What, specifically, is Jesus doing and how is he doing these things? Describe the mechanism by which he implements these changes.
Vivane, You can find testimony all over the internet about this.
from the 2013 new world translation 2 tim.
all scripture is inspired of god and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, so that the man of god may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.. .
as jw's we must have read that scripture a thousand times.
What, specifically, is Jesus doing and how is he doing these things? Describe the mechanism by which he implements these changes.
Vivane, You can find testimony all over the internet about this.
from the 2013 new world translation 2 tim.
all scripture is inspired of god and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, so that the man of god may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.. .
as jw's we must have read that scripture a thousand times.
The only works that are required are to live a life of mercy towards others and for the fruit of the spirit within to grow and develop so it flows like a river.
This is the EVIDENCE of belief and the resulting new spirit
from the 2013 new world translation 2 tim.
all scripture is inspired of god and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, so that the man of god may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.. .
as jw's we must have read that scripture a thousand times.
You need to stop beating yourself up
You misunderstand me if you think I beat myself up. Whatever it took to finally just believe God was worth it. It is the greatest acheivement of my life. Many many "do-overs" got me there. Now life is good, success is a mostly daily, if not moment by moment at times.... reality.
Believing God is the greatest work in the world. It's dividends are endless because God is endless.
"I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me:"
"Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;"
from the 2013 new world translation 2 tim.
all scripture is inspired of god and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, so that the man of god may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.. .
as jw's we must have read that scripture a thousand times.
designs,
We didn't believe God when he said what he said. We chose to disbelieve God and to believe another. We all suffered for it. It will always be this way. Before Eve sinned, she FIRST DISBELIEVED.
None of my atheist friends here (so far) care to admit that had they believed God, they could have avoided a dreadful cult. But it's true nonetheless.
I am more culpable than most for this reason: I never believed the Wt growing up (after 1975). But at age 23, I wanted to get right with God. I became active... and right before I got baptized (like a few days) an elder was listening to me get a little too excited about some scripture (can't remember which) and he made a huge point to instruct me right then and there that the Greek Scriptures (New Testament) wasn't written to me. He said it didn't apply to me. He said that the whole NT applied primarily to the 144,000 and then only by extension (what ever that means) to people like me.
My Sicilian temper rose up in my belly; I remember the heat coming into my shoulders and rising up to my head making my face red I'm sure. I didn't know whether to feel embarrassed for being so presumptous to assume that God could want to save (and spend time with) someone like me, or to repeatedly slap this man silly until he begged for mercy. So did I choose to believe God? No. I got baptized anyway and tried to WORK my way into his graces like we ALL did at one time.
God is uninterested in our works, He is very interested in our belief.
Abrraham believed God
Abraham believed God
Abraham believed God
from the 2013 new world translation 2 tim.
all scripture is inspired of god and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, so that the man of god may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.. .
as jw's we must have read that scripture a thousand times.
Am I the only one who finds it astonishing that we ALL read that scripture a thousand times as JW's and were basically required to disbelieve it to remain members? And all this OUTSIDE of our awareness?
I find that incredibly interesting and telling about the human ability to be deceived. It is almost like we are pre-disposed to be deceived.
from the 2013 new world translation 2 tim.
all scripture is inspired of god and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, so that the man of god may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.. .
as jw's we must have read that scripture a thousand times.
make the effort to be a better person.
That's the same 'ole Watchtower line, (run faster, try harder, jump higher) ...been there done that.
Oh I tried for 40 years to be the man that I imagined. At best, I experienced bits and pieces of the ideal. When situational and other people interactions are factored in, it became even more of a remote possibility. My ideas about how I myself should be and what I wanted to experience in this life just became more and more remote.
When I totally trusted in Jesus alone about 9 years ago, things started to change, steadily gaining momentum.. The change was in proportion to the amount of trust backed up by deeds of trust that I willed myself to believe and do. My active belief in Christ is what triggered the new reality. It is a completely different way of living. Even though I have experienced TREMENDOUS success in Christ, I still am uncomfortable fully trusting him and not myself. It is utterly counter-intuitive to my flesh, but my spirit, my real will, is always there.
"For all the promises of God in him [Jesus] are yea, and in him Amen,"
Jesus is the greatest gift imaginable, because everything good imaginable is "so be it" by him. He has wisdom and truly AWESOME power and authority to make anythng so.
"Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest", said Jesus.
It's true. The prince of peace carries rest in his left hand and might in his right hand. And now, I have access to both.
on page 25 of the new release, "your family can be happy" the illustration of the young boy being baptized looks between the ages of 9-12.. thoughts?.
The sad part is that he thinks he is a Christian. Do you think any of the elders told him that official WT dogma is that Jesus is not his Mediator between him and God?
I wonder how many would get baptized if they were informed that Jesus was not their Mediator?
the other day i am in the hall and they are doing the whole christian persecution thing.
lets not forget about brothers in eritrea and south korea.
then someone said these people prove we are the true religion.
Most of the persucutions can be avoided if they renounce their faith in Christ.
This lady chose death rather than turn her back on Jesus. She was one of the few with a good outcome. However she told the court that she would go to the gallows if need be.
when i think back on when i started losing faith in the borg it all becomes kinda fuzzy.
even when i was 19, a pioneer an ms and the local golden boy i clearly remember lying about my field service time every month.
if i really feared jehovah there's no way i would of done that.
Most JW's fear the Jehovah of the Watchtower..... the one who won't judge them for their own personal sins; if they are in good standing with the WT of course.
Hebrews 9:27 ... it is appointed unto man once to die, and then judgment
Judgment is certain after death. Whether a person is condemned or not is based on what they do with Jesus, and not what they do.
forgive me for indulging in a goodbye but it would feel wrong not to,.
i hope the discussions and atmosphere here do not change for it is a bubbling brew of doubt, bravery and sincere hunger for answers.
these are healthy ingrediants for humans and especially for a jehovah's witness.. this forum offers not just the ability to ask without consequence, but it also offers the means to be real.
I'll be praying for your succes as you transition from the training to part time business man and physician. 76% of doctors believe in God