Posts Tagged ‘Ex Jehovah’s Witnesses’

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GOD’S SALVATION PLAN

July 22, 2012

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthian Church at 2 Corinthians 11:4, warns of another gospel and another Jesus.  How important then is Christ’s true identity to my salvation?  Very important, since those who reject Christ’s true identity remain in their sins.  Below are key scriptures that inform us of Jesus Christ’s true identity:

First, in the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ tells the world who He is, and why we must believe Him.  It reads:

 “I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins.” John 8:24

(According to Greek Scholar, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, most authorities associate this with Exodus 3:14: “I AM WHO I AM.”)

Second, in John 8:58, we learn:

“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”

There is no misunderstanding here.  Those who deny Christ’s true identity (according to the words of Jesus Christ) shall die in their sins.  That being said, salvation (forgiveness of our sins) comes only to those who accept His true identity, that is, that Jesus was God in the flesh.

According to Dr. Wayne Grudem, Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies, in his book Systematic Theology (p. 543):

“Although the word theos, “God,” is usually reserved in the New Testament for God the Father, nonetheless, there are several passages where it is also used to refer to Jesus Christ.  In all of these passages the word “God” is used in the strong sense to refer to the one who is the Creator of heaven and earth, the ruler over all.”

The passages referenced by Dr. Grudem include the following:

 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:1

 “No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God , who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”
John 1:18

“Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’”
John 20:28

“Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.”
Titus 2:13

“But of the Son He says, ‘THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.”
Hebrews 1:8 (quoting from Psalm 45:6)

“Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:1

“For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.”
Col. 2:9

Why Was Jesus’ Deity Necessary For Salvation?

 “Here it is appropriate to recognize that it is crucially important to insist on the full deity of Christ … not only because it is clearly taught in Scripture, but also because (1) only someone who is infinite God could bear the full penalty for all the sins of all those who would believe in him – any finite creature would have been incapable of bearing that penalty; (2) salvation is from the Lord (Jonah 2:9 NASB), and the whole message of Scripture is designed to show that no human being, no creature, could ever save man – only God himself could; and (3) only someone who was truly and fully God could be the one mediator between God and man (Tim. 2:5), both to bring us back to God and also to reveal God most fully to us (John 14:9).”  (Systematic Theology, p. 553.)

In conclusion, God’s salvation plan was becoming a Man.  The biblical teaching of God becoming man (the Incarnation, although this word is not in scripture), is a major tenet of Christianity.  To deny this fact of scripture is, to state it bluntly, nothing less than heresy.  Our salvation is contingent upon God becoming a man.  Therefore, tantamount to our salvation is recognizing the true identity of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is, God in the flesh.

 

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COMING JULY 15th!

July 7, 2012

Coming Sunday July 15th at 3:00PM (PST), listen in and/or participate in Christianity 101 on the Six Screens Telenetwork. This program focuses on your scriptural questions.  (For those who don’t want to talk, you can email me your questions, and I will discuss them on the program.)  As a former 18-year member of the Watchtower organization, now Christian, we can discover, together, the true meaning of God’s word on Christianity 101. Brothers and sisters, bring all your questions to the table, and let’s share scripture together.

The number to call into the program: (712) 432-8710 pin# 9925

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SHOULD FORMER WATCHTOWER MEMBERS CONSIDER BAPTISM AGAIN?

April 28, 2011

Should former members of the Watchtower consider baptism again? This has been a question of many former members. That said, we as former members of the Watchtower were baptized … yes … but into what? Did we dedicate our lives to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, or into an Organization who vehemently denies the biblical identity of our Lord?

Jehovah’s Witnesses are baptized into a cult theology (Satan’s teachings), as are other cult shoots of Pseudo-Christianity. The Bible is crystal clear on our Savior’s identity here in Titus Chapter 2:13: “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.”

Those of us who were baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses (or any cult), dedicated our lives to an Organization; yes, an instrument of Satan himself. Our baptism was not God sanctioned; therefore not God approved.

Those who have left the Watchtower and have become “born again” Christians, acknowledge what baptism represents. It is the understanding that we all need a Savior. We repent and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord, God, and Savior. We, therefore, submit / dedicate our lives not to an Organization (the Watchtower), but to the only One able to save our souls and forgive our sins.

Once one accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord God and Savior, baptism is commanded. Jesus Christ instructed the world at Matthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Should former members of the Watchtower, now Christian, get baptized again? Absolutely!! Why? Because biblical theology baptism is not cult theology baptism. God bless all former Watchtower members who have come to Christ!


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HOLY SPIRIT PART TWO

March 14, 2011

Have I Ever Committed The Unpardonable Sin?

There is much that can be said about this topic under discussion, and because of this, this piece will not be all-inclusive. However, paramount to our understanding of Christ’s words: “And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the age to come,” is our comprehension of God the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. This will be my focus.

Greek Scholar, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates:

It is to be noted that these words of the Lord were spoken immediately after the accusation was made against Him that the works He was doing were done by the power of Beelzebul, the chief of the demons. The words of Christ become far more understandable if we examine what occasioned them. What the Lord wanted to teach after this discussion regarding the activity of the devil among men was this: The devil is really not the countertype of the Lord Jesus in the plan of man’s salvation, but he is the countertype of the Holy Spirit whose function is to convict unto repentance or reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment” (John 16:7, 8). The devil counteracts this conviction. The Holy Spirit brings judgment upon the devil. The two are counteracting each other.

In order that we may be convicted of our sin, it is necessary for us to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. In other words, any sin that we confess to the Lord He will forgive, being able and ready to remove it from us. But, if an individual has not been convicted of sin, how can he confess Christ? And this is what makes our Lord’s statement understandable, “But whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him.”

As to the relationship of the sin of blasphemy to the Holy Spirit in Matthew 12:32, “But whoever shall speak against (Kata, 2596) the Holy Spirit.” In Mark 3:29, “But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit.” In Greek it does not say “against” but “unto” (eis, 1519), which means “unto or in the face of.” In Luke 12:10 the same preposition is used. Actually the use of this preposition, eis, makes the blasphemy worse. With kata, “against” we may understand that the blasphemy is spoken against the Holy Spirit to others, but with the preposition eis we may understand that the blasphemy is hurled directly in the face of the Holy Spirit. It is as if man is defying the Holy Spirit and says, “There is nothing you can do to divert me from my present sinful course. I am going to have my own way regardless of the shame brought upon the name of Christ.” If one does not submit to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit and repent, in the future God is not going to grant that person exemption from the consequences of his failure during his earthly life. The bed that one makes in his life will be the one he must lie in for eternity!

Eternal judgment is based upon the judgment of sin on this earth. In eternity God is going to respect our will which we have exercised in the here and now. If we chose to defy God here and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, then God is going to defy us in eternity and let us reap the results of the choice we made.

Conclusion by Cochise

Jesus Christ said that God the Holy Spirit would come and convict the world of sin. If an individual has not been convicted of sin, how can he confess Christ? Without the confession of Christ (“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved” Romans 10:9), eternal sin, then, is realized. Therefore, eternal judgment is received. Let us then, allow, the Holy Spirit to do His work, in us, so that we can repent and receive eternal life. Let us never resist Him! Let us never blasphemy Him (the word blasphemies means to say something which hurts a person). Let us never say to Him, “There is nothing you can do to divert me from my present sinful course. I am going to have my own way regardless of the shame brought upon the name of Christ.”

Let us, never, exhibit the same mentality of the Pharisees or any who oppose or reject the Holy Spirit’s convicting power of sin.

Note:

The source material here presented (quotation marks excluded), was taken from the Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible, by Greek Scholar, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates.

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HEAVEN’S GATEWAY

March 3, 2011

 


Stop Fearing Death!  

  

 “And He said to him,

‘Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise’” 

(Luke 23:43)

 

Those who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior have nothing to fear from death.  Although the mere thought of death (the unknown) creates immeasurable amounts of anxiety and fear, the words of God the Son, Jesus Christ, above, assures the believer that death is nothing more than a gateway to Paradise.  Our Lord’s words caress and comfort the troubled heart.  In other words, death for the believer is not an unknown.  Once our eyes close for the last time here on earth, they reopen the same day above, in Paradise.  Death is merely a gateway or door; as one closes, another opens.  

Let us look at Paul’s attitude toward death (he knew it was a gateway to heaven).  Paul preferred death (Paradise) over life, considering it great gain.  Notice this in his letter to the Corinthians and Philippians, below:   

 “we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord”  (2 Cor. 5:8)   

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.  But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sakes.”  (Philippians 1:21-24)

“What is this place called paradise?  The word paradeisos, ‘paradise,’ originally comes from the ancient Iranian, pairidaeza, and means ‘a garden with a wall.’  The Greek word is used for the first time by Xenophon for the gardens of the Persian kings.  The Septuagint translation of the Hebrew word for garden in Gen. 2:8 is paradeisos.  In the New Testament the word occurs only three times: 2Cor. 12:4; Luke 23:43; Rev. 2:7.  It was indicated as the place where the spirits or souls of men go immediately after death, which is also the place that Christ was going to once His spirit was separated from His body.  The continuation of the existence of the personality is also clearly intimated in the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31.  The paradise of 2Cor. 12:4 is the same as that spoken of by Christ in Luke 23:43.  In Rev. 2:7 the word is spoken of in an eschatological sense as being a gift to be given to the one who overcomes.  It is evidently the place where the disembodied personalities as spirits or souls of the believers go immediately at death to be with Christ.”  (Greek Scholar, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates – “The Hebrew-Greek Greek Key Study Bible,” pg. 1545)

At death, our disembodied personalities as spirits or souls arrive in heaven.  They are seen given white robes to wear:  

“And when He broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt Thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?  And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, should be completed.”  (Revelation 6:9-11)

Our brother Stephen, too, knew where his disembodied soul or spirit was destined:  

 “And they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!’ (Acts: 7:59) 

In the Gospel of Luke, the continuation of the existence of the personality is clearly intimated in the story of the rich man and Lazarus:

“Now there was a certain rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, gaily living in splendor every day.  And a certain poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.  Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.  And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.’  But Abraham said, Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise, Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, in order that those who wish to come over from here to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.  And he said, ‘then I beg you, Father, that you send him to my father’s house – for I have five brothers that he may warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’  But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’  But he said, ‘No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’  But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’”  (Luke 16:19-31)

The account in Luke paints a vivid picture of both destinations.  This is not a fairy tale.  This is as real as it gets.  Jesus Christ is giving us a sneak-preview into the future.  The spirits or souls who accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior go directly to heaven.  On the other hand, those spirits or souls failing to do so go directly to hell.  As the disembodied souls in heaven (Rev. 6:9-11) cry out and are given white robes to wear, the rich man’s soul or spirit, too, discovers his new and eternal abode.  However, while his future (not Paradise) is far less pleasant, all those who reject God’s Son, Jesus Christ, as their Lord and Savior will experience the rich man’s fate.    

The dead do not praise God but go down into silence.  The believers, however, dead or alive praise their Lord forever:    

 “The dead do not praise the LORD, Nor do any who go down into silence; But as for us, we will bless the LORD From this time forth and forever.  Praise the LORD!”  (Psalm 115:17-18) 

For all of us who accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, His words in Luke remove all fear of death (the unknown), and bring peace to the living.  Our eyes will close but reopen in Paradise: 

 “And He said to him,‘

Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise’” 

(Luke 23:43)

 

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