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TheVoice_of_Reason
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Interests: "The gullible believe anything they're told; the prudent sift and weigh every word."
(Proverbs 14:15) (Message Bible)
`````````` Expertise: 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
(Isaiah 1:18) (KJV)
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| The End of This World Part 2
1914 was the year World War I began. What was the significance of that? Never was there a war like it in all of previous history! According to Encyclopedia Wikipedia: World War I (WWI), which was called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter,[4] was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. It involved all the world's great powers,[5] which were assembled in two opposing alliances: the Allies (centred around the Triple Entente) and the Central Powers (originally centred around the Triple Alliance).[6] More than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history.[7][8] More than 9 million combatants were killed, largely because of great technological advances in firepower without corresponding advances in mobility. It was the sixth deadliest conflict in world history.[9] From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_war_1 Yes, World War I was the greatest devastation the world has ever known until the outbreak of the even worse World War II: World War II, or the Second World War[1] (often abbreviated as WWII or WW2), was a global military conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, which involved most of the world's nations, including all of the great powers: eventually forming two opposing military alliances, the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, with more than 100 million military personnel mobilised. In a state of "total war," the major participants placed their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities at the service of the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources. Marked by significant events involving the mass death of civilians, including the Holocaust and the only use of nuclear weapons in warfare, it was the deadliest conflict in human history,[2] resulting in 50 million to over 70 million fatalities. From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II To the most casual observer it is obvious that the world is not a safe place to live anywhere on the earth. Looking at the world today, it appears that the world will continue being hazardous for all living beings - forever. It is fortunate for us that it will not! At this time there is an unprecedented rise in the death rate from war, pestilence, famine, crime, and natural disasters. For example: · War: There have been numerous wars in the twentieth century. “Increasingly, the 75-year period from 1914 to 1989, covering two world wars and the cold war, is being seen by historians as a single, discrete epoch, a time apart in which much of the world was fighting war, recovering from war or preparing for war." —The New York Times, May 7, 1995. "The whole world really blew up about World War I and we still don't know why. Before then, men thought that utopia was in sight. There was peace and prosperity. Then everything blew up. We've been in a state of suspended animation ever since . . . More people have been killed in this century than in all of history." —Dr. Walker Percy, American Medical News, November 21, 1977. Since the HIV virus that causes the AIDS disease appeared in the mid 1980’s, other previously unknown diseases that make world travel hazardous have appeared such as the Ebola virus, West Nile Disease and SARS. Terrorists are considering unleashing agents such as smallpox, anthrax and botulinum, the most toxic bacterial agent in existence. CNN.Com has a library of information about health and diseases: http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/infectious.disease/ ACCRA, Ghana (AP) -- The U.N. chief warned Sunday that the world must urgently increase food production to ease skyrocketing prices and pledged to set up a task force on a crisis threatening to destabilize developing nations. In Haiti, food riots this month cost Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis his job and setback international efforts to stabilize the country. Hundreds of Haitians have stood in long times to receive U.N. and regional food aid rushed to the country. From: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/04/20/un.food.ap/index.html · Crime: CHICAGO (WLS) -- Gun violence made it a deadly weekend on some of Chicago's streets. Police Superintendent Jody Weis places the blame on too many guns and gangs. The victims have ranged in age from 12 to 65. Search crews dig through quake rubble as relief mission takes shape January 17, 2010 10:59 a.m. EST Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- A rescue crew patiently chipped away at concrete and debris early Sunday, trying to reach a woman who sent a text message that she was buried beneath the ruins of a collapsed bank. Hope has been in short supply in Haiti since a 7.0-magnitude earthquake devastated this impoverished island nation on Tuesday. While there has not been an official count, estimates of the number of casualties in the capital alone range from 100,000 to 150,000. By Friday, 13,000 bodies had been recovered, said U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Edmond Mulet. Among the dead are 15 Americans. Nearly 30 international rescue teams continued to comb the disaster areas for more survivors. In open fields, abandoned stadiums and empty warehouses in the capital, relief workers set up makeshift hospitals. Residents flocked to them en masse. Dr. Jennifer Furin was tending to about 300 patients at one such hospital on a U.N. compound near Port-au-Prince's airport. Without immediate surgery, a third of them will die, she predicted. "They will die of infections, they'll die of dead tissue, they'll die of malnutrition and metabolic derangements," Furin, with the Harvard Medical School, said. Throughout the capital city, thousands of bodies lay exposed to the sun or draped in sheets and cardboard. Hundreds of Haitians, without food and water for four days, stretched their arms toward the sky as U.S. helicopters dropped boxes of food in part of the battered capital. The residents swarmed toward the boxes, ignoring the wind and dust kicked up by the helicopter's blades. For the most part, people stood in long, orderly lines for food -- despite anxiety about whether there was enough to go around. CNN's Susan Candiotti, Anderson Cooper, Elizabeth Cohen, Karl Penhaul, Arthur Brice, Elise Labott, Laurie Ure, Dugal McConnell, Saeed Ahmed, Rich Phillips, Ivan Watson, Steve Kastenbaum and Chris Lawrence contributed to this report. It is a good thing that the world, as we now know it, is rapidly coming to an end! We look forward to the coming day when the world goes back to being the safe paradise world it used to be when our original parents Adam and Eve first walked the earth. 6 And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:6-9) (ASV)
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| The End of This World Part 1
Is the world as we know it coming to an end soon?
There are many prophecies in the Bible that indicate this:
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (Matthew 24:3) (King James Version) 7 "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (Matthew 24:7-8) (New International Version) 34 "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:34-35) (KJV) Is the generation in question the generation that was born in 1914? Since everyone born between 1914-1932 (roughly a generation) are now between 75-95, time is running out! Why 1914? What is so special about that year? That was the year that Satan was cast out of Heaven and confined to the earth: 7 "And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short” (Revelation 12:7-9, 12) (NIV) Yes, confined to the earth since 1914, and the conditions here on the earth since then seems to support this. Does the Bible have any concrete evidence that 1914 was an important year?
HOW IS THE YEAR "1914" CALCULATED ? Prophetically referring to God's Son as "Lord," King David said:
"The utterance of Jehovah to my Lord is: 'Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.'" (Psalm 110:1) (American Standard Version) This prophecy indicates that Christ's rulership would not begin immediately after his ascension to heaven. Rather, he would wait at God's right hand. 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. (Hebrews 10:12,13) (King James Version) How long would this waiting go on? When would his rulership begin? The Bible had the answers hidden in it: The only city in all the earth upon which Jehovah placed his name upon - was Jerusalem. 36 I will give one tribe to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name. (1Kings 11:36) (NIV) God approved of this earthly capital city; therefore, the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 607 B.C.E. was very significant. This event marked the beginning of a lengthy interruption of God's direct rule over his people on earth. Six centuries later, Christ indicated that this period of interrupted rule was still in effect, for he said: "Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled." (Luke 21:24) (NIV) Jerusalem is indeed being “trampled on”. To this day, life in Israel is a living nightmare. Until "the appointed times of the nations," worldly governments would continue to interrupt God’s rulership. That period began with the destruction of Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. and Daniel indicated that it would go on for "seven times." 23 "You, O king, saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live like the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.' 24 "This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. (Daniel 4:23-25) (NIV) How long is that? The Bible shows that three and a half "times" equal 1,260 days: 6 The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach. (Revelation 12:6,14) (NIV)
A “time” is one year. “Times” is two years. Three “Times” and a “half a time” is 1,260 days. Twice that period, or seven “times”, would be 2,520 days. By applying "a day for a year" to Daniel's prophecy and counting 2,520 years from 607 B.C.E., we arrive at the year 1913 C.E.
2 x 1260 = 2520 Symbolic Days or 2520 Literal Years. 34 "For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you." (Numbers 14:34) (NIV) 6 "After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin of the house of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year." (Ezekiel 4:6) (NIV) After the passage of 2,520 years, 1914 finally arrived and brought with it the cataclysmic World War I. What will happen next? 16 "And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.” (Revelation 17:16) (KJV)
What whore? 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 This title was written on her forehead: MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. (Revelation 17:4-6) (NIV) This whore must be symbolic of false religion. How do we know? 3 "For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries." (Revelation 18:3) (NIV) What will be her fate? 8 "Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.” (Revelation 18:8) (KJV) 4 "Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; 5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.” (Revelation 18:4-5) (NIV) We will finally be rid of the injustices and lies of false religions, but what about the world governments? 44 "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.” (Daniel 2:44) (NIV) 12 "The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. 16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.” (Revelation 16:12,16) (NIV) 19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. (Revelation 19:19-21) (NIV)
It does not seem possible, does it? And yet, the end of this world, as we now know it, was prophesied many times in the Bible: 7 "Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:7) (American Standard Version) 11 "So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11) (New International Version) How do we know that the end is coming soon?
After all, our Savior told us quite plainly: 36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36) (NIV) And so, nobody will ever really know the day and the hour, but there are clues in the Bible that show that the time is near; near enough that many people born after 1914 will live to see this apocalyptic event.
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| God Bless America?
Most Americans and many people around the world regard the USA as a fine country, even “The Land of Opportunity”. Logically, it would seem as if God favors the USA by the way the country has apparently been blessed in the past by so many good fortunes. Historically, the country went from being an unimportant colony of Great Britain in the early 1500’s to becoming a world power less than 500 years later due mostly to an abundance of natural resources and “Yankee ingenuity”. God is widely worshiped by the citizens of this country, so it makes sense that God must have given His blessing to this land a long time ago. The citizens of this country seriously consider America to be truly blessed by God.
Is it true that God favors the USA over all of the others? Does God favor any country? What does the Bible say? 16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. 17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. 21 From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible. (Revelation 16:16-21) (New International Version) This does not appear good for our country or for any other country. What will happen next? 11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 17And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great." 19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. (Revelation 19:11-19) (NIV) 1 Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye peoples: let the earth hear, and the fulness thereof; the world, and all things that come forth from it. 2 For Jehovah hath indignation against all the nations, and wrath against all their host: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. 3 Their slain also shall be cast out, and the stench of their dead bodies shall come up; and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. (Isaiah 34:1-8) (American Standard Version) 21 And I will set my glory among the nations; and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. (Ezekiel 39:21-24) (ASV) 44 "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. (Daniel 2:44) (NIV) 1 Why do the nations rage, And the peoples meditate a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against Jehovah, and against his anointed, saying, 3 Let us break their bonds asunder, And cast away their cords from us. 4 He that sitteth in the heavens will laugh: The Lord will have them in derision. 8 Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. 10 Now therefore be wise, O ye kings: Be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11 Serve Jehovah with fear, And rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, For his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all they that take refuge in him. (Psalm 2:1-4, 8-12) (ASV) 26 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. (Acts 4:26) (NIV) 2 Jehovah will send forth the rod of thy strength out of Zion: Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 4 Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever After the order of Melchizedek. 5 The Lord at thy right hand will strike through kings in the day of his wrath. 6 He will judge among the nations, He will fill the places with dead bodies; He will strike through the head in many countries. (Psalm 110:2-6) (ASV) 26 and all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth… 29 For, lo, I begin to work evil at the city which is called by my name; and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished; for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith Jehovah of hosts. 31 A noise shall come even to the end of the earth; for Jehovah hath a controversy with the nations; he will enter into judgment with all flesh: as for the wicked, he will give them to the sword, saith Jehovah. 32 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great tempest shall be raised up from the uttermost parts of the earth. 33 And the slain of Jehovah shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the face of the ground. (Jeremiah 25:26,29,31,32,33) (ASV) This does not look good for the USA either. These prophecies indicate that all of the countries of the world – every “kingdom” will be utterly destroyed. The rulers, the armies, the political elements and the people in office will all be annihilated. Why? After centuries of inept, apathetic and corrupt rule by kings, dictators, and other assorted rulers, Jehovah intends to take over rulership of the earth with His Son as our King!
4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4) (NIV) This was prophesied long before Christ was even born: 17 "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind." (Isaiah 65:17) (NIV) So what would be the wise thing for us to do now? 2 Serve Jehovah with gladness: Come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that Jehovah, he is God: It is he that hath made us, and we are his; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Give thanks unto him, and bless his name. 5 For Jehovah is good; his lovingkindness endureth for ever, And his faithfulness unto all generations. (Psalms 100:2-6) (ASV)
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| Why Isn't There One TRUE Faith?  The Christians of the world believe that there is only one God and He sent us His one son to be our savior. So, why are there a bewildering variety of religions in the world? It is easy to believe that all of them have merit so many people say: “All roads lead to the same place”. It is also easy to believe that all of these contradictory beliefs are all phony.
What does the Bible say about the one true religion? "…one Lord, one faith, one baptism." (Ephesians 4:5) (New International Version) According to the above scripture there is only ONE true faith. And what is true about this one faith? "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought." (1Corinthians 1:10) (NIV) "...be united in what you think, as if you were only one person." (Philippians 2:2) (Contemporary English Version) "The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind..." (John 17:21) (Message Bible) Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name— the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. (John 17:11) (NIV) Is there a true religion where all of its members believe only true beliefs? "Jesus declared... 'salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming... when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.'" (John 4:23,24) (NIV) The true followers of Christ will surely want to worship his Father, Jehovah without incorporating ANY non-Christian teachings. "When the early Church gradually moved from Jerusalem to the West, many of the Roman converts who became church leaders retained certain of their pagan cultural practices. As a result, the Roman leaders interpreted the Hebrew Scripture in the light of their Greek background, imposing on the biblical text a non-hebraic interpretive scheme. This had the effect of foisting incorrect information into the Church's theology concerning God's Law, information that was actually irreconcilable with the Word of God as taught by Jesus and Paul." -Dr. Ron Moseley, Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church, 1996, pg. 39 Such as: "Some authorities, who have spent their entire lives studying the origins of names believe that "Jesus" actually means - "Hail Zeus!" For Iesous in Greek IS "Hail Zeus." "Ie" translates as "Hail" and "sous" or "sus" translates as Zeus. The English name "Jesus", therefore, stems etymologically from "Jupiter-Zeus" the chief god of the ancient Greek Olympus." -"Yeshua" or "Jesus" -- Which? Biblical Research Institute; 1996 by Les Aron Gosling "Yahshua 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 "(Joshua) Yahshua/Yahushua/Yahoshua, is the correct Name for the Savior. In all spellings and pronunciation, the Name is rendered to mean "salvation of YAH" or "YAH'S salvation/ (His) Savior." The Name (Joshua) in its fullest translation means, "He (YAH) shall save His people. (Yah or Jah - is an abbreviation for Jehovah) (Just as Yeshua (Joshua) is an abbreviation for Yehoshuah or Jehoshuah) - (meaning - The Salvation of Jehovah - or Jehovah's Savior)." -COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE, by C. J. Koster And also: Amen According to the online Encyclopedia Wikipedia: Amun (also spelled Amon, Amoun, Amen, and rarely Imen) Greek Ἄμμων Ammon, and Ἅμμων Hammon, reconstructed EgyptianYamānu) was the name of a deity, in Egyptian mythology, who gradually rose to become one of the most important deities in Ancient Egypt, before fading into obscurity.
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amun Jehovah's Witnesses are devoted to The One True God - Jehovah and they are the only ones who relentlessly pursue true worship that meets His approval. They are the over 7.5 million Christians who are present in every country around the world who have been rejecting - one by one - the pagan beliefs that the nominal "Christians" love. 4 Who can bring what is pure from the impure? No one! (Job 14:4) (NIV) 5 But if you will seek God earnestly and plead with the Almighty, 6 if you are pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself on your behalf and restore you to your prosperous state. (Job 8:5-6) (NIV) 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, (1Peter 2:2) (NIV) Is eliminating "Jesus" and "Amen" from true worship too much to ask? "Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it." (Deuteronomy 30:11,14) (NIV) | | |
| Does Research Support Bible Truths? The Bible is held to be an authority in all matters. 16 All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work. (2Timothy 3:16-17) (NWT) Is it wise to put blind faith in the Bible or look at the book as Inspired by God or a man-made publication subject to errors? "OVER 550 years ago, the German inventor Johannes Gutenberg began printing with movable type. The first major book to come off his press was a Bible.* Since then, billions upon billions of books on every subject imaginable have been printed. The Bible, however, is by far the most exceptional of them all. It is estimated that more than 4.7 billion Bibles (in whole or in part) have been printed. That is more than five times the number of copies of the next most widely distributed publication, Quotations From Chairman Mao. More than 50 million copies of the Bible or portions of it were distributed recently in one year alone. "The Bible is the best- selling book of the year, every year," says a report in The New Yorker magazine. In whole or in part, the Bible has been translated into more than 2,400 languages. At least some of the Bible is available in the languages spoken by over 90 percent of the human family. About half the Bible writers finished their writings before the birth of both Confucius, the renowned Chinese sage, and Siddhārtha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. The Bible has had a profound influence on the arts, including some of the world’s greatest paintings, music, and literature. The Bible has endured bans by governments, burnings by religious opposers, and attacks by critics. No other book in history has faced greater opposition—and survived. The above-mentioned facts are outstanding, are they not? Of course, impressive details and statistics alone do not prove that the Bible is trustworthy." From: "Can You Trust the Bible?" http://www.watchtower.org/e/200711/article_02.htm Awake! 2007 How can we prove that the Bible is trustworthy? 10 Immediately by night the brothers sent both Paul and Silas out to Be·roe´a, and these, upon arriving, went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now the latter were more noble-minded than those in Thes·sa·lo·ni´ca, for they received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so. (Acts 17:10-11) (NWT) 21 Make sure of all things; hold fast to what is fine. (1Thessalonians 5:21) (NWT) 7 But turn down the false stories which violate what is holy and which old women tell. (1Timothy 4:7) (NWT) Personal research can unearth facts that help support Bible truths. Such as... "The cross is one of the most recognizable religious symbols known to man. Millions revere it, considering it to be the sacred instrument on which Jesus was put to death. Roman Catholic writer and archaeologist Adolphe- Napoleon Didron stated: "The cross has received a worship similar, if not equal, to that of Christ; this sacred wood is adored almost equally with God Himself." From: "Did Jesus Die On a Cross?" http://www.watchtower.org/e/200604a/article_01.htm Awake 2006 The cross is is sacred to most Christians because it is mentioned in most Bible translations. Did Christ actually die on a cross? "Another... tradition of the Church which our fathers have inherited, was the adoption of the words 'cross' and 'crucify'. These words are nowhere to be found in the Greek of the New Testament." -Koster, C.J. Come Out of Her My People. p. 29 Johannesburg, RSA: Institute for Scripture Research, 1998. To designate the instrument of Christ's death, John used the Greek word "stawros". (John 19:17, 19, 25) In classical Greek, ‘stawros' or ‘stauros’ denotes the same thing that it does in the common Greek of the Christian Scriptures - primarily an upright stake or pole with no crossbar. 'stauros': "Literally an upright stake, pale, or pole... As an instrument of execution." -The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible "The Greek... 'stauros', properly signified a stake, an upright pole, or piece of paling, on which anything might be hung, or which might be used in impaling [fencing in] a piece of ground. Even amongst the Romans the crux (from which our cross is derived) appears to have been originally an upright pole, and this always remained the more prominent part." -The Imperial Bible Dictionary. What about the widespread and popular belief that Christ was born December 25th? The night of Jesus' birth has become famous as the basis for Nativity scenes. However, the real story is quite different from the one so often depicted. Historian Luke, who tells us of the census that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, also tells us of the shepherds' spending that important night out-of-doors with their flocks. These two circumstances have led many Bible researchers to conclude that Jesus could not have been born during December. They point out the unlikelihood of Caesar's forcing the volatile Jews to trek to their home cities during the cold and rainy season, which could further enrage a rebellious people. It is equally unlikely, scholars note, that shepherds would have been living out-of-doors with their flocks in such inclement weather.— Luke 2:8-14. From: "Jesus' Birth - the Real Story" From: http://www.watchtower.org/e/19981215/article_02.htm Watchtower December 15, 1998 Do secular people take the Bible seriously in their research? "The significance and joy in my science comes in the occasional moments of discovering something new and saying to myself, ‘So that’s how God did it!’" —HENRY SCHAEFER, PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY. From: "Are Science and the Bible Compatible?" http://www.watchtower.org/e/201102c/article_01.htm Awake! February 2011 The Bible is a very important book in our lives but blind faith in the Bible can lead to many false conclusions. How many Bible-based religions are there? According to the site, http://www.adherents.com/ 33,830 Christian denominations. Each one of them claims to worship God and follow Christ. Does the Bible say that there are supposed to be a myriad of denominations? "…one Lord, one faith, one baptism." (Ephesians 4:5) (New International Version) And who is the Lord we should be worshiping? 5 I am Jehovah, and there is no one else. With the exception of me there is no God. I shall closely gird you, although you have not known me, 6 in order that people may know from the rising of the sun and from its setting that there is none besides me. I am Jehovah, and there is no one else. (Isaiah 45:5,6) (NWT) Is there a people who worship Jehovah? 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 will be Jehovah's worshipers? 10 "YOU are my WITNESSES," is the utterance of Jehovah, "even my servant whom I have chosen, in order that YOU may know and have faith in me, and that YOU may understand that I am the same One. Before me there was no God formed, and after me there continued to be none. 11 I—I am Jehovah, and besides me there is no savior." 12 "I myself have told forth and have saved and have caused [it] to be heard, when there was among YOU no strange [god]. So YOU are my WITNESSES," is the utterance of Jehovah, "and I am God." (Isaiah 43:10-12) (NWT) | | |
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