Matthew 19 Concerning the saved ones and those able to enter the Kingdom

The Scriptures makes it clear what choice man has to make to receive a non-ending life after this life on earth which can be full of temptations, problems, difficulties and suffering.

In the 19th chapter of Matthew we can see that after some time going with the master teacher the disciples still did not know him. Jesus looked at the small children who wanted to come to him and saw how their soul (their inner being) was still pure and without personal interest. Jesus not only blessed the babes, but rebuked the disciples, who had misrepresented him; and says

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

For us that should be a message to become or to be like “such as these”. In our life we should get a state of purity and innocence. It is very possible that those children could have done some faults, but often having been not aware of it. It is only when one knows what is good and what is bad and when knows the rule s and regulations that one can go against such rules or laws.

The Kingdom of heaven will not be literally composed of little children, but those who want to enter the Kingdom should be like little children, innocent and pure of mind, simple-hearted, true, teachable, obedient, honest and trustful of their heavenly Father.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”” (Lu 18:17 NIV)

says Jesus. At other places in the New Testament we also do find

“And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt 18:3 NIV)

“Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”” (Mt 19:14 NIV)

“I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”” (Mr 10:15 NIV)

Instead of the children being regarded as intruders, they were most welcome to the master teacher; and, instead of being interlopers, they had full right of access, for of children and of childlike persons God His kingdom was composed and Jesus is the way to that Kingdom. Jesus spoke with certainty, using his own expressive “verily,” and he spoke with the weight of his own personal authority,

“I say unto you.”

These prefatory expressions are intended to secure our reverent attention to the fact that so far from the admission of children into the kingdom being unusual or strange none can find entrance there except they receive the gospel as a little child receives it. It is this statement of the Master which affords us a subject for this morning, which may the divine Spirit open up to us and impress upon our hearts.

As adults we have gone through a parcour of life and have made several choices to continue on our path of life. Not always did we take the right path. When we look back at the past we shall be able to notice we made many mistakes and more than once we took the wrong decision.

Making the child the model for those who seek entrance into the kingdom of God, we should remember that we too should try to get a childes attitude of innocence. Childlessness is an ‘Essential Element’ in the Christian Life.

“The LORD protects the simple-hearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.” (Ps 116:6 NIV)

“But I have stilled and quietened my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.” (Ps 131:2 NIV)

“Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.” (1Co 14:20 NIV)

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,” (1Pe 2:2 NIV)

The phrase, kingdom of heaven (lit. of the heavens), is peculiar to Matthew and signifies the Messianic earth rule of Jesus Christ, the son of David. It is called the kingdom of the heavens because it is the rule of the heavens over the earth. It is also for that kingdom Jesus prayed and taught us also to pray for.

“your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Mt 6:10 NIV)

The phrase is derived from Daniel, where it is defined as the kingdom which the God of heaven will set up after the destruction by “the stone cut out without hands,” of the Gentile world-system.

“34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing-floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. 36 “This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king.” (Da 2:34-36 NIV)

“”In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure for ever.” (Da 2:44 NIV)

“23 “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. {Or for a year, two years and half a year }26 “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed for ever. 27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’” (Da 7:23-27 NIV)

Already in the Garden of Eden God spoke about some one who would come to save the world but also who would reign. God also spoke about a kingdom covenanted to David’s seed which was described in the prophets.

“7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 8 “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men of the earth. 10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people shall not oppress them any more, as they did at the beginning” (2Sa 7:7-10 NIV)

Under an heir of king David would an other kingdom being established which would be greater and stronger. That heir would be born of a virgin, therefore truly man, but also “Immanuel,” the one coming from (or sent by) God. That person was
confirmed to be Jesus the Christ, the son of Mary, through the angel Gabriel.

“32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; his kingdom will never end.”” (Lu 1:32-33 NIV)

It is that never ending kingdom where at first that man shall be the king, we have to look for. A kingdom heavenly in origin, principle, and authority.

“”In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure for ever.” (Da 2:44 NIV)

When hoping to be a partaker of that kingdom one has to obey the commandments so that life can come to this one who is willing to love God and to be His child. Many think they do not have to do any works any more, because they are saved. But Jesus warns them and us, that they may not be mistaken and that it is easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than for man to enter the small gate to the Kingdom.

He clearly indicates we have to keep to the commandments of god, even when that would not always so easy.

“17 …. Jesus replied.

“There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” the man enquired. Jesus replied,

“23  Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”” (Mt 19:23-24 NIV)

Jesus gives also those commandments we have to fulfil or keep to.

18 … “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,
19 honour your father and mother,’ {Exodus 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20 }
and ‘love your neighbour as yourself.’” {Lev. 19:18 } (Mt 19:17-19 NIV)

Jesus also gives a hope for those who are willing to follow him.

“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother {Some manuscripts mother or wife } or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Mt 19:29 NIV)

But first we have to seek God His kingdom, and His righteousness before all these good things the bible talks about, shall be added unto us. (Matthew 6:33) First the Kingdom, and then God’s righteousness, this should be our greatest care and not some other standard (See Romans 14:17: kingdom).

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” (Ro 14:17 NIV)

When we want to enter the kingdom of God we should prepare ourselves and work at our character, making sure that we do our best to keep to God’s commandements.

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Preceding

Matthew 6:1-34 – The Nazarene’s Commentary on Leviticus 19:18 Continued 5 Matthew 6: 24-34: e) Anxiety and neighbor love

Matthew 19:1-2 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: From Galilee to Judah

Matthew 19:3-9 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Grounds for Divorce

Matthew 19:3-9 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Grounds for Divorce – additional verses

Matthew 19:10-12 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Celibacy

Matthew 19:13-15 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Kingdom Belongs to Child-lik

Matthew 19:16-24 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Difficulty of Rich Entering the Kingdom

Matthew 19:25-26 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Who Can be Saved

Matthew 19:27-29 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: We Have Left Everything for You!

Matthew 19:30 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: First Last – Last First

 

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Find also to read

1. January 27, 417, Pope Innocent I condemning Pelagius about Faith and Works
2. The Mountain: Radical Obedience
3. Justification – salvation is by grace through faith – JI Packer
4. Seeds, weeds and kingdoms
5. Which is worse–works without faith, or faith without works?
6. Ability (part 5) Thought about the abilities to be under God’s Spirit

Ableness to forgive those who wronged us

In the 18th chapter of Matthew we learn that we should humble ourselves. Jesus also tells us we should be open to welcome the ‘innocent” or “young ones’ or “children” and warns us for the dangers of following our temptations.

Woe to the world because of temptations! For it must be that temptations come, but woe to that man by whom the temptation comes! {Matthew 18:7 MEV}

We perhaps can not escape to receive many temptations, but we can avoid falling for them. In our life we shall encounter many times, we ourself doing wrong, but also others doing wrong against us. That shall put us often in a difficult position, having to take a certain attitude against the one who did wrong to us.

In Matthew 6:15, Jesus looked at that situation where we would meet people who did something we did not like or found wrong. Jesus then taught that if we would not forgive men their trespasses, how could we then expect God to be willing to forgive our trespasses?

We should know that others, like ourself, can do wrong. Such wrong doing should not always be done on purpose. And even when it would be, it is up to the follower of Christ to take the first step. Though forgiveness isn’t always easy, the follower of Christ should remember Jesus his example.

The Jews knew about Judaic teachings emphasizing forgiveness for those who have offended. In the Testament of Gad, for example, the writer says

“Love one another from the heart, therefore, and if anyone sins against you, speak to him in peace. Expel the venom of hatred, and do not harbor deceit in your heart. If anyone confesses and repents, forgive him” (T.Gad 6:3).

When speaking from the heart, others soon shall come to find out what sort of heart you have. A good Jew was required not to have a heart of stone. The example above is sufficient to demonstrate Jews in the first century were not proto-Puritans condemning everyone’s sin, nor were they standing on the street corners with signs damning everyone else to Hell. For the most part, the Judaism of Jesus’s day understood they had received great mercy and grace from God and that the “venom of hatred” does no one any good.

In Jewish teachings it was taught every Jew as a Chosen one of God had to respect any other human being, because each man is created in the image of Gdo and as such as creatures of the Most High Elohim should be respected by a child of God.

It is known that offering mercy and forgiveness is not easy. When Peter asked Jesus

“Lord, how often shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

he probably thought he was being gracious with forgiving 7 times.

Jesus his reply may be astonishing, what a number of times we should forgive: he says seventy times seven which is 490. Even so He means this figuratively. We are to forgive always.

We should look at our Creator Who had to endure the rebellion of man and Who saw man going astray so often, but always was willing to come close again and help man. On many occasions God showed His love for the sinful man. Man should come to see that the Kingdom we strive for is really built on forgiveness.

To be able to forgive there first has to be love. Without love there is no possibility to honestly take the right attitude against the one who did wrong to you. We may not forget that love wipes away many sins. (1 Peter 4:8) Forgiving is covering up. Having to face a multitude of sins in our life we shall have to disregard the offences of others many times. Each time the memories of the wrong resurface, we may need to forgive again and again.

The difficulty we may face is that our emotions do not agree with forgiveness, but then we should think of Christ Jesus who looked at the people around him and knew very well what he had to do to bring salvation over them. Would we do such a thing like Jesus did? Giving our life for an other?

Remember the unending forgiveness God has already given to the disciples, and by extension to all those who are in Christ in the present age. We should come to reflect the unending mercy of the heavenly Father who has already forgiven mankind of all of their sins.

Let’s not hold grudges today and let not our pride being stronger than our humbleness. In a way it requires to be humble to put our own grudges away. Let’s remember that bitterness only destroys the vessel that carries it. Let’s love in spite of our feelings.

Sometimes we have to start all over and forgive again and again. The bigger the hurt or wrong, the harder forgiveness can be. But if Jesus can forgive us of our greatest wrong, then we too should be able to forgive others who have wronged us.

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Preceding posts

Matthew 18:7-11 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Danger of Stumbling-blocks

Matthew 18:12-14 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Searching for Lost Sheep

Matthew 18:15-17 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Three Steps to Gaining a Brother

Matthew 18:21-22 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Forgive 77 Times!

Paul’s warning about false stories and his call to quit touching the unclean thing

Paul’s warning about false stories is in the first letter he wrote to Timothy, a Christian elder. Paul told Timothy to keep the congregation clean and to help his brothers and sisters to stay loyal to Jehovah.

1 Timothy 1:18, 19: 18 This instruction* I entrust to you, my child Timothy, in harmony with the prophecies that were made about you, that by these you may go on waging the fine warfare,+ 19 holding faith and a good conscience,+ which some have thrust aside, resulting in the shipwreck of their faith.

The Greek word that Paul used for “false stories” means “a lie” or “a made-up story.” One book says that a false story is a religious story that has no connection with what is real. (The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia) Perhaps Paul was thinking about the religious lies that came from old stories that people made up and that made others curious.*

Paul said that these stories were dangerous because they “furnish questions for research.” This means that people who pay attention to these stories start having questions about things that are not true and then use their time trying to find the answers.

The adversaries of God (also called Satan) do like to bring division in those who are looking for God and into those who want to be part of the Body of Christ. Christendom has lots of preachers who worship another god than Jews, like Jesus worshipped only One True God. They follow lots of human teachings which where brought into the religion by the years, by so called “theologians” who claimed to be clergy ordained by God.

We must be fully aware that there are lots of people who like to twist the words of the bible, which we consider the infallible Word of God. They offer the world a false religion to fool people. That is why the Bible says that he makes himself into “an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14) For example, the religions of Christendom say that they follow Christ, but they teach lies like the Trinity and hellfire. They also teach that some part of humans lives on after the death of the body. Many think that Christmas and Easter please God, but the things that people do during these celebrations really come from false worship. False stories will not fool us if we pay attention to God’s warning to separate ourselves from false religion and

“quit touching the unclean thing.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-17).

When we hear the majority of people we may get the impression it all does not matter so much. But we may not be mistaken. God gives enough warnings and lets the world know that He is a serious God of order who wants people to recognise Him as the Only One true God. As a jealous God He also does not like it that graven images or pictures are  made of Him and other gods to pray to Him and other gods. He detest any form of heathen worship. But lots of people want to convince you and others that it does not matter to participate at those many heathen festivals, like Halloween, Christmas, Easter and so on. They want you to believe all those stories about Santa Claus, the elf’s, Easter bunnies do no harm. Such teachers are the ones Paul and other apostles warn for. Because they allow wrong actions to be done by you, and you to be a partaker of heathen festivals, which is an abomination in the eyes of God.

A map of the world, showing the major religions distributed in the world as of today. A different type of map which views only the religion as a whole excluding denominations or sects of the religions, and is colored by how the religions are distributed not by main religion of country etc. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We may never forget that the first and biggest lie, which false teachers bring is:

You can do whatever you want; you decide what is right and what is wrong.

We often hear this on television, in movies, in magazines, in newspapers, and on the Internet. Because we hear this lie all the time, it is easy for us to start to think that way and follow the immoral ideas of the world. But the truth is that we need God to tell us what is right and what is wrong.

Jeremiah 10:23: 23 I well know, O Jehovah, that man’s way does not belong to him. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.+

The second lie is:

You are now saved and free to do whatever you want. God will never change anything on the earth.

This idea makes people think only about today. They do not care about the future or about pleasing God. Several preachers wants the Christians to believe they are saved for ever and have not to worry any more about what they do or if they sin, because according to those false teachers they always will end up in heaven.

Such thought of not having to do any works of faith is a false teaching which lures lots of Christians in not bothering any more to do good and to avoid doing wrong. Lots of people start to think like them and then become “inactive or unfruitful” in their service to God. They become partakers of this world corrupt system, avoiding you to escape the entrapments of this world.

2 Peter 1:4-8-11: 4 Through these things he has granted* us the precious and very grand promises,+ so that through these you may become sharers in divine nature,+ having escaped from the world’s corruption produced by wrong desire.* 5 For this very reason, put forth all earnest effort+ to supply to your faith virtue,+ to your virtue knowledge,+ 6 to your knowledge self-control, to your self-control+ endurance, to your endurance godly devotion,+ 7 to your godly devotion brotherly affection, to your brotherly affection love.+ 8 For if these things exist in you and overflow, they will prevent you from being either inactive or unfruitful*+ regarding the accurate knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 For anyone lacking these things is blind, shutting his eyes to the light,*+ and has become forgetful of his cleansing from his sins+ of long ago. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling+ and choosing sure for yourselves, for if you keep on doing these things, you will by no means ever fail.+ 11 In fact, in this way you will be richly granted* entrance into the everlasting Kingdom+ of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.+

False teachers blind people or shut their eyes for their actions and for abstaining from certain actions the people of the world like to do. They give the impression it does not harm to be of this world and to partake into all the actions of this world.

Peresopnytsia Gospels. 1556-1561. Miniature of Saint Matthew. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Already early in the beginning of manhood man became to dread the presence of God because they were under His wrath. The children of Adam and Eve present to us a picture of good and false religion. Cain his offering was not done in the right way and was rejected, which made him furious and made him to kill his brother Abel. Later in history man sought all sorts of ways to elucidate things he could not understand and therefore started making different gods. They also started to split the elements of nature into characters of God, often giving reason for them to worship elements of natural phenomenons and creating ones-more false gods. Trying to declare the events in our world lots of philosophies were brought forward. Many people got carried away by such philosophies and by teachers using lots of such theories. Also today we can see that false teachers take many captive through their words full of philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on the teachings of the Jewish Nazarene Jeshua, Christ Jesus.

Colossians 2:8-9: 8 Look out that no one takes you captive* by means of the philosophy and empty deception+ according to human tradition, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ; 9 because it is in him that all the fullness of the divine quality dwells bodily.+

Neither Jesus nor his disciples ever quoted oral Jewish tradition to support their teachings but, rather, appealed to the written Word of God. (Mt 4:4-10; Ro 15:4; 2Ti 3:15-17) It is the Word of Gdo as presented in the Scriptures which we should hear and take into account.

Mt 4:4-10: 4 But he answered: “It is written: ‘Man must live, not on bread alone, but on every word that comes from Jehovah’s* mouth.’”+

5 Then the Devil took him along into the holy city,+ and he stationed him on the battlement* of the temple+ 6 and said to him: “If you are a son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written: ‘He will give his angels a command concerning you,’ and, ‘They will carry you on their hands, so that you may not strike your foot against a stone.’”+ 7 Jesus said to him: “Again it is written: ‘You must not put Jehovah* your God to the test.’”+

8 Again the Devil took him along to an unusually high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.+ 9 And he said to him: “All these things I will give you if you fall down and do an act of worship to me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him: “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘It is Jehovah* your God you must worship,+ and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’”+ 11 

Jesus as the son of God never wanted to test God and preferred doing God His will, not his own will. Jesus gave an example to us how we, like him, should obey only Jehovah God and not try the Most High God to see how far we can go or what we can do to better ourselves. All people should come to understand not human teachings are going to bring the all life saving knowledge. Man should know that the Most High God provided all knowledge man should know to come to live a proper life giving him the opportunity to enter the Kingdom of God.

Ro 15:4: 4 For all the things that were written beforehand were written for our instruction,+ so that through our endurance+ and through the comfort from the Scriptures we might have hope.+

Though it might ask patience fro mus it are the writings in those old manuscripts, reprinted in the different Bible translations, which shall bring hope and comfort. We must pay full attention to those words in that Book of books, Bestseller of all times, that was written for our instruction in order that through the steadfastness and encouragement in the scriptures we may have hope. False teachers do bring false hope and might even take away the opportunity to enter the Kingdom of God, because you going in against the Will of God.

From the early gatherings of the followers of Christ we can see that observance of the unscriptural Jewish traditions amounted to a “fruitless form of conduct” that Jewish persons had ‘received by tradition from their forefathers [Gr., pa·tro·pa·ra·doʹtou, “given along from fathers”].’

1Pe 1:18:  18 For you know that it was not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, that you were set free*+ from your futile way of life handed down to you by your forefathers.*

The “things given aside” (The Greek word pa·raʹdo·sis means, literally, “a thing given beside”) and hence “that which is transmitted by word of mouth or in writing.” (1Co 11:2, Int) we should be very careful with and always compare it with what is written in the Bible. The word paradosis as used in the Christian Greek Scriptures is applied to traditions that were proper or acceptable aspects of true worship, as well as to those that were in error or were followed or viewed in a way that made them harmful and objectionable. the false teachers are those who present such sayings which are in error with the bible, God’s Word.

Several Jews, upon becoming Christians, abandoned many false Jewish traditions. When some false teachers in Colossae urged taking up that form of worship, Paul warned against “the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men.” Though evidently he meant, especially, the traditions of Judaism (Col 2:8, 13-17) we also can transpose it to the Celtic and Germanic traditions which were integrated by the false church, first the Catholic Church and later also not abandoned by many protestant churches.

Viewing tradition in the sense of guidelines handed down orally or by example, the information that the apostle Paul received directly from Jesus could properly be passed on to the Christian congregations as acceptable Christian tradition. This was so, for example, regarding the celebration of the Lord’s Evening Meal. (1Co 11:2, 23) The teachings and example set by the apostles constituted valid tradition. Thus, Paul, who had personally toiled with his hands so as not to be a financial burden on his brothers (Ac 18:3; 20:34; 1Co 9:15; 1Th 2:9), could urge the Thessalonian Christians

“to withdraw from every brother walking disorderly and not according to the tradition [pa·raʹdo·sin]” they had received. One who would not work was plainly not following the fine example or tradition of the apostles. (2Th 3:6-11).

Each of us shall have to decide fro himself or herself in which way he or she wants to follow human teachings and human traditions or the Word and the Will of God. Those who want to call themselves Christian should know that God’s Word should come in the first place. all should also know that when one chooses to follow human doctrines, like the one of the Trinity a.o., it shall be decisive for what happens with that person. We always should remember

Mark 7:7-8: 7 It is in vain that they keep worshipping me, for they teach commands of men as doctrines.’+ 8 You let go of the commandment of God and cling to the tradition of men.”+

Isaiah 29:13: 13 Jehovah says: “This people approaches me with their mouth, And they honor me with their lips,+ But their heart is far removed from me; And their fear of me is based on commands of men that they have been taught.+

Following false teachers shall not bring us far. Just the other way around, it shall bring us on the wrong track, further away from the entrance to the Kingdom of God.

The truth is that Jehovah will soon change things on the earth, and we must show by the way we live that we really believe that there is Only One True God above all gods and that He had sent His only begotten son, who did not do his own will (which he would have done when he – Jesus -would be God) and gave his body as a ransom for our sins to liberate us from the enslavement of sin and the curse of death. In that son of man we should find our hope, because God authorised him to be a high priest for God and a mediator between God and man. We may be looking forward to the time this man of flesh and blood, who was taken up in heaven to sit next to God, shall come back to the earth to judge the living and the dead. Make sure that you are ready for that time.

Matthew 24:44: 44 On this account, you too prove yourselves ready,+ because the Son of man is coming at an hour that you do not think to be it.

Mark 13:35: 35 Keep on the watch, therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming,+ whether late in the day or at midnight or before dawn* or early in the morning,+

Make sure you prove yourself ready by being alert, always on the lookout,

Mark 13:33: 33 Keep looking, keep awake,+ for you do not know when the appointed time is.+

Romans 13:11 : 11 And do this because you know the season, that it is already the hour for you to awake from sleep,+ for now our salvation is nearer than at the time when we became believers.

1 Thessalonians 5:6: 6 So, then, let us not sleep on as the rest do,+ but let us stay awake+ and keep our senses.+

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Footnote:

• The book of Tobit, or Tobias, which some people think is part of the Bible, is an example of the false stories that existed in Paul’s time. It was written about the third century before Christ. This book is full of false beliefs and stories of magic. It tells impossible stories but says that they are true.

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Preceding articles

Matthew 7:13-14 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: The True Disciple #1 The Narrow Gate and the way to destruction

Matthew 7:15-20 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: The True Disciple #2 False prophets and fruitage

Matthew 7:13-23 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: The True Disciple #3 Matthew 7:21-23 The ones Jesus never knew

Position and power The early days of Christianity

False teachers and false prophets still around

Good or bad preacher

Teachings, prophets, wolves in sheep’s covering and a narrow gate

2015 the year of ISIS

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Additional reading

1. Warning
2. Should We Love The Ungodly?
3. Satan Has Many Roads That Lead To Him But Jesus Only Has One
4. Settling for Less
5. Fundamentals of Iglesia Ni Cristo. 26 Points Contrary to the Holy Bible.
6. Beware of Counterfeit Catholicism
7. Prophecy or Divination?
8. The beginning of false religion
9. High-living North Carolina ‘prosperity gospel’ pastor indicted for bilking church in massive tax fraud scam
10. Being Religious and Spiritual 6 Romantici, utopists and transcendentalists
11. Lord in place of the divine name
12. Displeasures and Actions of the Almighty God
13. Relapse plan
14. Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach
15. Halloween custom of the nations
16. Christmas in Ancient Rome (AKA Saturnalia)
17. Great things, Voice of God and terrors
18. Satan the evil within

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Further related posts

1. My experience today with detecting cults / false churches
2. Brian Leonard Golightly Marshall False Messiah Part 1
3. The Warlord Of Religion 
4. True and false religion
5. It’s Never been about Religion!
6. Cookie a day: Topic-Man-Made Tradition
7. Speck In Your Eye
8. “Westboro Baptist Church cheers on Hurricane Irma via Twitter”
9. Calvinism & Christianity
10. If God spoke to us audibly
11. Why Are there So Many “Gods” & Religions?
12. Know God in a Year #191 Religion Gone Bad
13. Church History is good to know
14. Confounding the Idols: A Rebuke of the Impotency of the Modern Church
15. What Is A False Prophet?
16. “Cain,Tubal Cain, Mystery Babylon & The Image of the Beast”
17. Confident Evangelism: Roman Catholicism
18. What makes a false religion, false?
19. Babylon Is Fallen
20. The Danger Of Hyper-Grace
21. Falling for Anything

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Related articles

• Why religion isn’t going away and science won’t destroy it
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• White Christians shift from majority to minority in US population: survey
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• Religious freedom in N. Korea remains “of concern” to U.S.: State Department
• Mike Lee warns Democrats: Your hostility to religion makes average Americans feel despised by their leaders
• Religious or spiritual beliefs can help you to thrive, say scientists
• How the triple talaq judgement was in many ways a wasted opportunity
• Iran dismisses U.S criticism on religious freedom
• Russia bans Jehovah’s Witnesses as ‘extremist’

True God giving His Word for getting wisdom

 

 

Psalm 19:1 The heavens are declaring the glory of God;+ The skies above* proclaim the work of his hands.+

Exodus 20: 1-3: 1 Then God spoke all these words:+ 2 “I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.+ 3 You must not have any other gods besides me.*+

Isaiah 7: 7: 7 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says: “It will not succeed, Nor will it take place.

Jeremiah 1: 9:9 Then Jehovah stretched out his hand and touched my mouth.+ And Jehovah said to me: “I have put my words in your mouth.+

John 14: 10: 10 Do you not believe that I am in union with the Father and the Father is in union with me?+ The things I say to you I do not speak of my own originality,+ but the Father who remains in union with me is doing his works.

Ephesians 6: 17: 17 Also, accept the helmet of salvation,+ and the sword of the spirit, that is, God’s word,+

Exodus 3: 6 He went on to say: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham,+ the God of Isaac,+ and the God of Jacob.”+ Then Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at the true God.

1 John 5:20: 20 But we know that the Son of God has come,+ and he has given us insight* so that we may gain the knowledge of the one who is true. And we are in union with the one who is true,+ by means of his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and life everlasting.+

Revelation 4:11: “You are worthy, Jehovah* our God, to receive the glory+ and the honor+ and the power,+ because you created all things,+ and because of your will they came into existence and were created.”

Exodus 6: 2 Then God said to Moses: “I am Jehovah. 3 And I used to appear to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty,+ but with regard to my name Jehovah+ I did not make myself known to them.+

Job 22:13-14: 13 But you have said: ‘What does God really know? Can he judge through thick gloom?14 Clouds screen him off so that he does not see As he walks about on the vault* of heaven.’

Nehemiah 9: 5-6: 5 And the Levites Jeshʹu·a, Kadʹmi·el, Baʹni, Hash·ab·neiʹah, She·re·biʹah, Ho·diʹah, Sheb·a·niʹah, and Peth·a·hiʹah said: “Stand up and praise Jehovah your God throughout all eternity.*+ And let them praise your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

Psalms 50: 7-17: 7 “Listen, O my people, and I will speak;Israel, I will bear witness against you.+ I am God, your God.+ 8 I do not reprove you because of your sacrifices, Nor because of your whole burnt offerings that are constantly before me.+ 9 I do not need to take a bull from your house,Nor goats* from your pens.+10 For every wild animal of the forest is mine,+ Even the beasts upon a thousand mountains. 11 I know every bird of the mountains;+ The countless animals of the field are mine. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you, For the productive land and everything in it is mine.+ 13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls And drink the blood of goats?+ 14 Offer thanksgiving as your sacrifice to God,+ And pay your vows to the Most High;+ 15 Call on me in the time of distress.+ I will rescue you, and you will glorify me.”+ 16 But God will say to the wicked: “What right do you have to relate my regulations+ Or to speak about my covenant?+ 17 For you hate discipline,* And you keep turning your back on my words.*+

Ephesians 4:11-14: 11 And he gave some as apostles,+ some as prophets,+ some as evangelizers,*+ some as shepherds and teachers,+ 12 with a view to the readjustment* of the holy ones, for ministerial work, to build up the body of the Christ,+ 13 until we all attain to the oneness* of the faith and of the accurate knowledge of the Son of God, to being a full-grown* man,+ attaining the measure of stature that belongs to the fullness of the Christ. 14 So we should no longer be children, tossed about as by waves and carried here and there by every wind of teaching+ by means of the trickery of men, by means of cunning in deceptive schemes.

1 Corinthians 2: 1,9-10, 14-16: 1 So when I came to you, brothers, I did not come with extravagant speech+ or wisdom declaring the sacred secret+ of God to you. … 9 But just as it is written: “Eye has not seen and ear has not heard, nor have there been conceived in the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love him.”+ 10 For it is to us God has revealed them+ through his spirit,+ for the spirit searches into all things, even the deep things of God.+ …

14 But a physical man does not accept* the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot get to know them, because they are examined spiritually. 15 However, the spiritual man examines all things,+ but he himself is not examined by any man. 16 For “who has come to know the mind of Jehovah,* so that he may instruct him?”+ But we do have the mind of Christ.+

Isaiah 40:13: 13 Who has taken the measurements of* the spirit of Jehovah, And who can instruct him as his adviser?+

Ephesians 3:5, 6: 5 In other generations this secret was not made known to the sons of men as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by spirit,+ 6 namely, that people of the nations should, in union with Christ Jesus and through the good news, be joint heirs and fellow members of the body+ and partakers with us of the promise.

Colossians 2:2: 2 This is so that their hearts may be comforted+ and that they may be harmoniously joined together in love+ and may have all the riches that result from the full assurance of their understanding, in order to gain an accurate knowledge of the sacred secret of God, namely, Christ.+

Proverbs 23: 9 Do not speak in the ears of the stupid one,+ For he will despise the wisdom of your words.+

2 Samuel 23:2: 2 The spirit of Jehovah spoke through me;+ His word was on my tongue.+

Acts 1:16: 16 “Men, brothers, it was necessary for the scripture to be fulfilled that the holy spirit spoke prophetically through David about Judas,+ who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.+

Acts 28:25: 25 So because they disagreed with one another, they began to leave, and Paul made this one comment: “The holy spirit aptly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your forefathers,

1 Peter 1:11: 11 They kept on investigating what particular time or what season the spirit within them was indicating concerning Christ+ as it testified beforehand about the sufferings meant for Christ+ and about the glory that would follow.

2 Peter 1:21:21 For prophecy was at no time brought by man’s will,+ but men spoke from God as they were moved* by holy spirit.+

John 14:26: 26 But the helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all the things I told you.+

2 Timothy 3: 16-17: 16 All Scripture is inspired of God+ and beneficial for teaching,+ for reproving, for setting things straight,* for disciplining in righteousness,+ 17 so that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.

1 Thessalonians 2: 13: 13 Indeed, that is why we also thank God unceasingly,+ because when you received God’s word, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but, just as it truthfully is, as the word of God, which is also at work in you believers.

Romans 15:4: 4 For all the things that were written beforehand were written for our instruction,+ so that through our endurance+ and through the comfort from the Scriptures we might have hope.+

1 Corinthians 10:11: 11 Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for a warning to us+ upon whom the ends of the systems of things have come.

Psalm 119:49, 50: 49 Remember your word* to your servant, Through which you give me hope.* 50 This is my comfort in my affliction,+ For your saying has preserved me alive.

Proverbs 4: 7-9: 7 Wisdom is the most important* thing,+ so acquire wisdom, And with all you acquire, acquire understanding.+  8 Highly esteem it, and it will exalt you.+ It will honor you because you embrace it.+ 9 It will place an attractive wreath on your head; It will adorn you with a crown of beauty.”

Proverbs 15:14: 14 The understanding heart seeks knowledge,+ But the mouth of the stupid feeds on* foolishness.+

Matthew 13:23: 23 As for the one sown upon the fine soil, this is the one hearing the word and getting the sense of it, who really does bear fruit and produces, this one 100 times more, that one 60, the other 30.”+

Hebrews 5:14: 14 But solid food belongs to mature people, to those who through use have their powers of discernment* trained to distinguish both right and wrong.

Daniel 1:17: 17 And the true God gave these four youths* knowledge and insight into every kind of writing and wisdom; and Daniel was given understanding in all sorts of visions and dreams.+

Proverbs 21: 30 There is no wisdom, nor discernment, nor counsel in opposition to Jehovah.+

Proverbs 19: 21 Many are the plans in a man’s heart, But the counsel* of Jehovah is what will prevail.+

2 Timothy 2: 7-10: 7 Give constant thought to what I am saying; the Lord will give you understanding* in all things. 8 Remember that Jesus Christ was raised up from the dead+ and was David’s offspring,*+ according to the good news I preach,+ 9 for which I am suffering and being imprisoned as a criminal.+ Nevertheless, the word of God is not bound.+ 10 For this reason I go on enduring all things for the sake of the chosen ones,+ so that they too may obtain the salvation that is through Christ Jesus, along with everlasting glory. 

John 17: 3 This means everlasting life,+ their coming to know you,* the only true God,+ and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.+

1 John 5: 20 But we know that the Son of God has come,+ and he has given us insight* so that we may gain the knowledge of the one who is true. And we are in union with the one who is true,+ by means of his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and life everlasting.+

1 Timothy 2: 2-4: 2 concerning kings and all those who are in high positions,*+ so that we may go on leading a calm and quiet life with complete godly devotion and seriousness.+ 3 This is fine and acceptable in the sight of our Savior, God,+ 4 whose will is that all sorts of people should be saved+ and come to an accurate knowledge of truth.

 

*

 

American version of the New World Translation

+

 

De heilige geest zal alle dingen welke gezegd zijn in herinnering terugbrengen

Het woord van de Ware God gegeven voor wijsheid te vergaren

Die helper, die heilige gees sal julle alles leer en julle herinner

Der heilige Geist wird euch an alle Dinge erinnern

Wahren Gott gibt sein Wort für immer Weisheit

L’esprit saint vous rappellera toutes les choses dites

Vrai Dieu donne Sa Parole pour obtenir la sagesse

The holy spirit will bring back to your minds all the things told

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Related articles

• Exodus 19:1-25
• Readiness
• OPEN HEAVENS Sunday, 29 March 2015 : EMMANUEL
• Psalm 28:7
• 27.4 Moses 27, Day 4
• The Real Exodus: End of Israel
• The Real Exodus: End of Israel
• The Great I Am Passages
• It Is Time To Make Throne Room Decrees
• Do You Know Your Gift and Calling in Christ? ~ by Christian Author Elena Ramirez

Belonging to or being judged by

What to be and where to belong

Many Christians may have lots of questions about why we are created so and so, what we do have to do, how we have to behave and form our selves.  Jehovah’s Witnesses also can become confronted with such questions which can bring them into many doubts. They also can become frustrated.

Jehovah’s witnesses from door to door (Photo credit: ideacreamanuelaPps)

Strangely in our world today we may find people who are excluded by the community of Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW), but who are still feeling 100% pro-Jehovah’s Witnesses. This despite the fact that the organisation has removed them from the congregation, and despite the believer his or her belief that the organisation happens to be in error for doing so!

What we do find strange by many ex-Jehovah Witnesses is that they either go totally against the Faith in One God or that they go totally against the non-trinitarian idea and go to an other organisational church. Many of them keep thinking you need A Organisation, others came to come to see clear and do find it is not as such the church of men but the church of God they have to look for.

Witnesses for Jehovah

A few believe that there is no other religious organization on earth today that is so completely committed to doing the work Jesus asked of his followers, and following in his footsteps, worshipping the God of the Bible, in the way that he prescribes, doing their utmost to be continually teaching and living by the truth of his word, and not simply the often-vacillating moral and secular opinions of men. They stay blinded that there are no other serious Bible Students who try to do the task Jesus had ordered his followers to do. This mainly because they limit their idea about preaching to having to go on the streets and to knock at the door or ringing the bell.

We do agree that the Jehovah Witnesses organisation is a powerful organisation, very well structured, and because having enough money and interested people, able to bring the tasks together, organise editions and meetings, much better than many others. They have very beautiful good publications to help people willing to learn about the Word and Work of Jehovah God. Though sometimes they seem to forget that it is “God’s word is alive, and exerts power,” (Hebrews 4:12) and that it is God’s Hand which hovers over the world bringing all sorts of people active in the Word of God. The Jehovah Witnesses  and the excluded ones who still hope to be part of the Jehovah Witnesses (JW) overlook that there are also other witnesses for Jehovah active in the whole world. We consider ourselves some of them.

When all in union or being united

The congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses mistakenly consider them as the only people who are truly united by their religion “in the same mind and in the same line of thought” as Jesus Christ, not just locally, but everywhere around the globe. The JW rightly consider that if all people on earth were Jehovah’s Witnesses, there would be no wars, no violent conflicts. But we also could say in case all Christians would follow the teachings of the one they say they take as their master, than also there would be already less fighting and less problems in the world. In case all people would be real Christians, and not just name Christians, really following the commandments of God, than also there would be no wars, no violent conflicts. The same simply cannot be said of the myriad of other religions on earth today, because there are so many divisions and many having non-Scriptural teachings. Taryn Viv having been a JW, and still feeling like one, seems to know one of the problems of the people in the organisation. She writes:

To their credit, Jehovah’s Witnesses are sincerely diligent when it comes to applying Bible counsel to themselves, and to the congregation. Faithfully doing so has proven to have tremendously positive results, which only makes sense. If the Bible really is, as it claims, the word of our creator, his wisdom certainly must surpass ours, and as it is summed up at Isaiah 48:17, “I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself.”

Fallible or infallible organisation

Diagram Representing Organisational Structure of Jehovah’s Witnesses (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to us some Witnesses give the impression their organisation is infallible and only brings the Words of God. They have given the Watchtower and tract Society (Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania + Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York + Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses) with their so called ‘Faithful Slave’ the same position as many Christians do give the Pope of the Vatican. It is that Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses based in Brooklyn, New York which is the ruling council of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They may formulate the policy and doctrines everybody has to follow. Strangely enough the members of the Governing Body say they are followers of Christ rather than religious leaders, but take the position of dictatorial leaders, whose rules and ideas everybody has to follow.
When the Society’s second president, J.F. Rutherford, encountered opposition from directors in 1917, he dismissed them; in 1925 he overruled the Watch Tower Society’s editorial committee — selected by Charles Taze Russell to have editorial control of The Watch Tower after his death—when it opposed publication of an article that altered doctrines on Bible chronology related to 1914. In 1931, the editorial committee was dissolved and until January 1976, the president of the Governing Body exercised complete control of doctrines, publications and activity of the Watch Tower Society and the religious denominations with which it was connected — some of the Bible Students Movment and Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The ones to tell what is right or wrong

Though not one man is infallible and knows everything. Even Jesus did not know when he would return to the earth. But the organisation claims that they can tell all people what is right and wrong, and that they are the only ones who can bring people to God. For sure they will help a lot of people to find the Only One God and to come to see the difference between the man made gods and the Only One God, the Elohim Hashem Jehovah. We should know that we as human beings have all our limitations and cannot expect perfection of one another in this system of things, nor can we expect it of the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses, nor those appointed to positions of responsibility, in spite of the tremendous good that Jehovah clearly is using the JW, Bible Students, Christadelphians and other non-trinitarian Christians who freely  and sincerely, contribute to the work of God.

Transgender – Being and feeling in a body

As a transgender woman for many, many years, the writer was quite frankly a bit shocked that, within weeks of her first surfacing the truth of her situation openly with a brother whom she considered a long-time friend, the congregation elders had decided this was a “judicial matter,” and scheduled a meeting to essentially determine whether she would be “repentant,” or would need to be removed from the congregation. Strangely enough you could wonder how it did happen they did not know earlier.
Such people with a gender problem, which we encounter much more today (also have a look at the articles on Stepping toes) are not only in trouble with their own situation, having to suffer from major depressive illness for some years and as a result having very little contact with their own family, do not have it always easy  to mix with others and to enjoy friendly contacts and group meetings in Christian groups.

Exclusion because of gender choice

Dr. Camille Cabral, a transgender activist at a demonstration for transgender people in Paris, October 1, 2005

Because Taryn Viv cannot, and will not dress and present herself as the “man” she had come to realize she never truly was in the first place, she has been removed from the congregation. This is somewhat shocking which we often have to hear about the JW, who exclude followers and have their family members and friends of the faith-group charged not to meet the excluded person any more.

When we do know that everybody is created in the likeness of God, and that we do bear the image of God, you may wonder if those who do not feel at ease in their body are really doing something against the Will of God ,when they let science help them to become the person they, in first instance feel to be?

For sure, those who would knowingly and wilfully practice such things that Jehovah condemns as seriously harmful, unloving and wrong, could not rightly still be considered a follower of Christ. Those who practice fornication, theft, murder, and do not regret what they have wrong, even when baptised, can not be any more be considered a person being part of the Body of Christ. We do agree that in many Christian denominations there are a lot of people who believe we do not have to work any more once we are ‘reborn’. They think once baptised that they would enter in heaven because they are saved by Christ. But Faith without works is death.

Looks, judging and counselling

In case people of the congregation see that there is something wrong they should bring this into discussion. Faithful brothers and sisters should be counselled then to avoid any association with such a person, even to the point of just sitting down to a meal with them, where others could see the association with that person. But we do not find it right that natural brothers and sisters and parents are not allowed to speak or associate with their brother or sister or child.

According to us they should be the first ones to bring the other to get to see what he or she did wrong, but than there have to have been something wrong. Therefore we as Christians should examine everything very careful and be attentive before we judge some one else. We also should be aware that by the ages many traditions came into our life as well as ideas how we should be or what would be accepted as normal or acceptable in our community.
For example the JW always like to go around in business suits and do not find it appropriate to wear casual clothing in service. Their way of dress is also not always conform the dress in the country they preach. As such, in West Europe everybody straight ahead recognises the JW because of their Americanised out of date dressing. But that has nothing to do with commandments of God, where no where in Scriptures is written that a dress for a girl has to have a length of so many centimetres beneath the knees or up to the ankles.

Exclusions of persons

Christians should be very careful with exclusions of persons from their community and should also try to do every effort to get the person back on the right track. They never may forget that the rules of exclusion are about someone who has not shown any repentance, remorse or regret for such serious wrongs, and that the purpose of such “disfellowshipping,” as Jehovah’s Witnesses call the practice is twofold.

• First, it may move the person to reconsider the seriousness of what they have been doing and to turn around, thereby restoring a good relationship, first and foremost, with Jehovah God, but also with their spiritual family, who are urged to “kindly forgive and comfort” them. (2 Corinthians 2:7)

• A second key reason is that, in the event they should remain unrepentant, “a little leaven ferments the whole lump.” (1 Corinthians 5:6)

Wisdom of scriptural admonition evident

The writer of the article A Matter of Judgement recognises that the wisdom of the scriptural admonition is evident, and can be clearly seen by counterexample. No doubt we’ve all heard of some widely publicized cases of unthinkably horrid offences committed by members of various religions. (Child molestation, for example, comes to mind. Murder is another, such as the bombings of abortion clinics, for example.) When those engaging in such acts, even repeatedly, can yet remain affiliated with others of their “faith,” as though even such gross wrongs are tolerable, or beyond judgement, what does it say to the world at large about that faith?

“Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26)

More believers should hear the call of those who came onto this world in an other body than there mind tells them.

For now, though, I’ll conclude by saying I am grateful to be attending meetings regularly at the Kingdom hall again, and despite being considered “disfellowshipped” I find them spiritually strengthening and encouraging.
These days I am glad to say I can be more sociable again, and although it saddens me that I cannot now freely associate with many of my friends, brothers and sisters in the congregation, I find I am being given precious opportunities to speak about the good news of God’s Word with others I come into contact with.

Far from letting my circumstances cause me to be negative, many an acquaintance has told me they have come away after a conversation with a better view of both the Bible and Jehovah’s Witnesses than they had before.

It pleases me know that I can still plant seeds of truth. I would encourage anyone in my sort of situation to do the same. Jehovah is a rewarder of those loyal to him, and so although the appointed elders may still expect to see me doing things that I cannot do, I know that Jehovah is pleased to see me doing what I can.

We only can hope that those who found their way to Jehovah the Only One God, by the help of the marvellous work of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, when they leave that organisation will continue in the Faith and in the Truth, loving God and all His creation, the good and the bad people also.

Moordown: Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses Tucked away in Elmes Road, otherwise a residential back street of Moordown. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Please do find:

1. Taryn Viv a Wrongful Imprisonment ~ Faithful reflections of a transgender Jehovah’s Witness
2. A Matter of Judgement
3. Food for thought, that’s all.
4. Failing to Answer the Most Vital Question About “Becoming Jehovah’s Friend”
5. Jehovah’s Witnesses Shun Family Members for Selfish Reasons
6. Focus on Jehovah’s Witnesses
7. Jehovah’s Witnesses not only group that preach the good news
8. A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
9. Followers with deepening
10. The business of this life
11. Preaching to an unbelieving world
12. Determine the drive
13. Does the method of preaching from house to house have its basis in the Scriptures?
14. Blogging for Jesus…
15. Creator and Blogger God 4 Expounding voice
16. Proclaiming shalom, bringing good news of good things, announcing salvation
17. Bringing Good News into the world
18. Preaching to an unbelieving world
19. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #5 Prayer #2 Witnessing
20. Trusting, Faith, Calling and Ascribing to Jehovah #5 Prayer #3 Callers upon God
21. A Voice to be heard
22. Breathing to teach
23. Church sent into the world
24. Church enemy of faith
25. Breaking up with a cult
26. Dependence
27. Feeling-good, search for happiness and the church
28. Casual Christians
29. Follower of Jesus part of a cult or a Christian
30. Uncovering the Foundations of Faith
31. Self-development, self-control, meditation, beliefs and spirituality
32. Testify of the things heard
33. How should we preach?
34. When discouraged facing opposition
35. Reasons to come to gether
36. Learn how to go out into the world and proclaim the Good News of the coming Kingdom
37. Manifests for believers #5 Christian Union
38. Witnessing at LaGuardia Airport
39. Bible for you and for life – TheBible4Life Committee explain what is planned for the national preaching effort next year.
40. Good or bad preacher
41. Holland Week of billing
42. Trying to get the youth inspired
43. Jew refering to be religious or to be a people
44. Christian fundamentalism as dangerous as Muslim fundamentalism
45. Faith and works
46. Repentance and conversion are not milestones which we pass on the way of life and never see again
47. God receives us on the basis of our faith
48. God loving people justified
49. Creation and the Bible

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Related articles

• Jehovah’s Way: At the First Sign of Their Religious Doubt, Freeze Out Your Own Flesh and Blood (patheos.com)
  The elder Gonzalez is a Jehovah’s Witness. After his son expressed doubts about the movement, its Watchtower Governing Body promptly ordered the father to shun Rick and Lucas.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses Hateful practice of unbiblical shunning (christiansparlock.wordpress.com)
  

  “The result of ‘shunning’ is extreme anxiety, depression, self hatred, increased blood pressure, loss of appetite, self injury and suicidal thoughts and attempts. This is not only painful but excruciating.” – Allan N. Schwartz, PhD

• The Redemption (and Apostasy) of a Devout Jehovah’s Witness (patheos.com)
  James Zimmerman grew up as the kind of Jehovah’s Witness who might have knocked on your door. Devout and fervent, he knew what the consequences were for apostates. And yet he found a way to break free.

  His new memoir detailing his upbringing — and how his questioning of the faith eventually led him away from it — is called Deliverance at Hand!: The Redemption of a Devout Jehovah’s Witness (Freethought House, 2013):

• Jail for Jehovah’s Witness elder who molested girls (manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
  A Jehovah’s Witness elder who was exposed as a paedophile on Facebook has been jailed.

  Jonathan Rose was branded a hypocrite as he was locked up for molesting two little girls he met through the church.
  +
  The family of Rose’s first accuser say they were encouraged to cover up their allegation. He was cleared of groping the then teenage girl in 1995 trial, but she would go on to be a witness in the latest court case. Her family say they were hounded out of the Jehovah’s Witnesses when they expressed concerns.

• What Does The Bible Really Teach? – Chapter 18 Review (watchtowerinvestigated.co.uk)
  You are not baptised in the name of the father, son and holy spirit you are baptised into the organisation. In fact the last question they is “Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in association with God’s spirit-directed organization?”
  +
  Gods law are not burdensome, but let me list some things that the watchtower burden with when you are baptised:-• Fill out a report card every month detailing how much ministry you have done (or not as the case may be).
  • You Must go to all the meetings.
  • You Must go on the field service.
  • You Must not have a blood transfusion even if your life depended on it.
  • You Must not get involved in any holidays, Christmas, Birthday, Mothers Day, Fathers Day…the list goes on.
  • You Must cut off love ones if they reject the religion…
  • The list goes on…
• Jehovah’s Witnesses call on Christians to safeguard their consciences (modernghana.com)
  Jehovah’s Witnesses at the weekend held a special assembly day programme with a call on Christians to safeguard their consciences to aid them walk with God and follow Jesus’ footsteps.

  The aim of the programme was to help the delegates to work towards acquiring a bible-trained and holy spirit-led conscience, which together with the bible, could serve as a reliable guide in deepening their relationship with God.