if i'm not mistaken, there is no bible verse to support following the 'faithful and discreet' slave?.
am i correct?
i know i have to research this, but to give me a jumpstart...?.
If I'm not mistaken, there is no bible verse to support following the 'Faithful and Discreet' slave?
There is not even a sensible translation that says "faithful and discreet slave".
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The "faithful and wise servant" is just that, a character in a parable, not a publishing company in Brooklyn!
Blessings,
Stephen
i was abused by my father growing up.
physically and emotionally.. as a entered my adult life i had next to no self esteem, in part because he didn't really attempt to help me get some because i didn't chose the career path that he dreamed for me.. 2 years ago i forgave him.
i let go of the anger that i had for him because i knew that when it was all said and done, he did what he did and i believe that he did his best.
34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
Blessings,
Stephen
i'm in the dawn of my research, and the #1 thing that i am trying to do, is separate the bible from the watchtower and bible and track society.. me and my dad got into a dicussion, and he said that the witnesses are only doing what the bible says.
he said to read the bible (especially the new testament) and it would all come clear to me, why jehovah's witnesses are the truth.
i said 'then what about all of the misleading, and predictions that never came true?
Here's a start.
53 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
Blessings,
Stephen
http://www.jwfind.net/.
appears to have launched in spring 2009....... jwfind.net principlesa true companion is loving all the time, and is a brother that is born for when there is distress.
(proverbs 17:17).
I "enjoyed" these Who are they?, What are their beliefs?
As the name of the site denotes, it is for Jehovah's Witnesses solely. Why? As stated on the site's principles, its mission is to help Jehovah's Witnesses earth wide to build trusting friendships or relationships among the fellowship. Does it mean that Witnesses are closed community or that they view non-Witnesses as untrustworthy? Not at all! Anyone may attend weekly meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. In fact Jehovah's Witnesses around the world are well-known to that driven by their love they talk to people who do not share their beliefs from house-to-house. Anyone wishful may take advantage of a free home bible study with them.
Why are they proud of being part of the fellowship?
Jesus said: “This is my commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you.” (John 15:12) Jehovah's Witnesses in the entire earth are united in one teaching and are all members of an international brotherhood which is admittedly impossible to find in any organization on earth and this is an identifying mark that separates them from the rest of the world. (John 13:35) If anyone wish to conform this key commandment, the first matter is not to kill a brother. Jehovah's Witnesses do not take weapon against anyone else, even from other country or nation. They strive to conform to the loving standards in all aspects of their life, which in effect strengthens the bond of the fellowship worldwide.
More than 7 million Jehovah's Witnesses are voluntarily spending billions of hours teaching others. No other church has more preachers. Taking numbers of active preachers into account, Witnesses form a biggest Christian religion of all. Leaders of other Christian religions are in general aware about the responsibility for preaching work (Matthew 28:19) , but they are not able to fulfill it. In contrary, all Jehovah's Witnesses are willing and able to do this great work, because they truly understand what they are talking about and, as they believe,
Jehovah's Witnesses strive to cultivate the “fruitage of the spirit” such as love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control (Galatians 5:22) . Because they love God, they make effort to avoid lying, stealing, gambling, drugs abusing, or sexual immorality (Ephesians 4:25) .
No one is superior than the other as God created everyone equally. “For who makes you to differ from another? Indeed, what do you have that you did not receive? If, now, you did indeed receive [it], why do you boast as though you did not receive [it]?” (1 Corinthians 4:7) Jesus said: “Everyone that exalts himself will be humiliated, but he that humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14)
Jehovah’s Witnesses abide the laws of the land (Romans 13:7) but they stay neutral in the world's political affairs. Jesus said his followers would be “no part of the world.” (Matthew 17:16) . Witnesses are also known for the refusal of military service (Isaiah 2:4) , (Matthew 26:52) , (John 13:35) . The neutrality in praxis means, that Jehovah's Witnesses was the only church which did not support Hitler's regime. When Catholic church signed agreement and praised the cooperation as a blessing from the heaven, Jehovah's Witnesses bravely opposed to support the regime despite the strong pressure and persecution.
For more details you may look e.g. at short study Jehovah's Witnesses: Victims of the Nazi Era by US Holocaust Memorial Museum or Holocaust: Non-Jewish Victims - Jehovah's Witnesses by historian-publicist Terese Pencak Schwartz or follow further resources, e.g. "The Other Victims: First-Person Stories of Non-Jews Persecuted by the Nazis" by Ina R. Friedman (Boston, 1990, pp. 47–59), "Jehovah’s Witnesses under Nazism" by Christine E. King in Michael Berenbaum's "A Mosaic of Victims: Non-Jews Persecuted and Murdered by the Nazis" (New York, 1990, pp. 188–193), or "The Nazi State and the New Religions: Five Case Studies in Non-Conformity" also by Christine E. King (New York, 1982).
Even though they know they do not possess ultimate understanding, they believe that they are closest to the real meaning of Bible. The deep understanding brings them strong faith and a true hope. You may check some of their beliefs.
This statement was published in The Watch Tower some 100 years ago:
“Are we not a blessed, happy people? Is not our God faithful? If any one knows anything better, let him take it. If any of you ever find anything better, we hope you will tell us. We know of nothing better nor half as good as what we have found in the Word of God. ... No tongue or pen can tell the peace, the joy and the blessing which a clear knowledge of the true God has brought into our heart and life. The Story of God’s Wisdom, Justice, Power and Love fully satisfies the cravings of both our head and our heart. We are seeking no further. There is nothing more to be desired than to get this wonderful Story more clearly before our mind.” (The Watch Tower, December 15, 1914, pages 377-378)
That's true even after all the years. Jehovah's Witnesses' gratitude for spiritual light and truth and for the value of their exceptional worldwide family is unchanged. If you ever find anything better, we hope you will tell us! If you wish to learn more about Jehovah's Witnesses, you may visit the official watchtower.org web. Anyway, thank you for stopping by!
They know they can't possess ultimate understanding, because it grows gradually. But they believe that they are really close to the real meaning. The deep understanding brings strong faith and a true hope. Below are listed some of their teachings. We encourage you to check the statements in your Bible.
Bible is the word of God (2 Timothy 3:16) , the only source of inspired truth. Subapostolic councils were greatly influenced by Greek mythology, philosophy, politics, are in contradiction with the Bible and thus not relevant. Pure Christianity may be restored only with early church as a model. All Christian beliefs should be in harmony with the Bible.
Just one God created Universe, the Almighty, wise, upright, and loving heavenly Father. He disclosed his name in the Bible, the name is Jehovah (Isaiah 42:8) . Nowhere does the Bible teach that God is a Trinity. Rather, it teaches that there is only one true God and eternal. “Jehovah our God is one Jehovah”. (Deuteronomy 6:4) Trinity teaching has it's roots in ancient mythology, not in Bible. God is the only to be worshipped. Jesus taught his disciples to sanctify the name of the Father. (Matthew 6:9)
Jesus is not the God, Almighty. Jesus is the only-begotten Son of the God, first creation, everything else has been created by means of him. He lived as a perfect man on earth and gave up his life as a ransom sacrifice and through him redemption from sin and death were made possible, according to the will of God. (Luke 22:42) (Romans 5:12) He died on a single upright torture stake, not on the traditional cross.
Satan is a spirit creature, one of God's sons who went bad and initiated rebellion against the God. (Genesis 3:5) Actually he is also the ruler of the world. (1 John 5:19)
Bible does not teach that man has an immortal soul. Rather, it teaches that “man is a living soul”. (Genesis 2:7) What is the condition of the dead? “The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5) Death is a state of non-existence with no consciousness.
There is no immortal soul and consequently no hell of fiery torment. God’s Word says that God is love. (1 John 4:8) His word does not teach of a fiery place where the dead are tormented eternally. God detests the practice of burning and torturing of humans as “a thing that I had not commanded and that had not come up into my heart.” (Jeremiah 7:31)
It is man’s real hope. Only minority awaits heavenly life, while most of dead will be resurrected by God for life on the Earth (Psalms 37:29) . God will restore our beloved ones back to life on earth turned to Paradise as it was originally in the days of Adam before he sinned. There is an opportunity to those who have died without finding God. Thus, “there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous”. (Acts 24:15) The unworthy whom God judges will not be resurrected.
God did not create humans like robots. Rather, he grants everyone freewill. We make our lot in life. “Each of us will render an account for himself to God.” (Romans 14:12)
“God is a Spirit, and those worshiping him must worship with spirit and truth.” (John 4:24) God’s true worshipers must guard against idols as required in one of the ten commandments (Exodus 20:4) given to Jews and as repeated to Christians (1 Corinthians 10:14) .
We are now living in what the Bible calls “the last days” (2 Timothy 3:1) , the last days of the human reign. God's Messianic Kingdom will manifest God's governance towards earth at the end of the last days. There were attempts to calculate or infer the exact date of the end in the past, but actually no one else besides the Father knows the date. (Mark 13:32) Before “the conclusion of the system of things” come as Jesus mentioned at (Matthew 24:3) , people must know the “good news of the kingdom first. (Matthew 24:14) .
God’s Kingdom will bring about blessings to countless millions who chose to listen to the good news and do as what God requires to gain everlasting life. (John 17:3) Earth will be freed of crime, sickness, poverty and even death and thus restored to the original purpose.
These are only some of the beliefs.
Why not ask one of Jehovah’s Witnesses near you for a further free home bible discussion?
You may also read more comprehensible list of Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs on the official web.
well my mom and i got into a pretty bad argument today over the phone.
it basically came down to the fact that she couldn't handle what i was saying about the organization, etc and all she could come back to me was that i "hated her?
" i guess i just wanted to share and vent a little too....thanks for letting me do so.. .
Nice.
Throw in a few scriptures to back your claims up too :)
I refuse to be part of an organization that believes Jesus is the mediator for only 144,000 people and not for everybody even though that is a clear contradiction of the scriptures.
1 Timothy 2:5 (New International Version)
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
John 14:6 (New International Version)
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 10:7-9 (New International Version)
7 Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.
John 6:53-54 (New International Version)
53 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is fine to be angry, Jesus was angry at injustice and falsehood, just look what he did in the temple and with the Pharisees John 2:15, Matthew 23
However, in your anger do not sin Psalm 4:4
I suggest you tell your mum you love her whatever happens, love wins the day 1 Corinthians 13
Blessings,
Stephen
something jws say that to a lot to people who have left or are leaving the org.. i find it very a very ironic statement since the wt and awake, or any wt literature for that matter, is never critical of itself and never directly addresses refutation of their doctrine and predictions.... i was raised a witness, as many of you were.
i have been subjected to "one-side-of-the-coin" for almost 2 decades!
the only true way to bring balance to my information is to look at the other side of the coin and give it great consideration.... -sab.
21 Test everything. Hold on to the good.
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
is it just me, or are the witnesses the only group that use "demonized" to mean that something has taken on an association with demons?
like, "those cds are demonized.
" just a random question i've been thinking about.. what do y'all think?.
Welcome Liberty93!
The WT have demonised pretty much everything and everyone who isn't stuck in their tower.
Christians follow Christ as He is the truth :)
6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Blessings,
Stephen
1 cor 15:51 says that our mortal bodies will be changed.
by giving up or taking off the physical body.
no.. not taking off ... but putting on incorruption and immortality.
My eyes start to glaze over as I read the WT baloney!
Here's some notes from the ESV Study Bible as an antidote :)
[Paul's Visions and His Thorn]
[12:1] I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.
(2 Corinthians 12:1; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 ESV)[2] I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. [3] And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— [4] and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.
(2 Corinthians 12:1; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 ESV)
2 Cor. 12:1–13 Paul's Boast in His Heavenly Vision and Subsequent Weakness. Because his opponents boast in their spiritual experiences as well as in their ethnic identity, Paul is also forced to boast, however foolishly, in his own visions and revelations (see 11:1, 16; 12:11). But then in vv. 7–10 he returns one last time to boasting in his weakness, revealing the presence of a “thorn in the flesh” as the appropriate means for glorifying God's grace and power in his life and ministry. In vv. 9–10 he clearly states the principle behind this aspect of his self-commendation (1:3–11; 2:14–17; 4:7–12; 6:3–10; 11:23–33): Paul's earthly weaknesses, not his revelations, are to be the platform for demonstrating the Lord's power and grace.
2 Cor. 12:2–3 I know a man … this man. Paul's hesitancy to boast of his visions is reflected in his use of the third person (as if it had happened to someone else). the third heaven (i.e., the highest; see 1 Kings 8:27; 2 Chron. 2:6; Neh. 9:6;Ps. 148:4). This phrase does not imply belief in a simplistic “three-story universe” but reflects a commonsense distinction between (1) the atmosphere where birds can be seen to fly, (2) the higher area where the sun, moon, and stars can be seen, and (3) the unseen realm where God dwells. This third area is equated with paradise (Gk.paradeisos, a Persian loan-word used in the Septuagint to refer to the garden of Eden [see Gen. 2:8–10; 13:10; Isa. 51:3; Ezek. 28:13; 31:8–9] but in the NT to refer to a place of blessedness where God dwells [Luke 23:43; Rev. 2:7]). Both terms would be recognized by Jewish readers as references to the realm of God's direct presence.fourteen years ago. Sometime between a.d. 42–44, around Tarsus or Antioch, prior to his first missionary journey (Acts 9:29–30; 11:25–26; see note on Acts 11:27–30 for ancient calculation of years). There is no other known record of this vision.
What is clear is that paradise is "third heaven". It obviously is not future but current, i.e. Jesus is residing there and Paul went there to see Him, either bodily or in spirit.
There are plenty of others there too.
42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
Abel, Enoch, Noah etc. Hebrews 11 Moses and Elijah Matthew 17 Stephen Acts 7:55-59 Lazarus Luke 16:19-31 and in fact, all who believe.
Blessings,
Stephen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpgjgrlj-3k.
if you are interested, send me aplications.... albert.
DUDE!
Thanks for posting :)
jehovahs wittnesses refuse blood because the bible says no eating blood, they equate this with a blood transfusion saying its the same as eating blood!
therefore efective now all field service and care of the kingdom hall must cease until sundown saterday, it is not permited to obey one law and die for it, then not obey all the others!
it is not permited to change jehovahs day of rest!
Welcome arimatthewdavies!
Indeed.
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
Blessings,
Stephen
