What is Happening in Our Schools?

[sojourner]

He speaks quite loudly for himself in the Bible

God didn’t write anything. But people did, and they wrote through the lens of their own understanding. That’s what’s wrong with taking Leviticus at face value.

You are trying to bully me into submission....not working

I’m providing a strong voice for an inclusive viewpoint.

“Illicit” means anything that is “against laws, rules or customs” so sex outside of scriptural marriage is against God’s laws, it means s not gender specific. Jesus reiterated God’s standards for marriage. People are free to ignore them at their own risk

There is no such thing as “scriptural marriage,” unless you’re talking about levirate marriage, or rapists having to marry their victims, or multiple wives. That’s “biblical marriage.“ Since neither gay sex nor gay marriage are against the law, and since many facets of the church sanction same-sex marriage, I’d have to conclude that same-sex marriage is not illicit.

I never said it was just for making babies....it is a legitimate expression of love between a husband and wife, which may or may not result in a pregnancy

...or between two people who love each other, no matter their sex.

You think God cares about what human sociological standards are? What you offered was an excuse not to uphold God’s law. You aren’t the first or the last to look for loopholes that don’t exist

I think God cares about how we treat others, especially those who are systemically oppressed.
What I offered was a legitimate sociological exegesis of the text in question. it’s not a loophole, and it does, in fact, exist.

Oh, so more people think like me, and that makes it all unfair

I don’t think more people “think like you.” I think the bigoted mind set is growing less and less popular and is less and less tolerated by enlightened humanity. And yes, it makes it unfair if one in the majority voices those thoughts from a position of majority power.

You can’t force people to accept standards that they find morally repugnant

Sure we can. Many people found it morally repugnant for black folks to drink out of white water fountains. We forced the Jim Crow laws into oblivion.

I think you need to get down off your soap box now

Wow! You seem to just want everyone who “disagrees with your ‘sensibilities’” to go away, don’t you! If you don’t wanna take your kids to the festival, that’s your prerogative. But when discriminatory speech is made public through the internet, The poster kinda brings it on her or himself. Too many people have been hurt — and are continuing to be hurt — by this faux-righteous thinking — many of them relatives and good friends. So I speak out as a member of the straight majority who is on their side for full inclusion in humanity.

It’s a big responsibility to offer people the hard truth

Systemic violence is what’s on offer in the OP.

 

[Deeje]

@lewisnotmiller....look what you've done.....it was buried four years ago.....

 

[Sand Dancer]

I have no problem with anyone being 'gay'...it is a genetic hiccup, but to promote the gay lifestyle as morally acceptable is something a Christian cannot condone.

For those who do not care what God thinks....I guess its party on.

Are children in other countries exposed to this too?

Depends on the denomination. Many denominations take what current knowledge says, as opposed to first century knowledge.

 

[Deeje]

Depends on the denomination. Many denominations take what current knowledge says, as opposed to first century knowledge.

You think God recognises ‘denominations’? Sectarianism is a sign of human interference in manipulating scripture to suit their own agendas. Unity is a sign that God’s word comes before human preferences. We don’t get to dictate our terms to God....as Universal Sovereign, he gets to dictate his terms to us.

I don’t think God does “current knowledge” on any of his laws.....none of which are negotiable....they transcend all generations because he does not change.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

You think God recognises ‘denominations’? Sectarianism is a sign of human interference in manipulating scripture to suit their own agendas. Unity is a sign that God’s word comes before human preferences. We don’t get to dictate our terms to God....as Universal Sovereign, he gets to dictate his terms to us.

I don’t think God does “current knowledge” on any of his laws.....none of which are negotiable....they transcend all generations because he does not change.

Then why is God's word in the Bible so easy to reinterpret based on a particular bias?

 

[sojourner]

You think God recognises ‘denominations’?

Of course!

Sectarianism is a sign of human interference in manipulating scripture to suit their own agendas

Sectarianism is a product of differences in interpretation, which is to be expected as the texts are multivalent.

Unity is a sign that God’s word comes before human preferences

You’re still confusing unity with uniformity.

I don’t think God does “current knowledge” on any of his laws.....none of which are negotiable....they transcend all generations because he does not change

Your first three words are crucial to the folly of your post.

 

[shmogie]

Dang!
I agree, the boffins have warned the big wigs since before I was born. Hell greenhouse gas study goes back to the 1800s!!
Avarice is the root cause of our inaction, imo. One thing I can agree with on JW doctrine is respect for the earth, because the earth can clearly kick our *** otherwise.
We’re digging deep and giving to relief funds right now. We’ll pull ourselves through and together. That’s the Aussie way.

The wildfires in ca. and other areas of the western US can be blamed on drought, but also on the forests and brush areas not being, managed properly. Bowing to the Conservationists, who want everything untouched, dead trees were not removed, buildup of natural fuels in shed pine needles and other dead plant materials, having fire breaks, thinning brush.
You guys are as tough as Americans, that means you nevsr give up, do what is needed and always bounce back,
I am sorry this has happened to you, and I pray for you all.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

@lewisnotmiller....look what you've done.....it was buried four years ago.....

 

[SomeRandom]

The wildfires in ca. and other areas of the western US can be blamed on drought, but also on the forests and brush areas not being, managed properly. Bowing to the Conservationists, who want everything untouched, dead trees were not removed, buildup of natural fuels in shed pine needles and other dead plant materials, having fire breaks, thinning brush.
You guys are as tough as Americans, that means you nevsr give up, do what is needed and always bounce back,
I am sorry this has happened to you, and I pray for you all.

Thanks for the kind words. But something has to give. I have lived through many bushfire seasons. Some worse than others. But the recent ones? Damn this is some straight up Biblical plagues stuff! Air pollution, water pollution, smoke looping back around on us. This isn’t normal, this isn’t just a case of “oh natural disasters going to naturally disaster.”
My generation will be around when the whether gets worse, will you be around to suffer with us? All the experts seem to agree that this is nothing compared to the coming years. Hell even this year might be hotter and even worse than the last season.
This complacency and fighting against even the most basic hint of trying to clean up the mess of the boomers is starting to wear thin with us youngins. We’re getting more and more fed up with all the damned political crap. Find cleaner resources, don’t litter, stop raping the planet. Surely that is not such a big ask?
I’m no conservationist new age hippy on a neo paleo diet or whatever the trendy vegans eat these days. I’m a capitalist meat eating lazy *******. But geez, a little more concern for the future can’t hurt.

 

[Deeje]

Then why is God's word in the Bible so easy to reinterpret based on a particular bias?

It's what 'separates the sheep from the goats'.....we cannot interpret the Bible without God's spirit. Men have always twisted the scriptures to suit their own agenda. This was brought out by the apostle Peter, who said...

"Furthermore, consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you according to the wisdom given him, 16 speaking about these things as he does in all his letters. However, some things in them are hard to understand, and these things the ignorant and unstable are twisting, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction." (2 Peter 3:15-16)

It is certainly nothing new. So we don't need to just look at what people say (talk is cheap).....we need to take a good look at what they do to obey the Christ in all his teachings, not just applying the convenient ones and ignoring the rest.

Christendom is a product of humans reinterpreting God's word to suit themselves, dividing it up into disunited sects. But when it comes to the important things, most of them are "Missing in Action". Especially is this true when it comes to Jesus teachings about how to treat our enemies and the fact that we must all be messengers of the Kingdom, telling others about it.

He said...
"You heard that it was said: ‘You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 However, I say to you: Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may prove yourselves sons of your Father who is in the heavens, since he makes his sun rise on both the wicked and the good and makes it rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous". (Matthew 5:43-45)

The churches will support the wars of their nations and ignore Jesus because of indoctrinated patriotic sentiment. A Christian has no nationality, and he will never take up arms to kill another human being...especially not his own "brother" in an opposing nation......we are all citizens of God's Kingdom and we will support only that rulership.

"If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet is hating his brother, he is a liar. For the one who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And we have this commandment from him, that whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1 John 4:20-21)

He also said that the "good news of the kingdom would be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations" before God brings an "end" to this present system of things. (Matthew 24:14) Again, the churches are MIA.

On those points alone, it proves that people are either true Christians, or reinvented ones.
Calling yourself a Christian doesn't make you one. You have to be "doing" what Christ instructed, not making excuses for why you don't. (Matthew 7:21-23)

 

[shmogie]

Thanks for the kind words. But something has to give. I have lived through many bushfire seasons. Some worse than others. But the recent ones? Damn this is some straight up Biblical plagues stuff! Air pollution, water pollution, smoke looping back around on us. This isn’t normal, this isn’t just a case of “oh natural disasters going to naturally disaster.”
My generation will be around when the whether gets worse, will you be around to suffer with us? All the experts seem to agree that this is nothing compared to the coming years. Hell even this year might be hotter and even worse than the last season.
This complacency and fighting against even the most basic hint of trying to clean up the mess of the boomers is starting to wear thin with us youngins. We’re getting more and more fed up with all the damned political crap. Find cleaner resources, don’t litter, stop raping the planet. Surely that is not such a big ask?
I’m no conservationist new age hippy on a neo paleo diet or whatever the trendy vegans eat these days. I’m a capitalist meat eating lazy *******. But geez, a little more concern for the future can’t hurt.

Oh, it is we baby boomers who are causing the weather to change ? Wow, I never knew we had such collective power.

 

[SomeRandom]

Oh, it is we baby boomers who are causing the weather to change ? Wow, I never knew we had such collective power.

Fear the boomers and their powers!!!!!

 

[Dan From Smithville]

It's what 'separates the sheep from the goats'.....we cannot interpret the Bible without God's spirit. Men have always twisted the scriptures to suit their own agenda. This was brought out by the apostle Peter, who said...

"Furthermore, consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you according to the wisdom given him, 16 speaking about these things as he does in all his letters. However, some things in them are hard to understand, and these things the ignorant and unstable are twisting, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction." (2 Peter 3:15-16)

It is certainly nothing new. So we don't need to just look at what people say (talk is cheap).....we need to take a good look at what they do to obey the Christ in all his teachings, not just applying the convenient ones and ignoring the rest.

Christendom is a product of humans reinterpreting God's word to suit themselves, dividing it up into disunited sects. But when it comes to the important things, most of them are "Missing in Action". Especially is this true when it comes to Jesus teachings about how to treat our enemies and the fact that we must all be messengers of the Kingdom, telling others about it.

He said...
"You heard that it was said: ‘You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 However, I say to you: Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may prove yourselves sons of your Father who is in the heavens, since he makes his sun rise on both the wicked and the good and makes it rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous". (Matthew 5:43-45)

The churches will support the wars of their nations and ignore Jesus because of indoctrinated patriotic sentiment. A Christian has no nationality, and he will never take up arms to kill another human being...especially not his own "brother" in an opposing nation......we are all citizens of God's Kingdom and we will support only that rulership.

"If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet is hating his brother, he is a liar. For the one who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And we have this commandment from him, that whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1 John 4:20-21)

He also said that the "good news of the kingdom would be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations" before God brings an "end" to this present system of things. (Matthew 24:14) Again, the churches are MIA.

On those points alone, it proves that people are either true Christians, or reinvented ones.
Calling yourself a Christian doesn't make you one. You have to be "doing" what Christ instructed, not making excuses for why you don't. (Matthew 7:21-23)

How can something that cannot be known objectively prove anything. You just declare it so as if it were a universal truth that all see. But you cannot demonstrate it for all to see.

Saying someone claiming to be Christian, is not, does not make that so either.

 

[Deeje]

How can something that cannot be known objectively prove anything. You just declare it so as if it were a universal truth that all see. But you cannot demonstrate it for all to see.

"Objectively"? You think God needs to provide "objective" proof of his existence......wow.

If we call ourselves Christians we must demonstrate faith in God's word (Hebrews 11:1).....it is our only source of information about the God we purport to worship; the history of his dealings with the nation of Israel, as well as the role of his son, whom he sent into the world to save those whose heart is "complete" towards God. We cannot "know" the God of the Bible any other way. (John 17:3)

1 Chronicles 28:9...
"And you, Solʹo·mon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a complete heart and with a delightful soul, for Jehovah searches through all hearts, and he discerns every inclination of the thoughts. If you search for him, he will let himself be found by you, but if you leave him, he will reject you forever."

These are God's terms stated to Solomon. God doesn't have to demonstrate anything "for all to see", more than he already has (Romans 1:20).....he selectively reveals his truth to those who demonstrate faith in him and his word. Faith needs no proof. If you need God to "demonstrate" his reality....just wait. I guarantee that you will see it, along with everyone else who decided to either, sit on an invisible fence, or who didn't think that the Bible was good enough to really believe it.

Hebrews 11:6
"Moreover, without faith it is impossible to please God well, for whoever approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him."

Saying someone claiming to be Christian, is not, does not make that so either.

God appointed Ezekiel as a "watchman" to his fellow Israelites....God said...
"Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman to the house of Israel; and when you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them from me. 18 When I say to someone wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him, and you fail to speak in order to warn the wicked one to turn from his wicked course so that he may stay alive, he will die for his error because he is wicked, but I will ask his blood back from you. 19 But if you warn someone wicked and he does not turn back from his wickedness and from his wicked course, he will die for his error, but you will certainly save your own life. 20 But when someone righteous abandons his righteousness and does what is wrong, I will put a stumbling block before him and he will die. If you did not warn him, he will die for his sin and his righteous acts will not be remembered, but I will ask his blood back from you. 21 But if you have warned the righteous one not to sin, and he does not sin, he will surely keep alive because he was warned, and you will have saved your own life.”

Its a weighty responsibility given to all of Christ's disciples...to preach the Kingdom message and make disciples, so that they can be saved too. (Matthew 28:19-20) We hear the words of Jesus who warned about the "weeds" sown by the devil.....a counterfeit form of Christianity that has overtaken the wheat, like weeds always do. Both exist.....so we have to identify both. "Few" are on the right road. (Matthew 7:13-14)
He also warned that his return would see conditions "just like the days of Noah". (Matthew 24:37-39) Do you see what he meant?

God knows who are the real deal, and who are the "weeds"....we had better know it too. God doesn't real labels....that includes my own......he reads hearts.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

"Objectively"? You think God needs to provide "objective" proof of his existence......wow.

If we call ourselves Christians we must demonstrate faith in God's word (Hebrews 11:1).....it is our only source of information about the God we purport to worship; the history of his dealings with the nation of Israel, as well as the role of his son, whom he sent into the world to save those whose heart is "complete" towards God. We cannot "know" the God of the Bible any other way. (John 17:3)

1 Chronicles 28:9...
"And you, Solʹo·mon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a complete heart and with a delightful soul, for Jehovah searches through all hearts, and he discerns every inclination of the thoughts. If you search for him, he will let himself be found by you, but if you leave him, he will reject you forever."

These are God's terms stated to Solomon. God doesn't have to demonstrate anything "for all to see", more than he already has (Romans 1:20).....he selectively reveals his truth to those who demonstrate faith in him and his word. Faith needs no proof. If you need God to "demonstrate" his reality....just wait. I guarantee that you will see it, along with everyone else who decided to either, sit on an invisible fence, or who didn't think that the Bible was good enough to really believe it.

Hebrews 11:
"Moreover, without faith it is impossible to please God well, for whoever approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him."



God appointed Ezekiel as a "watchman" to his fellow Israelites....God said...
"Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman to the house of Israel; and when you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them from me. 18 When I say to someone wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him, and you fail to speak in order to warn the wicked one to turn from his wicked course so that he may stay alive, he will die for his error because he is wicked, but I will ask his blood back from you. 19 But if you warn someone wicked and he does not turn back from his wickedness and from his wicked course, he will die for his error, but you will certainly save your own life. 20 But when someone righteous abandons his righteousness and does what is wrong, I will put a stumbling block before him and he will die. If you did not warn him, he will die for his sin and his righteous acts will not be remembered, but I will ask his blood back from you. 21 But if you have warned the righteous one not to sin, and he does not sin, he will surely keep alive because he was warned, and you will have saved your own life.”

Its a weighty responsibility given to all of Christ's disciples...to preach the Kingdom message and make disciples, so that they can be saved too. (Matthew 28:19-20) We hear the words of Jesus who warned about the "weeds" sown by the devil.....a counterfeit form of Christianity that has overtaken the wheat, like weeds always do. Both exist.....so we have to identify both. "Few" are on the right road. (Matthew 7:13-14)
He also warned that his return would see conditions "just like the days of Noah". (Matthew 24:37-39) Do you see what he meant?

God knows who are the real deal, and who are the "weeds"....we had better know it too. God doesn't real labels....that includes my own......he reads hearts.

Oh you and logical fallacies. You sure do like em. A straw man.

I am not questioning what God knows. I am questioning what you claim to know, yet there is no way for others to verify. You could be making it up for all anyone can know. You could be correct. Still no one has anyway to know. You are claiming something as a fact that you cannot support to be a fact.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

"Objectively"? You think God needs to provide "objective" proof of his existence......wow.

If we call ourselves Christians we must demonstrate faith in God's word (Hebrews 11:1).....it is our only source of information about the God we purport to worship; the history of his dealings with the nation of Israel, as well as the role of his son, whom he sent into the world to save those whose heart is "complete" towards God. We cannot "know" the God of the Bible any other way. (John 17:3)

1 Chronicles 28:9...
"And you, Solʹo·mon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a complete heart and with a delightful soul, for Jehovah searches through all hearts, and he discerns every inclination of the thoughts. If you search for him, he will let himself be found by you, but if you leave him, he will reject you forever."

These are God's terms stated to Solomon. God doesn't have to demonstrate anything "for all to see", more than he already has (Romans 1:20).....he selectively reveals his truth to those who demonstrate faith in him and his word. Faith needs no proof. If you need God to "demonstrate" his reality....just wait. I guarantee that you will see it, along with everyone else who decided to either, sit on an invisible fence, or who didn't think that the Bible was good enough to really believe it.

Hebrews 11:
"Moreover, without faith it is impossible to please God well, for whoever approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him."



God appointed Ezekiel as a "watchman" to his fellow Israelites....God said...
"Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman to the house of Israel; and when you hear a word from my mouth, you must warn them from me. 18 When I say to someone wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him, and you fail to speak in order to warn the wicked one to turn from his wicked course so that he may stay alive, he will die for his error because he is wicked, but I will ask his blood back from you. 19 But if you warn someone wicked and he does not turn back from his wickedness and from his wicked course, he will die for his error, but you will certainly save your own life. 20 But when someone righteous abandons his righteousness and does what is wrong, I will put a stumbling block before him and he will die. If you did not warn him, he will die for his sin and his righteous acts will not be remembered, but I will ask his blood back from you. 21 But if you have warned the righteous one not to sin, and he does not sin, he will surely keep alive because he was warned, and you will have saved your own life.”

Its a weighty responsibility given to all of Christ's disciples...to preach the Kingdom message and make disciples, so that they can be saved too. (Matthew 28:19-20) We hear the words of Jesus who warned about the "weeds" sown by the devil.....a counterfeit form of Christianity that has overtaken the wheat, like weeds always do. Both exist.....so we have to identify both. "Few" are on the right road. (Matthew 7:13-14)
He also warned that his return would see conditions "just like the days of Noah". (Matthew 24:37-39) Do you see what he meant?

God knows who are the real deal, and who are the "weeds"....we had better know it too. God doesn't real labels....that includes my own......he reads hearts.

I have no idea if you are a true Christian or not. I have only your word. But I don't see a good Christian having to resort to straw man arguments and other logical fallacies. You claim you can tell. Maybe so. You can't show anybody so they can know what you claim is true in either case.

Maybe this is an opportunity to learn.

 

[Deeje]

I am not questioning what God knows. I am questioning what you claim to know, yet there is no way for others to verify. You could be making it up for all anyone can know. You could be correct. Still no one has anyway to know. You are claiming something as a fact that you cannot support to be a fact.

There are eight and a half million of us who can all verify that God is directing our brotherhood like no other.

There is criteria for calling yourself a Christian.....first, you have to believe that God exists and that he sent Jesus Christ into the world to save the obedient and faithful ones among mankind. Second, you have to have faith in God's word because without it we cannot know God or Jesus Christ (John 17:3)....and we would have no clue about what God's Kingdom is, and how it "comes". (Matthew 6:9-10)

Third, you have to be "no part of the world" because its governance is under the control of the devil. (1 John 5:19; Luke 4:5-8)
That means no messing in politics or joining the military to train to kill the enemies that Christ told us to love. (Matthew 5:43-45) This was going to make Christ's disciples very unpopular. (John 15:18-21) We have to live our faith every day, not just talk about it...or put it on and take it off like a suit we keep in the closet.

The ones that Christ accepts as his own, are the ones "doing the will of the Father" in their everyday life. They love God with all that they are, and they love their neighbors enough to give up their free time to help others to learn about the God of the Bible, his Christ and the Kingdom to come. They have studied the scriptures carefully and they have one message that they unitedly preach in every nation on earth, in all languages. (Matthew 24:14)

When was the last time a member of Christendom's churches came to your door to offer you the good news of God's Kingdom? (Matthew 10:11-15)
Teaching people and making disciples was not a request...it was a command. (Matthew 28:19-20)

I found the criteria in the Bible and I believe I found the people who fulfilled it. No churches in Christendom do any of it in a sustained way, or as an international brotherhood because they often belong to local churches and preaching is not practiced at all, even among the more mainstream denominations. Most churches support the military. Many prefer to be entertained with emotional singing and hand waving rather than taking in the life saving knowledge of the Bible.

For mainstream Christendom which I supported growing up, all of the teachings of Christ were ignored or a failure to carry them out was justified in some way. I came to hate the hypocrisy.

I have no idea if you are a true Christian or not. I have only your word. But I don't see a good Christian having to resort to straw man arguments and other logical fallacies. You claim you can tell. Maybe so. You can't show anybody so they can know what you claim is true in either case.

Perhaps you need to be listening to the scriptures instead of trying to pick holes in my arguments....? Let the Bible speak...you don't have to take any notice of me. I am just a messenger. Read the Bible...its all there. If you are one of his, God will grant you the understanding. (Daniel 12:9-10)

Maybe this is an opportunity to learn.

Missed opportunities are everywhere......I guess that is why "few" are on the road to life....."like the days of Noah"......God has warned them, but they have not taken any notice. Why? Because they stumbled over the messenger. God is choosing us as much as we think we are choosing him. We have to make adjustments in our thinking to suit him, because he will never adjust his truth to suit the desires of flawed humans.

That is how I see it....

 

[Sand Dancer]

You think God recognises ‘denominations’? Sectarianism is a sign of human interference in manipulating scripture to suit their own agendas. Unity is a sign that God’s word comes before human preferences. We don’t get to dictate our terms to God....as Universal Sovereign, he gets to dictate his terms to us.

I don’t think God does “current knowledge” on any of his laws.....none of which are negotiable....they transcend all generations because he does not change.

Then why does Yahweh keep knowledge from us? Why are we finding out knew things all the time with Yahweh? The Bible shows that people only were party to knowledge at their time in history.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

There are eight and a half million of us who can all verify that God is directing our brotherhood like no other.

There is criteria for calling yourself a Christian.....first, you have to believe that God exists and that he sent Jesus Christ into the world to save the obedient and faithful ones among mankind. Second, you have to have faith in God's word because without it we cannot know God or Jesus Christ (John 17:3)....and we would have no clue about what God's Kingdom is, and how it "comes". (Matthew 6:9-10)

Third, you have to be "no part of the world" because its governance is under the control of the devil. (1 John 5:19; Luke 4:5-8)
That means no messing in politics or joining the military to train to kill the enemies that Christ told us to love. (Matthew 5:43-45) This was going to make Christ's disciples very unpopular. (John 15:18-21) We have to live our faith every day, not just talk about it...or put it on and take it off like a suit we keep in the closet.

The ones that Christ accepts as his own, are the ones "doing the will of the Father" in their everyday life. They love God with all that they are, and they love their neighbors enough to give up their free time to help others to learn about the God of the Bible, his Christ and the Kingdom to come. They have studied the scriptures carefully and they have one message that they unitedly preach in every nation on earth, in all languages. (Matthew 24:14)

When was the last time a member of Christendom's churches came to your door to offer you the good news of God's Kingdom? (Matthew 10:11-15)
Teaching people and making disciples was not a request...it was a command. (Matthew 28:19-20)

I found the criteria in the Bible and I believe I found the people who fulfilled it. No churches in Christendom do any of it in a sustained way, or as an international brotherhood because they often belong to local churches and preaching is not practiced at all, even among the more mainstream denominations. Most churches support the military. Many prefer to be entertained with emotional singing and hand waving rather than taking in the life saving knowledge of the Bible.

For mainstream Christendom which I supported growing up, all of the teachings of Christ were ignored or a failure to carry them out was justified in some way. I came to hate the hypocrisy.



Perhaps you need to be listening to the scriptures instead of trying to pick holes in my arguments....? Let the Bible speak...you don't have to take any notice of me. I am just a messenger. Read the Bible...its all there. If you are one of his, God will grant you the understanding. (Daniel 12:9-10)



Missed opportunities are everywhere......I guess that is why "few" are on the road to life....."like the days of Noah"......God has warned them, but they have not taken any notice. Why? Because they stumbled over the messenger. God is choosing us as much as we think we are choosing him. We have to make adjustments in our thinking to suit him, because he will never adjust his truth to suit the desires of flawed humans.

That is how I see it....

More logical fallacies. Argument as populum. As if you can back up your claim that your 8.5 million can verify anything without the means.

Preaching instead of thinking, reasoning and listening.

You can believe whatever you want, but you are never going to convince anyone it is raining when they can see the sunshine with their own eyes.

 

[Dan From Smithville]

There are eight and a half million of us who can all verify that God is directing our brotherhood like no other.

There is criteria for calling yourself a Christian.....first, you have to believe that God exists and that he sent Jesus Christ into the world to save the obedient and faithful ones among mankind. Second, you have to have faith in God's word because without it we cannot know God or Jesus Christ (John 17:3)....and we would have no clue about what God's Kingdom is, and how it "comes". (Matthew 6:9-10)

Third, you have to be "no part of the world" because its governance is under the control of the devil. (1 John 5:19; Luke 4:5-8)
That means no messing in politics or joining the military to train to kill the enemies that Christ told us to love. (Matthew 5:43-45) This was going to make Christ's disciples very unpopular. (John 15:18-21) We have to live our faith every day, not just talk about it...or put it on and take it off like a suit we keep in the closet.

The ones that Christ accepts as his own, are the ones "doing the will of the Father" in their everyday life. They love God with all that they are, and they love their neighbors enough to give up their free time to help others to learn about the God of the Bible, his Christ and the Kingdom to come. They have studied the scriptures carefully and they have one message that they unitedly preach in every nation on earth, in all languages. (Matthew 24:14)

When was the last time a member of Christendom's churches came to your door to offer you the good news of God's Kingdom? (Matthew 10:11-15)
Teaching people and making disciples was not a request...it was a command. (Matthew 28:19-20)

I found the criteria in the Bible and I believe I found the people who fulfilled it. No churches in Christendom do any of it in a sustained way, or as an international brotherhood because they often belong to local churches and preaching is not practiced at all, even among the more mainstream denominations. Most churches support the military. Many prefer to be entertained with emotional singing and hand waving rather than taking in the life saving knowledge of the Bible.

For mainstream Christendom which I supported growing up, all of the teachings of Christ were ignored or a failure to carry them out was justified in some way. I came to hate the hypocrisy.



Perhaps you need to be listening to the scriptures instead of trying to pick holes in my arguments....? Let the Bible speak...you don't have to take any notice of me. I am just a messenger. Read the Bible...its all there. If you are one of his, God will grant you the understanding. (Daniel 12:9-10)



Missed opportunities are everywhere......I guess that is why "few" are on the road to life....."like the days of Noah"......God has warned them, but they have not taken any notice. Why? Because they stumbled over the messenger. God is choosing us as much as we think we are choosing him. We have to make adjustments in our thinking to suit him, because he will never adjust his truth to suit the desires of flawed humans.

That is how I see it....

Then your eyes remain closed.