantic double
speak, and humanistic reasoning.
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POSITIVE PROOFS

● Acts 1:1-3 . .The first account, O Theophilus, I composed about all the
things Jesus started both to do and to teach, until the day that he was taken
up, after he had given commandment through holy spirit to the apostles
whom he chose. To these also by many positive proofs he showed himself
alive after he had suffered.

The Watchtower Society's version of those "positive proofs" is interesting.

In order to show his friends that their savior was back from death, an angel
named Michael is alleged to have materialized an artificial Jesus that was in
all respects just as physical, and just as functional, as the real Jesus.

However:

1• The New Testament never even one time, on any occasion, nor under any
circumstances, nor in any situation, either attests, alleges, alludes, or states
that an angel named Michael appeared in Christ's human form cloaked in a
materialized body.

2• The Society's Michael never once let on to his friends that he was an
angel in disguise. He led them to believe that his avatar was the actual Jesus
Christ they all knew prior to his crucifixion.

3• Passing one's self off in the guise of a dead man is the lowest form of
identity theft imaginable. People do it all the time; and it's what I expect
from human beings, but that is not the kind of behavior I have a right to
expect from an arch angel.

4• A so-called materialized body is not a real person; it's an avatar.

5• Neither Paul, nor Peter, nor John, nor James, nor Jude, ever even one
single instance in any of their writings identify Jesus Christ as an angel
named Michael: not once. You'd think that if Jesus Christ is currently an
angel who goes by the name of Michael, those men would have said so
because that would be a really big deal.

Q: Why make an issue of the nature of Christ's resurrection?

A: Were I the Devil, I would do my utmost best to disprove the resurrection
of Jesus' crucified dead body because his crucifixion is only half enough to
protect people from the wrath of God. Though his physical body's death
obtains forgiveness for people's sins, its death doesn't gain people an
acquittal.

● Rom 4:25 . . He was delivered up for the sake of our trespasses, and was
raised up for the sake of declaring us righteous.

The Greek word translated "righteous" is dikaiosis (dik-ah'-yo-sis) whjich
means acquittal; defined as an adjudication of innocence.

People merely forgiven still carry a load of guilt; viz: they have a criminal
record. Christ's physical resurrection deletes their record so that on the
books, it's as though they've never been anything but 100% innocent.

This clearing of one's guilt that I'm talking about is obtained via the kindness
and generosity of God through belief in the resurrection of Christ's crucified
dead body. If the Devil can succeed in convincing people that Jesus' crucified
body is still dead or, even better yet, make them question whether the man
even existed at all; then they will fail to obtain an acquittal, and
consequently end up put to death in brimstone because records are to be
reviewed when people stand to face justice at the Great White Throne event
depicted at Rev 20:11-15.

Of all the doctrines invented by the Watchtower Society, I'd have to say that
their resurrection story is the most insidious because belief in the recovery
of Christ's crucified dead body is one of the essential elements of the gospel
that must be accepted if one is to have any chance at all of escaping the
sum of all fears.

● 1Cor 15:17 . . If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you
are still in your sins.
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THE FIG TREE

● Mark 11:12-13 . .The next day, when they had come out from Bethany, he
became hungry. And from a distance he caught sight of a fig tree that had
leaves, and he went to see whether he would perhaps find something on it.
But, on coming to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season
of figs.

Q: If Jehovah really was in the world as the man Jesus, then why didn't He
know by omniscience that the fig tree would have no fruit? Why was it
necessary for Him to examine it up close in person?

A: Jehovah's conduct in that matter would've been unusual but by no means
uncharacteristic.

In the 11th chapter of Genesis, the people built themselves a tower. Jehovah
came down to see the tower. Now, if Jehovah is omnipresent and
omniscient, then why bother coming down out of heaven to inspect the
tower in person?

In the 18th chapter of Genesis, Jehovah announced to Abraham that He was
on a journey to visit Sodom in order to determine whether the reports He
was hearing about the city were true or not. Again: if Jehovah is
omnipresent and omniscient, why bother coming down out of heaven to visit
Sodom in person?

In the 22nd chapter of Genesis, Jehovah had Abraham offer his son as a
sacrifice made with fire. At the conclusion of the scene; a celestial being--
speaking for Jehovah and speaking as Jehovah --said: "Now I do know that
you are God-fearing in that you have not withheld your son, your only one,
from Me."

It goes without saying that Jehovah knows every man's thoughts, and He
also knows the future, viz: nothing we do, say, or think catches Jehovah by
surprise; He sees everything. So then, if Jehovah already knew in advance
that Abraham would offer Isaac, and already knew in advance that Abraham
was God-fearing, then why did He say "now I know"? Shouldn't Jehovah
have already known?

The only sensible answer to those questions, including the question about
the fig tree, is that there is a humanness to God that began quietly coming
to light all the way back in the very beginning of the Bible; but the New
Testament is where we see God's humanness on display even more.

● John 1:18 . . No man has seen God at any time; the only-begotten god,
who is in the bosom position with the Father, is the one that has explained
him.

"explained him" is accurate enough but doesn't really say it right-- "revealed
him" is much better.

● John 14:7 . . . If you men had known me, you would have known my
Father also; from this moment on you know him and have seen him. Philip
said to him: "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said
to him: "Have I been with you men so long a time, and yet, Philip, you have
not come to know me? He that has seen me has seen the Father also.

Q: Well then, why didn't Jesus use his divine powers to make that tree
produce a fig for him to eat right then and there on the spot instead of
cursing the poor thing?

A: Wasn't that the Devil's reasoning in the 4th chapter of Matthew?

The fact of the matter is: Jesus was micro-managed. He cursed that fig tree
in compliance with his Father's wishes to do so.

● John 6:38 . . I have come down from heaven to do, not my will, but the
will of him that sent me.

● John 8:28 . . I do nothing of my own initiative

● John 8:29 . . He that sent me is with me; He did not abandon me to
myself, because I always do the things pleasing to Him.

● John 10:30 . . I and my Father are unified

● John 14:10 . . Do you not believe that I am in union with the Father, and
the Father is in union with me?
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LEARNING OBEDIENCE

● Heb 5:7-9 . . In the days of his flesh Christ offered up supplications and
also petitions to the One who was able to save him out of death, with strong
outcries and tears, and he was favorably heard for his godly fear. Although
he was a Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered; and after
he had been made perfect he became responsible for everlasting salvation to
all those obeying him

The "perfection" Jesus Christ obtained by means of his suffering is directly
related to his priesthood rather than his personal conduct.

● Heb 5:10 . . Because he has been specifically called by God a high priest
according to the manner of Melchizedek.

In order for a priest to be effective, he has to be capable of empathy.

● Heb 5:1-3 . . For every high priest taken from among men is appointed in
behalf of men over the things pertaining to God, that he may offer gifts and
sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal moderately with the ignorant and erring
ones since he also is surrounded with his own weakness, and on its account
he is obliged to make offerings for sins as much for himself as for the
people.

Jesus Christ of course could do no wrong of his own; but he was put through
the wringer so he'd have a taste of what us mere mortals face every day of
our lives.

● Heb 4:15 . . For we have as high priest, not one who cannot sympathize
with our weaknesses, but one who has been tested in all respects like
ourselves, but without sin.

Hence, the purpose of the suffering that the Son endured was for a far
different purpose than the chastisement which the Father's lesser sons are
put through at Heb 12:5-11 since according to 1John 3:9 and Col 2:9 it was,
and it still is, impossible for God's son to ever be unholy, or unrighteous, or
disobedient.

In other words; the Son wasn't obedient by means of discipline; rather, he
experienced what it's like to obey as a human being. As the Word in heaven,
obedience is his way of life because according to John 1:1-14, the Word is a
god; but the rest of us are mere mortals. Obedience isn't a piece of cake for
those of us who are only human.

It's one thing to sympathize and say you feel your fellow man's pain; but in
order to truly empathize with his pain; you've got to go through it yourself.
It's exactly that which makes Jesus an excellent choice for high priesthood in
heaven because the things he suffered made him a "merciful" high priest;
viz: an high priest that's truly one of us instead of an indifferent judgmental
bigot from another world.

During America's dust bowl era in the 1930's, the Federal Farm Security
Administration sent out an educated young lady named Sonora Babb to
counsel migrant farm workers out west. Nobody trusted her until they found
out she grew up in the so-called No Man's Land of the southern great plains.
Sonora wasn't just another indifferent stuffed-shirt bureaucrat. She was
familiar with the dust bowlers' way of life first-hand, and it made all the
difference in the quality of her rapport with migrant farm workers.
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I'm not in the habit of offering unsolicited spiritual counseling on internet
forums; but today I probably should.

Post No.52 pertained to Christ's high priesthood. Non-anointed Jehovah's
Witnesses-- a.k.a. the earthly class; viz: the hewers of wood and haulers of
water, the great crowd ---do not have direct access to it, rather, they have
indirect access to Christ's high priesthood via their affiliation with the
Watchtower Society. (See post No.46)

May I suggest to any and/or all JWs hereabout that they take advantage of
whatever degree of access they have for now and speak up candidly and
forthrightly with Christ, asking him if there isn't some way to take advantage
of his high priesthood's services without having to be affiliated with the
Watchtower Society; i.e. as a free moral agent instead of dependent upon
a hierarchy.

It's a reasonable request, and I'm pretty sure if asked in all honesty and
sincerity that Christ will get back to its inquirer with a response.

● John 6:37-28 . . Everything the Father gives me will come to me, and the
one that comes to me I will by no means drive away; because I have come
down from heaven to do, not my will, but the will of him that sent me.

● Heb 4:16 . . Let us, therefore, approach with freeness of speech to the
throne of undeserved kindness, that we may obtain mercy and find
undeserved kindness for help at the right time.
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THE LAST ADAM

● 1Cor 15:45a . . The first man Adam became a living soul.

● 1Cor 15:47 . .The first man is out of the earth and made of dust

Those verses are references to Gen 2:7, which reads like this:

"Jehovah God proceeded to form the man out of dust from the ground and
to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man came to be a living
soul."

The Watchtower Society alleges that Jehovah God wasn't directly involved in
creating the first man, rather, His involvement was indirect. According to
them, the actual work was done by the hand of a divine being called the
Word.

"In the beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was a god. This one was in the beginning with God. All things came into
existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into
existence." (John 1:1-3)

Seeing as that's the case; then the breath of life spoken of in Gen 2:7 was
blown into the first man's nostrils by the Word. In all respects then, we owe
the beginning of the original human race to the Word just as much as we
owe it to Jehovah God because both are given credit for its origin.

● 1Cor 15:45b . .The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

That verse speaks of the origin of yet another human race. This second
human race wasn't made of dust from the ground, nor was it given
consciousness by blowing into its nostrils the breath of life, nor did it come
to be a living soul.

Up to this point; I'm told of only two life-giving spirits in the Bible: the Word
and Jehovah God. So unless there is now three life-giving spirits, I feel safe
to conclude that the last Adam is one of the two; i.e. he's either the Word or
he's Jehovah God. Well; it's easy to show by John 1:14 that the last Adam
and the Word are one and the same person.

"So the Word became flesh and resided among us"

Q: When did this last Adam become a life-giving spirit? At his birth or at his
resurrection?

A: According to 1 John 1:1-2, the Word is an everlasting life which, according
to Gen 21:33 and Rom 16:26, is an indestructible category of life that's
impervious to death. And according to John 1:1, the Word is a god. Well;
people die, but gods never die. (Ps 82:6-7)

So the Word didn't go out of existence when he came into the world as an
h.sapiens; which means of course that Jesus Christ was a life-giving spirit
right from the moment of his conception rather than at his resurrection.

Q: So you're saying a created man pioneered the original human race; and a
man who's both creator and created pioneered the second human race?

A: Yes.

● 1Cor 15:47 . .The second man is out of heaven.

● John 6:38 . . I have come down from heaven

● John 6:42 . . They began saying: Is this not Jesus the son of Joseph,
whose father and mother we know? How is it that now he says: I have come
down from heaven?

The dual nature of Christ's existence is a fatal hang-up for the Watchtower
Society due to its spurious belief that it's impossible for the Word to exist as
a human being and a spirit being simultaneously. But the evidence is very
difficult to refute.

It ain't what you know that gets you into trouble.
It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.
-- Mark Twain --
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THE ANOINTING

● 1 John 2:26-27 . .These things I write you about those who are trying to
mislead you. And as for you, the anointing that you received from him
remains in you, and you do not need anyone to be teaching you; but, as the
anointing from him is teaching you about all things, and is true and is no lie,
and just as it has taught you, remain in union with him.

The anointing provides people with some valuable advantages to which
people who lack it of course have no access.

1• Protects people from deception

2• Enables people to grasp Jesus Christ's teachings the way he wants them
grasped

3• Makes it possible for people to remain in union with him.

According to Watchtower Society theology, only 144,000 special Jehovah's
Witnesses have the anointing. There aren't that many living Witnesses who
have the anointing though because when anointed Witnesses die, their
passing doesn't create vacancies; viz: 144,000 is the maximum unless an
anointed JW either apostatizes or is ousted via the process of disfellowship.

What that means is: the vast majority of today's living JWs don't have the
anointing. We're talking about some serious numbers here. Currently, there
are approximately 8.2 million living Witnesses. Even if all 144,000 anointed
Witnesses were alive today, that would leave 8,056,000 JWs roaming the
earth in our day who 1) have no protection from deception, 2) are unable to
grasp Jesus Christ's teachings the way he wants them grasped, and 3) not in
union with him.

Doubtless there are numbers of ordinary Witnesses who sincerely believe
that their association with the Watchtower Society keeps them in union with
Jesus Christ; but according to 1John 2:26-27, union with Jesus Christ isn't
accomplished on the coattails of an organization; it's accomplished by means
of the anointing.

Watchtower Society missionaries sincerely believing themselves in union
with Jesus Christ without the anointing are each themselves "one of those
who are trying to mislead you".
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UNAPROACHABLE LIGHT

POSIT: It is impossible for Jesus Christ to be in heaven as a human being in
the presence of God because 1Tim 6:16 says that the king of all kings dwells
in an unapproachable light, whom "not one of men" has seen or can see.

RESPONSE: The Greek word translated "unapproachable" also means
inaccessible; which right there attests that humanity needs a mediator
between itself and the light to provide them at least an indirect access.

Note that the passage below is misquoted. Watch for the revision.

"There is one God, and one mediator between God and men; an angel:
Christ Michael." (1Tim 2:5)

No, that passage doesn't actually say "an angel" nor does it actually say
"Christ Michael". Here it is for real.

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men; a man:
Christ Jesus."

The Greek word for men, as well as the word for man, is derived from
anthropos (anth'-ro-pos) --a common koiné Greek word for human beings in
the New Testament; in other words:

"There is one God, and one mediator between God and anthroópoon; an
ánthroopos: Christ Jesus."

So it's readily seen from a cursory examination of the Greek that the
mediator spoken of in 1Tim 2:5 is a human being rather than an angel.

Seeing as how Christ is allowed access to the inaccessible light as a human
being, then it's safe to conclude that there has to be something very unusual
about him.

Well; for one thing, his body is no longer that of mortal men. When he went
up to heaven, Christ's body underwent a miraculous transformation. It's still
human, that we know, but its chemistry is unlike any human body on Earth.
(1Cor 15:50-53)

For another, Christ is not only human, but also divine (John 1:1, John 1:18,
and Col 2:9). That alone would surely be enough to grant him some special
privileges, and it does. For example: the angel Gabriel stands in the
presence of God (Luke 1:19) while Christ the man is seated. (Ps 110:1, Col 3:1)
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THE PARAKLETOS

● John 14:16-17 . . I will request the Father and he will give you another
helper to be with you forever, the spirit of the truth, which the world cannot
receive, because it neither beholds it nor knows it. You know it, because it
remains with you and is in you.

● John 14:26 . .The helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send in my
name, that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all the
things I told you.

John Q and Jane Doe non-anointed Watchtower Society missionaries are
taught to believe that God's spirit is alongside assisting them to identify, and
to understand, the correct interpretations of the Bible. However, the
Society's missionaries are also taught that only a special guild of 144,000
anointed Jehovah's Witnesses actually have the spirit "inside" them rather
than only alongside; and that is very serious. Here's why:

● Rom 8:9 . .You are in harmony, not with the flesh, but with the spirit, if
God's spirit truly dwells in you.

Seeing as how God's spirit does not truly dwell in John Q and Jane Doe
missionary, then they are, by default, in harmony with the flesh. That only
makes things worse.

● Rom 8:5-8 . . For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on
the things of the flesh, but those in accord with the spirit on the things of
the spirit. For the minding of the flesh means death, but the minding of the
spirit means life and peace; because the minding of the flesh means enmity
with God, for it is not under subjection to the law of God, nor, in fact, can it
be. So those who are in harmony with the flesh cannot please God.

The non-anointed situation is just too ironic for words: John Q and Jane Doe
missionaries displease God, and He displeases them; yet they go door-to
door sincerely believing themselves Jehovah's friends and allies.
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SHEOL / HADES

● Jonah 1:17 . . Jehovah appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, so that
Jonah came to be in the inward parts of the fish three days and three nights.

Q: Was Jonah alive in the fish?

A: Yes. (Jonah 2:1)

Q: The whole time?

A: No.

At some point in his nautical adventure Jonah went to a place called sheol
(Jonah 2:2) which he sited at the bottoms of the mountains. (Jonah 2:6)

Well; the bottoms of the mountains aren't located in the tummies of fish, no;
they're located down deep in the Earth. So, the only way that Jonah could
possibly be at the bottoms of the mountains while in the belly of a fish at the
same time was for the man and his body to part company and go their
separate ways.

Christ paralleled his own afterlife journey with Jonah's.

● Matt 12:39-40 . . As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of
a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the
heart of the Earth.

Now when you think about it; Jesus' corpse was never in the heart of the
Earth. It wasn't even in the Earth's soil. His corpse was laid to rest on the
surface of the Earth in a rock-hewn tomb.

So, the only way that Jesus could possibly be in a tomb on the surface of
that Earth while in the heart of the Earth at the same time; was for the man
and his body to part company and go their separate ways.

Just before being cast ashore, Jonah prayed thus:

● Jonah 2:6 . . But out of the pit you proceeded to bring up my life, O
Jehovah my God.

The Hebrew word for "pit" in that verse is the very same word for pit in Ps
16:8-10; which Acts 2:25-31 verifies is speaking of putrefaction. In other
words: Jonah 2:6 tells of the prophet's flesh just as Ps 16:8-10 and Acts
2:25-31 tell of Christ's flesh.

"My own flesh will reside in security. For you will not leave my soul in Sheol.
You will not allow your loyal one to see the pit." (Ps 16:9-10)

"you will not leave my soul in Sheol" speaks of the bottoms of the
mountains, a.k.a. the heart of the Earth.

"You will not allow your loyal one to see the pit" speaks of putrefaction; viz:
Christ's flesh was restored to life before nature's processes could dissolve it.

Q: What does the story of Jonah have to do with Jehovah's Witnesses?

A: JWs are taught to believe that human life is entirely physical; viz: when
people die they cease to exist. Well; were that belief a reality; then Jesus
would've ceased to exist when he passed away on the cross.

Jonah's experience is handy for illustrating Jesus' experience; viz: if Jonah
existed at the bottoms so the mountains while his flesh was deceased in the
tummy of a fish, then Jesus existed in the heart of the Earth while his flesh
was deceased in a tomb.

Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites and also a sign to Jesus' generation (Matt
13:39-40, Luke 11:29-30). The word "sign" is translated from a koiné Greek
word that's sometimes used in the gospels to indicate miracles.

Had Jonah stayed alive in the fish's tummy, that would not be the kind of
sign that Jesus had in mind. He needed a miraculous event that would
adequately depict his own; the reason being that Jesus' flesh was on track to
be returned to life. (John 2:19-21)

Jonah, coupled with Ps 16:8-10, Acts 2:25-31, and Matt 12:39-40 proves
that Jesus continued to exist out of body when he passed away; and if he
and Jonah did, then there's reason to expect that everyone else does too.

My only question is: How was Jonah a sign to the people of Nineveh? The
city was located up around northern Iraq; approximately 400 miles from the
Mediterranean Sea. It's my guess travelers on their way to Nineveh
witnessed Jonah exit the fish, and upon arrival in the city spread their
amazing tale far and wide. If so, that would help explain why the people
took Jonah's message to heart instead of mocking him as just another kooky
itinerant preacher.

If Jesus Christ's resurrection is true-- if his dead body actually recovered just
as Jonah's-- then Jesus most certainly is the one man in the New Testament
that everybody really ought to approach with a great deal of caution because
Jonah's message warned of the impending destruction of just one city; while
Jesus' message warns of the impending destruction of many cities. (Rev
16:17-19)

● Matt 12:41 . . Men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this
generation and will condemn it; because they repented at what Jonah
preached, but, look! something more than Jonah is here.
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THE BREATH OF LIFE

Human existence is thought by some to be entirely organic. It's not. There's
a non-organic element to human existence called the breath of life.

● Gen 2:7a . . And Jehovah God formed a man's body

Mankind's creator didn't give birth to humanity like women give birth to
children, or baby chicks hatch from eggs; no, humans aren't God's biological
progeny --humans are God's handiwork like the glass products
manufactured by craftsmen in Murano; where they make things from scratch
using mostly sand for their base material.

● Gen 2:7b . . from the dust of the ground

The Hebrew word for "dust" is a bit ambiguous. It essentially refers to
powder, but can also be translated clay, earth, mud, mortar, ashes, and/or
rubbish.

● Gen 2:7c . . and breathed into it the breath of life

The word for "breathed" is from naphach (naw-fakh') and means; among
other things: to kindle; which Webster's defines as (1) to start (a fire)
burning: light, (2) to stir up: arouse, (3) to bring into being: start, and (4)
to animate.

Naphach is sort of like what Indy Car drivers do when they're given the
order to start their engines-- they light 'em up, so to speak: for example:

"What has come into existence by means of him was life, and the life was
the light of men." (John 1:3-4)

The word for "breath" is neshamah (nesh-aw-maw') which means: a puff.
Neshamah is a bit ambiguous and has been variously translated air, soul,
spirit, blast, and inspiration.

What we're looking at here is a kind of artificial respiration, but not the
regular kind because it doesn't do a bit of good pumping air into the lungs of
a corpse. They won't come alive like that; it's been tried.

However, there's evidence in the Bible, starting in Genesis, indicating that
it's possible to pump life into a corpse: in point of fact into anything, even
stones (Matt 3:9, Luke 19:40).

● Gen 2:7c . . and man became a living soul.

The Hebrew word for "soul" is nephesh (neh'-fesh). Its first appearance is at
Gen 1:20-21 in reference to aqua creatures and winged creatures; again at
Gen 1:24 as terra creatures; viz: cattle, creepy crawlies, and wild beasts;
and again in Gen 2:7 as the human creature.

Creatures within whom is the breath of life are perishable (e.g. Gen 7:21-
22) but I have yet to encounter a passage in the Bible clearly stating that
the breath of life itself is perishable. In point of fact, I think it is very easy to
prove that the human creature's breath of life is not only a permanent
feature of their existence; but also prevents them from going out of
existence.

For example: when Abraham, Lazarus, and the rich man of Luke 16:19-31
passed away, they all left the organic portion of their existence behind-- viz:
their bodies --yet on the other side they are perceptive; fully conscious, and
fully sentient.

I don't know for sure in what form they exist on the other side, but one
thing I do know is that they have not ceased to exist as individuals, nor have
they lost their identities-- Abraham is still Abraham, Lazarus is still Lazarus,
and the rich man is still the rich man; and that has to be because they
retained their breath of life when they crossed over to the other side.

For example; in Watchtower theology, Michael the arch angel had to die in
order to become a human being. Now, the amazing part of the story is that
Michael didn't go completely out of existence when he died.

"He had to become a perfect man and yet not lose his continuity of life. His
life-force was not to be extinguished but would be transferred to the ovum
of the virgin girl, Mary." (Watchtower magazine, 2-15-82, p.7)

So, if it's possible for God to transfer the life force of a dead spirit being into
a human body in order to preserve its continuity of life, then I see no reason
to question whether God can do the very same thing in reverse; viz: transfer
the life force of dead human beings into spirit bodies; thus preserving their
continuity of life.

● Heb 12:22-23 . . But you have approached a Mount Zion and a city of the
living God, heavenly Jerusalem, and myriads of angels, in general assembly,
and the congregation of the firstborn who have been enrolled in the
heavens, and God the Judge of all, and the spiritual lives of righteous ones
who have been made perfect,

The words "spiritual lives" are a construed interpretation of the Greek word
pneúmasi which actually means spirits rather than spiritual lives; and is so
translated in something like 32 verses in regular Bibles, including, but not
limited to, the spirits in prison. (1Pet 3:19)

NOTE: The Watchtower Society's Bible contains quite a few places where
Greek words are construed rather than translated. For example Rev 16:13
14 where pneúmasi is said to be "inspired expressions" instead of spirits.
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OF MICE AND MEN

● Luke 12:16-20 . . He spoke an illustration to them, saying: The land of a
certain rich man produced well. Consequently he began reasoning within
himself, saying, "What shall I do, now that I have nowhere to gather my
crops?"

. . . So he said, "I will do this: I will tear down my storehouses and build
bigger ones, and there I will gather all my grain and all my good things; and
I will say to my soul: Soul, you have many good things laid up for many
years; take your ease, eat, drink, enjoy yourself."

. . . But God said to him, "Unreasonable one; this night they are demanding
your soul from you. Who, then, is to have the things you stored up?"

I suppose there's any number of ways to interpret that illustration; but I am
impressed by the fact that man's plan failed to take into account the fragility
of life.

● Ps 146:3-4 . . Do not put your trust in nobles, nor in the son of earthling
man, to whom no salvation belongs. His spirit goes out, he goes back to his
ground; in that day his thoughts do perish.

The Hebrew word for "thoughts" in that passage is 'eshtonah (esh-to naw')
which means: thinking.

Unfortunately, Ps 146:4 is the only place in the entire Old Testament where
'eshtonah appears so we can't compare its uses in other contexts.

According to Webster's the word "thinking" is ambiguous with quite a variety
of meanings to choose from; including, but not limited to: concerns,
anticipations, conceptions, opinions, imaginations, visualizations, ideas,
epiphanies, plans, schemes, fantasies, arguments, aspirations, deliberations,
and the like.

For the rich man in Jesus' illustration; I would choose ideas, plans, and
schemes.

For example: consider all those people who perished in the World Trade
Center, and in the Japan and Indonesia tsunamis, and the Haiti earthquake.
None of them woke that day planning on it being their last on earth. No, on
the contrary; they had people to see, places to go, and things to do: but
before the day ended; whatever was on their itinerary lost its importance--
their priorities went right out the window and became no more significant
than green cheese on the moon.

All their plans, their dreams, their schedules, their appointments, their
schemes, their problems, their ambitions, their loves, and their aspirations
went right down the tubes as they were suddenly confronted with a whole
new reality to cope with.

So then, an alternative to the Watchtower Society's interpretation is that
people don't cease to exist when they die nor do their cognitive processes
stop working; no, Ps 146:4 only means that whatever was on their minds
before they passed away is now null and void.

Take for example Michael Jackson. While working on a new world tour,
Jackson died in his sleep. As a result; his tour wrapped on the spot.

When my eldest nephew was paroled from prison, he quit drinking, and
began going to college with the goal towards becoming a counselor. For 2½
years all went well. His parole officer was happy, and he was on track and
getting good grades. My nephew's future looked assured. And then on the
morning of Sept 25, 2015, he dropped dead to the floor of natural causes.

My nephew's passing was a terrible disappointment to everybody; but
actually we all kind of expected it. He was grossly overweight, had high
blood pressure and high cholesterol, rarely exercised, and smoked. But the
point is; my nephew's dream ended just as abruptly as flipping a light
switch. And all of our hopes for his success ended the same way.

Death is the mortal enemy of human ambitions. It often casts its long
shadow when they set about planning their lives. The Scottish poet Robert
Burns noticed that life sometimes throws a curve ball that makes all your
careful preparations strike out instead of getting you on base.

He was out one day plowing in the field and uprooted a mouse's
underground nest who was all set for the oncoming winter. The mouse had
picked a fallow field as the site for its winter retreat thinking it would be safe
and snug; unmolested during the cold. But it didn't (or maybe we should say
it couldn't) know the workings of powers higher than itself-- in this case,
farmers and their machinery.

Mousie, you are not alone in proving foresight may be vain.
The best laid schemes of mice and men go often askew,
And leave us naught but grief and pain for promised joy.
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