The Voice of Reason"On the other hand, don't be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what's good." (1Thessalonians 5:21) (Message Bible)
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The Days of Terror

 world-trade-center3

On September 11, 2009 America observed a
holiday that is only eight years old. The holiday –
Patriot Day – 
did not exist prior to September 11,
2001. It is a subtle reminder of the terrible event in
New York City that made the word “terrorists” a
household word people all over the world now use
daily. The destruction of the World Trade Center
was not the first act of terrorism at all, but it now
serves as a symbol for all acts of terrorism that
continue to plague the world daily.

 

Why is terrorism so prevalent now?

 

Christ, himself prophesied about the time of
The End almost 2,000 years ago:

 

For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning
of the world until now--and
never to be equaled again.
(Matthew 24:21) (New International Version)

Does this prophecy from almost 2,000 years
ago sound like it applies to the present?

Evil is rampant in the world now. There will be no need
to supply examples from news sources here. Every day,
every hour, there is another shocking story about senseless
violence from all parts of the world. While reading this article,
consider the recent world news events.

Does the world have a great deal of violence and injustice in it?

The Bible prophesied many times that this would happen:

1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.

(2Timothy 3:1) (NIV)

6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that

you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end
is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom

against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in
various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains.

(Matthew 24:6-8) (NIV)

Will things get worse?

Yes! This was also prophesied in the Bible:

12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted, 13
while evil people and impostors will

go on from bad to worse
, deceiving and being deceived.
(2Timothy 3:12-13) (English Standard Version)

I
s this happening now?

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,
boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents,
ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous,

without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than
lovers of God-- 5 having a form of godliness but denying its

power. Have nothing to do with them.

(2Timothy 3:2-5) (NIV)

What will be the fate of these people?

"For yet a little while, and the evildoers will be no more;
though you look with care where they used to be,
they will
not be found
.
But the meek in the end shall inherit the
earth
and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."
(Psalm 37:10,11) (Amplified Bible)

The meek shall inherit the earth?

Yes! Christ, himself, confirmed the prophecy of Psalm 37:11.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

(Matthew 5:5) (King James Version)

Do the meek want to inherit the earth? The pollution,
the crime, the terrorism, the destruction?

What can we do? There is no place to run, no safe place
free from danger any place in the world.

Who will protect us from harm?

Who can save the world?

Frightened people all over the world are busy praying to
a wide assortment of deities for protection. Many are
depending on Jesus, Mary, St. Brigid, St. Patrick, St. Peter,
Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, The nameless Lord, Buddha,
rosary beads, prayer wheels, crucifixes, etc. People have
been looking to their chosen personal gods and idols for
protection and favors for thousands of years.

What good is that doing?

Soon, the false worship will be over, a thing of the past.
The Bible tells of a sudden transformation that will occur:

5 Jehovah himself examines the righteous one as well as the
wicked one,
and anyone loving violence His soul certainly
hates.
6 He will rain down upon the wicked ones traps, fire
and sulphur and a scorching wind, as the portion of their cup.
(Psalm 11:5-6) (New World Translation) Watchtower.org

12 I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a

great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and
the moon became as red as blood. 13 Then the stars of the sky

fell to the earth like green figs falling from trees shaken by
mighty winds.
(Revelation 6:12-13) (NIV)

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 25:32-33) (American Standard Version)

4 And he will judge between the nations, and will decide

concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords
into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation
shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn
war any more.
(Isaiah 2:4) (ASV)

12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the

throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened,
which is the book of life. The dead were judged according
to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea

gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave
up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged
according to what he had done.
(Revelation 20:12-13) (NIV)

Will a time of Terror lead to paradise?

Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming
on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27At that
time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power
and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand
up and lift up your heads,
because your redemption is drawing
near."

(Luke 21:26-28) (NIV)

The vast majority of mankind is living in constant fear now.
Only a very small group of people is fearless in the face of
oppression from governments and death at the hands of
criminals, terrorists and the forces of nature.

Who can we rely on to protect us? Policemen?
Soldiers? Militia? Vigilantes? Government?

Not ONE of these entities have been effective in
protecting the public from harm, but the servants of
Jehovah are protected by Him no matter where they
are in the world.

11The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent

of the upright will flourish.
(Proverbs 14:11) (NIV)

They are protected because they made a wise decision:

…but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.
(Joshua 24:15) (ASV)

What will be the final outcome? What
kind of earth will the meek inherit?

17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the

former things shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they

shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22 They shall

not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another
eat: for as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity;

for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their
offspring with them. 24 And it shall come to pass that, before

they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I
will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and

the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the
serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my
holy mountain, saith Jehovah.
(Isaiah 65:17, 21-25) (ASV)

Bible Gateway 10


Thursday, November 05, 2009

How beautiful are the feet
of  those  who  bring  good  news!

Many years ago - people did not know that God had a name! 
Their English Bible translation had removed it and replaced it
with the word "LORD" or “GOD”.  People didn't know that the
Bible holds a hope for the future for a paradise on the earth
It
was never discussed in church.
 People didn't know that Christ
was going to take over rule of the entire earth. There were so many
Bible truths that people did not know about… But they do now!

Why?

Because someone took the time to walk through the neighborhoods
going from house to house and door to door to offer free home
Bible studies.

Jehovah's witnesses  

"That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "How
beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news !"

(Romans 10:15) (New Living Translation)

A prime example of the value of these free home bible studies
is the name of God Himself - Jehovah. The Bible makes it clear
that knowledge of this name is essential for protection during the
Great Day of Jehovah when he sends His son to execute judgment:

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved"
(Romans 10:13) (New International Version)

"For evil-doers shall be cut off; But those that wait for
Jehovah, they shall inherit the land."
(Psalm 37:9) (ASV)

"Wait for Jehovah, and keep his way, and he will exalt thee to possess
the land
: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it."

(Isaiah 37:34) (Darby)

Why don’t all Bible have Jehovah’s name in them?

The English Bible publishers have many excuses for
removing God’s name, Jehovah, such as:

"...the distinctive Hebrew name for God - usually transliterated
Jehovah or Yahweh, is in this translation represented by
"LORD."
- Today's English Version Bible (preface)

"...the Committee has returned to the more familiar usage of
the King James Version, that is, omitting the name of God."
- Revised Standard Version; 1952 (preface)

Most Christians have come to know Jehovah's Son - by attending
their church services - but they have not come to know Almighty
God, Jehovah, Himself. 
That is because they did not remove
Jesus’ name from the Bible.

How have people become aware that God has a name?

Jehovah's Witnesses spend many precious hours; ”pounding the
pavement” with their feet - trying to bring God's name back into
the hearts and minds of Christians today, just as Christ and his
followers did almost two thousand years ago.
 
"Just when the infidel universities of this land thought they had laughed
out of court the very name Jehovah, up surges "Jehovah's Witnesses"...
And with considerable scholarship they get out their own New Testament
and lo and behold, they put Jehovah into the New Testament two or three
hundred times... It ought to be there [in the entire Bible] many times"

-(The New Bible Pro and Con, 1955 Page 75)
WILLIAM CAREY TAYLOR: (a Southern Baptist Minister schooled
in the original tongues)

In prayer to God, His Son said:

"I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known.
(John 17:26) (English Standard Version)

Christ is not alone. Not only is knowledge of Jehovah's name to be
considered good news, but also Jehovah’s plans for the world and
for mankind that He will carry out by means of His Son:

1 Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom
my soul delighteth: I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring
forth justice to the Gentiles.
(Isaiah 42:1) (ASV)

"Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love,
in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him, and he
will proclaim justice to the nations."
(Matthew 12:18) (NIV)

As Witnesses for Jehovah God, and as Witnesses for his precious
Son - our feet are busy - bringing the “Good News” to people.

The vast majority of mankind has had God's name hidden from
them by Bible Translators that have removed it and replaced it
with titles such as "LORD" and "GOD". These people are at a
great disadvantage.

Why?

Many Christians believe that God’s name is “GOD” or “LORD”.
They even believe that God has no name or doesn’t even need a
name. That is not what Jehovah told Moses:

13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children
of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent
me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? What shall
I say unto them? 15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou
say unto the children of Israel,
Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the
God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me
unto you: this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
(Exodus 15: 13,15) (ASV)

Is it important to know what God’s name Is?

Joel thought so:

32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call
on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered;

(Joel 2:32) (ASV)

Paul also thought so:

"But how can they call on him to save them unless they
believe in him?  And how can they believe in him if they
have never heard about him?
And how can they hear
about him unless someone tells them?  And how will anyone
go and tell them without being sent?  That is what the
Scriptures mean when they say,
"How beautiful are the
feet of those who bring good news!"

(Romans 10:14,15) (NLT)

Bible Gateway 10


Sunday, November 01, 2009

Building Our Own Home
home 5      

Many people today are fortunate enough to own their
homes, but other people are not this fortunate and must
rent a place to live. Some people do not even have a home
at all!

Is this what God wanted for us?
What does the Bible say?

"They will certainly build houses and have occupancy;
and they will certainly plant vineyards and eat their fruitage.
They will not build and someone else have occupancy;
they will not plant and someone else do the eating. For like the
days of a tree will the days of my people be; and the work of
their own hands my chosen ones will use to the full.  They will
not toil for nothing, nor will they bring to birth for disturbance;
because they are the offspring made up of the blessed ones of
Jehovah, and their descendants with them."
(Isaiah 65:21-23) (American Standard Version)

"And I will provide a place for my people... and will plant
them so that
they can have a home of their own ."
(2Samuel 7:10) (New International Version)

"...good people are rewarded here on this earth..."
(Proverbs 11:31) (Contemporary English Version)

"And I will provide a place for my people... and will plant
them so that they can have a home of their own and
no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress
them anymore...
I will also give you rest from all your enemies."

(2Samuel 7:10,11) (NIV)

Imagine such a beautiful promise from God for the future
of mankind, under the Blessings of Christ's Kingdom. With
the housing conditions of many troubled areas on the earth,
what a blessing it will be for everyone to have their own home! 

Then imagine - enjoying our new home - without ever
getting sick, never growing old, and never dying. 
The
blessings of the coming Kingdom are endless.

What does the Bible say of these wonderful promises
from God - for a restored paradise on earth - under the
rulership of Jehovah's Son?

"Blessed and happy, are the meek and mild,
for they shall inherit the earth."
(Matthew 5:5) (Amplified Bible)

"But the meek shall inherit the earth and shall
delight themselves in the abundance of peace."
(Psalm 37:11) (AMP)

A NEW EARTH - SOON!

"But God has promised us a new heaven and a new earth,
where justice will rule. We are really looking forward to that!"
(2Peter 3:13) (CEV)

"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)

"THEN I saw a new heaven and a new earth... Then I heard
a mighty voice from the throne... saying, See! The abode of
God is with men, and He will live among them; and they
shall be His people, and God shall personally be with them
and be their God. God will wipe away every tear from their
eyes; and death shall be no more, neither shall there be
anguish nor grief nor pain any more, for the old conditions
and the former order of things have passed away."
(Revelation 21:1,3,4) (AMP)

A Time of Healing and Cure

"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears
of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man
leap as a deer, and the tongue of the mute shall sing..."
(Isaiah 35:5,6 ) (ASV)

"And no resident will say, "I am sick"; The people
who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity."
(Isaiah 33:24 ) (New American Standard Bible)

"...because Jehovah loveth you… he will also bless the
fruit of thy body… Thou shalt be blessed above all peoples:
there shall not be male or female barren among you… 
And Jehovah will take away from thee all sickness."
(Deut 7:8,14,15) (ASV)

"I will put none of the diseases upon thee…  
for I am Jehovah that healeth thee."
(Exodus 15:26) (ASV)

"And Jehovah will take away from thee all sickness."
(Deut 7:15) (ASV)

"Then his flesh is renewed like a child's;
it is restored as in the days of his youth"
(Job 33:25) (NIV)

"Jesus will rule the earth... His Kingdom will be worldwide...
There will be peace... There will be a healing of infirmities
and a freedom from disease"
- Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy, pg. 656-658;
     J. Barton Payne

Animals and Mankind at Peace

"I will answer their prayers before they finish praying. Wolves
and lambs will graze together; lions and oxen will feed on straw.
Snakes will eat only dirt! They won't bite or harm anyone."
(Isaiah 65:24-25) (CEV)

"The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie
down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the
yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie
down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox."
(Isaiah 11:6,7) (NIV)

"At the same time I'll make a peace treaty
between you and wild animals and birds..."
(Hosea 2:18) (Message Bible)

No more Fear or Terror

"Every man will sit under his own vine and under his
own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid,"
(Micah 4:4) (NIV)

"...and they shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid."
(Ezekiel 34:28) (ASV)

"He will make wars cease to the ends of the earth..."
(Psalm 46:9) (NIV)

God's Original Plans Have Not Changed

And many secular sources are aware of this:

"In recent years many Christians have begun to realize
a long forgotten truth : God wants us to have dominion
over the earth, just as He originally commanded Adam
and Eve. By His atonement, Jesus Christ has restored
us to Adam's lost position, guaranteeing that God's
original plan will be fulfilled."
-Paradise Restored:
A Biblical Theology of Dominion;
by David Chilton; Pg. 342
Dominion Press, Tyler, Texas 75711

"...the  restoration  of Eden is an essential aspect of
the salvation that Christ provides. The Old Testament 
foretold the coming of the Christ and the blessings he
would bring. The Paradise Theme runs throughout the
whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation."
- PARADISE RESTORED
A Biblical Theology of Dominion; Chapter 3;
by David Chilton ; (1951-1997) M.Div., Ph.D.,
Dominion Press; Tyler, Texas
© 1st 1985 & 6th 1999

"there will emerge a new humanity on a new earth that is
equivalent to a  restored  paradise... a "blest age" in the
future when, in a violent spasm... humanity shall 'burst
his fetters', and 'Earth shall once again be a Paradise'."
-The Norton Anthology of English Literature
 The Romantic Period
 Apocalyptic Expectations - An Overview

"The future theocratic kingdom of God will be
an earthly kingdom involving the administration
of God's rule over everything on this present earth.
...the future theocratic kingdom will involve the
administration of God's rule by His future
representative... Jesus Christ, over this same
earthly province."
--Why Future Events?
Part 12;;by Dr. Renald Showers
Ankerberg Theological Research Institute

And that will happen very soon!

Bible Gateway 10


Tuesday, October 27, 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 10


Thursday, October 22, 2009

The Power of Prayer

Most of the people in this world follow a religion
and in many religions is a provision for communicating
with a deity. Christendom, especially Catholicism,
promotes the idea that mindless repetition of the
Lord’s Prayer is the accepted way to pray to their
nameless lord and that is exactly what they do. A lot!
This is not really what Jehovah, the true God, wants
from us. To worship Jehovah properly we need to
pray to our Heavenly Father, but not repetitiously.
After all, how would we like it if people came up to
us and muttered the same phrases to us over and over?

People would not conceive of talking to other people like a
"broken record", so why do people treat The God who created
the universe as if He would like to hear monotonous repetition?

Jehovah’s Son never taught that:

"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do:
for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."
(Matthew 6:7) (King James Version)

People around the world love to pray repetitiously to their false
gods, so we should want to avoid being like them. When Christ
gave us the "Lord’s prayer", he made it plain that it was a guide
to go by:

"Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth
what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."
(Matthew 6:8) (King James Version)

What else do we need to know?

A lot more than the bumbling preachers of Christendom teach!
Prayer should only be directed to Jehovah – as He requires –
not His Son or anybody else!

1 And God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am Jehovah thy God,
who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
(Exodus 20:1-3) (ASV)

Proper prayer to Jehovah is a serious business. If we want Jehovah
to listen to our prayers, we must do it the way He requires. Jehovah
has strict requirements but He doesn’t really ask for much!

Most people know to pray to Jehovah in His Son’s name.
This is why:

6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me."
(John 14:6) (NIV)

But more importantly,

"If you ask anything in my name, I will do it."
(John 14:14) (New Living Translation) 

Most Christians are more than happy to pray to God in Jesus’ name.
About two billion Christians around the world pray to God in Jesus’
name every day. Their first mistake is praying to God without specifying
which God. Consequently, Jehovah may disregard their prayers.

What is the second mistake?

Oddly enough, it is praying in Jesus’ name!

And why is that?

Jehovah’s Son is not named Jesus! According to the
Catholic Encyclopedia:
http://www.catholicity.com/encyclopedia/

JESUS

The word Jesus is the Latin form of the Greek Iesous,
which in turn is the transliteration of the Hebrew Jeshua,
or Joshua, or again Jehoshua, meaning "Jehovah is salvation."

From: http://www.catholicity.com/encyclopedia/j/jesus_christ,origin_of_name_of.html

This is a widespread and popular belief. Many people are
already aware that the Son of God’s name in Hebrew is
Yeshua or Jeshua. That is True enough.

What else is true?

"Joshuah" or "Jehoshuah" translates
as "The Salvation of Jehovah".

"(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

We can see that Jehoshuah means "Jehovah's Savior"

"The name "Jehoshua" means the same as Joshua."
-Hitchcocks’s Dictionary of Bible Names

Since "Jehoshuah" or "Joshua" literally means "the
Salvation of Jehovah" - we can see why people said
that he came in his Father's Name.

9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed,
cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David:
Blessed is
he that cometh in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna
in the highest.
(Matthew 21:9) (NIV)

We can also see why Jehovah chose this name for his Son -
because "Joshua" is to be the means by which Jehovah
would provide salvation to Mankind. This is in total
agreement with the prophet Joel, who said that only those
calling upon the name of "Jehovah" would be saved.

"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call
on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered..."
(Joel 2:32) (ASV)

So what is wrong with calling our Savior "Jesus"?

"It is known that the Greek name endings with sus,
seus, and sous were attached by the Greeks to names
and geographical areas as means to give honour to
their supreme deity, Zeus."
-Dictionary of Christian Lore and Legend
Professor J. C. J. Metford

So what does the name, "Jesus" Mean, in Greek?

"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

From: http://www.meguiar.addr.com/End_Times_Table_of_Contents.htm

How did "Joshua" mutate into "Jesus"?

"And so it is throughout Christendom. The name of
Jahwah is ignored by the apostate religion. When
the Savior was born into the world his mother was
a Hebrew maid of the tribe of Judah; but His Father
was the Almighty whose name alone is Jahwah, or Jah.

Strong's, Hebrew # 3050; Jah; the sacred name. As
He was the Son of Jahwah, it was evident that He
would carry His Father's name, and He plainly states
saying, " I am come in My Father's Name." John 5; 43.

Our translated scripture says that Jahwah's Son's name
is Jesus, a compound word of Ie and Zeus. But remember
the heavenly messenger spoke unto a Hebrew, and
declared His name in the Hebrew, which the writer
explained to mean, "Jah is Salvation."

This name, Jahshuwah, being Hebrew, was objectionable
to the Greeks and Romans, who hated the Judeans, and
so it was deleted from the records, and a new name inserted.

Jahshuwah was thus replaced by Ie-Sous, now known to
us as Jesus
.

The new religion was known as Christianity, because the
supreme deity of it was called Christos, and so we ask,
whence came Christos ?

The Hebrews called their coming Savior the Messiah.
The disciples of the Savior accepted Him as such, and
to them He was known as Jahshuwah the Messiah.
The Greeks, however, rejected the Hebrew name, and
called Him Christos, similar to Chrisna ( Krisna ), name
of the deity-savior of the East.

Among the people of the East, a sun-god savior was
worshipped by the name of Krisna, and so among the
Greeks of the new religion the Savior was known as
Kristos, or Christos. Thus the Sanskrit name was of
the Indian messiah became the name of the messiah
of the new religion, and it was known as the new Christian
( Krisna ) faith.

They had worshipped Zeus, or Jupiter, as the supreme
deity, so now they were told the new name was Theos,
or Dios, or God. Their savior was Zeus, so now they
were to accept Jesus ( Iesous, or Zeus ).

He came in His Father's Name and by that we must
adore Him. Away with the pagan name Christ, heathen
name Jesus, and exalt the Savior, Jahshuwah, the Son
of Jahwah, by His own name."
THE ORIGIN OF CHRISTIANITY: by A.B. Traina

From: http://www.meguiar.addr.com/origin_of_christianity.htm

Other Scholars agree.

"Many people think that we are just trying to be different
and make another cult, but let us examine the facts. It is
admitted that the Saviour never heard himself addressed
as Jesus Christ, not even when Greeks went to Philip and
said, "We would see Yahushua" (John 12:20-21). The
Greek proselytes knew him as Yahushua, and as the
Messiah, for there is no other NAME under heaven, given
unto men, whereby we must be saved. The name "Jesus"
was never applied to the Saviour during His lifetime, nor
for nearly 300 years after His death and resurrection."

From: http://yahushua.net/nicolaitan.htm

"Jesus. That was a name given to him
by the early church many years after
His death. They wanted to remove any
Jewishness from the new church.
They eliminated His Jewish name 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. It made it
easier for the pagans to become Christians.
Since Zeus was the top god of their experience,
attaching the name Ioesus to Yahshua gave
Him top priority in the worship hierarchy."
-Winds of Praise Broadcasting
Believer or Follower?
The Sound of the Shofar
By Jon Thompson

So we can plainly see that the name, "Jesus" is the opposite
of the name, "Joshua". Now that we understand that, we
now know better than to pray to a nameless lord in Jesus’
name. Now that "The End" of this world is so near, people
have an extra incentive to pray to Jehovah is His Son’s actual
name as Bible prophecy requires.

"Hail Zeus" or "Salvation of Jehovah"?

...this is what was said through the prophet Joel,
"And in the last days," God says... everyone who
calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved."
(Acts 2:16,17,21) (NWT) www.watchtower.org

"For the Scripture says... 'everyone who calls on the name
of Jehovah will be saved.'"
(Romans 10:11,13) (NWT) www.watchtower.org

Lastly, we have a quaint way of ending our prayers
that has got to stop. Now is a good time!

Amen

According to the online Encyclopedia Wikipedia:

"Amun (also spelled Amon, Amoun, Amen, and
rarely Imen,
Greek Ἄμμων Ammon, and Ἅμμων
Hammon, reconstructed Egyptian Yamānu) 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

We have all been tricked into ending our
prayers with the name of an Egyptian god!

We can be sure that Jehovah does not want to hear that!
We can be equally sure that Jehovah does not want to
hear "Hail Zeus" either. Our Saviour already knew
well in advance and warned us all that many devout
followers would make grave mistakes based upon
their faulty knowledge.

22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord!
We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your
name and performed many miracles in your name.’
23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from
me, you who break God’s laws.’
(Matthew 7:22-23) (NLT)

Now is the time to discard utterly worthless beliefs and
put true and accurate beliefs to work for us. Successful
communication with the true God, our Father, Jehovah,
depends on it!

4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book,
until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and
knowledge shall increase."
(Daniel 12:4) (ESV)

That time is right now!

Bible Gateway 10



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