As previously posted "where" is a deceitful Watchtower fallacy. The correct question is "whom" and the answer is Jesus (John 6:68,69; 14:6).
Those that have given up on (hierarchical organised/institutionalised) religion, but not on God, are finding the simple, organic (house) church "movement" worth looking into for back-to-basics authentic spiritual development: http://www.site.house2house.com/about-us/welcome (see video).
Jehovah God is calling us all to become religiously passive, and spiritually active instead. Jesus was clearly against religion, religionists, religiosity and teaching religion which is called proselytising (Matt 23 esp v15). The only legitimate Christian witnessing activity is evangelising - teaching the REAL "good news".
Just ask a Watchtower religionist what the "good news" is in one word, phrase, sentence and paragraph. They have no idea except for "Kingdom" or the "message of restoration". What about the many other essential ingredients they have removed from the "good news" they believe and teach? No salvation, no saviour, no forgiveness, no high-priest, and the list goes on and on. Their "sham good news" and "counterfeit good news" are no accident but an evil religious plot to steal our faith and salvation as described in their own Gnostic publications in w82 8/15 p. 22 pars. 11-13. They are truly from their father the devil. They are truly the killers of the prophets, just like their forefathers.
As spiritually blind, confused, inebriated and insane religionists, no matter how many times they read their own 2009 year text in Acts 20:24 they simply cannot identify (let alone explain, believe and teach) the ingredient of the "good news" referred to!! You seriously have to try very hard to end up more wayward and apostate than a Watchtower religionist!
Around half the Bible's references to the "good news" are by the apostle Paul - this is the half Watchtower religionists are completely blind to. Yet this is the very core of the Christian faith, which is also known as the New Contract, or Testament, or Covenant. All who wish to (in genuine faith and repentance) accept the free gift of forgiveness of their fallen condition and all their sins past, present and future need to figuratively and ceremonially drink the blood of the covenant (Matt 26:27-28)! You'd struggle to find a more apostate pseudo-Christian group than the Watchtower!
These Google searches may be of interest:
- "God hates religion" (with quotes)
- "Spirituality is not religion"
- "Christianity is not religion"
- SBNR (avoid new age spiritism though)
- "Religion is a snare and a racket"
- 1937_enemies.pdf
- 1940_religion.pdf
Search these two pdfs for "true religion", "false religion", and "all religion" - only the latter phrase existed back then. Only ten years later the Watchtower came out of the closet as a religion (snare and a racket). See yb75 p. 161 "For Gladys Bolton..." and w51 8/15 p. 511 Q3.
Whilst the REAL "good news" is not in the hearts of the Watchtower's followers, it can be found in the Watchtower library although highly fragmented and in a Gnostic context - knowledge not relationship. That is why the NWT mistranslates John 17:3.
Jesus never really took issue with sinners, or even the heinously barbaric secular authorities. His real enemies were the religionist elders (Pharisees) and governing body (Sanhedrin). They are also the ones who had him killed.
It is a fallacy that the early Christian congregation had a GB. In fact a careful reading of the Bible shows clearly that Paul was having trouble with the apostles and/or others in Jerusalem who were insisting on circumcision - not properly understanding the transition from the Old Covenant to the New. Those in Jerusalem do not seem to have been the solution initially, but rather the cause of the problem. The testimonies of Paul and Peter helped them see the error of their Judaising legalism and ways (Gal 2:11-3:14; Acts 15:1-29; g79 6/8 pp. 27-28).
Greetings and blessings on your individual journeys
Fernando
©2010
...OUTLAW