You are still 'hell bent' on proving that JW's have it all wrong, aren't you djh? This obsession of yours is really sad IMO. Have you not had egg on your face enough times to give it up? If we are wrong, then we are happy with our beliefs. It makes us better husbands, wives, children and families in a world where everything is going belly up. Your little group can be whatever you want them to be....your own leader is a human, yet you believe what he teaches....? Why?
*** w99 7/15 p. 10 par. 5 Helping People to Draw Close to Jehovah ***
5 Writing to fellow anointed Christians, the apostle Paul speaks of “the ministry of the reconciliation” and says that God reconciles people to himself on the basis of Jesus Christ’s ransom sacrifice. Paul says that it is “as though God were making entreaty through us” and that “as substitutes for Christ we beg: ‘Become reconciled to God.’” What a heartwarming thought! Whether we are anointed “ambassadors substituting for Christ” or are envoys with earthly hopes, we should never forget that this is Jehovah’s work, not ours.
2 Corinthians 5:17-20...
."Therefore, if anyone is in union with Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; look! new things have come into existence. 18 But all things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of the reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was by means of Christ reconciling a world to himself, not counting their offenses against them, and he entrusted to us the message of the reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors substituting for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us. As substitutes for Christ, we beg: “Become reconciled to God.”"
What is this telling us? Those "in union with Christ" (i.e. those who are spirit anointed) become a "new creation" with a different destiny to the rest of humanity. These experience the "first resurrection" in order to take up their positions in the Kingdom as 'kings and priests'. (Revelation 20:6) The rest of the dead experience the general resurrection back to life on this earth. (John 5:28-29) Since I am not one of the anointed, my hope is earthly, not heavenly....and I am perfectly happy to be where ever God wants me. I have no desire to go to heaven, but a strong desire to live in paradise conditions on earth where God placed man in the first place.
Since all of the first Christians (including Paul who wrote the passage above) were spirit anointed, it was these who were to be ambassadors for Christ in continuing the work that Jesus started. We assist Christ's brothers in this work as their numbers continue to dwindle. God knows when the task is complete....we do not.
No doubt you see yourself in a heavenly role, but are upset that you would have no such position in our brotherhood. I am just wondering when I will see your brethren "preaching in all the inhabited earth as a witness to all the nations"...? Will they be coming to my door any time soon? (Acts 20:20)
Watchtower November 1, 1922 page 333
Bible prophecy shows that the Lord was due to appear for the second time in the year 1874. Fulfilled prophecy shows beyond a doubt that he did appear in 1874. Fulfilled prophecy is otherwise designated the physical facts; and these facts are indisputable. All true watchers are familiar with these facts, as set forth in the Scripture's and explained in the interpretation by the Lord's special servant.
OMG...1922? are you serious?
We have had so much clarification since then.
*** w13 7/15 p. 8 par. 19 “Tell Us, When Will These Things Be?” ***
19 In review, what have we learned? In the beginning of this article, we raised three “when” questions. We first considered that the great tribulation did not begin in 1914 but will start when the United Nations attacks Babylon the Great. Then, we reviewed why Jesus’ judgment of the sheep and the goats did not begin in 1914 but will occur during the great tribulation. Finally, we examined why Jesus’ arrival to appoint the faithful slave over all his belongings did not occur in 1919 but will take place during the great tribulation.
Its called clarification of existing beliefs. The light on the path is getting brighter. (Proverbs 4:18) My brothers are always researching in the scriptures in search of new understanding. We are not bogged down in doctrines that have not altered since they were introduced from paganism centuries ago.
*** w50 11/15 p. 462 Fraudulent Religious Relics ***
All error and lies
are of the Devil and are certainly a great reproach and dishonor to God. (
John 8:44; Rom. 1:25) Consequently, Jehovah is against all such pious frauds that teach lies in His name and He will clean them out at Armageddon.
Seems as tho your "appointed by Jesus" teachers feed off both tables.
Back to 1950 again...you jump around all over the place.....got something up to date?
You know the greatest lies taught in Christendom are? The ones that dishonor God the most?....the trinity, which elevates the son to the same position as his Father and squeezes thee gods into one head. This is a breach of the First Commandment. (Exodus 20:3) They also teach that God tortures the wicked in the flames of hell forever...again demeaning to the loving God and Father of Jesus Christ who would never do such a thing. (Jeremiah 7:31)
It teaches that we don't really die....but rather that some shadowy, fully conscious invisible spirit departs from the body at death to go to places unknown. This is nothing more than a perpetuation of the first lie the devil told in Eden when he said to Eve "you surely will not die". God told Adam he would simply return to the dust. (Genesis 3:19)
Those appointed by Jesus give us our food at the proper time, and will provide what we need to know, when we need to know it. I can't even imagine what you are being fed.
*** w93 9/15 p. 22 They Compassionately Shepherd the Little Sheep ***
But if we were to draw away from Jehovah’s organization, there would be
no place else to go for salvation and true joy. (Compare
John 6:66-69.)
Acts 4:12 (ESV Strong's) 12
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
As explained to you several times, no one was permitted to approach God as one of his worshippers without membership of the organized earthly group that represented the true God in the times that he provided them. For the Jews, it was belonging to the nation of Israel. For the Christians, it was belonging to the Christian congregation. Since we believe that we have separated from Babylon the great and are no longer captive to her false beliefs and practices, we see our organization as fulfilling the great commission like no other global Christian brotherhood on earth. You are free to disagree, but again, where is your church in fulfilling that commission? (Matthew 28:19-20) It isn't something you can just do locally...it has to be global, being witnesses...
"to the most distant part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
You avoided the question Deeje, please answer it. I didn't ask anything about your 'slave'. Do you tell your prospects for baptism that they are dedicating themselves indirectly to God thru association with your organization?
I did answer but obviously not the way you were hoping....so yes, they are given understanding that there is no other organization on earth who believe and teach what we do. We are no part of Christendom or any other part of Babylon the great, and they understand that they cannot be part of it either. It requires months or even years of study to prepare for baptism into Jehovah's family of dedicated worshippers. They all know what they are signing up for, just like I did 45 years ago.
I believe that I belong to an organized body of Christians who serve in every nation on earth, doing exactly what Jesus commanded them to do. It is not a work that only missionaries do in foreign countries....all of Jehovah's Witnesses are preachers, active in their own neighborhoods. Jesus went to his own people with an unpopular message....he was hated for doing it and he told his disciples that they would be hated for the same reasons. (John 15:18-21) How hated are your church members djh? How active are they in all nations on earth? What is your message of salvation?
