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Interests: 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)
Expertise: "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)
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| The Authority of the Bible 
Most modern Christians tend to rely on the New Testament
of the Bible and ignore the Old Testament because Christ is
the modern Christian's savior. When Christ came to us almost
2,000 years ago he brought us true teachings which later became
known as Christianity. Not long after he and his followers died
his pure teachings became corrupted by many non-Biblical beliefs.
Today, the majority of modern Christians unwittingly follow these
man-made beliefs that did not originate from them. What kind of man-made beliefs? The widest man-made belief is that God's Son took the place of
his Father, Jehovah. In order to believe that the Son is now GOD,
it is necessary to ignore the entire content of the Old Testament
and that is just what Christendom's ministers do. How do we know that Christ is not God? Because the words of JEHOVAH God, as recorded by His
prophets in the Old Testament of the Bible, were constantly
quoted by Christ. At the time that Christ was on the earth -
only the Old Testament had been written. These were the
words inspired by his Father, the "Jewish God," Jehovah. "...a New Testament did not begin to exist until late in the second century."
- River of God, Gregory J. Riley, pp. 66-67 "The first Christians relied on the Old Testament as their chief
religious book. To them it was of divine origin and authority."
-Dr. Samuel Davidson; The "Canon"
The Encyclopedia Britannica
Thus God's Son, himself, considered the Hebrew Scriptures
as words of authority on all things. All questions that were
asked of Christ he answered by quoting Jehovah God's words
in the Old Testament. Therefore - Christ, himself, considered
the Old Testament Bible to be inspired by God. Our Saviour
lived by the words of his Father, Jehovah, as recorded in the
Hebrew Scriptures and instructed us to do so. 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread
alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
(Matthew 4:4) (New International Version) He was quoting Deuteronomy: 3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger,
and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not,
neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee
know that man doth not live by bread only, but by
everything that proceedeth out of the mouth of
Jehovah doth man live.
(Deuteronomy 8:3) (American Standard Version) Christ and his apostles died for their belief in the
words of Jehovah God, and for acting upon them. 42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you
would love me, for I came from God and now am here.
I have not come on my own; but he sent me."
(John 8:42) (NIV) "For everything that was written in the past was written to
teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement
of the Scriptures we might have hope."
(Romans 15:4) (NIV) So what would be the wise thing to do? "Do NOT go beyond what is written." Then you will
not take pride in one man over against another. "
(1Corinthians 4:6) (NIV) ALL RELIGIOUS THOUGHT SHOULD ALWAYS
BE BASED UPON THE BIBLE ONLY AND NOT
UPON MAN'S OWN IDEAS WHY? THE WORDS OF GOD ARE SHARPER
THAN ANY TWO EDGED SWORD. "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than
any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing
soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts
and attitudes of the heart."
(Hebrews 4:12) (NIV) "...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. "
(Ephesians 6:17) (NIV) "Is not my word like fire? saith Jehovah; and like
a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?"
(Jeremiah 23:29) (American Standard Version) "For this reason we also constantly thank God that when
you received the word of God which you heard from us,
you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it
really is, the word of God, which also performs its work
in you who believe."
(1Thessalonians 2:13) (NASB) "The secret things belong unto Jehovah our God; but the
things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children
for ever, that we may do all the words of this law."
(Deuteronomy 29:29) (ASV) "As for God, his way is perfect: The word of Jehovah is
tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in him."
(2Samuel 22:31) (ASV) "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is
flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him."
(Psalm 18:30) (NIV) "As a follower of Christ, Peter used Gods name, Jehovah.
When Peters speech was put on record the Tetragrammaton
(YHWH / Jehovah) was here used according to the practice
during the first century B.C.E. and the first century C.E."
- Paul Kahle; Studia Evangelica, edited by Kurt Aland,
F. L. Cross, Jean Danielou, Harald Riesenfeld
and W. C. van Unnik, Berlin, 1959, p. 614
(See App 1C §1.) By reading the Bible for ourselves, we can easily
see that Jehovah is our God... "...Jehovah, 'the God of your fathers', the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob..."
(Exodus 3:15) (ASV) And that God's Son is not! "The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, 'the God of our fathers',
has glorified HIS SERVANT Jesus."
(Acts 3:13) (NIV) "The Psalms are thus inspired responses of various individuals
to God's revelation of Himself in the Old Testament era."
-The Book of Psalms - A Study
by Wayne Jackson
Christian Courier: Archives
Thursday, May 18, 2000
What Christ said in prayer to God promotes
our trust in the entire Bible : "...your word is truth."
(John 17:17) (NIV)
And the Bible itself claims to be inspired by God.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us
what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.
It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. 17 It
is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for
every good thing God wants us to do.
(2Timothy 3:16-17) (New Living Translation) Now is a good time to find out the difference between
God's word and unimportant man-made customs. "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
(John 8:32) (NIV) 
| | |
| Blind Faith or True Knowledge? A lot of people have a religion to believe in but do not know
anything about the history or origin of their religion. Is it wise to have “blind faith” or would it be better to
understand what we believe in? How did the Moslem religion get started? We must go back to 600 AD. The Moslems According to the World Book Encyclopedia: Moslems are people who practice the religion of Islam, founded by Mohammed about 600 A.D. The term Moslem comes from the Arabic word ‘Muslim’, meaning a believer in Islam. Mohammed was born 570 A.D. and grew up in Mecca. He was repelled by idol worship and spent many hours in religious contemplation. He became convinced that there was one God and that He had revealed himself in the Bible. Mohammed said that God (Who they call Allah) called him as his prophet to destroy idolatry and to bring the Arabs to the worship of one god. He preached the ten commandments from the Bible with special emphasis on the first one – Thou shalt have no other gods before God. He preached in Mecca for thirteen years while being persecuted
by the people there. On July 16, 622 A.D. Mohammed fled for
his life to Medina. There he preached with great power and
persuasiveness, not only winning many converts but the people
even made him their king. War broke out in 624 A.D. between the Meccans and the followers
of Mohammed in Medina. The Moslems finally defeated the
Meccans by 630 A.D. and Mohammed returned triumphantly to
Mecca to convert the people of Mecca to his new religion. The Koran is the sacred book of the Moslems. They believe that
the angel Gabriel revealed the Koran to Mohammed, a little at a
time from about 610 to 632 A.D. After he died (632 A.D.), his
followers collected his revelations and made them into what is
now the Koran between 650 and 655 A.D. From: World Book Encyclopedia 1963 "Moslem" Notice that Mohammed was influenced, at first, by the Bible.
After that, his teachings deviated substantially from the Bible:
the Old Testament of the Bible was complete when Mohammed
lived, so he must have read many times that God’s name is
Jehovah! Yet Mohammed taught that God’s name is Allah. Why?
Because the angel claiming to be “Gabriel” told him that
God’s name is Allah. Jehovah’s prophets wrote His name
in the Old Testament of the Bible almost 7,000 times. Does it seem probable that an angel of Jehovah, especially the
real Gabriel, would really say that God’s name is now Allah? While it is commendable that Mohammed abolished idolatry, he was
still responsible for spreading the Moslem religion at sword point,
much like the Catholic Church spread “Christianity”. In fact, the
Crusades were initiated for the very purpose of forcing the Catholic
Religion upon the Moslems at sword point or annihilating them: "The Crusades were a series of Roman Catholic “holy” wars to
wrest control of the Holy Land from Muslims. They produced
some of the bloodiest battles in history. Did you ever wonder
how the Catholics reconcile that “holy” slaughter with the Bible,
which states, “Thou shalt not kill”? Or how they can read the
Sermon on the Mount and still lead the religious world in spilling
rivers of blood?"
-Wars of Catholicism
By Gerald Flurry Neither Jehovah, his Son nor any true follower of Christ
would advocate violence in order to introduce a true religion.
Never! Thus, the Moslem faith reveals it’s true nature from the
fruit it produced. Even today, Moslem extremists advocate violence
and bring about bloodshed. This leaves no doubt that the Moslem
religion is not in any way, a true religion, instead, many millions
of Moslems have been tricked into worshiping a false god named
Allah for many centuries. While it is commendable that many
worshipers of Allah are peaceful and devoted to their worship, it is
obvious that Satan is behind the origin of the religion (not Gabriel)
and is therefore a path leading to destruction instead of the path to
everlasting life. But it is not the only counterfeit religion that an “angel”
brought about! Demons have brought into existence countless false
religions. What is another one? Fast-forward to 1820. The MormonsAccording to the World Book Encyclopedia: Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon faith, claimed that
in the spring of 1820 he had a vision in which he saw God and
Jesus Christ. He was told not to join any church, but was later
authorized to establish the Church of Jesus Christ. On Sept. 21,
1823, the Angel named Moroni appeared in a vision to tell Smith
that a record engraved on plates of gold containing the history of
the ancient inhabitants of America was buried in a hill, called
Cumorah, about four miles from Palmyra, N.Y. From these
plates, Smith translated the Book of Mormon.
-World Book Encyclopedia 1963 Notice that Joseph Smith received his vision and a visit supposedly
from an angel, God, and His Son. This would indeed make him a
prophet. While it could easily be argued that the episode was a just
hoax, let us examine the possibility that the events took place exactly
as illustrated. Let us assume that the story is completely true. What is wrong with the picture? Are there any red flags? 1. Why is it that God, Christ and Moroni failed to mention
that God has a name, and His name is JEHOVAH? 2. Why did God, Christ and Moroni not tell Joseph Smith
that Christ did not die on a cross? 3. Why did God, Christ and Moroni fail to mention that "holy"
days such as Easter and Christmas are pagan festivals? God has a name, and is not a nameless Lord. He picked out
His name Himself:
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 3:15) (American Standard Version) According to any Bible, symbols are not allowed as part
of our worship of Jehovah:
4 "Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image,
nor any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above,
or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water
under the earth. 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself
unto them, nor serve them, for I Jehovah thy God
am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers
upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth
generation of them that hate me, 6 and showing
lovingkindness unto thousands of them that love me
and keep my commandments.”
(Exodus 20:4-6) (ASV) Furthermore, so-called Christian holy days such as
Christmas and Easter are a sham! But the Mormons carry on with these unacceptable
practices to this day just like the rest of Christendom. So who was it really that Joseph Smith saw in his visions? Could it have been Satan or one of his demons, going
about their work of misleading us? “Then Jehovah said to Satan: ‘Where do you come from?’
At that, Satan answered Jehovah and said: ‘From roving
about in the earth and from walking about in it’” (Job 1:7) (New World Translation) (WWW.Watchtower.org) Is Satan still with us?
9 This great dragon--the ancient serpent called the
Devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world--
was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.
(Revelation 12:9) (New Living Translation)
And what is Satan up to these days? 14 "And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades
as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if
his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.
Their end will be what their actions deserve."
(2Corinthians 11:14-15) (New International Version) So it turns out that although the Mormon religion Claims to have
Christian roots, it has much in common with the Moslems by the
way they both originated. An “Angel” visited a “nobody” and made
him write a book. The “nobody” then became an important prophet
for a new religion.
Which one is the true religion?
Neither! The only true religion is the one that teaches
about and promotes the one true God. Is God named Allah? Is God nameless? No, He is not. The true God picked out His name a long time
ago and revealed it to us in His book, the Bible, for a reason: 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob,
by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH
was I not known to them.
(Exodus 6:3) (King James Version) Why is Jehovah important to us? 32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall
call on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered.
(Joel 2:32) (ASV) And at this time, the time of "The End", God's
name may be the most important thing to know!
| | |
| A Multitude of gods Religion is a way of life for most people in this world.
Most of the world is non-Christian and those people are
ruled by numerous fanciful gods. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven
or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many
"lords"),
(1Corinthians 8:5) (New International Version) Some people do not believe in a "Higher Power" but about
two billion people of the world’s six billion population are
called Christians. These people not only "believe in God"
but they revere His Son. 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom
all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one
Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through
whom we live.
(1Corinthians 8:6) (NIV) The majority Christians have so many different beliefs that
there are over 3oo different Christian sects. Not only that,
but many churches of the same sect are in disagreement with
what doctrines to follow. "Free Will Baptist Doctrine is distinguished from the majority
of Baptist groups (including the Southern Baptist Convention
and its offshoots, as well as fundamentalist Baptists) in that
Free Will Baptists reject the popular Baptist view of "unconditional
perseverance of the saints," (also commonly referred to as the
"Doctrine of Unconditional Eternal security" or "once saved, always
saved"). Instead, Free Will Baptist Doctrine holds to the traditional
Arminian position, based on the belief in a General Atonement,
that it is possible to commit apostasy, or willfully reject one's faith."
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Will_Baptist_ChurchThat is confusing! Who created this hodge-podge of contradictory beliefs? 4 Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds
of those who don't believe, so they are unable to see the
glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them.
They don't understand the message we preach about the
glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
(2Corinthians 4:4) (New Living Translation) And what is the result? 1 You can be certain that in the last days there
will be some very hard times. 2 People will love
only themselves and money. They will be proud,
stuck-up, rude, and disobedient to their parents.
They will also be ungrateful, godless, 3 heartless,
and hateful. Their words will be cruel, and they
will have no self-control or pity. These people will
hate everything that is good. 4 They will be sneaky,
reckless, and puffed up with pride. Instead of loving
God, they will love pleasure. 5 Even though they
will make a show of being religious, their religion won't
be real. Don't have anything to do with such people.
(2Timothy 3:1-5) (Contemporary English Version) Good advice! People who really want to do God’s will
must distance themselves from the people who love this
world and the things found in it instead of God. "For the world offers only a craving for physical
pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and
pride in our achievements and possessions.
These are not from the Father, but are from this
world."
(1John 2:16) (NLT) The greatest problem this world suffers from
are the people who defy God and His laws. "For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition."
(Mark 7:8) (New Life Version) "These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are
far from me. Their worship of me is made up only
of rules taught by men."
(Isaiah 29:13) (NIV) This has been going on for a very long time! 15 Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning
incense to other gods, along with all the women who were
present—a large assembly—and all the people living in Lower
and Upper Egypt, [a] said to Jeremiah, 16 "We will not listen
to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD!
17 We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will
burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink
offerings to her just as we and our fathers, our kings and our
officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem.
At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered
no harm.
(Jeremiah 44:15-17) (NIV) The most widespread and popular custom of the
majority Christians is their senseless idol worship. 25 Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about
God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they
worshiped the things God made but not the Creator
himself, who is to be praised forever.
(Romans 1:25) (New Living Translation) What created things? 
Anything else? 22 "Jehovah himself produced me as the beginning
of his way, the earliest of his achievements of long
ago. 23 From time indefinite I was installed, from
the start, from times earlier than the earth. 24 When
there were no watery deeps I was brought forth as
with labor pains, when there were no springs heavily
charged with water. 25 Before the mountains themselves
had been settled down, ahead of the hills, I was brought
forth as with labor pains, 26 when as yet he had not made
the earth and the open spaces and the first part of the dust
masses of the productive land. 27 When he prepared the
heavens I was there; when he decreed a circle upon the
face of the watery deep, 28 when he made firm the cloud
masses above, when he caused the fountains of the watery
deep to be strong, 29 when he set for the sea his decree
that the waters themselves should not pass beyond his order,
when he decreed the foundations of the earth, 30 then I came
to be beside him as a master worker, and I came to be the one
he was specially fond of day by day, I being glad before him all
the time, 31 being glad at the productive land of his earth, and
the things I was fond of were with the sons of men.
(Proverbs 8:22-31) (New World Translation) Yes, another widespread and popular custom of the majority
Christians is their belief that God’s Son, who was created,
is God Almighty, Himself. But that is not what the Bible says! 10 But Jehovah is the true God; he is the living God,
and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth trembleth,
and the nations are not able to abide his indignation.
11 Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not
made the heavens and the earth, these shall perish from
the earth, and from under the heavens. 12 He hath made
the earth by his power, he hath established the world by
his wisdom, and by his understanding hath he stretched
out the heavens:
(Jeremiah 10:10-12) (American Standard Version) The Jesus worshipers believe that their god, Jesus,
loves them no matter what. They don’t read the Bible
with any intention of learning something worth knowing.
If they really read their Bibles, they would notice many
ominous scriptures not discussed in their churches. "For God carefully watches the way that people live;
he sees everything they do. No darkness is thick enough
to hide the wicked from his eyes. For it is not up to mortals
to decide when to come before God in judgment. He will
openly strike them down for their wickedness. For they
turned aside from following him. They have no respect for
any of his ways."
(Job 34:21-23) (NLT) 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners.
He listens to the godly man who does his will.
(John 9:31) (NIV) This does not describe their happy god, Jesus.
They apply to his Father. "How long, O God, will you allow our enemies
to mock you? Will you let them dishonor your
name forever?"
(Psalm 74:10) (NLT) "Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached,
O Jehovah, And that a foolish people hath blasphemed
thy name."
(Psalms 74:18) (ASV) Unlike Christendom’s preferred god, Jehovah has
requirements for all of us. 9 Don't you know that those who do wrong will have
no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves.
Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers,
adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, 10 thieves,
greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers--none
of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God.
(1Corinthians 6:9-10) (NIV) 19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality,
impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred,
discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions,
factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn
you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit
the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-
control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong
to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and
desires.
(Galatians 5:19-24) (NIV) Not only does Jehovah have definite requirements
for us, He has penalties in mind for those who
blithely ignore Him and His requirements. 10 "In that day," declares the LORD, "I will destroy your
horses from among you and demolish your chariots.
11 I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all
your strongholds. 12 I will destroy your witchcraft and you
will no longer cast spells. 13 I will destroy your carved images
and your sacred stones from among you; you will no longer
bow down to the work of your hands.
(Micah 5:10-13) (NIV) "And the word of Jehovah continued to occur to me, saying...
‘An end, the end, has come upon the four extremities of the
land. Now the end is upon you, and I must send my anger
against you, and I will judge you according to your ways
and bring upon you all your detestable things. And my eye
will not feel sorry for you, neither will I feel compassion, for
upon you I shall bring your own ways, and in the midst of
you your own detestable things will come to be; and YOU
people will have to know that I am Jehovah.’ "
(Ezekiel 7:1-4) (NWT) How likely are these penalties? 11 therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash
that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and
I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds
will burst forth.
(Ezekiel 13:11) (NIV) 13 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger
hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury.
(Ezekiel 13:13) (NIV) These prophecies apply aptly to the woes of the midwest, USA
where tornados and floods have been recent news. Also other
countries such as Myanmar and India. What else does the Bible say will happen in these last days? 17 That is why Jehovah will not rejoice even
over their young men, and upon their fatherless
boys and upon their widows he will have no mercy;
because all of them are apostates and evildoers and
every mouth is speaking senselessness. In view of all
this his anger has not turned back, but his hand is
stretched out still. 18 For wickedness has become
aflame just like a fire; thornbushes and weeds it will
eat up. And it will catch fire in the thickets of the forest,
and they will be borne aloft as the billowing of smoke.
19 In the fury of Jehovah of armies the land has been
set afire, and the people will become as food for the fire.
No one will show compassion even on his brother.
(Isaiah 9:17-19) (NWT) Fire has also been prominent in the news. Smoky skies threaten health in fiery California By DON THOMPSON, Associated Press Writer June 28, 2008 SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Hundreds of lightning-sparked
wildfires have turned the air of Northern California into
an unhealthy stew of smoke and ash, forcing the cancellation
of athletic events and other outdoor activities. Health advisories
urging residents to stay indoors to limit exposure to the smokey
air were issued Saturday from Bakersfield north to Redding, a
distance of nearly 450 miles. More than 17,000 firefighters,
1,500 fire engines and bulldozers, and more than 80 helicopters
and aircraft were fighting more than 1,000 fires Saturday, said
state emergency services spokesman Kelly Huston. In central New Mexico, a blaze caused by lightning that forced the
evacuation of 400 people was 35 percent contained. Thunderstorms
were forecast, and firefighters welcomed the possibility of rain but
feared that winds could change the fire's direction. In Arizona, an effort to stop a blaze in the Phoenix suburb of Laveen
failed Saturday, forcing the evacuation of residents of 16 homes near
the brush-choked Gila River bed. The fire has almost doubled in size
in a day and consumed nearly 8 square miles, officials said.
____ From: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080628/ap_on_re_us/wildfiresThis is only the beginning! 5 But your many enemies will become like fine dust, the
ruthless hordes like blown chaff. Suddenly, in an instant,
6 the LORD Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake
and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of
a devouring fire.
(Isaiah 29:5-6) (NIV) 30 The LORD will cause men to hear his majestic voice
and will make them see his arm coming down with raging
anger and consuming fire, with cloudburst, thunderstorm
and hail.
(Isaiah 30:30) (NIV) The nominal Christians who love Jesus but ignored
his Father, Jehovah, made a big blunder. 1The LORD says, "People who never before inquired about
me are now asking about me. I am being found by people
who were not looking for me. To them I have said, `I am
here!'
(Isaiah 65:1) (NLT) 1 "I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was
found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did
not call on my name, I said, 'Here am I, here am I.'
(Isaiah 65:1) (NIV) Jehovah sent his servants all over the world for the
past one hundred years to promote the true God. 2 "I opened my arms to my own people all day long,
but they have rebelled. They follow their own evil
paths and thoughts.
(Isaiah 65:2) (NIV) The time has finally come for the people of
this world to pay dearly for their error. I will send them great trouble—all the things they feared.
For when I called, they did not answer. When I spoke,
they did not listen. They deliberately sinned before my
very eyes and chose to do what they know I despise."
(Isaiah 66:4) (New Living Translation) Americans' unhappy birthday: 'Too much wrong right now' By PAULINE ARRILLAGA, AP National Writer July 5, 2008 Even folks in the Optimist Club are having a tough
time toeing an upbeat line these days. Eighteen
members of the volunteer organization's Gilbert,
Ariz., chapter have gathered, a few days before
this nation's 232nd birthday, to focus on the positive:
Their book drive for schoolchildren and an Independence
Day project to place American flags along the streets of
one neighborhood. Joanne Kontak, 60, an elementary school lunch aide inducted
just this day as an Optimist, sums things up like this: "There's
just entirely too much wrong right now." Happy birthday, America? This year, we're not so sure.
Stay-at-home-mom Heather Hammack grapples with tough
decisions daily about how to spend her family's dwindling
income in the face of rising food costs. One day, she priced
strawberries at $1.75. The next day, they were $2.28. "We
used to have more money than we knew what to do with.
Now, I have to decide: Do I pay the electric this week? Do
I pay for gas? Do I get groceries?" says Hammack, 24, who
lives with her boyfriend, a window installer, and their 5-year-
old son in a rented home in rural Rowlesburg, W.Va. "You
can't get ahead. You can't save money. You can't buy a house.
It just stinks." Contributing to this report were AP Writers Allen G. Breed,
Martha Irvine, Todd Lewan, Martha Mendoza, Vicki Smith
and Becky Bohrer. From: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080705/ap_on_re_us/america_s_bad_mood;_ylt=AkFRHvKsrytccIfsl82yjr5H2ocAWhat is coming up next? " 12 I will `destine' you to the sword. All of you will bow
before the executioner, for when I called, you did not
answer. When I spoke, you did not listen. You
deliberately sinned--before my very eyes--and chose
to do what you know I despise."
(Isaiah 65:12) (New Living Translation) "And those slain by Jehovah will certainly come to be in
that day from one end of the earth clear to the other end
of the earth. They will not be bewailed, neither will they be
gathered up or be buried. As manure on the surface of the
ground they will become."
(Jeremiah 25:33) (YLT) But Jehovah’s people will not be affected
by the rest of the world’s judgment... 13 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold,
my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry; behold,
my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty; behold,
my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be put to shame;
14 behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but
ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall wail for vexation
of spirit.
(Isaiah 65:13-14) (ASV) ...except to reap the benefit of their wise decision to
leave the mainstream Christians behind and follow
the true Christians, Jehovah’s people. 10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be
there. 11 But the meek shall inherit the land and delight
themselves in abundant peace.
(Psalms 37:10-11) (ESV) "The righteous shall inherit the earth,
And they shall live forever upon it."
(Psalm 37:29) (KJV) 34 Wait for Jehovah, and keep his way, And he will
exalt thee to inherit the land: When the wicked are
cut off, thou shalt see it. 35 I have seen the wicked
in great power, And spreading himself like a green
tree in its native soil. 36 But one passed by, and, lo,
he was not: Yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; For
there is a happy end to the man of peace. 38 As for
transgressors, they shall be destroyed together; The
end of the wicked shall be cut off.
(Psalms 37:34-38) (American Standard Version)
| | |
| Why Do Christians Observe Halloween? 
Halloween is a very popular holiday in the world.
Children and even adults love to dress up in costumes;
the scarier the better. The stores are stocked up on
costumes, masks and candy. Except for the wide-
spread vandalism that occurs each year, it all seems
like harmless fun. How did this popular holiday originate? According to Encyclopedia Encarta online:
"Halloween, holiday observed on the evening of October
31 in most areas of North America and in some areas of
Western Europe. The holiday is symbolically associated
with death and the supernatural. Halloween falls on the
eve of All Saints’ Day, also known as Allhallows or
Hallowmas, a holy day in the Roman Catholic and Anglican
churches. Originally a pagan festival of the dead, All
Saints’ Day was established by the Catholic Church in the
9th century to honor Christian saints. All Souls’ Day, a holy
day established by the Catholic Church in the 10th century,
is also closely linked to Halloween. All Souls’ Day, on
November 2, is observed to help purify the spirits of the
dead. Halloween is historically related to similar folk holidays
celebrated in other countries. The Day of the Dead, a
Mexican holiday that coincides with All Souls’ Day, blends
Roman Catholic and Native American traditions about the
souls of the dead. On the Day of the Dead, Mexicans
decorate their homes with playful imagery of animated
human skeletons, leave offerings of food for wandering
spirits, and tend the graves of their deceased relatives." So this holiday is pagan in origin. Is there anything else we should know? "The most important of these holidays to influence later
Halloween customs was Samhain, a holiday observed by
the ancient Celts, a tribal people who inhabited most of
Western and Central Europe in the first millennium bc.
Among the Celts, Samhain marked the end of one year
and the beginning of the next. It was one of four Celtic
holidays linked to important transitions in the annual
cycle of seasons. Samhain began at sundown on October 31 and extended
into the following day. According to the Celtic pagan
religion, known as Druidism, the spirits of those who had
died in the preceding year roamed the earth on Samhain
evening. The Celts sought to ward off these spirits with
offerings of food and drink. The Celts also built bonfires at
sacred hilltop sites and performed rituals, often involving
human and animal sacrifices, to honor Druid deities." From: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761572079/Halloween.html Is this a popular day for non-Christians as well? "Halloween is a day that witches celebrate above all
other days. It is a festival of the dead, and represents
the "end and the beginning of the witches year. It
marks the beginning of the death and destruction
associated with winter. At this time the power of the
underworld is unleashed, and spirits are supposedly
freed to roam about the earth; it is considered the
best time to contact spirits"
-Halloween and Satanism, P. Phillips and J.H. Robie, 1987, p.146 "There is another religious group which is equally
serious about its Halloween celebrations: the Satanists.
Halloween to them is a more sinister and direct celebration
of death and Satan; they celebrate [it] as one of his two
highest holy days. At Halloween the sacrifices of some of
these satanic cults are unspeakably vicious and brutal"
-Like Lambs To The Slaughter, Johanna Michaelsen, 1989, p.190 The celebration of Halloween is not mentioned in the
entire Bible. However, there are other things that are
mentioned that apply to people who wish to adhere to
Bible principles: 27 Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God
our Father means that we must care for orphans
and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let
the world corrupt us.
(James 1:27) (New Living Translation) "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) (Message Bible) In spite of the wide availability of this information, the
people and even the churches of Christendom sanction
parties and festivals every October 31 in which children
and adults wear costumes usually of hideous creatures
and the church ministers even participate. Why do so many so-called "Christian" people in
the world embrace such obviously pagan customs? You can be certain that in the last days there will be some very
hard times. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure.
Even though they will make a show of being religious, their
religion won't be real. Don't have anything to do with such
people.
(2Timothy 3:1, 4-5) (CEV) Is celebrating a pagan holiday such
a bad thing for Christians? "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) What is the benefit of disregarding
non-Christian festivities? "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) Don't love the world or anything that belongs to the world.
If you love the world, you cannot love the Father.
(1John 2:15) (CEV) This Halloween, God will be watching
us to see what it is that we prefer. Pagan holidays or Christian principles?
| | |
| The Harvest Is Ready
The world is a shambles and getting worse every day.
People all over the world are asking:
Why were our homes destroyed by earthquakes,
fires and flooding? Why is there so much violence and warfare?
Why is the economy so bad?
Why is my job gone?
What will happen next? Why is the world a shambles? Mankind was allowed to run amuck in this world
for many thousands of years. Just look at what
we have accomplished! What does the world have? Poverty and famines.
Widespread hatred.
Oppression, wars, pollution, disease, squalor, unrest and despair. Not only that, but the problems are growing! Not once have the governmental leaders of this world,
in their wisdom, ever solved any of these problems in
any country. They never have and never will. Because of widespread
corruption and incompetence, the world’s leaders solely
look out for their own interests and disregard the problems
of the people they supposedly serve. Who can save the world from certain disaster? "...for they shall cry unto Jehovah because of oppressors,
and he will send them a saviour, and a defender, and he
will deliver them."
(Isaiah 19:20) (ASV)
"...At the time that God has already decided,
he will send Christ back again."
(1Timothy 6:15) (CEV) That is wonderful news! Jehovah and His son
are about to do something about the havoc
and chaos in the world soon.
But what must occur first? A small thing – and yet – a large accomplishment! Before God’s son takes over, all of his true followers
must stop calling him "Jesus". Why? "The Hebrews called their coming Savior, the Messiah,
Jahshuawah (Jehoshua). 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 (IESOUS-Jesus) instead."
- The Origin of Christianity
by A.B. Traina "It is interesting to note - that throughout his life - the
one now known as Jesus Christ never did hear himself
called by that name."
- "Man’s Great Adventure,"
by Edwin W. Pharlow, professor of history,
Ohio State University.
"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
That is why. God’s son is not Jesus! Just as the Bible
translators substituted "GOD" and "LORD" for God’s
actual name, Jehovah, they also painstakingly traded
"Jesus" for "Jehoshua" in place of Christ’s true name. Has it always been that way? "In the 1611 KJ New Testatment the name Yahshua
(Yehoshua) appeared originally wherever the Messiah
was spoken of. Yehoshua means Yehovah's (Jehovah's)
Salvation. Later the Messiah's name was replaced with
Iesus (Greek) which later in the 1600's it became Jesus
starting with the new English letter 'J' which was
introduced at that time. Further, the Greek 'Iesus'
comes from the name Zeus, the ruling God in the
Greek pantheon."
-Gospel of The Kingdom
True Names and Title
Dr. Henry Clifford Kinley
1931 - Ohio USA
Instead, true Christians will let go of Christendom’s
three-headed trinity god named Jesus and call our
savior by his correct name. Jehoshua Christ's name (Jehoshua) is of Hebrew origin and
is taken from the name Yehoshua, which in English
is often translated as Joshua. Yehoshua, in Hebrew
means "Yehovah Saves".
-Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Jehoshua was the name given to Christ by his
heavenly Father, Jehovah God. Many years
after his death - Rome changed his name to
suit their pagan heritage and to please their
pagan converts. "Ieous" was Greek for "Hail
Zeus", which was translated later into English
as "Jesus". And this error has continued to the
present. "The name Joshua (Jehoshua) derives
its greatest importance and highest sanctity
from the fact that it was sacredly chosen as the
name to be borne by the Messiah. This name was
corrupted and altered in time into the name Jesus."
--Personal Names in the Bible
by Dr. W.F. Wilkinson, M.A.
Joint Editor of Webster and Wilkinson's
Greek Testament: pages 342-343.
"Jesus. That was a name given to him many years after
His death. Rome wanted to remove any Jewishness from
the new church. They eliminated His Jewish name and
blended the name of Zeus in order to make it comfortable
for all those who had previously worshipped the Greek
and Roman gods. Since Zeus was the top god of their
experience, attaching the name Ioesus (hail Zeus) 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 CHRIST DECLARED : "I have come in My Father's name and with His power..."
(John 5:43) (AMP)
And as we can plainly see, that name is not "Jesus"! Christ will not take action on behalf of his true followers
until they give up their "J-zeus" error. Only when Jehovah's
people begin to call upon "Jehoshua" - will they obtain the
Salvation that Jehovah has promised to them. But some will balk against such a change! They will resist this request from God's Chosen King.
For whatever reason, there are some that will rather
leave Jehovah's earthly organization rather than
call Christ "Jehoshua". That would be "the weeds". "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't
you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the
weeds come from?' 'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The
servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them
up?' 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the
weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both
grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the
harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles
to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' "
(Matthew 13:27-30) (NIV)
All over the world weeds have been sown in with the faithful.
They have served Jehovah side by side for some time now
just as Jehoshua Christ said they would. The time has finally
come to sort the weeds from the wheat.
"Be patient like those farmers and don't give up.
The Lord will soon be here!"
(James 5:8) (CEV)
"...I know you can't stomach evil, that you weed
out apostolic pretenders..."
(Revelation 2:2) (MSG)
"...limp souls. Useless as weeds, fragile as grass,
insubstantial as wind-blown chaff."
(2Kings 19:26) (MSG) "...Soon, oh very soon, her harvest will come
and then the chaff will fly!'"
(Jeremiah 51:29) (MSG)
"I know your deeds... You have kept My word,
and have not denied My name."
(Revelation 3:8) (NASB) And it was for this very reason that Christ waited so
long to reveal this truth to his followers. The Harvest
wasn't ready and he didn't want to uproot the wheat
with the weeds. But now that will not be a problem
anymore because the Harvest is ready. The First Command directed to Jehovah's people by
God's chosen King, Jehoshua, is to begin calling
Christ by his rightful name. It is not a difficult thing
to do but it will mean putting God and Christ first
in our lives and it may also mean a loss of favor with
the rest of the Jesus-worshiping world. A similar but tremendous dividing work happened
when Jehovah God began to take out of the nations
A People For His name. When the International Bible
Students made the decision to become "Jehovah’s
Witnesses" - to fulfil Bible Prophecy and identify
themselves as His people, some fell away - as they
were weed-like and refused to be called by Jehovah's
Divine Name.
This same dividing or separating - is happening again
today - at this time of "The End". But now, instead of
Jehovah’s name separating true followers from the
unfaithful, this time it will be the name of God's Son,
"Jehoshua" Christ that will uproot the weeds that were
sown by Satan. A choice has to be made. A choice will be made.
One way or the other - each of us will choose the
side on which we will stand. From such a small
change will come a tremendous accomplisment. THE HARVEST IS ON! The wheat and weeds are about to be sorted and gathered. Which side will we choose?
"Jesus" or "Jehoshua"? "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) "...YOU will by no means see me until YOU say,
‘Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s name.’"
(Luke 13:35) (NWT) "There is salvation in no one else! God has given no
other name under heaven by which we must be saved."
(Acts 4:12) (NLT) "Blessed is he who is coming In the name of Jehovah..."
(Psalm 118:26) (YLT) And while we are at it… ARE YOU SAYING "AMEN" – IN IGNORANCE ? "By ending our prayers in 'amen'... one could very
well ask, "Have we been misled to invoke the name
of the Egyptian 'Sun-god' at the end of our prayers?"
-United Hebrew Congregation
Charles J. Voss
It is common to end a discourse on spiritual matters,
(or end a prayer) with (the word) "Amen". Few of us
realize that the word 'Amen' is an Egyptian word. It
refers to the Egyptian god of Thebes. The Hebrews
adopted the word and it passed into Christian use as
"Amen". It is a petition for (the god - Amen) to fulfill
our words.
- MYSTIC GIFTS FROM ANCIENT EGYPT
By Dr John Palo ; 1999 The Israelite exiles from Egypt knew that Jehovah was not
the same as the Egyptian god Aten, and so they presumed
he must be the equivalent of the great State God of Egypt.
It was decided, therefore, to add the name of that State-god
of Egypt to all prayers thereafter, and the name of that Egyptian
god was "Amen". To this day, the name of Amen is still recited
at the end of prayers in both Jewish and Christian religions.
- Genesis of the Grail Kings
by Sir Laurence Gardner; pg. 6 Finally, we may note that the word "Amen" occurs in gnostic
spells… especially of Egyptian origin, and a sort of magical
efficacy seems to have been attributed to this word.. The
practice of answering "Amen" at the end of prayers appears
in the Canons of Hippolytus (No. 146) and in the Egyptian
Church Order (p. 101).
- New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia
Thurston, Herbert. "Amen."
The Catholic Encyclopedia.
Vol. 1. New York:
Robert Appleton Company, 1907. When we did it in ignorance, maybe God looked past that.
But now that you know the truth, what will you do? Will you
continue to use the name of a pagan god to close your prayers?
Is it too hard to change that now? Because you’ve been using
the ‘amen’ tradition for a long time - will you rationalize and
justify why you keep on invoking the name of the Egyptian
god, Amen? Will you find a pastor or teacher to reassure you
that "it’s okay to say ‘amen’ - Or will you give thanks to God for
revealing His truth and stop using the name of a pagan god?"
-And they all Said, "AMEN"
by J.D. Roberts The true followers of Jehovah and
His son will know what to do.
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