Melinda Mills

I never could figure out how to use those suckers.

" It seems that all true Christians have equal access to the Bible, prayer and holy spirit. "  - Anna
------------
(Psalm 65:2) 2 O Hearer of prayer, to you people of all sorts will come.

(Proverbs 2:1-22) My son, if you accept my sayings And treasure up my commandments,  2 By making your ear attentive to wisdom And inclining your heart to discernment;  3 Moreover, if you call out for understanding And raise your voice for discernment;  4 If you keep seeking for it as for silver, And you keep searching for it as for hidden treasures;  5 Then you will understand the fear of Jehovah, And you will find the knowledge of God.  6 For Jehovah himself gives wisdom; From his mouth come knowledge and discernment. 
(John 3:16) “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.
(Revelation 22:17) And the spirit and the bride keep on saying, “Come!” and let anyone hearing say, “Come!” and let anyone thirsting come; let anyone who wishes take life’s water free.
(Joel 2:28,29)  28 After that I will pour out my spirit on every sort of flesh, And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, And your young men will see visions. 29 And even on my male slaves and female slaves I will pour out my spirit in those days.
Everyone has equal opportunity to come to Jehovah and receive help.
=====
I wanted to send this last night but it disappeared. Thanks to admin for restoring it.
=====
This morning I was writing a post and something miraculous happened - I was trying to remember a phrase in the Bible, but did not know where it was in the Bible.  I however continued with my writing, when I looked for the scripture for the next point I realized that I was being helped because the verse above the scripture had the phrase I was looking for to support the previous point. (I really did not know it was there I had seen it.)
This is not the first time I had experiences that show that Jehovah wants us to help others put confidence in Him and his Word.  God's Word is alive and exerts power.  Sometimes after I research things to help others I often understand them better or things become clearer to me as well.
 

 
 

 
 
 

" It seems that all true Christians have equal access to the Bible, prayer and holy spirit. "  - Anna
------------
(Psalm 65:2) 2 O Hearer of prayer, to you people of all sorts will come.

(Proverbs 2:1-22) My son, if you accept my sayings And treasure up my commandments,  2 By making your ear attentive to wisdom And inclining your heart to discernment;  3 Moreover, if you call out for understanding And raise your voice for discernment;  4 If you keep seeking for it as for silver, And you keep searching for it as for hidden treasures;  5 Then you will understand the fear of Jehovah, And you will find the knowledge of God.  6 For Jehovah himself gives wisdom; From his mouth come knowledge and discernment. 
(John 3:16) “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.
(Revelation 22:17) And the spirit and the bride keep on saying, “Come!” and let anyone hearing say, “Come!” and let anyone thirsting come; let anyone who wishes take life’s water free.
(Joel 2:28,29)  28 After that I will pour out my spirit on every sort of flesh, And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, And your young men will see visions. 29 And even on my male slaves and female slaves I will pour out my spirit in those days.
Everyone has equal opportunity to come to Jehovah and receive help.
=====
I wanted to send this last night but it disappeared. Thanks to admin for restoring it.
=====
This morning I was writing a post and something miraculous happened - I was trying to remember a phrase in the Bible, but did not know where it was in the Bible.  I however continued with my writing, when I looked for the scripture for the next point I realized that I was being helped because the verse above the scripture had the phrase I was looking for to support the previous point. (I really did not know it was there I had seen it.)
This is not the first time I had experiences that show that Jehovah wants us to help others put confidence in Him and his Word.  God's Word is alive and exerts power.  Sometimes after I research things to help others I often understand them better or things become clearer to me as well.
 

 
 

 
 
 

Ezekiel 38:8 and Isaiah 2:2  refer to pre-Armageddon situations (final part of the days). 
Rev 20 discusses post-Armageddon situations.
You need to acknowledge that Rev 21:4, 5 shows that the former things have passed away.
At the final test some persons who survived Armageddon, their children  and some of the resurrected ones - a considerable amount - will choose to go with Satan in disobedience to  God and his Kingdom. (Adam and Eve had this test also when they were made perfect.) This is why Jehovah kept Satan and did not destroy him at Armageddon. This is what the final test is meant to do - to finally sift out those who are disloyal to God. They will be eaten up by the fire that comes down from heaven - second death.  (Rev 20:9) After that there will be peace in the Universe.  Adamic death will cease. No one will be disobeying Jehovah after that. Second death is always available to Jehovah and Jesus to deal with any threats.
Granted, there may be further understanding of who exactly in Babylon the Great will be destroyed and who  will be destroyed at Armageddon. But we should not  worry unduly about these things.  We have to get ready ourselves.  2 Peter 3:15.  Have confidence that Jehovah is a Righteous Judge and his Son is like him. Armageddon is going to be a righteous war and no one will be destroyed who is who is worthy of an opportunity for everlasting life.  They will be preserved to benefit from  the priestly services of the Thousand-Year rule of the Messiah. See Revelation 22:1-3; Isaiah 11:1-9.Isaiah 29:9,10.
Agree that when we have preconceived ideas it is harder to learn more but there are fundamental truths or core values that we stick to, or else we are wasting our time.
Read Ps 37:10,11,34, 37,38 -  wicked people to be cut off
Rev 19: 17-21  - end of military nations and those who support them - small and great
Rev 21:4,5 - end of old system - former things passed away - making all things new.
2 Peter 3:7,11-12  - end of old system - destruction as if by fire.
2 Peter 3:13 - new system wherein righteousness is to dwell.

Suggestion: If you make the posts a little shorter you might get more comments on them.
 

Suggestion: If you make the posts a little shorter you might get more comments on them.
 

Suggestion: If you make the posts a little shorter you might get more comments on them.
 

" It seems that all true Christians have equal access to the Bible, prayer and holy spirit. "  - Anna
------------
(Psalm 65:2) 2 O Hearer of prayer, to you people of all sorts will come.

(Proverbs 2:1-22) My son, if you accept my sayings And treasure up my commandments,  2 By making your ear attentive to wisdom And inclining your heart to discernment;  3 Moreover, if you call out for understanding And raise your voice for discernment;  4 If you keep seeking for it as for silver, And you keep searching for it as for hidden treasures;  5 Then you will understand the fear of Jehovah, And you will find the knowledge of God.  6 For Jehovah himself gives wisdom; From his mouth come knowledge and discernment. 
(John 3:16) “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.
(Revelation 22:17) And the spirit and the bride keep on saying, “Come!” and let anyone hearing say, “Come!” and let anyone thirsting come; let anyone who wishes take life’s water free.
(Joel 2:28,29)  28 After that I will pour out my spirit on every sort of flesh, And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, And your young men will see visions. 29 And even on my male slaves and female slaves I will pour out my spirit in those days.
Everyone has equal opportunity to come to Jehovah and receive help.
=====
I wanted to send this last night but it disappeared. Thanks to admin for restoring it.
=====
This morning I was writing a post and something miraculous happened - I was trying to remember a phrase in the Bible, but did not know where it was in the Bible.  I however continued with my writing, when I looked for the scripture for the next point I realized that I was being helped because the verse above the scripture had the phrase I was looking for to support the previous point. (I really did not know it was there I had seen it.)
This is not the first time I had experiences that show that Jehovah wants us to help others put confidence in Him and his Word.  God's Word is alive and exerts power.  Sometimes after I research things to help others I often understand them better or things become clearer to me as well.
 

 
 

 
 
 

Exactly, and this is what I tried to explain in the post above, when I said  “We can take this whole survival thing further into the stream of time. Even after being judged as sheep, and after entering the new world, our survival will always depend on obeying Jehovah’s instructions, since we will always be dependent on him to stay alive”.
Yes indeed, and it has apparently already been spun a certain way, according to those two paragraphs.
However, thinking about it logically does that kind of a spin make sense?  I see several problems with it. If we are obedient to the Slave now, we will be judged as sheep obviously, and if we are obedient now, it follows we will be obedient during Armageddon, as per the reasoning in par. 20.  So this is a closed circle, since one naturally leads to the other. Therefore on that basis, what is actually the point of those two paragraphs? And what is to say we are at liberty to apply Jehovah's saving arrangements in the past to what he will do in the future?
Because how can it be categorically said that there will be instructions given to us through some centralized body or agent? Or even congregation overseers? Am I to imagine elder John is going to receive a vision which he will then relay to the rest of the little group?
To go into even more detail, it was different  with the Israelites for example, coming out of Egypt, following Moses. This kind of a scenario will obviously be impossible during Armageddon, although similar scenes are depicted in our literature. However, if you think about it, something like that is not even remotely possible because:
How could we be organized into one large group when we are so scattered? Although we are one nation symbolically we are not one nation physically. The next congregation from us is 10 miles away, and even if we were grouped according to circuits, we might have a couple of thousand, with the next couple of thousand in the next city, miles away. On top of that, how are we going to travel with no fuel, (and with the frail and infirm) since there will be no one to operate the stations, and no electricity to pump the fuel out as there will be no one operating the generators, and no one supplying the fuel as there will be no drivers and there will be no pilots to operate planes, no captains to operate ships, and no one to operate the oil rigs.  How are we going to get any messages forwarded across miles and miles of land and sea? This is a very complex modern infrastructure we live in at the present time, and it is wholly reliant on workers, who will be dead. And on top of these obvious logistical and communicational problems, there will be masses of rotting corpses, poisoning the water and air, to contend with. What are we going to be drinking and eating while we are figuring this out? I am sure we can all think of so much more. So what I am trying to say is that it goes without saying we will evidently have to rely directly on Jehovah and on miracles he will probably perform at that time. It stands to reason we will all be direct witnesses of these miracles, and will experience them personally, without them going through some human centralized group, or agents.
If we are already judged as sheep before Armageddon, would it stand to reason that we would suddenly become disobedient, if we have proved by our life (on the basis of which we were judged) that we were worthy of being judged as sheep by our previous obedience?  It doesn’t make logical sense we would suddenly see the need to not follow instructions, especially after we have obviously been following instructions to get to where we are that point (judged as sheep) and especially when we had just witnessed the supernatural manifestations of the last prophesy being  fulfilled.  If we are honest, are many of us not already psyched up and eagerly waiting for some “special pronouncement” by the slave, so much so that most of us would be willing to move to Timbuktu at the drop of a hat, if those were the instructions given to us by them? And are we not sitting on the edge of our seats in anticipation and hint of any significant turn of events on the world scene any moment?
Wouldn’t it have been much simpler to say something along the lines of: “How will Jehovah preserve alive those who have been judged as sheep during Armageddon? We will have to wait and see. One thing we can be sure of is that Jehovah knows how to deliver people of Godly devotion. At that time all of us will most likely experience supernatural manifestations on our behalf, and we will want to put our full trust in Jehovah’s protective and life giving powers. Of course it won’t end there, as we will continue to do so after the dust of Armageddon has settled, and in to the distant future"......etc.
So I am still trying to figure out the motive behind those two paragraphs....
This is the scripture I always go to, to explain why it's reasonable to expect that God has an organized and a united people on earth today.

In any case 666 or 616 both show up imperfection emphasized as against 7 which is said to represent heavenly perfection  and 10 which is representing earthly perfection. Then we have Isaiah 40:8 and 1 Peter 2:24,25  which gives the commitment of Jehovah God to preserve his "sayings" (through John). And we can see that he has done that well, with just a few minor variations being allowed. I am typing this from memory.

In any case 666 or 616 both show up imperfection emphasized as against 7 which is said to represent heavenly perfection  and 10 which is representing earthly perfection. Then we have Isaiah 40:8 and 1 Peter 2:24,25  which gives the commitment of Jehovah God to preserve his "sayings" (through John). And we can see that he has done that well, with just a few minor variations being allowed. I am typing this from memory.

It's not new. The possibility that 616 might be correct, was already acknowledged by a person who was born between only about 15 to 30 years after the apostle John died. At such an early date, every known difference among the Bible manuscripts would have been significant, because there were so few manuscripts of the Bible books at this time, compared to later. So any differences, if not caught right away, could result in a mistake that would be with us for the next 2,000 years.
As it turns out, we don't need the "witness" of the man born as few as 15 years after the apostle John died. The very earliest known fragment of the book of Revelation also says 616, not 666. Note this from Wikipedia:
Around 2005, a fragment from Papyrus 115, taken from the Oxyrhynchus site, was discovered at the Oxford University's Ashmolean Museum. It gave the beast's number as 616 ????. This fragment is the oldest manuscript . . . of Revelation 13 found as of 2017.[2][3]Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus, known before the P115 finding but dating to after it, has 616 written in full: ????????? ???? ??, hexakosioi deka hex (lit. "six hundred and sixteen").[17]  
Fragment from Papyrus 115 (P115) of Revelation in the 66th vol. of the Oxyrhynchus series (P. Oxy. 4499).[16] Has the number of the beast as ???, 616. What looks like XIC in the fragment is actually Greek for "xis" which are the numerals for 6+10+600 or 616. But to show that this was no simple copyist error, the verse also spells out the word for 616 in the way that we spell it out in English as "six-hundred sixteen" (oder auf Deutsch "sechshundert sechzehn"). In the text of the manuscript in Greek this is spelled out as "hexakosioi deka hex" as already noted above. Irenaeus, the man born as few as 15 years after John, preferred 666 to 616, but provides the evidence that he already saw the number 616 in manuscripts in the same generation as the apostle John. Irenaeus said:
Such, then, being the state of the case, and this number being found in all the most approved and ancient copies [of the Apocalypse], and those men who saw John face to face bearing their testimony [to it]; while reason also leads us to conclude that the number of the name of the beast, [if reckoned] according to the Greek mode of calculation by the [value of] the letters contained in it, will amount to six hundred and sixty and six; that is, the number of tens shall be equal to that of the hundreds, and the number of hundreds equal to that of the units (for that number which [expresses] the digit six being adhered to throughout, indicates the recapitulations of that apostasy, taken in its full extent, which occurred at the beginning, during the intermediate periods, and which shall take place at the end), - I do not know how it is that some have erred following the ordinary mode of speech, and have vitiated the middle number in the name, deducting the amount of fifty from it, so that instead of six decads they will have it that there is but one. [I am inclined to think that this occurred through the fault of the copyists, as is wont to happen, since numbers also are expressed by letters; so that the Greek letter which expresses the number sixty was easily expanded into the letter Iota of the Greeks.] - Adv. haer. 5.30 The Bible manuscript (P115) is not the only manuscript in which the 616 is found. Wikipedia also says:
Although Irenaeus (2nd century AD) affirmed the number to be 666 . . . theologians have doubts about the traditional reading[13] because of the appearance of the figure 616 in the Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (C; Paris - one of the four great uncial codices), as well as in the Latin version of Tyconius (DCXVI, ed. Souter in the Journal of Theology, SE, April 1913), and in an ancient Armenian version (ed. Conybeare, 1907). Irenaeus knew about the 616 reading, but did not adopt it (Haer. v.30,3). In the 380s, correcting the existing Latin-language version of the New Testament (commonly referred to as the Vetus Latina), Jerome retained "666".[14][15]   The P115 mss is probably from 225 C.E. to 250 C.E.  Here, below, is how "666" was written in the Codex Vaticanus (between 350 and 400 C.E.):
So either version has the potential to be correct. But the earliest evidence we have is for 616, not 666. Also we can think about whether it was more likely that a mnemonic number like 666 would more likely turn into a non-mnemonic 616 or would it be more likely that a non-mnemonic would be retained as a mnemonic. In the study of the history of textual changes, the difficult is simplified more often than the simple is made more difficult.
In this case, however, there is an even better explanation as to why both 666 and 616 were both known at such an early date in the history of the manuscripts of Revelation. But that's another story, that is not necessary for this discussion.

Where is @James Thomas Rook Jr. when you need him with the Far Side cartoon showing Satan furious with the painter for painting 999 on an interior room. "Well, I'll be," the fellow says, scratching his head. "I guess I was holding the blueprint upside down."

I have been reading a bit of psychology and have watched some videos on philosophy etc. regarding the human condition.  Most psychologists/philosophers worth their salt (doing research at university - an know what they are doing - because there are not many),  know that the human condition is not flawed but downright malevolent - yes malevolent. (No man has not sinned).
They will quote the mass killings in recent human history (and 20th century) and all the deviations going on around us, to prove how bad the human condition actually is.  Some predict that we are now entering the worst time in human history - an end to human civilization as we know it.  Some say that an attachment to Christian-Judeo values has kept mankind from the most debased practices and given us some human rights - but now with post-modernism philosophy all objective values of right and wrong are being thrown out together with the Bible and everything it stands for. Debased practices will openly become part of the human condition soon....... and one can see that as a moral society we are going down fast.
To think that Witnesses are above this debased state is silly.  It is our education in Jehovah's ways that have dignified us somewhat. This is why we are warned to wage constant war against our own inclinations by Paul and other bible writers, who wrote under inspiration. We are all unbalanced, debased and in a sorry state - to think otherwise is to bamboozle yourself.  So we all have something mentally unbalanced somewhere - just depends on the degree. Sin and all the other things going on in this system is crouching at our door - all the time.  Just depends if we let it in.
However, when we lift ourselves out of this condition and try very hard to obey Jehovah with all effort, then we can get his approval and a measure of his spirit - if we humble ourselves to ask for it. When we maintain our relationship with Jehovah then we can uplift ourselves and this in turn positivizes us, makes us aware that we need to show compassion and take care of each other tenderly. These qualities we develop gives us dignity and of course the promises of future blessings gives us hope... and yes - it is something to smile about when we share it with others.
So when we start with any form of deviant behavior (away from Jehovah) then we become a wild card. What will come out of it we ourselves do not even know - like the waves of the sea being thrown hither and tither.  So this is why it is important to stay close to Jehovah by regularly reading his word and listening to the warnings of the slave - even if it does look like they are talking down to us.... Staying away from porn, bad movies etc. elevates us and helps us to stay a little more balanced in an increasingly deviant world.
The human condition is so dire and seriously sick that we all should be very afraid to go there.
 
 
 

"One consequence of the fact that the resurrection takes place at the end of the millennium is asking the question of what basis will be judged resurrected .
So far we have been taught that the resurrected would be judged based on what they would do after their resurrection , that is, over a long period in the kingdom of Christ."    - Israeli Bar Avaddhon
 ===========
Don’t think you understand this all together.  See below.
(Romans 6:23) For the wages sin pays is death, but the gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:6, 7) . . .. 7 For the one who has died has been acquitted from his sin.
 Death acquits us of the sins we incur before death.
 (Acts 24:15) And I have hope toward God, which hope these men also look forward to, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.
 We will not be resurrected perfect – just in suitable bodies – we will have the same attitude and tendencies but we will have a fresh start or in some cases to be fair a first chance to learn what is right.
 There will be a great crowd that will survive without dying that will also be imperfect still. (Rev 7:13-15,17)
Lamb will guide them to everlasting life.
 (Revelation 20:12-15) 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. But another scroll was opened; it is the scroll of life. The dead were judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead in it, and death and the Grave gave up the dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds. 14 And death and the Grave were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire. 15 Furthermore, whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire.
Thousand year jubilee or Sabbath will be used to teach, heal and restore all mankind living on the Paradise earth.
 *** ka chap. 7 pp. 137-138 pars. 52-54 What to Expect of Judges for a Thousand Years ***
“The millennial “land of straightforwardness,” of straightforward dealing with the people and among the people, will be a place where great favor is shown to all mankind in their inborn human imperfection. Some members of the human family have gone down more deeply into sinful degradation than others and have been hardened in an unjust personality because of long failing to be brought to account. Their accustomed bent is toward injustice. It is easy to see how wicked ones of that kind would find it difficult to learn righteousness and uprightness even when all around them there is straightforwardness and divine favor is being shown to them through the King Jesus Christ. In spite of all the help proffered to them, they will be inclined to do unjustly. They will not want to recognize the eminence of Jehovah as the rightful Lawgiver nor the rightness of His standards for living. Respecting them the principle set forth by the apostle Peter seems fitting:
53 “For it is the appointed time for the judgment to start with the house of God. Now if it starts first with us, what will the end be of those who are not obedient to the good news of God? ‘And if the righteous man is being saved with difficulty, where will the ungodly man and the sinner make a showing?’”—1 Peter 4:17, 18.
54 Persons who, in the “land of straightforwardness,” receive the “favor” of God in vain, missing its loving purpose, and who prove unreformable, need not necessarily be preserved to the end of the thousand years before being executed as unfit for eternal life in the Paradise restored to earth. Without any injustice to such who prove to be beyond correction, they may be executed by the one whom God has appointed to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness. These do not get their names written “in the book of life” and hence they are fit for nothing but the “second death,” as symbolized by the “lake of fire” that causes a complete destruction. (Revelation 20:14, 15) How wise and prudent it is, then, to be obedient now to the “good news of God” and to cultivate a love of righteousness in view of that coming Judgment Day!”
 
Isa 11:9 – knowledge given about dealing with earth, animals; knowledge from the scrolls dispensed; mankind rehabilitated to perfection.
End of millennium Satan will be let out of his “pit” to test restored mankind. See Rev 20:7
 Afterward (Adamic) Death the last enemy – will be destroyed.  Adamic death will be hurled into the lake of fire. It will no longer be needed nor will it happen.  See 1 Co 15:25,26; Rev 21:3,4., Rev 20:13,14
  (1 Corinthians 15:25, 26) For he must rule as king until God has put all enemies under his feet. 26 And the last enemy, death, is to be brought to nothing.
  (Revelation 20:13, 14) And the sea gave up the dead in it, and death and the Grave gave up the dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds. 14 And death and the Grave were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire.
 (Revelation 21:4) 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.”
 Second death will always be available to Jehovah to destroy anything that threatens the universe, though this will be unlikely.  It is the second death or lake of fire that will destroy Satan and his demons, and also Adamic death. Wicked people,people who sin against the holy spirit,  the political nations, the false prophet, etc, will already have been thrown there.
 When the Rest of the “Dead” comes to life
Does not mean the order of the resurrection.  Does not mean that this is when the righteous and unrighteous are resurrected.
*** Bible Citations ***
(Revelation 20:4, 5) And I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were given authority to judge. Yes, I saw the souls of those executed for the witness they gave about Jesus and for speaking about God, and those who had not worshipped the wild beast or its image and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand. And they came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for 1,000 years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.
*** it-2 p. 249 Life ***
In his command to Adam, God implied that if Adam obeyed, he would not die. (Ge 2:17) So with obedient mankind, when man’s last enemy, death, is brought to nothing, there will be no sin working in their bodies to bring death. To time indefinite they will not need to die. (1Co 15:26) This bringing of death to nothing takes place at the end of Christ’s reign, which the book of Revelation shows is 1,000 years long. Here it is said of those becoming kings and priests with Christ that they “came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for a thousand years.” “The rest of the dead” not coming to life “until the thousand years were ended” must be those alive at the end of the thousand years, but before Satan is released from the abyss and brings the decisive test on mankind. By the end of the thousand years, people on earth will have reached human perfection, being in the condition that Adam and Eve were in before they sinned. Now they will really have life in perfection. Those who thereafter pass the test when Satan is released for a short time from the abyss will be able to enjoy that life forever.—Re 20:4-10.
 Will answer some more later.

by going beyond the application intended,  (Isaiah 25:20 and 30:21, 1John 5:3,  Zephaniah 2:3 as cited in the two paragraphs) claiming that "our survival of coming events will depend on our obedience to Jehovah’s instructions" and  "Therefore, we want to develop heartfelt obedience to the guidance we are receiving. (1 John 5:3) If we do so today, we will be more inclined to obey willingly in the future and thus receive the protection of our Father, Jehovah, and our King, Jesus" for the purpose of the Slave reaffirming God given authority over the flock at the present time?
To me, it sounds awfully like some kind of soft threat you make to a child. What I hear when I read those two paragraphs in the “God’s Kingdom book”  is: “you better obey the Slave NOW or you’re gonna die!” And I am thinking, do we really need that? Are we presumed so shallow as to obey merely to save our hides? Or shouldn’t we be granted the dignity that our obedience surely has deeper motives than that?
 
There, I’ve said it in a nutshell.

I see the Mark of the Wild Beast as a symbolic mark that civilians will receive when they throw their support behind the Image of the Wild Beast. In the time of the end, the Satanic one-world government (likely the UN) will demand civilians give their full allegiance to it. This will put true followers of Christ in a trialsome situation, because they can only give their allegience to Jesus Christ.

(Isaiah 55:6-8) 6 Search for Jehovah while he may be found. Call to him while he is near.  7 Let the wicked man leave his way And the evil man his thoughts; Let him return to Jehovah, who will have mercy on him, To our God, for he will forgive in a large way.  8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, And your ways are not my ways,” declares Jehovah. 
 

I will add these scriptures:
(2 Peter 2:9) So, then, Jehovah knows how to rescue people of godly devotion out of trial, but to reserve unrighteous people to be destroyed on the day of judgment,
(Acts 3:22, 23) 22 In fact, Moses said: ‘Jehovah your God will raise up for you from among your brothers a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you. 23 Indeed, anyone who does not listen to that Prophet will be completely destroyed from among the people.. . .
(Matthew 17:5) 5 While he was still speaking, look! a bright cloud overshadowed them, and look! a voice out of the cloud said: “This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved. Listen to him.” 
(1 Corinthians 4:6) 6 Now, brothers, these things I have applied to myself and A·polʹlos for your good, that through us you may learn the rule: “Do not go beyond the things that are written,” so that you may not be puffed up with pride, favoring one against the other. 
 
 

(Isaiah 55:6-8) 6 Search for Jehovah while he may be found. Call to him while he is near.  7 Let the wicked man leave his way And the evil man his thoughts; Let him return to Jehovah, who will have mercy on him, To our God, for he will forgive in a large way.  8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, And your ways are not my ways,” declares Jehovah. 
 

To be really honest @Matthew9969, these video clips are only superceded in cringeworthiness by the people who post them on line.
I can only hope that the halls used are merely rented facilities. A Kingdom Hall is a center of true worship in a community, not a centre of buffoonery. I note that some of the euphoria demonstrated seems to have a relationship to the visiting of international assembly delegates. Well, if this is intended as a cultural demonstration and welcome, then I can only shudder at the reality of the state of culture in the host nation.
There is no objection to engaging in this kind of inane lightheartedness in an appropriate setting, but if needs must, then go hire a community facility, or volunteer your garden. Don't go creating international embarrassment at such a childish and immature display in a setting normally used for educating people in Jehovah's righteous ways.
And as for the observation that this pathetic demonstration should somehow constitute "new light", then I for one will take the darkness any day of the week!

Excellent! A church with which you 85% agree. When are you transferring?

Wow, your life and ministry workbook looks different to mine last night!

11. Eat plenty of beans

I see patriotism to the United States couched in semi-religious language. For most people this is not a bad thing. For many Christians it is a misplaced patriotism, because Christians --in solidarity with other Christians scattered throughout the world--do not identify with a single earthly nation:
(James 1:1) 1 James, a slave of God and of [the] Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are scattered about:. . . (James 1:26, 27) . . .. 27 The form of worship that is clean and undefiled from the standpoint of our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself without spot from the world.
(Psalm 39:11, 12) . . .Surely every earthling man is an exhalation. Seʹlah. 12 Do hear my prayer, O Jehovah, . . .  For I am but an alien resident with you, A settler the same as all my forefathers.
(Hebrews 11:13-16) 13 In faith all these died, although they did not get the [fulfillment of the] promises, but they saw them afar off and welcomed them and publicly declared that they were strangers and temporary residents in the land. 14 For those who say such things give evidence that they are earnestly seeking a place of their own. 15 And yet, if they had indeed kept remembering that [place] from which they had gone forth, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they are reaching out for a better [place], that is, one belonging to heaven. Hence God is not ashamed of them, to be called upon as their God, for he has made a city ready for them.
(1 Peter 1:1) 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the temporary residents scattered about in Ponʹtus, Ga·laʹti·a, Cap·pa·doʹci·a, Asia, and Bi·thynʹi·a, to the ones chosen
(1 Peter 2:11, 12) 11 Beloved, I exhort YOU as aliens and temporary residents to keep abstaining from fleshly desires, which are the very ones that carry on a conflict against the soul. 12 Maintain YOUR conduct fine among the nations, that, in the thing in which they are speaking against YOU as evildoers, they may as a result of YOUR fine works of which they are eyewitnesses glorify God in the day for [his] inspection.
In spite of all that, Fred Franz, at Bethel, from around 1976 to 1979, would make sure we had the American standard Thanksgiving meal (turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberries, pumpkin pie) on the exact day of Thanksgiving, and he would make a point of saying that while the United States of America is celebrating its Thanksgiving, we have even more reasons to celebrate. I think most of us thought about it as a kind of inside joke that only Fred Franz would try to get away with, and which might stumble those on the outside if they knew about it. Fred Franz was known for saying things specifically to be provocative or make others uncomfortable. But this could also have been a trial balloon for a change, who knows?