Christian local churches follow a biblical pattern as the family and army of God. They have godly servant leadership to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, provide edification, encouragement, etc. They are not a mediator to God, not a policing organization that controls people, etc. They are a place for corporate worship, instruction/discipleship, fellowship, evangelism, service, mission, giving, loving, venue for spiritual gifts, etc. It is God's plan to preserve truth, help people mature, etc. What is not biblical is a centralized, autocratic organization like WT GB, LDS Utah, Catholic Vatican, etc. There are many autonomous local churches that are Bible and Christ-centered. A NT ecclesiology (study of church) shows that we are part of His invisible, universal Church/Body through faith in Christ. It is then normative to identify with a local expression of this. Going to church does not make you a Christian anymore than going to a barn makes you a cow. Lone Ranger Christian is an oxymoron. It is not uncommon for people who leave cults to wonder where else we can go? They have been poisoned to think everyone else is Satanic. Christ loved the Church and died for it (Eph. 5). To be in right relationship with Him is to be in right relationship with His people. Just because their are corrupt, controlling organizations/groups does not mean there are not 1000s of godly churches where one finds freedom in their relationship with God and others. Looking for one organization is not the way to go. I would personally avoid Catholic, nominal, liberal groups in favor of evangelical ones that put the Bible above tradition (JWs are wrong to think that they alone do this). Some legit churches can be sectarian and controlling in their own way despite sound doctrine. Just because it is possible to become part of a negative church is not a reason to assume there are not many local churches worth identifying with. There are many great churches among the nations, but they will not be under one centralized banner like the uniformity of cults provide.
godrulz
JoinedPosts by godrulz
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22
Encouragement letter, insight on the truth behind Jehovah's Witnesses
by Butterflyleia85 in(this is a letter i wrote to my cousin after she left from visiting me after 3 years!!
she flew 5 hours to see me last weekend!!).
hi ****!i'm so happy you came to ***** and visited me!!
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136
Life after death
by truthseeker ineveryone has different views about life after death and whether or not it is a possibility.. as jehovah's witnesses, we were always taught that there is no life after death, that this is the only life we have now and that the wages of sin is death.. .
what are your views on life after death?.
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godrulz
Saying things that are biblically true is not tantamount to pontificating nonsense. Your beef is with the content or the possibility of knowing absolute truth. Relativism is useless and false as a philosophy.
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Field Service question
by 21stcenturywoman ini live in one of the biggest cities in the us.
i have not observed as many jws in field service as i did when i was growing up.
within the last 10 years i used to see spanish speaking witnesses in my former neighborhood.
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godrulz
Which is the greater motivation for the average JW (asking as a non-JW)? To reach the lost with truth and warn them about the impending Armageddon so that they will be saved OR to fulfill their duty and obligations to earn their personal safety from Armageddon (more concerned about their salvation than the people they are talking to who are rejecting them)? I suspect that the rate of rejection leaves a JW happy to see these evildoers miss the boat while they put in time to earn favor with Jehovah to save their own bacon. If salvation was not dependent on FS, would the average JW put in as many hours (not recorded, no one knew what they did or not)?
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godrulz
Biblical elders have calling, character, compassion, servant-hearts, etc. Leadership that aspires for control, prestige, power, etc. is corrupt. A sincere person will be corrupted if doing the bidding of a corrupt organization leading to a loss of conscience and ruination of lives.
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22
Encouragement letter, insight on the truth behind Jehovah's Witnesses
by Butterflyleia85 in(this is a letter i wrote to my cousin after she left from visiting me after 3 years!!
she flew 5 hours to see me last weekend!!).
hi ****!i'm so happy you came to ***** and visited me!!
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godrulz
I was reinforcing the statement about continuing in the faith. Those who fall away are not in the faith. In Christian circles, there is a belief held by some that once a person is saved, they are always saved. I do not believe this is true. JWs have the opposite extreme by having no assurance for at least over 1000 years from now.
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136
Life after death
by truthseeker ineveryone has different views about life after death and whether or not it is a possibility.. as jehovah's witnesses, we were always taught that there is no life after death, that this is the only life we have now and that the wages of sin is death.. .
what are your views on life after death?.
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godrulz
We cannot know full truth about God or spiritual things apart from His self-revelation in creation, Christ, Scripture. I am satisfied that the Word of God is what it claims to be and that Jesus is God in the flesh and spoke truth. I do not have 5-sense scientific evidence that is conclusive because these things are in the realm of spiritual truth, philosophy, etc., not observation of creation alone.
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Field Service question
by 21stcenturywoman ini live in one of the biggest cities in the us.
i have not observed as many jws in field service as i did when i was growing up.
within the last 10 years i used to see spanish speaking witnesses in my former neighborhood.
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godrulz
It sounds like a lot of lip service, not love for God or the lost. Too many of my fellow believers do not systematically share their faith, but the WT sales force does not please God nor is it effective. I wonder how many JWs would actually do this stuff if hours were not recorded and there was no pressure to do so or censure for not doing it? I imagine they would have the same fears, laziness, procrastination, etc. as anyone else.
I have gone door to door as an evangelical and as a salesman. It is not easy, yet not impossible. It is certainly not a sign of having the truth or the best product/price.
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136
Life after death
by truthseeker ineveryone has different views about life after death and whether or not it is a possibility.. as jehovah's witnesses, we were always taught that there is no life after death, that this is the only life we have now and that the wages of sin is death.. .
what are your views on life after death?.
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godrulz
coft: the real you is spirit-soul, not just grey matter. The body without the spirit is dead, but the spirit without the body is very much alive. A brain is for a physical body, but is unnecessary for consciousness, thinking, acting, feeling. At death, the spirit/body separates until a future resurrection. The WT and secular view is wrong.
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136
Life after death
by truthseeker ineveryone has different views about life after death and whether or not it is a possibility.. as jehovah's witnesses, we were always taught that there is no life after death, that this is the only life we have now and that the wages of sin is death.. .
what are your views on life after death?.
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godrulz
There is no reincarnation, just resurrection to life with God forever through faith in Christ or everlasting separation from Him through godless unbelief or rejection of the true Jesus.
Many do not have great lives, but God wants to be part of it to help us through. We need Him and were not created to go it alone. Jesus/YHWH gives abundant and eternal life. There is no hope apart from Him.
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godrulz
Anyone can burn out in a secular or religious setting. JWs would be prone to this due to the endless treadmill of meetings, field service, works, etc.
I have never been a JW. I have been burned out (nervous breakdown in 1978 that helped bring me back to God). I am an elder in an evangelical, Pentecostal church.
I hope you find freedom from the errors of the WT to freedom in the true God/Jesus/Gospel. God sees your heart. He wants you to reject religion, not Him.