Posts by mdb

15

Trinity - HELP!!!

by Hamboozled in

since being in the jw org for close to 35 years (from infant) and recently leaving i have been studying topics like the trinity because i was never allowed to before.

i'm getting so many mixed reviews from the scriptures of whether the trinity is possible or impossible.

" and john 1:18 "no one has ever seen god, but god the one and only, who is at the father's side, has made him known.

mdb

I sent you a personal message. Check your PM box.

6

144,000

by davidsf in

i'm sure this has been discussed before but the search feature isn't working so i'm going to ask anyway.... is it true jws are taught that once the 144,000 are sealed armageddon will come?

how many have partaken of the wine and bread during the memorial over the years, i.e.

how many are there currently of the "little flock"?.

The WTS claim that the 144000 "little flock" was fulfilled in 1935. I guess the rest have no hope of eternal life in heaven, but hold to the idea that they will be on a paradise earth that won't exist. Being that they say only the 144000 can receive the Holy Spirit, all others are lost because they are not born again. Jesus said that you must be born again. Without the Spirit indwelling, you do not have life.

21

I Need Help!

by Morocco in

hi, i'm new to this forum and i was hoping someone could help me with some reasoning here.

i notice in the watchtowers they mention that on occasion people fall into the "trap" of "independent thinking" and this is often associated with pride and a misunderstanding of god.

also just as frequently it mentions that god progressively reveals truths to his followers.

mdb

Test everything...

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11)

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. (2 Cor 13:5)

Test all things; hold fast what is good. (1 Thess 5:21)

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 Jn 4:1)

You don't need the WTBTS to understand the Scriptures, only His annointing - the Holy Spirit...

and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Tim 3:15)

These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. (1 Jn 2:26)

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (Jn 14:26)

I don't recall where I got the reference below. It might have been on this forum somewhere...

If you are a Witness and feel guilty about looking into the Organization then the following Watchtower statement should put you at ease.

Watchtower May 1 1958 p.261 Is Your Religion the Right One?

“It is important, then, that you "keep testing whether you are in the faith," as Paul declared. Keep checking to see whether the things you believe are in keeping with God's Word. But the question is, Are you willing to put your religion through such a test? There is nothing to fear, because if you have the right religion you can only be reassured by the examination. And if what you believe is not in keeping with the Bible, then you should welcome the truth, because it leads to light and life. - Isa 8:20, Dy; 2 Cor 13:5”

27

"time before tribulation is miniscule. I am scared. I know it must be true"

by Wasanelder Once in

"i heard from ones that had gone to the convention that our time before tribulation is miniscule.

i am scared.

i know it must be true.

mdb

Surprisingly I’m not. Just got back from the District Convention myself and it only further solidified in my mind that their teachings are a bunch of BS.

Why do so many of you, knowing that the WTBTS is false, still attend services or conventions? Is it entertainment value or are you afraid to be disfellowshipped and lose your friends and/or family? I don't get it.

Curious.

3

HAROLD BLOOM'S NEW BOOK about JESUS and YAHWEH

by Terry in

it is absurd to talk about a judeo-christian tradition.

i say this in spite of the political good that this does for the state of israel or the remnant of jewry.

nevertheless, it is an absurd fiction.

mdb

lost.

11

the King of Israel... the true God.

by mdb in

who is the king of israel?

jehovah is the king of israel.

thus says the lord [yhwh], the king of ,

mdb

Who is the King of Israel? Jehovah is the King of Israel.

“Thus says the Lord [yhwh], the King of ,

And his Redeemer, the Lord [yhwh] of hosts:

‘I am the First and I am the Last;

Besides Me there is no God. (Isaiah 44:6)

Of note here we should also make aware that there are two persons of yhwh spoken of in Is 44:6. There is the Lord, the King of Israel and the Lord of hosts, the Redeemer. Not only this, they say, “I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.”

But the Lord [ yhwh ] is the true God [ elohim ];

He is the living God and the everlasting King .

At His wrath the earth will tremble,

And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation. ( Jer 10:10 )

Jesus is also the King of Israel as the prophecy also spoke of Him.

Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (Jn 1:49)

The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to , took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

“Hosanna!

‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’

The King of !”

Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:

“Fear not, daughter of ;

Behold, your King is coming,

Sitting on a donkey’s colt.” (Jn 12:12,13)

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of !

Shout, O daughter of !

Behold, your King is coming to you;

He is just and having salvation,

Lowly and riding on a donkey,

A colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zech 9:9)

Who is the true God? Jehovah is the true God.

God [el] is the Lord [yhwh],

And He has given us light;

Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. (Ps 118:27)

But the Lord [yhwh] is the true God [elohim];

He is the living God and the everlasting King.

At His wrath the earth will tremble,

And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation. (Jer 10:10)

Jesus is the true God and eternal life.

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. (1 Jn 5:20)

2

Glory to God.

by mdb in

and one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified god, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks.

"and one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified god, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks.

" then jesus answered, "were there not any found who returned to give glory to god except this foreigner?

mdb

Now it happened as He went to So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” (Lk 17:11-19)

Could the other nine not have given glory to God without returning to the One who healed them? This one man returned to Him who took away his infirmity and gave Him glory and fell at His feet. Who's feet did the man fall down on his face before? Was it not God? "And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks." Then Jesus answered, "were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” This foreigner fell at the feet of Jesus in worship, giving glory to the One to whom was worthy of it for God had healed him.

49

John 8:3-11

by Zico in

3the teachers of the law and the pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery.

they made her stand before the group 4and said to jesus, "teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

5in the law moses commanded us to stone such women.

mdb

Just to add a word about the results of redaction. Sometimes the editors were highly skilled and left us little to recognize their work I say sometimes but of course if they did a very good job we don't know about it. So thank goodness for clumsiness. For example notice in john 13:36
36 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered, " (BB) Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but (BC) you will follow later."
Yet 16:5
5 "But now (I) I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ' (J) Where are You going?'
Oops

Simon Peter asks Jesus a question:

Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.” (Jn 13:36)

Jesus answer Simon Peter's question:

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” (Jn 14:1-7)

You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. (Jn 14:28,29)

Jesus, after telling them where He was going, makes a general statement that none ask Him, "Where are You going?". Jesus told them where he was going and Jn 16:4,5 is not a contradiction with the previous verse (Jn 13:36). You have to read Jn 13:36; 16:4,5 within their context. Reading these two verses without reading the entire chapters could easily be percieved as a contradiction.

But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. “And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ (Jn 16:4,5)

108

Does the Rainbow Covenant Disprove the Flood?

by Severus in

the story goes that god provided the rainbow as a symbol of his promise to never again destroy the world by flood.. noah and his family saw the rainbow after they left the ark.

after the waters had receeded.

after it had stopped raining for months.... yet a rainbow is simply sunlight spread out into its spectrum of colors and diverted to the eye of the observer by water droplets.

mdb

Spectrum,

Assuming they are accurate.

?

25

Who do you want to meet?

by greendawn in

who would you most like to meet and what would you tell them?

count even dead people by supposing that they are still alive.

i would like to meet the great swiss psychologist gustav jung to ask him questions about symbolism and the unconscious mind.

mdb

I'm surprised nobody wants to meet Jesus Christ. Even if you don't believe Him, He is and always will be the most influential, life-changing man that has even walked the earth. I wonder what He looked like in the flesh? The bible says He was of no reputation and that no man should be attracked to Him by physical appearances. That's who I long to meet... my Lord.

Moses, Isaiah, Abraham, King David, Solomon, Adam & Eve, the 12 disciples, Paul... they'd be a pleasure to meet as well, but one day I will.