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An Invitation

JayJayDee

JayJayDee

Avid JW Bible Student
I would like to join Pegg in issuing an invitation to commemorate Jesus sacrificial death as all Christians are commanded to do.

Those who are followers of Jesus Christ will be remembering his death as the most important commemoration on the Christian calendar. In a few weeks, coinciding with the Jewish month of Nisan, on the 14th day of that month (April 14 this year, after sundown) the annual commemoration inaugurated by Jesus at the Last Supper, will be held all over the world. (1 Cor 11:23-26)

Jehovah's Witnesses had almost 19.3 million at last year's Memorial and we are hoping to see over 20 million this year. Our visitors actually outnumber us. :)

Jehovah's Witnesses invite all to come along and remember this most important occasion with us.

For us, it is not held as part of an Easter celebration but is held annually as a memorial on the anniversary of the actual event. Just as the Passover was held as an annual anniversary of that event on the specific date, so too is the event that replaced it for Christians, remembering the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who was the real "Passover Lamb".

http://download.jw.org/files/media_books/4a/mi14_E.pdf

You are also invited to a special talk entitled “Why Would a Loving God Permit Wickedness?" That will be given at a time specified on your personal invitation or from Jehovah's Witnesses in your location.

You will be made very welcome and a personal invitation will be offered to as many as we can reach in the coming weeks with specific places and times in your locality.

We hope you will join us. :)
 
JayJayDee

JayJayDee

Avid JW Bible Student
Here are a few details about our upcoming observance....

The Lord's Supper is a simple observance with wine and unleavened bread. Only those who are 'chosen' to rule with Christ partake of the bread and wine, since these are the only ones taken into the new covenant. The bread and the wine are passed to all in attendance as a reminder of the sacrifice of Christ's flesh and blood. Most in attendance are respectful observers. All in attendance are given a short discourse on the meaning of Christ's sacrifice.

We are often surprised that a lot of our visitors do not understand how the ransom works. They leave with a better understanding.
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Let me give you a few stats from last year's service report.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are active in 239 lands.

We have 113,823 Congregations active in those 239 lands.

There are over 7,965,954 active preachers in Kingdom Service right now.
This is the number of preachers, not just attenders. We are first and foremost preachers of God's word.

Last year we baptized: 277,344 new preachers who became members of our global family. We are truly united in every way.

Collectively, we spent 1,841,180,235 hours telling the good news to others in our own time, using our own resources. We have no paid clergy. All ministers of the kingdom are volunteers. All attend the schools provided for Bible study and training for the ministry.

9,254,963 people enjoyed a personal Bible study with us in their own homes, able to ask as many questions as they wished, using any Bible translation they chose. None are under any obligation, but the teacher is under obligation to pass the good news of the kingdom on to all who would like to know about it. It gives people a sure hope for the future. Please know that all will be most welcome.

Jesus' sacrifice releases us from the condemnation of sin and death. We all look forward to the time when the kingdom takes over control of the earth, when wickedness and all who practice and promote it will be "no more" John tells us that "the former things" that caused pain and suffering will have "passed away". (Rev 21:1-5)

Man was meant to live a much better life...it is the one we all know is programmed into our hearts...a life of peace, happiness and fulfilllment with our loved ones in the paradise conditions that God originally planned for us. ;)
 
JayJayDee

JayJayDee

Avid JW Bible Student
Jesus Prepares for his Last Passover.​

"AS TUESDAY, Nisan 11, draws to a close, Jesus finishes teaching the apostles on the Mount of Olives. What a busy, strenuous day it has been! Now, perhaps while returning to Bethany for the night, he tells his apostles: “You know that two days from now the passover occurs, and the Son of man is to be delivered up to be impaled.”
Jesus apparently spends the following day, Wednesday, Nisan 12, in quiet retirement with his apostles. On the day before, he had rebuked the religious leaders publicly, and he realizes that they are seeking to kill him. So on Wednesday he does not openly show himself, since he does not want anything to interfere with his celebrating the Passover with his apostles the following evening.
In the meantime, the chief priests and the older men of the people have gathered in the courtyard of the high priest, Caiaphas. Smarting from Jesus’ attack the previous day, they are making plans to seize him by crafty device and have him put to death. Yet they keep saying: “Not at the festival, in order that no uproar may arise among the people.” They are in fear of the people, whose favor Jesus enjoys.
While the religious leaders are wickedly conspiring to kill Jesus, they receive a visitor. To their surprise, it is one of Jesus’ own apostles, Judas Iscariot, the one into whom Satan has implanted the base idea of betraying his Master! How pleased they are when Judas inquires: “What will you give me to betray him to you?” They gladly agree to pay him 30 silver pieces, the price of a slave according to the Mosaic Law covenant. From then on, Judas seeks a good opportunity to betray Jesus to them without a crowd around.
Nisan 13 begins at sundown Wednesday. Jesus arrived from Jericho on Friday, so this is the sixth and final night that he spends in Bethany. The next day, Thursday, final preparations will need to be made for the Passover, which commences at sundown. That is when the Passover lamb must be slaughtered and then roasted whole. Where will they celebrate the feast, and who will make the preparations?
Jesus has not provided such details, perhaps to prevent Judas from informing the chief priests so that they might apprehend Jesus during the Passover celebration. But now, probably early Thursday afternoon, Jesus dispatches Peter and John from Bethany, saying: “Go and get the passover ready for us to eat.”
“Where do you want us to get it ready?” they ask.
“When you enter into the city,” Jesus explains, “a man carrying an earthenware vessel of water will meet you. Follow him into the house into which he enters. And you must say to the landlord of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you: “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the passover with my disciples?”’ And that man will show you a large upper room furnished. Get it ready there.”
No doubt the landlord is a disciple of Jesus who perhaps anticipates Jesus’ request to use his house for this special occasion. At any rate, when Peter and John arrive in Jerusalem, they find everything just as Jesus foretold. So the two of them see to it that the lamb is ready and that all the other arrangements are made to care for the needs of the 13 Passover celebrants, Jesus and his 12 apostles. Matthew 26:1-5, 14-19; Mark 14:1, 2, 10-16; Luke 22:1-13; Exodus 21:32." (Chapter 12, The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived. WTBTS)​

 
JayJayDee

JayJayDee

Avid JW Bible Student
Humility at the Last Passover
​

PETER and John, under instructions from Jesus, have already arrived in Jerusalem to make preparations for the Passover. Jesus, apparently along with the ten other apostles, arrives later in the afternoon. The sun is sinking on the horizon as Jesus and his party descend the Mount of Olives. This is Jesus’ last daytime view of the city from this mountain until after his resurrection.
Soon Jesus and his party arrive in the city and make their way to the home where they will celebrate the Passover. They climb the stairs to the large upper room, where they find all preparations made for their private celebration of the Passover. Jesus has looked forward to this occasion, as he says: “I have greatly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer.”
Traditionally, four cups of wine are drunk by Passover participants. After accepting what is evidently the third cup, Jesus gives thanks and says: “Take this and pass it from one to the other among yourselves; for I tell you, From now on I will not drink again from the product of the vine until the kingdom of God arrives.”
Sometime during the course of the meal, Jesus gets up, lays aside his outer garments, takes a towel, and fills a basin with water. Ordinarily, a host would see to it that a guest’s feet were washed. But since on this occasion no host is present, Jesus cares for this personal service. Any one of the apostles could have seized the opportunity to do it; yet, apparently because some rivalry still exists among them, no one does. Now they are embarrassed as Jesus begins to wash their feet.
When Jesus comes to him, Peter protests: “You will certainly never wash my feet.”
“Unless I wash you, you have no part with me,” says Jesus.
“Lord,” Peter responds, “not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.”
“He that has bathed,” Jesus answers, “does not need to have more than his feet washed, but is wholly clean. And you men are clean, but not all.” He says this because he knows that Judas Iscariot is planning to betray him.
When Jesus has washed the feet of all 12, including the feet of his betrayer, Judas, he puts his outer garments on and reclines at the table again. Then he asks: “Do you know what I have done to you? You address me, ‘Teacher,’ and, ‘Lord,’ and you speak rightly, for I am such. Therefore, if I, although Lord and Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash the feet of one another. For I set the pattern for you, that, just as I did to you, you should do also. Most truly I say to you, A slave is not greater than his master, nor is one that is sent forth greater than the one that sent him. If you know these things, happy you are if you do them.”
What a beautiful lesson in humble service! The apostles should not be seeking the first place, thinking that they are so important that others should always serve them. They need to follow the pattern set by Jesus. This is not one of ritual foot washing. No, but it is one of willingness to serve without partiality, no matter how menial or unpleasant the task may be. Matthew 26:20, 21; Mark 14:17, 18; Luke 22:14-18; 7:44; John 13:1-17. (Chapter 13, The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived. WTBTS)​
 
Pegg

Pegg

Jehovah our God is One
Here's a reminder for anyone interested in attending the annual Memorial for Jesus death.

Its Monday evening. All are welcome. If you dont know where to attend, you can find a local Kingdom Hall online.

:)
 
JayJayDee

JayJayDee

Avid JW Bible Student
Pegg said:
Here's a reminder for anyone interested in attending the annual Memorial for Jesus death.

Its Monday evening. All are welcome. If you dont know where to attend, you can find a local Kingdom Hall online.

:)
Click to expand...

Yes, the full moon is a reminder that it is time to commemorate the anniversary of our Lord's death. In obedience to Christ's command to "keep doing this in remembrance of me", Christians the world over will be setting aside time after sundown on 14th April to focus their thoughts on the life saving act of the Savior, redeeming all who exercise faith in his sacrifice. Just as the Jews set aside one night each year to commemorate the Passover, so Christians remember the true Passover Lamb, whose blood saves the lives of those who recognise him as Messiah and appreciate his role in God's eternal purpose.

Again...if you would like to attend please contact Jehovah's Witnesses in your area for the time and address of the nearest Kingdom Hall.

Or, as Pegg has suggested.....

If you dont know where to attend, you can find a local Kingdom Hall online.
 
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