Bible Prophecy19And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. (2 Peter 1:19) (NIV)
bible_prophecy
read my profile
sign my guestbook

Visit bible_prophecy's Xanga Site!

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)


Message: message me


Member Since: 3/2/2005
True

SubscriptionsSites I Read

Blogrings (10 of 20)
*:+:* Azn pRiDe *:+:*
previous - random - next

live in tune with God
previous - random - next

*Hong Kong Pride*
previous - random - next

*-I lOvE yOu-*
previous - random - next

because it made you smile
previous - random - next

kkx3.com
previous - random - next

Over 30 and not getting any younger...
previous - random - next

*NoThIng BuT IcOns*
previous - random - next

﹏sc陳 student*
previous - random - next

~~dont stop dancing~~I <3 to dance~~
previous - random - next

View all blogrings

Posting Calendar

|<< oldest | newest >>|
view all weblog archives

Get Involved!

Suggest a link

Recommend to friend

Create a site


Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Why is the world so full of violence?

 

The world is in a great state of upheaval. Daily news
reports are filled with crimes, violence, accidents, natural
disasters and utter mayhem! 

 

Why do we have war, injustice, pain, sickness, death
and misery? Is this what the God who created
this world wanted?

 

How many gods are there? How many religions are
there? Why are there so many? How will we find the
real one? Is there a real God and a real religion?

 

People who ask these questions are usually frustrated and
confused. Many are so cynical about ever finding the truth
that they have given up.

 

Who can blame them? Religion is a way of life for the
vast majority of the people in the world but - are they
in the right religion?

 

13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate
and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many
enter through it.”

(Matthew 7:13) (New International Version)

 

But how does someone find the right path?

 

7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and
the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives;
he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
(Matthew 7:7-8) (NIV)

 

There has always been only one right path. 

 

Where is it?

 

Looking back thousands of years ago, we see that the ancient Jews
knew who their God was, and their story is in God’s book, the Bible.

 

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? 16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and
say unto them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham,
of Isaac, and of Jacob, hath appeared unto me, saying, I have surely
visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:

(Exodus 3:13,16) (American Standard Version)

 

How do we know that Jehovah is God’s name?

 

God’s name has been in the Bible for many centuries. Some versions
of the Bible do not have Jehovah’s name in them because the translators
removed His name and replaced it with “LORD” or “GOD”.

 

The King James Version of the Bible has Jehovah’s name in four
scriptures because the translators forgot to replace these. They are:

 

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)

 

2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid:
for the
LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he
also is become my salvation.

(Isaiah 12:2) (KJV)

 

Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH
is everlasting strength.

(Isaiah 26:4) (KJV)

 

18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone
is
JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

(Psalms 83:18) (KJV)

 

Many versions of the Bible do not have Jehovah’s name in it all.
Other versions of the Bible have Jehovah’s name restored where
it originally belonged. By performing a “search” for the word
“Jehovah” at the on-line versions at www.biblegateway.com,

We can see that in the Old Testament alone:

 

·        The American Standard Version has Jehovah’s name in it 5822 times.

 

·        Young’s Literal Version has Jehovah’s name in it 5787 times.

 

·        The Darby Version Bible has Jehovah’s name in it 5791 times.

 

·        Also available is the New World Translation of the Bible published
    by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society which has Jehovah’s
name restored in it 6973 times.

 

Why is Jehovah’s name in the Old Testament so much?

 

The prophets wrote Jehovah’s name almost 7,000 times in the Old
Testament because Jehovah wants us to know what His name is.

 

18 For thus saith Jehovah that created the heavens, the God that formed
the earth and made it, that established it and created it not a waste, that
formed it to be inhabited
: I am Jehovah; and there is none else.
(Isaiah 45:18) (American Standard Version)

 

Some people believe that Jehovah’s name is too sacred to say out
loud. In fact, this is such a widespread belief that modern-day Jews
do not pray to Jehovah by name. Catholics and most Protestants do
not either. The prevailing belief is that since Jehovah is acknowledged
to be the one true God, it is not necessary to say His name. In fact,
it might be an insult to Him to say His sacred name out loud.

 

Is it forbidden to say God’s name, Jehovah?

 

No. Jehovah never said His name is too sacred for us to say.
In fact, Jehovah made the prophets write down many scriptures
for us that actually direct us to call on Him by name:

 

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 3:13,15) (ASV)

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) (KJV)

31 Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them:
I am Jehovah. 32 And ye shall not profane my holy name; but
I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am Jehovah
who halloweth you, 33 who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
to be your God: I am Jehovah.

(Leviticus 22:31-33) (ASV)

 

Jeremiah was not afraid to call Jehovah by His sacred name:

 

4 Now the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 5 Before I
formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest
forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee
a prophet unto the nations. 6 Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah!
behold, I know not how to speak; for I am a child. 7 But Jehovah
said unto me, Say not, I am a child; for to whomsoever I shall
send thee thou shalt go, and whatsoever I shall command thee
thou shalt speak.
(Jeremiah 1:4-7) (ASV)

 

In fact, Jehovah’s Son had a mission to make his Father’s name known:

 

25 O just and righteous Father, although the world has not known
You and has failed to recognize You and has never acknowledged
You, I have known You [continually]; and these men understand
and know that You have sent Me. 26 I have made Your Name
known
to them and revealed Your character and Your very Self,
and I will continue to make [You] known, that the love which You
have bestowed upon Me may be in them [felt in their hearts] and
that I [Myself] may be in them.

(John 17:25-26) (Amplified Bible)

 

Did Christ succeed in making his Father’s name known?

 

Yes. He and his followers traveled far to make our Heavenly
Father’s name known and to inform the people of the world
regardless of their religious beliefs that all of the world’s
problems will end soon.

 

14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached
throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it;
and then, finally, the end will come.

(Matthew 24:14) (New Living Translation)

 

Today there is only one group of people who are still doing the
work that Christ started. They are the only people on the face of
the earth who call Jehovah by His sacred name. This group of
people was prophesied long ago to be named after Jehovah.

 

14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles,
to take from them a people for his name.

(Acts 15:14) (English Standard Version)

 

Jehovah wants everyone to find Him.

 

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)

 

Are people trying to find Jehovah?

 

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)

 

In other words, the people of the world are involved in living
their lives the way they want to and constantly wondering
what is wrong with their lives and the world.

 

Is there an answer to the world’s problems and people’s aimless lives?

 

Only one group of people on the whole face of the earth has the answer.

 

Who are these people?

 

10 Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant
whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me,
and understand that I am he: before me there was no
God formed, neither shall there be after me. 11 I, even I,
am Jehovah; and besides me there is no saviour. 12 I have
declared, and I have saved, and I have showed; and there
was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my
witnesses,  saith Jehovah, and I am God.
(Isaiah 43:10-12) (ASV)

Bible Gateway 19


Saturday, November 21, 2009

Religion’s Failure Part 2

 

There must be hundreds, maybe even thousands
of gods and religions.

 

Where did all the false religions come from?

If there is only one true God, why isn’t there
only one true religion?

Who is responsible for all of the chaos that is in the world?

 

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and
showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

9
And he said to him - All these I will give you, if you will
fall down and worship me. 10 Then Jesus said to him, Be
gone, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord
your God and him only shall you serve.

(Matthew 4:8-10) (English Standard Version)

 

From this scripture, we can see that Satan, the Devil,
wants to be worshipped
. Satan could not persuade 
God's Son to worship him, but Satan knows how to trick
us into it. While it is true that relatively few people worship
Satan directly, The Devil has been wildly successful in
getting the vast majority of Earth’s inhabitants to worship
him indirectly for thousands of years now.

 

How is it possible to worship Satan indirectly?

 

Simply by not choosing to worship and obey Jehovah!
And just look at all of the possible ways to worship
something other than Jehovah. The Apostle Paul 
illustrated the principle clearly:

 

You cannot be drinking from the cup of Jehovah and the cup
of demons; YOU cannot be partaking of the table of Jehovah
and the table of demons.

(1Corinthians 10:21) (New World Translation) Watchtower.org

 

Right at this moment everybody living on this earth has
chosen the table they are feeding from. There is no middle
ground. Everyone has chosen to partake of either Jehovah’s
table or the demon’s, whether they are aware of it or
not
. Most people are not even aware that they are feeding
right now at Satan’s table and have been all of their life! In
fact, most people consider themselves to be quite respectable
and reasonably faithful to their religion, therefore, they cannot
imagine being disrespectful or disobedient to our Heavenly
Father.

 

How can people be disobedient to Jehovah
if they obey their priest or minister?

 

This is what our Messiah, himself, had to say to the priests
of his day who were not properly doing their job of teaching
people the truth about Jehovah:

 

13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you
shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go
in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
(Matthew 23:13) (New King James Version)

 

People depend on their Christendom priests and ministers
to tell them what they need to know but they instead tell
people just what they want to hear. This was prophesied
by Paul in a letter to Timothy almost 2,000 years ago:

 

3 The time is coming when people won't listen to good teaching.
Instead, they will look for teachers who will please them by telling
them only what they are itching to hear. 4 They will turn from the
truth and eagerly listen to senseless stories.
(2Timothy 4:3-4) (Contemporary English Version)

 

Who can we trust? Who will tell us the truth? Can we find
the truth in all of the wild tales generated by Christendom?
 

Does any church of Christendom agree completely with any
other church? Why do they not agree? Are their beliefs just
man-made doctrines?

Christ had this to say to the religious leaders of his time:

 

27 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the
outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and
everything unclean.

(Matthew 23:27) (New International Version)

 

Why did he say that?

 

6 Jesus replied, You hypocrites! Isaiah was prophesying about
you when he said, 7  These people honor me with their lips, but
their hearts are far away. Their worship is a farce, for they replace
God's commands with their own man-made teachings.

(Mark 7:6-7) (New Living Translation)

 

Isaiah indeed criticized Jehovah’s own priests for turning to
false doctrines, and hence, false worship, long before 
God's Son was even born.

 

13 The Lord says: 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)

 

Rules taught by men are what most Christians learn in their churches
today. Jehovah wants us to know what His name is, but Christendom’s
ministers teach us that “God doesn’t have or need a name."

 

Is that wise?
 

1 And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.
2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart,
to give
glory unto my name
, saith Jehovah of hosts, then will
I send
the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings;
yea, I
have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

(Malachi 2:1-2) (American Standard Version)

 

Christ recruited his apostles and disciples for the purpose of
preaching the truth. False religions are composed of man-
made traditions and false beliefs.

 

Which will do us any good? What is necessary for the
true and acceptable worship of our Heavenly Father?

 

The Apostle John wrote:

 

24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must
worship in spirit and in truth.

(John 4:24) (NLT)

 

Therefore it is necessary to dispense with the man-made
customs and traditions. We must, instead, follow Jehovah's
requirements rather than give Jehovah just what we feel
like giving. Maybe then Jehovah will answer our prayers
and bless us.


16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
(Psalms 145:16) (NIV)

Bible Gateway 19


Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Religion’s Failure  Part 1

 

Religion is a disappointment for many. In fact religion is the
main reason why so many people no longer believe in God or
the Bible. Most of the people of the world prefer to believe in all
manner of falsehood or nothing at all.

 

The religions of "Christendom" have not only failed to be a source
of light, The ministers of Christendom have grossly misrepresented
God and the Bible.

 

What are the religions of "Christendom"?

 

The Catholic and Protestant religions with their numerous variations.

 

How has Christendom grossly misrepresented God and the Bible?

 

Among other things, She refuses to teach people
that God has a name, and that it is Jehovah.

 

Who says that God's name is Jehovah?

 

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)

 

By throwing away Bible knowledge and replacing it with absurd
man-made doctrines, the result is "Apostate Christendom"
(false Christianity). Because of the work of these priests and
ministers of Apostate Christendom, very few people today know
what the Bible contains, and many don't want to know.  

 

Why is Christendom being called "She", as if she is female?

 

In the Bible, the Apostle John calls all false religion 
"Babylon the Great". When the words  "Babylon
the Great" were penned by John, almost two thousand
years ago, the "Great City of Babylon” did not even
exist - it had already been annihilated from the face
of the earth for many centuries. All false religion (Which
originated there) is compared to a prostitute who
commits fornication with the kings of the earth
:

 

1 One of the seven angels who had poured out the seven bowls
came over and spoke to me. "Come with me," he said, "and I
will show you the judgment that is going to come on
the great
prostitute
, who sits on many waters. 2 The rulers of the world
have had immoral relations with her, and the people who belong
to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality."

(Revelation 17: 1-2) (New Living Translation)

 

4 The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry
made of gold and precious gems and pearls. She held in her hand a
gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality.
5A mysterious name was written on her forehead: "
Babylon the
Great
, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World."

(Revelation 17:4-5) (NLT)

 

In John’s vision, “Babylon the Great” appeared as a drunken
harlot. She symbolically represents the tremendous mish-
mash of all the false religious beliefs that exist today.

 

Apostate Christendom is noted for political involvement. She
has blessed the guns of warfare, on both sides of each battle,
and always encouraged her followers to go to war. “Christian”
Churches have even been used as recruiting centers during
wartime. History shows that the early Christians refused
military service and even died for their stand of neutrality in
all political affairs. Scripture is clear that this neutral stand
would remain a requirement of all Christians, right until the
end of this “system of things”.

 

During wartimes, Catholics and Protestants killed each other
with the full consent and support of their religious leaders.
Religious leaders lead political inaugurations and many a King
has risen or been deposed by the Catholic leaders themselves
in the past, when the church was more powerful than any
government in history - during the Holy Roman Empire
(circa 315-1800 AD). Those who questioned the Church's
authority during that time were tortured and executed with
the full consent and collaboration of Church and State. Religious
leaders today run for political office and get involved in the world’s
political affairs.

 

But there are many prophecies yet to be fulfilled and no one is
watching for these anymore, much like when Christ came to the
earth. Many of the Jews were so wrapped up in the traditions
and teachings of men, that they did not recognize their Messiah 
when he came. Christ told his followers to remain politically
neutral, and to be no part of the world, just as he was.

 

"They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world."  

(John 17:16) (English Standard Version)

 

So too, today, Christendom has so disillusioned the masses,
that they do not recognize the days that we are living in, as
the last days
. People focus so much on Jesus' infancy as a
baby in a manger that they perceive him as helpless or, they
focus entirely on his death and assume that he is just dead
and gone. They do not recognize or teach that he is now a
King in Heaven, ready to take over rule of the earth.

 

Jehovah saith unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until
I make thine enemies thy footstool.

(Psalm 110:1) (American Standard Version)

 

When apostate Christianity adopted the holidays, customs,

traditions and teachings of the pagans, especially those beliefs
of Ancient Babylon, they began to grossly misrepresent the God,
whom they claim to worship.  By trading Bible truths for pagan
philosophies and traditions of men, they have left God voiceless
- since his manual of life was given to man to help him survive
into a new and different world. 

 

Rather than look to the Bible for what to teach or believe in,
misguided people have debated for centuries about which
dogmas and doctrines to adopt - and then they found or
made up scriptures to support them.

 

They have paid translators to remove God's name, "Jehovah",
from the Bible, in order to aid in their teaching of the Mysterious
Trinity Doctrine that originated in Ancient Babylon.

 

6And so, by your own tradition, you nullify the direct commandment
of God. 7You hypocrites! Isaiah was prophesying about you when he
said, 8  `These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far
away. 9 Their worship is a farce, for they replace God's commands
with their own man-made teachings.'"

(Matthew 15: 6-9) (NLT)

 

"And Jehovah says:  'For the reason that this people have come near
with their mouth, and they have glorified me merely with their lips,
and they have removed their heart itself far away from me, and their
fear toward me becomes men's commandment that is being taught."
   
(Isaiah 29:13) (NLT)

 

There is only one group of people on the face of the earth who
ignore the traditions of men and teach Bible truth. These
people are present in every country on earth. They want to
reach as many people as possible and teach them the truth.

 

Who are these people? What can they teach us?

 

Jehovah’s Witnesses carry out a world-wide preaching work
unmatched by any other religion. Many evangelists such as Dr.
Billy Graham have preached their brand of Christianity to millions
of people, but according to the Watchtower yearbook for the year
2008, more than 7 million members of Jehovah’s Witnesses
spent 1.4 billion
hours in service work (door-to-door preaching)
and conducted over 7 million home Bible studies in 236 countries
in the year 2008 alone.

From: http://www.jw-media.org/people/statistics.htm

Bible Gateway 19


Saturday, November 14, 2009

The Great Day of Jehovah

More than three thousand years ago all of mankind
was destroyed except for eight people!

16 "Come out of the ark, you and your wife
and your sons and their wives."
(Genesis 8:16) (NIV)

How do we know that the story of
Noah and the ark is a true story?

 

Christ, himself talked about it to his disciples:

 

37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming
of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people
were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing
about what would happen until the flood came and took them
all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
(Matthew 24:37-39) (New International Version)

 

God's Son, who is referred to frequently as the "Son of Man",
not only talked about the Great Flood as if it really happened,
he also talked about the Great Day of Jehovah as if it is going
to occur. That is because he knew it will!

 

“From that time on Jesus commenced preaching and saying: ’Repent,
YOU people, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.’”
(Matthew 4:17) (NIV)

 

Why would our Savior consider the Kingdom Message
to be so important nearly two thousand years ago?

 

The idea was that his followers would spread the message,
acquire more followers and then the whole world would
know about Jehovah’s intentions.

Why did the work take so long?

The world population has steadily increased to over six
billion people now. The number of people who are spreading
the Kingdom Message number only about seven million. It 
took time to inform the people of the world in every country
and give them all a fair chance to hear and understand.

7 "But always, first of all, I warn you through my servants the
prophets. I, the Sovereign LORD, have now done this."
(Amos 3:7) (New Living Translation)

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting
anyone to perish
, but everyone to come to repentance.”
(2Peter 3:9) (NIV)

 

"Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect.  They all have
the same Lord, who generously gives his riches to all who ask
for them. For "Anyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will
be saved." 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!" But NOT everyone welcomes the Good News, 
for Isaiah the prophet said, "Jehovah, who has believed our
message?" Yet faith comes from listening to this message of
good news.“
(Romans 10:12-17) (New World Translation)  -Watchtower.org

What is happening now that the Kingdom Message has
been preached throughout the entire world?

21 For that will be a time of greater horror than anything
the world has ever seen or will ever see again. 22 In fact,
unless that time of calamity is shortened, the entire human
race will be destroyed. But it will be shortened for the sake
of God's chosen ones.”
(Matthew 24:21-22) (NLT)

 

Are we near Jehovah's Day now?

 

Yes! The world is in great turmoil with:

·
        Wars
·
        Diseases
·
        Earthquakes

·        Crime
·
        Injustice
·
        Terrorism
·
        Famine and drought
·
        Poverty
·        Flooding

 

These are indeed the signs that we are near the Great Day of
Jehovah. There is still some goodness and optimism somewhere
in the world now but the problems will get worse and worse with
no let-up. This is the time for all to hear this message and consider
the source. The Bible is Jehovah’s words and His prophecies
never go unfulfilled
. People may believe that the Bible is an
ancient book with no relevance in today’s world, but that would
be a grave error.

 

What kinds of people ignore the Kingdom Message?

 

Primarily, the people who love the world the way it is now.
In spite of the world’s problems, there are a lot of things to
enjoy in the world. People can be ensnared by:

  • Wealth and prosperity
  • Seeking pleasure
  • False teachings
  • Lack of faith
  • Apathy
  • Addictions
  • Ambitions

The Apostle John had this advice for the wise:

 

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone
loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For
everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust
of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes
not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its
desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives
forever.”
(1John 2:15-17) (NIV)

 

Jehovah patiently waited for His work to be finished by
His servants. Everyone in the world heard the Kingdom
Message and made their choice:  to ignore the message
or join the effort to spread the message. There was no
middle ground. People are either part of the solution or
part of the problem. People who are part of the solution
will have nothing to worry about as The End approaches: 


10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you,
the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will
suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of
death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who
overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.”
(Rev 2:10-11) (NIV)

 

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not
be afraid; for Jehovah, even Jehovah, is my strength
and song; and he is become my salvation.”
(Isaiah 12:2) (American Standard Version)

 

The people who are the problem will be very afraid:

 

29 “Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be
darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall
from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ 30 ”At
that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and
all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of
Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they
will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the
heavens to the other.”
(Matthew 24:29-31) (NIV)


When the people who rejected the Kingdom Message
realize their error, it will be too late:

 

18 There were flashes of lightning, roars of thunder, and the
worst earthquake in all history. 20 Every island ran away, and
the mountains disappeared. 21 Hailstones, weighing about a
hundred pounds each, fell from the sky on people. Finally,
the people cursed God, because the hail was so terrible.”
(Rev 16:18,20-21) (Contemporary English Version)

“...Ye shall not be unpunished; for I will call for a sword upon all
the inhabitants of the earth, saith Jehovah of hosts. And as for you,
you will prophesy to them all these words, and you must say to them,
‘From on high Jehovah himself will roar, and from his holy dwelling
he will give forth his voice. Without fail he will roar upon his abiding
place. A shout like those treading [the winepress] he will sing out
against all the inhabitants of the earth. A noise will certainly come clear
to the farthest part of the earth for Jehovah hath a controversy with the
nations; he will enter into judgment  with all flesh: as for the wicked, he
will give them to the sword, saith Jehovah...
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 25:29-33) (ASV)

 

There are those who will say something like: “I can’t believe
that a God of love would do such a thing to nice people like
us!” Jehovah's prophets predicted this long ago.

17 You make God tired with all your talk. "How do we tire him
out?" you ask.
By saying, "God loves sinners and sin alike. God
loves all." And also by saying, "Judgment? God's too nice to judge."
(Malachi 2:17) (Message Bible)


He is a God of love to those who listen and obey Him.
We must not forget that He is a God of Judgment as well:

“but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will
give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with
the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.”
(Isaiah 11:4) (NIV)

And who is going to lead this battle?

29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down
from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 "It will be just like
this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
(Luke 17:29-30) (NIV)

What is that? God's Son will be the leader of the destruction?

11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was
a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With
justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing
fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written
on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in
a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white
horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of his
mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.
"He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress
of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on
his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.
(Revelation 19:11-16) (NIV)

The aftermath of Jehovah's Day and Armageddon will, according
to prophesy, be a paradise on earth just as it was when Adam
and Eve roamed the Garden of Eden:

6 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. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young
will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The
infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put
his hand into the viper’s nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge
of the Lord Jehovah as the waters cover the sea.”
(Isaiah 11:6-9) (ASV)


This is Jehovah’s promise that when our world is taken away
from the hopelessly corrupt clutches of mankind it will indeed
be a paradise that will never be corrupted again by the ambitions
of human political elements, petty thieves, bullies, liars, or anyone
else who would spoil a worldly paradise for the rest of eternity:

“For evil-doers shall be cut off; But those that wait for Jehovah,
they shall inherit the earth. For just a little while longer, and the
wicked ones shall be no more: Yea, thou shalt diligently consider
his place, and he shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace... The
righteous shall inherit the earth, And dwell therein for ever... Wait
for Jehovah, and keep his way, And he will exalt thee
to inherit
the earth
; When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.”
(Psalm 37:9-11, 29, 34) (ASV)

This is the encouraging message for Jehovah's people. The world, as
it exists now, is only temporary. All of the world’s problems will be
taken care of soon. There is no need to agonize over how to solve the
problems; the most important thing that we can do is accept the
prophecies and spread the good news. Jehovah will take over from
there and all of our problems will then be over.

Bible Gateway 19


Monday, November 09, 2009

The Authority of the Bible

bibles2

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. W
hen 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)

Bible Gateway 19



Next 5 >>