Yesterday

I gave my bible reading and I must say besides my voice sounding like Barry White it went ok. I often get asked if I get nervous when on stage and of course I do. I try not to because you are there to encourage those listening. To give you an example of talks that I have given. I'll post here one of them and maybe a few more. This was some time ago and it was a 5 minute talk. The topic:

The Dangers of Pride and Rebellious Attitude. Below is the talk.

When you think of Pride or someone having a rebellious attitude, who do you think of? Maybe you met someone or currently know someone who displays these qualities? Maybe you, at one time displayed these qualities?

The basic Definition of Pride is: An unduly high option of oneself. Haughtiness or arrogance.

The basic Definition of Rebellion is: Armed resistance to one’s government, a defiance of any authority, resisting authority, opposing control, defiant.

Based on the definitions just read, who has displayed these qualities from the start? Who has thought more of himself? Who has showed defiance of authority and who has resisted Authority? Of course it’s none other than Satan the Devil.

Before he became Satan, he was one of Jehovah spiritual sons. He was allowed the privilege of being in the very presence of Jehovah but he allowed pride and lust for power to be like Jehovah, to develop in his heart. He wanted to be ruler. He wanted mankind to worship him instead of worshiping Jehovah.

Rebellion started with Satan and In Eve, Satan awakened a proud, selfish desire to be like the most high, and thus he turned our first parents away from worshipping Jehovah God. Throughout the history of mankind Satan has used pride of race, pride of nationality, pride of education, and pride of social status and All this serves Satan's purpose by causing mankind to rebel and to turn a deaf ear to Jehovah's message.

In the book of Revelation chapter 12 verses 12, Satan knows that he has a short time left. He has used and will continue to use pride as a tool to get us and the rest of the world to go down with him.

Please open your bibles to Proverbs Chapter 16 verse 5 - notice what is mentioned here: 5 everyone that is proud in heart is something detestable to Jehovah. Hand [may join] to hand, [yet] one will not be free from punishment.

In the bible we find various examples of those who displayed pride and a rebellious attitude. Men such as Haman, Nebecaezzar, Belshazzer, Herod, and Pharoah. Look what happened to them?

A 1954 Watchtower under the subheading Pride Destroys, Meekness saves, notice what is stated here:

HAUGHTINESS is hated by Jehovah and pride is an offense against God. Proud ones rely on self rather than Jehovah, lacking humility, not appreciating their dependence on their Creator. They proudly feel they possess superior wisdom, and may have natural abilities above the average. But what is the source of true wisdom? Where did they get their natural abilities?

Is not man indebted to the Creator for all good things? Is not Jehovah the Giver of all good gifts? What does a man have that he did not receive? Why should a man be proud in himself?

As we can see, having pride or a rebellious attitude can be a danger to Christians. We cannot please Jehovah if we display these qualities. Rebellion & Pride started with Satan. Do we really want something in common with Satan? Unlike Satan, Adam, and Eve, we want to be obedient to Jehovah and his visible organization. We want to be in submission to those taking the lead.

Open your bibles to Hebrews 13:17 - Be obedient to those who are taking the lead among YOU and be submissive, for they are keeping watch over YOUR souls as those who will render an account; that they may do this with joy and not with sighing, for this would be damaging to YOU.

The End

Now that was a talk if I recall I gave back in 2006. The next talk I gave was an instruction talk which discussed those who say they are Born again. The talk is below
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One hundred and Forty Four Thousand. Not 144,001, 144,002, but only 144,000 are going to heaven. This is a scriptural fact. Yet many believe that they will go to heaven once they pass away. In the ministry I’m sure you encountered many who believed they were going to heaven. Some may call themselves born again Christians. What does it mean to be born again? Well, many have different views about what it means to be born again.

If someone says that they are born again you could reply with a question such as - That means that you expect someday to be with Christ in heaven, doesn’t it? Have you ever wondered what those who go to heaven will do there? Perhaps you can share a scripture such as Revelation chapter 5 verse 9 and 10. Let’s open our bibles there. That’s Revelation chapter 5 and verse 9 and 10.

And they sing a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slaughtered and with your blood you bought persons for God out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, Verse 10 and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth.

It’s possible that after reading that scripture they may wonder who are these kings and who will they rule over? You can share Luke chapter 12 verse 32 or you can share with them Psalm 37:11. Open your bibles to Psalm 37:11.

That’s Psalm 37:11. It reads " But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth,
And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace."
With those three scriptures – Revelation chapter 5 verse, 9 & 10, Luke chapter 12 verse 32, and Psalm 37:11 you gave the householder something to think about.

1. Jehovah setup a kingdom.
2. The kings will rule over the earth
3. The meek ones will possess the earth.

What if someone asks us if we are born again? Well because the term born again can mean different things to different people, we could reply to the householder this way “You want to know whether I have accepted Jesus as my Savior and have received holy spirit, is that right? May I assure you that the answer is Yes; otherwise I would not be talking to you about Jesus or you can add But when I think of having the holy spirit, I find that evidence of that spirit is sadly missing in people.

You can then share Galations 5 – 22:23 which talks about the fruitage of the spirit. Wouldn’t you enjoy living on earth if everyone displayed these qualities?
Many confuse the words found at John chapter 3 verse 5 which Jesus’s states that Unless anyone is born from water and spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Many read that scripture and feel that because they feel they were baptized or born again, they will as mentioned go to heaven. While this statement it true further research into the scriptures show that there are two classes, the heavenly class and the earthly class. Scriptures mentioned earlier will help the householder understand that yes there are those who are going to heaven but there are those who will remain on earth.

A 1982 Watchtower had this to add about being born again and that we should ask ourselves these questions if we feel we are born again: What reasons have you for feeling that Jehovah God has planted this hope in you?

Could it be that your emotional feeling is a holdover from the mistaken belief you previously held while in Babylon the Great that heaven is the destiny of all good people? Or could it be that you feel this way because you had great inward disturbances, that you at first fought against the idea but it gradually won out?

But did it win out because you wanted it that way, perhaps even unconsciously? Research into this subject will not only help the householder but will also help us Responding to Viewpoints About Being Born Again.
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That talk was given back in 2007 and it's amazing that the information still hold true. While we still continue to run into those who feel being born again are somehow saved and feel nothing else needs to be done and that they will go to heaven, research into scripture still as in 2007 and even before 07 shows that not all are going to heaven.

Jesse has done a few talks, I'll see if I can find them.