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Interests: And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all nations; and then the end will come.
Matthew 24:14
Expertise: And YOU will know the truth, and the truth will set YOU free.
John 8:32
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| Page 278 July 7, 2008 The Time of The End 
When people think about the "End of this world as we
now know it", most automatically think of the last book of
the Bible, The Book of Revelation according to John. It
does have much information about these last days, but
many other books in the Bible contain key information
of great importance. This information, located throughout
the Bible, is very seldom broached by Christendom’s
priests and ministers because the threatening information
interferes with their preferred program of delivering only
"happy talk" to their blissfully ignorant and unsuspecting
congregations. What kind of threatening information? 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven
will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed,
nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It
shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring
them to an end, and it shall stand forever.
(Daniel 2:44) (ESV) -Biblegateway
"And the word of Jehovah continued to occur to me, saying...
‘An end, the end, has come upon the four extremities of the
land. Now the end is upon you, and I must send my anger
against you, and I will judge you according to your ways
and bring upon you all your detestable things. And my eye
will not feel sorry for you, neither will I feel compassion, for
upon you I shall bring your own ways, and in the midst of
you your own detestable things will come to be; and YOU
people will have to know that I am Jehovah.’ "
(Ezekiel 7:1-4) (New World Translation) www.WatchTower.org "And those slain by Jehovah will certainly come to be in
that day from one end of the earth clear to the other end
of the earth. They will not be bewailed, neither will they be
gathered up or be buried. As manure on the surface of the
ground they will become."
(Jeremiah 25:33) (YLT) -Biblegateway 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your
right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only
observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
(Psalms 91:7-8) (NIV) -Biblegateway 14 "The great day of Jehovah is near. It is near, and
there is a hurrying [of it] very much. The sound of
the day of Jehovah is bitter. There a mighty man is
letting out a cry. 15 That day is a day of fury, a day
of distress and of anguish, a day of storm and of
desolation, a day of darkness and of gloominess, a
day of clouds and of thick gloom, 16 a day of horn
and of alarm signal, against the fortified cities and
against the high corner towers. 17 And I will cause
distress to mankind, and they will certainly walk like
blind men; because it is against Jehovah that they have
sinned. And their blood will actually be poured out like
dust, and their bowels like the dung. 18 Neither their
silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the
day of Jehovah’s fury; but by the fire of his zeal the
whole earth will be devoured, because he will make
an extermination, indeed a terrible one, of all the
inhabitants of the earth."
(Zephaniah 1:14-18) (NWT) www.WatchTower.org But that is not all! There is a lot more valuable
information that was not written down. 4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book,
until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and
knowledge shall increase."
(Daniel 12:4) (ESV) -Biblegateway1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven.
He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his
face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. 2 He
was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted
his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and he
gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the
voices of the seven thunders spoke. 4 And when the seven
thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from
heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and
do not write it down."
(Revelation 10:1-4) (NIV) -BiblegatewayGod told Daniel and John that certain Bible
Prophecy will be "sealed" (hidden) until the
time of the end. So When Will These Words Be Revealed? "Today we are in a knowledge explosion
which is moving so rapidly that probably
few people understand its consequences.
Terms that were scarcely heard a decade
or so ago are now common household words.
These are words like PC, CD-Rom, hard disc,
Internet, web, etc. It is now possible to
travel with a laptop computer and a pouch
full of CD Roms that contain a large library
on disc... All that is amazing! We are surely
living in the time when knowledge has increased."
"An angel speaking to the prophet Daniel seems to
refer to such a day as ours. The angel told him:
"But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of
the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go
here and there to increase knowledge." (Dan. 12:4).
We understand from this that knowledge will be
increased so dramatically that it will be a sign
of the end days. Surely we are living in such a time."
- Jim Gerris
Bridges For Peace, Jerusalem. 1996.
A Tale of Two Trees; The Tree of KnowledgeThe knowledge has already been revealed
to the world. Only the wise have taken
note of the worthwhile information. Increased General Knowledge is a Sign of the Last Days.
What else is a sign? We are seeing momentous world events with our very eyes.
Nobody seems to really notice that churches, synagogues
and temples are being destroyed. 
Why isn't Jehovah protecting the Churches? People are becoming homeless, dying, acting senseless
and living in misery all over the world. 
Why isn't Jehovah protecting the People? Jehovah, in His book, the Bible promises: 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you
hope and a future.
(Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) -Biblegateway And our Messiah, His Son, said: 25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what
you will wear. Is not life more important than food,
and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at
the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store
away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of
you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28"And
why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of
the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you
that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like
one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the
field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the
fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
(Matthew 6:25-30) (NIV) -Biblegateway Why are so many people not granted God’s protection? Most people think that these events are merely a series
of unfortunate occurrences. Every time an earthquake
or floods or fire destroys buildings and homes aid is
sent to the ravaged areas. Before the destruction can
be rebuilt more devastation occurs in other places. The question is, why is God allowing all this? Answer: it is God’s judgment! 
That sizes the situation up nicely! The hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, fires,
flooding storms and disease outbreaks we have
already experienced are only the beginning! It
is time to destroy everything that opposes
Jehovah! For Jehovah's people - this is good news! 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and
lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing
near."
(Luke 21:25-28) (NIV) -Biblegateway 34 Wait for Jehovah, and keep his way, And he will
exalt thee to inherit the land: When the wicked are
cut off, thou shalt see it. 35 I have seen the wicked
in great power, And spreading himself like a green
tree in its native soil. 36 But one passed by, and, lo,
he was not: Yea, I sought him, but he could not be
found. 37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the
upright; For there is a happy end to the man of peace.
38 As for transgressors, they shall be
destroyed together; The end of the
wicked shall be cut off.
(Psalms 37:34-38) (American Standard Version) -Biblegateway We have been waiting for this for a very long time.
Now it is a reality! | | |
| Page 277 July 2, 2008 Have nothing to do with Godless Myths If there is only one God, why are there so
many different Christian churches today? Why do we have to choose from Amish, Anabaptist, Anglican, Baptist,
Branch Davidian, Calvinist, Catholic, Charismatic, Christian Science,
Ebenezer, Lutheran, Methodist, Mormon, Seventh-Day Adventist,
Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Unitarian, Zionist and so many others? How many versions of Christianity do we need? Is there something they all have in common? Most of their members are Trinitarians who worship Lord Nameless,
a three-headed god just like the triune gods pagans worshiped long ago. 
Lord Nameless To the Trinitarians, Jesus Christ is "God the Son". To the
Unitarians, he is "the son of God". At least the Unitarians
are a little less pagan than the rest. What does the Bible warn about that? "Do not worship the LORD your God in the way these
pagan peoples worship their gods."
(Deuteronomy 12:4) (NLT) Bible Gateway "Instead, they mingled among the pagans and adopted their... customs."
(Psalm 106:35) (NLT) Bible Gateway What else do these members of this "Christendom" believe? They learn these worthless things from their church ministers: "God’s name is "Nobody".
"The cross is holy".
"Christmas and Easter are holy days for all Christians".
"Halloween is harmless fun".
"Everybody in our group who dies goes to Heaven.
"Everybody else goes to Hell".
"Once we are saved, we are always saved!"
"Jesus is my good buddy. He loves me no matter what!"
"Jesus is God."
"God loves everybody no matter what they do!"
These beliefs are all false. Why do the ministers of Christendom
teach these false beliefs? 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great
number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They
will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
(2Timothy 4:3-4) (New International Version) -BibleGatewayHow do we know these beliefs are myths? Is God’s name "Nobody"? 3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob,
by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was
I not known to them.
(Exodus 6:3) (King James Version) -BibleGatewayIs the cross holy? 4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything
in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below."
(Exodus 20:4) (NIV) -BibleGateway Are Christmas and Easter holy days for Christianity? "Christmas and Easter - These spurious, counterfeit holydays
represent a COMPROMISE with paganism, an attempt on the
part of the church to convert the heathen by meeting them halfway.
But the Scriptures clearly teach that there must be NO
Compromise with the evil one on any point. Paul gives the warning:
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall
depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines
of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared
with a hot iron." 1 Timothy 4:1, 2."
-HEATHEN CUSTOMS In the Christian Church;
By Murl VanceBut everybody thinks that Christmas
is Jesus’ "birthday". Why can’t we celebrate that?
"The Jews and early christians - regarded birthday
celebrations as part of idolatrous worship."
-M'Clintock & Strong's Cyclopedia (Vol. I, p. 817) "The earliest Christians simply were NOT interested
in celebrating the Nativity. They 'viewed birthday
celebrations as heathen'. The third-century church
father - Origen had declared it a sin to even think
of keeping Christ's birthday 'as though he were a
king pharoah'."
- December 23,1996 issue of
US News & World Report What’s wrong with Easter? "It is interesting that the holiest day of the liturgical Christian
year, Easter Sunday, bears the name of the pagan sex goddess
Eastre and the pagan sun god Solis."
-Panati, Charles. Sacred Origins of Profound Things.
New York: Penguin Books USA Inc., 1996. A Sex goddess? What does Jehovah think about her? 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
(Exodus 20:3) (KJV) -BibleGatewayNominal Christians don't consider Halloween
to be a religious holiday! "Originally a pagan festival of the dead , All Saints’ Day
was established by the Catholic Church in the 9th century
to honor Christian saints."From: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761572079/Halloween.html And the nominal Christians desire to
go to Heaven when we die, don’t we? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who
came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up
the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
(John 3:13-15) (NIV) -BibleGatewayWhere are the dead now? 28 Don't be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the
dead in their graves will hear the voice of God's Son, 29 and they
will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to eternal life,
and those who have continued in evil will rise to judgment.
(John 5:28-29) (NLT) -BibleGateway
And where will they reside? "The righteous shall inherit the earth, And they shall live forever upon it."
(Psalm 37:29) (KJV) -BiblegatewayWhat is another Godless myth the priests and ministers
of Christendom are responsible for?
"But I know that once we are saved, we are always saved!
Jesus is my good buddy. He loves me no matter what! God
loves everybody no matter what they do!" 17You 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) That is correct. We all look forward to a day of judgment soon! "On that day of judgment," says the LORD, "I will punish
the leaders... and all those following pagan customs."
(Zephaniah 1:8) (New Living Translation) -Biblegateway 46 "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?
(Luke 6:46) (NIV) Bible Gateway22 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) (NIV) Bible GatewayWhat would be the wise thing to do now? 7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives'
tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
(1Timothy 4:7) (NIV) -BibleGateway
Why? "...It's important to look at things from God's point of view..."
(1Corinthians 4:6) (Message Bible) -BibleGatewayAnd what is God’s viewpoint? 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too;
you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons.
22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord's jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
(1Corinthians 10:21-22) (NIV) -BibleGateway11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness;
instead, rebuke and expose them.
(Ephesians 5:11) (NIV) -BibleGateway
"Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can
light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between
Christ and the Devil ? ...Therefore, come out from them and
separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don't touch
their filthy things..."
(2Corinthians 6:14-17) (New Living Translation) -BibleGatewayPeople can believe what they want, but in the end, the truth is
what matters, not the false beliefs people prefer to cling to. The
very people who proclaim "Jesus loves you and forgives you"
are the very ones about to be destroyed for their error. It will
be a shock to them when it happens but the Bible has many
warnings in it for those who want to really know: 9 I, the LORD, will show no mercy or pity when that time comes.
In my anger I will destroy the earth and every sinner who
lives on it.
(Isaiah 13:9) (Contemporary English Version) -BibleGateway"In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he
commands all people everywhere to repent. For he
has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by
the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all
men by raising him from the dead."
(Acts 17:30,31) (NIV) -BibleGateway Now is a good time to repent before it is too late. Is there a people who know these things and
spread this information all around the world? 10 Ye are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and my servant whom
I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me, and understand
that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall
there be after me. 11 I, even I, am Jehovah; and besides me there
is no saviour. 12 I have declared, and I have saved, and I have
showed; and there was no strange god among you: therefore ye
are my witnesses, saith Jehovah, and I am God.
(Isaiah 43:10-12) (American Standard Version) -BibleGateway | | |
| Page 276 June 27, 2008 Why Is God Angry? It has come to the attention of many people in this world
that it is possible that our God, Jehovah, may be angry. Where do they get that idea? May 27, 2008 BEIJING, China (CNN) --
Two additional aftershocks struck quake-ravaged
China on Tuesday, injuring at least 63 people and
causing the collapse of more than 420,000 homes,
according to the state-run news agency Xinhua. 
The official death toll from the quake rose to
67,183 on Tuesday, an increase of more than
2,000, with about 21,000 missing. The government
estimates that 45 million people, mostly in Sichuan
province, were affected by the earthquake and that
5 million were left homeless. From: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/27/china.earthquake/index.html UN secretary-general: 'The Myanmar
Government Appears to be Moving
Toward the Right Direction'Cyclone Nargis killed at least 78,000 people and left 56,000
more missing. Holmes said the U.N. believes that just over 1 million of
the 2.4 million people severely affected by the cyclone
have received some kind of aid from U.N. agencies,
national and international NGOs or the Myanmar Red Cross. From: http://abcnews.go.com/International/WireStory?id=4943261&page=2 Iowa town measures the loss after deadly tornado By JAMES BELTRAN, Associated Press Writer Tue May 27, 2:03 PM ET PARKERSBURG, Iowa - Fred Everts held back tears
as he surveyed the pile of splintered wood and metal
scraps that had been his and his wife's home. Altogether,
350 homes were destroyed by the twister, the governor
said. The damage in Parkersburg alone was staggering:
222 homes destroyed in a town of some 1,000 residents,
21 businesses destroyed and more than 400 homes damaged.
Among the buildings destroyed were the city hall, the high
school and the town's sole grocery store and gas station. These stories seem to suggest that God
may be angry. People have even said so. Floods are judgment on
society, say bishopsBy Jonathan Wynne-Jones Last Updated: 1:41AM BST 02/07/2007 The floods that have devastated swathes of the
country are God's judgment on the immorality
and greed of modern society, according to senior
Church of England bishops. From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1556131/Floods-are-judgment-on-society,-say-bishops.html New Orleans Mayor Says God Mad at U.S. Jan 16 2005 05:51 PM US/Eastern
By BRETT MARTEL
Associated Press Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Mayor Ray Nagin suggested
Monday that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and other
storms were a sign that "God is mad at America"
and at black communities, too, for tearing themselves
apart with violence and political infighting. "Surely God is mad at America. He sent us hurricane
after hurricane after hurricane, and it's destroyed and
put stress on this country," Nagin, who is black, said
as he and other city leaders marked Martin Luther King
Day. But why is Jehovah angry? When Peacekeepers Prey on ChildrenSexual misconduct accusations were leveled against
employees of 23 international aid organizations,
including Save the Children, the United Nations and
the World Food Programme. From: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1809761,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-world Jehovah God does not like evil! That will come as a
shock to the people who think God loves everybody,
no matter what! 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) -Biblegateway What other evil things does Jehovah not like? 
Pagan Customs
Birthday celebration, Christmas, Easter, Halloween,
the cross and all other idols are all pagan in origin
and are not acceptable to Jehovah. What is Jehovah's warnings about pagan customs? "On that day of judgment," says the LORD, "I will
punish the leaders... and all those following pagan
customs."
(Zephaniah 1:8) (New Living Translation) -Biblegateway 9 I, the LORD, will show no mercy or pity when that
time comes. In my anger I will destroy the earth and
every sinner who lives on it.
(Isaiah 13:9) (CEV) -Biblegateway
And what else is making Jehovah angry?18 If only you had listened to My Laws! Then your peace
would have been like a river and your right-standing with
God would have been like the waves of the sea.
(Isaiah 48:18) (New Life Version) -BiblegatewayWhat Laws? 9 Don't you know that those who do wrong will have no
share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves.
Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers,
adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, 10 thieves,
greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers--none
of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God.
(1Corinthians 6:9-10) (NIV) -Biblegateway19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual
immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry
and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage,
selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy;
drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I
did before, that those who live like this will not
inherit the kingdom of God.
(Galatians 5:19-21) (NIV) -BiblegatewayYes, Jehovah sent His servants around the world to
make His presence and demands known but very
few people in this big world have paid any attention
to Jehovah's servants. Instead, the vast majority of
this world's population has ignored those servants
and pursued their own interests. That is going to be their last mistake!
The Saviour the world knows as "Jesus" is going
to execute Jehovah's judgment worldwide but the
vast majority of mankind do not believe that any
worldwide calamity will strike. No, most people
are blissfully ignorant of Jehovah's plans even
though the Bible has His plans fully detailed and
His servants have notified everyone about His
plans ever since His Son was sent to us.
14 And 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) (NLV) -Biblegateway 27 And he has given him authority to judge
because he is the Son of Man.
(John 5:27) (NIV) -Biblegateway 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) -Biblegateway49 I came to set fire to the earth, and I wish it
were already on fire!
(Luke 12:49) (CEV) -Biblegateway "The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters
are angels. The Son of Man will send out his angels,
and they will "WEED OUT" of his kingdom everything
that causes sin and all who do evil."
(Matthew 13:36-41) (NIV) -Biblegateway7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the
surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual
immorality and perversion. They serve as an
example of those who suffer the punishment of
eternal fire.
(Jude 1:7) (NIV) -BiblegatewaySome plans were written down in the Bible by Jehovah's
prophets before Jehovah's Son was even born. 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) -Biblegateway 15 I will pour out my vengeance on all the nations
that refuse to obey me."
(Micah 5:15) (NLT) -Biblegateway 10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though
you look for them, they will not be found. 11 But the
meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.
(Psalms 37:10-11) (NIV) -Biblegateway "And the word of Jehovah continued to occur to me, saying...
‘An end, the end, has come upon the four extremities
of the land. Now the end is upon you, and I must send
my anger against you, and I will judge you according
to your ways and bring upon you all your detestable
things. And my eye will not feel sorry for you, neither
will I feel compassion, for upon you I shall bring your
own ways, and in the midst of you your own detestable
things will come to be; and YOU people will have to
know that I am Jehovah.’ "
(Ezekiel 7:1-4) (New World Translation) Watchtower.orgWe see events going on in the world with our own eyes
and a few people in the world see them for what they are -
God's judgment in progress. For the vast majority of the
people, the earthquakes, violent storms, floods, high winds
and the aftermath (famine and homelessness) will continue
to take their toll without the victims realizing that it is their
punishment! The clueless populace believes that everybody
is a random victim of unfortunate events. They won't see
the truth that Jehovah's people are not affected by these
cataclysmic events and they won't even realize that they
are experiencing Jehovah's judgment until it becomes
much more obvious. "And those slain by Jehovah will certainly come to be in
that day from one end of the earth clear to the other end
of the earth. They will not be bewailed, neither will they be
gathered up or be buried. As manure on the surface of the
ground they will become."
(Jeremiah 25:33) (YLT) -BibleGateway And then what will happen after that? For Jehovah's people, and only for Jehovah's people,
there will be a new and wonderous world - the world
as Jehovah originally intended it to be. 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard
shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion
and the fatted beast together, and a little child shall lead
them. 7 And the cow and the she-bear shall feed; their young
ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like
the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the
adder, and the weaned child shall put forth its hand to the
viper's den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy
mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of
Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.
(Isaiah 11:6-9) (Darby) -Biblegateway
| | |
| Page 275 June 22, 2008 The Power of Pride
Most people have heard the expression “pride goes before a fall.”
Where did that old saying come from? “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
(Proverbs 16:18) (King James Version) -BibleGateway Every July 4th Americans celebrate the holiday known as
Independence Day. Proud Americans display symbols of
their pride for their country such as American flags from
vehicles and buildings. Some display American flag bumper
stickers. Many bumper stickers say “support our troops”. 
Why do people display patriotism on Independence Day? According to MSN Encarta, Independence Day is: “Independence Day, or the Fourth of July,
the most important national holiday in the United
States. It commemorates the formal adoption of
the Declaration of Independence by the Continental
Congress on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The declaration, written by a committee headed by
Thomas Jefferson, is an eloquent statement of the
American colonies’ intention to become an independent
nation. It broke the formal ties between the colonies
and Britain after the American Revolution had begun.
The Independence Day celebration is a reminder of the
ideals on which the nation was founded.” From: http://encarta.msn.com/ “Independence Day” Every July 4th, Americans display their pride in America
just like clockwork. What do Americans have to be proud of? Many things! Our country leads the world in many fields such as
technology, commerce, manufacturing, etc. However, our country
also suffers from many serious social maladies as well, such as:
war, intolerance, corruption, injustice, discrimination, abused
children, perversions, drug abuses, etc. Crimes are so rampant
that the news services can hardly report them all! Would our God allow any of this to be practiced
by the citizens who want to live in His kingdom? What does the Bible say? 9 Don't you know that evil people won't have a share in the
blessings of God's kingdom? Don't fool yourselves! No one
who is immoral or worships idols or is unfaithful in marriage
or is a pervert or behaves like a homosexual 10 will share in
God's kingdom. Neither will any thief or greedy person or
drunkard or anyone who curses and cheats others. (1Cor 6:9-10) (Contemporary English Version) -BibleGateway On July 4th most Americans celebrate their pride in a country
they love while a very small group of citizens quietly ignore the
festivities and cherish the kingdom that they belong to. They
invite everyone to leave this evil world behind and become a
citizen of a kingdom that will soon take over this world. Who are these people? What kingdom do they belong to? Jehovah’s Witnesses belong solely to the Heavenly kingdom of
Jehovah and do not support or promote the political and social
aspirations of the country in which they reside. They are respectful
people, but they do not vote, campaign for office, fight in wars,
salute a flag, or glory in war-motivated celebrations. Why not? Just as the early Christians refused to be “part of this world”,
the true modern day Christians follow suit: 14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them
because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not.
15 I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to
keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They are not part of
this world any more than I am.
(John 17:14-16) (New Living Translation) -BibleGateway 13 The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy,
and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate.
Proverbs (8:13) (American Standard Version) -BibleGateway 14 And 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) -BibleGateway 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."
(John 18:36) (English Standard Version) -BibleGateway
The average American citizen joyfully celebrates a holiday
that honors a terrorized country, its corrupt government and
millitary personnel. While American citizens (and Christendom)
proudly put all of their hopes in the armed forces, government,
and their various gods and lords to bring about peace in the world,
a strange ancient prophecy is quietly building toward fulfillment: 44 "But throughout the history of these kingdoms, the God of
heaven will be building a kingdom that will never be destroyed,
nor will this kingdom ever fall under the domination of another.
In the end it will crush the other kingdoms and finish them
off and come through it all standing strong and eternal. (Daniel 2:44) (Message Bible) -BibleGateway Many prophets through the ages have spread
the news of this kingdom to the people. Is it good news or bad news? First - the bad news: 5 The Lord is at Your right hand. He will
crush kings in the day of His anger. (Psalm 110:5) (New Life Version) -BibleGateway 12 I will `destine' you to the sword. All of you will bow before the executioner, for when I called, you did not answer. When I spoke, you did not listen. You deliberately sinned--before my very eyes--and chose to do what you know I despise." Isaiah 65:12 (NLT) -BibleGateway 32 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great tempest shall be raised up from the uttermost parts of the earth. 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 25:32-33) (ASV) -BibleGateway
Today our country’s average citizens revel in their pride and patriotism, especially on Memorial Day, Flag Day, Patriot Day
and on the Fourth of July. The Bible contains many unfulfilled
prophecies that warn of the demise of the world’s government
leaders and the very citizens who love their country so much.
Along with them the ills of this whole world will vanish! That is the good news: 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
"Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.
He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,
and God himself will be with them as their 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 21:3-4) (ESV) -BibleGateway So what is the wisest course of action, Patriotism or Godly devotion? 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
(James 4:4) (ESV) -BibleGateway 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. (1John 2:15) (New International Version) -BibleGateway Clearly, patriotism is not what the Bible recommends.
17 And the world is passing away along with its desires,
but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
(1John 2:17) (ESV) -BibleGateway
We have a choice to make now - God or the world! What is the wise choice? 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind
has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." (1Corinthians 2:9) (NIV) -BibleGateway | | |
| Page 274 June 17, 2008 HOW DOES THE BIBLE DESCRIBE
THE "LAST DAYS"? Most people do not believe that this world, as we now
know it, is about to come to an end; yet the Bible contains
many warnings for us about this very event: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful,
proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without selfcontrol, brutal,
not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of
pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness
but denying its power."
(2Timothy 3:1-5) (New International Version) -Biblegateway "First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will be
scoffers (ridiculers) who will laugh at the truth and do every
evil thing they desire."
(2Peter 3:3) (Amplified Bible - Tyndale) -Biblegateway So much for the people, what about the world itself? "For that will be a time of greater horror than anything the world
has ever seen or will ever see again. In fact, unless that time of
calamity is shortened, the entire human race will be destroyed."
(Matthew 24:21,22) (New Living Translation) -Biblegateway
"Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is
coming on the world..."
(Luke 21:26) (NIV) -Biblegateway
A Warning Message That Most Will IgnoreJust Like In Jeremiah's Day!
Jeremiah was given a commission by Jehovah God, to warn
the people of a coming destruction. But Jeremiah was also
told in advance that no one would listen to him. "When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you."
(Jeremiah 7:27) (NIV) -Biblegateway So then - why did Jeremiah have to preach a warning message?
Why did Jeremiah persist in preaching for fifty years knowing in
advance - that no one would listen to him? Why ? |
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