Friday, April 5, 2013

Am I special?


I wanted to share a bit of my feelings when I went from JW to Christian... It was actually difficult to struggle with the realization that I do not have special knowledge, I am no longer a member of an elite group. I cannot feel good about knowing more about God than the next Christian. I had to admit that what God has revealed to me and He reveals to everyone who receives Christ. How humbling! I mean really it was crushing at times!

I also had to admit that my sins put me in the same boat as everyone else. I am a sinner saved, not by any goodness of my own, but the grace of God and the mercy of Christ. I am not special. I am no more special than the child of God sitting next to me in a church pew. You know, the one who has known Jesus since she was 3? Or the one who met Jesus after dating her husband... who started going to church with him and never had to deprogram her mind, never lost any family members for her faith... We are all children of God. All sinners. All saved by Jesus to be joint heirs. All of us.


I am also no more special than the people who are still Jehovah's Witnesses, or those who left Jehovah's Witnesses and never became Christians. I did not figure this out with my superior love for God, or my superior reasoning skills. I am a Christian because the Father called, not because of anything good in me.


Jesus died for them all, just as He died for me. Jesus loves you, just as he loves me. All I do is receive His love. Receive. I am special for that?

All that is good in me is due to He who dwells within.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Spirits of the dead, what does the Bible say?


“When a person dies, he or she does not pass on to the spirit world as many people think.” – Spirits of the Dead by Jehovah's Witnesses page 4

Let’s have a look at what "many people think":


1. They were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear.

2. But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.

3. Rhoda … reported that Peter was standing at the gate. and they kept saying, “It is his angel.”

4.
”In Hades he lifted up his eyes…and he cried out and said”




1. The apostles at Matthew 14:26 
2. Jesus’ disciples at Luke 24:37

3. First century Christians at Acts 12:13-15
4. Jesus at Luke 16:23-24