Not defending the wording... "pisteuo" from "pistis" means to "believe" or "have faith in". To them, "having faith" naturally became "exercising faith", and thus the focus on works.
InChristAlone
JoinedPosts by InChristAlone
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30
John 3:16 - "believe" or "exercise faith?" Same thing?
by Faithful Witness ini recently asked my jw mother, if she believed that jesus died for her sins.
(john 3:16).
she agreed, but then added the jw party line, "you have to exercise faith also.
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Unconfirmed 2014 Year Book Numbers - Peak Pubs, Baptized, Hrs, Reg Pio & Studies
by OwnAccord ini bethelite sent this email out - can't really give out names.
we wrote these figures as quickly as possible, but could not keep up 100%).
you get to check these figures out when you get your 2014 yearbook.
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InChristAlone
Wasn't there a recent lowering of the number of hours to be a regular pioneer thus inflating the actual pioneer numbers? If not, what am I thinking of?
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The murmuring phase is the beginning of an ex-JWs progression towards fading.
by Stand for Pure Worship ini suppose part of the fascination i have with this board is, the exotic nature of those making up the member population.
i say exotic because, as you yourselves will agree with, folks such as yourselves don't hang around the christian congregation for long upon making the decision that truth is not for you.
(rom 1:25) this "fading" thing spoken of here likely plays a role into why christians such as me find the average ex-jw to be a bit fascinating.
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InChristAlone
SFPW, I am also drawn to this site because of the eclectic composition of this group. Your observations are interesting and I can see how you came up with your conclusion. What you may be missing is the fact that most people on here were at some point exactly like you and are now unified in the stance, substantiated by much difficult examination, that the organization you pledge allegiance to is simply not "the truth". Many have not left Jehovah; they left the organization. One cannot equate the former with the latter.
You said, "Instead of focusing on keeping up to date and accepting the adjusted understanding of God's organization, they choose to focus on the imperfections of those presenting the modified truths." After much observation, I would respectfully disagree. What I believe they realized is that by having to constantly modify the truth, they have never actually had the truth. As a result, the organization they were a part of cannot be God's organization. Unless you can point to a specific date after which everything stated by the organization is completely true, then you must admit that it is a lie. For what is not truth is a lie, and you know who the originator of lies is.
Of course there are many here who no longer believe in Jehovah. While you and I may personally find that troubling, you must realize that the relationship between an individual and God is just that. There is absolutely nothing biblical of an organization or any group of individuals being their mediator in this re lationship. It is Christ alone. If you would like to better understand what has occurred, you should closely examine the issues that stumbled them. Look at jwfacts.com. See what they see and really try to see it from their viewpoint. Whether you agree with their assessment is inconsequential. Understanding their plight is illuminating. It may even help you gain an appreciation for the difficulty in their decision to leave.
You may also want to ask yourself why only 8 fallible men determine your truth for you. You call your allegiance to them "humility". To me, it's a shame that you feel that God cannot teach you directly. You have clearly substituted these 8 men for Christ as your mediator. But then, if you ever really grasped that idea, your motive for being here would be different.
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Why Eve sinned (WT 8/2013)
by EdenOne inadamah brought up in another thread an issue i wasn't aware of, and i thought it merged well with something i've been pondering about.
it revolves around the deeper reasons why satan was successful in persuading eve to eat from the forbidden fruit.
why was eve persuaded to disobey god?.
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InChristAlone
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Why Does this super smart Bible God not perform miracles
by confusedandalone inlet's be serious - if you really want people to have faith and to be able to now absolute truth why not perform miracles.
why not make the bible a blank book and when you open it, it addresses you personally in writing of course.
for instance it says, "hey confusedandalone this is what i need you to do.
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InChristAlone
Confused. Thanks for reading. I won't pretend to be able to explain those things you mentioned. I certainly don't think that me or my child is more special or deserving than anyone else. I don't see the big picture. All I can tell you is that my experiences are very real to me and that many times over my child should be dead and isn't. For how long or for what purpose I don't know. Because I have personally experienced God's promise in Philippians 4:6,7, my belief in God is strong. Again, I wish you the best and thank you for reading.
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Why Does this super smart Bible God not perform miracles
by confusedandalone inlet's be serious - if you really want people to have faith and to be able to now absolute truth why not perform miracles.
why not make the bible a blank book and when you open it, it addresses you personally in writing of course.
for instance it says, "hey confusedandalone this is what i need you to do.
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InChristAlone
Hi confusedandalone,
I am sorry that you haven't experienced God the way that you would like to. Many people don't, and I can't really explain it. I can tell you that I have experienced several events with my middle child that goes well beyond circumstance into the realm of miracles. Feel free to read about it here and decide for yourself. http://adam-searchfortruth.blogspot.com/2012/08/kyra.html For me, the main difference comes down to how the former NWT translated John 17:3 vs. how other translations have it... taking in accurate knowledge of God vs. knowing God. I am glad to see the revised NWT re-word it "coming to know" God. The people that I know who have genuinely spent time developing a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ have truly experienced what you are missing. I wish you the best.
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What are you NOT allowed to say as a Jehovahs Witness?
by The Quiet One in"one of the bible study was listening and singing the song by jason mraz titled lucky with the chorus going like this;.
quote.
'i'm lucky i'm in love with my best friend.. lucky to have been where i have been.. lucky to be coming home again.. lucky we're in love in every way.. lucky to have stayed where we have stayed.. lucky to be coming home someday..'.
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InChristAlone
Just for fun, I have a few...
"Wow, that Trinity stuff really makes sense..."
"So, I was talking with Jesus today and..."
"I've been dating this Catholic girl..."
"I think I hear Santa and his reindeer..."
"So, if I join the Armed Forces, they'll pay for college?"
"And then I can get a Master's Degree?"
"That's a lot of candles on my birthday cake"
"Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so..."
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Can one find God without studying the Bible?
by Dis-Member ini don't recall jesus ever once telling people that they should even read the bible to find god.. he said nothing about 'taking in knowledge' either.. .
he didn't encourage people to read the bible because 90% of people in his day couldn't read!
the bible was not read by most people, it was -heard- when someone else read it aloud.
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InChristAlone
When asking questions like, "Is such-and-such necessary?", I tend to think of the thief on the cross. Is baptism necessary? Is reading the Bible necessary? Is a year of training and passing a test necessary? No, no, and no. However, for those who believe, reading the Bible can help you "know" God. In my opinion, "taking in accurate knowledge of..." is a HORRIBLE translation for this very reason.
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Goodbye JWD/JWN (my last post)
by slimboyfat inafter some considerable thought i have decided that i will no longer post on this forum because i want to return to jehovah.
thank you for all the kindness and many interesting discussions over the years.
i wish you all well in the future and the decisions you make.
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InChristAlone
Going back to Jehovah and going back to the organization are NOT one and the same. You have overlooked a great deal of information here if you believe that the organization equates to Jehovah. You can do one without the other.
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Do you believe in a literal Christ?
by Monsieur indo you believe in a literal christ?.
someone that walked the earth and did the things the bible states he did?
(miracles, etc.).
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InChristAlone
I sat through a 4 hour lecture by Alan Whanger, a Duke University professor and leading historian on the Shroud. I will just say that it is a fascinating and unique piece of history. Belief in the Shroud as related to Jesus is not a faith-maker or -breaker, however it will certainly stimulate the mind. Believe me, the lecture is far better than any website on the topic.