November 24, 2014
WHAT ARE THE MORMONS THINKING?
By NiteOwlDave
niteowldave@gmail.com
Simply put, you’ve got to be a moron to be a Mormon.
That may sound abrupt, but so be it. I make no apologies to the singing Osmonds, politician Mitt Romney, or talk show host Glen Beck - all Mormons. Nor, to any of the other 15 million adherents worldwide who subscribe to the Mormon false cult.
Mormonism – also known as The Church of the Latter Day Saints (LDS) - falters badly when examined in the light of the Bible, which they claim as a source of truth alongside their publication, The Book of Mormon.
Mormonism was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr., in Fayette, New York, in 1830. Smith wrote The Book of Mormon which he claimed was divinely inspired.
Smith claimed he was visited by an angel named Moroni at age 14 when he was given new revelation written on gold tablets. The tablets became the basis for the Mormon book, which the sect gives authority equal to the Bible.
The trouble is, his Book of Mormon contradicts what the Bible says. Therefore, Moroni is not an angel, but a demon. The Bible warns us to avoid “new truth” being served up by an “angel.”
The apostle Paul says in Galatians 1:8, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached , let him be accursed.” Mormonism is another gospel.
Paul also warns in 2 Corinthians 11: 13-15, "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."
The Mormons teach –
1. Jesus Christ is the brother of Satan and is the product of God having sex with Mary.
TRUTH; Jesus is part of the Godhead (Trinity). In John 10:30 He said, “I and the Father are one.”
2. That if a follower leaves the church, the wrath of God will fall on his family members.
3. The Mormons believe God lives on a planet and that members should not get too close to Jesus – even though they pray in His Name.
4. The LDS believe when they die, they keep marrying and having more children.
5. The Mormons teach they go through seven stages where one day they become a God and have their own planet.
6. With the Book of Mormon, the Bible, and a few other chosen writings, the Mormon Church says it is the only true church and is in possession of all divine written revelation.
TRUTH: The Bible must be accepted as the one and only final revelation. The Bible was written by those who were inspired by God, it is accurate and true, and represents historical occurrences.
When we look at the New Testament, we realize that it was written by those who either knew personally, or were under the direction of those who did. They wrote what they saw. They wrote about the resurrection of Christ. They recorded His miracles and His sayings.
7. That sect founder Joseph Smith was born as God's prophet.
TRUTH: Deuteronomy 18:20-22 says a true prophet of God cannot utter a single false prophecy; not one. The penalty in Israel for pretending to speak for God was death. Smith was wrong several times with his end-of-the-world predictions.
8. The Mormons teach that man was not created by God despite what the Bible says; and that man pre-existed in a celestial world before becoming human.
9. They say that in the beginning man was also a God, the same as Jesus. They say eventually, man may return to God status and reach the perfection of the deity.
TRUTH: That’s utter blasphemy in the highest order.
10. They believe a living Mormon can be baptized on behalf of another Mormon who died without being baptized. The Holy Spirit—a needed element for salvation—enters a Mormon through water baptism.
11. Until it was outlawed by the federal government, plural marriages were promoted and practiced by the cult. While the practice is now outlawed, the written doctrine has not been changed.
12. Mormons believe that salvation is gained by doing good works and following church orders.
(Upon the death of Joseph Smith, who was shot and killed by an angry mob, Brigham Young became leader and established new Mormon headquarters in Utah.)
Contrast what Mormonism teaches with the gospel of the Bible, which is –
•We all are born with inherited sin
•Jesus, the Son of God, paid our sin debt in full when He died for our sin and rose from the dead.
•We will go to Heaven if we repent of our sin and ask Christ to save us.
How can I be saved? What do I need to do?
Acts 16:31 says “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” God has already done all of the work. All we must do is receive, by faith, the salvation God offers. God offers salvation as a gift. John 14:6 says Jesus is the way of salvation.
November 15, 2014
Give, Yes, But To Whom?
WHERE SHOULD OUR MONEY GO?
By Paul Tatham
tatham47@hotmail.com
We evangelical Christians --those who have received God's free gift of salvation-- are a generous lot.
A 2013 study by the Barna Group found that we evangelical Christians tend to give more to charity than others.
The study reported that 79 percent of evangelical Christians gave money to a church or charity last year, while 65 percent donated items and 60 percent volunteered their time.
Only one percent of evangelicals said they donated nothing at all, which beat the national rate (13 percent) and the rate among those who claim no faith at all (25 percent).
We’re accustomed to opening our wallets and reaching for our check-books whenever there is an emergency need, while continuing to underwrite worthy causes that have been on our prayer lists for years.
We know that “God loves a cheerful giver” (II Corinthians 9:7) and cling to the promise that “if we give it will be given unto us” (Luke 6:38), both “in this present time and in the age to come” (Luke 18:30).
But we also take seriously the sobering addendum that “he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly” (II Corinthians 9:6-7).
But before we drop that check into the plate and thus salve our conscience into thinking we have done the right thing, it might be wise to see exactly what the Scripture has to say about Christian charity.
Are we to give?
Yes. No question about that. There are scores of Bible verses that command us to be a generous people, “thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:17). And there will always be opportunities to give, since “ye have the poor with you always” (Mark 14:7). Few would argue that true Christianity is, at its core, sacrificial.
Do all Bible verses about charity apply to today?
No. Many Old Testament verses apply only to Israel, a theocracy that ceased to exist in 70 A.D., when the Romans put the final nail in their coffin by obliterating Jerusalem, Israel’s capital.
We must be careful not to misapply directives, meant only for God’s ancient people, to New Testament Christianity.
Old Testament Israelites, for example, were to leave part of their harvests for the poor (Exodus 23:11; Leviticus 19:9; 23:22). It was part of their civil law but is not applicable to us today.
It should be noted that the charity mentioned in the “sheep and goats” passage of Christ’s Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25), applies to the yet future Tribulation. Saved gentiles who demonstrate their faith through their ministry to the persecuted Jewish remnant will be duly rewarded.
One would be hard-pressed to find an example of Old Testament Jews giving to the heathen. They were generous, however, with any heathen who joined their camp and embraced their God.
So can we throw out the Old Testament entirely?
Not entirely, because there could be a timeless principle behind it that is still alive and well. Many of the strange Old Testament co-mingling prohibitions or those that deal with ceremonial defilement, for example, have at their heart the overarching principle that modern believers should not soil themselves with “the things that are of the world.” It’s the principle that lives on.
In the case at hand - the timeless principle of giving - that runs throughout the Old Testament, can certainly be applied today. The underlying truth of those specific acts of charity does not necessarily apply exclusively to Israel. Some can be applied to this age:
·Leviticus 19:18—Love your neighbor
·Psalm 112:9—Give to the poor
·Proverbs 31:8-9—Defend the rights of the poor and needy.
·Proverbs 19:17—Pity and give to the poor
·Proverbs 21:13—Don’t close your ears to the cries of the poor
·Isaiah 58:10—Give to the hungry and afflicted
·Isaiah 58:7—Give to the hungry and dispossessed
Is some charity meant to benefit only New Testament Christians?
Yes. In fact, most of it. As with any subject, New Testament verses having to do with charity must be read in context. Often, they tell us to direct our giving to “brothers” in need, not unbelievers.
Paul directs the church at Ephesus to “support the weak” in their congregation (Acts 20:35). John warns us not to hesitate when it comes to supporting a needy “brother” (I John 3:17). Paul writes about taking collections “for the saints” (I Corinthians 16:1).
James addresses “brother and sisters” who are destitute (James 2:15). James 1:27 defines “pure religion” as helping the widows and orphans within the church. Acts 6:1 speaks of providing for widows within the church.
Paul tells us to supply the needs of the poor, but the context is that of poor believers (II Corinthians 9:6-7). When Paul writes, “Remember the poor,” he is addressing poor believers from a group of churches in Galatia (Galatians 2:10).
The early church had “all things in common,” a voluntary sharing intended for fellow saints (Acts 4:32-35). Timothy is addressing the body of Christ when he tells us to provide for our “own” (I Timothy 5:8), and to take care of the widows within the church (I Timothy 5:3). Scripture is clear that the church is to take care of its constituents.
Scripture tells us that most of our giving is to benefit fellow needy Christians. Galatians 6:10 is clear on this: “As we have, therefore, opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
We are to take care of our own, first and foremost, while the world comes secondarily—a dictum at odds with much of the thinking in modern evangelical churches today, primarily because it sounds so, well, unchristian.
The bulk of our giving should be for the benefit of fellow believers rather than for the lost. We are not to give to the unsaved so that they will like us and perhaps give our Savior a passing consideration.
Our giving to the lost is not necessarily meant as a lure to attract those who are “without the camp.”
When our giving is intended to take care of our own, the world will automatically be interested in joining our camp. The attraction should be to join the camp for those who are not yet a part of it. John tells us that “by this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one for another” (John 13:35).
Is all charity meant to benefit only New Testament Christians?
No. Some Scriptures on the topic are open-ended. The recipients of our generosity are unspecified. Therefore, we can conclude, our giving is intended to benefit both the saved and the lost:
·I Timothy 6:18—“Be generous and ready to share”
·Ephesians 4:28--“[Work hard], so that you will have something to share with one who has need”
·Mark 12:31—“Love your neighbor”
·Hebrews 13:2—“Don’t forget to [be hospitable to] strangers”
·Hebrews 13:16—“Do good and share”
But what about . . . ?
·Matthew 5:42—“Give to him who asks.” This verse is part of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, which has its primary application in the yet future Millennium but with secondary applications for today.
·Luke 18:22—“Sell all you possess and distribute to the poor.” This scenario, in which the rich young ruler approaches Jesus and asks what he has to do to inherit eternal life, Jesus tests his commitment. It should not be interpreted as a formula for either our charity or as a means for the lost to enter Heaven.
It should cost us
That Sunday morning the pastor was preaching on giving, focusing on the fact that our giving should indeed be sacrificial. Later in the service, as the offering plates were making their rounds, the man sitting next to me smiled, ceremoniously dropped a dime into the plate, and whispered, “Ouch!” I had to suppress my laughter, for I knew that the guy was typically a more sacrificial giver than that but that we both needed a chuckle.
The whole point of story of the widow’s mite, recorded in the gospels, is that our giving should be proportional to how much we are able to give. Giving that doesn’t “cost” us isn’t really giving at all.
So to whom should we give?
So far, we have established that . . .
·We should give
·Some giving does not apply to today
·Most of our giving should be for the benefit of fellow Christians
·Our giving should be relative to our income
Now we come of the crux of our investigation; to whom should we give?
Whether our giving is to benefit the saved or the lost, we are to use common sense. When Jesus sent forth His 12 disciples, he warned them that because they were going forth “as sheep in the midst of wolves” they needed to be as “wise as serpents” (Matthew 10:16). Surely such caution would apply to us today in our benevolence decisions.
Using godly discernment in our giving, then, would apply to the following:
·Christians are not to give to everyone who has his hand out. Many of us operate under the premise that it doesn’t matter who we give to, as long as we give. Supporting the Red Cross, or any other secular cause, will do just fine. The Bible does not support the idea that we are to blindly toss our money at just any cause that tugs at our heart strings.
·Secular charity organizations have a huge constituency of unsaved donors from which to draw. Christian charities, in contrast, have only the body of Christ. Our priority must be to support Christian groups that promise an eternal payoff.
·This does not rule out secular organizations entirely. But we should support only those that allow us to couple our giving with some kind of “plug” for Jesus—the name of the sponsoring church or Christian organization, distribution of Christian literature, allowing us to share our faith verbally, etc. If a secular organization wants only our wealth, while prohibiting our witness, there is little possibility that our efforts will yield eternal benefits. Such support is wasteful of the Lord’s money.
Our charity should center around offering the lost the “living water” of salvation (John 4:10) and not “water” that is merely temporal. What is the real benefit of raising money for clean drinking water for Africa if it is not connected with the “living water,” which is far more important? Too much charitable giving by Christians meets only temporal needs and is an end in itself. We should focus, instead, on charities that result in eternal dividends.
·A question that often arises is whether or not we should give to panhandlers? Should I give to that homeless guy at a traffic light who promises to “work for food”? Quite frankly, I’m hesitant. Even if I hand him a gospel tract, along with my dollar bill, I have little faith that it will be read.
Furthermore, studies show that the majority of modern-day beggars actually are not homeless, are not willing to work for food, are addicted to drugs or alcohol, have arrived at their sad state as a result of poor choices, and are able to make a decent living by simply awaiting handouts.
Our contributions may make us feel warm and self-satisfied, but they typically do little good. In fact, they may very well do more harm than good by enabling such indolence to be rewarded. Perhaps the most charitable thing we can do is to let natural consequences force slothfulness to impart its own lessons.
If Christians are warned that if they refuse to work they are not entitled to eat (II Thessalonians 3:10-12), how much more does such a standard apply to the lost? We are never instructed to support those who are simply lazy, whether Christian or not, living off the kindness of others.
Even the Old Testament practice of leaving some of the harvest for the poor (Leviticus 19:9) required some work on the part of those who benefitted. It was not outright charity. In Timothy’s instructions regarding the care for church widows (I Timothy 5:3-16), each widow had to clear several hurdles in order to qualify for benevolence.
Should we give to just any Christian organization?
Just because a charity includes the word “Christian” in its name does not necessarily mean that it is doing a commendable job of bringing the lost into the kingdom and mentoring them into solid followers of Christ. Some Christian outreaches are doing an effective job, some aren’t. Some function on a lean budget that makes every donated dollar count, while others siphon off a disproportionate percentage in “administrative expenses.”
We need to do a little investigating to ensure that a Christian organization is getting the most bang for the buck. A church treasurer once told me that it boils down to “CPS—cost per soul.” Although his analysis may have been a tad crass, he certainly had a point.
There are only so many Christian dollars to go around, so it would behoove us to stretch each dollar by determining which Christian agencies are making the biggest impact for eternity.
Far and away the most important tenet of our giving must be the gospel—the good news of eternal life made possible by Christ’s payment on the cross. Meeting the physical needs of the lost is certainly part of the equation, but our top priority must remain the saving of their souls.
I get tired, quite frankly, of all the wastefulness of evangelical churches with their ends-in-themselves social involvement that has little to no gospel connection whatsoever.
In fact, much of the involvement doesn’t even make a connection to the church that is sponsoring it. Recipients don’t even realize that the donations they are enjoying came from “that generous church down the street.” If they did, they might be intrigued enough to drop by the church to check it out.
Many Christians involved with purely social outreaches believe that they are carrying out the Great Commission.
They fail to realize that the Scriptural way to bring about true social change is to work first on changing hearts. If someone gives his heart to Christ the Holy Spirit takes up residence in his life and society as a whole inevitably benefits.
Summing up . . .
·We should give.
·Some giving does not apply to today.
·Most of our giving should be for the benefit of fellow Christians.
·Our giving should be relative to our income.
·We should use discernment when deciding whom to support. Not all charities are created equal.
·We should support secular charities only if we are able to leverage such involvement into a Christian witness of some sort.
·We must be careful in supporting agencies or individuals that do more harm than good because they foster irresponsible behavior.
·We should support Christian charities that squeeze the most bang from each buck.
·We should support Christian charities that put evangelism as a top priority in their mission statement.
November 11, 2014
Correcting a few beliefs of the Jehovah Witnesses
By NiteOwlDave niteowldave@gmail.com
I recently spent five hours with several pleasant Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) who showed up at our door advancing the message of their cult that combines the Bible and the Watchtower.
The first two visits were with two women in their forties who must have thought I was a possible convert because of the many questions I pitched their way.
The third session was a long one around the dining room table, with the original two women on each side and a forceful woman, more knowledgeable about the Bible and the JW beliefs, seated directly ahead.
We tossed off the gloves and gave it a go. As expected, after three hours we wound up in gridlock.
I was not a whit closer to becoming a JW adherent, and they remained solidly fixed in their positions despite what I thought was a fairly solid presentation of who Jesus Christ really is according to clear biblical references.
In preparation of our round-table discussion, I put together the following overview. If you are dealing with a Jehovah's Witness, you may find this useful.
First, though, a couple of tips –
1. Be polite and listen closely to their presentation.
2. Ask them follow-up questions or say, "Continue".
3. If they ask if they can bring a friend back, be prepared – you are going to be dealing with a JW heavyweight who may have deserted true Christianity a while back and is today a trophy of Satan.
So, on to my paper.
If I understand what you have been telling me, I need to join the Jehovah's Witnesses organization or church because, you claim, it is the only way I can learn Jehovah's will.
Then, if I continue as a faithful Jehovah's Witness for the rest of my life, I will be rewarded with another life on earth because the 144,000 special seats in Heaven with Jesus that you teach are no doubt all taken. You claim the JW way is the only way to God.
Upon my death, my body and soul go into the ground but I will be resurrected for another test of good works and obedience for 1,000 years.
If I prove myself to be Jehovah-worthy during the thousand years, I will live on a renewed perfect earth for eternity. That's providing I don't rebel against God.
Sigh. That's too complicated and doesn't offer any positive long-range hope. Let's examine what the Jehovah's Witnesses promote and what the Bible teaches.
We must keep in mind there can be only one truth. Either I'm right, or you're right. There can be no middle road here.
1. No Trinity?
The Bible points out that God exists in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The JWs reject this and preach there is one solitary being, Jehovah God. (Yes, I am aware that the word "Trinity" does not appear in the Bible, but it is taught in the Bible.)
How can one deny a Trinitarian God in face of the following scripture?
Matthew 3:16-17 say, “After his baptism, as soon as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God coming down in the form of a dove.
“And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my beloved Son, and I am wonderfully pleased with him'.”
Matthew 28:19 says, “Therefore go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 13-14 say, “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. May God's love and the Holy Spirit's friendship be yours.”
Genesis 1:26 says, “Let us (more than one) make a man—someone like ourselves to be the master of all life upon the earth and in the skies and in the seas.”
Job 32:8 says, “But it is not mere age that makes them wise. Rather, it is the Spirit in a man.”
Acts 7:59 says, “And as the murderous stones came hurtling at him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit’.”
Thus, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - the Trinity.
2. Christ is Merely One of God's Creations?
Because Christ was part of the Trinity, He is God. The Jehovah's Witnesses wrongly preach that Christ was God's first-created creature.
John 1:1says, “Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God.”
Colossians 1:15-19 say, “Christ is the exact likeness of the unseen God. He existed before God made anything at all. In fact Christ himself is the Creator...
He (Christ) was before all else began...
He is the Head of the church made up of his people - that is, his church –- whom he began; and he is the Leader of all those who arise from the dead, so that He is the first in everything. For God wanted all of himself to be in his Son.”
Colossians 2:9 says, “For in Christ there is all of God in a human body.”
1 John 5:5-7say, “But who could possibly fight and win this battle except by believing that Jesus is truly the Son of God. We know he is, because God said so with a voice from heaven when Jesus was baptized, and again as he was facing death... "And the Holy Spirit, forever forceful, says it too. So we have three witnesses: the voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, the voice from Heaven at Christ's baptism and the voice when he died. And they all say the same thing: That Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
"Every born-again believer has the witness of the Holy Spirit - the quiet conscience who lives within. God spoke of His Son when Jesus was baptized. Jesus cried out to the Father just before He died.”
Therefore, the Trinity.
3. Good Works the Way to Heaven?
The Bible says that Christ completed our salvation at Calvary. The Jehovah's Witnesses preach that our admittance into a peaceful afterlife can be achieved only by our good works.
Romans 3:24-25 say, “Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious ideal. Yet, now God declares us "not guilty" of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins.”
Colossians 1:20 says, “It was through what his Son did that cleared a path for everything to come to him...”
2 Corinthians 5:21says, “For God took the sinless Christ and poured into him our sins.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 say, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
John 1:12 says, “But as many as received (Christ), to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”
To summarize: We are all sinners. Christ took care of our cursed sins on the cross. Salvation cannot be attained by doing good works. Eternal salvation is available free to anyone who will repent of his wickedness and invite Christ into their life as Savior and Lord.
4. Christ's Resurrection Didn't Happen?
Consider these verses:
John 20:24 says, “After greeting them (his disciples, following the crucifixion) he showed them his hands and side. How wonderful was their joy as they saw their Lord.”
John 20:27-29 say, “Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger into my hands. Put your finger in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe.’ Said Thomas, ‘My Lord and my God.’ Then Jesus told them, ‘You believe because you have seen me. But blessed are those who haven't seen me and believe anyway’."
5. Christ Returned in 1914 and Was Invisible?
Matthew 24:30 says, “And then at last the signal of my coming will appear in the heavens and there will be deep mourning all around the earth. And the nations of the world will see me arrive in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.”
(There will be "deep mourning" because those on earth will know they will now face God's wrath. They were not part of the earlier "rapture" of believers.)
Zechariah 12:10 says, “Then I will pour the spirit of grace and prayer on all people of Jerusalem, and they will look on him they pierced, and mourn for him as for an only son, and grieve bitterly for him as an oldest child who died.”
Revelation 1:17 says, “See. He is arriving, surrounded by clouds, and every eye shall see him—yes, and those who pierced him.”
6. Annihilation If You're Not a JW?
The Bible states that eternal punishment awaits those who reject or ignore Christ's gift of salvation. The Jehovah's Witnesses teach that those who do not become a JW will be annihilated with no conscience upon death.
Matthew 13:42 says, “And all who are evil will be thrown into the furnace and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Let those with ears, listen.”
Matthew 22:14 says, “Bind him hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Luke 13:23-28 say, “Someone asked Jesus, ‘Will only a few be saved'?"
"And he replied, ‘The door to heaven is narrow. Work hard to get in, for the truth is that many will try to enter but when the head of the house has locked the door, it will be too late.
"Then if you stand outside knocking and pleading’, ‘Lord, open the door for us,’ He will reply, 'I don't know you.'
'But we ate with you, and you taught in our streets.'
But he will say, ‘I tell you, I don't know you. You can't come in here, guilty as you are. Go away.’ And there will be great weeping and gnashing of teeth as you stand outside.”
2 Peter 12:17 says, “...they are doomed to the eternal pits of darkness.”
Jude 1:13 says, “They wander around looking as bright as stars, but ahead of them is the everlasting gloom and darkness that God has prepared for them.”
Revelations 14:9-11 say, “...and they will be tormented with fire and burning sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and Christ.
The smoke of their torture arises forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night.”
What a horrible, conscious eternity awaits the person who, although perhaps active their whole life in church, never had a one-on-one relationship with everlasting God and never confessed his sin and called out to Christ for His salvation.
He will spend forever, wide-awake in eternal suffering.
Get right with God, now. You could be dead in five minutes. If you're not sure you're going to Heaven, chances are you're not, and Hell awaits.
That's what is so frightening when you poke into the devilish doctrines of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other cults.
Below is some history of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Jehovah's Witnesses were founded in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, in 1852 by Charles Russell.
Russell taught that the end-times started in 1799 and that Christ returned in 1874. These dates were later changed in 1914 when Armageddon failed to appear. Prophecies about 1915 also failed.
Russell died in 1916 and was succeeded by Joseph Rutherford who falsely predicted Armageddon would take place in 1918 and 1925.
In 1931, the title Jehovah's Witnesses was adopted.
In 1942, Nathan Knorr succeeded Rutherford. His major accomplishment was overseeing the completion of The New World Translation of the Bible in 1961, with its major false liberties.
The Jehovah's Witnesses name is synonymous with the name Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.
Headquartered now in Brooklyn, NY, the governing body of the Witnesses wields absolute authority over its membership and popularizes its doctrines by mass distribution of magazines like The Watchtower and Awake.
A Witness is blindly obedient to The Watchtower, which promotes a false gospel as outlined above.
The Witnesses refuse blood transfusions, will not salute the flag or honor any government, will have no part of war, or honor traditional Christian holidays.
The most grievous error in the doctrine of the JWs is their insistence that Christ is inferior to God.
Consider John 8:42 where Christ said, "That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am the Messiah, the Son of God, you will die in your sins."
Matthew 16:15-16, also, state, "Then He (Jesus) asked them (His disciples), 'Who do you think I am?'
Simon Peter answered, 'The Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.'"
November 2, 2014
LEFT PATH, RIGHT PATH
The "Left and Right" in the Bible
There’s nothing wrong with being left handed, a political leftist, a left-fielder in baseball, or to be accused of having two left feet.
The “left” word, however, does have spiritual implications that most are not aware.
The Bible always links God and His ways with the “right hand.”
The term “left hand path” is an occultism term used mainly by Wiccans and Satanists. They worship false gods and goddesses. I suggest it is correct to say that both of these belief systems were birthed by Satan, the cunning anti-God.
According to Wikipedia, the popular internet encyclopedia, “People who follow the Left Hand Path in the West are not interested in giving up pleasure or the world in order to be spiritual.
“They are not interested in worshiping God or following rules made up by others. They seek to gain power and freedom by breaking through taboos, fears, and restrictions.”
The Bible always uplifts the “right.”
1. Matthew 25:33 - Remember what Jesus said: “Goats on the left, sheep on the right.”
2. Jesus also told Peter that if he wanted to catch fish do it from the right side of the boat. They did and filled the boat with fish.
3. John 21:6 - “Jesus said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish."
4. Ecclesiastes 10:2 - "The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left."
5. 1Peter 3:22 – “Who (Jesus) is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him.”
6. Acts 5:31 – “Him hath God exalted with his right hand [to be] a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”
7. Luke 22:69 – “Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.”
8. Mark 16:19 – “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.”
9. Hebrews 12:2 – “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
10. Hebrews 10:12 – “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;”
11. Hebrews 8:1 – “Now of the things which we have spoken [this is] the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;”
12. Hebrews 1:13 – “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?”
13. Colossians 3:1 – “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”
14. Ephesians 1:20 – “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly[places].”
15. Matthew 22:44 – “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?”
16. Psalms 110:1 - (A Psalm of David.) The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
17. Hebrews 1:3 - Who being the brightness of [His] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
There’s nothing wrong with being left handed, a political leftist, a left-fielder in baseball, or to be accused of having two left feet.
The “left” word, however, does have spiritual implications that most are not aware.
The Bible always links God and His ways with the “right hand.”
The term “left hand path” is an occultism term used mainly by Wiccans and Satanists. They worship false gods and goddesses. I suggest it is correct to say that both of these belief systems were birthed by Satan, the cunning anti-God.
According to Wikipedia, the popular internet encyclopedia, “People who follow the Left Hand Path in the West are not interested in giving up pleasure or the world in order to be spiritual.
“They are not interested in worshiping God or following rules made up by others. They seek to gain power and freedom by breaking through taboos, fears, and restrictions.”
The Bible always uplifts the “right.”
1. Matthew 25:33 - Remember what Jesus said: “Goats on the left, sheep on the right.”
2. Jesus also told Peter that if he wanted to catch fish do it from the right side of the boat. They did and filled the boat with fish.
3. John 21:6 - “Jesus said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish."
4. Ecclesiastes 10:2 - "The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left."
5. 1Peter 3:22 – “Who (Jesus) is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him.”
6. Acts 5:31 – “Him hath God exalted with his right hand [to be] a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”
7. Luke 22:69 – “Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.”
8. Mark 16:19 – “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.”
9. Hebrews 12:2 – “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
10. Hebrews 10:12 – “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;”
11. Hebrews 8:1 – “Now of the things which we have spoken [this is] the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;”
12. Hebrews 1:13 – “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?”
13. Colossians 3:1 – “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”
14. Ephesians 1:20 – “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly[places].”
15. Matthew 22:44 – “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?”
16. Psalms 110:1 - (A Psalm of David.) The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
17. Hebrews 1:3 - Who being the brightness of [His] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
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