|  Author | Topic: Identification of true religion (Read 827 times) |
Libby
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|  | Re: Identification of true religion
« Reply #30 on Jun 11, 2006, 4:52pm » | ![[Quote]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/buttons/quote.gif) |
Quote:| Consider this:1. Jesus started one true Christian religion. So today there must be just one body, or group, of true worshipers of Jehovah God. |
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You say that "today there must be just one body, or group"; what about all the centuries prior to "today"? What was the one body, the one group?
You also say that all the different Christian denominations are due to 'wrong teachings and unchristian practices that slowly came into the Christian congregation and men drew away believers to follow themselves instead of Christ', so did the Christian congregation that Jesus started survive at all or was it pretty much depleted by men drawing believers out of it?
Love, Libby
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The mountain tops are glorious...But it's in the valleys I grow!…….Jane Eggleston
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atalaya
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| | Re: Identification of true religion
« Reply #31 on Jun 14, 2006, 7:21pm » | |
“Because there is one loaf, we, although many, are one body, for we are all partaking [eating] of that one loaf.” (1 Cor. 10:17, NW) To which body does Paul here refer by the words “one body”? Not to the personal, fleshly body of Jesus which is symbolized by the loaf of unleavened bread. No, but to the entire congregation of spiritual Israelites of which Jesus Christ is the spiritual Head. This congregation under him is later spoken of in this same letter of Paul as Christ’s body: “Now you are Christ’s body, and members individually. And God has set the respective ones in the congregation.”—1 Cor. 12:27, 28, NW.w52
Notice the unity of past Christians as one body,not independent groups.
Consider also this:Paul in Ephesians 4:3-5, where he speaks about “endeavoring to observe the oneness of the spirit in the uniting bond of peace,” and then goes on and enumerates: “One body there is, and one spirit, even as you were called in the one hope to which you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all persons, who is over all and through all and in all.” What a closely united and compact body his followers must have become considering the numerous things held in common!
9 To illustrate further that closeness and compact unity, Paul compares it to the human body: “For just as the body is one thing but has many members, and all the members of that body, although being many, are one body, so also is the Christ. For truly by one spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink one spirit. . . . God compounded the body, giving honor more abundant to the part which had a lack, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have the same care for one another.” “Speaking the truth, let us by love grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ. From him all the body, by being harmoniously joined together and being made to cooperate through every joint which gives what is needed, according to the functioning of each respective member in due measure, makes for the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” Could there be any more perfect unity than that between members of the human body? Could the body possibly be divided? Could there be more than one head to a body? What an excellent illustration to show the highest degree of unity and oneness of the many members making up the Christian congregation!—1 Cor. 12:12-25; Eph. 4:15, 16.w60
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(PSALM 83:18) “. . .That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth.”
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Libby
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| | Re: Identification of true religion
« Reply #32 on Jun 14, 2006, 9:45pm » | |
And there, friends, you have the description from the WTS of the true religion -- the 144,000 humans from the year 33 to 1935 who comprise the body of Christ, the entire congregation of spiritual Israelites.
I love the illustration Scripture uses of Jesus building us up in a temple made with living stones where God's spirit dwells.
Sadly, the WTS limits this, as Atalaya has helped us to understand, to 144,000 living stones gathered over about a 1900 year period. And sad, too, that the religion Atalaya is promoting does not consider him part of it.
Love, Libby
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The mountain tops are glorious...But it's in the valleys I grow!…….Jane Eggleston
http://www.llerrah.com/dreams.htm
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atalaya
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| | Re: Identification of true religion
« Reply #33 on Jun 15, 2006, 8:53am » | |
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(PSALM 83:18) “. . .That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth.”
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archangel
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| | Re: Identification of true religion
« Reply #34 on Jul 21, 2006, 11:46pm » | |
Quote:That's why Raymond Franz is no longer a member of the Governing Body. He lost his spiritual focus and by extension, the holy spirit.
Jesus' promise of eternal life applies to all believing Christians, meaning those who obey him and follow his true teachings. "If you love me," Jesus said, "you will obey my commandments."
All those who overcome by faith will be "with the Lord," whether the "little flock" in heaven or the "great crowd" who live under Christ's rulership.
By means of Christ's Kingdom God's will shall be done "on earth as it is in heaven." Poetically speaking, the New Jerusalem will "come down out of heaven" and "God will be with them," those on earth, by means of that Kingdom. (Revelation 21:2, 3)
Thus, all who love Christ will be "with him," and enjoy everlasting life, whether in heaven or on a paradise earth. As Jesus told the evildoer on the stake, "You will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43) |
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He actually said, 'Today you will be with me in paradise.' 
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God is light: in him there is no darkness at all |
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archangel
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| | Re: Identification of true religion
« Reply #35 on Jul 22, 2006, 12:28am » | |
Hi, wonderful people. I'm sorry, but I have never seen so many posts out to prove that YHWH (he was not called Jehovah until about 700 years ago!) is only using the WTS! And how many quotations from WTS publications to 'prove' it. Actually, they prove nothing. 'You will know them by their fruits' (Matt. 7: 16, 20) is a passage the GB loves to quote - out of context. If you look at the context, it is 'Beware of false prophets' (v. 15). What is the fruit of false prophets? False prophecies! How are we to know a false prophet and how to treat them? "But the prophet who speaks A WORD presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which speaks in the name of other gods THAT PROPHET SHALL DIE. You may say in your heart, 'How will we know THE WORD which YHWH has not spoken?' When a prophet speaks in the name of YHWH, if THE THING does not come about or come true, that is THE THING which YHWH has not spoken. THE PROPHET HAS SPOKEN IT PRESUMPTUOUSLY; YOU SHALL NOT BE AFRAID OF HIM." (Deut. 18: 20 - 22). In light of the warnings given by YHWH and Jesus Christ, what makes anyone think that suddenly, they will choose, as their only true religion, an organization that has claimed to be Jehovah's prophet and mouthpiece, yet whose history is littered with proven false prophecy? Where does Scripture ever say that if a prophet makes a false prophecy, then apologizes, or blames someone else, or tries to hide it as 'old light', or changes the prophecy after it hasn't come true to show that it did happen, but 'invisibly', that the prophet is accepted then as God's true mouthpiece? It does not. How much of the prophecy does Scripture say condemns the false prophet? ONE WORD. What should happen if ONE THING the prophet utters in the name of YHWH does not come true? He (it) should DIE, people MUST NOT be afraid of him (it). So why use the utterences of a prophet proven to be false many times to show the 'true religion'? Of course they will say they will be it! It is another thing to prove it! What makes anyone think that YHWH and Jesus Christ would deny their written Word just to accomodate one man-made organization? If they did, neither would be worth following. But they are, because they haven't.
Ironically, the Bible gives its own definition of 'true religion', yet not one of you has quoted it! "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (James 1: 27) To be sure, Jehovah's Witnesses do visit orphans and widows, but only to push WTS teachings, not to relieve any distress. In fact, the WTS disfellowshipping and shunning policies actually make married people widows and widowers, and make young children orphans, creating more distress. Is that what James was teaching? In light of James other writing (in chapters 2 to 5, about how we should treat others) it is easy to say that it is not. Where are the WTS widows associations or orphanages? They do not exist.
This is only a short post, but surely enough to convince discerning people that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is NOT God's true body of people today. We have to look elsewhere. I don't believe it is to be found in organization or denomination, but it is to be found!
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archangel
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| | Re: Identification of true religion
« Reply #36 on Jul 22, 2006, 6:02am » | |
Oh, by the way, if you want to know the fate of the false prophet, this will tell you. "And the beast was seized, and with him the FALSE PROPHET who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast AND THOSE WHO WORSHIPED HIS IMAGE; these two were thrown ALIVE into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone." (Rev. 19: 20) Just think, if all this were to happen tomorrow, who best fits the profile of 'false prophet'? And who is responsible for the deception? "the devil" (Rev. 20: 10) And what is his fate? I'll leave you to look that one up for yourselves!
Have a nice day!
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God is light: in him there is no darkness at all |
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Clear Water
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| | Re: Identification of true religion
« Reply #37 on Aug 20, 2006, 7:21pm » | |
Quote:| If you look at the context, it is \'Beware of false prophets\' (v. 15). |
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Why do you ignore verse 17, which says, \"Likewise every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit\"? That brings the point of the paragraph to the fore. Matthew 7:15-20 is showing that we can recognize the true and the false, by each of their fruits.
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archangel
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| | Re: Identification of true religion
« Reply #38 on Aug 21, 2006, 1:05am » | |
Quote:
Quote:| If you look at the context, it is \'Beware of false prophets\' (v. 15). |
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Why do you ignore verse 17, which says, \"Likewise every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit\"? That brings the point of the paragraph to the fore. Matthew 7:15-20 is showing that we can recognize the true and the false, by each of their fruits. |
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Agreed, CW, but I haven't ignored the verse, it is still in the context of 'false prophets' the fruit of true prophets is that their prophecies are fulfilled - that is really fine fruit, don't you agree? False prophets also bear fruit - worthless, because their words are not from Jehovah - which is proved by them not finding fulfilment. I hope we are truly agreed on this, my friend!
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