Monday, October 29, 2012

How can I pray to Jesus?

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.... That all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father." Matthew 28:18; John 5:23

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in Christ's bodily resurrection: Is it really that important?

John 2:18-21 says:
'Destroy this temple and in three days, I will raise it up." The Jewish leaders said, "It took 46 years to build this temple and you're going to raise it again in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His BODY.

But the Watchtower says:
"According to the inspired Scriptures, Jesus Christ was not raised to life in the flesh " (Watchtower 8/1/1975 p. 478)

Why is this important? 


We can see why at 1 Corinthians 15:14-17:
If Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 
Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, ...
And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!

and Romans 4:25:
Jesus our Lord was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. (New King James Version)

He was delivered up for the sake of our trespasses and was raised up for the sake of declaring us righteous. (New World Translation)

If you need more information on the term justification please look up the Greek word dikaiĆ³sis: http://biblesuite.com/greek/1347.htm

Once again, lets compare the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses with God's Word:


Chapter 17 of "You can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth" talks extensively of Jesus resurrection, saying:   "Having given up his flesh for the life of the world, Christ could never take it again and become a man once more... when Christ was raised from the dead, his fleshly body was no longer in the tomb. (Mark 16:5-7) Also, after his death Jesus appeared to his disciples in a fleshly body to show them that he was alive. Once He even had the apostle Thomas put his hand into the hole in His side so that Thomas would believe that He had actually been resurrected. (John 20:24-27) Does this not prove that Christ was raised alive in the same body in which he was put to death? No, it does not."


Luke 24: 34-40: “While they were speaking of these things [the Lord] himself stood in their midst ...But they were imagining they beheld a spirit. So he said to them: “Why are ​YOU​ troubled, and why is it doubts come up in ​YOUR​ hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; feel me and see, because a spirit does not have flesh and bones just as ​YOU​ behold that I have.” [[And as he said this he showed them his hands and his feet.]]

 

Will you believe God's Word over that of man's?




Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Sin and Redemption

Men are not condemned because they have not followed the law, no, they are condemned already and the law is set up to show them that... St. Cyril of Alexandria explains,

"The Law entered in so that the many-sided nature of the fall of those who were under the Law might be made clear. Nobody could ever be made righteous because of the weakness of human nature. Rather, everyone condemned themselves by their own crimes of transgression. The Law came as the revealer of our common weakness, so that the human race would appear even more clearly to need the aid of the medicine of Christ."

"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already" John 3:18

 John Wesley saw sin as a malignant disease. "Salvation" means, in the original, "healing".

In orthodox thought God did not angrily punish Adam and Eve for their sin, but rather he was moved with compassion. He immediately covered their shame with animal skins and revealed His plans for their redemption. Expulsion from the garden was required that all men did not live forever in the state of sin, separation from God. The day of judgment is also required to remove those who would continue in this state rather than availing themselves of the cure, the Spirit of God, to the separation from Him that causes sin and death, in order that God's children can realize His full purpose for them.

"for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." Luke 9:56

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

Monday, October 22, 2012

There is a great misunderstanding of what a Christian preaches. We actually do not expect anyone to live up to the laws in the Bible.

We know that no one can live up to the laws in the Bible.That is why we need a Savior.


"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." 
2 Corinthians 5:21;  Hebrews 10:14;

"Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word," 
(the church means all believers) 
Ephesians 5:25-26

http://onemediator.blogspot.com/2012/10/who-does-god-save.html 


Wednesday, October 17, 2012

“Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life." John 6:68

 Why did Peter say this? Let's look at the context of the chapter:

Accordingly Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to ​YOU, Unless ​YOU​ eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ​YOU​ have no life in yourselves. He that feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I shall resurrect him at the last day; for my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Therefore many of his disciples, when they heard this, said: “This speech is shocking; who can listen to it?” Owing to this many of his disciples went off to the things behind and would no longer walk with him. Therefore Jesus said to the twelve: “YOU​ do not want to go also, do ​YOU?” (John 6:53-67)

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life...Unless ​you​ eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ​you​ have no life in yourselves.

(John 5:39-40; 6:53)

Coming soon: What does the Jehovah's Witness organization have to say about this?

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

To Whom Do You Belong?

"To whom do you belong? Which God do you obey?
For just the one to whom you bow Your master is, you serve him now.

You cannot serve two gods; ..."

This is Song 207 in the book Sing Praises to Jehovah that I used when I was an active Jehovah's Witness. It is titled "To Whom Do We Belong?" and 1 Corinthians 6:20 is cited.

So let's answer the question. 1 Corinthians 6:20 says "for ​you were bought with a price."

Who is the Lord that bought us? Romans 14:8-9 answers:

"So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord*. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.”

I have also noticed that Colossians 3:23-24 says to "do everything whole-souled as to Jehovah... slave for the master, Christ."

and Ephesians 6:5-7 "You slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters ... as to the Christ, not by way of eye‐service as men pleasers, but as Christ’s slaves, ... Be slaves with good inclinations, as to Jehovah,"

The New World Translation also says that Jesus is "a god". Notice what the song says, "You cannot serve two gods; two Masters cannot share". The song is correct. Matthew 6:24, Exodus 20:3, Deuteronomy 5:7.

To whom do you belong?






(*Keep in mind that the New World Translation says Jehovah instead of Lord when the Greek word kupiw and kupiou are translated in the first 3 instances of the word in these verses. Luke 17:5, John 20:2, Romans 14:14, and Romans 16:18 are a few examples of the same Greek words translated by the New World Translation as Lord and referring to Jesus. Please consider getting a Kingdom Interlinear Translation from Jehovah's Witnesses so that you can verify the Greek yourself.)


Song 207 To Whom Do We Belong? (1 Corinthians 6:20)

To whom do you belong? Which God do you obey?
For just the one to whom you bow Your master is, you serve him now.

You cannot serve two gods; Both masters cannot share

The love of your heart in its every part. To neither you'd be fair.

To whom do you belong? Which God will you obey?
For one is false and one is true, So make you choice; it's up to you.

Shall Caesar of this world Claim your allegiance still?
Or will you obey the true God today and vow to do his will?

To whom do I belong? Jehovah I'll obey.

This God of truth I'll gladly serve; From paying my vow I'll not swerve.

He bought me at great cost; I've ceased from serving men.

The death of his Son my ransom has won; I'll not turn back again.

To God we do belong! There's no uncertainty.

The unity that he foretold We now experience in his fold.

Just like the fragrant oil Upon the high priest's head,

We find it so sweet together to meet and with his truth be fed.

(Sing Praises to Jehovah, songbook, Jehovah's Witnesses)

Friday, October 12, 2012

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Do you have questions about holidays?

Romans 14 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.

5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.


10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written:
As I live, says the Lord,
Every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall confess to God.”

12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.


14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ... 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. 21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. 22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.


15 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

"But you only posted scripture, you didn't answer anything!" Good. I want you to listen to God, not me. (John 14:26, 1 John 2:27)

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Never good enough!

The cults keep you living in shame and fear, never meeting their expectations.

We do always fall short, but that is falling short of God's perfect will, not falling short of man's ideas, and it is not something to cause shame and fear, for we are not alone.  (Psalm 143:2) 


"Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you."

It is why we need a Savior. (Romans 4:6-8)


David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”



‎"You have to see the sinner you really are to see Christ for the Savior He really is" - R.W. Glenn

Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God  for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 3:21)
 
Christ offers you a clean conscience, not because you are not a sinner, but because he is not. Hebrews 9:14, 10:22

Monday, October 8, 2012

"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." Matthew 18:20

I wrote a post a while back, angry that everyone was pressuring me to go to church. I want to clarify a few things:

When I first received Christ, he led me to a very loving church. They showed me the Romans Road and they showed me the love of Christ, comforting me and listening patiently to me. I was baptized there, and and through their love I learned about God's love for me. The church was for me... it wasn't something I was pressured into. It was what Jesus knew I needed.


But then things started to change. My family didn't thrive there. I felt pressured to go, and the reasons people gave me for going just didn't seem right. They seemed the same to me as going to the meetings when I was in the cult... an obligation. I was very discouraged about church, and very adamant that I was fine without it. I lost sight of the real reason of going to church.

So I wrote that post, defending my reasons for not going.

I have been listening to sermons on the radio and continuing with prayer and study, and I realized that Christ was calling me to a different church. So now I go, but not because I am listening to people who are pressuring me to do so... no, rather I humble myself and listen to Jesus and realize that perhaps those "pressuring" me were right.


Yes, in the scriptures the church is speaking of the body of believers, the Bride of Christ, but there is nothing wrong with using the other common definition. God has provided churches to do the work in the book of Acts... to teach the gospel, to provide the sacraments. Everyone's needs are unique, however, and He knows this. There is nothing wrong with the church I was baptized at, and God is definitely using them for His work, but each denomination and each church has a different flavor.

God does not wait to give Himself to us at church, but He did establish sacraments, and most people who do not go to church are not taking advantage of these gifts. I had not been to church in a while, and at His calling I went Sunday and received the Lord's Supper. I am renewed, energized, and using my spiritual gifts again...My joy in the Lord is once again strong and overflowing. I don't know if this church is where I am to stay, I don't know where other people should be, but this I do know... Sunday that church, and His body and blood received there was His gift to me.

Distinguish controlling, potentially harmful groups from safe ones.

http://goodcultbadcult.com/

Saturday, October 6, 2012

I would be a Christian if there were no churches at all.

That is actually how it happened; having jumped into Jesus' arms, I still believed that EVERY church/denomination is Babylon the Great.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

I wonder why Luke 9:55-56 is not in the New World Translation?

And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”
 
But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them. And they went to another village.

Why was that left out? 

Monday, October 1, 2012

When was Jesus Lord and King? upon baptism like the Jehovah's Witnesses teach?

Luke 2:11 the NEWBORN JESUS was announced as LORD, KING and SAVIOR. God's people knew what that meant! compare to Isaiah 7:7; Isaiah 43:11; Micah 5:2