The title of today's post says it all. Scientists at MIT have recorded a nearly simultaneous world-wide increase in methane levels. This is the first increase in ten years, and what baffles science is that this data contradicts theories stating man is the primary source of increase for this greenhouse gas. It takes about one full year for gases generated in the highly industrial northern hemisphere to cycle through and reach the southern hemisphere. However, since all worldwide levels rose simultaneously throughout the same year, it is now believed this may be part of a natural cycle in mother nature - and not the direct result of man’s contributions.
Methane - powerful greenhouse gas
The two lead authors of a paper published in this week’s Geophysical Review Letters, Matthew Rigby and Ronald Prinn, the TEPCO Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry in MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science, state that as a result of the increase, several million tons of new methane is present in the atmosphere.
Methane accounts for roughly one-fifth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, though its effect is 25x greater than that of carbon dioxide. Its impact on global warming comes from the reflection of the sun’s light back to the Earth (like a greenhouse). Methane is typically broken down in the atmosphere by the free radical hydroxyl (OH), a naturally occuring process. This atmospheric cleanser has been shown to adjust itself up and down periodically, and is believed to account for the lack of increases in methane levels in Earth’s atmosphere over the past ten years despite notable simultaneous increases by man.
The primary concern now is that 2007 is long over. While the collected data from that time period reflects a simultaneous world-wide increase in emissions, observing atmospheric trends now is like observing the healthy horse running through the paddock a year after it overcame some mystery illness. Where does one even begin? And how relevant are any of the data findings at this late date? Looking back over 2007 data as it was captured may prove as ineffective if the data does not support the high resolution details such a study requires.
One thing does seem very clear, however; science is only beginning to get a handle on the big picture of global warming. Findings like these tell us it’s too early to know for sure if man’s impact is affecting things at the political cry of “alarming rates.” We may simply be going through another natural cycle of warmer and colder times - one that’s been observed through a scientific analysis of the Earth to be naturally occuring for hundreds of thousands of years.
Project funding
Rigby and Prinn carried out this study with help from researchers at Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Bristol and Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Methane gas measurements came from the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE), which is supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Australian CSIRO network.
Of course many of you that live in this weather already know this, but there is an early start to winter this year, not only in the USA, but also in London, where it snowed in October for the first time in over 70 years.So far, no mention of this broadly distributed U.S. record event in the mainstream media. There are a few individual mentions or record lows in Florida. See this Google News search.
Here, from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), is a list of these new or tied records for October 29th, 2008.
I find the -25 below in Alaska interesting, since it bested the old record by 4 degrees. Here is a link to support the data:
I mentioned this before that if Man is responsible for global warming on earth then why did temperatures rise on mars and other planets. Here's one for you, Is it possible that the Sun was causing it..Duh....Also it would appear that we as mentioned are going through a global cooling. All have a great weekend. See you Monday, please be safe...
OH before I go I guess I should add that it's expected that the Government expects Bin Laden to release a tape. Sorry folks, I think Bin Laden has already died. If a tape is released I want proof. I want to see his face in video talking. It's already been proven that the Government can copy anyone's voice and not a fake Bid Laden that they are trying to pass off I mean the real Bin Laden and before you say it, Yes I don't think some of the Bin Laden video's that show him are him.
I need proof.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Start War To Save U.S. Economy?
According to reports out of top Chinese mainstream news outlets, the RAND Corporation recently presented a shocking proposal to the Pentagon in which it lobbied for a war to be started with a major foreign power in an attempt to stimulate the American economy and prevent a recession.
A fierce debate has now ensued in China about who that foreign power may be, with China itself as well as Russia and even Japan suspected to be the targets of aggression.
The reports cite French media news sources as having uncovered the proposal, in which RAND suggested that the $700 billion dollars that has been earmarked to bailout Wall Street and failing banks instead be used to finance a new war which would in turn re-invigorate the flagging stock markets.
The RAND Corporation is a notoriously powerful NGO with deep ties to the U.S. military-industrial complex as well as interlocking connections with the Ford, Rockefeller, and Carnegie foundations.
Current directors of RAND include Frank Charles Carlucci III, former Defense Secretary and Deputy Director of the CIA, Ronald L. Olson, Council on Foreign Relations luminary and former Secretary of Labor, and Carl Bildt, top Bilderberg member and former Swedish Prime Minister.
Carlucci was chairman of the Carlyle Group from 1989-2005 and oversaw gargantuan profits the defense contractor made in the aftermath of 9/11 following the invasion of Afghanistan. The Carlyle Group has also received investment money from the Bin Laden family.
Reportedly, the RAND proposal brazenly urged that a new war could be launched to benefit the economy, but stressed that the target country would have to be a major influential power, and not a smaller country on the scale of Afghanistan or Iraq.
The reports have prompted a surge of public debate and tension in China about the possibility that a new global conflict is on the horizon.
China’s biggest media outlet, Sohu.com, speculated that the target of the new war would probably be China or Russia, but that it could also be Iran or another middle eastern country. Japan was also mentioned as a potential target for the reason that Japan holds the most U.S. debt.
North Korea was considered as a target but ruled out because the scale of such a war would not be large enough for RAND’s requirements.
The reported RAND proposal dovetails with recent comments made by Joe Biden, Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright and others, concerning the “guarantee” that Barack Obama will face a major “international crisis” soon after taking office.
It also arrives following a warning from Michael Bayer, chairman of a key Pentagon advisory panel, who echoed the statement that the next administration will face an international crisis within months of taking office.
One would hope that good people, or at least sane people who don’t wish to start a global nuclear war, will oppose the RAND proposal, such as top the military generals who threatened to quit if Bush ordered an attack on Iran. Admiral William Fallon, the head of US Central Command, quit in March last year as a result of his opposition to Bush administration policy on Iran.
SOURCES
Sohu.com - http://news.sohu.com/20081030/n260330741.shtml
Ifeng.com - http://news.ifeng.com/mil/4/200810/1029_342_851523.shtml
You can use Google Translate to see it for yourself. Here is the link for that
http://translate.google.com/translate_t?hl=en#web:zh-CN|en|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.ifeng.com%2Fmil%2F4%2F200810%2F1029_342_851523.shtml
You can translate an entire webpage but make make you select the correct language.
Also, I found this to be very interesting simply because they also quietly put a bio lab here in Livermore CA. This lab well the Title of the article says it all
" Bio Lab in Galveston Raises Concerns "
Here is the article - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/us/29lab.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&th&emc=th
A fierce debate has now ensued in China about who that foreign power may be, with China itself as well as Russia and even Japan suspected to be the targets of aggression.
The reports cite French media news sources as having uncovered the proposal, in which RAND suggested that the $700 billion dollars that has been earmarked to bailout Wall Street and failing banks instead be used to finance a new war which would in turn re-invigorate the flagging stock markets.
The RAND Corporation is a notoriously powerful NGO with deep ties to the U.S. military-industrial complex as well as interlocking connections with the Ford, Rockefeller, and Carnegie foundations.
Current directors of RAND include Frank Charles Carlucci III, former Defense Secretary and Deputy Director of the CIA, Ronald L. Olson, Council on Foreign Relations luminary and former Secretary of Labor, and Carl Bildt, top Bilderberg member and former Swedish Prime Minister.
Carlucci was chairman of the Carlyle Group from 1989-2005 and oversaw gargantuan profits the defense contractor made in the aftermath of 9/11 following the invasion of Afghanistan. The Carlyle Group has also received investment money from the Bin Laden family.
Reportedly, the RAND proposal brazenly urged that a new war could be launched to benefit the economy, but stressed that the target country would have to be a major influential power, and not a smaller country on the scale of Afghanistan or Iraq.
The reports have prompted a surge of public debate and tension in China about the possibility that a new global conflict is on the horizon.
China’s biggest media outlet, Sohu.com, speculated that the target of the new war would probably be China or Russia, but that it could also be Iran or another middle eastern country. Japan was also mentioned as a potential target for the reason that Japan holds the most U.S. debt.
North Korea was considered as a target but ruled out because the scale of such a war would not be large enough for RAND’s requirements.
The reported RAND proposal dovetails with recent comments made by Joe Biden, Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright and others, concerning the “guarantee” that Barack Obama will face a major “international crisis” soon after taking office.
It also arrives following a warning from Michael Bayer, chairman of a key Pentagon advisory panel, who echoed the statement that the next administration will face an international crisis within months of taking office.
One would hope that good people, or at least sane people who don’t wish to start a global nuclear war, will oppose the RAND proposal, such as top the military generals who threatened to quit if Bush ordered an attack on Iran. Admiral William Fallon, the head of US Central Command, quit in March last year as a result of his opposition to Bush administration policy on Iran.
SOURCES
Sohu.com - http://news.sohu.com/20081030/n260330741.shtml
Ifeng.com - http://news.ifeng.com/mil/4/200810/1029_342_851523.shtml
You can use Google Translate to see it for yourself. Here is the link for that
http://translate.google.com/translate_t?hl=en#web:zh-CN|en|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.ifeng.com%2Fmil%2F4%2F200810%2F1029_342_851523.shtml
You can translate an entire webpage but make make you select the correct language.
Also, I found this to be very interesting simply because they also quietly put a bio lab here in Livermore CA. This lab well the Title of the article says it all
" Bio Lab in Galveston Raises Concerns "
Here is the article - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/us/29lab.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&th&emc=th
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Food
Today’s food and financial crises have, in tandem, triggered a new global land grab. "Food insecure" governments that rely on imports to feed their people are snapping up farms all over the world to outsource their own food production and escape high market prices. Private investors, hungry for profits in the midst of the deepening financial crisis, are eyeing overseas farms as an important new source of revenue. As a result of both trends, fertile agricultural land is being swiftly privatised and consolidated by foreign companies in some of the world’s poorest and hungriest countries. A new report from GRAIN examines 100 cases of agricultural land grabbing — whether for food or simply for profit — that have exploded this year.
Investing in farms abroad to produce food for a tight world market is also, apparently, a hot way to make money these days. Throughout this year, an army of investment houses, private equity managers and hedge funds have been out purchasing farmland throughout the world. The plan is to capitalise on low land costs and high food prices wherever fertile farmland is available, such as in Ukraine, China, Russia, Nigeria, Argentina, Brazil and Kazakhstan. The money-hungry land grabbers include familiar names such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, BlackRock and Louis Dreyfus, but there are plenty of others. And they are getting help from agencies like the World Bank, its International Finance Corporation and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, who are pressing target countries to change their laws and make stronger land ownership by foreigners possible.
While political leaders and UN bodies are trying to "manage" the potential backlash, farmers’ organisations, opposition parties, human rights groups and others are challenging and resisting these deals. But much more needs to be done to stop this massive sell-out of the very basis of food sovereignty. Over Population....
Saudi Arabia and China are just two nations out buying farms, from Sudan to Cambodia, to satisfy their own food needs. In these cases, governments, sometimes through sovereign wealth funds, are negotiating rights to foreign land — whether by purchase, concession or lease — so that their corporations can come in and produce food to export back home. In return, they are offering oil contracts, soft loans, infrastructure projects and development funds. The food-hungry land grabbers include China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Korea, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Those giving up their land, in exchange for the oil deals or investments, include the Philippines, Mozambique, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Laos, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sudan, Uganda, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan and Zimbabwe.
Investing in farms abroad to produce food for a tight world market is also, apparently, a hot way to make money these days. Throughout this year, an army of investment houses, private equity managers and hedge funds have been out purchasing farmland throughout the world. The plan is to capitalise on low land costs and high food prices wherever fertile farmland is available, such as in Ukraine, China, Russia, Nigeria, Argentina, Brazil and Kazakhstan. The money-hungry land grabbers include familiar names such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, BlackRock and Louis Dreyfus, but there are plenty of others. And they are getting help from agencies like the World Bank, its International Finance Corporation and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, who are pressing target countries to change their laws and make stronger land ownership by foreigners possible.
While political leaders and UN bodies are trying to "manage" the potential backlash, farmers’ organisations, opposition parties, human rights groups and others are challenging and resisting these deals. But much more needs to be done to stop this massive sell-out of the very basis of food sovereignty. Over Population....
Saudi Arabia and China are just two nations out buying farms, from Sudan to Cambodia, to satisfy their own food needs. In these cases, governments, sometimes through sovereign wealth funds, are negotiating rights to foreign land — whether by purchase, concession or lease — so that their corporations can come in and produce food to export back home. In return, they are offering oil contracts, soft loans, infrastructure projects and development funds. The food-hungry land grabbers include China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Korea, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. Those giving up their land, in exchange for the oil deals or investments, include the Philippines, Mozambique, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Laos, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sudan, Uganda, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan and Zimbabwe.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Unity
If you notice in the video one of the signs says
"Catholics must not vote for Obama," a protest sign read. "They will be ex-communicated from the Catholic Church."
Reminds of of 2nd Timothy chapter 3 verse 1 through 5. It states
But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up [with pride], lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power; and from these turn away.
We do live in critical times hard to deal with. It's very sad that issues of race still play a big part in this country. I mean to use your religion to spread hate instead of love is just sad. Another quote from the video was
"I'd never vote for a black man," said a Democratic McCain supporter. "[I don't] want to sound racist here," said another participant, "but I do not want a black man running my country."
This also reminds me of another scripture found at Jeremiah chapter 10 verse 23 where it states that man cannot direct his own step. Isn't that the case? Unless you are rich these problems we face today may not hurt you but to the average person they do. No matter what plan they have it will fail. Have you ever even considered the fact that it's very possible that we are close to the end of this system of things? Just look around and see the world is going from bad to worse.
There are some changes going on in our congregation which makes me think even more so that we are close. I hope that those that read what I post at least consider the possibility of what I'm saying. I watched a movie called Evan All Mighty. Towards the end he was on the boat and he was begging I mean begging people to come on. He didn't want them to die. Sure enough if they didn't get on the boat they would have. I cried a bit during that part. I felt as if it was a reminder of why I do what I do. Why I keep warning people and telling people about what is going to take place. I must admit, I get scared at times. Who wouldn't get scared thinking that Armageddon is about to take place. I don't know how far we are from it. It can come a week from now, a year from now, 10 years from now. I don't know but I do know that Unlike the movie, those in Noah's day took no note, they didn't pay attention to the warning that was given. Rain came and they were all doomed.
One thing that you must admit, maybe you never thought of it. God does not do one single thing without letting people know first. He gives them time to change. I hope that people change before this system is over.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Welcome to the Wall of Text
That's right, this is my wall of text. I've stated several times that this is my thoughts. Let me tell you a bit about myself that you should already know.
Most of everything that I have said had always had an explanation behind it. Maybe it was a reasoning point. Often times when asked a question I could never just say yes or no, true or false without explaining how I came to that answer.
For example, if a client dropped off a computer and I fixed it, can I just put on the paperwork " It's fixed " without giving at least some information on how I fixed it? Maybe the client would like to know what caused the issue. How I resolved the issue and how they can prevent the issue from happening again.
Yes my wall of text that I post is for you to understand just how the question was asked, answered, and how I came to that answer. It is for your benefit. On Earth, Jesus often times had to explain what he meant because people just didn't get it. He also had to use illustrations so people can get the idea but even then they didn't get it so he had to break it down part by part in his illustration so people can understand.
I'm not Jesus of course but the way I explain things when asked has to have some backing. For example, one question that was asked just today was about Halloween. We don't celebrate it. Now, if I answered that question with just No or we don't celebrate it, wouldn't that leave them wondering. Well in this case it did but what I said was this. " I don't celebrate Halloween "
Few hours go by and I guess it was on this persons mind so I was then asked why. So I gave an Illustration to explain myself. I said this: You know I"m a God fearing man right, well let me give you an Illustration which I hope gives you the short version of my reason. Let's say I dressed up in a white sheet with a hood. Let's say a group of my friends did that. Let's say we jumped in my car. Let's say we got out and ended up in an African American Neighborhood. Then I asked the question. Do you think they would be offended by what I'm wearing? It was answered, Of course they would be!!!
So then I said, do you not think that maybe Dressing up as demons, ghosts, and witches is offensive to God? I left them with that thought and went to grab coffee. Few more hours go by and then I was told but it's different I don't see harm in Halloween. I guess they didn't understand my Illustration. I wasn't saying that nobody can do it. Most do things in this world and don't consider what God thinks of it. That is true. I was asked and I tried to give a short answer but then was asked another and then another until finally I had to explain the origins of Halloween.
THE WALL OF TEXT: LOL
The Encyclopedia Americana says: “Elements of the customs connected with Halloween can be traced to a Druid [ancient Celtic priesthood] ceremony in pre-Christian times. The Celts had festivals for two major gods—a sun god and a god of the dead,whose festival was held on November 1, the beginning of the Celtic New Year. The festival of the dead was gradually incorporated into Christian ritual.”
Halloween’s roots, although not found in the Bible, can be traced back to a pagan origin. The pre-Christian Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all celebrated a festival for the dead. These ancients believed that on these occasions the spirits of the dead returned; therefore food was left for them and lamps were kept burning so they would not lose their way.
The Celtic order of Druids worshiped Samhain, lord of the dead, as well as a sun-god to whom the horse was sacred. On November 1, which was also their New Year, they held a joint festival in honor of these gods. It was believed that the souls of those who had died the previous year because of their sins were confined to the bodies of lower animals, and at the time of this festival Samhain assembled them together, and they were released to go to the Druid heaven. On the eve of the feast of Samhain the pagan Celts used to keep bonfires burning, believing that this would protect them from evil spirits.
The many features of today’s Halloween and Day of the Dead celebrations can be traced directly back to paganism. The ancients associated this time of the year with the supernatural and with the thronging of dead spirits, so it was right in line with Catholic church policy to adopt this date for their All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day. The people were thus able to keep their pagan customs and beliefs and still celebrate what are called Christian festivals of the highest rank. But the varnish applied by Christendom to these pagan feasts is so thin that there is no questioning the fact that Halloween is rooted in paganism.
Just how concerned should you be about the dark past of Halloween? In most people’s minds, Halloween is little more than a time to dress up and have fun. But would you not agree that it is important for parents to make sure that whatever recreation their children pursue is wholesome and not harmful? The apostle Paul wrote: “I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.” The Bible thus condemns the whole idea of putting a Christian mask on a pagan practice!
Also, the Bible warns against the practice of spiritism.(Deuteronomy 18:10-12) While it is true that the vast majority of those who celebrate Halloween would claim to spurn Satanic practices, we should, nevertheless, be aware that historically this holiday has close connections with the occult. Thus, it can serve as a door leading to spiritism, especially for impressionable youths. Pagan rites and traditions tainted by spiritism simply have no place in Christian worship; they are far from harmless.
So what you do in your life is up to you. After explaining in detail and there was more I asked " So do you see why we don't celebrate Halloween " The answer was " Because you do not want to offend God "
Correct answer........
Most of everything that I have said had always had an explanation behind it. Maybe it was a reasoning point. Often times when asked a question I could never just say yes or no, true or false without explaining how I came to that answer.
For example, if a client dropped off a computer and I fixed it, can I just put on the paperwork " It's fixed " without giving at least some information on how I fixed it? Maybe the client would like to know what caused the issue. How I resolved the issue and how they can prevent the issue from happening again.
Yes my wall of text that I post is for you to understand just how the question was asked, answered, and how I came to that answer. It is for your benefit. On Earth, Jesus often times had to explain what he meant because people just didn't get it. He also had to use illustrations so people can get the idea but even then they didn't get it so he had to break it down part by part in his illustration so people can understand.
I'm not Jesus of course but the way I explain things when asked has to have some backing. For example, one question that was asked just today was about Halloween. We don't celebrate it. Now, if I answered that question with just No or we don't celebrate it, wouldn't that leave them wondering. Well in this case it did but what I said was this. " I don't celebrate Halloween "
Few hours go by and I guess it was on this persons mind so I was then asked why. So I gave an Illustration to explain myself. I said this: You know I"m a God fearing man right, well let me give you an Illustration which I hope gives you the short version of my reason. Let's say I dressed up in a white sheet with a hood. Let's say a group of my friends did that. Let's say we jumped in my car. Let's say we got out and ended up in an African American Neighborhood. Then I asked the question. Do you think they would be offended by what I'm wearing? It was answered, Of course they would be!!!
So then I said, do you not think that maybe Dressing up as demons, ghosts, and witches is offensive to God? I left them with that thought and went to grab coffee. Few more hours go by and then I was told but it's different I don't see harm in Halloween. I guess they didn't understand my Illustration. I wasn't saying that nobody can do it. Most do things in this world and don't consider what God thinks of it. That is true. I was asked and I tried to give a short answer but then was asked another and then another until finally I had to explain the origins of Halloween.
THE WALL OF TEXT: LOL
The Encyclopedia Americana says: “Elements of the customs connected with Halloween can be traced to a Druid [ancient Celtic priesthood] ceremony in pre-Christian times. The Celts had festivals for two major gods—a sun god and a god of the dead,whose festival was held on November 1, the beginning of the Celtic New Year. The festival of the dead was gradually incorporated into Christian ritual.”
Halloween’s roots, although not found in the Bible, can be traced back to a pagan origin. The pre-Christian Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all celebrated a festival for the dead. These ancients believed that on these occasions the spirits of the dead returned; therefore food was left for them and lamps were kept burning so they would not lose their way.
The Celtic order of Druids worshiped Samhain, lord of the dead, as well as a sun-god to whom the horse was sacred. On November 1, which was also their New Year, they held a joint festival in honor of these gods. It was believed that the souls of those who had died the previous year because of their sins were confined to the bodies of lower animals, and at the time of this festival Samhain assembled them together, and they were released to go to the Druid heaven. On the eve of the feast of Samhain the pagan Celts used to keep bonfires burning, believing that this would protect them from evil spirits.
The many features of today’s Halloween and Day of the Dead celebrations can be traced directly back to paganism. The ancients associated this time of the year with the supernatural and with the thronging of dead spirits, so it was right in line with Catholic church policy to adopt this date for their All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day. The people were thus able to keep their pagan customs and beliefs and still celebrate what are called Christian festivals of the highest rank. But the varnish applied by Christendom to these pagan feasts is so thin that there is no questioning the fact that Halloween is rooted in paganism.
Just how concerned should you be about the dark past of Halloween? In most people’s minds, Halloween is little more than a time to dress up and have fun. But would you not agree that it is important for parents to make sure that whatever recreation their children pursue is wholesome and not harmful? The apostle Paul wrote: “I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.” The Bible thus condemns the whole idea of putting a Christian mask on a pagan practice!
Also, the Bible warns against the practice of spiritism.(Deuteronomy 18:10-12) While it is true that the vast majority of those who celebrate Halloween would claim to spurn Satanic practices, we should, nevertheless, be aware that historically this holiday has close connections with the occult. Thus, it can serve as a door leading to spiritism, especially for impressionable youths. Pagan rites and traditions tainted by spiritism simply have no place in Christian worship; they are far from harmless.
So what you do in your life is up to you. After explaining in detail and there was more I asked " So do you see why we don't celebrate Halloween " The answer was " Because you do not want to offend God "
Correct answer........
Shouldn't be a shocker
Just in case the first video didn't work..
I say this shouldn't be a shocker simply because it's not. I know I've spoken tons about what may happen in the future. It would seem as if we are headed toward a one world government. If that is to take place, not to soon after that 80 percent of the population will be destroyed. The first step in this plan was the creation of the EU. North American Union was in the works but I'm not sure if that's the case yet. Do some research on how the League of Nations were created and I'm sure you will find it as interesting as I have. Of course they became the United Nations but the point is, all of this was planned.
Should you be shocked that there are more than 800+ empty FEMA jails in the United States. Look it up. It's also the reason why the Military is training for operations here in the United States. Look it up. Something is going to happen. When and where I do not know. January 20 or 21 of next year rings a bell of the possibility of something going down. Maybe it won't. I didn't say it others have. Point is, something within the next few years is going to happen and while you watch it all unfold ask yourself, Didn't I read this on a blog or a website or didn't someone tell me about this.
I mentioned just this morning that it would appear that some are following Bible Prophecy. It's a very scary time to life in. For San Francisco, I expect a large Earthquake or an Outbreak. I don't know. As we see these things start to happen we wonder could this be it. All I know is that I hope and pray that we are all safe.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Happy Friday
Ok, as mentioned the last few weeks I have talked about religion. I hope I made my point. I'm not walking away from it it's only because many lol want me to talk about other things. I will post information about religion once a week. I thank for all for the comments you have made and hang in there. Life is hard it's not easy and I hope that my words at least gave you some hope for the future. We need something to look forward to in today's world. Take for example an article that I read talked about how and why Why economic growth is killing the planet and what we can do about it.
What is presented in the article - global temperatures, population, carbon dioxide concentrations, GDP, and loss of tropical rainforest and woodland have dramatically spiked upward since 1750, and how species extinctions, water use, motor vehicle use, paper consumption, fisheries exploitation, ozone depletion, and foreign investment spiked during the 20th century. The editorial concludes that “the science tells us that if we are serious about saving the Earth,” economic growth must be limited.
I do agree that if headed on this path and how man takes care of the planet it's hard to say what will happen within the next 20 years. If you think it's bad now, we haven't seen anything yet. Have a great weekend.
What is presented in the article - global temperatures, population, carbon dioxide concentrations, GDP, and loss of tropical rainforest and woodland have dramatically spiked upward since 1750, and how species extinctions, water use, motor vehicle use, paper consumption, fisheries exploitation, ozone depletion, and foreign investment spiked during the 20th century. The editorial concludes that “the science tells us that if we are serious about saving the Earth,” economic growth must be limited.
I do agree that if headed on this path and how man takes care of the planet it's hard to say what will happen within the next 20 years. If you think it's bad now, we haven't seen anything yet. Have a great weekend.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Word
I mentioned this before but I don't think it was clear so I will say
it again. The Watchtower and Awake Magazines are articles that are
based on scriptures and based on what's going on in the world. For
example the Awake for Dec asks the question if we are running out of
water. Some may say the Watch-Tower Trains those to tries to twist
minds in order to become witnesses.
I again say to those that unless you picked up an article, taken a
6-month home bible study, and attended our Kingdom Halls you, YOU, not
what you read on the net YOU have no idea. What I have posted makes
sense doesn't it? Does what I say sound like a lie or does it sound
like common sense? Use Common sense for a moment and consider the
following
1. I talked about why Jesus needed to come to Earth.
Review: I learned why Jesus came to Earth. He came to Earth to die for
us so we can live. Not die and go to Heaven but live here on Earth.
Common sense tells you that God didn't create the world for nothing
and if he wanted all of us to Die and go to Heaven he would have done
so along time ago or After the Flood with just Noah's family. Jesus
said no man has gone to Heaven but only Jesus who came from Heaven.
Jesus said this. If you think that you are going to Heaven well do you
think that you are more holy than John the Baptist? He did not say
that those holy men of old were up in heaven.
Jesus did not open the way for all the God-fearing ones of mankind to
go to heaven. For the sake of humankind in general, he prayed for
God's kingdom to come to the earth where dead humankind lies buried
and for the heavenly Life-giver's will to be done on earth as well as
in heaven. Will King David and John the Baptist want to do God's will
on earth under His kingdom? Certainly. Hence confused men need to
re-examine the Bible to learn what the Creator's will was for man at
the beginning. Then they will see that God's will and purpose have
been made more sure because Christ came. If we were to just die and go
to Heaven then again there would be no reason for Jesus to come in the
first place. If he came in order to make the way for us to go to
Heaven then what about the men of old times such as moses, noah, Job
who were here and have died before Jesus. You might reason that they
were raised from the dead as soon as Jesus came to earth and died but
again that could contradict what Jesus said at John 3:13. That would
contradict what Peter said about King David. Fact is, no man before
Jesus went to Heaven. Jesus said it himself. There is no twisting of
words. It's clear and again common sense.
Forget all that you been taught and open your minds to the possibility
of what I am saying. Understand the beginning of why Jesus needed to
come and you will understand why we will remain on earth.
2. Jesus is not God
Review: Based on my post yesterday, you will find just a few of many
reasons why Jesus is not God himself, Jesus had a beginning, God
didn't have and never had a beginning. Jesus was created, God has
always been. Common sense...
3. Hell - Please use common sense
If you had the Authority would you create such a place that would burn
people forever? If you say you would then you have the wrong heart
condition. If you say no, then why in the world would you think that
God would? Much confusion and misunderstanding has been caused through
the early translators of the Bible persistently rendering the Hebrew
Sheol and the Greek Hades and Gehenna by the word hell. The simple
transliteration of these words by the translators of the revised
editions of the Bible has not sufficed to appreciably clear up this
confusion and misconception."—The Encyclopedia Americana (1942), Vol.
XIV, p. 81.
Translators have allowed their personal beliefs to color their work
instead of being consistent in their rendering of the
original-language words. For example: (1) The King James Version
rendered she'ohl′ as "hell," "the grave," and "the pit"; hai′des is
therein rendered both "hell" and "grave"; ge′en‧na is also translated
"hell." (2) Today's English Version transliterates hai′des as "Hades"
and also renders it as "hell" and "the world of the dead." But besides
rendering "hell" from hai′des it uses that same translation for
ge′en‧na. (3) The Jerusalem Bible transliterates hai′des six times,
but in other passages it translates it as "hell" and as "the
underworld." It also translates ge′en‧na as "hell," as it does hai′des
in two instances. Thus the exact meanings of the original-language
words have been obscured.
4. Do all religions please God? - Common sense
Probably any form of worship that you know about encourages good
conduct, at least to some extent. But is that enough to please God?
SOME say, 'Just be sincere in your worship, and God will be pleased.
There is good in all religions.' For example, the Bahai Faith has
carried this view to the point of adopting into its beliefs the nine
principal religions of the world. This religious group holds that all
of these are of divine origin and are facets of one truth. How could
this be so?
Further, you have a right to wonder how a religion could please God
when it orders its members to plant nerve gas in public places, with
the possibility of killing many people. That charge has been leveled
against one religious group in Japan. Or is God pleased with a
religion that causes its members to commit suicide? A few years ago,
that happened to followers of the religious leader Jim Jones. Looking
back to earlier times, we may well ask, Can religions please God when
they foment warfare, as in the case of the Thirty Years' War, fought
from 1618 to 1648? According to The Universal History of the World,
that religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants was "one of
the most terrible wars of European history."
The religious Crusades from the 11th to the 13th century also resulted
in horrible bloodshed. In the first Crusade, for example, the
so-called Christian crusaders brutally slaughtered the Muslim and
Jewish residents of Jerusalem.Consider, too, what happened during the
Inquisition, which began in the 13th century and lasted about 600
years. Thousands were tortured and burned to death at the order of
religious leaders. Of course, the religions of Christendom are not the
only ones that are bloodguilty. In his work Pensées, French
philosopher Blaise Pascal observed: "Men never do evil so completely
and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."
From God's standpoint, a religion's acceptability is not based on just
one factor. For a religion to be acceptable to him, its teachings and
activities must conform to his written Word of truth, the Bible. The
fruitage of God-approved worship must conform to God's standards.
Would you not agree? Think about this, In his Sermon on the Mount,
Jesus Christ indicated that there would be prophets falsely claiming
to represent God. Jesus said: "Be on the watch for the false prophets
that come to you in sheep's covering, but inside they are ravenous
wolves. By their fruits you will recognize them. Never do people
gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? Likewise
every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces
worthless fruit; a good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, neither can
a rotten tree produce fine fruit. Every tree not producing fine fruit
gets cut down and thrown into the fire. Really, then, by their fruits
you will recognize those men."
These words show that we need to be on guard spiritually. We may think
that a religious leader or group is acceptable to God and Christ, but
we could be mistaken. How can we know, well like Jesus said you can
tell from their fruits or should I say conduct and if they are living
by Bible standards. Though a religion claims to have God's approval
and its ministers read passages from the Bible, that does not mean
that it is a form of worship pleasing to God. Its leaders might even
do impressive things that make it seem as if God were working through
them. Nevertheless, the religion could still be false, not producing
fruitage acceptable to God. Magic-practicing Egyptian priests of
Moses' day were able to do impressive things, but they certainly did
not have God's approval.
Today as in the past, many religions promote human ideas and
philosophies instead of adhering to what God declares to be the truth.
Especially appropriate, then, is the Bible's warning: "Look out:
perhaps there may be someone who will carry you off as his prey
through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition
of men, according to the elementary things of the world and not
according to Christ."
After speaking about good and bad fruitage, Jesus said: "Not everyone
saying to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of the
heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens
will. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many
powerful works in your name?' And yet then I will confess to them: I
never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness which
indicates that not all religions please God.
Clearly, then, it is essential to look at the fruitage of a religion
before concluding that it is acceptable to God. For instance, is the
religion involved with politics? Then note these words, recorded at
James 4:4: "Whoever . . . wants to be a friend of the world is
constituting himself an enemy of God." Moreover, Jesus said of his
true followers: "They are no part of the world, just as I am no part
of the world." (John 17:16) The religion that is good in God's eyes is
not involved with the politics of this world, which "is lying in the
power of the wicked one," the invisible spirit creature Satan the
Devil. (1 John 5:19) Instead, the religion that God approves loyally
advocates his Kingdom under Jesus Christ and declares the good news
concerning that heavenly government.—Mark 13:10.
Is a religion acceptable to God if it advocates civil disobedience?
The answer is obvious if we heed the apostle Paul's counsel: "Continue
reminding them to be in subjection and be obedient to governments and
authorities as rulers, to be ready for every good work." (Titus 3:1)
Of course, Jesus showed that his followers were to "pay back Caesar's
things to Caesar, but God's things to God."—Mark 12:17.
Suppose a religion encourages participation in the wars of the
nations. First Peter 3:11 urges us to "do what is good" and to "seek
peace and pursue it." How can a religion please God if its members are
willing to kill their fellow worshipers of another country in warfare?
Members of the religion that has God's approval reflect his principal
quality—love. And Jesus said: "By this all will know that you are my
disciples, if you have love among yourselves." (John 13:35) That love
has nothing in common with the violent hatred fostered in the wars of
the nations.
Religion should change warlike people into lovers of peace. This was
foretold in these words: "They will have to beat their swords into
plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift
up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore." (Isaiah
2:4) Instead of spewing out words of hatred, those who practice true
worship comply with the command: "You must love your neighbor as
yourself."—Matthew 22:39.
Those practicing religion strive to live by the high standards of
Jehovah God, refusing to adopt immoral life-styles. God's Word states:
"What! Do you not know that unrighteous persons will not inherit God's
kingdom? Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with
men, nor thieves, nor greedy persons, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners will inherit God's kingdom. And yet that is what some of
you were. But you have been washed clean, but you have been
sanctified, but you have been declared righteous in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God."—1 Corinthians
6:9-11.
So, these are the things that we are taught based on scripture and
honestly some common sense. These are some of the things that appear
in our Watch-Towers which really is more or less a written speech
given to our congregation and those in our ministry. We do this
because we have to, we do this because we love our fellow man. If what
I say doesn't convince you or open your eyes in some way then I gave
you a witness and really covers what the scriptures say that all will
hear and then the end will come.
What I say may never convince you and as mentioned to another that
religion might be an area that we will never agree on. Jesus didn't
convince everyone when he was on earth. It's not me it's the message I
bring...
it again. The Watchtower and Awake Magazines are articles that are
based on scriptures and based on what's going on in the world. For
example the Awake for Dec asks the question if we are running out of
water. Some may say the Watch-Tower Trains those to tries to twist
minds in order to become witnesses.
I again say to those that unless you picked up an article, taken a
6-month home bible study, and attended our Kingdom Halls you, YOU, not
what you read on the net YOU have no idea. What I have posted makes
sense doesn't it? Does what I say sound like a lie or does it sound
like common sense? Use Common sense for a moment and consider the
following
1. I talked about why Jesus needed to come to Earth.
Review: I learned why Jesus came to Earth. He came to Earth to die for
us so we can live. Not die and go to Heaven but live here on Earth.
Common sense tells you that God didn't create the world for nothing
and if he wanted all of us to Die and go to Heaven he would have done
so along time ago or After the Flood with just Noah's family. Jesus
said no man has gone to Heaven but only Jesus who came from Heaven.
Jesus said this. If you think that you are going to Heaven well do you
think that you are more holy than John the Baptist? He did not say
that those holy men of old were up in heaven.
Jesus did not open the way for all the God-fearing ones of mankind to
go to heaven. For the sake of humankind in general, he prayed for
God's kingdom to come to the earth where dead humankind lies buried
and for the heavenly Life-giver's will to be done on earth as well as
in heaven. Will King David and John the Baptist want to do God's will
on earth under His kingdom? Certainly. Hence confused men need to
re-examine the Bible to learn what the Creator's will was for man at
the beginning. Then they will see that God's will and purpose have
been made more sure because Christ came. If we were to just die and go
to Heaven then again there would be no reason for Jesus to come in the
first place. If he came in order to make the way for us to go to
Heaven then what about the men of old times such as moses, noah, Job
who were here and have died before Jesus. You might reason that they
were raised from the dead as soon as Jesus came to earth and died but
again that could contradict what Jesus said at John 3:13. That would
contradict what Peter said about King David. Fact is, no man before
Jesus went to Heaven. Jesus said it himself. There is no twisting of
words. It's clear and again common sense.
Forget all that you been taught and open your minds to the possibility
of what I am saying. Understand the beginning of why Jesus needed to
come and you will understand why we will remain on earth.
2. Jesus is not God
Review: Based on my post yesterday, you will find just a few of many
reasons why Jesus is not God himself, Jesus had a beginning, God
didn't have and never had a beginning. Jesus was created, God has
always been. Common sense...
3. Hell - Please use common sense
If you had the Authority would you create such a place that would burn
people forever? If you say you would then you have the wrong heart
condition. If you say no, then why in the world would you think that
God would? Much confusion and misunderstanding has been caused through
the early translators of the Bible persistently rendering the Hebrew
Sheol and the Greek Hades and Gehenna by the word hell. The simple
transliteration of these words by the translators of the revised
editions of the Bible has not sufficed to appreciably clear up this
confusion and misconception."—The Encyclopedia Americana (1942), Vol.
XIV, p. 81.
Translators have allowed their personal beliefs to color their work
instead of being consistent in their rendering of the
original-language words. For example: (1) The King James Version
rendered she'ohl′ as "hell," "the grave," and "the pit"; hai′des is
therein rendered both "hell" and "grave"; ge′en‧na is also translated
"hell." (2) Today's English Version transliterates hai′des as "Hades"
and also renders it as "hell" and "the world of the dead." But besides
rendering "hell" from hai′des it uses that same translation for
ge′en‧na. (3) The Jerusalem Bible transliterates hai′des six times,
but in other passages it translates it as "hell" and as "the
underworld." It also translates ge′en‧na as "hell," as it does hai′des
in two instances. Thus the exact meanings of the original-language
words have been obscured.
4. Do all religions please God? - Common sense
Probably any form of worship that you know about encourages good
conduct, at least to some extent. But is that enough to please God?
SOME say, 'Just be sincere in your worship, and God will be pleased.
There is good in all religions.' For example, the Bahai Faith has
carried this view to the point of adopting into its beliefs the nine
principal religions of the world. This religious group holds that all
of these are of divine origin and are facets of one truth. How could
this be so?
Further, you have a right to wonder how a religion could please God
when it orders its members to plant nerve gas in public places, with
the possibility of killing many people. That charge has been leveled
against one religious group in Japan. Or is God pleased with a
religion that causes its members to commit suicide? A few years ago,
that happened to followers of the religious leader Jim Jones. Looking
back to earlier times, we may well ask, Can religions please God when
they foment warfare, as in the case of the Thirty Years' War, fought
from 1618 to 1648? According to The Universal History of the World,
that religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants was "one of
the most terrible wars of European history."
The religious Crusades from the 11th to the 13th century also resulted
in horrible bloodshed. In the first Crusade, for example, the
so-called Christian crusaders brutally slaughtered the Muslim and
Jewish residents of Jerusalem.Consider, too, what happened during the
Inquisition, which began in the 13th century and lasted about 600
years. Thousands were tortured and burned to death at the order of
religious leaders. Of course, the religions of Christendom are not the
only ones that are bloodguilty. In his work Pensées, French
philosopher Blaise Pascal observed: "Men never do evil so completely
and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."
From God's standpoint, a religion's acceptability is not based on just
one factor. For a religion to be acceptable to him, its teachings and
activities must conform to his written Word of truth, the Bible. The
fruitage of God-approved worship must conform to God's standards.
Would you not agree? Think about this, In his Sermon on the Mount,
Jesus Christ indicated that there would be prophets falsely claiming
to represent God. Jesus said: "Be on the watch for the false prophets
that come to you in sheep's covering, but inside they are ravenous
wolves. By their fruits you will recognize them. Never do people
gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? Likewise
every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces
worthless fruit; a good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, neither can
a rotten tree produce fine fruit. Every tree not producing fine fruit
gets cut down and thrown into the fire. Really, then, by their fruits
you will recognize those men."
These words show that we need to be on guard spiritually. We may think
that a religious leader or group is acceptable to God and Christ, but
we could be mistaken. How can we know, well like Jesus said you can
tell from their fruits or should I say conduct and if they are living
by Bible standards. Though a religion claims to have God's approval
and its ministers read passages from the Bible, that does not mean
that it is a form of worship pleasing to God. Its leaders might even
do impressive things that make it seem as if God were working through
them. Nevertheless, the religion could still be false, not producing
fruitage acceptable to God. Magic-practicing Egyptian priests of
Moses' day were able to do impressive things, but they certainly did
not have God's approval.
Today as in the past, many religions promote human ideas and
philosophies instead of adhering to what God declares to be the truth.
Especially appropriate, then, is the Bible's warning: "Look out:
perhaps there may be someone who will carry you off as his prey
through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition
of men, according to the elementary things of the world and not
according to Christ."
After speaking about good and bad fruitage, Jesus said: "Not everyone
saying to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of the
heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens
will. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many
powerful works in your name?' And yet then I will confess to them: I
never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness which
indicates that not all religions please God.
Clearly, then, it is essential to look at the fruitage of a religion
before concluding that it is acceptable to God. For instance, is the
religion involved with politics? Then note these words, recorded at
James 4:4: "Whoever . . . wants to be a friend of the world is
constituting himself an enemy of God." Moreover, Jesus said of his
true followers: "They are no part of the world, just as I am no part
of the world." (John 17:16) The religion that is good in God's eyes is
not involved with the politics of this world, which "is lying in the
power of the wicked one," the invisible spirit creature Satan the
Devil. (1 John 5:19) Instead, the religion that God approves loyally
advocates his Kingdom under Jesus Christ and declares the good news
concerning that heavenly government.—Mark 13:10.
Is a religion acceptable to God if it advocates civil disobedience?
The answer is obvious if we heed the apostle Paul's counsel: "Continue
reminding them to be in subjection and be obedient to governments and
authorities as rulers, to be ready for every good work." (Titus 3:1)
Of course, Jesus showed that his followers were to "pay back Caesar's
things to Caesar, but God's things to God."—Mark 12:17.
Suppose a religion encourages participation in the wars of the
nations. First Peter 3:11 urges us to "do what is good" and to "seek
peace and pursue it." How can a religion please God if its members are
willing to kill their fellow worshipers of another country in warfare?
Members of the religion that has God's approval reflect his principal
quality—love. And Jesus said: "By this all will know that you are my
disciples, if you have love among yourselves." (John 13:35) That love
has nothing in common with the violent hatred fostered in the wars of
the nations.
Religion should change warlike people into lovers of peace. This was
foretold in these words: "They will have to beat their swords into
plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift
up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore." (Isaiah
2:4) Instead of spewing out words of hatred, those who practice true
worship comply with the command: "You must love your neighbor as
yourself."—Matthew 22:39.
Those practicing religion strive to live by the high standards of
Jehovah God, refusing to adopt immoral life-styles. God's Word states:
"What! Do you not know that unrighteous persons will not inherit God's
kingdom? Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with
men, nor thieves, nor greedy persons, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners will inherit God's kingdom. And yet that is what some of
you were. But you have been washed clean, but you have been
sanctified, but you have been declared righteous in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God."—1 Corinthians
6:9-11.
So, these are the things that we are taught based on scripture and
honestly some common sense. These are some of the things that appear
in our Watch-Towers which really is more or less a written speech
given to our congregation and those in our ministry. We do this
because we have to, we do this because we love our fellow man. If what
I say doesn't convince you or open your eyes in some way then I gave
you a witness and really covers what the scriptures say that all will
hear and then the end will come.
What I say may never convince you and as mentioned to another that
religion might be an area that we will never agree on. Jesus didn't
convince everyone when he was on earth. It's not me it's the message I
bring...
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Is Jesus the Son of God or God
Jesus Christ did not begin life here on earth. He himself spoke of his prehuman heavenly life. He talked about it often with this followers. The name Jesus (Gr., I‧e‧sous′) corresponds to the Hebrew name Jeshua (or, in fuller form, Jehoshua), meaning “Jehovah Is Salvation.” The name itself was not unusual, many men being so named in that period. Even my brother is named Jesus. LOL- For this reason persons often added further identification, saying, “Jesus the Nazarene.”
Christ is from the Greek Khri‧stos′, the equivalent of the Hebrew Ma‧shi′ach (Messiah), and means “Anointed One.” Whereas the expression “anointed one” was properly applied to others before Jesus, such as Moses, Aaron, and David, the position, office, or service to which these were anointed only prefigured the superior position, office, and service of Jesus Christ. Jesus is therefore preeminently and uniquely “the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
If the estimates of modern-day scientists as to the age of the physical universe are anywhere near correct, Jesus’ existence as a spirit creature began thousands of millions of years prior to the creation of the first human. Question is, Is Jesus God or is he the son of God? If you believe that Jesus and God are one in the same then you would have to say that God had a beginning since scripture tells us that Jesus had a beginning. This is confirmed by other texts identifying Jesus as the firstborn of all creation, the beginning of the creation by God. Not on earth but in the spirit realm. This is confirmed by Colossians chapter 1 verse 15 which confirms that Jesus was the firstborn of all creation. Which means before the Earth, Heavens, etc..
Jesus pointed to God as the Source of his life, saying, I live because of the Father. According to the context, this meant that his life resulted from or was caused by his Father again meaning created which again points to the fact that Jesus had a beginning. So if Jesus had a beginning and Jesus is God then who created God? Even Satan in the scriptures is called God. The Book of John chapter 3 verse 13 Jesus states that no man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven thus showing that Jesus was in Heaven before coming to earth. What about Thomas. What did he mean when he said to Jesus " My Lord, My God"
On the occasion of Jesus’ appearance to Thomas and the other apostles, which had removed Thomas’ doubts of Jesus’ resurrection, the now-convinced Thomas exclaimed to Jesus: “My Lord and my God! [literally, “The Lord of me and the God (ho The‧os′) of me!”].” (Joh 20:24-29) Some scholars have viewed this expression as an exclamation of astonishment spoken to Jesus but actually directed to God, his Father. However, others claim the original Greek requires that the words be viewed as being directed to Jesus. Even if this is so, the expression “My Lord and my God” would still have to harmonize with the rest of the inspired Scriptures. Since the record shows that Jesus had previously sent his disciples the message, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God,” there is no reason for believing that Thomas thought Jesus was the Almighty God. (Joh 20:17) John himself, after recounting Thomas’ encounter with the resurrected Jesus, says of this and similar accounts: “But these have been written down that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that, because of believing, you may have life by means of his name.”—Joh 20:30, 31.
So, Thomas may have addressed Jesus as “my God” in the sense of Jesus’ being “a god” though not the Almighty God, not “the only true God,” to whom Thomas had often heard Jesus pray. (Joh 17:1-3) Or he may have addressed Jesus as “my God” in a way similar to expressions made by his forefathers, recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures, with which Thomas was familiar. On various occasions when individuals were visited or addressed by an angelic messenger of Jehovah, the individuals, or at times the Bible writer setting out the account, responded to or spoke of that angelic messenger as though he were Jehovah God. (Compare Ge 16:7-11, 13; 18:1-5, 22-33; 32:24-30; Jg 6:11-15; 13:20-22.) This was because the angelic messenger was acting for Jehovah as his representative, speaking in his name, perhaps using the first person singular pronoun, and even saying, “I am the true God.” (Ge 31:11-13; Jg 2:1-5) Thomas may therefore have spoken to Jesus as “my God” in this sense, acknowledging or confessing Jesus as the representative and spokesman of the true God. Whatever the case, it is certain that Thomas’ words do not contradict the clear statement he himself had heard Jesus make, namely, “The Father is greater than I am.”—Joh 14:28.
Prior to Jesus’ birth on earth, angels had appeared on this planet in human form, apparently materializing suitable bodies for the occasion, then dematerializing them after completing such assignments. (Ge 19:1-3; Jg 6:20-22; 13:15-20) They thus remained spirit creatures, merely employing a physical body temporarily. This, however, was not the case with the coming of God’s Son to earth to become the man Jesus. John 1:14 says that “the Word became flesh and resided among us.” For that reason he could call himself “the Son of man.” (Joh 1:51; 3:14, 15) Some draw attention to the expression “resided [literally, “tented”] among us” and claim this shows Jesus was, not a true human, but an incarnation. However, the apostle Peter uses a similar expression about himself, and Peter was obviously not an incarnation.—2Pe 1:13, 14.
So again it's clear that Jesus was in Heaven before coming to Earth. What's also clear is that Jesus had a beginning since he was first in all creation. Interesting isn't it...
Tomorrow we will change subjects for a bit. Peaces...
Christ is from the Greek Khri‧stos′, the equivalent of the Hebrew Ma‧shi′ach (Messiah), and means “Anointed One.” Whereas the expression “anointed one” was properly applied to others before Jesus, such as Moses, Aaron, and David, the position, office, or service to which these were anointed only prefigured the superior position, office, and service of Jesus Christ. Jesus is therefore preeminently and uniquely “the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
If the estimates of modern-day scientists as to the age of the physical universe are anywhere near correct, Jesus’ existence as a spirit creature began thousands of millions of years prior to the creation of the first human. Question is, Is Jesus God or is he the son of God? If you believe that Jesus and God are one in the same then you would have to say that God had a beginning since scripture tells us that Jesus had a beginning. This is confirmed by other texts identifying Jesus as the firstborn of all creation, the beginning of the creation by God. Not on earth but in the spirit realm. This is confirmed by Colossians chapter 1 verse 15 which confirms that Jesus was the firstborn of all creation. Which means before the Earth, Heavens, etc..
Jesus pointed to God as the Source of his life, saying, I live because of the Father. According to the context, this meant that his life resulted from or was caused by his Father again meaning created which again points to the fact that Jesus had a beginning. So if Jesus had a beginning and Jesus is God then who created God? Even Satan in the scriptures is called God. The Book of John chapter 3 verse 13 Jesus states that no man has ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven thus showing that Jesus was in Heaven before coming to earth. What about Thomas. What did he mean when he said to Jesus " My Lord, My God"
On the occasion of Jesus’ appearance to Thomas and the other apostles, which had removed Thomas’ doubts of Jesus’ resurrection, the now-convinced Thomas exclaimed to Jesus: “My Lord and my God! [literally, “The Lord of me and the God (ho The‧os′) of me!”].” (Joh 20:24-29) Some scholars have viewed this expression as an exclamation of astonishment spoken to Jesus but actually directed to God, his Father. However, others claim the original Greek requires that the words be viewed as being directed to Jesus. Even if this is so, the expression “My Lord and my God” would still have to harmonize with the rest of the inspired Scriptures. Since the record shows that Jesus had previously sent his disciples the message, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God,” there is no reason for believing that Thomas thought Jesus was the Almighty God. (Joh 20:17) John himself, after recounting Thomas’ encounter with the resurrected Jesus, says of this and similar accounts: “But these have been written down that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that, because of believing, you may have life by means of his name.”—Joh 20:30, 31.
So, Thomas may have addressed Jesus as “my God” in the sense of Jesus’ being “a god” though not the Almighty God, not “the only true God,” to whom Thomas had often heard Jesus pray. (Joh 17:1-3) Or he may have addressed Jesus as “my God” in a way similar to expressions made by his forefathers, recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures, with which Thomas was familiar. On various occasions when individuals were visited or addressed by an angelic messenger of Jehovah, the individuals, or at times the Bible writer setting out the account, responded to or spoke of that angelic messenger as though he were Jehovah God. (Compare Ge 16:7-11, 13; 18:1-5, 22-33; 32:24-30; Jg 6:11-15; 13:20-22.) This was because the angelic messenger was acting for Jehovah as his representative, speaking in his name, perhaps using the first person singular pronoun, and even saying, “I am the true God.” (Ge 31:11-13; Jg 2:1-5) Thomas may therefore have spoken to Jesus as “my God” in this sense, acknowledging or confessing Jesus as the representative and spokesman of the true God. Whatever the case, it is certain that Thomas’ words do not contradict the clear statement he himself had heard Jesus make, namely, “The Father is greater than I am.”—Joh 14:28.
Prior to Jesus’ birth on earth, angels had appeared on this planet in human form, apparently materializing suitable bodies for the occasion, then dematerializing them after completing such assignments. (Ge 19:1-3; Jg 6:20-22; 13:15-20) They thus remained spirit creatures, merely employing a physical body temporarily. This, however, was not the case with the coming of God’s Son to earth to become the man Jesus. John 1:14 says that “the Word became flesh and resided among us.” For that reason he could call himself “the Son of man.” (Joh 1:51; 3:14, 15) Some draw attention to the expression “resided [literally, “tented”] among us” and claim this shows Jesus was, not a true human, but an incarnation. However, the apostle Peter uses a similar expression about himself, and Peter was obviously not an incarnation.—2Pe 1:13, 14.
So again it's clear that Jesus was in Heaven before coming to Earth. What's also clear is that Jesus had a beginning since he was first in all creation. Interesting isn't it...
Tomorrow we will change subjects for a bit. Peaces...
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
What tells us that the end is near
In the book of Mark chapter 13 verse 37 it mentions to Keep on the watch. In the book of Luke chapter 12 verse 30 which mentions to keep ready, because at an hour that YOU do not think likely the Son of man is coming. In words recorded in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus compared Christians to slaves waiting for their master to return from a wedding. They need to keep alert so that when he arrives they will be awake, ready to receive him.
We can derive another lesson from Jesus’ illustration. Although the slaves did not know the hour when their master would arrive, apparently they knew the night. It would have been difficult to keep awake all that night if they thought that their master might come some other night. But no, they knew which night he was coming, and that gave them strong incentive to stay awake. In a rather similar way, Bible prophecies clearly reveal that we are living in the time of the end; but they do not tell us the day or the hour of the end itself. Matthew chapter 24 verse 36 mentions Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father.
Paul, writing to the Corinthians, urged: “Stay awake, stand firm in the faith found at 1st Corinthians chapter 16 verse 13. In Mark chapter 13, we find another account of Jesus’ exhortation to his followers that they stay awake. According to this chapter, Jesus compares their situation to that of a doorkeeper waiting for his master to return from a journey abroad. The doorkeeper did not know the hour of his master’s return. He just had to keep on the watch. Jesus referred to four different watches during which the master might arrive. The fourth watch lasted from about three in the morning until sunrise. On that final watch, drowsiness could easily overcome the doorkeeper. Reportedly, soldiers consider the hour before dawn to be the best time to catch an enemy unawares. Similarly, at this late hour, when in a spiritual sense the world around us sleeps soundly, we might face our greatest struggle to stay awake.
With the way the world is now, it's a very scary time to live in. Yes it have always been bad but 10 years ago wasn't as bad and I'm sure 10 years from now if this system lasts that long it will be worse. All you have to do is turn on the radio or watch the news to know how bad this system is. Have you ever wondered why things are so different today compared with the way they were a hundred years ago? Some things are better. In many lands, diseases that killed in the past are now routinely cured, and the average person enjoys a standard of living undreamed of by his ancestors. On the other hand, our century has seen the worst wars and some of the worst atrocities in all history. Mankind’s prosperity—even his continued existence—is threatened by a population explosion, a pollution problem, and a vast, international stockpile of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. Why is the 20th century so different from previous centuries? Is it possible that prophecy is being fulfilled? Let you be the judge.
The Bible tells us that shortly before Jesus’ death, his disciples were discussing the great temple buildings in Jerusalem; they were impressed by their size and apparent durability. But Jesus said: “Do you not behold all these things? Truly I say to you, By no means will a stone be left here upon a stone and not be thrown down.”—Matthew 24:1,2. Jesus’ disciples must have been surprised at his words and later came to him for more information, saying: “Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” (Matthew 24:3) Jesus’ answer is found in the remainder of Matthew chapters 24 and 25. His words are recorded, too, in Mark chapter 13 and Luke chapter 21. This was clearly the most important prophecy uttered by Jesus while he was on earth.
In fact, Jesus’ disciples were asking about more than one thing. First, they raised the question: “When will these things be?” that is, When will Jerusalem and its temple be destroyed? Further, they wanted to know the sign that would indicate that Jesus’ presence as King of God’s heavenly Kingdom had begun and that the end of this system of things was at hand. In his answer, Jesus took both points into consideration. Many of his words were actually fulfilled back in the first century, during the years that led up to the terrible destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. (Matthew 24:4-22) But his prophecy was to have an even greater significance later, in our own days, in fact. What, then, did Jesus say? He began by uttering the words recorded in Matthew 24 verses 7 and 8: “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress.”
Clearly, Jesus’ presence as heavenly King would be marked by great turmoil on earth. This is confirmed by a parallel prophecy found in the book of Revelation: the vision of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. (Revelation 6:1-8) The first of these horsemen pictures Jesus himself as conquering King. The other riders with their steeds picture happenings on earth that mark the beginning of Jesus’ reign: war, famine, and untimely death through various agents. Do we see these two prophecies fulfilled today?
Let us look at them more closely. First, Jesus said: “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.” This was a prophecy of war. The second of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse similarly prefigured war. We read: “Another came forth, a fiery-colored horse; and to the one seated upon it there was granted to take peace away from the earth so that they should slaughter one another; and a great sword was given him.” (Revelation 6:4) Now, mankind has been fighting wars for thousands of years. Why, then, should these words have a special significance for our day? Remember that war on its own is not the sign of Jesus’ presence. The sign is made up of all the details of Jesus’ prophecy happening in the same general time period. But war is the first feature mentioned, so we might expect that this feature would be fulfilled in an outstanding way that would catch our attention. And everyone must admit that the wars of this 20th century are unparalleled in all previous history.
For example, no earlier wars—cruel and destructive as many were—came even close in destructiveness to the two world wars of the 20th century. Why, the first world war eventually caused about 14 million fatalities, more than the entire population of many countries. Truly, “there was granted to take peace away from the earth so that they should slaughter one another.” According to the prophecy, “a great sword was given” to the warlike second horseman of the Apocalypse. How does that apply? In this: Weapons of war became far more deadly. Equipped with the tank, the airplane, deadly poison gas, submarines, and artillery that could fire explosive shells over several miles, man became more efficient in killing his neighbor. And since the first world war the “great sword” has become even more destructive—owing to the use of such things as radio communications, radar, sophisticated rifles, bacteriological and chemical weapons, flamethrowers, napalm, new types of bombs, intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear submarines, advanced airplanes, and huge battleships. So War was a sign but not just any war.
Jesus also mentioned “A Beginning of Pangs of Distress”
The early verses of Jesus’ prophecy conclude with the words: “These things are a beginning of pangs of distress.” This was certainly true of the first world war. Its end in 1918 did not bring peace for long. It was soon followed by limited but vicious military actions in Ethiopia, Libya, Spain, Russia, India, and other lands. Then came the horrendous second world war, which claimed some 50 million military and civilian victims.
Moreover, despite periodic peace agreements and lulls in the fighting, mankind is still at war. In 1987 it was reported that 81 major wars had been fought since 1960, killing 12,555,000 men, women, and children. The year 1987 saw more wars being fought than any previous year in recorded history.Further, military preparation and expenditures, now reaching a total of about $1,000,000,000,000 annually, distort the economy of the world. Jesus’ prophecy of ‘nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom’ is surely undergoing fulfillment. The red horse of war continues its ferocious ride through the earth. But what about the second aspect of the sign?
Jesus mentioned there would be Food Shortages!
Jesus foretold: “And there will be food shortages . . . in one place after another.” Notice how this harmonizes with the ride of the third of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. Of him we read: “I saw, and, look! a black horse; and the one seated upon it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice as if in the midst of the four living creatures say: ‘A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the olive oil and the wine.’” (Revelation 6:5, 6) Yes, severe food shortages!
Is it possible that this prophecy is being fulfilled today or has been, when some lands have achieved such high standards of living? A glance at the world as a whole leaves no doubt as to the answer. Historically, famines have been caused by wars and natural disasters. It is not surprising, then, that our century, which has had more than its share of disasters and wars, has been plagued repeatedly with famines. Many parts of the earth have suffered such disasters since 1914. One report lists more than 60 major famines since 1914, in such widely separated lands as Greece, the Netherlands, the U.S.S.R., Nigeria, Chad, Chile, Peru, Bangladesh, Bengal, Kampuchea, Ethiopia, and Japan. Some of these famines have lasted several years and caused millions of deaths.
Although severe famines usually get wide publicity, after a while they pass and survivors gradually return to a comparatively normal life. However, another more ominous type of food shortage has developed during the 20th century. This is less dramatic and therefore often ignored. But it persists year after year. This is a severe scourge of malnutrition that affects up to one fifth of the population of our planet and kills between 13 and 18 million people each year.In other words, this kind of food shortage regularly kills about as many people in two days as were killed at Hiroshima by the atom bomb. Indeed, every two years, there are more people who die from the effects of hunger than there were soldiers killed by World War I and World War II combined. Have there been “food shortages . . . in one place after another” since 1914? Yes, indeed!
Jesus mentioned a sign would be Earthquakes.
On January 13, 1915, when the first world war was just a few months old, an earthquake shook Abruzzi, Italy, and took the lives of 32,610 people. This major disaster reminds us that wars and food shortages during Jesus’ presence would be accompanied by something else: “There will be . . . earthquakes in one place after another.” As with war and famine, the Abruzzi earthquake was just “a beginning of pangs of distress. The 20th century has been a century of earthquakes, and thanks to the development of the news media, all mankind is very much aware of the devastation they have caused. To mention just a few, 1920 saw 200,000 die in an earthquake in China; in 1923, some 99,300 died in a quake in Japan; in 1935, another quake killed 25,000 in what is now Pakistan, while 32,700 died in Turkey in 1939. There were 66,800 fatalities in an earthquake in Peru in 1970. And in 1976, some 240,000 (or, according to some sources, 800,000) died in Tangshan, China. More recently, in 1988, there were 25,000 who died in a powerful earthquake in Armenia. Surely, “earthquakes in one place after another”
Jesus Mentioned “Deadly Plague”
Another detail of Jesus’ prophecy has to do with disease. The evangelist Luke, in his account, records that Jesus foretold “in one place after another pestilences.” (Luke 21:11) This too harmonizes with the prophetic vision of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. The fourth horseman is named Death. He pictures premature death from a number of causes, including “deadly plague and . . . the wild beasts of the earth.”—Revelation 6:8.
Back in 1918 and 1919, more than 1,000,000,000 people fell sick with Spanish influenza, and more than 20,000,000 + died. The disease took more lives than did the great war itself. And “deadly plague,” or ‘pestilence,’ continues to afflict this generation, despite many remarkable medical advances. Why is this? For one thing, poorer lands do not always enjoy the benefits of scientific progress. Poor people suffer and die of sicknesses that could be cured if more money would be made available. Thus, some 150 million people worldwide suffer from malaria. Some 200 million are infected with snail fever. Chagas’ disease afflicts about ten million people. About 40 million suffer from river blindness. Acute diarrheic diseases kill millions of children each year.8 Tuberculosis and leprosy are still a significant health problem. Outstandingly, the poor of this world suffer from ‘pestilences in one place after another.’
But so do the wealthy. Influenza, for example, afflicts rich and poor alike. In 1957 one strain of influenza caused 70,000 deaths in the United States alone. In Germany it is estimated that one person in six will eventually suffer from cancer. Sexually transmitted diseases also strike the wealthy and the poor. Gonorrhea, the most frequently reported communicable disease in the United States, afflicts as many as 18.9 percent of the population of some parts of Africa.10 Syphilis, chlamydia, and genital herpes are some of the other pandemic sexually transmitted “pestilences.”
In recent years, the “deadly plague” of AIDS has also joined the list of “pestilences.” AIDS is a terrifying illness because, as of this writing, there is no cure in sight, and the number of its victims continues to increase. Dr. Jonathan Mann, director of the WHO (World Health Organization) Special Program on AIDS, said: “We also estimate that there are five to 10 million people in the world today infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).”11 According to one published estimate, the AIDS virus strikes a new victim each minute. “Deadly plague” indeed! But what about the prophecy of death by wild beasts?
Jesus mentioned the Wild beasts of the Earth
The fact is, when wild beasts are mentioned these days in the newspapers, it is because certain species are endangered or nearly extinct. “The wild beasts of the earth” are far more threatened by humans than humans are by them. Despite this, in some lands wild animals, such as tigers in India, still take a steady toll of human lives.
The Bible, however, draws our attention to another kind of wild beast that has caused real fear in recent years. The prophet Ezekiel compared violent men to wild animals when he said: “Her princes in the midst of her are like wolves tearing prey in shedding blood, in destroying souls for the purpose of making unjust gain.” (Ezekiel 22:27) When he prophesied an “increasing of lawlessness,” Jesus, in effect, was saying that such “wild beasts” would be active on earth during his presence. (Matthew 24:12) The Bible writer Paul adds that during “the last days” men would be “lovers of money . . . without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness.” (2 Timothy 3:1-3) Has such been the case since 1914? It certainly has. If you live in almost any big city on earth, you already know this. But if you doubt it, just consider the following recent newspaper quotations. From Colombia: “Last year the police recorded . . . about 10,000 murders and 25,000 armed robberies.” From Victoria, Australia: “Big Jump in Major Crime.” From the United States: “Slayings in New York Heading for a Record High.” “Detroit overtook Gary, Ind., last year as the major city with the highest murder rate in the nation—58 per 100,000 inhabitants.”
From Zimbabwe: “Infant murders have assumed crisis proportions.” From Brazil: “There is so much crime here, and so much toting of weapons, that news of violence just doesn’t generate much excitement anymore.” From New Zealand: “Sexual attacks and violent crime continue to be a major concern for police.” “New Zealanders’ level of violence towards each other could only be described as barbaric.” From Spain: “Spain grapples with growing crime problem.” From Italy: “Sicilian Mafia, after setback, revives in wave of killings.”These are just a small sample of newspaper reports appearing shortly before the publication of this book. Surely, “wild beasts” are prowling the earth, causing people to tremble for their safety.
Jesus mentioned preaching the good news
How would religion fare during the troubled time of Jesus’ presence? On the one hand, Jesus prophesied that there would be an increase in religious activity: “Many false prophets will arise and mislead many.” (Matthew 24:11) On the other hand, he foretold that in Christendom as a whole, interest in God would be at a low ebb. “The love of the greater number will cool off.”—Matthew 24:12.
This truly describes what is happening today in Christendom. On the one hand, mainstream churches everywhere are failing through lack of support. In the once strongly Protestant lands of northern Europe and England, religion is all but dead. At the same time, the Catholic Church is suffering from a lack of priests and from shrinking support. On the other hand, there have been surges in fringe religious elements. Cults based on Eastern religions proliferate, while greedy television evangelists extort millions of dollars.
What, though, about true Christianity, the religion introduced by Jesus and preached by his apostles? It would still exist during Jesus’ presence, but how would it be recognized? There are a number of things that identify true Christianity, and one is mentioned in Jesus’ great prophecy. True Christians would be occupied in a worldwide preaching work. Jesus prophesied: “And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.”—Matthew 24:14.
Does all of this tell us the end is near? Well one thing is for sure well I should say two things are for sure.
1. The End will come by Gods Hands
2. The End will come by Human Hands
Question for tomorrow. Is God and Jesus one in the same?
We can derive another lesson from Jesus’ illustration. Although the slaves did not know the hour when their master would arrive, apparently they knew the night. It would have been difficult to keep awake all that night if they thought that their master might come some other night. But no, they knew which night he was coming, and that gave them strong incentive to stay awake. In a rather similar way, Bible prophecies clearly reveal that we are living in the time of the end; but they do not tell us the day or the hour of the end itself. Matthew chapter 24 verse 36 mentions Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father.
Paul, writing to the Corinthians, urged: “Stay awake, stand firm in the faith found at 1st Corinthians chapter 16 verse 13. In Mark chapter 13, we find another account of Jesus’ exhortation to his followers that they stay awake. According to this chapter, Jesus compares their situation to that of a doorkeeper waiting for his master to return from a journey abroad. The doorkeeper did not know the hour of his master’s return. He just had to keep on the watch. Jesus referred to four different watches during which the master might arrive. The fourth watch lasted from about three in the morning until sunrise. On that final watch, drowsiness could easily overcome the doorkeeper. Reportedly, soldiers consider the hour before dawn to be the best time to catch an enemy unawares. Similarly, at this late hour, when in a spiritual sense the world around us sleeps soundly, we might face our greatest struggle to stay awake.
With the way the world is now, it's a very scary time to live in. Yes it have always been bad but 10 years ago wasn't as bad and I'm sure 10 years from now if this system lasts that long it will be worse. All you have to do is turn on the radio or watch the news to know how bad this system is. Have you ever wondered why things are so different today compared with the way they were a hundred years ago? Some things are better. In many lands, diseases that killed in the past are now routinely cured, and the average person enjoys a standard of living undreamed of by his ancestors. On the other hand, our century has seen the worst wars and some of the worst atrocities in all history. Mankind’s prosperity—even his continued existence—is threatened by a population explosion, a pollution problem, and a vast, international stockpile of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. Why is the 20th century so different from previous centuries? Is it possible that prophecy is being fulfilled? Let you be the judge.
The Bible tells us that shortly before Jesus’ death, his disciples were discussing the great temple buildings in Jerusalem; they were impressed by their size and apparent durability. But Jesus said: “Do you not behold all these things? Truly I say to you, By no means will a stone be left here upon a stone and not be thrown down.”—Matthew 24:1,2. Jesus’ disciples must have been surprised at his words and later came to him for more information, saying: “Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” (Matthew 24:3) Jesus’ answer is found in the remainder of Matthew chapters 24 and 25. His words are recorded, too, in Mark chapter 13 and Luke chapter 21. This was clearly the most important prophecy uttered by Jesus while he was on earth.
In fact, Jesus’ disciples were asking about more than one thing. First, they raised the question: “When will these things be?” that is, When will Jerusalem and its temple be destroyed? Further, they wanted to know the sign that would indicate that Jesus’ presence as King of God’s heavenly Kingdom had begun and that the end of this system of things was at hand. In his answer, Jesus took both points into consideration. Many of his words were actually fulfilled back in the first century, during the years that led up to the terrible destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. (Matthew 24:4-22) But his prophecy was to have an even greater significance later, in our own days, in fact. What, then, did Jesus say? He began by uttering the words recorded in Matthew 24 verses 7 and 8: “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be food shortages and earthquakes in one place after another. All these things are a beginning of pangs of distress.”
Clearly, Jesus’ presence as heavenly King would be marked by great turmoil on earth. This is confirmed by a parallel prophecy found in the book of Revelation: the vision of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. (Revelation 6:1-8) The first of these horsemen pictures Jesus himself as conquering King. The other riders with their steeds picture happenings on earth that mark the beginning of Jesus’ reign: war, famine, and untimely death through various agents. Do we see these two prophecies fulfilled today?
Let us look at them more closely. First, Jesus said: “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.” This was a prophecy of war. The second of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse similarly prefigured war. We read: “Another came forth, a fiery-colored horse; and to the one seated upon it there was granted to take peace away from the earth so that they should slaughter one another; and a great sword was given him.” (Revelation 6:4) Now, mankind has been fighting wars for thousands of years. Why, then, should these words have a special significance for our day? Remember that war on its own is not the sign of Jesus’ presence. The sign is made up of all the details of Jesus’ prophecy happening in the same general time period. But war is the first feature mentioned, so we might expect that this feature would be fulfilled in an outstanding way that would catch our attention. And everyone must admit that the wars of this 20th century are unparalleled in all previous history.
For example, no earlier wars—cruel and destructive as many were—came even close in destructiveness to the two world wars of the 20th century. Why, the first world war eventually caused about 14 million fatalities, more than the entire population of many countries. Truly, “there was granted to take peace away from the earth so that they should slaughter one another.” According to the prophecy, “a great sword was given” to the warlike second horseman of the Apocalypse. How does that apply? In this: Weapons of war became far more deadly. Equipped with the tank, the airplane, deadly poison gas, submarines, and artillery that could fire explosive shells over several miles, man became more efficient in killing his neighbor. And since the first world war the “great sword” has become even more destructive—owing to the use of such things as radio communications, radar, sophisticated rifles, bacteriological and chemical weapons, flamethrowers, napalm, new types of bombs, intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear submarines, advanced airplanes, and huge battleships. So War was a sign but not just any war.
Jesus also mentioned “A Beginning of Pangs of Distress”
The early verses of Jesus’ prophecy conclude with the words: “These things are a beginning of pangs of distress.” This was certainly true of the first world war. Its end in 1918 did not bring peace for long. It was soon followed by limited but vicious military actions in Ethiopia, Libya, Spain, Russia, India, and other lands. Then came the horrendous second world war, which claimed some 50 million military and civilian victims.
Moreover, despite periodic peace agreements and lulls in the fighting, mankind is still at war. In 1987 it was reported that 81 major wars had been fought since 1960, killing 12,555,000 men, women, and children. The year 1987 saw more wars being fought than any previous year in recorded history.Further, military preparation and expenditures, now reaching a total of about $1,000,000,000,000 annually, distort the economy of the world. Jesus’ prophecy of ‘nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom’ is surely undergoing fulfillment. The red horse of war continues its ferocious ride through the earth. But what about the second aspect of the sign?
Jesus mentioned there would be Food Shortages!
Jesus foretold: “And there will be food shortages . . . in one place after another.” Notice how this harmonizes with the ride of the third of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. Of him we read: “I saw, and, look! a black horse; and the one seated upon it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice as if in the midst of the four living creatures say: ‘A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the olive oil and the wine.’” (Revelation 6:5, 6) Yes, severe food shortages!
Is it possible that this prophecy is being fulfilled today or has been, when some lands have achieved such high standards of living? A glance at the world as a whole leaves no doubt as to the answer. Historically, famines have been caused by wars and natural disasters. It is not surprising, then, that our century, which has had more than its share of disasters and wars, has been plagued repeatedly with famines. Many parts of the earth have suffered such disasters since 1914. One report lists more than 60 major famines since 1914, in such widely separated lands as Greece, the Netherlands, the U.S.S.R., Nigeria, Chad, Chile, Peru, Bangladesh, Bengal, Kampuchea, Ethiopia, and Japan. Some of these famines have lasted several years and caused millions of deaths.
Although severe famines usually get wide publicity, after a while they pass and survivors gradually return to a comparatively normal life. However, another more ominous type of food shortage has developed during the 20th century. This is less dramatic and therefore often ignored. But it persists year after year. This is a severe scourge of malnutrition that affects up to one fifth of the population of our planet and kills between 13 and 18 million people each year.In other words, this kind of food shortage regularly kills about as many people in two days as were killed at Hiroshima by the atom bomb. Indeed, every two years, there are more people who die from the effects of hunger than there were soldiers killed by World War I and World War II combined. Have there been “food shortages . . . in one place after another” since 1914? Yes, indeed!
Jesus mentioned a sign would be Earthquakes.
On January 13, 1915, when the first world war was just a few months old, an earthquake shook Abruzzi, Italy, and took the lives of 32,610 people. This major disaster reminds us that wars and food shortages during Jesus’ presence would be accompanied by something else: “There will be . . . earthquakes in one place after another.” As with war and famine, the Abruzzi earthquake was just “a beginning of pangs of distress. The 20th century has been a century of earthquakes, and thanks to the development of the news media, all mankind is very much aware of the devastation they have caused. To mention just a few, 1920 saw 200,000 die in an earthquake in China; in 1923, some 99,300 died in a quake in Japan; in 1935, another quake killed 25,000 in what is now Pakistan, while 32,700 died in Turkey in 1939. There were 66,800 fatalities in an earthquake in Peru in 1970. And in 1976, some 240,000 (or, according to some sources, 800,000) died in Tangshan, China. More recently, in 1988, there were 25,000 who died in a powerful earthquake in Armenia. Surely, “earthquakes in one place after another”
Jesus Mentioned “Deadly Plague”
Another detail of Jesus’ prophecy has to do with disease. The evangelist Luke, in his account, records that Jesus foretold “in one place after another pestilences.” (Luke 21:11) This too harmonizes with the prophetic vision of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. The fourth horseman is named Death. He pictures premature death from a number of causes, including “deadly plague and . . . the wild beasts of the earth.”—Revelation 6:8.
Back in 1918 and 1919, more than 1,000,000,000 people fell sick with Spanish influenza, and more than 20,000,000 + died. The disease took more lives than did the great war itself. And “deadly plague,” or ‘pestilence,’ continues to afflict this generation, despite many remarkable medical advances. Why is this? For one thing, poorer lands do not always enjoy the benefits of scientific progress. Poor people suffer and die of sicknesses that could be cured if more money would be made available. Thus, some 150 million people worldwide suffer from malaria. Some 200 million are infected with snail fever. Chagas’ disease afflicts about ten million people. About 40 million suffer from river blindness. Acute diarrheic diseases kill millions of children each year.8 Tuberculosis and leprosy are still a significant health problem. Outstandingly, the poor of this world suffer from ‘pestilences in one place after another.’
But so do the wealthy. Influenza, for example, afflicts rich and poor alike. In 1957 one strain of influenza caused 70,000 deaths in the United States alone. In Germany it is estimated that one person in six will eventually suffer from cancer. Sexually transmitted diseases also strike the wealthy and the poor. Gonorrhea, the most frequently reported communicable disease in the United States, afflicts as many as 18.9 percent of the population of some parts of Africa.10 Syphilis, chlamydia, and genital herpes are some of the other pandemic sexually transmitted “pestilences.”
In recent years, the “deadly plague” of AIDS has also joined the list of “pestilences.” AIDS is a terrifying illness because, as of this writing, there is no cure in sight, and the number of its victims continues to increase. Dr. Jonathan Mann, director of the WHO (World Health Organization) Special Program on AIDS, said: “We also estimate that there are five to 10 million people in the world today infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).”11 According to one published estimate, the AIDS virus strikes a new victim each minute. “Deadly plague” indeed! But what about the prophecy of death by wild beasts?
Jesus mentioned the Wild beasts of the Earth
The fact is, when wild beasts are mentioned these days in the newspapers, it is because certain species are endangered or nearly extinct. “The wild beasts of the earth” are far more threatened by humans than humans are by them. Despite this, in some lands wild animals, such as tigers in India, still take a steady toll of human lives.
The Bible, however, draws our attention to another kind of wild beast that has caused real fear in recent years. The prophet Ezekiel compared violent men to wild animals when he said: “Her princes in the midst of her are like wolves tearing prey in shedding blood, in destroying souls for the purpose of making unjust gain.” (Ezekiel 22:27) When he prophesied an “increasing of lawlessness,” Jesus, in effect, was saying that such “wild beasts” would be active on earth during his presence. (Matthew 24:12) The Bible writer Paul adds that during “the last days” men would be “lovers of money . . . without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness.” (2 Timothy 3:1-3) Has such been the case since 1914? It certainly has. If you live in almost any big city on earth, you already know this. But if you doubt it, just consider the following recent newspaper quotations. From Colombia: “Last year the police recorded . . . about 10,000 murders and 25,000 armed robberies.” From Victoria, Australia: “Big Jump in Major Crime.” From the United States: “Slayings in New York Heading for a Record High.” “Detroit overtook Gary, Ind., last year as the major city with the highest murder rate in the nation—58 per 100,000 inhabitants.”
From Zimbabwe: “Infant murders have assumed crisis proportions.” From Brazil: “There is so much crime here, and so much toting of weapons, that news of violence just doesn’t generate much excitement anymore.” From New Zealand: “Sexual attacks and violent crime continue to be a major concern for police.” “New Zealanders’ level of violence towards each other could only be described as barbaric.” From Spain: “Spain grapples with growing crime problem.” From Italy: “Sicilian Mafia, after setback, revives in wave of killings.”These are just a small sample of newspaper reports appearing shortly before the publication of this book. Surely, “wild beasts” are prowling the earth, causing people to tremble for their safety.
Jesus mentioned preaching the good news
How would religion fare during the troubled time of Jesus’ presence? On the one hand, Jesus prophesied that there would be an increase in religious activity: “Many false prophets will arise and mislead many.” (Matthew 24:11) On the other hand, he foretold that in Christendom as a whole, interest in God would be at a low ebb. “The love of the greater number will cool off.”—Matthew 24:12.
This truly describes what is happening today in Christendom. On the one hand, mainstream churches everywhere are failing through lack of support. In the once strongly Protestant lands of northern Europe and England, religion is all but dead. At the same time, the Catholic Church is suffering from a lack of priests and from shrinking support. On the other hand, there have been surges in fringe religious elements. Cults based on Eastern religions proliferate, while greedy television evangelists extort millions of dollars.
What, though, about true Christianity, the religion introduced by Jesus and preached by his apostles? It would still exist during Jesus’ presence, but how would it be recognized? There are a number of things that identify true Christianity, and one is mentioned in Jesus’ great prophecy. True Christians would be occupied in a worldwide preaching work. Jesus prophesied: “And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.”—Matthew 24:14.
Does all of this tell us the end is near? Well one thing is for sure well I should say two things are for sure.
1. The End will come by Gods Hands
2. The End will come by Human Hands
Question for tomorrow. Is God and Jesus one in the same?
Monday, October 20, 2008
Weekend
I hope everyone has had a great weekend. Last week I asked the question if Judas Iscariot was hand picked to betray Jesus? If he was hand picked how does that work with free will. Remember this is the same God who gave Adam free will. Did God and Jesus pick Judas to betray Jesus? Many are convinced that God does predetermine a person’s fate. And they feel sure that the Bible proves this to be true.For example, some may point to the case of Esau and Jacob. They were still in the womb when God foretold: “The older will serve the younger " Found at Genesis chapter 25:23
Similarly, God knew in advance that Samson, Jeremiah and John the Baptizer would perform mighty works in his service. Again, Judas Iscariot? Long before he was born, Scriptural prophecies spoke of the Messiah’s betrayal this is true. The Bible even says that “from the beginning” Jesus Christ knew who would betray him.In the light of the foregoing points, what would you say? Does the Bible teach that God has predestinated some to eternal salvation and others to condemnation? Has God decided your fate?
Before answering these questions, consider the implications of predestination. If this doctrine were true, it would mean that God foreknew all that would result from his creating man—the deflection of Adam and Eve, the wars, the crime, the immorality, the oppression, the lying, the hypocrisy, the disease. By speaking the words, “Let us make man,” then, God deliberately would have been setting all this wickedness in motion! God’s placing before Adam and Eve the prospect of everlasting life would, therefore, have been a sham. So would the Bible’s invitation, “Let anyone that wishes take life’s water free.”
Predestination, therefore, runs counter to what the Bible actually teaches about God. ‘But would not limiting God’s knowledge of the future undermine his almightiness?’ you might ask. Not at all. At Titus 1:2, for example, we learn that “God . . . cannot lie.” But does this undermine God’s almightiness? No, rather, it highlights God’s truthfulness.The apostle Paul counseled Christians endowed with the gift of prophecy: “Gifts of the spirit of the prophets are to be controlled by the prophets. For God is a God, not of disorder, but of peace.” (1 Corinthians 14:32, 33) Such prophets would not speak out indiscriminately but would share their prophetic messages in an orderly way. To do this, self-control was needed. Certainly, then, God is also able to use his foreknowledge selectively, using it only when there is a reason or a purpose for doing so.—Compare Genesis 22:1, 12.
Just 40 years after the organizing of the Israelites as a nation, God foretold that they would break his covenant with them. Nevertheless, this foreknowledge was not without basis, as national insubordination and rebellion already had occurred. Hence, God said: “For I well know their inclination that they are developing today before I bring them into the land about which I have sworn.” (Deuteronomy 31:20, 21) Just as a competent builder might predict the collapse of a structure built with inferior materials, so Jehovah could see the direction in which the nation was heading. Individuals, however, could and did respond to and thus benefit from counsel given by God’s prophets.—Jeremiah 21:8, 9; Ezekiel 33:1-20.
Jesus Christ likewise foretold doom for the religious leaders known as scribes and Pharisees. (Matthew 23:15, 33) Nevertheless, this did not mean that each and every Pharisee or scribe was headed for Gehenna. The apostle Paul himself was formerly a zealous Pharisee!—Acts 26:4, 5. True, God did predict the course of certain individuals, such as Jacob and Esau. But this was not predestination. In the case of Esau and Jacob, God simply foreknew which of the national groups descending from them would gain dominance over the other. (Genesis 25:23-26) However, there is no indication that God had fixed their eternal destinies. Much of a child’s general disposition and temperament appear to be shaped by genetic factors. Jehovah may have considered the genetic makeup of unborn Esau and Jacob in determining which son would dominate.—Compare Psalm 139:14-16.
Similarly, Jehovah used his foreknowledge regarding Samson, Jeremiah and John the Baptizer. This foreknowledge, however, did not guarantee that they would remain faithful until death. God also foretold that one of David’s sons would be named Solomon and that Solomon would be used to build the temple. (1 Chronicles 22:9, 10) Solomon, nevertheless, fell into apostasy in his later years.—1 Kings 11:4, 9-13.
But what of Judas Iscariot? Was not the traitorous course of one of Jesus’ disciples clearly prophesied in advance? Yes, but the prophecies did not specify which disciple would be the betrayer. Indeed, what if Jesus had known that Judas would be the betrayer? Then Jesus’ appointing Judas as an apostle would have made Him a “sharer” in that betrayer’s sins. (Compare 1 Timothy 5:22.) God himself would also be an accomplice, since Jesus preceded his selection of Judas with fervent prayer to Jehovah.—Luke 6:12-16.
God’s exercise of foreknowledge is, therefore, never due to some whim. The apostle Paul told fellow anointed Christians: “We were foreordained according to the purpose of him [Jehovah God] who operates all things according to the way his will counsels.” (Ephesians 1:11) Since man’s fall into sin, it has been God’s purpose to vindicate His name by means of His Kingdom. To that end, God has at times used his ability to foresee the future. For instance, he foreordained that there would be a class of joint heirs with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom, although individuals must prove faithful to be part of it.—2 Peter 1:10, 11.
Knowing the Bible’s clear teaching on this matter can help you to have a healthy view of the future. God does not predetermine your fate. Instead, you can exercise the free will that Jehovah God has given to creatures made “in his image.” (Genesis 1:27) You can make the wise choice and wholeheartedly respond to Jehovah God’s offer of everlasting life.—John 17:3.
Nevertheless, Jehovah was ‘not ignorant of Satan’s designs.’ (Compare 2 Corinthians 2:11.) He knew that Satan the Devil had previously used a man’s close friend as a betrayer, as he had done in the case of David’s friend Ahithophel. Therefore, it was Satan, not God, who “put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray” Jesus Christ. (John 13:2; 2 Samuel 15:31) Rather than resisting satanic influence, Judas allowed sin to gain the mastery over him. And at some point Jesus was able to read Judas’ heart and therefore foretell his betrayal. (John 13:10, 11) Thus Jesus knew of Judas’ betrayal “from the beginning”—not of his acquaintance with Judas, but from the “beginning” of that one’s acting treacherously.—John 6:64.
So again If Judas were already divinely foreordained to be a traitor, this would result in inconsistency in God’s direction and guidance and, according to the rule, would make him a sharer in the sins that one committed. Thus, it seems evident that at the time of his being selected as an apostle, Judas’ heart presented no definite evidence of a treasonous attitude. He allowed a ‘poisonous root to spring up’ and defile him, resulting in his deviation and in his accepting, not God’s direction, but the Devil’s leading in a course of thievery and treachery.
Hope that answered that question. The last few weeks really have been about religion and I should throw some other topics in as well. At times I really feel I have to defend myself and what I believe in. It was mentioned to me that the Watch-Tower is full of lies and while you have every right to think so I would like to ask you a question. Have you ever read a watch-tower? Imagine when you go to your church or should I say place of worship. Most Likely someone goes up and give a talk and then quote scriptures. Most if not all places of worship do this. You can compare the watch-tower to someone who goes up and gives a talk since the watch-tower really is speech written and scriptures quoted. Difference is our watch-tower is world wide. So to say that it's lies simply because it's a magazine and not a live person on stage giving a talk is beyond me since many religions have their priest or person go up on stage and give a talk and quote scripture. Our Watch-Tower is just a tool used to study scripture. It's also has experiences from those who go through issues in life who found comfort in the scriptures. These experiences in turn give us encouragement and strength. I once gave a talk based on counsel and at times the watch-tower will give us needed counsel or give us reminders. Many will not understand unless they themselves go through this bible based training. Instead of knocking something you haven't tried, why not take a 6 month study and then speak to me after 6 months and tell me what you thought.
Tell me if we are a cult. Tell me if we have some hidden agenda. Tell me if you think we are evil. Tell me if then the watch-tower is full of lies. Until then you really have no idea and are looking to the net to find your answers. Anyone can do that. Come see for yourself and then judge for yourself. Yes there have been people who left our organization but really who hasn't left any religious organization? Someone I know has been to many churches switching from Catholic to Christianity and then going back and then leaving all together. Was that his religion or him that made the choice to leave? He left and yes it's possible that maybe someone in his church caused it who knows. Nobody is immune to this. Every religion has it's bad apples but that doesn't mean the entire religion is bad?
You need to decide which religion is following God and which isn't.Because not all religions do. It's the reason why Jesus himself said the road to life is narrow and few are the ones finding it. Not all religions please God. If you think we are lying then try it and if you don't like it move on. I will promise you that you will see the difference between us and all religions of the world. If you think the watch-tower is based on lies then you pick it up and read it yourself. You might reason and say well why don't you try our religion and see if it's the truth. Well simple, all I need to see is your conduct and that tells me if you are serving God or not. Like I said, you can't just serve God on Weekends. It's a 24hr thing to serve God and since God is always watching and if you believe that he is then there should be things in your life that you should not do. Simple Question you can ask yourself. Can I do this in front of Jesus. Can I say this in front of Jesus, Can I listen to this music in front of Jesus and if you find that you are doing it anyway and Jesus wouldn't approve then really are you serving God? Anyway....
Why do the Witnesses call on people who have their own religion?
In doing this they follow Jesus' example. He went to the Jews. The Jews had their own religion, but in many ways it had turned away from the Word of God. (Matthew 15:1-9) All nations have religions of some kind, whether so-called Christian or non-Christian. It is vitally important for people to hold beliefs that conform to God's own Word, and the efforts of the Witnesses to assist them in doing this constitute a showing of neighbor love.
Do the Witnesses believe that their religion is the only right one?
Anyone who is serious about his religion should think that it is the right one. Otherwise, why would he or she be involved in it? Christians are admonished: "Make sure of all things; hold fast to what is fine." (1 Thessalonians 5:21) A person should make sure that his beliefs can be supported by the Scriptures, for there is only one true faith. Ephesians 4:5 confirms this, mentioning "one Lord, one faith, one baptism." Jesus did not agree with the modern, relaxed view that there are many roads, many religions, all leading to salvation. Instead, he said: "Narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it." Jehovah's Witnesses believe that they have found it. Otherwise, they would look for another religion.—Matthew 7:14.
Do they believe that they are the only ones who will be saved?
No. Millions that have lived in centuries past and who were not Jehovah's Witnesses will come back in a resurrection and have an opportunity for life. Many now living may yet take a stand for truth and righteousness before the "great tribulation," and they will gain salvation. Moreover, Jesus said that we should not be judging one another. We look at the outward appearance; God looks at the heart. He sees accurately and judges mercifully. He has committed judgment into Jesus' hands, not ours.—Matthew 7:1-5; 24:21; 25:31.
What I say is what I believe in. I doubt that what I post reaches your hearts. For some of you it might thus I keep posting and the emails I received so far have been very encouraging. But just why do well-educated clergymen fail to understand and teach these plain Bible truths? Because they prefer the traditions and philosophies of men to the written Word of God. And when a person rejects the Word of Jehovah, what wisdom does he have? Surely not Godly wisdom, because he does not have the spirit of Jehovah God. Rather, Satan the Devil, the “god of this system of things,” blinds his mind, that “the glorious good news about the Christ, who is [not God, but] the image of God, might not shine through which is found at 2nd Corinthians 4:4.
The question for tomorrow is " What tells us that the end is near "
Similarly, God knew in advance that Samson, Jeremiah and John the Baptizer would perform mighty works in his service. Again, Judas Iscariot? Long before he was born, Scriptural prophecies spoke of the Messiah’s betrayal this is true. The Bible even says that “from the beginning” Jesus Christ knew who would betray him.In the light of the foregoing points, what would you say? Does the Bible teach that God has predestinated some to eternal salvation and others to condemnation? Has God decided your fate?
Before answering these questions, consider the implications of predestination. If this doctrine were true, it would mean that God foreknew all that would result from his creating man—the deflection of Adam and Eve, the wars, the crime, the immorality, the oppression, the lying, the hypocrisy, the disease. By speaking the words, “Let us make man,” then, God deliberately would have been setting all this wickedness in motion! God’s placing before Adam and Eve the prospect of everlasting life would, therefore, have been a sham. So would the Bible’s invitation, “Let anyone that wishes take life’s water free.”
Predestination, therefore, runs counter to what the Bible actually teaches about God. ‘But would not limiting God’s knowledge of the future undermine his almightiness?’ you might ask. Not at all. At Titus 1:2, for example, we learn that “God . . . cannot lie.” But does this undermine God’s almightiness? No, rather, it highlights God’s truthfulness.The apostle Paul counseled Christians endowed with the gift of prophecy: “Gifts of the spirit of the prophets are to be controlled by the prophets. For God is a God, not of disorder, but of peace.” (1 Corinthians 14:32, 33) Such prophets would not speak out indiscriminately but would share their prophetic messages in an orderly way. To do this, self-control was needed. Certainly, then, God is also able to use his foreknowledge selectively, using it only when there is a reason or a purpose for doing so.—Compare Genesis 22:1, 12.
Just 40 years after the organizing of the Israelites as a nation, God foretold that they would break his covenant with them. Nevertheless, this foreknowledge was not without basis, as national insubordination and rebellion already had occurred. Hence, God said: “For I well know their inclination that they are developing today before I bring them into the land about which I have sworn.” (Deuteronomy 31:20, 21) Just as a competent builder might predict the collapse of a structure built with inferior materials, so Jehovah could see the direction in which the nation was heading. Individuals, however, could and did respond to and thus benefit from counsel given by God’s prophets.—Jeremiah 21:8, 9; Ezekiel 33:1-20.
Jesus Christ likewise foretold doom for the religious leaders known as scribes and Pharisees. (Matthew 23:15, 33) Nevertheless, this did not mean that each and every Pharisee or scribe was headed for Gehenna. The apostle Paul himself was formerly a zealous Pharisee!—Acts 26:4, 5. True, God did predict the course of certain individuals, such as Jacob and Esau. But this was not predestination. In the case of Esau and Jacob, God simply foreknew which of the national groups descending from them would gain dominance over the other. (Genesis 25:23-26) However, there is no indication that God had fixed their eternal destinies. Much of a child’s general disposition and temperament appear to be shaped by genetic factors. Jehovah may have considered the genetic makeup of unborn Esau and Jacob in determining which son would dominate.—Compare Psalm 139:14-16.
Similarly, Jehovah used his foreknowledge regarding Samson, Jeremiah and John the Baptizer. This foreknowledge, however, did not guarantee that they would remain faithful until death. God also foretold that one of David’s sons would be named Solomon and that Solomon would be used to build the temple. (1 Chronicles 22:9, 10) Solomon, nevertheless, fell into apostasy in his later years.—1 Kings 11:4, 9-13.
But what of Judas Iscariot? Was not the traitorous course of one of Jesus’ disciples clearly prophesied in advance? Yes, but the prophecies did not specify which disciple would be the betrayer. Indeed, what if Jesus had known that Judas would be the betrayer? Then Jesus’ appointing Judas as an apostle would have made Him a “sharer” in that betrayer’s sins. (Compare 1 Timothy 5:22.) God himself would also be an accomplice, since Jesus preceded his selection of Judas with fervent prayer to Jehovah.—Luke 6:12-16.
God’s exercise of foreknowledge is, therefore, never due to some whim. The apostle Paul told fellow anointed Christians: “We were foreordained according to the purpose of him [Jehovah God] who operates all things according to the way his will counsels.” (Ephesians 1:11) Since man’s fall into sin, it has been God’s purpose to vindicate His name by means of His Kingdom. To that end, God has at times used his ability to foresee the future. For instance, he foreordained that there would be a class of joint heirs with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom, although individuals must prove faithful to be part of it.—2 Peter 1:10, 11.
Knowing the Bible’s clear teaching on this matter can help you to have a healthy view of the future. God does not predetermine your fate. Instead, you can exercise the free will that Jehovah God has given to creatures made “in his image.” (Genesis 1:27) You can make the wise choice and wholeheartedly respond to Jehovah God’s offer of everlasting life.—John 17:3.
Nevertheless, Jehovah was ‘not ignorant of Satan’s designs.’ (Compare 2 Corinthians 2:11.) He knew that Satan the Devil had previously used a man’s close friend as a betrayer, as he had done in the case of David’s friend Ahithophel. Therefore, it was Satan, not God, who “put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray” Jesus Christ. (John 13:2; 2 Samuel 15:31) Rather than resisting satanic influence, Judas allowed sin to gain the mastery over him. And at some point Jesus was able to read Judas’ heart and therefore foretell his betrayal. (John 13:10, 11) Thus Jesus knew of Judas’ betrayal “from the beginning”—not of his acquaintance with Judas, but from the “beginning” of that one’s acting treacherously.—John 6:64.
So again If Judas were already divinely foreordained to be a traitor, this would result in inconsistency in God’s direction and guidance and, according to the rule, would make him a sharer in the sins that one committed. Thus, it seems evident that at the time of his being selected as an apostle, Judas’ heart presented no definite evidence of a treasonous attitude. He allowed a ‘poisonous root to spring up’ and defile him, resulting in his deviation and in his accepting, not God’s direction, but the Devil’s leading in a course of thievery and treachery.
Hope that answered that question. The last few weeks really have been about religion and I should throw some other topics in as well. At times I really feel I have to defend myself and what I believe in. It was mentioned to me that the Watch-Tower is full of lies and while you have every right to think so I would like to ask you a question. Have you ever read a watch-tower? Imagine when you go to your church or should I say place of worship. Most Likely someone goes up and give a talk and then quote scriptures. Most if not all places of worship do this. You can compare the watch-tower to someone who goes up and gives a talk since the watch-tower really is speech written and scriptures quoted. Difference is our watch-tower is world wide. So to say that it's lies simply because it's a magazine and not a live person on stage giving a talk is beyond me since many religions have their priest or person go up on stage and give a talk and quote scripture. Our Watch-Tower is just a tool used to study scripture. It's also has experiences from those who go through issues in life who found comfort in the scriptures. These experiences in turn give us encouragement and strength. I once gave a talk based on counsel and at times the watch-tower will give us needed counsel or give us reminders. Many will not understand unless they themselves go through this bible based training. Instead of knocking something you haven't tried, why not take a 6 month study and then speak to me after 6 months and tell me what you thought.
Tell me if we are a cult. Tell me if we have some hidden agenda. Tell me if you think we are evil. Tell me if then the watch-tower is full of lies. Until then you really have no idea and are looking to the net to find your answers. Anyone can do that. Come see for yourself and then judge for yourself. Yes there have been people who left our organization but really who hasn't left any religious organization? Someone I know has been to many churches switching from Catholic to Christianity and then going back and then leaving all together. Was that his religion or him that made the choice to leave? He left and yes it's possible that maybe someone in his church caused it who knows. Nobody is immune to this. Every religion has it's bad apples but that doesn't mean the entire religion is bad?
You need to decide which religion is following God and which isn't.Because not all religions do. It's the reason why Jesus himself said the road to life is narrow and few are the ones finding it. Not all religions please God. If you think we are lying then try it and if you don't like it move on. I will promise you that you will see the difference between us and all religions of the world. If you think the watch-tower is based on lies then you pick it up and read it yourself. You might reason and say well why don't you try our religion and see if it's the truth. Well simple, all I need to see is your conduct and that tells me if you are serving God or not. Like I said, you can't just serve God on Weekends. It's a 24hr thing to serve God and since God is always watching and if you believe that he is then there should be things in your life that you should not do. Simple Question you can ask yourself. Can I do this in front of Jesus. Can I say this in front of Jesus, Can I listen to this music in front of Jesus and if you find that you are doing it anyway and Jesus wouldn't approve then really are you serving God? Anyway....
Why do the Witnesses call on people who have their own religion?
In doing this they follow Jesus' example. He went to the Jews. The Jews had their own religion, but in many ways it had turned away from the Word of God. (Matthew 15:1-9) All nations have religions of some kind, whether so-called Christian or non-Christian. It is vitally important for people to hold beliefs that conform to God's own Word, and the efforts of the Witnesses to assist them in doing this constitute a showing of neighbor love.
Do the Witnesses believe that their religion is the only right one?
Anyone who is serious about his religion should think that it is the right one. Otherwise, why would he or she be involved in it? Christians are admonished: "Make sure of all things; hold fast to what is fine." (1 Thessalonians 5:21) A person should make sure that his beliefs can be supported by the Scriptures, for there is only one true faith. Ephesians 4:5 confirms this, mentioning "one Lord, one faith, one baptism." Jesus did not agree with the modern, relaxed view that there are many roads, many religions, all leading to salvation. Instead, he said: "Narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it." Jehovah's Witnesses believe that they have found it. Otherwise, they would look for another religion.—Matthew 7:14.
Do they believe that they are the only ones who will be saved?
No. Millions that have lived in centuries past and who were not Jehovah's Witnesses will come back in a resurrection and have an opportunity for life. Many now living may yet take a stand for truth and righteousness before the "great tribulation," and they will gain salvation. Moreover, Jesus said that we should not be judging one another. We look at the outward appearance; God looks at the heart. He sees accurately and judges mercifully. He has committed judgment into Jesus' hands, not ours.—Matthew 7:1-5; 24:21; 25:31.
What I say is what I believe in. I doubt that what I post reaches your hearts. For some of you it might thus I keep posting and the emails I received so far have been very encouraging. But just why do well-educated clergymen fail to understand and teach these plain Bible truths? Because they prefer the traditions and philosophies of men to the written Word of God. And when a person rejects the Word of Jehovah, what wisdom does he have? Surely not Godly wisdom, because he does not have the spirit of Jehovah God. Rather, Satan the Devil, the “god of this system of things,” blinds his mind, that “the glorious good news about the Christ, who is [not God, but] the image of God, might not shine through which is found at 2nd Corinthians 4:4.
The question for tomorrow is " What tells us that the end is near "
Friday, October 17, 2008
It's Friday
Sick of the world. READ any newspaper. Look at television, or listen to the radio. There are so many stories of crime, war, and terrorism! Think about your own troubles. Perhaps illness or the death of a loved one is causing you great distress. You may feel like the good man Job, who said that he was “drenched with misery.
Ask yourself:
▪ Is this what God purposed for me and for the rest of mankind?
▪ Where can I find help to cope with my problems?
▪ Is there any hope that we will ever see peace on the earth?
THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT GOD WILL BRING ABOUT THESE CHANGES ON THE EARTH.
“He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.”—Revelation 21:4
“The lame one will climb up just as a stag does.”—Isaiah 35:6
“The eyes of the blind ones will be opened.”—Isaiah 35:5
“All those in the memorial tombs will . . . come out.”—John 5:28, 29
“No resident will say: ‘I am sick.’”—Isaiah 33:24
“There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth.”—Psalm 72:16
God has promised to bring these things about, and the Bible explains how he will do so.But the Bible does more than that. It provides the key to your enjoying a truly satisfying life even now. Think for a moment about your own anxieties and troubles. They may include money matters, family problems, loss of health, or the death of a loved one. The Bible can help you to deal with problems today, and it can provide relief by answering such questions as these:
▪ Why do we suffer?
▪ How can we cope with life’s anxieties?
▪ How can we make our family life happier?
▪ What happens to us when we die?
▪ Will we ever see our dead loved ones again?
▪ How can we be sure that God will fulfill his promises for the future?
Other questions you may have such as:
Does God really care about you?
What is God like? Does he have a name?
Is it possible to get close to God?
HAVE you ever noticed the way children ask questions? Many start asking as soon as they learn to speak. With wide, eager eyes, they look up at you and ask such things as: Why is the sky blue? What are the stars made of? Who taught the birds to sing? You may try hard to answer, but it is not always easy. Even your best answer may lead to yet another question: Why?
Children are not the only ones who ask questions. As we grow up, we keep asking. We do this in order to find our way, to learn of dangers that we need to avoid, or to satisfy our curiosity. But many people seem to stop asking questions, especially the most important ones. At least, they stop searching for the answers.
Think about the questions, the questions raised, or those at the beginning. These are some of the most important questions you can ask. Yet, many people have given up trying to find the answers. Why? Does the Bible have the answers? Some feel that its answers are too hard to understand. Others worry that asking questions could lead to shame or embarrassment. And some decide that such questions are best left to religious leaders and teachers. What about you? Very likely you are interested in getting answers to life’s big questions. No doubt you sometimes wonder: ‘What is the purpose of life? Is this life all there is? What is God really like?’ It is good to ask such questions, and it is important that you do not give up until you find satisfying, reliable answers. The famous teacher Jesus Christ said: “Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you.”—Matthew 7:7.
If you “keep on seeking” for answers to the important questions, you will find that the search can be very rewarding. (Proverbs 2:1-5) Despite what other people may have told you, there are answers, and you can find them—in the Bible. The answers are not too hard to understand. Better yet, they bring hope and joy. And they can help you to live a satisfying life right now. Let us consider a question that has troubled many people.
IS GOD UNCARING AND HARDHEARTED?
Many people think that the answer to that question is yes. ‘If God cared,’ they reason, ‘would not the world be a very different place?’ We look around and see a world full of war, hatred, and misery. And as individuals, we get sick, we suffer, we lose loved ones in death. Thus, many say, ‘If God cared about us and our problems, would he not prevent such things from happening? Worse yet, religious teachers sometimes lead people to think that God is hardhearted. How so? When tragedy strikes, they say that it is God’s will. In effect, such teachers blame God for the bad things that happen. Is that the truth about God? What does the Bible really teach? James 1:13 answers: “When under trial, let no one say: ‘I am being tried by God.’ For with evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone.” So God is never the source of the wickedness you see in the world around you. (Job 34:10-12) Granted, he does allow bad things to happen. But there is a big difference between allowing something to happen and causing it.
For example, think about a wise and loving father with a grown son who is still living at home with his parents. When the son becomes rebellious and decides to leave home, his father does not stop him. The son pursues a bad way of life and gets into trouble. Is the father the cause of his son’s problems? No. (Luke 15:11-13) Similarly, God has not stopped humans when they have chosen to pursue a bad course, but he is not the cause of the problems that have resulted. Surely, then, it would be unfair to blame God for all the troubles of mankind.God has good reasons for allowing mankind to follow a bad course. As our wise and powerful Creator, he does not have to explain his reasons to us. Out of love, however, God does this. You will learn more about these reasons later on. But rest assured that God is not responsible for the problems we face. On the contrary, he gives us the only hope for a solution!—Isaiah 33:2.Furthermore, God is holy. (Isaiah 6:3) This means that he is pure and clean. There is no trace of badness in him. So we can trust him completely. That is more than we can say for humans, who sometimes become corrupt. Even the most honest human in authority often does not have the power to undo the damage that bad people do. But God is all-powerful. He can and will undo all the effects that wickedness has had on mankind. When God acts, he will do so in a way that will end evil forever!—Psalm 37:9-11.
HOW DOES GOD FEEL ABOUT INJUSTICES WE FACE?
In the meantime, how does God feel about what is going on in the world and in your life? Well, the Bible teaches that God is “a lover of justice.” (Psalm 37:28) So he cares deeply about what is right and what is wrong. He hates all kinds of injustice. The Bible says that God “felt hurt at his heart” when badness filled the world in times past. (Genesis 6:5, 6) God has not changed. (Malachi 3:6) He still hates to see the suffering that is taking place worldwide. And God hates to see people suffer. “He cares for you,” the Bible says.—1 Peter 5:7.How can we be sure that God hates to see suffering? Here is further proof. The Bible teaches that man was made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26) We thus have good qualities because God has good qualities. For example, does it bother you to see innocent people suffer? If you care about such injustices, be assured that God feels even more strongly about them.
One of the best things about humans is our ability to love. That also reflects God. The Bible teaches that “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) We love because God loves. Would love move you to end the suffering and the injustice you see in the world? If you had the power to do that, would you do it? Of course you would! You can be just as sure that God will end suffering and injustice. God’s promises are sure to come true! In order to put faith in such promises, though, you need to know more about the God who has made them.
GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW WHO HE IS
If you want someone to get to know you, what might you do? Would you not tell the person your name? Does God have a name? Many religions answer that his name is “God” or “Lord,” but those are not personal names. They are titles, just as “king” and “president” are titles. The Bible teaches that God has many titles. “God” and “Lord” are among them. However, the Bible also teaches that God has a personal name: Jehovah. Psalm 83:18 says: “You, whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.” If your Bible translation does not contain that name, you may want to learn why that is so. The truth is that God’s name appears thousands of times in ancient Bible manuscripts. So Jehovah wants you to know his name and to use it. In a sense, he is using the Bible to introduce himself to you.
God gave himself a name that is full of meaning. His name, Jehovah, means that God can fulfill any promise he makes and can carry out any purpose he has in mind. God’s name is unique, one of a kind. It belongs only to him. In a number of ways, Jehovah is unique. How is that so? We saw that Psalm 83:18 said of Jehovah: “You alone are the Most High.” Similarly, Jehovah alone is referred to as “the Almighty.” Revelation 15:3 says: “Great and wonderful are your works, Jehovah God, the Almighty. Righteous and true are your ways, King of eternity.” The title “the Almighty” teaches us that Jehovah is the most powerful being there is. His power is unmatched; it is supreme. And the title “King of eternity” reminds us that Jehovah is unique in another sense. He alone has always existed. Psalm 90:2 says: “Even from time indefinite to time indefinite [or, forever] you are God.”
That thought inspires awe, does it not?Jehovah is also unique in that he alone is the Creator. Revelation 4:11 reads: “You are worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.” Everything that you can think of—from the invisible spirit creatures in heaven to the stars that fill the night sky to the fruit that grows on the trees to the fish that swim in the oceans and rivers—all of it exists because Jehovah is the Creator!
CAN YOU BE CLOSE TO JEHOVAH?
Reading about Jehovah’s awe-inspiring qualities makes some people feel a little uneasy. They fear that God is too high for them, that they could never get close to him or even matter to such a lofty God. But is this idea correct? The Bible teaches just the opposite. It says of Jehovah: “In fact, he is not far off from each one of us.” (Acts 17:27) The Bible even urges us: “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.”—James 4:8. How can you draw close to God? To begin with, continue doing what you are doing now—learning about God. Jesus said: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3) Yes, the Bible teaches that learning about Jehovah and Jesus leads to “everlasting life”! As already noted, “God is love.” (1 John 4:16) Jehovah also has many other beautiful and appealing qualities. For example, the Bible says that Jehovah is “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness and truth.” (Exodus 34:6) He is “good and ready to forgive.” (Psalm 86:5) God is patient. (2 Peter 3:9) He is loyal. (Revelation 15:4) As you read more in the Bible, you will see how Jehovah has shown that he has these and many other appealing qualities.
True, you cannot see God because he is an invisible spirit. (John 1:18; 4:24; 1 Timothy 1:17) By learning about him through the pages of the Bible, however, you can come to know him as a person. As the psalmist said, you can “behold the pleasantness of Jehovah.” (Psalm 27:4; Romans 1:20) The more you learn about Jehovah, the more real he will become to you and the more reason you will have to love him and feel close to him.You will come to understand why the Bible teaches us to think of Jehovah as our Father. (Matthew 6:9) Not only does our life come from him but he wants the best life possible for us—just as any loving father would want for his children. (Psalm 36:9) The Bible also teaches that humans can become Jehovah’s friends. (James 2:23) Imagine—you can become a friend of the Creator of the universe!
As you learn more from the Bible, you may find that some well-meaning people will urge you to stop such studies. They may worry that you will change your beliefs. But do not let anyone stop you from forming the best friendship you can ever have.Of course, there will be things that you do not understand at first. It can be a little humbling to ask for help, but do not hold back because of embarrassment. Jesus said that it is good to be humble, like a little child. (Matthew 18:2-4) And children, as we know, ask a lot of questions. God wants you to find the answers. The Bible praises some who were eager to learn about God. They checked carefully in the Scriptures to make sure that what they were learning was the truth.—Acts 17:11. The best way to learn about Jehovah is to examine the Bible. It is different from any other book. In what way?
We will discuss that next Friday!! Have a great weekend!!!
Ask yourself:
▪ Is this what God purposed for me and for the rest of mankind?
▪ Where can I find help to cope with my problems?
▪ Is there any hope that we will ever see peace on the earth?
THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT GOD WILL BRING ABOUT THESE CHANGES ON THE EARTH.
“He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.”—Revelation 21:4
“The lame one will climb up just as a stag does.”—Isaiah 35:6
“The eyes of the blind ones will be opened.”—Isaiah 35:5
“All those in the memorial tombs will . . . come out.”—John 5:28, 29
“No resident will say: ‘I am sick.’”—Isaiah 33:24
“There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth.”—Psalm 72:16
God has promised to bring these things about, and the Bible explains how he will do so.But the Bible does more than that. It provides the key to your enjoying a truly satisfying life even now. Think for a moment about your own anxieties and troubles. They may include money matters, family problems, loss of health, or the death of a loved one. The Bible can help you to deal with problems today, and it can provide relief by answering such questions as these:
▪ Why do we suffer?
▪ How can we cope with life’s anxieties?
▪ How can we make our family life happier?
▪ What happens to us when we die?
▪ Will we ever see our dead loved ones again?
▪ How can we be sure that God will fulfill his promises for the future?
Other questions you may have such as:
Does God really care about you?
What is God like? Does he have a name?
Is it possible to get close to God?
HAVE you ever noticed the way children ask questions? Many start asking as soon as they learn to speak. With wide, eager eyes, they look up at you and ask such things as: Why is the sky blue? What are the stars made of? Who taught the birds to sing? You may try hard to answer, but it is not always easy. Even your best answer may lead to yet another question: Why?
Children are not the only ones who ask questions. As we grow up, we keep asking. We do this in order to find our way, to learn of dangers that we need to avoid, or to satisfy our curiosity. But many people seem to stop asking questions, especially the most important ones. At least, they stop searching for the answers.
Think about the questions, the questions raised, or those at the beginning. These are some of the most important questions you can ask. Yet, many people have given up trying to find the answers. Why? Does the Bible have the answers? Some feel that its answers are too hard to understand. Others worry that asking questions could lead to shame or embarrassment. And some decide that such questions are best left to religious leaders and teachers. What about you? Very likely you are interested in getting answers to life’s big questions. No doubt you sometimes wonder: ‘What is the purpose of life? Is this life all there is? What is God really like?’ It is good to ask such questions, and it is important that you do not give up until you find satisfying, reliable answers. The famous teacher Jesus Christ said: “Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you.”—Matthew 7:7.
If you “keep on seeking” for answers to the important questions, you will find that the search can be very rewarding. (Proverbs 2:1-5) Despite what other people may have told you, there are answers, and you can find them—in the Bible. The answers are not too hard to understand. Better yet, they bring hope and joy. And they can help you to live a satisfying life right now. Let us consider a question that has troubled many people.
IS GOD UNCARING AND HARDHEARTED?
Many people think that the answer to that question is yes. ‘If God cared,’ they reason, ‘would not the world be a very different place?’ We look around and see a world full of war, hatred, and misery. And as individuals, we get sick, we suffer, we lose loved ones in death. Thus, many say, ‘If God cared about us and our problems, would he not prevent such things from happening? Worse yet, religious teachers sometimes lead people to think that God is hardhearted. How so? When tragedy strikes, they say that it is God’s will. In effect, such teachers blame God for the bad things that happen. Is that the truth about God? What does the Bible really teach? James 1:13 answers: “When under trial, let no one say: ‘I am being tried by God.’ For with evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone.” So God is never the source of the wickedness you see in the world around you. (Job 34:10-12) Granted, he does allow bad things to happen. But there is a big difference between allowing something to happen and causing it.
For example, think about a wise and loving father with a grown son who is still living at home with his parents. When the son becomes rebellious and decides to leave home, his father does not stop him. The son pursues a bad way of life and gets into trouble. Is the father the cause of his son’s problems? No. (Luke 15:11-13) Similarly, God has not stopped humans when they have chosen to pursue a bad course, but he is not the cause of the problems that have resulted. Surely, then, it would be unfair to blame God for all the troubles of mankind.God has good reasons for allowing mankind to follow a bad course. As our wise and powerful Creator, he does not have to explain his reasons to us. Out of love, however, God does this. You will learn more about these reasons later on. But rest assured that God is not responsible for the problems we face. On the contrary, he gives us the only hope for a solution!—Isaiah 33:2.Furthermore, God is holy. (Isaiah 6:3) This means that he is pure and clean. There is no trace of badness in him. So we can trust him completely. That is more than we can say for humans, who sometimes become corrupt. Even the most honest human in authority often does not have the power to undo the damage that bad people do. But God is all-powerful. He can and will undo all the effects that wickedness has had on mankind. When God acts, he will do so in a way that will end evil forever!—Psalm 37:9-11.
HOW DOES GOD FEEL ABOUT INJUSTICES WE FACE?
In the meantime, how does God feel about what is going on in the world and in your life? Well, the Bible teaches that God is “a lover of justice.” (Psalm 37:28) So he cares deeply about what is right and what is wrong. He hates all kinds of injustice. The Bible says that God “felt hurt at his heart” when badness filled the world in times past. (Genesis 6:5, 6) God has not changed. (Malachi 3:6) He still hates to see the suffering that is taking place worldwide. And God hates to see people suffer. “He cares for you,” the Bible says.—1 Peter 5:7.How can we be sure that God hates to see suffering? Here is further proof. The Bible teaches that man was made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26) We thus have good qualities because God has good qualities. For example, does it bother you to see innocent people suffer? If you care about such injustices, be assured that God feels even more strongly about them.
One of the best things about humans is our ability to love. That also reflects God. The Bible teaches that “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) We love because God loves. Would love move you to end the suffering and the injustice you see in the world? If you had the power to do that, would you do it? Of course you would! You can be just as sure that God will end suffering and injustice. God’s promises are sure to come true! In order to put faith in such promises, though, you need to know more about the God who has made them.
GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW WHO HE IS
If you want someone to get to know you, what might you do? Would you not tell the person your name? Does God have a name? Many religions answer that his name is “God” or “Lord,” but those are not personal names. They are titles, just as “king” and “president” are titles. The Bible teaches that God has many titles. “God” and “Lord” are among them. However, the Bible also teaches that God has a personal name: Jehovah. Psalm 83:18 says: “You, whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.” If your Bible translation does not contain that name, you may want to learn why that is so. The truth is that God’s name appears thousands of times in ancient Bible manuscripts. So Jehovah wants you to know his name and to use it. In a sense, he is using the Bible to introduce himself to you.
God gave himself a name that is full of meaning. His name, Jehovah, means that God can fulfill any promise he makes and can carry out any purpose he has in mind. God’s name is unique, one of a kind. It belongs only to him. In a number of ways, Jehovah is unique. How is that so? We saw that Psalm 83:18 said of Jehovah: “You alone are the Most High.” Similarly, Jehovah alone is referred to as “the Almighty.” Revelation 15:3 says: “Great and wonderful are your works, Jehovah God, the Almighty. Righteous and true are your ways, King of eternity.” The title “the Almighty” teaches us that Jehovah is the most powerful being there is. His power is unmatched; it is supreme. And the title “King of eternity” reminds us that Jehovah is unique in another sense. He alone has always existed. Psalm 90:2 says: “Even from time indefinite to time indefinite [or, forever] you are God.”
That thought inspires awe, does it not?Jehovah is also unique in that he alone is the Creator. Revelation 4:11 reads: “You are worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.” Everything that you can think of—from the invisible spirit creatures in heaven to the stars that fill the night sky to the fruit that grows on the trees to the fish that swim in the oceans and rivers—all of it exists because Jehovah is the Creator!
CAN YOU BE CLOSE TO JEHOVAH?
Reading about Jehovah’s awe-inspiring qualities makes some people feel a little uneasy. They fear that God is too high for them, that they could never get close to him or even matter to such a lofty God. But is this idea correct? The Bible teaches just the opposite. It says of Jehovah: “In fact, he is not far off from each one of us.” (Acts 17:27) The Bible even urges us: “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.”—James 4:8. How can you draw close to God? To begin with, continue doing what you are doing now—learning about God. Jesus said: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3) Yes, the Bible teaches that learning about Jehovah and Jesus leads to “everlasting life”! As already noted, “God is love.” (1 John 4:16) Jehovah also has many other beautiful and appealing qualities. For example, the Bible says that Jehovah is “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness and truth.” (Exodus 34:6) He is “good and ready to forgive.” (Psalm 86:5) God is patient. (2 Peter 3:9) He is loyal. (Revelation 15:4) As you read more in the Bible, you will see how Jehovah has shown that he has these and many other appealing qualities.
True, you cannot see God because he is an invisible spirit. (John 1:18; 4:24; 1 Timothy 1:17) By learning about him through the pages of the Bible, however, you can come to know him as a person. As the psalmist said, you can “behold the pleasantness of Jehovah.” (Psalm 27:4; Romans 1:20) The more you learn about Jehovah, the more real he will become to you and the more reason you will have to love him and feel close to him.You will come to understand why the Bible teaches us to think of Jehovah as our Father. (Matthew 6:9) Not only does our life come from him but he wants the best life possible for us—just as any loving father would want for his children. (Psalm 36:9) The Bible also teaches that humans can become Jehovah’s friends. (James 2:23) Imagine—you can become a friend of the Creator of the universe!
As you learn more from the Bible, you may find that some well-meaning people will urge you to stop such studies. They may worry that you will change your beliefs. But do not let anyone stop you from forming the best friendship you can ever have.Of course, there will be things that you do not understand at first. It can be a little humbling to ask for help, but do not hold back because of embarrassment. Jesus said that it is good to be humble, like a little child. (Matthew 18:2-4) And children, as we know, ask a lot of questions. God wants you to find the answers. The Bible praises some who were eager to learn about God. They checked carefully in the Scriptures to make sure that what they were learning was the truth.—Acts 17:11. The best way to learn about Jehovah is to examine the Bible. It is different from any other book. In what way?
We will discuss that next Friday!! Have a great weekend!!!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
7 day theory
No this is not the 2pac seven day theory or how to prove he is still alive although if you look up his seven day theory it's very interesting. The question in the last post was and if the world was created in just 7 days. As mentioned I answered this very question in email but I was clearing my gmail and only kept 2 to 3 emails and deleted everything thing else that has been answered.
If you notice in the Book of Genesis starting with the very first page of your bible read chapter 1 verse 1 and read all the day to chapter 2 verse 4. After reading it, did you find anything at all that said the "days" referred to there were limited to 24 hour days? The word "day" could not always mean a 24hr period in this passage for at the end of the account the entire period, including all the "days" referred to there, is called "the day that God made the Earth and Heaven. Genesis 2:4 mentions "day" does not mean 24hrs for it includes the entire creative period.
The word "day" can also mean "age". Think of references such as Noah's day or Caesar's day or other epochs that were far longer than 24hrs but were marked with a specific beginning and a definite end. It should be noted that these seven great creative "days" do not include the creation of the universe, but only the preparation of Earth for man. The bible does not say when the sun, starts, planets, even the earth were created. Genesis 1:1 says that in the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth but it does not say when that beginning was or how much time passed in between the creation of the universe and the beginning of the first of the seven days mentioned in the the next verse.
Another important point is that the first six days came to an end - but not the seventh!. The report of the first six days closes with a statement similar to the one for the six day which says " And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a sixth day starting at Genesis chapter 1 verse 5 but this concluding expression does not appear for the seventh day, on which God rested. The Apostle Paul understood that this seventh day, the rest day, was still continuing. He referred specially to this rest day mentioned in Genesis where Paul stated " Let us therefore do our utmost to enter into that rest found at Heb 4:4,11. It's only logical that the peaceful thousand year reign of Jesus who is identified in Matthew chapter 12 verse 8 also be part of God's great Sabbath, or rest day. Thus, the great "seventh day" of God's resting from material creation on earth would include the nearly 6,000 years of biblical history since Adam, plus the 1,000 years of Christ's reign found at Revelation 20 verse 1 through 6 shows is yet to come. So, if the other six of this group of seven great creative "days" are as long as the last one, then each one must have been or could have been 7,000 years long.
Some may not believe the created days but if you believe in Jesus then you must believe the creative days since Jesus himself stated credited the Genesis account with being factual, for he quoted that Genesis account as authoritative, saying: “Did you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will stick to his wife, and the two will be one flesh’ So in review
How long were the days of creation? The Bible gives us a clue as to the length of the seventh day. Since these “days” were all part of one ‘week,’ it would be reasonable to conclude that all these “days” were of the same length.
As regards the length of the seventh day it is indeed of interest that the Bible says nothing about ‘an evening and a morning,’ a beginning and an end to the seventh day as in the case of the other six days. This is a meaningful omission. The record simply states: “God proceeded to bless the seventh day and make it sacred, because on it he has been resting from all his work.”—Gen. 2:3.
The only logical conclusion that we can reach is that the seventh day has continued right on. Does the Bible support this conclusion? Yes, it most certainly does, for it speaks of Jehovah God as still resting thousands of years after creation. Thus at Psalm 95:8-11, we read that Jehovah said to the Israelites in the wilderness that they would not enter into his rest because of the hardness of their hearts. This shows that God had been resting from works of the sort described in Genesis chapters one and two from the creation of Eve to that time, more than 2,500 years.
The psalmist David, some 400 years later, at Psalm 95:8-11 speaks of entering into God’s rest in his day. And then more than a thousand years after David’s time the writer of Hebrews speaks of Jehovah God as still resting in his day. He counsels Christians not to be like the Israelites in the wilderness who failed to enter into God’s rest, but that they should do their “utmost to enter into that rest,” Jehovah’s rest. In this connection he says that “there remains a sabbath resting for the people of God.” And as the words of the apostle Paul are applicable to Christians today, it follows that Jehovah has been enjoying his sabbath or rest from physical creation almost six thousand years now.—Heb. 4:9, 11.
This accounts for 6,000 years. Is that the length of the seventh day? No, because we read that “God proceeded to bless the seventh day and make it sacred.” Its outcome must be “very good,” and that is not true of present world conditions; so the “day” must still be continuing. Actually these six thousand years have been, as it were, man’s workweek, in which he labored by the sweat of his face. But he will get rest during the coming thousand-year reign of Christ, which Bible chronology and fulfillment of Bible prophecy show is to begin very soon.—Gen. 2:3.
The seventh one thousand years of the seventh “day” will thus in itself be a sabbath. During it Satan and his demons will be bound. Christ and his anointed followers will rule with him as kings and priests. With what result? That all God’s enemies will be put beneath Christ’s feet. By means of this sabbath the seventh day will truly be sacred, for it will cause righteousness to flourish.—1 Cor. 15:24-28; Rev. 20:1-6; Psalm 72.
Thus we find the seventh “day” of the creative week to be seven thousand years long. On the basis of the length of the seventh “day” it is therefore reasonable to conclude that each of the other six “days” also was a period of 7,000 years. This length of time would be ample for all that the Bible tells us took place on each of the six days of creation. Interesting isn't it.
According to Genesis 5:3-29; 7:6, from the creation of Adam to the Flood 1,656 years elapsed. Genesis 11:10-12:4 shows that 427 years elapsed from the deluge until God’s covenant with Abraham. And Galatians 3:17 shows that 430 years elapsed from then to the giving of the Law, making upward of 2,500 years. In 1626 Henry Ainsworth quoted one of them in his Annotations upon the First Booke of Moses Called Genesis as saying: “If we expound the seventh day, of the seventh thousand of years, which is the world to come, the exposition is, and he blessed, because in the seventh thousand, all souls shall be bound in the bundell of life . . . so our Rabbins of blessed memory, have sayd in their commentarie; God blessed the seventh day, the holy God blessed the world to come, which beginneth in the seventh thousand (of years).” The world to come is the 1,000-year reign of the Messiah, a fitting climax to the symbolic week of 7,000 years that make up man’s existence on earth during God’s rest day. It will bring to mankind rest from slaving toil and from the bondage of sin.
Thus we see God’s use of the perfect number seven. The creative week consisted of seven days that were made up, not merely of hours, but of 7,000 years each. This means that each creative day was, within itself, a week of 1,000-year days. Following this master pattern, the nation of Israel was given a symbolic week of one-year days, with every seventh year being a sabbath rest for the land. This brings us down to the literal week of seven days, the seventh day of which was a sabbath in the nation of Israel. It was logical, therefore, that the fourth commandment should make reference to the great creative week of which the literal week is a small replica.
Since God’s rest day was, as it should be, much greater than the twenty-four-hour rest day for which it is the pattern, it is a mistake to conclude that his blessing of his great rest day meant that all mankind was obligated to observe a sabbath rest every seventh day. Again, The word “day” in the Bible is used with several different meanings, even as it has a variety of applications in modern times. As the earth makes one complete rotation on its axis, it measures out one day of 24 hours. In this sense, a day is made up of daytime and nighttime, a total of 24 hours. (John 20:19) However, the daylight period itself, usually averaging 12 hours, is also called day. “And God began calling the light Day, but the darkness he called Night.” (Gen. 1:5) This gives rise to the time term “night,” the period usually averaging 12 hours of darkness. (Ex. 10:13) Another sense is where the word “day(s)” refers to a period of time contemporaneous with some outstanding person. For example, Isaiah saw his vision “in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah” (Isa. 1:1), and the days of Noah and of Lot are mentioned as being prophetic. (Luke 17:26-30) Another example of the flexible or figurative use of the word “day” is Peter’s saying that “one day is with Jehovah as a thousand years.” (2 Pet. 3:8) In the Genesis account, the creative day is an even longer period of time—millenniums. (Gen. 2:2, 3; Ex. 20:11) The Bible context indicates the sense in which the word “day” applies.
Phew... So a day as Peter mentioned could be 1000 years to God. He said it I didn't.
Anyway, next question for the next topic. Did God Pick Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus?
If you notice in the Book of Genesis starting with the very first page of your bible read chapter 1 verse 1 and read all the day to chapter 2 verse 4. After reading it, did you find anything at all that said the "days" referred to there were limited to 24 hour days? The word "day" could not always mean a 24hr period in this passage for at the end of the account the entire period, including all the "days" referred to there, is called "the day that God made the Earth and Heaven. Genesis 2:4 mentions "day" does not mean 24hrs for it includes the entire creative period.
The word "day" can also mean "age". Think of references such as Noah's day or Caesar's day or other epochs that were far longer than 24hrs but were marked with a specific beginning and a definite end. It should be noted that these seven great creative "days" do not include the creation of the universe, but only the preparation of Earth for man. The bible does not say when the sun, starts, planets, even the earth were created. Genesis 1:1 says that in the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth but it does not say when that beginning was or how much time passed in between the creation of the universe and the beginning of the first of the seven days mentioned in the the next verse.
Another important point is that the first six days came to an end - but not the seventh!. The report of the first six days closes with a statement similar to the one for the six day which says " And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, a sixth day starting at Genesis chapter 1 verse 5 but this concluding expression does not appear for the seventh day, on which God rested. The Apostle Paul understood that this seventh day, the rest day, was still continuing. He referred specially to this rest day mentioned in Genesis where Paul stated " Let us therefore do our utmost to enter into that rest found at Heb 4:4,11. It's only logical that the peaceful thousand year reign of Jesus who is identified in Matthew chapter 12 verse 8 also be part of God's great Sabbath, or rest day. Thus, the great "seventh day" of God's resting from material creation on earth would include the nearly 6,000 years of biblical history since Adam, plus the 1,000 years of Christ's reign found at Revelation 20 verse 1 through 6 shows is yet to come. So, if the other six of this group of seven great creative "days" are as long as the last one, then each one must have been or could have been 7,000 years long.
Some may not believe the created days but if you believe in Jesus then you must believe the creative days since Jesus himself stated credited the Genesis account with being factual, for he quoted that Genesis account as authoritative, saying: “Did you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will stick to his wife, and the two will be one flesh’ So in review
How long were the days of creation? The Bible gives us a clue as to the length of the seventh day. Since these “days” were all part of one ‘week,’ it would be reasonable to conclude that all these “days” were of the same length.
As regards the length of the seventh day it is indeed of interest that the Bible says nothing about ‘an evening and a morning,’ a beginning and an end to the seventh day as in the case of the other six days. This is a meaningful omission. The record simply states: “God proceeded to bless the seventh day and make it sacred, because on it he has been resting from all his work.”—Gen. 2:3.
The only logical conclusion that we can reach is that the seventh day has continued right on. Does the Bible support this conclusion? Yes, it most certainly does, for it speaks of Jehovah God as still resting thousands of years after creation. Thus at Psalm 95:8-11, we read that Jehovah said to the Israelites in the wilderness that they would not enter into his rest because of the hardness of their hearts. This shows that God had been resting from works of the sort described in Genesis chapters one and two from the creation of Eve to that time, more than 2,500 years.
The psalmist David, some 400 years later, at Psalm 95:8-11 speaks of entering into God’s rest in his day. And then more than a thousand years after David’s time the writer of Hebrews speaks of Jehovah God as still resting in his day. He counsels Christians not to be like the Israelites in the wilderness who failed to enter into God’s rest, but that they should do their “utmost to enter into that rest,” Jehovah’s rest. In this connection he says that “there remains a sabbath resting for the people of God.” And as the words of the apostle Paul are applicable to Christians today, it follows that Jehovah has been enjoying his sabbath or rest from physical creation almost six thousand years now.—Heb. 4:9, 11.
This accounts for 6,000 years. Is that the length of the seventh day? No, because we read that “God proceeded to bless the seventh day and make it sacred.” Its outcome must be “very good,” and that is not true of present world conditions; so the “day” must still be continuing. Actually these six thousand years have been, as it were, man’s workweek, in which he labored by the sweat of his face. But he will get rest during the coming thousand-year reign of Christ, which Bible chronology and fulfillment of Bible prophecy show is to begin very soon.—Gen. 2:3.
The seventh one thousand years of the seventh “day” will thus in itself be a sabbath. During it Satan and his demons will be bound. Christ and his anointed followers will rule with him as kings and priests. With what result? That all God’s enemies will be put beneath Christ’s feet. By means of this sabbath the seventh day will truly be sacred, for it will cause righteousness to flourish.—1 Cor. 15:24-28; Rev. 20:1-6; Psalm 72.
Thus we find the seventh “day” of the creative week to be seven thousand years long. On the basis of the length of the seventh “day” it is therefore reasonable to conclude that each of the other six “days” also was a period of 7,000 years. This length of time would be ample for all that the Bible tells us took place on each of the six days of creation. Interesting isn't it.
According to Genesis 5:3-29; 7:6, from the creation of Adam to the Flood 1,656 years elapsed. Genesis 11:10-12:4 shows that 427 years elapsed from the deluge until God’s covenant with Abraham. And Galatians 3:17 shows that 430 years elapsed from then to the giving of the Law, making upward of 2,500 years. In 1626 Henry Ainsworth quoted one of them in his Annotations upon the First Booke of Moses Called Genesis as saying: “If we expound the seventh day, of the seventh thousand of years, which is the world to come, the exposition is, and he blessed, because in the seventh thousand, all souls shall be bound in the bundell of life . . . so our Rabbins of blessed memory, have sayd in their commentarie; God blessed the seventh day, the holy God blessed the world to come, which beginneth in the seventh thousand (of years).” The world to come is the 1,000-year reign of the Messiah, a fitting climax to the symbolic week of 7,000 years that make up man’s existence on earth during God’s rest day. It will bring to mankind rest from slaving toil and from the bondage of sin.
Thus we see God’s use of the perfect number seven. The creative week consisted of seven days that were made up, not merely of hours, but of 7,000 years each. This means that each creative day was, within itself, a week of 1,000-year days. Following this master pattern, the nation of Israel was given a symbolic week of one-year days, with every seventh year being a sabbath rest for the land. This brings us down to the literal week of seven days, the seventh day of which was a sabbath in the nation of Israel. It was logical, therefore, that the fourth commandment should make reference to the great creative week of which the literal week is a small replica.
Since God’s rest day was, as it should be, much greater than the twenty-four-hour rest day for which it is the pattern, it is a mistake to conclude that his blessing of his great rest day meant that all mankind was obligated to observe a sabbath rest every seventh day. Again, The word “day” in the Bible is used with several different meanings, even as it has a variety of applications in modern times. As the earth makes one complete rotation on its axis, it measures out one day of 24 hours. In this sense, a day is made up of daytime and nighttime, a total of 24 hours. (John 20:19) However, the daylight period itself, usually averaging 12 hours, is also called day. “And God began calling the light Day, but the darkness he called Night.” (Gen. 1:5) This gives rise to the time term “night,” the period usually averaging 12 hours of darkness. (Ex. 10:13) Another sense is where the word “day(s)” refers to a period of time contemporaneous with some outstanding person. For example, Isaiah saw his vision “in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah” (Isa. 1:1), and the days of Noah and of Lot are mentioned as being prophetic. (Luke 17:26-30) Another example of the flexible or figurative use of the word “day” is Peter’s saying that “one day is with Jehovah as a thousand years.” (2 Pet. 3:8) In the Genesis account, the creative day is an even longer period of time—millenniums. (Gen. 2:2, 3; Ex. 20:11) The Bible context indicates the sense in which the word “day” applies.
Phew... So a day as Peter mentioned could be 1000 years to God. He said it I didn't.
Anyway, next question for the next topic. Did God Pick Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)