The True Path1 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. (Psalms 53:1) (NIV)
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Interests: 2And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD: 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. (Exodus 6:3) (KJV)
Expertise: 2Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. (Isaiah 12:2) (KJV) 4Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength. (Isaiah 26:4) (KJV)


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Friday, November 20, 2009

Compromise or
Stand Firm?


Standing Firm for our beliefs is the opposite of "Compromise".

With Pagan Holidays to amuse and distract us, will we STAND FIRM
and show our strength in the purity of Christ's original teachings, or will
we be weak - and compromise with the world?

What pagan holidays? Are Christmas and Easter pagan holidays?  

Christmas and Easter  

"It was in the fifth century that the Roman Catholic Church
commanded that the birth of Christ be observed forever on
December 25th, the day
of the old Pagan Roman feast of the
birth of Sol
, one of the names of their pagan sun-god!"
- Encyclopedia Americana, Vol.6, p.623

"THE BIRTHDAY OF Nimrod, the son of the Babylonian Queen,
was adopted by the Roman Church, giving it the name of
Christ.
This tendency on the part of the apostate Church of Rome,
to compromise and meet paganism half-way was very early
developed."
-The Two Babylons; pg. 93
Alexander Hislop

The Early Christians were STRONG in their faith
and they REFUSED to Compromise.

"All men will hate you because of me, but he who
STANDS FIRM to the end
will be saved. At that
time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds

with great power and glory."
(Mark 13:13,26) (New International Version)

Yes, True followers of Christ - always refuse to compromise.

24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one
and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise
the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
(Matthew 6:24) (NIV)

The early Christians were hated by the world around them,
for their refusal to compromise with the Roman world.
They were considered unpatriotic and anti-social while
the Roman world was deep into the frivolity of Saturnalia
Winter Celebration on December 25th. For this they were
despised.

"But what makes you Christian people so offensive
is your stubbornness. You are antisocial snobs.
You will not show proper respect for our festivals."
--- Glimpses Issue #139 :
Why Early Christians Were So Despised;
Ken Curtis PH.D., Beth Jacobson,
Diana Severance Ph.D.,
Ann T. Snyder and Dan Graves. ©2003
by Christian History Institute.
"The Octavius of Minicius Felix"
2nd century A.D.

From: http://chi.gospelcom.net/GLIMPSEF/glmpstt.shtml

"We Christians neither cover our doorposts with wreaths,
nor... decorate our house like some new brothel. We...
do NOT celebrate along with you the holidays...

The pagan Romans clad their doorposts with green
and branching laurels... In the Saturnalia... Presents
come and go... There are... gifts... and Banquets...
yet Christians should have no acquaintance with
the festivals of the pagans."
- Tertullian, (A.D. 155-220),
quoted by David Bercot,
A Dictionary of Early
Christian Beliefs, 1998, p. 342).

What about birthday celebration?

"the earliest Christians simply were NOT interested
in celebrating the Nativity. They 'viewed birthday
celebrations as heathen'
. The third-century church
father - Origen had declared it a sin to even think
of keeping Christ's birthday 'as though he were a
king pharoah'."
- December 23,1996 issue of
US News & World Report

"Christians of the first century did not celebrate the festival
honoring the birth of Jesus - for the same reason they honored
no other birthday anniversary. It was the feeling at that
time by all Christians that the celebration of all birthdays (even
the Lord's)
was a custom of the pagans."
- Dr. John C. McCollister's
The Christian Book of Why

MEN PLEASERS - or - GOD PLEASERS?

"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God?
Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to
please men, I would NOT be a servant of Christ."
(Galatians 1:10) (NIV)

"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with
the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be
a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."
(James 4:4) (NIV)

11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and
darkness; instead, rebuke and
expose them.
(Ephesians 5:11) (NIV)

"Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can
light live with darkness? What harmony can there be be-
tween Christ and the Devil? ...Therefore, come out from
them and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don't touch their filthy things..."
(2Corinthians 6:14-17) (New Living Translation)

"And why do you break the command of God for the sake
of your tradition? Thus you nullify the word of God for
the sake of your tradition."
(Matthew 15:3,6) (NIV)

REFUSING TO COMPROMISE

Christ and his early followers were noted for their refusal
to compromise
. They took death rather than compromise
their faith.

"An arrested Christian could receive a pardon simply by
offering incense on a Roman altar, but many refused
to do so
, citing scripture passages urging faith in the
one God "JEHOVAH". These heroes of the Christians
were called "martyrs," a word that means
WITNESSES’."
- A History of Christianity in Egypt;
Birth and Early Growth

Their refusal to follow worldly festivals and their refusal
to compromise with the pagan world around them caused
them to be ridiculed, ostracized, and often persecuted.
And yet, they stood firm.

What about Easter? Is Easter as bad as Christmas?

"Christmas and Easter - These spurious, counterfeit
holydays represent a COMPROMISE with paganism,
an attempt on the part of the church to convert the
heathen by meeting them halfway. But the Scriptures
clearly teach that there must be NO Compromise
with the evil one on any point. Paul gives the warning:
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter
times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to
seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies
in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot
iron." 1 Timothy 4:1, 2."
-HEATHEN CUSTOMS In the Christian Church;
By Murl Vance

What is so bad about Easter?

"It is interesting that the holiest day of the liturgical Christian
year, Easter Sunday, bears the name of the pagan sex goddess
Eastre and the pagan sun god Solis."
-Panati, Charles. Sacred Origins of Profound Things.
New York: Penguin Books USA Inc., 1996.

"The forms and ceremonies of paganism gradually crept
into the worship. Some of the old heathen feasts became
church festivals with change of name... "
- (Story of the Christian Church, p.79) ;
Jesse Lyman Hurlbut

"Subtly... the old gods had entered their churches...
And they live still in the festivals of Christianity."
--(Testament: The Bible and History, Romer,
1988, pp. 230-31).

TRUE CHRISTIANS ARE WITHOUT SPOT FROM THE WORLD

"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and
Father is... to keep oneself unstained by the world."
(James 1:27) (NASB)

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable..."
(1Corinthians 15:58) (New American Standard Bible) 

"Obey his commands with all purity. Then no one can find
fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ returns."

(1Timothy 6:14) (NLT) 

An excellent suggestion considering that our Messiah 
is indeed coming back to us soon!

A SMALL REMNANT - A "CULT" THAT REFUSES TO COMPROMISE

Those who refuse to compromise with paganism; those who refuse
to celebrate Christmas and Easter are HATED by the World.

Yes, the minority Christians who refuse to compromise
with the pagan celebration of Christmas and Easter are
hated by the world. But then, they expected that.

"If you lived on the world's terms, the world would love
you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on
God's terms and no longer on the world's terms, the
world is going to hate you
."
(John 15:19) (Message Bible)

They are labeled as non-Christians and usually looked down
upon as being a cult and yet, they are more closely following
the teachings of Christ than the majority Christians who openly
ignore
the Bible's warnings about compromise.

There are over seven million of these Christians who
refuse to COMPROMISE with the rest of Christendom.
They would rather take the ridicule of apostate Christians
than to compromise their faith. They would rather follow
closely in Christ's footsteps. Like Christ and the early
Christians, they are labeled as a "CULT".

Their refusal to compromise automatically tells who they are.
Yes, because they are famous for not following the crowd.
They are famous for being different. They are famous for
being disliked and for refusing to compromise with the world.

As a group, Jehovah's Witnesses are famous for NOT celebrating
Christmas,
Easter or birthdays because they refuse to compromise
their faith
.
While the world of Christendom, the nominal Christians,
make excuses for celebrating Christmas and Easter, these last thoughts
from the Bible will be left with them:

"...in the "LAST DAYS"... They will love fun instead of loving
God. They will do things to make it look as if they are Christians.
But they will not receive the power that is for a Christian."
(2Timothy 3:1,4,5) (New Life Version) 

"The world and all its desires will pass away. But the man who
obeys God and does what He wants done will live forever."
(1John 2:17) (NLV)

"Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world
thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out."

(1Corinthians 7:31) (MSG)

"So leave the corruption and don't COMPROMISE; leave it
for good," says God. "Don't link up with those who will
pollute you.
I want you all for myself."
(2Corinthians 6:17) (MSG)

"Like a muddied fountain and a polluted spring is a
righteous man who yields, falls down, and compromises
his integrity
before the wicked."
(Proverbs 25:26) (Amplified Bible) 

Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do NOT do what I say?
(Luke 6:46) (NIV)

"On judgment day many will tell me, `Lord, Lord, we prophesied
in your name... and performed many miracles in your name.' But
I will reply, `I never knew you. Go away; the things you
did were unauthorized.' "

(Matthew 7:22,23) (NLT)

How important is it to stand firm to the end?

"All men will hate you because of me, but he who
stands STANDS FIRM to the end will be saved."
(Matthew 10:22-23) (NIV) 

Bible Gateway 29


Monday, November 16, 2009

Are We the Solution or the Problem?

The World today has problems, BIG problems, and most people
live in this problem-filled world as if they do not care.

What kind of trouble?

What are the world news headlines today?

How many people were blown up by suicide bombers today?

How many people were murdered yesterday? How many today?

How many innocent people are in prison worldwide?

How many people were robbed?

How many people are being beaten right now? How many are
women and children?

How many people have addictions?

Some of the world is safe and happy, but most of it is a place
of torment and desperation.

Did our Heavenly Father intend for our world to be like this?

How long has this been going on?

8 Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to
power in Egypt. 9 "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites
have become much too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must
deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous
and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and
leave the country." 11 So they put slave masters over them to
oppress them with forced labor
, and they built Pithom and
Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were
oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians
came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly.
14 They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar
and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the
Egyptians used them ruthlessly
.
(Exodus 1:8-14) (NIV)

The ancient Israelites were oppressed by The Pharaoh of Egypt
to the point where Jehovah, Himself had to rescue them.

Will Jehovah have to step in to rescue His people once again?

Why is the world so full of famine, pestilence, war, injustice,
crime and brutality?

The answer comes down to - people.

What can we do about the evil people?

Not much. Evil has flourished in people for thousands of years now.
Fortunately, the evil people will all be destroyed in the near future!

Who has the authority to judge people?

Who will allow the righteous to go on living
or sentence the wicked to death?

Who will do that job? 

Christ, himself will do it.

22 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,
23
that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever
does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
(John 5:22-23) (English Standard Version)

What criteria will Christ use in judging people?

28 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in
their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out--those who have
done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will
rise to be condemned
. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only
as I hear
, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but
him who sent me."
(John 5:28-30) (New International Version)

But the vast majority of people are decent, hard working, sober
and kind! This vast majority does not consider themselves evil.
After all, evil people are cruel, self-centered, criminal, etc. The
ministers and priests of Christendom love to teach that we will
all be forgiven for being imperfect, even evil.

That is just common sense, or is it?

How can average, decent people actually be considered as evil?

The kind and decent people of this world:

· Go to church, pray regularly and tithe!
· Love Jesus
· Never harm anybody
· Mind their own business
· Perform acts of kindness
· Work hard
· Love their country
· Read their Bible
· Teach Sunday school
· Obey most of the ten commandments

They will be the most surprised when they are judged
and destroyed by Christ, along with the truly loath-
some criminals, liars, cheats, fornicators, drunkards,
bullies, etc. – the obviously evil ones.

Why will apparently kind, good-hearted, even
generous people be discarded so ruthlessly?

A very important ingredient is missing.

What ingredient could be so important?

The small but important ingredient is obedience!

But these people obey the law, their ministers
and the Ten Commandments.

What more is required?

Are they really obedient to Jehovah, the God of our universe,
or Satan and his demons?

21 YOU cannot be drinking the cup of Jehovah and
the cup of demons; YOU cannot be partaking of "the
table of Jehovah" and the table of demons.
(1Corinthians 10:21) (NWT) www.WatchTower.org

The vast majority of mankind is in trouble. Obedience
seems to be the hardest thing to do.

Our Savior was sent to us to teach us obedience.

What is so hard about being obedient to Jehovah?

28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for
I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
(Matthew 11:28-30) (NIV)

Christ invites people to share a light load in serving his
father
, but most people refuse to do it. People everywhere
are toiling long hours daily for material things. Good people
everywhere work hard for their pleasures and knowingly or
unknowingly
worship false gods.

What would he say to these people today if he were here?

24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the
one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and
despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

(Matthew 6:24) (NIV)

Some people do not do anything at all.

Is that acceptable?

Anyone who isn't helping me opposes me, and anyone who
isn't working with me is actually working against me.
(Matthew 12:30) (New Living Translation)

There we have it.

Is it wise to sit back and do nothing?

26 As the body without the spirit is dead,
so faith without deeds is dead.
(James 2:26) (NIV)

What does Jehovah want us to do?

6Go only to the people of Israel, because they are like
a flock of lost sheep. 7As you go, announce that the
kingdom of heaven will soon be here.
(Matthew 10:7) (Contemporary English Version) 

Some people who are members of Christendom are now
announcing "The End Is Near!" However, their message
is usually full of misleading information such as:

· Once saved, we're always saved.
· At "The End", the world will be destroyed 
        and the good people will go to Heaven.
· Bad people are tormented forever in Hell

These are widespread fallacies.

Do you want to know the real truth?
Where can we find the truth?

7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and
you will find; knock and the door will be
opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks
receives; he who seeks finds; and to him
who knocks, the door will be opened."
(Matthew 7:7-8) (NIV)

32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
(John 8:32) (NIV)

Bible Gateway 29


Monday, November 09, 2009

The End of Religion
As We Now Know It

For the six billion inhabitants of this world,
Church Damage collage 2
having a religion is a natural part of life.
The way people think and live is influenced
a great deal by their religious beliefs. There
are very few people in this world who are not
influenced by the requirements of gods. About
four billion people observe the requirements of
non-Bible based beliefs and two billion claim to
follow the teachings of the Bible. Interestingly
enough, these two billion people call themselves
"Christians" but cannot agree on what beliefs
God’s son brought them so there are over 300
sects of Christianity with no two in agreement.

What does their Bible say about that?

5 We have only one Lord, one faith, and one
baptism.
6 There is one God who is the Father
of all people. Not only is God above all others, but
he works by using all of us, and he lives in all of us.
(Ephesians 4:5-6) (CEV)

The Bible clearly says that there was only one
single faith among the early Christians. Today
there is still only one true faith and a multitude
of false ones.

How do we differentiate between
the true faith and the false ones?

This is the characteristics of the true religion:

23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the
true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and
truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father
seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must
worship in spirit and in truth."
(John 4:23-24) (NIV)

And who is the Father?

"For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of
the glory of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea."
(Habakkuk 2:14) (ASV)

And what about the rest of the "Christian" sects
who ignore Jehovah and worship His son?

25 Instead of believing what they knew was the truth
about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies.
So
they worshiped the things God made but not the
Creator himself
, who is to be praised forever. Amen.
(Romans 1:25) (New Living Translation)

And who is God’s son? Is he really Jesus?

"It is interesting that throughout his life
...Christ never did hear himself called by
that name (Jesus)."
- "Man’s Great Adventure,"
by Edwin W. Pharlow, professor of history,
Ohio State University.

"Christ's name (Jehoshua) is of Hebrew
origin and is taken from the name Yehoshua,
which in English is often translated as Joshua.
Yehoshua, in Hebrew means "Yehovah Saves". "
-Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

"Yahshua (Yehoshua) never heard the name Jesus.
That was a name given to him by the early
church many years after His crucifixion,
they wanted to remove any Jewishness
from the new church. They eliminated His
Jewish name (Joshua / Jehoshua) and blended
the name of "Zeus" into the Christian church
to make it comfortable for all those who
previously worshipped the Greek and Roman gods
- to become Christians. Since Zeus was the top
god of their experience, attaching the name
Ioesus to Yahshua (Yehoshua) gave Him top
priority in the worship hierarchy."
-Believer or Follower?
The Sound of the Shofar
By Jon Thompson

At this time the true God of this world puts up with
many false gods and religions. They are there to
confuse and mislead us.

How do we find the right God and religion?

God’s son calls us to him.

27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they
follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall
never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
(John 10:27-28) (NIV)

God, Himself calls us to Him.

1 "I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was
found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did
not call on my name, I said, 'Here am I, here am I.'
(Isaiah 65:1) (NIV)

And God’s servants are also calling.

So with God and Christ as witnesses, I command you to
preach God's message. Do it willingly, even if it isn't the
popular thing to do. You must correct people and point
out their sins. But also cheer them up, and when you
instruct them, always be patient.
(2Timothy 4:1-3) (CEV)

There is ample opportunity now for people to abandon
their false religion and follow the true one.

What will be their reward?

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the
first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and
there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the
new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now
the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.
They will be his people, and God himself will be with them
and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
for the old order of things has passed away." 5 He who was
seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"
Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trust-
worthy and true."
(Revelation 21:1-5) (NIV)

And what about the false religions
and their followers?

10 "In that day," declares the LORD, "I will destroy
your horses from among you and demolish your chariots.
11 I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all
your strongholds. 12 I will destroy your witchcraft and
you will no longer cast spells. 13 I will destroy your
carved images and your sacred stones from among you;
you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands.
(Micah 5:10-13) (NIV)

The world will return to the way it originally was when
our original parents, Adam & Eve walked the earth.

"All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn
unto Jehovah;
And all the kindreds of the nations shall
worship before thee."
(Psalm 22:27) (ASV)

"And Jehovah shall be King over all the earth:
in that day shall Jehovah be one, and his name one."
(Zechariah 14:9) (ASV)

"And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon
to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall
all flesh come to worship before me, saith
Jehovah."
(Isaiah 66:23) (ASV)

"That they may know that you alone, whose
name is JEHOVAH, You are the Most High over
all the earth."
(Psalm 83:18) (KJV)

Bible Gateway 29


Wednesday, November 04, 2009

HOW DOES THE BIBLE DESCRIBE
THE "LAST DAYS"?

Most people do not believe that this world, as we now
know it, is about to come to an end; yet
the Bible contains
many warnings
for us about this very event:

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful,
proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without selfcontrol, brutal,
not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of
pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness
but denying its power."
(2Timothy 3:1-5) (New International Version)

"First, I want to remind you that in the last days there
will be scoffers (ridiculers) who will laugh at the truth
and do every evil thing they desire."
(2Peter 3:3) (Amplified Bible - Tyndale)

 

So much for the people, what about the world itself?

 

"For that will be a time of greater horror than anything the world
has ever seen or will ever see again. In fact, unless that time of
calamity is shortened, the entire human race will be destroyed."
(Matthew 24:21,22) (New Living Translation)


hurricane damage


"Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is
coming on the world..."
(Luke 21:26) (NIV)

A Warning Message That Most Will Ignore

Just Like In Jeremiah's Day!

Jeremiah was given a commission by Jehovah God, to warn
the people of a coming destruction. But Jeremiah was also
told
in advance that no one would listen to him. 

"When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you."
(Jeremiah 7:27) (NIV)

So then - why did Jeremiah have to preach a warning message? 
Why did Jeremiah persist in preaching for fifty years knowing in
advance - that no one would listen to him?

 

Why ?

 

Because Jehovah God is just - and will not
destroy anyone without a prior warning:

7 "But always, first of all, I warn you through my servants
the prophets. I, the Sovereign LORD, have now done this."
(Amos 3:7) (New Living Translation) 

"Son of man, I have made you a watchman... so hear
the word I speak and give them warning from me."
(Ezekiel 3:17) (NIV)

So too, today - Jehovah has sent his messengers to warn mankind
of an impending destruction.  And they too are told by means of the
Bible - that the vast majority of mankind will not listen!


"...So with God and Christ as witnesses, I command you to preach
God's message. Do it willingly, even if it isn't the popular thing to do."
(2Timothy 4:1,2) (Contemporary English Version)

"But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not."
(Ezekiel 2:7) (New American Standard Bible)

And what is today's message?

"Those slain by Jehovah will certainly come to be
in that day from one end of the earth clear to the
other end of the earth.
They will not be bewailed,
neither will they be gathered up or be buried. As manure
on the surface of the ground they will become."
(Jeremiah 25:33) (ASV)

This message was not popular in Jeremiah's
day AND it is not popular now!


"If you think people are so hardened in sin that they will hate
you for preaching the Word
, then READ JEREMIAH."
-- R. L. Whiteside.


God's faithful messengers have never been in the majority.
The Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles
were never overwhelmed with popularity. People did not speak
well of them or their message. They detested and persecuted
these messengers.

 

2 Then Pashhur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the
stocks that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, which was in the
house of Jehovah.
(Jeremiah 20:2) (ASV)

 

19 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium,
who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out
of the city, supposing he had been dead.
(Acts 14:19) (King James Version)

 

Instead of becoming angry at God, who composed the message,
they poured out their wrath upon the faithful servant who
delivered it. It has always been so. Therefore, it should be no
surprise today.

 

THE VAST MAJORITY WILL NOT LISTEN!

HOW  DO  WE  KNOW?


God's Son, himself foretold that the vast majority of
mankind would be destroyed - when he returns:


"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad
is the road
that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life,
and only a few find it."
(Matthew 7:13,14) (NIV)

 

Is our Savior really going to destroy people?


"...This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from
heaven in blazing fire
with his powerful angels. He will punish
those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our
Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction
and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of
his power on the day he comes to be glorified."
(2Thessalonians 1:7-10) (NIV)


"A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes
and see the
punishment of the wicked."
(Psalm 91:7,8) (NIV)


A GLOBAL DESTRUCTION

 

"For, behold, Jehovah cometh forth out of his place
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity."
(Isaiah 26:21) (ASV)


"For, behold, Jehovah will come with fire, and his chariots
shall be like the whirlwind; to render his anger with fierceness,
and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will Jehovah
execute judgment, and by his sword, upon all flesh; and
the slain of Jehovah shall be many... And they shall
go forth, and look upon the dead bodies of the men that
have transgressed against me..."
(Isaiah 66:15,16,24) (ASV)


 "...Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver
them in the day of Jehovah's wrath; but the whole earth
shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy."
(Zephaniah 1:14-17) (ASV)

 

5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that
the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed
those who did not believe.
(Jude 1:5) (NIV)

 

All of these prophecies were made thousands of
years ago and are now being fulfilled.

 

 "...For it will come upon all those who live on the face
of the whole earth.
Be always on the watch, and pray that
you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and
that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
(Luke 21:25-27,35,36) (NIV)

 

"Not everyone who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom
of heaven. Only the ones who obey my Father in heaven
will get in."
(Matthew 7:21) (CEV)

 

THEY WILL RIDICULE AND LAUGH INSTEAD
OF HEEDING THE WARNING

 

"In that day men will ridicule you; they will taunt you..."
(Micah 2:4) (NIV)

 

Jehovah's people are trying to warn mankind that time has
run out.

 

Should we listen to them?

 

"But you must remember... the predictions which were
made by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They told
you beforehand, In the last days - in the end time - there
will be scoffers... It is these who are agitators... merely
worldly-minded people, devoid of the Holy Spirit and
destitute of any higher spiritual life."
(Jude 1:17-19) (AMP)

Only the wise ones will!

"In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now
he commands all people everywhere to repent.
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with
justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof
of this to all men by raising him from the dead."
(Acts 17:30-31) (NIV)

Bible Gateway 29


Thursday, October 29, 2009

Jehovah’s Requirements

Since the dawn of history (the beginnings of mankind)
Jehovah, the God who created us, had requirements for us.

What kind of requirements?

At first, there were only two people living in the world. Adam
and his wife, Eve, lived alone in the Garden of Eden. For them,
there was only ONE commandment:

16 "And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every
tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17
but of the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat
of it
: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

(Genesis 2:16-17) (American Standard Version) 

Did they follow the one simple commandment?

We know that they did not and the consequence was death.

Did they die immediately?

No. They lived for many hundreds of years. They were supposed to
live forever, but instead, eventually, they did die - just as Jehovah
warned them:

"5 Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died."
(Genesis 5:5) (New International Version) 

Jehovah required other things later such as circumcision, but even
more important were the Ten Commandments that Jehovah dictated
to Moses while the Israelites were seeking the promised land.

Were the Ten Commandments hard to follow?

No. They were simple and designed to promote good relations
between Jehovah and His chosen people. Our Saviour, God's
Son, even simplified the Ten Commandments later down to
just two.

How much simpler can it be?

36 "Teacher, which is the most important commandment
in the law of Moses?" 37 Jesus replied, " `You must love
the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and
all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 A second is equally important: `Love your neighbor as your-
self.' 40 All the other commandments and all the demands of
the prophets are based on these two commandments."
(Matthew 22:34-40) (New Living Translation) 

Does Jehovah have any other requirements for us?

Yes. Very important requirements: He wants all of us
to live forever in harmony on a paradise earth.

beach11

Will all of us live forever on a paradise earth?

No. Most of the people of this world will be destroyed.

Why?

Most of the people of the world are willfully disobedient, even
disrespectful to Jehovah. Many people are even evil.

How can there be a paradise on the earth
with evil and disobedient people in it?

There cannot be a true paradise with these people around.
The evil people are what is wrong with the world now.
Thanks to the incompetence of Christendom's ministers,
the nominal Christians have no clue about Jehovah's
requirements. At the top of His list is obedience.

22 But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of
the LORD ? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed
is better than the fat of rams.
(1Samuel) 15:20-22) (NIV)

What will Jehovah do about them?

10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no
more; though you look carefully at his place,
he will not be there. 11 But the meek shall inherit
the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
(Psalms 37:10-11) (ESV) 

This is fair warning!

The time is now for these disobedient, disrespectful
and evil people to change their ways.

But will they change?

"My minister says that we will be raptured to Heaven when
'The End' comes. I'm saved! I'm going to Heaven baby!"

Realistically, people do not change easily. Most of the people
in the world are going to continue to be disobedient, disrespectful
and evil right up to the end when they are all destroyed. They will
gladly listen to their ministers and follow them to their doom.

Why doesn’t Jehovah make people be obedient and respectful?

People are allowed to choose how they want to act. Jehovah can
make them want to change by force or threat. That would be easy
enough to make people obey Jehovah’s requirements when they are
scared. This use of force is not what Jehovah wants. He is our loving
Father who wishes for people to voluntarily behave. The people who
willingly follow the teachings of Christ and his apostles will live; the
ones who disregard these simple requirements will die. Nobody is
being forced to behave. People get plenty of chances to learn proper
behavior from Jehovah’s servants, but Christ never told his followers
to force anybody to listen to them:

"14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words,
shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or
town. 15 I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for
Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for
that town."
(Matthew 10:14-15) (NIV) 

Can evil people pretend to be good and survive?

No. Pretending will not work. Jehovah and His Son are not
fooled by outward appearances:

"15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no
one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I
am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me."
(John 8:15-16) (NIV) 

"…for Jehovah seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on
the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh on the heart."
(1Samuel 16:7) (ASV) 

Who is trying to teach the people of the
world Jehovah’s requirements?

Are the Catholic or Protestant ministers and priests
teaching the things Jehovah requires?

No! The ministers of Christendom merely serve to tell people
what they want to hear instead of what they need to know.

The apostle Paul prophesied this in his letter to Timothy:

"1 Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times
some will turn away from what we believe; they will follow
lying spirits and teachings that come from demons. 2 These
teachers are hypocrites and liars. They pretend to be religious,
but their consciences are dead. 3 They will say it is wrong to
be married and wrong to eat certain foods."
(1Timothy 4:1-3) (NLT) 

What People are actively teaching the truth
to those who will listen all over the world?

Jehovah’s Witnesses carry out a world-wide preaching
work unmatched by any other religion. Many evangelists
such as Dr. Billy Graham have preached their version of
Christianity to millions of people, but according to the
Watchtower yearbook for the year 2008, more than seven
million members of Jehovah’s Witnesses spent 1.4 billion
hours in service work (door-to-door preaching) and conducted
over seven million home Bible studies in 236 countries in the
year 2008 alone.

From: http://www.jw-media.org/people/statistics.htm

Why do they do that?

14 When the good news about the kingdom has
been preached all over the world and told to all
nations, the end will come.
(Matthew 24:14) (CEV)

Bible Gateway 29



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