Jehovah's Messenger1 When Christ Jesus comes as king, he will be the judge of everyone, whether they are living or dead. So with God and Christ as witnesses, I command you to preach God's message. Do it willingly, even if it isn't the popular thing to do. (2Timothy 4:1-2) (CEV)
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Interests: "But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not."(Ezekiel 2:7) (NASB)
Expertise: 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14) (ESV)


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Monday, November 16, 2009

What Is God’s Name?

Tetragrammaton1

Most of the people in Christendom go to church
at least occasionally for the purpose of worship.

 

Worship whom?

 

Some say “The Lord”. Some say “Jesus”. Some
say both. Some even say Jesus is God.

 

What is the truth from the Bible?

 

The truth is that God told us what His name is many thousands
of years ago when He revealed it to His prophets:

 

15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou
say unto the children of Israel,
Jehovah
, the God of your
fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the
God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you:
this is my name
forever
, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

(Exodus 3:15) (American Standard Version)

 

God has a name?

 

In fact, Jehovah’s prophets wrote God's name, Jehovah,  
more than 6,700 times in the Old Testament scriptures alone.
Unfortunately, when the Bible was translated from the ancient
languages into English, the translators
removed Jehovah’s
name and substituted “GOD” or “LORD”
in its place.

 

What is the wisdom in that?

 

If Jehovah, our God, likes His name, is it a
good idea to just take it away from Him?

 

Is it a good idea to alter the Bible at all?

Not according to one prophet named John:

19 And if anyone removes any of the words of this prophetic
book, God will remove that person's share in the tree of life
and in the holy city that are described in this book.
(Revelation 22:19) (New Living Translation)

 

Why did the arrogant translators make this
unwanted and
inappropriate substitution?

 

1.   To support a man-made myth that the Son is also the Father:

"It was they who demanded, in effect, that Christianity be
"updated" by blurring or even obliterating the long-accepted
distinction between the Father and the Son
."
- When Jesus Became God
by Richard E. Rubenstein, p.74

 

What does God's Son say about his Father?

26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue
to make it known, that the love with which you have loved
me may be in them, and I in them."
(John 17:26) (English Standard Version)

 

And what about the people who worship Jesus,

the Son instead of the Father?

 

It was prophesied long ago that this would occur:

 

25 Instead of believing what they knew was the truth
about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So
they worshiped the things God made but not
the Creator himself
, who is to be praised forever.
Amen.
(Romans 1:25) (New Living Translation)

 

What will God's Son think about this?

 

22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons
and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly,
'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
(Matthew 7:22-23) (New International Version)

 

Why would Christ reject these people’s works?

 

21 "Not all people who sound religious are really
godly.
They may refer to me as `Lord,' but they still
won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue
is whether they obey my Father in heaven.
(Matthew 7:21) (New Living Translation)

 

Is there another God besides Jehovah?

 

5 I am Jehovah, and there is none else;

besides me there is no God.
(Isaiah 45:5) (ASV)

 

2.   To make money

 

Because the God of Christ - The Jewish God, Jehovah,
was not popular with the world of mankind, they sought
to remove Him from their Bibles. Bible publishers knew
that for their Bibles to be purchased they would need to
appeal to their readers. They also knew, that if they used
God's Divine Name, Jehovah, then people would not
purchase their Version and
thus they would lose money:

               

“God's name Jehovah/Yahowah appears in the
original Hebrew text about 7000 times, but the
NIV fails to mention it even once. When asked
about this,
Edwin H. Palmer, Th.D., Executive
Secretary for the NIV's committee wrote:
Here is why we did not :  You are right - that
Jehovah is a distinctive name for God
and
ideally we should have used it.
 
But we put
2 1/4 million dollars into this translation and
a sure way of throwing that down the drain
is to translate
, for example, Psalm 23 as, “
Yahweh
is my shepherd.
 Immediately, we would have
translated for nothing. 
Nobody would have used it
(or purchased it).
Oh, maybe you and a handful [of]
others.
 But a Christian has to be also wise and practical. 
We are the victims of 350 years of the King James
tradition
.
It is far better to get two million to read
it - that is how many have bought it to date-
and to
follow the King James, than to have two thousand buy
it and have the correct translation of Yahweh... It
was a hard decision, and many of our translators agree
with you."
- The Reason NIV removed Jehovah's Name
  Edwin H. Palmer, Th.D.,
  Executive Secretary for the NIV's committee

 

3.  To perpetuate another man-made traditional myth

 

 "...Yahweh (Jehovah), is the proper personal name of
the God of Israel...the term Adonai,  
‘My Lord’ was
later used as a substitute.
 The word LORD in the
present version represents the 
TRADITIONAL usage."
-
New American Bible (Catholic)
   Introduction to the O. T., Page XI.

 

"In this translation we have followed the orthodox
Jewish TRADITION and substituted 'the Lord' for
the name 'Yahweh' (Jehovah)."
-- Preface - 1935 Bible;
   J. M. Powis Smith and Edgar J. Goodspeed

 

So most people do not see God’s name, Jehovah, in their
Bibles, the ministers of Christendom refuse to acknowledge
Jehovah’s name in their sermons and the people never knew
that God’s name exists.

 

Where does that leave them?

 

13 For "Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved."
14 But how can they call on him to
save them unless they believe in him? And how can
they believe in him if they have never heard about
him?
And how can they hear about him unless
someone tells them?
15 And how will anyone go
and tell them without being sent? That is what the
Scriptures mean when they say, "How beautiful are
the feet of those who bring good news!"
(Romans 10:13-15) (New Living Translation)

 

Saved? What good news?

 

We are living in the time of the “End of the world,
as we now know it”. This was prophesied many
times by many prophets such as Ezekiel:

 

18 And it shall come to pass in that day, when Gog
shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord
Jehovah, that my wrath shall come up into my nostrils.
19 For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have
I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great
shaking in the land of Israel; 20 so that the fishes of
the sea, and the birds of the heavens, and the beasts
of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon
the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of
the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the
mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep
places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
 21 And I will call for a sword against him unto all my
mountains, saith the Lord Jehovah: every man's
sword shall be against his brother. 22 And with
pestilence and with blood will I enter into judgment
with him; and I will rain upon him, and upon his
hordes, and upon the many peoples that are with
him, an overflowing shower, and great hailstones,
fire, and brimstone. 23 And I will magnify myself,
and sanctify myself, and I will make myself known
in the eyes of many nations; and they shall know
that I am Jehovah.

(Ezekiel 38:18-23) (American Standard Version)

 

Jehovah intends to rid the earth of all the evil that is running
rampant soon.
If we want to be saved from Jehovah’s wrath,
we must now consider turning away from the false worship
of Christendom and accept the One True God.
There is no
future in the false beliefs of Christendom.

30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but
now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
(Acts 17:30) (New International Version)

 

What is our reward for rejecting false worship and
turning to our Heavenly Father,
Jehovah,
 our God?

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,
and death shall be no more, neither shall there
be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for
the former things have passed away."
(Revelation 21:4) (English Standard Version)

Bible Gateway 18


Thursday, November 12, 2009

Are We Ready for
the Harvest?

harvest 2  

The world is a shambles and getting worse every day.
People all over the world are asking:

Why were our homes destroyed by earthquakes,
fires and flooding?

Why is there so much violence and warfare?
Why is the economy so bad?
Why is my job gone?

What will happen next?

Why is the world a shambles?

Mankind was allowed to run amuck in this world
for many thousands of years. Just look at what
we have accomplished!

What does the world have?

Poverty and famines.
Widespread hatred.
Oppression, wars, pollution, disease, squalor, unrest and despair.

Not only that, but the problems are growing!

Not once have the governmental leaders of this world,
in their wisdom, ever solved any of these problems in
any country.

They never have and never will. Because of widespread
corruption and incompetence, the world’s leaders solely
look out for their own interests and disregard the problems
of the people they supposedly serve.

Who can save the world from certain disaster?

"...for they shall cry unto Jehovah because of oppressors,
and he will send them a saviour, and a defender, and he
will deliver them."
(Isaiah 19:20) (ASV)

"...At the time that God has already decided,
he will send Christ back again."
(1Timothy 6:15) (CEV)

That is wonderful news! Jehovah and His son
are about to do something about the havoc
and chaos in the world soon.

But what must occur first?

A small thing – and yet – a large accomplishment!

Before God’s son takes over, all of his true followers
must stop calling him "Jesus".

Why?

"The Hebrews called their coming Savior, the Messiah,
Jahshuawah (Jehoshua). The disciples of the Savior
accepted Him as such, and to them He was known as
Jahshuwah the Messiah. The Greeks, however, rejected
the Hebrew name, and called Him (IESOUS-Jesus) instead."
- The Origin of Christianity
by A.B. Traina

"It is interesting to note - that throughout his life - the
one now known as Jesus Christ never did hear himself
called by that name."
- "Man’s Great Adventure,"
by Edwin W. Pharlow, professor of history,
Ohio State University.

"It is known that the Greek name endings with sus,
seus and sous were attached by the Greeks to names
and geographical areas as means to give honour to
their supreme deity, Zeus."
-Dictionary of Christian Lore and Legend
Professor J. C. J. Metford

That is why. God’s son is not Jesus! Just as the Bible
translators substituted "GOD" and "LORD" for God’s
actual name, Jehovah, they also painstakingly traded
"Jesus" for "Jehoshua" in place of Christ’s true name.

Has it always been that way?

"In the 1611 KJ New Testatment the name Yahshua
(Yehoshua) appeared originally wherever the Messiah
was spoken of. Yehoshua means Yehovah's (Jehovah's)
Salvation. Later the Messiah's name was replaced with
Iesus (Greek) which later in the 1600's it became Jesus
starting with the new English letter 'J' which was
introduced at that time. Further, the Greek 'Iesus'
comes from the name Zeus, the ruling God in the
Greek pantheon."
-Gospel of The Kingdom
True Names and Title
Dr. Henry Clifford Kinley
1931 - Ohio USA

Instead, true Christians will let go of Christendom’s
three-headed trinity god named Jesus and call our
savior by his correct name.

Jehoshua

Christ's name (Jehoshua) is of Hebrew origin and
is taken from the name Yehoshua, which in English
is often translated as Joshua. Yehoshua, in Hebrew
means "Yehovah Saves".
-Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Jehoshua was the name given to Christ by his
heavenly Father, Jehovah God. Many years
after his death - Rome changed his name to
suit their pagan heritage and to please their
pagan converts. "Ieous" was Greek for "Hail
Zeus", which was translated later into English
as "Jesus". And this error has continued to the
present. "The name Joshua (Jehoshua) derives
its greatest importance and highest sanctity
from the fact that it was sacredly chosen as the
name to be borne by the Messiah. This name was
corrupted and altered in time into the name Jesus."
--Personal Names in the Bible
by Dr. W.F. Wilkinson, M.A.
Joint Editor of Webster and Wilkinson's
Greek Testament: pages 342-343.

"Jesus. That was a name given to him many years after
His death. Rome wanted to remove any Jewishness from
the new church. They eliminated His Jewish name and
blended the name of Zeus in order to make it comfortable
for all those who had previously worshipped the Greek
and Roman gods. Since Zeus was the top god of their
experience, attaching the name Ioesus (hail Zeus) to
Yahshua - gave Him top priority in the worship hierarchy."
-Winds of Praise Broadcasting
Believer or Follower?
The Sound of the Shofar
By Jon Thompson

CHRIST DECLARED :

"I have come in My Father's name and with His power..."
(John 5:43) (AMP)

And as we can plainly see, that name is not "Jesus"!

Christ will not take action on behalf of his true followers
until they give up their "J-zeus" error. Only when Jehovah's
people begin to call upon "Jehoshua" - will they obtain the
Salvation that Jehovah has promised to them.

But some will balk against such a change!

They will resist this request from God's Chosen King.
For whatever reason, there are some that will rather
leave Jehovah's earthly organization rather than
call Christ "Jehoshua".

That would be "the weeds".

"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't
you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the
weeds come from?' 'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The
servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them
up?' 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the
weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both
grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the
harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles
to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' "
(Matthew 13:27-30) (NIV)

All over the world weeds have been sown in with the faithful.
They have served Jehovah side by side for some time now
just as Jehoshua Christ said they would. The time has finally
come to sort the weeds from the wheat.

"Be patient like those farmers and don't give up.
The Lord will soon be here!"
(James 5:8) (CEV)

"...I know you can't stomach evil, that you weed
out apostolic pretenders..."
(Revelation 2:2) (MSG)

"...limp souls. Useless as weeds, fragile as grass,
insubstantial as wind-blown chaff."
(2Kings 19:26) (MSG)

"...Soon, oh very soon, her harvest will come
and then the chaff will fly!'"
(Jeremiah 51:29) (MSG)

"I know your deeds... You have kept My word,
and have not denied My name."
(Revelation 3:8) (NASB)

And it was for this very reason that Christ waited so
long to reveal this truth to his followers. The Harvest
wasn't ready and he didn't want to uproot the wheat
with the weeds. But now that will not be a problem
anymore because the Harvest is ready.

The First Command directed to Jehovah's people by
God's chosen King, Jehoshua, is to begin calling
Christ by his rightful name. It is not a difficult thing
to do but it will mean putting God and Christ first
in our lives and it may also mean a loss of favor with
the rest of the Jesus-worshiping world.

A similar but tremendous dividing work happened
when Jehovah God began to take out of the nations
A People For His name. When the International Bible
Students made the decision to become "Jehovah’s
Witnesses" - to fulfil Bible Prophecy and identify
themselves as His people, some fell away - as they
were weed-like and refused to be called by Jehovah's
Divine Name.

This same dividing or separating - is happening again
today - at this time of "The End". But now, instead of
Jehovah’s name separating true followers from the
unfaithful, this time it will be the name of God's Son,
"Jehoshua" Christ that will uproot the weeds that were
sown by Satan.

A choice has to be made. A choice will be made.
One way or the other - each of us will choose the
side on which we will stand. From such a small
change will come a tremendous accomplisment.

THE HARVEST IS ON!

The wheat and weeds are about to be sorted and gathered.

Which side will we choose?
"Jesus" or "Jehoshua"?

"Now what I am commanding you today is not too
difficult for you or beyond your reach. No, the word
is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart
so you may obey it."
(Deuteronomy 30:11,14) (NIV)

"...YOU will by no means see me until YOU say,
‘Blessed is he that comes in Jehovah’s name.’"
(Luke 13:35) (NWT)

"There is salvation in no one else! God has given no
other name under heaven by which we must be saved."
(Acts 4:12) (NLT)

"Blessed is he who is coming In the name of Jehovah..."
(Psalm 118:26) (YLT)

And while we are at it…

ARE YOU SAYING "AMEN" – IN IGNORANCE?

"By ending our prayers in 'amen'... one could very
well ask, "Have we been misled to invoke the name
of the Egyptian 'Sun-god' at the end of our prayers?"
-United Hebrew Congregation
Charles J. Voss

It is common to end a discourse on spiritual matters,
(or end a prayer) with (the word) "Amen". Few of us
realize that the word 'Amen' is an Egyptian word. It
refers to the Egyptian god of Thebes. The Hebrews
adopted the word and it passed into Christian use as
"Amen". It is a petition for (the god - Amen) to fulfill
our words.
- MYSTIC GIFTS FROM ANCIENT EGYPT
By Dr John Palo ; 1999

The Israelite exiles from Egypt knew that Jehovah was not
the same as the Egyptian god Aten, and so they presumed
he must be the equivalent of the great State God of Egypt.
It was decided, therefore, to add the name of that State-god
of Egypt to all prayers thereafter, and the name of that Egyptian
god was "Amen". To this day, the name of Amen is still recited
at the end of prayers in both Jewish and Christian religions.
- Genesis of the Grail Kings
by Sir Laurence Gardner; pg. 6

Finally, we may note that the word "Amen" occurs in gnostic
spells… especially of Egyptian origin, and a sort of magical
efficacy seems to have been attributed to this word.. The
practice of answering "Amen" at the end of prayers appears
in the Canons of Hippolytus (No. 146) and in the Egyptian
Church Order (p. 101).
- New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia
Thurston, Herbert. "Amen."
The Catholic Encyclopedia.
Vol. 1. New York:
Robert Appleton Company, 1907.

When we did it in ignorance, maybe God looked past that.
But now that you know the truth, what will you do? Will you
continue to use the name of a pagan god to close your prayers?
Is it too hard to change that now? Because you’ve been using
the ‘amen’ tradition for a long time - will you rationalize and
justify why you keep on invoking the name of the Egyptian
god, Amen? Will you find a pastor or teacher to reassure you
that "it’s okay to say ‘amen’ - Or will you give thanks to God for
revealing His truth and stop using the name of a pagan god?"
-And they all Said, "AMEN"
by J.D. Roberts

The true followers of Jehovah and
His son will know what to do.

Bible Gateway 18


Friday, November 06, 2009

The One True Religion

religious symbols collage3

 There is in existence a people who worship The Creator
(of us and the universe) in the way He requires.

 

Is it difficult? Is it demanding?

 

No! Jehovah did not make the rules hard or demanding,
men did. For countless centuries men have made up ways
to worship gods that were not only difficult to follow, but
usually stupid and evil ways. This is especially true of the
Jews, who, sadly, started off as Jehovah’s chosen people,
but repeatedly turned their backs to Him. Jehovah sent
many prophets to His chosen people to bring them back 
to Him. The last prophet Jehovah sent to them was his
own Son. This was one more chance to repent and even
then they still rejected Jehovah as well as His Son:

8 "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding
on to the traditions of men." 9And he said to them: "You
have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God
in order to observe your own traditions!"
(Mark 7:8-9) (New International Version)

13 "As such, you break the law of God in order to protect
your own tradition. And this is only one example. There
are many, many others."
Mark 7:13) (New Living Translation)

So what does our loving Creator and
Father, Jehovah, require of us? 

34But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put
the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
35Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a
question, tempting him, and saying, 36Master, which
is the great commandment in the law? 37Jesus said
unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the
second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all
the law and the prophets.
(Matthew 22:34-40) (King James Version)

What Christ did for us was take The Ten Commandments
that were given to Moses and streamlined them for us so
that anyone who is familiar with The Ten Commandments
can follow all of them if they follow his “Two Commandments”.

After all, how can someone who lies, steals, cheats and
kills, love his neighbor or his parents? How can someone
who worships idols say that he loves Jehovah?
What else
must we do to show our love for our Heavenly Father?

Many people say they are willing to follow 
Christ, but they lack a sense of purpose. 

 

Our Messiah had a mission for his followers:

 

16Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst
of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and
harmless as doves.
(Matthew 10:16)  (KJV)

 

What was it that he wanted them to do?

 

1Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and
gave them authority to cast out evil spirits
and to heal every kind of disease and illness.
(Matthew 10:1) (NLT)

 

This was done to demonstrate his power and authority.
And yet, amazingly enough, most of his own people, the
Jews, still rejected him. Today, we rely on the evidence
written in the Bible to prove his authority and continue
the work that he and his disciples started:

14And the Good News about the Kingdom will
be preached throughout the whole world, so
that all nations will hear it; and then, finally,
the end will come.
(Matthew 24:14) (NLT)

What news? Is it really good news? What kingdom?

 

Isaiah prophesied about The New Kingdom hundreds
of years before Christ was even born:

 

7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there shall be no end, upon the throne of David,
and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to
uphold it with justice and with righteousness
from henceforth even forever. The zeal of
Jehovah of hosts will perform this.
(Isaiah 9:7) (American Standard Version)

 

Ever since Isaiah prophesied this “kingdom of peace
and justice” there has never existed one anywhere in
the world. This prophecy has yet to be fulfilled! We

have been waiting countless centuries.

 

How much longer will it be?

 

God's Son, himself said:

7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom, and there will be famines and
earthquakes in various places. 8All these are but
the beginning of the birth pains.
(Matthew 24:7-8) (English Standard Version)

These events are all happening now and have been
happening for some time now. For many people now
living, these very things have been going on all their
lives.

 

What does it all mean?

 

Christendom is vaguely aware that this is a prophesy of
the end of the world as we now know it. However, the
priests and ministers of Christendom assure their church
members that they have nothing to worry about. In fact,
most of Christendom eagerly awaits “the rapture”: to be
taken to Heaven when The End comes. These priests
and ministers of Christendom have misled their
congregations mercilessly.

 

Where can we find the truth? 

7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8For every one
that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and
to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
(Matthew 7:7-8) (KJV)

It was NOT enough to sit back in the pew at church
and listen to the sermon drone on and on. We had
to seek the truth for ourselves. Now it is too late!

Bible Gateway 18


Sunday, November 01, 2009

Should Christians Avoid Politics?

Many Christians run for office, vote and take great interest
in the media coverage of today's political candidates. The prevailing
opinion is that all people have a duty to elect the best candidates
available in order to solve all of our country's problems and perhaps,
even the world's problems once and for all.
The sad truth is that
elected officials never will solve the problems because they are the
problem - and have been for a long time now
!

9 I noticed all this and thought seriously about what
goes on in the world. Why does one person have
the power to hurt another
?
(Ecclesiastes 8:9) (Contemporary English Version)

"I well know, O Jehovah, that to earthling man his way
does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking
even to direct his own step."
(Jeremiah 10:23) (American Standard Version)

"You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended
the sick or bound up the broken bones. You have not gone
looking for those who have wandered away and are lost.
Instead, you have ruled them with force and cruelty."
(Ezekiel 34:4) (New Living Translation)

"Behold, I cry out, 'Violence!' but I am not answered;
I call for help,
but there is no justice."
(Job 19:7) (English Standard Version)

"The way of peace they do not know, and there is
no justice in their paths; they have made their roads
crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace."
(Isaiah 59:9) (ESV)

"They are well fed and well groomed, and there is
no limit to their wicked deeds. They refuse justice
to orphans and deny the rights of the poor
."
(Jeremiah 5:28) (New Living Translation)

"The law has become paralyzed and useless, and there is no
justice given in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the
righteous, and justice is perverted with bribes and
trickery
."
(Habakkuk 1:4) (NLT)

"Woe unto them that decree iniquitous decrees,
and to the writers that prescribe oppression
,
to turn away the poor from judgment, and to take
away the right from the afflicted of my people;
that widows may be their prey, and that they may
rob the fatherless! And what will ye do in the
day of visitation, and in the sudden destruction..."
(Isaiah 10:1-3) (Darby)

Who do the politicians belong to?

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed
him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 "All this
I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written:
'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.
(Matthew 4:8-10) (New International Version)

There is a subtle message in this important scripture. A message
few people have ever realized - Satan must have "owned" the
kingdoms of the world because Christ did not dispute Satan's
ability to hand them all over at will. He refused Satan's
generous offer so Satan still manipulates all of the world's
governments to his satisfaction to this day.

19 “We know that we are children of God and that the world
around us is under the power and control of the evil one.”
(1John 5:19) (New Living Translation)

Since we cannot expect Satan's governments to
solve the world's problems, who can do that?

44 "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up
a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to
another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring
them to an end, but it will itself endure forever."
(Daniel 2:44) (NIV)

There is the answer! Only God can save this world.
Not only that, but Jehovah God means business!

"Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be WARNED,
you rulers of the earth! Submit to God's royal son,
or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed
in the midst of your pursuits..."

(Psalm 2:10,12) (NLT)

"and all the kings... near and far, one after the other - all
the kingdoms on the face of the earth... ‘You will
not go
unpunished, for I am calling down a sword upon all
who live on the earth,
declares the LORD Almighty.'"

(Jeremiah 25:26,29) (NIV)

What will Satan's part be in all this?

16 And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and
their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon.
(Revelation 16:16) (NLT)

Armageddon? Where is that?

According to the encyclopedia InfoPlease

“Megiddo , city, ancient Palestine, by the Kishon River on the
southern edge of the plain of Esdraelon, N of Samaria, located
at present-day Tel Megiddo, SE of Haifa, Israel, near modern
Megiddo.”

From: http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0832523.html

According to the maps, Meggido is in Israel a few hundred miles
west of Baghdad, Iraq, where UN personnel are stationed.
The UN troops stationed in Lebanon are even closer to the area.

Is it not an amazing coincidence that so much
military presence is within reach of the area
almost two thousand years after John’s prophecy?

What is about to happen soon, now that "the
rulers and their armies" are already in place? 

Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming
on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27At that
time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power
and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand
up and lift up your heads,
because your redemption is drawing
near
."
(Luke 21:26-28) (NIV)

 

The greatest spectacle in the entire history of the world is
about to begin and people are worried about who is going
to be elected the next hapless puppet in Satan's hands!

19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and
their armies gathered together to make war against the
rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was
captured, and with him the false prophet who had
performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With
these signs he had deluded those who had received
the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The
two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of
burning sulfur. 21 The rest of them were killed with the
sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the
horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
(Revelation 19:19-21) (NIV)

21 “For that will be a time of greater horror than anything the world
has ever seen or will ever see again. 22 In fact,
unless that time of
calamity is shortened
, the entire human race will be destroyed.
But it will be shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones.

(Matthew 24:21-22) (NLT) 

17 “And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like
blind men, because they have sinned against Jehovah; and their
blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung. 18 Neither
their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of
Jehovah's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of
his jealousy: for he will make an end, yea, a terrible end, of all them
that dwell in the land.”
(Zephaniah 1:17-18) (American Standard Version)

33 “And the slain of Jehovah shall be at that day from one end
of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not
be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung
upon the face of the ground.”

(Jeremiah 25:33) (ASV)

4 And he will judge between the nations, and will decide

concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords
into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation
shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn
war any more.
(Isaiah 2:4) (ASV)

"...I am about to shake up everything, to turn everything
upside down and start over from top to bottom - overthrow
governments, destroy foreign powers, dismantle the world
of weapons and armaments, throw armies into confusion,
so that they end up killing one another."
(Haggai 2:21,22) (MSG)

Why are people still worried about campaigning
and voting, knowing all this is about to occur?

"When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you."
(Jeremiah 7:27) (NIV)

What would be the wiser course of action rather
than anguish over more inept elected officials?

…but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.
(Joshua 24:15) (ASV)

Bible Gateway 18


Tuesday, October 27, 2009

The Great Day of Jehovah

Many thousands of years ago all of mankind
was destroyed except for eight people!

16 "Come out of the ark, you and your wife
and your sons and their wives."
(Genesis 8:16) (NIV)

How do we know that the story of
Noah and the ark is a true story?

 

Christ, himself talked about it to his disciples:

 

37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming
of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people
were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing
about what would happen until the flood came and took them
all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
(Matthew 24:37-39) (New International Version)

 

God's Son, who is referred to frequently as the "Son of Man",
not only talked about the Great Flood as if it really happened,
he also talked about the Great Day of Jehovah as if it is going
to occur. That is because he knew it will!

 

“From that time on Jesus commenced preaching and saying: ’Repent,
YOU people, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.’”
(Matthew 4:17) (NIV)

 

Why would our Savior consider the Kingdom Message
to be so important nearly two thousand years ago?

 

The idea was that his followers would spread the message,
acquire more followers and then the whole world would
know about Jehovah’s intentions.

Why did the work take so long?

The world's population has steadily increased to over six
billion people now. The number of people who are spreading
the Kingdom Message number only about seven million. It 
took time to inform the people of the world in every country
and give them all a fair chance to hear and understand.

7 "But always, first of all, I warn you through my servants the
prophets. I, the Sovereign LORD, have now done this."
(Amos 3:7) (New Living Translation)

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting
anyone to perish
, but everyone to come to repentance.”
(2Peter 3:9) (NIV)

 

"Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect.  They all have
the same Lord, who generously gives his riches to all who ask
for them. For "Anyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will
be saved." But how can they call on him to save them unless
they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they
have never heard about him? And how can they hear about
him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and
tell them without being sent? That is what the Scriptures mean
when they say, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring
good news!" But NOT everyone welcomes the Good News, 
for Isaiah the prophet said, "Jehovah, who has believed our
message?" Yet faith comes from listening to this message of
good news.“
(Romans 10:12-17) (New World Translation)  -Watchtower.org

What is happening now that the Kingdom Message
has been preached throughout the entire world?

21 For that will be a time of greater horror than anything
the world has ever seen or will ever see again. 22 In fact,
unless that time of calamity is shortened, the entire human
race will be destroyed. But it will be shortened for the sake
of God's chosen ones.”
(Matthew 24:21-22) (NLT)

 

Are we near the period of Jehovah's Day now?

 

Yes! The world is in great turmoil with:

·
        Wars
·
        Diseases
·
        Earthquakes

·        Crime
·
        Injustice
·
        Terrorism
·
        Famine and drought
·
        Poverty
·        Flooding

 

These are indeed the signs that we are very near the Great Day
of Jehovah. There is still some goodness and optimism somewhere
in the world now but the problems will get worse and worse with
no let-up. This is the time for all to hear this message and consider
the source. The Bible is Jehovah’s words and His prophecies
never go unfulfilled
. People may believe that the Bible is an
ancient book with no relevance in today’s world, but that would
be a grave error.

 

What kinds of people ignore the Kingdom Message?

 

Primarily, the people who love the world the way it is now.
In spite of the world’s problems, there are a lot of things
to enjoy in the world. People can be ensnared by:

  • Wealth and prosperity
  • Seeking pleasure
  • False teachings
  • Lack of faith
  • Apathy
  • Addictions
  • Ambitions

The Apostle John had this advice for the wise:

 

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone
loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For
everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust
of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes
not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its
desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives
forever.”
(1John 2:15-17) (NIV)

 

Jehovah patiently waited for His work to be finished by
His servants. Everyone in the world heard the Kingdom
Message and made their choice:  to ignore the message
or join the effort to spread the message. There was no
middle ground. People are either  part of the solution or
part of the problem. People who are part of the solution
will have nothing to worry about as The End approaches: 


10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you,
the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will
suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of
death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who
overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.”
(Rev 2:10-11) (NIV)

 

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not
be afraid; for Jehovah, even Jehovah, is my strength
and song; and he is become my salvation.”
(Isaiah 12:2) (American Standard Version)

 

The people who are the problem will be very afraid:

 

29 “Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be
darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall
from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ 30 ”At
that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and
all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of
Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they
will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the
heavens to the other.”
(Matthew 24:29-31) (NIV)


When the people who rejected the Kingdom Message
realize their error, it will be too late:

 

18 There were flashes of lightning, roars of thunder, and the
worst earthquake in all history. 20 Every island ran away, and
the mountains disappeared. 21 Hailstones, weighing about a
hundred pounds each, fell from the sky on people. Finally,
the people cursed God, because the hail was so terrible.”
(Rev 16:18,20-21) (Contemporary English Version)

“...Ye shall not be unpunished; for I will call for a sword upon all
the inhabitants of the earth, saith Jehovah of hosts. And as for you,
you will prophesy to them all these words, and you must say to them,
‘From on high Jehovah himself will roar, and from his holy dwelling
he will give forth his voice. Without fail he will roar upon his abiding
place. A shout like those treading [the winepress] he will sing out
against all the inhabitants of the earth. A noise will certainly come clear
to the farthest part of the earth for Jehovah hath a controversy with the
nations; he will enter into judgment  with all flesh: as for the wicked, he
will give them to the sword, saith Jehovah...
And the slain of Jehovah
shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the
other end of the earth:
they shall not be lamented, neither gathered,
nor buried; they shall be dung upon the face of the ground.”
(Jeremiah 25:29-33) (ASV)

 

There are those who will say something like: “I can’t believe
that a God of love would do such a thing to nice people like
us!” Jehovah's prophets predicted this long ago.

17 You make God tired with all your talk. "How do we tire him
out?" you ask.
By saying, "God loves sinners and sin alike. God
loves all." And also by saying, "Judgment? God's too nice to judge."
(Malachi 2:17) (Message Bible)


He is a God of love to those who listen and obey Him.
We must not forget that He is a God of Judgment as well:

“but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will
give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with
the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.”
(Isaiah 11:4) (NIV)

And who is going to lead this battle?

29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down
from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 "It will be just like
this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
(Luke 17:29-30) (NIV)

What is that? God's Son will be the leader of the destruction?

11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was
a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With
justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing
fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written
on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in
a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white
horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of his
mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.
"He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress
of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on
his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.
(Revelation 19:11-16) (NIV)

The aftermath of Jehovah's Day and Armageddon will, according
to prophesy, be a paradise on earth just as it was when Adam
and Eve roamed the Garden of Eden:

6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with
the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little
child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young
will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The
infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put
his hand into the viper’s nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge
of the Lord Jehovah as the waters cover the sea.”
(Isaiah 11:6-9) (ASV)


This is Jehovah’s promise that when our world is taken away
from the hopelessly corrupt clutches of mankind it will indeed
be a paradise that will never be corrupted again by the ambitions
of human political elements, petty thieves, bullies, liars, or anyone
else who would spoil a worldly paradise for the rest of eternity:

“For evil-doers shall be cut off; But those that wait for Jehovah,
they shall inherit the earth. For just a little while longer, and the
wicked ones shall be no more: Yea, thou shalt diligently consider
his place, and he shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace... The
righteous shall inherit the earth, And dwell therein for ever... Wait
for Jehovah, and keep his way, And he will exalt thee
to inherit
the earth
; When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.”
(Psalm 37:9-11, 29, 34) (ASV)

This is the encouraging message for Jehovah's people. The world, as
it exists now, is only temporary. All of the world’s problems will be
taken care of soon. There is no need to agonize over how to solve the
problems; the most important thing that we can do is accept the
prophecies and spread the good news. Jehovah will take over from
there and all of our problems will then be over.

Bible Gateway 18



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